It felt wrong to leave Moonwood Mill, Demarco thought. The Wolf in her wanted to stay, to fight for her territory, for her pack and for her people. The woman in her really didn't like the idea of leaving normals, like the Jackson and McGee families, alone to face Faust and the entranced Wildfangs. Still, she knew Etta was right - they couldn't do this alone.
So, rather than staying to fight, she drove away (Etta having admitted that, while she knew basically how to drive, she didn't have a lot of practice and her license was fake).
"So, where are we actually going?" Demarco asked as they cross the bridge out of town.
"Henford," Etta replied. "Just follow the river."
Demarco ended up following the road signs, after quickly giving up on Etta's navigation skills. Her declaration that she was used to spotting landmarks from the air was both disturbing and unhelpful.
They turned away from the familiar road down to the Harbor, instead driving through green rolling hills, dotted with open fields and old farms. It was a quiet drive. Freddie dozed in his car seat and Etta seemed to retreat into herself, lost in her own thoughts. Demarco focused on driving.
In the little village of Old New Henford they left the van in a public lot and walked down a path marked as Olde Mill Lane.
Demarco was pretty sure who they were going to see. She was actually a little excited about it.
She was shocked, however, at the sight of the sprawling farm with its huge stone house. After the urban decay of the Harbor and Moonwood Mill's beat up trailers and rustic cabins, the house at 3 Olde Mill Lane was not someplace she expected to see in real life. It certainly wasn't the place she expected to find the heir of the Moonwood Collective.
"Claudette?" Jake Volkov said, surprised, a moment after he opened the door. "What are you doing here... with Freddie... and a Wildfang I don't know yet?"
"Um, I'm Demarco," she said. "How did you..."
"You smell like a Wildfang," Jake said distractedly, "and Freddie smells like a pine tree."
"Etta did it," Freddie grumbled.
"Jake, you know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important," Etta sighed. "We need your help."
"Let them in, Jake," a woman's voice came from deeper in the house.
"Well, hi little brother," the young woman said, smiling cheerfully at Freddie as she joined them. "Don't you smell fresh and clean."
"Etta did it," Freddie repeated fiercely. "Etta made me smell like pine-y tree to hide from 'Arco, 'cause 'Arco was under bad spell and Etta kiss 'Arco to break spell and we drive here."
"I didn't..." Etta stammered.
"We didn't..." Demarco said quickly. "I mean, I was..."
"... under a spell... and I broke the spell... " Etta continued.
"... but we didn't..." Demarco added.
"... we're just friends," Etta insisted.
"You have a lovely home," Demarco concluded, looking around the entryway.
"Well, isn't this exciting," the young woman smiled. "Anyway, hi... Demarco, is it? I'm Beth and this little one is Diana."
"I was just about to put her down for a nap. Jake, Freddie looks hungry," she continued. "Why don't you take our guests into the dining room see if we have anything for them for lunch. I'll join you all shortly and you can explain..."
"She's always like this," Jake smiled as Etta passed Freddie to him. "Come on in. I think we have some leftover pasta and I know I can dig up a peanut butter sandwich for you, Freddie."
"P'nut butter," Freddie said excitedly.
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"... and then we came to you," Etta said, concluding her account of the troubles at Moonwood Mill. "You are the best person I could think of to help... both Rory and Lily respect you, and you've been involved in defeating my Father... twice."
"Where's my father in all this?" Jake asked, stunned.
"Oh damn," Etta sighed. "I'd hoped you would know..."
"What do you mean?" Beth looked puzzled. "Has something happened to Kristopher?"
"He's been distant for months," Etta said, "and as far as I know, no one has even seen him for the last couple of weeks. I'd hoped... maybe he'd come to you."
"No, he hasn't been here," Jake said grimly, "but it explains why Faust would move on Moonwood Mill now. He's taking advantage of Kristopher's absence."
"No, that's not it," Demarco said softly, struggling to catch a memory. "I think he's looking for Kristopher."
"What?" Etta looked startled.
"I can remember some of what happened when I was enchanted," Demarco said. "It's like... like trying to remember a bad dream, but I think Faust said he wanted to find Kristopher... Kristophorus, he said... the Annointed."
"Yes," Beth nodded. "That was his original name... Kristophorus. It means Bearer of the Anointed."
"I'm studying our history," she continued. "Kristophorus is a firstborn child of the Mooncasters, the ancient coven of witches who became the first werewolves."
"But that doesn't explain why Faust would be looking for Kristopher," Demarco said.
"The Moonwood," Etta breathed. "The power of the Mooncaster's wild magic is still there in the Moonwood."
"... and in ancient times, when Kristophorus became leader of the werewolves, he would have been ceremonially made ruler of their lands," Beth said. "Ritually anointed as Lord of the Moonwood."
"... and as the Lord of the Moonwood, Kristopher would be bound to the land by the ancient magic," Etta said. "Faust doesn't just want to control the werewolves. He wants access to the wild magic of the Moonwood. Defeating Kristopher gets him both."
"Well, this just gets better and better," Demarco sighed.
"You know who we have to talk to," Jake said, looking at Etta.
"Oh... I was really hoping to not have to do that," Etta sighed.
"You said one of the reasons you wanted me to help was because I helped beat Faust," Jake said, "but you know who really beat him. We need her help."
"I'm going to get turned into a frog," Etta groaned.
"Is a bedtime story," Freddie yawned hugely.
"OK, little brother," Beth smiled warmly. "Time for a nap. You can sleep in Di's room."
"I'm a n'ucle," Freddie said proudly.
"You are?" Demarco asked, stunned by the sudden change of topic.
"Yes, he is," Beth said, picking the little boy up. "Freddie is my baby brother... my three-year-old brother who is the uncle of my almost one-year-old daughter."
"Weird," Demarco said.
-----------------------------------
"You go," Beth said later. "We can hardly bring the kids into a fight for Moonwood Mill. So, one of us has to stay and Claudette's right... The Wildfangs and the Collective both respect you. You're Kristopher's heir... not me."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Jake asked. "What if Faust sends someone after us?"
"Honey, I may not be Kristopher's heir but I'm still a werewolf," Beth smiled fiercely. "Let them try."
"I've been thinking about this," Etta said. "There must be another way. I mean, there are other small packs. We could rally them. Or maybe someone else... like the police. The National Guard. The Agency! Are super-heroes real? Can we find a super-hero?"
"Wow, you're really freaking out," Demarco said.
"They're going to turn me into a frog," Etta moaned.
"That can't really happen, can it?" Demarco asked.
"You know, Faust turned me into a frog the first time I met him," Jake mused. "I ate a bug. It was disgusting."
"OooooK," Demarco said. "Who are we going to see?"
"The Guardians of Glimmerbrook," Etta sighed. "A coven of powerful witches, including the girl I betrayed. I am totally going to be turned into a frog."
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Author's Note: There will be another chapter post on Friday (11/17) - Leo
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