Book of Curses (The Renning Chronicles) Page 6

  Felan's skin rippled and I heard the bones snapping. Her body shot up a good two feet, and she began to change into her Lycan form, throwing anyone who came within a foot of her to the side. I felt the pounding of my heart in my chest as I looked as chaos broke out within a few seconds.

  I found Tom, looked over just as he ducked a boy who came charging towards him, turning he slammed his foot into the boys back and bringing it down onto his head. The boy fell to his knees, dropped his blade and was out cold. Tom grabbed the blade, looked back at me with a cool dead look in his eyes and swung at a boy who had come up behind me, knocking him down.

  “Watch it, Raine.” He said, meeting my gaze.

  I took note of what he said, and looked for Saphire quickly. I caught a glimpse of her for a moment; she yelled something I couldn't understand before she lunged at Jade, turning into her panther form mid jump. Jade's expression was full of panic for a moment. Then she flung Anna to the side to run towards Saphire while turning into a white Bengal Tiger. I saw Anna fall to the ground, crying out for her mother to stop.

  I looked away just in time to see a blade coming towards me, before it suddenly fell to the ground. The person that had been holding the blade lay in halves in front of Dolphus and one of the other Lycans. I thanked them quickly and grabbed the fallen sword. It was unfamiliar in my hand and weighed so much I was worried about using it.

  Swinging it once I figured it was better than nothing, I needed the protection. Dead bodies littered the ground around me as I sprinted toward Anna, dodging the mangled bodies that were falling as people fought. I dodged one of the cats that came flying by, and heard it meeting its death soon after by the hands of Dolphus, Eyloff or someone else.

  Careful not to be seen or heard I made it up to Anna and grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from the fight. I ignored the screams and kicking as I pulled her aside, until I was sure we were far enough back to safely talk to her.

  “I’m not going to hurt you!” I said to her calmly while tightening my grip on her as she struggled against me.

  “Mom!” She screamed as loudly as she could, kicking her leg against my own. “You can’t leave her like that! She’ll die!”

  I let my head tilt down, looking sadly at Anna. “She wants you safe, Please Anna.”

  I felt the hot splatter of her tears against my arm as she began to sob. “She’ll die! She can’t die!”

  I pulled the small girl against my chest, holding her there to try to shield her from the massacre as well as to comfort her. I looked for Tom, remembering that he was out in that mess. I was relieved when I spotted him charging towards us, a blood-drenched blade in hand. His face was emotionless and covered with blood and dirt.

  “You ok?” He managed to ask as soon as he was close enough to make sure we heard him.

  Nodding my head, I looked down at Anna, then back at him, giving him a look over. “I’m alright, what about you? Are you hurt?”

  He looked at me for a moment and then began to move his arm around in a circle, wincing from it as he shook his head. “I’m fine.” Turning his head, he looked over at Anna, and I saw his expression change. He looked so sad; he moved closer to her, and I let Anna go, watching as he talked to her in a hushed voice, trying to calm her down.

  He was using his body as a shield as he stood there, and I saw her nodding and muttering back to him. She seemed at ease with him, and that was good enough for me. I moved to look at the battle.

  I looked in pure horror at the scene behind him; I spotted a black panther running quickly from a tiger. The tiger lunged and knocked the panther to the side, making it yowl loudly and struggle to stand up. The tiger started moving closer.

  “Saphire.” Whispering to myself, I covered my mouth and watched.

  Jumping up, I charged and ignored Tom as he yelled out his protests. I kept going, gripping the sword I'd picked up earlier tightly in my hand. Don't be too late Raine, don't be, don't, don't, don't… I thought to myself as I got to Saphire, jumping forward.

  The tiger's paw was about to come down, claws out at full length. I swung the sword in my hand out of sheer reaction, slashing it at her paw. I watched the small beads of blood as they started to well up in a large cut, Jade let out a snarl and started pacing back and forth in front of me.

  I stared at her intently. My breath was coming quicker than normal, but I didn't care; I was too worried about this. A growl erupted from her, and she started slinking forward again. I could feel my heart hammering so hard I thought it was lodged in my throat.

  My right arm slashed out again, this time it swiped across Jade's face; she roared in anger, and I wanted to cover my ears. Then she lunged at me. I lifted my arms up as fast as I could to try to cover my face, the sword was pointed out away from me, and I let out a scream.

  Man, I really didn't think this whole thing out that well. If I died, I would come back just to laugh at how pathetic this was.

  I felt the blade of my sword sinking into something, and warmth started to flow down my arm. Jade made a strangled noise as she fell on me completely limp and pinning me underneath her. The warmth I had felt only seemed to grow I laid there, then I realized the pain I was in, and was starting to wonder if I was bleeding or her.

  “Raine!” I heard the shout, but I couldn't tell who was shouting my name. I thought I saw something large and black move in the little vision I had, and then leave again in the same moment.

