by Sheryl Lee
Axel commanded her attention, “Little Zora, it is only to be expected that you would have an increased appetite. One because of your extra unlocked abilities and two because I think this experience took all of your energy. Truly I have never seen a defender so exhausted from the sensing ritual. But I have also never sensed such power as was coming from you. It was phenomenal. Please, eat all that you require to regain your strength before you share what you learned with us.”
Zora gazed uncertainly at the fairy prince. “Axel, it was such a jumble of impressions, I am not sure I can make sense of it all. And the smell of it, I felt I could taste the victims fear, it was indescribable.”
She paused in the act of sipping more coffee at the almost comical expression of shock that appeared on all of their faces. At least it would have been funny if she had been in on the joke but as it was she just felt anxious and worried, wondering what she had done wrong.
Powers clasped her free hand in his strong one, and brought it to his lips in a gentle kiss of reassurance that caused her blood to sing and her mind to stutter. “It is only that a defender usually does not receive smells, or tastes. You are extraordinary and unique.”
Powers smiled into her eyes and she felt that stabilising strength again. This time she didn’t question it, but welcomed it. She felt it course through her body, felt the trembling in her hands cease and the headache that had begun to tease at the edges of her consciousness dissolve. Powers squeezed her hand and broke eye contact. His expression gave no clue as to whether he felt that connection the way she did. She had no idea if she had actually received strength from him in a physical sense or if it was just the calming influence of his touch. Right now, it didn’t matter which it was.
Marcus put his coffee down and leaned forward. “Zora, you really could taste and smell the visions? I don’t know if that is a good thing or not, it must have been a harrowing experience for you. I believe the visions on their own would be disturbing enough. But as Powers said, it shows how powerful and how unique you are. When you feel rested enough, please tell us as much as you remember.”
Zora smiled her thanks at him, it was good to know that he understood how much the sensations had affected her. She looked at Axel who had remained silent. His expression was remote, his gaze turned inward. Looking more closely she saw a faint silver shimmer and realised that he was doing something magical. Nothing seemed to be manifesting, so she gave an internal shrug and decided to wait until Axel was once again focused on them. Reaching forward she snagged another piece of the cake. Almost before she thought of it Powers had refilled her cup, pushing the milk jug closer to her. His expression was as always one of mild distaste as she added milk to the fragrant brew – Powers believed that coffee should only and ever be consumed black. Zora wrinkled her nose at him, the small normal reaction making her feel a bit more grounded.
She watched Axel as she ate, trying to figure out what he was doing. She thought she was being circumspect but realised not enough for a supernatural being when Marcus leaned forward and said very quietly, “He is communing with his kind, most likely his mother the Queen.” Zora’s eyes widened and she added telepathy to her list of Axel’s abilities. As she watched the silver shimmer dissipated and Axel blinked before reaching for his coffee.
“Little Zora, my mother the Queen has confirmed that you are the only defender in our history to both taste and smell your visions. She believes that this is another indicator of your strength and says this makes you immensely valuable to us. She will send guards before we leave to continue our investigations. She also wishes to meet you when it is possible.” Axel took a large swig of the coffee and smiled at Zora. “How do you feel now little Zora, better?”
Zora felt like she was several steps behind, her mind was still reeling at the thought that a queen wished to meet her, not to mention the guards that would be sent. She allowed herself a brief visualisation of fairy guards, all as large and well-muscled as Axel but a low growl from Powers burst her rather delightful fantasy and she snapped back to her current reality. She noticed Sunny was staring raptly at Axel and wondered if she and Sunny had just shared the same fantasy. Sunny met her eyes and winked – yep, same fantasy.
As all eyes focused on her Zora realised that she must now try to explain what she had seen and heard. Before beginning she turned to Sunny. “Sunny can you write down what I say? It was such a mess of sights and sounds and smells and taste, I’m not sure I can recall it all in a coherent fashion.” Four sets of eyes widened but Sunny simply reached into her bag and pulled out a thick notepad and pen.
