Destroy, Book 2, Whispers From the Bayou

by Sandra R Neeley

  Then a look of surprise crossed her face before her eyes moved to Lore who had stepped to his side. Lore was already gathering his mist as he said, “We should go before the rest of the house comes in answer to your battle cry.”

  Destroy didn’t look away from Rowan as he answered, “Alright, let’s hurry.” He would have sworn he saw recognition in Rowan’s eyes just before they rolled back in her head.

  Destroy rushed to Rowan’s side, dropping to his knees on the floor beside her, calling her name. But she didn’t answer, she’d fallen unconscious.

  “It is best, Destroy. She will not feel the pain of you holding her if she is unconscious,” Lore explained.

  Rowan lay on the floor, whoever her benefactor was, checking her for injury, running his hands over her ribs. He was quite growly, but he was gentle, and he’d saved her. She hadn’t even opened her eyes to see what he looked like. It didn’t matter, she was alive. She was hurting, but she was alive. She had the distinct feeling that as long as this man was by her side, she’d be safe. So she allowed herself a little time to breathe, or to try to, and to try to get her wits about her before she opened her eyes and dealt with reality again. She’d trust this man until then to protect her. But, suddenly, he was gone. One minute he’d been examining her injuries, the next there was a blood-curdling roar and her savior was gone.

  Rowan stretched her sore neck back as far as she could and saw… something. She wasn’t sure what she saw. There was a monster, with bright multi-colored ribbons on his horns, stomping Mr. Ashlar to death. It slightly worried her that she was more concerned with why the monster was wearing ribbons than with the fact that he was killing Mr. Ashlar, but — so be it. She lay there, watching, until the monster seemed to realize she was watching him — then, he turned to her.

  She smiled — in spite of the pain — she smiled a bit. The monster was also wearing a heavy dusting of white face powder and ruby red lipstick on his full, pouty lips. The makeup coupled with the pretty silk ribbons tied up and down his horns made for quite a show. She wondered if he thought perhaps he was dressed up.

  Then he spoke to her, told her she was safe, that no one would hurt her, and she realized that his voice was that of her savior. This monster was the one that had saved her. Then another man, no, a specter, stepped next to her beribboned monster. The moment the purple mist began to swirl about them, she recognized them as the same creatures that had saved Miss Carolena. And now they’d saved her, too. The creatures before her began to look blurry, and she struggled to maintain eye contact. The lack of oxygen and the strain of the entire situation had taken its toll on her. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she lost consciousness.

  Lore waited while Destroy very carefully lifted Rowan into his arms. Destroy arranged her with her right side against his stomach and chest, her left side out, holding her tightly to him to be sure not to bend her rib cage. He cradled her head on his shoulder, his head down with his cheek pressed against hers. “Okay, I’m ready,” he said to Lore. Lore gathered his mist, surrounded Destroy and Rowan, and whisked them away.

  Chapter 3

  The sun was just warming the windows in Carolena’s kitchen while she sat at the table, sipping her coffee and chicory, watching the golden glow of the sun light up the room. She loved this time of day now. The peace, the tranquility, the belonging — it was a gift she’d never get tired of basking in. She closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of the fresh bread she’d placed in her oven to bake, so her family could have fresh warm bread and jam when they woke. She loved her life. She tilted her head back, relaxing — and promptly spilled her coffee down her chest and all over the table, dropping the coffee cup to shatter on the floor, and shrieking with the arrival of Lore and Destroy misting into her kitchen unexpectedly. Her shriek brought a very irritated, half conscious, battle ready Carnage storming into the kitchen, ready to kill whatever was threatening his Leena.

  Carolena had in the meantime realized that Destroy held a seriously injured Rowan in his arms. Lore’s mist had dissipated, leaving behind a somewhat corporeal Lore who was as concerned about the woman Destroy held as Destroy was.

  “The sofa, Destroy, lay her on the sofa!” Carolena urged as she moved in that direction.

