The Timber Effect

by Jacklyn Reynolds

  Henry was raging at this point and he finally sank his fangs into Timber. His jaws clamped around her back, and his teeth punctured both sides of her body. Timber screamed out in a high-pitched howl as he threw her mercilessly across the room and through the wall into the bathroom. Timber struggled to her feet and staggered over the shattered tile, glass, porcelain, and broken wood beams. She climbed through the hole and to the door as Aiyanna and the Black Widow closed in on Henry, trying to calm him down. Timber crawled out of the garage and was immediately picked up and carried away by Lord Frost. He looked anxious as he took Timber into the house and set her bloody body down on the tarp-covered dining room table.

  "Do not sleep," urged Lord Frost.

  Timber had no choice but to obey. She was in far too much pain to sleep. She watched Lord Frost and whined in pain as he examined her broken body. She wasn't bleeding critically which she was grateful for. Lord Frost began to cry as Timber visibly began to feel the effects of the venom. Her head began to pound like a bass drum being played too hard making Timber pant wildly. Her stomach was beginning to twist itself into multiple knots and after a moment, Timber began to lose the contents of her stomach. Then a sensation of impending doom swept over her and Timber found herself paralyzed, and unable to move or make a sound. Lord Frost put a damp mix of the inner bark of a willow, St. John's Wort, lavender, and compressed cayenne into Timber's wounds and after a few short moments the pain of her external injuries subsided but her internal injuries remained excruciating and unbearable.

  "Timber, do not sleep," said Lord Frost. "If you sleep you will not be able to spread the venom properly. Do not sleep."

  Timber lay there wanting nothing more than to scream in agony but she couldn't make any sort of movement. All she could do was to wait for Aiyanna and Jaci. She couldn't hear anything from the garage so she reasoned that Jaci sedated him. Then the garage door closed and Aiyanna came into view first. She had taken a bad hit across the hips from Henry and was bleeding profusely. Then Jaci came into view looking like her sweet self but tense and worried.

  "Are you alright Aiyanna?" asked Jaci.

  "I am fine," said Aiyanna. "We need to focus on Timber now." Aiyanna looked at Lord Frost.

  "What injuries did she sustain?"

  "From what I could tell," stated Lord Frost, "her left hind leg is broken in two places, several of her ribs are cracked, and her right front leg is fractured. There may be mild internal bleeding. The venom has already taken effect. She is paralyzed. You are going to use a good deal of energy to heal her while you are injured."

  "I will be fine," said Aiyanna as she sat on the floor. "Bring her to me."

  Lord Frost lifted Timber's limp body and lay her on Aiyanna's lap. Timber's vision was blocked by her wings as she began to sing softly. Her voice sailed in a silver arch through the room and warmed Timber's soul. Timber could feel her body regain mobility, she felt her bones mend and she felt her heart slow down until it was beating normally. Aiyanna stopped singing and Timber felt her fall backward. Timber moved and grabbed the collar of Aiyanna's blouse with her teeth as her head fell back. Aiyanna was unconscious. Timber lay her down and looked at Lord Frost and Jaci.

  "She didn't sleep last night," said Jaci. "Healing you used the last of her energy. We weren't expecting a fight. We thought Henry would bite you immediately. It was supposed to be quick."

  Henry! Timber had almost forgotten about him. She sprang to her feet and made to dart to the garage but Jaci grabbed her.

  "You're going to disturb him," said Jaci. Timber spun around and glared at Jaci. "He's fine. Mostly." Timber growled at Jaci furiously. "Calm down. I didn't hurt him. He hurt himself. He slashed Aiyanna. So to scare him away, I set my wings on fire. Normally, werewolves avoid fire. Henry was just angry. I pushed him back into a corner and Aiyanna put him into a sleep. He's fine."

  Timber sat down and stared at the garage door. She Turned and regained her human form. She remained silent for a moment, thinking. Then she looked at Lord Frost.

  "When did Henry start taking his medicine?" she asked.

