by Daye, Elissa
When Grant placed her on the bed in their room Lysandra put a hand on his arm. “Allow me to stay with her. I know Aiden has some things to discuss with you.”
“Thank you.” Grant smiled at Lysandra and bowed his head.
When Malinda awoke she found Lysandra wringing out a small piece of cloth before placing it back on her forehead. She tried to sit up, but Lysandra put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. “You must think me utterly naive.”
“I find you quite refreshing, actually. You’re not the first woman to misread her body.” Lysandra smiled down at her sympathetically.
“Thank you.” Malinda looked away from Lysandra, suddenly uncomfortable with the topic.
“All will be well, Malinda. You just have to give it time.”
Tears formed in Malinda’s eyes and she desperately batted them away with her hands. “No one can guarantee that.” She thought about the darkness brooding around Grant, the evil spirit that lurked in the shadows, and the past that she could never erase. No one could promise that everything would be fine. Desperation clawed its way to the surface, causing Malinda’s tears to become shallow sobs that haunted the air with sadness.
“There, there. It can’t be that bad. Motherhood is a lovely thing, albeit stressful at times, but mostly pretty remarkable. You’ll be a great mother. Sophia is already head over heels for you—your child would be no different.”
“My child? Oh, you just don’t get it. It’s not the child I’m worried about…it’s the father that brings me great worry. He’ll certainly pull away from me now. It’s all that dreadful woman’s fault!” She shook her head in despair and even more tears fell aimlessly down her face.
“I’m sorry. I think you lost me there.”
Before Malinda could explain a loud crash sounded outside the door. She lifted her weary head from the pillow and looked directly at Lysandra. “If you want to know what I am talking about, go open the door.”
Lysandra backed away from the bed and cautiously stepped toward the door. When she opened it to find the ghost of Maria floating in the hallway Malinda expected her to shriek, but instead she stepped back into the room and closed the door gently behind her. “I see.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“Bah! Not really.”
Malinda looked at Lysandra as if she had lost her mind and chose her next words carefully. “Who are you? Who are you really?” Her eyes narrowed as she examined the aura that glowed around her new friend. She should have picked up the clues that Lysandra was not like other women from the moment the woman had hugged her in the doorway. She had done her best to ignore the images that had flashed into her mind, as she did for most people.
“Well, I think you know the answer to that question.”
“They sent you here.”
“I’m sorry, who sent me here?” A puzzled look filled Lysandra’s face.
“The Seven Sisters of Lena.” Malinda smiled up at Lysandra and reached out to pat her hand. Now it was Malinda who comforted Lysandra as confusion played across her face.
“Seven Sisters?”
“You are familiar with Lena, right?” Malinda’s eyebrows rose questioningly.
“Why yes. I am familiar with Lena, as are most of my companions at Blackwolf Keep. We gather together quite regularly to practice the gifts that we have inherited from Lena.”
“Did no one teach you the lineage of your ancestry?”
“I’m afraid my mother passed before she could teach me everything I would need to know about the heritage of Lena.” The sadness that crossed her face was easy to decipher.
“Then we have a lot to discuss.” And discuss they did. They spent the rest of the morning talking about their life experiences and trading stories about the way their secret abilities had sculpted their lives. Malinda told Lysandra about the Seven Sisters who had ascended to Lena, a higher plateau of existence that was a safe haven for all the women who came after. She shared the sadness the Sisters felt as their followers had abandoned their visits to the magical realm. She explained her desire to teach others how to use their skills to visit Lena and learn from the magic that was cataloged in the ancient Library of Ages that carried the answers to almost any question in the universe. After a while exhaustion took her body and Lysandra suggested that she get some rest.
When Malinda felt more relaxed and ready to move about she met Lysandra and the children outside. They heard the children laughing as they wove in and out of the trees in the orchard. Malinda chuckled when she saw three pairs of legs dangling from the trees. The other children looked up in awe at the triplets as they hung from different branches, for they were not quite tall enough to climb up the trees. They spent hours out in the sun, relaxed by the cheerful camaraderie that had fallen into place between them.
They were all walking to the gardens to pick flowers when the wind changed suddenly around them. The gentle breeze that had blown through the hills moments before was suddenly brewing dangerously around them. Malinda found Lysandra eyeing the air around her and was not surprised when she started to call the children closer to her before turning to Malinda. “We should get them inside.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Lysandra.” They ushered the children indoors quickly and helped them up to the nursery to play. They put the maids in charge of their care and started to seek out their husbands.
When Malinda walked into the den Grant and Aiden were in a deep discussion. Grant looked up to her and Malinda almost melted at the concern housed inside his golden eyes. “We’re sorry to interrupt, but we fear there is mischief afoot.”
Lysandra rushed forward to clasp her husband’s hand. “Aiden, there is trouble not far from here. The Lair is at it again, I just know it.”
Malinda had expected derision to light up Aiden’s face, much as she would have expected in her own husband, but he nodded to her and looked over at Grant. “We have a few men with us. How many can you gather?”
