The Hollow Moon (Downworlder Series, #2)

Chapter Twenty: Part Two: Let Go

I stood there for a moment longer, heart heavy with the longing to be with both my male and my family. I felt like I was being torn in two. How could this be right? I had my freedom, the darkness and dredge of the city pollution was gone. MacIntosh was dead and most of his foulness had been cut out, Revan had made sure of that. Still, I felt like I was on the losing end.

Anya tugged on my hand, "Em... Stinky left us in the woods..."

I forced myself to look away from the cloud of dirt, meeting her wide eyed gaze, "He did." He had actually left us there. Left me to go back to his kingdom. The thought hurt, it was like a physical blow to the chest.

"That was mean." She said it low as she clutched my hand just a fraction tighter.

I turned my gaze back to where he had driven off, I could no longer see the dust cloud from his tires. He was simply gone. "Yah." The word cracked slightly as it came out.

"Dick." At the rather calmly said insult I let out a rather inappropriate laugh.

"Yah." I looked down at her and gave her a rather trembling smile. I needed to be strong. I had Anya to take care of and I wasn't sure what time it was but I needed to make it onto familiar territory before night fall and that meant we had a ways to walk.

I reached down and grabbed the bag from her, crouching down to look through it. I quickly found my switchblade, tucking it into the back pocket of my worn sleeping shorts. The brown bag holding the sapphire necklace Revan gave me was tucked in there as well as the small glass bottle with Smoky's canines and fur. My eyes burned at the sight of both of them so I quickly pushed them away. There were some bottles of water and some granola bars as well as a few wrapped sandwiches. At the bottom were two jackets and a pair of sweats. It wasn't a lot but I knew it would have to do.

I zipped it back up and slung it over my shoulder before holding out my hand for Anya to take. She gripped it quickly, holding it tight as I looked up at the sky. The mountain slope we were on was a south facing one and I knew we needed to travel north east for at least an hour to reach territory I knew.

I closed my eyes, trying to let my internal compass guide me. It was rusty and ill-used but slowly and surely it started coming back. The way the wind blew, what scents it carried with it, the way the sun beat down on me, the leaves on the trees rustling. Pieces of nature telling me where I was and where to go. I opened my eyes slowly, turning my body in the direction that we needed to go.

I grasped Anya's hand, pulling her towards the forest. My chest hurt the further I moved from Revan. I had to force myself to walk forward and to not look back. He had made his choice and I needed to focus on Anya and not dwell, no matter how much it hurt.

We walked, deviating direction as my internal compass adjusted, the signals nature sent me shifting our course. Anya chattered for the first hour but her talking slowed down and she was left to breathing heavy the further we travelled. The territory was growing more and more familiar and I stopped, tilting my head.

"What is it, Em?" Anya questioned, looking around suspiciously, her tiny hand tightening around her rusty blade. I lifted my free hand to my lips in a motion for her to be silent. She seemed to understand, pulling her lips inward as she gave a little nod of her head, throwing her bouncy curls forward. I pulled her forward a few more steps, trying to concentrate. I stopped mid-step when I heard the faint sound of women singing. I knew the sounds were echoing off the mountains, gathering into what we called the bowl. I felt a smile tug at my mouth. We were getting closer. I closed my eyes and listened more intently, cocking my head to the right. That was the direction.

My eyes sprung open as a wave of joy rushed through me. Even my little beasty let the shadows of my mind slide off of her. I let my head fall back as I let out a howl. A long and drawn out sound that alerted those around where I was. It was a howl of freedom. A howl of longing for the impending reunion with my family. It started off small, a low tone that danced through me before it grew into a haunting sound that hung in the air around us. Anya clung to me as fainter howl carried on the wind to us in response to my own.