by Haley Weir
Mary Ann turned in his arms and whispered, “Don’t make me promise you that. Those weapons can kill you now. I don’t know what the Wendigo Spirit did to them, but you ain’t invincible anymore. I will never choose myself over you.”
“But I need you to live…” Sam simply held Mary Ann until Boone’s voice came down the alley. Mary Ann felt him hesitate before he released her. “Please. Promise me you won’t do anythin’ foolish to save me.” He walked backward, pleading with his eyes until Mary Ann gave in.
She nodded slowly, but she fought against the uncertainty that surged within her. Mary Ann didn’t want to utter the words he so desperately needed to hear...but for Sam, she would do anything. “I promise.”
Chapter Nine
En Route To
Cheyenne, Wyoming
The bang, shake, and rattle of the gears caused Sam’s sensitive ears to twitch. He hated trains. He hated not being in control of his surroundings. At least a horse could stop with a simple command. Trains derailed all the time, and that was if they didn’t get raided on the way to their destination. Just in the past week, four trains leaving the Colorado Territory had been ambushed by outlaws. A felled tree on the tracks that forced the conductor, engineer, and brakeman to act quickly or else crash. By the time the train screeched to a halt, the bandits were in position.
On another occasion, an explosion had sent the passenger car and baggage car careening over a rocky cliff and into a ravine where a different gang had been lying in wait. Sam paced in front of the cargo and thought of every scenario. Mary Ann surprised him. She was calm and watchful, staring down the barrel of her rifle where it was perched on one of the small windows near the roof of the baggage car. She was on her belly, laid across a pile of luggage. "There's nothin' in my sights. What about yours?"
"I ain't seen nothin' but trees and planes of snow," Sam snapped in response.
"Have the others moved into position?"
"I can't hear a damn thing over the sound of this train, so I have no idea."
Mary Ann peered at him over her shoulder and arched her eyebrow. "You're panickin', Samuel. Is somethin' wrong?"
He hung his head and leaned against the wall. "The last time I was on a train was to rob it," he admitted. "Because I didn't get to the lockboxes in the express car in time, the U.S. Marshal and a couple of bounty hunters showed up. It was a shootout, and nine people were killed because I refused to surrender when the gang was taken down."
Mary Ann was silent, but the conviction in her eyes never faltered.
"I've fought in wars, Mary. Some were less important than others; some were fought to shape the course of our history. I've seen things that most people could not stomach." Sam scrubbed his hand over his face. "But watchin' those people gettin' killed because of me...I don't know. I guess it stuck with me more than I thought."
"Sam—” Mary Ann's words were cut off by the sound of a gun firing. She stared through her sights. "No one is comin'."
"That's because they're already on the train." Sam rushed towards the door and threw it open. Mary Ann squeezed the trigger on her rifle.
"Wendigos! And lots of them!"
"Come on. That gun of yours won't slow them down much." Sam helped her down, and they moved from the baggage car to the one that carried the passengers. He opened the carriage door and froze in place. Ethan Tate's eyes stared back at him, but the rotting stench of the Wendigo Spirit hovered in the air. He held Abigail by the throat at the center of the aisle. Nine men stood up from their seats, holding guns that were aimed at the other passengers. No one made a sound. No one moved. Abigail's furious gaze stared straight ahead as if she were fantasizing about all the ways she wanted to kill the man that held her captive.
"Welcome to our little social, Samuel Cassady," Tate snickered. "Been a long time since this mortal's eyes looked upon you. The years ain't been kind."
“I could say the same about Ethan. Last I saw him, he wasn’t wearin’ a pungent odor of decay like an expensive cologne.” Sam moved to block Mary Ann. He had hoped his actions would go unnoticed by Ethan, but the Wendigo Spirit’s eyes saw everything. Sam clenched his jaw and flexed his muscles, ready to fight if the creature took even one step towards his mate.
