“They were here,” I muttered, hurrying for the bedroom. “We need to find Kalwyn.” My blood was frozen with fear. I swallowed nervously. With Larna behind me, I stopped in front of the bedroom door. There was no noise from inside.
As the door creaked open, a figure moved in the darkness. It sat up in the four-posted bed. “Kalwyn!” I cried. I moved forward to wrap her in a hug, but Larna held my wrist from behind.
“Don’t,” was her soft command. The figure in the bed did not say anything.
“Grandmother?” I whispered.
“Come closer,” croaked a feeble voice from the bed, “so I can see you.” Twin points of light flashed from the headboard, piercing the dim and dark. Were those her eyes?
I stepped forward, shaking my wrist free from Larna’s grip. She followed me.
“Grandmother?” I said again.
“Come closer,” murmured the voice, “so I can hear you.”
“Cate, stop, dinna-” Larna started, but I went forward, not listening.
For the first time, I saw Kalwyn’s face. It was her, but it was not her. Her eyes were too bright. The angles of her face were too sharp. Her thin lips peeled back, showing pointed, gleaming teeth.
The mouth became a gaping hole of black. I was frozen. The jaw stretched wide, wider than I imagined a mouth could open. It took up half of her face.
“Her mouth,” I choked, stumbling back against Larna’s chest.
“COME CLOSER, SO I CAN EAT YOU.” The booming voice shook the walls of the house.
There was a tearing sound as Larna shifted in to half shape, ripping her clothes. With scraps of fabric clinging to her fur, she charged. Her muscles bunched and she leaped, teeth flashing.
There was a thud and a high screech as Larna’s fangs sank in to the creature’s neck. The monster rolled out of the bed, flinging its arms and still screaming. It clawed and raked at muscle and fur. Larna’s ragdoll body swung wildly in the air, flung from side to side as the creature writhed. But she did not let go.
Before I knew it, I was taking half-shape, too. I could not watch my lover fight this thing alone. The fabric of my torn leggings and shirt twisted around my paws, but I did not care. I clamped my teeth down on the thing’s leg. It howled, swiping at me with five hooked claws. The point of the creature’s shoulder snapped down, cracking against Larna’s skull. She went limp. Her eyes closed and her muscles loosened, but her jaws were still locked around the monster’s throat.
With the sharp, coppery taste of blood on my tongue, I felt my gut burn. I sliced at muscles, crushed bone. While Larna kept her death-grip on its neck, I tore into the thing, snapping its legs with neat clips of my teeth and tearing the flesh from its bones with my claws. Its abdomen split and I was drenched with dying, twisted pieces of the thing. It reeked of foul magic.
Finally, with a violent shudder and another high wail, the monster fell. The creature was a torn mess and my fur was matted and stained red. I stepped back, but Larna did not join me. Her jaw was still clamped hard around the enemy’s neck.
Heart still pounding, I pressed my nose to her flank, nudging gently. She did not respond. I did not want to change back to my human form. My human heart would not be able to handle the deed I had just done. My linked wolf-heart could barely comprehend it. Larna? I asked with my body, pressing against her, sniffing, whimpering.
She was breathing, but shakily. Her whole body trembled. Her heartbeat pounded strong and fast. Too fast. Larna?
Slowly, she opened her eyes. She realized that the creature was dead. It took her almost a minute to relax her jaw completely and let the disgusting thing’s head fall back to the floor. Its neck was almost completely severed. The bright red stain around her mouth matched mine. She stumbled back, dazed. She had taken several blows to the head. I curled up next to her as she carefully lowered herself to the floor. I had several open wounds on my shoulders and side. They bled freely. Larna did not seem to have as many tears in her hide, but her bright brown eyes were dull.
…
Chapter Eight:
We lay curled up together, ignoring the strong smell of magic and blood and death and fear. The shared heat helped us to breathe more easily. My heartbeat was slow again. The sharp, slicing pain from my wounds had faded to a dull throb. The pain flared up again when I tried to move. Then, I felt what I had been waiting for. My flesh began tingling, then itching. It felt like there were living things crawling under my skin. There was warmth, then blistering heat. My body was trying to heal itself.
