Accidental Surrogate

Ella

As a group, we head together into the darkness of the forest.

“Did we have to go somewhere so creepy for this?” I ask Sinclair, looking warily around the woods. Usually my wolf thrills to be under the canopy of the trees, but today, I can feel her wary inside me.

“It’s a sacred space,” Sinclair explains, smiling down at me, placing one hand on my back to ensure that I don’t trip over any errant roots. “Are you feeling it too? The magic in the air?”

“How could I miss it,” I murmur, looking around. “This place is… thick with it.”

–

It’s true – I can’t see anything in the air around us, but I’m certainly aware that this place is sacred. Either because it was always a special place, or made special due to the repeated process of bringing children here with the intent of dedication, this patch of forest is unique. Even the trees around us are just a little different – their trunks darker, thicker. The way that the branches twine up towards the sky is more elegantly twisted than I’ve seen elsewhere.

Overall it’s not a bad feeling just…different.

I glance over my shoulder at Cora, who I can see is uncomfortable. She’s the only human in the party today and, even though she doesn’t have a wolf who can sense the magic like mine can, I can tell that she, too, senses the difference of this place. I give her a warm smile which she returns, coming closer to my side.

“This place is weird,” she says softly, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she’s cold. “Scared,” I correct. “But yeah, sacred and weird.”

We take a little path deeper into the woods, worn flat enough by the passing of thousands of feet over the years that Henry’s chair has no trouble passing down it. When we lose sight of the vans behind us, so deep in the forest that the trees obscure our sight of the road, I see a figure ahead, dressed in silver robes.

priestess who we met in the temple. We murmur our greetings when we come close and she

in the nursery for a few hours. Since then, I haven’t been further than one room away from him, and even that I kept as short as possible. And now I

curl up warm and safe in bed, but the priestess gives me a warm smile, perhaps reading my mind. My wolf gives me a

sigh, still anxious. I feel Sinclair’s hand press more firmly against my

waist, resting my head against his chest. I

her arms, and then nods to Cora and Roger, who each take a step

our gathered group of family and

she calls

his voice resonant and strong.

us, part of the ritual, recognizing our intent. Then, she continues. ” And who will carry this boy to meet the

”

to Roger and Cora in turn and then crosses to them, placing

less sure about what to say but certainly determined to do right by

steps aside so that Cora

forest. I watch them until they are swallowed by darkness, my heart in my throat. And then, when

Cora

trip again over another root, “that they’d spend a little more time clearing the path to this pool, if people

helpful but irritated, a little, by my slow pace. If you fall you’ll crush

the dark. “The priestess gave the baby to

voice a little crabby. “And she’s not going to be happy if you give her back a flat pancake baby because

”