The night passed and the next day Jack was the first to wake, and he found himself savoring the feeling of her body pressed up against his. Luna was still asleep and he pushed one of her curls away from her face, drawing a stir from the woman.
“Mmm?” She mumbled lightly, her eyes blinking heavily as she looked up at him tiredly.
Her eyes widened slightly, like she was remembering the previous night and he pulled her back against his body in response, her breasts pressing against his side. She relaxed her stiff position against him after a moment, and he blew out a long breath.
“I’m sorry,” He said and she looked at with confusion in her eyes.
“What for?”
He didn’t continue, merely blowing out another breath and squeezing her once before he released her, sitting up against the headboard. She leaned on her arm and stared up at him, clearly waiting for him to speak.
He sighed, but quickly smiled down at her.
“Hungry?”
She laughed lightly, “Sure.”
They stayed like that for a few minutes but eventually got up and quickly realized that they needed to shower.
He laughed and picked her up, swooping her into his arms and gaining a yelp from her in surprise.
“Jack!”
He laughed again and pulled the door to the bathroom open and set her down inside the shower with him. It was almost cramped with both of them inside, but he didn’t really care and threw on the water, groaning when cold water crashed against his back. It took a few minutes, but the water began to warm up, but they were both distracted as Jack had busied himself with her lips.378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHymvM8Fw37
He pulled back, “Why do you taste so sweet? Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing, but why?”
She shook her head, “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel any different than before.”
It’s called the kiss of death for a reason, Williams. It’s naturally sweet and grants peaceful death, like I’ve already said. It is supposed to be almost addicting, for the longer the kiss, the quicker the kisser dies. It is another way to drain someone of their life force. By the way, I need to talk to you both for that matter.
Luna looked at him blankly when he faded out for a moment.
“Is he talking to you?”
Jack smiled sheepishly, “Yeah. He says he needs to talk to us about something.”378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBImN0r5AYZ
It is in regard to food. She will have no real need of it anymore. Her hunger will be spiked by something else, specifically death. She has gained a piece of my essence and she will be bound by some of my own bonds. Feeding, is one of them.
As a part of my domain, I gain power by the deaths that I collect.
Like the grim reaper?
Yes. And since I gain power from deaths, she will gain power from them as well. Any other food sources would just be needless and gratuitous. You are both also going to be more energized by the night as another consequence of being under my hold. Last night the exception due to the stress both of you had been put under. For her, her return, and for you, my settling into your body as my host.
Jack regaled Luna with the god’s words and she nodded.
“That explains why I have this weird craving for something. I didn’t know what it was. I assumed it was food.”
Jack nodded, slightly unnerved by how she would have to dine from now on.
Wait, how do we accommodate her?
She will be able to get some from the dying soldiers in the infirmary, but the main feeding will have to come from the missions you two get sent on. My sister will need time to recover anyhow, so Luna can do it herself for the time being.
Luna doesn’t know how to fight. It’s probably why she was killed.
No, she was killed because her body was left weak from a collection of errors on both her and my sister’s parts. Her body was too weak from the lack of food and the stress my sister’s shifting forces her to undergo. My sister was left weak because she was constantly healing her host body and hadn’t had opportunity to sustain herself recently.
What does Sverila sustain herself on?
My sister feeds off of death to a certain degree, but she also feeds off of the moon’s light and primarily in the past she fed off of the humans sacrificed in her honor. Alas, not many are willing to do that anymore for their God, let alone for her.
Jack nodded and relayed the information back to Luna, who he had shielded from the shower’s spray unintentionally. He squeezed his way past her so she could wash up and she got her hair wet and began to scrub clean with the soap on the shower shelf. She bent over and accidentally ground her backside into his front drawing a groan from him. He grabbed her hips and rubbed her further against him.
“Jack…” She moaned softly, “We need to get washed up. You wanted to get something to eat, remember?”
He groaned in irritation, “Can’t we just put that off for a little while?”
She laughed, “I’m pretty sure we can’t as by the light that came in through the window, I’m guessing it’s past lunch. Someone will miss us soon if we’re not careful.”
She stood up straight and finished rinsing her hair while he stared at the water trailing down her back.
He never wanted to be water more.
You’ve wanted to be water before?
He could hear the god groan in his head.
I’ve picked poorly in hosts it seems. Surely the good doctor would not have been so idiotic.
Jack narrowed his eyes at the showerhead, which Luna noticed as she turned around to face him.
“What’s wrong?”
He relaxed and smirked at her.
“He is questioning whether he wants me as a host. Somehow I think he has missed the opportunity to reverse the situation.”
Indeed, I have. Pity.
Why did you pick me anyway? Because it was convenient? Because you knew she cared about me?
A combination of sorts. I found it convenient both due to your ‘handler’ situation, her feelings for you, and of course, you’re proximity at the time. But I would not have picked you if I did not find you suitable to my other specifications as well.
