Tides of Spring: A Dark Shapeshifter Urban Fantasy (Echoes of the Past Book 3)

by H B Lyne

Yes!

  It's good to be home.

  They broke apart and stared at each other.

  'What was that?' Claws asked, looking unnerved.

  'Telepathy,' Wind Talker said with a grin.

  'I had stopped missing it,' Stalker said. A laugh burst up out of her chest. They had shared a telepathic connection with the Blue Moon, but never before as the Lightning Lords, only empathy. 'Oh my god! Think of the battle strategies we'll be able to pull off with non-verbal communication!'

  Eyes laughed and shook his head.

  'Speaking of which, we have plans to make right now.'

  The next two days were filled with heavy research, planning and preparing. They had their allies lined up to act on cue, but now they needed a thorough strategy. They examined the electrical plans carefully, and found a dead end in which to trap Glimmering Wires, cutting him off from his supply of power. Stalker spent several hours with the pack going over ways in which they could maximise their physical advantages, and they practised sparring with each other in the street in Hepethia, where they had the space.

  It was fitting that they were ready on the first of March, there was a warm breeze in the air and a few crocuses pushing up through the soil in the garden. Spring was well and truly stirring. They were going to take Unchained Lightning's throne for him. For once they were not racing against the clock, and would be able to strike at the time of their choosing.

  The others were out of the house, taking care of any remaining business. Stalker had an hour to herself to clear her mind and prepare her body. A deep breath filled her lungs and she slowly released it into the still, warm air of the attic. She opened her eyes and looked around at the dust floating in the shaft of light from the open door. She gave her head a shake.

  'What was I doing?' she muttered out loud to herself. She looked around at the empty room and shrugged. She left the attic and locked the door, then went downstairs to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for the pack. The plan was to eat and go out after dark. Her phone rang and she wiped her hands on a towel before answering.

  'Hello?'

  'We're on our way back now, everything's in place.' It was Eyes. He was with Claws out at the docks in the very north of Caerton, beyond Northgate.

  'Okay, I'm just getting dinner ready. See you soon.' She hung up the phone and went back to chopping vegetables.

  A few minutes later Weaver and Wind Talker arrived in a flurry of excited chatter. Stalker smiled, happy to see the two of them getting along so well. Stalker hadn't forgiven Wind Talker yet, it was going to be a long road, but for now she was able to ride on the reassurances he had given them all. The three of them finished the dinner amid friendly banter and soon the Alpha and Claws arrived. Wind Talker passed Claws his gold ring the moment they saw one another.

  'It'll turn the power back on as well now,' he said with a smile. Claws nodded and slid the ring back onto his finger.

  They sat down to eat a roast gammon joint and trimmings together, a nervous excitement in the air. Eyes poured wine and raised his glass in a toast.

  'To the Lightning Lords, and the future.'

  'Hear hear,' Wind Talker said. They all clinked glasses and sipped their wine.

  'Here's to a smooth execution of our plan,' Claws said, tilting his glass in a second toast. Stalker nodded, butterflies squirming in her stomach.

  They ate quickly and quietly, nervous tension gradually increasing as the time approached. As the last mouthful went down, Eyes got to his feet and cleared his throat. They all looked up at him expectantly.

  'Let's go,' he said. He swept from the room and grabbed his jacket from the hall. The others filed out after him, and paused a moment in the street. 'Good luck guys. See you soon, one way or another. Stick to the plan as best as possible.'

  Eyes grabbed Stalker and gave her a tight hug. Wind Talker and Claws bumped fists, then Claws grabbed Weaver and pulled her into his arms. She patted him on the back, and he released her. Stalker exchanged nervous farewells with Weaver and Wind Talker. 'Look after each other. See you soon,' Eyes said softly.

  Weaver, Wind Talker and Eyes climbed into the Alpha's four-wheel drive, and set off north. Claws and Stalker got into his battered old estate car and set off for the substation. Stalker gazed out of the window at the city passing by. It was sunset, the sky was filled with pinks and blues, and a bright orange glow on the horizon. People rushed past on their way home from a hard day's work.

