Book of Curses (The Renning Chronicles) (8 page)

His skin was lightly tanned, but looked extremely dark compared to his light-colored  clothes that clung tightly to his body outlining every muscle. There was a small scar at the base of his neck on the left side, the shirt covered it, for the most part, but it showed sometimes.

Lupus moved up to Eyloff quickly, pulling the man off to the side and talking to him silently. I caught a good look at him and realized he was almost identical to Dolphus, which meant they had to be brothers or related. The only noticeable difference was that his hair was longer and lighter in color.

“So um, why is it you’re all fully clothed but those others weren’t?” I decided to ask Dolphus, he seemed like the harmless one, and I rather take my chances with him than with the others.

“The kids, they’re too lazy to fully dress, and the others just shifted back when you arrived.” He rolled his eyes laughing softly, and shrugging both of his shoulders.

“Oh.” I turned my head, watching the others as they moved up ahead slowly. Tom had walked away from me and was now up where they were, talking with them. I started walking with Dolphus and Felan, following after them. Suddenly, Eyloff stilled and then lupus did too.

The two of them turned towards me, Dolphus and Felan signaling for us to be quiet and then looking around slowly. I furrowed my eyebrows but didn't argue. I looked into the woods and then back at them, getting a good look at Eyloff finally.

He was as tall as Tom, with golden hair that was tied back at the base of his neck. His eyes were a grey color and were scanning the area quickly. The muscles under his shirt were outlined so that I could see them moving. 

Right as I about to ask what was going on, a girl walked out of the trees smiling at the boys. I don't think it would've been strange except, she was naked as the day she was born, she was moving over to Eyloff, Tom and Lupus who were all fixated on her.

Beside me, I heard Dolphus let out a sigh that sounded of pure boredom as he shifted his body. The girl kept looking the boys over, they seemed to be mesmerized as they continued to stare at her with awe and wonder.

“General, Panther shapeshifter, Kill her, Now…” Dolphus announced to him, as if this was something that happened every day. Even the look on his face was extremely bored.

Eyloff shook his head quickly, letting out a blood-
curdling growl
. The girl jumped back hissing at him and shifted smoothly into a black panther. She made it looked as simple to do as stepping
backwards;
there was no bone's breaking or anything else.

Eyloff turned, shoved Tom back towards us, and with the disturbing sound of breaking bones and a loud growl he turned into a wolf. He stood over the panther, snarling and growling down at her, ready to kill.

“Too bad she’s evil, probably would’ve made you a good wife Lupy.” Dolphus snickered at Lupus, before wiggling his eyebrows back and
forth
.

I looked at him as if he was a total moron,
and then
watched in horror as the General and the Panther fought in front of us. Horror because to me it really was unbelievable to see this happening with my own two eyes, but also because they were killing each other, fighting without mercy, or trying to at least.

Eyloff let out a roar, swiped at her face and narrowly missed her. She jumped backwards away from him and started circling again, when he swiped at her this time, he got her, causing her to shift back and clutch her bloodied face whimpering.

“I didn’t want to hurt you; I just wanted to scare you!” She screamed at him, her hand still clutching her face. “They threatened to kill her, my daughter Anna, I’m sorry.”

“And where are they?” Dolphus asked her, speaking in a bemused voice.

“I’ll take you to them. Just, please help me get my child back. I don’t like this war any more than you.” She told them, moving her hand from her face and looking at it before placing it back over the wound.

Eyloff looked back at us, then at Dolphus for a long moment. The two of them shared a
look;
Eyloff seemed to have given into her. Dolphus chuckled. “Fine, so much as accidentally cut an arm open, or scratch someone, and you’re dead.” Eyloff snarled at her, while tugging on new clothes that he was handed by Lupus. Then he pulling his now loose hair back up.

Lupus picked up what looked like a pack, slinging it back over his shoulder and shook his head at Eyloff. It looked like he was trying his hardest not to laugh at him as I watched the scene.

The girl eagerly nodded her head; Eyloff moved on and everyone else followed leaving the girl on her own. I pulled off my top shirt not caring if I was running around in my tank top or not. Pressing it against her face to apply pressure to the wound that didn’t seem nearly as bad now.

“Why are you helping me?” She asked while looking up at me, sounding startled by the help.

“Because, leaving you like this is wrong.” I told her, trying to smile as best as I could.

“Put this on.” I looked up, seeing Tom hand her his shirt. “Hurry, before they leave us.”

The girl's eyes grew larger than before as she took the shirt from him and tried to stand up with my help. She quickly pulled on Tom's shirt; it barely fit around her small body.

“Thank you.” She whispered looking at the ground while pressing my shirt to her face still.

“No problem.” Tom smiled a bit, turned and started to lead us back to where the others had disappeared to.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“Saphire.” She spoke it weakly; her blue eyes watched me warily as if she wasn't sure yet. I could understand that after everything that'd just happened.

