“I am Gerhart Felsenberge. The master of this place and a friend of your grandma’s. I have known Addelyne since she was a child.”

I tilt my head, a sceptical eyebrow shooting up. At this point I am least concerned with how cocky I appear. This man, obviously, is lying.

“You are not old enough to be grandma’s friend.”

“Trust me, I am old enough to be Addelyne’s grandfather.” He quirks an amused lip. “It was a time before the Queen died and men were not considered a threat in Selgurathian. I lived there for years before the queen fell.”

It appears he is telling the truth. It unnerves me. He does not look a day older than thirty-three. To think that he might be over a century old is strange. His skin is smooth and there is not a wrinkle on his face. The only lines on his face are the laughter lines that appear around his silver eyes whenever he smiles.

“Are you a witch?”

“A warlock.” He raises an eyebrow. “Or a wizard. My mother was a witch of Selgurathian. She died in the chaos that erupted after the queen’s murder. I fled Selgurathian and came here to start a new life. I tried looking for Addelyne, but she might as well had disappeared into thin air. It was only when I got her scent during your crash that I realized she might have reappeared.”

He looks wistful as his gaze wanders over me. My face, my frame, my eyes. It stops at my lips and I purse them as a realization hits me. He clearly has some history with grandma. I do not know the dynamics of the magical world, if a witch and wizard must be of comparable age to be together. Looking at Gerhart, I get a feeling he was not a mere friend of grandma. His eyes have a far-off look as they linger on me. The shadow of nostalgia passing through tells me I am right.

He exhales a shaky breath. “You look so much like Addelyne.”

“I am nothing like her.” My curt voice wakes him from his trance. A surprised look passes his eyes before he smiles.

“Of course. You are not Adele. You are Diane and have just recovered from a nasty fall that could have proven fatal. My apologies.”

Ah, the fall. Now that he reminds me, my radars are up again. Each thought points me in the same direction. Everything tells me not to trust anyone ever again. There are too many loose ends here and my brain will not rest until I have tied them up properly.

“Talking about the fall - I am grateful that you saved me.” I keep my voice carefully neutral. “But I would like to know what you were doing under that cliff at that exact time. Did you have some kind of premonition that I was about to fall?”

My scepticism is not lost on him, nor my sarcasm. He chuckles, shaking his head.

“It seems you do not trust me, Diane.”

“You would not trust yourself if you were in my shoes.”

“I would not doubt a person who saved my life.”

“Well, I have had enough experience with saviours not to take them at face value.”

“That bad, was it?” His eyes linger on me with a renewed emotion. The silence stretches a moment too long, making me squirm. It seems he sees grandma again. A muscle ticks in my jaw.

"You did not answer my question. What brought you to that cliff that day?"

He exhales a long breath. “Fair enough. Allow me to explain.”

He walks to the open window and shuts it. Only then I realize the breeze had turned icy. It’s started snowing outside. The air is filled with a bone-chilling cold.

Gerhart turns, his tall frame leaning against the closed window.

“That night, I was at the Anadin peaks for two reasons. First - it was the night if the Harvest Festival. We were there to pay our respects to the Goddess, although we could not do so openly. We had to stay discrete as us wizards are not allowed anywhere near witches after the late queen’s death.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Ah, because the queen’s mate was the one who murdered her?"

"Yes."

“So are you not a part of the triumvirate anymore?” I am curious.

“Not directly. The Triumvirate was formed before the witches and wizards separated. Now we are castaways, so unwelcome at the Triumvirate gatherings.”

That makes sense. Gerhart purses his lips before continuing his thread.

“Another reason why I was there is my personal interest in your wellbeing. Betsy told me about Addelyne's twin granddaughters and her wish for them both to stay with the Silver Shadows. I was happy with the arrangement. It was safest for you two to stay with the pack until you stayed anonymous. But when the vampire Damien decided to claim his mate, I had to swing into action. The stakes rose higher as the Triumvirate gathering is exactly the sort of thing Addelyne would have wanted you to keep away from. Moreover, her pursuers, whoever they are, might be still on your tail. I had to make sure you did not fall into the wrong hands.”

