“I appreciate you trying.”

  We all sat where we were, and Roska spread out the map. “Your hand.”

  I extended my left hand toward her. She took it, pulled out a knife, and cut into my flesh. It stung, and I bit my tongue to distract myself from the pain.

  Hale bit her wrist and held it in front of me. “Drink it.”

  I gave her a double-take, but drank it anyway. My cut healed immediately.

  “We need to hold hands.” Roska held her hands out toward us.

  Hale and I both grabbed one and held onto each other’s. Roska looked up to the sky and spoke in a foreign language, her voice rising with each word she spoke. The breeze picked up speed, whipping our hair into our faces. My blood swirled around on the map, moving around erratically.

  Disappointment washed through me. If the spell didn’t work, I had dragged Hale all the way to Iceland for nothing.

  The trail of blood moved around fast and then slow, then fast again.

  “What’s going on?” Hale asked.

  “Shh,” Roska warned.

  The blood slowed again, this time moving in a circular pattern. It went around the edge of the map, slowly inching toward the middle. It stopped, pooling near the western-most point of Iceland.

  “Is that where it is?” Excitement coursed through me, but no bones popped. I’d worn out my poor wolf running from Washington to Iceland. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of the map.

  “Something is.” Roska glanced at her watch. “With a spell like this, I can’t guarantee what we’ve located, but I hope it’s what you’re looking for. Sorry, but I have to get back.”

  “Thanks for doing this.” I gave her a hug.

  “If you need any more help, I’ll get you in touch with a local witch I know. I’m going to be pretty busy getting Gessilyn out of another jam.”

  “The high witch is in trouble?” Hale asked.

  Roska rose and shook off the map. “She’s learning a bunch of ancient spells from a book—spells that’ve only ever been used by the few other previous high witches—more goes wrong than right the first few tries. Good luck, you guys.”

  “Thanks, Roska.”

  She gave a quick wave and ran off.

  “Do you know the area where the spell said the stone is?” I asked.

  “There are some shops over that way. Maybe the stone’s there.”

  “For sale?” I exclaimed.

  She shrugged. “Will you know it when you see it?”

  That was a good question, but with all the energy racing through me, I was pretty sure I’d know it when I saw it. I nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Hale studied the map again. “Okay. Are you up for another run?”

  If it meant finding the stone, I’d run through fire if I had to. “You’d better believe it.”

  We ran through the woods and came out next to a small neighborhood. We darted down the streets and came to a small shopping area just on the other side. I pulled out the picture of the map again, but it didn’t show any particular store.

  “Any ideas?” she asked. “Do you feel anything?”

  My insides were still vibrating, but that was it. “Nothing specific.”

  She glanced around. “Well, my parents are friends with one of the shop owners. We can go there—it’s a start, at least.”

  It was more than I had. “Sounds good to me.”

  I followed her to a building on the end. We went inside. The entire place was filled with tiny trinkets. It smelled like incense.

  “Frey!” Hale ran over to the counter and hugged a redheaded guy about our age.

  He returned the embrace. “Hale! What a surprise. What brings you here?”

  “My friend and I are in search of something.”

  Frey extended his arms and panned them around the shop. “I happen to have plenty of things. Anything in particular?”

  “Have you heard of a wolf essence stone?” Hale asked.

  His face paled. “How do you know about that?” He sniffed the air. “You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?”

  I nodded and backed up toward the door.

  “She’s a friend,” Hale reminded him. “What do you know about the stone?”

  His face scrunched. “I’ve made it my business not to know.”

  Hale narrowed her eyes. “But you know something.”

  Frey nodded. “I do, but then you’ll never bring it up again. Promise me.”

  “I swear. What do you know?”

  “Hold on.” He disappeared through a door.

  Hale turned to me. “He’s not usually so jumpy.”

  “The stone seems to affect people differently.”

  Frey returned carrying a brownish, torn paper with ragged edges.

  “What’s that?” I asked. It certainly wasn’t a stone.

  “Come closer.” Frey waved us over.

  I rushed through the shop. Hale and I both waited.

  Frey held up the paper. “This is half a map. Find the other half, and it’ll show you where the stone is.”

  My heart sank. “You don’t know where the rest of it is?”

  “Like I said, I’ve made it my business not to know.”

  “Why?” Hale asked.

  I stared at the back of the map, unable to see anything. “Can I?”

  He pulled it closer to himself and looked at Hale. “The only reason I’m doing this is because of you.”

  My heart raced.

  “I appreciate it,” she said.

  He nodded and handed me the delicate map.

  “Why don’t you want to know more?” Hale asked again.

  “The stories I’ve heard about the stone are enough for me. It’s dangerous—I trust you’ll be careful.”

  “Of course.”

  I flipped the map every which way. “Does the other half of the map hold the location?”

  “Nobody knows which side does.” Frey said.

  I gave him a double-take.

  “It won’t appear until the two halves are together.”

  “There’s no other way?” I asked.

