Blood Moon (Silver Moon, #3) - By Rebecca A. Rogers Page 0,38

if Ben’s features are any indication, I look like someone who went to a knife fight and lost.

“Oh, baby, baby, baby,” he coos, rocking me in his arms.

I lick my lips, and they taste coppery. “How bad is it?”

“Don’t worry. We’re going to get back to Fiona’s, and you’ll heal.” He wants to kiss me—he’s visualizing it in his mind—but when I see my face through his eyes, I realize then how horrible I appear. There is no area for his lips to land; it’s all one big, bloody mess. “Can you stand?”

I lightly nod. “My legs are fine, even if they’re a bit wobbly at the moment.”

Ben helps me to my feet, and we traverse through the woods once again. I hope the axes were the last of the traps the witches set in place. If not, I don’t know how much more Ben and I can handle. More importantly, why do the witches need so many deadly traps? What are they hiding?

After clearing more ground, we decide to rest. We’ll have to go up and around if we want to completely avoid the chasms on either side. Hopefully from there, we can find our way back to town . . . and Fiona’s house.

I swipe blood off my face and wipe my hands on my skirt. My scrapes feel like a thousand bees are attacking them. I cringe, and the act only makes my cuts hurt worse.

“We need to keep moving,” Ben says. “I’m sure the witches know how to get around their own traps, so it wouldn’t take them long at all to catch up to us. We have to be out of here before they arrive.”

“I agree.” It hurts to budge my lips, even a little bit.

The trek through the wooded expanse seems never-ending. Trees, shrubbery, dead leaves, twigs—all of them look the same. I’m not sure where we’re at exactly. With the sun gradually disappearing beyond the mountains on the horizon, we don’t have much time to find a way out. Once nighttime plummets and the sky is nothing but a blanket of glittering stars, the forest will become a maze—a dangerous labyrinth in which we have to find the exit before the witches find us.

We break through a row of trees and enter a clearing. The heavens are shades of rich crimson and orange. A cool breeze swirls around us, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“We can’t stop,” Ben states, determined.

Cobblestones fill every inch of this open stretch, and a gazebo-like structure is situated along the backside of the area, with two benches resting underneath its covering. In the center, a cherub statue points a stony finger at us; its other hand looks like it’s gesturing toward the pergola. There’s something odd about this place. Why does anyone have so many death traps prior to a site as peaceful as this? Who builds something so intricate in a secret corner of the woods? I feel as if there’s more to this than meets the eye.

I ask, “What now?”

Ben shrugs. “I honestly don’t know, but would you take a look at this place.” He takes a few steps forward, mesmerized by the beauty of this unforeseen setting. Turning around to face me, he smiles. “When we get back to Hartford, we should build—” His body goes rigid, and then he grapples at his neck frantically.

“Ben?”

“Candra, don’t move,” he wheezes.

Terrified, I cry out, “What’s going on? What is it?”

Ben hoarsely murmurs, “Poison,” as he wrenches a few miniature arrows from his skin, and then crumples to the ground.

Chapter Ten

“Ben? Ben!” I scream. I don’t care if the world hears me right now; he’s in serious danger. I have no idea how quickly the poison will invade his system. His only chance of survival is by tapping into his werewolf side, allowing rapid healing to seize control.

Why did we believe we were finally clear of the traps? Of course this secret hideout is too good to be true. Nothing has been easy for us since we arrived.

My mind hurls itself into overdrive. I have to think this through, and fast. Although I didn’t actually see where the mini arrows came from, Ben must’ve stepped on a hidden trigger, which caused them to catapult toward his neck. Now, I just have to figure out how the hell I’m going to drag him off the cobblestones to safety. Should I misstep, I’ll be in his position, then we’ll both be screwed.

Keeping my body lowered, I reach out and grab Ben’s