Hunter Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel #2 (26 page)

Ronan and I sat down at the old wooden table
and thanked her for the food. She dished out huge bowls of noodles
with a heaping scoop of spiced beef on top. I took my first bite
and was sunk. It was amazing. Ronan and I had seconds before she
would speak to us. It didn’t take long for a Werewolf to eat.

“You are full? Good. Now we begin.” She
cleared the table and sat in front of us. The smell of cinnamon
became stronger as she looked at me.

“You are special, little Wolf.
Trushal
odji,
you want to know many things. Give me your hands.” Ronan
tensed. She looked at him and smiled. It was not a comforting smile
exactly. I sensed this woman’s power in that smile. She may be
helping us now, and yes her magic smelled good, but she was old and
powerful and allegiances change.

“I am not going to harm the princess, young
Hound
.” She spat the word as if it burned her tongue.

“Though
your kind
has done no favors
for
mine
. I have fed you and you will be protected under my
roof always. It is our way. Your hands, little princess.”

I looked at Ronan, his eyes met mine. I could
see in their green depths that he wanted to leave. But he stayed,
silent and strong. For me.
Thank you.

I reached across the old table. My hands did
not tremble though I was nervous. I hadn’t had any dreams since I
put up the dreamcatcher. But I knew I couldn’t hold them off
forever.

Alessio stood behind his grandmother. His
arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. Could he be trusted? I still
wasn’t sure. But it was too late to turn back. Her hands were cold,
but strong.

“You doubt me, child?”

“It’s not you. I mean, I’m Catholic, I’m not
supposed to believe in this stuff.” She smiled widely and I saw she
was missing a tooth on the right side all the way in back of her
mouth.

“You are so young, so naive. The Catholic
Church is completely based on the most incredible supernatural
story of them all. Jesus Christ, killed for all the world’s sins
and then rising from His grave and up to Heaven, body and all? Some
people would say that is
unbelievable
, no? Besides that
Catholics believe in other supernatural things too. Virgin births?
Apparitions of the Holy Mother, possessions by the Devil,
visitations, exorcisms, stigmata. It is a very old religion and has
many stories like this.”

“I never thought about it like that.”

“Yes, well, few people do. Though there are
plenty of atheists in the world. The point of religion is to have
faith. Nowadays people want to see proof on Youtube or Twitter. But
can faith ever be proven?”

“I guess you prove faith just by having
it.”

“You are wise, little Wolf. Now, I have bad
news.” I tensed at her words. I felt Ronan’s anxiety increase. It
made the room seem smaller, a little claustrophobic actually. I
tried to calm both of us by simply breathing in and out.

“It looks like you have been marked by the
Hunters. I see you already had a run in with them. Hmm. There will
be more. You must prepare yourself. Ah. Here it is.” She let go of
one hand and took some powder out of a small jar that suddenly
appeared on the table. She sprinkled some fine powder into my right
hand. It swirled and moved until forming a circle right in the
center of my palm.

“That is your magic line. You are more than
Wolf, princess, you are a
Dreamwalker
too. Tell me, your
family where are they from? Where does your Wolf side stem
from?”

“My family? Well my dad was from Ireland, he
was a Hound. My mom was just, regular I guess, she was born in New
Jersey.”

“And what about her parents?”

“Her parents were from Italy.”

“
Italiano
. I see. I see. You know
there is a long history of the Romani people across Europe going
back thousands of years, my girl.”

“Okay. What does that have to do with
me?”

“We have picked up many different things from
many different cultures. I had a great-uncle who was part Italian.
He used to tell tales of the sorghum witches who used to steal
babies and make all the crops in the villages suffer.”

Great, now it was story time.
I wanted
to move my hand out of her grasp, but she held firm. I sat
silently. Listening as respectfully as I had been taught.

I remember in second grade having to listen
to the most boring story about the succession of popes three times
in one day because some kids were chatting during the lesson. It
was the worst school day of my life before high school and social
anxieties started to creep in. Anyway I remembered that day now.
Zip your lip.
Lesson learned.

