by N. K. Vir
“It worked Caelia,” he admitted proudly. “The blood from your family has strengthened me.” He stretched his arms out wide tilting his head towards the heavens and let out an eerie human-like howl.
Tanith could feel the unnatural energy emanating from the strange man. She lowered her belly to the ground and silently crept closer. A strange light illuminated his eyes; transforming them. The light of the full moon stretched down to the earth below and the sight of his feral eyes reflecting the weak light was terrifying. The thick musculature that surrounded his massive frame expanded even more and patches of thick hair began to sprout on his bare arms. His jaw widened transforming his handsome face into a grotesque copy of the man he had once been. He hovered somewhere between half-human and half-monster but still managed to maintain his proud, almost regal bearing. Tanith crept a few feet closer, pushing down the growl of fear that began to rise up from her belly.
“What did you do Kane?” Caelia asked horrified by the sight of him. She stumbled backwards tripping over a hidden root and fell backwards onto the hard ground.
Her sister was a warrior, feared by her enemies; yet this human smelling man scared her. Tanith crept closer; determined to protect her sister from the monster she had invited into her life.
Kane took advantage of Caelia’s vulnerable position stepping forward to tower over her. “I’ve become powerful, like you. Now I am worthy of you. Can’t you see that?” he hissed planting his hands on his narrow hips.
Caelia shook her head denying him the encouragement he obviously craved. “No Kane,” she whispered sadly. “Before you were worthy of me.” She could hear the heartbreak in her sister’s voice. “Now you are nothing more than a monster; an abomination.”
The harsh accusation of her words angered him; triggering a full transformation from man to beast. He threw his head back and howled; sending his rage to the moon that hung heavily above them. His face elongated and his beautiful features morphed into a truly hideous beast. His legs shrunk, pulling him down to the earth beneath him. His muscles stretched and his bones popped as they snapped into new positions. The shift looked painful not at all like the graceful transformation Tanith had finally accomplished moments before.
He howled again; the sound was filled with triumph instead of pain. Puffs of his heated air mingled with the cooler ambient temperature of the forest making him look like he had swallowed a dragon. His massive midnight colored wolf paced back and forth in front of Caelia, his amber eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger.
Fearing for her sister’s safety Tanith leapt into the clearing placing her smaller wolf protectively between the unnatural wolf and the delicate form of her sister. Tanith noticed that her sister’s side was naked; the silver dagger she never ventured outside the safety of their house without was missing from her side. Kane’s wolf was at least twice the size of hers but she felt no fear. There was power in her new form; and the distant sound of war drums thrummed through her system. She was born of warrior stock; and a warrior never fled a battle. The two newly formed wolves danced around each other; snapping and snarling; waiting for the moment that the other gave up the advantage.
“Tanith don’t!” Caelia shouted.
Kane, assuming that Caelia was protecting him, flashed a very human looking smile of victory. Distracted Tanith turned her head towards her sister; that was when Kane attacked. His massive wolf bull rushed her and sent her flying several feet in the air. She felt several of her ribs crack and the simple art of breathing became almost unbearably painful.
“NO!” Caelia wailed rushing to Tanith’s aid. Tears streamed down her face as she gently brushed the soft pelt of her flank. “A curse upon you Kane, son of Adam!” she spat swing her head angrily in his direction.
Kane’s anger found a new target.
His dark wolf slowly circled the unusual pair of sisters. His dark pink tongue licking the pointed tips of his canines as his bloodlust overtook his human nature. His amber eyes darkened almost blending in with the thick pelt of fur that lined his body as the need to hunt…the need to kill overtook him.
“Run Tani run,” Caelia encouraged as Kane leapt at her.
Caelia transformed into her swan but was not fast enough. Kane’s jaws latched around a delicate wing ripping her from the sky. Tanith stumbled to her feet; determined to protect her sister but Caelia’s haunting order echoed off the distant mountains. The haunting sound; carried by the wind that swept through the trees of the enchanted forest like a spell and compelled her to listen.
“Run Tani run…”
She listened and obeyed.
Shamed by her retreat she forced her broken ribs to push back the pain. She blindly ran through the forest hoping that muscle memory would carry her home for help. She could hear and feel the wheeze in her chest and prayed that she had enough strength to reach the village. Her vision began to blur, darkening as her lungs struggled to oxygenate her body.
A flash of moonlight illuminated the moonstone that hung tightly around her throat as she disappeared from one world and stepped into another.
Tanith sleeping form jackknifed in bed; the vibrant dream violently pulling her from, what had been a nearly soundless night’s sleep.
Her lungs sucked in oxygen as the realistic dream chased her into reality. A thin sheen of sweat covered her body; glistening in the pale moonlight that had invaded the darkened room. The burning pain she had experienced in her chest had followed her from the haunting dream into the small guest room in Marian’s house. She rubbed the heel of her hand against the center of her chest trying to ease the tightness that had settled there while checking to make sure none of her ribs had been broken.
