Seven Wardens Omnibus

by Skye MacKinnon

  Was this what it was like for Cam and Flint to travel on the Staran? She'd never asked them but it seemed it was a lot more comfortable for them than for her - when she had her body with her. Right now, it wasn't too bad.

  She flew further, searching for the black mass. But it ended up finding her.

  Suddenly, she bumped against an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. She was standing on flashes of light, intermixed with splinters of images and memories. There were whispers in the distance, too faint to understand. She looked up, searching for whatever had stopped her flight. There was nothing. Not even a strange shimmer in the air.

  The ground rumbled without warning and Macey swayed, reaching out for something to hold on to but there was no pedestal this time. She fell to her hands and knees, for the first time feeling the cool texture of the ground. She'd been on it barefoot - she was naked, after all - but it was different touching it with her fingers. It was like pliable glass, strangely cool and soft at the same time. And pretty.

  No, it wasn't. Black lines were forming in front of her, turning into a spiral swirling on the ground until it became a perfect circle. Macey scrambled to her feet and stepped away from the black circle, but once again, something stopped her from moving further away. With her back against the barrier, she watched as the black began to bubble and rise up, becoming three dimensional. A column. No, wait. A person.

  She stared in horror as the black mass slowly turned into someone very familiar.

  "Hello, darling," the black Macey said and grinned, exposing sharp black teeth.

  Chapter 15

  It was like looking in a mirror. If that mirror was filled with black sludge and didn't quite make any sense.

  Macey lifted her left arm, only to see Sludge-Macey do the same. It was disconcerting to say the least.

  She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them, and being disappointed to discover that her opposite was very much still there.

  That was annoying. She'd hoped it was just a figment of her imagination. Albeit one that was sitting within her imagination to begin with. She had very little doubt that her version of what the insides of the Staran looked like was different from what they looked like to past Wardens. This was just her interpretation, and she was fine with that.

  Opening her eyes, she sighed. Not just a figment of her imagination then. An actual obstacle to overcome. Macey took a deep breath. She could do this.

  She could face herself and win.

  Even if facing herself was quite possibly the scariest thing she could think of. This was well beyond anything the Voice could do to her. And well beyond any other kind of enemy. This was going to be every doubt, and every fear she had, all rolled into one, and presented in a way that could weaken her to her very core.

  "What do you want?" she demanded of herself.

  Sludge-Macey giggled. "Everything," it responded.

  Macey refused to accept that the thing was her and tried to change it back into a blob in her head. Alas, it did not seem to work.

  "Sorry, but that's just not going to be possible."

  "Is it not, Macey?" Sludge-Thing said. It even went as far as brushing a strand of its hair behind its ear, smiling as it did.

  "No. You can't have anything."

  "Not even your three, lovely men. Strong, aren't they? Virile, affectionate. Everything anyone could possibly want from a man. And you get three..."

  Macey shivered, not fully aware of where this was going, or how worried she should be. What was this thing's game?

  "But I have a question for you," it said.

  "What is it?" Macey snapped.

  "Why on earth, or on the Staran even, would they love you? You're just a little loch kelpie a long way from home," the thing sneered.

  "So?" Macey prompted. "There's nothing wrong with being a loch kelpie. It's not like I had any choice in where I was born." Her thoughts flitted towards Aunt Nessie, but she pushed them to the side. That wasn't the kind of thing she wanted the Sludge-Macey to pick up on.

  "Oh, I see where your mind went there," it taunted. "Don't think I don't know your thoughts, Macey."

  "If you know my thoughts, then surely you know you're not going to win." Macey tried not to make it sound like a question, but she wasn't completely convinced she'd managed. Oh well, it wasn't like she had any other choice but to go with it any more.

  "Oh, Macey, Macey, Macey. Hasn't anyone ever told you that you are always your own worst enemy?" the thing said.

  "Then surely I'm also my own best ally." She straightened her spine and faced off against the thing. "You can question how much my men love me, and why, and that's fine. But you can't change that I know it deep down in my soul. They love me with every fibre of their beings. Just like I love them. So, stop questioning something I know is true."

  Macey wasn't sure where the words had come from, but they'd burst out of her all of a sudden, and she had absolutely no doubt they were true. Even if Flint was the only one who'd ever said the words out loud. It didn't matter. They loved her. She knew that. Their bond was one that couldn't be broken, even by the anxiety of her own soul.

  "If you think your men are your only weak spot, then you're kidding yourself," the thing changed tactics.

  "You're right. They're not my only weakness. But I hardly see why that matters. Isn't being brave about doing something despite being scared? Or despite the fact it's not something you're good at?" Macey asked.

  All she received in response was stunned silence.

  "I will hold up my hands and say I am scared. I'm filled with doubts over whether or not I can do the task that's been assigned to me. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders, and it is a lot to take. Particularly when I have my own demons to face. But I am damned well going to do it regardless. Failure is not an option and I won't be letting my own little voice defeat me."

  She'd ended up shouting the words, but in some ways, was glad for that. It made them ring truer in her own mind. And hopefully to the Sludge-Thing too.

