"Do you have the ruby?" she asked and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a beautiful stone, really, perfectly polished and smooth. "Do you really want to destroy it?"
He stroked the ruby with a finger. "My precioussssss," he growled and she laughed. A geeky mage? Why yes, please.
"And yes, let's destroy it," he said when they'd both stop laughing, now serious again. "If we lay it on this rock here and stand back, do you think you can direct a bolt of lightning onto it?"
She huffed. "That sounds a little too much like something I'd have to have practiced several times to get it right. I don't want you to be the one who gets hit by lightning, nor me. No, it's probably best if we leave the mountain and fly close by. My magic is strongest when I'm shifted anyway."
"You can do magic when you're a snake... ehm... beithir?" he asked in bewilderment.
"Yes, you should try it," she quipped and took the ruby from his hand, studying it closely. The stone Izban had mentioned was a large boulder right next to them with a smooth top that seemed an ideal place to lay the gemstone. If the rain didn't get any heavier, she'd be able to spot the boulder from afar without being too close to the lightning she was supposed to conjure. Not that she knew how to do that. But it was time to find out if she could learn.
"Let's do this. I'll shift and you get back on. I may have to put you down somewhere though if I need to climb higher. It's not safe in the clouds for someone who isn't a natural lightning rod."
He nodded and without waiting for him to say anything further, she shifted. She hadn't changed shapes this often in one day for a long time. Maybe she should do it more often; it was freeing to leave one shape behind and take on another.
Izban climbed onto her back, already knowing how best to keep a good hold on her. She had to admit, they were quite the team. She pushed herself into the air, squealing inside as they left the mucky ground behind. That was one disadvantage of beithirs, they didn't have any vocal chords, so she couldn't even laugh or cheer while she was flying. But in her head, she laughed wildly at the exhilarating feeling of flying through the storm.
When she was at a safe distance from the mountain top, she stopped in mid-air, turning around until she could see the stone their ruby was lying on. Rain was pouring down and dripping over her eyes, but she was made to be waterproof, so it didn't bother her too much.
Now came the tricky part. She could feel the electricity sizzling in the clouds above her, but how was she going to get it to form into lightning and then hit the exact spot she wanted it to?
She tried reaching out with all her senses, like they had taught her at school. She knew there was magic all around her, she just didn't know how to access it. Somehow, she'd always known that her magic wasn't about creating things - that's why she'd never be able to create a storm - but about manipulating existing elements to do her bidding. Like these clouds bristling with energy, just waiting to be released. They were so close, all she had to do was give them a slight push and...
Lightning tore through the air, crashing into the ground faster than she could see. But it was the wrong bit of ground. Another hilltop, to be precise, and not the one the ruby was on.
Mmhm. She knew that lightning couldn't hurt her - she'd learned that as a child - so theoretically she could get closer... but not with Izban on her back. It was going to be more boring without him, but it couldn't be helped.
She flew to the ground, not where they'd started, but the closest and safest bit she could find. Not high enough to be a target for lightning to strike, not low enough to take forever to get to.
He slid off her back. "Good luck," he whispered, gently stroking her scales.
She savoured the feeling for a moment, then flew off, high into the nearest cloud.
The storm was picking up, and beginning to get dangerous. For other people at least. She was glad she'd set Izban down. There was a chance he'd be able to perform some kind of protection spell, but she didn't really want to risk it. Not if she wanted to try and get him to watch a film with her after this. Or maybe the latest TV show with dragons and wars. It'd be better if there were beithirs in it, but apparently too many people had forgotten they'd even existed in mythology for anyone to put them in anything.
Her scales tingled, and she knew another bolt of lightning was about to strike close to her. Maybe she could harness this one. It crackled around her, and she was sure there were little bolts of electricity dancing over her scales and lighting her up. It must look beautiful from where Izban was standing. She'd once seen her cousin do this, and she'd not been able to do anything but stare.
Feeling the power, she tried to drag it into her. This was how it was supposed to work. Yet, it didn't work.
She tried again, imagining the process in as much detail as she could, and slowly, it began to work. A ball of electricity began to build inside her, feeding off the lightning surrounding her. By now, she was likely lighting up the sky. Humans would just put it down to a weird natural phenomenon, much like they did with the Northern Lights. They were woefully blind to the supernatural world around them.
She dipped lower in the sky, dragging the lightning with her and trying her best not to let it go. She'd only have one shot at this. If she got it wrong, then she wasn't too sure she'd be able to draw enough lightning into her again. Or if the storm had enough to give. Scotland was notoriously fickle in its weather patterns. Amber couldn't rely on it.
She set her sights on the rock with the ruby on it, hoping she hadn't picked out the wrong one. She focused all her thoughts on sending the lightning to that particularly spot, the concentration almost enough to cause a headache. Impressive given she didn't think she had the capacity for one in this form.
Within seconds, the lightning began to travel through her. The surge of power was like nothing she'd ever felt before. It was euphoric. Beyond anything she could possibly imagine. And more. It was something to admire and be terrified of. And she loved it. She wanted more. Always more. Always power.