She glanced down at Lucas’ sleeping form next to her relieved that her nightmare had not disturbed the rest he so desperately needed. She wanted to curl up next to the warmth of his body and loose herself in the comfort of his strong form; but the haunting dream refused to allow her racing heart to settle in her chest. She could still smell the sweet forest air and taste the fear on the tip of her tongue.
She swung her feet off the bed and slowly stood up carefully moving the arm Lucas had thrown over her waist. Her fuzzy brain slowly focused on her surroundings as the last sticky webs of her dream faded into reality.
Instinctually she reached for the moonstone that usually hung around her neck forgetting that she had leant it to Daisy to further study. She suddenly felt very naked without the comfortable weight of it resting the hollow of her throat. She scratched the naked patch of skin. Small tufts of silvery-white fur attached themselves to the palm of her hand. She swung her head back to the bed and saw that it was scattered with the remnants of her wolf.
Clear images of her dream replayed themselves in her mind making her realize something more was at play. She pushed the limits of her mind testing the span of her memory and was shocked to discover that she had one that stretched far beyond the ten years she had been human. Her dream had not been a dream, it had been a memory; and it unlocked a treasure trove of long forgotten years. With sleep now far away and the thrill of the undiscovered years returned to her she went in search of someone to share the good news with.
Chapter Nineteen
The Bright Light Of A New Day
The last memory the stone had shown her haunted her. The pain she had experienced both emotional and physical had been almost unbearable. The stone became hot to the touch after it revealed Tanith’s great escape; she dropped it, afraid to touch it. It sat on the floor where she had dropped it sleepily staring up at her. The usually iridescent surface had dulled to a pale milky white and Daisy feared that she had broken it. Still, that did not mean she wanted to touch it again with her bare hands. She silently slipped downstairs to retrieve a pot holder and turn on some coffee. She knew sleep would not be easy to come by after all that she had witnessed.
Since then she had been functioning on caffeine and adrenaline; afraid that if she slept Kane would be knocking at the door to drag Tanith away.
She could never imagine the crazy connection Tanith had with Kane. It was no wonder he was actively seeking her death now. From what she saw Kane had murdered her sister and was looking to wipe out the only witness to his crime.
The moonstone she had spent the better part of the night staring into sat on the counter in front of her; untouched since she had deposited it there a few hours ago. Her fifth cup of coffee was cooling in her hands as the sky lightened in the east welcoming the morning sun. Now she was trying to make sense of what she’d seen and how she had done it. Stones had always yielded to her before; but this was something else.
In the past she had seen still images; important memories from the history of the stone but never had she seen its complete history; never had she felt that history. It was as if she was she had lived inside not only the memories of the stone but inside Tanith. She definitely understood Tanith better. She just wished she understood herself better.
Changeling…
Seeker…
These were the new words others were suddenly using to describe her made her nervous. A strange chill danced along her spine. Not that long ago she had been aching to fit in with the others. Even Wills, who had been born human, had managed to gain a position in the magickal world; she just wanted to belong. She had grown tired of hearing the overused phrase ‘Protect Daisy’. She craved the power to protect herself in the new world she had discovered.
She should have been more careful with her wishes.
The tell-tale squeak of a foot touching the second step of the hallway stairs had her shaking herself out of her musings. She could, and would deal with the strange and sudden U-turn her world had taken at another time.
One major problem at a time, she reminded herself. She plastered a false smile on her face and turned to greet the early rising Sinclair’s. She was stunned when Tanith appeared in the kitchen.
Tanith’s porcelain complexion looked tired; like she too had suffered from sleepless night. Tanith plopped on the vacant kitchen stool next to her like her legs had run a marathon. Daisy scurried to her feet and poured her a hot cup of old coffee. She pushed the steaming mug into Tanith’s hands, sat back down and waited for the other woman to speak.
Tanith sniffed the contents of the mug, made a slight face, but she swallowed the contents without any further complaint. “I remember…I remember everything Daisy,” she confessed between sips.
“I can understand why you forgot,” she replied glancing back at the moonstone.
The dull sheen it had taken on had brightened slightly. She cocked her head to the side and leaned in closer to get a better look. She opened her ears listening to the faint murmured sound the stone had started to project since Tanith had sat down. The sound was lyrical; like a Gaelic lullaby. It was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard.
“Daisy did you hear me?” Tanith asked interrupting the lyrical music.
“I’m sorry,” she replied shaking her head clear of the haunting melody. “I wasn’t paying attention,” she admitted sheepishly.
“What did you mean you can understand why I forgot?”
Daisy inhaled a deep breath buying the precious few moments she needed to debate how much she should admit. After a quick conversation with her good and evil angels she decided that honesty was the best way to proceed; too much had been covered up by lies. She cleared her throat unnecessarily as she mustered the courage to admit aloud what she hadn’t been able to accept herself yet.
“The moonstone showed me,” she finally blurted out. “Wait,” she interrupted herself. “Did you say you remembered?”
A few moments of silence passed and then the laughter erupted.
It felt good.
They might have been sleep deprived. They might have been flirting with insanity; but it felt good. The heavy weight in the room lifted and even the moonstone seemed to brighten. The early morning light of the sun streamed through the kitchen window revealing a cloudless blue sky and for the first time in days Daisy felt like hope was finally cresting the horizon.
