Seeds of Autumn: A Dark Shapeshifter Urban Fantasy (Echoes of the Past Book 1)

by H B Lyne

  Shadow shifted into his human form and held out a hand to halt Ariana and Teri.

  The four familiar faces of the Wrecking Crew rounded the corner and stopped in a line across the street.

  'That's the one,' the skinny female shouted, pointing at Teri.

  'Your kitten crossed our territory again, Shadow, she needs to be taught a lesson,' Rust called down the street.

  'She was fleeing the Witches, Rust,' Shadow replied calmly. 'She needed to make a direct line for safety.'

  'That is no excuse,' Rust called out and the Wrecking Crew began walking towards them down the middle of the street. Rust was wielding a pipe with a jagged end, one of the other males had a flick knife.

  Ariana's hand tightened on the hilt of her sword, she felt the adrenaline pumping in her veins and could feel waves of it rolling off the shifters striding towards them. Shadow growled, a warning to back down. Somehow he was still fox-like even in his human form.

  'Give us the kitten, Shadow,' Rust snarled as he drew close. 'It'll be easier all around. It's only just, given the repeat offences. You know the traditions.'

  Shadow reached over and gently tugged Teri closer to him, tucking her behind him. He lifted his chest and spat in Rust's face. Ariana sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. Rust blinked and for a moment Ariana thought he was going to back down, but he brought back his head and swiftly thrust it forward, head-butting Shadow hard.

  Shadow staggered backward, paused for only a moment and then pounced. Ariana didn't have a spare second to watch him fight though, one of the grease monkeys was on her. He landed a punch to her face, sending her reeling backwards. He had looked wiry, but his strength was phenomenal.

  She steadied herself and dodged a follow up blow, spinning behind him and turning him around. Her fist found the side of his head and sent him stumbling sideways for the briefest of seconds before he was on her again. She dodged two more blows before he managed to land an elbow to her back and she went flying forwards. Her eyes landed on Teri, she'd bloodied the face of the skinny female quite badly but was now being grappled by the guy with the flick knife and couldn't get free.

  Ariana wheeled around, drawing her sword as she span. Adeptly, she ducked under her assailant and sliced right through his heavy boot and through his Achilles tendon, blood sprayed out onto the tarmac and he let out a strangled cry as he staggered sideways and dropped to his knees. Ariana drew back her blade and made to strike him with the hilt but a shout stopped her.

  'No!' Fortune barked, racing up the street, his hammer in hand, Grins-Too-Widely and the rest of the Blue Moon with him.

  Ariana stepped back and cast her eyes over the scene. Shadow and Rust were locked eye to eye, the pipe between them with all four of their hands on it. Neither of them let go or broke eye contact at the sound of Fortune's shout. Teri was limp, the knife to her throat, blood on her face.

  Anger flared up in Ariana's chest and she felt her body shaking, she was going to shift. Her dha fell to the floor and she looked at her shaking hands as they curled into talons. But then there were arms around her, warm, strong arms and a soft voice at her ear.

  'Ariana, listen to my voice. Ariana.' Stone had hold of her, her voice was calm, her steady energy reached into Ariana and slowed her heart rate. She took deep breaths and let her body go limp. The shaking stopped and the rage passed.

  'Release her,' Fortune ordered, pointing at Teri. The flick knife guy looked to his Alpha before doing anything. Rust and Shadow had broken apart but were still eye balling each other warily. Rust nodded to his pack-mate, who reluctantly released Teri.

  Teri stumbled away from him and Wind Talker rushed forward to catch her, the pair of them ending up on the ground.

  'Fine,' Rust snarled. He looked at Teri and let out a bark of laughter. 'She's learned her lesson.' He strolled lazily over to where Teri was slumped and he leaned right over her, his nose millimetres from hers. 'You won't be rampaging through our territory ever again. Will you, bitch?'

  Teri spat blood in his face. He flinched, but wiped it away calmly.

  'Leave,' Fortune barked, the threat clear in his voice. 'You have had your justice, she will honour the boundaries to the best of her abilities. Let that be the end of it. If you linger on our turf, or initiate violence against any of us again you will feel the full force of our wrath.'

