by H B Lyne
With a final burst of fury Ariana bounded over to the elemental and went in for the kill, driving her swords into its middle and slashing outwards, ripping the creature into pieces. She felt the cold essence of its being all over her as it disintegrated under her attack, ice chips flew as she ripped it apart and they stung her as they showered over her face and body.
She was still roaring when she felt Fortune's presence behind her and instinctively she leapt to turn on him, but as soon as her eyes came upon him she felt calm wash over her and the rage began to subside.
Ariana, Ariana, calm down. It's Fortune, your Alpha. Shift down. His voice was inside her mind, and slowly her form shifted back to human. She stood shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her. She could feel the spirit matter lingering on her body, it was more than water, there was something of its being, like blood, still on her skin and clothes and she felt a jumble of emotions about the kill. Fortune gently placed his arm around her and pulled her to him in a warm embrace.
'Let's get back,' he whispered against her hair and he led her silently away.
Ariana sheathed her swords and Fortune slung an arm over her shoulders.
Ariana was intensely satisfied that she had made her first kill, her blood pounded in her veins and she knew she had done her job, done what she was born to do. But she was frustrated at herself for being caught off guard and for not being able to contain and subdue the elemental on her first strike. She also felt a strange sense of remorse and sadness, as though something precious was gone from her now that she had fought for more than competition and personal satisfaction. She had felt the rage in her, just as she had the first time she changed. It frightened her and she felt again that she had lost a part of herself to the beast. She had killed now, albeit a supernatural being and not a human. The human law would not care and in terms of supernatural law she was in the right, but she had a sense of sadness about taking a being from the world, a being that had as much right to exist as she did. She let that gnaw at her on the walk home and she knew that Fortune would be picking up some of it, but he did not say anything and she was thankful for that.
As they entered the house and crossed the veil again Fortune released her and watched her carefully for a minute.
'You did well, your training is coming along nicely,' he said softly.
'Was that a test?' Her eyes flicked up to meet his as she sat down at the kitchen table, dripping water on the floor from her sodden hair and clothes. Fortune tossed her a kitchen towel from a nearby drawer and she began to dry her hair.
'It doesn't matter if it was or not. Every time you step out there you have a job to do and you did it tonight. Demons and fae have to be subdued and controlled. If they step out of line, including attacking us without provocation they have to be put down.' He sat down opposite her and they held each other's gaze for a long moment before Ariana shook her head a little with relief.
The two of them sat and talked, they went over the brief fight and carefully analysed it. They celebrated her victory and Ariana soon felt good about what she had accomplished. They were still dissecting it when the pack entered late in the evening from their patrols and training sessions.
'Ariana made her first kill,' Fortune cheered as they entered and she was met with lively congratulations. Shadow patted her firmly on the back and leaned over her shoulder to congratulate her solemnly.
'I'm proud of you.' His words shot to her heart and she choked back the threat of a sob of gratitude.
Fortune patted Shadow hard on the shoulder and grasped his hand and arm to shake and congratulated him on training Ariana so well.
'You should take her to meet your friends, Shadow,' Fortune said with a sly grin on his face. Ariana looked between her two mentors, curious. Somehow the idea of anyone having friends outside of the pack seemed very odd, but she remembered that Weaver had other friends too, that she had been prevented from seeing after she was bitten. Shadow regarded Fortune carefully for a moment and then nodded.
'I'm meeting some of them tomorrow night. We have an event the night after and have some preparations to discuss.' He gave Ariana a reassuring nod and a small smile on seeing her puzzled expression.
Fights-Eyes-Open sat down next to her and leaned in close.
'So? Tell me about it?'
Ariana laughed.
'Honestly, I probably didn't do as well as I should have. Have you gotten into a fight yet?' she asked in a low voice. Eyes grinned and nodded.
'Fortune took me out a week after I joined the pack too. I think he's been rumbled.' Eyes chuckled, Ariana sighed and glanced across at the Alpha as he talked animatedly with Flames, Stone and Weaver.
