Fire Moon by Miss CrazyPlantLady (phonics reading books .TXT) 📖

"I have to return you for now but we'll do this again."

He led me back down the curved staircase, back through the barricaded garden and to my dirt floored cell but before he left, he turned to me with a small smile, "I am the first of my kind, sweet Eden" he was only speaking loud enough for me to hear, "They call me the Null-Hound."

He didn't give me time to react as he opened my cell door and shoved me in. Disappearing without another word.

"What in the cursed moon is a Null-Hound?" Urith sat up slowly, his face getting closer to the shade of white and his dark eyes were waiting from me to give him answer.

"You heard that, huh?" my mind was spinning, "I have no idea."

"What could that possibly mean?" Urith urged.

"I don't know!" I returned to my bed and sat with my head against the wall.

There was one window in my cell. A thin long line of glass, too small for someone to squeeze through and it's bottom of flush with the top of the ground outside. I could see shoots of grass covering sections of it. It wouldn't be too hard to squeeze through.

Miles returned then. She looked drained. Weak and used. The Zetas was practically holding her up and I grabbed her from them with a growl, "What did you do?"

One of them rolled their eyes, "We did nothing, she just overused her powers."

Miles practically sagged in my arms and I carried her to my bed, laying her down softly. Her eyes were fluttering to stay open, I rested my hand on the top of her head, "Rest Miles, you're safe."

Her eyes fluttered closed once more and they didn't open again, I sat with her until she started to snore softly.

"Changeling" I heard one of the Zeta call.

I had my back towards them as I watched Miles and ignoring them, I didn't turn to their call.

"Kier has summoned you" was all they said when I heard the door open and they grabbed me.

I didn't make it easy for them. Once we were in the corridor, I heated my skin so it would be too hot for them to hold, once they hissed with pain and dropped my arms. I bolted. My bare feet slamming the cold dirt floor, I went straight for those windows and as I grabbed the sill of the first window, a heavy hand wrapped around my upper arm. I came to a jerking stop and my dark eyes glared at the emeralds looking back at me.

His eyes were wild, "Don't do something stupid."

I let my flames crawl up my arm, covering his hand but he didn't take his eyes off me, "Let go."

He held on tight to my burning arm, his skin still perfect underneath the dancing flames. My eyes moved behind him and my chest hollowed out at the sight of Urith, standing against the bars, his large hands gripping them with white-knuckle strength. I couldn't leave him here. Or Miles. The children would suffer. Kier would kill them out of spite.

Alexei noticed my expression and slowly let go, the green in his eyes intensified and he looked almost apologetic. He turned to the Zetas, pulling me slightly behind him and his hand gripped my forearm, holding me in place, "What's going on?"

His voice was different, loud and authoritative. A weird feeling settled over my body as the Zetas shrunk away, "Kier ordered for her donation."

My blood stilled, frozen in place and without thinking, I gripped the hand that gripped me. Alexei didn't react but shook his head at the Zetas, "It's too early, the full moon isn't for another two days."

They stuttered, "But Kier..."

"I'll deal with Kier!" Alexei snapped, "Take her back to her cell!"

The demand wasn't fought, they obeyed him immediately and I watched Alexei disappear down the hall. Out of sight.

It was when darkness settled over the tiny slit of a window. In the middle of the night. They came back for me. I was sleeping next to Miles', on the ground when I felt their breath on my face and their hands wrapping around my mouth.

I was dragged out of the cell without another sound. I kicked and bucked the entire way. It wasn't until I was thrown onto the cold floor, in front of Kier's stupid throne when I stopped fighting. The waterfalls drowning out almost all sound.

I was staring at his grinning face, his eyes watching me like I was his next meal. He floated down to me and he crouched to meet my eyes, "Ah, Changeling" his breath was hot on my face, "The time has come."

He gestured with his head for the Zetas to take me. They dragged me to another room, the walls with the colour of blood mixed with mud and they strapped me to a thin metal chair. A mechanical pole held the empty bag.

One of the Zetas grabbed my arm, long needle in hand and he punctured the skin just above Miles' healing mark. My blood was taken quickly. I watched it race up the clear lines as if it was swimming to the surface in the ocean. As if it was desperately looking for air and I watched as it started to take up the space in that empty blood bag.

They went through two bags and the third was half full when Alexei burst into the room. Shirtless and wearing only long cotton pants. His chest was a Pollock painting, scars slashed angrily across his skin, some white with age and some a brand new shade of pink. They shocked me. He was damaged beautifully. His body grew regardless of the scars, he was built for battle and as he glared down the Zetas, I could see the vein in his neck, threatening to burst. I could finally see the chain hanging around his neck. The necklace was long, fragile and a single pendant hung from the chain. A small single silver circle. A sun. Crepuscule. His home.

