by Kate Keir
I suddenly thought back to when Lyall and Artair had told me what their names meant. “Finlay? What does your name actually mean?”
“It translates in two ways,” he answered. “It either means white-haired or white cat.”
Chapter Seven
“So, you can become a white cat? No wonder Achilles always liked you so much, even though he hates everyone else.” I was blown away by Finlay’s revelation. I wanted to ask him so many questions. Finlay didn’t seem to mirror my enthusiasm; instead, he walked over to one of the closest trees and leaned his shoulder against it with his eyes closed and his back to me.
Walking hesitantly closer, I spoke softly to him. “Finlay, what’s wrong?”
“I’m embarrassed, Flora. Don’t you get it? I didn’t want you to know I was a shape-shifter. It makes me a freak, and how could you want to be friends with a freak?”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It was a bad move because it made Finlay turn and look at me with such anger it made me take a step backward. “Finlay, I’m a Soul Keeper for God’s sake.” It felt strange to say for God’s sake now that I was pretty sure my existence meant God wasn’t real. But it was a habit I was unlikely to get out of anytime soon.
“From everything I’ve heard over the last forty-eight hours, I am the ultimate freak. My soul isn’t my own, I am completely responsible for making sure no evil gets back onto the Earth, and a crazy king of the dead wants to kill me so he can make the world into his own version of hell. I think you have a long way to go before you match my freak level.”
“You can shape-shift too, Flor,” he whispered.
“Into what?” Instead of adding to my worry about my weirdness repertoire, this new piece of information actually excited me.
“What you can shift into isn’t predetermined. That’s something that you will have to find out when you eventually learn how to do it. But you will be able to do it with a little training.”
“I don’t get it. If I can shift too, then why on Earth would you feel embarrassed about it, you dope?”
He grinned at me, my chilled-out Finlay returning to me little by little. “I don’t know. I’m so used to feeling different to everyone else. It was tough for me because I was your primary guardian. I had to spend time in the real world with you. The others got to stay here at Castle Dion, so they never really felt like outsiders in the way I always have.”
“You’re not an outsider. You’re my best friend and you are the biggest part of my world, Finlay. Yes, okay, it’s a pretty screwed up world, but it’s ours nonetheless. If you’re a freak, then so am I, and I’m okay with that.”
“Come here, you?” Without giving me a chance to respond, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into one of his speciality bear hugs.
Pulling back just enough to allow me to peek up at his face, I smiled at him. “So, when are you going to teach me how to shape-shift?”
His face darkened as he answered me. “There’s one member of the Dion who can shift flawlessly. He’s the one who taught each and every one of us how to do it. None of us are better qualified to teach you than him.”
The dark look made total sense to me as realisation dawned. “Lyall?”
Finlay released me from his bear hug and nodded. “If anyone can teach you safely and fast, then Lyall can. We’ll speak to him about it when we get back. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to help.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about learning to shift with Lyall. He still terrified me. But I had a feeling if Finlay could have taught me just as well, he wouldn’t have agreed to hand the responsibility over. “Should we sort some more souls now? I feel terrible I’ve only dealt with one.”
“Did you hear what Freya said before? We’ve been here almost the whole day. If nothing else, I think we deserve some food, Flor. Plus, a bit of rest won’t hurt you either.”
I was secretly quite relieved to be taking a break, I felt exhausted after a whole day outside of the real world. “Okay, how do we go back?” I hadn’t left the Everwood by choice yesterday so I had no idea how to get myself out of there.
“Just do the opposite of what you do to get here. Imagine yourself back in the mortal world. It’s easy.” As he finished speaking, Finlay disappeared from my view.
“It’s easy.” I rolled my eyes and mimicked Finlay out loud, and then I took a deep breath. Okay, Flora. Just think about being back at the castle. You can do this.