  Frey’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve made it further than any other werewolf has in centuries. I wouldn’t complain.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  “My parents are going to be back soon and now I need to rid the shop of the werewolf smell. Just take the map and go.”

  “Your parents won’t care?” Hale asked.

  Frey lowered his voice. “They don’t even know I’ve had it all these years. It was payment from a traveler about a century and a half ago.”

  I carefully folded the half-map. “You don’t have any idea how we find the rest of it?”

  “Not a clue. You need to leave.” He turned to Hale. “You can come back any time.”

  “Thanks again, Frey.”

  I tucked the delicate paper into a pocket. “Yeah, thanks.”

  Frey waved us toward the door and lit more incense. I opened the door and stepped out into the fresh air. My side warmed where the map rested in my pocket.

  “What now?” Hale asked.

  “I have no idea. The other half could be anywhere in the world.”

  We walked away slowly, both deep in thought.

  Chapter 116

  Toby

  Soleil and I entered the Faeble. Loud music and conversation greeted us. As we headed for the bar, a party of mesmers roared with laughter. Quinn was mopping up a greenish liquid from under the table.

  “Never a dull moment here,” Soleil noted.

  “That’s what makes it the Faeble.” We rounded the corner to find Tap busily mixing drinks behind the counter.

  “You found Soleil,” he said without glancing up.

  “It wasn’t easy, but Johan helped me get to Egypt.”

  Tap gave me a double-take.

  “Do you have a minute?” I asked.

  He piled a dozen glasses filled with multi-colored drinks onto a tray. “Do I look like I have a minute?”

  “It’s important.” Soleil took a seat on a stool.

  “It always is,” Tap muttered. “Give me a few minutes.”

  “We appreciate it.” I sat next to Soleil. “You think he knows anything?”

  “The little former king always knows more than he lets on. Always.”

  I rested my elbow on the bar. “I’m curious what he knows about this.”

  “Considering it’s an essence stone, I doubt we’re going to like it.”

  “Try to be positive.”

  “Okay, I’m positive we aren’t going to like it.”

  I scowled at her.

  “You forget I’ve been alive too long and seen too much to be optimistic about these things.”

  “Well, I’m going to have to stay positive enough for the both of us, then.”

  “Good luck with that.” She sighed, rested her chin on her palm, and stared off into space.

  “I wish I could bring back Brick.”

  “You and me both.”

  We sat quietly. Another roar of laughter sounded in the direction of the mesmers, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Tap yelled something in a foreign language.

  A few minutes later, he returned carrying a tray full of glass shards and muttering under his breath.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Those mesmers are going to find themselves banned from my bar if they aren’t careful.” He dumped the glass into the garbage and rinsed off the tray. “What can I help you two with?”

  I leaned over the bar. “Tell me everything you know about the wolf essence stone.”

  He dropped the tray. It rattled around in the sink. “I thought I told you two to drop it.”

  Soleil leaned closer to him. “Victoria’s in Iceland, hot on its tail.”

  Tap released a string of profanities. “I told her to forget about it!”

  Soleil’s expression grew tense. “We need to know everything you do. Then we have to make like hippies and blow this joint.”

  He covered his face with his hands and shook his head before looking back up at us. “Follow me downstairs. But one thing needs to be clear.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You didn’t hear any of this from me.”

  “Didn’t hear what?” Soleil asked.

  “Exactly.” Tap glared at us. “The only reason I’m saying anything is because Victoria’s probably in severe danger.”

  My stomach twisted in tight knots.

  “I need to tell Quinn he’s on his own for a few. I’ll meet you down there in the meeting room.” He disappeared around the corner.

  Soleil and I headed downstairs and made ourselves as comfortable as possible in the metal chairs. A few minutes later, Tap entered, glowering at me. “I hope you realize what I’m doing for you.”

  “It means a lot to us.” I sat taller.

  Tap raked his stubby fingers through his hair a couple times before pacing. Finally, he sat across from us. “I really wish word had never gotten out about the wolf stone.”

  I swallowed, eager to hear what he had to say, but also dreading what it meant for Victoria.

  “Can it cure the curse of the moon?” Soleil asked. “I know that’s why most wolves have gone after it.”

  Tap pressed his palms against the table and took a deep breath. “Yes, it can rid all wolves of the curse. It can make it so they can shift at will.”

  “So, it’s true.” A small bit of hope coursed through me, but not enough to rid me of my worry.

  “The cure comes with a price.” Tap stared at me.

  “Do you know what that is?” I asked.

  Tap’s lips formed a straight line and his nostrils flared. He nodded.

  “What is it?” Soleil asked.

  “It will awaken the first werewolf.”

  My mouth dropped. “He’s alive?”

  “In a manner of speaking. You have to understand something.”

  “What?” Soleil asked.

  Tap clenched his fists and he made eye contact with Soleil and then me. “He’s the biggest, baddest werewolf ever to live.”

  Soleil and I exchanged worried glances.

  “You think your father was bad…” Tap’s voice trailed off.

  My stomach squeezed so tightly that it lurched. “Worse than my father?”

