Outback Spirit

by Nicole R. Taylor

  “So it’s like the Avengers. We just…assemble?”

  Kyne laughed at the analogy. “Yeah, we have costumes and everything.”

  “Do not,” Eloise said with a pout.

  “Yeah, no costumes. Wearing spandex out here would be a sweaty nightmare.”

  She laughed softly before her expression began to fade. “Coen knows things. Things he isn’t saying.”

  Kyne grunted and ran his fingers through her hair, teasing the feather behind her ear. “He never says exactly what he means. It’s always in riddles or stories.”

  “He told me about the Rainbow Serpent. It was like he was hinting at something. He said when the time came, I’d know.” When the river ebbs…

  “That’s classic Coen,” he told her. “Worrying over his advice won’t help anything. If he said you’ll know, then you’ll know.”

  “I guess.” Knowing Coen was going to take some getting used to, just like everything else in Solace. “Hey, when Coen touched me…” She hesitated, not knowing the right words.

  “Nothing happened?” Kyne asked.

  She nodded.

  “See? I told you. Once you get a handle on your powers, you’ll never have to worry again.”

  “Is it, though?” When Kyne screwed up his face, she added, “I get the feeling there’s more to him than we realise.”

  “Of course there is, but that’s for him to reveal if he wants. It’s the man’s character that matters.”

  Eloise shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

  “Hey, are you hungry? Blue told me to send you in if you were.”

  She shook her head. “I’m too anxious to eat.”

  “Don’t give yourself an ulcer.”

  “I might turn into one by the time this is over,” she replied. “But it’ll never be over over, will it?”

  “That seal has been there a hell of a long time,” Kyne replied, his brow creasing. “I reckon it will still be there long after we’re dead and gone.”

  “And the Dust Dogs… What are we doing about them?”

  “There’s nothing we can do but wait. Solace is still a town frequented by humans. The highway runs straight through the middle. We can’t set traps. What if a road train comes along? A family in a caravan?” Kyne was just as troubled as she was, but he was right. “Vera is watching the road with magic, and I hope Finn and the fae are watching the other borders.”

  “You hope?”

  “The fae have always been separate from Solace. They’re welcomed friends, but not really Exiles. Finn speaks for them and is the only one who comes into town. They have just as much to lose as we do when the Dust Dogs attack. They’ll help if they want to keep their place here.”

  They fell silent as the rumble of a truck droned in the distance. Moving to the shade of the Outpost’s verandah, they waited until the huge road train came into view at the southern end of Solace. The big silver and black truck was hauling three long trailers and barely slowed. The driver held up a hand, giving them the traditional truckie courtesy wave as he passed.

  “I still need to fix Wally’s mine,” Kyne said as the road train faded into the shimmering mirage on the horizon.

  “We have more pressing matters,” Eloise said. “I think he’ll understand.”

  “Yeah, but you’re not the only one who needs a distraction.”

  The trouble was, distractions were plentiful around Solace. The Dust Dogs were one, as was what she’d done last night. It’d only been half a day, but so much had happened since.

  “Kyne? About last night. I—”

  “Don’t worry about the mine,” he interrupted. “I was going to dig a new exploratory hole at the other end of the claim anyway. Just need to get in the right machinery.”

  “No, it’s not that…though I’m still sorry.” He didn’t say anything, already knowing where her thoughts lay. “When you found your father, what did he say? What was he like?”

  Kyne took off his hat and wiped his forearm across his brow before putting it back on. He squinted, his gaze moving across the road. For a moment, Eloise thought he wasn’t going to say anything, but he sat on the old wooden bench outside the Outpost and sighed.

  “The elementals, they’re not human. Not like you and me,” he murmured as she sat beside him. “They’re shapeshifters and move with nature. They’re air, water, fire, earth, and spirit. They can be whatever they want—men, women, animals, the wind, the rain...” he gestured to the boab, “a tree. Whatever. I went to the wildest, most remote place I could think of. One of the few places in this country humans haven’t walked.”

  “Where?” Eloise asked. She’d gone many places, but only where roads had led her.