Other specifications? What other specifications?
The god sighed and Jack flinched with how the god’s cold snapped at him.
“Here, I’ll finish up. Go get dressed, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Jack smiled at her and she smiled back at him
“Sure, don’t take too long. I’m sure I’m under watch.”
She stepped out of the shower and closed the door. He could spot her hazy silhouette towel off as she left the bathroom. He finished up quickly after that, dropping the turn of conversation with the god in favor of getting toweled off so he could go search for food.
He exited the bathroom and spotted Luna pulling on her stockings and fumbling with her bra.
It’s too big for her. Tell her I’ll fix that situation for her tonight.
She jumped when he spoke up, alerting her to his presence.
“Anryien says he’ll take care of your clothes tonight.”
She turned around and smiled softly at him.
“Okay.”
She walked over to the closet and pulled out another dress, one he had barely seen her in. It was a black dress that tied at the waist with an open collar that revealed a red button up below it, ending in pleats at her knees. It fit her better than anything else did, well beside the dress from yesterday, but it was supposed to be loose, or so he’d thought.
He was hit again by that wave of angry feeling that pointed out what an asshole he was.
Nevermind that, get dressed. You’re staring into empty space.
She had moved onto putting her shoes on, having not noticed his zoned out expression. He quickly finished drying off and put on his clothes while Luna skimmed a book that she kept in the bedside table.
“What are you reading?”
“The Golden Bough, it’s interesting, just a bit long.” Luna stated, showing him the book from off her lap. It was large, longer than he would have guessed her to read (and if he was honest, himself and everyone else on this base). But then again, he didn’t really know what she did in her off time.
Ask.
“Hey, Luna? I was wondering what you do when you’re not here?”
She looked up at him, startled at the question.
Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.
“I work in the infirmary primarily, or I spend time with Beatrice and some of the other men who’ve been in the infirmary and have gotten better.”
“What did you do before this?” His question made her frown, her brows furrowing.
“Do you mean before the war?”
He nodded and she appeared to force her frown to go away.
“I… don’t remember anything I did before I got here. I remember walking on the road to get into the base with the heart in my hand and the broken idol in my other. Sverila growing accustomed to my mind. Everything before then is like a bright white hole in my memory.”
He frowned, turning around to pull on his jacket and sitting down on his cot to tie his shoes.
She didn’t know anything about where she came from? Didn’t that bother her? Maybe she had set those feelings aside in favor of staying in the present, but still, it couldn’t have been good for her. He had his family to think of when he got out of this, but she didn’t have anything. It made him frustrated that she would just be tossed aside after the war, of course, he had no way of saying that she would, but what else would they do with her?
He heard her sit her book back down on the table and walk over to him and he surprised her by picking her up and putting her back down on top of his lap. She laughed and smiled at him. Jack smiled back and kissed her and she responded back softly.
She pulled away, “Why do you want to know everything?”
Jack blushed, “I just figured out I didn’t really know that much about you is all.”
Luna smiled at him, “There’s not really a lot to know, but I’ll answer all of your questions if I can.”
He smiled at her and kissed her once more before pulling away, “So, what’s your favorite food? Don’t tell me, let me guess, apples.”
“No, actually.” She teased, “My favorite food is steak.”
He gaped at her, “A woman after my own heart.”
She laughed and climbed off of his lap as a knock came at the door.
“Jack! Open up!”
Luna opened the door and three men came falling onto the ground in a pile. One of them was Henry, the other two being David and Richard Charleston, a pair of brothers that had been lucky enough to be stationed together. The brothers were some of a few of Jack’s friends, and they had welcomed Luna too, with only the missing Robert Hodges having a problem with her presence. He was never impolite, but it was clear he would much rather she not go out with them.
David was the first to pop to his feet and beamed at Luna.
“Sorry Miss. Diviny. Thought Jack was going to answer.”
Groans came from Richard and Henry, Richard tumbling off Henry onto his back on the floor as they both gained their bearings. Richard was the first to get up and smiled bashfully at Luna.
“Whoops,” he stated, sliding out of the doorway and giving his brother room to enter as Henry dragged himself out of the door and kicked it closed after a moment.
“Hey Luna.” Henry greeted, standing up. He glanced at Jack who was being talked to by David and Richard.
Henry and Luna were silent for a moment, but Henry turned to her after a couple minutes and rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.
“Are you-are you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t see what was going on. I was being a bad friend. I should’ve tried to put an end to the relationship between Sverila and Jack, but I was… I was afraid of her.”
Luna smiled softly, “It’s fine, Henry. I know, I’ve known for a while. And I never blamed you for anything. If you want I’ll tell you some more about it later, but you don’t need to worry yourself about it. I’d hate it if I came between you and Jack, you’re his best friend and he was just as confused as I was, maybe even more so due to Sverila.”
