Page 75 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“What? Why?” I ask quickly.

“If you want me to heal you, then stop asking questions and come with me. He can come to if you’d like,” she says, waving in Chepi’s direction.

“Come on. Wrap your arm around me, and I’ll help you. We don’t have to go far, but we need to get under the moonlight.”

I drape one arm over her shoulder, and she wraps an arm around my waist as I hobble out the door reluctantly. Chepi stays in the air flying next to us.

“I heard the king and Aidan speaking about the Shifting Forest on my way over here. Is that where you are headed tomorrow?” Hilda asks while we make our way around the back of the cabin into the forest.

“Yes . . . we are. Have you been there before? Can you tell me what to expect?” I ask her, and she purses her lips together in thought while scanning the forest. I hadn’t realized I slept for so long. I have no idea what time it is, but the moon is bright overhead.

“I’ve never been personally, but I’ve tended to Zog’s pack when they’ve come back wounded. Spider wraiths are what you need to look out for. Nasty buggers.”

I can’t place her accent, but Hilda speaks differently than the other Lycans around here. I remember Zog talking to me about spider wraiths and the Shifting Forest, but I was too creeped out by him to pay much attention. I wish I could remember everything he was saying. I had no idea the information would ever come in handy.

“Sit cross legged on the ground. Right over here.” Hilda helps me down, and Chepi collapses into my lap. She opens up her bag and starts placing crescent-moon-shaped, light-blue rocks around me in a circle.

“What are you doing? How is this going to heal me?” I ask, examining the rocks.

“I may be a healer, but I’m no Faery or Sorceress. All of my magic comes from the moon. Just like magic that runs through these lands and the magic that allows us to shift into wolves, it all comes from the moon. These rocks will channel the moonlight to you, and it will heal your ankle,” she says.

As I sit here with Chepi in my lap, I can’t help but feel a hint of disbelief. Is it really possible that the moon’s light could heal me? I’ve heard of stranger things though, and I’m willing to give it a try. I watch in awe as Hilda carefully rubs each of the stones together before placing them around me in a perfect circle, ensuring that each stone touches the next.

As the final stone is placed, a cool white light shines down upon me. It’s as if the moon itself has cast a spotlight directly on me. The light sparkles and swirls with ethereal blues and dark midnight hues, creating a mesmerizing tunnel that connects the moon high above with where I sit. I’m completely captivated by the sight and can’t look away. Chepi falls asleep in my lap, his light snores filling the silence, but I remain captivated by the moon’s light.

Before I know it, the tunnel of light slowly dissipates and is gone. The moon seems lackluster now compared to the stunning display it put on just moments before. I turn to Hilda, still feeling a sense of wonder, and realize that the moon has truly worked its magic on me.

“That was amazing,” I whisper.

Hilda just chuckles and starts collecting all the stones, carefully rubbing them together in her hands again before placing them back in the bag. I sit patiently watching her, still a bit awestruck by what just happened. Once she was done, I stand and find my ankle is already feeling considerably better. It’s still sore, but I can walk now without having to hop or get assistance from someone else.

“Thank you,” I say, looking over at Hilda. Somehow “thank you” doesn’t seem like enough, but I have nothing to offer her.

“It was my pleasure, Princess. Now let me walk you back,” she says, starting to lead us back in the direction of the cabin.

“What are spider wraiths exactly?”

“Legends tell us they’re evil spirits that never passed on to Zomea because they have unfinished business in our realms.”

The thought sends a shiver up my spine. “What do they look like?”

She makes eye contact with me for the first time, and her light-blue eyes glow. “They can appear nearly invisible, ghostlike, just a faint trace of smoke outlining what remains of their bodies.”

“What do you mean what remains of their bodies? Why are they called spider wraiths if they used to be people?”

“Once they refuse to pass to Zomea, their souls split apart, deforming their bodies. They’re said to appear as a giant spider with eight legs, but they carry the same head they did when they were alive.”

“So you’re telling me giant ghost spiders with human heads are actually evil spirits that live in the Shifting Forest?” I choke in disbelief.

“That’s exactly what I’m tellin' ya. They don’t know friend from foe. They’ll seek to harm whoever they encounter, no matter what your motivations are. They’re the embodiment of evil alive on earth. The packs assigned along the borders keep them inside the Shifting Forest.”

We finally reach the cabin, and Hilda follows me inside. I sit down on the couch and motion for her to sit with me.

“Please sit. Tell me more,” I say.

She takes a seat, and Chepi plops down between us, rolling on his back. Hilda rubs his plump belly, and his tongue hangs out of his mouth as he soaks up the free belly rubs.

“Spider wraiths are the only creatures the Lycans are afraid of. Lycans may fear death, as all creatures do, but we accept it. We accept that when it is our time we’ll go to Zomea. But if you die at the hand of a spider wraith—that’s it. They tear your actual soul into pieces. Nothing lives on, not even in Zomea,”