“Several of Marshal’s garrison are housed near the outskirts of Wickford. They have been staying there to help protect our people. We can go there at once.” The men started out the door and the women followed them. Aiden did not dare to try to stop his wife from coming along, but Grant had turned to address his wife. “You should stay here.”
“I’m going with you, Grant Timberlin. Just you try and stop me!” Her hair crackled around her in annoyance and she bristled further when she heard Aiden chuckle next to Grant.
“Don’t mind Aiden, dear. He can be an ass sometimes. Of course you’re coming with us. By the feel of it we can use all the help we can get.” Lysandra smiled warmly at her.
Malinda expected Grant to argue further, but Aiden had put a hand on his arm in a gesture that advised against it. “Fight the battles you can win, my friend.”
At first Grant had wanted to take a cart, but Lysandra had assured them they would travel much faster on horseback. She then went on to inform Grant that she had traveled by horseback for most of her pregnancies, that his wife would be just fine. Malinda passed a grateful glance her way before they saddled up four horses. They rode to rally up Marshal’s men as swiftly as the horses could carry them. When they got there the men changed their tunics and breeches into leather armor that covered every inch of their bodies. Some of the men wore a light chain mail over the leather and heavy metal helms that protected their heads. They climbed onto the horses that had small shields attached to their sides.
Malinda felt the wind blow furiously around her and looked over at Lysandra. “About twenty to the north, I’d say.”
“I got the same thing. Less than a half day’s travel from here and headed in our direction, I suspect.”
Malinda felt the adrenaline surge through her veins as the men pointed their horses to the north. Malinda and Lysandra followed toward the back of the party with a few men that had been ordered to protect them. The farther they traveled, the more the winds roared in their ears. They could only hope that everyone survived the evil t
hat they would soon encounter.
Chapter 30
The men had charged farther ahead, leaving the women with just a few escorts surrounding them. Malinda heard a loud battle cry run through the forest and then a clash of sword against sword. She looked over at Lysandra and nodded as she spurred her horse forward. The adrenaline of the moment forced them forward with no thought to their own safety, only to protect the men they loved. When Malinda saw the battle that ensued before her she was mystified. Malinda had assumed that the men would all be sword fighting, for the crashing sounds of metal interrupted the silence. Some men were fighting with swords, some with axes, but the majority of the fray was mixed up with a wild frenzied fighting of claws and teeth. She watched as men who were carrying swords dropped them and changed swiftly before her eyes. She expected their clothing and armor to be ripped to shreds, as the forms shifted almost violently before, and had always assumed the painful tales of shifting had been true, but these werewolves that fought within the trees had shifted as if it were nothing. She wondered what their appearance would be when they shifted back.
Malinda steered her horse closer and her breath caught in her throat as swarm upon swarm of beasts launched themselves at Marshal’s men. She needed to lash out at the beasts, but she did not have the ability to concentrate on keeping her mount and conjuring up magic at the same time. Malinda watched in awe of the battle before her, having never actually seen one first hand. It was clear that they had been evenly matched until more beasts came racing through the break of trees. Malinda could not help feeling like the men were being ambushed.
An arrow zoomed past her breaking her reverie and she jerked back on the reins to make her horse come to a stop. She dismounted and caught her bearings on the ground below her, for her legs felt a little wobbly from their jarring run through the woods. She stood next to Lysandra, who now had both feet planted on the ground as well. Malinda quickly worked on a shield of energy that would protect both women and its golden light echoed around them. She knew her shield was strong enough to protect two people, but could not risk weakening its resolution by casting it further around them. Malinda wished she could shield all of them, but her powers were not that defined.
“We have to help them!” Malinda looked at Lysandra desperately.
“I’m on it.” Lysandra’s brown hair rose around her with small jolts of light crackling around her. A loud boom echoed around them and bolts of lightning rained down on the battle before them. A few bolts smashed into unsuspecting werewolves, who screamed in agonizing pain before sizzling into a pile of black ash on the ground. The wind picked up, creating a large funnel of air that twisted dangerously around them.
Malinda looked at Lysandra in awe and shook her head. She had no idea that their abilities could be so extensively powerful. Malinda did her best to concentrate amidst the madness that surrounded her. She conjured fireballs and sent the flaming projectiles as fast as she could create them. Every so often a fireball would knock her opponent into Lysandra’s cyclone, and she could see the furry beasts trying desperately to escape the deadly funnel.
Malinda closed her eyes and sent a prayer into the winds for any of her feathered friends to take flight and join the battle against the evil before them. She sent out a plea for any forest beasts to come assist them in vanquishing the villainous Lair and desperately hoped that they would come swiftly to their aid, for just when they thought they had evened the odds more wolves started to charge through the forest. Malinda had no idea how many werewolves the Lair had recruited, but it was clear that they had a massive number of monsters enlisted in their ranks. A swarm of black birds circled high above the treetops before diving down to gouge at the members of the Lair before them. These large ravens were followed by larger birds of prey, with wingspans larger than the width of any man's arms when spread open like an eagle. So many different varieties of fowl flew into the sky followed by the loud rumbling sounds of something larger that pounded the ground as it approached. A great number of black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions were entering the fray.