Luna patted his shoulder with a smile and stepped to the side to let the men talk to each other. She watched them quietly for a while as Henry drifted into their conversation over the ‘English dame’ that Robert had developed feelings for.
“To think, Robert “ScreatcherCreature” Hodges, is interested in a woman!” David joked and they all laughed.
“Come on, I think it’s time these two ate, since they clearly missed out on Peggy Mae’s delicious lunch!” Richard chortled and Jack laughed and they headed towards the door, Jack guiding her with his hand on the small of her back as they continued to chat merrily about the events around the base.
“I’ll be honest, Diviny. When I heard Ann blew her cap I thought you’d be seriously hurt, Ann isn’t exactly known for going gentle on the people who get on her bad side.” Richard teased and Jack and Luna stilled.
Luna let out a nervous laugh, “My healing has sped up, I assure you.”
Jack turned to Henry with a raised brow, “You didn’t tell them?”
Henry smirked, “I was planning to leave that to you two, well, you, because I planned on pulling Luna away to see Marissa. Marissa finally got back into camp yesterday night, and she’s excited to see ‘Lunacy’ and work with her. She heard that Luna’s the best nurse beside the always reliable Beatrice.”
Jack frowned, but relaxed toward the end of his friend’s statement and they continued to the mess hall where barely anyone was. Jack grabbed a tray and handed a bottle of water to Luna. She shook her head when he pulled a second tray for her with a frown.
Henry, who had come to the short line with them, blinked at her, “Aren’t you hungry?”
Luna laughed with a blush, “I’m actually good. I think I’d get sick if I ate something. Must be another side effect of the ‘stunt’ I pulled yesterday or so.”
Henry nodded. “You should probably tell Thomas, he’d want to know, I’m sure.”
After Jack had gotten some food they made their way over to the table where the two brothers sat, the elder, Richard, sitting on the opposite side from his younger brother. David grinned at them and patted the seat next to him for Luna. She sat down with a grin at the young man and Jack sat at the head of the table while Henry sat across from Luna.
She sipped her bottle of water and Jack began to eat. Richard frowned at Luna, “Shouldn’t you be eating?”
She laughed, “I’m not hungry, I think it has something to do with the coming back from the dead situation.”
Richard spat out his water...right into his younger brother’s face.
David was aghast and pulled a towel out of the dispenser with an appalled look on his face, wiping his face off. He stilled after a moment as if he suddenly caught onto what she had said.
“Wait, yo-you died?!” he turned to Henry, “Asshat! Was that what you were keeping from us! God, who else knew before us?”
He turned to Luna, “Doll, I thought we were special!”
She laughed, “I don’t think anyone outside the infirmary knew. Morgan had a good laugh about it. Well, after he came down from his shock.”
David laughed and Richard turned to Jack, “So how did she die?”
He stilled, paling.
“I can’t really remember, to be honest. I get flashes of being in a town, in an alley, but after that it gets hazy. I remember getting back to Jack-” Luna stated, getting Jack off the hook for now,
“With that god’s help, right?” Henry cut in and she nodded.
“The god, Anryien, and I talked for a while, and then I died.”
Richard turned his gaze on Jack, “Where were you when this happened? ``````````
Jack frowned and stared down at his food for a moment.
Tell them you didn’t see her until she had already died.
He looked up and then at Luna, “I didn’t really see her until she was already dead.”
Luna looked up at him and then away, nodding to herself as if she expected his answer, or at the very least acknowledged it as a wiser one than the truth. She understood why he would step around the truth like that, his friends would not have remained by his side if they knew the truth, or at least all except for a few.
Overall, she agreed with his answer, deciding that it was best if they kept the truth between his passenger, the doctor, and themselves. They were quiet for a while as Jack ate, and the brothers and Henry kept looking between the two of them alternatingly.
“Wait, so the god, this Anryien, brought you back for what? Shits and giggles?” Richard asked, his voice disbelieving.
Jack bleated out a nervous laugh, “You’re not the only one wondering. I think it must have been something about how Sverila was in Luna. Sverila is his sister.”
David’s eyes widened, “Is it really a good idea to let him run loose if that’s true? I mean, won’t he come for his sister?”
As if they could truly capture me.
Should I remind you that you’re kept in my body, very much captured?
Regardless, I could always leave. But it would also kill you to do so, so you better not alert anyone else to your problem. I’d hate to have to ‘quit’ you so soon.
So soon? So you’re planning to eventually?
The god did not answer him and dropped the subject, both of them moving their attention back to the conversation.
Luna patted David’s arm, “I’m sure it will be fine.”
Jack finished up and the conversation dissolved into laughter and jokes that forced both Luna and Jack to relax. After a while, Henry stood and walked around the table and held out his hand to Luna.
