by Linsey Hall
Aidan and I raced behind her, keeping ourselves tucked against the wall. Fortunately, the floor was gray stone like the wall, so we blended. If any Shifters came upon us, they’d probably be able to smell us, but hopefully our camouflage would buy us some time.
The world flew by as we ran, looking entirely different from down here. I picked up different scents and sounds and could even feel the thud of Amara’s footsteps through my paws. My little mouse lungs were heaving by the time Amara stepped through a doorway into a big, warm kitchen.
A massive man turned to her and grinned. His floppy white mustache made him look like Belle’s dad from the cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast.
Aidan and I hesitated at the door as Amara walked in.
“And what are you scrounging around for, Miss Amara?” he asked.
Amara walked quickly over to the big fire and sat down, drawing the man’s attention away from the door. “Biscuits, Master Murphy. I’m just desperate for some biscuits, and you make the best ones in the world.”
I would’ve laughed if I could have, at how thick she was laying it on.
“Do I now?” Master Murphy asked, his eyes twinkling.
I liked him right away, though I had a feeling he might not take kindly to rodents in his kitchen. I shrank against the wall as I watched.
“Do you have any of the chocolate ones?” Amara asked.
Master Murphy lumbered over to a cupboard. As soon as his back was turned, she pointed toward a narrow door set against the far wall.
The pantry.
I tried to telepathically send her my thanks before racing across the floor, my eyes on the prize. Aidan ran alongside me, his whiskers twitching. I skidded under the door, into the dark pantry. Scents of grain and cheese and dried beans filled my nose.
Heaven. My mouse stomach grumbled, but I ignored it and followed Aidan to the wall on the right. My eyes adjusted to the dim light as we ran along the crevice, searching for a hole.
I smelled it before I saw it, the slightest tinge of fresh air. Near the corner at the back, there was a tiny gap in the stone. Aidan glanced at me with his beady black eyes, then shimmied through the hole.
I followed, scrabbling for purchase to pull myself through. We raced along a tiny corridor made of stone and dirt, going down into the ground before coming back up and out at the exterior wall.
The noon sun was high in the sky by the time we burst free. I blinked blindly, getting my vision back. The exterior wall loomed behind us, feeling a million miles tall in my mouse form. An endless expanse of rolling, heather-clad mountains stretched ahead.
Beside me, a gray light swirled around Aidan’s mouse form. A moment later, a small hawk stood in its place, a species that I thought was native to Scotland. It looked like it fit the landscape, at least, with its glinting brown feathers.
I shivered as it looked at me, knowing it was Aidan and that I wasn’t really a mouse. But it was still creepy—to be prey eyed by a predator.
I was so anxious to shift that it was easy to reach out and grasp on to Aidan’s magic. I envisioned myself as an identical hawk and let the magic flow through me. It filled my limbs with warmth as I grew, my mouse feet shifting to form wings, my snout into a beak.
Aidan’s hawk nodded at me, then we pushed off the ground and into the sky. The first few flaps of my wings were a bit awkward, but I let instinct take over. We soared over the mountains, leaving Glencarrough behind.
The wind ruffled my feathers, and joy sang through me. We’d be home in no time.
When the blow hit me from behind, sending me plummeting to the ground, it caught me completely by surprise. Shock scattered my thoughts as I tumbled through the air, my wings flapping helplessly.
Just as I caught the air beneath my wings, a heavy net fell over me, dragging me down. Like before, the magic in the net forced my change back to human. Pain burst through my chest as I hit the ground. Fortunately, heather broke most of my fall.
Aidan crashed to the ground beside me, also trapped in a heavy rope net. My gaze darted around, taking in the sloping mountain ground and the two human figures racing toward us. A lion and a panther ran by their sides.
Shifters. Two transformed, two still human. Above, a massive falcon swooped on the breeze. Another Shifter.
They must have felt us escape and run us down. The men carried big rifles. Whether they were loaded with bullets or darts, it didn’t matter. Either could shoot a griffin out of the sky.