  "Oh, Macey. Don't you think you're too weak for this?" it tried. But even Macey could tell it was beginning to flag.

  She had her weaknesses, but she was going to own them. There was really no other choice in her head. This must have been the mental battle the past Warden had mentioned to her. She hadn't even considered that she might have to fight it against herself. The Voice would have been her first guess, but apparently not.

  Such an odd thought that she was one of her own worst enemies.

  "I am weak, yes. But my strength comes from fighting that," she mused aloud. "I don't know everything, but I have Cam for that. I don't always have it all together, but I have Jared. Flint would do anything to fight for me. I have Amber to be a friend even when I can't be to myself. And I'm not really sure about Izban, but I'm sure he provides something I can't for myself too. Alone, I might be too weak to complete the task that's been set for me. In that, you're correct. But I am not alone. And even if you're really a part of me, you shouldn't be fooling me into thinking that I am alone."

  A warm wind rose and touched her skin gently. She smiled.

  "And I have Air with me, too. I will never be alone, even though it might seem like that at first. Now go back to where you came from. I have work to do."

  Now it was sludge-Macey's turn to smile. "As you wish," she said with a wicked grin before launching herself at Macey.

  Instead of crashing into her, the fake Macey puffed out of existence as soon as she touched her doppelganger. At first, nothing happened, but just when hope began to appear, Macey crumbled to the ground, clutching her head in agony.

  "You're not rid of me yet!" a voice inside her mind said, a voice very similar to her own. No, the same. They'd taken their battle from the Staran into her mind. Macey wasn't sure if that was better or worse. At least they couldn't injure the Staran further in here, right? All that could break was her mind... not as important for the fate of the world... she hoped.

  "How do I get
rid of you?" Macey asked, hoping that the evil her would confide that secret. Somehow, the evil people in stories always did share their plans at some point.

  "You do know that I can hear you?" the sludge-Macey sneered. "I know what you think, so don't even try and come up with a plan. I'll know what you intend at the same time as you do. There's no chance of you winning. How about you give in now and stop wasting time?"

  "I can't do that. You're hurting the Staran and through that, you're destroying the lives of supernaturals all over the place. You need to leave."

  Sludge-Macey laughed. "And why would I do that? I like it here. It's a comfortable place, and so many lives to feed from. Whenever someone travels through here, I get to see a bit of their memories. They're delicious, you should try it sometime."

  Macey gasped. "You're eating people's memories?"

  "Have you not felt confused after exiting the Staran?"

  "Yes, but I thought that was normal..."

  The voice inside her mind gaggled. "It is normal, ever since I moved in. It's been a long time, and my appetite has grown. So has that of my brothers and sisters. I believe you have met one of them. He doesn't enjoy memories though; his taste is a little different."

  "You don't mean the Voice? You can't, no. He's not like you, he's real."

  "Who's saying I'm not real? Just because I'm talking to you in your head doesn't mean I don't exist outside of it. I'm only using the dark side of your mind as a host, nothing more, nothing less. I'm giving it a body, just like my brother personifies the Mahoun. The devil. He's a dramatic one, he had to choose the evilest person known to humans."

  Macey was having a hard time keeping up. "So, he isn't the devil, he's just impersonating him?"

  "Silly Macey. There is no devil, but as long as people believe in one, there's an empty space to be filled. A vacuum that aches for a host. So, my brother took it for himself, taking on some of its perceived traits and looks. It's why he doesn't go outside much. The devil is too hideous to be seen, and he's a vain one."

  "How many of you are there?"

  The voice - her voice - laughed. "Now that would be telling. I'm not going to endanger my siblings just to satisfy your curiosity. It's time for you to give up."

  "Wait, if your brother personifies the devil, whose shape do you take?"

  "Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm Self-Doubt. I'm the evil little voice inside everyone's head. And believe me, everybody has it. Especially people travelling through the Staran. People who are travelling always have doubts. Am I going in the right direction? Did I forget something? Am I making the right decision? Should I have brought my sword? Will the journey hurt? You get the picture."

  Macey was beginning to wonder why sludge-Macey... Self-Doubt was still talking to her. Why would it freely give up all this information? It didn't seem difficult enough. Unless it was trying to distract her from something important.

  She'd learned enough for now. What she really needed to focus on was getting out of the Staran and taking the black blob with her. Then she could go back to the other Wardens and make plans on how to get rid of the other impersonators. Starting with the Voice. And maybe she could celebrate her success with some alone time with her men. She'd not even kissed them properly since they'd been reunited. She missed their touch.

  There she was, getting distracted again. Focus, Macey.

  She needed to get out of here. But why was thinking getting so difficult? And breathing? Why wasn't she breathing?

  Something had to be wrong in the real world.

  "Finally figuring it out?" Self-Doubt was whispering. "It may be too late for you."

  Panicked, Macey looked around. How did she get out of the Staran? She took a step back, but once again bumped into the barrier. She carefully walked forwards, her arms outstretched. She didn't want to crash into an invisible wall for a second time.