“Come on, I want to introduce you to Marissa. She’s Doc’s sister, she’s also about to start working in the infirmary again since she left a year ago. I figured you’d want to meet her.” Henry smiled at her and Luna smiled back, taking his hand and standing up.
Jack nodded at the both of them, disregarding the annoyed god in his head.
What are you? Jealous? Of Henry? Christ, he’s always stayed away from her, why would he become a ‘threat’ now?
I am a jealous creature, mortal.
Yeah, I figured after hearing about your last bride.
The god’s cold snapped at him, lashing his mind and shocking his system. David and Richard looked up at him, David staring deep into Jack’s eyes.
“Whoa, man. You’re practically radiating cold, are you okay?”
Jack gave a tight nod and tried to divert the conversation back to lighter topics, but it was difficult for the soldier, with the god’s cutting chill only slowly receding. He made do with the situation and the brothers took to the change merrily, seeming to forget all about the result of his error with his irritated passenger, the one that no one but Luna could know about.
Luna gripped Henry’s arm tight, anxious about meeting the younger Thomas twin that the elder had told her so much about when she began working in the infirmary. Silver had always spoken fondly about his younger sister and spoke well of her skill as a nurse, and what Silver did not allude to, Beatrice certainly filled her in on. It surprised Luna that she would actually meet the famous sister; she thought the twins had decided to stay apart for two years while Marissa worked in Scotland on something or another.
Henry patted her arm reassuringly, “Don’t worry, she’s not intimidating, only overwhelming. She doesn’t ever seem to stop talking, trying to escape a conversation with her is about as difficult as trying to hunt a hummingbird.”
Luna let out a laugh and forced herself to relax. Apparently Marissa had been here for some time before Luna had arrived in the spring of this year. Henry informed her about Marissa some more as they walked and told her about some of the eccentricities of the younger Thomas, joking about a few of them.
They entered the infirmary and Morgan greeted them with a yell from his cot, where he was sitting up while Beatrice checked his bandages. The middle-aged brunette woman looked up from her work and beamed at the two of them. Henry dropped his arm, which Luna released, and walked past Beatrice toward the back of the infirmary where a door led to the doctor’s office and tiny living quarters for the doctor and a shared room for two nurses.
Luna followed him and Beatrice winked at her as she passed, confusing the dark haired woman a bit. But still, she pressed on and followed Henry to the back and through the door to the doctor’s office where Silver was chuckling at something his sister said. He looked up, and his sister turned to look over her shoulder at him.
She was smartly dressed, but not in a nurses’ uniform, probably still recovering from her travel before she got back to work.
Marissa was a very fair woman, similar to her brother with her white-blonde hair and bright eyes- hers an icy blue. She was tall, like her brother, and pale, like her brother, with strong aristocratic features, like her brother. If they were both the same gender, they would be identical in everything except the shade of blue in their eyes.
Marissa’s hair was braided back into a french bun at the back of her head with a navy cap sitting atop. She stood as she realized that Henry and Luna had entered, revealing her expensive looking black and white coat, which was unbuttoned to show her fine navy colored dress, that was surely as expensive as her coat. Her hands were covered by white gloves and she held out her hand to shake Luna’s.
Luna smiled at her and the woman’s eyes widened a bit. Luna shook her hand and Marissa began to talk to her, looking briefly at her brother.
“My. my, darling are you hypothermic? Your lips are blue! Your hand is also freezing, do you need my coat? I’m sure you must be uncomfortable! Silver! What have you been doing? No- don’t you dare laugh at me Silver Xander Thomas! Grandmother would be rolling in her grave if she knew you let a woman under your care get sick!”
Silver was full on laughing at his sister and Marissa frowned at him before turning back to Luna.
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Marissa Thomas, Silver’s sister-”
“Younger sister.” Silver interrupted and Marissa narrowed her eyes on him.
“By three minutes.”
He frowned at her tone and quickly looked anywhere but at his sister, unease radiating from him in response to her irritated voice.
Henry choked and let out a stream of laughter, garnering a wounded look from the doctor, who in Luna’s opinion, looked much younger that how he usually did, making him appear his age for once. He was twenty-three, she believed.
Silver had mentioned something about originally volunteering as a doctor, even when he had been passed up for the draft due to his pacifistic lifestyle. He had said something about how easy it was to do, too, and Morgan had mentioned that it was because the Thomas’ were a prominent wealthy family in the States.
Luna smiled at Marissa when the blonde looked back at her, “I’m Luna Diviny. It’s nice to meet you.”
Henry took a deep breath to calm himself, “You don’t have to lie, Luna.”
Marissa glared at him and he broke out into more laughter, Silver letting out his own. The blonde woman glared at the two men and Luna smiled at the scene. Marissa patted the chair next to her and Luna sat as they waited for the two men to regain their composure. Which they didn’t, for quite some time.
