Blood Runs Through the Heart Page 4

  Raven smiled.

  Brandy Lee tossed her backpack on the ground. Two seconds later, Raven tossed hers. They were almost to the lake where they would pitch tents and hold out for the day. Raven was already showing signs of weakness. The sun was on the horizon. Lucky, the thickness of the trees would shelter her for a while. It was time for a short break.

  Raven pulled out a bag of blood, gulping it in one breath.

  “You okay?” Brandy Lee asked before taking a long draw off her water bottle.

  “Yes. Sun will be up in an hour, at the most. Let’s sit for a minute to catch our breaths. Then, we will head out to finish the last leg. While we are here, it may be a good idea to talk about our weaknesses and strengths. That way, we know each other.”

  Agreeing they needed to talk, she pulled two apples from her bag and handed one to Raven. “Okay, where do you want to start?” Brandy said while shining the apple on her shirt.

  Such a normal movement has Raven thinking about how sexy she was once again. “You start. Tell me something I need to know about you.”

  Brandy Lee gathered her thoughts. The first time she caught her breath and could think since leaving the meadow. “Well, as far as my strengths, I am sure you have read them in books. She-wolves don’t carry special gifts like vampires do. We all have the same strengths and the same weakness. I’m super strong in my wolf form, but don’t underestimate me. I’m strong in human form. My vision is sharp. My jaws are powerful enough to dismember a human or vampire. I have speed, balance, and agility on my side. My claws are sharp enough to take a head off its shoulders in one cut.” Brandy Lee inhaled. She continued.

  “My weaknesses?” She asked it as a question more than a statement. “Silver can kill me. I heal fast, but I can’t heal anyone else like you. Wait. Is that last part a strength? Anyhow, thanks for healing me when the elder cut me; but I could have done it. Plus, it wouldn’t have hurt as bad.” Brandy Lee twisted the side of her mouth up into a half-smile. She thought it was sweet that Raven was protective over her. “When I change back to my human form, I’m at my most vulnerable. The change drains my strength. I’m hard to kill. It takes chopping my head off.”

  “You forgot one strength.” Raven bent over and whispered in Brandy Lee’s ear. “Your sexy ass.”

  A breath tickled her ear. Brandy Lee turned her head and whispered back. “No, Raven; that’s your weakness.”

  “Touché, Brandy Lee!” Raven thought.

  Brandy Lee leaned back on straight arms, propping herself up with both hands. That last remark was out of context for her, but it felt good to catch Raven off guard. Brandy Lee's inner smiled radiated from the small victory. “So, how about you? What do I need to know?”

  “My worst enemy is the sun.” Raven’s eyes raised in search of the ball of fire. A soft glow was in the sky. “It can kill me. A stake in the heart and decapitation will kill me. As far as my strengths, I am fast. Very strong. I have agility. You found out my gift, which is healing myself and others. As we age, we gain gifts. That is why an elder is so gifted. Queen Lana gave me a gift before we left, but she couldn’t tell me what it was. So, that’s me in a nutshell. Are you ready to go?”

  “I have a quick question.”

  “Shoot.” Raven answered.

  “If we both are fast, why don’t we haul ass to the other side of the forest?”

  “Because. Moving too fast makes us unprotected. The enemy could behead us with ease. Slow is our best defense.”

  Standing with a palm stretched out, she reached for Brandy Lee. She loved any excuse to touch the girl. Raven got awarded by a smile from the beautiful blonde. Heat rushed straight to Raven’s core until the sensation came to a sudden halt. The woman’s smile beneath her disappeared.

  “I can’t move my hands. Something has me pinned.” Brandy Lee twisted her mid-section from left to right. Unable to see what had her shackled to the tree, panic started to set in. Closing her eyes and bearing down, she pulled. No movement.

  The change started. Brandy Lee's hair began to grow at a rapid rate. Her face extended as it thrashed from side to side. Canine teeth grew. A shiver ran through Raven’s body when bones broke and fused back together. Not thinking about the danger, Raven leaned down. She could get bitten or worse. Her hands grabbed each side of Brandy Lee’s face.

