Fanged Fury (The Adventures of Sydney Sedrick Book 3) (18 page)

Chapter 12

The smell of pot roast filled the air of the living room when I got home from work. I smiled in relief. Aunt Judith hadn’t been waiting for me the last few nights with dinner, which was out of her regular routine. I’d been coming home to a dark house, she already having retired for the evening.

I pushed the door to the kitchen open to find Aunt Judith reading from a book I’d seen up in Grandma’s library many times, but had never paged through it myself.

“Aunt Judith, how are you feeling?” Putting my coat and purse onto the empty chair across from her, I positioned myself so I could get a good assessment of her features.

She wore a thick, thermal nightgown with handmade, blown glass beads she’d sown into the neckline. Colorful beads placed in purposeful patterns had adorned her neck as they had for as long as I could remember. Aunt Judith wore them because she believed they provided her protection from various evils. Since moving in with her, I’ve grown to realize her practices against superstition had substance to them.

Closing the book with a loving, gentle grace, she caressed the cover with care. “My dear, I’m doing just fine. Don’t you worry about me.” Her laugh was weak. The lack of energy didn’t go beyond my notice, either. “You’ve got quite the load on your shoulders as the Selected. You shouldn’t be worrying about your old aunt.”

I spied the empty bowl in front of her. My stomach growled, making me realize it had been another long day without eating lunch. Walking over to the counter where the crock-pot was keeping the roast and vegetables warm, I glanced over. “Do you want seconds?”

Aunt Judith patted her tiny waist. The thick bulky material she wore couldn’t conceal the frail structure of her body’s frame. “No, dear Goddess, I couldn’t eat another bite.”

She gave me a happy smile that made me suspicious. Aunt Judith’s eyes tended to bear a sparkle of mischief that no longer glinted back at me.

After dishing up a heaping bowl for myself, I sat back down at the table.

“Aunt Judith, I know you’ve been going to see a doctor. I can’t help but notice you’ve lost a bit of weight. Did you find anything out?” I blew on the hot, steaming carrot as it cooled in the air on my spoon.

She got up to carry her bowl to the sink. “My dearest child, I’ve told you before, there’s nothing to worry about. Yes, I’ve lost some weight, but the doctor I’ve been seeing told me everything’s just fine. They did some sort of scan where they inject a medication into my veins. They put me in a loud tube where they can see if I have cancer or not. They said it turned out negative. The scan was quite amazing.”

Yes, modern medicine was full of amazing advances, but that didn’t mean nothing was wrong with my aunt. I didn’t believe people just lost weight for no reason, not without trying.

I finished chewing the food in my mouth—that was a huge pet peeve of mine, people who spoke with food in their mouths, or even worse, chewed with their mouths open—that was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

“So, the scan said you don’t have cancer, which I have to say is a huge relief, but why didn’t you tell me you thought that was even a possibility? No one should have to go through that alone, Aunt Judith. We’re here for each other. I love you, and I want to help you and be there at your side, like I know you are there for me.” The muscles in my neck relaxed. I hadn’t realized they were tense until she told me the good news. “But that doesn’t explain why you’ve been losing weight. What’s their diagnosis if it isn’t cancer?”

I had faith in modern medical doctors, but I was well aware no one knew everything, no matter how much they told you otherwise. I wanted to tell her that they should keep doing tests but she seemed satisfied with their efforts so far.

Folding her long, thin fingers together, she placed them in front of her on the table as she sat back down. With a shrug, she said, “They think I’m just not eating enough. I used to smoke cigarettes when I was younger and they say my old habit’s affected my lungs a bit. They think that might have something to do with it. Otherwise, I just have to increase my calorie numbers every day and do breathing exercises to increase the volume of air my lungs can hold. The doctors said they’ll repeat the scan in six months just to make sure nothing comes up but honestly, Sydney, I’ve already gained three pounds in the last four days. The protein shakes they gave me have really given me some pep.” She smiled and my heart swelled when at last, that telltale glint glistened back at me, telling me that all would be well.

Finishing the seasoned vegetables in my bowl, I sat back in my chair. “You just need to eat? That’s all they recommended?”

