The Fury of Kanta by Marlena Frank

Author:Marlena Frank
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781955854122
Publisher: Marlena Frank

PART 2

BLOOD IN THE SNOW

6

JAMISON AND SILVER

AS AUTUMN TURNED COLDER, Mercy played the part of the most well-behaved daughter Oscar could have asked for. She was permitted to go to the power house daily on her own without supervision. As Oscar trusted her more and more, Mercy offered to help cook. He was reluctant to allow it at first, but as the cold bothered his leg more, he eventually relented.

Mercy had to suppress her joy as Oscar removed each of the padlocks on the kitchen cabinets. As the pile of discarded locks grew higher, Mercy knew more freedom on the grounds and her responsibilities began to increase. She had less time to herself during the day, but it didn’t matter. Her plan had taken a big leap forward. What appeared to be sympathy and willingness to help out on Mercy’s part was really all based on her elaborate plan.

One cold winter evening as snow fell heavy outside, Mercy lay in bed on her side with eyes wide and ears sharp. She had her back turned to the bedroom door, but she fought the urge to sleep. Instead she waited, and she listened to the sounds of the night.

The wind tore through the trees outside, sounding almost like a banshee. The werewolves howled to join it, but Rose’s howl always sent a chill down her spine. As the weather got colder, her wolf form seemed more ferocious and dangerous compared to the others. Of the three of them, Mercy feared her the most.

Rose regularly clawed at the front door, probably smelling Mercy and Oscar inside. Every night Mercy listened to her painful screams as she transformed. These soon turned into lonely howls that went on for most of the night. Unlike the other werewolves, Rose was scrappier, more restless. She was always biting at her chain and pacing across the porch, feet thumping an anxious rhythm on the wood. Mercy had no idea why she was more dangerous than the others at night. Was it some effect of the Liquid Lead on the others? Maybe it was because Rose was well-fed compared to the scraps the others got. Mercy had long learned the importance of food to werewolves in their transformed state. The transformation took a lot of energy. Andrei could eat constantly when he was in his human form. Even Jamison and Silver, who didn’t transform twice a day, still needed more than half a squirrel to keep them alive.

Footsteps in the kitchen pulled Mercy out of her thoughts. Oscar was doing his nightly ritual of fetching a cup of ale for himself before bed. She heard his distinctive footsteps as he entered the back hallway and came to a stop outside of her bedroom door. This was also a nightly ritual of his, one that made her anxious ever since she first found out about it.

Mercy’s bedroom door opened as he peeked inside. The hinges squeaked loudly and he grumbled under his breath. Mercy made a point never to oil those hinges, even though he had asked her to do it a dozen times.

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