  “Look at me!” Raven watched as the gold eyes focused on her. “I need you to stop. Don’t change. Let me see what has you. You will be weak if you change. Just hold on.” Raven felt the relaxation overcome Brandy Lee. Raven rubbed the side of her face until she held a human’s face. “Thank you. Now stay still!”

  Raven jumped behind to examine the situation. “What the hell?” Raven exclaimed.

  “What? What is it?” Brandy Lee twisted her torso again to no avail.

  “It looks like a spider web spun around your hands and wrist. When I pull, you pull. Okay? On three. One, two, three!” They gave it their all, but the webbing didn’t budge. “Again.” They pulled. Not an inch gave. “You didn’t feel this wrapping around you?”

  “Not at all.” Just then, the tiniest spider crawled over her leg. With a swift kick of the leg, it went flying into the middle of the path. Raven had already started to cut at the silky stuff that held Brandy Lee prisoner. The process was slow. “Um…Raven. You need to speed it up.”

  Raven looked over Brandy Lee’s shoulder. Her jaw dropped. She swallowed hard. In a perfect formation, hundreds of tiny spiders stood watching the two women. Raven picked up a branch and tossed it into the middle of them. They retreated and spread out like ripples in water, only to fuse back into formation like magnets. They watched.

  Her claws cut faster. Every snip brought Brandy Lee closer to freedom. “Pull with me. Pull, Brandy Lee!” Raven screamed.

  Giving it her all, she tugged. The web tore. Her fingers on her left hand wiggled, and then her wrist. The small accomplishment was short-lived when the army of spiders moved closer. Brandy Lee was only inches away from being swarmed. At that moment, her left hand slipped from the webbing. Raven moved to the right wrist. Without notice, the spiders parted, and the brush rustled in the distance. Brandy Lee’s eyes widened. An enormous spider stepped from the shadows with legs five feet tall, a body as big as a car, and a mouth that spread across the head. Huge red eyes stared at the two women.

  Brandy Lee panicky searched through her backpack. Pulling the yellow vial of blood from the front pocket, she tossed it back in one swallow. A raging fire ran through her veins. Flipping to her knees, she caught Raven off guard. She watched when Raven’s eyes went from narrowed in concentration to large saucers at the sight of the creature. The blood of her sisters ran through Brandy Lee’s heart. She pulled until the wood shredded into pieces, releasing her. She had one shot at the timing.

  A flying somersault toward the threat caused Brandy Lee to land on the spider’s back. Her hand wrapped under its jaw, as she reared back with all her might. The skin and tendons tore as wails of pain screeching through the forest. She rode him like a prized bull. The head came off the shoulders, and its body collapsed to the ground. Brandy Lee rode down to a landing. She released her grip, and the head rolled off into the dirt. Brandy Lee lifted her head toward the low-lying moon.

  Raven stood there in awe. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. She watched as Brandy Lee climbed off the of the insect. Raven's heart was pounding. This woman was amazing. Brandy Lee stepped closer. There was silence. Raven pulled her in for a kiss. Lips touched gingerly at first, and then the arousal became a need. Raven felt ecstatic that she was being kissed back and not slapped. They separated as fast as they had converged.

  “I am-” Raven’s words cut off.

  “Don’t you dare say you are sorry.” Brandy Lee said.

  The word sorry was about to slip from Raven’s mouth. “No. That kiss was nice. I was about to say I am . . .” She paused, trying to figure out her feelings. “I am feeling drained. The sun is too high in the sky. I need to find shelter.”

  Brandy Lee blushed. “I enjoyed the kiss too.” She changed the subject. “I can smell the water. We are close. Let’s go set camp and hope that’s the end of any spiders.” Brandy Lee removed the rest of the spider web. She grabbed Raven’s hand, leading them towards the lake. It wasn’t typical for her to take the lead in any situation, but the sisters’ blood in her heart filled her with courage.