  Destroy, jaw tight, body tense, followed her instructions immediately. As he lay her down, he took care to lay her on her left side. Then he took the afghan from the back of the sofa and laid it over her body where her dress was torn.

  Carnage, still out of sorts, was stomping around, separating Carolena from the others as he ran his hands down her arms and waist, looking for injury.

  Carolena brushed his hands away, “It’s okay, Carnage. I’m okay. I’m sorry I startled you.”

  Carnage brushed past her brushing his hands away, “‘Kay?!” he asked for the hundredth time.

  Finally, she stopped trying to get around him, took his face in her hands and stared directly into his eyes, “I’m fine. I promise. They scared me, and I dropped my coffee cup. But, I promise, I’m okay,” she told him intently.

  He nodded, then leaned over, picking her feet up, one at a time, checking to be sure she wasn’t bleeding from the broken cup. She waited him out patiently, knowing there was no other way around it. Thankfully, Lily slept like the dead, so there was no worry that she’d wake up as a result of all the noise. There was no doubt she’d sleep right through it. So she merely waited for Carnage to assure himself that she was okay, which only took moments.

  Once Carnage was convinced she was not hurt in any way, he turned on Destroy, growling, his hands waving in the air, “Ssscccar Leenah!” he shouted at Destroy. Who did not respond, nor did he even acknowledge that Carnage had spoken to him. Usually he couldn’t wait for an opportunity to argue with Carnage. Carnage watched him for a second longer, then moved closer to the sofa to see what held Destroy’s attention so deeply.

  When he saw that it was a woman, his eyebrows rose, and he turned to Carolena, his mouth hanging open exaggeratedly, while he pointed at the woman.

  Carolena nodded, “I know, she’s Rowan.”

  Lore spoke, “My most sincere apologies, Carnage. I knew not of another place to take her.”

  Carnage, still not sure why the woman was lying unconscious in his home where his wife and his daughter lived, lifted his hands in the air, and said exasperatedly with his eyebrows still raised, “Trawl! Go Trawl!”

  “Carnage!” Carolena chided him.

  He turned toward her, pointing even harder at Rowan where she still lay on their sofa, “’ick!” he said, voice raised, his face twisted with concern. He couldn’t risk his family getting sick!

  Then Carolena understood, “Carnage, she’s not sick. She’s hurt.”

  Carnage turned, looking closer at the woman. He got a little too close while trying to assure himself that the woman was indeed injured instead of sick, and Destroy snarled at him. Carnage pulled back his fist, preparing to hit Destroy, but Carolena was there in time, taking his fist in both her hands and drawing his attention to her.

  “Rowan is his woman. Do you remember what it felt like when I was threatened, when I was hurt?” Carolena asked.

  A shadow crossed Carnage’s face, and he nodded, then pulled her in for a hug.

  “I brought them here instead of Enthrall’s home because Rowan knows you. When she wakes, she may not panic if she sees that you’re here, Carolena,” Lore said.

  “How very thoughtful of you, Lore. Thank you,” Carolena replied. “What happened to her?”

  “She was attacked,” Destroy answered, his voice dripping with menace.

  “Oh, my God. Will she survive?” Carolena asked.

  “She should. She has broken ribs, and she’s bruised, but I believe she will survive,” Lore answered.

  “Who attacked her? Did you kill them? Are you sure that they won’t try to hurt her again?” Carolena asked.

  Destroy and Lore both looked at Carolena. Lore opened his mouth to answer, but Destroy beat him to it,
“Yes. He’s dead.”

  “Thank goodness!” Carolena breathed out, relieved that the perpetrator had been taken care of.

  Destroy and Lore exchanged a look before Destroy went back to concentrating on Rowan, tucking the afghan gently around her, brushing her hair from her face, laying his hand upon her back to feel for her shallow breaths. “I don’t know how to help you,” Destroy whispered to Rowan as she lay unconscious.

