“Not so much.”
The crunch of the gravel filled my mind in an even rhythm along with Enid’s words and echoed like a chant. The more they replayed, the more I understood I had reacted out of haste. I jumped into the middle of something I didn’t understand. Inside a world I could see but didn’t understand enough to grasp the customs. My heart lunged in my chest, adding to the guilt.
A faint whisper, carried on the wind, said, “Turn around.”
I turned, removing the hair that had blown into my face. Marren walked toward us. I smiled as he approached, arms swaying with his steps, making my heart drum faster with every step he took. His lips curved and his eyes drank me in, taking my breath away.
“You didn’t think that you could leave me after saying something like that, did you?” His voice hinted at playfulness.
“You heard me?”
“I did.” He wrapped his arms around me and held me to him. I didn’t miss the sun anymore.
“I wasn’t sure if it would work in my human form, considering the distance.”
He pressed his lips to mine. I took in his sweetness.
I can always hear you. I’m sorry.
Me too.
Enid cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to intrude on this private, tender moment, but there is the matter of the stables to take care of…”
As an afterthought he added, “Which, you’ve charged me with doing, Marren.”
“That’s right. I will take my leave.”
His eyes dropped to me with a glimmer of bright light. Gvgeyu.
You need to teach me your language. I sighed as he walked away from me. It never ceased to amaze me, the affect Marren had on me, changing the darkest, most stormy skies into ones painted bright blue and filled with the light of the brightest and warmest sun. Enid held his bent arm for me. I slipped my hand through and continued walking with him.
The wind blew into my nose the pong of hay and the thick bittersweet scent of the horses. I picked out the oil for the leather that bound the horses to the carriage and the grains from the oats they ate. There was even a hint of burned wood of a fire that had long grown cold. The air also had a heavy metallic tang, carried by the wind as the storm grew closer. There was even a twinge of sulfur. But there was also a scent I couldn’t place, a familiar floral scent that once brought me comfort but now brought fear that clawed at my stomach and clenched it tight. The pain increased as we stepped through the doors into the shelter of the stable.
“Are you alright?” Enid’s voice reached me as a distant echo becoming clearer and louder as the last syllable was spoken.
I tried to find a reason for his question as my attention caught his clenched jaws and lips pressed in a firm line. There was no hint of anger in his sad blue eyes. He gave a firm nod toward his arm. I followed his gaze, shocked to find my fingers were tipped with wet blood from my nails digging into his arm.
“Gods! I’m so sorry!” I released his arm and pulled the sleeve of his robes to blood already dried around four crescent-shaped wounds. The skin mended itself, erasing the punctures as if there was never any intrusion to begin with. I found myself captivated by the way his arm healed right before my eyes.
“It is quite alright, A’lainn. I see now you don’t like surprises.”
“What surprise? I thought I was meeting someone?” I asked, forgetting about the fear I had. I searched the four stalls, which were about the width of both of my arms stretched out from my sides. Each one had a black steed standing inside, with a wooden door keeping them in. They stared at me with their beady black eyes and tails lashing back and forth. Their ears were perked yet pointed toward the back of their heads.
“This surprise.” Danst’s voice fill my ears, forcing me to turn around.
“Danst!” I rushed to him, wrapping him in my arms, squeezing in the tall, lanky boy with long stringy brown hair and green eyes the shade of clovers under thin arched eyebrows. His face still seemed childlike, never aging. I understood why.
“I learned about what Tarn made you do. I’m so sorry!” I pulled back from him, happy to get my closest friend back. “You never told me about your heritage. You and I never kept secrets before. How did Tarn know?”
“It’s wonderful to see you too, Relena.” He cleared his throat.
“Oh sorry.” I stepped back, realizing I had him in a strong-hold from my new found strength. He stared at me, fear widening his eyes.
“It’s okay. It’s just…odd, Relena. Very odd.”
He confused me. My new life?
“What do you mean? My being a werewolf is nothing. I’m still the same Relena you know and love.” I added a smile for good measure.
“No, I mean the um…” He pointed to his eyes and dropped his gaze, tucking his hands behind him.
“I don’t—”
“Your eyes are as black as onyx,” Enid added.