Chapter 38
*“The landscape of devastation is still a landscape. There is beauty in ruins.”*
*Susan Sontag*
One more piggyback ride and an hour later, we’d made it to the large blue gate that guarded the base of Ambrose’s
home. Now that there wasn’t so much fog obscuring the place, I could finally see the temple-like structure more clearly.
There was one large tower that stretched high into the sky, built into the peak of the mountain, and surrounded by
smaller turrets and towers. I could tell the exterior of the towers were made of what looked like white stone, but the
towers looked painted. The colors were barely discernable, but if I squinted hard enough, I could make out what used to
be a blue tower or a red turret.
“What’s this place made of?” I asked in awe.
There was a proud smile on Ambrose’s face as he answered, “Most of it is stone, marble, and limestone from the
mountain. The pediment and rakings are clay and wood. Some of my subjects painted them when I first made this place,
but I can see those colors have faded with time.”
“Pediment? Rakings?”
“The tops of those towers,” he clarified.
“I can’t believe a wood rooftop lasted this long,” I said. “You’d think it would’ve rotted by now.”
“Ordinarily, yes,” he explained, “But that’s nothing a little magic can’t fix.” There was a slight smirk on his face as he
turned to me. “Are you ready to go inside, little wolf? I’ve been waiting a thousand years to give you a tour.”
I nodded with a blush on my face and looked up at the tall, imposing blue gate. Now that we were standing in front of it,
I could see just how large the barrier was. It was easily twenty feet tall.
Much like the paint on the towers, the gate’s color had clearly faded with time, but I could still see what was once vibrant
blue metal. In the middle of the gate hung a large wolf-shaped doorknob. The thing was nearly half my size, and it
depicted the head of a wolf snarling.
“This thing looks pretty badass,” I said.
Beside me, Ambrose reached out to pet the wolf’s head. “This was a gift,” he told me, “From one of the first Alphas who
pledged their loyalty to me.” There was something solemn in his eyes as he spoke, and I squeezed his hand instinctively.
*As excited as he is to be back, being here must remind him of all the people he knew a thousand years ago.*
Before the turn in conversation could dampen the mood, I said, “Come on. You promised me a tour a thousand years in
the making, and I think that starts with opening this gate.”
The smile returned to Ambrose’s face. “You’ll need to stand back for this part, little wolf.”
I didn’t hesitate to do as he asked.
Ambrose stepped forward until he stood directly in front of the bronze wolf head, took hold of the circular part, and
pulled. The gate let out a heavy whine as the rust-covered hinges moved for the first time in centuries, and I definitely did
not drool at the sight of my mate’s flexing arm muscles.
As the gate began opening, the metallic scent of rust hung in the air.
*This place really hasn’t been occupied for a thousand years.*
Of course, Ambrose didn’t seem at all phased by lifting what must’ve been a couple of tons. The gate slowly creaked
open, but then, he suddenly jerked hard on the doorknob.
I nearly stepped back in surprise when the gate swung the rest of the way open, the hinges complaining loudly the entire
time.
With the gate open, I also got my first up-close look at the rest of the temple. The stone path we’d followed to the gate
continued all the way to the top, creating a wide, sloping walking path you could use to navigate to different towers or
parts. I could also see that this place was more than just towers and turrets. I counted at least three visible courtyards as well as several archways upheld by Corinthian columns. In some ways, it reminded me of the tomb I’d found Ambrose in
– just on a much larger scale.
The entire structure was the same white stone and marble, and I had to wonder how long it’d taken Ambrose to build
this place. There was no arguing that his home was beautifully made, but I could also tell it hadn’t escaped the test of
time unscathed.
I could see clear cracks in the stone that we were standing on, vines and other greenery peeking through the crevices.
Those vines were the only sign of life I could see in this place, and they were almost everywhere. They even crawled up
the columns, which looked like they were one good storm away from crumbling entirely.
The courtyards, which might’ve contained lush grass a thousand years ago, were nothing but dirt now. Empty flowerpots
decorated the edge of each courtyard. The stone benches had started chipping away or broken apart entirely, and the
fountain in one of the courtyards didn’t hold a drop of water.
I paused my inspection to look at Ambrose.
*Does this bother him? To see his home like this?*
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that if you’re not reading this book on n𝘰𝚟el5s.com, you might be missing out on the
complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter—it’s all free!
I could feel the beginnings of a tense silence coming on, and in true Ollie fashion, I had to break it.
“You know,” I said, “This place looks pretty good for a thousand years without any upkeep. It just needs a little DIY, that’s
all. I watch a lot of HGTV – renovating a temple-castle can’t be that different from a house.”
He glanced at me. “I didn’t expect it to look as I’d left it, and yet, it pains me to know my home was forgotten with me.”
“It wasn’t forgotten,” I said, “Sure, maybe it had to weather a few storms without you, but you didn’t forget about it. You
came back for it. Whatever’s broken, you’ll rebuild.”
I couldn’t identify the emotion in his eyes as he said, “No, little wolf. We came back, and we shall rebuild together.”
***Meanwhile, Somewhere Far Away…***
A teenage girl made her way into a rusted greenhouse. The place didn’t look like much from the outside, but the interior
held some of the most rare plants and herbs in the world. Some of those plants were extinct everywhere but her coven’s
greenhouse.
Not that she paid much attention to any of those rare plants as she made her way to the back of the greenhouse – she
was on a mission today. When she caught sight of the old white-haired woman hunched over a table filled with dirt and
soil, humming away, she finally stopped.
“Elder Marjorie,” she said.
The old woman didn’t even acknowledge her, but the girl was able to see what she was working on – a new batch of wolfsbane.
“Yes, witchling?”
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that if you’re not reading this book on n𝘰𝚟el5s.com, you might be missing out on the
complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter—it’s all free!
The girl stiffened at the nickname. She knew it was what all the elders called the young witches, but she still found the
title distasteful. After all, she was only a couple of spells away from being a full-blown witch!
“Elder Musan from the Crescent Coven wanted me to tell you that something has happened.”
The old woman still didn’t bother to turn around. “Did he now?” she said, “And is this happening important enough to
draw me away from my plants? These new seeds are delicate.”
“He said it’s about the one the wolves call the Moon God,” the girl said.
Elder Marjorie froze, a garden tool still clutched tightly in her hands. Slowly, she turned around to face the girl. Her weathered face was pulled into a frown, and although her eyes had clouded over years ago, the girl could swear the old woman was looking straight through her.
She didn’t say anything, but the girl could tell she wanted an explanation.
“Several nights ago,” she explained, “Elder Musan and much of his coven witnessed a bright blue light shoot into the sky. He said it came from the Moon God’s crypt.”
The old woman’s clouded eyes widened in horror, and she dropped the garden tool. It fell to the floor with a loud clang.
“And he’s sure?” Elder Marjorie ask
“Yes,” the girl said, “He said he sent out a few of his witches to find the source, and they confirmed that the crypt was
damaged – and empty.”
Elder Marjorie was silent for several moments as she soaked in this new information, her face still pulled into a deep
frown.
“Elder Marjorie,” the girl broke the silence, “Does this mean…”
“Yes,” the old woman suddenly hissed, “*Lupus Deum* has returned and found his mate. He’ll be more powerful, more
vengeful than ever.”
A chill went down the girl’s spine.
“Tell Elder Musan we must call a meeting of the twelve covens – this must be dealt with immediately.”
