by J P Sayle
Grunting in disapproval at his growing excitement, he focused on what he could glean about her lineage. Pleased when he realised she really was a very, very, distant relative and her mother, Morgan’s niece was queen of her own domain.
He sensed this was why she was a right little madam and kept true to her name, Princess. He’d bet anything she was a naughty girl. He shuddered at how naughty he could be with her. Stop that nonsense right now! He gave himself a stern talking too, knowing he wasn’t fooling anyone when he decided to make sure to keep a close eye on her. He purely assured himself to make sure she behaved herself. No, there was definitely no other reason, nope, so not going there.
He pulled his mind out of the gutter, thinking about how things had left him with little knowledge of whom or where all the guardians were. He tried to shrug it off. He supposed he had no one to blame for the change to his role to soul bearer.
The other guardians had all been given additional responsibilities because of the FUBAR he’d created in the twelfth century. Manannán, it appeared, wanted to ensure they all behaved themselves. He’d set about creating new laws to govern them, and though Max was still the King of his kind, his primary role had changed, making it more of a title now after all these centuries.
Not that Max minded no longer having to endure so many voices inside his head. Those who watched over their domains were responsible for the actions of their guardians, and though ultimately Max retained overall responsibility for his kind, he no longer had to deal with the day-to-day squabbles, thank the God Njord.
His mind circled back, reminding him this was a good thing, even if it left him out of the loop and no longer aware of all the guardians, especially the cute little one going to be living across the road from him.
Sighing when tutting filtered into his mind and catching his naughty wayward thoughts, he acknowledged Princess’s mother’s presence before shutting her out of his mind. Max tilted his head considering. His eyes narrowed as realisation dawned that his links with the others had grown stronger the closer they got to the Island and the origins of his kind.
Distracted as the thrumming under him slowed, his ears pricked up at the sound of the engines shutting down. He breathed in deep. His senses enjoyed the slight scent of the sea seeping through the metal hull, and memories flooded past his defences.
They’d relived that fateful night over and over. All the while Óláfr had willed his death ever closer. The following thirty-six years had felt like an eternity, never-ending for both of them, scarring Max for life. The burdens sat inside him as a constant reminder of what happens when you mess with the fates.
In some way, he’d been relieved on the eve of Óláfr death when his soul had finally joined Magnus’s, inside him. Max found that he couldn’t stay a minute longer on the Isle, so had hidden on one of the longships, travelling towards an unknown future. Unsure where he needed to go, he’d wandered aimlessly. He strayed further and further from home, never feeling the urge to return, not once.
In all those years, he wondered why he’d never come back. He knew he’d struggle with the nightmares Óláfr and he had suffered and endured, but he wasn’t sure that was the only thing keeping him away.
Now that the fates had stepped in again, millennia later, Aaden’s friend Joe needed their help, making it nigh on impossible to avoid returning home when Joe had moved to the Isle of Mann, several weeks earlier.
Max plonked his head down on his gleaming white paws, the weight of his guilt spreading like butter on hot toast. His mind distracted for a second by the thoughts of food, he sighed when he couldn’t avoid the question that had nagged at him since he’d known they would be coming here.
How am I going to explain to Aaden about the past?
The bits Max had purposefully held back, now seemed to mock his fear of changing the destiny of their fates. He’d learnt the hard way over the many years he’d searched, you can’t mess with the future, not unless you wanted an arse whooping. Max brushed his paw down his backside. Yep, his arse had most definitely been whooped.
That, however, was not going to help him out of his current predicament. He recalled all the times he’d changed the subject when Aaden got too close to asking questions Max wouldn’t answer. Instead he’d regaled him with parts of history not found in their textbooks. He knew it was naughty not to tell him, but for some reason, he felt it necessary not to tell him everything.
Now with these urges and needs pulsing through him, he worried he might have made a mistake not telling Aaden the full story. His solid reasoning at the time now was holier than one of Joe’s jumpers, and that was saying something. Wasn’t it the reason he’d teleported back to the island in the first place to check out their new home, but also to check how he would feel being home at the scene of his crime.
His mind quickly reminded him he’d gotten more than he bargained for. Burying his head in his paws, he prayed it wouldn’t be much longer before they could get off and allow him out of his cage.
There was also the pressing need of his full bladder being relieved. His eyes drifted shut, and he tried hard to concentrate on something that wasn’t his lower regions, only to spring open as the loud horn blasted through the ship. His cage shook when a discombobulated voice roared into the van announcing their arrival.
The slight bump as the boat docked had him firing forward into the door of his cage, desperate to escape as he felt Magnus’s soul lurch inside him in a way it had never done in all the years he’d carried it.
Alarmed, he clawed at the cage door. Releasing the fragile lock, he pushed out into the back of the van, pacing impatiently, waiting for Aaden to return. The sound of clattering feet rose as people moved around the steel ship, making him antsy to escape. The door flung open, letting in the smell of oil and grease. Not giving Aaden a chance, he dived onto the cold metal floor, heading to the side, cocking his leg, relieving himself.
Aaden chuckled behind him.
A small crease formed on Max’s brow as he scowled up at Aaden. Turning away, he ignored the answering grin Aaden gave him and carried on peeing up the metal wall.
“Come on, Max, hurry up. We have to make a move. Joe is waiting for me, along with his boyfriend.”
The slight edge to Aaden’s voice as he spoke of Joe’s partner had him rolling his eyes.
Goddess Freyja give me patience.
“How many times have I told you? Joe is not your soulmate. Yours is out there, somewhere, waiting for you. Though God knows who would have the patience to tolerate you. And yes, you have been patient, and as I say, I have been patient a lot longer. Now shut up and drive.”
Max jumped back into the van just as Aaden sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. Exhaust fumes filled the van as Aaden followed the slow-moving vehicles exiting the boat hull. Chuffing, his eyes watered for a second. He shook his head while Aaden moved the van down the ramp onto the road.
Max gawped as he got his first glimpse of home in nearly eight hundred years. He was pleasantly surprised by the lushness of the surrounding greenery and swaying palm trees. His eyes tried to take it all in at once, checking out the new scenery they passed.
Too busy nosing, he hardly had time to register what was happening to him when his body bowed back. Feeling a sudden ripping inside his chest, Max panted through the pain as Magnus’s soul released its long-term hold over him, floating out of his body for the first time in over eight hundred years.
Mesmerised, Max watched the air move around him with a multitude of colours. He cast a quick glance at Aaden, grateful he was too busy looking for a parking spot to notice anything out of the ordinary. Max flopped back in relief into the leather seat. The lingering pain had him forcibly trying to calm his panting breath. The essence spread out dissipating. It moved from inside the vehicle out into the light evening air. The rainbow patterns danced on the wind as if scenting the air before moving away and up into the pale blue sky, disappearing from his sight.
What the hel
l was that?
In all his years of giving up Óláfr’s soul to the rightful recipients, it had never felt like that before, more like a slight sting that the bees gave him when he chased and caught them.
Maybe it is because it had always been my choice to free the soul, but then I’ve never released Magnus’s before.
Why the hell hadn’t I thought about this before?
Is this why I’ve failed so many times in the past?
Oh, this didn’t bode well!
His worried eyes searched the quay for Joe, looking for a distraction; anything from the fear that was swelling in his chest. His tumbling thoughts bashed into each other. Uncertainty had him eyeing Joe before turning to Aaden. His paws twitched.
Aaden’s thunderous dark eyes met his for a moment, making Max wonder if he’d sensed the inner turmoil he was feeling. Max tried to aim for a reassuring grin, failing miserably when it came out more like a grimace. Aaden shifted his gaze away but not before giving him a ‘what the fuck is up with you’ look. Max ignored the silent question, shutting out Aaden before letting his suspicions surface.