It was probably a relief to laugh well and good for a while for them, Silver was always stressed by the work and Henry tended to take on everyone’s darker emotions as his own. But that was just Luna’s opinion, and regardless, both the men were clearly enjoying themselves.
Marissa turned to her and smiled warmly, a glint of happiness in her blue eyes.
The two women talked for a while, the men joining in after they had calmed. They conversed for an hour or so and Luna came to really like the younger Thomas, her liking of the elder growing as well as she began to see another side to him, a happier side.
Beatrice peeked her brown head in the door, “I’m heading out now, I won’t be back till tomorrow afternoon, so goodnight. I already cleared the room in the back for you, Marissa.”
Marissa smiled at her, “Thanks Beatrice, have a goodnight.”
She waved to them and closed the door.
Silver turned to Luna, “Do you think you could take care of the second shift while Marissa gets unpacked?”
Luna nodded and stood, grabbing the apron that she kept in the doctor’s office and with a smile, left the room. She tied the apron and set herself to ordering the medicines and chatting with some of the soldiers who were awake.
A few minutes later, the door at the front opened, releasing a cold breeze into the infirmary and waking up some of the sleeping patients. A woman stepped into a room, a man stepping in behind her.
Morgan was the first to spot her in full.
“You sure are a sight for sore eyes, ma’am. Luna! You have competition for my affections, doll!”
Luna let out a laugh and stood up from her kneel, walking over to Morgan with a smile.
“Morgan, with how you act around Beatrice, I already had competition.”
Morgan chuckled after coming out of a pout before pointing with his good arm at the woman, “We have a guest!”
The woman stepped forward into the room and stuttered in her step as she made eye contact with Luna, the woman blinking her eyes blankly for a moment or two.
The woman was pretty with long blonde hair braided away from her face and light green eyes that Luna thought were a bit sad, despite the woman’s blank expression. She was tall for a woman, with only an inch being given to her from her shoes. Her features were strong and sturdy, though her skin showed no strong wear from stress. She bore no deep lines in her face- and Luna could guess that she didn’t smile very often, giving her a melancholic air about her.
She wore a fine dress shirt and flattering skirt- both more expensive than most of the women’s clothes of the women that Luna had met. Her coat was thrown over a leather bag that the woman held in both of her hands in front of her body, which was stock still as she appeared to come down from whatever daze she had been in.
Luna smiled at the woman in welcome, “I’m Luna and this-”
She pointed at the chuckling patient, “- is Morgan.”
Morgan smiled broadly at the woman from his cot with a wave, “Morgan James! Nice to meet ya ma’am!”
The woman smiled and walked further into the room, the man stepping fully out of the shadows of the door.
The man was an older gentlemen, with a large warm smile and a full head of white hair that went onto his jaw in a full santa-like beard. He wore a butler’s uniform- but one more suited for the coming winter and military lifestyle.
“Why, hello there!” The man grinned.
The woman approached Luna and took the dark haired woman’s hand, shaking it and introducing herself.
“Dorothea Blackburn. But just call me Dorothy, Dorothea was my grandmother.”
The man she was accompanied by walked over to Morgan’s cot and shook hands with the wounded soldier.
Luna blinked as she glanced at some of the surrounding soldiers who had begun to murmur when the woman had introduced herself. Odd.
“I’ve actually come because Marissa invited me to help out. Is she here?”
Luna looked back at the blonde woman, “Oh, yes. She’s just with her brother catching up, I just met her a few minutes ago. Are you two friends?”
Dorothy smiled warmly with closed lips, “Her parents were friends with mine. She’s like a cousin.”
Luna nodded, “I’ll go get her, I’m sure Morgan wouldn’t mind talking your ears off while I’m gone, right Morgan?”
Morgan grinned, “You’re not wrong, doll.”
Luna smiled and turned her back on the woman and the old man, walking to the back door where she quickly slid inside and knocked on the office door before sticking her head in.
They all looked up at her.
“Marissa, a friend of yours is here, she said to help out.”
Marissa beamed and stood up, “Oh, yes. I didn’t expect her to get here so fast, though! Silver, come! Henry, you too! I can’t wait to introduce her to you, Henry. You’ll love her!”
Henry shook his head with a laugh and both men stood and accompanied Marissa out the room, following behind Luna as they came out of the back.
Silver smiled widely when he caught sight of Dorothy, while Henry froze up like a deer caught in the path of a predator. Marissa walked up to the other blonde woman and embraced her.
“Dorothy! Thank you for coming so fast! How was England? I have missed the city dearly! You must tell me everything about it!”
Dorothy smiled softly at the talkative woman before turning her eyes on Silver.
“Silver, I haven’t seen you since the party at the Wycroft’s estate! It’s been too long.”
Silver smiled and approached her, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it with a smile.
