by Sheryl Lee
Axel laughed, Powers frowned and the fairy guard trooped into the room chatting easily to Marcus. It was time to go. Zora wondered how they were going to get there, they made a rather large group.
Axel answered her unspoken question – Zora realised she was no longer surprised when he did that. “Little Zora we do have a Tarago, but we won’t all fit of course. So we will bring two of the fairy guard with us, Cameron and James. The others can stay here and socialise with the resident guard. I believe you have a cousin here Clare?” Clare nodded, her expression pleased both at being able to stay and also, Zora assumed, that Axel cared enough about his guard to know details such as that.
In a short space of time they were all seated in a black Tarago, Zora and Sunny seated next to Marcus in the middle row. Sunny was silent, whether from shock or because she was communing with Sabrina who was ensconced on her lap Zora had no clue. Marcus held Sunny’s hand but made no attempt to talk. He had seemed completely unsurprised to see both Shax and Sabrina. He did seem less than impressed with Sabrina who for her part gave him a cool stare and ignored him. That could pose problems for a fledgling relationship Zora thought.
Shax’s familiar turned out to be a startlingly ugly French Bulldog with huge round eyes and possibly the most unimaginative name ever of Frenchie. Zora had until now believed that a witch’s familiar would be attractive, intelligent and possibly protective. Quite how Frenchie fit into that admittedly vague and uneducated profile was uncertain. At the moment he was snuffling away in the back of the Tarago.
Shax shouted “Buckle up!” which Axel, seated beside her, did with impressive speed.
Zora reached for her seatbelt which was almost snapped out of her hand as Shax started the Tarago and took off with a burst of speed Zora was astonished the vehicle was capable of. They zoomed out of the gates and onto the road with a total disregard for speed limits or indeed the comfort of the passengers. Zora was thrown against Sunny as the Tarago swung around a sharp corner which caused Sabrina to give her a sharp look. She apologised and felt a little pat in her mind in response. The cat was staring at her with a serene expression so Zora decided that maybe it was her way of saying “that’s ok”.
Axel seemed unconcerned by the driving style of Shax, so Zora tried to take her cue from him. It was not easy to do; Shax was weaving through the cars on the road, changing lanes with speed and what Zora hoped was precision. If not it was reckless enthusiasm.
Powers yelled from the back row, “Shax! Is this a competition to see how close you can get to the car in front before you overtake? Or are you trying to kill us!”
Shax laughed. “Don’t worry Powers, I know what I’m doing. I’ve been driving on Egyptian roads for months. If you can drive in Egyptian traffic you can drive anywhere!”
Axel interjected gently. “Perhaps Shax, you should slow down a little, these are not Egyptian drivers, and this is not Egypt. You will attract the attention of the local police driving like this.”
Shax sighed, but complied, slowing the speed but not the frequency of lane changing. Zora relaxed a little and felt Sunny do the same. She wondered how far they had to go, Axel had not said anything before they left. She knew enough about the area to know they were heading north towards the Sunshine Coast. However the Coast was too far north to be their destination. After another ten minutes or so Shax turned off the motorway onto a road that was unfamiliar to Zora. But the mountain they were driving towards was not.
“That’s Mount Tibrogargan I think. Is that where we are headed Axel?”
Axel turned in his seat to address her. “Yes little Zora, well not to the mountain itself, but to a pineapple farm at the foot. The first victim was murdered at the edge of the pineapple farm. The police believe that he was out walking, perhaps he had planned to climb the mountain in the dawn light. He often walked in this area, he lived nearby.”
Cameron leaned forward. “What is this mountain Zora? It looks strange to me.”
“Oh, it’s one of the Glasshouse Mountains. They are all that is left of volcanos, I think they are the cores or plugs. Everything else has been eroded away over time. This is an ancient land.”
“That’s pretty cool, but why Glasshouse Mountains? They don’t look like glass.”
Zora smiled. “Captain Cook named them, apparently to him they looked like the glass furnaces from his home. I think he must have been really homesick to have imagined that!”
