Red and Her Wolf

by Marie Hall

  “Red.” He squeezed his eyes shut harder, colorful lights danced behind closed lids. “Answer me.”

  This time when the zephyr brushed against his nude back, a violent bump bump followed in its wake. His spine stiffened.

  Bump. Bump.

  He snapped his eyes open.

  Bump. Bump.

  It was like a fist knocking at the wall of his chest.

  Bump. Bump. Bumpbumpbump…

  He ran, following the sound of her rapidly beating heart.

  Bumpbumpbumpbump.Ewanewanewan… Ewan.

  “I’m coming, Red,” he roared, letting the sound fill his head, his lungs, his heart, and soul. Tree limbs tore at his already ravaged flesh, but he didn’t dare stop.

  He couldn’t smell her. But he felt her. Warmth and sunshine; her violence and mayhem. She was HIS, his women, all of her. Her violence, her pleasure and pain.

  His vision narrowed down to a pinprick, dodging trees the best he could, covering his eyes when he couldn’t avoid a slapping branch. Running faster, panting desperately for air around the fire ripping through his chest.

  Rocks tore up the soles of his feet. He slipped on the blood, forced to run up the hill with both hands and feet. Nails splitting as he clawed his way up.

  Ewanewanewanewanewan….

  The moment he crested the hill he heard her everywhere.

  Ewan.Ewan. Ewan.

  He stopped, grasping onto his aching side, lungs heaving as he twirled. Everything was dark and black. Ewan wiped the stinging wetness out of his eyes, the salt left a bitter sting behind.

  “Red!” he roared, brogue so thick it sounded more like riyad.

  Then a flash of bright pink energy sparked like a firework’s display above the enormous tree lines a hundred yards ahead.

  One breath in. A deep breath out.

  In and out.

  Arms pumping.

  Leg muscles flopping like a dying fish out of water. He tripped on a stone, rolling down the hill the rest of the way. Barely registering the fresh cuts and scrapes as he forced his battered body to stand up. He tried to run, but could barely do more than hobble. Adrenaline was the only thing he ran on now.

  “Ewan! Come quickly. Come.” It was Danika’s voice. “She needs you, boy. Come.”

  He broke through the trees, following the grunts and groans and the impossible to miss stench of brimstone. That noxious, sulfurous odor that leaked from Red’s pores when in a killing trance.

  At first it was only shadows on a ground, but then he got closer and horror gripped his spine in an icy fist.

  Malvena was bound, her body thrashing as Red kneeled on top of her. Black iridescence pulsed from Malvena’s body and Red cried as the black light turned to flames around her.

  ***

  Violet was trapped, unable to break free of the contact as Malvena’s powers siphoned into her. Each vaporous inhale was a blade, ripped her up from the inside.

  It was too much. Too much pain. Too much power. Her skin felt like it would rip off her body, she was bloated with darkness, on the verge of an explosion, and still her greedy soul inhaled.

  She couldn’t stop.

  Couldn’t stop.

  Aunt Mir had knocked Malvena out with a direct bolt of power to her temple, then she’d told Violet to open her mouth.

  She convulsed.

  “Take it in, Vi, all of it,” Aunt Mir’s words were small, and the pain was so, so large.

  Violet willed her body to stop. To close her mouth. Told her brain no more. But she was so hungry. So hungry.

  Jerking, fingers digging like claws into Malvena’s tiny shoulders, Violet drank and drank. That dark soul twisted in her gut, churned through her bowels.

  Malvena stopped jerking. Her once lovely face now contorted into a wordless scream.

  Hands shook Violet.

  “Stop…ple…”

  Something hot and wet seeped from her nose and ears.

  “Nay, stop…” A deep burr, a desperate growl.

  Ewan.

  For a moment joy replaced the fear. With one final pull, Violet inhaled the last of the dark fairies soul. A mummy stared back at her, desiccated skin covered a tiny pile of bones, then erupted in a giant tower of flame. Fire licked at Violet’s face, but she didn’t pull back, even as she sizzled and burned.

  She was going to die.

  The madness, the darkness, it spread insidiously to her head, through her veins, down her legs. She screamed. Clawing at her skin to relieve the sensation of a million ants biting, before it drove her mad.

  “Get it out,” she cried, doubled over as the agony of a bloated belly ready to rupture, drove her to pound her fists on the ground.

  Smoke began to billow from her fingers, out her nose. Her insides quaked, churned like a pot of boiling stew. Eyes burning, she racked her fingers down her face.

  She pleaded, begged, not knowing what words came out of her mouth. Then large hands gripped the corners of her face and a pair of lips slammed down on hers. She screamed her agony into its mouth, shoving the alien power down, down, down.

  Clutching tight to a savaged back, she sunk her nails in while the violence poured out. The agony turned to relief as the twisted soul transferred out of her body.

  “Red.” The voice was gentle, so soft. More a breath of sound.

  Ewan. She trembled, he’d found her. Saved her. Love you. Love you so much, she thought over and over even as she poured more and more death into him.

