Ather skidded to a halt at the edge of a small clearing with a stump in the center. I slid off Loki’s back, and he trotted off to shift. He walked back to me and gestured to the center. “Go sit.”

I nodded and walked into the clearing. The tree’s shadows were still deep, as the sun had just breached the treetops. I shivered, not from the cooler temperature, since wolves burn hot, but from the feeling of the woods. It felt like something was here. Something was waiting for this moment.

I turned to face my dad, and he was still at the edge of the clearing. “Why are you still back there?”

“This isn’t for me, it’s for you. I have already done my time in this place.”

“Your time? What are you talking about?”

“This is a sacred place. The clearing here holds our family’s power, and it’s warded against it.”

“Against it? Dad, what are you talking about?”

“Just listen. Sit down on the stump.” I sank to the top of the stump and then looked back to my father. “Take your shoes and socks off, then plant your feet.”

“Why?”

His laugh cut through the quiet air. “Are you going to question everything I tell you?” He shook his head and then waved his hands.

I took off my shoes and socks and then quirked an eyebrow at him. “Happy?”

“Yes. Now, the first lesson you have to learn is connecting to nature. We pull our power from the world around us. Give and take, push and pull, every action has a reaction.” My father planted his feet and took a deep breath.

The trees shifted toward him, like his intake of breath was pulling them to him, and then he blew out. The trees bent backwards and shivered in the wind, almost dancing like they were happy. “Sometimes we take power, sometimes, like now, I give it.”

My mouth hung open, and I was looking around. “How did you do that?” My eyes darted from the dancing trees to my father, and his face was alight.

“Magic.” His laugh was contagious, and I laughed with him. “Now, to do that, like I said, the first step is to connect to nature.”

“How?” My mind was blown, and I had no clue how to connect to anything other than my phone.

“Focus on the air around you, the way the wind blows. Focus on your feet, how the grass tickles your soles, the ground supports you. How the trees pull energy from the sun and the land. How the animals survive off the land. Everything is connected, and once you connect to the land, you can feel it all. It will be overwhelming. You will feel…alive. For the first time in your life, you will truly feel alive. That’s the only way I can explain it.”

“Okay,” I said.

I closed my eyes and felt the wind blow around me, and it whispered through the trees. I wiggled my toes in the grass, and I felt…stupid. “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” I cracked open my eye, and my father was gone. “Hello? Dad?” I stood and started walking to the edge of the clearing and called again. “Hello?” The dark trees shifted, and I took a step back.

I was alone in the woods, and I had no idea what I was doing. It was too dark to stumble through the trees alone, and I felt like eyes were watching me from the darkness. My skin pebbled, and I turned away from the dark shadows in front of me.

“Dad? Hello!” I called again, and panic started to set in. How was I going to get back?

Chapter Fourteen

He will come back for you once you have tried for a few hours.

Nix’s voice jolted me, as I was so focused on my father being gone. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He can’t tell us. Loki told me the same. He said all he could, and now it is up to us to figure it out.

I sank back down to the stump and closed my eyes. But every noise, every shift, had me jumping.

There is nothing to be afraid of here. This is a sacred place. You are safe here. Now focus.

I took a cleansing breath and settled myself again. I closed my eyes again and focused on the wind and grass again. I settled deeper onto the stump and focused on my breathing. In and out, and eventually, everything started to fade.

“You fell asleep, huh?” I jolted and fell off the stump, sprawling on the ground to my father’s laughter.

“What?”

“It’s okay. I fell asleep my first time too. Come on. It’s lunchtime.” I stood and made my way to my father, who ruffled my hair. “C’mon sleeping beauty. I’m starving.” He walked away and came back as Loki. I hopped on, and we made our way back to the house.