“No.” I let out a heavy sigh, and tried to push out all the negativity in my chest along with that breath. But it was hard, especially as I watched the two of them link hands and walk back into the camp with the rest of the Coazi. The group dispersed now that the welcome committee had done its job, the ones who’d been in the midst of chores returning to their tasks while others jumped in to help skin and prep the elk for dinner.
“I guess you’re right, but it’s hard to reconcile that logic with what my eyes are seeing,” I told Fenris, ripping my gaze away from Iannis. I really didn’t want to watch him hold hands with the shamaness anymore.
“I understand, but you have to put your emotions aside and focus on the mission,” Fenris reminded me, his eyes softening with sympathy. “Besides, I imagine that when Iannis sees you again, he will have no trouble forgetting about the shamaness’s charms.” His lips curled into a smile.
“Yeah, right,” I scoffed as a blush crept up my cheeks and butterflies erupted in my stomach. “Let’s just focus on getting him out of there. The sooner we can get him away from that woman, the sooner we can beat some sense back into him.”
“That’s the spirit.”
16
We waited until the sun had set and the evening meal was in full swing before enacting our first plan. We’d gone through a couple of different options, including outright kidnapping Iannis, but even though he might have been under some kind of enchantment, there was no evidence that he didn’t still have full use of his formidable powers. In fact, he was the only one of the hunters who didn’t carry a weapon, so he was probably relying on magic even now.
“Alright,” Fenris said as we watched Iannis leave the fire and head back into one of the tents. We’d already tried using mindspeak to reach him, but he hadn’t responded, so our only choice was to get closer. “I’ll head in now.” He crouched down, white light enveloping him as he changed from man to wolf.
“Be careful,” I told him as the light faded from his form, revealing a large wolf with coarse brown fur and yellow eyes. “The Coazi won’t be happy if they see you anywhere near their children.”
“Don’t worry.” Fenris shook himself, then stretched and yawned, revealing his sharp, white fangs. It was still hard to believe that he’d once been a full-blooded mage, even with all the little clues I’d noticed before. “I can be stealthy.”
Annia and I climbed up a tree and watched as Fenris quietly approached the camp. At first we thought things were going to be fine – nearly all of the Coazi were happily gathered near the fire, including the children, who were playing with the dogs.
The dogs.
“Oh fuck!” I cursed, suddenly realizing how stupid we were. “Fenris, get out of there! The dogs—”
But it was too late. One of the dogs had suddenly stopped playing, ears perked and nose in the air as he sniffed. Fenris, who was outside Iannis’s tent, froze and the dog bayed as he caught the intruder’s scent. The two huge beasts sprang forward, and Fenris made a run for it, but several Coazi rushed out of their tents, blocking his path as the slavering dogs closed in. My breath caught in my throat as I watched Iannis rush out of his tent, then stand by and do nothing as the two animals fell upon Fenris. There was no recognition in Iannis’s eyes, only a bemused frown as he watched the three beasts roll around in the dirt, jaws snapping and snarling as they fought for the upper hand. The Coazi were closing in, already making a tight circle around the animals, so there was no way Fenris was escaping – the only way he was getting out of this was if he changed back into a human, and if he did that our cover would be blown.
Just as I was getting ready to jump out of the tree and charge into the camp, the shamaness stepped forward, her shawl fluttering around her slender arms as she made a cutting motion with her arm and shouted something. The dogs backed off instantly, returning to her side, and Fenris lay there panting for a moment, clearly weakened by the attack. Before he could get up, the shamaness reached into a pouch hanging from her belt and tossed some sort of powder at Fenris, then shouted something I could not understand. A purple glow enveloped Fenris, and my heart froze as he stopped moving.
“Fenris!” I cried out. “What did she do to you? Are you hurt?”
“Not hurt…but extremely lethargic,” Fenris answered as the Coazi tossed him into a wooden cage and tied it shut with leather ropes. “You need to get to Iannis and break the spell on him – I could see the aura of a strong enchantment around him, and cannot not reach him with mindspeak even here. I have a feeling the shamaness has plans for me that I’m not going to enjoy, so please hurry.” Beneath the urgency of his tone I could sense Fenris’s disappointment, and I felt bad for him. Even though he knew Iannis had been under a spell, it must have cut Fenris deeply that his best friend had not recognized and aided him.
“No kidding,” I said as I watched the Coazi carry Fenris’s cage into one of the huts that was near the fire. It was smaller than the others, and had some kind of ceremonial beading dripping from the entrance in lieu of a door, so I had a feeling the hut was used for rituals or important meetings. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just storm the camp and rescue you first? I really don’t want them to sacrifice you to whatever gods or spirits they worship.”
“An attack now would be too dangerous, since Iannis is under the shamaness’s control and will likely defend the tribe along with her. You need to get him alone and break through the spell clouding his mind. It’s the only way.”