Long Snows Moon

by Stacey Darlington

“What is all this?” Lauren asked as she entered the makeshift lab.

  The cellar had several different workstations. Jameson had one portion of the room dedicated to a small green house containing unusual plants. Along the far wall were aquarium tanks, some dark others lit up. In the center of the room was a long metal table on which sat beakers and pots and tins filled with leaves.

  She was wide-eyed as Jameson milked the snake’s venom into a cup. Jameson swirled the venom around as one might admire the legs on an expensive glass of wine. The grin she wore was disturbing.

  “Very nice,” she murmured to the snake. She kissed him on the top of his deadly head. “Be right back. I have to let him go.”

  Jameson trotted up the steps leaving Lauren alone to survey her laboratory. Lauren knew what the plants were at a glance. She should never have believed Jameson would stop her mother’s work.

  “Are these periwinkle plants?” she called to Jameson.

  “Yep.”

  Lauren shook her head as she approached the aquariums. The first tank contained colorful frogs, with bright blue legs.

  “Blue dart frogs,” Jameson announced. “Indigenous to the rain forest, but now call Elk’s Pass Sundries home. They emit poison from the skin so don’t touch them.”

  Lauren shivered. “I hadn’t planned on it.”

  “The tank next to it is my green mamba,” Jameson announced like a tour guide. “Look at her, isn’t she gorgeous?”

  Lauren grimaced and moved to the next tank. “You know how I feel about snakes and spiders.”

  “Spiders are said to have woven the fabric of our world,” Jameson reminded her. “The spider creates something out of nothing, have you ever watched one construct its web? I’ve never seen such masterful artistry.”

  “I know that. I revere them. They just give me the heebie jeebies.”

  “These are brown recluse and they contain hemotoxic venom.”

  “Why do you have all of these poisonous creatures down here? Is it even legal to have them?” Lauren felt her frown deepen.

  “Well, the mamba was hard to get,” Jameson admitted with a sly smile.

  “What are you doing down here, Jamie?”

  Jameson transferred the snake venom from the milking cup into two vials and placed one of them in the refrigerator.

  “Experiments.”

  Lauren watched Jameson put on plastic gloves to retrieve one of the frogs from the tank. She brought the frog to her worktable and submerged it in a small bowl of water for a moment.

  “Frog soup,” Jameson joked, as she put him back into the tank. She peeled off the gloves and tossed them into a trashcan.

  From a shelf under her table, she brought out a cookie sheet. On it were dried tobacco leaves. Using an eyedropper, Jameson treated the leaves with the water from the bowl.

  “You remind me of your mother,” Lauren said.

  “Thank you,” Jameson beamed. She slid the cookie sheet back where it belonged. “They need to dry for a few hours.”

  “Poison tobacco leaves?”

  “The poison is diluted and when smoked, it exudes a numbing property that eases pain.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Jameson shrugged. “Trial and error.”

  “And your guinea pig?”

  “Me, myself, and I.”

  Lauren grabbed Jameson’s arm. “You’re sick, aren’t you?” she whispered. “You got what your mother had.”

  “I’m getting better.” Jameson pulled her arm from Lauren’s grip and continued with her tasks.

  Lauren knew better than to question more. She was her mother’s daughter, secretive and bull headed. Instead, she observed Jameson as she blended herbs and dried leaves into a tea mixture in a large bowl. She watched with a deep frown as Jameson poured the vial of venom into a beaker and set it under a flame until it boiled. Jameson poured the boiling venom into the bowl and tossed the mixture with two wooden spoons.

  “You didn’t know I could cook, huh?” Jameson grinned.

  Lauren shook her head and watched as Jameson spread the venom soaked tea onto another cookie sheet to dry.

  “Mom would be proud,” Jameson said.

  “What do you call that horrifying concoction?” Lauren wanted to know.

  “It’s my newest creation, Periwinkle Persimmon tea. It is an alternative cure for immune disorders including AIDS and Lupus.”

  “Oh, Jameson, you are losing your mind.” Lauren shook her head.

