The Natural Order
The Natural Order is the first novel in Moondancer Drake's Daughters of the Goddess series.
An evening at the movies
turns into a living nightmare for Elizabeth Crew as her lover Dusty battles for
their lives and the unborn baby Elizabeth is carrying. Dusty’s dying request is
that Elizabeth go to Dusty’s family, where she and the baby will be safe.
With sincere smiles and genuine concern for the young mother, Dusty’s family
takes her into their home with open arms. Underneath their smiles, lies the fear
that Elizabeth will learn that her new family are shape-shifters. But the
family’s secrets are not all that waits in the darkness.
(cover image to come)
“In here,” Dusty hissed, and gripped Elizabeth’s hand tighter. The smaller woman barely had time to look behind them to see if their pursuers were there, before she found herself jerked down a side street, past several heavily grated store windows.
Elizabeth gasped for breath, her lungs burning in painful protest. She was far from athletic to begin with, and the forced run felt like it was sucking the life out of her. The rain soaked clothing clung to her skin, and weighed her down as she ran. How had a night at the movies turned into their own private horror scene? Here she was with the one person that meant everything to her and they were both running for their lives. She abhorred violence. Had the world gone mad?
Fear clawed at Elizabeth’s mind like a rabid alley cat, and only Dusty’s strong grip forced her on. A heated argument in Spanish from a window above drowned out the sound of their footsteps and labored breathing as they raced among the walkways like gazelles evading a hungry pack of hyenas.
“Dusty, wait,” Elizabeth wheezed loudly as they ran past a trio of poorly maintained apartment buildings. The street ended abruptly at the back of a large red brick structure covered heavily in graffiti. “If we stay in here, they’ll catch us for sure.”
“You’re tired.” Dusty pulled Elizabeth closer, with an arm around her shoulders, and slowed to a fast walk. “You can’t keep this up, babe. We have to find someplace…”
They came across a set of steps that led to the basement of a tan stone building. Dusty stopped, and glanced back down the way they came. Elizabeth took the respite to catch her breath and study her lover’s bedraggled appearance. Dusty’s straight, ink-black hair clung to her face in clumps. Her once tan statesman’s hat was now a soggy deep brown. Rainwater fell from the wide brim in a steady flow of droplets.
Dusty turned back and guided Elizabeth down to the stairs, into the doorway. The stairwell was littered with water soaked trash, the musty smell that accompanied the décor only adding to Elizabeth despair. Dusty’s hands moved from Elizabeth’s shoulders to firmly grasp her trembling hands. “Stay here, Beth. Call the cops again. Tell them where you are now and what’s happening.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened and her throat tightened with fear. “You’re going out there. Are you mad? We have to get out of this together,” she pleaded. “Promise me. Together.”
Dusty slipped the cell phone from her jacket pocket into Elizabeth’s shaking hand. Dusty kissed her lips and placed her palm on Elizabeth’s abdomen, caressing the barely noticeable swelling of her pregnancy through her silk blouse. “I’m going to have to deal with this, Beth. I can’t let them touch you or our baby. No matter what, you have to be okay.”
There was something about the feel of her lover’s rough hands on her skin that always brought comfort no matter how upset Elizabeth might be. Dusty’s hand caressed hestomach and Elizabeth closed her eyes. It took a moment through the precious breaths of peace for Dusty’s words to reach Elizabeth’s consciousness enough to sink in completely.
“No.” Elizabeth shook her head vehemently, her thick, water soaked curls lashing her face. “Together.”
Dusty gripped Elizabeth in a tight embrace, her voice deep and gruff. “Not this time, lover. It’s not you they want. These assholes are after me. Make the call. I’ll lure them away and then double back to get you soon as I can.”
"Who are they? What do they want?" The desperation in Elizabeth’s voice magnified as her fear and confusion grew to a fever pitch. Dusty was an architect for Christ’s sake. Why would anyone be hunting her? "Dusty…"
“Shhhh…” Dusty kissed her once more. Elizabeth’s lips quivered, but she returned the kiss, fearful Dusty was saying goodbye. “No time to explain now. Later.”
Dusty backed away and headed up the steps, Elizabeth followed. “No.” A callused bronzed hand barred her way. “You have to stay here. No matter what, you think of our baby, got that?” The look in her sharp brown eyes told Elizabeth all she needed to know. Tears welled in Dusty’s eyes, but her voice never wavered. “Our baby. Promise me, Beth. Promise me now you’ll stay here, hidden. Not a sound. It’ll give you away.”
Elizabeth flinched at the words “promise me”. She had never been a good liar and keeping her word was something her father had instilled in her from an early age. Once she gave that oath, Elizabeth wouldn’t go back on it. The women locked eyes, and after a pause that seemed to Elizabeth like eternity, she found herself nodding, her voice barely audible. “I promise.”
*****