A Cold Wind Blows (Forgotten series, #3)

Chapter 24

I shifted Caden in my arms and he rubbed at his eyes. It had been a rough few nights for him. He missed his mama, despite my best efforts to distract him. It was a difficult time on all of them, on me. I was worried about Nina, about Lace. The faint, 'I'm scared' she had said through the crack in the bedroom door hung with me for the past two days. I knew it had taken a lot for her to say, she had opened up a tiny fraction and then literally shut the door in my face.

I took what I would be given. I had wanted more, I had wanted to help her with Nina. I had a harsh instinct to be her support system, to be with her to take care of our child. It took almost more than I had to walk away. It had been the fact the boys had needed me to take care of them that had given me the power to walk away.

The first night had been alright but it was clear to see that the boys were worried and stressed. Lace had been right in saying that Caden and Eli would more than likely crawl into bed with me. Caden I hadn't even been able to try to convince to sleep in a different room. Eli had made it as far as me putting him into the bed before he had followed me back into my room. I hadn't even tried to put him back in the bed. He and Caden had clung to me for most of the night. I hadn't gotten much sleep between Caden's boney elbows pressing into my ribs and Graham's nightmares.

I wasn't sure what he dreamed of but it left him shaking and pale. After his second one, I brought him into my room. We couldn't leave him after what he told us. We needed him to be close.

He was rubbing at his eyes, his shoulders shaking as he cried. I moved over to him quickly. We didn't like seeing him distressed like he was.

"Why do the monsters keep doing this?" His voice was warbling and I sat beside him, pulling him into my arms. "They jus' k-keep h-hurtin' p-people." His voice shook so much with his sobs that it was hard to almost understand him.

"I know but you are safe." I pulled him onto my lap, letting him cry. It was hard on me to be unable to protect my boys from their own minds.

"Mama t-tells me tha' there are no m-monsters. That p-people are 'sponsible for h-hurt." He wiped at his eyes and I rocked him back and forth, making a noise of acknowledgement. "She says not to worry cause she pertecks me and not even death can takes me from her." He sniffled and I tucked his head under my chin. Lace's parenting methods were different than what most did. She had a very calm and realistic approach to children, she never told them that monsters existed but she explained that while people were the monsters there would be nothing that could stop her from protecting the children from them.

"Do you believe her?" I stifled a yawn. I was tired, sleep was elusive when I had two toddlers in my bed, a six year old having nightmares, and an incessant worry and need to see my little girl. It was a very poor combination that did not result in me getting sleep in any form.

"She says she would figh' the moon to ge' me back. Can you figh' the moon?" His question made me pause and I pressed my lips to the top of his head. Lace had told him that she would fight our very symbol of life to get him back.

"If anyone could it would be her." I didn't doubt it for a moment. She was a shifter who started a task and saw it to completion. She didn't care how she would get there, she would get there. If there was anyone that could take on Mene, I didn't doubt it would be my little moon personified.

"What abou' you?" He sniffled and looked up at me. I felt my mouth twitch upwards slightly.

"I would be right beside her every step of the way." There would be nothing that would stand in my way to help Lace retrieve our boys from the moon if she took them from us. She would lead the charge and I would have her back every step of the way.