Harmony of Lady Shadow Moon, DhNAi Divine [good beach reads txt] 📗

her head to go back harder onto the tree, knocking her unconscious. There was no doubt that what Niyla did was gonna be addressed. Jasmine's parents wanted Aniyla to go away for the rest of her natural life for attempted murder, but being a minor worked in her favor. Her parents' connections helped even more so.

It was a god send that her family was liked outside of their community. With Aniyla's family already being hated in the Red Riders' neighborhood only forced the heat to turn up. The haunting visits seemed friendly compared to the way the community treated her family now. The side-eyes morphed into sneers, whispers replaced with full on insults, spitting in their face, trashed front yards. A new kind of terror replaced the old one.

Niyla's family were no longer dealing with the devil, they were the devil. Three years later Aniyla returned home from the juvenile detention center, at sixteen years of age. She was welcomed by her family and her only friend.

“Niyla!” Kanaja screamed, sprinting to her friend's porch to bear hug her. Aniyla laughed as Nay squeezed the life out of her. “Come sit down and tell me how you been.”

Aniyla's smile dropped as she eased onto the swinging chair next to Kanaja. “Besides being back here, I'm okay.” Kanaja just nodded and kept a hundred-watt grin on. “Where you been Nay? Cause uh, I only been back for about two weeks.”

Nay's smile fell granting Niyla the face she was wishing for. “We was out a town when you got back. I swear. Mama missed her hometown and the peaches she use to eat as kid, so we took a trip to see grandma.”

“Really? The wolf lettin' people take vacations now.”

Nay shrugged, still heartbroken of the accusation. “Things are changing. Ever since what happened.” Kanaja haven't been able to talk about what happened to her again, too traumatic.

“Oh,” Aniyla said, “just making sure you didn't quit on me. I'm sorry. I hated bein' there, but I hate it here too. I wanna leave.”

“In two years time, we can.”

Niyla just nods her head, two years was too far away for her. She couldn't see two minutes into the future here in Nyjer, let alone two years. Later that night she found herself staring mindlessly out the window, tuning her younger sister out. Her sister was snoring, sleeping soundly while Niyla couldn't sleep at all. She was tired.

Tired of being fearful of this great big demon she didn't even know name. She just knew all in Nyjer, Red Riders, was in fear of him. I guess rightfully so, he could kill people. But still why did people have to be such cowards? At least directly challenge him, see what he's really about before making a cowardice assumption.

Aniyla exhaled hard from her nose, then stood from her bed. She's crept out the house many times if only to sit on the porch, she's done it. With no interference from parents or siblings, like they went into a trance where only sunlight could break it. She seemed to be the only one woke in the middle of the night, so she decided to use it. She went to her brother's room to grab his bulky coat and pants, then runs back to her room to slip on her shoes.

Aniyla dips down the steps to the kitchen, grabbing her favorite knife, then grabbed a flashlight. Off she was into the night. Her bravery was amazing that night and she knew it. Her walk screamed it, she hadn't even turned on the flashlight, just kept it handy. She walked as deep as possible into the forest, until she reached its very end.

At the end, it was nothing but frozen water and empty plains on the other side of the water. She stuffed the light into her pocket, then turned around, checking to see if anything came.

Aniyla took a deep breath, then slipped off her coat, feeling the chilled air kiss her skin. It was the dead of winter, the absolute wrong time to challenge the wolf.

But... “I don't care.” She stepped up, away from her coat. “I'm sick of your choke hold on all us. I don't care if you kill me tonight! I just can't stand another night here without voicin' my complaint to the ruler of this entire county, but 'specially our little community.”

Aniyla shook her head, maybe he wasn't real. Maybe this neighborhood is just haunted. There's no supreme ruler over them, telling them what to do and how to do it. But just as the thought passed, the air changed. A blow of warmth slapped her across the face, then the harsh cold air stung her face, forcing her hand to her cheek as though she'd been smacked.

“Come out come out, wherever you are.” Aniyla chimes, baiting the wolf.

Before she knew it, there was a presence standing in front of her. His body blending in with thick trees, his black nose and beady eyes all that was seen.

“You question my authority, dear Aniyla?” His voice bounced from the trees into her ear.

Aniyla shivered from shock and terror, but gulped it down in a hard swallow.

“Speechless?” He whispered.

“You're real? You the devil?”

His laugh sprung forth, warmer than Aniyla expected. “You know,” he whispers, “you've always amused Aniyla. I just knew I would free you from my shackles. Anubis grants you permission, you may leave Red Rider, because you have courage.”