“Dorothy, you are not wrong about that. You never told me about how your art show went, and I’m sure I’ve missed quite a lot since it’s been two years.”
Dorothy smiled and turned her gaze on the stock still Henry, blinking her eyes blankly before smiling warmly at him.
“Henry! I haven’t seen you since grade school!”
Henry just blinked at her as if he had never met her. He rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture and swallowed. Luna grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the group of standing people.
Henry smiled absently, as if he was struggling to come up with anything to say. Dorothy was still focused on him, but Marissa had begun to prattle into her ear about some party or something- Luna wasn’t quite sure.
Luna leaned into his ear, “Do you not remember her, Henry? She said her name was Dorothea Blackburn if that helps.”
Henry pulled back from her and looked at her with wide eyes as realization dawned.
He blinked a few times again before turning back to look at Dorothy, who hadn’t taken her eyes from him.
“Dorothy,” he stated and Marissa quieted and the twins both turned to look at him as well.
Dorothy for her part quirked her head to the side, waiting for him to continue.
The door at the front opened and Jack came walking in, frowning at Henry when he spotted his friend at a loss for words, he glanced at Luna for help figuring out the situation and she left Henry’s side to walk over to Jack’s.
Jack’s eyes trailed over the back of Dorothy, the old man, and Marissa, easily recognizing Silver as the doctor was facing toward him.
Luna stood by his side and explained the situation to him quietly.
“Dorothy,” Henry stated flatly again, still at a loss.
“Dorothy?” Jack frowned and the woman in question turned to glance at him over her shoulder.
“Williams? Of course you’d be here if Henry was.” Dorothy stated objectively as she glanced at him briefly.
“Blackburn, I thought for sure you would have gotten married to someone as pretentious as yourself.” Jack replied with a narrowed gaze.
Dorothy merely rose a brow in response, disregarding him after a moment. She turned to Marissa.
“Anyway, I’ve come to help like you asked. Terry was just dropping me off before he went back stateside to see his grandchildren.”
Marissa smiled, “Of course, right this way. You’ll be rooming with me in the back.”
Marissa escorted Dorothy and Terry past the struggling Henry and through the back door, leaving Henry gaping, an irritated Jack, and an amused Silver. Silver turned and followed the pair to the back after a moment.
Luna looked up at Jack curiously, wanting to know where his aggression toward the blonde came from.
After a moment, Jack relaxed and Henry regained his bearings as well, walking over to the two of them. Jack patted Henry on the shoulder before glancing at Luna with a soft gaze.
“Are you working for the third shift?”
Luna shook her head, “I’m working until Marissa gets unpacked. I’ll meet you back when I’m done.”
Jack nodded and the two men left the infirmary.
Morgan scoffed, “Wonder what their problems were.”
Barrett and some of the other men nodded.
Oliver blew out a low whistle, “Didn’t know the doc was rich. He and his sister must be if their friends with the Blackburn heiress.”
Luna frowned at them, “Heiress?”
Barrett nodded, “Yeah, Dorothy Blackburn is the princess of the Blackburn family. Her family made most of their money in the gold rush, railroads, and steel industry. They have several universities that share their name, too. One of the richest families in the States, if not the world.”
Another man nodded, “Yeah, but most of them died off over the past five years- isn’t she the only one still alive? Her siblings are all gone, along with her father, grandparents, and most recently her mother, right? Wasn’t that in the papers for weeks?”
Oliver nodded, “Right before the war broke out, she must have been an older teenager then. She can’t be more than twenty three now, by the looks of her at least.”
Morgan whistled, “Sure is a pretty thing, though. Williams is right, it’s a wonder that she isn’t married, especially with her fortune.”
Luna shook her head, “If she’s as rich as you say, she probably doesn’t want to get married for a while at least. She’d probably be taken advantage of, if she did.”
The men nodded, admitting that she was right.
Luna focused on caring for the most recent arrivals, who had come back to the base in the middle of last night.
One of them, Andrew, was so cooked up on drugs that he couldn’t stop giggling in hysterical bursts of laughter, drawing glares from the soldiers beside him that were trying to sleep.
Luna smiled at him and he burst out again.
“Somebody knock him out, we gotta have something for that, right?” Jackson mumbled, his voice thick with exhaustion.
“What even happened to him? I mean, I want what he’s on.” Oliver drawled and Luna sighed, lifting up Andrew’s blanket and checking out his wound.
She cringed and Morgan sat up by the door, “That bad?”
Luna nodded and swallowed, “I think he has an infection in his leg, it looks like it’s spreading.”
Andrew was giggling quieter now, starting to come down from his high.
He looked at her by his side, “Hey, Luuunnnnaaaacccccyyy! You cold? You can come cuddle with me!”
Luna smiled and shook her head. She placed her hand on his forehead and he released a sigh, and she kept her hand on his head until he nodded off.
