Blood Moon (12 page)

Blake said, “You do know I can do that mind thing too, right?”

She sat on the couch flipping through the pages. “Sorry, Blake, I forgot. Here we go. Breaking a Binding Spell.” Darby grabbed a red, a white, and a green candle and the altar cloth out of the box and spread the cloth out. In a bowl she lit a piece of charcoal, adding some myrrh, patchouli, and powdered sandalwood into the charcoal.
 

“Blake, could you give me a strand of your hair?” she said and then she lit the candles.
 

“What is she doing?” Blake asked his brother as he handed Darby a hair. Darby carefully set it on the cloth. She pulled out a pin and asked Blake for his hand. He looked puzzled.

“I need to prick your finger.
 
Your blood and hair will be stronger than anything the other witch may have used, so it should reverse the spell on you.”

“What is she talking about, Devon?”

“Just humor me, Blake, please!”

Blake gave his hand to Darby and she pricked his finger, squeezing three drops of blood onto the burning incense.

She picked up the strand of hair and set it too on the burning incense. She then read aloud:

No longer shall this binding be

Free to live and free to soar

Let Blake leave the house once more.

Of Blake, I burn this hair so fine

Let his heart and soul be unconfined.

And for those who doth cast despair

Binding him with slightest care

I send to them this well-earned curse

Let their evil spell reverse!

Teach them mercy and love’s sweet gift

Once learned, this simple spell shall lift.

As is my will, so mote it be.

Blake shook his head as if he were shaking off a fog. He looked confused.
 
Dean asked him, ”How do you feel?”
 

“I don’t know.
 
All right I guess?” Blake answered.

“Do you know where you’ve been the last few days?” Devon asked.

“Why? What day is it?” Blake asked.

“It’s Wednesday,” Devon answered.
 

“I’ve no idea. Where did Monday and Tuesday go?” Blake answered.

“Do you remember a girl named Sally?” Dean asked.

“No,” he said.

“Do you know who Rowan is?” Devon asked.

“Okay, now what is wrong with you?” Blake exclaimed.

“What do you mean?” they all inquired.

“Well, what do you mean who is Rowan? She’s Darby’s sister,” Blake explained as if they had all gone insane.

“Now that’s the old Blake,” Dean said.

“What do you mean? Who’s the new Blake? You people are nuts,” Blake admitted.

“Just never mind already. Just go next door and talk to Rowan before anything else happens,” Dean said.

“Why?” Blake asked.

“Because you have wasted enough time being gallant; it’s time you go over there and take control of this craziness between the two of you,” Dean said and Devon and Darby nodded in agreement.

“You think?
 
Last time I took your advice it ripped my heart out,” Blake replied.

“Yeah? Well, unless you want it permanently like that I suggest you go over there and sweep her off her feet as I suggested a couple of days ago,” Dean informed him.

“I don’t know, Dean,” he said unsure.

“Stop thinking and just do it,” Darby said.

“Now?” he asked.

“Yes, now,” Devon said.

“But it’s late,” Blake argued.

“So what? Get off your butt and take care of business,” Dean said with his stern face.

“Really?” he stammered.

“Really!” All of them yelled at the same time.

“Okay, okay. Geez. I’ll do it,” Blake relented.

“I’m waiting!” Dean said annoyed and standing at the door.

Blake got up off the couch with the most courageous face he could muster and headed for the door.
 
Dean followed, smiling at Devon and Darby as he closed the door behind them.
 
Blake stomped next door and opened the front door finding Rowan seated on the couch with a book in her hand.
 
The look in Blake’s eyes startled her and she jumped to a standing position, dropping the book to the ground.
 

Blake wavered for a moment, looking back and seeing Dean encouraging him.
 
Blake stepped towards Rowan. He bent down and, grabbing her at her hips, wrapped her legs around him. Shocked by his move, she had to grab him around the neck for balance. He moved his hands around her waist and pulled her tight to him and he kissed her deeply. She didn’t kiss him back at first, mostly due to shock, but as his kiss lingered and her inhibitions melted, she started to kiss him back.
 
Still holding her in his arms with her completely wrapped around him, he whispered in her ear.
 
“I love you, Rowan, and I always will.” She held on to him so tight that he couldn’t quite take a breath and he felt her warm tears on his neck.
 

“Don’t cry, Rowan; I love you, please don’t cry.”
 
Blake sat down on the couch still attached to Rowan and rocked her and held her to him.
 
Dean appeared at the door, smiled, and closed the door as quietly as he could. They had a lot to hash out, but at least they were finally on the right track.

