Broken (10 page)

When they finally appeared somewhere in the village, Luka threw her to the ground and vanished. The darkness pressed against her, making her feel utterly alone and vulnerable. Kira barely had the strength to pull herself up to stand. There were no lights in the windows and no discernible sounds. She backed in between two cottages, wrapped her arms around herself and tried to get Octavion’s image out of her head.

“Kira?” a voice whispered. “Is that you?” A small, shadowy figure appeared in front of her.

“Ussay?” Kira leapt into her arms. “He’s chained up. They chained him up.”

“I know,” Ussay whispered. “Come with me. We must be very quiet.”

She led Kira to a doorway that opened into a small room. A single candle burned in the far corner where an older woman sat in a rickety wooden chair. Even from a distance, Kira could see the hollow look in her eyes—a blank stare that made Kira wonder if she’d suffered an emotional crisis in her life. But at the moment, Kira thought simply living in this world could cause that.

“This is my mother, Narrisa.” Ussay pulled Kira into the center of the room and motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed. The cottage seemed to have only one small room. Two windows flanked the door, both covered with a thick, black cloth. A cold fireplace sat opposite the only bed.

“Why is it so dark?” Kira asked.

“Shh. Whisper, Kira. They will feed soon and we do not want to attract them.”

A shiver ran the entire length of Kira’s spine. “Ussay, I think we have a problem.” Kira pulled up the hem of her dress and raised her foot so Ussay could see the blood soaked bandage. “Octavion didn’t clean up the mirror very well.”

“Oh, Kira.” Ussay looked at the floor where Kira left three faint blood stains leading from the door. “Mother—be quick. Get the Sevrin.” Narissa stood and walked to a small cupboard next to the fireplace. She opened it and took out a large brown bottle with a cork in it.

“Kira, remove the bandage,” Ussay said. “We will have to cauterize the wound. Be careful not to get blood on anything else.” She grabbed the candle and set it on a table next to the bed.

“I can do this myself,” Kira said.

Ussay nodded, then went over to her mother and took the bottle. She grabbed a knife from the mantle and handed it to Kira. “Are you certain you can do this?”

“Yes.”

“Be quick about it. You will need to burn the bandage as well.” Ussay pulled the cork from the bottle and poured it over the stains on the floor. It only took an instant for the fumes to attack Kira’s senses.

“What is that?” Kira asked.

Narissa stepped closer and removed the bandage from Kira’s foot. “It kills the smell of blood. Royals cannot tolerate the stench. It burns their nasal membranes.” Her monotone voice was shallow and held little emotion or urgency. She held a small basin under Kira's foot to catch any drops of blood. Once she removed the blood soaked cloth, Narissa held one end in the flame. As it caught fire, she dropped it into the basin and watched as it turned to ash. “That should do.”

Kira held the knife in the flame of the candle until she was sure it was hot enough to seal the wound. She could do this. She’d felt much more pain when healing Lydia and Octavion, and this was only a small cut.
Piece of cake, right?

Another deep breath and she pressed it to her skin. Her other hand flew to her mouth to hold in the scream that started in the back of her throat. Her skin sizzled and the stench of burnt flesh attacked her senses. Her trembling hand barely held it there long enough for the heat to seal the cut. She dropped the knife into the basin with the ashes and watched as Narissa disposed of it. Kira looked around the room to find Ussay gone and the door wide open.

“Where did she go?” Kira whispered.

“Spreading it outside so they won’t know which house the odor is coming from.” Narissa went to the door and looked out. “Ussay,” she whispered into the night.

“Mother, get back inside,” Ussay said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. “We need to get that candle out.” Ussay threw the bolt and slid a long section of wood into two metal brackets on either side of the door. “Kira, were you able to stop the bleeding?”

“Yes, tell me what else to do.”

“Stay on the bed. Mother and I will sleep on the rug by the fireplace tonight.” Before Kira could protest, Ussay went to the candle and blew out the flame. The sudden darkness gave Kira another chill.

“Ussay . . . please let me sleep on the floor.”

“Shh. Not a sound. It will go faster if you sleep.”

Too terrified to move, Kira didn’t dare respond. She listened to Ussay and her mother settle onto the floor, not saying a word.

A woman screamed—and then another and another. At first it was far off in the distance, but as the night wore on the cries became closer and more intense. Some were human, others were animal—or rather, a combination of both; Royals hunting their prey.

Kira pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around her shoulders and leaned against the cold stone wall. A few minutes later she heard scratching and deep breathing. A low rumbling growl vibrated through the wall and into her chest like rolling thunder.

“Kira,” a deep, male voice said from outside.

She drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them to help control her trembling.
Octavion.
She wanted to run to him, throw herself into his arms and make the curse melt away, but she’d learned her lesson. Her scent only brought him more pain and suffering.

A fierce roar rang out and echoed through the village. Kira tried to scream, but before the sound came out, Ussay pressed her hand to Kira’s mouth.

“No,” Ussay whispered.

Kira nodded and Ussay slowly removed her hand.

They both sat in silence until they heard the creature outside move away from the wall. Ussay patted her on the back and whispered, “It is almost over. The sun will be up soon.”

Octavion tore the overgrown vines away from the door of his hunting cottage. Too many years had passed since he’d entered this structure—an abandoned shack he’d claimed as his own during his thirteenth year. Hidden deep in the B’Sajra Mountains, it provided him shelter when the moons were new and put distance between him and the villagers—something he’d never needed more than now.

He kicked the dirt off his boots before entering. Not that he needed to—inside, several layers of dust and dirt clung to every surface. His possessions still hung where he’d left them; everything undisturbed. For that, he felt grateful. There were things here he held sacred—items once belonging to his mother that he’d hidden here.

