Page 39 of The Mating Frenzy
“Tornakt? What the hell are you talking about? What is that thing?” Panic clogged her throat, but Ella moved to protect her mother, who kept moaning. She wrapped her arms around her. Cold. Soicy.
“It’s a shapeshifter from my world—the Winter Kingdom. A shadow being that takes on whatever form it wishes in order to blend. Most in my world are peaceful, and shadowblend to observe others. They are usuallygentle.”
Kieran twirled the knife in his hand, his gaze focused on the creature. “Except this one seems to have had a close encounter of the undead kind—with the Dark Lord of theunderworld.”
The Tornakt-thing-that-had-been-Stan shrieked, the sound piercing, and Ella clapped hands over her ears. It felt as if someone jabbed knitting needles into hereardrums.
“Don’t let it touch you,” Kieran warned. “You’ll lose your memories and forget this thing ever existed. You’ll forget every damn thing that makes up your life and you’ll become easyprey.”
It shrieked again. Kieran pointed to her ears as she moaned. “Tune it out. Concentrate on muting the sound. You can do it by listening to something else. Your mother needs you,Ella.”
She didn’t know how, but focused on her mother as she applied pressure to her mother’s bleeding wound. Her skin was cold, and beginning to turn blue. The Tornakt’s shrieks became muted and the sharp ache in her eardrumslessened.
Moans became shallow, whistling breaths as her mother struggled to draw in air. Her skin was sopale.
Please, I can’t lose you too,Mom.
Kieran leapt onto the table again, scattering dishes and spilling the bottle of wine. He picked up the bottle, threw it at the creature. Wine splashed in itseyes.
The Tornakt screamed. Windows cracked and the mirror in the living room shattered, shards of glass explodingoutward.
Kieran threw the knife. It sank into the Tornakt’s left eye. As it shrieked, trying to pull out the blade, Kieran sprang off the table, landing on his feet. He darted around the Tornakt and reached up with hishands.
A sickening crack ensued as Kieran twisted the thing’s neck. It dropped to the floor and laystill.
Ella ran over to him. “Is itdead?”
“Yes. For now.” He turned to her. “Are you allright?”
Ella shuddered. “You touched it. You said not to touchit.”
Kieran held out his hands, covered by leather gloves she hadn’t even seen himdon.
“Always carry a warm pair of gloves. They come in handy in the winter.” He winked, but she was far too shaken to appreciate hisjocularity.
The creature lay upon her mother’s carpet, yellowish fluid from its wounded eye seeping onto the fibers. But Ella’s attention focused onNellie.
Her mother shivered violently. “I’m s-so cold, Ella. W-what is w-wrong withme?”
Ella’s insides knotted with horror and panic. Blue tinged Nellie’s bare skin. Her face was the color of pale death. Then her eyes closed and she seemed to stopbreathing.
She rubbed her mother’s hands, but nothinghelped.
“She’s going into shock. Hypothermia. We have to call an ambulance,” sheyelled.
Darcy bolted into the room, meowing loudly, winding around Ella’s legs. The cat went to Nellie, rubbed against her as if to try to warm Nellie, who had stoppedmoving.
Kieran only squatted beside Nellie, his gaze riveted to her face. He touched her arm and drew in a sharpbreath.
His gloved hand on Ella’s arm, Kieran drew her to her feet. “You must answer me. Did your mother have relations with Stan? Quick, Ella mine, this is not the time to bemodest!”
“Y-yes,” she told him, remembering the sounds from Nellie’sbedroom.
A haunted expression touched his face. He released her and sank against the wall. “Sweet mother of winter. I cannot saveher.”
“Is s-she dying? What happened?” Ella criedout.
Kieran began to pace. “The Tornakt cast a spell on your mother. She is not dead, but frozen. If the spell is not broken in 10 days, she willperish.”
