by M S C Barnes
Seb leapt to his feet and Pace turned towards the glass doors, howling.
“Seb?” Zach, moving over to them, looked out of the doors. “What is it?” He produced his staff from his trouser pocket.
And then suddenly Dierne appeared on the storm-ravaged deck, carrying Greg. Putting him down, he flitted off again immediately and a second later placed Trudy beside Greg before once more disappearing. Without pause, Trudy grabbed the door handle, pulled the panel across and Greg rushed into the room. Placing himself between Seb and the grotesque image, he grabbed Seb by the arms.
“Do not react to it Seb. If you react the soul can find you. Look at me and calm yourself.”
Seb’s heart though, was already racing and he stared, over Greg’s head, at the image which was still reaching its blood-soaked hands out towards him.
“Seb, do you hear me?” Greg shouted. “Think of something else.”
To his right, Seb could hear Trudy speaking with Aiden. “What did you prepare? Did you manage to bring anything?”
“An amulet — I made this amulet,” Aiden sounded flustered.
And then Seb was unable to recognise any sounds other than his own screaming. Pain tore through his side as though a knife had been thrust into it. He bent double, clasping his arms around his ribs and fell forward. Greg caught him and lowered him to the ground.
All he could feel was excruciating pain. He barely registered the icy wind and freezing water as the gale outside stormed in through the still-open door and then he felt another agonising stab of pain, up through his rib cage. He screamed again, wishing something would stop this torture. And suddenly Alice was inside his mind.
“I’m here Seb. We agreed this. I am here to help.”
Not only could Seb hear Alice, he could feel his presence throughout his mind. As though exploring his consciousness with gentle fingers, his twin located the nerves that were registering the pain, lifted them and wove a link to what Seb knew were the parts of Alice’s own consciousness that also felt pain. He sensed Alice brace himself and let the pain flow towards him, drawing it into his own body. As he did so the agony Seb registered diminished. And now Alice began lifting out Seb’s memories, pushing them forward to pull his focus away from the pain. He used recollections of times when Seb had been at his most peaceful, sitting in front of the fire in the cottage or reading a book or about to fall asleep; calm moments when he was content. The soothing feelings those memories evoked, dulled the pain; it was still there but far less overwhelming.
Beneath it, though, Seb could still sense cold, hard steel — with vicious, jagged edges — running between his ribs and into his lungs. He was struggling to breathe. Has it punctured my lung? he thought. “Alice, I can’t breathe,” he yelled in his mind.
“I can help with the pain, not with the cause. Can you find a way to stop this attack — to repel it?” Alice answered.
Seb didn’t have the first idea how to do that. Desperate for air he began gasping. “I can’t. I don’t know how,” his mind told Alice. “I CAN’T BREATHE!” he panicked.
A fresh wave of pain hit him. The blade — its serrated edge tearing through the muscle and flesh under his ribs and scoring the bone — was being slowly withdrawn; and then it was savagely driven into his side again, penetrating deeper into his lung. Alice worked harder, drawing more pain into himself and releasing more peaceful memories, but even his help couldn’t dull this new rush of agony. And now Seb believed he could feel blood seeping through his skin, soaking his clothing. He tried to tell himself this was just an influence, it wasn’t real — but it felt so real.
As oxygen starvation began to cloud his mind he suddenly felt firm hands grip him, lift his shoulders from the floor, and then a strong arm cradled him and a hand was placed over his side. The pain stopped immediately. He opened his eyes to see Aelfric, kneeling, holding him, his eyes closed, agony etched on his features.
“Cue,” he called through gritted teeth.
Cue materialised beside him. The rest of the wolf pack followed — all leaping through an invisible wall — and formed an arc behind Cue. Pace joined them. Instantly the air above them was alive with sparkling fairies who transited in their hundreds through the mirrored glass of the large doors. In less than a second they had linked the eight wolves together and created two chains from them to Cue. Aelfric, stifling a groan, propped Seb against him, reached behind with his right arm and touched Cue, then, opening his eyes, looked at Seb. “I am so sorry Seb. If there was another way ...” He snatched his left hand away and Seb cried out as pain flooded back into him. Catching the light from the flamers on his birthmark, Aelfric reflected it onto Seb’s side. Ice cold filled his body and then everything went dark.
