Jess’s heart surged. Surely, if Freya didn’t want Finn harmed, Arnor would listen to her?
“But what’s going on between the two of you?”
Freya’s words brought Jess’s thoughts crashing back into the room.
“Going on? What do you mean? There’s nothing going on.”
“Jess,” said Freya gently. “You hid who Finn was from your parents. You tried to persuade me I was wrong about him. And you helped him escape last night, didn’t you?”
There was no point in pretending. Jess nodded.
“But there’s nothing going on,” she said quickly. “I just didn’t want him to die. He’s been banished from his world. I thought that was punishment enough for what he’d done.”
Freya gave her a long look. “Magnus is worried too. Not that he’d admit it.”
“Worried? About…”
“About what Finn means to you. And don’t say nothing. We both know that’s not true.”
Jess didn’t know what to say. She remembered, suddenly, the moment when Finn had kissed her. What did Finn mean to her?
“Magnus has nothing to worry about,” she said flatly.
A shout came from the cellar. Glad of the distraction, Jess jumped up to unlock the door.
Arnor came out alone.
“Do I lock the door again?” Jess asked.
He nodded, went into the room where Freya sat and closed the door. Jess went into the kitchen, where Martha was putting something in the oven.
From the window, she saw that her father and Magnus had dragged the bodies of the wolves into the neighbouring field, and were building a pyre.
“Let’s not bother telling your father about Finn disappearing during the night,” Martha said suddenly. “It makes no difference now, and it will only make him more angry. I take it that it was you who let him out, and not Ashe?”
Jess nodded, shamefaced.
“I don’t want this to end badly for the boy, but you mustn’t get any more involved than you already are. No more secrets, Jess – all right?”
“All right,” said Jess.
Footsteps came along the hall and Arnor came in.
“I need to talk to everyone,” he said.
“These wolves,” Arnor began. “They’re not normal. I’ve seen one like them before: the one whose head is over the front door of the shop. They’re from his world – the Kelpie boy.”
He paused.
“The Kelpies have been stopping them getting into our world for years.” Arnor shifted in his seat. “There was an agreement made between the people of Kirriemuir and some of the other towns and the Kelpies: they would keep the wolves from us and in return,” he took a deep breath, “they would be allowed to take a certain number of our children to live in their world.”
Ian erupted from his chair.
“The creature’s tricked you. No one would ever agree to that.”
“You promised to hear me out. It wasn’t the boy who told me this.”
“Then who was it?” Ian demanded.
“It was Lachlan.”
“Lachlan?” Ian stared at Arnor, sure he must have misheard.
“Yes. Now sit down and listen, as you promised. Lachlan showed me a document last night when he heard what was going on here. He overheard Jess when she came to the shop just after Freya disappeared to try and tell me what really happened, so he already knew the truth.”
There was utter silence in the room now, except for Arnor’s voice.
“This agreement was made in Lachlan’s grandfather’s lifetime. His grandfather was one of the men who negotiated it with the Kelpies. The wolf winters had been terrible. Too many livestock dead to count them sometimes, but that wasn’t the worst of it. The wolves were man-eaters – like those ones burning outside. No one was safe. Children were taken; adults too. Everyone lived in fear.
“And so the negotiators agreed to let the Kelpies take a small number of children from time to time. In return the Kelpies would protect the Upper World from the black wolves. It made sense: the Kelpies would take fewer children than the wolves did, and they wouldn’t be harmed, but it was a betrayal of their children that these men were agreeing to, and they knew it. They were so ashamed of what they were doing that they swore never to speak of it. The children would simply disappear and never be found. They told everyone in their home towns that the negotiations had failed.
“When he was on his deathbed, Lachlan’s grandfather told his wife what had happened, and she wrote it down. But the family never told anyone else.”
Arnor fell silent, watching the others try to comprehend what had been done in their names, without their knowledge, all this time; the betrayal of the children, year after year, generation after generation.
After a moment, he spoke again.
“The Kelpies have been living by that agreement ever since, assuming that we were as well. But we never knew what had been promised in our name. People forgot about the black wolves, thought they’d died out or moved on. Children disappeared, and there was no explanation. No one has spoken of the Kelpies for years, but it seems that all this time they were keeping their side of the bargain.”
Ellen spoke up. “When my cousin Euan went missing, an old woman told me he’d likely been taken by the Kelpies. It was she who told me how a taken child could be brought back. She was Lachlan’s grandmother.”
“Arnor, are you sure that this is true?” Martha asked.
He nodded. “Why would Lachlan invent such a story? And what Ellen just said backs it up. I think it’s time to let the boy out of the cellar and hear what he has to say.”
A minute later Finn stood in the room, looking warily at the faces turned towards him, trying to gauge his likely fate.
“Tell them about the agreement,” Arnor said.
Finn spoke, aware that his life might hang on what he said now.
