Raving Moon, Lords of the Night Book One

Chapter 19: Sky

Once the blessing over her home had been triggered, I could see the ward over the entryways with my naked eye. A wavering barrier much like a heat mirage barred door and windows. I hadn't thought to ask for permission, because I assumed she rented the house. An ill-informed assumption born of her previous residences. Not only did she own the building, but she'd had the place blessed.

Flexing numb fingers, I focused on the ward. My connection to magic revealed the blessing was fresh, less than a month old. Was it a coincidence? The protection would only repel a vampire with strong religious convictions. Most of my colleagues could cross the threshold unhindered. It was an unreliable precaution.

"You okay?" Ariane asked, offering a hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to be invited in."

The van door slammed and Jacob came around the vehicle. I signaled for him to stay back. With a nod, he leaned against the side of the vehicle, watching for any more trouble.

Sky stood in the doorway, her face ashen. Some cities considered what had just happened assault. At the extreme it was punishable by death. In Gorgon it was a misdemeanor that could get you fined.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realized... I didn't remember- I'm sorry." She nervously ran her eyes along the doorframe.

"Honest mistake," I said as I shook a bit of feeling back into my fingers. "Let's try this again. May we come in?"

Her brow creased slightly, but she nodded.

"Y... yes. Please come in." She backed into the house.

The wavering air grew still. I took a hesitant step inside. Such wards grew stronger every time they were tested. Ariane followed behind me. Despite the tenseness of the situation, I found the heat of her presence reassuring. A thought I needed to bury at that moment.

"Let's not have anymore mistakes, Ms. Yazzie," she snarled.

Sky growled.

"It's Mrs." Her eyes glowed yellow in the dimly lit hallway.

I stopped, stuck between two lycanthropes that could rip me to shreds. One had likely done worse.

"We're just here to talk," I said carefully.

"Bullshit!" Her inner-beast was coming fast, power spilling off of her to splash against me. Hers was a big savage omnivore capable of eating anything it fancied.

A second power rolled around me before flattening Sky's. Her power extinguished, the bear disappeared behind her brown eyes. She was no alpha, no match for Ariane. Sky shook her head like a puppy just in from the rain and took a deep ragged breath.

"R... right this way," she said, disappearing through a doorway.

"What was that?" I whispered.

Ariane stepped close, her warm breath on my ear.

"She's so nervous her beast was ready to leap out."

"Are you sure, I didn't sense any danger.."

"It was a subtle change in her scent. By the time you'd have noticed it would've been too late. I had to help her keep control."

I turned to read her expression. I'd interacted with lycanthropes for six hundred and twelve years. Some considered me an expert of sorts. I knew all the signs, but I didn't have Ariane's nose.

"Trust me." Her eyes were lighter than their normal almond color, closer to amber.

"I do."

We followed Sky into a comfortable living room with a sturdy loveseat and a massive recliner. An antique mirror sat above a quaint fireplace. On the mantel was a vase holding a trio of roses and a picture of a couple on their wedding day. Sky sat on the edge of a thick wooden coffee table between the loveseat and a small entertainment center. She bit her nails, leg shaking.