Title: The Dead of Night
Author: crammit
Fandom: Glee
Rating: M
Pairing: Brittany/Santana
Timeline: AU
Summary: For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems. With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman's hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal? - Rated M for sex, language, and violence
A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
A/N: I'm probably taking a few liberties with popular culture and its portrayals of witches and werewolves and I'm freely admitting that up front (just in case it ends up being "That's not how Willow did it" and "Scott McCall would NEVER!". LOL) While I'm not intending to follow anything directly from all the movies and television shows I've seen in my life that have witches and werewolves in them, I have no doubt that my mythology here will definitely be influenced by all of those things and my love for all of those things.
A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)
Breath racing from her lungs, Brittany barely feels the scrape of the bark across her shoulder as she sprints through the dense forest, turning sharply as the ball of light ahead of her veers to her left. She can hear the sounds of twigs snapping in the distance, the steady sound carrying across terrain made barren by winter and despite exhaustion pulling at her like stones tied to her feet, she keeps running as panic sharpens her focus. All she can see is the pale blue light guiding her to safety, her body moving on instinct as she leaps over fallen tree limbs, the fur pelt around her shoulders snagging on low-lying branches. Brittany knows that she'll move faster if she just drops the damn thing but she also knows that the artificial cold pushing at her back would freeze her skin instantly and so she continues to bear the weight of the enchanted pelt, her boots skidding across dead leaves as her shoulder clips another tree. Looking around, her panic spikes as she realizes that the forest is moving, the trees and underbrush pulled tighter in her path.
Desperation pushes her forward, one hand clutching the clasp of the pelt at her neck to prevent it from being pulled off, the ball of light disappearing as it clears the edge of the forest in front of her. Darkness closes in as the moonlight is shielded by the tops of the trees, the ground shifting beneath her feet violently as the roots of the trees crack through the dirt seeking to send their falling trunks to block her path. Brittany places her hand on a fallen tree, vaulting it and stumbling as her pelt gets tangled on a tree limb. Sparing a precious second to turn around, Brittany wraps her hands around the pelt and pulls, sweat streaming down her back inside her tunic despite the unnatural chill in the air. Leaves brush against her hair, another tree limb joining the first as her pelt refuses to move. A low growl reaches her ears and she looks up, her blue eyes scanning the darkness even as her hands grasp fistfuls of the pelt and pull, her muscles trembling with fear and fatigue. The blue light catches her attention as it dances frantically at the corner of her vision and with a cry of frustration, Brittany pulls at the clasp at her neck, the pelt falling free as she turns and sprints towards the blue light, coldness gleefully slapping at her back as the growl grows louder.
With a final shout, Brittany bursts through forest, a cabin in the clearing her only focus as the blue light hovers near the door. Racing across the grass, the sound of splintering wood is drowned out by the blood racing in her ears, the inviting glow behind the windows of the cabin pulling her forward despite her muscles screaming in protest. Slamming into the door, Brittany knocks on the heavy wood, forcing herself not to turn around even as the sound of sprinting footsteps echo behind her. Closing her eyes and summoning the last of her strength, she pulls the blue light back into herself, holding her hands over the door handle, magic pouring through the wood and lifting the wooden bar on the other side. The moment she feels the bar clear the latch on the other side, Brittany pushes the door open and crosses the threshold, shutting the door behind her and pulling the wood bar back down.
Backing up, Brittany falls to her knees, her muscles tight and cramping as she holds her hands up towards the door once more, her breath wheezing from her lungs as she whispers a protection spell. The growling outside the cabin grows louder and she can hear movement behind her but she blocks all of that out, the tingling inside of her growing into an unbearable heat as her body reacts to the magic being called forth. A yelp outside the window brings a twisted smile to her mouth as the barrier around the cabin strengthens, the movement behind her has stopped but she's still aware of its presence, her heart racing in her chest as she rushes to finish the spell. Her words run together through dry lips as she sags back against her heels, her body swaying unsteadily as her strength starts to deplete. Gritting her teeth, Brittany finishes the last of the spell, opening her eyes as she pushes her magic out with force, the satisfying scream of pain from outside the cabin finally allowing her to fall onto her side on the floor. Faintly, she hears and feels the creatures bodies knocking into the barrier, testing it, and the growls of frustration that follow as footsteps race back towards the woods let her know that at least for tonight, she is safe.
Turning onto her back, Brittany feels the bone weary exhaustion pulling at her consciousness, her body wanting to sink into the soothing nothingness of the sleep that always follows the use of her magic like this. Slight movement sounds again just behind her and she only has the energy to turn her head, her heart jumping as she meets brown eyes, her body betraying her panicked thoughts as she tries to move, to flee from the presence next to her. But her escape through the forest and setting the barrier took everything she had and she can only watch from the floor, the low tingle of magic sputtering out as she starts to go under. The last thing she sees is the sleek black fur of a wolf, its brown eyes watching her as it starts to inch closer, Brittany's eyes fluttering closed just as the wolf's warm breath brushes across her face.
The smell of stew teases Brittany awake and for a moment, with a soft bed under back, she can almost believe she's waking up at her sister's home, her nieces poised to pounce on her to ask for a story. The ache in her body tells a different story and with a gasp she sits up, memories of her flight from danger flooding back as she blinks rapidly, her hand going for a dagger that no longer sits at her waist. Going to move from the bed, Brittany is startled to find her ankle cuffed to the corner of the bed, confusion and fatigue muddling her clarity as she pulls the covers away from her legs and sees the binding holding her in place. Tugging at it produces no result and as she raises her hands to use magic to break the knots, she hears a voice behind her, her head whipping around to find a raven-haired woman sitting at a table, Brittany's pouches and dagger laid out on top of the wood.