“The wolves from our world used to break through to your world and kill livestock and people. We knew how to contain them in our world, but our race was failing. We needed new blood to survive. We made an agreement with men from Kirriemuir and Forfar and Cortachy. We would take one child from each settlement every few years to live with us. In return we would stop the wolves from breaking through. We’ve lived by that agreement since it was made.”
“So the two boys who disappeared here – Aidan and Donald – were taken by you?”
“Not by me, but by other Nykur families. As far as the boys are concerned, my world is their home now.”
“And my mother’s cousin Euan, all these years ago…” Ian said in a cracked voice.
“My mother’s family chose him for her. He’s my father.”
“And you chose Freya?”
Finn’s head came up sharply.
“No. No, that was a mistake. I never meant to take her, I swear.”
Ian opened his mouth to ask something else, but Ellen spoke before he had the chance.
“Why have the wolves broken through now?”
Finn shook his head. “They shouldn’t be able to,” he said, anxiety clear in his voice. “There are charms round the pool in my world that should stop them from getting through. My family should be checking them, making sure they work.” He drew a deep breath. “Please, let me go back to my world and find out what’s happened.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jess kept as busy as she could, so there wouldn’t be a chance for anyone to talk to her. She wanted to be alone in the dark with her thoughts, but there was the evening to endure first. Arnor, Magnus and Freya were to stay the night. The short winter day was already darkening and no one wanted to be on the road after nightfall.
Finn was gone.
To Ian’s fury, Arnor and Freya had let him go.
Jess had forced herself to be still, to look calm when he left, though her mind was churning.
He was safe.
He was leaving.
It was Freya who went through to the back door with Finn. Jess heard her voice as she s
aid something to him, but not the words.
He was gone.
At last, she climbed into bed with a sigh of relief. A few minutes later though, Freya joined her.
“Move over,” she said as she finished braiding her hair. “It’s too cold to sleep in the other bed, and I have to talk to you.”
“It’s not that cold,” Jess protested, sliding over.
“I don’t want to be overheard,” Freya whispered as she climbed in beside her.
Jess rolled over to face her.
“Why not?” She found herself whispering in turn.
“I’m going out at dawn to meet Finn. He’s going to take me to the Kelpie world.”
Freya put her hand over Jess’s mouth to stifle her squawk of horror.
“Are you out of your mind?” she hissed.
“Just the opposite. This is what I need to do to fill in the last blanks in my memory. It’ll never be over for me until I can do that,” Freya whispered.
“He’ll never agree.”
“He already has. I spoke to him before he left. Made him promise to take me and bring me back. It was easy. He still feels guilty about taking me before.”
“What about Arnor?”
Freya made a dismissive gesture.
“Once I’m home safe he won’t care. I’ve left him a note so he won’t worry.”
Jess didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that. Really, what she wanted to do was shake Freya until her teeth rattled.
“And what about poor Finn when your father – and my father – find out what he’s done?”
“But it’s me who’s making him do it. He doesn’t really have a choice. I made him feel he had no alternative but to do what I asked.”
Jess had no trouble at all believing that.
“I could go and tell them now what you’re planning, you know.”
“I know, but you won’t,” said Freya with absolute conviction. “I want you to come too.”
Jess sat bolt upright.
“You’re insane,” she hissed. “My father’s already furious with me.”
“Exactly. He can’t be much more angry with you than he already is.”
Oh can’t he? thought Jess, but didn’t say it.
“Don’t pretend you don’t want to see Finn again. At least this way you can say goodbye to him properly.” Jess avoided looking at Freya’s face, tried not to let the idea of seeing Finn again take root. “There’ll be no harm done. We’ll be back before you know it.”
“I’ll have to come and live with you if my father throws me out, you know.”
Freya laughed under her breath.
“I’m not joking,” Jess said as she lay down again.
“So you’ll come?”
“How could I not?” Jess paused, trying to think this through properly. “What about wolves? What if there are more out there?”
“Finn’s already at the pool. He would deal with any more that came through. But we’ll take knives, just in case.”
Jess knew it was ridiculous to accept that as reassurance, but she let her desire to see Finn override her common sense.
Of course she had to go. Freya was right. Jess couldn’t let go of the chance to see Finn one last time, whatever the consequences.
Before dawn, they were up and dressing in silence. Jess decided to let Freya’s note stand for both of them. Nothing that she could have said would have been likely to improve the situation when she returned anyway.
They tiptoed downstairs and into the kitchen, to collect the two biggest kitchen knives and a lantern. Although the moon was nearly full, they would need some extra light once they were in the woods.
They made their way in silence out of the farmyard, past the stinking, still smouldering remains of the wolf pyre, unaware of the shadow that detached itself from the barn and slipped after them.
Grey light lay across Roseroot Pool. Mist floated just above the water, tendrils curling and twining through the trees. It was absolutely silent once they stopped moving, waiting for Finn to show himself.
His voice suddenly came from the trees behind them.
“I only agreed to take Freya. What are you doing here, Jess?”
Freya turned and answered before Jess had a chance.
“I asked Jess to come. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
He said nothing for a moment, then shook his head.
