Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4]

by Rose Marie Wolf

  "Yeah, I know."

  "There's a lot of dark power out there, dark magick. I know there's good magick I've seen it, but...” She shook her head. “It's dangerous, Aurora, and I don't want you to get mixed up in the bad stuff."

  "Hey, you don't have to worry about me,” Aurora insisted, “I'm just learning about it. I'm not practicing it.” She waited, watching Rose's expression. Did she think she was lying? Aurora couldn't tell.

  "Really.” Aurora leaned forward, eyes shining. “I'm not doing magick. I'm just trying to find out this dream using any resource I can."

  "I said I believed you.” Rose sighed again and lifted her hand to her forehead. She massaged her temples slowly.

  Aurora almost let out a breath of relief when she realized the magick talk directed at her had veered off course, for now. She glanced down at the bag on the floor. She could barely feel it pulsing anymore. It was almost as if it had fallen asleep. She let out a breath and looked quickly to Rose.

  "Headache?"

  "Yes.” Rose sniffed. “And my sinuses won't quit. I was doing pretty well today. I could smell you when I walked in, barely; now, I can't smell anything."

  "That must suck,” Aurora answered, not really knowing what to say.

  "Royally.” Rose groaned as she started to stand. “It just keeps getting worse."

  "Where are you going?” Aurora stood quickly to help Rose, but she waved her away.

  "I don't need any help. I just need to go to the bathroom. I think I'll use the one downstairs. I'm supposed to show the new girl around and she's probably wandering around, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

  Aurora quickly picked up on the sneer it Rose's voice. “You don't like her?"

  "No, it's not that.” Rose began to walk her way to the door.

  "Wait, let me go with you. I think I'm finished here."

  "All right."

  Aurora worked quickly, pulling her backpack out from under the chair, careful not to let the book slip out. She stuffed her laptop, pens and notebook into it and zipped it up. She felt a touch of power, but not as strong this time. Her hand tingled just slightly.

  "It's not that I don't like her,” Rose said when Aurora met up with her and the two walked out of the library. “It's just ... there's something about her that's not altogether normal."

  "What is she?"

  "Changed-blood, or so Glen and Davis say. I can't smell for myself."

  Aurora nodded. They turned a corner, heading toward the staircase. Davis nearly collided with Aurora. He held out his hands to steady her from falling.

  "Whoa! Watch where you're going.” Aurora stooped to pick up her backpack before it hit the floor.

  "Sorry. I didn't see you."

  "And you didn't smell us either?” Rose asked.

  Davis shot her a dirty look. “Apparently not. Glen sent me up her to get you, Rose. Cheyenne's here."

  "I thought she wasn't coming until tomorrow."

  "Well, she's early and Glen wants the two of you to compile a list of what supplies we need.” Davis shifted his gaze to Aurora. “What are you doing here?"

  "I was studying.” Aurora gestured to the backpack slung over her shoulder.

  "I don't remember buzzing you in. I don't even remember hearing the buzzer."

  "That's because you were taking a potty break.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face and avoided Davis's eyes. There was something overly intense about them. It was like they burned to look into them. “And Glen knew I was coming so I didn't need to buzz."

  "I see,” he answered, his voice a tiny bit callous.

  Rose sighed. “Let it go, Davis. It's just Aurora."

  "Yeah, but I'm in charge of security around here. What if Glen buzzed in the wrong person?"

  "Glen wouldn't do that. He's the Head,” Rose said. “Besides, it's Aurora. We trust her. She's part of our pack."

  Davis nodded at Rose's words. They made sense, but he still looked miffed. He shot another sharp look at Aurora and she quickly looked away.

  "Guess it doesn't really matter. Cheyenne's waiting in the kitchen,” he said, turning his attention to Rose again. “Food is one of the main things we need."

  "Yeah, I went to grab a Coke out of the fridge and all you had was diet.” Aurora made a face. Rose laughed, but Davis was stern-faced. It made the laughter seem stupid and Aurora cleared her throat and let her gaze travel elsewhere.

  He walked with them to the staircase and went down first, taking two steps at a time. Rose moved a bit more gingerly, leaning against the railing for support. Aurora followed.