He felt this change of events was somehow going to affect them all, especially him and Aaden, though he wasn’t sure how. He gave a deep sigh when Aaden pulled up and exited the van, leaving him sitting watching out the window.
Max’s breath caught when the breeze rose, catching hold of Aaden’s dark hair. It blew around his shoulders as he strode towards Joe. The memory of Óláfr moving purposefully had Max shift in fright, forcing himself to look away. The hard question pushing for an answer had him give a disgruntled snort.
Had this been the plan all along? That Óláfr’s soulmate would be here, where it all began?
The End.
Or is it just the beginning?
Hi all,
My name is Jayne, and by night I am a nurse manager of a hospital. I’ve been happily married for 25 years to a wonderfully complicated man, and I have a wonderful daughter with a very young grandbaby and another soon to join the family.
I am an identical twin, so if you see me, check, as it may not be me.
In 2016 I made a decision to follow my dreams, and it now seems that my dreams are instrumental in my writing as this book was written after I had a dream. I was unable to rest and had to stop my current work in progress, the third book in my Manx Cat Guardian Series and write about the origins of my cats. I hope you have enjoyed this book, and if you are in need of more, then you can find the first two books of the series on Amazon.
Book Three, Searching for a Soul to Love, which directly connects to this book will hopefully, if my live allows, be released sometime in the summer.
If you would like to follow me, you can find me on:
Facebook - JP Sayle author page, or Jayne MmRead
Facebook Group—JP Manx Minxs (why don’t you come and join me and my hot men)
Twitter—JPSayle69
Tumblr—jaysayle
Instagram—jaynepaton
If you would like to give me any feedback or just have any questions, go ahead and friend me on Facebook, and I would be happy to answer anything. Well, almost anything. I hope you enjoy my boys and my wonderful mystical cat. If you would also like to leave a review, then I would love to read your thoughts.
Thank you for taking the time to be part of my dream.
Seeing Beyond the Scars: Manx Cat Guardians
Book 1
Living in a quiet, controlled world, Brad Cummings does everything he can to not dwell on his traumatic past. Staying hidden, he is unaware that fate is about to turn his life upside down. A new neighbour has Brad questioning everything about his life and his feelings. Coming to terms with his new life, Brad has no idea something sinister lurks, watching and waiting to steal his happiness and drag him back into the horrors of his past.
Martin Clegg was dissatisfied with his life. He finds himself drawn to a small island off the Irish Sea, but the draw to the mysterious house across the way is even stronger. A new business, a new house, a new neighbour who just may be the reason for the pull Martin felt. Everything about Brad calls to Martin, but Brad’s past seems to stand between them. Can Martin protect his heart when he’s also worried about protecting Brad from the evil that surrounds them?
Guardian cats walk this earth, there to protect—if you are fortunate enough to be blessed by the fates. Princess is one such cat. As far as Brad knows, she is his quirky little cheeky black cat.
Princess is sworn to hide her secret about her real nature. But when Brad finds himself in danger, Princess breaks all the rules that govern her. Will there be consequences for her actions? Only time will tell.
Destiny Collides Past and Present: Manx Cat Guardians
Book 2
On the worst day of Stuart Wilson’s life, he has a chance encounter with a stranger on a street corner. He finds himself inexplicably drawn from the second their eyes connected. Over the following decade, he has never forgotten the brief encounter or the eyes that have haunted his dreams.
Finding his life has stalled, though successful and financially independent, Stuart feels his life is sadly lacking that one thing everyone wants: love. Making a decision to change, Stuart uproots himself from his life. On the recommendation of a friend, he moves to a small island in the Irish Sea, where Stuart’s life takes several unexpected turns and twists when he offers to help his new boss.
Joe King has it all, or so it appeared until he made a wrong choice which has left him reeling both emotionally and physically. Devastated by the turn of events, he seeks refuge with his friend, hoping to find some peace and quiet to lick his wounds. What he finds is an unexpected connection to his past that he struggles to accept. The present situation is hindered by a past he wants to escape that will not let go.