Suzette deserved to die. She could not wait to get Suzette alone. This time, she would make sure the other woman did not escape. She lay on the cold floor and tried to block out the slurping sounds coming from above.
The scent of alcohol wafted down; Suzette was making her favorite drink. Were blood laced with copious amounts of liquor. Throw in a few organs to boot and there it was. The Suzette special. Guaranteed to be a hit at any Were party.
The tears came unbidden to her and she shut her eyes as the salt rivulets ran down her cheeks. Crying would not help those two, nothing would. Right now, she needed to find some way to escape so that she could free her father and stop the Weres like Suzette. To finally put an end to the war.
Out the window, they moon rose high in the sky; bright and round. Layla felt revitalized, almost as if the moon was restoring her hope. She would bide her time. Martin and Brett would find her and together they would fight. Just like they did last time. Only this time, Suzette was not leaving alive; Layla had shown her mercy once, she was not going to again.
She hoped that Pamuya and Taini forgave her rudeness and that they understood her reasons for running out on them. Although she was secretly glad that she did, as it meant that Suzette and her pack would not be hunting for the village tonight. It did not mean that they would not be able to hurt anyone from the village who left, only that they would not be able to destroy it.
Taini had told her that many of the people who lived in the village worked in the town and made the trek between the forests and the city every day. She could only hope that she had bought them one more day and that with her gone , they would be extra vigilant and Suzette could not ambush anyone along the way.
Involuntarily her eyes began to close as sleep threatened to claim her. She would take on escape tomorrow after she had rested.
The man came to her again. His hair was unbound and moved free and wild about his face shrouded in darkness. Only the fire in his amber hazel eyes stood out of the shadows, ablaze in the dark. He smiled at her. Trust him. He will help you. The man reached out a hand and ran his fingers over the ancient bonding bracelet that adorned her arm.
It is almost time, but you must be free. Set your spirit free, Hania. Be one with your gift. Be one with yourself. Be one with your element. The earth will set you free. Each of my daughters can use their element with their gifts. With it you can experience the wonders that your gift brings. But you must be free.
*
Layla woke with a start. Unpleasant smells reached her sensitive nose and her heart sank as she remembered where she was. She was still trapped in the house with Suzette and her pack. As she sat up, she worried about what horrors Suzette had in store for her. Was she going to be tortured today? Or would Suzette resort to some other psychological mindfuck to get her to cooperate?
Suzette would make good on her promise to let Ray try to finish what he had started and Layla had to keep her wits about her. She felt better today though. More…refreshed. Although her head still throbbed, her gut still churned and her cheek was still painful and swollen from the blow Ray had given her yesterday, her mind felt clearer.
That was good. She needed a clear mind to think. To formulate a plan. She thought back to her dream. He had told her to become one with her element. That the earth would set her free. What did that mean? He’d said each of his daughters.
Was he Mai-coh? His face had been hidden in shadows so she had no idea who he was. But so far, her dreams had not steered her wrong. Perhaps, it was time to stop fighting and start paying attention to what the dreams told her.
Layla listened carefully for the sound of footsteps above but heard nothing. Perhaps they had partied so much last night that she would be allowed a reprieve today. In the meantime, she would try to work on understanding how she was connected to the earth. Each of my daughters could use their elements with their gifts.
She remembered how Taini’s scent trails flowed through the air; light, carefree. Pamuya was able to project; her dreamscape a watery ripple underneath reality. Layla’s own ability to sense when she was about to be attacked and to avoid it. Almost as if she used the energy sent from her enemies to warn her.
It didn’t work in the car, she reminded herself. She had gotten caught. Perhaps, she needed to be connected to the earth itself. That would explain it and it made sense. But how the hell was she supposed to escape using the earth?
Was she to dig a tunnel to escape? Could she actually manipulate the earth the way Taini did the air and Pamuya water? She sat in the corner and slowly exhaled as she racked her brain for a way use what she hoped was her element.
The clump of boots on the rickety stairs brought her back to reality. She was still a prisoner and mentally prepared herself to face her tormentors. Built of strong stuff; she could take whatever Suzette could dish out.
His scent washed over her and her ears picked up the clang of the metal as the cage opened, but she waited until the Were was right in front of her before she looked up.
She met Ray’s green eyes with distain.
“Can I help you?”
He squatted so that he was almost eye level with her.
What she had found so appealing about him? Even with his ability to charm, he still wasn’t that great. Sure, he had muscles, but so did a lot of guys. It was Florida; after all, she could have her pick of muscles. Had she wanted to cheat on Brett that badly?
His gaze raked her from head to toe. “You’re gonna be here for a while.” He smiled at her without warmth. “Your stupid boyfriend didn’t even try to help you, and now, by the time he figures out that the trail he’s been following is a fake, we’ll be long gone.”
Layla narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Amy sensed him,” he told her with a sinister chuckle. “She’s got this sixth sense thing about her when it comes to self-preservation. She knew we were being watched out there on the road. It was your boyfriend hiding in the forest like a coward.”
Ray stood up. “Oh well, birds of a feather and all that.”
Her heart pounded and she tried to calm down, certain Suzette was using this information to fuck with her. Brett had been there. He had watched Suzette take her. Why the hell didn’t he try to help her? Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to think, refusing to let her temper cloud her judgment.
Even if he had tried to help, they would’ve been outnumbered. That was no excuse. They had taken on Suzette and her pack before and had no problems kicking ass. But Brett did not know how many there were. He’s not a Were, you are. You could smell them. She allowed the negative thoughts to leave. This was Ray’s and Suzette’s way of trying to get to her.
She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. “Well, I guess we’ll see then, won’t we?”
He glared at her, his laugh quieting. “You just wait. After New Year’s Day, we won’t need you and then you are all mine.”
Layla scoffed, reveling in the ability to piss him off, hoping he rose to the bait, so she could break his nose. “Right. Like you could take me. Please.”
He gave her another hard look before he turned on his heel and walked away, deliberately clanging the cage shut.
Shit. If what Ray said about the trail was true, she had to find a way to get out of here because her breadcrumb was useless. She thought she had been smart giving Martin and Brett a clue by leaving a drop of blood in the snow, but that wouldn’t work if the wrong trail was being followed.
Suzette’s gang didn’t sound like they were planning on staying too long. They had her and they could simply hide her somewhere, while they continued looking for the bracelet and the dagger. If they forced her, she could tell them about the bracelet, but they would still need the get it and it was safely hidden in the village.
They would need to find the dagger. That was one thing she could not help them with. She had no idea where to find it and no amount of torture could glean that information. However, if they found it, they would drag her out
and force her to kill her father or simply kill her outright if she refused to kill Mai-coh.
Light footsteps bounded down the stairs. The purple and black scent trails that belonged to Amy hit her nose long before she saw the other Were. Amy carried a bottle of water in one hand and a sandwich in the other. She threw them both at Layla.
“Breakfast is served.”
Even starved, she would not give Amy the satisfaction of seeing her scramble for food. She would reserve her dignity and glared at Amy, who watched her for a moment then shrugged and moved back to the stairs. Layla waited to ensure the other woman was gone and then grabbed the food.
She hungrily swallowed the sandwich, belatedly thinking that it could have been spiked with something. No matter, she thought, she had to eat. Not certain of her feeding schedule, she took a few small sips of the water; just enough to push the sandwich down into her stomach. She tightened the cap on the bottle and stashed it underneath her blanket.
Tensed and anticipating the worse, she waited. When no one came, she finally relaxed and drifted off to sleep, her rest fitful and uncomfortable. The boot to her ribs woke her quickly. She groaned and rolled to her feet.
Ray stood above her, his face a smiling mask, even as he made to kick her again. She rolled out of the way, lightly jumping to her feet.