  "As soon as it was available," said Lord Frost. "He was seventeen. His choice to take it and the positive effect it has on him is why we allowed him to leave. If the medicine failed, I am afraid that Henry would have never been allowed to live outside of Haven."

  "He's a lot bigger than my parents were," said Timber, thinking out loud.

  "Henry is the largest werewolf I know of," said Lord Frost pushing his long blonde hair out of his eyes. "Werewolves mature much like humans. Males do not stop growing until they are twenty-one years old. For females, growth usually ends at sixteen. Henry has always had a large wolf form but I never imagined that he would get so large."

  "Is he the strongest werewolf?" asked Timber, remembering what Henry had said a few months ago about his strength.

  "No," said Lord Frost. "I have witnessed one werewolf lift a fallen pine tree and throw it thirty feet. Henry is not capable of such feats though he is extremely strong. Now, you must eat something."

  "It's in the refrigerator," said Timber. "I can get it."

  "No, you need to rest," said Lord Frost. "I can manage."

  Lord Frost went into the kitchen and Timber heard him open the refrigerator. He closed it and came back with a large chunk of raw venison that Chad had gotten on sale. Timber Turned and sat down. She set aside her pride and let Lord Frost hand feed her. He looked happy that Timber was eating out of his hand and letting him scratch behind her ears.

  Flashes of new memories came to her mind and she remembered Lord Frost feeding her the night he found her and scratching behind her ears. She remembered him playing in a meadow with her when she was still a pup and unable to take human form for longer than a few minutes. Lord Frost, it seemed was a large part of her young life. When she finished eating, she licked her nose and became a human again.

  "We spent a lot of time together when I was small, didn't we," said Timber to Lord Frost.

  "Yes, we did," said Lord Frost. "You were sweet and so full of life. You loved to play in the open field. You used to roll in the flowers and splash in the creek. It was always a miracle if we were dry when I brought you home. It broke my heart when I had to leave because you would whine and try to follow me. I could have stayed all day but I had duties I could not ignore."

  "I thought you couldn't have that kind of connection," said Timber.

  "Intimate connections are forbidden," said Lord Frost. "The kind sexual in nature."

  "Oh. So, can I ask you something?"

  "Anything you wish," said Lord Frost.

  "Something kept attacking me at night after the fight with the Vanquisher," said Timber. "Henry scared it off but neither of us knows if it will come back."

  "What did it look like?" asked Jaci.

  "It looked like a shadow," said Timber. "A dark shadow." Lord Frost froze and he and Jaci exchanged worried glances. Lord Frost ran a hand down his face.

  "Did you ever see a direct outline of this shadow?" asked Lord Frost. "Can you describe it to me?"

  "It was definitely a man," said Timber thinking back, "with a slight hook in the nose and messy hair. It looked a little like my father but it can't be. Sometimes it looked as though he had wings but they were always faint."

  "Jaci, how fast can you fly?" asked Lord Frost urgently.

  "Nowhere near as fast as Aiyanna."

  "Where do I need to go?" asked a voice from the floor. Timber looked and saw Aiyanna begin to stand up and stretch her wings. Her wounds had healed themselves while she was unconscious so she was strong again.

  "I need you to go to the Hollow," said Lord Frost. "A shadow has attacked Timber. You know what to do."

  Aiyanna nodded and took off immediately, leaving her crown on the floor.

  "What?" asked Timber. "What's in the Hollow?"

  "I do not want to tell you anything until I know for sure," said Lord Frost. "I am going to clean up and check on Henry. He will be awake in a
few hours." Without another word, he swept passed Timber and Jaci and out of sight.

  "Well this is frustrating," said Timber marching into the living room and throwing her body on the couch.

  "I know," said Jaci. "He was the same way with me when I had questions he didn't have the full answer to. Lord Avanti pushed him to give me the information he had at the time. It was so full of holes it made it more confusing. Then I knew why he wanted all the information before he filled me on anything."

  "What's your story?" asked Timber curiously.