Devon and Darby came in the back door and snuck down the hall to see what was going on. When they saw the two entangled in each other’s arms, Blake whispering and rocking her and Rowan crying and holding on to him for dear life, they too quietly went to the back of the house, holding each other and smiling.

Chapter 11

Mina Jansson worked as a veterinary assistant in Miramar.
 
The tiny clinic stayed open until 11:00 pm for emergencies. Mina and the doctor had only one emergency that night around 8:00 and by 10:30, the doctor told Mina he was going home. He told her that if perchance there was another patient, to call him at home and he would return.
 
He only lived a couple blocks from the clinic. Chances were no one would come, so she was to lock the door when she left.

Soon it was eleven o’clock and there had been no other visitors so Mina grabbed her stuff and headed out to the parking lot.
 
It was very dark out there under a canopy of pine trees and the only light was on a timer.
 
Just as Mina had gotten to her car the timer turned off and the lights went out.
 
It had startled her to the point of dropping her keys.
 
She bent down to grab the keys at her feet and when she stood up everything went black.

Rowan and Dean had planned on going camping but they quickly revised their plan to include Blake and Allison. September’s full corn moon was quickly approaching. It was then that Dean told Allison about the whole werewolf thing, which at first didn’t go very well.
 
After some explanation and the admission of Rowan’s werewolf-ism, they sat around and answered all Allison’s questions.
 
It was still a lot for her to accept, but Dean was thrilled to see her taking it so well.
 

In order for Allison to take it all in, Rowan and Dean felt she should see the transformation for herself. Blake would be there to support her during the transformation, and answer any questions she might have about the process. They opted to keep Blake’s vampirism a secret for the time being. No need to freak the girl out too much.

Allison handled it well.
 
She had freaked a little when they said they were going to get undressed, but when she realized why, everything went smoothly.
 
She watched in disbelief as Rowan and Dean transformed before her and Blake.
 
This was the first time Blake saw his werewolf witch transform. Her beauty as a wolf enchanted him.
 
She stood there with beautiful Caribbean blue eyes against her long, reddish tan fur and he heard her speak to him immediately.

Well?

Well, you’re almost as beautiful in wolf form as you are in human form.
 
You are hot, Rowan!

She walked over to him and rubbed her face against his leg.
 

Allison was just as amazed at Dean’s form with his scruffy brown hair and stern, hazel eyes.
 
Though Allison could not read his thoughts, she was pretty good at deciphering Dean by reading his gestures and his eyes. She knelt down to be eye level with Dean, grabbed his scruffy mane, rubbed his ears, and kissed his forehead. He nuzzled his face in her long, wavy, red hair.
 
Rowan and Dean both looked to Blake and Allison for permission to go play.
 
Blake and Allison looked at each other, smiled, and said, “Go have fun.”

Blake said, “I brought the Frisbee if you want to play fetch later.”
 

Rowan looked at Dean, who wasn’t sure that was too cool, but Rowan explained that with the last full moon she and Devon had found that it was a fun way for Darby to be involved, and maybe it would be a fun way for Allison to enjoy this time too. Dean nodded his head and they shot off like two missiles chasing each other and nipping each other’s tails.

After an hour or so, they came back and played Frisbee with Blake and Allison.
 
Dean understood Rowan now as he saw the smile on Allison’s face as she threw the Frisbee badly, only to have Dean gracefully leaping in the moonlight to catch it. They had bought a Frisbee with several LED’s in it so that Allison could see it in the dark.
 
Blake, with his vampire vision, and Dean and Rowan, with their werewolf vision, didn’t need such a thing but it was cool to watch it sail in the air and it helped Allison greatly.

The two couples spent the three full moon nights playing Frisbee in the clearing and the other two nights like any other campers, telling ghost stories, roasting marshmallows, and snuggling close together by the campfire.
 
During the day they hiked and river rafted.
 
It was a relaxing and happy time for the new couples.

Darby woke up to the ‘hungry Harry chest dance’ as usual.
 
She was getting used to sneaking out of bed and feeding Harry only to come back and snuggle close to her handsome vampire prince.
 
Even after these few months with him, just looking at him could take her breath away.
 
And, well, when he flashed that ‘I can make you do anything I want you to’ smile, she’d pretty much do anything he wanted.

She was enjoying the morning, watching him sleep.
 
Waking next to his warmth, their arms and legs entangled - it was absolutely decadent.
 
The best part was always when he opened his gentle warm eyes and smiled at her. Tranquility seemed to be the only word that would come to her to describe this feeling.
 
The only thing that was better than this was falling asleep with her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat, and having his strong, protective arms holding her tight. Nothing could ever hurt her here in his arms.