  It happened so fast. First came a faint sound, a creaking. Then the cracking of wood exploded like thunder throughout the PRDI's foyer. Three spokes splintered under Rose's weight as she leaned against them. The banister she was against snapped neatly in two and Rose toppled sideways.

  Aurora let out a shriek, reaching out to grab for Rose, but she had already fallen out of her reach. Davis was quicker. He jumped up the steps to reach her before she could fall into the broken wood and tumble to the floor several feet below. He grabbed her arm, using his half-blood werewolf strength to pull her to him. She fell into his arms, clutching at her side and gasping for breath.

  "Oh God.” Aurora looked over the railing, watching what was left of the banister spokes rattle on the floor. She spun to look at Rose. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

  "My side.” Rose winced.

  They smelled the blood then, before she moved her hand away to show them the torn place in her shirt where it had begun to seep through.

  Davis's eyes flashed to the banister, noticing the fresh blood on one jagged piece.

  "She's been stabbed.” He lifted her up into his arms without a moment's hesitation. “We have to get her to Dr. Nesbitt."

  "Oh God, she's going to lose the baby...” Aurora felt the last of the color drain from her face. She moved right along with Davis as he hurried the rest of the way down the stairs.

  "She won't lose the baby,” Davis answered, but he didn't sound entirely sure. He passed the kitchen just as Glen and Cheyenne exited. Cheyenne's long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and her hazel eyes widened when she scented the blood, then went wider when she saw it on Rose's shirt.

  Glen didn't hesitate when he saw his cousin bleeding and hurt. “What happened?” he demanded, falling into Davis’ stride. Concern washed over his face as he looked at Rose. She was pale, but conscious. She hadn't passed out.

  "An accident,” she managed to say. “The staircase—"

  "The banister broke when she was leaning against it,” Davis finished. “She almost fell through; could have hit the floor, but I grabbed her. One of the spokes stabbed her side."

  "Oh God,” Cheyenne echoed Aurora's thoughts and followed along. “She could've been killed."

  "How could this happen? The staircase is inspected every year. There's nothing wrong with it."

  "It was an accident.” Aurora's backpack thudded against the wall as Cheyenne squeezed past her. She pushed open the door to Dr. Nesbitt's office.

  "Hurry, let's get her inside.” She held the door open for them. Davis entered first, followed by Glen, who held Rose's head to keep it from colliding with the wall.

  Aurora hesitated outside the office. She felt the rhythm of the book quicken drastically. It was beating, almost like a heart, thumping against her back.

  Aurora turned her head behind her, feeling it grow stronger. There was someone standing behind her. She could feel it. Smell it. Changed-blood. But when she looked, there was no one there.

  "Hey, ‘Rora, are you coming?” Cheyenne asked, still poised by the door. She blinked a few times in confusion. The changed-blood smell lingered, but wasn't as strong.

  "Aurora?"

  She whipped her head around quickly. Cheyenne was waiting for her with a mixed look of concern, worry and confusion. She risked one more quick glance behind her, but like before, there was nothing there. The hallway was empty.
/>   "Yeah, I'm coming,” she answered, hitching her backpack up higher on her shoulder. She stepped into the office with Cheyenne and pulled the door shut behind her. There had been something there. She had known it. The power emanating from the book had somehow alerted her to it.

  And the power had stopped pulsing the moment she stepped into the office and shut the door.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Seven

  "Stand aside. Give us some room,” Dr. Nesbitt said when Davis laid Rose on the cold, unwelcoming examination bed. Davis stepped back against the wall beside Cheyenne, but Glen remained at Rose's side. He wasn't about to leave her.

  Rose blinked at him, grateful for his support. The pain her side was terrible. It was almost like being shot—something Rose unfortunately knew about.

  She had already lost a large amount of blood, but it wasn't too bad. Rose had been through worse. She had been near dead more than once before and, after having both her ankles broken by Simon less than a year ago; she even knew what it was like to be crippled for a very short time. Her werewolf healing would take care of any injury she had.

  So why was everyone so worried?

  The baby kicked her, reminding her. Yes, she was pregnant now and they were afraid she would lose the baby. The baby kicked at her fiercely, feeling the adrenaline pumping through its mother's body and reacting to it the only way it could. It was a strong baby and it would survive.

