by Kate Keir
Inside the cottage was cool, as only a two-hundred-year-old building can be in the summer. The front door led directly in to the kitchen in the way that so many old houses in Scotland did. I looked up at the familiar wooden beams that criss-crossed the ceiling.
Cobwebs stretched elegantly from beam to beam, gossamer strands that glinted with gold as they caught the shafts of sunlight which filtered through the tiny kitchen windows. I heard a scuttling sound and realised that mice had probably moved in to the warm and quiet building in my absence.
Something glinted in the corner of my eye, and as I turned toward the sideboard by the front door, I noticed the knife that I had held in my shaky hand to greet Finlay on the night I had first really seen Castle Dion.
I picked up the knife and examined it, remembering every detail of what came after Finlay had taken it from me. The moment he stilled my fear by wrapping me in the comfort of a bear hug. Then the drive to Loch Ness and the boat journey through the moonlit water, until we eventually found Pen waiting for us on the shore.
I choked back tears as I thought of Pen and dropped the knife back onto the sideboard before stepping through the kitchen and into the living room, which was like a shrine to my past life. I walked past pictures fixed to the wall that showed my parents and me out on our boat, walking in the woods, and even just relaxing in the garden.
I noticed a grumpy Achilles in the background of one picture and felt a wave of guilt rush over me. I should have at least gone back to the castle to look for him and Phobos and Deimos. They could be anywhere now, maybe cold and hungry. I just hoped that they had stuck together so that they at least had each other.
A sudden scraping sound behind me made me whirl around, bringing me face to face with Sluag. I choked on the words I tried to speak, because I was so unused to seeing him in an environment outside the Endwood. Standing inside my living room, he looked tall and terrifying and ancient.
“Hello, Little Dreamer.” He grinned blackly.
I looked over his shoulder, toward the kitchen, desperately wishing I hadn’t put the knife back down. “How are you here?” I finally managed to ask.
“I’m not really here, Flora. At least not yet.” He crossed the room and sat down on my parents’ country-style sofa, and a confused giggle erupted from my mouth.
“What’s funny, Flora?” He gave me a crooked smile, like someone who was trying to be nice to a child they didn’t particularly want to talk to.
“Seeing you here, in my house, on my sofa. It’s just, really weird,” I confessed.
He surveyed the room before replying. “I suppose it does feel a little strange, doesn’t it?”
I sobered suddenly. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
He sighed dramatically. “Because, much as I would like to, I can’t, Little Dreamer.”
“Why not?” Internally, I sagged with relief at his confession.
“Like I said, I’m not really here, Flora. You see, when I created my latest Super Draugur, using Penthesilea’s blood, the veil tore a little more. That has allowed me to project myself into the mortal world. But, I can’t actually do anything here yet.”
As if to prove his point, he reached out and swiped at a vase on the table next to the sofa, and his hand glided straight through it.
I frowned with worry. If the veil had torn enough to let Sluag project himself here, then it wouldn’t be much longer before he could really enter the mortal world.
He noticed my concern and grinned. “Yes, it won’t be long now, Little Dreamer, and you and your dammed Dion will be the very first on my list of people to murder.”
“If I were to let you kill me before the veil drops, would you leave the others alone?” I asked him seriously.
“So self-sacrificing, Flora. But, no, I wouldn’t. I want to watch each and every one of you burn.” He smirked. “Just as Penthesilea did.”
“Honestly, Sluag, we are going to stop you. I might lose one or more of my Dion doing it. I might die myself. But, you’re going in to that box, even if I have to put you in there with the last breath in my body.”
“What if you have to put me in there with the last breath in Lyall’s body, Little Dreamer?” He studied me closely.
“Then I’ll do it,” I lied.
He sniggered. “No, you won’t, Flora.”
I didn’t trust myself to reply, so I stayed quiet.
He stood up quickly. “Well, as much as I would like to stay and chat in your delightful home, I have to get back and check on the progress of my Super Draugur army.”
I stayed silent, staring at his cloaked back until he reached the doorway. “Sluag?” I finally called.
He turned around to look at me, and his eyes burned with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. He was terrifying. I swallowed hard but I stood my ground and spoke calmly and quietly.
“I’m going to destroy you. I know you think I’m a stupid child and that I have too many loyalties and too many people who I care about, to be strong enough to do what I need to when the end comes. But, those loyalties and those people, are the reason I will win this war.”
He gave a soft laugh. “Flora, each and every one of you is as good as dead, but I admire your courage. I confess, you have been my favourite of all of the Soul Keepers that have ever been, and in a hall of fame that houses thousands, you should remain content with that.”
“See you on the battlefield.” I held my head high as I said it.
“No, Little Dreamer, you’ll see me in hell.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It took the length of the entire drive home for me to stop trembling after my encounter with Sluag. Once he left the cottage, I had hastily pulled down the photograph that had captured the image of both my parents and Achilles before locking up and heading for my jeep.
When I got back to the terminal, I sat in the car for another couple of minutes with my head resting on the steering wheel, before I decided to see if I could find the Dion in the Everwood. I didn’t want to be by myself right now.
