Red Moon (6 page)

“Sophia?”  Maya whispered.

Sophia leaped for her throat.

“Sophia, no!”  Avery screamed as Sophia landed with a
thud on Maya and Nicholas.  Maya fell on to her back, her head hitting the
door of the carriage with a loud bang, and threw her arm up as Sophia lunged
for the soft flesh of her neck.

She screamed with pain as Sophia’s small, but needle-sharp
teeth tore into the flesh of her forearm. 

“Sophia – stop!”  Avery grabbed the scruff of the
wolf’s neck and yanked as hard as she could.  Maya screamed again as
Sophia tore a chunk of skin from her arm.  Avery wrestled the small wolf
to the ground, flinching back just in time to avoid having Sophia sink her
fangs into her face.

She used her weight to pin Sophia to the floor and as the
wolf howled and struggled beneath her shaking arms, she looked at Maya.

“Maya, are you okay?”

Maya, crying and bleeding profusely from the wound in her
arm, sat up and nodded.  “I’m okay.  I’m okay.”

“Here, give me your hand.”  Avery reached for her with
one hand.

“No.”  Maya gasped.  “I’m fine for now. 
We’ll heal it later.”

She looked at Sophia.  “What do we do with her? 
Should we – “

The door of the carriage ripped open and a faerie peeked
in.  He grinned and clapped his hands together.  “Hello, my
pretties!” 

He looked at Maya and the baby.  “Ooh, two for the
price of one!”  Before Avery could move he grabbed Maya by the hair and
yanked her from the carriage.

“Maya!”  Avery screamed.  She threw Sophia across
the carriage on to the seat and scrambled out of the carriage, slamming the
door shut just as Sophia leaped from the seat and thumped against the door.

Avery looked around frantically.  The faerie had
dragged Maya to the edge of the road, and three other faeries were crowding
around them.

“A baby!  I want the baby!  C’mon now, give me a
taste!”  The three of them jostled for position, and Avery snatched a
large rock from the ground and ran towards them.

There was a loud howling and a large white wolf slammed into
the three faeries, sending them tumbling and scattering across the road. 
He turned and pulled the faerie that was pinning Maya down, away from
her.  With a fierce snarl, he bit into the faerie’s face, pulling and
tearing the flesh off as the faerie shrieked and beat weakly at the wolf’s
head.  There was a loud crunching noise as the wolf bit through the
faerie’s skull, and the faerie went limp.

“We’ll kill you werewolf!”

The white wolf twisted to see the other three faeries
hovering above him.  He bared his teeth as they fell on him, snapping and
twisting as they pinned him down and began to stab him with their spears.

Avery was nearly there, the rock raised above her head, when
hard hands suddenly grabbed her arm and she was yanked off her feet.  The
rock tumbled to the ground as a faerie, its wings flapping and cutting through
the air, grinned down at her.

She screamed and reached up with her other arm, sinking her
nails into the scaly arm of the creature.  It gave its own scream of
surprise and dropped her.  She hit the ground hard; the breath was knocked
from her and she rolled on to her back, staring dazedly at the grey sky above
her.

The faerie’s face appeared above her as he landed on her
soft body with a hard thud.  “I’ve never tried a Red, I haven’t.”  He
giggled and winked at her.  “I bet you taste delicious.”

He leaned over her, and Avery gagged as his hot and fetid
breath washed over her.  “I’m going to enjoy this dearie.”  It
simpered.

As it opened its mouth wide and inhaled, there was a flash
of grey and the faerie was knocked backwards.  Before it could rise to its
feet, Tristan was crouching over it. 

The faerie had time to whisper weakly, “No, please….” before
Tristan ripped its throat out.

Avery gasped for breath.  She lay on her back, staring
wide-eyed into the sky as the large grey wolf approached her.  It whined
softly, and she reached out a trembling hand and lightly stroked the side of
its face.

“Tristan?”  She whispered.  He licked her hand and
she closed her eyes, forcing herself to take long, deep breaths.  There
was a soft popping noise and then she felt Tristan’s hand, warm and familiar,
on her belly.

“Avery, are you hurt?”  She shook her head and opened
her eyes, smiling weakly at him as he helped her into a sitting position.

“Maya?”  She whispered.

“She’s fine.  We’ve destroyed the faeries but we need
to get – “

“Marshall!”  Maya’s soft scream made them both look,
and then Tristan was yanking her to her feet and nearly carrying her across the
road.

