Dark Moon (9 page)

Leta took Bree’s other hand.  “I don’t like pink.”

Bree smiled down at the young girl as Dani, still chattering, led the two of them towards the hotel.  The others trailed after them, and Sophia let herself lag behind as they passed the darkened store fronts. 

Kaden was still acting cool towards her and it was driving her crazy.  She cursed herself lightly.  What did she care if he didn’t like her?  A few kisses and grope sessions didn’t mean anything.  She sighed with annoyance.  How many times would she have to remind herself why it was not a good idea to lust after him?  The back and forth was driving her mad.

“Spare a few coins for an old woman, young miss?”

Sophia looked down at the dirty, skinny woman huddled against one of the buildings.  Her head was bowed against the cold, and she could see the woman’s scalp through her thinning, white hair.  She stopped and reached into her pocket.

“Oh you’re a kind one then to help an old starving woman.”  The old woman smiled at her, revealing blackened gums, as Sophia crouched down and pressed the coins into her palm.  As the woman made the coins disappear within her jacket, Sophia took a better look at the old woman.  She looked oddly familiar to her, and she leaned forward, staring closely at her.  She inhaled sharply as the woman’s eyes, milky with age, widened with nervousness.

“Mrs. Lanning?”

The woman jerked all over and drew her tattered coat closer around her.  “Who’s asking?  Who are you?”

“My – my name is Sophia.  Do you remember me?”

The woman stared suspiciously at her for a moment before breaking into a wide toothless grin.  “Aye, little Sophia.  Look how big you are now.”

“It’s good to see you again.”  Sophia said softly.  She tried to keep the horror from her face as Mrs. Lanning reached out with a trembling hand and latched on to her shirt.

“You’re the lord Williams little girl are you not?”

“Aye, I am.”  Sophia held her breath as the smell of urine washed over her. 

“I always enjoyed working for the lord Williams.  He treated us well, he did.”  The woman suddenly cackled loudly and Sophia winced when it turned into a coughing fit.  Spittle flew from the woman’s toothless mouth and she spat onto the ground before peering up at Sophia.

“Until he married the witch, that is.”  She frowned and her fingers tightened on Sophia’s shirt.  “Tell me child, is he still married to that dirty Red whore?”

“Don’t speak about my mother that way.”  Sophia snapped.

Mrs. Lanning laughed nastily.  “Mother?  She’s not your mother.  She’s a witch who seduced your father and drove me from my home.”

“It was not your home.”  Sophia said sharply.  “You worked for my father, nothing more.”

“Aye, I worked for him for nearly twelve years.  Served him faithfully I did, and how did he repay me?  By letting his Red witch whore drive me out.”

“You chose to leave, Mrs. Lanning.”  Sophia replied.  “My father and my mother both tried to convince you to stay.”

Mrs. Lanning shook her head.  “She’s a witch.  She used her spells to enchant your father and weaken his mind.”

The old woman leaned closer still.  Her face was only inches from Sophia’s, and Sophia stared into her eyes with a combination of fascination and disgust.  “I tried to warn him, child.  I tried to tell him that only a witch could have her kind of power.”

She stroked Sophia’s face with one shaking, grimy finger.  “I had to leave.  I’ve seen her kind before.  I have seen the terrible things they are capable of.  I can see she’s fooled you as well.  Your eyes betray your love for her.  Don’t you understand, child?  It’s not love but magic.  She’s tricked you into believing she’s normal.  But don’t you worry.  Mrs. Lanning is here to show you the truth.”

“What do you mean?”  Sophia whispered.

“There is still hope for those who have fallen under a witch’s spell.  It requires only a small sacrifice.”

Too late Sophia saw the small but sharp dagger in Mrs. Lanning’s hand.  She grunted in shock when the blade sliced across her cheek.  She touched her face lightly and stared at the blood on her fingers.

“Do you see the light now, sweet Sophia?  Has the blood I’ve drawn from you opened your eyes to the Red witch’s terrible power?”

“You’re insane.”  Sophia said softly.

The old woman frowned and, with surprising strength, pulled Sophia back down when she tried to stand.  “It’s been too long.”  She said in a soft, sing-song voice.  “You cannot be saved.  I will release you from her spell and bring you to the light, sweet Sophia.”

She raised the dagger over her head and thrust it at Sophia.  Sophia grabbed the old woman’s wrist and twisted sharply as a pair of hands grabbed her under her arms.  She was yanked out of Mrs. Lanning’s grip and onto her feet.