She nodded as she stood and took my bowl to the sink to rinse it out. “Sydney, I’ll do as they say. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve been sleeping more too, and that seems to already be helping. I feel better than I have in a while, so maybe rest and good food will do the trick.”

I watched in silence as she lifted the ceramic basin from the heater to pour the dinner leftovers into plastic containers. Opening the large white door, she shifted the contents of the fridge to make them fit.

When she was finished, Aunt Judith came over to place a kiss on the top of my head. I grabbed her hand in mine, noticing how the bones didn’t protrude through her thin skin quite as much as the last time I held her hand. “Aunt Judith, if there’s anything more I can do around here to let you get more rest, just let me know. I’ll do anything. You know that. I’ll cook more, clean, do the shopping.”

Even I heard the desperate plea in my voice, wanting her to let me help her recover from whatever it was she was going through. She’d always been there for me. It was my turn to be there for her.

Without warning, the stress of the day hit me hard. My head began to pound as I found myself once again holding back tears. My temples beat in unison until the rhythm became a solid vise of pain.

Aunt Judith placed her other hand on mine. Patting me like a child, she said, “You’re already doing what I need you to do, Sydney. Taking care of the store is a huge weight off my shoulders. Besides, I’m the one who’s supposed to be helping you with your Selected duties.”

I stood so we could hug. Her shoulder blades protruded outward against the nightgown. A sob escaped my lips before I could hold it back. Aunt Judith rubbed my back in a way mothers do, because that’s what she’d always been to me, like a mother.

“Aunt Judith.” Releasing her from our hug, I looked her in the eyes. All I saw was concern for me, not for herself. Typical reaction from my aunt, the most selfless woman I’d ever known.

“You have to take care of yourself. I need to know when you’re not feeling well. I’ll tell you what’s going on with my Selected life, too. No more going to doctors and keeping me out of the loop. Deal?”

She brushed hair out of my eyes. A little sparkle emanated from her stare. “Of course, dear. We’re a team. We always have been. We always will be.”

“I love you, Aunt Judith. We do make a fine team, if I do say so myself.”

Aunt Judith nodded. “I love you, too, Sydney. Now, it’s time for this old bag of bones to get some rest, as well you should, too.”

Picking the book up off the kitchen table, she shuffled out through the door to go to bed.

I slumped back into the chair, letting my head fall hard on the dark wood tabletop. Aunt Judith was going to be okay. She wasn’t one to sit around. There were always chores to do around the house or plants to be tended to. She just needed to eat more. I laughed in the empty kitchen, my emotions wound so tight I felt giddy.

I couldn’t believe I had let myself be so stressed about Aunt Judith without just asking her what was going on. Thank goodness, because I didn’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her. I might take my chances, tuck tail and go back to Chicago, maybe hide in my parents’ house. Not that hiding would do me any good. Both Blake and Kieran had told me on multiple occasions that I’d be a sitting duck if I left the city. As long as I lived in Kenosha, they’d be able to protect me from my enemies. I needed to learn to protect myself better. I didn’t want to have to rely on others to do it for me. In reality, I wasn’t confident the ones I thought of as allies were just that. They may in truth be the ones I should be suspect of the most.

The toothpaste burned my gums as I brushed my teeth in front of the bathroom mirror. Dark circles rimmed my eyes. I was tired but thrilled at the prospect of sleep. Tomorrow was going to be another long day. Michael still planned to tell Brianna she was dating a werewolf. I expected her to run from the city never to look back. Maybe part of me wanted her to react in such a way so she’d stop coming to Kenosha.

I hated that she was put in danger of my enemies. There was more truth to her being in danger since Blake had told me about having to shed blood of my family to fulfill the prophecy. The blood candidate with the closest genetic code would need to be a sibling. Since Brianna and I were the sole grandchildren of the previous Selected, that blood would have to be my sister’s. I didn’t want her anywhere near the wolves. I no longer trusted Michael’s intentions where Brianna was concerned. There was a time not long ago that I was sure he was as much in love with her as she was with him.

That was before I knew the truth.