Marcus blinked, Powers smiled and Axel said only, “Sounds too.”
Oh, right, sounds were also unusual. Zora wished with all her heart that if she must be a defender that she was a regular one who saw only visions – no sounds, no smells and no taste. It seemed much easier. Then she closed her eyes and allowed the visions to fill her mind.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The first vision was of the victim at the side of the road. Zora tried to figure out her angle of vision and decided it was probably the trees, the same ones that Axel was looking at she realised. It felt like she was looking through the eyes of the werewolf, a thought so nauseating she almost lost her lunch. Remembering her audience Zora belatedly began to voice what she was seeing.
As she/the werewolf approached the man she became visibly distressed at needing to describe what was about to happen. Seeing this Axel touched her arm. Opening her eyes Zora raised an eyebrow in his direction. “You don’t need to describe everything little Zora, it is enough that you have seen it all and in much detail. Please, only tell us things that may help us to identify and find the werewolf.”
Marcus frowned, “But what if there is something Zora misses unknowingly? Shouldn’t we hear everything?”
Axel shook his head, “No, there is no need for her to put herself through the details of the murder, only the parts of the visions that will help us to identify the werewolf. Zora is a reporter, she will know what is useful and what can be disregarded. Please Zora, continue.”
Marcus shrugged, and Zora obediently closed her eyes again, wishing that she had as much faith in herself as Axel was demonstrating with her. Relieved that she didn’t have to describe the terror on the man’s face or the smell of fear as he recognised his impending death she began to sift through the visions.
“Ok,” she began, “I think I am seeing through the werewolf’s eyes. I can see the victim, and you were right Marcus, the poor man was played with like a cat would play with a mouse. He was terrified and the werewolf liked that, I can feel its pleasure. I can see that it is very tall, the fur on its arms is a light gold colour and it has very long sharp claws.” She shuddered at that visual but pushed her own fear away and continued, “It spoke to him – I didn’t know werewolves could talk – and it told him that he was an important sacrifice and that he should die knowing that he was helping a very important cause. He didn’t die quickly, and he suffered much pain but the werewolf told him that the quality of his blood was changed by his pain and so it was necessary.” Zora was unaware of the tears trickling down her cheeks as she spoke, focused entirely on searching her memory to be sure that she didn’t miss anything that might be important. “He was eviscerated as the police report described and the werewolf put the missing body parts into an esky.” She hesitated, it seemed such a prosaic thing to do, to use an everyday esky for such a macabre collection. Gathering her thoughts, Zora continued, “It also collected some of his blood in a bottle and took that as well. I’m afraid it didn’t tell the victim anything other than his death was important.”
Zora paused, and took a large mouthful of her coffee. Sunny was writing furiously and the others were watching her intently. She kept her eyes open as she finished off. “The werewolf’s voice, I don’t know why I think it as it was not a human sounding voice, but I think it was a female. And there was music, violin music, but there was no violin there. And at the end I was not seein
g through the eyes of the werewolf, it was like I was there. I could see it, very tall and covered in long gold fur. It was really very pretty fur - such a thing as that should not be pretty, it seems wrong. It picked up the esky and it turned to look at the victim.” She shuddered again, “And then it was like it looked at me, right at me. It had pale gold fur on its face and yellow eyes with long eyelashes. It bared its teeth at me, or that’s how it seemed, and then it left.” She looked at Axel, “I don’t know how I know, but it was going to Melbourne.”
Axel frowned, “Was there anything else you can tell me? Any impression about why it was going there?”
