Red Moon (21 page)

Avery stared blankly out the window of the carriage. 
She had woken only an hour after Hendrick had knocked her unconscious, and her
body had healed itself from the blow to her head while she slept.  She
sighed and pulled at the ropes that bound her wrists together before peering
out the window once more.

It was nearly dark and she imagined they would be stopping
to set up camp in the next little while.  The air was cold and smelled of
snow and she shivered against the leather seat, thankful for the warm coat she
had been wearing when she went to the barn.

She wondered if there would be a way to escape once they had
set up camp.  If she could convince Hendrick that she had changed her mind
and was eager to go with him, perhaps he would let his guard down and she could
slip away in the night.

The carriage creaked to a halt and she stiffened slightly
when the door opened and Hendrick climbed in.  He banged the ceiling of
the carriage twice and whistled piercingly, and the carriage started with a
jolt.

“Good evening, Red.”  He smiled at her and she forced
herself to smile back.

“Hello, my lord.”

He blinked a little, obviously surprised by her pleasant
response, before sitting next to her.  “How are you feeling?”

He examined her head as she forced herself to smile again at
him.  “Perfectly fine, Lord Hendrick.”

“I am glad.  I didn’t like being forced to hit you like
that you know.”

“I do know.”  She said softly.  “It was wrong of
me to question you the way I did.”

He stared suspiciously at her.  “What’s with the
attitude change?”

She smiled sweetly at him.  “I realized that you were
right, my lord.”

He laughed.  “Forgive me, but you’ll understand if I
don’t quite believe you.”

She frowned.  “Why would you not?  I’ve had many
hours to think about what you said.  I would prefer to be your wife
instead of a slave.”

“And what of your beloved Tristan?”

“What of him?”  She shrugged.  “He has no interest
in me other than using me to warm his bed.  Given a choice between being
his whore and your wife – I choose you.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”  He grinned at her and
reached to cup her cheek, wincing a little.

“Are you hurt, my lord?”  She asked.

“It is nothing.  Just a small bite on my wrist.”
 He showed her the wound and she frowned.

“Why does it not heal?”

He grimaced.  “It is from another Lycan.  Our
healing abilities serve us well but when one of our own kind bites us – it
takes much longer to heal.”

“Who bit you?”

He frowned irritably.  “Do not ask me questions that
are none of your concern.”

“Of course, my lord.  Forgive me.  Here, let me
help you.”

She covered the wound on his wrist with her bound hands for
a few minutes.  She lifted her hands away, smiling with satisfaction at
his unmarred skin.

He stared at his wrist.  “Gods be damned.  That is
amazing.  And I felt nothing more than a warm tingling.”

She gave him a warm look.  “I’m glad I could please
you, Lord Hendrick.”

He stared at her, his voice lowering until it was nearly a
growl.  “As am I, Red.”

He was reaching for her when there was a frightened scream
from outside and something large and heavy landed on the roof of the
carriage.  The carriage creaked to a stop and the horses whinnied
nervously as there was another scream that was abruptly cut off.

“My lord, what – “

Avery gasped as something large and winged flew past the
window of the carriage.

“Faeries!”  Hendrick whispered, his tanned face
paling.  He pulled Avery to the floor of the carriage and put his finger
to his lips.

“Be quiet.”

Avery winced as the sound of men screaming filled the
air.  “My Lord, should you not help your men?”  She whispered. 
“They are only humans – they stand no chance with the faeries.”

He shook his head, his lips trembling.  “Be quiet,
girl.”

She was filled with disgust at his cowardice.  “We
cannot hide in here like frightened children.” She hissed at him.  “They
will check the carriage.  They are not stupid.”

He just stared at her, and she shook him impatiently.
 “Untie me.  We have to at least try and fight.  I will not lay
here and wait for death!”

“Shut up!”  He snarled at her.  “Let me think! 
I just need to – “

The door of the carriage was ripped open and Hendrick
screamed pitifully as dirty, moss-covered hands reached in and grabbed his
legs.  He was yanked from the carriage and Avery, her legs trembling and
adrenaline coursing through her veins, scooted out the door and pressed her
body against the side of the carriage.

