A Brother's Bargain

Malaya

Malaya was numb with cold. She heard muffled voices close by. Her vision was blurred and she could not move. Maize! Help me! She thought she was screaming, but no sound escaped her lips. What had she done to herself?

Malaya remembered placing the tiara on the werewolf and the color of the stones changing to red. In her mind's eye, she saw the poor young man stumbling into the forest, confused and in horrible pain. His secret had been exposed. He never thought the woman he loved would betray him. He made it to the home of the hag, still human, but feeling the change coming on rapidly.

The hag appeared in front of him, terrifying him to his core. All of his instincts told him to run, but this change was more painful than ever before. He dropped to his knees as his back began to distort.

The hag spoke to him. "You entered my wood uninvited lycan. This will be your last change. You are now mine. As you change your heart will blacken. Henceforth I control all that will happen. You will be my pet," she put her wrinkled hand with curling fingernails on his forehead and shoved him to the ground.

The change overtook him; the most painful change he'd ever experienced. Malaya actually felt the pain he felt. Then the vision changed completely. The werewolf was there to help them. He knew the way back to the path with no confusion and would tell them the direction to turn to get out of the forest.

Malaya thought she spoke to Maize, but she wasn't sure. She knew she needed to follow the werewolf and other than that there wasn't a single thought in her head. The next thing she remembered was seeing the hag again and realizing the wolf had tricked her. Of course he had, she thought. He was one of the hag's pets and she wanted to keep Maize and her there until after dark so they couldn't escape.

Malaya was cold all over. Frozen. She couldn't move. Her hearing was muffled and her sight was blurred. She knew she was going to die in these woods. Then she felt warmth on her fingers. Maize she thought, but she was beginning to question her thoughts. Where was she? Why was she so cold?

The tiny bit of warmth moved to Malaya's back. She couldn't see anything or hear anything. She wasn't even feeling the cold any more. She was utterly numb. Her thoughts were on the hag, her grandmother, who she needed to do anything for. How, though? She could not move. Her heart was slowing. Malaya had the feeling of ice water flowing through her veins and into her heart. It didn't bother her. This was what grandmother wanted. She knew she would emerge from this frigid cocoon a much better version of herself.

When Maize knocked the tiara from Malaya's head, all Malaya felt was a  brush of warm air across her head. Slowly, very slowly, she had a rush of thoughts fill her mind. She was here with her sister and they had to get away before dark. She was still unable to move or see  and her hearing was completely gone. She began to feel warmth in her toes.

Malaya could not believe how stupid she was, putting the tiara on the werewolf. She thought because he was an animal she could get him to help her. She was embarrassed by her bad judgement. Her vision was beginning to clear and her ears were starting to pick up real sounds again. She could almost feel her legs.

Malaya heard the hag tell Maize something about her sister having to make it out on her own. Malaya knew Maize would never leave her  intentionally. She watched her sister start to walk away. It broke her heart. How could she just leave her behind in the condition she was in. Yes,  it was wearing off, but how long would it take before she could actually move? What had the hag said to make her walk away alone?

Malaya noticed the werewolf was staring at her. She had always been able to to communicate with animals, but he wasn't really an animal, was he? Even if she could talk to him, she could not trust him. The hag was nowhere to be seen. Malaya's legs were thawed and her arms were able to move again. She actually had ice on her face and in  her hair. She wished Mariah was there to help thaw her out.