by H B Lyne
Later that afternoon Eyes went to check on Amy and his mother. His mother was under sedation, she had been cleaned up and looked peaceful.
'Hi, sweetheart.' Eyes moved over to Amy. The hospital staff had been forced to admit Amy to the same ward as her family when they arrived, she screamed and screamed when they tried to take her to paediatrics and as she wasn't physically injured the staff had finally relented. She turned her head away from him. 'How are you feeling?'
She stared resolutely out of the window and Eyes felt hot tears sting his eyes as he watched her. She would come around, she had to. 'Would you like to come and see Mummy?'
Amy turned her head, her face fearful. She nodded slowly. Eyes stepped closer and held out his hand, she took it and let him scoop her up into his arms. He carried her past the busy nurses' station, no one paid them any attention, and into Chloe's room.
'Mummy?' Amy's voice was barely above a whisper. Eyes set her down and led her to Chloe's bedside. He hoped that Amy's presence might help Chloe, that and the fact that he hated to have them separated. He just wanted to keep them all together. Amy placed her hand over her mother's and Eyes saw Chloe's fingers twitch ever so slightly. He felt his stomach flip and stifled a cry before it burst out. It wasn't much, but it was something.
He lifted Amy up onto the bed and she snuggled up to Chloe, resting her head on her mother's chest. Eyes watched with baited breath, but Chloe didn't react. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and watched them silently for a long time. Nurses came and went, no one said anything about the little girl curled up on the narrow bed. Amy didn't say one word to Eyes and barely looked at him, she just stared at Chloe until she fell asleep.
Eyes ran over and over the previous day's attack in his mind. Searched for faces, sounds and clues. He remembered Gaze-of-Purity on the roof of his house, he remembered the dead Witch and the taste of her blood. As he sat there, staring at his traumatised wife and daughter, the fury swelled within him. There would be a day of reckoning, he would have his revenge on the Witches for the slaughter they had inflicted, twice now. He would not sit idly by, waiting for them to return a third time. But he knew he had to be careful about this. Charging in there now would only get him and his pack killed. They needed strength, they needed allies and they needed to know what they were walking into.
The room began to grow dark and a nurse came in to turn on a light and check on her patient.
'Mr Davison,' she spoke softly, bringing him gently out of his vengeful thoughts. 'You need to sleep. I'm afraid that visiting hours will be over soon and you should go and get some rest. I promise you they will be absolutely fine.'
'I won't leave them again,' he said. He was determined, but he couldn't hide the crack in his voice.
'I'm afraid we can't let you stay overnight. The doctor is hopeful of being able to discharge your daughter and mother tomorrow, they will need you to be well rested before you take them home.'
'Home?' Eyes almost laughed. The nurse gave him an apologetic smile and slipped quietly from the room. The bell rang soon after, signalling the end of visiting hours but Eyes stayed resolutely by the bed. Chloe's eyes had closed at some point and he hadn't noticed. She was breathing softly against Amy's hair.
The ward sister put her head around the door and scowled at him before moving on, but he knew she would be back and that he wouldn't be given a moment's peace if he stayed. With a heavy sigh he stood up, stooped to kiss his family gently on each of their sleeping heads and crept from the room.
They would be safe, he knew that, but he worried what further damage it might do if Amy woke up to find him gone. He went to the nurse's station and the ward sister stepped out from around the desk.
'We'll see you in the morning, Mr Davison,' she said in clipped tones with a sour smile. He was clearly not her favourite person, nor was she his.
'I'm concerned about my daughter waking to find me not here,' he said brusquely.
'If we moved her to paediatrics then you would able to stay the night with her,' the sister replied with a raised eyebrow. Eyes wanted to keep them all together, not spread all over the hospital. He gave a resigned sigh and shook his head. He trudged back to the little room and stroked Amy's hair. She stirred and her eyes fluttered open to rest on his face.
'Hi,' he whispered. She didn't reply, she just stared at him. 'I have to leave sweetheart, they won't let me stay overnight. Shall I take you back to your bed in the room with Nana?'
