by Melinda Hyde
I harbored an intense sense of pity for the child. I knew what it was to be without a mother, and I tried every day to fill that void for her. I felt responsible for her, because of the circumstances surrounding her existence. This life was far from kind to her, though, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could coddle her.
More than that, the poor thing’s life was constantly in peril. To keep her safe, I had been forced sacrificed her childhood. She would never know the sheer, thrilling feel of freedom and innocence that came from dancing through a field of flowers in bare feet. Instead, to insure her survival, she would grow up locked away in the damp, dreary confines of my cave. I sighed at the desolation of our circumstances.
∆ ∆ ∆
I must have dozed off again, because the sound of angry, rattling thunder rolling through the cave brought me to my senses. The bundle beside Izzy stirred. Then I heard the Aleksandra’s soft, frightened whimpers. She peeked her chubby face out, red curls sticking out in every direction, and her lower lip puckered out.
A soft smile touched my lips, despite myself. Aleksandra’s wide eyes scanned the recesses of the cave, before landing on me, and she stretched her stubby arms in my direction, curling her fingers in and out. I padded over to her and scooped her up, humming soothing shushing sounds into her hair. She leaned her head into the crook of my shoulder and popped her little thumb in her mouth, roving her suspicious eyes around the cave.
I wondered briefly if I had ever been afraid of the rumbling of a storm, but if I had, I couldn’t recall it. I walked slowly to the entrance of the cave, carrying Aleksandra with me, and peered out into the clearing. The sky outside was white-washed and painted with grey clouds of gloom. Their contents spilled over, sprinkling dancing drops onto the thirsty ground. The fattened drops dribbled onto the dirt and grass creating a soft, melodic pitter-pattering melody.
It wasn’t a hard rain; it was just a light, spring spritz, but the possibility of a storm hung heavy in the air. A flash of lightening cracked across the clearing, followed by the harsh, booming clash of thunder, and Aleksandra jumped, dipping her fingers into the folds of my gown. The light flashed again, illuminating the clearing, and something in my peripheral vision caught my attention.
I pivoted in the direction of the disturbance, overcome with cautious curiosity. Aleksandra must have sensed the shift in my energy, because she lifted her head from my shoulder. Then, with an inquisitive spark in her eyes, she stretched her arm out to point at the spectacle taking place outside.
Every muscle in my body tensed, and I involuntarily tightened my grip on the child. She squirmed in response to the added pressure, but she didn’t avert her attention. Fury and fear mingled, burning a trail through my veins, making my blood thicken. I could no longer hear the comforting sound of the rain over the thump of my heart drumming in my ears. My mouth went dry. In the back ground, Aleksandra cooed her excitement, bouncing lightly on my hip.
A group of panthers paced beneath onslaught of pouring rain, off to the side of the cabin. Their sleek fur was slicked to their lethal physiques with dripping water, and their coats gleamed in the low, flashing light. They had arranged themselves in a circle, their eyes fixed eagerly on two of their members who were hissing and thrashing each other in the mud.
They swiped relentlessly at one another with their enormous, claw tipped paws, each looking to find an advantage. It wasn’t a true fight, however, I thought as I bristled inside. It was a form of practice; they were preparing themselves for battle.
I peered down at Aleksandra, making an attempt to rein in the cold outrage that hardened my eyes. “I see,” I whispered to the child, making my voice soft and soothing. It was strange, but the big, brutish creatures didn’t seem to frighten her; they seemed to entice her. “They’re just silly, naughty cats,” I added, tucking a curl behind her ear.
One of the beasts—the one that I assumed was Orin—lazily pivoted his head in our direction. His golden eyes found mine through the sheets of rain, and if a panther could grin, that’s what he did. There was a confident, self-assured spark in those amber orbs that made me unbearably uncomfortable. He wanted to eradicate my immortals, and he now had the numbers to pose a true threat—and he knew it.
