Page 44 of Bad Medicine

“Someone better,” the wolfelder said, satisfaction in his voice. “Someone stronger.”

“You approached me,” I snarled.“I didn’t ask for this job.”

“She has done well,” one of theother elders said. She was a tall, majestic female wearing a gold crown and anintricately designed blue and gold robe. I had no idea what she was. Fae,maybe. She smiled at me. “There are parts of yourself you keep hidden andcontrolled. We will help you bring them to the surface so that you might createone cohesive being.”

I frowned, then nodded. “Myinner psycho, you mean.”

Her smile widened, and hergolden eyes twinkled. “Indeed. You are frightened of this aspect of yourpersonality. You have no need to be. Embrace it, Kait Silver. Let it drawbreath.” She leaned from her seat toward me, and it was as though everyone elsein the room disappeared. She grew large in my vision, looming above me, makingit difficult for me to breathe.

I wasn’t nearly as afraid of mypsycho as I was this golden female. I tried to shrink back, but I couldn’tmove.

“There is much more to you thanyou understand,” she continued, but her mouth wasn’t moving. She was simply inmy head. “If you cannot accept this fact, you cannot control it. Your mind willbe lost beneath the crush of confusion and opposing parts all begging forattention.” Then she leaned back, freeing me from her stare.

The air rushed into my lungsand the blood back into my limbs, and I closed my eyes and shivered, determinednot to embarrass myself by falling to the floor.

“You will learn to grow and controlyour power,” the vampire elder said. “To call it. That is what you wish, no?”

I nodded but didn’t speak. Mymouth was too dry and who knew how my voice would sound if I tried to use it.

“When you are stronger,” hecontinued, “and when you embrace and combine all parts of yourself and learn tocall the power inside you, your current fragility and vulnerability will bemuch less apparent. You may be affected by ingested silver, but it will notincapacitate you. Do you understand?”

“You did not have to allowyourself to be controlled and nearly killed by your enemy,” the wolf spat,disdain in every word he spoke. “Still, even with everything you are, you werebrutalized by a couple of pathetic wolves much weaker than you.”

I couldn’t help but look at himthen, hating him for making me feel ashamed. “I didn’tallowanything.The silver—”

He cut me off with acontemptuous wave of his hand. “You have witnessed some of what you can do.Among the vampires, you lose your fear. You allow yourself the freedom to kill.It is only the wolves who bring such uncertainty and weakness to your heart,and the humans who control you. You should not have taken the silver andaccepted your helplessness. You should have killed the wolves who came for you,and you should have gone after the human, if that was your wish.” He gave aloud snort and threw himself back into his throne chair. “I am finished withthis pup.”

I put my fingers to mytrembling lips. Was he right?

“Kait Silver,” the vampireelder said gently. “You will grow and learn. You will become the champion ofall, human and nonhuman alike, because that is what lives inside you. I touchedit. Iknow.” He smiled. “We added magic to your blood. We added magic toyour magic. You are a force.”

“And you will learn,” thegolden female said, “how to guard yourself. What vulnerabilities you possesswill be better protected. There will come a time when you will be forced toface creatures so much more powerful than the Stone Moon alpha and his people.You are necessary, child, and you areours. In you we will create—”

“Ti,” the old vampirecautioned.

She hesitated, then finishedwith, “Do not despair.”

“And learn some fucking commonsense,” the wolf said.

I wasn’t sure why he hated me.Maybe he hated everyone, and I shouldn’t have taken his assholery personally.

“Perhaps,” the old vampiresaid, “you should be the one to teach her, Ael.” He nodded when both the wolfand I looked at him, incredulous. “Yes. It is right that you, a wolf, shouldtake this one under your care. The training room lies empty and wasted, andthis duty would be good for you. You are the one most unhappy with herprogress, so you should be the one to train her.” He smiled.

The old wolf hit the floor withhis staff, so hard that sparks flew and the room seemed to shake. “I willnot,”he said, “lower myself to shape a pup who will only cry and cringe at every shadowthat appears before her.”

“Ael,” the golden woman said,and though her voice was soft, he stopped his tirade and looked at her. I waspretty sure there was dread in his eyes. “This is my request. She is strivingtoward magnificence, and you can get her there.”

“I have owed you for so verylong,” he replied, equally softly, “and you would have me repay you with that?”He pointed at me. “Is this truly your wish, Ti?”

“We all know why she is here,”she murmured. “Yes. This is my wish.”

He stared at her for a fewseconds longer, then gave a terse nod. “Then so be it.” He bared his teeth insomething he might have intended as a smile. It was nowhere near a smile,though, and when he turned it on me, I wanted to faint. Or throw up.

“No,” I said, gratified that myvoice was not nearly as weak as I’d thought it might be. It was just a littlehoarse, and I could live with that. “I’m not going to be taught anything bythis man. I refuse the offer.” I put my hands on my hips and turned to thevampire. “So. You said you had a job, some info, and a gift for me. I’ll takethose and be on my way.”

How funny that I thought itmight be just that simple. And in the end, I departed with the promised gift, aterrible job, and the awful wolf alpha as the teacher who would help megrow—and control—my power.

And though I didn’t hear themagain, the nagging, uncomfortable memory of the silent screams I’d heardearlier went with me.