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She is dying, and I cannot lose her. Although Vaike refuses my offering of eternal life, I cannot live without her.
An image of an owl was sketched on the next page with the caption: I have put Vaike into the body of a barn owl, and I have never seen such sadness before. Twice she tried to escape, and I’ve had to tie her up to prevent her from injuring herself. She will get used to it—she will learn to accept that I have given her a second chance to live. I spared her from illness.
“Yes…” Azalea flipped through to further pages. “Putting the mind of a human into the body of an animal…”
Controlling the Wolf over the course of three days was not good enough—she wanted control of him at all times. Her Wolf would not change at the full moon but at her beck and call.
She is no longer herself, and so I have infiltrated her mind. It cost us everything, but I cannot live without her. Through trial and error, I discovered the horrifying means to success. By sacrificing our daughter, Layla, I gained control of Vaike. Perhaps she simply gave up fighting when she lost Layla, but I felt so strong. When I did the task, I was riddled with power. To have control over another being, full control… It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Vaike is bound to me now that I have this power to create and control. She no longer flies without my consent. She can no longer act on her impulses to escape.
Azalea put the book down, staring straight ahead. A dizzying feeling made her head spin. The irony of it made her chuckle sourly. Juniper may have betrayed her, but she still loved her.
“What do I want more?” Azalea wondered aloud. “A wolf in my command and my son by my side? Or nothing, just Juniper. A daughter who lied to my face. A daughter who picked Matthias over her own mother.”
Azalea was faced with the brutal truth that in order to gain control of the Wolf, she would need to sacrifice Juniper. Bitterness pulsed through her.
I want power.
A piece of paper slipped out of the loose pages of the book, fluttering to the floor and making a soft scratch as it touched the ground.
Azalea stared at it for a moment before bending to pick it up.
For anyone who wishes to do the same, though I hope no one ever does, the formula is simple: whilst the silver blade is upon her throat, chant ‘ego tibi dabo illam vitam accipere’ three times. Dig the blade deep and with a swift thrust, and let her go without pain. Capture the blood in an oak bowl filled halfway with shaved cedar, borage, and scabiosa. Let it soak for one hour, drain the blood, then feed it to the one you wish to control.
Azalea slipped the loose paper into her skirt’s folds and clutched it within the fabric. Her hand grew damp with sweat, and she grew certain the old ink would bleed. It was no matter, for the words were already branded in her mind. How could she forget three ingredients and the murder of a daughter? My only daughter, the child who loved me… Is it worth having all the power to control the weak-minded townsfolk?
“Yes,” Azalea told herself. “She cannot be trusted.”
Juniper would have to die, and Matthias would remain in Ocleau. After all, he was her true child. Her firstborn. Her chosen child. She knew what she needed to do; a blood oath to keep him. Then she would find him a proper woman, one with which to have children, to carry on the Luca line. Riina was low-bred, and Ana could not have children. Azalea would pick a proper, suitable woman.
The door burst open, bringing in Juniper and a gust of cold wind. Her daughter let out a gasp of anger. “Those beasts!”
Azalea rose to look at Juniper, wondering if she could speak without revealing everything to her observant and keen child. But Juniper was distracted, and she was able to tuck away the book in the waistband of her skirt.
Blood dripped down Juniper’s cheek from a wound just below her eye; she had yet to wipe it away.
Without a word, Azalea knew what was going on. She walked past Juniper and yanked open the door.
In the distance, two men scurried down the path, hurrying away. They were skinny and lanky, just youths.
Azalea looked up to the skies and called to Aegidius. He appeared from the treetops and dove down at the fleeing cowards. The crow pulled back his wings to slow his flight and attacked relentlessly with his sharp talons. The boys’ screams were music to Azalea’s ears; though it was far away, she could see them covering their faces and heads with their arms, exposing them to the assault.
After a few moments, Azalea clicked her tongue, and Aegidius pulled back.
“Thank you, Mama.” Juniper’s voice wavered. She wiped the blood from her face.
“Where is your brother?” Azalea asked. “He should be escorting you.”
“I am fine without him by my side, Mama.” She took off her coat. “He has been gone for ten years, remember?”
How many of those ten years did you know about his daughter? Azalea wanted to ask.
“And how many times have you returned home with bloody cheeks? To the house being vandalized?”
“Did you discover how to control the beast yet?” Juniper asked, completely changing the subject as she narrowed her eyes.
Azalea knew they simmered with anger at her regarding Matthias, but she had no idea what she would do to keep him. She had no idea Azalea knew of her betrayal. She had no idea that for Azalea to control the Wolf, it would cost her life.
Azalea looked away, still plagued by her decision. The Wolf would be hers, but what then? If she would be forced to make a sacrifice, then so would generations after her. An incantation that would be spoken and a price to be paid. If I have to give up a daughter, so will everyone else who uses the Wolf.