I pulled Aleksandra’s hand down, and I whirled away from the outside world. With leaden feet, I carried the child over to my bedding, then eased her down, tucking a light blanket over her. She kicked it away, wiggling her toes. I brought the blanket back up, sending her a reprimanding glare. Her nose scrunched up, and she crossed her arms over her chest, ducking her lips into a bill.
When she didn’t move to shove the cover away, I padded over to the far side of the cave. I knelt down by my old, worn chest, and I riffled through its contents, bringing out a small, wooden bowl. I tucked the instrument under one of my arms, before picking up the basket from the ground beside the chest.
There were some berries inside, left over from a scavenging trip I had gone on two days past. They weren’t much, but Aleksandra needed something to fill her belly. If I was being honest, I was in need of nourishment myself. My belly grumbled in agreement. My own needs would have to wait, though. Perhaps if my creatures went out to hunt, I would have them bring something back.
I spun around on my heels and pause. The bed where I had left Aleksandra empty. I gnashed my teeth together in annoyance. She certainly was a stubborn, headstrong imp. Remembering what had taken place that morning, I glanced over to Izzy’s slumbering form, and my stomach tangled into a knot. Aleksandra wasn’t there.
My eyes flew frantically around the cave, searching for any sign of her. She wasn’t anywhere to be found. Then, I did a double take, as a flash of movement caught my eye. Standing in the pouring down rain, beyond the mouth of the cave, was Aleksandra. She waddled on short, unsteady legs, stamping her feet in a puddle of water. Her bright curls were plastered to the sides of her face and head. She had her hands stretched out, giggling her delight at the feel of the raindrops tickling her palms.
She was beyond the barrier of my protective spell, and though she was oblivious to danger, her blunder hadn’t gone unnoticed. I was frozen, my fear-filled eyes glued to the gigantic, crouching beast that stood several feet from her. A horrified scream bubbled up in my chest, but it came out as more of a strangled, croaking groan. The animal’s sharp claws bedded into the mushy soil, leaving deep gouging pits in the watery earth, as tension pulled his well-trained muscles into tight coils.
Aleksandra stopped moving when she noticed the creature, and her soaking gown stuck to the skin of her legs, with drops of water dripping from its straggled hem. she clapped her hands together in excitement, sending out a shower of watery specs. The beast pulled his lips back from his canines, crouching low, as he kneaded his limbs in anticipation. Aleksandra didn’t retreat. She eyed the beast with a sense of childish wonder, having no idea what was about to befall her.
I knew the moment that the build-up of tension released from the animal’s body. There was a tangible shift in the atmosphere, and it jarred me free of my stupor. Everything seemed to pass in a blur. The animal’s front paws left the ground, and his powerful haunches tensed and releases, launching him into the air. Before I could force my feet to move, he was sailing through the air, straight at Aleksandra.
I didn’t think; there was no time for that. My magic soared up through my body, Zipping through my fingertips. It sprang out as a blast of energy that slammed into the depraved brute, splaying him on his back in the muddy water. If I would have had my wits about me, I would have destroyed him with that blast, but in my mindless desperation, it had only been enough to take the wind from his lungs.
Realizing that the danger was far from over, I flew into action and raced forward. I snatched Aleksandra into the shelter of my arms. In the time it had taken me to reached her, the beast had already thrashed his way back to his feet. I backed away with slow, careful steps, cradling the child close to my bosom. I was struck by the intense, predatory calcula
tion shining out of those golden, orb-like eyes. The creature hissed, matching me step for step, as I made my retreat. He crouched to spring again, the hair on his underbelly dragging in the mud, and I gathered my energy. Just as he was about to pounce, I released the pent of power, allowing it to barrel towards him. I was going to put an end to this madness.
Just before my blue veil of destruction could envelop the creature, it was met by a shimmering barrier of green light. The two raging energies clashed into one another, sending sparks flying through the air around us, before subsiding. I gritted my teeth, snapping my blue, furious eyes in the direction of the cabin. Leonia was already out the door and making her way across the grass. Rain pelted down on her, deepening the darkness of her hair, and her soft, brown eyes snapped with malice. She stopped beside the creature—Orin—but kept her sights trained on me.
