Snarling at the Moon

by Zenina Masters

  She was still laughing when he flipped her over his shoulder and picked up her shoes from the floor.

  He kept his hand circumspectly on her knees to keep her steady. “Where are you staying?”

  “The Bright Soul or Spark or something.” She snickered.

  “How convenient. That is where I am staying.”

  “Is Teebie looking out for you, too?”

  “She is. She is a marvellous hostess. Have you met her?”

  “Nope. They hauled me off and scrubbed me. They even painted my nails. Aren’t my toes pretty?”

  She wiggled her feet.

  He laughed. “Acid green is under used as a toe colour. Your feet are as stunning as the rest of you, though a little bit grubbier.”

  “It happens. Dirt happens. The world is covered with dirt. To think that everyone is clean just because they have bathed recently is stupid. Everybody wears dirt each and every day, unless they are in a clean room.” She was waving her arms and chatting wildly. Sera knew she was going to regret this in the morning, but she couldn’t stop talking.

  “Fair enough. Why were you wearing so much of it when you arrived?”

  That sobered her slightly. “You saw me?”

  “I did. I was with Trebor and that other idiot, Maksin.”

  She was still hanging upside down, but she perked her head up. “Idiots? I like to claw up idiots.”

  “You would wreck your manicure.”

  She slumped back and sighed. “You are right. Hey, my hair is nearly dragging on the ground.”

  He slid her up and over his shoulder, into his arms. “Better?”

  She looked down behind her and nodded. “You know, because you are so fixated on dirty.”

  “I am very pale. It stands out on me.”

  She smiled brightly at him. “At least you don’t wear all white. That would be stupid. The dark fabric makes your skin glow.”

  “My skin glows anyway. I am an elf of the empty wastelands.” He paused, “And here we are. Home for now.”

  She looked up at the broad Victorian-style home and smiled. She whispered. “Do you still have my shoes?”

  He chuckled. “I do still have your shoes. Did you want them on?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Her elf walked to one of the porch swings, and he settled her on the swaying wood before kneeling at her feet.

  His elegant hands lifted each foot, dusted it off and slipped it into the corresponding shoe. He then assisted her to her feet and offered her his arm for support.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Thank you, lady. I have not had an evening this entertaining in hundreds of years, nor with such a ravishing partner.”

  The dress was hiding her scars. She remembered that as they entered the Bright Soul and she met her first djinn. “Hiya!”

  The blue woman smiled with an amused twist to her lips. “Serapha Deemar, welcome to the Bright Soul. I see you have met Atter?”

  “Sera, please. We didn’t actually introduce ourselves. We stuck to sir and lady all night.”

  She shrugged, and Teebie gave her a friendly smile. “We will get you up and off to bed. Tomorrow, you can look at the world through more sober eyes.”

  Teebie put her arm around Sera’s shoulders, which was a pretty mean feat considering that she was six feet tall in her heels. Teebie was considerably smaller.

  They went up the stairs and worked to get her through her doorway and into her bed. Teebie immediately took of her shoes and went to work on the rest of her.

  “Where did the moon go?”

  Teebie was helping her wrestle free of her dress. “The moon?”

  “The pale man who was with me. He was fun.” She announced it a moment before sitting up on the bed.

  Teebie snorted and took a look at her. She stilled. “Are you fine like that or do you want me to help you strip naked?”

  Sera clutched a pillow and rubbed it against her face. “I am good. Thank you for the help. I will be more coherent and less fluffy tomorrow.”

  “You sleep as long as you need. You have had a trying day.” She waved her hand and floated a light sheet over her guest before leaving the room.

  * * * *

  Teebie nearly doubled over at the pain running through her. The scars that crossed Sera’s body had been made with no care for her healing neatly. Her body was formed well, but the glossy remains of her torture gleamed in the dim light.

  How someone could take out what made a species unique and destroy it, while making the remaining shifter live in a body they couldn’t control with damage they couldn’t heal, was a cruelty that Teebie couldn’t imagine.

  Teal was waiting in the common room downstairs, and when Teebie came in, she poured them each a glass of apricot brandy. “So, you saw.”

  “I did.”

  “They don’t know how she survived. When they found her, she was completely beast. It took months to bring her back from her beast, and when she came back, the beast stayed with her.” Teal shivered. “Those teeth are also not for decoration. She can and will use them for self-defence.”

  “She had one of Spike’s special cocktails and apparently managed a lecture on dirt at the top of her lungs. Having a fey bring her out into the open is going to take some doing. He is going to have to get her to trust him enough to show him her scars.”

  Teal smiled. “What about her wanting a man enough to want him to look beyond the damage? Atter was after her pretty hard.”

  “I don’t think she has ever gotten to that point. She is still wearing the damage like a shield. All she has to do is let the scars catch the light and folks will get uncomfortable.” Teebie sighed and sipped at the brandy. After a moment, her lips quirked. “Molly likes her.”

  Teal raised her eyebrows. “Well, in that case, she gets moved to a different shelf in my mind. It takes a lot to impress Molly.”