Mate…
Sam still struggled with the comprehension that Mary Ann was his. He didn’t know if he could ever love her completely—not with the ghost of Savannah still creeping into his thoughts. But Sam wanted to give her everything good that was still left inside of him. The touch of her hand at the small of his back caused his body to twitch slightly as she reached for the knife tucked into his belt. Ethan grazed a sharp claw down the length of Abigail’s neck, the sharp hiss she let out brought Sam’s attention back to his sister-in-law.
“You gone be all right, Abbey. Ain’t one of us gettin’ off this train without you.”
She gave a sad smile. “None of us will be getting off of this train, Sam.” The salt of her tears filled his senses, and Sam wondered if Boone knew his mate was in danger. He followed her gaze to the window and saw a horde of wendigo rushing towards the train. A moment later, the horrid screech of the brakes slamming down caused Sam to collapse. He pressed his hands to his ears. Mary Ann stood over him protectively. He wanted to tell her to run but was weakened by the painful onslaught of noise.
“So, you’re the one who tamed the Red-Eyed Demon?” Ethan snorted. “I must admit, I expected more. A pretty face won’t help them win this war.” The possessed outlaw pressed a kiss to Abigail’s cheek. “This one has a unique gift. Such a sweet purity that tastes of exquisite wine. And Charlotte...my darling, darling Charlotte is filled with so much power—”
“And Beth?”
Sam was finally able to climb to his feet after Mary Ann interrupted Ethan and the train came to a full stop. He touched her arm to still her anger, but she shrugged him off and stepped closer. To his surprise, Ethan took a step away from Mary Ann. There was something in his gaze that Sam could not quite read.
“The shifter female will not last long enough to see the war,” Ethan snapped. He jutted his chin toward Beth, where she had been pinned on the floor by several outlaws. She squirmed and fought against her captors as if she didn’t care whether she lived or died.
“When I get free from these bastards, I’m going to stomp your face into the dirt!”
Ethan tossed his head back and laughed. “We will see who ends up face down in the dirt.”
~*~
Wendigo crashed into the sides of the train from all angles. It looked as though hundreds of frothy, sightless eyes glared at her through the glass. She tossed Sam his knife and lifted her rifle. They stood back to back. Mary Ann watched the windows and Sam watched the beast that controlled them.
The wendigo released a high-pitched scream that shook the train. Sam stayed on his feet, but blood trickled from his ears. He breathed heavily, panting over her shoulder. Sam hurried to shield her body when the glass finally shattered. Shards of glass sprayed through the passenger car and wendigo flooded into the carriage. Beth managed to loosen the hold of the outlaws that held her down and reached her blade.
Mary Ann fired her rifle at the outlaws and wendigo that got too close.
The horrific screams of passengers filled her ears as they were slaughtered. Hot blood squirted all around, bathing them in scarlet liquid from head to toe. Beth threw the blessed dagger Itsá gave her and it stuck between the Wendigo Spirit’s eyes. He dropped Abigail, roaring as he twisted the knife out of his skull. Black blood dripped from his mouth and horns appeared upon his head as he shifted. The Wendigo Spirit tossed the blade aside and leaped through one of the broken windows.
Wesley and the others fought their way to the passenger car and created a path through the wendigo. No matter how hard they fought, the creatures continued to get back up and charge towards them. Sam shoved Mary Ann towards Boone. “Get her out of here! I’ll buy you some time.” He disappeared into a swarm of outlaws and wendigo. Mary Ann screamed
as Boone forced her off of the train.
The harsh chill in the air caused steam to rise from her mouth as she called out for Sam.
Jesse guarded Beth as she carved through the wendigo. Those that were stabbed with the ancient blade that had been forged upon the mountain where Itsá’s ancestors dwelled combusted into a pile of ash with a sharp scream. Mary Ann wiggled in Boone’s hold, but he was too strong.
“Wait!” Abigail shouted. The group stopped in their tracks and looked out at the field.
Standing in the clearing was the Wendigo Spirit in its true form.
