Black Wolf by Steph Shangraw Read Free Book Online Page A

moved, deep in normal dryad sleep, her
breathing so slow that someone uninformed might have been alarmed.
Flynn was probably awake, though Kevin didn't bother checking;
Flynn tended to know a lot of things he kept to himself, so it
didn't really matter.
     
    It was so sad,
though, the screamingly-strong surface thoughts he'd been picking
up from Jesse just now. No one deserved to be so alone or so
terrified of trusting anyone. The nightmares Jesse had had while
unconscious, that Kevin had caught glimpses of while trying to
soothe them away, they were just as depressing—psychic damage
triggered nightmares but didn't provide the content. Haven was
hardly paradise, but some of what he'd seen would never have been
able to occur here; someone would have noticed and intervened. If
only there were some way to help...
     
    Maybe there
was. It wasn't going to be easy, Haven had so many secrets, the one
thing they all agreed on was that the outer world never know some
things. He wasn't at all sure his entire coven would feel the same,
either. Still... he remembered Rebecca, remembered the hurt and
despair she could bring. He remembered, too, feeling alone and
desperate, certain that there was no way out and that no one was
going to help him escape the hole he'd dug for himself. But even at
the worst moments, he'd had the absolute certainty that Deanna was
there and always would be, no matter what. He knew that Deanna
would back him up completely, even if he told no one what he'd seen
in Jesse's nightmares—she'd trust him to have a reason. He had a
feeling that Flynn would as well, for reasons of his own.
     
    He wasn't at
all sure he'd be able to help. But he was certainly going to
try.
     
    The
Quicksilver Sphynx
Miscellanea, September 1993
Nick 'Winter

    Heya, gang! What do
you think of the new layout Brittany came up with for the Sphynx?
Isn't it great? Not least because I have more space than ever to
play with! I can just see everyone bouncing with joy.
     
    The biggest news of
the month: Eleanor 'Moonstone and Darcy are getting handfasted! No
news on whether Darcy will be joining Coven Moonstone or staying
solitary, but everyone wishes you all the best either way. There's
going to be an outside circle on the night of the full moon (for
anyone not paying attention, that would be the thirtieth) starting
just before sunset in the park, the rest of Moonstone is leading,
everyone is invited. Okay, which witch is going to take
responsibility for making sure the weather is good? There'll be a
party after, of course, potluck-style. If you need more info, give
Thera 'Moonstone a call.
     
    Other upcoming
highlights: Exotica have been working on a new play called "Wild
Hunt." I snuck in to see a rehearsal, and it looks downright
fascinating. I don't want to give anything away, but Cari
'Dragonfire makes a wonderful Huntress. Cari tells me they'll be
opening on Thursday the sixteenth at eight in the school gym, usual
sliding scale, $3-10. Since they're doing it hands-on interactive
(remember "Calliope"? Same idea) they're limiting the number of
people, so they're going to run it for five nights, longer if
there's demand. Advance tickets available, get in touch with anyone
from Exotica.
     
    I'm hearing rumours
that we have our first new coven of the year already, although I
gather none of the people involved are new at the college this
year. I'll try to confirm, but I heard it includes a wolf, a dryad
seer, a human telekinetic, and an elf, which is probably more than
enough info to identify them if you know them but unfortunately I
don't. What? No witch? What's a coven without a witch? (Eva, don't
you dare say "quiet!")
     
    Katherine recently
accepted Miguel Lioren as her newest student, which will give us a
total of I believe 19 active mages in Haven. Anyone actually
surprised at the idea of another Lioren mage?
     
    Leif 'Artemisia tells
me they have some new ritual tools in at White Stag, primarily
metal (knives & cups, a few metal