Book of Curses (The Renning Chronicles) (33 page)

I looked back down to see if I'd seen it wrong, but that wasn't the case at all. There was a tattoo wrapping around my side that seemed to run to my back. When I realized that, I turned slowly and looked into the full lengthened mirror with horror and shock.

There was a tattoo now that ran over my entire back. It looked like a dark butterfly sitting on top of a flower. There was so much detail to it, and so many lines that I couldn't see where it began and ended. It was all black, and I know it wasn't there before, I knew that damn well. But, it looked like it'd been there for years.

"What, the
fuck
, is going on..." I said aloud to myself, staring at my new tattoo still. I slowly let my hand reach out and touch the smooth skin where the tattoo sat and closed my eyes.

"Raine?" I jumped and dropped my towel from the small fright. I leaned down and reclaimed it, wrapping it around my body as I cleared my throat to answer.

"Who is it?"

"It's your brother, you ok?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"Kailen said he heard a scream, did something happen?"

I rolled my
eyes;
of course they would've heard me yelling in my sleep it'd figure. Thank god Kerli put that spell on the door earlier and it sure as hell seemed to be working well. "I dozed off in the tub, bad dream, don't worry about it."

"Alright, I'm going to bed... Talon said he's on watch with Eyloff tonight, so if you need someone they'll be down this hall I guess."

"That's great, the two that hate each other, I hope they let me sleep and don't bicker."

Tom just laughed on the other side of the door for a moment. "Yeah." Then there was a slight pause. I heard him move and then call back once more. "Night sis, I'll see you in the morning."

"Right, night Tom!" I called back to him, and then listened intently for him to leave my bedroom so that I could get dressed and sleep for however long I was going to be allowed… If I could sleep at all that was.

*
****

I crashed almost as soon as my head touched the pillow. It was like an instant thing that I had no control over. The sleep was amazing though, dreamless blackness that felt like it lasted for hours upon hours. When I woke up I found out that I had barely slept for three hours, but I wasn't going to complain, it felt amazing for once.

Sitting up groggily I looked around the room and realized something strange. Everything was sharper than it usually
was;
I could see things in the darkness that I could not see before. I could smell the muskiness of the room that was hidden beneath layers of different herbs and plants. I could even hear the steady grumbling and growling between Eyloff and Talon outside my room. They were the worst part of it, I probably could've dealt with the rest and been happy.

Great, now I'm inhuman. Just great.
I thought to myself, getting up from my bed and walking over towards the closet. I stared at the clothes for a few minutes, and realized that I didn't have much choice in what I was going to wear here.

There was a crimson red dress, a sky blue dress, emerald green dress and so the list went on with dresses. The one thing in the world I hated the most, dresses. I didn't like to look fancy, and it was like they wanted me to no matter what. 

After looking around for another moment I caught a glimpse of normal clothes, and snatched up the white tunic top, leather pants and boots. I began to pull them on as fast as I could manage, and then pulled on the flat knee high leather boots that I'd grabbed as well. Before I was done I grabbed a leather belt I found, and completed it with that.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts and pulled my hair up into a ponytail made by a small string I found. Making my way swiftly across to the door I opened it as quietly as I could and walked out silently. I didn't make any noise, and managed to get out of the room without being seen. Walking up to Talon was the fun part.

I stood behind him, put both of my hands on my hips and let them both know I was there by clearing my throat. They immediately went into attack mode, and then look instantly confused once they both realized it was only me standing there. I was sure they couldn't figure out how I'd gotten that close without them hearing me. 

"Raine?" Eyloff asked, tilting his head to the side slowly staring at me with a newfound interest. I had a feeling I was going to be getting that a lot from these guys now.

"We have
a problem boys
." I told them. I knew that I seemed calm, extremely straight forward and strong to them just now, but truth be told? I was shaking inside, I wanted to scream, break down crying, curl up and go hysterical over what was about to happen.

"What kind of problem are we talking about here, Raine?" Talon asked me, he looked as serious as can be, and I frowned at him.

"They're here." I whispered to him, meeting his gaze before I finished what I was saying. "Maldre, Sita and Amamai are here, and they're coming for blood and nothing short of it."

"How do you kno-"

"How I know is not of concern, what is of concern is the fact that if you two don't do something? We'll die." I said sharply to him, cutting off Eyloff without a care and not letting Talon even start. There was no time for any of it and I really could feel the presence of the three, it was like my stomach was flipping and I was going to be sick.  "You damn well know none of us are strong enough for this right now, and you can't protect me and Tom as well as fight."