  “In the Pilbara,” he replied. “There are no roads, no tracks, no footprints. Harsh, wild country. Without my powers, I would’ve died out there, but I found them deep within the twisting gorges. There was this deep, round billabong with water with a strange, blueish-green hue. I found him there, though ‘him’ is a loose term for what an elemental is. He chose to become male, that’s all. I knew it was him because I felt it in my soul. My power called to his and he alone came for me, though I knew more waited just beyond my sight.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Nothing,” Kyne murmured, his gaze falling. “He said nothing at all.”

  “Nothing?” Eloise whispered.

  “He cast me out, again, and the next thing I remembered, I was laying on the ground a hundred kilometres away.” He snorted. “At least he had the good sense to leave me where I left my ute parked.”

  “Maybe he does care…a little.”

  Kyne shook his head. “They don’t want us. We’re just a byproduct of their curiosity.”

  Eloise snorted. “Well, screw them.”

  Kyne looked up with a raised eyebrow.

  “We don’t need them,” she went on. “We make our own way, and if all we got from them was some cool powers, then we’ve got some cool powers.”

  His lips quirked. “You think they’re cool now?”

  “Hell yeah. As soon as I figure out how to stop zapping people’s brains and imploding mines, then we’re all cool. I’m relieved, actually. I was starting to think I was a succubus.”

  Kyne laughed and knocked her hat off. “Maybe you are.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, making her entire body tingle. “So, about your van…”

  She’d been thinking about that. “Well—”

  Just then, the door to the Outpost crashed open, breaking them apart, and Vera hurtled out onto the verandah.

  “I hate to break up the kissing corner,” the witch blurted, “but we have incoming.”

  Kyne shot to his feet. “The Dust Dogs?”

  “Yeah, and by the feel of it, it’s the whole bloody pack.”

  Eloise picked up her hat, her hands shaking. She guessed the river was about to ebb sooner rather than later.

  As she followed Vera and Kyne to the pub, she hoped Coen was right.

  All the Exiles were gathered in the pub when Eloise, Kyne, and Vera rushed in.

  “Where’s the fire?” Finn drawled, leaning against the bar.

  “They’re coming,” Vera told them. “Now.”

  Blue frowned and took the tea towel off his shoulder, rubbing his hands on the fabric. “How long?”

  The witch shrugged. “Ten minutes, tops.”

  The publican nodded and reached under the bar. Eloise swallowed hard as he took out a sawn-off shotgun and a box of shells. She’d never seen a gun this close before, let alone seen one fired. Things were suddenly becoming glaringly real.

  “What do we do?” Vera asked, eyeballing the shotgun.

  “Stand and fight,” Wally said. “I see no other way.”

  “We’ve talked about this day for a long time,” Kyne spoke up. “What we’d do if anyone ever came. Well, we’ve got to be done talking. We’ve all got powers, and we have to be prepared to use them, no matter the cost.” He looked around at the Exiles, his gaze settl
ing on Drew, who was huddled in the corner, looking worse for wear. “Drew, I know you’re not going to like it, but you have to stay out of sight. You’re in no condition to fight.”

  “They killed my family.” The shifter glared at the elemental. “I have more of a right than you do to kill them all.”

  “No one said anything about killing,” Kyne told him.

  “Then how are we going to stop them from coming back?”

  Finn glared openly at Drew. “As long as I get to spill some dingo blood, then I say we’re even.”

  “Finn, don’t,” Hardy said.

  “I’ve seen his face,” the fae drawled. “Don’t have to see the rest of him to know karma got his arse.”

  “Finn,” Vera snapped.

  “Look at you.” Finn grinned at the witch and wiggled his eyebrows. “You know about karma.”

  “Shut the hell up,” Kyne snapped. “We haven’t got time for this.”

  Eloise took a deep breath and stepped forwards. “We’re on our own. Andante was out of my reach. Coen—”

  “Where is Coen?” Finn interrupted. “Huh? Why isn’t he here?”

  “Because it’s not his nature to fight,” Hardy replied.