  Not far from where the black circle had been on the floor, she found the barrier. So, she couldn't go back into the direction she'd come from either.

  Trapped.

  Not enough air.

  "Nobody has ever died in here before," the voice in her mind said cheerily. "I'm going to enjoy the experience."

  "No, you're not," Macey growled. "I'm getting out of here."

  But she wasn't all that confident anymore. Black spots were beginning to dance in front of her eyes. Less and less oxygen reached her lungs which were screaming for air.

  Air.

  Air!

  She sent out a cry for help, hoping that her seventh Warden would hear it. All she needed was some air to breathe so she could concentrate and think. Then she'd figure out a way to get out of this place. And to defeat Self-Doubt.

  Was this what drowning felt like? If so, she felt particularly sorry for all the sailors in tales of old who died at sea.

  And no wonder people hated kelpies, if this is what they were rumoured to do to people.

  The black spots intensified, and she clutched at her throat, clawing it with her nails.

  Shift.

  She needed to shift.

  The thought fled the moment she had it, and she struggled to pull it back.

  How had she forgotten how to shift? That shouldn't be possible, should it?

  Why hadn't her body taken over the moment she hit the water?

  Where was her natural instinct?

  The panic grew worse with each unanswered question, and her vision swam all the more.

  Another moment passed, and she did the only thing she could think of. She opened her mouth and gulped down the water which was suddenly surrounding her.

  Selkie

  Chapter 16

  Water spurted from Macey's mouth as coughs wracked her entire body.

  Wait...coughs? That meant...

  She opened her eyes and blinked furiously. The sting of the salt water making them ache and urging her to rub them. She just about refrained, knowing it would only make them worse, and not better.

  "You're lucky to be alive, kelpie," a haunting male voice said.

  She flipped over onto her back, trying to ignore the fact she was naked and there was a man in front of her.

  While her vision was still swimming, she could just about make out the silhouette of a short, lithe man with what could probably only be described as a swimmer's body, standing over her.

  He was naked too.

  Macey blinked again, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. What were the chances of the person who saved her being naked too?

  "Who are you?" Macey croaked, her voice a mere echo of its normal strength. She wouldn't even have recognised it as her own. Well, other than the fact she was the one speaking.

  She briefly wondered if Self-Doubt was still with her, but from the lack of persistent taunting in her head, she guessed that the answer was no. Hopefully it would stay away, though she knew she'd probably have to face it again.

  At least they knew what it was that was destroying the Staran now. That piece of knowledge was going to be invaluable going forward.

  "I'm Rónán," he replied.

  Macey sat up suddenly. "You're a selkie."

  "Last I checked. Unfortunately, my mother was rather inventive in naming me, so I got stuck with a name that screams what I am to the world." He chuckled slightly.

  "Why did you help me?" she asked, her head swimming slightly from the effects of a lack of air.

  "Why wouldn't I? Just because there are rumours of your people, doesn't mean I have to believe them. In fact, I think it gives me more reasons to ignore them. After all, don't your people have the same tales about mine?"

  "Yes, I believe so," Macey answered, her voice still rough and achy. "But, if I'm honest, I'd have expected those rumours to be a big enough influence to stop any selkies from helping me."

  "Maybe it would have, for some of the younger ones. Especially those influenced by the old ways. But my herd isn't the kind to take those things seriously. And we never have been. Plus, I didn't know you were a kelpie un
til I got you onto land. And what were my options then? Re-drown you?"

  "So, I did actually drown?" Macey attempted to clarify.

  "I believe so, yes. That's normally what happens when you open your human mouth under water," he said, clearly unimpressed.

  "I had no choice," she pointed out, knowing it was true, but not knowing how she could convince anyone else of that.

  "I didn't think you did. Otherwise it's a rather silly thing to do unless you're heartbroken."

  "No, definitely not that," she replied. "Are there any others about?" she asked nervously, thinking of how he'd mentioned that his herd weren't bothered by the rumours about kelpies, but some of the others might be.

  If one of those others was about, then she could be in serious trouble.

  "Not that I'm aware of, I didn't sense anyone else out in the water, and I'm normally able to. But don't worry, if you're under my protection, then most selkies will leave you alone anyway. Unless they're trying to prove something."

  "Reassuring," Macey answered.

  "Isn't it just."

  They lapsed into silence for a moment. Macey wasn't sure quite what to say to the man. Except...

  "Thank you for saving me," she croaked.

  "You're very welcome. I'm not in the habit of letting anyone drown."

  "That's good to know," she replied.

  Slowly, she climbed to her feet, wobbling slightly as she reached them. Whatever had happened down there had severely weakened her human body. And it hadn't been in the best of shapes to start with. Exhausted and malnourished were more the terms that came to mind when she considered her health. Hopefully, after they healed the Staran here, they'd be able to rest.

  She turned around, and looked back inland, trying to work out whereabouts on the island she was, and how she could get back to her men, but coming up with nothing. She really should have studied the maps closer.