She moaned softly.  All around her were faeries,
swooping and gliding through the air as they dropped on Hendrick’s men. 
She swallowed hard as two faeries, their powerful bodies twisting and turning,
lifted one of the men high into the air before dropping him.  He landed in
a crumpled heap, jagged shards of bone sticking out of his legs, and screamed
hoarsely before one of the faeries descended on him.  The faerie held his
face and began to inhale deeply.  Immediately, the grey mist began to rise
from the man’s mouth and within minutes he was slack-jawed, his eyes closed and
his body limp as the faerie continued to inhale.

There was a loud howling and she glanced to her left to see
that Hendrick had shifted into his wolf form.  Snapping and growling he
backed away from the faeries.  He turned and ran for the woods but before
he could make the trees, four faeries descended on him.  They pinned him
to the ground, hooting loudly and stabbing him with their spears. 

Avery looked away as Hendrick howled with agony and more
faeries crowded around him, tearing at his pelt with their strong fingers.

Sobbing softly, Avery slid along the carriage and around the
back of it.  If she could get to the trees she could use them as
coverage.  She could hide herself deep in the woods and wait until dawn to
try and return to Tristan’s home.

She scanned the skies above her.  Dark had fallen and
it was nearly impossible to tell if there was anything flying in the sky above
her.  She took a deep breath, her heart speeding up in her chest, and made
a break for the trees.

She was nearly to the tree line when a faerie swooped down
and knocked her to the ground.  Screaming, she tried to twist away but he
pinned her down as easily as a child and stared at her.

“Hello, Red!” he grinned cheerfully at her.  “You’re a
pretty one!”

He brushed his hand across her face and she spat at him
before punching at him with her bound hands.

He laughed and hooted and then bent over her, holding her
hands tightly in his own.  He smiled at her and she clamped her mouth shut
as he started to inhale. 

She stared into his muddy brown eyes, feeling her body going
limp and her mind dimming.  She opened her mouth as he continued to
inhale.  A mist, blue instead of grey, drifted from her mouth and the
faerie’s eyes widened with delight and hunger.

“So tasty.”  It whispered to itself before it began to
inhale again. 

Avery moaned as the world began to darken around her. 
Tears were trickling down her cheeks and she breathed Tristan’s name before
falling into the darkness.

* * *

“We’re ready to go, my lord.”  Marshall said
grimly.  He, as well as Leo and Jeffrey, shifted to their wolf forms as
Tristan bent down to Sophia.

“You did the right thing in telling me, my love.  I
will be back soon with Avery.  I promise you.  Do not be frightened
while I am gone.  Your grandmother will keep you safe.”

She nodded solemnly and stepped back, taking Maya’s hand as
Vivian stepped forward.  “Be careful, Tristan.”

He nodded and was turning away when Victoria stepped out
from the house.  She glanced around the group curiously.  “Tristan,
my darling?  Where are you going?”

Tristan stared at her.  He had been so obsessed with
getting Avery back that he hadn’t even thought of Victoria.  Now, staring
at her, he could feel his anger and fear boiling up inside of him.  There
was no doubt in his mind that she had conspired with her brother to take Avery,
and with an angry roar he stormed towards her.  She backed up against the
wall as he planted his hands on either side of her and stared down at
her. 

“My lord, what is wrong?”  She whispered.

“I know that you and your brother have been plotting against
me.”  He said in a dangerously soft voice.

She winced.  “Tristan, I do not know what you mean.”

“Stop lying to me!”  He shouted at her, and she cringed
against the wall of the house.

“You will gather your slaves and your things, and you will
leave my house immediately.  The gods help you if you are still here when
I return.”

“Tristan wait, let me explain.”  She begged.  She
stared at Vivian.  “Vivian, please help him to understand that I did it for
him.”

“You would be wise to hold your tongue, Victoria.”
 Vivian said coldly.