“I recall him talking one dark night as all
the children, me included, gathered around a campfire. He told us
how the
Benendanti
would turn themselves into wolves and
hawks and other half-man, half-animal creatures. They would then
enter the land of dreams and with fennel stalks fashioned into
weapons, they would beat back the sorghum witches and return the
babies and the crops to health. It was a cyclical battle. Every six
months or so they would be required to fight.”

I listened very carefully.
Benendanti
.
I had heard this word before. From Nonna. Ronan interrupted my
thoughts.

“And if they didn’t win?”

“If they did not win. The babies were never
seen again and the village would die out from famine and
pestilence.”

“So you think I may, what? Be part,
Benendanti
? Is that it?”

“Could be. I’m not sure. This circle in your
hand represents the Moon. Your Wolf in you is strong, but there is
other magic too. If you are truly walking into dreams then this is
a possibility, eh? It makes sense. The only question is why? Why
would you be drawn to this particular setting?”

“I don’t know. Because I’m supposed to fight
the witches?”

“Maybe. I suggest you let it happen again.
This time tell Alessio before you take down the dreamcatcher and I
will
dreamscape
for you.”

“Okay. Thank you, Madame Magdelena.”

“You are most welcome. But be warned,
something is coming, child. It is dark and angry and I sense it
wants you, but for what purpose I do not know. You should be
careful.”

“I will be.”

The following week at school was busy. The
end of the quarter always is. Teachers seem to feel the need to
give extra tests and assignments as if it is their last chance to
prove we are learning something. I walked out of English lit with a
frown. I’m not sure I got across all I wanted to about the Weird
Sisters. You know, the Witches in
Macbeth
. They were sort of
prophets that set into motion his ultimate destruction. On purpose?
Maybe. Possibly
. Hmm…

I bumped into someone and straightened myself
out. It was Sebby.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” I had never been good with awkward
moments and now was no different. I could smell his anxiety and it
made my stomach tighten.

“How was the exam for you?”

“Um, it was okay.”

“Yeah, huh. I know you’re a brain, so no
worries, right?” I smiled a little at his attempt at humor.

“Look Sebby, I,”

“It’s okay Grazi, let’s just be friends. We
were good as friends.”

“I’ll always be your friend, Sebastian. I
promise.”

“Good.” He pulled me into a quick hug and I
felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. That is until I looked up
and met a pair of angry emerald eyes.

Ronan turned his back and stormed off. Where?
I didn’t know. To his next class? Highly unlikely. I left Sebby
with a forced smile and followed after Ronan. Call it Werewolf
intuition, but I knew where he had gone.

The soft strains of the piano sounded down
the South hallway and I followed them. I entered the music room as
quietly as I knew how. It was empty. The curtains were drawn except
for one right near the piano bench. Soft rays of the fall sunlight
fell on Ronan as he played. It made a thousand shades from brown to
red to blonde through his hair. It reached his jawline now in thick
and wavy locks.

I so wanted to reach out and brush it back
with my fingers. Across his ivory forehead. He had lost all of his
tan by now and his skin was pale and even. My own was olive toned.
I wondered how I looked next to him.

His eyes were closed, but his hands. They
moved skillfully over the black and white keys. Pounding out a tune
I had never heard. Pouring out all of the emotion I couldn’t see in
his closed eyes, but I could feel in my heart.

I didn’t know what to do. What to say. So I
just listened. My feet moved of their own will it seemed until
suddenly I was standing at his back. One hand hovered over his
shoulder daring to land.
Ronan, why? Why now? How can I explain
to you what you mean to me when I don’t know?

The door slammed and I jumped a step back.
Ronan’s eyes flew open and he almost knocked over the bench as he
sprung up.

“Sorry dears.” It was the cleaning woman. She
pushed her cart full of strong pine scented cleaners and bleach and
proceeded to empty out the garbage bags.

“It’s okay. We need to get to class, anyway.”
I reached out and took Ronan’s hand and he let me. I felt my blush,
but held on tight. Something about the old woman was creepy and I
just wanted to get out of there. I wanted to talk to him. Run with
him.

The cleaning lady hummed a little as she bent
to empty another small trash can. What a sucky job. Especially when
you’re too old to really move about. I walked over and helped her
pull a fresh bag from the roll on her cart after watching her
struggle with it.

“Thank you, dear.” She smiled at me. It was a
hideous smile. She only had about three teeth and I felt deeply
ashamed of myself for being so vain. Looks didn’t matter. This was
an older woman who needed a little help. I smiled back and turned
and found Ronan waiting for me.

His eyes never left me. My heart thudded in
my chest. When we got out into the hallway he took my hand. He
pulled me along the corridor until we were outside.

“Wait, we can’t leave.”

“And why not. That was your last exam for the
day wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, but there’s Phys. Ed. and then I have
a free period.”

“Come with me, Maria.” He held out his hand
and I
took
it.

No deliberation, no thinking about it. I took
it. And it was warm and strong and fit mine perfectly. He smiled
brilliantly and we were off. Out the side door that never quite
closed.

I had never done anything like this. I never
skipped school. I felt wild and free in ridiculously happy as he
pulled me along into the woods behind the Church.

We walked and walked until we came across a
stream. That same one we had jogged to just a few short weeks ago.
Was it really such a short time? It felt so much longer now. I felt
like I had known him forever.

He held my hand and drew little circles on
the back with droplets of cold water. I sat in between his legs, my
back to his belly. It felt so right. I don’t think I can describe
it. I wanted to stay there. My back pressed against him, my hand in
his. He took his left arm and wrapped it around my waist. He buried
his face into the side of my neck and I felt him breathe me in.

“You always smell so good, you know that?
Like my nan’s gingerbread cake and the beach at sunset and fresh
cut grass all at the same time.”

“You smell good too.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Like the forest. And something else. It’s
spicy and sweet all at the same time. I don’t know. I like it.”

“That’s good then.”

“Yeah, that’s good.”

“So, you were saying goodbye to him then?
Weren’t you?”

“I told Sebastian the only thing I could
offer him is my friendship. I meant it.”

“Friends? I guess I can live with that.”

“Good.”

“But what will you be to me?”

“I don’t know.” That last bit came out
whispered. It seemed foolish to give us a name, a label. I turned
my head so that I could look into his eyes. He met my gaze. For
once he didn’t avert his eyes out of respect or whatever you want
to call it.

We simply stared at each other. It was
probably only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. His
emerald eyes held flecks of gold fire and in them his Wolf greeted
me. I felt mine respond in kind.

I reached up with my hand and put it around
his neck. I pulled his head down to me. It felt like the right
time. His lips met mine. Softly and sweet.
Mine. Ronan is
mine.

That night I got home late. We had blown off
the rest of the school day entirely. Uncle Sean was not thrilled,
but he let it slide since we went back to the house for
practice.

If you had asked me a few weeks ago what to
expect after spending a few hours with Ronan, I would have said it
was impossible. There was no freaking way. He was always just so
abrupt and rude. Funny how a kiss can change everything. And I have
been thinking about his kiss since that very first time in his
room.

I had never been so happy. I should have
known I was going to have to pay for it. The sun had set hours
before I hopped the fence into my yard. Ronan right behind me. I
sensed something wrong immediately.

“Want me to come with you?”

“Can you get to my room and wait for me
there?” He nodded and walked around the back. I entered the kitchen
to find Uncle Vito with a pile of ledgers and my grandmother
weeping into a handkerchief.

“It’ll be okay, mama. The man is wrong. I
never made such a mistake, I swear it!” Uncle Vito pleaded with his
mother. Disbelief and shock in his voice.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked Nonna. She
looked up at me. Her eyes tired and her heartbreak clear in
them.