The trees around me started to flicker and lose focus, telling me what I was doing was definitely working. I blinked and by the time my eyes re-opened I stood in the castle gardens just a few feet from Finlay. I was surprised to notice it was late afternoon.
“Well done, Flor. Let’s go and get some food. I’m starving.”
“That was surprisingly easy.” I grinned as I followed after him.
“You are surprisingly talented, Soul Keeper.” Finlay winked at me and draped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me along so quickly I almost tripped.
“Whoa, slow down. What’s the rush?” I laughed at the easy atmosphere between us. Things almost felt as though they were back to how they used to be.
“I am literally gonna die if I don’t eat in the next three minutes, Flor. That’s the rush.”
We both fell into the dining room together laughing and jostling against each other. Pen looked up in surprise and smiled warmly at us. All of the other Dion were already seated and eating their way through burgers, chips, and salad on the huge table.
Everyone said hello to us as we sat down, expect for Freya who had the good grace to look sheepish when Finlay shot her a pointed look.
“How went your day in the Everwood, Flora?” Pen enquired.
I had started putting together a burger and was just in the process of stuffing it with lettuce and tomatoes, but I stopped while I answered Pen.
“It went really well, thank you. I sorted another soul. I wanted to do more, but time moves so differently there.”
“She was amazing, Penthesilea. It takes her seconds to move between here and the Everwood, and the souls just migrate to her. They adore her. Oh, Flora also knows that we shift too.” Finlay fired another look toward Freya as he finished.
Pen’s eyes darkened slightly. “I thought we agreed we would take things one step at a time, Finlay. Telling Flora about the shifting should have waited for at least a week from now.” She turned toward me before continuing, “Flora, don’t think I’m trying to keep you in the dark. I just don’t want to throw everything at you and overwhelm you.”
I really didn’t want Finlay to get into trouble with Pen, but it didn’t seem as though he was going to tell her the truth of how I came about my knowledge. So, I held my tongue and didn’t drop Freya in it. Instead I just replied, “I get that, Pen. I don’t feel like you’re hiding things from me.”
Looking back to Finlay, Pen said, “Does Flora know everything? Including her own abilities?”
Finlay nodded, unable to speak around a mouthful of burger and chips. I’ve never understood people who mix their protein and carbohydrates in one mouthful. The thought makes me squeamish, but Finlay had always had a talent for shoving all of his food in together and seeming to enjoy it.
Pen’s voice drew my attention back to her. “Shape-shifting is a gift, provided to us so we can defend ourselves against our enemies. It’s a valuable asset to you, Flora. One you should learn as soon as possible.”
I nodded my head enthusiastically.
Pen fixed her gaze on Finlay once more. “You are not the most suitable Dion to educate Flora in shifting, Finlay.”
Finlay scowled a little at that, but he quickly replaced the scowl with a more relaxed look. “I know. Flora and me already talked about it, and she’s happy for Lyall to teach her what she needs to know.”
A wide grin broke out across Lyall’s face. If ever there was a poster child for the wolf in Red Riding Hood, it was him.
“If that’s okay with you?” Finlay addre
ssed Lyall directly.
“I would love to teach Flora the ropes.” He gave me a theatrical leer. “Shall we start first thing tomorrow morning?”
“Sure, should we meet at the castle gate?” I was grateful to be able to get a long night’s sleep between now and my new tuition. I was exhausted.
“The castle gate, at seven then. I’ll look forward to it.” He shot a smirk in Finlay’s direction.
Pen rolled her eyes at the two guys and then stood up and spoke in a voice that sought to capture the attention of everyone in the room. “I’ve been thinking. It’s unlikely Flora will ever get used to calling me Penthesilea, so may I suggest we lower the tone of formality, and you all start referring to me as Pen from now on. We are, after all, peers.”
There was a chorus of agreement, so after five shouts of yes, we all finished our food, rose from the table to go and take a little down-time before bed.