  Claws parked his car at the end of Legion Way and the pair of them stepped out into the cool evening air.

  'Ready?' he asked. She nodded in reply and they walked briskly down the street towards the substation. She glanced sideways at him and saw him anxiously spinning the ring on his finger with his thumb.

  'Don't worry, one way or another we're taking him down tonight.'

  Claws nodded back.

  They got to the substation, it was dark and empty, but the hum in the air from the power lines overhead was surprisingly loud. The sun dipped below the horizon and a long shadow fell across the street. The sky above was turning hazy grey. Cars streaked past, their occupants apparently ignoring the two shifters lingering on the street corner next to the substation that provided power to most of St. Mark's.

  The pair of them went into the alley between the high brick wall of the complex and the end of the terrace of houses that led away from it. Claws slid his ring off his finger and passed it to Stalker. The gold was warm from the heat of his body. They checked that the coast was clear, then Claws shifted form and landed heavily on Stalker's shoulder. She grinned at him and held up the ring. He bobbed his head and hooted softly, then snapped the ring up in his small beak and flew up over the wall.

  Stalker glanced around, then leaped into the air, shifting form mid-leap and flew after him in the form of a barn owl. Claws made straight for the wall-mounted security camera and landed on top of it. He dipped his head, pressing the ring to the casing. Stalker saw the blinking red light under the lens go out. She swooped down and landed in human form at the foot of one of the metal pylons. Claws leaped down, shifting form and stumbling slightly as his feet hit the ground.

  'We have less than a minute. Where's the circuit breaker?' Claws whispered.

  Stalker kept low and scurried into the heart of the complex. They had studied the station plans, but on the ground it was a whole different world.

  'Here.' She spotted the encased, grey box and darted over to it. Claws was right beside her. Stalker ripped the casing open and Claws plunged his hand into the box of switches. He pressed his palm against the console and there was a series of loud clunks around them. The humming of flowing power slowed and finally stopped. The nearby street light flickered and went out, followed by the next one down the street and the lights in the houses followed. A wave of darkness rolled out from the substation.

  Thick grey clouds swelled overhead and lightning flashed behind the clouds. 'He's coming,' Stalker whispered, her eyes on the sky.

  'Go, now!' Claws hissed. They performed the same trick with transferring the ring to Claws' beak, then took off high into the darkening sky. The two owls circled, looking out for trouble. Lightning flashed again. Stalker knew that Glimmering Wires, wherever he was in the network, now knew that he was under attack.

  Stalker searched the city for a sign. The blackout extended for a mile radius around the substation. Charge-of-Power would be in there now, supposedly guarding the throne, while Glimmering Wires was out roaming the network. He would be anxiously testing routes for a way back to his throne now. Would he suspect that he had been betrayed? The power would be coming back on any moment now, at which point they had mere seconds to act.

  Below the substation began to clunk and hum, life returning to it. A buzz filled the air and Stalker felt changes to the air currents as static charge built up. Thunder rumbled across the stormy clouds from the telecoms tower and lightning flickered ominously. Unchained Lightning would time it just right, she trusted him totally. She hooted to
Claws, and he returned her call. She flew across the veil, hidden against the darkening sky.

  Darkness had flooded Hepethia in response to the blackout, and she knew that it was about to get worse. She swooped low, catching sight of dozens of demons clamouring over one another like a macabre sea. The substation was glowing, a roar echoed out from beneath the web of cables and Stalker watched as blue light spilled into them. This was it. Glimmering Wires had returned and was about to flood the network in search of the breach.

  Unchained Lightning tore from between the black clouds overhead with a furious hiss of static and struck the station. Sparks flew out from the throne and the glowing blue cables went momentarily black.

  Now! Stalker screamed in her head. She crossed the veil into the black city, the lightning strike having caused a second blackout. She nearly crashed into Claws as he circled the nearest street light. He landed clumsily on top of it and touched his newly upgraded ring to it. It flickered to life, drawing Glimmering Wires out of his useless throne. He would be compelled to go to the only source of power. Claws took flight and made for the next lamp post, he ignited it and flew on to the third. Stalker crossed the veil again and watched from the sky as the cables glowed blue with Glimmering Wires' presence. He was taking the bait, following Claws' trail.