'I thought it was a test.' She shook her head and suppressed a small laugh. 'Afterwards, it just felt like he stood back and let me deal with it.'
'Was it a rain elemental?' Eyes asked shrewdly, taking in her wet appearance. Ariana nodded. 'With me it was a derelict building construct. Big hulking stone thing with wires and cables sticking out of it. I tried crushing it by knocking a wall down on it but that made it stronger. I literally had to rip it to pieces.' His eyes lit up as he remembered the fight and Ariana smiled at him, loving the energy buzzing from him. She recognised him as a kindred spirit, he fed off the thrill of the fight, thrived on it. 'Fortune will have tested you in a different way,' he said suddenly, his wistful expression changing back to his shrewd one. 'You're not just about brute strength. You're like Shadow, cunning. I bet a rain elemental was quite an elusive challenge for you.' He grinned at her and she laughed in response.
'You could say that. I can't say I'm eager to come up against any kind of water elemental again.'
'Wait until you have to fight fire,' Flames-First-Guardian spoke softly right behind her and she whipped around in her chair to look at him. His eyes had that far-away glaze that she was becoming accustomed to and she didn't probe more deeply into his comment. She turned back to Eyes.
'You know, you don't look like the brute force type.' She cocked an eyebrow and tugged at the lapel of his suit jacket. Eyes chuckled.
'Looks can be deceiving.' He winked at her and she giggled. Fights-Eyes-Open was of a medium build, but she could tell he was strong beneath his smart clothing.
'Why do you wear a suit?' Curiosity piqued and Ariana couldn't help asking. 'What are you when you're not a werewolf?'
'A barrister.' They both laughed but she knew he was serious. She had a sudden mental image of him in court, smart, articulate and passionate. He had the big house and the nice car. It all fit. Their laughter subsided and she wondered how easy or difficult it would be for him to go back to work now.
'Have you been to work since you changed?' she asked quietly, unsure she wanted to know the answer, fears about her own future gnawed at her as she asked.
'No,' he said, shaking his head. 'But I need to go back this week. I took annual leave and my time is nearly up. It'll be interesting to say the least.' He gave her a quick smile and she tried to return it.
Their lives really weren't their own any more, but she was encouraged that she wasn't the only one who was willing to try.
Ariana allowed herself to enjoy the attention of the pack, the requests to recount the fight and the way the pack rallied around her. She was relieved though when Stone drifted away to get some sleep as it gave her a window to do the same. She didn't sleep with the pack that night, she slept in her little room, cradling her phone in her hand, hoping for a message from the outside world. She dreamed of the rain and of the elemental she had destroyed. In her dream it didn't slip through her fingers, she was fierce and in control, she remembered all of her training. She was perfect.
Chapter Eighteen
24th November
The next evening, after another hard day of training and uneventful patrolling, Ariana boarded a bus with Shadow. They sat in easy silence. Throughout the day Ariana had asked him questions about his friends and where they were going, but he had been vague in his responses and kept t
elling her that she would see for herself. She had given up asking and now sat looking out of the window of the bus, curious and a little impatient.
Their bus skirted the northern edge of the city centre and turned west, crossing the river and heading into Old Town. Caerton was a very old city. Once a Roman fort had stood here, then a Viking castle. Old Town still held the remains of the Norman castle and town, built over the Viking one. The city's oldest museum was located here and some major tourist attractions, such as the Dungeons and the city's premier theatre. It also housed a few narrow Tudor streets with cobblestones and some quirky independent shops selling everything from traditional sweets to bespoke wedding gowns.