The lightning crashed down to earth, at precisely the point she wanted to hit, and she smiled inwardly, pleased with herself for how well her attempt at actual magic had worked.
"WELL DONE LITTLE BEITHIR. YOU THWARTED MY PLAN," a Voice boomed through her head, causing a ripple of her terror throughout her body. That'd never happened before. Maybe it was one of the thunder gods? But no, it couldn't be. It'd long since been accepted in the supernatural community that the gods didn't exist. At least, not anymore.
The last of the electricity left her body and crashed into the earth. Amber's eyes began to flicker closed, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't seem to manage to stay alert.
Which was concerning given how far above the earth she was. At least she probably wouldn't die in this form. She had a lot more bounce to her than when she was a flesh and blood human.
That thought wasn't particularly helping.
Her eyes closed again, and this time, it took her even longer than before to open them.
A sudden jerk woke her up a little more, especially when she realised she'd dropped about thirty feet through the air. That was never good.
"COME TO ME," the Voice boomed.
It must be her imagination.
It had to be.
Her eyes flickered closed again.
She jerked back.
The blackness came quicker this time.
More height lost.
At least the earth was closer this time.
Chapter 8
Izban watched in elation as Amber managed to direct electricity towards where they'd left the ruby. If only he could check it'd been destroyed. Anything to stop his grandfather from gaining power and upsetting the balance of the mage society. But without Amber, he couldn't get back up there.
He smiled to himself as he thought about their flight. It'd been exhilarating in a way he'd never expected, nor truly experienced before. Amber was a truly remarkable woman, and her skills in the air had allowed him to completely let g
o during their flight. He wasn't sure where his trust in her had come from, but he liked it, it meant he could truly enjoy her company.
And he couldn't wait to enjoy it more. Maybe he'd even take up a teaching post at Ben Vair. It wasn't like he could return home now. His grandfather would probably have him as a traitor.
He shook the thoughts away, and looked back up into the sky just as the last of the electricity was leaving Amber's body. It was a truly magnificent sight, and he was honoured to have had the opportunity to watch.
She hovered there for a moment, her majestic body swishing back and forth in the wind, her tail streaming out behind her. The surge of magic must have caused it to regrow. That was something at least. He smiled. She'd like having it back. He'd been able to tell how much it pained her to not have it.
He could understand. Missing a body part couldn't be a pleasant sensation, no matter which body part that was.
Suddenly, she dropped several feet through the air, and Izban's heart rose to his throat, thudding away there as concern began to build. She hadn't shown any signs of a loss of control while the two of them had been flying. Yet here she clearly had.
She dropped again, and he lurched forward, holding out his hands and trying to reach out to her. Which was ridiculous, he knew that. But something much bigger than either of them was propelling him further.
When she dropped again, the panic began to get way too much. Something was very, very, wrong up there.
This time, she fell. And he felt the rumble through the mountain floor as she hit the ground. Panic filled him and he really hoped her beithir form was strong enough to take the hit.
Even so, he found himself moving towards where she'd probably ended up, calling his aos sìth with a twist of his ring as he did. The creature would be incredibly pissed that he was being summoned again, but right now, Izban didn't care. Even if the creature turned on him after this it'd be worth it. Though it wouldn't. He'd just appease it with plenty of offerings.
"Lorg beithir," he demanded of the aos sìth. It looked at him, unimpressed, and cocked it's head to the side. Maybe it didn't recognise the reptile as an object. Which was fair. It wasn't. "Lorg Amber," he tried instead. The aos sìth thought for a moment, and then flew off into the night.
Hurriedly, Izban followed behind, not at all surprised that it wasn't long before the creature came to a halt. It flew round and round in a circle, chittering loudly.
The ground was dented, like something large had hit it. Something like a giant snake-dragon. "Amber," Izban whispered into the night. Where was she? There was next to no chance she'd been conscious after a fall like that. So she should be here. "Where is she?" he asked his aos sìth, who just pointed at the crater and spun around in a circle then.
Well, that was no help. None at all.
"Amber?" Izban called out into the night. But with the storm already calming, and the place being abandoned, it wasn't surprising no one answered.
Instead, an almost deathly silence filled the clearing. This wasn't good. And only one thought filled his head. He had to find her. If it was the last thing he did, he had to. He owed her that at the very least for helping him with a problem he didn't know existed.
Without thinking about it, he unsheathed the sgain-dubh he kept in his waistband. Not the traditional place to keep the dagger, he knew, but a traditional kilt would have been highly impractical given the situation. Not to mention, the knife may have aroused suspicion he didn't need.
He sliced the blade down his palm, and watched as the blood welled up there. His aos sìth chattered loudly in alarm, realising what it was he was doing, and the potential repercussions of it. Izban didn't let it stop him.
"Gheibh mi greim ort, Amber A' Bheithir," he swore. "I'll find you, Amber. I promise."
* * *
THE END
Into the Mists
Luch
Chapter 1
A kelpie, an incubus and two wraiths walked into a bar. A human mage trailed behind them, a slightly bored expression on his face. They were here to see the Loch Ness monster, also lovingly known as Aunt Nessie.