  Tap nodded. “Fenrisúlfr would call your father weak. Nobody—and I do mean nobody—ever dared to cross him.”

  The room spun around me.

  “I take it by his name,” Soleil said, “that he’s Icelandic.”

  “Just like most original supernaturals.” Tap took a deep breath. “If he’s awakened, there isn’t an alpha alive who won’t quiver in Fenrisúlfr’s presence.”

  I grabbed my hair and pulled. “And there’s no way to remove the curse without waking Fenri… Fenreisen… Fenwen… the first wolf?”

  “Correct.”

  I sat up tall. “Well, obviously someone overpowered him at some point. He isn’t running around terrorizing anyone now, nor has he at any point in my lifetime. Surely, we can handle him. We faced both Victoria’s father and mine.”

  “It’s complicated, Toby. And it involved a really powerful witch—if the stories I’ve heard hold any truth to them about his, uh, capture. Some of the tales contradict each other, but they do all involve a mighty witch—”

  “Like Gessilyn?” I asked. “You can’t get any more powerful than a high witch.”

  “Bringing down Fenrisúlfr probably killed the witch.”

  Blood drained from my body. “Oh.”

  Tap stared at me. “Oh is right. We can’t know for sure, of course, but many tales indicate it might be true.”

  I sat quietly, letting the news sink in.

  Tap narrowed his eyes. “There’s a reason the stone has been hidden so long and someone went to such great lengths to keep it that way all this time.”

  “What does this mean for Victoria?” I whispered. “She’s already in Iceland, searching for it.”

  “She may be close, but it won’t be easy getting to it. The secrets are heavily guarded by powerful vampires. They, more than anyone else, want to keep Fenrisúlfr in his slumber.”

  “Is his venom deadlier to them than other werewolves?” Soleil asked.

  Tap nodded. “It’s rumored that one bite from him can kill an entire line of vampires, regardless of where in the line the bitten vampire is. The deaths will extend out to older and younger vampires in the line.”

  I covered my mouth, feeling sick to my stomach. There were only ten original vampires. One bite from that werewolf could eliminate a full ten percent of their kind—if the rumor was true. “That can’t be right.”

  “Why not?” Soleil asked.

  “All of the original vampires still live. Either he’s never bitten a vampire or it’s a wild tale to scare people.”

  Tap shrugged. “I don’t care to find out which is true. You need to stop your fiancée before she wakes him.”

  Chapter 117

  Victoria

  Hale stopped walking and turned to me. “I’m hungry.”

  “My blood’s poisonous to you.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. There’s a cafe not far from here. Let’s get a bite to eat and figure out our next step.”

  I rubbed my neck. “As long as you mean actual food, sure.”

  Hale gave me a playful shove. “Funny. I have a few vampires in mind I can call about the map and stone. I’ll do that while we eat.”

  We headed toward a little restaurant. I probably should’ve been hungry, too, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than the warm spot on my side where the half-map rested in my pocket. The vibration I’d felt earlier was growing stronger—so much that my fingers were shaking. I’d stuck my hands into my pockets to keep Hale from noticing.

  “Let’s go.” I followed her toward a little shopping area in the distance. She spoke about some local vampires who might know something about the stone. I tried to focus, but between the warmth from the map and my inner vibrations, I could barely pay enough attention to keep up.

  We ended up at a little deli filled with people. Flecks of red filled her eyes.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I whispered.

  “I’ll be fine once I eat. I can go a lot longer without blood as long as I have actual food.”

  A waitress took us to a table in the back. We both ordered right away—Hale because she was so hungry and me because I didn’t care what I ate. Hale started making calls as soon as the waitress left the table. I listened with interest. The sooner I could find the stone, the better. The thought of all wolves being able to shift at will made my pulse race through my body.

  Even though I was sort of out from under the moon’s curse, I still couldn’t simply turn when I wanted to. I was a slave of my emotions, needing to rein them in if I didn’t want to shift and needing to get artificially upset if I did want to turn.

  The waitress brought our meals just as Hale was ending a call.

  “Did you find anything?” I asked.

  “No.” She grabbed her overstuffed sandwich and took a big bite.

  “Has anyone heard of it?”

  She swallowed. “The stone or the map?”

  “Either.”

  “Nope.” She took another huge bite.

  I sighed and nibbled from mine. Shrimp and avocado spilled onto my plate.

  Hale inhaled her entire meal before I was halfway through my sandwich. “I have a few more people in mind who might know something.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  “Do you know any more witches?”

  “Yeah, but they’re just as busy as Roska.”

  “You might have to wait for one of them to become un-busy.” She slid her finger around the screen and brought the phone up to her ear. “Sven, old buddy! It’s Hale. I have a quick question for you.”

  I turned to my meal and half-listened to her side of the conversation. The vibrations and warmth were both growing stronger, making it harder to eat and concentrate on anything else. By the time I finished eating, Hale had talked with three more vampires.

  “Nobody knows anything?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “The only ones who did pointed me toward Frey. I’m running out of ideas. The people I just talked to are the most resourceful vampires I know.”