She shook her head. “If you harm Orin, Lenora, so help me, I will destroy every abomination you’ve created myself. I swear it,” she snapped, eyeing Aleksandra with open disdain. “I lost him once because of your foolishness, but I won’t allow it to happen again.”
She glanced down at the beast standing at her side. He peeled his lips away from his sharp teeth, releasing a low, angry growl, as he met her scorching stare. After a moment, she averted her gaze, but the big, black cat’s gaze never wavered. He was still the same as he had always been, I thought to myself, and Leonia was still fool enough to believe he loved her. Memories and thoughts raced through my mind; there was a million things I wanted to say to her, but instead, I only gave her a sad, sidelong glance. I wordlessly turned my back to them both, as I carried Aleksandra back into the safety of the cave.
Once inside, I strode back to the chest, this time bringing Aleksandra with me. I sat her down in front of me, as I flipped the rounded lid back. I trifled through the jumbled material, bringing out some dry clothing. We were both sopping wet, and a chill was starting to press in on us. The last thing I needed was for Aleksandra to fall ill. The material clung to the child’s waterlogged skin, as I slid the dripping material over her head, replacing it with the fresh, dry garments. Then, I did the same for myself.
7.The Hunt
Orin
Ifollowed my wife’s steps back to our home, with fire searing my blood in boiling waves. The child had been so close and unguarded, but Lenora swooped in, saving her from the fate she deserved. Somehow, I would have to see an end to her before she was able to grow into a monster, like her mother before her. There was no doubt in my mind that Lenora’s dark magic had infected her, too.
Then, there was the matter of my errant wife. The creating of my army was to be the last time she was allowed to use her powers—for good or bad, it didn’t matter. The night before, she had awoken in a bout of uncontrollable hysteria, carrying on about some sort of vision. It wasn’t the first time she had claimed to see what the future entailed. She had visions frequently, claiming she couldn’t control them, but they roused my ire, all the same.
Perhaps she really couldn’t prevent the visions from coming on. I couldn’t say, but what she had just done was inexcusable. I wouldn’t tolerate it. My son wouldn’t be raised by the likes of a devil worshipping witch. She knew I was angry. The woman wouldn’t even look me in the eye, and that irked me more.
She swung the cabin door inward, and I followed her through the gaping doorway. She stormed through the main room, past the curious eyes that latched onto us, marching into the privacy of our room. I followed behind her, close to her heels. Once we were alone, I allowed myself to shift, then snatched my clothes from the foot of the bed. I forced my limbs into the clothing, almost ripping the material in the process, trying to get a handle on my temper.
Leonia kept her back to me, gazing down at our sleeping son. She was ignoring me, acting as if nothing had happened. She lowered her hand, brushing it across Lance’s fuzzy head, then turned, not meeting my eyes. I meshed my teeth together. I wanted to throttle her for her impudence.
I stormed across the creaking floor, took her chin between my fingers, and I jerked her face upward, forcing her to face me. “What was that,” I growled, trembling with fury. A defiant expression planted itself upon her face, stoking the fire that burned in my mind. I retracted my hand with a light shove. “I said no more magic, Leonia. That’s what I told you. Last night was the last time, and you did it anyway.” The disgust I felt poured from my gaze, washing over her.
The light in Leonia’s brown eyes sizzled, and she set her jaw. “Lenora would have killed you,” she shot back, through gritted teeth. “You were a fool to go after the child so openly, and you know it.” I could feel my lips pull back into a nasty snarl. “You tell me to give up my powers, but you force me to use them by placing yourself in danger,” she growled, shaking her head.
I lunged forward, curling my hands harshly around her slender arms. My fingers bit into her soft, yielding flesh, and I took note of the pain that registered in her eyes. She attempted to shrink away from me, but I held her in place, towing over her. Her eyes rippled, as beads of moisture threaded her long, dark lashes.