Auras and Secrets
Seb woke once more in the large bed in the quarters below deck. Alice was sat on the pillow next to his head, staring at him and as Seb’s eyes fluttered open, he smiled, relieved.
Before he could speak, Greg jumped up from the seat near the bed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, placing a stubby-fingered hand on Seb’s brow. “Do you feel ill? Hot? Are you in pain?”
Seb shook his head and sat up. Outside the wind howled and the waves crashed against the hull of the boat, though it ploughed steadily through the angry sea. It was only slightly buffeted by the rolling waves — somehow the asrais managed to support and guide its keel on a straight and even path through them.
And now, recalling why he was on this yacht, the memory of the attack came flooding back to Seb. He put a hand to his ribs and looked down, lifting his top, searching for a wound. There was nothing there, not even a scratch or a bruise.
“Will it happen again?” he asked, frightened.
Footsteps sounded on the wooden steps. Aelfric descended and walked to the end of the bed. In the muted light from the flamers, he looked pale. Greg regarded him curiously for a moment and then turned back and spoke to Seb.
“We know how this attacker is locating you, Seb. They reach for you, reach their mind towards you. As Nat suggested, the sadness you feel is your own soul’s reaction to that, and the attacker is able to home in on your general location by following that sadness. But then they need to identify your exact position in order to maximise the violence of the assault. Answer me quickly, Seb. Did you see something that caused you extreme emotion, just before this attack?”
“Both times,” Seb answered. “Both times — I saw these horrible images of me. The first time I saw blood spread across my chest,” he shook his head. “And that made me feel terrified,” he mumbled. “This time, I had blood dripping from my side and it went all over my hands; I was showing them to myself. It was grotesque, and I was horrified and scared at the same time.” He looked questioningly at Greg. “Both times I was bleeding from where I felt the pain, but it was before the pain came. Were they visions of the future?” He felt his heart racing once more.
“No, Seb. The future is not set — and can’t be seen.These were visions of what this attacker intended, sent to you in order to elicit a powerful emotional response. When you reacted, you shone a beam of energy towards them; they then used it to pinpoint, exactly, your whereabouts; the attacks followed straight after. I cannot believe we have been so lucky, on both occasions, that these injuries did not kill you.” As he said the words, Aelfric sat heavily on the bed, and Seb noticed Cue was with him. Aelfric stroked the wolf and watched Seb.
“So surely the attacker knows where I am now. They can do it again,” Seb said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. “Aiden told me that if I imagine myself in a bubble it can’t happen, but —” he stopped, unable to admit that he doubted Aiden’s advice.
“The person who is hunting you is knowledgeable and powerful, Seb.” Greg removed his hand from Seb’s forehead and placed it on his arm. “But there is no reason why, if you believe in your own power and knowledge, you cannot block their intent. Aiden is correct, an Aura Shield will prevent an attack of this nature.
> “But it is good Aelfric has brought you to this yacht. As we have said, it is difficult to locate a moving soul, and one on water much more so. The attacker did locate you, and knows the general area you were in, but when you became unconscious they will have lost you again. While unconscious, the energy your soul sends out is minimal. It is two hours since the last attack and we have moved a good distance from our previous location. We have some small amount of time once more. But we need to use that time — use it to teach you to defend yourself — while Dom and Nat continue trying to locate the person who wishes you harm.”
“You’ve left Nat out there — looking for this — what did you call them? Knowledgeable and powerful person? You left her in danger?” Seb said.
“Dom and Nat are with The Caretaker, they will be fine. Nat has already managed to divine a trail,” Greg said. “With that last assault, she and Dom were able to get a better idea of where the attacker was at the time they used the sympathetic influence. As soon as they have an exact location, we will all head there.”