  “Insane or brilliant, you decide.”

  “How do you know if these recipes work?” Lauren grimaced as she did a slow stroll through Jameson’s lab.

  “This was my mother’s vision. Mercy Weed was the conception of all of these remedies. These were her ideas.”

  “I never knew about this basement lab,” Lauren murmured. “Why didn’t Joann tell me?”

  Jameson shrugged. “I don’t know. By the way, I have found this missing ingredient. It has been at hand all along. My Mojave brother provided the last component. I think Doc would be proud.”

  “Your mom always used to say life is a death sentence,” Lauren said.

  “Yes, but that didn’t stop her from savoring every moment on earth, and even prolonging it.”

  “I saw her, you know,” Lauren said, grimacing at the green mamba.

  “When?”

  “Right before you found me on the porch. She came as an owl. I thought it was strange she’s an owl, being how you never did them.”

  “It wasn’t the owl I didn’t like, it was its lessons. Every time I saw the owl I had to face yet another truth or task,” Jameson replied. “I saw my mother, too. I received a feather from her. With the potent owl magic at hand, I can see more clearly than ever before. Giving me the feather was a blessing from her. I have to continue her work. Lock up when you go I will be back in a few days.”

  “Where are you going now?”

  “To the wolves.” Jameson smiled as she trotted up the stairs.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Devon made no pit stops to grungy motels as she and Moon travelled. She drove through the night, not feeling fatigue or hunger. Moon didn’t complain. Devon realized her true journey had been detoured. She hadn’t yet resolved her quest.

  She arrived at the family cabin at dusk. She didn’t remember the road leading to the cabin being so long. She did a slow roll, peering into the woods. Moon barked and paced in her seat.

  “Do you have to go to the bathroom? Hang on, don’t tear down the door.”

  Moon ignored her, intent on the woods.

  “Don’t even think about running. I have had my fill of fumbling through the foliage, thank you.”

  You enjoy the freedom of the woods.

  Devon jerked in her seat. She narrowed her eyes at Moon. “Did you hear that?”

  Moon gave her a look that resembled a smirk and resumed her furtive scan of the trees.

  Devon tapped Moon on the shoulder. “Excuse me, pay attention, please. Do not run away or I will be very upset.”

  You can catch me if you try.

  Devon smiled and inhaled deeply. She felt languid and dreamy. She closed her eyes. She smelled rabbit close by. Of course, she could catch Moon. Perhaps even outrun her.

  She found herself in front of the cabin. They hadn’t sold it. That was another deception. She watched from her SUV, the smoke billowing from the fireplace. The lodge was a two-story log cabin with a massive second floor balcony off the master suite. The balcony spanned the entire width of the second floor. It hosted a fire pit and a full bar. It was Devon’s favorite spot because of its bird’s eye view of the land. She wasn’t surprised at the smoke or at the lights on inside. Alternatively, that the front door was ajar.

  She grabbed her bag and let Moon out. She glanced at the shadowy woods. They didn’t frighten her anymore. Perhaps they never did. She could be as comfortable there as she was in the cabin.

  She sat on the steps and surveyed the land. She thought she saw two amb
er lights, like two stars winking through the trees.

  A not so distant howl raised the hair on the back of her neck. Moon bounded onto the porch and howled in return. Devon wrapped her arm around Moon’s neck, anticipating her sudden dash into the woods.

  “Stay with me, please. Don’t leave me alone.”

  A sudden breeze rustled the branches.

  You are not alone.

  “Did you hear that?”

  Moon stared at her is if she had something important to say.

  Devon scratched her head. “I swear you are almost human sometimes. Maybe that was Jameson talking to me through the trees. What do you think?”

  Moon howled with delight.

  “I hope I wake up soon and Trevor is in the next room snoring. I hope this is just a dream and you are just my pet and I am just a pathetic, lonely bitch, cold from drinking and sorrow.”

  The tree rustled the words, “I love you, Devon.” Whispers as sensual as Jameson’s amorous sighs.

