The two wolves had barely made it to the entrance of Maymunah’s wing when the grand door opened with a sudden surge, a strong gust of wind being the apparent cause.
The two shared a knowing look.
Damn Maymunah and her sometimes annoying love for theatrics.
“Ah, I was just about to send for you guys,” She croaked, moving about more swiftly than usual.
“Wait, you didn’t send for us?” Kendra asked in puzzlement.
“No, child. Killian just wanted Alpha Riverdale gone.” Came the oracle’s answer.
Kendra shot the Alpha a silent glare at that, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything.
Maymunah’s outer chamber was like something out of a fairytale storybook.
That typical witch’s parlor with floor to ceiling shelves stuffed with all kinds of books, and potions, and cauldrons upon cauldrons… but somehow the room was also surprisingly neat and tidy.
“Looks like someone is in a good mood today,” Kendra chuckled, moving towards one of the stools that littered the room to take a seat. She reached for a potion and took the stopper off, bringing it to her nose to take a sniff.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you child,” the old hag warned,
But it was already too late.
“Fuck! Gah, oh gods!” Kendra squawked, her face scrunched in disgust. “What the hell did you put in this, Maymunah?”
The Oracle chuckled amusedly, “Now trust me, you wouldn’t want to know. I always tell you to stop sniffing stuff when you come in here. You never listen.”
“Okay, let’s be serious here, guys.” Killian butted in impatiently. “Why did you want to see us, Maymunah?”
Kendra observed the Alpha.
He looked so distressed, and disheveled… a-and agitated. Her heart went out to him, she could only imagine what exactly was happening to him, how he was taking the whole thing.
Even though she was still upset with him for humiliating her, and then later barging into her room like that.
“Ah, yes… Killian….” She started, “You two… you broke the curse of impotency, and I want to know how you did that. It’s supposed to be impossible to break— so that’s why I summoned you here.”
At this point, Kendra… who was drinking some water from a goblet choked, a few drops of water splashing the ground, “H—what are you…” She paused to cough, “We have no idea what you’re talking about.” She finished lamely.
“Oh, come on child… you forget that I am a seer— or you want me to give you the details?”
“Uh… that won’t be necessary,” Killian cut in, a light blush coating his cheeks. “What do you want us to do?”
“I truly do not know that yet, but you’re not leaving here until I find out.” Came the reply.
“Okay, have a seat, Killian… and hold each other’s hands.” The oracle ordered, her normal dark irises turning white.
Killian did as he had been told, something that was akin to butterflies fluttering in his stomach when he finally reached for Kendra’s hand.
He didn’t understand how she was still able to act all cool, and calm and collected. He on the other hand? He could barely look her in the eye.
But unbeknownst to him, the female-Beta felt the same way— perhaps even more. She was just much better at hiding it.
Thankfully, the Oracle interrupted their wild thoughts by loudly placing a huge book of spells before them. She muttered some words under her breath, and then the book flicked open, landing on a particular page,
INQUIRY SPELLS
The two watched mesmerized as their friend began to chant. She looked nothing like the jolly, old Maymunah who had been talking to them a few minutes ago.
"Kuring nelepon ka anjeun ... OH, angin kuat QYEPOE, datang ka abdi nulungan, niup ka tungtung jagat raya sarta manggihan kuring jawaban anu kuring pilari."
In all truth, Killian expected some spectacular sight… like books lifting off shelves off their own volition… or at least something in that sense,
But there was nothing.
The white light in Maymunah’s eyes vanished, but she was still nowhere near normal. With a flick of her hand, the book of spells flew back to its shelf, only to be replaced by another.
And so it continued.
She’d get a book, try an incantation— sometimes more than one from the same book, only to repeat the entire process again.
****
Kendra was exhausted.
The she-wolf could have sworn that they had been sitting for eons now. At this point, she would have given anything to have been granted a chance to stand up and stretch. Her butt felt so numb, and her palms felt sweaty and clammy from holding onto Killian’s for so long.
From the look on the Alpha’s face, Kendra was sure he felt just as fed up as she was, even though the signs were barely there. Had she not known him for as long as she had, she would have missed them too.
"O FORTIS DEA LUNAE, ADESTO MIHI AUXILIUM... siste viam, dic mihi quomodo haec duo in tuis divinis consiliis colligantur!"
But there was still nothing.
With a frustrated sigh, the Oracle lost the white light in her eyes, suddenly seeming more like her normal non-seeing self.
“I’ve tried… I couldn’t find anything. But you best believe me when I tell you that I’m not going to stop trying.” She told them. She suddenly looked even more frail than normal, like the search had drained her off all her energy.
But then something strange began to happen.
Some kind of parchment on one of the tables began to glow a brilliant white… the light drawing Kendra and Killian’s attention to it.
“Uh, Maymunah?” Kendra called out, pointing to it, “Is that supposed to be happening?”
The old hag was by the table in a flash, a smile of victory gracing her features at the sight. As soon as she reached for it, the bright light disappeared.
“Here,” She handed the weird looking thing to the Alpha.
To him, it looked like some kind of really ancient scroll or parchment… Killian wasn’t exactly sure which one it was. “I want the two of you to hold on to it together and read it aloud.”
“That’s all?” Kendra asked, a look of relief briefly flitting across her features.
Well, that seemed easy enough?
“Yes… I believe that should do it.”
With a slow nod and a deep gulp, Kendra stood up from her stool and closed the distance between her and Killian.
She was suddenly nervous, and yet… she couldn’t ignore her body’s slow stirring to his closeness. Memories of the previous night tried to flood her senses and she loudly cleared her throat to rid herself of them.
Kendra! This isn’t the time nor the place for this. Stop it immediately!!!
She chided herself inwardly.
It worked, but only somewhat.
“Uh… ready?” She heard Killian faintly ask.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Together they held onto the parchment, a sharp, sweet tingle coursing through both of them that Kendra quickly realised hadn’t been from her end only.
And then they started reading.
In the darkness of the night,
And the gloomiest of shadows,
There will shine my light,
To warm your hearts and lick away your sorrows.
They had barely ended the reading when a sudden bright, white light engulfed both of them, so sudden in its appearance that it caused them to look up at each other in fear.
“Mate.”
“Mate.”
They uttered the word simultaneously— as if something had compelled them to, or at least that was what it felt like to Kendra as her brown irises turned cerulean…
For Killian, he had actually growled the words— it was as though he had been one with his wolf to make the sudden declaration.
And then the bright light disappeared.
But that was apparently not the only spectacle they were to witness.
The parchment they were both holding on to just as strangely crumbled to dust in their grasps.
“Maymunah? What is happening?” Killian asked, suddenly fearful for both himself and his best friend, but rather than reply him… the Oracle dropped to her knees instead, bowing to the two of them.
“May Selene be praised!!! We have been saved!”