  She flew north, watching the light moving along the cable, pausing at each lamp post to wait for the next one to flicker to life. Claws led the crazed construct north, through Northgate and beyond. Stalker crossed back into the human world and found Claws easily, as he swooped towards their final destination.

  They flew lower in unison, connected to each other through their new telepathic bond. In this form their thoughts were loose and primal, but the connection was still there. They searched the ground below with their incredible eyesight, for a glimpse of Eyes' car.

  Stalker saw it first and flew to the ground. They landed in the blackened and empty street beside the Alpha's car. The dockyard's power was served from two substations: the one in St. Mark's powered this section on the east of the river; and another in St. Catherine's served the docks on the west of the river. The two halves were totally isolated, with power being directed into each one by its respective station, both dead ends. Claws had created one route into the dock, and Glimmering Wires was being funnelled along it, perfectly according to plan.

  Stalker found Wind Talker, standing outside one of the vast dock buildings. She ran to him, gasping for breath. His eyes had that glazed expression that indicated that his talisman was in use.

  'What do you see?' she asked.

  'He's coming.'

  Claws gave a nod and took flight again, soaring into the purple sky and over to the last street light on the route. Wind Talker grabbed Stalker's hand and a shudder went down his arm and into hers. Her sight shifted, and she gasped when she realised she was looking into Hepethia.

  She could see a light rushing towards the dark factories down the hill, superimposed over the human world. The wires of the pylons glowed bright blue as the construct tore along them. No human would be able to see it, this was Wind Talker's toy giving her the ability to see both worlds at once.

  The moment Glimmering Wires had passed the pylon upon which Claws was precariously perched, both Stalker and Wind Talker cried out with their minds.

  Now!

  Claws activated his ring, and the power all around the station went out yet again. He remained where he was, ready to hit the pylon again if they ran out of time.

  Stalker and Wind Talker crossed the veil and sprinted under a huge crystalline arch right where the building had been. A deep crater spread out from the arch, down to the coast, where crystal clear water gently lapped at the sparkling white shore. The waning gibbous moon hung in the sky above, casting its silver light over the scene.

  Glimmering Wires was tethered to the ground, limp and writhing against the smooth crystal. He thrashed about, his long cables lashing out at Weaver and Eyes, who stood just out of his reach. He had dimmed, cut off from the grid, slowly burning his own power.

  Stalker and Wind Talker reached the others, satisfied smiles playing on all of their lips.

  'Now then,' Eyes said, stepping forward, still just out of the reach of the construct. 'Our friend, Unchained Lightning, requires a throne. He wants yours.' He leaned forward, taunting Glimmering Wires. The construct snarled, sparks skidding off him along the ground.

  Unchained Lightning circled overhead, his huge wings beating the still air.

  'Well, he can't have it,' Glimmering Wires hissed. He lurched suddenly and lifted himself up to his full height, towering over the Lightning Lords. He flared up bright white for an instant, blinding Stalker and she shielded her eyes.

  She felt a sudden jolt go through her.

  'Claws!' He had disappeared from her mind. Wind Talker's face went slack, he turned and sprinted back up to the archway. 'What did you do?' Stalker shrieked at the construct.

  He glowed brightly, flooding with power. His laugh echoed off the crystal and he flew into the air, rocketing south, back towards his throne.

  'Come on!' Eyes shouted. They ran after Wind Talker and crossed the veil at the warehouse doorway. Stalker was by far the fastest, she sprinted past Wind Talker along the street towards the pylon. There was a dark figure lying crumpled on the ground. Stalker skidded to a halt over him and dropped to her knees. She bent over him to feel for breath from his nose or mouth. Her heart stopped dead.

  'He's not breathing!' she screamed.

  Wind Talker reached her and landed heavily beside her. He rolled Claws onto his back and tried to find a pulse. Claws' hair was all puffed out around his head like a halo. Stalker's heart was pounding in her ears, drowning out all other sound. White spots popped at the corners of her vision. She was only vaguely aware of Wind Talker bending over Claws, or of Weaver and Eyes at her back. Someone had hold of her shoulders.