  Devon responded with a howl, surprised at the sound emitting from her throat. Moon howled with her.

  You spent many years clouding the truth with your dirty water. Would you truly prefer that old life?

  Devon touched the arrowhead where it lay at her throat. She whispered, “You’re right, I have wasted enough time. I long to be wild and free. Take me to him.”

  Moon raced into the woods.

  “Wait, it’s dark!” Devon called. “I can’t see you.”

  Devon dashed after Moon. A root caught her foot and sent her sailing through the air. She landed on all fours and kept running. She darted through the trees, leapt over branches. Her vision sharpened. She caught sight of Moon on a path ahead, waiting.

  Devon trotted to her, wagging her tail. “I feel comfortable like this.”

  You make a beautiful wolf.

  “Are you a Limmikin, too?”

  No, I am your guide and protector.

  Devon heard laughter and people talking somewhere ahead. She followed Moon through an obscure path. It opened at a clearing. She peered at a group of half-clad, well- muscled, twenty-something men and women. They lounged by the fire and passed a pipe.

  Moon left her and approached the group, her head and tail down, acquiescent. The man who appeared to be their leader held out his arms to welcome her. His amber eyes twinkled like two stars. Moon nestled beside him.

  Jealousy and betrayal rose her throat like bitter bile. Moon was too familiar with this stranger. She belonged to Devon.

  “Moon! Come,” she growled.

  The group scattered and melted into the shadows. Devon realized her eyes had played a trick on her. They were not humans by the fire but wolves. It wasn’t a pipe they shared but a fresh carcass. Although she couldn’t see them, Devon was aware of a dozen dubious eyes upon her as she entered the clearing.

  Devon was not submissive. She strode toward the man on two legs. She was an alpha and demanded respect.

  “Ocumwhowurst,” Devon said. “It’s not hard to pronounce. I prefer Two Stars, though.”

  He smiled and his eyes flashed, with both mirth and danger. His hair was a massive black and silver mane. His teeth were gleaming white fangs. He had blood on his chin.

  “I am Ocumwhowurst. Jameson named me Two Stars. The two-legged know me as Jason Wolfe.” He winked at her. “You can call me Father.”

  “Moon, come here.” Devon tried to avoid his eyes, but they were magnetic. “I want to leave.” She grimaced at him. “You have blood on your face.” She had asked to come but wasn’t ready for the reality.

  He smirked and wiped his chin. “Moon will remain with us now. She needs to be part of a pack. You understand that is part of her nature. It is time for her to be wild. It’s unkind to expect a creature like this to live in the human world and behave as a human asks. She’s unable to run without a tether, she can’t hunt and kill, she can’t sleep in the forest. She can’t procreate. Those are aberrant rules human impose, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes, it must have been torture,” Devon muttered.

  Moon raised her head.

  It was my pleasure to raise you, sister. My freedom forsaken for your safety and education was my gift to you. Remember me when you hunt.

  “What do you mean?”

  When you drink the dirty water and sleep the sleep of death. Many times, many times. You change. We run together. You are happy.

  Devon stared down at Moon, incredulous.

  It is true, my sister. You think you dream of running and hunting but it is real. Remember me running beside you.

  Devon began to sob. “I can’t live without you, Moon, please.”

  Jason Wolfe got up and motioned for Moon to leave.

  “No, she’s mine,” Devon cried.

  Moon gave her a backward glance. With her tail tucked and much hesitation, she obeyed Jason’s command.

  I will always be with you, my sister, from this realm to the next.

  Jason took Devon by her arms. “You don’t own any being, nor can you be owned. We commune together but are free to leave. We stay because we want to. Humans don’t understand this. That is why wolf magic is so important. We must educate the humans. The lesson is simple. Humans hold on so tightly they kill the thing they covet the most.”

  “I would never kill Moon.”

  His smile lit up the clearing. “Well, you aren’t exactly human.”

  “I am a shape-shifter? Like you?”

  “Yes. My clan and I are shape shifters who live in both animal and human realms. We are here to bring magic and teaching. We are servants of the Great Spirit.”

