Red and Her Wolf (26 page)

She was mumbling and he could only catch snatches of it. “…what did I do? Wicked…
Dead?”

“Nay, lass,” he shook his head. Trying hard to tamp down the stomach churning memory of
Kermani
broken and bloody, so that he could answer her with
a calm
, reassuring voice. “He will live.”
Maybe
.
“
Yer
nay wicked, Red. Now wake up.”

There was clapping and the caw of several thousand birds and Ewan’s heart sank to his knees.

“My big black wolf.”
Malvena’s
voice was bottomless, insidious. “And so we meet again. I thought you dead.” There was a ghostly quality to her voice that was both lyrical and wickedly disturbing.

He shuddered, trying to keep Red firmly tucked within the shelter of his body. She was still mumbling.

Malvena
stepped out of the shadows. She wore a robe spun of midnight and
stars,
it cut along the length of her body, exposing tantalizing bits of naked flesh beneath. Her red hair crackled like the flames of a chimera. Her rose red lips were curved up in a plump, luscious smile.

Crows sat on each shoulder, their beady black eyes drilling holes through Ewan’s skull.
Malvena
petted one of them.

“Is baby hungry?” she cooed.

The crow snapped its beak with a loud thud.
Malvena’s
deep blue eyes glowed with satisfaction.

“Why are ye here?” Ewan snarled, rubbing a soothing hand down Red’s cold arm.

Malvena
cocked her head. “That is none of your concern. You no longer work for me. Tell me,” she ran her long red nail up and down the
bird’s
back, “did you like being
Danika’s
whore?”

His mouth curled.

She touched her breast, the slight curve of it peeking out beneath the robe. “When you could have had all…” She continued trailing her hand slowly down the
peekaboo
path of skin, down to the
vee
between her legs, hidden by the flimsiest bit of tassel. “This.”

Then her eyes hardened and something dangerous flickered within. “Instead you choose to betray me!” Her voice grew deep, full of tempestuous hate. “Aero.
Aria.
Go.”

The crows shot off her shoulders and she cackled as they bomb dived his head, their sharp beaks slashing at the back of his skull, drawing blood.

Ewan swatted at them, while trying to shield Red’s body.

Then there were more.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
He was blinded by a choking cloud of feathers and beaks as blood poured into his eyes.

Red screamed, tiny fingers dug into his chest.

 
“Oh don’t worry,”
Malvena
sneered, “they were only sent to kill you, Ewan. Little Red Riding Hood and I have much to speak of.”

Even though the cawing of so many birds nearly deafened him, he’d heard her every word. Chunks of flesh were picked off his body, too many birds to keep up with.

Malvena
snapped her fingers, and with one final scream, Red was yanked out from beneath him.

“Violet!”
Ewan roared, but there was no answer.

Malvena
and Red were
gone,
all that remained were killer crows.

Chapter 16

One second she was in his arms, terrified, but safe. The next, she was bobbing in water. Teeth chattering, Violet rubbed her arms, coughing and sputtering as salty waves slapped her in the face.

The sky was a dark greenish-yellow and streaked with thick ribbons of clouds.

“The
Heartsong
.
At last we meet.”

Startled, Violet twirled. A miniature woman floated above her, broad black butterfly wings flapping languorously behind her. “
Malvena
,” her voice cracked. “Where’s Ewan? What have you done to him?”

The fairy flicked her wrist. “Oh nothing that I shouldn’t have done ages ago. But tell me,” her blue eyes sparkled, “was he as good in the sack as I always thought he’d be? He’s got such a hard on for you.”

“You’re disgusting,” Violet said, and then a wave smacked into her. She swallowed the briny water, coughing violently as she tried to expel it from her lungs.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”
Malvena
smirked.

The woman was mad.

Pulse ringing in her ears, spitting sea water out, Violet jerked around desperately trying to spot land, anywhere she could get out. Another long swell lifted her in the
air,
she stretched her arms, letting the wave drag her up. Where was the land?

“Don’t bother,”
Malvena
smiled, “you’re in the middle of the
Never
Sea
. There’s no land for miles.”

Violet opened her mouth.

Malvena
tsked
. “I wouldn’t scream if I were you. You see, the Sea Hag makes her home here and she hasn’t eaten in a couple weeks.”
Malvena
laughed and whispered conspiratorially, “I wouldn’t disturb her if I were you.”

Panic ate at her brain and with the panic came the darkness trapped in her soul. It seeped up through her blood like a slow toxin.

A glint of something malevolent winked back at Violet and then
Malvena
inhaled, eyes rolling to the back of her head. The rainbow colored mist beginning to escape through Violet’s body rolled toward the demonic fairy.