  She didn’t notice his tight hands growing slack on her waist, letting Malvena go felt so good. She could breathe again, see again. Violet opened her eyes and stared into a sunken pair of golden ones.

  Finally noticing how lax his mouth was on hers, she jerked back. The corners of his eyes were sliced open, bloody tears tracked down the sides of his nose. He was a mass of bruises and cuts. Purple skin mottled the bronze.

  “Ewan,” she cried when he collapsed on top of her.

  She barely had enough strength to brace his heavy weight.

  “He’s fine, Vi,” Aunt Mir’s stern voice filled with compassion. “Ye did well, and so did he.”

  “He’s dying,” Violet cried, running her fingers through his matted hair, remembering the agony of being filled with that level of malevolence and power.

  “Nay, girl,” Aunt Mir’s large blue eyes blinked solemnly back at her. “Nay. He’s a wolf. His body will expel her poison.”

  Ewan’s forehead was wet, and with more than just sweat. A strange oily residue coated her fingers. He was shaking, teeth grinding as his back arced and muscles jerked.

  Violet held onto him, grateful beyond words for what he’d done, praying to the gods Aunt Mir was right and the poison would leave his body. She kissed his clammy cheek, his forehead, and nose. Uncaring that he tasted bitter, or that a hint of what’d possessed her, now leaked through him. She wanted him to know she was here, just as he’d been for her.

  A strange gurgling sound rumbled from his gut, and then he moaned. Knowing what was coming, Violet turned his face.

  Ewan shuddered, retching over and over and over. It seemed impossible that he could spew up so much, but it just kept coming--a steady stream of sparkling black substance.

  Tears blinded her vision.

  “He’s okay, Violet.” The one named Danika patted her arm gently. “He’ll live.”

  She sniffed, and nodded. “I know, it’s just…”

  Danika’s blue eyes were kind, her face motherly. So different from the cruel mask she’d worn when grappling with Malvena. “He still loves you.”

  A choking sob gripped her, and she shuddered through her tears as he continued to release all of the Black’s power.

  She’d put him through so much, tried to kill him, herself. Why would he ever care for her? How could he? She couldn’t have. In fact, she’d hated him for decades, each day letting the hatred fester and boil into a wound so deep, she’d refused to listen. Almost killing any chance she’d ever had at happiness.

>   Violet was a bad person. Who would want to love that?

  She stroked his sweaty forehead. “I’m so sorry, Ewan. I believe you. I trust you. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before. But you have to be okay. You have to… Because I… I want to know you. I want to mate you too.”

  Finally he stopped. Taking deep cleansing breaths before, with a loud moan, he turned to glance at her. A crooked smile curved his cracked lips. “I’d do it again, to hear ye say that.”

  She smiled and nuzzled the top of his head. “It’s true.”

  “Well, alls well that ends well. Is it not, Mir?” Danika’s voice was light, happy.

  Violet smiled and Ewan nodded. “Thank the gods,” they said in unison.

  Ewan low crawled away from the glistening puddle that’d now began to froth like a witch’s brew.

  Miriam stood silent, a sad smile on her face. Her hair was now fully white, her skin so aged it immediately sent a chill down Violet’s spine. She’d been so worried with seeing to Ewan, she hadn’t noticed her Aunt.

  “Aunt Mir?” She stood on shaky legs. “What’s happened to you?”

  Ewan’s strong warm hands clamped down on Violet’s shoulder. She leaned into him, comforted by his solid presence.

  Danika gasped. “Miriam.”

  Miriam fell to her knees, her head hung low and her entire frame seemed to literally wither before their eyes. In the span of seconds she was aging rapidly, skin turning spotted and livered. Clumps of hair began to fall in patches. She turned bloodshot eyes toward Danika.

  Danika fell to her knees, her wand was in her hand and she blasted a pink bolt at Miriam’s head. “Return to what you once were,” she said in a voice that shook.

  Mir chuckled, the sound ancient and threaded through with feebleness. “It’s okay, Dani. Truly, sister.”

  Fat tears dripped from Danika’s nose. Violet’s throat seized up, and a sound like an animal dying wailed from her throat. Ewan grabbed her, pulling her to his bloodied chest, crooning softly in her ears.

  Danika pulled Miriam’s head to her bosom, rocking back and forth.

  “What have you done, Mir? What have you done? You said you were strong enough to hold her? You said--”

  “Ssh. Donna fash yerself,” Aunt Mir closed her eyes, “it wasn’t just this, sister. I’m tired. For centuries I battled time outside our realm, keeping Malvena contained was simply the straw, Dani.”

  “But you said we’d hide, we’d travel--”

  “No, sister,” Aunt Mir’s voice was reed thin, a barely there whisper, “ye did.” She touched Danika’s cheek. “The roses, Dani, remember the roses.”

  “What?” Danika was sobbing now, large waterworks fell down her face. She sniffled, wiping her nose.

  Ewan’s soothing up and down motion on Violet’s back grounded her, kept her sane in a world that felt like it was beginning to unravel around her.