  9

  Lake

  With a late arrival at the lake, the sun rose high in the sky. The tree lines around the water produced very little coverage. Raven hid under a special blanket that shielded her from the sun while Brandy Lee put the tent up. She placed it on the edge of the woods, allowing the sunrays to filter between branches. Drops of rain slowed the process, and Raven’s safety had her on edge to finish. Noises emerged from the depths of the woods, distracting her. She identified every animal’s sound, while eyes scanned the area. Mixing with the animals were unusual sounds. She swore she heard giggling at one point. Her keen vision produced nothing, and that scared her. It was a little after seven before they crawled into the tent. Raven could barely hold her head up, and her eyes fought to stay open. Brandy Lee helped pull her boots off, then her pants. She tucked her in the sleeping bag and watched as her eyelids grew heavy, succumbing to sleep.

  An hour ago, she kissed those lips. A surge swept through her body as Brandy Lee thought of being pulled into her. Those arms around her. Breaths shared. Stop! You can’t be thinking about this woman. You have enough to think about, like not getting killed. Brandy Lee rolled over and searched for sleep.

  Raven’s eyes fluttered open. She closed them again. The events from the day before ran through her mind. They made it to the lake with little resistance. Other than the birds, a black panther, and spiders, the day
was an easy go.

  Raven opened her eyes back up to find Brandy Lee looking at her with those toxic gold eyes. “Evening!” Raven whispered.

  “Hi!” Brandy Lee whispered back. “Traveling exhausted both of us.” Brandy Lee rolled over and stretched. Her tank top slipped up, revealing a toned belly. Mixed in between the solid muscles laid a three-inch scar near her rib cage. Old, ragged, and out of place on the perfect body. Raven ran a finger across it. She felt Brandy Lee shiver under the touch.

  “Are you cold?” Raven asked.

  “No, I am okay.” Brandy Lee replied.

  “How did you get this scar?”

  “I don’t know. I got it while I was human. But I don’t remember.”

  Brandy Lee rolled to her side to face Raven. The covers came down, exposing her bright purple underwear. She pulled the covers up because a chill filled the air, and she was uncomfortable flashing her panties. The liquid courage was long gone. “How do you feel? The sun drained the energy from you. You had me worried.” Brandy Lee’s words only complimented the look in her eyes.

  “I feel fine. Thanks for taking care of me and getting me inside the tent.” Raven ran a finger down her arm, and Brandy Lee shivered again. “Want to talk about the kiss?” Raven couldn’t help from staring at the full lips. She wanted another but needed to know if the last one was merely adrenaline.

  Brandy Lee gave a shoulder shrug. Her eyes diverted to the corner of the tent. “Raven . . .” her words trailed off.

  “Oh, I get it. It was just a moment thing. It’s okay.” Raven’s words cracked a little. She had feelings for this girl. Scolding herself, how could this happen? Over the years, Raven had her share of one-night stands. Plenty of them. She was always on the lookout for that next bedpost notch. Many women filled her bed, but still it remained empty. She never developed emotions towards anyone. Since the first glance, Brandy Lee had her trying to catch a breath. Her eyes couldn’t get enough of her, and her mind couldn’t process being away from her. A simple touch and Raven’s legs molded into jelly. Let it go! She is not into you. Raven scolded.

  “Raven,” Brandy Lee repeated with a softness. She blew out a puff of air. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” She whispered.

  “Brandy Lee, like I said. It’s okay. Let’s finish the mission.” Raven sat up and unlocked the bottom flap of the door. A touch of the upper arm brought her attention back. She lowered down. Their eyes met in a moment of silence.

  Brandy Lee whispered, “No, I mean that I have never kissed before. That was my first kiss. I don’t know how to process any of these feelings. God! This is so embarrassing.”

  “Your first kiss?”

  Brandy Lee nodded in response.

  “Did you like it?” Raven asked. She cupped her face. Her thumb stroked the soft skin of her cheek. A tear wet her finger.

  Again, a head nod followed the question.

  “Look at me.” A lift of the chin followed. Gold and Emerald converged. “I liked it too. Can I kiss you again?” Raven didn’t need words, and she didn’t need a head nod. The woman’s eyes lying next to her answered with desire. She leaned in, and their lips touched — a gentle kiss, with lips lingering for the time of a taken breath. Raven pulled away.

