by Kate Keir
“Well done, love.” Lyall shot me a proud smile before pulling on my hand as he broke into a run.
Chapter Twelve
Lyall weaved his way through streets which were already bustling with activity, despite the early hour. I smiled at the difference between this city and Inverness—everything seemed so much bigger. I made a mental note to come back here for a holiday once we’d saved the world.
We rounded a corner, and I could see a huge wrought iron sign that arched over the gates of the zoo. We both slowed down and looked for a good place to wait for the zoo to open. Lyall’s eyes came to rest on a café just over the road from the gates, and he nodded toward it.
“We need to eat anyway. It’s as good a place as any.”
I nodded, and we crossed the road and ducked inside. We ordered breakfasts and juice and chose seats that afforded a view of the zoo entrance but allowed us to mostly hide behind the pillars between the windows.
The food was delicious, and we both demolished everything on our plates. It was only as I used my last piece of bacon to mop up my baked bean sauce that I realised this was my first cooked meat in almost two weeks. No wonder it tastes so good.
Finally, the gates were thrown open, and people flocked to gain entry to the attraction. We paid our bill but stayed seated, hoping to sense Enid’s presence in the first rush of visitors.
As we scanned the crowd, a petite figure caught my eye. The girl had light brown hair that was cut short, thick-rimmed glasses framed her pale green eyes, and she was probably around five feet tall. I gasped as I recognised her soul.
“That’s her,” I murmured as I stood up.
Lyall stood up and frowned. “Really? She looks so young.”
I turned to him with sadness in my eyes. “I don’t think she can be any older than sixteen.”
He sighed. “I guess every ritual has a price to pay. Come on, love, we need to go and help her.” He made his way to the door, and I followed with a heavy heart.
We walked through the gates of the zoo and started to make our way through the different exhibits. There were gorillas and giraffes, reptiles and birds. We had to jog past the wolf enclosure because as soon as they sensed us, every animal began to howl and pace up and down behind their glass walls.
We finally caught sight of her standing alone at the chimpanzee enclosure. I breathed out in relief and was about to step forward when Lyall caught my arm and pulled me back. “Draugur, Flora.”
I looked around me and realised he was right. There were at least five of them hiding among the crowd. It was time for our evacuation plan.
Lyall ran to the nearest fire alarm button and smashed the glass with his fist. The sirens were instantaneous, and I felt a ripple of guilt as the animals started to go crazy in their enclosures.
The crowds began to run for the exit, except for the Draugur, one of which made a dash toward Enid’s surprisingly motionless figure. It was almost as though she couldn’t hear the alarms.
Without thinking, I lifted my hand and tore the rogue soul from the Draugur body. “Essen khai,” I murmured as I banished the soul even before its body had hit the floor.
Lyall smiled in approval before nodding toward the remaining Draugur. “You need to get the girl, love. I’ll deal with them.”
Before I had a chance to reply, Lyall had burst into a flurry of fur and snarls. My black wolf leapt at the oncoming Draugur, ripping the throat from the first to challenge him.
I ran to Enid but slowed as I approached her. She was still staring into the chimpanzee enclosure, watching the animals dancing about in their terrified chaos. Tears were pouring down her pale cheeks. I flinched as I once again realised how young she truly was.
“Enid?” I ventured.
She didn’t look at me. “They’re so afraid. They don’t belong here.”
I reached out and gently touched her shoulder. “Enid, I know you feel an affinity for them. I can explain why, and I can help you to learn about who you really are. But you’re going to have to trust me first.”
She turned her tear-stained face toward me. “Who are you?”
Dammit, I should have introduced myself before anything else. “I’m Flora, and I’m a lot like you, Enid. I’m here to help you.”
She was about to reply, but before she had a chance, a pair of bony hands gripped her shoulders and dragged her away from me, ripping a scream of fear from her mouth instead. A second Draugur grabbed her wrist, and they both sneered at me as they hauled her away from me.