Shax had pulled the van over to the side of a small service road as they talked and turned off the engine. Zora realised with a jolt of nerves that they had arrived and looked around anxiously. To one side was the pineapple farm and to the other bushland. The foot of the mountain seemed very close but she knew that it was a lot further away than it looked. She had no idea where the murder site was, but she was guessing it was somewhere in the bushland and not the pineapples.
They all piled out of the Tarago, the animals included. Sabrina arranged herself around Sunny’s neck and Frenchie stayed close to Shax. Looking at them Zora wondered if familiars could talk to each other as well as to selected people. She was about to ask when she realised that Axel was preoccupied. He was walking slowly and purposefully along the road, Marcus beside him. Marcus was sniffing the air in that way he had that was quite disturbing. Were they looking for the spot? And should she, the defender, be looking also? She decided she should and fell into step behind them.
“I know it is here little Zora, but I am unsure as to the exact spot. I think we will find it easily enough though. It was along this road, not far from where the van is parked. See if you pick up anything, focus on your pendant.”
Zora did as Axel asked, wondering briefly if this was some sort of test as surely he would know the exact spot. Then she pushed all other thoughts out of her head and tried to do as she was asked. She reached out with her senses, focusing on a mental picture of the werewolf and holding her pendant in her hand. It felt cool as it usually did these days with all the supes around her. Holding it gave her comfort and strength as it always did. She used to think it was her link to her mother, a way of holding her hand from beyond the grave. Now she knew it was far more likely the magical properties that gave her strength.
Realising her thoughts were wandering Zora pulled her mind back to the task at hand. One slow step, another, and another. They were getting further away from the van and still she felt nothing. No, wait, scratch that thought. Her pendant was warming up, just a little. Two more steps and it began to cool again. You’re getting warmer, warmer, now cooler she thought. Was the child’s game of Hot and Cold a leftover from the past when humankind knew all about the supernatural beings living among them?
She stopped, and the two in front of her stopped also, turning to look at her. Zora didn’t notice, she was too intent on her pendant. She took a small step backwards, but there was no change. She took another tiny step, and another. There! It was definitely getting warmer. Another step, and another. It was here somewhere. As she did at the last site she took a step to one side but her pendant grew cooler. She stepped back and then took a step to the other side. Bingo, it grew warmer. Another step to the side, two more and there, her pendant was hot and she could feel an odd tingle in her feet.
She tilted her head to one side, it was not the same as before, perhaps another step. The others watched as Zora took tiny steps around the spot until she froze in place and once again her hair lifted in the invisible breeze.
“Wow! She looks like she’s been plugged into a power point! Is that how all the defenders look?”
Shax didn’t take her eyes off a glowing Zora as she spoke and neither did Axel as he answered, “Somewhat, but not to this intensity. I am amazed, I truly am, that she has this reaction at a site after more than two weeks. She is incredibly gifted.”
Zora blinked as he spoke, the glow dying a little in her eyes. This time she was not as exhausted but still took both the arm Powers offered and the packet of jelly babies he produced from his pocket gratefully.
Axel took her other arm and the two of them walked her to the van. The rest followed, and soon they were headed back to the house. Zora was silent, running the visions through her head and worrying about what Axel would say. The rest chatted about inconsequential things – Zora was pretty sure they were trying to take their minds off Shax’s driving style.
Back at the house the resident guard had food and drinks ready. Axel waited until Zora had eaten and was on her second cup of coffee before he said anything. Naturally the rest of them availed themselves of the excellent food and coffee but Axel contented himself with just coffee while he waited. Sabrina left Sunny and came to sit in Zora’s lap, gazing up at her with what Zora would have sworn was a worried expression.
Sunny reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook. At Zora’s look she shrugged. “I figure I may as well keep notes of all of your visions. It may help to have it all written down.”
“Excellent thinking Sunny.” Putting his coffee down Axel leaned forward a little in his seat. “Little Zora, you are recovered?”
