Broken

anything else.” She grabbed the candle and set it on a table next to the bed.

“I can do this myself,” Kira said.

Ussay nodded, then went over to her mother and took the bottle. She grabbed a knife from the mantle and handed it to Kira. “Are you certain you can do this?”

“Yes.”

“Be quick about it. You will need to burn the bandage as well.” Ussay pulled the cork from the bottle and poured it over the stains on the floor. It only took an instant for the fumes to attack Kira’s senses.

“What is that?” Kira asked.

Narissa stepped closer and removed the bandage from Kira’s foot. “It kills the smell of blood. Royals cannot tolerate the stench. It burns their nasal membranes.” Her monotone voice was shallow and held little emotion or urgency. She held a small basin under Kira's foot to catch any drops of blood. Once she removed the blood soaked cloth, Narissa held one end in the flame. As it caught fire, she dropped it into the basin and watched as it turned to ash. “That should do.”

Kira held the knife in the flame of the candle until she was sure it was hot enough to seal the wound. She could do this. She’d felt much more pain when healing Lydia and Octavion, and this was only a small cut. Piece of cake, right?

Another deep breath and she pressed it to her skin. Her other hand flew to her mouth to hold in the scream that started in the back of her throat. Her skin sizzled and the stench of burnt flesh attacked her senses. Her trembling hand barely held it there long enough for the heat to seal the cut. She dropped the knife into the basin with the ashes and watched as Narissa disposed of it. Kira looked around the room to find Ussay gone and the door wide open.

“Where did she go?” Kira whispered.

“Spreading it outside so they won’t know which house the odor is coming from.” Narissa went to the door and looked out. “Ussay,” she whispered into the night.

“Mother, get back inside,” Ussay said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. “We need to get that candle out.” Ussay threw the bolt and slid a long section of wood into two metal brackets on either side of the door. “Kira, were you able to stop the bleeding?”

“Yes, tell me what else to do.”

“Stay on the bed. Mother and I will sleep on the rug by the fireplace tonight.” Before Kira could protest, Ussay went to the candle and blew out the flame. The sudden darkness gave Kira another chill.

“Ussay. . please let me sleep on the floor.”

“Shh. Not a sound. It will go faster if you sleep.”

Too terrified to move, Kira didn’t dare respond. She listened to Ussay and her mother settle onto the floor, not saying a word.

A woman screamed-and then another and another. At first it was far off in the distance, but as the night wore on the cries became closer and more intense. Some were human, others were animal-or rather, a combination of both; Royals hunting their prey.

Kira pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around her shoulders and leaned against the cold stone wall. A few minutes later she heard scratching and deep breathing. A low rumbling growl vibrated through the wall and into her chest like rolling thunder.

“Kira,” a deep, male voice said from outside.

She drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them to help control her trembling. Octavion. She wanted to run to him, throw herself into his arms and make the curse melt away, but she’d learned her lesson. Her scent only brought him more pain and suffering.

A fierce roar rang out and echoed through the village. Kira tried to scream, but before the sound came out, Ussay pressed her hand to Kira’s mouth.

“No,” Ussay whispered.

Kira nodded and Ussay slowly removed her hand.

They both sat in silence until they heard the creature outside move away from the wall. Ussay patted her on the back and whispered, “It is almost over. The sun will be up soon.”

Chapter Ten

Octavion tore the overgrown vines away from the door of his hunting cottage. Too many years had passed since he’d entered this structure-an abandoned shack he’d claimed as his own during his thirteenth year. Hidden deep in the B’Sajra Mountains, it provided him shelter when the moons were new and put distance between him and the villagers-something he’d never needed more than now.

He kicked the dirt off his boots before entering. Not that he needed to-inside, several layers of dust and dirt clung to every surface. His possessions still hung where he’d left them; everything undisturbed. For that, he felt grateful. There were things here he held sacred-items once belonging to his mother that he’d hidden here.

After several nights sitting up with Kira and a long night hunting with Luka, the bed on the far wall looked inviting in spite of its tattered linens. He’d have to air the place out and do some cleaning before he brought Kira here. That is, if she ever forgave him.

Once Luka released him from the chains and his cravings had finally subsided, the memories had hit him like an arrow through his heart. He remembered his uncontrollable hunger and the fear in Kira’s eyes. He’d spent the rest of the night listening to Luka try to convince him not to find her and apologize-not yet. Now he had to admit his gratitude for his cousin’s persistence. Kira was much safer with Ussay.

Octavion wished for a fire, but he’d have to gather more wood and it would only prolong what he’d come here to do. He stepped to the small table he used for a desk, brushed off the chair and sat. He needed to get word to Kira, but didn’t dare see her until the moon returned-until then, a letter would have to do. He let his heart and mind fill with his regret and, after dipping the rusted quill into an old bottle of ink, poured his soul into his words and begged for her forgiveness.

Chapter Eleven

Kira sat motionless on the bed with her knees pulled up-her arms wrapped tightly around them. She took no pleasure in the morning light that filled the room after Ussay pulled the black pieces of fabric from the windows. When Ussay asked to see her foot, Kira slowly pushed it out from under the hem of her dress.

“Does it still hurt?” Ussay asked.

“No,” Kira lied.

Ussay tried to brush a strand of hair away from Kira’s face, but she turned her head to avoid being touched. “They are gone now. It is safe.”

Kira closed her eyes, but a tear still escaped from beneath her lashes. How could she live like this? How could anyone live like this? After all the warnings Octavion gave her, and everything she’d witnessed, she had no idea the magnitude of danger that existed in his world. She’d told him she wasn’t afraid of him, but now. . now she wasn’t so sure. How could she love a man capable of such violence? She opened her eyes and turned to face Ussay.

“It was Octavion outside, wasn’t it?”

“I believe so,” Ussay said. “But not the Octavion you know and trust. You need to understand that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think he would choose to be that way? He would give anything to be rid of the curse-most Royals would. But he cannot. It is his heritage. It runs through his veins like the river runs down from the mountain. He has been away from our world for so long that it is dammed up inside him. With every new phase of our moons, the dam is broken and there is no stopping the force of it as it destroys everything in its path.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way. He seemed to have so much more control before.” Kira wiped at her