  Brandy Lee laid still with her eyes closed and her heart racing. The sensation of their lips touching remained well after the kiss ended. A burst of tingles ricocheted inside her body. Heavy lids fluttered open. A teenage girl’s bashful smile masked the woman’s face. Their foreheads laid onto each other.

  Raven laid back, pulling Brandy Lee down into her arms. “One more hour of napping before we head out. The sun will be deep into the horizon.” Her fingers combed through the blonde hair. Raven whispered, “We will go slow.” They fell back to sleep.

  The two would have thought they were dreaming if it wasn’t for the breeze that swirled inside the tent from the open door. Raven’s eyes popped open wide, realizing she left the lock undone on the flap. The lock secured the tent, turning it into a tomb for her while keeping things out and burying her within. The voice went off like an alarm clock. Their bodies bolted straight into a sitting position.

  At the end of their feet, the flap of the tent opened. Sticking out from it was the head of a child. Her light brown hair was long and knotted. Spots of dirt speckled her face like freckles. Between parted lips, yellow teeth glowed. Her head tilted to the left and then to the right. Her eyes scanned the tent before resting on the two women. “Come out and play?” Dingy teeth revealed a sweet smile filled with an alternative motive. She ducked out.

  Raven and Brandy Lee sat there, staring at the flapping tent door. It was empty. A child? Why would a child be in this evil-filled forest?

  “Um… what? Who was that?” Brandy Lee asked.

  “A child?” Raven said as a question more than an answer.

  It started as a distance rumble that formed into humming. It grew stronger until the noise developed words and then sentences. Finally, a song rung out. The women listened. Their heads turned to each other with widening eyes. Mouths opened. The children were singing. “Children?” They both questioned.

  “. . . and we all fall down.”

  10

  Play Time

  She leaned in a high arch, the cargo shorts slipping over her behind. Brandy Lee mumbled when the end of the zipper was impossible to find. Exhaling a huff of determination, she gave a yank, and the shorts zipped up. Shuffling up to her knees, she peeked outside of the tent. There are so many. Look at all the beautiful children.

  Raven rustled behind her, trying to get on her pants in the confined space. Reprimanding herself for leaving the tent unlocked, how could she be so stupid? So careless. She had placed them in danger. The attraction to Brandy Lee was a distraction needing shelving until they made it through the forest and faced the council. She would not let her guard down again. Raven came up behind Brandy Lee in the same kneeling position. Trying to see out of the same tiny hole, she only got a face full of blonde hair. “Brandy Lee, let me see.” Raven made the request. She watched as Brandy Lee fell back on her heels. Scooting closer, Raven balanced her core with an arm around Brandy Lee’s waist, drawing an eyebrow raise from the blonde. Raven shrugged off the gesture and let her eyes scan outwards.

  There were close to twenty-five children running and playing around the grounds near the tent. Little boys and girls giggled, teased, and sang in small clusters. By the lake, two boys and two girls circled, blonde hair bouncing off their shoulders. Their facial features were identical. Raven guessed they were sisters and brothers. Their little arms swung back and forth, as low voices sang out a song. A small brown-haired boy with round glasses leaned back on a log. His eyes scanned left to right without head movement, while reading a book held close to him.

  Raven eyed a little girl with hair so red; the unruly strands looked like flames shooting from her head. Her face was covered in freckles; her skin the color of paste. She chased younger children around relentlessly. Using both hands, she gave a bully push to the back of the younger child who she ran down like a bull. Her targets tumbled head-over-heels, little red jumping over them in search of the next child. A wicked laugh rang out as she chose her victims. Twins kicked a ball between themselves in a corner. With hair combed to perfection and dressed in suits, their eyes squinted with each kick.

  With curiosity eating at her, Brandy Lee needed to see what was going on outside. She pulled at the tent’s zipper, enlarging the hole as she peeked out with Raven. Appearing was the same dirty, matted hair girl’s face. They were nose-to-nose. “So, you gonna come out and play?” She said, followed by a tilt of the head. “Dontcha like us?” she asked. Her head whipped backward, and the hole was empty again.

  “Okay, that’s screwed up. Come on. These kids need to go on their way.” Raven said. A temper sneaked out in her tone. “Or maybe we need to get moving. Either way, little children won’t scare me.”