Amy looked at her sleeping mother and then back up at him, her face was flushed and her eyes struggled to stay open. She nodded slowly and then turned to kiss Chloe on the cheek. Eyes lifted her off the bed and carried her back to her room. His mother was still sedated and the room was dark. He laid Amy in the bed and tucked her in under the blankets. 'I'll be back first thing in the morning. I wish I didn't have to go, I really want to stay with you.'
Amy turned her face away and brushed his hand from her side. He stepped back, rejected and hurt but he felt responsible for her actions, he knew she was hurting far more than he was right now. 'Try to sleep, sweetheart. I love you very much and I'll see you in the morning.' He leant to kiss her and lingered close for a moment, hoping for a reply but none came.
Eyes left the hospital and took a taxi to Grove Street. It felt strange to be out in the real world after being in the hospital. The streets were darker than he remembered and everything moved far too quickly. He entered the house cautiously, unsure how the others would greet him. The hallway was dark but light shone under the closed living room door. Eyes flipped the switch and bright light flooded the hall. He blinked against it and covered his eyes with his hand as they adjusted. He heard movement and the living room door flew open, Weaver came bounding out and stopped still to stare at him from the other end of the hall. He dropped his hand and looked at her for a long moment.
Something on the wall caught his eye and he tilted his head to look at it. Huge red letters scrawled across the wall made his heart sink.
'We've scrubbed it but it won't come off completely,' Weaver said quietly. 'Wind Talker bought paint today, we'll decorate tomorrow.'
'The Witches broke in here then?' Eyes asked wearily as he walked slowly down the hall.
'Yes,' Weaver replied.
Eyes stepped into the living room and saw that the graffiti continued in here, more of the same profanity. The others were there, sitting around a stack of pizzas.
'Why is no one patrolling?' Eyes snapped.
'We have been patrolling constantly,' Stalker replied calmly. 'Claws just got back ten minutes ago with dinner. I'm heading back out as soon as I've eaten. The border is quiet and the Wrecking Crew are doing circuits in their van. Please don't worry. How are your family?'
'Not great,' Eyes snapped. He was angry and was not about to be distracted. 'Why didn't you tell me about this when I spoke to you?'
'I didn't want to worry you,' Stalker replied. 'What's done is done and there was nothing you could do about it. You needed to focus on Chloe and Amy.'
'Did they take anything?'
'Yes,' Wind Talker said, wiping his greasy hands on a paper napkin. 'Everything, they took everything important, except the painting and the buried bones, they didn't find them.'
A strange laugh bubbled up in Eyes' chest, a sort of mild hysteria burst out of him as he struggled to wrap his brain around the news. He strode out through the kitchen into the back garden. He was vaguely aware of someone behind him as he crossed the veil and he spun around to face the rest of the pack.
'I am your Alpha!' he roared. 'You do NOT keep me in the dark. It is not for any of you to judge what I should or should not know, what I can or cannot handle. You tell me everything that is pertinent to this pack. Those vile creatures now have everything Flames kept records on, half of which we hadn't even read yet. This is our base, our sanctuary and they desecrated it. I need to know these things!'
Stalker flinched against his rage, but he ignored her reaction. 'Where is Unchained Li
ghtning?' Eyes asked, suddenly aware of their ally's absence.
'I don't know,' Wind Talker replied.
Eyes slammed his fist into the wall and the bricks cracked. Pain shot through his fingers and into his wrist. He flexed his fingers, ignoring the pain and oblivious to the clouds stirring overhead.
'Has he been seen since the fight?' Eyes said, barely containing his anger.
The others exchanged worried glances. Eyes felt the rage filling his muscles and bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Thick clouds rolled overhead and a few drops of rain began to fall. Eyes turned his face to the sky and felt the cold splashes on his hot face. 'We were attacked, my family ripped apart, they came here and stole our shit and our ally is missing.' His voice was low and threatening, there was a rumble in his chest like thunder and the sky above responded with his growing fury. 'And you sit around eating pizza?'