Tristan stared at the blonde Lycan.  “If your brother
hurts her, if he even touches her, I will kill him where he stands.  And
then I will hunt you down and kill you as well.  I will wipe your entire
bloodline from the face of this earth.  Do you understand me?”

She nodded, her eyes rolling in their sockets with fear and
her face covered with a thin sheen of sweat.  He stepped back and looked
at Ian.  “Help her pack and leave.  And watch her carefully.”

Ian nodded and took Victoria’s arm.  When she tried to
yank free, his eyes glowed a deep yellow and a snarl tore from his throat.

“Okay, okay.”  She whispered and allowed him to lead
her into the house.

Vivian cleared her throat.  “It will be dark in a few
hours, Tristan.  Perhaps you should wait until morning to go after them.”

He shook his head.  “No.  He’s left with seven men
and a carriage.  They will be slow and if we leave now, we can catch up to
them by nightfall.”

He stared at Maya who had been pale and silent since she had
found out Avery had been kidnapped.  “I’ll bring her back.”

She nodded and gathered Sophia against her as Tristan
shifted and he and the others disappeared into the woods.

* * *

The wolves moved quickly and confidently in the
darkness.  The white wolf, his fur gleaming in the dark, whined quietly at
the large, grey wolf beside him.  The wolf barked sharply, his eyes
glowing brightly, and lengthened his stride.  A man’s scream, shockingly
loud, pierced the night air from somewhere ahead of them.  Marshall whined
again, and Tristan snarled softly before they bounded forward.

* * *

“I want a taste!  Get out of the way!”  A faerie,
its body covered in scars and strange markings, pushed at the faerie who was
pinning Avery down. 

The faerie held on to Avery’s arms and continued to
inhale.  With a scream of rage, the second faerie drew his spear and
stabbed the other faerie in the neck, pushing him off of Avery as black liquid
and blood flowed from his neck.

With a hideous grin, he leaned over Avery and started to
inhale, his eyes closing in ecstasy as he tasted the blue mist rising from her
mouth.  He was so entranced by her taste that he took no notice of the
sudden screaming of his fellow faeries.  He leaned closer and took another
deep breath.  It wasn’t until the first wave of hot breath washed over his
face that he opened his eyes.  Frowning he turned his head and stared into
the glowing green eyes of a giant grey Lycan.

He reached for his spear, but the Lycan tore his head from
his body with one swipe of his paw. The faerie’s head, its mouth open in a
silent scream, rolled across the ground before coming to a gentle stop against
the torn and mutilated body of Hendrick. 

Tristan shifted back to his human form as Marshall and the
others worked together to kill the remaining faeries.  All around them
were dead men and faeries but Tristan paid no attention to them.  His
hands shaking, he sat on the cold ground and gathered the limp body of Avery
into his arms.

“My love.”  He whispered.  “Wake up.  Please,
my love.  Open your eyes.”

She didn’t respond; her face was pale and cold and her
eyelids were tinged with purple.  He held her against him, kissing her
face and stroking her long red hair. 

“You’re okay.  You’re just fine.”  He
whispered.  “You can heal yourself of this.  I know you can.”

He continued to hold her and when she didn’t wake he shook
her almost roughly.  “Avery!  Wake up!  Do you hear me girl? 
Wake up!”

She remained limp, her breathing steady and slow and her
eyes closed.  She was like a large doll in his arms and he could feel
panic flooding through his veins.

Marshall approached and placed a hesitant hand on his back.
 “Tristan, brother - I think it is too late.  The faeries have taken
her essence.”

Tristan raised his face to the sky and howled in agony
before struggling to his feet.  He clutched Avery against him and glared
at Marshall.  “It is not too late.  Do you hear me?  She will be
fine.  She will heal herself and she will wake.”

Without looking at Marshall or the others he carried the
limp and still body of Avery towards his horse.

Tristan shifted Avery against him and stared at the ceiling
of his bedroom.  For the last three days he had lain in his bed and held
Avery’s naked body against his own.  He had left her for only a few
minutes at a time – to use the bathroom and check on Sophia - ignoring Maya’s
offer to lie with her sister for a longer period of time. 

