Aquarius

by Kim Faulks

  Something warm covered my body. The slick blanket slipped between the cracks of my fingers and the metallic scent flooded in.

  My heart pulsed, frantic beats like my paws hitting the ground at full flight running…running…running. Yet I couldn’t move. Run… Fight.

  Energy seeped from my body gathering in my chest like a wolf ready to pounce.

  Run.

  Fight.

  The frantic whimpers slowed. The razor edge of panic turned, slicing me down the middle. Running…running…running.

  Yet it wasn’t my paws that made the sound, nor was it my heart.

  The sun shone from the corner of the room. Yellow glared so hot it burned my eyes. The slow blink did nothing to ease the pain. Burning…the sharp scent of singeing hair was choking. Hot…so hot.

  I tried to lift my hands as flames glowed.

  I was hungry…so hungry. Fear slipped behind me. I shook with need. Shook with a wretched desire.

  “That’s it…that’s it…more…more,” the witch whispered in a hurried tone.

  My primal wolf begged for release, pain made me weak and my hold slipped.

  The warrior shuddered and jerked. Blood seeped from the corner of his eyes to trickle down the bridge of his nose.

  “Yes!”

  No.

  I scrambled for a hold, clamping down on my fear and turned the dark magic into my body. My muscles tensed, synapses fired, torn skin melding together.

  “No. Don’t let her heal. Cut her. Burn her more!”

  My need overwhelmed me, claws raked through my soul, shredding.

  A glint of light stole my breath, and my past and present collided. The memory changed, morphing into something that hadn’t happened. My arms went limp. The fight in me stilled as the most stunning shade of blue swallowed my mind.

  Somewhere in the past, a young Odessa still fought. She kicked and screamed and a fighter was born.

  Wolf.

  The throbbing growl formed a word as the blood seared my veins with every frantic beat. My heart clenched, then fell silent. The deafening sound was all I could hear.

  Thud…thud…thud, and then there was silence.

  With the lull came an awareness.

  I was dying…

  I closed my eyes as pain rammed a spike through my chest. Thud…silence. Thud…silence. My heart couldn’t take anymore.

  Wolf.

  Thud…silence. Then there was no more.

  Something shattered and tore free from my body.

  But it wasn’t my flesh—it was my soul.

  Come with me.

  I floated, weightless like a bird as arctic blue eyes filled my mind. “You’re not real. This never happened.”

  Come with me, wolf.

  I slipped from my skin, leaving my past and my body and moved toward the voice.

  Over here…

  My steps stilled. My body. I turned to see the child flail. Flames singed hair at the nape of her neck, leaving nothing but blistered, bubbling flesh behind. That girl screamed and beat those hungry tongues of fire.

  Darkness leaked from her mouth—a cloud of smoke in the outline of a wolf. Gone was the coarse golden hair and rich yellow eyes of her animal self. Gone was the familiar feel of corded muscles and tight tendons. Gone was the excitement and innocence of what she once was.

  Now she was a killer.

  The black mist hunkered, stalking the warrior. Softened edges hardened, rolling as muscles rippled. The beast turned and for a second, captured me in its flaming eyes. They wanted a beast. They wanted destruction…that night they got it all.

  Movement from the doorway drew my gaze. A glimmer of gray caught in the orange glow of the fire. Hungry eyes widened with fear. My captor watched as my shadowed wolf lunged. He stumbled, clutching the wooden door as the first screams filled the barn.

  I shuddered with the fury and my belly rolled at the sight of my abuser. Kill him, I whispered. But my words faded to nothing, for this was nothing more than a mirror to the past.

  Wolf.

  Blue shimmered, calling me toward the infernal cavern of my mind. The gentle sound of waves crashed and gurgled and with each step, the sounds grew louder. I stared into the desolate emptiness, searching for movement in the shadows—yet my guest remained hidden. “Who are you?”

  A friend.

  My breathing sped. Panic made me weak. I turned. Rowen…her mother…tears blurred the blue. I was a monster…a killer. I shook my head and whispered. “I had a friend…but not anymore.”

