The Savage Grace: A Dark Divine Novel(90)

“What do we do if the owners show up?” I asked Gabriel on the way over to Frightmare Farms. It may have been abandoned as a Halloween attraction, but somebody still owned the place. It would be just our luck if the owners decided to take a midnight stroll on their property during the Challenging Ceremony.

“Not a problem,” Gabriel said, checking the ancient-looking pocket watch he pulled from his jacket. “In about an hour’s time, we’ll be the owners of the land.”

“What?”

“I noticed the ‘for sale’ sign when we were here with Sirhan. I called the Realtor and made a cash offer the owners could not refuse, on contingency of taking immediate possession of the property. One of the Elders is handling the paperwork and wire transfer as we speak.”

“That ‘for sale’ sign was for a sixty-acre parcel of land around the farm. That must have cost a fortune.”

“Until Sirhan’s successor is named at the Challenging Ceremony, the council controls Sirhan’s estate. Trust me, money is not a problem.”

The caravan of Escalades pulled into the parking field near the farmhouse, and Gabriel led us all to the barnyard. The Elders, dressed in regular clothing, congregated around the spot where Sirhan had died, their heads bowing in silent reverence.

“How do they know that’s the spot?” my dad asked as we watched them. Daniel and I had covered up the blood-soaked ground with dirt and straw before we left.

“They can feel it. I can feel it,” Daniel said. “It must be some sort of pheromone footprint left behind when he died.”

“Is that how the challengers will know where the ceremony will be?”

“Many will be able to sense it. And word will travel fast for those coming great distances,” Jarem said. “This is the epicenter,” he continued, addressing the other Elders and holding out his hands at his sides. “Let the battlefield be determined from here.”

I watched as eight of the Elders stood back-to-back right over the spot where Sirhan had died, and then they started walking with careful measured steps, radiating out like the spokes of a wagon’s wheel.

Gabriel must have noticed my confused look as I watched them. “Pack laws dictate that the battlefield is to be measured out in paces. One hundred of them, creating a circle roughly 150 yards wide around the epicenter of where Sirhan died. This will be the challenging ring. Anyone who enters this ring after the ceremony has started will have to fight. Any fighter who leaves the ring will forfeit his challenge.”


The Elders kept measuring out their paces until they’d created a giant circle, encompassing the farmhouse, barnyard, and the large dilapidated barn. Then Daniel, Jude, Talbot, the lost boys, and I gathered rocks and marked the boundaries of the challenging ring.

We gathered again in the middle, and Daniel mapped out the battlefield on a piece of notebook paper, showing the buildings and the barnyard and a thick black circle for the boundary line. I was more than happy that the circumference of the circle had barely skimmed the edge of the corn maze. I wouldn’t want to have to take on fighters inside the maze again.

“Will you explain the rules?” Gabriel asked Jarem.

Jarem nodded solemnly, as if being asked was a great honor. “The beginning of the ceremony is quite … well, ceremonial, so to speak. Since Daniel will be fighting in lieu of Gabriel, the beta, Gabriel must present Daniel in the center of the ring as the prime challenger—the incumbent, if you want to think of it that way. There will be certain words said, and Daniel’s face will be painted with specific markings that will signify his rank as the challenger to be beaten. Once Gabriel has retired, Daniel will then be required to invite any other challengers to step into the ring.”

“How many challengers can we expect?” I asked.

“At a normal Challenging Ceremony, perhaps one or two. However, this ceremony will be different because of…” Jarem glanced up at Gabriel.

“Because of me,” Gabriel finished for him. “The Etlu Clan is large and influential, not to mention wealthy. I am known well for my pacifist ways, and many of the other larger packs have been anticipating Sirhan’s demise for quite some time, hoping they can easily take possession of this pack from my hands. The short timeline until the ceremony may prevent some from coming, but I would think it safe to anticipate at least five challengers—other than Caleb.”

“So they’ll come expecting Gabriel, but what they’ll get is Daniel,” I said. “A true alpha instead of a pacifist beta. That’ll be a nice shock.”

“Secret weapon,” Ryan said, punching Daniel on the arm. “I bet a bunch of them will totally rethink challenging.”

“Not necessarily,” Jarem said. “We can use the surprise to our advantage; however, it cannot be our only strategy. Most Urbat would not challenge a true alpha—however, it has been centuries since a Challenging Ceremony involving a true alpha has occurred. Not since Sirhan was made leader after his father died. I am afraid, to many younger Urbat from packs other than ours, the very idea of a true alpha is merely a fairy tale.”

Gabriel shook his head. “Even after we present Daniel as the prime challenger, I am afraid many of the other challengers may feel they have come too long of a way not to make a challenge for the position of alpha, regardless of the presence of a true alpha or not.”