  "I was abandoned when I was a year old by my mother. It was Lord Avanti who found me while he was making his rounds. Like all abandoned children, including Henry, I was given to a caregiver who raised me and was watchful of me until I was completely independent and could live outside of Heiligdom if I chose to. According to Lord Frost, he had found my mother and had a long discussion. My step-father was beating me because I threw up on his new shoes. That was the first time the Black Widow showed herself. She killed him."

  "How?"

  "Electrocuted him to death," replied Jaci. "Over time, I gained control of the Black Widow. Lord Avanti and Lord Frost were very active in my education. Lord Avanti discovered that she exists within me for protection. We were, at one point, two very different people. Now, we are one person. I can command her at will. In battle, she tells me what to do and I listen to her. I used to have a really bad attitude and I was always sarcastic but Aiyanna has been a good influence on me."

  "What can you do?"

  "I can manipulate elements. Fire, water, and air and I can create lightning. Aiyanna can manipulate elements too. She can also create a shockwave powerful enough to flatten this entire town of Fort Bragg. I've seen it before. We can both fly, though she is much faster than me. She can move in daylight without being seen. I cannot."

  "Are you friends?"

  "Aiyanna is my best friend," said Jaci. "She and I are nearly the same age, though I'll eventually die of old age. We learned how to fight together as one when I came to Haven with the guidance of Lord Avanti. We've seen many wars but we complement each other in battle. I am the dark and she is the light. We've learned how to combine our power too which makes us a force to be reckoned with."

  "So what about the other Highers?" asked Timber. "I know there are five, but I only hear of Lord Frost and Lord Avanti."

  "The other Highers do not get directly involved in the lives of those within Haven. They prefer to remain, though if they do find anyone who belongs in Haven they will bring them in but that's it. They prefer to take on the political aspects. Lord Avanti usually oversees battle training. Henry was trained by him too. Henry learned how to fight both in his werewolf form and his human form, and he's very good with a sword. I've seen Henry in battle when he was fifteen. Four vampires had escaped their hold on a full moon and Henry was the one who took them on. He was the only one at the time who was enough of a match for them and none of the other werewolves would do it."

  "What happened?"

  "Henry ripped them to pieces," said Jaci and Timber covered her mouth with her hand.

  "You mean he knew what he was doing? Even when he went full wolf?"

  "Henry has always had some level of control of himself even as a werewolf, which is why he was offered the medication your aunt developed. It's been years since Henry has missed a night of medication so tonight, his inner wolf wanted out."

  Timber sighed and scratched the back of her neck.

  "So, can I ask what you are?" asked Timber curiously.

  "A Cambion. Half human, half demon," said Jaci. "This," she pulled a chain with a beautiful emerald pendant out from under her shirt, "is the Merlin Emerald. It increases my power and produces an impenetrable shield around me."

  "Merlin? The wizard?" Timber looked at the emerald and noticed that it was engraved with a seal.

  "The one and only. Unfortunately, witches and wizards were wiped out centuries ago before Lord Frost could hide them. The only people who have real magic now are the Highers. This only can be passed to Merlin's descendants, though. It can be loaned for a shield, but it won't increase power. It will also reject evil hearted wearers. Mortem tried to take it from me but it rejected him. He still has the scar on his face. It's kind of like a living stone. It can think for itself. Legend says that Merlin himself is sealed inside."

  "So you're related to Merlin?" asked Timber in awe.

  "Very distantly, but yes."

  Out of the blue, a gold flash alerted them to Aiyanna's return. Within a second, Lord Frost had appeared in the room. Timber didn't know who looked more worried.

  "It is him," said Aiyanna with panic echoing in her silvery voice. "You have to tell her. You cannot keep this from her."

  Lord Frost sighed. "I had hoped it would never come to this. Timber, you need to hear the truth about your parent's death and why this is happening."

  "Can't it wait?" asked Jaci. "She's been through enough tonight already."

