Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [89]
There was no reaction at all. Feena swallowed, then reached down and drew back the first of the bolts that secured the door.
At the sound of the screeching metal, Dhauna growled and crawled away from the door. At the sound of the second, she backed herself into a corner and crouched there, snarling. Feena waited a long moment-then opened the door, ducked swiftly into the room, and pushed the door closed behind her. Dhauna whined and crushed herself far back into the corner. Feena stood still, giving the wolf time to get used to her presence and time for her own eyes to adjust to the dimness.
The stench in the room was overwhelming. Feena choked against it, struggling to catch her breath. Then she held out her hand silently. Dhauna stared at it then cautiously unfolded, creeping out of the corner by slow degrees.
Every movement seemed painful, as if all the years of Dhauna's human form were suddenly catching up with her as a wolf. Feena bit her lips and tried her best to hold back tears.
When the old wolf had creeped a few feet out into the room, Feena let out a low, questioning growl. Coming from her human throat, it was weak, but it got Dhauna's attention. Her ears pricked up and she shrank back for a moment, then stretched forward. Feena sank down slowly, bringing herself to the wolfs level. She growled again, then whined.
Friends? Come.
Dhauna had only been a wolf for a few hours, but on some instinctive level she must have recognized Feena's invitation. She limped forward cautiously until she was only an armslength away. Up close, Feena could see the bloody paw prints that every step left on the ripped linens. A fast glance over her shoulder revealed fresh, deep scratches marring the ironbound wood of the door- and on the stone of the room's walls. Dhauna had torn her claws and shredded her footpads in her rage and panic at being trapped.
"Dhauna?" Feena breathed. "Dhauna, let me heal you. Let me take away the pain."
One hand touched her medallion as the other reached slowly for Dhauna.
The wolfs eyes flared, and she snapped. Feena snatched her hand away, but Dhauna didn't retreat. Growling angrily, the wolf paced around the crouching woman.
Feena froze, whining lightly, trying to calm her again. She turned to keep her eyes on the wolf. Dhauna snarled and leaped.
Feena rolled back before the attack and caught Dhauna deftly, one hand on the wolfs chest, the other under her head where her jaw met her neck. The wolf was shockingly light. Feena held her back easily as she snapped and struggled, straining to reach her captor with teeth or claws. Her back legs kicked and scratched futilely. Saliva sprayed from her jaws. Growls rolled out of her chest.
The wolf within Feena understood them all too well.
Interloper! Intruder! Kill you! Kill you kill you killyoukillyoukillkiUkill…
Yellow eyes burned with rage and hate above foaming jaws. There was nothing human left in them-except madness.
Feena's breath shuddered. Her heart wrenched inside her chest. There were ways to cure a werewolf even after the cursed individual had changed, like prayers spoken quickly by a priest of sufficient faith. But a cure required that the werewolf desire an end to her condition. When a werewolf had truly surrendered to the curse, had taken the beast into her heart____________________
Dhauna's madness, her pursuit of the New Moon Pact, had taken her too far.
… killkiUkiUkill kill kill… kill…
The wolfs growls faded. Dhauna's struggles weakened. The aged priestess didn't have the strength her animal form demanded of her. Feena heaved against her weight. Dhauna twisted free and scrambled away. Feena rose to a Crouch.
Had she thought she would never cry again? She could feel tears on her face.
"Dhauna, please. Don't make me-"
Dhauna's snarl was flat. Her torn claws scrabbled on shredded linens and she leaped again. Feena thrust forward and met her in midair, hooking an arm around her thin chest and sweeping down to slam her against the floor. Bones cracked and Dhauna yelped in pain.
The bones would knit fast if given the chance.