I looked at Larna’s body. Her smaller injuries were bursting with new, red skin. The dark blood was already beginning to dry in her fur. When she looked back at me, her eyes were brighter. Then, both of us started. Something was moving against the floorboards.
Larna staggered to her feet, putting her nose to the ground. Her ears were lifted, listening. Soon, we realized that the sound was coming from under the bed. Larna and I limped over and peered beneath the frame.
Kalwyn’s body was shriveled and small, but she was still breathing as we dragged her out from her hiding place. “It bit me,” she said, her voice shaking. Her arm was torn and there was more blood. Not knowing why, I began cleaning it with my tongue. It seemed like the right thing to do. I was amazed as the wound started to close like my own had. It began bleeding again, but the blood smelled wrong. Poisoned.
I Knew that Kalwyn was going to die, but the Knowledge did not come as a surprise. I could only rest my head on her belly and curl up beside her as Larna watched over us and howled like the stars had fallen. She was my teacher and friend. She still had so much to share with me, with the world…
“The soul be – going some… where… after dea-th,” she said haltingly. Her light was fading. But she had the strength to reach for Larna with one old hand. “Lar-na… eat…” Larna bent her head closer to hear her whisper. “Eat… my heart… willna be a –
Kerak…”
They were her last words. She passed while I stayed pressed against her side. Her death was not a huge shock. I was still reeling from what she had said. Eat my heart?
Larna looked down at me with brimming eyes. There was so much pain and grief in them. My heart ached for her as she bent over Kalwyn’s chest with her large, shaggy head. Carefully, cleanly, she sliced Kalwyn’s stomach open with one forepaw. I was shocked when blood did not pour out. Then I remembered that she was dead and her heart had stopped. Trying not to completely destroy Kalwyn’s body, she used her teeth and claws to go under the yellow ribcage and find her heart. I looked away.
A few moments later, I heard a very human cry of pain. Larna was naked and sobbing, on her hands and knees, shaking violently. She gritted her teeth, smiling grotesquely to keep from vomiting. I changed too and rushed to hold her, my naked breasts pressing against her back. Both of us were still covered in blood. The horrible smell of the fight and the magic was everywhere. Our skin prickled with the chill of death.
“Why did you do that?” I rasped, my throat burning. Because I was human again, tears were streaming down my cheeks in a river.
Larna groaned and did not answer at first. She clutched her head in her hands, pulling at her hair. I stroked her back, trying to calm her down. “I had to, I had to,” she mumbled to herself, her fingernails tearing at her scalp. I tried to pull her hands into mine, but she jerked them away. “They would have burned it… burned the heart and used its ashes to create a Kerak.”
I remembered the slinking, bony brown creatures that moved like hunting cats. They had black eyes and yellow teeth and dagger claws. “You could have burned the heart.”
“Would have… found the ashes… magic.”
I knew that I needed to get Larna out of this room. I did not want to leave Kalwyn’s body, but my lover was more important. She was trembling worse now. Her body was covered with cold sweat, even though she burned where I touched her. She was still covered in blood, but clear patches of her skin were turning a sickly yellow color.
; “Hurry,” I said, helping Larna to her feet. She stumbled and I had to support her weight. There was no way I could get her to the camp by myself. I needed help.
I clutched at the space above my neck, holding the Deadeye in my palm. I felt its warmth pulse through my skin. I lifted it up to my eye and peered through. “Please,” I whispered.
The white energy swarmed around me like thousands of fireflies. If I could find a hunting party that had gone out today, maybe… My bones hummed with magic. “Please, where are they?”
They are to the north, near the river. The Knowing happened suddenly. With the strange magic buzzing in my head with white static, I put the Deadeye down. The warmth remained as I propped Larna’s body up with my shoulder.
“Cate,” she said, her throat scratching.
“It’s all right,” I soothed, helping her out of the door. “It’s going to be all right.” I hoped that what I said was true.
By the grace of the Maker, or fate, we found them quickly. As soon as the five hunters came into view, Larna collapsed, shuddering violently, her muscles spasming. Her skin was yellow and covered with cold sweat. Somehow, she managed to keep from vomiting.