  Drew rose abruptly, his chair falling backwards. “Shut up, all of you,” he snarled. “The Dust Dogs won’t stop and wait for us to finish fighting amongst ourselves. We have to go out there and show them how powerful we are. That’s the only thing they understand.”

  Eloise nodded. She’d thought the same thing. The Dust Dogs were bullies, but they were also not afraid to back it up with violence. They’d kill them if they weren’t convincing enough.

  Kyne met her gaze. “Are you ready for this?”

  Everyone turned to look at her, the newcomer who may or may not be staying to see the aftermath.

  “Yes,” Eloise replied. “Drew is right. We go out there and show them just how powerful we really are. We’re stronger together.”

  Wally stood and took the shotgun off Blue. “You still got that rifle?”

  Blue nodded. “Yeah. Out back.”

  “On the roof,” Wally told him. “We can withstand most wounds, you can’t. We’ll need cover.”

  Vera’s gaze flew to the door, her eyes glassy. “They’re almost here.”

  “Quick,” Kyne said. “Drew, stay here.”

  “But—”

  “We almost lost you once,” the elemental interrupted, “and we won’t risk it again.”

  “Whatever.” The shifter growled low in his throat and sat back down as the Exiles left the pub.

  Eloise was last, and she turned around. “Is it justice…or revenge that you’re looking for?”

  “Justice,” Drew replied without hesitation. “It wasn’t just my pack they murdered.”

  She nodded once, then went outside.

  Crossing the yard, Eloise went and stood beside Kyne on the road outside the Outpost, her boots resting on the white line painted in the centre. Below the asphalt, she felt the soft vibration of the seal as her stomach churned.

  The Dreaming carried you to this place. When the river ebbs, you will know.

  Hardy stood on her right, and Vera beside him. Wally and Finn took the left beside Kyne. Behind them, she knew Blue was on the roof of the pub, watching over them with a rifle in hand.

  Silver shone in the distance, the first glimpse of the pack wavering through the mirage on the horizon. Eloise’s hand went to the feather in her hair, the feel of it comforting as her knees started to shake.

  The Exiles watched the Dust Dogs roll into Solace, the roar of their motorcycles deafening as they lined up across the width of the road, leaving a good twenty metres of space between them.

  Eloise counted eighteen, nineteen, twenty… Twenty-five dingo shifters, all men and each armed with either a shotgun, handgun, or rifle.

  They all turned off their engines in unison, kicking their legs over their bikes and forming a line in front of them.

  A large man walked out in front of the shifters, a shotgun in his right hand. At well over six foot tall, he was a wall of bald, tattooed, muscle. It looked like he’d been in a hell of a fight. His face, arms, and neck were covered in bites and gashes in various stages of healing, just like Drew. Eloise assumed this was the alpha he’d told them about. Roth.

  “Well, well, well, we seem to have ourselves a good old-fashioned Mexican standoff,” Roth said. He laughed and pretended to shoot his shotgun. “Bang, bang.”

  The Dust Dogs laughed, the sound echoing down the road towards the Exiles.

  “I feel like we’re in the Wild West. Who wants to quick draw?” He pointed the shotgun at each of them, settling on Hardy. “You? Think you’re fast enough?”

  “You really think you’re faster than a vampire, mate?” Hardy drawled.

  His grin widened, then he shouted, “We want the shifter! And we want the key!”

  “We’re going to take a pass,” Kyne said, angling himself slightly in front of Eloise. “We’re not giving you anything.”

  “Oh, pardon me,” Roth drawled. “This isn’t a discussion. If you don’t give us the shifter and the key, we start shooting.” He pointed the shotgun at the Outpost and fired.

  The boom was so loud, Eloise pressed her hands over her ears and Vera cried out as the front window exploded. Glass tinkled as it scattered across the veranda and blew into the store.

  “The shifter and the key,” Roth demanded. “Then we’ll talk about the seal…and the longevity of your lives.”

  A crash sounded behind them and a voice shouted, “You want me? Here I am!”

  The Exiles turned as Drew strode from the pub and up the road, limping as he went.