When the Síorraidh trees appeared around me, I instantly relaxed. Nothing could soothe my soul like this place could. I closed my eyes and listened until I picked up the sounds of my Dion, and I set off through the blue-flowered trees.
As I walked, I was approached by hundreds of tiny multi-coloured orbs, each with its own little lightning storm excitedly flickering inside it. They bobbed around me and called my name. The pure souls knew I was more confident now than I had been before, and they worried less about upsetting me. So, they cheekily approached me on their terms, instead of my own.
I laughed in delight as the little lights settled in my hair and along my arms. I could feel the goodness and purity coming off them in waves. It was so much easier to communicate with them now than it had been when I first tried. I didn’t need to use my silver net to hold them together anymore. It was as though I could shout loud enough and far enough inside my head that they could all hear me at once.
The rogue souls also knew I was more proficient at being a Soul Keeper and the few that I saw, warily kept their distance. Except for one bright green soul that pulsed with anger and hatred. It pushed its way through the pure souls and darted toward me.
The pure souls scattered apart, trying to avoid touching the rogue. I was furious. I reached out with my right hand and prepared to obliterate it, even though I knew I should preserve every ounce of my energy for the coming fight with Sluag.
Flora Bast, you will die in the war that is to come. Lyall will die and Finlay will be lost forever. Kneel before my master, or know what it is to be destroyed.
“It’s you who’ll be destroyed,” I murmured. Then I lifted my arm again and spoke the words that would erase this little monster for good.
“Esperi rith tai, mortis oct suoil, fortun rais dor, al noi pertina.”
The rogue barely got a chance to howl in rage before it popped and disappeared into oblivion.
My pure souls rallied back around me, and
I spoke soothingly to them. “You’re okay, it’s gone. It can’t hurt you now.”
Then my ears picked up the noises of the others practising their battle skills, and I hurried on toward the sound.
When I walked into the clearing the Dion were using to practise, I quickly found myself smiling. I knew that Bear and Freya could scrap, but I hadn’t been prepared for Enid’s ferocity and elegant skill.
She was sparring with Finlay, and although I suspected Finlay was putting everything he had into the exchange, Enid danced on light feet to easily avoid his open hand, time and time again.
I leaned against a tree and watched in silence, enjoying the purity of the moment. This could almost be friends testing each other for fun on a day off from work or college.
Finlay finally lost his temper and rushed at Enid, obviously in an attempt to use his superior strength to knock her off her feet. Enid had other ideas, however, side-stepping my best friend and hooking her toe under his shin to give a swift flick of her foot that spun him around, leaving him to land on his back with a hard thud.
As Finlay panted and gasped, trying to get his breath back, I clapped my hands together in approval and walked toward the group.
“Well done, Enid. That was impressive.” I smiled at her.
She blushed furiously. “It was all right. I just got lucky.”
I held my hand out to Finlay and helped him up. “No, he got angry and that let you take advantage.”
Finlay nodded as he stood up and brushed himself off. “Flor’s right, it was my own fault. Nice moves, though, Enid.”
Freya touched my elbow gently. “Did you get what you needed at home?”
My voice was grim. “Oh, I got what I needed and a bit more.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
I told them about my encounter with Sluag. Finlay’s face darkened with each word.
“It won’t be long now before the veil tears completely,” Freya acknowledged.
“Did you spell the terminal?” I asked Enid.
She nodded. “Yep, the entire basement area is spelled to the hilt. Even a Super won’t be able to do a thing in there.”
“Good work, thanks, Enid.” I smiled at her.
She looked as though she wanted to say more, so I encouraged her to carry on.
“Enid, what else?”
“When I spoke with Eric, he told me that a ton of Supers had showed up outside the library. They can’t get in, but it’s as though they’re keeping watch over the place. I told Eric that he and the other librarians needed to stay inside until this was over.”
My lips formed a grim line. If we failed in defeating Sluag, so many people were going to die. Losing this fight just wasn’t an option.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “They’ll back off once Sluag is out of his body.”
She gave me a doubtful glance but said nothing.
Freya’s voice sounded light. “Why don’t you tell Flora, Enid?”
“Tell me what?” I asked inquisitively.
Enid’s eyes sparkled as she held out her hand toward me. “It’s probably best if I just show you.”
For the second time that day, I was suddenly and without warning, dragged back into the past. My mind was filled with the image of Finlay telling me it would be easier if he just showed me Castle Dion, rather than explaining about the first-ever Draugur I encountered.
“Flora?” Enid looked worried as I zoned out.
Snapping back to the present, I gave her a weak smile and took her offered hand. “Sorry. Show me what?”
Enid led me through the trees, and the other Dion followed behind. A group of pure souls gathered around us and bobbed along at a short distance away. I could feel their excitement coming off them in tiny waves, and I wondered exactly what Enid was going to show me.
When Enid finally stopped walking and dropped my hand, I immediately recognised the clearing in which we stood. It was the place where Artair had laid Mara’s body so the animal souls could grieve their lost Soul Keeper. My heart ached as I remembered the look on Mara’s face as she had died in front of me.