“I'll leave with or without your permission. You don't run me. You may run them!” She said a lot louder than she intended, pointing toward the town. “But you do not run me.” Aniyla spoke fiercely as she pointed to herself, all he could do was laugh. “I didn't come out here for you to let me leave, I came out here for this.”

He smiled in the dark, showing off brilliant teeth. “What?”

“A bullet to the brain.” Before he could react she quickly slid a gun from her pocket, cocked, pulled the trigger, and let it blow. Dead aim right to the dome. She didn't move, didn't speak, simply waited for whatever next he would bring her. The wind howled in pain, furious snow funneled up and off the ground, and the trees shook in shock.

Aniyla sucked in air, feeling the wind begin to close in around her. A force thundered on her chest, pushing her to the ground. She felt falling, an abyss sucking her down, slipping into a deep pit. No thought registered in her brain, only fear resonated through her body. A shit load of fear.

Track 4: Dogs On the Loose

“No sir. How's the house comin' along?” He walked away from the fridge with a cold water filled cup. He stayed put by the refrigerator, because the telephone could only stretch so far. He held the phone to his ear, laughing. His voice held a certain southern twang, “What you mean why I care? That's go be my house soon. I already built most of it dad. Alright. Take care. Yes sir.”

The man paced through the hallway to head for his bedroom. Sleeping soundly in the middle of his bed was a young lady. He sat the cup on a nearby dresser and roused her from her slumber. “Miss,” he said, “miss.”

She opened her eyes and at the sight of some young man she didn't know she jumped out the bed. Her feet were bare, her hair wild, her eyes frightened. “Miss,” his voice trying to calm her. “My name is Azaigh, Alahuti Azaigh. I found you out cold at the edge. Good thing I drove in late afternoon, was out cuttin' me some wood. I heard ya scream, ran for ya and you was out. What was you thinkin', bein' out in them woods by ya self in the middle of the night?”

She shook her head of wild coils, unable to answer, then slowly eased her way back to the bed.

“You got a name lil lady?” His brown eyes twinkle, he took a seat at the end of the bed.

“Aniyla,” she softly murmurs.

And that was the start of something special. Aniyla quickly moved out her parents' house to stay in Alahuti's beautiful cabin home. Kanaja was a regular visitor, especially when Al was away. It was funny, Aniyla was pulling her hair with the thought of staying in Lucas County, but here she still was. I guess a new guy could do that to you.

Whenever Nay stopped through the girls ventured 'round the forest or chilled in the home. Aniyla smiled at the thought that in its own way this was therapy for both of them. Al left a lot to his hometown in Savannah, Georgia and to Nkosia, Alabama. He would check on his fancy home in Nkosia, seeing how it was coming along. His father wouldn't allow him full access without a wife.

Al's dad didn't want a loose bachelor running wild in this newly built house. He didn't know Al already beat him to it. Whenever he was home Aniyla was spellbound over his majesty. She loved his tall six foot five frame, where she had to stand on her toes to kiss him, his rock solid body coated in caramel coated skin, his toned body that her hands couldn't get enough of. But, it was his eyes that had her hooked, deep warm brown, but in moments of passion his eyes flash gold.

She was enamored by his graceful stride. But his eyes she could simply drown in. What she didn't know about herself was her eyes also changed colors, from light brown to a dark forest green. Time moved about and both the young girls were eighteen, still living in Nyjer, both happily married. Al even helped build a cabin home next to their own with Nay's husband, just so the girls could be near one another. Soon the girls were pregnant with their first child.

Nay gave birth to a boy and Niyla to a girl. Their life didn't get complicated until the kids reached their eleventh year of life. The forest was their regular playground. Anubis had become bodiless after his encounter with Aniyla, but by no means did he die. He was still very much alive and made regular visits to Alanah, Aanujah's mother.

Alanah was as brave as her mother and as adventurous as her father. Making daily visits alone into the belly of the forest. She was more curious about this being that could talk through animals, or sickly looking bodies she didn't realize were dead. You see Alanah's mom and dad never told her the story of the wolf. They never even thought to do, but even if they did, they didn't want to.

But what Aniyla never knew was her family had a connection to Anubis way before she ever knew of his name. The connection grew stronger once she married Al. He was a child of the moon, a direct descendant of Anubis's human line. And now Aniyla gave birth to another girl for the female line of the race Anubis belonged to. Niyla didn't really know how much of a hand Anubis always had in her life.

The wolf was drawn to Alanah, so he would visit her in dreams. Some pleasant, but others terrifying. He would sprinkle nightmares in her