Mrs. Lanning gave a harsh cry of pain, the knife dropping to the ground at her feet, as Sophia inhaled the familiar scent of Kaden.  She peered at him over her shoulder and gave him a weak smile.

“I’m fine.”

He scowled and turned her around as the others gathered around them.  “You’re bleeding.”

He circled one arm around her waist as he tipped her chin up and examined her cheek.

“It’s only a scratch.”

“It’s more than a scratch.”  He touched the cut lightly and then showed her the blood on the tips of his fingers.  She could feel liquid sliding down her cheek as Nicholas grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Kaden.

“Sophia?  What happened?”  He stared in alarm at the blood on her face.  “James!  Sophia is hurt.”

“I’m fine.  I just – “

James appeared and quickly placed his hand on her cheek.  “Hold still.”

Nicholas stared down at the old woman rocking and muttering softly to herself.  “Do you know this woman, Sophia?”

“Aye.  It’s Mrs. Lanning.  She used to be the head of our household.  You wouldn’t remember her, Nicholas.  You were just a baby.”

He squatted and pushed lightly on the old woman’s shoulder.  “Look at me, you old hag.”

“Nicholas, don’t.”  Sophia protested as Mrs. Lanning raised her gaze to Nicholas.

Bree gave a soft gasp and Dani pulled Leta closer to her as Mrs. Lanning hooted loudly.  “Burn the witch!  Burn the witch!”

“Shut up!”  Nicholas said sharply.  He leaned closer and glared at the woman.  “Touch my sister again and I’ll kill you.  Do you understand?”

“Nicky, stop.”  Sophia said.  “She’s gone insane.  She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

“Does she know who you are, Sophia?”  James asked.

At the sound of his voice, Mrs. Lanning raised her head and squinted at him.  Her mouth dropped open with horror and a low keening noise, it sent shivers down Sophia’s spine, rose from deep within her chest.

“Another Red witch.”  Mrs. Lanning moaned.  She staggered to her feet and made the sign of the cross at James before backing away.  “Stay away from me!  I know what you are!  I’m warning you – stay away or I’ll see you burned at the stake!”

Moaning loudly, she stumbled back towards Leta and Dani.  Leta ran to Nicholas.  She wrapped her arms around his waist, staring wide-eyed at Mrs. Lanning before whimpering softly, “Nicky, what’s wrong with her?”

“She’s just sick, Leta.  It’s okay.”  Nicky said soothingly as he put his arm around her.

Mrs. Lanning backed towards the alley to her left.  “Stay away from me!”  She screeched.  She turned and staggered into the alley, disappearing into the darkness.

“Sophia?”  Bree put her arm around her waist.  “Are you okay?”

Sophia nodded as James removed his hand and peered at her cheek.  “It’s healed.”

“Thank you, baby brother.”  Sophia squeezed his hand.  

Nicholas ran his hand through his short blonde hair.  “Gods, why the hell would dad hire a crazy old woman like that?”

“She wasn’t like that before, Nicky.”  Sophia said softly.  “She was a mean woman but she wasn’t crazy.  She hated mama, thought she was a witch, and she treated her terribly when papa first brought her home.”

“Really?”  Bree asked.

Sophia nodded.  “Aye.  Mama wouldn’t talk to me about it, not even when I was older and questioned her about it, but Laura told me all the mean things Mrs. Lanning did to her.  She even beat her once.  She took a stick and beat mama’s back until it was bruised and bleeding.”

“Are you kidding me?”  Nicholas replied.  “Why didn’t dad do anything about it?”

Sophia gave him a dry look.  “You know as well as I do that mama is too soft-hearted for her own good.  I guess she told papa that it was only a misunderstanding, and refused to tell him why Mrs.  Lanning did it or even confirm that she was the one who did it.”

She suddenly scowled.  “Laura said she overheard Mrs. Lanning threatening mama that she would tell dad that Aunt Maya was a witch as well, and she would convince him to burn them both.”

Dani frowned.  “That’s ridiculous.”

“Aye, I know.  But you know mama would do anything to protect Aunt Maya.  I only remember Mrs. Lanning as being quite strict, she used to say mean things about my birth mother as well, but Laura said she was actually very nasty.” 

She hesitated, glancing briefly at Leta before lowering her voice.  “She said that Mrs. Lanning forced mama to go out into the woods alone one night to gather berries, and that mama was nearly killed by a leech.  It was a full moon and papa was hunting.  He smelled the leech and saved mama before it could drain her.”