The bus stopped just around the corner from the museum, on the main road that was jammed with traffic. Ariana followed Shadow quickly and quietly through the bustling streets of late night shoppers. The road was still a little wet, though it hadn't rained all day. She wondered if that had anything to do with her destroying a rain elemental the previous night. She watched Shadow carefully as they went. His eyes were so sharp, looking everywhere at once, and she quickly stopped watching him and followed his example. She cast her eyes around, looked carefully into the deep shadows around doorways and alleyways. They left the busy main road and walked briskly up a dark side street. There were cars parked on either side and visibility was poor, so Ariana tried to use her other senses but found it frustrating, they just weren't as sharp in human form as in some of her animal forms.
'Can you tell me where we're going yet?' she whispered. She was unsure why, but some instinct told her to keep a low profile. Shadow glanced at her.
'This is the territory of The Watch. A very old pack. We are on vaguely friendly terms with them and they know we are coming, but it pays to be prudent.'
'Are they the friends we're meeting? The Watch?' she asked and he shot her another look.
'One of The Watch will be there, he offered to host, the other is coming in from Fenstoke.'
'But that's on the other side of the city centre.' She frowned. 'Why didn't we meet in the centre on neutral ground?'
Shadow stopped walking abruptly and turned to face her, a trace of impatience on his dark face.
'The city centre isn't exactly neutral, no one claims it so it's neutral in that sense, but it is rife with urban demon activity. It's not a safe place, Ariana. Not for any of us. We meet on claimed ground so that someone is in command of the elements there.'
'I see,' Ariana answered meekly. She felt a little chastised and foolish for asking so many questions.
Shadow set off walking again and she followed quickly and silently.
After a few minutes Shadow slowed slightly and grasped an iron railing to his right. He turned and jogged up some steps leading to a tall, narrow house in the terrace of townhouses. There was a small brass plaque by the large, wooden door, but Ariana couldn't read it in the dark. The door swung open and Shadow produced a slip of paper from his pocket. A hand emerged from the shadows to take the slip and a moment later the door opened wide to admit them.
Ariana followed Shadow inside and past the be-suited figure that had admitted them. Shadow led her into what appeared to be a small and secluded private club, reminiscent of an old gentleman's club, but no one batted an eyelid at Ariana's presence. There were a few people sat in comfortable chairs around small tables and a fire blazed in a large grate at one end of the main room. Shadow led her through the lounge and into a small private room. There was a fire burning in here too, one low table sat before the fire and deep sofas sat on either side of it. She felt Shadow relax as they entered the room and found two men deep in conversation. The men looked up as Ariana and Shadow entered and broad grins erupted on their faces.
'There he is,' the younger of the two called as he rose to greet Shadow. He drew him into a brotherly embrace and Shadow's face lit up with warmth and energy. The older man grasped Shadow's arm with both of his hands in a sort of old fashioned hand shake.
'Sorry we're late,' Shadow said with a smile. 'Not right of me to keep an old dog waiting.' He nudged the older man with his fist and the three of them chuckled.
This was by far the most animated Ariana had ever seen her mentor. These two new shifters were fascinating. She felt instantly submissive to them, the elder of the two exuded power and authority, this was his territory and she knew it. He looked far older than any other shifter she had yet seen and knowing how old Fortune was despite appearing to be no more than fifty, she guessed that this ageing shifter was into his tenth decade or more. He wore loose clothing, a wooden staff propped against the sofa he had been sitting in when they arrived had to belong to him. He had long, messy grey hair and scars on his weathered face. He was dressed like an ageing biker had the look of the wolf about him, like Fortune.
Shadow took her arm and brought her closer to the fire, a wide smile lighting up his normally serious face.
'This is Ragged Edge,' he said, indicating the old man. Ragged Edge extended a hand and she took it, his grip was firm and commanding. He shook her hand and eyed her carefully. The warmth he had shown Shadow was gone. His shrewd eyes were narrow and serious, but she sensed caution behind them, not hostility. 'Don't let the staff fool you,' Shadow said, a mocking smile etched on his features. 'It's no walking stick.' Shadow sat down and spread his arms out over the back of the sofa. Ragged Edge chuckled, it was a low and gravelly sound deep in his chest.