As the days passed and Avery did not wake, he could feel his
certainty that she would heal herself fading.  He ignored it grimly,
clinging like a man drowning to the idea that any moment she would wake and
smile at him.

The door opened and Vivian, Maya and Marshall filed
in.  They stood around his bed, staring down at him, and he could feel a
trickle of fear in his belly.

“What?”  He asked harshly.  “What is it?”

His mother glanced at the others.  “Tristan, my sweet
boy.”  She began hesitantly.  “It has been three days.  Never
before has Avery taken this long to heal herself.  I’m so sorry my love,
but I – we – believe that you need to accept that she is never going to wake
up.”

He stared mutely at her, his eyes dark with pain and sorrow,
and she rested her hand on his shoulder.  “I am more sorry than I can say
Tristan, but you need to let her go now.”

He glanced at Maya who was weeping silently and steadily in
Marshall’s arms.  “Do you agree, Maya?”  He asked bleakly.  “Are
you ready to give up on your sister?”

She stared forlornly at him.  “My lord, never before
has anyone survived and returned to normal after having their essence taken
from them.”

He glared at her.  “Avery is unique.  If anyone
can survive it, it will be her.”

Maya swallowed thickly as the tears continued to course down
her face.  “She should have woken by now, my lord.  I know that you
want her to – to get better but even Avery is still only human.  She is
not immortal.”

He took a deep breath and stared down at Avery’s pale
face.  “She will wake.”  He whispered.  “I am not giving up on
her.”

Vivian sighed deeply.  “Tristan – “

“Get out!”  He suddenly bellowed.  “Get out, all
of you!  She will wake!  I will not give up on her as easily as the
three of you!”

The three of them backed away as Tristan’s body grew larger
and his eyes turned green.  “Okay, brother.”  Marshall said
soothingly.  He led Maya and Vivian from the room.

* * *

“Hello, papa.”  Sophia said quietly.  Without
waiting for his reply, she climbed into the bed and sat cross-legged against
Avery’s body.

“Hello, little one.”  He replied dully.  It had
been two hours since his conversation with the others and he had been filled
with anger and despair ever since.  Even the sight of Sophia could not
lift his spirits.

The little girl sat quietly for a few minutes before
speaking again.  “I was in the kitchen today, playing with my dolls under
the table.”

“Oh?”  He tried to sound interested.  “Did you
have fun?”

She shrugged and stroked Avery’s long red hair.  “It
was okay.”  She rubbed at a large, dark bruise on her upper arm.

“How did you get that?”  He asked.

She giggled.  “I ran into the bedpost when I was
playing tag with Marshall.”  Her face darkened.  “Maya yelled at him
and then she started crying and couldn’t stop.  Marshall had to get
grandmamma and then take Maya away.  She came back later though and said
she was sorry.”

She brought her knees up and hugged them.  “When I was
in the kitchen, Renee and Laura came in and they did not know I was
there.  They started talking about you and Avery.”

She suddenly grinned at him.  “They said that you have
gone mad.  Have you, papa?  Mama had a friend who went mad.  It
was funny to watch him.  Are you going to tear your clothes off and run
around naked and screaming at people?”

Despite his worry and fear for Avery, he could feel a small
smile on his lips at the look of pure glee on her face.  “No, my
love.  I have not gone mad, and I will not start running around naked.”

“But you scream at people.”  She said confidently.

He stared at her and she shrugged again.  “Everyone in
the house heard you yelling at Maya and grandmamma.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t.”  She said indifferently.  “You’re
yelling because you miss Avery.  I miss her too.”  She sighed and
stroked Avery’s cheek with her small hand.

He echoed her sigh and Sophia reached across Avery and
patted his bearded face.  “Don’t be sad, papa.  You’re right you
know.”

“About what?”

“That she will wake.”  The little girl smiled happily
at him.

“Sophia, I – I don’t know for sure that she will wake. 
I’m hoping and –“

She shook her head.  “No, papa.  She
will
wake and soon.”

“How do you know that?”

She gave him a strange look.  “Because she told me she
would.  Has she not told you, papa?”