  “I think Molly can see the survivor and the humour that managed to make it through the trials.”

  Teal sighed. “Spike likes her, too.”

  Teebie chuckled. “There we have it. She may be an alpha predator with attitude issues, but she can still make friends.”

  “It is good to know. She may be here a while.”

  Teebie looked toward her upper floor. “You think so?”

  “You don’t?”

  “I have my suspicions that she is in the beginning of her mating dance. It just will take a while to find out who is leading.” Teebie chuckled.

  “Do you think he knows?”

  “He knows. He doesn’t know why he knows, but he knows.”

  Teal sighed. “This used to be easier.”

  “I know, but this is a lot more fun for me to watch.”

  Teal cracked into a giggle, and Teebie snickered with her. It was true. Having the fey on board made the entire ancient tradition of meeting a mate take on new aspects that they had never considered.

  Chapter Five

  Her body was hot and fighting sleep. Sera clawed at her neck and fought the collar that was still there in her dreams.

  She tried to scream, but a strangled snarl was all that came out, just as it had when she was trapped. With shaking hands, she dug through the closet where her new clothing was hanging and she grabbed a robe.

  Tying it around her, she left her room and ran down the steps, aiming for the front door. It opened as she approached, and the solemn figure of Teebie let her out into the fresh night air.

  Sera ran as if her life depended on it; her sanity certainly did. The field behind the Bright Soul beckoned her, and she sprinted through the grass and into the forest beyond.

  When she stumbled to her knees, she dug a hole in the ground with her claws, and when she could dig no further, she leaned in and screamed until her throat ached and her voice broke.

  With shaking hands, she pushed the dirt in over her scream, patting the moss back into place.

  Her manicure was
surprisingly intact. The enamel was most likely embedded with more fey magic, but while it was interesting, she needed to get to bed and get some sleep.

  She rose to her feet and stumbled out of the woods and across the meadow toward the back of the Bright Soul. Teebie was waiting for her in an open doorway with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.

  “Come in and tell me about it.”

  “There isn’t much to tell. Every few months, I have an attack. I am guessing that this one was stress related.” She shivered spasmodically and let Teebie lead her to a small sitting room.

  She settled in a puffy chair with the blanket around her, and Teebie handed her the hot chocolate. A basin, pitcher and towels floated in and settled around her on the floor.

  Teebie soaked a cloth and took Sera’s left hand. “Where did you find that technique?”

  “I read about it in a fairy tale when I was young. The queen who couldn’t speak a word for seven years to save her brothers from becoming ravens. It works. I literally bury my pain, but it does weird things to the plant life afterward. Every plant turns into a bleeding heart.”

  She paused. “Thank you, by the way. It is nice to be able to talk to someone right after an episode.”

  “What will you do when you have a mate?”

  “Hope that he likes bleeding hearts?” With her left hand clean, she juggled the cup over into her clean fingers so Teebie could work on the other.

  The warm cup of cocoa relaxed her, and while she was sipping, Teebie slid her feet into the basin, pouring warm water over them and soaking out the greenery and earth.

  Teebie finished her right hand and went to work on her feet. She hissed softly. “You cut yourself.”

  “It happens. I water the earth with my tears and sow the soil with my blood.”

  Teebie cocked her head. “Do you write poetry?”

  “No. My brother is the poet. My sister sings, my parents write children’s books. I came from a family of the creative, and here I sit, digging holes at false dawn.”

  “You also tore your robe.”

  Sera looked down. “Damn it. This was new.”

  “I can fix it if you like.”

  “Could you? I don’t want to ask, you are doing so much.”

  “It is my job to be a good hostess, which means seeing to your health and comfort.” Teebie’s hands were gentle, but she shook her head. “I can’t get the bleeding to stop. I am going to have to call Spike in.”

  “Spike?”

  “She is our resident medic.” Teebie smiled softly. “She is on her way.”

  “You didn’t say anything.”

  “I rang a chime next to her bed, and when she pressed it, it sent a signal to me that she was on her way.”

  “Nice. Efficient.”

  “We do try.” Teebie wrapped the still-bleeding foot in a towel and removed the basin and grubby water.

  Spike arrived about ten minutes later with a medic kit and a sleepy face.

  Sera became superfluous to the process.

  Her foot was elevated and slathered with disinfectant. Spike used a pair of forceps to pull a large shard of stone from the arch of her foot. “Damn. I will have to suture it. Even a shift would leave a portion open.”

  “Why?”

  “The stone had a chunk of mixed magic in it. It would hold your flesh open. You will need a day or two of natural healing before you can shift.” Spike threaded a curved needle. “It is one of the down sides to the new inclusion.”

  “Wonderful.”

  She finished her cocoa, and Teebie took the cup away while the fourth stitch was set in place. “Now a little wrapping and you will be ready to hobble up the stairs.”

  “Oh yay. I can grab ninety seconds of sleep.”

  Teebie chuckled. “Sleep as long as you can. I will keep your windows dark. When you wake, the light will increase.”