Maya was kneeling next to Marshall’s naked body as an
equally naked Jeffrey and Leo crouched helplessly next to them.

“He’s not healing.  Why isn’t he healing?  They
did not administer the kiss!”  Jeffrey gave Tristan a look of panic as
Tristan took Marshall’s cold hand.

“There are too many wounds.  The spears carry their own
poison.”

Avery looked at Marshall’s body.  He had been stabbed
multiple times with the spears of the faeries, and each wound was oozing a
foul-smelling yellow liquid.

“He saved Nicholas and I.”  Maya whispered
despairingly.

“Marshall, can you hear me?”  Tristan squeezed
Marshall’s hand and although they could see the slow rise of his chest, he
neither moved nor responded.

“What do we do?”  Leo had left and returned with pants
for all three of them, and a blanket for Marshall.  Mrs. Lanning and the
other women approached and she gave Tristan a hard look.

“You know what we need to do, Lord Tristan.  He will
not survive this, even with his Lycan healing powers.  It is cruel to
leave him to suffer this way.”

Tristan cursed vehemently, bowing his head as Maya looked at
Avery.

“Avery, please.”  She begged softly.

Avery knelt next to Tristan, putting one hand on his arm.
“My lord, I may be able to help him.  Will you let me?”

He looked at her, confusion in his eyes.  “What do you
mean, girl?”

“You need to trust me.  I might be able to save his
life if you will trust me.”

Mrs. Lanning froze.  “You cannot possibly trust her,
Lord Tristan.  She’s a witch!  She will mutter a spell that she says
will heal him but it will destroy us all.  We do not have time to - ”

“Shut up, Mrs. Lanning!”  Tristan suddenly
roared.  He stared at Avery.  “Save his life.”

She nodded and he watched as she slipped under the blanket
next to Marshall.  She wiggled out of Tristan’s t-shirt, and tossed it
aside before wrapping her naked body around Marshall’s.  She kissed him
several times on the face and mouth before resting her forehead against
his. 

She winced and Maya said worriedly, “Avery?  Are you
okay?”

She nodded.  “He’s badly injured.  This is going
to take a while.  I’m sorry, Maya.  It may be too late.”

Maya nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she rubbed
Nicholas’ back through the sling.  “Please try.”

She took Tristan’s arm. “Leave them alone for a bit. 
She won’t hurt him, I promise.”

He nodded and stood up, glancing at her bleeding arm. 
“Did a faerie bite you?”

She shook her head.  “No, m’lord.  Sophia, she –
she turned and attacked me.  She is still in the carriage.  I wasn’t
sure what to do.”

He swore violently and struggled into his pants before
crossing to the carriage.  Maya hurried after him.  He opened the
door of the carriage and peered inside.

Sophia was sitting naked on the floor, her legs drawn up and
her thin arms wrapped around them.  She raised her head and stared at him
with a tear-stained face.  “I’m sorry, papa.  I did the bad
thing.  I didn’t mean to do the bad thing.  I was so scared.  I
couldn’t help it, papa.”  She moaned.

“It’s okay, Sophia.”  He soothed.  “It’s not your
fault, baby.”

“I hurt Maya.”  She began to sob brokenly and then Maya
was pushing him aside and shoving Nicholas into his arms.  She climbed
into the carriage and Sophia scrambled away from her, cringing and covering her
head with her arms.

“Don’t spank me, Maya!  I’m sorry!”  She sobbed.

She flinched and cried out when Maya scooped her up, but the
young woman simply hugged her against her chest.  She sat on the seat and
picked up a blanket.

“Shh my Sophia, shh.”  She wrapped the blanket around
the young girl and began to rock her back and forth.  “Don’t cry my
love.  You’ve done nothing wrong.  It’s okay, everything’s okay.”

She began to sing softly to the young girl and, with a
watery gasp, Sophia wrapped her thin arms around Maya’s neck and clung tightly.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Maya.”  She whimpered.

“Of course you didn’t, my love.  I know that.  It
was very scary and you can’t help what happens when you’re afraid.”

She continued to rock the young girl and, still holding
Nicholas, Tristan quietly closed the carriage door and returned to Marshall and
Avery. 

Maya stood next to Tristan and stared down at Avery and
Marshall’s entwined bodies.  Tristan glanced at her and she answered the
question in his eyes.  “Sophia fell asleep in the carriage.”