  Rust straightened up and stalked away without a word, his pack falling into step behind him, injuries already beginning to heal.

  Fortune saw them off while the pack gathered together. Shadow was at Ariana's side, Stone still held her, ensuring she was fully in control again.

  'You did well,' Shadow told her gently.

  'Thank you,' she smiled. 'Teri? Is she okay?'

  'I'm fine,' Teri croaked. Wind Talker was helping her to her feet and Flames-First-Guardian passed her a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her face. 'I think I have a broken rib, but that'll heal soon enough.'

  'Chew this,' Flames said softly, passing her a pinch of some herb from his bag. 'It'll help speed the healing.'

  'We need to get back to safety, now.' Fortune said quietly, but firmly. The pack quickly pulled together and set off at a swift, quiet jog back to the betting shop. Ariana felt something stalking them on the way back, a demon just out of sight, not quite strong enough to take on a pack of eight shifters, but strong enough to consider it. She was glad to reach the safety of home.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Fortune was the first to speak, roaring at them and frightening Ariana for the brief moment that it took her to realise it was relief, not anger that he was expressing. He stormed over and caught both her and Teri in a tight embrace, dragging them inside and kicking the door closed in one fluid movement.

  'Thank Luna you are both safe!' he cried. Ariana whimpered, hoping he would stop squeezing her if she submitted totally. He did let her go and turned to Teri.

  'Are you all right?' he asked her softly, taking both of her shoulders in his hands. Teri nodded solemnly. Fortune tugged Teri's necklace from his pocket and placed it carefully over her head. She held it gently and smiled.

  'Thank you,' she said quietly. 'I really hoped you would know it was a ruse.'

  Ariana knew that Teri had much to tell them and that it wouldn't be easy. The rest of the pack moved in to welcome Teri home, Stone leaping in first. Ariana moved into a corner and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Movement in the hall caught her eye and she nearly jumped out of her skin to see Grins-Too-Widely slipping silently into the kitchen.

  The rest of the pack broke up and went quiet as the fox slunk into the room and sat down, cocking his head to one side. She got the impression that he was waiting for something. Flames-First-Guardian greeted their ally and asked the pack to follow him to the back of the shop. Dawn was just breaking and the shop was empty, so there was no need to cross the veil to hide their ritual.

  He and Wind Talker cast a circle, Grins-Too-Widely walked the perimeter of it slowly. Ariana watched as Flames led Teri into the circle and pulled a few of her hairs from her head. Teri hardly flinched. Flames burned the hair in a small bowl and then cut himself and Teri, mixing their blood in the bowl and then painting runes with the blood on Teri's cheeks. Sparks shot out from Teri and Flames, they darted around the circle, touching each pack member. Ariana stepped back in alarm, but Shadow placed his hand calmly on her back and nudged her forward again. She looked at him and his face was serene, reassuring. The rest of the older pack members were equally cool, though Eyes had flinched too so Ariana put her fear aside and put her trust in the ritualist.

  She began to feel dizzy and shook her head to try and clear the fog that she felt building between her temples. She lost her footing and felt Shadow's warm hand steadying her, but she felt increasingly disorientated and her knees buckled. Around the circle the other young pack members seemed to be experiencing the same thing, she wasn't the only one on her knees and even Fortune was leaning over, bracing his hands on his knees. Blackness took over and Ariana
let out a small cry of panic, but Shadow was there with her, steadying her and the fear abated.

  She could see herself running, it was a memory and it wasn't hers. She was seeing the world through Teri's eyes and she could feel everything Teri felt as she ran in blind panic through Redfield Park and into Runmead, onto Wrecking Crew territory. She had run right into Fenwick and finally collapsed with exhaustion near the woods. The Witches encircled her and then knocked her out. Everything went black. When she awoke, Teri found herself in a dark basement and had been bound with silver chains, they burned her skin and prevented her from shifting. The agony lasted for hours, the Witches hadn't done anything else to torture her. Finally one of them came to Teri and questioned her about her family and her first change.