  “Did you tell Claire you were an animal before you inseminated her?”

  Jason Wolf’s laughter was unexpected and contagious.

  “That’s clever, Shadow Wolf. The answer is no, I did not. However, Analise knew.” He raised a mischievous brow.

  “How can I fathom that I am the am the product of a half man and half whatever you are?”

  “I am one hundred percent man with the ability to take any form I choose. The lesson dictates the form I take. You do not have to accept it. You may ignore and disregard as you choose to do. You may hide behind your drink.”

  Devon narrowed her eyes and growled, “I’ve stopped drinking.”

  “Then now you can finally see.”

  “This is really too much to take in.” Devon sighed. “To top it off my mother is dying.”

  He shook his head in disagreement. He smiled, showing his perfect, pointy teeth.

  “Yes, she has lupus.” Devon heard the irony. “Lupus, of course, what else would she have?”

  Jason Wolfe chuckled. “Humans see life as a terminal disease, a tense transition to their next mortality. I am free to walk the realms without fear, as are you, my child. You brought her the cure. Life is a circle.”

  “You integrate animal magic into the human race. How many of us are there?”

  “Many and more every day.”

  “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Find your mate, heal your mother, and teach wolf magic.”

  He kissed her forehead, he smelled deliciously of game. Two Stars dropped to all fours and howled up at her.

  I apologize, I got a little blood on your face.

  Devon wiped the blood from her forehead then licked her finger.

  You are more than welcome to finish our meal.

  She shuddered at the ragged hunk of flesh, wondering and not really wanting to know what animal it had been. “No thank you.”

  Suit yourself.

  Devon found herself drawn to the meat. Revulsion and craving formed a disturbing union. She tore her gaze from the carcass before she did the unthinkable. She darted through the narrow path back to the cabin. She burst from the woods and raced toward the safety of a more civilized place. She tripped over a rock and landed face down in the dirt.

  When you run with no direction, you will stumble upon the roots and rocks. On your journey, you must take your time in
order to absorb the knowledge you seek.

  The words of Mudjewkeewis resounded in her head. She wiped the dirt from her mouth and sat back on her haunches.

  The trees whispered. You are not alone, my sister. We are all one.

  Devon felt a sense of calm wash over her. A sudden wind dashed her coat and she trotted to the cabin. She had always been a lone wolf. She settled on the front porch and longed for her mate.

  * * * *

  She saw Devon on the porch. The raven hooked its claws in her winter hat, holding on as Jameson jogged along the trail.

  “You can fly, you know.” Jameson laughed. “Why must you always attach yourself to my head?”

  To infuse your brain with my knowledge, my child.

  “Thank you, father.”

  You are welcome, Raven Song. The raven nipped her ear and flew into the woods.

  Jameson trotted the rest of the way to the cabin. It was faster going without a bird perched on her head. It was close to ten miles from her store to the lodge. Sweat slid down the small of her back like a finger tickling her spine. Her heart fluttered like the raven’s wings in anticipation. She would travel a hundred miles on her knees to see Shadow Wolf again.

  She saw Devon lying on the porch as she approached the cabin. She appeared forlorn as she stared into the twilit sky. Her blue eyes glistened with sorrow. In that moment she resembled Long Snows Moon although her coat was as black as a moonless sky. Devon raised her head when she heard Jameson approach. Wolves don’t wag their tails but this one did.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The balcony was especially romantic that night. Devon stood under the starry sky and raised her arms to the heavens.

  “We are all one,” she stated to the sky, the trees, and the animals.

  Jameson came behind her and slid her hands around her waist. She whispered in Devon's ear, “We are one.”

  Devon turned to her and they kissed, greedy and arduous. Jameson slid her hands under Devon's sweater, eager to make love under the night sky. A rustling above stopped her. She scowled at the owl roosting on the roof.

  “Oh, please, please, no more death,” Jameson cried. “Go away.”

  The owl relocated to the balcony railing. Relax it is me.