by Raquel Lyon
I walked over to the fridge and opened the door. It was packed with fresh produce. I picked out a pear, took a bite, and surveyed the other contents. There was so much choice I didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t particularly hungry anyway, so I grabbed a can of pop, and a banana from the fruit bowl on the island, and returned to the sanctity of my room.
The news had just finished when Connor lightly knocked and entered. He placed a white gift box tied with a pink ribbon on my bed and waited.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Sorry,” was all he said.
“What for?”
“Earlier.” He looked down and nervously studied his feet.
Inside the box, wrapped in tissue paper, was an ivory coloured silk nightdress. I held it aloft to admire it.
“Need one,” Connor said. It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes…um…thanks.”
“Try it on,” he ordered, sparing me a glance and gesticulating towards the bathroom.
“What, now?”
He nodded.
Not wanting to upset him further, I obliged.
It was the perfect size. The material brushed the skin of my body like early-morning mist, and clung to my every curve in the places a woman should be touched. It made every inch of my skin tingle, and I ached for Sebastian. If only he were here to admire my new gift.
When I gingerly exited the bathroom, I couldn’t have felt more exposed if I’d been naked.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
Connor slowly looked me up and down, then swiftly saluted and left. Would I ever figure the guy out?
“A pleasure almost talking to you,” I called after him.
***
The following days passed slowly, blurring endlessly into one another. I longed to return to uni. I’d been sent assignments, but I needed to recover a sense of normality, see a few friendly faces. Every day, I settled into the same routine of television watching and painting—if the weather allowed—and surfing the Internet, if not.
I phoned Mum and only half-listened as she told me everything Todd was doing at school, and how he wasn’t happy about my leaving. Mum blamed the fact that Todd had gone off the rails and become a troublemaker on my absence. Although perhaps the fact that she’d met a new man who appeared to be fixing his feet firmly under the kitchen table had more to do with it than I did.
I did a bit of cooking. I even let Connor sample a dish or two. He repaid the kindness by having some more of my things sent over and lighting me a new fire each day, but his monosyllabic responses were becoming tiresome. I felt as if I were a chore to him. He only seemed to spend time with me under sufferance.
Tamar and her grandmother never left their quarters, and I didn’t feel welcome enough to intrude. I was bored. I needed stimulation. It was like serving a prison sentence with no chance of parole. I stared at the same walls and felt them closing in on me. Many times, I thought about taking more of the tour, but I was all ghosted out, and I didn’t fancy any other long-lost relatives popping out at me unannounced.
Sebastian had hardly been in touch at all. I’d emailed him every day, but the only response I’d had was one quick reply last week to say he wouldn’t be long now and not to worry. What could he be doing that would keep him away for so long?
Finally, after two weeks of incarceration, my ordeal ended. I was making tea in the kitchen one afternoon and didn’t hear anyone approaching, so when I felt an arm around my waist I swung around sharply in surprise, flicking potato pie on the wall.
“Whoa. I come in peace.”
“Sebastian? Oh, thank God.” I buried my face against his chest and hugged him tightly. “You’ve been gone for ages. You are staying this time, aren’t you?”
“Yes…and no. I haven’t got long before Connor and I have to get to the mine. I’m sorry, really sorry, I left you so long, but it was an emergency. I promise to make it up to you tomorrow.”
“You have to go to the mine? You mean—?”
“Yes. It’s a full moon tonight, and I feel it calling strongly this time.”
“I want to come,” I said, turning off the cooker.
“What? No. You can’t.”
“Do you think I’m letting you walk straight out on me after one minute together? I just want to see where you go, how you do it. I promise I’ll leave before…you know.”
“Okay, then. But if I tell you to go, run.”
The interpretation my brain was putting on his statement made me uneasy, but I nodded my acceptance anyway.
It wasn’t yet four o’clock, but the light was fading fast, and we moved quickly down a passageway between the house and the cliff before finally reaching a small opening in the side and entering.
I tried to talk to Sebastian about his time away, but it was difficult enough keeping up with them, and all I got was a ‘later’ or a ‘tomorrow’ as an answer.
Sebastian and Connor lit fire torches and placed them in sconces along the passage. Orange flames flickered bursts of light against the sheer rock walls, highlighting the trickles of rainwater seeping down from the earth above.
Connor stopped next to a deep shaft, saluted us, and began climbing down a rope. Sebastian watched him descend before raising the rope back up and leaving it in a coil on the floor next to us.
“I need you to do the same for me,” he said. “Tamar usually helps us, but when you said you were coming, I gave her a break.”
He grabbed my hand and led me a little deeper into the cave to another shaft, where he stopped and pulled me into his arms. His goodnight kiss was deep and sensual. I didn’t want it to end and longed for more time with him. But without another word, he pushed me away and began to climb down the rope, leaving me bewildered and wanting. My eyes held his gaze as he disappeared into darkness, and I squinted, trying to discern his form in the depths.
“Get the rope up now. Quickly,” Sebastian shouted.
