Red and Her Wolf (Kingdom, #3)

Miriam stood silent, a sad smile on her face. Her hair was now fully white, her skin so aged it immediately sent a chill down Violet’s spine. She’d been so worried with seeing to Ewan, she hadn’t noticed her Aunt.

“Aunt Mir?” She stood on shaky legs. “What’s happened to you?”

Ewan’s strong warm hands clamped down on Violet’s shoulder. She leaned into him, comforted by his solid presence.

Danika gasped. “Miriam.”

Miriam fell to her knees, her head hung low and her entire frame seemed to literally wither before their eyes. In the span of seconds she was aging rapidly, skin turning spotted and livered. Clumps of hair began to fall in patches. She turned bloodshot eyes toward Danika.

Danika fell to her knees, her wand was in her hand and she blasted a pink bolt at Miriam’s head. “Return to what you once were,” she said in a voice that shook.

Mir chuckled, the sound ancient and threaded through with feebleness. “It’s okay, Dani. Truly, sister.”

Fat tears dripped from Danika’s nose. Violet’s throat seized up, and a sound like an animal dying wailed from her throat. Ewan grabbed her, pulling her to his bloodied chest, crooning softly in her ears.

Danika pulled Miriam’s head to her bosom, rocking back and forth.

“What have you done, Mir? What have you done? You said you were strong enough to hold her? You said--”

“Ssh. Donna fash yerself,” Aunt Mir closed her eyes, “it wasn’t just this, sister. I’m tired. For centuries I battled time outside our realm, keeping Malvena contained was simply the straw, Dani.”

“But you said we’d hide, we’d travel--”

“No, sister,” Aunt Mir’s voice was reed thin, a barely there whisper, “ye did.” She touched Danika’s cheek. “The roses, Dani, remember the roses.”

“What?” Danika was sobbing now, large waterworks fell down her face. She sniffled, wiping her nose.

Ewan’s soothing up and down motion on Violet’s back grounded her, kept her sane in a world that felt like it was beginning to unravel around her.

“Grab my hand tight, now,” Aunt Mir said, urgency lent her weak voice strength.

Danika held on, and then she gasped when the black bolt of Malvena’s power headed like a missile straight towards them.

It whistled past Violet’s ears, she shivered at its passing.

The Black power was headed for Danika’s wide blue eyes. The Black was one of the Ten, the power could never fully be killed or contained. It needed a host and would not be denied.

With trembling fingers, Aunt Miriam pulled her wand from her pocket and touched the tip of one of Danika’s knuckles just as the black bolt met her face. A wash of pink energy exited the tip of Miriam’s wand.

“To me,” Miriam wheezed, and then the power flowed like a conduit from Danika into her. Miriam cried out, smiling as the energy filled her skin, making her glow from the inside out with differing shades of black and pearl.

Suddenly her hair began to regrow, turning a deep luscious mahogany as a rosy flush filled her cheeks. Her skin firmed up and with a happy sigh, Aunt Mir opened beautiful lavender eyes.

“Mir!” Danika cried, wrapping her up in her arms. “I thought you were dying. Oh, blessed be, sister. Blessed be.”

Aunt Miriam smiled and Violet sobbed, but this time with relief.

“You’re one of the Ten now, of course. It all makes sense. Galeta can never force you into bondage. How foolish I was… how--”

Miriam hushed Danika with a swift shake of her head. “Nay, sister. I’m here but for a short time.”

“But, Aunt Mir, how can you say that?” Violet interjected, her heart returning to its normal rhythm. Safe in Ewan’s arms. “You’re so healthy and perfect.”

Ewan’s Adam’s apple bobbed along the top of her head when his deep voice cut in. “Because the Black corrupts all it touches, Red.” There was a tenderness to his words, like he was trying to break it to her easy.

Aunt Mir’s lips quirked. “Aye.”

“Wha?” Violet glanced from his face to hers and back again.

But finally she saw what her joy hadn’t registered before; black had begun to bleed through Aunt Mir’s eyes, overtaking the lovely lavender.

“In three or four centuries,” Aunt Miriam said, “I’ll be worse than Malvena. The power grows worse, never better. It doesn’t matter that my heart is pure now, hers was too. Once. There’s only one way to contain the Black.”

“I won’t kill you!” Danika shouted, her eyes were bloodshot, her lips trembled.

“I donna want ye too, sister. I knew when I choose this path all those moons ago, that this was where I’d end up.” She touched the tip of her wand to her chest, the power flowing out of it was black as shadow now. “I’ve chosen my path.”

“No, Mir. No.” Danika shook her head, grasping onto her Aunt’s shoulders.

“We won, Dani. We kept my girl safe. It’s over now. I’m so tired, could ye deny me the rest?”

Danika bit her lip and Violet buried her nose in Ewan’s chest. She couldn’t look, couldn’t face whatever was about to happen.

“No, Mir, I can’t.” Danika’s soft words tickled Violet’s ears.