  "No," said Lord Frost. "Timber, your father was not a good man. He was a good actor, but he was not a good man. When I found out that Elizabeth had secretly married Daniel, I was astonished. Elizabeth must have changed him somehow. Later I learned that she had been threatened into marrying him. She married him to save her best friend's life. Her best friend was a centaur named Henwen. Shortly after the wedding, Daniel hunted Henwen down and slaughtered her. I was furious. The penalty for such an act was death and I was ready to carry it out the sentence. Elizabeth begged me to spare his life. She found out that she was pregnant with you and she convinced herself that having you would change him.

  "For the duration of the pregnancy, Daniel did seem to change. He began helping Elizabeth, and taking care of her. I was pleased. I thought that Elizabeth was correct and having a child could be good for him. He might be reminded of his sister Grace, whom he loved dearly as a young child. For the first three months after your birth, Daniel seemed exultant. Then something in him reverted back and he became violent all over again. We believe it was because he was involved with Greg Jalson's pack. Elizabeth continued to protect you from him until one day she could not and he bit you. Your mother nearly tore him to pieces. It was he who sent Greg after you the first time since he realized he could not touch you himself. Elizabeth had too strong of a temper and was merciless in her determination to protect her only child. When Greg attacked you, it was Aiyanna who saved you and healed you after injuring Greg and frightening him off.

  "He apologized repeatedly, and Elizabeth believed him. She came to me, begging me to let them leave. She believed that if Daniel was free, he would not be so angry and you would be safe. I helped you escape and I led you to Nebraska. I kept a close eye on you for several months. Daniel seemed to thrive and he became a completely different person. His personality even changed to the one you remember. Unfortunately, it was not real."

  "W-what are you saying?" asked Timber. She was white-faced and shaking with tears flowing freely from her eyes. She could not believe what she was hearing. Lord Frost had to be wrong. There had to be some sort of misunderstanding.

  "Daniel ordered your mother to be killed. He had Greg arrange the assassination. Unfortunately for him, his plan went amiss because the men Greg hired could not tell the difference between your father and your mother at night and shot them both. His intention was to get your mother out of the way so that he could kill you himself. The shadow that attacked you after the fight with the Vanquisher was your father."

  "You're wrong," said Timber in disbelief. "You have to be! There's no way! My father loved me!"

  "I am sorry Timber," said Aiyanna. "It is true. The Hollow where your parents are buried has been tampered with. Your father is gone."

  Timber got up off the floor, ran out of the front door and straight into the night. She ran barefoot down the sidewalk for a half a mile until she could not run in her human form. She Turned in the darkness of an alley as rain fell from the starless sky. Timber sprinted in her true form a
ll the way to downtown and up Highway 1. The sight of an enormous lone wolf the size of a Newfoundland running on the side of the road caused curious drivers to slow down for a look. Some of them snapped pictures but Timber ignored them. She was grateful that they slowed and let her cross the street passed the train tracks. She stopped running and slowed down to a trot when she reached Pudding Creek. She climbed up the large dune of wet sand and ran down as fast as she could without tumbling. She found a secluded and dry place under the old wooden logging trestle and sat still and quiet.

  The scent of the sand, the ocean, and the rain usually relaxed Timber. Tonight, on the other hand, she was too distraught to pay attention to her senses. She sat in still silence under the Pudding Creek Bridge. She didn't know how long she sat there exactly but the rain had stopped, the sky had cleared and the sun was starting to rise over the Mendocino Coastal Range. Henry would be himself again now but at the moment, Timber didn't care. She didn't even notice that it was cold and her body was shivering. All she knew was her heart was shattered. Her whole memory of her father was a lie. She thought he loved her. She thought he loved her mother too but he hated them. He hated her. How could a father do such a thing to his own flesh and blood? Grace had told her nothing but good stories when he was home. Did his werewolf bite change his whole personality like Henry said often happened?

  As the morning sun cleared the tops of the trees, she heard someone shouting in the near distance. She knew it was a man, but she couldn't understand him over the wind that was howling in her ears. Then she saw a tall, lean figure at the top of the dune. The cane gave him away. Henry was looking for her.

  "Timber!"