The BlackWolf Effect (Book IV)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN - Black Blood

Timber was convinced that she was going to die. She could not get up from where she had fallen and she could not see clearly what was happening around her since she had been rendered blind in one eye. She was completely buried in the ash that was still falling from the sky. She had just accepted the fact that she would die from bleeding out or die of starvation when she heard an echoed voice she had not heard in five years. He was calling for her. Timber lifted her heavy head and barked. It burned like a torch in her throat but she kept barking until a man came into her line of sight. Timber wept.

"Easy, Timber," he said. "Easy. I've got you." Chad Frunden wrapped her head in his arms and Timber melted into him. "Your mother is on her way. So is your friend Frank."

Timber sobbed and then choked from breathing in a chunk of ash.

"Here," said Chad, pulling a needle and thread out of his jacket pocket. "Your aunt stuck this in here ten years ago when she borrowed my jacket. I never took it out. Now I'm glad I didn't. I know you're not used to me sewing you back together but remember I was training to be a surgeon. I'm just as good as your aunt. Perhaps even better. Hold still."

Chad carefully removed all of Timber's armor set it aside. Then he dusted the ash away the best he could and set to work mending Timber's side while she closed her eyes and rested. Much to her surprise, it didn't hurt. Timber had been stitched up many times over the years that she figured her body had just become numb to it. Then she felt another hand on her neck. She looked up to see her mother, smiling at her.

"You've been so brave, Timber," she said. "My beautiful, brave baby girl. I got here as fast as I could."

"Well, you've certainly grown since I saw you last," said a familiar face with deep wrinkles and twinkling blue eyes.

It took Timber a minute to realize who he was since she had only ever seen him once in her life. It was Frank, the World War II veteran she had befriended shortly after moving in with her aunt and uncle fourteen years ago. He was in his military combat uniform with an old M1 Garand rifle that looked recently polished slung over his shoulder. Behind him and running toward her happily was little Andy the satyr, who had passed away from illness when she was eighteen. He carried nothing in his hand but Timber could feel the happiness that radiated off of him.

"Timber!" cried Andy with joy. "You were so awesome! We were watching you. The way you took on all the bad guys was amazing!"

Seeing Andy again gave Timber a new sense of determination. She felt ready to rejoin the battle. Once Chad had moved away, she tried to get up but her body was still broken. She lay back down and sighed heavily. Elizabeth moved in and told Timber not to move. She and Chad reset Timber's bones while Frank and Andy held her down. Timber yipped but did not try to move away. Then Elizebeth wrapped her body in a reflective silver fabric Timber had never seen before. It reminded her of something that would belong to Queen Aiyanna. Then Elizabeth covered Timber's scarred eye. Timber felt her bones mending and her eye began feeling normal again. Timber Turned and sat up when she felt herself return to her full strength.

"Thank you, Mom," said Timber. "Thank you, Uncle Chad. Frank. Andy. How are you all here now? Why couldn't you be here earlier?"

"The In Between was invaded by demons so Queen Aiyanna and her army had to fight them off," said Elizabeth. "We could not leave until they were gone. As soon as they were, the Necromancer opened the door for us."

"We came to help," said Chad. "We can't be hurt. We're already dead."

"We all came here for you, Baby Girl," said Elizabeth.

From behind Elizabeth came several hundred others. Timber could visually see similar genetic traits from brown eyes, round faces, and strong shoulders. Generations of Brogans had joined the fight led by a man and woman Timber recognized from a painting as Isom and Nettie Brogan, the first of the family to cross the Atlantic on the Supply and settle in America in 1621. Timber looked at all of the faces approaching her. There were several dark faces in the crowd who reminded Timber of Gina. Johnson Thatcher and several of his descendents had come too. They all rallied around Timber. Timber recognized many faces from portraits and photographs that Grace had. She was suddenly glad that she had memorized the family tree.