I did the only thing I could in that moment. I hadn’t wanted to change because I was certain it would scare her so badly she would never trust me. But faced with the choice between her life and her trust, I made my decision and forced my body to become the white wolf that I knew could protect her.
Leaping forward, I took the throat of the second Draugur without hesitation. The first let go of Enid in its surprise, and she stood staring at me as I turned on her captor. The Draugur bolted, but I ran it down and killed its host body with ease.
I looked back to Enid and grinned as she continued staring at me in surprise. I concentrated on speaking to her inside her mind. Knowing she would be able to hear me. Enid, I know your mind won’t be able to make sense of any of this. But trust me, I’m here to help you and keep you safe.
“Did you just talk inside my head?” She took a step closer to me.
Yes, and I can only do that with friends, so you can believe me when I tell you I’m here to help you.
She didn’t reply but took another hesitant step toward me. Thinking on my feet, I followed my intuition and closed the distance between us with a bound. I sat on my haunches but bumped my head against her hand, as though I were a dog seeking affection.
She laughed in delight and curled her fingers into my thick fur, scratching me behind my ears. I whined in pleasure before I internally disciplined myself. You shouldn’t be enjoying tickles, idiot. You’re not a dog.
Her snort of laughter told me she’d heard my internal dialogue. I gave her my best wolfy smile and spoke to her again. You have to trust us, Enid. We’re going to take you to the place you belong.
Relief flooded through me as she slowly nodded. But then a sudden snarl behind me caused her eyes to open wide in renewed fear. I grimaced as I turned in time to see Lyall finish off the final Draugur. He was covered in blood, and his mouth foamed slightly from the exertion of fighting so many Draugur alone.
He turned toward us, and I internally bit my lip at the sight of his fierce amber eyes burning above his salivating jaws. I felt Enid’s hands tighten on my fur.
Lyall, this is Enid. Enid, this is Lyall. He’s one of us too, and he will never harm us, only protect us.
Lyall took my cue and lay on his belly with an inoffensive whimper. His amber eyes became large and adorable, and he used his front paws to try and clean the blood and foam from his muzzle. The sight was so pathetic and hilarious, I snorted a bark of laughter, and Enid giggled alongside me.
I glanced over the carnage surrounding us. We needed to get out of there, and with both of us in wolf form, we needed Enid to help us out.
Come on, let’s go.
I nudged the girl’s hand, and she walked alongside me, keeping her fingers anchored to my fur the whole time as we picked our way through the carcasses of the Draugur. Lyall followed behind us, keeping a wary eye out for another attack.
No further attack came, and we managed to slip out of a side gate that led us to a patch of trees and bushes in the parkland that surrounded the zoo. This was going to be a real test of how much Enid trusted us. I’d had no intention of shape-shifting at the zoo. I was supposed to collect Lyall’s clothes for him.
Enid, I need you to help us out so we can become human again. Can you do something for me?
“Yes,” she whispered.
Go to the café at the front gates. In the girls’ toilets, you’ll find a cleaning cupboard. Inside, I hid a backpack with our clothes in it. Can you go and get i
t for me?
She blinked, and nodded once before running in the direction of the café.
We sat among the bushes in wolf form and waited. I sent silent prayers to no one in particular that she would come back to us. After a few minutes had passed, Lyall shifted restlessly.
She’s either in trouble or she’s run, Flora.
No, she’ll be back. Give her a minute.
Another two minutes passed, and I was starting to give up hope when the bushes rustled and Enid appeared, clutching the backpack. She smiled and dropped it in front of us.
“I’ll–um give you a minute.” She retreated while we changed and quickly dressed.
When we emerged, Enid looked us both up and down. “Wow. I can’t believe you can change into wolves. That’s ridiculously cool.”
I smiled at her fondly as Lyall found Pen’s name in his phone and called her to let her know we were going to be on a flight by midday, as promised, and that we had a firm hold on our animal Soul Keeper.
