Family is a strange thing. You think that because you share blood and have lived a life together you know them inside and out. You can recall their smiles no matter how long time has passed or how long it's been since you've seen it. You can remember in detail the stories they once told... you can remember them with fondness.
In the case of my grandmother, that is not true.
Yes, I can recall her smiles as she put my brothers down for not being active in the craft. I can describe in detail how she would tell us how unworthy we were to be a Hound. I can even tell her wicked stories of how we are the shame of the blood in our veins.
The only love she had was for Elsie. I'd take all of the cruelty and hate upon myself rather than to have ever seen Elsie be victimized by our grandmother. I would have killed the old bat myself if she had.
Merelda Hound was a wicked woman so to hear it's her who seeks to kill the Crows and use us to do it is no surprise at all. Not for me anyway. Only thing shocking is that the bitch is still alive.
Darren left three hours ago after promising to dig deeper into this whole situation and report back in three days. Soon after he left, I suggested my brothers sleep while I take watch. They're exhausted and have been awake longer than me.
The sisters headed off to their own beds after giving us the guest bedrooms but I had to get outside. I'm not used to the indoors for so long.
In hell, it's a whole different realm with open fields and space to move about. Sure every blade of grass is dead and the trees look like they've been burnt to death but it's home. It even has its own moon. The realm is in perpetual darkness and for those in damnation there is no light, not even a star but for us guards, it's what we know.
My mind won't quiet and my body is restless, I need to move and run.
The moon is full and high, shining it's blue glow upon the woods surrounding the Crow property. The soft breeze calls to me tenderly like a mother's soft croon and the frogs of the swamp sing their midnight tune.
Deciding to run the property line, I pull my shirt off and begin to jog in my human form. I know there are no other people near this end of the swamp and no one would see me if I shifted but jogging on two legs is rejuvenating. It reminds me of being the simple man I was before everything changed.
The grass is thick but my speed allows me to cut through it like a blade. The air whooshing in and out of my lungs is damp with the fog that has rolled in but the chill in the air is invigorating. Although, nothing compares to the cool touch of Ronny's skin.
Black Bird is part of the reason I needed this run. She's a curious creature. She's fierce and her strength is a level on its own. Not just physically but the strength of her sisterly bond, her determination to create a new legacy for the Crows and to protect those she deems hers.
She may not realize it but she has claimed me as her own.
When she was in that trance she called out to me. She was trying to reassure me that she was there with me in whatever dungeon Merelda had me in. The tears she wept as she screamed my name told me everything; She is mine as much as I am hers.
I continue my run and just as I reach the edge of the swamp, I hear a flutter of wings above the treetops. Instead of stopping as I had planned, I make a U and begin my jog back towards the house.
I'm not sure if the bird above is friend or foe. Hell, I'm not even sure if it's an animal or a person and with the day I've had, this bird could be anyone.
Just as I emerge from the tree line, the giant crow comes sweeping down to me. Quickly I roll and shift.
The crow lands about fifteen feet away, an inky black mass against the grass. We stare at one another and based on the way my embers heat at the sight of her, I know the crow is Ronny and it looks like she wants to play.
Let's play. I send it to her mentally, hoping she can hear me.
She shifts into the sensual woman I've come to desire more than I thought possible.
"I've been dreaming of a good dog fight since the alley way." Lifting her tee shirt, she shows me she's unarmed though I wouldn't be worried about that anyway. Even if I were to get wounds, I heal just as quickly.
She drops her shirt and dives in the waist high grass like an Olympic swimmer going for the gold. Not knowing what she's up to, I move around before running for the place I last saw her. I don't get more than five feet when a giant black cobra shoots out from the grass and wraps tightly around my body and hind legs.
That's right, a fucking cobra. She squeezes until I feel like I can't breathe, so quickly and very lightly, I heat my body using my Hellhound's embers.
Feeling the burn, Ronny uncoils with a loud hiss but before she can slither away I bite down on her tail and yank her back.
She comes at me for a strike with her large fangs so I let go and dodge the bite but swing my paw, clipping her on the hood of her head.
We back away from one another and she shifts once more, this time becoming a large black panther. How many fucking animals can she shift into?
Her tail flicks with agitation right before she charges.
I stand on my back legs and we both go tumbling through the grass like a couple of boulders down a mountain side.
I land on my back with a heavy breath from my lungs and Ronny takes the advantage by biting down on my neck, sinking her teeth in deeply.