I listen carefully, taking in each word. His explanation fits and I see no gaps. My brain does its math and is satisfied with the answer.

One thing, I do not agree though. My falling to death did not equate to my falling into the wrong hands. I have been in and out of death’s clutches too many times to be bothered with it. And I do not think grandma exactly minded me being dead. Come to think of it, she might have preferred it to the current situation.

“Thank you for the explanation. And thank you for saving my life. I know I might have offended you, but I must make sure I have all the answers.”

“Of course.” He chuckles. “And that is why you remind me of Addelyne. I know she was not the easiest person to be with, but once you got to know her, you could never get away.”

His infatuation with grandma puts me off. I stiffen, shuffling my feet when he smiles again.

“I think I have tired you out. You must rest. Betsy here will look after you. And feel free to venture out whenever you are ready. This is a small place, but you will find it interesting.”

“And what is this place called, if I may ask?” I tilt my head. It’s the last of my little loose threads that need to be tied. A week ago, I was at Anadin Peaks, and it was Autumn there. This place feels like it’s already knee deep in winter. Surely, we cannot be anywhere near the Peaks. In fact, something tells me we are far far away.

“This is Khlem Torrat.” Gerhart smiles. “It means ‘a home away from home’ in the ancient Selgurathian tongue. It’s a sanctuary I have created for all those who have nowhere to go, the wretches, the omegas, the warlocks of Selgurathian and any other who cannot survive in the human world. And before you ask, no, this is not in the USA. We are in the enemy land, in the heart of the Siberian desert, where none can reach us.”

*****

The rest of the day, I am left alone. I spend my time pacing the room. Every now and then, I slide open a window to gaze outside. All I see is endless snowy plains at the end of which are those grey mountains. There is nothing in between – no trees, no houses, no signs of any other living beings.

Khlem Torrat is on the edge of the wilderness. Gerhart said it’s a place for people who had nowhere to go, but in truth, it seems like a place where no one will want to go in their right mind. It feels so desolate from the confines of my room and I cannot wait to take Gerhart's invitation to explore outside.

I wonder what he meant when he said he created this place. He has a strong aura, one that reminds me of an ancient mountain with deep roots and imposing peaks. He is a veteran of Selgurathian and has been friends with grandma. Evidently, he is a powerful wizard himself. Not to forget the way he extricated me and Mrs. Bates. It must have taken a fair amount of skill, strength, agility, and a way to disappear without leaving a trace. He had managed it twice, which is a feat in itself.

I could have had similar skills had I not been harmed at birth. Then I would not have needed rescuing. I would not have needed any saviour, neither Adam nor Gerhart. Neither grandma to weigh on me with her last benevolent act, not Mrs. Bates who watches me smugly as if I owe her my life. The more I think about it, the more my anger flares. Grandma’s betrayal cuts deep, like a slow poison spreading through my body. Adam...I must stop thinking about him. The rest feels like an unnecessary burden, an obligation I must carry because I am too weak to defend myself.

I burn. I seethe. I growl with the weak whimpers that only my poor wolf can manage. The creature is hiding inside me, shrunk in a corner of my consciousness, too afraid to come out. The person it is most scared of is me. What if I cut short its pathetic life?

I throw back my head and laugh, bitterness seeping out of every vocal cord. Behind me, there is a clicking sound as Mrs. Bates steps into the room, watching me with disapproval.

“Get a grip, Ms. Diane. Be happy you are even alive. It’s all thanks to the late mistress. Don’t forget it’s her friend that rescued you.”

“Get out Mrs Bates. And don’t show me your face again.”

“Ms. Diane! How dare you speak with me like that!”

“I said get out! NOW.”

I take a step forward and she shrinks back. Her face turns white as if she’s seen a ghost. She drops a stack of clothes she was carrying for me and makes an about turn to flee my presence. I smile in satisfaction.

Kosher.

I stroll forward to take a look at the bundle of clothes she dropped. There are a few pairs of woollen trousers, some warm jumpers and sneakers. I smile and kick shut the door behind Mrs. Bates. This is exactly what I needed for my planned outing tonight.

*****