It was as if a switch had been flipped-the moment the news of Niks’ disappearance spread through the pack, everything became a frenzy of movement. Warriors mobilized, scouts pushed their limits, and every supernatural ability at their disposal was being used to track him down. The urgency was palpable, a force driving them forward.
And yet, Saphira stood in the middle of it all, feeling utterly useless.
She had never felt her humanity so deeply before-not like this, not when it was the one thing keeping her from helping the way she desperately wanted to. Every offer she made was met with polite dismissal, gentle but firm. They didn’t disrespect her, but they all knew the truth.
She was human. And what could a human do?
The thought gnawed at her, bitter and unrelenting, as she skimmed through the recent border logs, searching for something, anything that might make a difference.
Then, movement at her side. A familiar presence.
“How are you doing?”
Saphira looked up, finding herself face to face with the female warrior from the meeting-the one who had tracked Zafira’s scent.
“I feel useless,” Saphira admitted, barely managing to keep the frustration from creeping into her tone. Then, realizing she hadn’t caught the woman’s name before, she hesitated. “I’m sorry-what’s your name?”
“It’s Raven,” the warrior replied, stepping closer to stand beside her. There was no pity in her gaze, only quiet understanding.
“I need your help, if you have time.”
Saphira snapped her head up immediately, hope sparking in her chest. “Yes-anything. Please. I need to help.” Her voice carried a quiet desperation she didn’t bother masking.
Raven offered a small nod, as if she had expected this reaction. “We have a lot of people looking,” she started, exhaling slowly, as though choosing her words carefully. “But they haven’t spent time with him in a long while.”
Saphira blinked, trying to grasp where she was going with this.
“You have.”
Saphira hesitated, searching her memory for something-anything-that could be useful. But nothing surfaced. Nothing that felt relevant.
“What I mean is,” Raven continued, her voice level but thoughtful, “before, Niks was… powerful, strict, but fair-before, he was this leader, this force everyone follows-you saw a different side of him.” She held Saphira’s gaze with quiet intensity. “One that might give you an advantage.”
Saphira felt something shift inside her, a flicker of realization she couldn’t quite name.
Raven was right.
She had seen Niks not just as the strongest supernatural, not just as the leader others admired or feared. She had seen the man beneath it-the one who carried burdens others didn’t see, the one who had told her that he needed her.
Saphira watched as Raven left, her words still lingering in the air between them. She had thanked her-offered appreciation for her insight-but the truth was, gratitude felt hollow when weighed against the frustration wing at her insides.
There had to be something she could do. She refused to believe otherwise.
Niks wasn’t reckless-he was calcted, methodical. If he had gone anywhere, he wouldn’t have done so without preparation. That thought nted itself
firmly in Saphira’s mind, growing stronger with each passing second.
And then, like a spark igniting, an idea struck her.
She turned sharply, rushing to the door, her voice urgent as she called out, “Raven!”
She waited, breath uneven as anticipation coiled within her. A few momentster, Raven came back into view, brows furrowed slightly in confusion. “Yeah?” she asked.
Saphira didn’t hesitate. “Can you take me to where you lost the scent of Zafira?” Her tone carried an edge of determination-an unspoken plea for Raven to trust her instincts.
Raven’s expression shifted, considering. “It’s quite far out,” she admitted, assessing Saphira carefully. “I can’t promise I can protect you.”
Saphira swallowed, but her resolve didn’t waver. “I know. Please.” Her voice was quieter now, threaded with urgency. “I need to see the area.”
For a beat, Raven said nothing. Then, with a brief nod, she relented. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Without another word, they moved swiftly, exiting the pack house and heading toward the north trail.
As soon as they stepped into the dense woond, the air changed. The scent of earth and damp leaves surrounded them, the distant rustling of branches whispering in the background. Saphira moved alongside Raven, following her lead as they wound through the trees, but her mind wandered elsewhere.
She had spent the past few days trying to integrate into the pack, trying to belong. And now, with Raven at her side, she saw an opportunity-a chance to make a friend.
“You’re a witch, right?” she asked, breaking the silence. She had her suspicions, but having never met a witch before, she found herself intrigued by the woman beside her.
Raven let out augh, light and easy. “Yeah, I am.”
Saphira smiled, ncing over at her. “I thought so. You’re not what I expected.”
Raven shot her a curious look, amusement flickering in her expression. “What were you expecting?”
Saphira hesitated, searching for the right words. “I don’t know. Just… not you. You seem so…” she started, then trailed off.
“Human?” Raven offered knowingly.
Saphira met her gaze, then let out a smallugh. “Yes. Human.”
“I get that a lot,” Raven admitted, brushing a stray leaf from her sleeve. “But don’t let it fool you-I can be very useful and powerful when needed.” She smiled, but Saphira sensed it was more for her benefit than anything else.
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” Saphira said sincerely.
Raven suddenly slowed her pace, her posture shifting, alert. “Here we are,” she murmured.
Saphira followed her gaze, scanning the ground. A few broken twigs, the subtle signs of movement-either someone had been careless while searching, or there had been a struggle.
Her stomach twisted as she knelt slightly, fingers grazing a disturbed patch of earth.
Whatever had happened here, she felt it hadn’t been peaceful.