She reached for the sleeping baby in his arms and he handed
him to her.  She quickly tucked him into the sling.

“How is he doing?”  She murmured.

“He’s been starting to move and crying out a bit.”
 Tristan replied.

She breathed a sigh of relief.  “That’s a good sign.”

“What is she?”

“She is not a witch, m’lord.  I swear to you.”

“That’s not what I asked.”  He spoke impatiently.

“She’s a healer.”

“A healer?”  He frowned.

She nodded.  “Yes.  She can touch people and heal
their sicknesses.”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugged.  “I mean that if someone is hurt or sick,
Avery can touch them, hold them and something inside of her heals them.”

He stared at her.  “Has she always been this way?”

“No.  She did not develop her ability until her
monthlies began.”

“The gods be damned.  I have never heard of such a
power.”

“My father’s grandmother had the same ability.”

“How does she do it?”

“We’re not quite sure, my lord.  My father believed
that she absorbs the sickness and the pain into her own body and then somehow
heals herself.”

He frowned, remembering the way she had winced when she
first touched Marshall.  “Does it hurt her?”

She gave him a cautious glance.  “She says it does not
but I do not believe her.”

“Who else knows of this?”  He glanced around
them.  The others were crowded in and around the wagon.  Some of the
women were sobbing quietly, and Leo and Jeffrey were keeping a grim watch of
the skies above them.

“Until now, no one outside of our family.  My father
kept it well-hidden from others.”

“He was wise to do so.  This type of power…”

He glanced at her.  “I admit I am not sure that I
entirely believe it.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Really, my lord?  Marshall
was close to death not half an hour ago and now look at him. His colour has
returned, he is moving and making sounds.”

“Lycan’s have their own healing powers.”  He said
gruffly.

“You yourself said it was not enough.”  She pointed
out.

When he continued to stare doubtfully at her she sighed
impatiently.  “You slept beside her last night.  Tell me, in the
morning did you not feel good?  Did you not feel happier, stronger, more
rested than you should have?”

He stared at her and she smiled wryly at him.  “You
soaked in her power as you slept next to her.  Even those who are
perfectly healthy, benefit from touching her.”

He paused, remembering the strange feeling of power and
warmth when he had entered her.  He frowned as another thought hit him.
 “Sophia’s finger – Nicholas.”

She nodded.  “She kissed Sophia’s finger back at the
slave house, and our first morning by the lake she held Nicholas until he was
better.”

She stared solemnly at him.  “Nicholas would not have
survived much longer if it hadn’t been for Avery.  She said it was a
miracle that he had survived for as long as he did.  He should have died
many moons ago.”

Marshall made a low groaning noise and opened his
eyes.  He blinked and stirred in Avery’s arms, wincing and groaning again.

Avery opened her eyes and smiled at him before placing a
soft kiss on his mouth.  Marshall stared blankly at her and she kissed him
again, urging him to kiss her back.  After a moment he returned her
kisses.  Tristan watched, tension growing in his belly when Marshall
leaned over her and deepened the kiss.

She didn’t resist, opening her mouth and allowing him to
slip his tongue between her lips.  Tristan was unaware that he was
growling until Maya pressed her hand on to his arm.

“She’s doing this to help him.”

“Help him?”  He grunted.  Jealousy was flooding
through him as Marshall continued to kiss Avery.  Even as he watched, he
could see Marshall’s skin starting to glow and Avery’s grow paler and paler.

“Aye.”  Maya nodded.  “The more of Avery they can
touch, the more intimate she is with them, the faster they heal.  It’s why
she held Nicholas against her bare skin, why she kissed Sophia’s cut directly,
and why she allows Marshall to kiss her now.”

He glanced at the girl, saw his jealousy mirrored in her eyes,
and forced himself to relax.  When he thought he had it under control he
looked back down at Avery and Marshall.  It was the wrong decision. 
Although they were hidden under the blanket, it was clear that Marshall was
cupping her breast as he kissed her and with a low, angry growl he started
forward.  If he was well enough to do that he was well enough for his own
healing powers to kick in.

Before he could rip them apart, Avery shoved at Marshall’s
shoulders.  He released her mouth and fell on to his back, staring up at
Tristan.

“Tristan?”  He whispered.  “What happened?” 
He looked in confusion at the pale and panting Avery.