Dark, matted fur covered most of the skeletal form. Long, disfigured limbs bent at unnatural angles as it took on a pose of dominance. The places on its body that weren’t covered in the fur were patches of pale, greasy skin. Open wounds glistened with blood and pus as a ghoulish mouth peeled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. The head of a beast looked so out of place on a body that still held a slightly human appearance.
It dropped into a crouch and summoned even more of the flesh-eating creatures. Mary Ann was torn between honoring her promise to Sam and fighting beside her friends or turning back to search for him. But the decision was out of her hands. The ground trembled as a thunderous blast came from the train. Iron, fire, and burning wood flew through the air. Mary Ann and the others dodged the debris as it rained down upon the field. The wendigo retreated.
Mary Ann ran for the frozen lake and threw herself at the thin layer of ice that covered the surface. She broke through, hitting the water with a rush of ungodly cold. Frigid water surrounded her, weighing her down as scorching-hot metal followed her down with a quick sizzle before it too was overcome by the cold. Mary Ann attempted to swim to the top, but the pull of the heavier sinking objects began to yank her down to the bottom of the lake.
Hands reached in and pulled her out before it was too late.
Mary Ann gasped and sputtered, vomiting water into the snow as she shivered. The same hands that pulled her from the lake rolled her onto her back. Mary Ann looked up into the glowing red gaze of her mate and wept. Sam curled her against his chest and rocked her soundly. Mary Ann felt herself being lifted from the ground. She wanted to protest when he pulled away, but there was work that needed to be done.
Boone waved everyone over, and the group walked through the remaining compartments of the train. “There’s a passenger car missin’, Sam. You were an outlaw once. Where do you think it is? What happens to a train after it’s been separated from the rest of the—?”
“You were a bounty hunter. You’re well aware of what happened. Ethan must have separated it before the train stopped. He distracted us while the other half was ambushed. There was plenty of time to get it done while the wendigo approached.”
Mary Ann stepped between the brothers. “We need to leave and discuss a new plan before those things come back. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I ain’t ready to fight against another attack like that without some proper weapons.” She knelt down and picked up Beth’s dagger with pale, trembling fingers. Mary Ann held it up for the others to see. “We need to talk to Itsá and Charlotte. They’re the only ones who know what we’re really up against.”
~*~
Silver Fox Ranch
Colorado
“What now?” Beth asked. Mary Ann pulled out the chair beside her friend and sat down, wincing as her body still ached from the cold. She stared around at the others. Blood, dirt, and melting snow clung to each one of them. Mary Ann curled beneath Sam’s jacket, trying to stay warm despite the shivers that coursed through her. Each muscle in her body was tense and painful. When no one answered, Beth continued. “There could be survivors. If anyone made it out of that wreck, it’s only a matter of time before they turn.”
“We can’t just keep hunting the wendigo,” Abigail argued. “The more we kill, the more he makes, and we’re terribly outnumbered. We could go with Sam’s plan and blow up the mines. We know that’s where they’ve been hiding, right?”
Boone shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “If we attack the nest, the Wendigo Spirit will retaliate against the town, and even more innocent folks will get killed. I don’t think it’ll be worth the risk of losin’ one of us down there, either.”
Mary Ann felt Sam’s hand beneath the table. He tangled their fingers together. The heat of his palm settled her nerves.
Wesley scratched his chin and said, “We can’t kill the wendigo without more weapons, and we can’t kill the thing that controls them...but we know that the witches are human. Sam wounded one of them before they retreated.”
“How?” Beth asked. “None of our weapons worked against them.”
Everyone turned to Sam.
He rolled his eyes and sat up straighter. “I used a mirror.”
“A mirror?”
Mary Ann squeezed his hand to give him comfort. His thumb stroked her wrist as he answered. “The one I injured had gotten into the house where the maids stayed. We got into a brawl and a mirror shattered. I used one of the large shards and cut her with it. She could not heal the wound and nearly bled out before the others came,” he explained. “I ain't too sure why it worked, but she was screamin' like a banshee when it cut her."
