I looked up at the sky. "Harder," I whispered in my mind.
The sky listened. Clouds tore apart, and heavy rain poured down like fury.
Everyone ran for cover, except the Lord Supreme, lying still on the ground, and the woman whose fist I still held tightly in the air.
Her eyes widened with fear. I could see them shake. Her body trembled under the cold rain.
"Let me go," she begged softly, her weak body swaying.
"No!" I shouted, and thunder crashed louder in the sky.
I remembered how they had watched me almost freeze to death. They didn't care if I lived or died. That memory burned through me, and my veins pulsed with anger.
"Harder!" I cried again, unaware of what I was doing.
Hailstones began to fall. They hit the ground with loud, painful sounds, but none came near me.
Suddenly, she screamed. The stones were hitting her hard. She cried out in pain, and her face twisted.
I knew what she was doing, she was trying to shift. I tightened my grip on her hand, my face cold and angry.
"Let me go!" she shrieked, and in a flash, she turned into a bird. Its wing was still trapped in my grasp.
I stared at the strange, ugly bird in my hand. Then I raised my free hand and struck it hard.
I heard a sharp snap. The bird went limp. Disgusted, I threw it to the ground.
I looked at the Lord Supreme. She had shifted too, into her bird form, but she couldn't move. Her body was stuck to the ground.
I didn't spare her another look. I turned and walked away, ignoring the rain and hail that continued to fall with wild rage.
In my room, I dropped onto the bed. I didn't let my mind think, before sleep took me quickly.
When I opened my eyes again, the sun was high in the sky. It should be probably noon.
I stretched and got out of bed slowly. My eyes scanned the room in confusion. Where was I? Then I remembered. This place, I was 500 years in the past.
A long breath escaped my lips. I sat back down on the bed. My eyes stared at nothing, but my heart raced with thoughts.
My world. My time. My people. My parents. My mate, and my unborn child.
It had only been two nights, yet I had already faced powers I couldn't imagine. And the voice had said I wouldn't return home until I fixed a problem I didn't even understand. One I didn't cause, and didn't know how to solve.
"Get up, Drake," I muttered to myself. Sitting around in this strange clan wouldn't help me.
I stood up, pulled the curtains aside, and looked out the window. Everything looked empty. Not a single person in sight. My brows furrowed. What happened?
I stepped out of my room and glanced around, hoping to see someone. But the whole place was silent, almost frightening.
Have they disappeared? Or do they only come out at night? They had magic. Maybe they had disappeared using it.
I returned to my room and looked around more carefully. That's when I noticed a door I hadn't checked before. I walked over and pushed it open, it was a bathroom. My eyes lit up.
How could I forget I hadn't bathed since I got here?
I looked around the bathroom, old-style toiletries, a sponge, and a neatly folded towel. Without thinking twice, I stepped in and took a long, refreshing shower.
After drying off, I opened another door, which turned out to be a wardrobe. I found a robe inside, put it on, and tied it securely around my waist. Then my stomach growled loud, reminding me, I was starving.
I left the room and made my way toward the hut where I'd seen Malicient earlier, sitting on her strange throne.
The walk was quiet, I didn't see a single person, or even a bird on the way. It felt wrong.
As I stood in front of the hut, unease crept into my chest. If the place was empty too, then something was definitely wrong. I might need to leave fast.
But then I heard soft voices from inside. I leaned in, trying to listen. They were speaking in old-fashioned words, like something from a Shakespeare play, then switched to a language I didn't recognize.
Quietly, I stepped into the hut. The moment they saw me, everything changed. Cracking bones. Fluttering wings. Buzzing air.
In seconds, everyone in the hut shifted into birds and flew out through the windows and door, except Millicient.
She was no longer sitting. She was standing, staring at me, her eyes wide with fear.
"Did I interrupt?" I asked gently, walking toward her. "I'm sorry."
But she stepped back, slowly, like I was dangerous.
That's when it hit me. The others hadn't flown away because of the meeting. They'd fled because of me. Because they were afraid.
I stopped right away, then slowly stepped back until I reached the doorway.
"I woke up and everywhere was quiet, so I came looking for you," I explained.
She let out a shaky breath, her chest rising. "Aren't you leaving?" she asked in a low voice.
"You said you would leave. Why are you still here?" she pressed, her tone sharper now.
"I…" I started to speak, but she cut me off harshly.
"You've already caused us enough pain. Please, just leave us alone."
"I'm sorry for what happened. That wasn't my intention," I said quietly, stepping forward. But her voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Stop! Don't take another step!" she screamed. The fear in her voice was gone, now it was just anger.
"I brought you here," she hissed, eyes wide, "and now I demand that you leave!"
I had wanted to stay, just for one more night, but it was clear I wasn't welcome anymore.
"I should've let you go last night," she continued, voice rising. "This was all my fault."
The veins on her forehead stood out. Her anger was real, and deep.
I nodded, not saying another word. "Thank you for taking me in," I said softly as I turned to go.
"That was my biggest mistake!" she shouted behind me.
I didn't look back. I didn't return to the room. I just walked away from the clan, heading straight for the arch.
When I got there, I paused and turned around for one last look. The place still looked the same, dark clouds, the strange burning veil in the sky.
I hadn't even spent 24 hours here, yet so much had happened. Things I didn't understand, things I never expected.
With a new sense of purpose, I stepped out through the arch, hoping I would find a clue, something to lead me to the wolf clan the voice had told me about.