We had no transportation charms. There was only one way out of this that didn’t involve killing all these Shifters. There was no way the Alpha Council would side with us if we killed them, and I didn’t want their blood on my hands.
The men were still a dozen yards away as I darted my hand up to feel for the comms charm that normally hung around my neck, hidden beneath my shirt.
“Del,” I said as I glanced at the sun. “We need you to get us out of here! Ten miles west of Glencarrough.”
“On it,” Del’s voice echoed through the charm.
I scrambled out from under the net as Aidan did the same. The men were nearly upon us, one raising his rifle.
Del appeared on the hillside behind the men. She spun in a circle, her gaze finally catching on me. She disappeared, appearing a moment later right next to us. I lunged for her, grabbing her arm.
The men shouted as she reached for Aidan, whose big hand enveloped hers a half second before the ether sucked us away.
We arrived at Aidan’s front door, panting. Nix ran out, her eyes wild.
“Thank magic you got them,” she said. Worry shined in her green eyes.
“Yeah, thank you.” I gasped to get my breath. “That was more exciting than I expected.”
“No kidding,” Aidan said.
“What happened back there?” Del asked. “I take it that the meeting didn’t go so well?”
“Not even close.”
Even though the Alpha Council now knew what I was, we’d agreed that the safest place to be was right where we were on Aidan’s land. It had been enchanted by his father to withstand an Alpha Council attack, so it was perfect. We didn’t need to be here long, anyhow. Just long enough to plan our next move.
First thing I did when I got back was to take a quick shower in the tiny bathroom. When I walked out into the main living area, I was dressed in clean jeans and t-shirt, but sadly without my daggers. I’d be damned if I wouldn’t get them back.
In the kitchen, Nix and Del were chatting with Connor and Claire.
For a second, I didn’t realize anything was off. Then I did a double take. “Connor? Claire? What are you guys doing here?”
Emile stepped into the house, a load of firewood in his arms, and Ralph and Rufus each sat on one of his shoulders.
“We discussed it and decided you needed help,” Claire said.
“You usually do, lately,” Connor said.
Wasn’t that the truth. “Weren’t you supposed to go to the League of FireSouls, Emile? So they could help you get your life back together?”
“Eventually.” He set the firewood in the small box by the hearth. “But I got to talking with Connor and Claire and heard about what you’re up against. And I want to help.”
Ralph and Rufus squeaked at me.
“So do they,” Emile said with a grin.
“Uh, thanks, guys.” I grinned at the rats. They might be small, but they were fierce and clever.
“Your timing is good,” Aidan said. “Because we could use the help.”
I nodded, though I actually wasn’t thrilled to see Connor and Claire. I was happy for their help, but I’d have preferred for them to stay safely out of the way back at P & P. But last time I’d suggested they keep their distance to stay safe, I’d gotten the lecture of a lifetime.
I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge, grateful to see it stocked with a variety of beer, PBR included. That would probably be courtesy of Connor, who usually showed up with a cooler full of goodies. I grabbed a six pa
ck of that and a six pack of Tennent’s, a Scottish lager, and went to the table.
“Let’s chat,” I said.
Connor came to the table, holding a platter stacked with sandwiches.
“You are a hero, Connor.” I reached for one and bit in, savoring the hearty turkey and cheese.
Everyone found a seat and reached for a Tennent’s, ignoring my beloved PBR.
“So, we’ve learned some things,” I said. I needed to catch Connor, Claire, and Emile up with all the details. Not to mention the new stuff that even Del and Nix were unaware of.
“Give us the deets,” Del said.
“So, it goes like this…” I explained everything I’d learned from Dermot, Aethelred, and the Alpha Council. All the puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place, but the puzzle was turning out to be damned scary.
When I finished speaking, Claire leaned back in her chair, her dark eyes serious. “Well, shit. Where is he supposed to get this greater power from? And what form will it take?”