I pulled on the fibrous length. It was quite heavy and took all of my strength to haul it up.
“What happens now? Do you just sit and wait?” I called down the shaft.
“After taking my clothes off, yes.”
I didn’t need to know that. “Is that necessary?” I asked, placing the last of the rope on the floor.
“Not really, but I’ve ruined some good gear on these full moon changes,” he shouted. “You’d better go now.”
“Oh, okay, then.” I tried to shake away the image of a naked Sebastian now forming in my head.
“Hurry,” he shouted.
“I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
“YES…GO…ARGH…”
I ran through the dimly lit passage and out into the night air. The muffled sound of anguished cries and roars mingled together but grew fainter as I reached the house, and I shuddered with thoughts of what was happening at the base of those shafts.
Back in my room later that evening, with my stomach full after a huge bowl of potato pie, I whiled away the time watching a film, and then tried to grab an early night. It wasn’t easy. I struggled to get to sleep. The television had drowned out all the earlier outside noises, but lying in the quiet loneliness of my bed, I could hear distant howling, and I couldn’t relax. My one solace was the knowledge that the source of the noise was known to me, and that it was friendly—at least most of the time.
I dozed off briefly in the early hours.
Tokala floated, ghostlike, at the end of my bed. ‘Your strength grows. You are ready for the next step. It takes a truly selfless soul to wear the stone of power. It will sit well on you.’ She removed a necklace from around her throat, a round flat stone the size of a large coin, with the appearance of an opal. I sat up, and Tokala secured the pendant around my neck. ‘Be careful what you wish for. Choose wisely.’ I knew the pendant was special, and I felt like Aladdin with his lamp.
***
When I woke up, my neck was disappointingly bare.
It was still dark. I looked at the clock:
6:32, about half an hour until sunrise.
I cleaned my teeth, dressed simply in a pink, fluffy jumper and jeans, snuggled into my puffa jacket, and added my long, multi-coloured scarf and gloves.
The air outside was bitingly cold, but at least the darkness had started to fade as morning arrived. I could now discern tree silhouettes and the outline of the cliff, which eased my journey back to the cave.
The light from the torches had dimmed, leaving only a soft glow, and I entered cautiously, easing forward on my knees towards the first shaft to peer over the edge.
A ferocious growl echoed around the cave as the monster sprang up, just for a second, before sinking back into the depths. Startled, I fell back onto my bottom and scuttled towards the cave wall using my hands and feet.
It had been a good twenty feet from the top of the shaft, and had vanished back into the blackness almost immediately, but those glowing red eyes and that face, all matted fur and long teeth glistening with saliva held no trace of the boy inside.
I stayed there, frozen to the spot, hyperventilating, my eyes flitting between the shafts for any sign of movement and back to the entrance where the light was becoming brighter. It was stupid of me to have come early. I should have waited until I was sure it was safe.
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a low moan coming from Sebastian’s shaft. I stealthily advanced towards it.
“Seb? Are you okay?” I said, removing a torch from its holder and tentatively holding it over the drop.
“Just a minute,” he groaned.
He sounded like himself, so I carefully moved forwards to take a peek. In the diminishing torchlight, I could just about make out his half-naked body facing away from me as he fastened his jeans. Breathing a sigh of relief, I hauled the rope coil to the edge before releasing it over the side.
“Hi,” I said when his face, now streaked with dirt, drew level with mine.
“Hey, you.” He smiled and heaved himself up to a standing position.
“Good job I don’t have to do that. I’ve never been able to climb a rope to save my life,” I said, trying to sound calm. “I used to get blamed for being a wuss and not trying hard enough at school, but really, I must just have weak arms or something.”
My motor mouth was silenced by a kiss, a too brief kiss. Sebastian broke away and went to kick Connor’s rope down to him before returning to grab my hand and rush me back to the house.
“Aren’t we waiting for Connor?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“Can’t we just slow down for a minute? Why are you always in such a hurry? I still haven’t got my breath back from seeing Connor back there.”
He stopped abruptly. “You saw him?”
“Yes. But it’s fine. I’m fine. He scared me half to death, but at least I know now.”
“That’s not something I wanted you to see. Connor is still troubled by the whole thing. It makes his wolf angry and unpredictable,” he said as we climbed the stairs. “Look, I’ll just go and clean up, and then we can have breakfast, and I can give you the good news.”
“Good news? What good news? Is it Beth? Is she okay?” I asked, entering his room.
“Five minutes, then we’ll talk.”
He disappeared into the bathroom. I paced the floor, occasionally stopping to stare out of the window, growing increasingly impatient and anxious. What was taking him so long?
He emerged minutes later, looking clean and smelling so good I almost forgot Beth altogether, but then I remembered.
“So, what’s the news?”
“First things first. Come here.” He hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me in. His gaze was bewitching, and I couldn’t resist.
We kissed passionately until I found the power to break his spell. “Please. Stop being annoying and tell me.”
“Are my kisses annoying you?”