When they saw us, the hunting party ran forward to help Larna. “What happened?” asked Goran, who was among them. As I remembered, my heart and stomach twisted. The memories were terrible.
“There are more Shadowkin. We found a group of rebels massacred… we went to check on Kalwyn… there was a monster in her place. We killed it and found Kalwyn under the bed. She was dying. She asked Larna to eat her heart…”
Goran stepped back, dropping Larna as if she had been burned. He stared at Larna’s mouth, which was covered with blood. My lips were stained with it, too, but he did not seem to notice. “She ate – h-her heart…?” he stammered.
“She is cursed,” said Kera, her thin face paling.
“What do you mean?” I asked, bending down to stroke Larna’s head. “Why did you drop her? You could have hurt her!”
“The Farseer pack never eats human flesh. It can make you go mad.”
“Larna isn’t mad,” I insisted. “She is just very sick. Help her!”
The hunting party looked torn. I was afraid, but I had to be strong for Larna. “Now!” I yelled. Grasping for authority, any authority, they obeyed me. None of them wanted to touch Larna, but Goran and another short male picked her up, trying to support her head. She groaned and her arms fell limp and dangled as they carried her.
“Be careful,” I urged, walking beside her, needing to be close.
Somehow, we managed to get back to camp without any more trouble. Larna was not any worse, but her skin was still yellow and cold. Her breathing was bad. The rest of the pack, with Hosta in front, came out to meet us as soon as they smelled us. Someone found a cot and set Larna on it while everyone surrounded her.
“What happened?” Hosta asked.
“She ate human flesh!” Kera said, her eyes round and fearful.
Hosta did not step back like Goran, but his face was shocked. “What?” he breathed sharply.
“A monster was at Kalwyn’s house,” I explained. “She was dying and asked Larna to eat her heart…”
“She ate Kalwyn’s heart?”
“Kalwyn asked her to.” I said, defending my lover.
A clear, calm voice cut through the confusion. “Dinna matter now, someone get some charcoal, willow bark, and St. Eugier’s Star. And some Foxglove, her heart is beating too fast.” I was relieved to see Aria by my side. I clung to her, crying into her dress. She held me loosely, rubbing my back. No one else moved. “Well? Do it! Kera, you go.”
Hearing her name, the thin female ran off to get the charcoal. “No,” I said, “Kalwyn said that someone might burn…”
“The crazy old woman. Your mate has to get it out.”
“No.” Larna’s voice was heavy and dry. Her eyelids fluttered. I tore away from Aria and knelt by her side. “No,” she said again.
I squeezed her hand tight. “Larna… please… let them make you better.”
“She should be thrown out,” said Hosta. I looked up with a start. My fear must have shown on my face, because he added, “a Wyr that tastes human flesh must be banished. It is the law.”
I squeezed Larna’s right hand tighter. She gave a weak squeeze back. “I never heard of such a stupid law.”
“You canna throw her out when she is sick,” Aria said. “Show some sense, Hosta.”
Kera came back with everything Kalwyn had asked for. “The charcoal first,” Aria instructed. “We need to get it out of her stomach.” When I tried to open her mouth, Larna held her lips together and clenched her teeth.
“Won’t,” she gritted out, squeezing her eyes shut as her body twitched with pain.
“Please, take it,” I begged her.
“No, dinna fight her, keep her calm. Just give her the Willow bark while I crush the Foxglove and St. Eugier’s Star.” Larna allowed me to give her the powdered Willow bark with water. A few minutes later, Aria gave her the rest of the crushed leaves.
The minutes passed. Larna still trembled, and her yellow skin was hot and cold together. Her heart was beating slower now, but her color was worse. Her breathing was still labored. If only Kalwyn had taught me about healing… if only we had more time together…
I held the Deadeye in my hand and closed my eyes. The warmth seeped into my body again like water. I had to try something. I was a Shaman. I opened my eyes and looked through the Deadeye. White sparks formed a figure I recognized A familiar face flickered in and out of sight, fading into the bark of a tree.Kalwyn?
I looked back down at Larna’s body. Under her ribs, where her stomach was supposed to be, I saw an ugly, rotting blackness. It was evil magic, Shadowkin magic. The blackness was leaking into her blood, spreading through her arms and legs and the rest of her body. Coils of it squeezed her heart.