  'You need to be with us,' she had stated plainly. 'You belong here. If you go back to the Blue Moon they will poison you with their lies, their lunacy.' She spat the word like it was filthy. Teri had listened to everything they said. They told her that Luna was insane and did not deserve to be worshipped, as the packs of Caerton thought she did. By renouncing her connection to the moon, Teri would become stronger and more in tune with her natural state of being. She wasn't chosen by an insane celestial, she was chosen by night itself. Teri stopped struggling against them, but not for a moment did she believe them.

  They had released her from the chains and fed her, they treated her like one of the family and Teri let them believe it. She agreed to an initiation, she would forsake Artemis, or Luna as the Witches kept calling her. She would leave the Blue Moon and join the Witches. Three pack members took her back to the woods for the ritual and while they set up Teri had climbed into a tree to watch. Ariana looked down through Teri's eyes and saw the scene from above. The Witches drew circles with sparkling dust and placed bright gem stones around the clearing. Teri watched in wonder as green, blue and red stones of varying sizes were placed on the ground. A large topaz stone was placed in the very centre, it was polished and smooth, a perfect sphere. Light from the nearby fire flickered on it and it reflected the light beautifully. It looked like the sun, Teri thought and then it clicked into place; they had made a sort of orrery with stones to represent each planetary body in the solar system.

  One young Witch stepped carefully over to the blue stone representing the Earth, she held a black pouch in her hand and opened it cautiously. As she bent to tip out the contents onto the floor something caught her hand and she leapt back with a growl. A tiny silver ball lay on the ground, just short of its intended mark next to the earth, the moon.

  Teri knew what she had to do, but caution held her back. That was when she felt Ariana and Shadow nearby. Her pack had come for her and was approaching the clearing. Courage soared inside her, and determination not to let them walk into a dangerous situation. She climbed down from the tree and made a run for it. The young Witches were quick to follow her and Ariana's heart began to pound hard as she lived the memory of crashing through the trees. Teri circled around and cut back to the clearing. She ran into the empty circle and snatched the topaz sun from the centre, stuffing it into her pocket and hoping for the best, she shifted into her cat form and sprinted back into the trees. She dodged and weaved, leaving an erratic trail.

  Ariana felt a jumble of memories, her own and Teri's all mixed together as they had felt one another on that run. Gradually Teri's memory began to fade, leaving Ariana exhilarated and clear-headed. She found herself lying on the floor of the betting shop and looking around saw the rest of her pack in similar states of disarray. Grins-Too-Widely walked slowly over to Teri and bowed his head to her.

  'I am Weaver-of-Sky's-Loom now,' she spoke clearly to the pack. 'Let the fae know it and know that Artemis commands me, as a prophet and a bard.' A light shone from within Teri and Ariana watched in amazement as runes flared up on her skin for a moment and then faded to nothing. Grins-Too-Widely turned and disappeared across the veil as the pack rushed to congratulate Teri on taking her new name, Weaver. Ariana watched the space where the pack elder had been stood, elated for Weaver, but longing for a new name of her own.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Immediately after the ritual, Eyes had dashed away into a private room to call his wife. Ariana heard him talking on the other side of a door and passed quickly on her way to the attic, trying not to eavesdrop. It was clear that everything was fine at the other end of the phone, but Ariana knew Eyes would not rest easy until he could be back with them to guard them himself. Although Weaver was back with the pack they couldn't relax completely. The Witches might come back for her, or may even mount a full offensive against the Blue Moon. Eyes wouldn't feel that his family were safe yet.

  Ariana curled up on a rug in the attic and slept all day, her aching body desperate to catch up properly now that her pack sister was home. Her sleep was troubled by bad dreams though. She dreamt of Rhys, dreams of longing and loneliness, and of the passion that she was so desperate for. There was a demon in her dreams too, weaving in and out of unrelated images, threading them together, although she didn't see the pattern until she woke. It was little more than a black shape, flitting at the corner of her eye, almost teasing her. She was still so new to this world, but she was coming to understand that demons weren't necessarily evil, they were neutral really, barely aware of morality, just like animals. She knew not to be afraid of this shadow in her dreams. In fact, she was compelled to find it.