Seb wasn’t listening. He wanted to shout at Greg to bring Nat back here, where she was safe. He stared at him, teeth clenched.
“Seb,” Aelfric, understanding his concern, spoke over the sound of the moaning wind, “The Caretaker will not let anything happen to her.” His face was wreathed in shadows and he coughed, placing a hand firmly on Cue’s forehead. Greg glanced at him as he continued. “But we need to protect you. You must work with Greg and Aiden — they will help you find a form of protection that will prevent or limit any further attacks. And while they do that, Nat and Dom will seek to locate whoever is doing this.” Aelfric stood up and Dierne appeared beside him. “We must go, Greg. Help him,” he said and, with Dierne, walked to the steps. As Seb watched them, he felt an ache in his birthmark. Aelfric, he noticed, took Cue with him, keeping a hand on the wolf’s head as he climbed to the living quarters.
“How many has he had to deal with?” Seb turned to Greg as soon as they were gone.
“What?” Greg looked confused.
“Trespassing souls — while I have been unconscious, how many has Aelfric had to deal with?”
Greg looked down at the multi-coloured throw on the bed and mumbled, “A fair few.” He lifted his eyes back to Seb’s. “It is now the day of the solstice, it will always be — busy.” He gave the briefest of smiles.
Seb’s mind played on that, and it suddenly dawned on him — if they didn’t manage to find his attacker before the afternoon, or he didn’t manage to find a way to protect himself, Aelfric would never risk letting him take part in The Restoration of Souls. Whilst that in itself would be a relief to Seb — how could Aelfric do it all by himself? He was exhausted already. Words Scarlet had shouted at him came back to him: “You have to just get on with it.”
Seb made a decision. “Greg, I need Aiden and you to help me.” He threw the covers back and Pace, who had been lying on the floor beside the bed, instantly stood up.
“That’s what we’re here for young man.” Greg smiled
“But first I need to speak to Alice — alone if that’s okay?”
“Of course, but,” Greg’s bushy eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown, “time is short. The —”
“I know,” Seb said. “The Restoration. Aelfric can’t do it alone.”
As if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Greg stood and clapped his hands, beaming. “Ah. We are on the same wavelength then.”
Seb nodded. “I have been useless, I know — and pathetic. I admit I am scared.” He put his hand to his ribs again, then gave a shake of his head. “But I trust you, and I trust Aiden, so whatever you think is the best protection for me, I will work with that. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Greg slapped him on the back. “Fine, fine. That is good. I’ll get some coffee for you. I am sure Aelfric will have some around here somewhere.” With that, Greg walked off up the steps, leaving Seb alone with Alice, who sat in the air, above the bed, smiling
He opened his mouth to speak but Seb held up a hand to stop him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Alice looked surprised by the question.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Seb said, “Something about you sharing that pain. It was bad for me, it must have been bad for you too.”
“It’s different Seb. It wasn’t my pain, it was yours, so I was able to draw some of it off, away from you — but I really didn’t feel it much. I’m fine.” He grinned. “Did it help?”
“You know it did.” Seb smiled back at him. “It was horrendous — and then you were there, and it turned from agony into just pain. But do you know —” he paused. Alice looked at him puzzled.
“What?”
“It really felt like there was an actual knife or something cutting into my side. And it felt like I was bleeding; I could feel blood soaking my top.” He looked down, realising his top had been changed.
“Seb,” Alice said quietly, “You were bleeding.”
“Then I didn’t imagine it? And my lungs? I thought my lung had been punctured, I couldn’t breathe.”
Alice nodded.
“Well, how did that all stop then? Did you — ?”
“No.” Alice shook his head. “Something Aelfric did with the wolves healed you. Not sure what, but you had blood all down your side. It’s the same as last time.”
“What? I didn’t bleed last time.”
“Yes, you did Seb. We changed your clothes while you were unconscious.”
Seb was horrified. “So it actually has a physical effect? I thought it was just supposed to be in my mind — but it actually made me bleed?”