  I started to shove at Jade's body as hard as I could, until the pain from my right arm stopped me in my tracks. It shot up from my shoulder into my wrist, and I let both of my arms quickly drop. Then I felt the pain that radiated throughout my body, everywhere all at once. There was a swelling pain in my chest, and my right leg.

  I ground my teeth together before biting down on my cheek to keep from crying out in pain. I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, and I started to take in harsh breaths from the agony I felt. I seriously, needed to come up with better ideas after this. I started trying to find a way out, and saw only fur and trees, with a bit of blue sky.

  ‘Shit, shit, shit.’ I thought rapidly, squeezing my eyes shut. ‘Not good.’

  When I opened my eyes again, Dolphus and Eyloff had appeared in my vision. Jade's dead body was being lifted off of me, and then Lupus stood above me bloodied and beaten, but in his human form with clothes. Dolphus came back, smiling weakly down at me before then lifting me and moving me off to the side. I heard the thump of Jade's dead body being tossed away.

  When I looked around I saw Tom glaring down at me. Yeah he was pissed off at me for what I did, but I bet he was happier that I was still alive. Hell, I was happy that I was still alive. I wanted to get up and shout my happiness, but I could barely breathe.

  Sitting up as slowly as I could manage, I winced a few times from the pain in my arm. There was probably a really bad bruise or cracked rip in my chest, but it didn't hurt that bad now. I could ignore it actually. “Saphire, where is she?” It was the first thing out of my mouth, and I got some weird looks for it, but I didn't care. I wanted to know, and I damn well was going to be told.

  “I’m here,” I saw her limp over to me, her left arm dangling uselessly at her side. You could barely see her skin under all the blood she was covered in, but I was glad to see her alive. “You saved me, why would you, why would you risk yourself like that?” Shaking her head, she smiled at me slowly.

  “Because, you were hurt, and Anna needs you, and Jade would’ve killed you.” I told her before looking over at Anna, who was now next to her mother hugging her leg without hurting her.

  “I-” Saphire looked at me with a look that I wasn't sure how to describe. It was sadness, mixed with happiness. I was going to hope it was happiness though, more than anything. “Thank you; you don’t know how grateful I am.”

  I nodded my head slowly, unsure of what to say. I looked over watching as Lupus walk up to her, fully clothed and covered in blood with visible bruises on his face and arms. H
e lightly tapped her arm and then apologized when she turned, hissing in pain.

  “General, if you don’t mind,” Lupus licked his cracked lips, and swallowed before he continued. “I’m going to stay back, help them; they need it right now.”

  “Oh no! I don’t ne-” Saphire started, then she cringed away from Lupus due to the look he was giving her.

  “Your arm is broken. That's clearly visible. You've got slashes from head to toe; you can barely walk on your right leg. You need it.” He sighed deeply, shaking his head at her before he looked over at Anna, nodding towards her. “At least take the help until you heal and can take care of your child.”

  Eyloff looked like he was having a battle with himself, then it changed to looking as if he was about to burst at the seams. It was like he wanted to drag Lupus away, kicking and screaming if he had to, and leave them on their own. Instead, he only nodded his head and looked away. “Fine.”

  Anna looked up at Lupus with a wide eyed stare, and then to her mother. Saphire only nodded to him as he leaned down and ripped a shirt from a dead body that was so mangled you couldn't tell what they'd looked like before.

  Examining it for a long moment as if making sure it was clean, he then started to shred it and looked back at Saphire. She recoiled a bit, and he laughed at her before walking back to her and saying something I couldn't even here.

  “We need to get to the stables. They're not far, and we can mend better there.” Eyloff announced, looking to Tom. “Can you walk?” I noticed that his gaze had turned, and he was looking straight at me.

  “Yes I believe so.” I muttered knowing he could hear me. I started to push myself up slowly. Dolphus put an arm underneath mine to help steady me; I looked down and saw the white linen of his shirt had started to turn to a deep crimson color from a cut I hadn't even noticed.

  He smiled tightly at me, there was blood smeared all over his face, along with slash's that seemed to be already healing. If it wasn't for the fact that I was grateful for the help, I'd probably run from him, he looked a little too scary at that moment.

  “How far exactly?” I turned my head, looking at Tom as he asked the question.

  “Not far, once we’re out of these trees' you’ll be able to see it.” Felan rolled her eyes as she said it. I saw Tom glare at her, then nod his head; those two were never going to get along.

  Falling into one of many strange places,

  Unknown and dark mysterious faces.

  I wander hopelessly,

  Among the others curiously.

  Lost within, lost without,

  I spin endlessly about.

  -Falling Again by Kristi Worrell

  Chapter 4

  _______________________

  We'd managed to make it out of the trees by sunset, leaving behind Saphire, Anna and Lupus. I tried to get them to come along with us, but they declined, said it was for the best that they didn't come along, I wished them luck and was hoping that they would stay safe.

  It took us a while to even make it half way through the forest, by the time we'd even found our way out it was growing darker. It was that short period of time right before the night's true darkness washes over everything, and I really hoped we got there before it was fully dark out.