  Rose closed her eyes and let out a breath as with every kick to her womb, the pain in her side increased.

  "Stop it,” she hissed at the kid. “That hurts."

  Dr. Nesbitt's hands were already moving over Rose's stomach, allowing her healing energies to penetrate her. Rose laid her head back, keeping her eyes closed. She could hear the murmur of voices as Cheyenne said something to Davis, but she didn't make it out. The pain was starting to lessen. The baby stopped kicking.

  Dr. Nesbitt didn't have to explain; the calming energy spoke for her. She moved aside the torn and bloody cloth to examine the wound. Cupping her hand over the wound, Dr. Nesbitt applied a small amount of pressure. Rose expected a lot of pain, braced for it, but was mistaken. All she felt was calming warmth, probing her. She was familiar with her own healing abilities, but this was something else. She was healing ten times faster, almost instantaneously.

  Rose breathed deeply, feeling the energy close the wound. She heard Aurora's gasp of surprise, “How did you do that?” and Glen's deep chuckle, but Rose was worlds away. The calming energy had her floating on a cloud, calm and serene. There was nothing she had to worry about. There was no pain. She was all right. She leaned her head back against the cold metal and closed her eyes.

  * * * *

  * * * *

  Once Rose was deep asleep, Dr. Nesbitt stopped with the energy healing. She pulled her hands back and studied Rose's face. She was calm now, the worry lines etched in her face smoothed away as she slept. The doctor sighed and stepped back.

  "I gave her a little more energy than she needed to help the baby,” she explained. She moved to the sink and turned the water on to wash her hands. “Coincidentally, it made her sleepy. She needs the rest to finish healing."

  "The wound wasn't too bad then?” Glen asked.

  "Could've fooled me,” Davis said under his breath, but was quickly silence with a sharp elbow jab to his ribs by Cheyenne.

  Dr. Nesbitt turned to look at them as she dried her hands with paper towels, her steely gaze surveying each of them in turn, resting for a few moments longer on Aurora.

  "No, it wasn't. It was never fatal. I think it was the shock of it that did the most damage,” she answered, looking back to Glen. “What happened?"

  "The stairs,” Aurora spoke up, her voice small. All eyes turned to her and she tried to shrink back. She clutched her backpack to her chest. “We were walking down them. She leaned against the railing and it snapped. She would've fallen if Davis hadn't caught her."

  Dr. Nesbitt's stare turned to him and Davis nodded a confirmation. “It was so strange how it happened...” He trailed off as she turned to look at Rose again.

  "She was lucky you were there. If she had fallen, she may have lost the baby."

  "We were afraid of that,” Aurora said.

  Cheyenne nodded. “That's for damn sure. There was blood all over the place."

  The doctor sighed and sat down on her stool. Glen approached her, walking past the sleeping Rose. “Do you need anything, Deborah?"

  "Perhaps a small nap to replenish my energy.” she smiled, but it was weak. Her stare flicked to Aurora. “Using that much energy takes a lot out of you.” She said it in a warning tone and sent a gaze back in Aurora's direction.

  Aurora avoided her gaze and cleared her throat. Before she had a chance to say anything, Cheyenne spoke up.

  "Are you gonna be all right?” she drawled in her southern accent, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. Deborah nodded. Aurora hugged her backpack closer to her and said nothing.

  The doctor's gaze left her. “Yes, I'll be fine.” She touched Glen's arm. “Could you get me a cup of water?"

  "Sure thing.” He turned to the sink while Dr. Nesbitt sank back into her seat. She stared at Rose, watching her chest rise and fall with her deep breaths. She looked peaceful as she slept, as if she had nothing to worry about.

  But the majority of those in the room knew better than that. Sleep wouldn't be the only thing Rose needed to recover from her ordeals.

  Glen handed the paper cup of water to the doctor and she took a sip from it. He looked over at his cousin and a concerned look washed over his face. “How long will she be out?"

  "A couple of hours at the most. She's very lucky the wound wasn't worse."

  Davis blinked and uncrossed his arms. “If it wasn't so bad, wouldn't she have healed on her own? She's a full-blood, and they heal pretty quickly.” He flashed his gaze to Glen who nodded he was right.