He sat up a little, staring at Sophia.  “When? 
When did she tell you this, Sophia?”

“When I sleep.  Each night since you brought her back
she visits me in my dreams.  She sits in the rocking chair in the
nursery.  The first night she could not speak or even move.  She only
smiled at me when I hugged her.  The second night she still did not speak
but she hugged me back when I hugged her.  And last night – “

The little girl paused and smiled happily.  “She
whispered in my ear.”

“What did she say?”  He asked, clearing his throat
roughly.

“That she loved me and she would see me soon.”  Sophia
smiled radiantly at him before bending and kissing Avery’s mouth.  “I love
you too, Avery.”  She whispered into her ear.

She looked at her father.  “Do you love her, papa?”

He nodded his head.  “Aye Sophia, I do.”

“When she wakes will you marry her?”

He nodded again.  “If she’ll have me.”

“She will.”  The little girl stroked Avery’s hair
again.  “I’m going to call her mama.  Do you think she would like
that?”

He swallowed, his voice rough with unshed tears.  “Aye,
little one.  She will like that.”

Sophia nodded contently.  “Good.”  She kissed
Avery once more and then scrambled over her and Tristan.  “I am hungry,
papa.  Shall I bring you back something from the kitchen?  Marian is
making fresh bread.”

He shook his head.  “Not right now, my love.  I
will eat later.”

She frowned.  “I will bring you bread anyway. 
Grandmamma says you are not eating enough.”

She slid off the bed and leaned against the side of it for a
moment before kissing Tristan on the cheek and staring at Avery.  “I will
tell her tonight that you miss her.  Perhaps she will visit you as well.”

She walked towards the door.  Tristan stared at
her.  There was something different about her but his tired mind kept
trying to grasp what it was, only to have it slip away.  As she shut the
door behind her, it suddenly clicked for him and he sucked in his breath. 
The bruise on her arm had completely disappeared.

* * *

Vivian smiled at Tristan.  “It is good to see you
eating.”

He nodded and continued to eat the soup that Marian had
placed in front of him.

“Is Maya with Avery?”

“Aye.”  He finished his soup and sat back, running his
hand through his damp hair.  For the first time in three days, he had
allowed Maya to stay with Avery while he had showered and went to the kitchen
to eat.  “I’m going back to her now.”

Vivian sat down beside him and put her hand on his arm.
 “Take a few more minutes, Tristan.  Visit with Sophia for a bit.”

“She was in my room earlier.  We visited then.”
 He stood, kissed his mother on the cheek and returned to his bedroom.

“How is she?”  He asked Maya anxiously.

She eased her body out from under the covers.  “The
same, my lord.”

He nodded as she kissed Avery gently before leaving the
room.  He stripped and climbed into the bed next to her.  He turned
her carefully on to her side and curled up against her warm back, putting his
arm around her waist and holding her firmly against his chest.

He yawned tiredly.  Although he had done nothing but
lie in his bed with Avery, his worry for her had kept him from sleeping. 
Sophia’s childish belief that Avery would wake had soothed him for the first
time since he had seen the faerie inhaling her essence.  As the sun dipped
below the horizon he fell deeply asleep, his face buried against her warm skin.

He woke some time later, staring into the dark and wondering
what it was that had woken him.  It took him a few minutes to realize that
it was the absence of Avery’s soft breathing and warm body.  Fear engulfed
his body and he sat up, the covers falling to his waist.

Sitting curled up in the armchair next to the fire was
Avery.  She was wearing his shirt, her hair wet and loose around her
shoulders, and her skin glowing softly in the firelight.  His heart
stuttered to a stop before kick-starting again with a powerful thud, and he
slid out of the bed and stood up before reality hit him.  He was
dreaming.  Sophia’s story about dreaming of Avery had brought on his
own.  He paused for a moment before walking towards her.  He might be
dreaming but he didn’t care.  He wanted to hear her voice and see her
smile before he woke.

He knelt naked at her feet and stared up at her.  In a
voice that trembled slightly he said.  “Hello, girl.”

