Tainted Wings

Chapter Four

The room was dark when Hekate first opened her eyes. The darkness began to fade into spots before disappearing to reveal a ceiling fan that wasn't familiar to her at first. Voices on the other side of the room caused her to stiffen, afraid of where she had been taken this time.

"But why her? Why did you put all of this on one person?"

"She was chosen. There is nothing more than that. It is something she has to do."

Hekate groaned realizing not even a day had gone by before her secret was out. Marcia and Moro were on the other side of the room, facing each other. Moro sat on the floor while Marcia sat in her large comfortable chair by the window.

Hekate's hand reached up to rub her forehead, releasing the tension. "What happened?"

Marcia glanced over to see Hekate sitting up. She moved from her over-sized chair to the edge of the bed where Hekate had been sleeping. "After you destroyed the demon, Moro and I brought you back to my house. I called your mom and said we were having a sleepover."

"Thanks," she mumbled, continuing to rub the fog from her head.

"You're not going to ask why I'm not freaked out by the talking wolf that followed us home?" Marcia asked with a grin.

Hekate rolled her eyes. "Considering you were talking when I woke up, I assume Moro has probably filled you in on the details."

"She did." Marcia glanced back at the white wolf sitting in the corner of the room.

Moro stood up and walked to our side of the room. She leaped onto the bed to lay behind Hekate, supporting her back. "I felt it should be your decision on whether or not your friend remembers the events from earlier today."

Hekate turned her head, eyebrows furrowed. "I have that choice?"

Marcia reached forward to punch her arm. "No. You definitely do not have that choice."

"All right. All right. I get it," Hekate said, rubbing the now sore spot on her arm.

"I was asking Moro why you were chosen for this dangerous mission, all on your own before you woke up."

Moro lifted her eyes towards Marcia. "She is not alone."

Marcia held her hands up. "No offense meant. But you said it yourself. Unless she talks to you directly or calls you, you're basically in dormant mode. That fight could have ended very differently if she didn't shoot that weird light out of her hand to grab its heart."

Hekate feigned offense. "I think I fared pretty well, thank you!"

"You get my point."

"I guess. I'm not even sure what made me think to do that," Hekate said as she tried to remember the fight.

Moro sighed heavily. "I've been wondering that myself as well."

Marcia leaned back on her arms to see the wolf clearly. "What do you mean? That's not a power you expected her to have or something?"

Moro shook her head. "Every human manifests abilities unique to them based on their soul's strength. It could be as simple as telekinesis. One of my former humans once used his own blood as a weapon. But this is a first where a human has tapped into not only her own soul, but my own to pull power."

Hekate leaned her head back. "Am I hurting you when I do that? I honestly don't even know how I'm doing it."

Leaning her head forward, Moro nuzzled Hekate's neck. "It does not harm me. It only weakens me for a short time. But this is something you did from the beginning. Most cannot manifest their abilities so quickly. What can you remember when you reach for power?"