The Dark of Twilight (Twilight Shifters Book 1) (18 page)

T
he world was pain.  Aein opened her eyes, and even that hurt. She was in a small stone room and a woman wearing a white headdress sat beside her bed.

"She is awake," the woman said.

Standing behind the nurse was another woman Aein recognized.

"Princess Gisla," Aein croaked.  Her lips were so dry.  Her voice seemed unfamiliar with speech.

"You won the day," said Princess Gisla.  She was dressed in a bright, blue tunic like the one her father had been wearing when Aein first met him in the throne room.  Her wild, curly hair had been pulled back into a soft bun.  There was something more reserved about this warrior princess.

Aein heaved a sigh.  She knew that to win should have meant something, but the pain would not allow her to feel anything more.  The only thing that would make it worthwhile was to hear that the man who did this to her was dead.  "Lord Arnkell?" she asked.

"We believe he is dead," said Princess Gisla.  "No one saw him leave the fortress, but we are still identifying bodies."

Aein shifted into a sitting position.  White, hot fire from her broken bones shot up her arm.  She swore, "We shall find him."

"There are some others who wish to see you," said Princess Gisla, opening up the door.

The nurse stopped her.  "They cannot all fit in this room."

"Then you should leave so that we can fit one more," commanded the princess.

Aein could not help but smile.  There was the spirit which made this woman so wonderful.

The nurse bowed and left without another word, making way for Aein's visitors.  And there were not two people on the earth she would rather see, she thought, as Finn and Lars walked in.  Finn was still in canine form, his silvery scar traveling across his face and down his chest.  Lars was still in human form, although his armor had been discarded and he looked so healthy, Aein knew that some time must have passed.  Lars sat gently on the stool beside her, but Finn leapt right up onto the bed and settled in protectively by her other side.

"You're alive," she said, looking at both of them.  The wave of relief which washed over her was so huge, it cut through the pain.  She clenched her teeth as a tightness filled her chest, she pushed back the tears which wanted to spring from her eyes. 

Lars bent down and kissed her forehead, ruffling her hair.  "Of course.  How could we die on you after all of this?"  Finn crawled closer and gently licked her hand. 

They all survived.

"We have a problem," said Princess Gisla, breaking in on their reunion.

"What is it?" asked Aein.  With Finn and Lars alive, she couldn't believe there was any problem out there that couldn't be solved.

"I continue to shift from woman to wolf at sunset," said Princess Gisla.

Aein smiled.  It was weak, but it was a smile.  "It shall not always be that way," she said.  "I have found the cure.  And like how the excess of mushrooms caused you to be able to shift no matter what the time of day, I hope that when the bush blossoms and fruits, enough of the berries will keep you from shifting ever again."

"But that is still three seasons away," pushed Princess Gisla.  "My father..."  Aein realized what had happened to King Haidra and why Princess Gisla... no... not princess...  now Queen Gisla... was dressed in the formal robes of the court.  "I have a castle now to keep and subjects who look to me.  But we also have an army of werewolves, those who followed you and those who followed Lord Arnkell, and they are looking for a leader."

Unwilling comprehension was beginning to dawn upon Aein.

"You were the alpha of your pack," Princess Gisla continued.  "You are the only one that could control them."

"I was only alpha because these two were willing to fight for my place," said Aein, motioning to Finn and Lars.

"And so shall they continue to keep the pack order."

"I cannot..." whispered Aein in protest.

Queen Gisla looked down at her with all the cold power of her royal blood.  "When I wed Lord Arnkell, I became the sovereign ruler of his people and lands.  And so, I say as your liege, that your services are commanded until the summertime when the berries come again and you can gather the cure."

"But I was the great betrayer," said Aein.  "I was the one who brought all of this terror to you."

"And you were the one who discovered the cure.  As Lord Arnkell said, this curse might also be power, and I wish to have someone I can trust wielding this weapon."

Lars squeezed Aein's forearm and nodded that she should do it.  She knew how much this cost him.  Finn looked up at her with the pleading eyes of a puppy begging at the table, as if he could not wait for her to stay forever.

Aein stared at the ceiling and began to laugh.  It was not a laugh filled with joy, but one that saw the world for what it was and the grand joke which life itself is.  From a shunned guardsman and great betrayer to the acting general of a werewolf army whenever the dark of twilight came.  Here she was.

"Of course," she replied, looking from Finn to Lars and back to Finn again.  "I will not abandon my pack."

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T
he Woodcutter

Queen Mab

O'Hare House Mysteries

A Spirited Manor

Spirit of Denial

Distilled Spirits

Maggie MacKay: Magical Tracker

Maggie for Hire

Maggie Get Your Gun

Maggie on the Bounty

M&K Tracking

M
any thanks to my beta readers of awesome:  Kay Bratt and Karen McQuestion.  Also to the gals who put together the
Magic After Dark
and
Shifters After Dark
boxed sets:  Deanna Chase, SM Reine, Dannika Dark, Marie Hall, Phoenix Sullivan, and Melissa F. Olson.  I would not have written this if it wasn't for a simple business venture which turned into wonderful friendships and a desire to keep the party going.

And thank you to my family and friends, those that have left us and those that remain.

This is a work of fiction.  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel  are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictionally.

The Dark of Twilight. Copyright © Kate Danley 2014

All rights reserved.

Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers