Read Online Malediction: An Old World Story by Melissa F. Olson - Free Book Online

me,” he said gently. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him crouch down, and I did the same. “What’s the matter?”
    A choked, sobbing laugh, like Lizzy couldn’t even begin to answer that question. I could relate. “I killed a cat,” she said mournfully. The words chilled me. “I didn’t mean to, but I was so upset and it jumped at me …”
    “Never liked cats much,” Jesse said, sounding calmer than I felt.
    She sniffled and her head turned sharply to face me. “Who are you? You smell … I know your smell …”
    “I’m Lex,” I said. “Sam Wheaton’s sister. I’ve been hoping to meet you.”
    There was a moment of silence, and when she spoke again it was in a terrible whisper. “Will you bleed for me?”
    Cruz and I looked at each other. “Maybe you should go—” he began, but somehow I understood what she wanted. What she was asking.
    “Do you have a knife?” I asked him.
    “Lex, I really don’t think—”
    “Just give it to me.”
    He sighed and squirmed for a moment, and then I was handed a small Swiss Army knife. At that same moment the breeze picked up a little and the shed door drifted inward, letting in a bit more light. I fumbled open a blade and pierced the tip of my right middle finger, then held it out to Lizzy.
    She darted forward to grab my hand, and for the first time I realized that she was naked, her clothes in a pile beside her. She took a great deep sniff, let out another one of those desperate giggles, and took another sniff. “ Yes, yes, you smell like her! Your blood’s just like her blood, but it smells like something else too.” Sniff, sniff. “What does it smell like?”
    “Death,” I said. “There’s death magic in my blood.”
    She only paused a moment before asking hopefully, “Will you kill me?”
    My eyes filled with tears, but I made sure my voice was strong before I answered, “No, honey. I won’t kill you.” But I was giving serious thought to bringing Remus back from the dead just so I could kill him again. “If there’s another way to help you, though, I will.”
    Lizzy made a snuffling noise and crawled forward. She was about my age, but she was painfully thin, small enough to curl herself up against my body; just like a hurt animal seeking comfort. I put my arms around her and glanced at Cruz over the top of her head. His eyes were full, too. I tried not to look at the cat.
    After I’d held her for a moment, Lizzy said abruptly, “Sam died so hard.”
    I struggled to suppress my flinch. “Do you want to tell me about it?” I shot a questioning look to Cruz. Scarlett had said Remus was trying to change more werewolves, add to his own little pack, but she hadn’t gotten to Sam’s part of the story yet.
    “He was experimenting on the women,” Jesse said softly. “Trying to find the best way to change a female into a…um…” He squirmed, looking uncomfortable.
    “A mate,” Lizzy sobbed. “I was supposed to be his mate. Lucky me.” Her voice was bitter. “Sam he ate.”
    I couldn’t keep the shock off my face. Cruz looked away from me. “He … ate her?”
    “Well, most of her. Bite by bite,” she said into my stomach. “I miss him so much.”
    Revulsion flooded me, and it was all I could do not to throw Lizzy Thompkins away from me and run out of there. Scarlett had said something about alphas and pack structure—this woman’s werewolf instincts were revolting against her human judgment. Against all human judgment.
    Lizzy sat up and sidled away from me. “I can smell the change in you,” she said mournfully. “You’re disgusted, and I don’t blame you. I’m disgusted too. But my body … my body keeps telling me to come back here, to this place where I can smell my friends’ death all around me …because that’s where he was.” After a moment she laid her head down on the ground, and her whole body went slack.
    There were other things I could ask her about Sam’s last moments, but I couldn’t bear it. Tears