The rest of them were staring at her with rapt interest and Sophia cleared her throat.  “I don’t know if this part is true or not, Laura swears it is, but the rumour was that papa was going to banish Mrs. Lanning to the outskirts after that.”

“Uncle Tristan would never do that.”  Dani said quietly.  “He’s too – “ she groped for an appropriate word and settled for a weak, “nice.”

Sophia shrugged.  “Laura says that mama pleaded with him not to.  Papa didn’t send her to the outskirts, but he made Marian head of the household and Mrs. Lanning became one of the house staff.”

“What happened to her then?”  Bree asked.

“She left after papa married mama.  They tried to convince her not to go, but Mrs. Lanning refused to stay.  She was convinced that mama was a witch.”

“I say good riddance.”  Nicky muttered.  He squeezed Leta’s shoulder.  “C’mon little one, it’s getting late.  We’ll walk you to the hotel.”

“I want to go for a drink too.”  Leta said.

Nicky laughed.  “You’re too young, Leta.  Can you imagine what dad would say if he found out I gave you wine?”  He picked the little girl up and kissed her loudly on the cheek.  “Besides, you need to help Bree plan her wedding remember?”

* * *

“Bree, can I ask you something?”  Sophia asked.

Bree folded her legs under her as she sat on the bed next to the sleeping Leta.  They had spent the last couple of hours visiting and discussing the wedding until Leta had fallen asleep.  After tucking her into the bed, the three of them had talked for a while in hushed tones until Dani, yawning tiredly, had left for her own room.

“Of course.”  She smiled at the dark-haired Lycan.

“How is it that you know how to read and write but Kaden does not.”

“Did he tell you he didn’t know how to read or write?”  Bree asked.

Sophia shook her head.  “No, I guessed it.”

“I thought you must have.  Kaden is ashamed of it, and I would have been surprised if he told you.”  Bree sighed.

She ran her hand over the quilt on the bed.  “Before we were captured by Draken, we worked for a human family.  They didn’t pay us, but they fed us and gave us beds in the slave quarters.  We weren’t exactly slaves.  We could leave anytime we wanted, and they were kind enough to us.”

“How did you get hired by them?”  Sophia asked.

Bree shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Kaden arranged it.  Anyway, I became friends with one of the other girls who worked in the kitchen, and she taught me how to read and write.  I had started to teach Kaden, he knows the letters and the numbers, but then we were captured by Draken.”

She gave Sophia a look of shame.  “I’ve been meaning to start teaching him again but honestly, I don’t think I’m a very good teacher and I’ve been busy with James and the wedding and…”

She trailed off.  “I feel like I’m not being a very good sister right now.”

“What do you mean?”  Sophia frowned.

“It’s always just been Kaden and I and now – now I have James.  As much as I love Kaden, I feel like a part of me is missing when I’m not with James.  I want to spend all of my time with him, but I’m worried that Kaden will feel like I’m neglecting him.  I want Kaden to stay for longer than just the wedding, and so I should be spending as much time with him as I can, you know?  I need to try and convince him that he should stay.  Only, there’s a part of me that just wants to be with James.”

She traced the ring on her finger.  “Your brother has been so good about how much time I’m spending with Kaden, but sooner or later he’s going to get tired of being in second place and maybe he’ll change his mind about marrying me.”

She gave Sophia a miserable look and Sophia reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently.  “Trust me, Bree.  You don’t have to worry about James changing his mind.  My baby brother loves you and would do anything for you.  He understands how important Kaden is to you.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I know so.”  Sophia said firmly.

Bree sighed.  “It would be good if Kaden could find someone as well.  I want him to be with someone who loves him and wants to make him happy.”

She gave Sophia an innocent look and Sophia snorted softly.  “Aye, I imagine you do.  My cousin Dani is hoping for the same thing.  I’m sure she and Kaden will be very happy together.”

Bree grinned.  “You and I both know that Kaden is not interested in Dani.”

“Aye, but my cousin can be very persuasive when she puts her mind to it.”  Sophia said softly.  She suddenly felt sick to her stomach at the thought of Kaden in Dani’s bed, and it must have shown on her face because Bree reached out and took her hand.

“Sophia, if you ever want to talk about – “

“There’s nothing to talk about.”  Sophia interrupted her.  She made herself smile at the young woman.  “I do have an idea though.  Aunt Maya taught all of us to read and write, she’s an excellent teacher, and I bet she’d be more than happy to teach Kaden.  Do you think he would be willing?”