“Faeries.”  Tristan grunted.  He helped Marshall
to his feet and Maya handed him his pants.  He put them on, buttoning them
up quickly.  Tristan stared at Marshall’s torso.  Earlier there had
been at least a dozen stab wounds, oozing blood and foul poison, and now his
torso was perfectly smooth.  There were no open wounds and no scars.

“Maya?  What happened?”  Marshall stared at her
arm.  The wound had clotted but there was a large chunk of flesh missing
from the top of her arm.

She shook her head.  “I’ll explain later.”

Tristan squeezed his bare shoulder.  “How do you feel?”

Marshall stared at him.  “I feel…good.  I mean,
really good.  Like I could run for miles, you know?  I’m hungry.”

Behind him, Tristan could hear Avery stirring and Maya
ducked around him to help her.  “Go to the wagon, brother and help Leo and
Jeffrey watch for more faeries.  We’ll be leaving shortly.”

“Aye.”  Rubbing his head, a confused look on his face,
Marshall left them.  Tristan turned to see Avery rising to her feet. 
She had put his shirt back on, and she smiled weakly at him as she weaved
unsteadily.

“Avery?  Do you need to sit down?”  Maya asked, a
worried look crossing her face.  She had never seen Avery looking so sick
before.  Her face was completely void of colour and there were deep, dark
circles under her eyes.

“I’m okay.”  She whispered.  “I need to rest
though.”  She suddenly coughed harshly, holding her side and wincing.

“I just need sleep.”  She took a step forward and Maya
gasped as she staggered and collapsed.

“Avery!”  Maya crouched down next to her and hesitated,
looking at her arm as Tristan knelt beside her.

“I cannot touch her.”  She whispered.  “If I do,
her body will try to heal my arm.  She’s too weak.  I’ve never seen
her like this before.”

Tristan reached for Avery, and Maya grabbed his arm. 
“Were you hurt in the attack?  Is there any part of you that needs
healing?”

He shook his head.  “No, I’m fine.”  He picked up
Avery and carried her to the carriage.  “We need to get her to my
home.  There will be a soft bed and food waiting for her there.”

“We should hurry.”  Maya said softly as she followed
him to the carriage.

“I know.”  He replied grimly.

* * *

“Why does she not wake?”  Tristan stared down at the
still-unconscious Avery.  They had travelled the rest of the journey to
his home without incident and he had immediately carried Avery to his room,
Maya following at his heels.  He had tucked her into his bed and Maya had
sat beside her.  She was careful not to touch Avery, and they had been
waiting for close to an hour for her to wake up.

“I do not know, m’lord.”  Maya said, despair in her voice. 
“Usually she only needs to rest for a bit and then she is fine.  But I
have never seen her try to heal someone hurt so deeply.  Perhaps she just
needs more time to heal her own body?”

“There must be something we can do.”  Tristan paced the
large room, staring out the window at the growing darkness.

Maya hesitated.  “There may be something we can try.”

“What?”

“Avery does not just absorb people’s sicknesses.  She
can also absorb their health.  She uses it to help herself heal
faster.  If you’re sure you are not hurt in any way, it may help if you
lie with her.”

“Why did you not say something sooner?”  He said
angrily.  He pulled his shirt over his head and started to unbutton his
pants.  “Naked helps right?”

She nodded.  “Aye.”

He stripped and slipped into the bed beside Avery.  He
pulled her shirt off and gathered her naked body into his arms.  He lay on
his side, pulling her flush against him.  He stared up at Maya as Avery’s
head clunked down on to his chest.  He could feel her soft breath stirring
the hairs on his chest and it comforted him.

“Will I feel anything?  How will I know it’s working?”

She shook her head.  “No.  If you do feel
something, warmth or tingling, it means she’s trying to heal you.  Let go
of her immediately.”

He nodded.  “I will.”

Maya hesitated and then glanced at the door of the bedroom.
“I should be with Sophia and Nicholas.  Will you stay with her for the
night?”

“Yes.  She’ll be fine by morning.”  He wasn’t sure
if he was trying to convince himself or Maya.  “Go and get some
rest.  I will send for you if anything happens.”

“Thank you, m’lord.”  She slipped out of his bedroom.

Tristan stared up at the ceiling.  He was tense,
waiting anxiously for any sign that Avery was trying to heal him, but when
nothing happened he let himself relax.  He closed his eyes, listening to
Avery’s soft and steady breathing, and drifted into sleep.