Chapter Thirteen
I was unprepared for the feeling of elation that flooded through my body as I returned to Castle Dion. In just a few short months, this place had become home and the people had become family. I looked at the timid girl who stood next to me. She was gaping in awe at the elaborate décor of the castle, not unlike the way I had when I first arrived.
“You’ll be surprised how quickly it will feel like home,” I told her.
“It’s amazing.” She beamed.
“Flora? Lyall? Welcome home.” Pen didn’t quite run down the main staircase, but she definitely jogged. She wrapped her arms around each of us before turning her attention to Enid. The young girl looked nervous and started to hide her body behind mine.
“It’s okay. Pen is the one who found you for us,” I encouraged.
“Welcome to Castle Dion, Enid. I hope today hasn’t been too frightening for you.” Pen was clearly as shocked as I had been about Enid’s young age.
“Th–thank you, it’s so beautiful here. I’m okay. Flora and Lyall took good care of me.” Enid fired me a grateful smile.
Soft footsteps on the staircase caught all of our attention, and my mouth dropped in surprise as Artair walked down the stairs to join us. He hadn’t left his room in weeks and his pale skin and overly long hair were testament to his time in self-imposed confinement. He didn’t acknowledge any of us; instead, he stopped in front of Enid and stared at her, as though inspecting an insect under a microscope.
Enid blanched and again moved herself behind me, using my body as a shield. I held my arm out to stop Artair from getting any closer.
“Artair, she knows nothing yet. Don’t scare her.” I spoke firmly but quietly.
“So, you get to bring your traitorous boyfriend back in a new body, and I can’t even look at Mara’s new host?” he spat.
Enid trembled behind me, and my anger flared. “That’s enough. She’s afraid. Do you think Mara would want you to terrorise a child the minute she walked through the door?”
Artair stepped closer to me and snarled. “I don’t know what Mara wants because Finlay killed her, and now you want to bring him back.”
I was just wondering if my new energy could be used to knock him on his ass when Lyall stepped between us and issued Artair with a low warning. “Now’s not the time, mate. I know what you’ve been through—we all do. But she’s just a child.”
Artair stared Lyall down. He was seething with a rage that came off him in waves which rippled throughout the room. Lyall didn’t even blink in the face of Artair’s anger. We all held our breath, wondering if there would be a fight.
“Of course, you would defend Flora. You’ve been desperate to get on her good side since the day she arrived. Clearly your friendship with Mara means nothing,” Artair spat.
Lyall’s eyes darkened, and he pulled himself up to full height. I looked to the frightened, young girl standing next to me and wondered if I should take her to her room—she didn’t need to see this.
“Art?” A soft voice sounded from the stairs.
Freya made her way down the stairs and crossed the floor until she was standing behind Artair. Gently reaching out and placing her hands on his arms, she murmured quietly to him.
For a moment, it seemed as though he would ignore her as he continued staring at Lyall with narrowed eyes. Lyall unflinchingly returned the scowl.
Finally, Artair took a step back and allowed Freya to start leading him back toward the stairs. But he turned back to offer one last parting shot as he left. “I’m just glad Mara’s not here to see how quickly she’s been forgotten.”
We all visibly relaxed as Freya led Artair to his room, although Lyall fired a dark look after them.
“It’s not his fault, Lyall,” I murmured.
“Of course, it is, Flora.”
“He’s grieving for the girl he’ll never get back, while we lay plans to bring back the person who took her from him. If it was the other way around, I would feel exactly the same way.”
Pen spoke up. “Flora speaks sense, Lyall. I think you know she does. Will you both meet me in the great hall in ten minutes? I’m going to take our newest recruit to her room.”
We both nodded as Pen offered her hand to Enid. The girl looked at me with wide, frightened eyes.
“It’s all right. Pen will take care of you,” I reassured her.