Turning off the bedside lamp, I snuggled under the covers to get a good night’s sleep when I heard a buzzing sound. My cell phone, lying on the pillow next to me, glowed neon blue, vibrating with vigor. Picking it up, I checked the menu. The little envelope symbol blinked on the screen telling me I had a text message. When I checked who’d sent the message, the urge to throw the phone across the room crossed my mind.

Daire.

With a groan, I touched the envelope on the screen to display his message.

SWEET DREAMS. D
.

I closed the phone, thinking how I should reply. Deciding the best reply was none at all, I put the phone back on the pillow.

The moment I closed my eyes, a tightening sensation crept around my lower back, settling in my gut. A layer of cold sweat broke out over my entire body. Kicking the covers off, I got out of bed. Realizing what was about to happen, I kneeled next to bed, waiting.

There was no avoiding the inevitable.

A whirling noise sounded in my head until it became unbearable. I covered each ear with my hands to muffle the sound with no effect. The noise was coming from within. My vision and hearing faded into nothingness. The burning on my skin from the friction of carpet as my body fell to the floor slid away.

Blinking a few times, my senses returned. I was between my reality and that of the Underworld. My visions had always served a purpose. Someone was taking action against me or someone I cared about. The visions showed me some sort of detail, a warning of sorts. Unfortunately, the action may already have taken place. The time of the vision was not always linear to the time of my realm. Deciphering the purpose was difficult.

Cold wet leaves embraced my bare feet as I padded through a dark forest filled with trees. The moon was full in the otherwise black sky. Angry howls pierced the night’s silence, coming from multiple directions. Werewolves occupied the area, but they couldn’t detect my presence. No one could, unless they traveled between the realms. I’d been lucky so far with having but one occurrence of near detection. Luckily, I was able to leave the area before the suspecting lightning demon, Andras, decided to look further for the presence he detected.

The flames of a campfire burned off in the distance, drawing me closer.

A male voice echoed in the night. “The Master will not be pleased we have not been successful in finding the woman yet.”

The man speaking had a crazed look in his eyes. His movements reflected that of a nervous criminal. A single woman stood among four other men among the group, all hovering around the fire while listening to the one speaking.

Another man stepped into the light of the fire, his skin pale blue. The ragged clothing he wore gave me the impression he’d run through dense tree branches to get to their meeting. “You’re right. The Master is not going to be pleased. We must hurry before he becomes impatient. We all know what happens when the Master gets pissed. He’ll take it out on all of us.”

The members of the group nodded to one another in somber agreement. Whoever the Master was, the beings before me held him in awe. It was clear they feared him to the point where they would go to great lengths to avoid his wrath.

The first man turned his head, giving me a better view of his face. A thick black tattoo circled his eye, running the length of his jaw, ending somewhere below the neckline of his jacket.

“We’ll find that bitch. She’s going to pay for running from us, too. Master didn’t say we had to deliver her unharmed. He just said to bring her to him.” The tattooed man’s lips contorted into a malicious sneer as his shoulders shook in agitated amusement.

Who did they mean by ‘the woman’? Was it me they hunted?

The sole female of the group stepped around the blue-skinned man, who I assumed was a demon, to stand in the firelight. The woman’s skin was dark as night with silver patterns swirling at various peaks over her skin. The woman must be from the Underworld. Her skin resembled Kasdeya’s and I wondered if she, too, was a fire demon.

With a closer look, I realized the rest of the group consisted of demons, minus the one with the tattoo on his face. I couldn’t be sure he was a human, but he appeared to be from his outward presentation.

The demon woman raised a fist into the air, sprinkling something on the fire. After a moment a globe of light sprung from the flames.

“We will find her. She is close this night. I can feel her. The Master will reward us greatly when we return.” The woman’s expression didn’t change. No emotion reflected on her face. Kasdeya didn’t show emotion, either.

I wondered if my cantankerous fire-demon friend knew this woman.

A crushing squeeze tightened around my spine. Was Kasdeya in on the hunt with the group? My Selected powers were growing, including the sensations while experiencing the visions. What I was seeing could be a warning that Kasdeya was going to betray me.