“One, two, twenty – what’s the difference?” he said with a shrug, but his eyes were fixed on Jess as though the rest of the world was invisible.
“In my world, you have to do as I say, Freya,” he added.
“I promise. I only want to see where I was, then I swear we’ll go.”
“All right. We need to wade out near the middle, then hold on to my hands and don’t let go.”
Finn led the way, and Jess walked into the achingly cold water, Freya a step behind. Finn ploughed on without looking back until he was hip deep, then stopped and waited for the girls to catch up. Jess wondered if she could still get to Finn’s world alone, was about to ask, when a figure hurtled out of the trees and into the pool, shouting. In the half light it took a few seconds to recognise Magnus.
“Get away from them! Leave them alone,” he yelled.
Freya grabbed Finn’s hand as Magnus plunged towards them.
“Never mind him, Finn. Just do it,” she urged him.
Jess reached out and grasped Finn’s other hand.
“Are you sure?” he said.
“Yes! Do it!” Freya yelled as Magnus lunged for her, and suddenly the water was over and around them and they were being spun around like leaves in a whirlpool. Jess held grimly to Finn’s hand, trying to hold that last breath in her lungs, trying and trying…
Just as it ran out, the hurtling, spinning water was gone, and she landed with a thud on dry land. After a few seconds Jess opened her eyes to broad daylight, and her heart surged as she realised at once from the shimmering air that she was in the Nykur world again.
She sat up. Finn was already on one knee, looking in horror at Freya, who was sprawled in a heap on the ground, limbs tangled with Magnus’s.
Jess gasped. “Oh no.”
Magnus and Freya untangled themselves and sat up slowly, glaring. Finn was on his feet now, looking down at Magnus. Before he could say anything, Freya launched into a tirade.
“Magnus, you idiot, Finn hasn’t kidnapped us. I made him promise to bring me here to fill in the gaps in my memory, and I persuaded Jess to come with me.”
Magnus got to his feet.
“Is that true, Jess?”
“Of course it is. Do we look as though we’re here against our will?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Finn said coldly. “This is none of your business.”
“Yes it is. But I’m not here to make trouble. I was too late to stop them going with you, but I can make sure they’re safe.”
“You think you can do that in my world?”
“I think so,” said Magnus coolly.
“All right then, let’s see,” Finn said, as though he was issuing a challenge. “All of you wait here until I check it’s safe.” He walked away a little.
Magnus relaxed visibly and looked round, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
Jess took pity on him. “It’s not your eyes. The light’s strange. I remember from when I was here before. Things look as if they’re quivering if you’re not looking straight at them.”
She hadn’t expected this surge of joy as her senses reacted to the heightened intensity of Finn’s world. She had forgotten how seductive it was.
“Do you remember that happening when you were here before, Freya?” she went on.
“No,” Freya replied. “But I remember the roses.” She was looking at a huge crimson briar.
Finn came back over.
“It’s safe.”
“I remember the roses from before,” Freya said to him.
“They’re not exactly roses,” he replied.
The others
turned to him.
“Remember how surprised you were when you found I didn’t know how to shoot?” Finn said to Magnus, who nodded, puzzled. “This is one way we deal with the wolves here.”
“You turn them into roses?” Jess thought she must have misunderstood.
“Not exactly. We can lay a spell of illusion round a door to your world. If wolves cross the boundary, the spell twists their minds and makes their bodies take the shape of roses. Really, though, they’re still wolves; they’ve just forgotten. You should be able to see, if you look at one of them out of the corner of your eye.”
Half convinced Finn was simply making fools of them, Jess tried looking sidelong at a rose bush. Nothing happened.
“No: not like that. Look at me.” He moved into her line of vision. “But be aware of that bush that’s right at the edge of your sight.”
Jess did as he said, staring at him for once without having to look for an excuse. She gasped and looked round sharply. For the tiniest flicker of time, in the space between heartbeats, the briar bush had shivered into the form of a wolf, then back to a rose.
She heard Magnus and Freya exclaim as they too saw the bush’s true form.
“That’s impossible,” Magnus exclaimed.
“In your world. That’s why you need to know how to shoot.”
Magnus strode towards the nearest bush.
“Careful!” warned Finn. “They can still bite.”
Magnus paused.
“You said that to me when I was here before,” Jess remembered. “And I could have sworn that one of the branches moved so the thorns could get me.”
“It probably did,” Finn replied. “They don’t remember they are wolves, but they still enjoy tearing flesh.”
The others looked at the bushes, grown suddenly sinister.
“But somehow, in spite of this, six wolves got into our world,” Magnus reminded him.
“Yes,” Finn said, suddenly distracted. “I need to find out why. Give me a minute to check something.”
He moved away from them slowly, eyes flicking between the ground and the briars and the trees. Jess tried to work out what he was looking for, but to no avail.
She turned back to Magnus and Freya instead, just in time to see Magnus, unable to resist, stretch his hand out towards a rose. So quickly that there was barely time to register it had happened, a long, barbed twig had whipped out and raked down his arm.
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