Reaper Kissed

6. Halo of Blood

Harriet was awake at one in the morning for little Mason. He cried and cried. He wasn't hungry, he wasn't too hot, he wasn't too cold and he hadn't made a mess. She rubbed her tired, bloodshot eyes. Mason wriggled in her arms - leaning away unaware of the drop he was risking. Harriet readjusted him to rest more securely on her hip. The crying just got worse.

"Please, please stop crying." She murmured gently. Roxanne groaned, pulling the covers over her head. Harriet kissed his forehead. "I'm doing my best." She pleaded. Her mind harkened back to Mason - her husband. She could picture him, crooning over their baby - his eyes bright with love and limitless patience.

After an hour or so little Mason settled down. Holding her breath Harriet set him down in his crib and stood back, holding very still as if she were handling a bomb. His breathing shifted and Harriet nearly despaired - don't wake - please, please. Mercifully, he stirred only slightly and then buried his face in the pillow. Harriet sighed in relief. Exhausted tears threatened to spill and sniffing loudly she straightened up.

She was just retreating to her bed when she froze - her nerves on end. She'd heard something outside the caravan. She held very still, listening intently. Perhaps just Lewis returning from the resistance? But the sound returned, the clank of chains - the scrape of metal links against the driver's door. She was so tired, was it part dream? Hoping that was so, she edged forward. Out the windshield she could make out the tree line - dark branches were beckoning in the breeze.

The driver's door was wrenched open and someone, breathing heavily, clambered into the driver's seat. Harriet screamed. The stranger twisted in their seat in alarm. Harriet stared into eyes sunk deep into their sockets, his hair was tangled and greasy and a patchy, straggly beard struggled around his mouth. Harriet backed away frantically. The man's eyes widened and he threw himself through the gap between the chairs, lunging for her. Harriet turned - her thoughts for her son - but in doing so she lost her head start.

The man grunted as he seized a fistful of Harriet's pyjama top and dragged her back. Harriet shrieked, trying desperately to pull herself free. He stank of shit and piss.

Roxanne scrambled out of bed- in the dark she couldn't see much but the caravan was shaking from the noisy struggle and Harriet's screams had woken her.

"RYDER!" Roxanne bellowed as loud as she could.

Mason started wailing and Roxanne struggled to shout over the sound of his screaming.

Fear had overwhelmed Harriet's senses and she wasn't being strategic with her struggles. She flailed her arms out - striking them against the cabinets, bruising herself and not hitting her attacker at all. In the tangle of limbs, Harriet lost balance and her head smacked the edge of a table. She became limp as a rag doll.

In that moment Lauren burst into the caravan. She'd been outside, lost in thoughts as she kept watch and her eyes were better adjusted to the dark. She recognised Jesse - broken chains clanking on his wrists - standing over Harriet. Lauren seized the end of his chains and yanked it - dragging the young warlock from the caravan.

Peter and Ryder came upon them as Lauren and Jesse were engaged in a fierce tug of war. Ryder immediately filled Jesse's head with intense pain - bringing the man submissively to his knees. Out of breath, Lauren relaxed her grip on the chain - easing the sting troubling her soft palms. "Harriet! Harriet!"

Lauren's head snapped up at the sound of Roxanne's frantic voice and dread fell heavy in the pit of her stomach.