Enid reluctantly took Pen’s hand and allowed herself to be led up the stairs to her new bedroom. I smiled to myself thinking of how the edge would likely be taken off her fear when she saw how epic her new room was.
Lyall and I made our way to the great hall. Once we were inside, I felt a sudden rush of tiredness and sadness. Yes, we’d found Enid and brought her back to Castle Dion. But at what cost to her? She was just a child.
Lyall seemed to sense my change in mood. Shifting slightly he tilted his head to one side and turned open palms toward me in a gesture offering sanctuary if I wanted it.
I did.
Without hesitation, I crossed the floor, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face into his chest. The warmth and scent of him were safe and reassuring.
“I’m tired, Lyall. I thought we were going to bring back a new Dion, not a scared kid. Artair hates us all, Freya’s tied up trying to look after him, and Finlay doesn’t have a body.”
“Shush, love.” Lyall rested his chin on the top of my head.
“But how the hell are we gonna defeat Sluag and Laurel’s new super Draugur with only two on form Dion and one Soul Keeper?”
“We will find a way, Flora.” Pen’s voice made us both jump apart from each other.
“You don’t have to look so guilty.” She laughed. “I’m glad you’re there for each other.”
Pen sat, gesturing that we do the same. Once we were both seated at the table, she spoke. “Firstly, well done on bringing Enid back to us. Did you have much trouble?”
Lyall related all of the events that came after my summoning by Sluag. The only time she interrupted, was to ask a couple of questions about Lyall sharing his energy with me on the train. She seemed genuinely surprised by it.
Pen then proceeded to tell us what she had been working on in our two week absence. “As you know, I have ensured Finlay has kept his memories. In terms of the super Draugur, I have very little to go on. Until we know what we’re actually dealing with, I’m not sure there’s much else we can do.”
“So, what’s next?” Lyall queried.
“I did manage to find a last known address for Laurel Cambridge. I also found out that’s not her real name.” Pen looked uncomfortable.
“So, we can pay her a visit?” I grinned.
“Perhaps. But I would like you to take some time to digest the new information before you take any action. Particularly you, Lyall.” Pen’s cryptic words caught both our interest.
“Why me?” Lyall asked.
Pen pulled a paper folder from inside her robes. Opening it up, she pulled out a photograph that I immediat
ely recognised as the woman from my summoning. Pushing it slowly across the table toward us she spoke. “Laurel Cambridge’s real name is Helena Harris.”
Lyall stood so quickly, he knocked his chair to the floor with a crash. His face was deathly pale, and his amber eyes held a look of total bewilderment.
“That’s my mother,” he managed.
“What?” I was certain I’d heard him wrong.
“I’m so sorry, Lyall. I thought about keeping this from you, but for how long would that be possible?” Pen looked sorrowful.
“How is it even possible? I’m a Dion. That means she should be dead. I always just assumed she was.” My heart broke, watching the confusion and pain warring across his face.
“I can only guess that you were able to become a Dion while your mother lived because she had been completely cut from your life,” Pen suggested gently.
“Because she was dead to me? She is dead to me,” he roared.
“Lyall.” I stood up and reached for his hand, but he pulled away before I could touch him.
“No, don’t touch me, Flora. I’m bad for you. I’m bad for all of you. I shouldn’t even be here.” He turned to leave, and I started to follow him.
Pen caught my wrist and shook her head. “He needs a little time and I need to speak with you, Flora.”
“I can’t leave him alone to deal with this, Pen.” I started to follow after him again.
“Lyall?”
He turned back to me as he reached the door, and his eyes burned with amber fire. “Stay away from me.” Then he was gone.
I turned on Pen. “Why didn’t you let me go with him?”
“Sit down, Flora. I need to tell you something, then I promise you can go to him.”
I reluctantly sat and fidgeted while I waited to hear what Pen had to say.
“What you told me earlier, about how Lyall shared his power with you on the train so you could hold the Draugur in limbo.”