  Out of the shadows came a beast. A hulking mountain of glistening blue scales and piercing eyes. Run, my body screamed, yet fear rendered me useless. There was only one way to go.

  I turned my head, watching the shadowed wolf pounce. The witch screamed and raised her hand to fight. Power lashed the air…but her power was useless—nothing could stop her—nothing came close.

  Wolf. Over here.

  I clamped my eyes shut. “You’re not real…notrealnotrealnotreal.”

  I’m more real than what waits for you back there. Open your eyes. I’m not here to hurt you.

  The sharp scent of a summer’s storm saturated the air. I inhaled the sweet, crisp smell and opened my eyes. Bright blue shimmered, blinding me. He never moved, not even a twitch, only waited while I lifted my gaze.

  Those cyan eyes captured mine. His deep rumble echoed through my mind as he took a slow step closer. Friend. Pointed spikes fanned the back of his head and disappeared at his neck. Powerful shoulders rippled. I followed the quake, skimming his belly and thick thighs.

  “You’re beautiful,” I whispered.

  His nostrils flared, drawing in my scent. Yet he waited…for me.

  I crept forward, one slow step at a time. “How did you find me?”

  Through Victor.

  “Victor.” The name rippled through my mind and sent a flutter through my chest. “Victor.”

  The dragon’s gaze dropped behind me. His soft, shimmering gaze hardened. They hurt you…they…

  I held out my arms. Blood seeped from the cracked and blistered skin. My hands were reddened paws. My hair… I reached for my head, smacking my scalp with stubbed fingers. My beautiful hair. My throat tightened, pain tore through my chest to fill the air with a pathetic whimper as the dragon blurred.

  They couldn’t hurt me…not anymore. Something glinted—the turquoise hue stole my breath. A tear welled from the corner of the dragon’s eye and trickled down his cheek.

  The sight stilled the tremble of my lips. He was crying…crying for me.

  The drop hovered, sparkling like a perfect jewel at the edge of his jaw, and then fell. The tear disappeared, melding into the blackness, swallowed by nothing, and then nothing became…something.

  The ground rocked and rolled as my obsidian world turned blue. Water lapped the tops of my feet and trickled through my toes. My skin tingled with the icy touch. The corners of my lips tugged. “Water, so much water.”

  I dropped to my knees and speared my fingers through the surface. Cold…so cold. Frigid water slapped my legs and raced along my thighs. I opened my arms wide, took a breath and…fell.

  Fresh water swamped my face and surged into my nose. I opened my mouth to the icy chill and the soothing liquid inundated my senses. Crisp, clear water filled my mouth and dribbled down the sides as I swallowed.

  I was caught in the cold, tenacious arms of a surging riptide. My muscles tensed, tendons strained as I kicked and speared my arms through the water. I rocked and rolled, buoyant with happiness, like a child—like the child I once was.

  Liquid spilled from my mouth as I broke the surface and caught the deep rumble of laughter. The dragon’s scaled lips curved as water spilled from my lips and dribbled down my chin.

  You’re enjoying that?

  I swam in long, languid strokes until deep depths turned choppy from the shallows. The dragon waited for me, watching with ancient eyes as I crawled from the water to stand. The blistered skin of my hands had he
aled. I probed my forehead and sank my fingers into blonde strands of hair. The searing pain was gone, along with the memory of what I’d become. For the first time in my life I didn’t feel alone.

  The shine from his scales spilled blue across my skin. I turned my hand, staring at the wash of color and lifted my head to stare into his aquamarine eyes. “Thank you.”

  You’re welcome.

  His shoulders shuddered, muscles strained as the dragon stretched gigantic wings toward the sky. The blast of air whipped hair into my eyes. I turned my head, blinking through the sudden gust and held out my hand.

  “May I touch you?”

  His eyes widened. Muscles rippled along his neck as the dragon lowered his head. The tips of my fingers slipped against the cool scales of his snout. Higher and higher, I skimmed the hollow of his cheek to the hard ridge of his jaw. The air stilled in my lungs as I rode that edge toward his chin.

