Starting my trial, huh? How the heck was I supposed to start something that I knew nothing about? “I need more context here. All you told me yesterday was my family history. We never talked about the actual trial. What is the trial?”

  “It starts with you reaching that book,” Selene pointed to the podium in the center of the water. I could make out an older, leather-bound book, sitting on top of the podium.

  Was she serious? I looked around the room to see if there was a clear path to the book, but the stones didn’t seem to line up in any sort of path. There was no bridge to the center stone. No boat. She could swim straight across, but the book would get wet in the process. I don’t see any other viable way to get to the book. This was already frustrating. Why do I need to swim across this water just to get a damn book when the sky nymph could just carry it on a breeze?

  “Language, little wolf,” Kalia scolded. “We can hear you. And, no, I will not carry that book on a breeze. I can’t even touch that book.”

  What? Kalia couldn’t touch the book… “Ok. What am I missing?”

  “I told you she wasn’t ready for this, Selene. She can’t even remember what you said yesterday,” Kalia complained.

  Selene just shook her head, but she stayed silent watching me for a glimmer of hope that I might figure this out. It was then that I realized the trial had already begun. She had given me a history lesson for a reason yesterday, so likely the answer was in our conversation yesterday. She had something about the book, but what was it?

  ‘There's a better explanation in the book that I created when I made all the werewolves human.’ The words just sort of appeared in my mind from yesterday. Selene had written a book all about werewolves when she turned the werewolves into normal humans. If Selene wrote the book then it had some magic to it. I have her magic flowing through me from the birthmark, so maybe that's why Kalia can't get it.

  “Do you really want me to swim over there to get the book?” I look at Selene asking her point blank. “The book will get wet.”

  “You have to get to the book. How you do is up to you.” Cryptic answers from my moon grandma. Great.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Screw it. I threw off my shoes and socks and jumped into the water. The cold water sent chills down my spine. I swam toward the center stone when things got dangerous… The stones started moving through the water. The stones splashed through the water with speed, barreling toward me. Fear filled my mind as my fight or flight response kicked in, forcing me to cut through the water as fast as I could. How the hell was I going to survive this? I swear Selene was trying to kill me instead of helping me become a magic dog.

  Stones began knocking me around the water as I tried to speed up. The stones were the size of footballs almost. There were larger ones, but they rolled slower allowing me to escape their path. The smallest ones were faster as they battered my body one after another. Was this just a form of torture? Why would any of my ancestors agree to this shit? I wish I could turn back, but I was so close to the podium now. Pushing forward, I touched the edge of the center stone, and the stones froze in place. It took all my strength to pull myself out of the water. My body was covered in welts from the stones hitting my body. I wanted to collapse right there from pain. I was pretty sure at least a few of my ribs were broken. Reaching out, my fingers grazed the leather-bound book, and all the chaos of the moving stones stopped. I let out a breath, I didn’t know I was holding.

  “Well, she’s not dead, Selene,” Kalia commented on my progress.

  I could hear Selene chuckling. “Just wait a bit. She still has to make it back over here with the book.”

  I groaned at their words. “Boneheads…They have absolutely no faith in me.”

  Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the brown, leather-bound book in front of me. It was beautiful. There was a silver outline of a wolf howling to the full moon. I ran my fingers over the cover, waiting to see if any other bizarre magic started. Nothing happened. Holding my breath, I picked up the book. The podium began to sink into the ground and the rocks started rolling through the water again. Shit. I walked to the edge of the little island and watched the rocks speed past me. How was I going to do this? “What does this have to do with being a damn werewolf?” I called out to Selene. “Will I be randomly attacked by speeding rocks because I am part wild dog?”

  “Something like that,” she smiled at me.

  Yep. My Moon Grandma is insane. Her magic is controlling this shit. Maybe, she’s the cause of my early death. I stared at Selene and down at the water. There was no shortcut or simple answer to this task. I just hope I make it across this pond alive. Walking into the water, I swear the rocks picked up speed, rushing past me. I held the book above my head as I calmly swam forward. Small stones started flinging toward me again. Oh, joy. More bruises. The big rocks just rushed past me as I made my way across the water. It took a long time and my body was battered by stones, but I made it back to Selene.

  The moment I laid the book at her feet the rocks stopped in their tracks. I felt myself sigh in relief, but it was too soon. As I tried to climb out of the pond, a whirlpool appeared, trying to suck me into it. Clinging onto the shore, I pulled myself up. I was not about to quit now. My body has already been beaten to hell. A little water isn’t going to kill me now. I forced myself up on the shoreline, and the whirlpool vanished as quickly as it came. Laying on the ground next to the book, I was breathing heavily.

  “Huh. She did it.” Kalia commented.

  If I had the energy, I would punch her right now.

  “And she still has an attitude,” Selene added.

  With that, I made myself get off the ground with the book in my hand. These two did absolutely nothing to guide me through this trial, and I refuse to listen to their bullshit. “Y’all are horrible!” I shouted as I left the chamber we were in. I wasn’t going to give Selene this book nor Kalia, and they don’t care about what just happened. Forget them. It’s my book now.