Wesley and Beth locked eyes for a moment, exchanging a few nods before they stood and left the house. Mary Ann assumed they were gathering what was left of the mirror as the rest of them sat around the table. Boone disappeared into the kitchens and returned with a kettle of hot water and a few rags. He dunked the cloth into the hot water and dabbed it lightly against his wife’s face until her features were recognizable again.
"There you are," Boone said with an affectionate smile on his handsome face. All the love in the world was in his eyes, and Mary Ann felt a pang of envy. Though she was Sam's mate, he had yet to utter those precious words of adoration. Did he love her? Was their bond nothing more than animalistic instinct to mate or something much more profound?
"I need to clean myself up." Mary Ann excused herself and left the room. Sam stayed behind, as to not make the others suspicious. Mary Ann ducked into one of the rooms set aside for guests and sat upon the small bed. A moment later, a faint knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
Ruth stepped inside bashfully, carrying a bundle of cloth in her arms as well as a pail of water. "I heard you come up, Miss. Thought I'd bring you something warm to wear and a few things to help you clean up."
"Oh, how kind. You didn't have to do that, Ruth. Thank you."
"Ain't no problem, Miss Pearl. You showed me kindness when I first got here. I'm simply showing my gratitude." The young woman set the water aside and helped Mary Ann out of her clothes. “Are you having your baby here at the ranch or at your home? If you like, I could be there to help you along the way once—”
Mary Ann flinched away, feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “Baby? There must be a mistake. I’m not pregnant, Ruth.”
The young woman’s blush was just as fierce. “I apologize. The women of my family tend to have a good sense of these things. It was wrong for me to assume.”
Mary Ann was taken aback, but not offended. She too had begun to notice certain changes in her body. “Say I was pregnant...how could you tell?”
“Well, your hips for one, Miss. They’re much wider than when I first met you. And you have a softer look than most of the women around here. Except for the good doctor, of course.”
She didn’t know what to say about that. “How often are you ever wrong about this sort of thing? I mean, I ain’t certain, but I think I might have felt ill the last few days…”
Ruth answered as she continued to help Mary Ann clean up. “Well, I ain’t never been wrong. My Mama and aunties all had this way of knowing when a baby was on the way. Some of them could even tell you if it were a boy or a girl in just a few months. I’ve helped a lot of ladies back in Georgia give birth if you ever need anything.”
Mary Ann was grateful to have the sticky blood and grime
washed from her skin. Once she slipped into a new dress, she braided her hair down her back. “I would like it very much if we could keep this between us until I know for sure.”
Ruth smiled and headed for the door with a subtle nod. “Very well. Have a good night, Miss Pearl. I can tell you’ve had a long day.”
“Goodnight, Ruth.” Mary Ann took a moment to clear her thoughts before she returned to Sam’s side. He had cleaned up as well, donning a white muslin shirt that was tucked into his wool pants. His eyes met hers for a moment, and Mary Ann battled against the urge to kiss him.
Chapter Ten
Wesley and Beth carried the fractured shards of the mirror into the house and set them upon the table. Sam was impressed when Abigail recognized the symbol from his great-grandfather's journal. He waited patiently with the rest of their group as she ran out to her office to find the book. When Abigail returned, her fingers flipped through the pages so fast that he had trouble seeing them. She slammed it on the table and pointed to a passage within the book.
"Here it is. There's nothing written about it except for a name...Aani? Is that name familiar to any of you?" she asked before chewing nervously on her bottom lip.
Sam hadn’t read the journal, for he didn’t care to know what the mindless musings of his bloodlines were. They were horrible men who had committed acts so vile that they deserved no recognition, in his opinion. But Boone nodded his head slowly and accepted the book from his wife. "That was Itsá's sister. She died before he became shaman. Settlers killed her because they suspected she was a witch."