Zora nodded, putting her own cup down. She smoothed Sabrina’s coat from ears to tail while she thought about what she had seen. “It wasn’t the same Axel, it wasn’t as vivid or as clear.”
“That is to be expected, there has been a considerable passage of time.”
She nodded. “Ok, well I saw the victim, he was singing as he walked, enjoying himself. The werewolf saw him from behind the trees, I don’t think it was looking for him, it was just out there. But it went straight for him.” She paused, “Axel the picture isn’t clear. I mean I know what happened but it was coming in and out of focus, like a television station when the signal is interrupted.”
“Don’t worry little Zora, just tell us what you are sure of.”
Zora thought for a while, replaying the vision in her mind. “Well the victim was terrified of course, seeing a huge dark shadow coming at him. He ran, but the werewolf caught him easily, right where I was standing. It told him much the same as it told the other victim; that he must die for a greater cause.”
She looked troubled, she knew the next part was significant but was unsure exactly how. “But it told him he would not suffer or feel much pain, and it didn’t play with him. It just slit his throat and he died quickly. Then it eviscerated him, and put the body parts it took into the same esky. It collected the blood from his throat as he was dying.” She looked at Axel anxiously. “Why didn’t it make the first victim suffer? Does this mean it will become more and more brutal with each murder?”
Axel frowned over his steepled fingers. “I don’t know little Zora, I wish I did. If the pattern is of more and more brutality then it has become even more imperative that we stop this werewolf sooner and not later. Was there anything more that you learned?”
Zora shook her head. “Not really, I heard the violin music again, and I know the werewolf was going to Sydney but of course we all know that. There wasn’t much more than that, it was not as strong as the last place.”
“Of course not little Zora, but what you learned was both impressive and important. What it means I do not yet know, perhaps it will become clear in time. But everything we learn about this werewolf puts us another step closer to finding it.”
Sabrina gave Zora a gentle head boop and returned to Sunny. Shax was looking very thoughtful. “What song was the man singing Zora? Was it the same song as the violin music you heard?”
Zora thought a bit, replaying the visions in her head. “I’m not sure what he was singing, the sound was very poor. I don’t think it was the same as the violin music though.” She paused as she thought back. “You know the music I heard at the last site was very similar. Not the same, but the same genre. Kind of a country feel to it.”
Shax looked disappointed. “Well that kills that theory. I thought maybe the music and the victim’s song was somehow linked but I guess not.”
Marcus looked at her blankly. “I’m not following you Shax. Where were you going with this music theory?”
Shax shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I guess I was just looking for something to tie it all together. There has to be a reason Zora is hearing violin music.”
Axel nodded. “I agree Shax, but I have no idea just yet what it can be. Still, every bit of information helps, and every idea helps too. I hadn’t thought to ask Zora what type of music she hears before. That could be important.” He looked at the room in general. “We don’t know what ideas might be useful. From now on, everyone please share your thoughts on this – any thoughts no matter how inconsequential they may seem to you.”
They all nodded and Powers spoke up. “I’d like to know what schedule this werewolf is on. I mean presumably it’s been in Melbourne for a few days, and no murders as yet. And its travel pattern makes no sense. There has to be some reason for that.”
Axel sighed. “Well I hope there is a schedule. No matter how strange if there’s a schedule there is more of a chance that we can work it out. A were acting at random is a worrying thing.”
Zora looked at him uneasily. His tone was so dark she decided she didn’t want to know why a random werewolf was a worrying thing. She had enough concerns already she decided. It flashed into her mind that the fairies need to know basis maybe had some method to it.
“So what now? Do we go to Melbourne, go to Sydney, interview people that might have seen something here, what?” Sunny sounded more like herself Zora thought. Now that was a sidelined issue, Sunny.
Axel clearly thought the same, as he focused his attention on the blonde. “Ah yes, Sunny.”