Layla froze as the smell hit her nostrils. Suzette. She sauntered down the stairs, her short hair swinging freely.
A wide smile appeared on Suzette’s face and Layla held her gaze. The other Were inclined her head and quick as lightning, Ray grabbed her, his muscled forearm around her throat as he held her still.
She wanted to transform and rip both of them to shreds, but Ray was strong and Suzette was smart. There was no way she could take the both of them on her own. Not to mention the other three Werewolves upstairs.
“How is our guest of honor?” Suzette walked up to Layla, crowding her with her body. Layla stood her ground. Like the rest of her pack, Suzette was a bully. Layla blinked at her and allowed a small smile to play at her lips.
“I’m good,” she quipped, her voice hoarse. “A little tired, a little sleepy, but you know.”
Suzette laughed. “I see that you are in good spirits. Wonderful. Now, we don’t have to waste any more time here. We leave at first light tomorrow.”
She spun on her heel and then stopped, turning back to Layla with a smirk. “Oh, I almost forgot. I did promise Ray that he could play with you, didn’t I?”
A shrill whistle sounded from above, interrupting her. Annoyance crossed Suzette’s face briefly before it disappeared. “Unfortunately, it will have to wait.”
She glanced back at Layla. “But you better believe he will get his piece of…flesh before we leave here tomorrow.”
Layla’s stomach clenched at Ray’s growl.
He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I can’t wait.”
Suzette walked away and snapped her fingers at Ray, who released Layla, shoving her to the floor and loped up the stairs.
Layla rubbed her throat where Ray had held her. He was getting more violent by the hour. It was just a matter of time before he broke. Well, something was going to happen in the next 24 hours. And although she hated the thought, one of them was going to die. Her stomach clenched again.
Amy walked down the stairs, her steps light and sure. She walked up to the cage and like before, threw a bottle of water and a sandwich into the enclosure. “Come and get it,” she laughed and walked away.
Layla grabbed the sandwich and quickly ate it. In mere moments, her head started to swim. This time, they had drugged the damn sandwich. Suzette was not risking her trying to escape. The room whirled and Layla stumbled back to the blanket in the corner.
She tried to get her feet under her, but her body was not listening to her commands. She fell to one knee and held her head as she tried to stay awake, but sleep was crashed down on her faster than a plunging breaker onto shore. She was out cold in seconds.
It was the man again. He called to her. You are the Hania and you have my blood. Maikoda, you have the gift of Earth. Use your gift to help your sisters find you. You will need them to help you. Use your gift. Use the power of the moon.
Layla was confused. Use her gifts? The power of the moon? How? Her mind was chaotic and no matter how much she tried to concentrate, she could not seem to relieve the confusion in her head.
She thought back to Martin and his teachings. Focus. Concentrate. Breathe. She relaxed her body, becoming as she was when she had followed Taini’s scent trail and pretended she was doing it again, that she was trying to track Martin.
Strangely light, her head no longer seemed as fuzzy and she seemed to be able to concentrate. Opening her eyes, she looked around. The room was bathed in the glow of moonlight. It streamed in from the window and although it was far from her, strength flowed into her from its light.
The power of the moon. She walked over to the bars of her cage and closed her eyes, leaning against the metal. She would give anything to be free, she thought. If only she could leave. If only she could be free of this awful place.
Suddenly, she felt liberated. She opened her eyes. She was standing on the other side of the bars. She looked back at the cage, confused and her breath caught on a gasp as she stared at the crumpled form lying on her blankets.
Her eyes moved to her hands, no longer tanned, but a pale copy of their former selves. She shuddered. She was dead. They had killed her. Did that mean she was a ghost? Was she still here because she had unfinished business?
Tentatively, she took a step forward as she looked carefully around her. Where was the light? She knew enough that she wanted to avoid that damn light; she had too much to do first. Even if she could no longer save herself, the least she could do was alert to others to where Suzette was hiding.