  “You can do that?” Sera was hopeful as Spike wrapped her foot with gauze and a stretchy wrap.

  “I can.”

  “You really are a wonderful hostess.” Sera smiled. “And Spike is an excellent bartender and medic.”

  “Are you asking for help to get to bed?”

  Sera grimaced. “Actually, no. I was practicing social skills. You compliment people on their kindness, do you not?”

  Teebie blushed. “Yes, you do. I apologize. I have only recently caught up on your file. You are out of practice. Feel free to practice on us.”

  Spike smiled. “You did an excellent job at the Crossed Star. I enjoyed watching you dance, but that is off the table for tonight. You might want to plan a quiet evening.”

  Sera nodded. “Right.”

  Spike finished and patted the top of her foot. “Come on, I will help you up.”

  Teebie moved to her other side, and the two women got her up and walking without putting weight on her wounded foot.

  Teebie sighed. “Oh, let me just do this.”

  Sera yelped when she was tilted back and floated up the stairs without anyone touching her. While she was floating, Teebie upgraded her robe from thin to heavy, dark silk. Sera was instantly warmer.

  Spike nodded, whispered good night and slipped out the front door with her medical bag clutched in one hand.

  Sera waved at her as she was carried in magical arms up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

  “I will send a tray up in the morning, but you shouldn’t be able to smell it until you sit up. Same with the light. When you get up, the light will come on.”

  “Thank you, Teebie.”

  “You know, someone is going to call you on that overcorrection.”

  Sera wrinkled her nose. “I know. I will deal with that when it happens. Overly polite is better than not covering my bases.”

  Teebie settled her in the bed, and she tucked her in without using her hands. When the blue fingers caressed her forehead, Sera felt the push of fey magic.

  “I am sleeping. You don’t need to shove.” She chuckled softly and drifted off.

  * * * *

  Teebie sighed as she smoothed Sera’s hair away from her face. The cruelly shining ring around her neck bore the marks of scars that were much fresher. Even with the collar off, Sera still tried to free herself.

  Teebie held her tears in as she left the room and silently sealed the door.

  When she reached the landing, she stopped and stared at the man who was waiting. “Did you require something, Atter?”

  He looked past her. “What is wrong?”

  “A slight accident. She will be fine in a day or two.”

  “She?”

  “Yes, the lovely young lady you carried in earlier.”

  His white brows snapped together. “What happened?”

  “She went for a walk in the woods and got injured.”

  “What was Serapha doing walking in the middle of the night?”

  Teebie scowled at him. “Keep your voice down. Her walk was her business. Now, let me pass.”

  He stepped to one side, and she could feel him staring after her. She didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t try to get into Sera’s room.

  She was cleaning up the blood two minutes later when the sharp zap on her senses let her know he had tried to get into Sera’s room. She reinforced the protection and finished disposing of the medical scene.

  Teebie heard the door open and close. Snuffling near the back door got her attention. She walked to the window and a huge white lion was examining Sera’s blood trail. With his muzzle to the ground, he followed her path back into the woods.

  Teebie smiled softly. If he wanted to look into the pain, he had better be prepared when it blinded him.

  * * * *

  Atter kept his nose to the ground and followed the scent of Serapha’s blood. It took him several minutes to work his way through the brambles and undergrowth, but eventually, he saw where she had been.

  The earth was freshly turned and finger ma
rks were clear in the surface. Atter pawed at the mound, and it came away in easy clumps.

  He could feel magic under his paw, and he kept digging until it was pushing against the thick skin. He pulled away the final coating of earth and a shriek of agony soared up and out. It echoed in his ears and went on and on, an undulation of pain and suffering.

  When the scream finally faded in the air, he shook as he put the dirt back over the hole and made it seem that nothing had come to dig up her sorrow.

  He had heard of such things but never experienced hidden pain like that which he had dug up.

  What had she gone through to make a sound like that come from her soul? He wanted to know, but only if she was willing to tell him. Secrets like that were not to be handed about easily. That kind of pain carried magic in its wake, and he knew deadly magic when he heard it.

  Atter turned back to the Bright Soul and looked up to Serapha’s window. It was shrouded in magic, but he could understand it now. Her hostess was making sure she got enough sleep.

  He was not going to wake her until she was ready, but his enthusiasm for this courtship had gone from a pleasant hum in his bloodstream to a burning necessity to help his mate get justice for whatever was done to her.

  His desires were slumbering, and the needs of a woman he didn’t know were taking over his thoughts. He shook his leonine head and tried to clear it. With a shift back to his fey form, his mind ceased to be fixated on protecting his mate, but he could now understand what Tony had tried to tell them when they arrived. Shifters were driven by instinct, and when those instincts were thwarted, the beast rose to the surface to take action.

  One day in the presence of his lady had brought his inner beast out, and he honestly didn’t think that he had one...until now.

  Chapter Six

  When Sera sat up and ran a hand through her hair, she felt better. Light slowly increased in her room and the smell of coffee and a full breakfast filled the air.

  Sera stood and walked to the window, her foot twinged as she stepped on it, but the pain was minimal.