His pack mates looked utterly devastated, embarrassed and humbled. Their reactions didn't do anything to abate what was rising, in fact it only made him more angry. He prowled around the garden and punched another wall. There was a small flicker of lightning in the sky overhead. Eyes strode to the centre of the garden and turned his face to the sky again. His muscles were on fire with adrenaline and he felt his body start to change as the beast threatened to take over. He roared into the night air. 'Bring the lightning!'
At his command, a fork of lightning tore down from the tumultuous clouds and struck the Alpha's chest.
Chapter Eight
Stalker-of-Night's-Shadow
'Holy fuck!' Stalker cried. The Alpha's body went rigid, his fists were clenched at the ends of his outstretched arms and his hair and clothes were smoking. Unchained Lightning flew down from the sky and circled Eyes, sparks flying off him and showering the garden with their needles of electric blue light.
'Oh my god!' Claws shouted and Weaver darted forward but Stalker grabbed her arm to stop her from getting too close. Their ally circled slowly and the sparks died down. Eyes still stood staring up at the sky, his chest heaving with laboured breaths. Slowly, his eyes opened and his head lowered to look at them. Every hair on his body was standing on end and it was only the fear in her veins that prevented Stalker from bursting into laughter.
'Are you all right?' Weaver asked, tugging her arm free of Stalker's grasp and stepping forward. Stalker followed tentatively. Eyes was clearly alive and not seriously injured, but there was a look in his eyes that she didn't like at all and she didn't trust what he may do next.
'I'm fine,' Eyes replied, icily. He stretched out a hand and ran it slowly along Unchained Lightning's side as the elemental slithered past him. Small sparks flew from his fingers and the fae made a strange noise that Stalker could only assume was a sort of purr. Unchained Lightning moved into the corner of the garden and came to a halt, his huge, glowing eyes resting on the Alpha.
'Glorious,' the elemental said, his voice crackling.
'Thank you,' Eyes replied, giving the fae a small bow. 'I honour you and your power and wanted to display that.'
Stalker watched him, the way he moved, the way he spoke to their ally. He was very different. 'Are you well?' he asked the fae.
'I was,' Unchained Lightning paused, his head tilted to one side, 'indisposed. The Witches held me in some sort of cage. I did not like it.' His voice thundered suddenly and he raised himself up to his full height. Stalker pressed a trembling hand to her lips.
'How did you get free?' Wind Talker asked, his voice soft.
Unchained Lightning bowed his head and blinked, a low rumble in his throat. Eyes looked at him with a sad smile, his hair still smoking slightly.
'I was able to break free when you called me.' There was a crackle of static in the air and Stalker gaped at Eyes. He had known immediately that something was amiss with the fae's absence. The rest of them had dismissed it. She felt foolish and turned her face away from Unchained Lightning, not wanting him to see the guilt in her eyes.
'We have a lot to do,' Eyes said, turning his attention back to the stunned pack. 'Our ally requires a throne. We will acquire it for him and develop our strength, forge alliances and create a watertight plan of attack. Make no mistake, we are at war, but we will not be reckless. Tomorrow night we return to my house to assess the damage there. Stalker, I want you patrolling first tonight but someone must relieve you at some point. Everyone needs to be well rested.'
Stalker nodded in agreement. Eyes strode across the garden and passed through the middle of the dumbstruck pack to head back into the house. Stalker turned and watched him go, as did the others. He stepped across the veil in the kitchen and the rest of the pack turned back to each other, their faces filled with alarm and confusion.
'What the hell was that about?' Claws asked. Stalker glanced at Unchained Lighting, who was still purring in the corner, watching them shrewdly.
'He's obviously in shock after the events of yesterday,' Wind Talker said sternly, his voice full of disapproval.
'Who wouldn't be?' Weaver asked, looking surprised at his tone. 'It was terrible, them going after his family like that. We should go talk to him, ask after them.'
Weaver led the way, Stalker lingered for a moment in the garden, looking back at their ally. He blinked at her, his head tilted to one side. He somehow managed to look child-like and innocent, despite being a twelve-foot long, electric blue, glowing dragon with huge wings. She bowed to him before following her pack across the veil.