An idea came to me. If her blood was bad, I would give her mine. I had Wyr blood now, healing blood. I did not need Shaman magic to help Larna. I searched for the knife that Larna always carried at her hip. Aria watched, but did not say anything to stop me. I found the handle of the knife and tugged it from her belt. I held up my right palm and pressed the edge of the blade down until red-black blood burst out.
Larna stirred, smelling the fresh blood in her fever-sleep. Her eyes rolled beneath the lids. I put my hand against her lips and let the blood fall into her mouth. The cut was deep and it ran fast. Soon, I started getting dizzy. Larna swallowed. Dried blood from the fight with the monster was flaking off of her cheeks, but my blood on her lips was wet and fresh.
Stars swam in front of my eyes. I blinked to clear my head, but that made my muscles shake with fatigue. I fell over, paralyzed. I could not even close my eyes. Somehow, I kept breathing as the darkness blanketed me.
…
Slowly, warmth returned to my muscles. They tingled as I tried to move them. I was on a cot and there was a warm body beside me. Larna. She smelled healthier. We were not alone in the room. Dark figures moved beside us.
“We need to get them out,” I heard Hosta say. “Larna will be going mad soon, she needs to be taken far away so that she willna be a danger.”
“That law is old and stupid,” Aria argued from somewhere above me. “The law is kept so that no Wyr kills a human. But Larna dinna kill a human, she was trying to save Kalwyn. Larna fought well for the Farseers. Jana Farseer would keep her.”
“Jana Farseer is dead, old woman.” The venom in Hosta’s words surprised me. Lying on the ground, I could not see his face. I could imagine it, though, twisted with rage. He was trying to give his first order as the new Alpha and Aria was challenging him. My arms were getting stronger. I managed to turn my head so that I could see Larna. Her skin looked pinker and her eyes were closed. Had I helped her?
“Larna will die if you throw her out,” came Aria’s voice.
“Will you disobey me?” Hosta roared. I felt the group flinch. Beside me, Larna
’s breathing got faster. Her eyes stayed closed. There was no answer.
“Jana Farseer is dead. I am the Alpha. I am saying that she goes. The law says that any Wyr eating human flesh must be banished.”
“Let me heal them first,” Aria said, sounding defeated.
Hosta moved, standing over us. I could see him looking down, judging our fates. “Cate is allowed to stay,” he said. “She did not eat human flesh.”
Aria shook her head. “She will be going with Larna.”
Angrily, Hosta brought his fist down on the table. I felt it shake from the bed. He stomped heavily to the door and slammed it shut behind him. When he left, I felt some of the tiredness and worry dissolve in my chest.
I tried to lift my head and Aria noticed that I was awake. “Here, little sister. Some water.” She held a cup to my lips. I drank deeply. The cold water tossed in my empty stomach. I breathed in through my nose to calm down. Then, I turned to Larna.
“She is doing well,” Aria said, noticing where I was looking. I stroked Larna’s hair, pressing kisses to the side of her face. She stirred, but did not wake up. She did not feel too warm, or too cold. I was satisfied.
“We have to leave,” I said. It was not a question.
“Hosta is not listening to reason. I tried…”
“I know.”
“He will let you stay one more day. Rest. You will be needing all of your strength.”
…
Chapter Nine:
When I opened my eyes the next morning, I had a visitor. Yerta was peering down at me with warm gray eyes. I gave him a weak smile, clutching at Larna’s warm body next to me. She was still alive, still breathing. The ice around my heart began to thaw. My lover would not leave me so easily.
“I came to see you,” Yerta explained quickly. He looked nervous, but I did not know why. Maybe he was afraid that Larna would wake up and tear him apart in a mad rage. Maybe Hosta had forbidden him from visiting us and he was worried about getting caught.
“Yerta…” I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. Yerta stood and went to get me a glass of water. While he did, I studied Larna’s face, brushing the damp hair that clung to her cheeks. Her color was much better and her breathing was slow and steady. I could feel her heartbeat thumping loud against my chest. My eyes stung. I almost lost her…
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