After several nights sitting up with Kira and a long night hunting with Luka, the bed on the far wall looked inviting in spite of its tattered linens. He’d have to air the place out and do some cleaning before he brought Kira here. That is, if she ever forgave him.

Once Luka released him from the chains and his cravings had finally subsided, the memories had hit him like an arrow through his heart. He remembered his uncontrollable hunger and the fear in Kira’s eyes. He’d spent the rest of the night listening to Luka try to convince him not to find her and apologize—not yet. Now he had to admit his gratitude for his cousin’s persistence. Kira was much safer with Ussay.

Octavion wished for a fire, but he’d have to gather more wood and it would only prolong what he’d come here to do. He stepped to the small table he used for a desk, brushed off the chair and sat. He needed to get word to Kira, but didn’t dare see her until the moon returned—until then, a letter would have to do. He let his heart and mind fill with his regret and, after dipping the rusted quill into an old bottle of ink, poured his soul into his words and begged for her forgiveness.

Kira sat motionless on the bed with her knees pulled up—her arms wrapped tightly around them. She took no pleasure in the morning light that filled the room after Ussay pulled the black pieces of fabric from the windows. When Ussay asked to see her foot, Kira slowly pushed it out from under the hem of her dress.

“Does it still hurt?” Ussay asked.

“No,” Kira lied.

Ussay tried to brush a strand of hair away from Kira’s face, but she turned her head to avoid being touched. “They are gone now. It is safe.”

Kira closed her eyes, but a tear still escaped from beneath her lashes. How could she live like this? How could
anyone
live like this? After all the warnings Octavion gave her, and everything she’d witnessed, she had no idea the magnitude of danger that existed in his world. She’d told him she wasn’t afraid of him, but now . . . now she wasn’t so sure. How could she love a man capable of such violence? She opened her eyes and turned to face Ussay.

“It was Octavion outside, wasn’t it?”

“I believe so,” Ussay said. “But not the Octavion you know and trust. You need to understand that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think he would choose to be that way? He would give anything to be rid of the curse—most Royals would. But he cannot. It is his heritage. It runs through his veins like the river runs down from the mountain. He has been away from our world for so long that it is dammed up inside him. With every new phase of our moons, the dam is broken and there is no stopping the force of it as it destroys everything in its path.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way. He seemed to have so much more control before.” Kira wiped at her tears and dried her hand on her dress.

“He was just as taken aback as you were. The night he brought . . . his sister home, he had no warning of the moons’ powers or how they would affect him. He no more than got her in the arms of his father when he lost complete control. He had no idea what he was doing and went straight for the village. We were easy prey. If Luka would have been an instant later, a man would have died.”

“He almost killed a man?” Kira was horrified.

Ussay nodded. “When he calmed down enough to remember what he had done, he ordered the chains installed in his lair. He made his family promise to keep him restrained until everyone had returned to their homes. Luka is supposed to hunt with him now to make sure he stays away from the village. I do not know why he would let him get so close.”

“Is that why he didn’t come back last night?” Kira asked. “And why you didn’t return with food?”

“Yes. When I saw the fire in his eyes and how close he came to lashing out at me, I realized the change was upon him. He hated himself for what he did to me. A tiny scratch and it almost tore him in two. I followed him to his lair and found him tearing the place apart. I retreated back up the staircase, but he heard me. He begged me to lock him up. He was afraid he would be tempted to return to you and that he would lose control.”

“You’re the one who put him in chains?”

“Yes.” Ussay looked at her hands, clearly upset about doing something so against her kind nature. “He made me promise to leave the castle and sent Luka to take you to safety. I am sorry he frightened you.” She raised her eyes to meet Kira’s. “Can you forgive me?”

Kira placed her hand on Ussay’s shoulder. “There’s nothing to forgive. I’m glad you let me stay here.” A rumbling noise in Kira’s stomach made them both smile. “I didn’t eat last night. I don’t suppose you have something I could snack on before we return to the castle?”

Ussay’s big, brown eyes widened. “Kira, we cannot go back—not yet.”

“But why not? I thought they only craved at night.”

“They crave constantly around this time, but it is stronger at night. They usually rest during the day. You do not want to make any noises in the castle and wake one of them. Last night was not the worst of it, either. Tonight, both moons will be new and we will need to be ready. I will check outside to make sure no sign was left. We may have to spread your scent to throw Octavion or any other Royal off the smell of your blood.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me, Ussay. I know that.”

Ussay shook her head. “Forgive me for being so blunt, but . . . thoughts like that will get you killed. When he is hunting, all he sees is something to satisfy his hunger. He will not recognize you or even care.”

“How do you know so much?” Kira knew Ussay believed her words to be true, but deep down Kira refused to let go of the possibility that Octavion couldn’t bring himself to hurt her. Not like that.

“I told you. I practically grew up in the castle. I listened and learned. I probably know more than any other commoner in the village, but keep most of it to myself. I do not want what happened to my mother to happen to me.” Ussay motioned to the empty chair sitting by the table. Kira barely remembered her aunt at the door earlier that morning offering to take Narissa to the market.

“What do you mean? What happened to your mother?”

“I am not certain, exactly. One day my aunt came to the castle to fetch me and bring me home because my mother had taken ill. The king would not allow us to see her for several days because she was contagious—or so they said. When they finally brought her to us, she had no memory of working at the castle. She has never been the same.”

Lydia and Shandira’s nursemaid.
Kira remembered the story Lydia told her about how the woman had seen her change into her kindred spirit to fight off Shandira. Ussay was right. Her mother had seen something that night—something the king didn’t want anyone else to know about. “Did she work with the children in the castle?”