Moon Child (The Year of the Wolf #2) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,100
to someone like them for money.”
“Father was such a duplicitous piece of shit. Wouldn’t let me have a cat but was quite willing to marry us off to hyenas!”
“More than that,” I rumbled. “After what we talked about the other night, it makes sense that they’d be willing to take your mother as partial payment for debts outstanding.”
My brothers stiffened at that, and that was because neither of us had shared that particular discussion we’d had with them, but Sabina’s down-turned head was confirmation enough.
“You need to speak with them. Figure out why they were here. It can’t just be because Sabina’s sister had a vision. They’re stupid but they’re not that stupid.”
I nodded at Eli’s order, then muttered, “Will do.”
When I got to my feet, groaning all the while as my head started banging, I moved over to her and pressed a kiss to her head. “Be safe, sweetheart. If you have to stay out here, go to the circle.”
“He’s right,” Eli concurred, “and we need to start building the funeral pyres.” So saying, he got to his feet and hissed under his breath the second he was standing.
I winced when I saw him, his body torn up, flesh wide open in some parts—it was a wonder he didn’t fall back on his ass. It was a testament to who he was that he hadn’t passed out too.
Sabina gasped at the sight of him, then rushed over and stuck herself under his arm as she tried to prop him up. Eli just blinked at her, and asked, “Mate, what are you doing?”
“Supporting you!” she grumbled, and though he peered back at us, a little owlishly, he let her.
Which said everything.
“Well, you can support me into the circle,” he muttered. “Least you’ll be safe there.”
She didn’t argue, and together they crossed the totem circle which, amidst all the blood and gore, was as clean and protected as ever.
Eli, however, released a sharp cry as the totem’s power sank into him, but when he was allowed through, my eyes widened as the rips and shreds where flesh had parted to reveal torn muscle, were woven together once more.
He gaped down at himself, then at Sabina, who was also gaping at him, but then I saw it.
A tiny starfish hand was on his chest.
I gulped at the sight, then rasped, “Knight was touching you as you crossed the totem circle, Eli.”
The four of us shared a look, before Ethan surged to his feet and Sabina retreated to the other side of the circle once more.
Gurgling, a happy smile on his face, one that was so ill-fitting for the occasion, Knight laughed as he smacked a hand on Ethan’s arm, and Sabina and my twin timed it so that they crossed through together.
Ethan groaned, then cursed under his breath when he made it to the other side, but he too was fucking healed.
“Holy Mother,” I bit off, seeing their broken bodies in one piece once more.
“This is happening for a reason,” Ethan managed to get out, his voice strangled as, his arms high, he twisted around to study himself. He was still filthy, still absolutely covered in dirt and blood and all kinds of nasty shit, but Mother, he was whole once more.
I stared at Knight, his tiny, beaming, beatific face, and I leaned down and picked up Marjory, a bitch who worked at the post office, who never failed to make me feel like a piece of dog crap on her heel, and hustled her corpse into my arms.
Sabina, picking up on what I was doing, retreated through the circle once more, and when Knight touched her, and we crossed the line?
Marjory started to move.
My eyes grew wet with tears, stupid tears, happy tears.
Grief coalesced with joy, and I stared at our baby, my little shit machine, and whispered, “My boy.”
As I laid Marjory on the ground, I surged forward, as did my brothers. We gathered around him, each of us pressing a thankful kiss to his tiny head, a head that couldn’t even comprehend what he was doing, before we looked at Sabina and each of us whispered, “Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she argued, her eyes starry as she focused her gaze on Knight.
“You did. You gave birth to this magnificent boy,” Eli rasped.
“My sister is the reason for all these deaths,” she countered, shaking her head. “No. This is all Knight.” She kissed him, squishing him to her, and rasped, “This means…”