  Dr. Nesbitt took another long drink, nodding before she answered. “She could've, yes, but the baby—"

  "Better safe to heal her as quickly as possible, just in case,” Cheyenne finished.

  "Yes, in a manner of speaking. There was always a chance there would be complications. The baby could've been hurt. Rose could've been hurt far worse. She was very lucky,” she said again.

  "I agree.” Glen turned to look at Davis. “You can't believe how glad I am that you were there to catch her."

  "Not a problem.” Davis rubbed the back of his neck. His face flushed. “I was in the right place at the right time."

  "And we are all grateful for that, no one more so than Rose. I'm sure she would thank you.” Dr. Nesbitt looked over at the sleeping woman and sighed.

  "Probably.” Davis followed her gaze, his brow furrowing. He watched Rose for a long time. Behind him, Cheyenne shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

  "No ‘probably’ about it.” Glen left Dr. Nesbitt's side and walked to Rose. “I'll take her to her room to rest."

  "That would probably be best.” The doctor nodded. She eased herself up from the chair. “I may rest myself, replenish my energy."

  Glen scooped Rose easily in his arms, as if she were a ragdoll, and started out of the room. He paused to let Cheyenne open the door. The changed-blood were held the door open for them. Davis followed.

  "Aurora, do you think you could help me—” the doctor began but stopped when she realized Aurora had slipped out of the room unnoticed.

  Cheyenne hovered in the doorway. “Do you need some help, Deb? I'd be more than happy to do it."

  "No, no, it's all right. I can manage,” Dr. Nesbitt said, with the tiniest bit of disappointment in her voice.

  "Are you sure?” Cheyenne's eyebrows furrowed in concern until they touched.

  The doctor nodded. “Yes, I'm sure. I'll be fine. I need to rest now."

  "All right. Thanks, Deb. I'll come check on you later, okay?"

  The doctor smiled wanly. “There's no need to, but thank
you."

  "Hey, just trying to take care of you. What would we do if we didn't have you to run to with our scraps and cuts?” Cheyenne grinned. “I'll stop by later. I really should go, clean up the bloody mess in the foyer."

  "That would be a good idea,” Deborah said.

  Cheyenne shut the door behind her as she left and Deborah Nesbitt let out a heavy sigh. She could still feel the tingle of the power she had drawn. It coursed through her. She had felt her share of power before, drawn from the elements around her, but this time it had been different. She had drawn from a different energy source, a person with an untapped, unknown power.

  Aurora.

  She stared at the closed door for a long time, wondering if Aurora even knew what sort of power she possessed.

  * * * *

  * * * *

  Aurora waited in the hall while the others left. Her gaze followed Glen as he carried Rose down the hall. He disappeared around the corner, Rose's dark hair swinging down his arm. She was glad to know Rose was all right. For a moment there, she had been really worried. The blood was still on the floor, drying in splotches, the smell of it heavy and coppery. Seeing Rose limp and nearly lifeless in Davis’ arms was something she never wanted to see again.

  It all reminded her of Rose's kidnapping almost a year ago. Simon had torn into Jason and Rose's cabin, attacking them unexpected. She and Rebel had walked in, shocked to see a bloody werewolf leaning over Jason's prone body. The startled werewolf, Simon, had scurried away, grabbing hold of an unconscious Rose. That too was something she never wanted to see again.

  Aurora sucked in a deep breath as Davis left next, following Glen down the hall. Their footsteps echoed down the hall and into silence. Aurora let out a breath, glad to be alone with her thoughts, even for a few minutes.

  She pulled her book bag closer to her and looked over her shoulder. Cheyenne stood in the doorway, talking with Dr. Nesbitt. Aurora could listen in if she wanted to; her hearing was exceptional, but she didn't really want to. There was something about the doctor that unsettled her.

  It was something in her eyes, as if she knew something, sensed something. When their eyes met across the room, Aurora had felt a pulse, almost like the book she had picked up at the library and was carrying, unknown to the others, in her bag. It wasn't pulsing any longer, but just knowing it was there—and the possibility that Dr. Nesbitt knew it too—was enough to set her on edge. She wondered why it had stopped, but she didn't dwell on it. After all, she figured, the energy may have been put to good use.