  Carolena heard Destroy’s whispered admission, and said, “Let me get some water and a cloth, you can get her cleaned up. I have some of Enthrall’s salve, too. We can put some on her bruises and get her bandaged. The salve should help with the bruising.”

  Destroy didn’t look away from Rowan, but nodded, “Thank you, Carolena.”

  Carnage had not missed the look that Lore and Destroy shared. He touched Lore and pointed outside. Lore said, “I shall take my leave now. I’m too long in this form. It drains me.”

  As soon as they got outside, Carnage turned on Lore. He pointed toward his home, indicating the woman inside. “Ooo huurrrt?” he asked. “Ooo?” Carnage repeated.

  “It’s best if you don’t know who hurt her, Carnage,” Lore admitted and began gathering his mist.

  Carnage took a step closer to Lore, his eyebrows raised, not in threat but as to say, ‘tell me’.

  Lore stared back at him for what seemed like long minutes, but Carnage didn’t flinch. Finally, Lore gave in, “Fine, but remember I tried not to tell you.”

  Carnage’s eyebrows wrinkled as he tried to figure out why Lore wouldn’t want him to know who it was.

  Lore sighed, then said, “Abraham did it. Carolena’s father. And he is no more. Destroy killed him, but truth be told, I was planning to do it myself anyway.”

  Carnage wasn’t sure what he expected, but this wasn’t it. Before he could think of any other questions, Lore had misted away and left Carnage standing alone on the deck.

  He could hear Carolena walking back and forth between the kitchen and the living room taking Destroy things he’d need to care for his female. And Carolena was barefoot. He knew she hadn’t taken the time to clean up the broken coffee cup. He opened the door and walked back into his home. He went straight to the kitchen and took Carolena’s broom in hand. He got busy cleaning up the shards of broken pottery before Carolena walked in it or Lily woke up and got into it herself. This was not good. He didn’t like it one bit. They needed to go, and soon.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Enthrall sat at his kitchen table sipping coffee, staring off at nothing. He’d only just started his day and was in no hurry to be anywhere yet. He was thankful for the quiet, but if he was being truthful with himself, he’d been tired of it for some time. He was ready for a little excitement, not quite as much as when Carolena had joined them, but just a bit to break up the monotony. He pushed back in his chair, stretching his legs, reached for his coffee cup again and noticed the purple mist lingering just above the floor of the kitchen.

  “It’s early for you to be out and about, isn’t it, Lore?” he said to the room.

  Slowly the mist gathered and gradually a more corporeal Lore was sitting in a chair across the table from Enthrall. He inclined his head in greeting, “Good morn’, Enthrall. How does this day find you?”

  “Well, and you, Lore? You do not come to my home, ever. So, why are you here now? What news do you have that you seek me out at home?”

  “I thought it best I come to you before the rest of your community is aware,” Lore said.

  Enthrall raised his eyebrows, “It is as much your community as mine.”

  “No, it is my land, my sanctuary. The community is yours. There are but a few in your community that I would claim as my own,” Lore explained.

  Enthrall didn’t disagree with him. There were not many that trusted Lore enough to have him near them or their families, and those, Lore didn’t waste time on, but the land was legally neither of theirs. “Technically, the land is Carolena’s. But, what is it that you feel I must know?” Enthrall’s morning of calm had been interrupted, his entire body tense. If Lore came to him, surely it was a serious issue.

  “It was mine long before it was Carolena’s,” Lore said. As an afterthought he added, “If I were to trust it to anyone, it would be Carolena or Lily. They are my family. And Lily has always loved the land as I have. I thought I knew her full potential, but now, I wonder…”

  Enthrall thought about the comments Lore just absentmindedly made — Lily always loved the land, and he thought he knew her potential. It made no sense, the child was only a toddler.

  Enthrall regarded Lore and thought about questioning him, but when he saw the state Lore was in, he knew it was useless. He was very distracted this morning, and when he was distracted, he spoke in riddles as though you should know what he was thinking, so he wouldn’t have to explain it.