Violet jerked, sucking in a breath as a chill radiated through her bones, feeling as if her soul had just been leeched from her body. She cried out and wiped the back of her nose, a red streak marred the back of her hand.

Malvena
clutched her chest and danced, wings flitting happily as she crowed loudly.
“So much power.”

Tiny fangs drew down from the fairy’s mouth.

Her powers wouldn’t work on the Black.
Couldn’t work on her.
Malvena
could suck her up too; clean her out like a vampire draining their victim’s blood. The crone had done it too, but
Malvena
was much, much stronger.

Sea water stung Violet’s eyes, mingled with the tears running down her cheeks.

Vi started to swim, anything was better than staying put and letting herself be eaten alive by the cannibal.

“I told you, swimming is fruitless.” The voice no longer sounded feminine. “Come here, girl!”

It was like invisible bands wrapped around Violet’s middle and yanked her back to where she’d been. She thrashed, but the bands were unyielding.

“You misunderstand me, Little Hood,”
Malvena
smiled and then licked her lips. The serpentine forked tongue made Violet tremble and her stomach drop to her knees.

“You killed my crone, and made mincemeat of
Kermani
.” She laughed with a sound like the demonic toll of Hell’s bells. “You are not the same miserable, pathetic girl I searched for before. You are strong, powerful.”

She flitted closer and Violet winced when the tiny claw dragged along her jaw.

“The hate, it burns in you.” She inhaled. “You like killing, the taste of power. Embrace it, Violet, for it is our friend.”

Violet jerked away, swimming backwards, kicking her feet to get away from the ten inch nightmare. “Why are you telling me this? Where’s Ewan?”

Malvena
smiled. “You like him,” she laughed, “you do know he killed Jana.”

“Because she was working for you!”
Violet snarled. “She was going to kill me. He saved me.”

“He worked for me too, little girl. Or did you not know that part of the story?”

The crux of it, the whole point of her anger toward Ewan, was that right there. He’d been sent to kill her.
By
Malvena
.
And he would have done so.
Except she was his mate.
And from that moment on, he’d done his very best to rectify his misdeeds. A soft smile pulled at her heart and tugged on her lips.

“I know it. I also know he’s mine.”

“
Ohh
,”
Malvena
tapped her chin, “you’ve claimed him too.
How very interesting.”

Water moved rapidly beneath Violet’s feet. She kicked, feeling the rolling balls of waves slap hard against her legs. Glancing down, she frowned at the muddy water.

“Then here’s your choice, Red.”
Malvena
held up a finger. “I won’t kill you. I’ll release you and give you Ewan as your lifelong mate,” she rolled her eyes, “and in return all I ask is one itty bitty favor. You won’t even miss it. Much.” She shrugged.

Violet’s heart clenched. “He’s alive?”

Malvena
nodded.
“For now.”

A small favor
.
Violet seriously doubted anything would be small with the Black. This was a devil’s
deal,
she’d be stupid to make it. Everyone knew the devil always lied.

“What?”

“I want your soul.” She didn’t smile, laugh, or even twitch a brow.
Malvena’s
words were sharp, clear, and unswerving.

Violet slapped her palm over her heart.
“My soul?
Why? Why do you want me?”

“Oh come, come.”
Malvena
rolled her wrist. “Let’s not get all theatrical about this. You don’t even need a soul to live. You’ll still be immortal, but with none of your wicked powers. And honestly, wouldn’t it be a blessing to let go of that evil side of you?”

The way she said it, so calmly, rationally, Violet couldn’t help but consider it. She didn’t want to be bad.
To crave hurting things.
What would it be like to live the rest of her life without the darkness inside her?

She licked her lips.

Malvena
flitted closer, holding out her tiny hand. “All you have to do is say… yes.”

It was so tempting. So, so tempting…

Malvena’s
full lips curved. “I had a daughter once. She looked a lot like you.
Blonde hair, green eyes, with a smattering of freckles along her nose.”

Her words were soft, yearning. It made her seem less monstrous, more human. Violet leaned in ever so slightly.

Malvena
settled on Violet’s shoulder, her insubstantial weight barely felt as she tucked strands of
Vi’s
wet hair behind her ear.
Gently patting it into place.

“My reasons are entirely altruistic. I’m simply a mother who wants her daughter back. Can’t you understand?”

In that moment, in that second, Violet didn’t see a deranged or even evil fairy, she saw something that was grieving.
Desperate to make right a wrong.
How could she deny her that chance?

“STOP!”

The scream shattered Violet’s thoughts, startled, she glanced up. Her Aunt flitted beside another tiny fairy. Miriam was grabbing her chest, heaving for breath. The traveling portal was little more than a sliver of a rift in the brackish sky.