Finlay walked beside me as we headed out into the hallway. “There’s a full-sized pool table in the lower level of the castle. Wanna play a couple of games before bed, Flor?”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but I’m so tired right now, and I have a pretty big day tomorrow. I should get some sleep.”
Finlay and I would often go to our local bar and play pool together after work, and I felt guilty saying no to him. Especially because it was so I could get some rest, ready to spend the day with Lyall tomorrow.
He took it on the chin, though. “Okay, maybe see you tomorrow night.” He started toward the stairs down to what I assumed was the snooker room. I could hear Artair and Mara laughing down there and the unmistakable sound of snooker balls bouncing around the table.
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow.” I made my way up the stairs, delighted to finally be able to get some rest.
As I approached my room, I noticed a tall figure stood in the shadows beside the door. For a brief moment of panic, I thought it was a Draugur, but as I braced myself for attack, Freya stepped forward, revealing her face to me.
I let out a huge breath of relief, and she smiled at me. An actual, genuine smile and not one of her usual sneers. “Sorry, Flora. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s all right. You didn’t,” I lied.
She raised a perfectly defined eyebrow at that but didn’t call me out on the fib.
“I wanted to thank you for not telling Penthesilea—Pen about what I did. I expected you to, after the way I’ve behaved toward you. So, thank you, and I’m sorry you found out about shifting like that. It’s an awesome gift. You should have the opportunity to enjoy learning it.”
Wow! “That’s okay, I was just following Finlay’s lead, but I’m not a snitch either. Apology accepted though.” I smiled at her.
She nodded and gave me another genuine smile. “Thanks, Flora. See you tomorrow. Good night.”
“Good night,” I murmured in surprise. I might have said more, but she was already halfway down the stairs and wouldn’t have heard me if I had.
Chapter Eight
I was walking through a wood that looked almost exactly like the Everwood. I knew it wasn’t the Everwood because everything was black and the sky was pitch dark, except for the light of the full moon. I also knew I was dreaming, because I could feel the dampness of the dew from the grass on the soles of my bare feet, and the rational side of my brain insisted I wouldn’t allow myself to wander around outdoors with no shoes on if I were awake.
Knowing I was dreaming meant I didn’t really mind going along with things. Everyone knows nothing can hurt you in your dreams, no matter how crazy they get. Even if you drop off a cliff. Okay, you’ll get that stomach-wrenching feeling of falling, and it will feel so real until the exact moment you’re supposed to hit the ground. But you don’t hit the ground. Instead, you wake up with an uncontrollable spasm of fear, thankful you’re actually in your own bedroom and not hanging around cliff-tops or throwing yourself off them.
So, safe in the knowledge I was tucked up in my bed at the castle, with Achilles asleep, curled up on my feet, I carried on, winding my way through the silver-lighted trees.
I stopped to examine one particular tree, noticing the bark was jet black in colour. Tilting my head back so I could look right up to the top, I realised I couldn’t see a single leaf on the skeletal branches.
Shifting my eyes to the other trees, I examined each in turn. Every tree I could see was the same: dead, black, and leafless. They looked like giant charred fingers, stretching up toward the infinite and starless sky.
With a jolt of fear, I realised I must be in the Endwood—it couldn’t be anywhere else. “I shouldn’t be here,” I spoke aloud. My voice sounded muffled, the same way it does when you’re standing in a heavy snow storm.
I turned a full three-sixty circle, looking for an obvious way out. I vaguely remembered the Endwood was connected to the Everwood, so there had to be a way to get myself back to safety; I just had to find it.
Every direction looked exactly the same; more and more of the ominous black trees stretched away into the shadowy distance. Choosing a random direction, I began to walk. I smiled to myself as I wondered if I would be able to find a cliff to throw myself off so I could wake myself up before I hit the bottom.
The landscape didn’t change. I kept walking through the same damp grass, surrounded by the same dead trees, following a path that was lit by the same cold moonlight. I tried to convince myself that it was okay; this was just a dream. But the panic started to rise inside me. This felt way too real to be a dream, and I suspected I was trapped here.