  “Grab my hand tight, now,” Aunt Mir said, urgency lent her weak voice strength.

  Danika held on, and then she gasped when the black bolt of Malvena’s power headed like a missile straight towards them.

  It whistled past Violet’s ears, she shivered at its passing.

  The Black power was headed for Danika’s wide blue eyes. The Black was one of the Ten, the power could never fully be killed or contained. It needed a host and would not be denied.

  With trembling fingers, Aunt Miriam pulled her wand from her pocket and touched the tip of one of Danika’s knuckles just as the black bolt met her face. A wash of pink energy exited the tip of Miriam’s wand.

  “To me,” Miriam wheezed, and then the power flowed like a conduit from Danika into her. Miriam cried out, smiling as the energy filled her skin, making her glow from the inside out with differing shades of black and pearl.

  Suddenly her hair began to regrow, turning a deep luscious mahogany as a rosy flush filled her cheeks. Her skin firmed up and with a happy sigh, Aunt Mir opened beautiful lavender eyes.

  “Mir!” Danika cried, wrapping her up in her arms. “I thought you were dying. Oh, blessed be, sister. Blessed be.”

  Aunt Miriam smiled and Violet sobbed, but this time with relief.

  “You’re one of the Ten now, of course. It all makes sense. Galeta can never force you into bondage. How foolish I was… how--”

  Miriam hushed Danika with a swift shake of her head. “Nay, sister. I’m here but for a short time.”

  “But, Aunt Mir, how can you say that?” Violet interjected, her heart returning to its normal rhythm. Safe in Ewan’s arms. “You’re so healthy and perfect.”

  Ewan’s Adam’s apple bobbed along the top of her head when his deep voice cut in. “Because the Black corrupts all it touches, Red.” There was a tenderness to his words, like he was trying to break it to her easy.

  Aunt Mir’s lips quirked. “Aye.”

  “Wha?” Violet glanced from his face to hers and back again.

  But finally she saw what her joy hadn’t registered before; black had begun to bleed through Aunt Mir’s eyes, overtaking the lovely lavender.

  “In three or four centuries,” Aunt Miriam said, “I’ll be worse than Malvena. The power grows worse, never better. It doesn’t matter that my heart is pure now, hers was too. Once. There’s only one way to contain the Black.”

  “I won’t kill you!” Danika shouted, her eyes were bloodshot, her lips trembled.

  “I donna want ye too, sister. I knew when I choose this path all those moons ago, that this was where I’d end up.” She touched the tip of her wand to her chest, the power flowing out of it was black as shadow now. “I’ve chosen my path.”

  “No, Mir. No.” Danika shook her head, grasping onto her Aunt’s shoulders.

  “We won, Dani. We kept my girl safe. It’s over now. I’m so tired, could ye deny me the rest?”

  Danika bit her lip and Violet buried her nose in Ewan’s chest. She couldn’t look, couldn’t face whatever was about to happen.

  “No, Mir, I can’t.” Danika’s soft words tickled Violet’s ears.

  “Aunt Mir,” Violet whispered.

  Eyes, nearly entirely black, glanced at her kindly. Her Aunt looked so young, so beautiful. As she’d remembered her in the beginning. Her Aunt had held her when she cried at night, read to her when storms raged beyond their home, cooked, cleaned… loved her.

  “I love you.” She didn’t say the words so much as breathe them from the depths of her heart.

  Aunt Miriam nodded, a serene smile graced plump pink lips.

  Heart shattering, Violet squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could crawl inside Ewan’s skin, nestle always in the warmth of his body. Forget this night, the look of acceptance in her Aunt’s eyes. Her Aunt had a stubborn streak, she might seem meek and mild, but when Miriam set her mind to something, she’d never veered off her course.

  Violet hiccupped, gulping down the hot ball in her throat.

  “Ssh, Red,” Ewan crooned, his hand trailing fire and goose bumps along her skin. Over and over his hand ran up and down, down and up.

  Violet lost herself in the hypnotic rhythm. Ignoring the bright flare of light behind her lids. She wouldn’t look. Couldn’t see what her Aunt had done to herself.

  “Oh, Mir,” Danika sniffed. “My sister, my sister.”

  “It is done, Red.” Ewan’s warm breath caressed the side of her neck.

  Terrified, she took a deep breath, and like ripping off a band-aid, looked.

  Danika was kneeling, murmuring softly to the earth.

  “Where did she go?” Violet pleaded, glancing around, desperate to see her Aunt. But there wasn’t a trace of her in the trees. She’d gone, vanished.

  Ewan led her toward a softly crying Danika.

  Violet frowned, glancing at him, a question on her tongue, when she noticed Danika gently cradling a black seedling. Its long stem swayed in the gentle breeze.

  Danika looked at her. “The roses, now I know what she meant.”

  Reaching out a hand, Violet silently asked to
hold the seedling. With a trembling shudder, Danika passed it--almost reverently--to her.

  Violet ran her finger along the smooth stem.

  “The tree is a giver of life. Though full of dark magic, its wooden heart will always remain pure,” Ewan whispered.