He had a fever.
Luna sighed and stood, “I’ll be right back.”
The ones that were awake nodded and Luna walked to the back and brought the doctor back out.
They went back to Andrew’s bedside and Silver kneeled down and peeked beneath the blanket, before removing it.
“ Dear God,” Silver breathed and Morgan hopped off his cot and approached as well, cringing when he spotted the inflamed wound.
“God is right! I didn’t even know- ehhhhh.”
Morgan gagged when the doctor stripped the bandages from the limb and Luna frowned at him.
“Back in bed!” Luna snapped and he quickly trotted back to bed with his tail between his legs, garnering laughter from Oliver and Barrett.
“It can’t be that ba-” Oliver began.
“It is.” Silver breathed and the rest of them settled down.
Luna sighed and whispered to Silver.
“What can we do?”
“The infection has already spread too far. It wouldn’t even do any good to amputate.”
Luna frowned and Silver nodded.
“We just need to make him comfortable.”
Luna nodded and stood up, pulling a ramshackle chair to the cot where she sat down and kept her hand to Andrew’s forehead, garnering a soft sigh.
Everyone in the infirmary quieted down after that and nodded off except for the staff.
Marissa came out an hour later with an apron on with plain clothes beneath. The blonde came to Luna and patted her shoulder.
“Silver told me. I’ll take it from here, you’re not even supposed to be working till we figure out your new condition. Silver told me about that too.” Marissa sighed, and Luna stood, giving the other nurse room to sit.
Luna nodded absently and walked over to the freezer and prepared an ice pack for the other nurse to keep to the patient’s forehead. Marissa accepted the pack and shooed her out quietly and Luna stripped off the apron and quickly left to go back to her room, her mind absent.
She came into the room to see Jack just coming out of the bathroom. He frowned when he spotted the look on her face.
“Something bad going on?”
She nodded, “Andrew has a really bad infection. We don’t think he’s going to make it, it’s spread too far. “
He nodded and approached her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest.
She sighed softly and gripped his shirt tightly.
Jack released a slow breath. He had never seen her upset about any of the men, but then again he probably didn’t notice.
Luna pulled back after a moment and began to pull off her clothes, dropping them in her hamper and her shoes in her half of the closet. When she was left in her shift she turned back to look at him with a soft smile before heading into the bathroom.
He was left alone in the room and walked over to sit on the bed, laying back to stare up at the ceiling.
The shower flicked on in the other room and his eyes fell closed.
A moment passed and he felt himself relax.
When he opened his eyes again, he was not in his room.
A scream rang out, piercing the air and startling him fully awake.
Luna! I have to get to her! What is she doing to her?!
Jack yelled out in frustration.
“Anryien! Where are you?! You can’t let Sverila hurt her! You fucking promised!”
His skin was slick with sweat and his limbs were quaking with adrenaline as he tried to shake off the shackles that kept him against the wall.
His breathing came out harsh and laboured and he glanced over at Henry.
His hair was as filthy as Jack’s and he was a bit older. His clothes stuck to him like wet rags, his green eyes blinking hazily.
He was drugged.
All of a sudden Luna’s screaming cut off and a new screech was heard.
A murmuring of voices followed from down the hall outside his prison before Luna broke out once more into screams.
No, no, no.
He fucking promised to make sure she was safe.
Minutes passed, maybe hours, her screams never stopped till the cell was ensconced in darkness from the passing of dusk.
Another screech was heard and she went silent once more.
His shaking never stopped and he was strung tight with anxiety.
Where was she? How could he get to her? Where was Anryien? What was going on?
Spectres made of shadows manifested in front of the pair of shackled friends and Jack itched to fight them but thought better of it. With a touch they were suddenly in a different room, a cavernous room filled with lingering moonlight dancing in the air, hailing down upon their heads.
They were re-shackled to the floor just off a large dais in the center of the room, Henry collapsing onto his side as the last of the drugs were wiped from his system.
Jack kept silent, his jaws clenched as three figures entered the room, the first with a pair bundles wrapped up in her arms.
“Hush, child.” Sverila cooed to the first and just over her shoulder he could spot Anryien carry a slack Luna in his cut obsidian arms.
She was deathly pale, sweat sticking to her features, those very features contorted in pain as Anryien placed her gently upon the floor directly across from Jack and Henry on the other side of the dais.
Her clothes were not her own but a short thin red dress of some sort of skin.
“Luna?”
She did not stir and for a moment he thought he saw Anryien look at him with pity.
Cradles were made manifest from shadows on either side of her form and Sverila placed a bundle in each.
“Please…’” Anryien implored softly of his sister.
Sverila looked at him with disdain.
“You are not the brother I once knew. She has made you weak.”
She sighed and with a flick of her wrist Jack was pushed down face first into the stone floors, his bones creaking with the stress impressed upon them.