  “Drew, you idiot,” Vera hissed. “Stay back.”

  “Well, this just got interesting,” Eloise heard Finn drawl.

  “You and me,” Drew shouted at Roth, pushing past the Exiles. “We settle this between shifters.”

  “Hear that?” The alpha laughed, the pack following suit. “The bastard can’t even walk in a straight line and he wants to fight me.” His laughter faded and his expression turned dark. “You got yourself a deal, boy.”

  Eloise saw Roth lift the shotgun a second before Drew did. The alpha fired as she shoved past Kyne and lifted her hand, raising the wind.

  Hardy reacted just as quickly. The vampire snatched the shotgun out of the alpha’s hands, but not before the shell left the barrel and hurtled towards Drew.

  The wind roared in a violent gust, buffeting the shifters, almost knocking them flat…and forced the shell to fly into the air, passing harmlessly by Drew’s right ear and into the sky.

  He turned and stared at Eloise as she grabbed his arm, too shocked to say a word.

  The river ebbs… In that moment, Eloise knew. She finally understood.

  “Get behind me,” she said, completely unafraid.

  Raising her hands, the earth splintered, the asphalt rose into the air with a deafening crack that made the buildings and the power poles shudder.

  The debris surrounded the Dust Dogs, hemming them in, the Exiles safe behind her. They looked around in terror, shouting and trying to flee, but there was no way through. The dingoes were trapped.

  Drew stood beside her wide-eyed. “Eloise?”

  “Justice is yours if you want it, but do it now,” she told him. “One shot.”

  Hardy handed Drew the shotgun. “Are you sure?”

  The dingo nodded and raised the gun. “This is justice, not revenge.”

  “I’ll kill you, boy,” Roth snarled, pushing against the barrier before them. “Just try it.”

  Drew’s hand shook, then he pulled the trigger.

  The boom shattered the air, the shell flying forwards with a force Eloise felt explode in her bones. Roth’s head snapped back and he fell into a heap, the pack falling silent. They stared at shock at the alpha, their menacing bravado dissolving. Without a leader, they didn’t seem to know what to do.

  Eloise’s stomach rolled a
nd her fingertips began to tingle. She didn’t dare look down. She understood what death and killing were, but seeing it…? She was taking a hard pass.

  “So, does this mean you’re the alpha now?” she asked, trying not to notice the red puddle pooling beneath Roth. “Is that how it works?”

  Drew grunted, his glare focused on the remaining shifters. “While I live, they’ll follow me if I make them, but I don’t want it.” He glanced back at the Exiles. “I’ve already got a pack.”

  “Then… I think I can…” She screwed up her face, concentrating. “Dingoes like the desert, right?”

  Drew peered at her, confused. “What—”

  But she’d already made up her mind.

  Twisting her hands, she imagined the splintered asphalt rotating around the Dust Dogs. The debris responded, spinning once, then she envisioned the golden sand dunes of the first place she could think about—the Middle East—then lowered her hands.

  The asphalt fell back to earth, slotting into the road like puzzle pieces, setting everything back just the way it’d been…except Roth, the Dust Dogs, and their motorcycles were gone. Vanished.

  “What the hell…” Drew gaped at the scene before them as the other Exiles came towards them. “What did you just do?”

  “Ether,” she said, staring at the empty road. “My element of choice.”

  Chapter 24

  The sound of a cordless drill screeched through the stillness of the early evening.

  Drew stood beside Vera, watching Hardy and Kyne install a large piece of chipboard over the Outpost’s broken window. Behind them, he could hear Wally and Eloise in the garage, fussing over her motorhome.

  He squinted at the window, leaning on the broom he’d used to sweep up the broken glass, much to Vera’s complaints. His tendency to do the opposite of what she told him was still well and truly alive.

  “Can’t any of you use magic to fix it?” he asked, nodding at the window.

  Vera shook her head. “Sometimes it’s best to let science and human hands put things back together.”

  They fell silent as Kyne put the last screw into place, the drill buzzing noisily. “There. All done.”