Obviously sensing my sadness, Enid smiled reassuringly. “I didn’t bring you here to make you sad, Flora.”
“Why are we here?” I asked. I sounded colder than I had meant to.
Enid swept her arm across the clearing in a broad gesture. “Look.”
As I followed her instruction, I gasped in surprise. Hundreds of animal souls started to materialise out of the woods and began walking toward us. They were led by a beautiful, brown-eyed deer which I recognised as the same doe who had led the mourning party for Mara.
There were tigers, wolves, bears, snakes, and birds. They weren’t solid animals, more like shimmering, ghostly versions of their former selves. They were made up of the same diversity of colours that my human souls were.
Every kind of animal imaginable came to stand before our group. The doe—who was a rich shade of purple—stopped before me and bowed her head slightly in greeting.
“Why are they here, Enid?” I knew she could communicate with them but I could not.
“They want to help,” she replied simply.
“How?” I breathed.
“They will fight for us, if we allow it.” Enid smiled at the doe, who nodded her head in apparent agreement.
I was confused. “How can they fight for us when they’re trapped here until they reincarnate?”
“This is your kingdom, Flora. Yes, these are my souls, but with your permission they can leave the confines of the Everwood and fight Sluag’s Supers and rogues alongside us.”
Finlay touched my arm gently. “What do you say, Flor? Your army is starting to look pretty formidable.”
I was worried. “Can they be hurt?”
“No,” Enid confirmed. “They’re still souls so they can’t be damaged by Sluag’s followers.”
I met the doe’s brown eyes, and she nodded her head again as if to reassure me that Enid spoke the truth.
“All you need to do is give them your permission, Flor,” Finlay encouraged.
I smiled at the doe. “Then you have it. You have my permission and my thanks.”
I could feel their delight as they turned and started to retrace their steps back into the Everwood. I watched them, wondering if they would come back.
The doe stayed for a moment longer, and she stepped forward to touch her nose to my hand. As she touched me, I could suddenly hear her voice inside my mind.
Thank you, Flora. When you need us, we will come.
The doe’s voice sounded like crystal-clear water cascading down a river in the middle of the most beautiful forest in the world, and it lifted my heart to know that she was fighting for us.
As the doe walked away to follow the other animal souls, I felt a fire rising inside me. Perhaps we might have a chance to win this war after all.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
We became less buoyant as we returned to the terminal to find that Lyall and Artair had still not returned from their trip to the Endwood. Freya and Enid used the small kitchen to throw some food together, using the sparse rations that remained, while Finlay and I went down to the basement to investigate Enid’s handiwork with the spell.
“How are you holding up, Flor?” His voice was quiet, but I heard him easily in the gloomy stillness of the underground chamber.
“I’m holding up.” It was the best I could offer right now.
“For what it’s worth, Flor, I am sorry that it has to be this way.”
I turned toward the sound of his voice, and I could just make out the shape of his stranger’s body in the dim light.
“This might sound really selfish, Finlay, but I envy you in a way,” I confessed.
I heard the note of surprise in his voice. “Why?”
I sighed. “Because you have a chance of oblivion, Finlay. Once you’re gone and once Lyall is gone, I might still be here, and if that happens, it’s going to hurt like hell.”
> He growled softly, the rumble vibrating through the still air of the basement. “There’s no might about you still being here, Flor. Your death isn’t an option. You’re the reason for it all.”
I kicked my boot at the bare earthen floor like a moody child. “I know, I have to stay alive or the world burns, I get it. Doesn’t mean I have to want to live without you lot around me.”
Large hands came out of the darkness and gently but firmly gripped my cheeks. At first, I tensed under the unfamiliar touch but then relaxed, as my mind realised it was just Finlay in his Super body.
“No, Flora. You don’t have to stay alive for the rest of the world. Screw the rest of the world.”
My mouth dropped open at the desperation in his voice. I started to speak, but he cut me off as he carried on talking in a low and urgent tone.
“You have to stay alive because a world without you in it, isn’t a world anyone should have to live in. You’re special, Flor. There’s something about you that makes everyone who meets you adore you.”
“Freya did not adore me, when she met me,” I countered jokingly.
He didn’t hesitate. “And yet she’s upstairs, as we speak, preparing to lay down her life if it means saving yours.”
His words humbled me. “I never wanted that. Not from any of you.”
“Well you have it, Flor. Don’t waste what we’re offering you by putting yourself in any more danger than you need to.” His hands dropped from my face.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around the stranger in front of me. Although in the dim light of the basement, it was much easier to pretend that the arms which returned my embrace in a crushing bear hug, actually belonged to my best friend.
“I love you, Flor,” he murmured against my hair.
Fighting back the tears, I kept my face buried against his chest as I asked, “Always?”
I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied. “And forever.”
The sound of excited voices above us caught my attention, and then Freya’s voice floated down the basement stairs to us. “Flora, Finlay, they’re back.”