CHAPTER TEN
Sunny looked very uneasy as every eye in the room stared at her with great interest.
“Ok ok, so I’m a witch! I’m not a very good one guys, I gave it all up years ago so I don’t know why Sabrina has chosen me. She’s picked herself a dud.”
Axel smiled at her. “You may not have realised it Sunny but you’ve been effectively using witchcraft all your life. You’ve always been able to commune with animals on a level beyond most people, although cats are your speciality. You also have been able to bend people to your will, and make people like you. The geniality spell is one you were born with. You have abilities you have not yet realised and Shax is here to help you come into your true powers.” When Sunny looked alarmed he was quick to add, “Don’t worry though, we do not have you with us to use witchcraft, you are an important part of our group without that.”
“Actually Axel, I was more concerned that you know so much about me, how is that?”
“Ah, I see. Well Sunny your family has been supplying blood to the vampires for generations, and as such you come under the protection of we the fairies. We protect all humans who interact with the supernaturals. In your family in particular the witch gene pops up every couple of generations or so. You are the most recent, the last witch in your family was your great-grandmother. So we have watched your development. We were always going to find you a mentor, but then Sabrina took matters into her paws by reaching out to Shax who contacted us. While I was not entirely certain you were the person Sabrina was looking for, it did seem to be destined for you all to come together.”
“I see.” Zora thought that Sunny didn’t really look as though she saw anything that clearly, and she sympathised, knowing how that felt.
Shax was bouncing up and down in her seat. “So I get to be your mentor and we’re going to have a great time! Sabrina will teach you also, Frenchie taught me a lot when he first came to me.” The dog, which had been staring fixedly at the leftover food, flicked his gaze to Shax and grunted.
Axel smiled at her enthusiasm and then changed the subject. “So, we are waiting for one other to join us, one of the local werewolf pack. He will be here shortly. Once I have spoken to him I will decide our next step. Does anyone want more food? Little Zora?”
Zora shook her head. With the announcement of the impending arrival of a werewolf she had lost all appetite. She was supposed to toast rogue werewolves like furry m
arshmallows and the thought of meeting one, even a friendly one, had her nerves on edge.
Powers came and sat beside her, too close for her ragged nerves. He ignored her attempt to shift away, taking her hand in his and leaning in close. “Don’t worry, the one coming today is a good guy. Remember, your pendant knows the difference between rogue and regular. And I will not let anyone or anything hurt you.”
“Aren’t I supposed to be able to take care of myself?”
“What, by making toasted marshmallow werewolves?” Powers smiled in amusement. “That’s a pretty funny mental image I have to say.”
Axel laughed. “Probably best not to mention it to our guest, he may not appreciate the joke.”
“Who’s coming Axel, is it Jake?”
Axel nodded, “Yes I believe so Powers, and he should be here soon.”
“Who’s Jake?” Sunny was looking bright and interested which earned her a frown from Marcus that Zora noticed even though Sunny did not.
“Jake is the leader of the local Brisbane pack. He is also a policeman so he will know details of the murder that may have been kept out of the media. That is probably him now,” as one of the guard came in to announce a visitor. “Show him in thank you Jet.”
Zora felt her heart rate speed up and tried to control it. Powers held her hand tighter and she felt the tingles that heralded his strength bolstering her own. This time she didn’t pull away, she felt it was important that she present a calm façade even if inside she was panicking. Even so, when not one but two werewolves entered the room she was hard pressed to just breathe normally. Was everyone having this reaction or only her? She was sure even if she didn’t know they were werewolves she would have picked up something. They were both tall, muscular and tough looking. They looked in fact like they belonged to a bikie gang or maybe the mob. God she hoped werewolves couldn’t read minds, she was sure they would be insulted by those thoughts, especially the tallest one who was wearing a suit. The shorter one was dressed casually in jeans and a black t-shirt that did wonders for his ice blue eyes. Powers spared a moment to frown at her, a moment of normality that did more to steady her nerves than anything else had done so far.