Killing the Wolf

Green blood - Part 2

Serafina listened to the conversation Qiana was having with Fay. She looked at the woman with freshly stirred curiosity. 

According to her own words, she had survived an Onija. How was it possible? 

Qiana put the phone back into her pocket. Tears had smudged her face. 

"Fay wants us to get out of here," she said.

"No shit," Fanny rolled her eyes. Before she turned back to where they had come from, Serafina grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Of course Fay would want us to go back," Serafina said. "She's a protector, for heaven's sake. But we knew this was going to be dangerous, from that get-go. If we don't deal with Finnigan, we are in danger nonetheless. I'm not going back. Not before Finnigan is finished."

Serafina stared at Qiana. She was dodging her gaze.

"You have survived one," Serafina said. 

Qiana laughed and shook her head.

"I did. But it was a long time ago. I'm not that anymore."

"You're not what anymore?" Serafina asked. As Qiana's answer lingered, Serafina asked again, "What?"

Qiana lifted the hem of her shirt and uncovered her lower back. There was a small leaf branch tattoo. The style was simple as if it had been done with just one heavy stroke. The Onija men had had tattoos on their arms, but the style had been different.

"What is it?" Serafina asked.

Qiana chuckled.

"I guess you really are a faded wolf."

"Wh-"

"Never mind. I was born Mayaki."

"Mayaki. Wow," Serafina breathed out. 

Qiana pulled back the hem and the small tattoo disappeared. She felt Serafina's eyes on her.

"Serafina, don't look at me like that. I'm not one anymore."

"I don't think you can stop being one. It's in your blood," Serafina whispered. As Vaara is in mine, she thought. "I'm not going back."

The other women looked at each other uncomfortable about the situation. They had expected danger. As they had formed they knew they were against all odds. Now odds didn't exist.

"You know this means death," Fanny whispered. 

"I don't know that," Serafina whispered back. A smile appeared on her lips. "We have a freaking Mayaki on our side. And whatever my mother had in her - I think I have it too."

Qiana massaged her temples. 

"Everyone who chooses leave leaves now," she said. 

Nobody left.

"Ok, then. You better turn off your phones. If you're not dead in an hour, there's an angry protector on the east coast, who will kill you. And she will do it through your phone."

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She couldn't reach any of them and Fay realized what that meant. 

"What the hell is she thinking!" she raged in her mind. She had specifically told her to get out of there. Qiana was getting herself and all the women killed by not leaving. If Seth hadn't noticed his sister missing, she'd had to tell him now. But how? How could she tell him his little sister was about to die in the hands of Onijas. She might already be dead. She should have gone with them because now she would be able to drag them out of Finnigan's lands.