  Lore looked out through the windows, his mind wandering.

  “Lore,” Enthrall said.

  Lore brought his attention back to Enthrall. “Hmm? What is it?”

  “The reason you came to call this morning, is there something you wished me to know?” Enthrall asked.

  “Yes, there is. We have another unexpected female among us,” Lore declared.

  “We what?!” Enthrall demanded, standing.

  A corner of Lore’s mouth raised in a hint of a smile, “A human female — we have another. It is time, don’t you think?”

  “No! I do not think! Why would I want another human? The more humans that know of us, the more chance of exposure! We cannot make this a habit! Carolena was the exception, not the rule.”

  Lore sat, bored, examining his fingernails, waiting for Enthrall to finish his outburst. When finally Enthrall’s words stopped pouring from his mouth, and his pacing stopped, along with his arms flying about in the air, Lore said, “Are you finished?”

  “Am I finished what?” Enthrall shouted.

  “Posturing. Are you finished? I am quite aware that human discovery could end badly. But I’m also aware that not all humans are bad. This particular human is much more than she seems. Perhaps you should see to this one before you determine that this is not a good thing,” Lore answered.

  “I am not posturing! I spend almost every waking moment seeing to the safety and welfare of our community. I cannot have our inhabitants bringing in any human they’ve taken a fancy to. It is dangerous, it is reckless and it is against the rules!” Enthrall shouted.

  Lore regarded him for a moment longer before beginning to fade away, his mists taking him from the room, “Perhaps it is time to change the rules.”

  “That one can’t be changed! And I certainly don’t want to have to deal with Destroy when he finds out that another human female is here!”

  Lore’s maniacal laughter was the only response Enthrall got.

  “Where is she?” Enthrall yelled into the empty room, but it was too late, Lore was already gone.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Enthrall stalked down his porch stairs with no idea where he was headed. Lore had given him no indication of where this new human was, only that she was there. He suspected Lore did it on purpose. Grumbling, Enthrall set off to make a cursory visit to the members of the Whispers community in search of the human Lore had revealed. Enthrall was fully aware that he’d just an hour earlier wished for a little excitement. This, however, was overkill. He was reminded of the saying he’d heard over and over again. Regardless of the culture, they all had some form or another of it, ‘Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.’ He made a mental note to be very careful what he wished for in the future.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Carolena pulled the final strip of torn bed sheet from underneath Rowan’s body and tugged it tightly over and around her side, tying it tightly to its other end to keep it in place. Destroy had rubbed some of Enthrall’s salve over her ribs, and Carnage had torn a bed sheet into strips for her. Then Destroy had helped her by holding Rowan steady as she methodically wrapped Row
an’s rib cage as tightly as she thought she could while still allowing the woman to breathe.

  Carnage was not happy about something. He’d been very quiet since he’d seen Lore out earlier this morning, and Carolena had asked a time or two if he was alright. He’d only nodded, not meeting her eyes. He was either hiding something from her, or protecting her from something, and knowing him, they were probably one and the same. As Carolena finished wrapping Rowan and sat back on her heels, Carnage picked up the remnants of the supplies she’d used and started putting them away. She shook herself of the feeling that he was hiding something, knowing he’d tell her when he was ready.

  Carnage had taken the bread out of the oven earlier, and it had cooled enough to be sliced now. Carolena went into the kitchen to wash her hands and do just that. She’d almost finished when she heard the slap of little feet on the floor. Lily had woken and true to her ever energetic nature was running full speed for the kitchen.

  “Mama!” she called happily as she ran down the hallway.

  “In here, baby,” Carolena called back.

  Lily burst into the room and came to a screeching halt, staring at the sight that greeted her unexpectedly.

  Destroy had made himself a place on the floor beside the sofa, near Rowan’s head, and was lost in watching her sleep, listening to her steady heartbeat. Rowan was still unconscious, though she seemed to be breathing a little easier since they’d wrapped her ribs.