“I’m Raine, that boy; he’s my twin brother Thomas.”

She smiled. “You’re the two of legend. That's why you’re being so kind.” It was muttered, but I still heard it as if she spoke it loudly, I scratched at my neck, I was getting tired of hearing that already.

“Yeah we’ve been told that a lot recently.” I smiled as best I could, trying not to freak out over it or start bombarding her with questions pertaining to
exactly that
meant. "Where too?” Eyloff turned his head to ask, looking back at us.

“North, but it’s a two days hike.” Saphire said loudly to him, frowning as she did.

“Very well, we’ll make camp up ahead, and then start again at dawn.” Eyloff muttered, walking forward.

“You’re really going to help?” Saphire looked at me, asking the question, and I looked at the others, and then thought about it.

“I can try.”

She smiled, muttering what vaguely sounded like a 'thank you' to me before we both saw Eyloff turn back to us. He waved her over to him and leaned down, whispering something to her that had my curiosity working a mile an hour.

“We’re going in format
ion
B apparently; the two day’s hike won't be needed. They followed her.” Eyloff announced, his face looked grim but there was a strange gleam in his eye, as if this was something he had been waiting for.

Felan moved in as quickly as she could, back to me and stood on my right side. Dolphus flanked my left side. Lupus pulled Tom back towards us and wedged him between Felan and me then strode back to Saphire and walked on her right side.

“We’re in defense form, basically. We're supposed to protect you two they protect her, if you were wondering.” Dolphus leaned
down;
whispering into my ear to let me know what was going on. “Is your brother single, by the way?”

I glanced at him, trying as hard as possible not to start laughing. As seriously as I could, I looked at him fully and answered him. “Yes, but he’s not into guys.”

“Don’t worry, I could turn him easily.” He replied simply, smirking and winking at me.

“Uh, um, ok then.” I just looked away, leaving it at that and tried to see what was going on ahead.

I heard Dolphus laugh silently, then I could feel the shifting as he leaned down towards my ear. “Back to the other topic, whatever happens, we won't let you two be killed, wolves honor.”

I looked at him, then towards Tom and Felan, and back at him, with worry written all over my face. There were so many things that could go wrong here, but even though I didn't know him, I was going to put my trust and faith in him.

Don't get me wrong, I mean fear isn't something that comes easily to Tom or me. I can throw a punch and take two in return, get back up and still go, but this definitely wasn't home, and these weren't exactly humans. All in all, I hardly understood anything, and it had my nerves on the edge. I was trying to keep from screaming until my throat went raw.

We kept moving until we heard a blood curdling wild cat's yowl, I heard it as clear as a bell and there was a following growl. My entire body tensed up, regardless of what world you were in that growl was something you didn't want to hear. Saphire recoiled quickly, when she had moved back nearly a foot, a cat leapt towards her; it stopped and stood still, and I saw it fully. It registered fast that it was a cheetah, soon followed by a tiger and various other large cats that I'd only dreamed of ever seeing. I really didn't want to die by one.

“Saphire, how nice of you to join us, and oh look you brought us Lycans - and oh, I smell another shifter and humans- how pleasant.” A woman smiled as she spoke, a long white tattered dressed hugged her body as she stalked forward. Her eyes were glaring slits as she moved closer, and behind her was a child whom she seemed to be dragging along, not caring if she hurt her or not. The child looked up at us with huge blue eyes; her black hair was matted to her tear-streaked face.

“Mom!” She shouted
fearfully,
and then
was yanked so hard she was lifted off the ground by the woman. 

“Anna!” Saphire cried out, looking up at the woman as she moved forward slightly. “Let her go! I did what you wanted!”

The woman in front of us made a tsking sound, wagging her finger from side to side at Saphire. “Pity, pity, you didn’t quite do it.” Her lips slowly pulled into a sickeningly happy smile. “I said to kill the Lycanthropes and bring me the humans - Now look, I’ve got to kill them as well and your child, poor Anna.”

She let out what sounded like a disappointed sigh while looking down at the little girl.  “So sad that your husband died for being a fool, now your sweet innocent daughter has to die because you couldn’t follow orders.” Making a sound that seemed as if she was purring, she dragged one of her nails down Anna's face and grinned as the girl yanked backward, away from her.

“Jade, please! You don’t have to do this!” Saphire shouted at her, pleading with her as best she could.

“Yet, I think I do.” Jade smiled at her. Her eyes seemed to change to a bright yellow color as she moved her body slowly.

“What is wrong with you?” I screamed at her. I noticed Dolphus looking at me as if I had just hit him, and Tom tensed next to me, but I didn't care. This was sickening to watch, and I couldn't do it anymore. “She’s a child!”