Alice nodded. “The others are all really concerned by it — the fact that it actually cut you.”
“But there’s not even a scratch there now.” Seb looked down at his side again. “Well, thank goodness for the wolf-stags.” He patted Pace and tried to smile, then noticed that the ache in his hand had gone. “Let’s go and see Greg and Aiden,” he said, and headed for the steps.
Greg was in the galley making espresso, and Zach and Aiden were thumbing through Aiden’s book while Trudy stared out of the glass doors, her body taught. Seb guessed she was frustrated at having been left to guard him instead of her own Custodian.
“Seb!” Aiden thrust the book at Zach and headed towards him. “Are you feeling better?” He glanced down at Seb’s side then back up at him.
“Yes thanks,” Seb smiled. “And I need you to tell me again about the Aura Shield.”
Aiden nodded enthusiastically. “Okay. That’s good. That is the best protection.”
“Ha. A bubble — The best protection?” Zach was still disapproving.
Trudy span round. “If Aiden says it is the best protection, then it is the best protection,” she snapped. “You need to listen to your group.”
“Absolutely,” Greg said, walking towards them carrying a tray of cups. “Coffees?”
Zach grabbed one and shoved it at Seb.
“There ya go, Seb. Have a coffee. It’s good for neutralising harmful energy.” He turned back to Trudy. “I listen. Just don’t always agree.” He stuck his chin in the air.
As Seb took a sip from the cup and sat on the sofa, he saw a movement on deck. Dierne lowered Aelfric down and the two entered the room. The storm outside was raging now; Aelfric’s clothes were soaked and water cascaded from the ivy-leaves covering Dierne’s body.
Greg rushed over and handed a towel and a coffee to Aelfric who took them, smiling his gratitude. He sat heavily on the sofa beside Seb and Trudy positioned herself near Dierne, a look of satisfaction on her face.
“Okay Seb,” Greg began, sitting in the armchair, his feet waggling inches above the floor. “The Aura Shield.” Seb nodded. “All it really takes is imagination, your own energy and a belief in your own ability.” Seb nodded again, worrying about that last part. “In fact, it will be a useful tool for us all.” Greg smiled. “Anyone can use it
and anyone also,” he looked at Aiden, “can extend the limit of their own Shield to protect another.”
Trudy, interested, took a step towards her brother. “So Zach, The Caretaker and I could use it?” she asked.
“Yes, Trudy. If you visualise and believe, you can protect others. But the protection is not against a physical assault, it is against sympathetic influence — you must understand that.” She nodded, frowning. “Aiden, would you like to tell Seb what he needs to do?” Greg said.
“A bubble, Seb.” Zach perched on the sofa arm. “Visualise a bubble.” He seemed serious as he spoke. “That’s what you said wasn’t it Aiden?”
Aiden nodded. “It is actually a sphere, but a bubble will do.” He stood in front of Seb. “Seb, you have an aura, everyone does. An outline of energy around yourself. I believe that is what Dom and I see when we can see you on our maps. Remember? Yours is blue.”
“Yeah, and ours are pink. How not good is that!” Zach mumbled.
“That is the energy and influence of your soul Seb — your aura. Now, this book,” taking it off Zach, he waved it in the air, “says you have to visualise a ring of white light around yourself, though I have read somewhere else it should be purple. I really don’t think it matters. These books are written by those with basic knowledge. I believe the principal is that you must visualise your aura and focus it into a sphere of light around yourself.”
Greg nodded, “Agreed Aiden.”
“Okay. So try imagining the aura around your body Seb,” Aiden said.
Seb closed his eyes and thought of the picture Aiden had shown them in the book — the image of the person with lines of light radiating out from them, and tried to imagine that was him, with his blue aura of light all around him. Nothing happened. All he could visualise was the image of himself holding his blood-soaked hands out. He opened his eyes again.
“Did you do it?” Aiden asked and then looked disappointed when Seb shook his head.
Aelfric turned to him.