“Hello, my lord.”  She smiled her sweet smile at him
and he swallowed hard.

“I’ve missed you so much.”  He whispered and laid his
head in her lap.  Her skin was warm and fragrant with soap, and he closed
his eyes as she ran her hands through his hair.

“I’ve missed you as well.”  She replied.

He raised his head and stared up at her.  “Before I
wake I need to tell you something.  Maybe Sophia is right, maybe this
means that you’ll come back to us, but if it doesn’t I have to tell you this
now.”

She frowned.  “Tristan, you’re not – “

“I love you, Avery.  Please come back to me.”

She blinked at him in surprise and then leaned forward and
cupped his face in her hands, tears glinting in her eyes.  “I love you
too, Tristan.”

She kissed him, her mouth warm against his, and he kissed
her back eagerly.

They broke apart, both of them panting a little, and he gave
her a look of sorrow.  “I’m so sorry, my love.  I never meant for you
to get hurt.  If I had known what Victoria and Hendrick were capable of, I
would never have allowed them in my home.”

She traced his forehead with her fingers.  “It does not
matter now.  We are together again – all is well.”

She hugged him and he pushed his face into her neck,
breathing deeply and wrapping his arms around her.  He could feel her wet
hair damp against his cheek and the softness of her fingertips as she stroked
his naked back, and he marveled at the vividness of his dream.

“I don’t want to wake up.”  He muttered against her
throat.

She pushed him back gently and cupped his face again. 
“Tristan, you are not dreaming.”

He stared at her uncomprehendingly and she stroked his
face.  “This is not a dream.  I woke up over an hour ago.”

She winced as his hands tightened painfully around her
waist.  He opened his mouth and she smiled at him encouragingly but no
sound came out.  She brushed his long hair back from his face and kissed
both of his cheeks and the tip of his nose.  “You looked so tired and were
sleeping so peacefully I did not want to wake you.  I had a bath and I had
just sat down here when you woke.”

“Not dreaming.”  He whispered and she smiled a little.

“That is right, my lord.  You are awake.”

He leaped to his feet and picked her up.  “You’re
alive!”  He shouted.

“Tristan!  Hush!  It is the middle of the
night.  You’ll wake the entire house.”  She shushed him frantically,
and he grinned like a madman at her.

“I do not care!  You’re alive!”

He hoisted her higher, his arms around her hips, and kissed
her flat abdomen through her shirt before whirling her around.

She laughed and pounded at his shoulders.  “My lord,
put me down before you drop me.”

He stopped and stared up at her without putting her
down.  She grinned down at him and smoothed his hair back once more. 

“Marry me.”  He said suddenly. 

The smile dropped from her face.  “Do not tease me in
such a manner, Tristan.”

She wiggled in his grip and he placed her gently on the
ground but kept his arms wrapped around her waist.  “I am not teasing you,
girl.”

He kissed her.  “I’m asking you to be my wife. 
Say yes.”

“Tristan, I am not a Lycan.  Your mother said – “

“I do not care what she says.  I love you, and Sophia
and Nicholas love you, that is all that matters.  Besides, you won my
mother over the moment you saved Sophia’s life.”

She stared up at him, her mouth trembling.  “You would
marry a Red?”

“I would marry
you
.”  He said firmly.  “I
don’t care what colour your hair is.  I love you.”

She continued to stare at him silently and he cleared his
throat nervously.  “Well, girl?  Will you marry me?”

She gave him a brilliant smile.  “Aye, I will.”

He grinned and hugged her against him.  She tugged his
head down to hers and kissed him thoroughly, sliding her tongue into his mouth
and threading her fingers through his hair.

Avery sighed into his mouth as his hands tightened on her
hips.  She pressed against him eagerly and when he groaned and cupped her
breast, she moaned with pleasure.

He tore his mouth from hers and rasped, “My love, we need to
stop.”

She frowned and trailed a path of warm, wet kisses down his
throat.  “I do not want to stop.”

“You need rest.”  He gasped, as she licked from his
neck to the top of his shoulder.  She nipped the skin lightly with her
teeth.