It was a pub as Scottish as they came. Slightly dark, slightly smelly, and full of loud people. A sign by the door announced live music later that evening and Macey was a little sad that they'd likely be gone by then.
This was Aunt Nessie's favourite haunt. She knew most of the local fishermen and had helped a few of the tourist businesses in the village to see a glimpse of 'the monster'. Not that she was actually a monster. She was a kelpie, just like Macey, but her temperament was a little more volatile. She was a loud and very determined old lady who didn't take no for an answer. Macey loved her aunt and had always found her advice invaluable. Which was why she was taking the others to see her.
She spotted Nessie in a corner, surrounded by a few older men, all of them wearing the thick oilskins the fishermen here preferred. They certainly weren't in here for a pint, judging from the agitated manner they were talking to her. In contrast, Nessie was looking relaxed, calmly sipping on her large glass of the local frothy ale.
However, she did look a little relieved when she spotted Macey making her way through the crowd.
"My baby niece, come over here!"
"Baby niece?" Cam chuckled and Macey elbowed him in the ribs.
"Not a word. My brothers are older so I've always been her youngest niece."
"Don't think we won't forget this," Jared laughed. "My little baby."
She aimed at him with her other elbow but hit Izban instead.
"Watch it!"
"Sorry," she muttered. Izban and her were still not on the best terms. They were both headstrong, and neither liked agreeing with the other's opinions. Even if they were right, in Macey's case. Her three men seemed to be okay with having the mage around, but she was going to need some more time to get used to it. If he wasn't one of the Seven Wardens, she'd tell him to fuck off.
"Feasgar mhath," Macey greeted her aunt in Gaelic. "Everything okay with these gentlemen?" She shot them a curious look. Everybody loved Nessie, so seeing them argue with her was very strange.
"These 'gentlemen'," the older kelpie emphasised the last word, "were just about to leave me the hell alone before I tell their wives what they've been up to."
That got the men muttering amongst themselves, before one of them said angrily, "We'll be back tomorrow, and the day after, until you tell us." He left and the others followed them, leaving some empty seats for Macey and her guys to take.
She gave her aunt a quick hug and sat down on the wooden bench next to her. "Good to see you, auntie."
"And you. I didn't expect you, is something wrong?"
"There's a lot going on that I can't go into right now," Macey said, trying not to give too much away. Aunt Nessie may be formidable but she was also getting old and she didn't want to worry her. "But I need some advice."
Nessie chuckled. "Oh no, not like that, young lady. I want the full story, gossip and all. Make it a juicy tale, then you can have my advice."
Macey launched into the twisty tale that has somehow landed her here. Even as she spoke, she realised how ridiculous it all sounded; to her own ears as well as to anyone else's. Who was going to believe the things she'd seen and done? That she'd been under a dome in the sea? Or in a house in the mists? Not to mention being hunted by a disembodied voice that just appeared in her head at the worst possible point in time.
But, to her relief, Aunt Nessie not only listened, but she nodded along, clearly understanding the complexity of the journey Macey and her Wardens had been on. She didn't even interrupt to ask to be introduced to Macey's men, which was actually a little out of character. Aunt Nessie was no shrinking violet, if she wanted to know something, then she'd butt in the moment she thought of it and demand to know it.
Macey stumbled in her retelling, and a wide grin spread over Aunt Nessie's face. That was never a good sign. Normally it meant mischief, but there was something sinister about the look she was
currently giving her niece.
Something wasn't right here. But Macey couldn't put her finger on what. And why was she here and not in the warehouse with the men? Her last memory had been of meeting Izban, and trying to convince the mage that he should travel with them. He'd agreed so long as they went to save Amber, who oddly wasn't here with them.
It definitely wasn't right. She knew her guys, no way would they be this cool and collected if they knew someone needed saving.
"What's going on here?" she asked, her voice shaking. Aunt Nessie's smile broadened, filling her with dread. No, something definitely wasn't right here.
"What do you think is going on?" Aunt Nessie's question set off all kinds of red flags in Macey's mind. It wasn't something the older woman would ask. She'd tease and prod for Macey to work it out herself, but she wouldn't be quite so sinister about it...
"Auntie?"
"You don't seem certain."
Beside Macey, her men stayed suspiciously quiet. She knew they'd leave her to do the talking if they thought that was what she wanted, but at least one of them should have offered her some support right now, even if it was just a gentle touch. She liked it when they did that, it gave her a satisfied sense of support. Made her feel loved and wanted in a way no one else had ever quite managed.
"This isn't real," she murmured to herself, not quite believing it. She'd been in a lot of outlandish situations recently, this could just have been one of those, but she doubted it. "This isn't real," she repeated, louder this time, and she made sure to look into Aunt Nessie's eyes.
The twin orbs swirled with darkness, completely unlike the moss green eyes her aunt usually had. Macey was right. She had to be. This wasn't her aunt. And though it was possible, she doubted this was actually happening.
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