Kieran closed the door and crept back into bed with her. Last night had been exactly what she had needed. She didn’t realize how much she had missed Kieran. He awoke the hot, steamy memories from the night before, searing them forever in her mind, with a fresh kiss. His lips lingered just long enough; barely staving off the need that had captured them both the last night. This new facet in their relationship needed healing. Their long friendship had already survived more bumps and twists than a normal relationship; some things were meant to last; regardless of what Adam thought.
That was a problem for a different time.
Although they had healed the wounds last night they still weren’t passed the point of infection; she did not want to introduce more pressure on either of them. They still had an enormous hurdle to overcome if they were all going to survive the next few days.
Some light exercise and an amazing night’s sleep had inspired a new outlook. With communication reinstalled between them she hoped they were still on the same page. If she had any hopes of deciphering the illusive Ogham text she was going to need Kieran’s help; she was going to need his magick.
“Who was that?” she asked sleepily savoring the taste of him on her tongue.
“Daisy wants to call a family meeting in an hour,” he whispered against the hollow of her throat.
His mind and his mouth wandered into dangerous territory; while his hands had drifted well past that point. One was currently drifting up the outside of her leg, gently guiding it around his waist while his other was snaking around the nape of her neck. She wanted to give in. She wanted to wrap her limbs around him, pull him down and feel the comfortable weight of him pressing against the length of her body; but time was an enemy they could not fight.
“Kieran,” she exhaled surprised by the sound of her smoky, breathless voice.
He ignored her gentle interruption; misinterpreting the sound of his name on her lips. The soft pluck of his lips against the column of her throat forced molten heat to pool in her belly. Her hands, with a mind of their own drifted up the hard, rounded curve of his biceps. Her fingers spread, digging into the strong line of his shoulders. Her hands were enjoying the feel of him; but her head was urging her to stop before they ventured across a line they would not be able to pull back from. She gave herself the space of a breath before she put a stop to the feel of him gliding over her…It was a long breath.
Blindly she captured his face. She felt him twist his head and plant a sweet kiss on the palm of her hand. She heard him exhale and realized he was pulling himself back with the same amount of effort it had taken her to call a halt to the delicious path his mouth had been carving out.
“We really need to put a bathroom down here,” he grumbled against her throat. “I’m going to need a very cold shower.”
She giggled; brushing a chaste kiss on his forehead before he rolled off her. “That’ll be next on the list of things to do,” she assured him.
He sighed heavily. The gentle rocking motion of the mattress beneath her told her that he had left the bed. A sudden chill washed over her and her hands chased the blankets yanking them up to replace the warmth Kieran’s body had offered.
“I’ll bring you coffee,” he promised before he left her.
She smiled forcing herself to hold on to the high she had been riding. Last night had been rough; this morning was looking brighter. She prayed luck would be on her side today. She had a feeling they were all going to need it.
Dressed, caffeinated and clean they all met in her newly expanded study. Kieran was right; they needed to install a small bathroom in one of the many vacant spaces her aunt had left them in her hidden labyrinth of a library. She made a mental note to make that a top priority after they dug themselves out of their current situation.
Everyone was in attendance as Daisy and Tanith had kept quiet as to the reason for their urgent meeting. James and Kelly had managed to whip up a quick hearty breakfast to ins
ure they had the energy to press through the long day that lay ahead and had even brought down the leftovers in case anyone got peckish. They had never used the space she had recently created before and she felt like she was finally fulfilling the promise she had made to herself when she had taken on the mantle of Historian.
She envisioned the future that lay before her. Her small team that nearly spanned the magickal community would huddle around the long oaken table they had salvaged from a yard sale debating the newest problem they had decided to undertake. Today was the first of what she hoped were many more days to come.
She sat where she was most comfortable; behind her small alchemist table. She could feel the weight of the Ogham text spread out before her. The flickering light of the ancient text inside her head was stealing her attention from the small group that had gathered. She shut the book turning out the light and canceling out the distraction. Daisy’s excitement was palpable, nearly bubbling out of her.
“Daisy you’ve called this meeting so you have the floor,” she said encouraging the impromptu meeting to commence.
She wished she could see them all. She could feel the weight of everyone in the room. Lucas felt tight, distracted; as if his mind had split overnight. His presence felt half human and half animal. She knew they were close to the full moon but his energy felt different; almost as if he was losing himself to the call of his wolf. Having never experienced the pull of a Were so close to the full moon she, optimistically, wrote it off as natural. Deep down she knew different; the curse was sucking him in, slowly taking him over. Saving Tanith meant saving Lucas.
Tanith’s energy had shifted as well seemingly overnight. Lately she had been silent. The abrasive woman she had been disappeared weeks ago; but even she seemed to have changed drastically from yesterday to today. Some of her confidence had returned but there seemed to be a strange aura of sorrow that surrounded her. Wills could hardly blame her for her outlook. They had spent nearly three days searching for a way to save her life and seemed no closer to accomplishing the goal then when they had started out.