'The doctors don't know anything,' Eyes was saying as Stalker entered the kitchen. 'They can't know the truth about what happened, so they don't really know what they are dealing with. If she doesn't snap out of it herself, I doubt there is anything the human doctors can do. She'll need spiritual healing.'
'Of course,' Weaver replied, gently squeezing his arm.
'Let's give her a few days and if there's no improvement I'll see what I can do,' Wind Talker offered.
Stalker didn't feel she had much to contribute to the discussion and she passed through the kitchen towards the front door. As she reached it she heard someone behind her and turned to see Eyes approaching her looking apologetic.
'Wait,' he called out softly and she stopped to look at him. He came right up to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, which she returned. It took her by surprise but she welcomed the gesture. 'Thank you,' he whispered, his voice muffled against her hair.
'What for?' she asked, taken aback.
'For being there yesterday and for captaining the ship. I'm sorry I was such an arse earlier.'
'Don't worry about it, it's what we do for one another. We're a pack.' She pulled back and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. His face twitched like he was trying to smile. 'I'm going out on patrol now. It's Wind Talker's turn next.'
She gave him one last reassuring smile, then set off for the border. Stalker climbed a wall in the next street and took to the rooftops. She found that she could cover a lot more distance that way and she liked keeping her, albeit faint, scent off the streets. She ran along high walls, vaulted fences and traversed scaffolding with growing confidence, and as she swung and leaped her way across the territory that night she felt Pursuit-of-Midnight-Solitude leading her to the most secluded places.
When she reached Redfield Park she caught the scent of one of the Wrecking Crew and she came to a halt at the boundary, carefully peering into the darkness. There was a rustle of leaves nearby and a soft thud, Stalker spun to locate the source and saw the skinny female standing before her, brushing dirt from her hands.
'Hi,' Stalker said, breathing a small sigh of relief that it wasn't Fury.
'Hi,' the woman replied with a wry smile. 'I'm Sky Runner, by the way. I don't think we've ever been introduced.'
'No, we haven't. I'm Stalker-of-Night's-Shadow.'
'I know.' Sky Runner grinned.
'You were up in the tree?' Stalker asked, bemused.
'Yeah, I tend to patrol that way, in trees, on rooftops, you know. That's what my name means.'
&n
bsp; 'Of course.' Stalker smiled. 'Me too, rooftops, I mean, not trees. I do a bit of parkour.'
'That's so cool,' Sky Runner said with a broad grin. 'Maybe you could show me some tricks some time?'
'Yeah, that would be great.' Stalker smiled, happy to be making friends with one of their neighbours when things had been so sour for so long. A shadow twitched in the trees, Pursuit-of-Midnight-Solitude nagging Stalker to re-join the hunt, and she remembered why she was out this way. 'Have you seen anything tonight? Any movement from the Witches?'
'Nothing. It's too quiet. You know what I mean?'
'Yeah, I do,' Stalker replied, an ominous feeling settling in her stomach. 'Thank you, by the way, for coming to the fight yesterday. It might have been a very different outcome if you hadn't been there.'
'That's okay. Rust says jump, we ask how high. You know? Is your Alpha okay?'
'More or less. I'd better head out to the border. Nice to talk to you.' Stalker gave Sky Runner a genuine smile, which she returned. Sky Runner turned and started jogging away into the park, shifting gracefully into a fox as she ran. Stalker watched her go and then set off along the edge of the park at a brisk jog. She too shifted into her fox form under the cover of the trees and emerged at the end of the park onto the lit street.
She ran the border slowly, taking in every scent, every nuance. At regular intervals the Witches had marked the border more strongly, quite recently, but they hadn't crossed it, she was certain. When she reached the place where they had been chased off by the Wrecking Crew the trail was fading but Stalker stayed there for a long time, taking in all of the different scents, noting each individual one. There were male scents mixed in with the female Witches, they could have been the Phoenix Guard again, but they hadn't used fire to attack, which was obviously the Phoenix Guard's speciality. The smoke bomb in the street had been camouflage, not intended to do any damage. No, Stalker was sure this was another pack, more Furies.