'Pleased to meet you,' he said quietly, a hint of warmth creeping into his gruff voice.
The other man nudged him aside. He couldn't have been more different. He was tall and broad with skin the colour of black coffee and several piercings in his ears. He looked about Ariana's age, though that didn't necessarily mean much.
'I'm First Strike,' he said. He grinned and grasped her hand. She couldn't help but smile back.
They each took a seat by the fire, Ariana ended up next to First Strike and felt a little flustered. He was warm and charismatic and she found him extremely attractive. But Rhys popped into her head, and a gnawing sensation travelled quickly from her gut to the rest of her body. She blushed and averted her gaze, focusing on Shadow's skin, glowing in the firelight.
The three men got down to business, Ariana tried to follow the conversation but much of it went over her head, with references to names and places she didn't know.
'The barrier will keep humans out, of course and it will be totally sound proof,' Shadow said, very matter-of-factly.
'What's the radius?' First Strike asked, leaning forward on his knees.
'A hundred feet, that should encompass the venue and a little beyond,' Shadow replied.
'How many do we need to cast it?'
'Three,' Ragged Edge replied. 'We're well prepared.'
Ariana allowed the conversation to wash over her. It was clearly nothing to do with her and she allowed her mind to wander.
Suddenly she was aware of the drop in conversation and saw that Ragged Edge had turned to her and was watching her carefully. She felt herself growing uncomfortable under his gaze.
'Shadow's Step has told me that you have a gift for combat,' Ragged Edge said slowly and thoughtfully. Ariana shifted her weight and nodded once.
'He tells me that too. I've always trained, before I changed I was a martial arts instructor.' She smiled with pride and saw Shadow give her a quick nod of encouragement. First Strike stirred beside her and she glanced at him, he was grinning.
'What do you think of what you can do now?' he asked, a sly look in his deep brown eyes.
'It's awesome,' Ariana returned his broad grin.
The four of them talked for a while about Ariana's background, how she was adjusting to life as a shifter and her passions. She felt a little like she were being analysed and wasn't really sure what to make of it all, but she tried to answer their questions openly.
'Where are your family?' Ragged Edge asked, sipping his whiskey.
'On the south coast. I grew up there but moved to Caerton when I was
seventeen. I haven't really seen my family since. We were never close.' She didn't mind talking about her family, though didn't know why they were asking. Ragged Edge simply nodded.
'Do you think it's possible that any of them might relate to what you're going through now?' First Strike asked carefully, a change in tone from him. Ariana was surprised by the question and paused to give it some thought.
'No, I don't think so. But I was adopted. I don't know anything about my birth parents. I never felt close to my adoptive family because I always felt different from them. Now I know that wasn't just because I was adopted.'
'We should examine her lineage,' Shadow spoke softly to Ragged Edge, but didn't try to prevent her from hearing, she frowned at him as he spoke.
'The Scroll Keepers could help there,' First Strike said quietly, barely above a whisper.
'Excuse me, but why does my lineage matter?' Ariana had images flashing through her mind of elite groups among the shifters who were obsessed with heredity, like the human aristocracy and the Witches. The three men looked at her, Shadow barely hiding a smirk, First Strike grinned at her and Ragged Edge just stared at her thoughtfully.
'Does it matter to you?' he asked carefully. Ariana frowned and thought for a moment.
'It hadn't occurred to me before. I'm not an elitist or anything, I couldn't care less about a person's family when it comes to rank or leadership. Do we have more potential with stronger blood? Is it a biological thing? And I mean really, not in a “Divine Right of Kings” way.' Her thoughts flickered to the absent heir to the throne of Caerton, but she squashed the thought down and turned her focus back to the present moment.
Ragged Edge smiled and almost broke into a throaty chuckle.
'I don't know much about biology, but I'm not really sure the normal rules apply to us. It's not about power or leadership or potential. It's about heritage. Caring where we come from and the deeds of our ancestors. Do you care about that?'