  His breath scattered my hair as I leaned in, brushing the thick curve of his top lip with a kiss and then pulled away.

  What was that for?

  “For rescuing me.”

  Stars collided in the yellow sunburst of his eyes. In the shimmer, I saw my own reflection. But I wasn’t a child…not anymore. I dropped my head to glance at my fingers and my arms. Somewhere in the water while I swam and played I’d become a woman.

  A beautiful woman.

  I flinched, and then forced a smile. “Thank you.”

  Are you afraid of me?

  “No.”

  He shifted, rising up on all fours to tower over me. The sweep of his wings filled the air with a thunderous beat. Then, allow me take you home.

  “Can I stay here with you?”

  Something glinted in his eyes—a painful longing. And that same torment carried echoes from my past.

  Abandoned…forgotten.

  “I’ll never forget you,” I whispered. “My water dragon.”

  Pain welled in his eyes and spilled over the edge. I caught the tear as his wing hit me from the side and lifted me through the air.

  The small bead shimmered. The clear crystal turned blue as the tear hardened to ice. I opened my body to the power inside. The darkness pushed at the edges, desperate to be free. I pressed the icicle to my chest. Goosebumps raced across my skin with the cold.

  Hardened edges cut through flesh and bone. The crystal sank deep. One pulse of my heart swallowed the tear. I shuddered under the frigid touch, and then I warmed. “You’ll never be abandoned again. I’ll keep part of you inside me.”

  The dragon seemed to swell with one giant breath. A low keening sound shattered the silence, and pierced my ears. Air whipped my face as he lifted me higher, only to turn his wing. I clutched the long bones of his wing, timing my fall to the center of his back. The long spikes of his headdress carried along the flattened dorsal fin. Wicked spikes lay against his skin. I sat between the grooves of one sharp stake and the other while his muscles tensed.

  The ground fell away below us. With each monstrous flap, we rose higher and higher, until the blue water disappeared and above us, stars sparkled in the night sky.

  “Where are we going?”

  My words were swallowed by the deafening rush of air, but his reply filled my mind.

  Home.

  I was the lone wolf. I was the strange one—the seer. I belonged nowhere. “But I don’t have a home.”

  Yes, you do. His name is Victor.

  I gripped the thick spears as we rode higher and higher, passing the stars and above me, the sky lightened to my favorite color—blue.

  I opened my eyes and blinked at the harsh light. Faded shapes moved as I titled my head and the beat of wings turned into the harsh draw of breaths.

  “Dragon?”

  I stilled at the sudden silence. The scrape of something heavy tore through my head. I winced and raised my hand. Cloth puckered under my fingers. The blur of darkness shifted as I moved.

  “Odessa? Odessa… Oh, thank the Goddess.”

  The deep rumble sounded strange, but blue eyes called me. I forced a smile and reached for him. My heart pulsed, the icy fragment still foreign. He was with me, my water dragon. I licked cracked lips and called his name. “Victor.”

  7

  Victor

  Odessa licked her lips and called my name. Her voice scraped raw and husky. I snatched the cup from the dresser and stumbled to the bed. Her mouth cracked open as I raised the rim. Her body shuddered as she leaned to the side, climbing up onto her elbows. Water trickled down her chin as she gulped.

  “Easy now, take it slow. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

  She collapsed against the pillows and reached again for the bandage across her face. Her voice was husky. “What happened to me?”

  I flinched and tried not to show fear. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  “Water. Lots and lots of water. Wait…the wolves. The Echo pack.”

  I fumbled with the cup, sliding it across the dresser, unable to take my eyes from her. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  “How long?”

  “You’ve been out for two days now. Had me worried there.”

  “Two days.” She held my gaze with her good eye and reached for her face. “What happened to me?”

  I tried to steady myself…tried to find the right words to say. “You were cut with a demon’s blade, saving my life.”

  Her gaze widened, dragging the cloth higher. “And you’re okay. You’re not hurt?”

