Underneath a Dark Moon (Twisted Dark #3)

Chapter Eighteen: Familiar Faces

I was cold.

That was all I could think about or feel. It was a deep freeze that had settled into me, making my veins feel like they were crackling with ice, like my heart was settled in my chest like a block. The cold seemed inescapable as it sank further and further into me, icing me over and making it impossible to breathe, to live. I couldn't even begin to try and focus on what was happening around me, it seemed so far away to me, something utterly untouchable through the ice that layered me.

Time seemed to slow down and nearly stop. I knew I was dying, knew some type of curse had been used to try and kill me. I was scared it was going to succeed. Everything was so cold that I was terrified I was going to freeze solid, that I was going to cease to be. I couldn't understand why it was happening to me, why someone wanted to do this to me. I hadn't hurt anyone or done anything horrible so I didn't know why. I couldn't understand. I just couldn't.

I didn't want to die. I doubted anyone truly wanted to die. Especially not like this. If I survived I didn't ever want to be cold again, not like this. I wanted to be surrounded by heat and warmth forever. I couldn't even feel my body anymore, I didn't really know if I was still there or if I was gone completely. The fear seemed overly powerful within me and I wanted to fight against it, to survive but I couldn't. I was trapped.

After some time, I couldn't tell how long it was, I became faintly aware of a warmth moving over me as chanting slowly grew in sound. Something pushing through the ice that coated me and warmed up the ice in my veins. The transition felt almost painful and the pain from my warming up body was growing in intensity. It washed over me and made my grit my teeth and it drowned out the faint chanting I thought I heard.

It continued for what seemed like years, the pain making me want to scream and shout, to rail against it. I wanted to sob, to curl up and cry as it raked over my nerves and body. I was becoming more and more aware of my body but with it came even more pain. It was to the point where it was all I could think about, a painful static in my brain that I couldn't drown out, couldn't escape. I wasn't sure which was worse, the cold that made ice shards in my veins or the pain that seemed to burn me inside and out.

I felt like it was without end before it stopped suddenly and I inhaled sharply, my back arching before I started coughing violently, unable to breathe with the sudden absence of pain. I curled up on my side, trying to stifle the coughing and it took a few minutes to get it a stop. I relished in being able to breath freely, inhaling and exhaling deeply with my eyes closed.

I was alive, at least it felt like I was. I slowly straightened on the bed, wiggling my fingers and toes, trying to see if I was all there. Once I managed to place myself within my body I slowly opened my eyes and blinked at the strange colouring the room had. I realized rather quickly that I wasn't where I knew I should be. I sat upright, looking around frantically to try and see where I was and my eyes quickly zeroed in on a small girl that was sitting on my bed.

We stared at each other and I slowly realized she was a werewolf. Her eyes gleamed and she grinned at me. "Mama!" At the sharp cry she scurried off the bed, giggling as she left the room. "She's awake!" The call was a little muffled and I blinked again as a bit of fear slipped into me. I didn't know where I was or who had me. I didn't know if they were safe or if they wanted to hurt me. My heart thudded in my chest hard as I heard footsteps approaching, I went to slide off the bed as they came into the room.

I went still as my eyes widened. "Bam!" She seemed to flow into the room, her power radiating off of her, her vibrant hair swaying free as she sat on the bed.

"That's my name, Novy." She held out her arms and I scurried across the bed and threw my arms around her. I held her tightly but released her quickly when I felt her stomach pressed against me. I gasped as I reached down and pressed my hands to it, as if to place it in reality. She was pregnant. I looked up at her with my eyes wide as I smoothed my hands around the bump. She was pregnant. I didn't know what to say as I looked down at it, still not quite believing it. "Yes, Novy. I am up a stump, have a bun in the oven, have a package to be delivered on a certain date, eating for two, harbouring a fugitive, in the family way. Anything else you want to call it, there is a baby in here." She pressed her hand to mine and my heart thumped hard in my chest.