  She remembered how her dreams leading up to her first change had been a confusing jumble of worlds, how some things that had seemed like dreams had turned out to be psychic sleep walking into Hepethia. She wondered how much of her life she could trust now, what was still straightforward and what was touched by the magic she had only just learned existed.

  When she was finally ready to face the world again Ariana joined the Blue Moon in the kitchen for another family meal. This was becoming a comforting and familiar ritual, and Ariana smiled on seeing her pack assembled and talking over burgers. She sat down between Shadow and Weaver, exchanging warm smiles with them both. Eyes seemed in better humour, chatting and laughing with Fortune, but there were dark circles under his eyes betraying the lack of sleep and deep worry that still plagued him.

  'I need bodies out on patrol straight after dinner,' Fortune instructed, his mouth full of food. 'Be careful out there, everyone. Be vigilant and report back any slightly suspicious activity. Flames and I were running the borders all day and saw nothing, which is odd. I don't like it.'

  Eyes moved quickly to their alpha's side as the rest of the pack began to move out but Fortune looked at him sadly.

  'You can't return home, Eyes. We've been over this. If you reinforce your scent there they will get curious and they will track it right back to your family.' A growl rumbled in Eyes' chest and Ariana looked away in embarrassment. She felt sad for him, she could feel his frustration and knew there was nothing she or any of them could do.

  Ariana followed Shadow across the veil. Grins-Too-Widely was waiting for them, sitting patiently with his head cocked to one side and that huge grin on his face. Shadow greeted him and led Ariana through the kitchen, which in Hepethia was warm and bright. The huge dining table filled the room, symbolic of the importance of meal times. A real stove burned against the back wall and the room was filled with the smell of cooking. Tiny motes of joy and family floated around the room, almost like Christmas lights. But there were small demons of worry sitting in the corners too. The tiny sprites here were not powerful, they didn't even seem sentient, let alone have names of their own. Ariana lingered to observe the room for a moment, before Shadow led her out through the back door. Grins-Too-Widely followed them outside.

  The back street on this side of the veil was almost pitch black. The houses around them loomed ominously, the bricks were stained black and the windows were soulless and empty. Shadow and Ariana made their way up onto the roof via the fire escape and looked out across the territory. Ariana drew a sharp breath as she looked around. The dark sky rolled with heavy pu
rple clouds and lightning flashed in the distance over the telecoms tower. The city was black in places and lit up like a fire in others, the contrast burned her eyes. Over in Northgate the factories were alive, literally alive. Giant monsters on the horizon, chugging plumes of thick smoke into the sky, they stirred and shifted with their heavy burdens. Ariana could even hear their moans carrying over the city towards her.

  'Shadow?' She reached for him without taking her eyes from the factories. Her fingers found his hand and he twisted his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand.

  'It's okay. I know it seems frightening, but by and large it is under control. The Blue Moon has held this territory for a long time, the demons and fae know us and know how to behave. But they can't change their natures, not easily anyway.'

  'They look like they're chained down and trying to escape, but they're too tired to put up much of a fight,' Ariana whispered. Shadow chuckled and Ariana looked at him in surprise.

  'That's almost exactly the situation.' He smiled at her and Ariana saw pride in his face. Ariana couldn't help but smile back. 'I'm going to run the northern border. I want you to stay here. Watch over the territory. Get to know how it looks from here. If you see anything to give you cause for alarm or if I'm not back in one hour I want you to cross back over and wake Fortune.'

  Ariana nodded solemnly. She looked across the landscape again and wondered how on earth she was meant to tell normal from alarming. Shadow placed his hands on her shoulders and captured her eyes with his own amber ones.

  'Don't worry, the others are heading for the borders now, they are the first line of defence. You will know if something gets past them, you will sense it.' His voice was soft and reassuring, but his words brought up a whole new wealth of causes for alarm. With one last look he shifted seamlessly into his fox form, ran to the edge of the building and leaped off the roof. Ariana dashed forward in time to see him dart into the shadows in the street below. Then he was gone.