She moved quickly up the stairs and slipped through the wooden door the same way she had moved through the bars. Two Weres were asleep on the floor and she wondered where the others were. A quick sniff and she knew. Suzette, alone on one side of the house; Amy and Ray in the bedroom near her.
As much as Layla wanted to haunt the hell out of everyone in the house, she knew she had to hurry. Just because she was dead didn’t mean Suzette couldn’t still wreak havoc on this town and by morning they would be gone.
Layla walked out into the night. Surprisingly, the cold wintry temperatures had no effect on her. She was dead; she thought and looked back as she moved down the path leading away from the house.
No footsteps. She was a ghost moving through the night. She wondered what Suzette would think when she found her body. Would she kill whoever had poisoned her? Was it Amy? Or Ray?
Closing her eyes, she hoped that her gift would still work. She looked for Taini’s scent trail, testing the air again and again, but could not find it. She took a deep breath, feeling odd when no air entered her lungs and sat down in the snow, her bare feet beneath her. She tried to picture Taini’s gift, hoping that would allow her to see some sort of scent trail to guide her back to the village. Nothing. Some informant she was turning out to be.
A thought came to her and she perked up. Pamuya had said that she sent Layla dreams. In her current state, would she be able to do the same? Could she send Pamuya a vision of her? It was worth a try. Technically, she wasn’t exactly dreaming, but being a ghost had to be the next best thing. She concentrated on Pamuya’s face, imagining her in slumber.
I am here, I am here, I am here, she chanted, hoping her sister could hear her. She tried to project the images of what she saw as she looked around, concentrating on them and imagining them entering Pamuya’s mind.
She tried to tell Pamuya that they were leaving the next day and gave the other woman a glimpse of the horizon, the landscape, the shape of the nearby mountains. Anything that could help them locate her. She even stared at the house in the hopes that someone may have come across it in the past and may remember it.
After what felt like hours, Layla stoppe
d. She had no idea if Pamuya had heard her or not. She didn’t even know if the other woman was asleep or if she was a part of the search party. Either way, she was exhausted. The rising sun kissed her skin and she glanced up. The silver moonlight was starting to change in color, its rays bathing her body.
The sensation was different. It was odd. She had not felt anything earlier even out in the snow. Oh no, she thought. This was the light. She was finally leaving. Pamuya had probably heard her, after all and her business was done. She closed her eyes and wished that she could see Brett one last time before she left.
As magically as it had begun, the sun disappeared and in its place was a familiar chill. Layla opened her eyes and gasped. She was standing in the room she and Brett had shared in her sister’s house. He was lying on the floor, tossing and turning, his sleep clearly disturbed.
She looked at his beautiful face; the long eyelashes that fanned his tanned cheeks, his lean, muscled torso above the covers twisted around him at the waist. He lay on his back, one arm thrown over his head, his long dark hair wild and free on the pillow.
Her fingers brushed his cheek as she leaned forward and kissed him, her lips to his own, the heat from him flooding her heart. She was saying goodbye. Perhaps, she would be able to help him in another form.
Suddenly his eyes popped open and he grabbed her hand. Layla gasped. He was touching her. That was impossible. She stared into his eyes.
“Layla?” he whispered.
“Brett,” she whispered back seconds before the strange pull began again. It was the same sensation she had felt when she felt the sun’s rays on her body. She was leaving. No. She couldn’t go just yet; she had so many things she wanted to say to him. She struggled to stay willing her body to remain where it was.
A drumming started in her head as her body began to warm and a light began to shine in one corner of the room. The light got brighter and brighter and Brett’s hand slipped away from hers. She was fading. She had to tell him about Suzette. She had to tell him she loved him.
“Tell Pamuya that Suzette is here. She is in the mountains near—!”
Maikoda: Power of the Moon (Blue Moon Trilogy Book 2) Page 19