Zora replayed the visions, as much as she could. She was worried that she might forget something important, there was so much detail. Mostly she had seen through the werewolf’s eyes but there was a point where she was seeing the werewolf through the victim’s eyes. She hadn’t said anything about that as it was just too overwhelming. At that point the smell of the victim’s blood was strong, and the werewolf’s face was so close she could see those long eyelashes. It had licked the victim’s blood off its fingers in a gesture both delicate and horrible. It was very disturbing and she didn’t want to voice that vision. She thought about how she knew it was going to Melbourne. Had it said so? She didn’t think it had, she just knew. She knew too that there would be another murder in Melbourne, but she could not find any knowledge or information about why that city was chosen.
Meeting Axel’s eyes she shrugged helplessly. “Sorry Axel, I can’t find anything to explain why Melbourne. I know it will kill again there but I don’t know why.”
Axel leaned back in his chair, “Do not worry little Zora, you have given us much information. I thank you for reliving your vision for us, I know it was difficult for you.”
Marcus had also leaned back in his chair and was steepling his fingers under his chin. “Why violin music? Do you have any idea Axel?”
Axel shrugged elegantly, “No idea. This is the first time a defender has had sound in the visions. Maybe the music is pertinent to this case. Hopefully we will find out.”
Powers leaned forward and gently wiped the tears from Zora’s face before he took her cup and stood up. At her questioning look he said, “You really want a cup of Earl Grey, I’m going to make you a pot. You stay here and eat that last piece of cake you’re coveting.”
Sighing, Zora reached for the cake and watched Powers’ retreating backside just a little bit resentfully.
“Do not resent him little Zora, the bond is strong between you both which is astonishing given the neglect for most of your lives.” Axel frowned a little as he spoke, “You need his support, and his strength. You have felt him give you strength through the bond already I think. And little Zora, you give him a sense of purpose in return that has been lacking. A guardian without someone to guard is a lonely creature. Together, you are complete and you should never forget that.”
His expression was so serious that Zora wondered if he meant more than his words said, and his words were scary enough. Zora made a mental note to only let Powers give her his strength if it was absolutely necessary. Surely it must deplete his own reserves. She touched her cheeks where he had wiped the tears, the skin tingled a little where his fingers had rested. Then she set it all aside to examine later and returned to the thing that had been troubling her the most since her foot had touched the ground and the visions had assaulted her senses.
“Axel, at the end, it really felt that the werewolf could see me. Could it?”
Axel looked shocked at her words and hurried to reassure her, “No little Zora, your ability is only one way. The werewolf cannot sense you, or feel you, or see you. It may have known a defender would come and sense it so perhaps it felt a desire to give a general warning. But that is all.”
Zora smiled uncertainly at him, “Thank you Axel. It really seemed as though it looked right at me.”
Sunny finished writing and looked up. “Well if it did you probably terrified it, you damn sure terrified me! And by the way, thanks for the whole body parts in an esky visual. I’m never going to get a cold drink from an esky again without checking for grossness. Now, when do we go to Melbourne?”
Marcus, Axel and Zora stared at Sunny in bemusement. Zora was beginning to wish Sunny could indeed travel with them, she seemed always to know what to say to make things feel less frightening. She wondered if they should go to Melbourne, even though they were supposed to be going to the site of another murder and at the thought raised her eyebrows at Axel in enquiry. At that moment Powers came back out bearing a pot of tea and more cake. He seemed to have a never ending supply of food, especially cake. At her unspoken question he responded, “I don’t like to shop often, I have a large freezer that I keep full.”
Zora shrugged, trying not to show her surprise at this display of domesticity from him. She herself never had any food or supplies in the freezer. She mostly lived on tea and toast at home.
“Exactly, that’s why I’m trying to get some decent food into you. You need your strength.” Powers frowned disapprovingly at her and Zora wondered just how the staff playboy had morphed into her Aunt Susie who was always trying to feed her up. She accepted her tea gratefully, sighing with pleasure at the aroma drifting up from her cup.
Axel reached for the cake, this time a light and fluffy sponge that Zora recognised as coming from her favourite cake shop. She had to hand it to Powers, he was the perfect host. Probably the result of multiple girlfriends sleeping over she thought sourly, pasting an innocent smile on her face as he turned to frown at her.