“That’s the big question,” I said. “I don’t know.”
“He’ll probably use the artifacts he’s stolen to perform some kind of spell,” Del said.
“But what and where?” Nix asked.
“What, we don’t know,” Aidan said. “But where is probably on Alpha Council land at Glencarrough.”
Emile frowned. “But they refused to listen to you?”
“Yes,” I said. “And I don’t think we have time to wait. Dermot thinks I’m in the Alpha Council prison. If they really do need me—and maybe Del and Nix—for whatever they’ve got planned, they’re going to want to make their move while they think I’m still locked up.”
“So we’ll clean up the Alpha Council’s mess for them,” Claire said. “Fitting.”
“I don’t see that we have any other choice. I’d bet my life on Victor’s end goal resulting in massive casualties.”
“And it’s going to be soon,” Aidan said.
“So what do we do?” Emile asked.
“Attack Victor’s creepy castle and cut his legs off. Figuratively speaking,” I said.
“Maybe literally, as well.” Del smiled menacingly.
“If we can,” I said. “But from the vision that Aethelred showed us, Victor’s castle is too well protected. This will have to be a stealth mission. Without the Alpha Council, we don’t have the numbers. Outright warfare will just get us killed.”
“What about asking the League of FireSouls for help.”
“They don’t have the numbers,” I said. “With them, we’re up to twenty people. That’s not nearly enough. We needed all the Shifters if we had a shot at outright warfare. Victor has more than a hundred demons. With only twenty of us, we don’t stand a chance.”
“Stealth it is, then,” Nix said. “But what’s our primary objective?”
“Rescue the FireSouls and steal the artifacts he’s been collecting. If we find him unguarded and have the opportunity to kill him, we take it. But our primary focus will be quietly freeing the FireSouls and stealing the artifacts so he doesn’t have the tools he needs for his plan.”
“What about the Gundestrop cauldron?” Nix asked. “If we take that, it’ll dampen our powers. How will we protect ourselves?”
“Maybe we don’t take it,” I said. “Just the other pieces. He needs everything to make his plan work. And assuming the artifacts are all stored together, we’ll only be near the cauldron for a short while.”
“And Cass was able to use her magic at the Prison for Magical Miscreants. So she might be able to use it near the cauldron.”
“Not much of it, though,” I said. “But it’s better than nothing. And keep in mind, we’re not planning to be seen. So hopefully we won’t need our magic to fight.” It was a big hopefully but it was all we had.
“Afterward, we’ll send a message to the Alpha Council,” Aidan said. “See if they’ve changed their minds about believing you. This will buy them a little time to get their act together. Then, once we have their numbers, we fight.”
“Good plan,” Claire said.
I hoped she was right. Because I was leading my friends straight into the devil’s den.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The wind cut through my feathers as I soared above Victor’s Transylvanian castle. We’d flown to Transylvania in Aidan’s plane, then gotten a car and driven as far as we could, using Aethelred’s directions as a guide.
Somehow, Victor had blocked my FireSoul ability to find him or his artifacts. I’d been able to track them before, so I guessed it had something to do with the protections on his castle.
We’d had to hike the last little bit into the mountains, and now everyone was set up at a makeshift camp about a mile from Victor’s castle.
Aidan and I had shifted into small sparrows for this reconnaissance mission, and he flew at my side. Initially, we hadn’t known exactly where the castle was located, so we’d gone by air to speed things up. Now that we’d found it, we were searching for the best way into the castle—something sneaky that the guards wouldn’t notice.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t looking good.
I dipped low on an air current to see how many guards lined the southwest rampart. At least a dozen paced the stone walkway. All demons. Some were clearly shadow demons. The kind who threw smoke bombs. I saw a few red ones. Probably the same type I’d encountered in the pyramid a couple weeks ago. They were armed with flaming swords. The others I didn’t recognize, but they would be good fighters. That was a guarantee. My heart pounded, but I pushed away the fear.
We could do this. We had to do this.