"I swear to the fucking moon, I will kill both of you" his voice was a merely anything but a growl, "Who told you to do this?"

They were shaking, the Zetas completely backed up to the wall and held their hands up, "Kier ordered it, Velasquez."

He blinked, forgetting he was also to obey Kier's orders and his emerald eyes drunk in mine, "How long?"

The Zetas seemed to take their first breath, "As long as he wants, he ordered" one took a step towards me and replaced the bag with another.

"Three bags is enough!" Alexei continued to snap.

"We have to keep it going until he says otherwise" the Zetas added.

I could barely hear them. My heart was hammering in my chest, my eyes fell down to the blood-filled line and I watched my blood get sucked out of me. Draining me. My eyelids getting heavier and heavier by the second. They were still arguing when I yawned, "Is it okay if I sleep?" my voice was softer than I expected.

The colour of Alexei's eyes went from the dark emerald they normally were, to almost black and he took a step towards the Zetas, "You taking too much, you have enough!"

The last thing I remember was Alexei tapping my cheeks and telling me to stay awake but I couldn't keep my eyes open. They were so heavy. I fell into the warm darkness that welcomed me in every night, I felt safe in here and no nightmares met me.

I woke up in my bed. In my dirt cell. I could hear Urith arguing between growls. I could hear Miles breathing in my ear. My eyes met hers as she sat on the ground, next to my bed, "What happened?" my voice was croaky and uneven.

Her honey eyes were in dangerous slits, "They took too much" she shot her glare to Alexei, who was standing outside the cell. The one arguing with Urith.

Alexei looked as pissed off as Miles, he was throwing his hands up and gesturing. They were too engaged to notice I was awake but I couldn't hear a word they were saying.

"What are they bitching about?" I croaked again. My head was pounding and I wanted to go back to sleep.

Miles' soft laugh was thundering church bells in my already aching head, "Urith is threatening to kill him for what the Zetas did to you and Alexei is just explaining what actually happened, adding a few insults about him being only a Sigma."

Urith was the one who glanced over and met my eyes, "Look, now you can tell her how you almost killed her."

"Shut up, the both of you" I groaned, slowly rising with Miles' help.

Alexei wasn't listening but watching me, "Don't get up!" I stopped and he shook his head, "You lost too much blood, you should rest."

"Gee, thanks doctor" I stood. Instantly regretted my decision as waves of dizziness washed over me, "You're making my head hurt, go away."

"You're pale" he urged, "Sit down."

"NO!" the volume pierced my scull and I went face to face with Alexei. Staring down the emeralds wells and I pointed my finger at him accusingly, "Don't act like you can protect me because we all know you follow your little master and you can't betray him, you wouldn't dare" I hissed. I was angry. More angry than I've ever felt.

His hands rose in surrender and went to speak but I didn't let him.

"You can't help me" every word I spat.

His expression never faltered, "You need to sit down" he growled, "You're making me anxious."

It was hopeless. We were never getting out. I was going to die tomorrow after they take the rest of my blood. Alexei can't help me. He obeys Kier and there's nothing I can do to change it.

I felt my wolf again. Her claws scratching out barrier. I wanted to speak to her so desperately but she only paused her clawing and I could see her sitting there. Watching for what I'd do next. She knew. She knew I would get us out of here and she was prepared to be free. I would burn this whole place down if I had to. I would burn everyone in it.

It was Alexei's hand on my shoulder that brought me back. He was inside the cell now, both of my arms were entirely doused in golden flames and his hand sat untouched against my hot skin, "Come back" he said, his eyes wild, "Remember what you learnt."

I blinked as I watched him and he look visibly relieved. I took a breath and remembered the invisible rubber, the barrier that pushed against my flames and extinguished them it went. I watched it all disappear. All the heat vanished and I meet those eyes once more before passing out again.

It was nighttime when I woke up again. I could barely make out Miles in the low light but she was still sitting at my bed, "How long was I out?" I whispered.

She jerked at the sound of my voice, "Oh my moon, I thought you actually died this time" the pounding in my head had disappeared so when she laughed it was it's usual softness, "You slept all day and most of the night, we make our donations at dawn."

I was careful not to raise my voice, "Where's Alexei?"

"Kier wanted him to make the preparations, he's been gone all night" Miles shook her head, "They can't take that much more blood from you, you'll die."

There was a branch scratching at our slit of a window and we both looked up at it. My heart stopped and a scream sat at the back of my throat.

It was August.