“What? No. Look, stop it. I’ve waited too long. Do you get off on torturing me?” I asked, wriggling out of his hold and backing away angrily.
He followed, laughing mischievously. “I’m sorry. Beth’s going to be fine. She’s had the antidote, and we can pick her up this afternoon.”
“Oh, thank God.” I sank back onto his bed and let relief wash over me. “What was it?”
“A mystical poison. That’s why the doctors couldn’t decipher it.” He joined me on the bed.
“I still can’t believe anyone would do that.”
“We found the culprit too.”
“You did? Who?”
“Nula. She’s an old flame of Vincent’s, terribly jealous. This wasn’t her first attack of vengeance. Whenever she finds out he’s seeing, or is even interested in, someone else, she takes them out.”
I stared at the ceiling and tried to absorb his words. A jealous girlfriend? Wow. That was a first for me.
“Don’t worry,” he continued. “She won’t get a second chance. In fact, she won’t be a danger to anyone anymore. She’s gone…for good.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I HEARD YOU met Grandpa. That must have been a delight for you.” Sebastian laughed over lunch.
“Yeah. He made quite an impression, for a dead guy.”
“He hasn’t crossed over because he can’t forgive himself for what happened. I promise he’s not always cranky. You’ll grow to love him.”
“I’m not sure about that. He scared me so much that I haven’t dared go any further than my room and the kitchen.”
“Really? You’ve been cooped up in your room for two weeks? I thought you’d have been up for exploring every inch of this place.”
“Normally I would have, but I didn’t know what would pounce out on me next. It seemed safer not to risk it.” I took Sebastian’s plate from him and put it in the dishwasher.
He wrapped his arm around my waist. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
We left the kitchen and headed upstairs.
“You haven’t said anything about your time away. What was the emergency?” I asked.
“Father was called away on urgent business. He needed me to hold the fort here. There’s a lot of bad stuff going on, and our family has a huge responsibility to help.”
We walked past both of our rooms, Connor’s, and Tamar’s, to the very end of the corridor.
“What bad stuff?”
“It’s complicated. You shouldn’t be burdened with our problems.” It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it further.
A large tapestry hung on the wall in front of us. Sebastian raised the base of a nearby urn to reveal a key. He picked it up and pushed the tapestry to one side, exposing an old wooden door.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Well, that’s one I wouldn’t have found.”
Behind the door was a spiral staircase made of stone. It wound up into the darkness of I knew not what. Sebastian took my hand, and I followed him up the steps. I almost stumbled on the uneven surface, eroded through time, but then a dim light began to ease our ascent. It came from a slit window immediately preceding two more doors at the top. We exited through the right-hand one, which was unlocked. It led out onto the roof.
The bitter wind stung my nostrils and whistled around my ears. It was freezing, and I didn’t have my coat.
“Sorry,” Sebastian said. “I didn’t stop to think about how cold you’d be. The cold doesn’t really bother me, you see. I just wanted to show you the view. I love it here,” he enthused. “You can see every inch of our land. If I could paint, I’m sure I’d never tire of the possibilities.”
I stared over the edge and caught a glimpse of a horse truck leaving the side entrance before twirling around to drink in the panoramic view.
“It’s b-b-beautiful b-b-but rather arctic,” I said through chattering teeth.
“I know. I’m sorry. Let’s go back inside and get you warm.”
Back in my room, Sebastian treated me like an invalid, insisting that I get into bed and piling on more covers before joining me and hugging my body tigh
tly against his. I felt like a chrysalis ready to burst.
“You need the extra body heat. It’s a well-known fact.”
“I know you’re only trying to look after me, but I’m not hypothermic. I think you’re going a bit over the top for a couple of cold ears, and actually, I feel fine now. Even a little hot.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” he said, relaxing his hold and releasing me from my blanket prison.
I shook the covers off, welcoming the cool air of the room, yet not moving from the bed.
Sebastian took hold of my hand. “I realise we haven’t spent much time together so far, but I want to change that. I’ve missed not having your company. I’m not used to relationships. This is a first for me. I can usually get any girl I want, and I don’t stick around afterwards.”
“Wow, that’s reassuring.”
“It’s different with you.”
“Of course it is.”
“I mean it. With you, it feels right. I can sense it. I don’t feel the need to prove myself. I just want to protect you.”
“Well, that’s a great sentiment, but the threat’s gone now, so you don’t need to wrap me up in cotton wool anymore.”
“Nula may have gone, but you’re entering my world now, and things are very different here. We have many enemies.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Things have been a bit too surreal lately. All I want at the moment is to collect Beth, return to the flat, and get back to uni.”
“And you will. But we’ve got about half an hour to kill before we leave, so…” He stroked my cheek, and a mischievous look crossed his face. All thoughts of ever being cold vanished as the heat grew in my body. Our lips met and our bodies moulded together.
Time seemed all too brief before Sebastian suddenly pulled away. “As much as I’d love to stay and kiss you all afternoon,” he said, “it’s time to go.”
“Oh…yes…great. I can’t wait to see Beth again.”