Talon just stared at me for a long moment, studying me. I suppose he knew something was off about me, but without asking anything he just nodded his head. "Eyloff, get the west wing." He looked over his should at the wolf for a moment, without trying to be rude for once. "I'll wake the East Wing, and I'm sure Raine will wake her brother and any of the protectors surrounding."

"Of course." I said to him, nodding my head at the both of them quickly. My eyesight was so much better now, that I could see their every move and expression, but I wasn't telling that to them anytime soon.

Eyloff let out a grunt, and nodded his head. Then took off up the West wing without any questions or statements. I heard a steady howl emitting from him, then shouting that soon followed, after that I could hear him screaming for people to wake up.

Talon looked at me, putting his hand on my shoulder and gave me one last look. I didn't know what to make of it. Then he took off up the East wing, beating on doors and shouting in the most serious voice he'd ever used. He sounded like a true general yelling for people to get up and be attentive.

I went up to the closest door, starting to beat on it, knowing exactly who was inside of it. Kerli and Tom. "Wake up! We have a problem, its urgent!" I yelled as loud as I could at the door, pounding on it with my bare fists not caring if it broke or not. "Get up!"

I continued on from that door to the
doors
of Kai, Nel, Dolphus and Nickel. Several others as well that I wasn't too aware of, or sure as to
whom
they were just yet. I just knew they needed to get up, everyone needed to get up and get ready to fight and try to survive,
because
this was the fight… The one we were waiting for and didn't want to come.

"What's going on, Raine?" I heard Tom shout at me, before he
could touch
me I had turned around and set my hand on his chest. I held a finger up against my lips in a motion for him to shush for a moment, hoping that he caught on to that, because I'd heard something not a moment before. 

He complied thankfully and I listened even more carefully now to our surroundings. I knew I had heard something a moment ago, and I wanted to know what I'd heard. I was going to figure it out one way or another, but hopefully it was going to be quick regardless.

Then it came again and was twice as loud as it had been before. A long drawn out scratching sound, mixed with footsteps… very slow footsteps. Whatever it was it was unsettling, and I knew it wasn't good. We needed to move, and we needed to move now.

"They're here; we need to get somewhere safe where we can regroup everyone." I said in a low voice, looking back at the handful of people who stood behind me. I was hoping someone had an idea of some sort, because I didn't feel like dying from this. "Is there anywhere we can go?"

"There's a room up the hall, it's not too far and it should be safe, it has sturdy
walls
and is hard to find." Someone said to me, once I found the person I slowly but surely was able to put a name with the face. That was the dragon shifter, Ryu. 

"Where is it? Get us to it, we have to go now." I said to him urgently, I was hoping he knew what he was doing, because now it was up to him. All of this was
dependent
on whether he was telling me the truth or not.

"What about the other's?" Kerli asked me quickly, I could see her eyes clearly. They were as wide as an owl's, if not wider and I truly felt sympathy for her. I knew she was probably worried about her brother, and at this moment in time I knew exactly how that could be. I was lucky that my brother was here, because if he wasn't, I don't think I would've been able to find him.

"They'll find
their
way, they'll be safe but we
won’t
be if we don't move now." I gave her a sad look,
and then
walked closer to her I laid my hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Kerli. Trent will make it out I promise you that, no I swear my life on it."

"I believe you... I'd have to believe a
veri'zulentic
." She said to me. I didn't know what she called me, and I didn't have the time to ask right then. I just nodded my head and walked briskly up to Ryu staring at him. 

"Lead the way, Ryu."

He nodded his head and started forward quickly. I followed him knowing that everyone was following us. If they were stupid enough not to then it wasn't my problem, I had to do this, or else I'd be killing more than just one person. I'd be letting down so many around me, and letting millions die all because of my own stupidity. That wasn't going to be happening.

Pushing away any thoughts of If's or maybe's about the death that I'd never see, or have to know about, I pushed myself on and followed Ryu down the hall's as fast as I could. I watched as he made each turn, keeping an ear out for any strange noises, but so far I hadn't heard anything that was close to us, and to me that was a good thing.

The farther away the noise was, the safer we were. But, it had been coming from the West wing where Eyloff had gone. All I knew was that I was hoping and praying that he was safe and not in trouble, and that anyone who was with him was alright. I didn't want anything bad to come to that grumpy old wolf, he was growing on me.