Taking a huge bite of the cake Axel took the time to enjoy the flavour before saying, “We will continue on to the first murder site and not go to Melbourne. We will warn those there of course, but we do not have sufficient information to be of any real use in Melbourne. I think we would be better seeing if Zora can pick up anything from the site. It is probably a faint hope given the length of time that has passed, but perhaps the werewolf said more to the first victim. In any case we must wait for the fairy guard. Zora and I will use this time for her training. Sunny, you go and pack and Powers you let Malcolm know she is coming with us. Marcus, perhaps you should rest, I know it is difficult even for you to be awake during the day.”
Marcus nodded, “I am indeed feeling weary, I shall rest until the fairy guard arrive.” He rose to his feet as did Powers who said, “I have plenty of room, come this way Marcus.”
As they disappeared Sunny leapt to her feet, grabbed a slice of cake and her bag, kissed Zora on the cheek and said airily, “Back soon!” and left around the side of the house, the way she had come.
Zora stared at Axel in slight shock. It had seemed like nothing more than a conversation and yet he had given orders to everyone there and had instant unquestioning obedience. She had a feeling that he would elicit the same obedience in any situation. She felt awed, it made her remember he was royalty and used to getting his own way. It also made her remember he was a supernatural being, a magical supernatural being. She felt fragile and all too human.
Axel smiled gently at her. “Do not ever underestimate your importance or your power little Zora. It is you the fairy guard is to protect before all others. Do not be afraid of me, or any of our group. I know you feel anxious about Miss Sunny but you must trust me that we need her with us. There is more to her than you know. And always remember, in a time of need, you have abilities beyond what you think. Listen to your instincts, always. Now, first on our agenda is how to set a pesky rogue werewolf on fire.”
Zora swallowed, he made it seem so easy but surely it couldn’t be. Two minutes later she was shaking her head in disbelief. That was all it took? She wasn’t entirely sure Axel was being serious but if he was then this was ridiculously easy. So easy in fact that she worried she would accidently set a friendly werewolf on fire.
However when she voiced that concern to Axel he became slightly insulted. “You think we would not consider that and include a failsafe? Think little Zo
ra. If at dawn you are within eyeshot of a rogue werewolf, you need only stare at it, hold your pendant, use your willpower and it will combust. Should you find yourself in this position, what will you be thinking?”
Zora stared at him, nonplussed. “I don’t know. I expect I would be too afraid to think much of anything!”
Axel sighed. “Ok, let me rephrase. If it is a friendly werewolf, what would you be thinking?”
“How to tell the difference?”
She was a little startled when Axel smacked himself on the side of the head. “Little Zora I apologise. I was forgetting that you have not yet met a werewolf.”
“And that matters because?”
“Because one of the things you experienced at the site also occurs in the presence of a rogue. Tell me little Zora, what did you feel at the site?”
Zora thought about it, trying to set aside the effects of the visions. She had felt the hairs rise on her neck and arms, she had felt a sense of dread – no not dread, so much as evil. She had sensed evil. She wasn’t sure if that was the correct word choice but it was the best fit. And of course there had been that wind that came from nowhere, and apparently her skin and eyes glowed. But Axel was talking about feelings.
“I sensed an evil presence, or malevolent perhaps. Is that what you mean?”
“Partly, yes. And your pendant, what was your pendant doing?”
Her hands automatically went to her pendant, cold as was usual now since she was surrounded by supernaturals. She thought back, trying to remember how it felt. It had burned she remembered, but not the cold burn she was feeling right now.
“It was hot! It felt like it was branding me, instead of being cold.”
Axel smiled in satisfaction. “Exactly little Zora. In the presence of a rogue werewolf your pendant will always burn hot, and in the presence of a friendly one it will burn cold.”