Exiled - 01 (37 page)

Rayna bent at the elbows and lowered herself to the ground. Her back end lifted in the air and her body moved with unnatural grace, her eyes consuming my every move. The muscles in her arms flexed as she prepared to pounce. She leaned forward, but her body bucked and twisted at an awkward angle. She collapsed to the ground and Rayna’s voice cried out, but even that didn't override the sound of bones crunching.

Alien muscles moved beneath her skin as her body distorted from one angle to another. Something was pushing from the inside. A monster trying to claw its way out. Clear fluid burst as her skin split, and the hint of something primal spilled out over her arms. Her green feline gaze flashed back to me, but it wasn’t the beast looking through; it was Rayna. Her eyes pleaded with me to make it stop, but we both knew I couldn’t.

“Calm yourself, Rayna. You need to take control of the shift,” Marcus said. His massive midnight torso was bare, revealing a smooth and muscled chest that disappeared into baggy, gray sweats. The light reflected off his shaven head, and a small patch of neatly trimmed hair grew under his lower lip. His dark brown eyes were calm but I could see the worry behind them.

Rayna whimpered and her eyes rolled back in her head, revealing nothing but thick bloodshot veins. More blood and fluid burst from her stomach, flying through the air and raining over us. Black fur pushed through the slits in her arms and stomach, and stood on edge. Veins pushed against her skin, changing from blue to black. Her vibrant, pale flesh glistened with sweat as thick, black veins creased around her eyes and spread across her face.

Rayna gasped as her fingers snapped and shifted. Her nails bled as claws tried to break through her human shell. Bones ground against one another until she screamed, and long, black talons burst through her fingertips. The beast reclaimed her eyes. I knew Rayna well enough to know when it was her looking at me. Right now, it wasn’t.

Her skin stretched and rippled. The demon inside was pushing her body into another impossible position and Rayna screamed. She started panting heavily and her teeth shattered as fangs tore through her gums.

“Fight it, Rayna. You can do this,” Marcus said.

Her limbs snapped and twisted, the sound alone making me wince with anticipated pain. Tears fell from Rayna's eyes as she fought the beast. She stared up at me as she tried to reclaim her body, but the monster inside was too strong.

I wanted to speak. I wanted to encourage her, but I couldn’t find the words. I stepped forward and reached towards her, but with unparalleled speed, black claws tore across my arm and blood spurted from the wound. I screamed through gritted teeth and pulled my arm back, grasping it with my free hand and trying to stop the gush of blood.

Rayna stretched her back and rolled onto all fours. Her eyes flickered and the beast stared at me, pulling back its lips to reveal long fangs that took over both the top and bottom jaw. She paced from side to side and Rayna’s bra strap hung on for dear life. Black pajama pants split down the sides as new muscles bulged from her legs. Dark fur and fierce claws owned her still human shaped feet, and tapped along the floor as she moved. Rayna arched her back and black fur exploded from her spine. Blood and fluid soared across the room, and made a splat as it hit Tiki, Willy, and the walls around them.

Rayna’s near human hands crept onto the bed. Long, black claws ripped into the blankets as she pulled herself up. With each pull forward, feathers and cotton spilled into the air, talons tearing into the bedding with ease.

I tried to step back, but I hit the wall, unable to move as the beast closed in.

“Be calm, Chase. The beast can smell your fear. It will only make it more aggressive,” Marcus said.

“Really? Thanks for the update,” I said sarcastically. Blood rolled off my wrist in thick streams and a burning sensation covered my arm. I closed my eyes, reached inside, and pulled the magic up from that place in my soul.

The elemental power rose to the surface in a gentle wash. I imagined a cool rain falling over me, drops of water that would wash away the pain rushing through my arm. I pictured the bleeding coming to a stop and new skin pulling itself over the wounds.

I used that same power to help push away my fear. The water battled the storm of emotions roaring through me and brought with it the calm. Fear faded beneath the imagery of cold drops against my skin, and my muscles relaxed. My breathing steadied and my eyelids lifted, only to gaze into the green cat eyes before me. Rayna was on the edge of the bed and only an arm’s length away.

The skin of my arm pulled itself shut and the final drop of blood hit the floor. My water element closed the wounds, but I didn't have enough control to pull it back and it spilled out into the room.

“Chase…” Marcus started, but it was too late.

My element emanated off of me, pushing against the monster like an invisible hand. The magic rolled over Rayna's skin and moved through the beast's fur, reaching down into her soul.

Rayna regained her composure as the magic coaxed the monster back, allowing her to regain control of her body. The beast in her eyes faded and I had a moment’s hope, but in a jerk of awkward movements, her body shuddered and she was gone.

Bones crunched and Rayna's arms snapped, reversing which way they bent. She tumbled off the bed and clawed at the floor near my feet. Muscles flexed and strained, scarring the hardwood. Splinters slid underneath her nails, causing her fingers to bleed.

“Please...” Rayna gasped. She slurred her words as fangs jutted from red gums raw with pain. She winced in agony and her eyes pleaded, letting a single tear trickle down her cheek.

“How do we stop it, Marcus?”

Marcus shook his head. “We can’t.
She
has to fight it.”

“We have to do something. It’s killing her.”

“This is the only way I know...”

I looked at Tiki and worry owned his face. White, triangular pupils expanded over solid, orange eyes, and he flinched at the sound of Rayna's bones grinding together. His frame filled the doorway, muscles flexing beneath the caramel flesh of his shirtless body. Messy, black hair hung in his eyes and he continually brushed it away.