  I shook my head as my throat thickened. “No, I’m not hurt.”

  The tension disappeared from her face. She relaxed back and closed her eye. “Good. That’s good.”

  I stood, hating how the damn chair howled as it dragged across the floor and turned from her. The dark markings on the wall had dried and flaked like peeling paint. I stared at those damn flakes until my vision cleared and I could trust my voice once more. “Everyone’s been asking about you, wondering if you’re okay.”

  “No one’s asking. You don’t have to lie to me.”

  My heart throbbed until all I could hear was that damn beat. I wanted them to ask. I wanted someone to care.

  “But, I’m glad you’re here. That’s all that matters. The others, they’ll come around.”

  I spun back to her. “I wouldn’t be so sure. We’re not exactly the favorites around here.”

  The sheet moved as she shrugged. “I’ve been the outsider most of my life. I guess it’s not going to worry me if things don’t change now. Besides, I’ve got you. That’s most important.”

  She fingered the edge of the gauze. “I want to see.”

  I closed the distance in a second, grabbing her hand as she fumbled for the end. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’d better wait. I don’t think…”

  Her amber eyes dulled before me. I reached for her hand, clutching her fingers. “We’d best wait for the shaman to take a look first. I can go get her, if you want.”

  Her messy blonde hair swept her shoulders, and tears shimmered. She swallowed and turned her head away from me. “More scars. More on the inside.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me that you have scars. I think you’re perfect, except for that cluster of freckles there…they kind of look like a demented cat. I’ve never been a real fan of cats.”

  Her smile stretched wide, stilling my heart with one tiny movement. I wanted her to look like that forever.

  “I’m not a fan of cats either. I always thought it was a wolf thing.”

  Something passed through her gaze at the mention of the wolf. She held my gaze, keeping her voice low. “You saw me, didn’t you? You saw what I am?”

  I kept her stare, not moving, not flinching. “If you’re talking about the shadowed wolf, then yeah. I saw it and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I want you to understand something, there’s nothing about you that frightens me—or makes me feel anything less than captivated.”

  Her beautiful freckles faded wi
th the light blush across her face. I moved closer, lowering myself to sit astride the bed as I whispered. “And I am captivated by you, Odessa. Let me make that perfectly clear.”

  Her eyes brightened to the most perfect shade of honey. I could almost see right through to her soul.

  Mine.

  I stiffened as the unmistakable deep growl filled my ears. His? He had no right. I kept my voice low, staking my claim. “You don’t even know her.”

  Odessa smiled. “Did you say something?”

  I shook my head, mirroring her smirk. “Nothing. Just, my own shifter troubles.”

  A snarl filled my head. A warning. I turned inward, seeking the reasons and felt nothing but resentment.

  The sound of an engine replaced the harrowing sound inside my head. Odessa turned her head toward the door as another car started. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone’s been following the wolves. So they’re sending out bait.”

  Her brow dropped, tightening to a furrow. “What do you mean bait?”

  “Maddy is leaving the house. They think the wolves will follow her.”

  “Friend, or foe?” She turned her head to stare into the room.

  “No one knows.” I watched her eyes glaze.

  “Friend, or foe? Wolves. Lots of them. Coming. They need her.” She said, then stiffened and turned toward the door. “It’s going to be okay, my dragon. It’s going to be okay.”

  My breath hitched as the corners of my mouth tugged. She’s not talking to me. I tensed as the echo of boots came louder. Odessa snapped to attention, finding my gaze and whispered. “Hello, Marcus.”

  The handle twisted. The door rattled. I rose from the bed in one swift move. “Marcus?”

  “Yes. Why’s the door locked?”

  Because I can’t trust you. The answer hovered on my tongue as I turned the key.

  Marcus shouldered the door. His gaze swept to the bed, and lingered. He stiffened, his forehead creased before he shot me a fierce gaze. “She’s awake?”

  I stepped aside, letting him move into the room.

  Marcus kept his voice low. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “I haven’t had time. I thought it was more important to let her know she was safe, than to go running off after you, like one of your damn wolves.”