"Where are they?" Etta fretted.
They had emerged from the underground tunnels in an old bunker, not far from the Collective's Cabin. Even with them having to deal with Kiril and Briana, Etta had fully expected to see Demarco and Jake there already. She was quickly getting worried.
"They're fine," Gwen said serenely. "They'll be here any moment, in fact."
"Ok, good," Etta sighed, then hesitated. "Wait. You said Father was blocking your Sight. So, is it working now..."
"Don't ask. It won't help," Cassie warned.
"... or are you just trying to make me feel better?" Etta continued.
Gwen smiled as two werewolves came into view.
"How?" Etta looked at Gwen in confused awe.
"Really, don't ask," Cassie repeated. "She'll either just smile mysteriously and it will drive you nuts or, worse, she'll answer you and you still won't understand."
Gwen smiled.
Rolling her eyes, Cassie stepped forward to meet the werewolves.
"Alright, we know the plan," she said. "Etta, free the elders. Gwen, deal with Faust. Jake, Demarco, I'm with you. Let's get this done."
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Moving as quickly and quietly as she could, Etta ran toward the Collective's Cabin. Even now, it looked oddly peaceful - The big, rambling cabin and the little outbuilding that had, sometime in the past two years, become her home. Kristopher's garden. Lily's now, she supposed, suddenly sad as it struck her that the wise old man could really be gone.
Nearby she heard howling again, the challenge and counter-challenge that told her that Demarco and the others had found Rory and Lou. The fight had been joined.
Etta hoped, desperately, that they would all be alright.
"Etta! You're alright!" Daniel Moonrunner looked up at her.
Father had placed wards, spells of fear, on the Cabin's kitchen door. Etta, without magic of her own to meet them, had gotten in by the simple fact that she was already terrified. Really, she thought, it hadn't been some of Father's best work.
"Where's Freddie?" Sylvia, his wife, asked. "Is he safe?"
"Freddie's fine," Etta said quick. "We got him out. He's in Henford with Beth."
"Demarco?" Sylvia snarled. "What's Jake doing here with a Wildfang?"
"I was able to free her from Faust's spell," Etta explained quickly. "You know about that, right? The Wildfangs are under Faust's spell."
"We know," Lily said, her eyes stern. "He had a good gloat about the whole thing. He said that Demarco was hunting you and Freddie... threatened you both, if we didn't obey him."
"Yeah, that's my Father," Etta growled. "But I got Demarco free. She helped me get Freddie out and get help. She and Jake are keeping the other Wildfangs busy right now, so I could get you out."
"Can you free the others?" Lily asked, forestalling any questions from the rest of the Collective.
"No," Etta said, "but we have Cassie and Gwen with us. Cassie is working to break the spell and Gwen is keeping Faust occupied."
"Well done, Etta," Lily said. "Well done, indeed."
"I didn't do it alone," Etta said, flushing with the unaccustomed praise. "And I can't do the rest alone either."
"Absolutely, I've been sitting here long enough! Let's get out there," Wolfgang grinned fiercely. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's time to take our town back."
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"Hello, John," Gwen said mildly.
Around the Great Tree that had served as the meeting place of the Collective for time out of mind, the ancient magics that lived in the Moonwood was like half-heard music. The air thrummed with the wild power of it.
In the near distance, the howl of battle rang out again.
"Gwen." Faust smiled cruelly. "I was so hoping you'd come."
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Author's Note: Next week, I plan to post chapters on Wednesday (12/13), Thursday (12/14) and Friday (12/15).
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