Chapter 10

Sleep must have taken Miriam in the end, because she wakes up to Ingrid bustling in the kitchen the next morning. Greta has already left the bed, and Miriam gets up and walks out to see the table laid with fresh bread, butter, jam, and cheese.

“No one should go hungry in times like these, Ingrid says as she ushers her to the table. Now, eat, my love.”

Miriam does as she’s told, but all she can think about is how it might be the last time she’s eating Ingrid’s bread. She will have to leave the town if she can no longer be there for them. The others are chatting, maybe planning the day, but it isn’t until the mayor puts a hand on her arm that she wakes up from her thoughts.

“We should go to the tower”, he says.

She nods. She might as well help them for as long as she’s still here, and she gets up and follows them out.

They spend the whole day reading the books, piling them against the wall as they finish them, but there is no mention of the wolves. When the last of the books is put away, the mayor sighs,

“It’s not here. Maybe it was lost.”

Miriam stares into the room. Does that mean she will have to do what he asked her, and break the spells? Greta glances at the mayor, then turns to her and says,

“Let’s rest. I’ll come with you home.”

They walk back in silence, and as they halt by the square, the mayor takes her hand.

“We will find a way, my love.”

She nods, and they part ways with no conclusion.

Greta follows her home and makes dinner. Miriam watches her cook, moving around in the small room, but all she can think about is what will happen if she breaks the spells. She will no longer be their Protector, and this town will no longer belong to her. Greta glances at her as they eat, and as she gets up to clean the table, she says,

“You should rest.”

Miriam follows her to the bedroom without a word. Where will she go if she has no place here? She crawls under the duvet, staring up at the ceiling. Greta comes and lies next to her, and she finds her hand and holds it.

“Maybe he’s right,” Greta whispers.

Miriam turns her head away. She can’t. Greta sighs.

“What if…”

She never has time to finish the sentence because Miriam bolts up. The creeping dread fills her, its presence closer than ever.

“They are here”.

She pulls the duvet to the side and scrambles out of the bed, but Greta pulls her back.

“What if it’s like the mayor said, they are just trying to lure you out?”

“But I need to go.”

“No one is out now, everyone is sleeping.”

Miriam sinks back into the bed and Greta tenses.

“Did you hear that?”, she whispers.

They go quiet, and the unmistakable sound of claws scratching against the door can be heard from downstairs.

“They are here”, she whispers.

Greta quietly gets out of bed and takes her revolver from the chair. They huddle together, listening as the wolves grunt outside.

“You need to break the spells”, Greta whispers.

“I can’t..”

“What if he’s right?”

The scratches stop, and then moments later, a howl pierces the air.

“But..”

“Do it.”

The door is creaking downstairs, the weight of the wolves pushing against it. Miriam takes a deep breath. This will be the last thing she does as a Protector. She reaches out to the spells and undoes them. She feels the connection break and the spells dissolving, and she sinks back in bed. Greta holds her hand, tense next to her. Slowly, the sound fades from downstairs and the night falls quiet.

“They… left…”, Greta whispers.

Miriam listens for any sound, but the scratches on the door are gone.

“They... left…”, she repeats after Greta.

She stares out into the room, but everything is quiet.

“You did it.”

Miriam sinks back against the pillow. She is no longer their Protector. Greta puts an arm around her, and Miriam sobs against her shoulder.