POISONED BLOOD

Chapter 15

Trees whispering, eyes glowing, eyes rolling to the whites, a human that smells like they're rotting, things in my house, Mavor in my head...What's next? I think about how our morning has gone and wince realizing how much of the day is left to go and all the possible things that can happen in that large amount of time. Maybe, Elaine has something that could help me. Elaine is a friend of mine.. We're not particularly close but she has helped me out in the past with things of this orientation. Yeah, a ghost. Ghosts and Mavors are so similar. Right.

"I didn't know they did that.." Grey says to Daisy and she looks at him for a while in silence.

"They say you're lying." He shoves a branch out of the way and is rewarded with a smack in the back of the head.

"OW!" I laugh loudly and he glares at me in annoyance.

"I never talked to or listened to trees talk." A vine trips him and he lays there for a moment staring up at the leaf ceiling.

"They don't like liars." Grey is smart to keep his mouth closed.

"What else do they say?" I ask, jumping as a leaf tickles my face. She grins at me and stands still, tilting her head to the side. Her body stiffens a little and my blood freezes in fear.

"Laney, you said poison earlier.. They say it, too when they talk of you. It runs in your blood." Grey is behind me and his arms wrap me up in a protective embrace.

"There is not any poison in her." He growls at the trees.

"You were in a ritual when you were born... Something went wrong.. It became a part of you. The reason you see the things you do is because of that. It is a curse and it breathes as a living thing through your lungs." Daisy goes on even as Grey tells her to stop. My legs are becoming weaker and spots travel across my vision.

"Daisy-" I try to make her slow down because I can not take this all at once. I should never have asked. My child, you had to know. I start at the voice in my head but it is softer than the Mavor's. Mother Isis? There is only silence. A hollow feeling is becoming more noticeable inside.. or maybe I'm just hungry. Daisy's ramble ends with her out of breath.

"We have to get it out." My head hurts and I press my wrist to my temple. She walks ahead of us in a hurry, making an easier path to follow because the woods are her talent, they take to her will.

"Are you alright?" Grey touches my cheek and I pull away.

"Just don't, please. It's not you. I'm not feeling well at all." He drops his hand, but doesn't get angry.. at least on the outside. My ears prick hearing a branch snap behind us. Daisy whirls around and we all wait, poised for a fight. I can't figure out why Grey is ready for one... He hasn't seen what we have this morning.

"You shouldn't travel through here without my permission." A prideful male voice speaks through the gap and out walks a guy in his birthday suit. My mouth drops. What the hell? He pulls on a pair of jeans as we stare at him in disbelief.

"What?" Daisy glances at the trees instead of him. He grins. His hair is short, red, and a bit spiky, eyes brown like mud, pale white skin covered in a light freckle splash. A tattoo of the moon glints striking blue on his chest. He's a child of the moon. Werewolf.

"I hate repeating myself. It's very unnecessary if one will have enough respect to listen. Hello, Grey. You keep strange company." His pride is enough to deal with but for him to call us strange..

"Hey, Eek. This is Daisy and Laney." Eek smirks at me and passes his gaze to Daisy in a smoldering way. He walks right up to Daisy and touches a rose in her hair.

"I have no wish to speak with a witch, but you are like me... You are a guardian of the forest." Daisy's mouth drops open and she takes two steps back.

"Uhh.. Uh." Eek laughs at her discomfort and I roll my eyes.

"She's new at this and I would appreciate it a great deal if you let us through." The werewolf tilts his head at me and bears his canine teeth that are much too sharp.

"So, you can lay hex bags on my land?" My eyes narrow at him and Grey finally steps in.

"Look, Eek you know you can trust me. I'll make sure to get them through without harm coming to you or the others." My headache is more pronounced, understanding that he means a pack. Adding that to the list now. What is Grey?!

"You're right. I trust you. You are my friend, but she looks down on us and thinks we are monsters." I back away without having told myself to move. That's what a lot of people would consider me... or evil.

"I don't think that way and how do you know I'm a witch?" He laughs at me and my face heats up.

"I can smell you. The magic pours out of your skin but there's something wrong with you my dear, not me, or my kind." I grit my teeth in frustration.

"I'm not the one that smells like wet dog." Eek guffaws, his laughter bouncing off the trees. It irritates me that much more. He has no right to hate me. Our kind should be united. We're both thought as myths and abominations. How dare he say that there is something wrong with me! He shakes his head and sprays us with droplets of water from his hair. Daisy giggles and I shoot her a glare. Giggling? REALLY? At him of all people? I don't judge no more on this as I think of Eddy.

"You have no respect for me. Why should I let you go through my woods?"

"There's something you should be more worried about than a single witch."

"You think I don't know about the Mavors?" Plural. Wonderful. Eek stares up at the branches that slither about each other like snakes, but seem more gentle. I watch him instead. He's playing with us and I can tell this by his smile. It's too mocking.

"That's not the only thing." Grey is listening to me without saying a word and I'm beginning to worry. His eyes meet mine, soothing vibes travel through me and a sigh escapes my lips. How does he do that? The familiar grin hints on the edge of his lips and a blush creeps across my cheeks.

"You have feelings for her." Eek must have been studying us more than the plants. His eyes bore into Grey accusingly, but Grey doesn't budge.

"And if I do?"

"You have poor taste." Alphas are such jerks sometimes. The comment stung and I'm sure they all three know it. Daisy stands beside me and tilts her head down. Eek and Grey are in a heated face to face argument now, leaving us to privacy.

"How do we get through?" She asks me quietly and a wicked smile forms on my lips.

"Two plans.. One: we break the rules and act like we left his precious woods. Two: You do your thing and make him bend, so to speak." She nods, which surprises me.

"Gah!" Vines strap onto Eek's ankles and hoist him into the air upside down, swinging him back and forth. Going with plan two then.