Willy's face was pale for an instant, quickly changing to match the bright red paint on Rayna’s walls. His chameleon skin flickered back and forth between colors as panic filled his eyes. Blood and clear fluid dripped from his face, but he didn't seem to notice. He was frozen in fear, watching his friend’s body break and change before him. This was the first shift Willy had been here for. I didn’t think he was quite ready for it.

Frustration won me over and I dropped to the floor, hoping the claws didn’t strike me again. I laid my hands over Rayna's body and called my magic back.

“Chase, don’t. You could do more damage than good,” Marcus said.

I shot dark blue eyes to Marcus. “You know as well as I do, nothing I can do is worse than this, so back off!” I didn’t expect for it to come across so harsh, but I didn’t have time to worry about his feelings. I wasn’t about to lose someone else.

The invisible hand inside me wrapped around the cool rush of my element and tugged it back to the surface. I pulled the wash of water from my soul and let it fill my body. The magic shuddered and the liquid moved under my skin as power prickled through me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Chase, don’t,” Marcus said.

“I’m trying!" I yelled, quickly reeling my anger back and letting the element calm me. "It’s a lot more than any of us have done for her so far.”

Water was a healing and calming element, but it could be as deadly as any other. Marcus was right to be worried; my control was weak at best, but I couldn't watch this. Not again.

Magic ran up my body, into my shoulders, and down my arms in a wave of power. My fingertips tingled as it left me and flowed into Rayna’s body.

I focused on calming Rayna. I didn’t want to hurt her, and I wasn’t sure healing the wounds would help. I focused my energy and hoped if I put enough power into sedating the beast, Rayna could regain control.

The moment my magic filled her, Rayna's earth element pushed back against me, trying to intertwine with mine. It was Rayna’s way of reaching out to me.

Our elements met and wrapped themselves in each other, coursing from her body to mine in a circuit of power. Our bodies were one in that moment, our elements just an extension of ourselves. My magic moved through her, dancing beneath her skin as it fed off her power.

I imagined a small creek moving over stones, wearing the rough edges down until they were smooth. That gentle flow of water would push the beast back and carry Rayna to shore.

The beast retreated as the magic splashed through. Feeling the monster’s resistance, I forced it back, letting the energy thrust it into a corner until it surrendered. I waited until I was sure it was gone before I turned my focus to her injuries.

I pictured Rayna’s bones reforming, the claws and fangs receding, and the cool trickle of water filling her senses to mask the pain.

Rayna gasped as the cold element rushed into her body.
 
She tensed at first, unnatural muscles flexing beneath her flesh, before she collapsed in a wave of exhaustion. She hit the floor and I pushed harder. I had kept the beast back for the moment, but now I needed to make sure it stayed away, at least for tonight.

Her breathing slowed and Rayna’s eyes glossed over. Her bones cracked and shifted back into place, and soft cries whispered through her lips. Long talons slid back beneath her pale skin, and the fangs withdrew into her gums. The tears that filled her eyes leaked down the sides of her face. They merged with the blood that covered her skin and caused a pink liquid to disappear into her hair. The red highlights in her black hair stuck to her face, and the moonlight that shone through the windows reflected off her body, revealing a layer of sweat.

It took all I had to pull the magic back. It receded slowly and I tucked it away inside of me. Rayna stared up from the torn hardwood floor. Her tearing eyes showed the pain she’d been in. I brought my hand to her forehead and ran it down her cheek, trying to reassure her she was safe. She released a breath and her eyes fluttered closed.

Her skin was cool to the touch, which was good. When her body tried to shift, her temperature spiked to incredible heights. Heights the human body shouldn't have been able to withstand, but Rayna wasn't human. She was a demon and a hunter. A witch, yet…something more. The temperature drop meant she’d beat the change this time, but I was more concerned about next time.

I pulled my hand away and her eyes didn’t open. Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths, her body giving into its demand for rest. I slipped one arm under her neck and the other under her legs, scooping her into my arms. Her body fell limp as I lifted her from the damaged floor, blood and sweat still dripping from her skin.

I moved past the others. Marcus looked sad. Rayna was practically his daughter and watching her go through this was painful for all of us, but I think it struck another chord with him.

I walked to the only spare bedroom we had left. Willy and Tiki were always here now and we were quickly running out of rooms. I laid Rayna in the bed as gently as I could and pulled the covers up over her. Her clothes were in tattered shreds and she was covered in blood and goo, but she finally looked at peace.

Nobody had gotten much sleep the last three nights, but it had been the hardest on Rayna. None of us knew much about shifters, except how to kill them. After watching what she was going though, I think we’d all gathered a new respect and a desire to learn more.

I closed the door and saw the last glimpse of Tiki before he slipped into his room. For reasons I didn’t understand, Tiki had sworn an oath to me. He guided me through Drakar, and without him, I would never have been able to save Rayna. I might not have understood his loyalty, but I was grateful for it.

Willy had disappeared. For a demon, he didn't have much of a stomach for stuff like this, but then again, Willy wasn’t like most demons.

Marcus stood in the hallway, his dark brown eyes unmoving, and as usual I couldn't read his expression.

My eyes fell to the floor. “Look, I’m sorry I–”

Marcus’ hand came up. “What you did in there was quick thinking.”

I looked up in surprise.

“This was the worst change she’s ever gone through.” Marcus ran a large hand over his cleanly shaven head. “She’s never shifted that far before. You might’ve just saved her life.”

I looked back to the floor and guilt tugged at me. I shouldn’t have spoken to him like I did, but I’d lost my temper. Again. That was something that happened more often lately.