  Starting forward a bit faster I noticed a shape in the shadows, it sat back from where we were. The closer we'd gotten to it, the more I could make out the fact that it was a building of sorts, and it wasn't all that big. When we were almost on top of it, it dawned on me that it was a barn.

  Felan looked back at me, then Tom, as she spoke directly to him. She was giving him a dark smile. “Like I said, not far.”

  “Ok, there’s a spring out back, bandages inside… clothes I think as well.” Eyloff grunted as he started walking faster, almost moving into a sprint leaving us to follow him.

  The wolves could move faster, taking giant steps across the ground until they were a few steps from the barn. Tom and I, on the other hand, were practically panting by the time we managed to get to it. "We'll sleep here tonight, start out in the morning and head to the Air region, Felan you can find the clan again then.” Eyloff grumbled to us, then went inside without another word.

  “Fine.” She grunted, limping her way inside the barn with her head held as high up as possible, she had a look on her face that dared someone to ask if she was ok. I admired her for her strength and determination, but that attitude; it needed to go.

  Dolphus helped me inside. He was moving me as fast as I could go, but not giving me a second to complain to him like I wanted to about how I didn't need the help. He helped me to sit down on a bale of hay and then made me hold still, disappearing around a corner for a few minutes, he reappeared with a box in hand. He was smiling a little as he held the box up and hiked a thumb back behind him. “Bath, or bandages first?”

  “Bandage, it’s only my arm really.” I instantly replied. I just wanted it over with. A bath sounded nice, to get all this blood and dirt off me, but I really just wanted to sleep and hope that I'd wake up back home on my couch.

  “Your leg?” He asked me, arching an eyebrow almost instantly and tilting his head in the direction of my leg. He was eyeing it suspiciously as he did, and I inwardly cursed myself.

  “Probably just sprained, I’ll be fine with some rest, promise.” Putting on the best fake smile I could for him, I tried to keep him from worrying any more than he was, I really could handle myself.

  Shrugging his shoulders slightly he accepted that what I said was true, and nodded at my shredded shirt. I didn't understand at first, then he explained why he was doing that. “You got a nice bruise across your ribs.” There was a frown on his face.

  Looking down at the same moment, he'd said that, I began pulling at the gaping hole that exposed my blackening skin that was crusted with blood. Blushing brightly when I realized that my top barely covered anything on my upper body anymore, hell it wasn't even a shirt now, it was a cloth.

  I admit; I panicked a bit and started trying to figure out how to cover myself up. Just what I needed, ripped up clothes and men all over the place. Yeah, fun, so much fun. I started to look around for something to put on and just saw hay, horses and stalls.

  “Don’t get embarrassed, I admire the fact that you can get that way; I must be at least decent looking,” He pursed his lips, smiling a kind of thoughtful smile for a moment. Then shaking his head at me for a moment, he started to laugh, which only flustered me more. “But I’m interested in men, thank you.”

  He lifted my arm with his hand, careful not to hurt me any more than he had to, and started to wipe off the blood with a damp cloth. Turning my arm this way and that he scanned it for a long moment, and then he started to bandage the wound as carefully as he could. “If you don’t mind, I need a bath too, so I may join you and Felan, you two don’t have anything I haven’t seen before anyway.” He said as he stood up, patting my shoulder softly.

  “I, um, Uh, Ok, I think.” I started tripping over my own words, before looking at a pile of clothes he had handed me with a new suspicion. I didn't know what to make of them.

  “They’ll fit, promise.” He smiled again and stood still eyeing me for a moment.

  I nodded my head slowly, looking at them, and then I stood up. Feeling the searing white-hot pain from my leg, as soon as I was on it. I tried to ignore it and started heading towards the door of the barn with the clothes in hand, so I could go out and take a bath.

  Dolphus was walking behind me, taking care to make sure he didn't bump into me suddenly as he started to speak. “So tell me, where you come from, Lycanthrope’s don’t exist?” He looked, bemused, when he asked me. Just staring and waiting for me to reply.

  “Nope, Vampires, Lycans, Angels, Faeries, Demons, Ghosts all of those are pretty much just made up for movies.” I said laughing nervously. I was still trying to accept that any of them existed here. It was scary to see something you dressed up as for Halloween, or read and watched movies about, be real.

&
nbsp; He smirked at me, and made a cross between a laugh and a snort. “You’d be amazed to know then, everything you’ve named off exists, and you will manage to see those things, trust me.”

  “Don’t tell me vampires are ugly rotting corpses or something.” I grimaced at the thought of that. They were supposed to be dead creatures right? So that was the only way I could really imagine them, if they were real.

  Dolphus started laughing, shaking his head back and forth at me. “God no, immortal humans with fangs and extraordinary abilities. A well as a fetish for drinking blood, or is that something they have to do in order to live… I never can remember.” He scratched at his neck, thinking for a long moment before he shrugged his shoulders.