A cry broke out and Sverila shrugged it off, “Hush!”
Anryien approached the first cradle and rocked it gently, whispering into the shadows with a small piece of his domains. The babe was quieted.
“Now,” Sverila said, “You know what it is that I require of you.”
“I will have your word that you will not harm her or the children.”
She sneered, “You think I would be so low as to hurt a child? Nonetheless you have my word.”
Jack began to shake once more, his skin breaking out into more sweat and he closed his eyes.
Jack shot up in bed to see Luna sitting above him, her legs on either side of his as she tried to shake him awake.
“Jack?”378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSm293pgQm5
He seized her hands and drew her tight against his chest.
“Luna,” He muttered, “I think I saw something. Something I wasn’t meant to see.”
She ran a hand through his hair to comfort him, her other hand playing along his shoulder.
“Whatever it was, we’ll figure it out, Jack.” She comforted and Jack ran shaky hands over her naked back.
Naked.
The realization knocked him back to his senses and he forced himself to relax.
What did you see, mortal?
I saw something bad- your sister-
What did she do? What will she do?
Jack played the vision through in his head over and over again for the god, who was silent for the whole of it.
This could be bad.
For once they weren’t arguing.
Yes.
We will solve this. I will teach you how to use your newfound gift and we will prepare for whatever my sister has planned. First though, we must discover if she is yet cognizant.
“Luna?” Jack asked and she glanced up at him from his chest.
“Is Sverila coming to?”
Her brows scrunched up and her eyes went glazed for a few moments.378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1Sy881NDd
“I can hear her, “ She began, her eyes still glazed, “I don’t know what she’s saying. She’s quiet. I don’t know.”
She shook her head and her eyes regained their natural appearance.
“She… is better at blocking me out than I am for her.”
Jack nodded and he felt the god begin to rise up.
We will need to shift tonight. I will take on the pain because you must remain aware, mortal. We are going on a… field trip.
Okay.
He stilled his hands on her back and felt the god rise higher. He receded back and gratefully felt nothing as their consciousnesses shifted, their body shifting slowly as well.
Luna kept her head pressed against his chest and only looked up as Anryien took to his own form- a lesser form than his true self, but it would do for the night.
She sat up, to lean back on her heels between his legs on the mattress as he sat up and took in the room.
“Anryien?” She whispered softly and he nodded as he scoured the small room with his eyes.
He sent her a wry grin, “It is a very different thing to see with one’s own eyes.”
Her lips fell open silently and he moved to place his legs off the bed and on the cool cement floors.
She stared up at him as he began to stand and pace the room a bit, adjusting to his first actual shift.
He looked back at her after a few moments and she blushed at having been caught staring.
“Hmmm… I suppose I should check to see what I look like.”
She smiled softly and nodded, standing up to show him the bathroom, opening the room and flitting in to show him the mirror.
He took in his features for a few moments.
Much like his sister he gave off cold shadows that obscured much of his form, but he could easily spot the harder edges of his frame. He was the same height as his host- a foot taller than Luna. His face was made up of carved obsidian angles and curves, but his facade was cracked with silver markings- similar to that of a tattoo.
His features took after the mortal’s in terms of shape, but his eyes held that same silver plated glow that his sister’s did when she shifted. His clothes were kept similar to the mortal’s with a pair of pants and a shirt, but they were made in the patchwork skins that were familiar to him, well-worn and comfortable. The only thing he was shocked to see was peeking over his shoulders at him in the mirror.
He ran his hand over his shoulder and latched onto the handle of his welcome surprise.
“My blades…”
He glanced at Luna, “I have not seen these in some time. I thought I had lost them…”
He re-sheathed the first short sword and kept his eyes trained on her.
You gonna tell her?
Anryien grabbed hold of her hand and ran his own over it. Her skin seemed to leech off the darkness he emitted and he smiled at her.
She blushed back when he pulled her close and bent over to kiss her.
He pulled back after a moment, “We will continue later… I have something to show you. Well… somewhere, I suppose.”
He smirked down at her, “But you will probably need clothes to go out, yes?”
She glanced down at herself, then up at him, then back down at herself again before her jaw dropped into an ‘o’.
She laughed, “Yes, I will probably need clothes.”
Anryien encompassed her in a wave of shadows, pulling back after a moment to reveal her form once more.
He nodded down at her in approval.
She glanced at the mirror and he followed her gaze for a moment as she took herself in.
Her hair was braided back into pleats, gold clips framing her face while her dress was a thin gold slip that fell two inches above her knees, her arms bare of the golden silk, her right upper arm wearing a golden snake circlet.
He took her hand once more.
“I hope we are not going anywhere anyone will see us. Or anywhere cold.”
“We are not.” He replied back with a grin.
And then he enfolded her in shadow and they were gone from the base as the lights briefly flickered at their exit.
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