"You won't be able to break that, you know."
Keeping an eye on the woman, Brittany tries anyway, giving up after a few moments with a sigh, glaring slightly as the woman eases back further into the chair, the corner of her lips turning up in a small smile. "Told you."
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? You come bursting into my home in the middle of the night and you don't know who I am? How did you find my cabin?"
Taking a moment to look around, Brittany is finally able to take in the interior of the cabin, the simple furnishings clean and tidy, herbs and vegetables on a small table by one of the windows. A look over her other shoulder reveals a loft and some kind of work bench underneath it but for the most part, the cabin seems to consist of a single large room and the stranger sitting across from her. Eyeing the bowl of stew next to the woman's elbow, Brittany's stomach makes its presence known pitifully, color blooming across her cheeks as the woman's smile grows slightly. A few more moments of silence pass as the woman just watches her and Brittany feels her embarrassment grow as she finally mumbles out her answer, her eyes looking down at her hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. "My ball of light found your cabin."
The woman continues to watch Brittany, her boots scraping slightly across the floor as she shifts to lean forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Your ball of light found my cabin."
"Yes."
"Why were you seeking?"
The familiar term brings Brittany's eyes back to the woman's but before she can answer her, there's a scraping sound at the door and Brittany's muscles tense immediately, the threat from earlier rushing back. As the woman watches, Brittany closes her eyes, reaching out with her magic towards the barrier, the woman's voice confirming what Brittany soon finds out. "Your barrier still holds."
Standing, the woman makes her way towards the entrance, the scratching at the door growing louder as she approaches. As she places her hand on the door to open it, Brittany's question brings her attention back, the door opening before Brittany can finish asking it. "If the barrier still holds, then how is it possible that…"
The door opens to reveal a large gray wolf, golden markings running across its head and under its belly, its hazel eyes pinning Brittany to the bed as it steps across the threshold, blood staining its mouth as a rabbit dangles from its teeth. A warning rumble sounds from its chest and Brittany curses the binding keeping her leg tied to the bed, her body shifting as much as she can as she brings her hands forward, her power gathering as the wolf takes another step closer.
Calmly, the woman brings her hand to the wolf's head, stroking its fur gently as she reaches to take the rabbit from its mouth. Turning its head, the wolf and the woman look at each, another warning rumble sounding before the wolf looks at Brittany, its teeth showing briefly before it turns and leaves the cabin, its howl joined by another before taking off. As the woman shuts the door, she detours to put the rabbit onto a side table, dipping her hands into a water bucket before sitting in front of Brittany once more.
"She won't hurt you. You can relax your hands now."
"What about you?"
"I won't hurt you either. Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, it would have been easier to do so last night. Please, relax your hands."
Looking down, Brittany realizes her hands are fisted at her sides, her magic glowing faintly between the spaces of her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the magic back, tugging once more on the bind around her leg. "And I won't hurt you. Can you untie me now?"
"Tell me why you were seeking, first?"
Hitting the mattress lightly, Brittany gestures to the cabin, hunger and annoyance chipping away at the gratitude she first felt upon waking up and realizing that she had survived through the night. "In case you didn't notice last night, I was being hunted. I sought safe shelter and was brought here."
"Who were you running from?"
"It's none of your business."
Scoffing, the woman gestures to the spot on the floor where Brittany cast her protection spell last night, tapping the table where Brittany's things sit. "It is my business when you bring it into my home."
At that, Brittany sighs, reaching up to brush her hair back over her shoulder as she takes a deep breath and apologizes. "You're right. For that, I am sorry. I wasn't really thinking and just followed where I was being led to but, to be fair, when you're running for your life, everything else becomes a bit of a blur. When I finally made it here, the only thing I could think of was casting that barrier and not dying."
"Fair enough."
"Speaking of which, how are you able to be inside my barrier? Why was the other one able to pass through?"
It's the woman's turn to sigh as she looks down at the floor, her dark hair shielding her face for a moment before she meets Brittany's eyes once more. "I think maybe there are some things we both need to discuss with each other."
"Could we maybe do it when I'm not tied up to the bed?"
Agreeing, the woman nods her head and waves her hand toward the binding, the cloth coming free seconds later. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Brittany stands, glancing back at the binding before looking at the woman, her eyebrows raised towards her hairline. "How did you do that? I thought, last night I thought…weren't you…"
"Like I said, we should probably talk."
Walking cautiously towards the table, Brittany's stomach growls loudly as she spots the stew again, hunger outweighing everything as she points towards the bowl at the woman's elbow. "Is it okay if we talk over some of that stew?"
"Yes, of course. Sit and I'll bring you some."
As the woman goes to move toward the fireplace, Brittany remains standing, blocking the woman's way as she holds her hand out. With a small smile, Brittany meets the woman's curious gaze, shrugging a little under the scrutiny. "I'm Brittany. Thank you for…well, thank you for letting me barge into your home last night and thank you for letting me stay here and for the meal. I'm sorry we sort of got off on the wrong foot earlier."
The woman hesitates for a moment before reaching out to shake Brittany's hand, her dark eyes serious as she answers Brittany. "I'm Santana. You're welcome for the food. As for the rest, I think perhaps you should save your gratitude until after we talk. You may not thank me once we're through."