I gave her a violent shake, as she made a fruitless attempt to twist away from my grasp. “When I said no magic, that’s exactly what I meant. I can’t seem to get that through your thick head, though.” I tightened my fingers into her flesh, making her wince from the pressure. “I’m doing all I can to fix what was caused by magic. It’s vile—evil, and I won’t allow my wife to take part in it. I mean it, Leonia. Don’t defy me again—not in this.” There was a wounded expression on her pretty, crestfallen face, but it did nothing to quell the fury that raged inside me. I jerked her against my chest, crushing my lips to hers, forcing her to surrender. “Do you understand me, Leonia,” I whispered, my lips still hovering a breath away from hers, and my green eyes holding her brown ones captive.
She didn’t utter a response, but I hadn’t expected her to. I abruptly released my hold on her, and forcefully pushed her away. The force wasn’t enough to uproot her. It was only enough to make her stagger a couple of steps before catching her balance. I watched her cross her arms, rubbing the soreness my fingers had left behind, as I spun away. A tinge of guilt laced my edges of my mind, but I squelched it away. She had brought the punishment of my anger onto herself, I thought angrily.
I stomped across the bedroom floor, before shoving the door aside. I could hear the quiet padding of her bare feet as she trailed after me, but I had nothing left to say to her, at the moment. I needed to go out. I needed to jog off my frustration.
I peered around at the curious faces eyeing me, awaiting my instruction. The sun had already sunk, and it was time for us to leave. Very soon, the reign of relentless terror that Lenora’s creatures had inflicted would come to an end. I was going to make sure of it.
∆ ∆ ∆
Lightening flashed across the black, moonless sky. It was a dark and dreary night. Clouds blocked out the moon and stars, leaving a begrimed shadow across the land. Through the day, it had drizzled heavily, off and on. Now, the rain poured down in an impenetrable sheet, furiously pelting the muddy ground. The leafy trees above served to slow the relentless onslaught, but our coats were still soaked down to our skins.
My big paw pressed into the yielding earth, and brown, mucky water bubbled up over my toes. I glanced around at the others, watching their golden eyes scan the surrounding forest. Then, I glanced to my side, taking a long look at the green-eyed huntress beside me. She caught my gaze and inched closer, pressing the length of her body along mine. I could feel her chest rumble with an eager purr. She was becoming a constant distraction, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
The wind whipped up a notch, and I froze in my watery tracks. I tilted my head into the streaming onslaught. The rain dribbled down onto my face, dripping from my lashes. My nostrils twitched, unraveling the corded mixture of scents and their coded messages. I homed in on one—the one that had caught my attention, and I felt a low growl work its way past my lips.
It was the scent that I had been waiting for. With Lenora knowing of my army, I hadn’t been certain of my success. It would have appeared that her creatures were more brazen than I had originally given them credit for, I thought to myself, with a sense of smug satisfaction.
The sleek warriors lazing at my side took note of my silent assessment and they followed suit. One by one, they lifted their muscular jowls into the air, scent testing the wind that loped through the trees and rain. They homed in on the same scent marker that I had, and each of them tensed, preparing for the battle ahead of us.
I dropped my head low to the ground, making a deep rumble in my chest, and I set out on deft paws across the mucky, leaf-strewn ground. The others followed close to my flanks, and we traveled through the night as a unit—invigorated and lethal. We weaved between the trees, dancing out and back again, lost in the in pursuit of our quarry.
We were edging our way closer to a nearby village, and I could feel my temper start to rise. I had never known Lenora’s creatures to hunt so close to the populace. Usually, they snagged their prey and carried it back into the heart of the forest, where the inevitable struggle would be muffled by the surrounding trees.
The shuffling of leaves brought our succession to an abrupt halt. I went low to the ground, so low that my underbelly almost drug along the ground. At a minimal pace, I stalked carefully to a cluster of overgrown bushes, where I could observe the creatures without being detected. The others fanned out, finding their own points of vantage. I wasn’t worried about the distance between us. My army wouldn’t move unless I signaled them to.