  'One, two, three, four, five.'

  Who was speaking?

  'One, two, three, four, five.'

  It was Wind Talker, his voice soft but urgent. Stalker blinked back the tears that threatened to spill, something was happening. Wind Talker bent low to breathe into Claws' mouth, then sat up to resume pumping his chest.

  Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

  Who was thinking that?

  'One, two, three, four, five,' Wind Talker chanted, then stooped to breathe into Claws' mouth again.

  Please breathe! Stalker looked at her pack mates. The voice didn't belong to any of them. It was Claws' voice inside Stalker's head.

  There was an enormous gasp, and Stalker's senses snapped back into focus. Claws coughed and gulped for air. Stalker looked up to see a handful of onlookers. Humans.

  'Is he all right?' they murmured.

  'We'd better get him to hospital,' Eyes said loudly. He helped Wind Talker lift Claws to his feet and they dragged him to Eyes' car.

  'Someone call an ambulance,' a voice in the small gathering said urgently.

  'It's okay,' Eyes called out. 'We'll take him, it'll be quicker than waiting.'

  Weaver and Stalker scurried behind them and they all climbed into the car. Stalker sat beside Claws on the back seat, stroking down his frazzled hair.

  'You're okay,' she whispered. She needed to convince both of them of that. Claws smiled weakly.

  'Where are we going?' Weaver asked, looking out of the window. Stalker looked out too. They were driving south, almost certainly above the speed limit. The nearest hospital was east, out towards Fenwick.

  'The substation,' Eyes replied.

  'But the hospital,' Stalker baulked.

  'I'm fine,' Claws replied. 'Or I will be in a few minutes. We need to finish what we started.'

  Eyes drove through the underpass under the dual carriageway and when they emerged on the other side they were in Hepethia.

  'Eyes!' Weaver gasped. 'What if someone saw?'

  'Not now,' he snapped at her. 'The road was quiet and still blacked out, don't worry.'


  Eyes pulled to a sudden stop at the substation gates, sending everyone in the car lurching forwards. He was the first out of the car, the others scrambled after him, even Claws.

  'I'm fine,' he said, brushing Weaver's concerned hands from his chest and arm. He strode after Eyes to the huge gates, topped with coils of barbed wire.

  Unchained Lightning landed behind them and dipped his head low.

  'I am glad you are alive,' he crackled. Claws turned to look at him over his shoulder.

  'Hey, what's a little electric shock between friends? Eyes took a lightning bolt to the chest not so long ago.'

  Stalker let out a slightly hysterical laugh and everyone looked at her.

  'Sorry, I'm fine.' She held up a hand and wiped the smile from her face.

  Claws reached out and pressed his palm to the metal gate. Stalker watched in confusion. There was no power running through the gate. As far as she could tell, there was no connection between the gate and the terminals inside. She didn't even know if his ring would do anything in Hepethia. Something was happening though. The struts of the gate began to shudder, the tops curled over their heads. Weaver reached out and grabbed hold of the gate as well, as did the others. Stalker realised what was happening a moment later, not using Claws' ring, but shaping their territory.

  The gate curled up and fell in two pieces to the ground on either side of the pack. They strode inside, to find Glimmering Wires alone on his throne. There were no minions scurrying around him with contributions now, and no support from the other Sparkbloods. His light was dimmed, his head hung down against his chest.

  'Yield,' Eyes commanded.

  'Not a chance,' the construct said, standing from his throne.

  Stalker leaped forwards, drawing her dha. She slid across the floor, and right between his long legs. Her swords sliced through some of his cables, spilling sparks down all over her. They were white hot and stung for a second, but did no real harm. She had dealt the first blow, however, and there was a moment of stillness as everyone present absorbed what had happened.

  Glimmering Wires flew into the air, hissing. Claws took a running jump and grabbed hold of a swinging cable. He held tight, swinging back and forth underneath the flying construct. His weight seemed to drag Glimmering Wires down, and prevent him soaring off again.