I hadn’t even realised my pace had quickened until I was almost running. Fear was pushing me into “flight” mode. Every part of me hoping I would find the pathway back to the Everwood and then eventually home.
When I broke through the trees into a clearing, I almost sobbed with relief—the landscape had changed, something was different. Although I had no idea if this was a good thing or not.
By the time I noticed the Draugur wending its way through the trees surrounding the clearing, I was in the epicentre of the circle and knew it would be able to run me down before I could reach the tree-line again.
It had a human shape, but its face was the hideous moth-eaten mess I had seen shades of when I encountered my first Draugur in the gatekeeper’s chamber. It stalked me from the tree-line, grinning at me and exposing its broken line of yellow tomb stone teeth.
Before long, I realised another Draugur had joined the first, this was followed by another and another. Until I counted nine of the creatures weaving their way through the trees, watching me intently with filmy eyes.
It dawned on me then that if they had wanted to hurt me, they would have done it by now. That wasn’t what they were here for. They stayed on the outskirts of the clearing because they were keeping me within it. They were holding me here like a penned animal. Either waiting for something or someone.
“Well worked out, Soul Keeper.” The voice crossed the clearing from behind me, making me jump and turn at the same time. If I had to describe that voice, I would have said it was like standing in the middle of a frozen lake and hearing the cracking sound as the ice splintered and broke apart beneath your feet.
The creature entered the clearing and started to walk toward me. It was tall, maybe six four. It wore grey leather armour and a long grey cloak which almost reached the grassy floor. Like the Draugur, it was human shaped, but the face was where all similarity to a person ended.
Its skin was made up of large, grey armoured scales that ran from the top of its head, down to where its neck met the collar of its jacket. The creature had random tufts of grey, wiry hair that sprouted in between the scales on its head.
If I had thought Lyall had eyes that burned, I clearly hadn’t met this thing yet. Its eyes were a sickly orange colour, but they flickered and flamed as though the inside of its skull was a fire pit.
It opened its mouth to speak and I took in row after row of pointed teeth. “Do you know me, Flora Bast?” I
t slowly moved closer and closer.
There was only one answer. I was in the Endwood, that much was clear to me. The Draugur surrounding the clearing were obviously working in service to this thing in front of me. “You’re Sluag.” I answered him.
“I am. Well done, Soul Keeper. Do you know why you’re here?” He grinned at me, exposing those hideous teeth again as he came to a stop a few feet in front of me.
“You’re going to kill me,” I offered.
“Sadly, no. I can do a lot of things that others cannot. Unfortunately, I can’t kill you in a dream. So, rest assured you’re safe for now, Flora.”
I didn’t want to show my fear, even though my legs trembled. I drew myself up to my full height and replied, “For now maybe. But you do intend to kill me, don’t you, Sluag?”
“Of course I do, and when I do, both myself and my servants” —he gestured to the watching Draugur— “will celebrate your death in a way that is fitting for such an important sacrifice.”
He took a step closer to me as he spoke, and I couldn’t help but recoil from him. He laughed at my disgust. “What’s wrong, little girl? Don’t you like my face? I can change it to something that is a little more pleasant to you, if you like.”
As he spoke his face began to warp and change until it gradually became the face of my father. I felt as though I had been punched in my stomach. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I backed away from the monster wearing my father’s friendly face.
“Why would you do something so cruel?” I asked him, looking away from him, toward the ground.
“One day, I intend to bring you here to the Endwood in reality. I will slit your throat on a sacrificial altar, then drain every last drop of blood from your still-warm body, and use it to open the door into the mortal world for myself and all of my rejected souls and Draugur; and you think I’m cruel for taking the face of your father?” He laughed mockingly.
I lifted my eyes back up to look on my father’s face once more. But Sluag had discarded the stolen image and converted back to himself. I was thankful.