The castle was almost star-shaped in the way that the walls were built to accommodate the mountain’s slopes. But the whole place was massive, with towers and turrets and nooks and crannies. Every inch of it crawling with guards.
It was more suited to an evil mastermind than the mansion at the waypoint where I’d once thought Victor Orriodor lived. It made sense that he’d moved his headquarters.
I veered right on the wind, following Aidan toward the western wall. I saw no entrance, but there were just as many guards here, ambling up and down the walkway, their gazes sharp on the valleys below. Perhaps Victor had more enemies than just me and my deirfiúr.
Light glowed in one of the windows dotting the largest tower. So far, all I’d seen were blacked-out windows. I flew lower to get a look inside, both hopeful and afraid that I’d see Victor.
Pain exploded within me as I slammed straight into an invisible wall. I tumbled in the air, frantically flapping my wings backward, trying to get away from the magical barrier and clear my vision.
I managed to get ahold of myself and caught the wind under my wings again. My gaze darted around, noting that the guards hadn’t seemed to see the small bird crashing into the protective shields.
Aidan fluttered below me, no doubt to catch me if I plummeted. Not that I’d fall into the castle. I’d probably just roll down the side of the invisible protective dome. That didn’t sound fun either.
I whirled on the wind, having seen enough, and flew back toward our camp. With the moon hidden behind dark clouds, it was difficult to determine my positioning. It took a moment for me to get on the right path, but by the time I did, Aidan was at my side.
I caught sight of our camp and flew to the ground, transforming back to my human form as soon as I landed. I shivered against the chill mountain air as soon as I lost the protection of my feathers, but fortunately I’d transformed with all my clothes. Aidan landed next to me, changing back to human form in a swirl of gray light.
Nix, Del, Connor, Claire, and Emile sat in a circle, perched on rocks that couldn’t be comfortable. Del and Claire sharpened their swords while Connor sorted his potion bombs in his specially designed bag.
Emile was at Connor’s side. On his shoulder rode Ralph and Rufus, though I noticed Emile was wearing a jacket with two big pockets—one on each breast. It seemed weird until I realized that the pockets were probably de
signed specifically for Ralph and Rufus. Their battle stations.
Nix looked up. “How’d it go?”
“Fine,” I said. “In that I didn’t get caught. Otherwise, not great. The place is huge, there are at least sixty demon guards, and there’s a protective barrier that will prohibit us from flying in. There’s also no visible entrance.”
Aidan nodded his agreement, his brow creased with worry lines. “It won’t be easy.”
“Well, shit,” Del said. “Looks like we’re doing this the hard way.”
“Yep,” I said. “Because I have no idea how to get in.”
“They must transport in and out,” Aidan said. “That’s why they’ve been collecting all the transportation charms.”
“Makes sense,” Connor said. “So what do we do?”
“Go on foot. See if our Penatrist charms will get us through the barrier, then climb the wall.”
“I don’t think they’re going to work,” Aidan said. “His protection spells are the strongest I’ve ever felt. Even stronger than those on my father’s place.”
“All we can do is try,” I said.
CHAPTER NINE
Aidan was right. The protection charms on Victor’s castle were stronger than even the Penatrist charms could handle.
“Damn it,” I muttered as I glared at the one in my hand. “Aren’t these things supposed to be infallible?”
Aidan’s brow creased as he blinked snowflakes off his eyelashes. “Yes. Whatever is fueling this spell is darker and stronger than anything I’ve ever encountered.”
I shivered against the words and the cold. It’d started snowing as we’d climbed the steep mountainside. How that happened in early September I had no idea, but I took it to be an ill omen.
We’d moved silently through the night, our small herd of seven humans and two rats scrambling up the mountain to the walls of Victor’s castle. Now that we were there, it hulked overhead, a dark monstrosity of stone and evil. It glared at us as we searched for a weak spot in the protection shield.
“We’ve gone halfway around the wall and nothing,” Del whispered.