“Thank you, my friends. You put yourself at great risk for the common good of all. The universe will not forget, and neither will I.” Malinda nodded solemnly to the animals that now fought against the Lair.
Malinda saw Lysandra’s face as Aiden’s silver wolf form was surrounded by wolves. Lysandra’s eyes widened and her hands shook with electricity, then they suddenly turned toward the ground. The energy was released into the ground and a small sliver of earth split open before her, creating a large shock wave of rumbling earth that shook all the way over to where Aiden stood. The ground surrounding him agitated and the cracks became large holes of darkness that threatened to swallow the wolves whole. Three of the five wolves fell into a pitch-black void, and the ground closed up over them. The other two wolves backed away in alarm, and then retreated into the woods.
Malinda saw the same black wolf with the red streaks on his forehead: Seamus Finnigan. He was gnashing his teeth at Grant and seemed to signal the other wolves nearby to circle around Grant. Malinda saw the wolves taking turns charging at her husband, who had shifted into the form of a large brown bear. Seamus leapt onto his back and attempted to latch on to the bunch of fur that fell just below his neck. Malinda’s green eyes lit up with an emerald fire that leapt out of her eyes and surrounded her like a large bonfire. She ran across the forest, a large wall of flame flowing behind her in her wake. The birds of prey circled around her, bodyguards ready to launch at any attacker who dared to challenge her. The wolves that did attempt to attack her were surprised when the flames bit at their fur and burrowed into their skin like acid. They backed away from her despite the growling commands coming from Seamus. Malinda started to conjure icy arrows, then sent one after the other barreling into Seamus’s body. The wolf released the claws that held onto Grant and turned to bare his teeth to her before limping away in defeat with three arrows sticking in various places on his side.
Malinda looked around her to see that the Lair had retreated, and while they had lost a handful of men from Marshal’s Army, there were a score of enemy bodies littering the forest floor. The werewolves had turned to their true forms the instant life had left their bodies. Tears drowned Malinda’s eyes, for there was such a waste of humanity before her. These people, who held so much power, could have done good things for their world, but instead had chosen greed and destruction. She shook the sadness away and leaned down to check over Grant. He had shifted back to his human form and was holding his shoulder in pain.
“How bad is it?” Malinda knelt down next to him and pushed his hand out of the way. She saw the way he flinched when she touched him and she backed away slowly.
“It’s just a flesh wound.” Grant grimaced as he struggled to sit up and looked away from her.
“You’re repulsed, aren’t you? I knew it.” Malinda started to walk away, a storm of tears gathered behind her eyes.
“What? No. It’s not that, Malinda. Wait.” Grant wanted to stop her from leaving, but watched helplessly as she ran to where she had left her horse. He looked to Aiden for assistance, but the man raised his shoulders helplessly.
Lysandra rolled her eyes at both of the men, then shook her head. She walked to her horse, mounted up, and then followed after Malinda. It was not difficult to catch up to her new friend. “Malinda, wait.”
Malinda stopped her horse and turned to look at Lysandra. “Did you see the way he looked at me?”
“Yes. I saw, but I think perhaps you have interpreted the situation incorrectly.”
“My abilities sickened him, any fool could see that.”
“No. Any fool could not see that. I did see a man who was ashamed, Malinda, but he was not ashamed of you. He was ashamed because he had not been able to protect his wife. Men are sometimes imprudent like that. They think they have to be the strong ones; that they have to protect every single being around them. He probably suffers from strong feelings of ineptitude right now. You h
ave to give him a chance to explain himself to you; for you, for your family, for the child you carry inside you.”
Malinda looked down at her stomach and closed her eyes. She took in a few long, forced breaths and tried to find peace in the winds around her. Soon the breaths came easier and the world seemed to be a better place. “Perhaps you are right. I will try to listen to him.”
The women waited for the men to catch up to them and rode silently at their side. Since the night was so close in the sky they decided to make camp outside of the skirmish. They set up the few tents they had brought with them and let the women create a fire. While the women monitored the campsite the men went to take care of the bodies that were strewn along the forest floor. Malinda did not want to know what they did with the enemy corpses. She rested against a tree and watched the fire that sat a few feet away from her. The flames were hypnotic and soon she had drifted off to sleep.
Malinda awoke to a tender touch on her cheek and looked into Grant’s golden eyes. She looked away and sighed. She knew they would have to talk eventually, and while she was not quite ready to talk to him she knew they needed to clear the air. She said the first thing that came to her mind. “It’s a warm night.”
“That it is.” Grant looked over her face, hoping that she was calm enough to talk to him now. “Look, Malinda, we really need to talk.”
She saw the way his shoulders slumped around him and realized at once that Lysandra was accurate in her perusal of the situation. “You can’t always be the strong one, Grant. Sometimes you need to count on others.”
Grant looked at her and shook his head, as if to ward away her words. “Malinda, I—”
“Didn’t mean to look at me the way you did? Got it. No harm, no foul.” Malinda looked away from him and raised her eyes to the stars. She felt a cool wind run across her face and smiled against its caress, a soft gentle touch that reminded her of Grant’s hands. She turned back to Grant and looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t you ever think that I’ll be content to sit at home while my family is in danger ever again.”