From Out Of The Shadows

by Linda Mooney

  Tora reached out and touched the water to find it cold. But she had to splash around in order to make the ripples. Taking a deep breath, she put her mental hand back into the cold wetness and began to move it back and forth. Back and forth. A spoon in a broth. An oar on a boat. Back and forth. The water moved, rippled, and the ever-widening circles of calmness spread outward.

  Beside her, Croat relaxed as he fed off of her emotional energy.

  “Good people of Neabush, my name is Croat. My people and I have come to help you, and to offer you a possible solution.”

  The townspeople moved closer. Their wariness intensified, but their initial fear was being tempered enough to where they felt secure in listening to what he had to say. Secure yet curious. And cautious.

  Croat lifted an arm and waved. Slowly, the others began to emerge from the trees and bushes where Tora would have sworn were empty places. Men appeared from seemingly nowhere, some with their children on their backs or perched on their shoulders. Women stepped forward, a few with babies protectively held in their arms. Young children, older children, young adults. Families. All human looking. Tora glanced at Croat, knowing he was aware of her unspoken question.

  “These are my people,â�� Croat told them. â��As you can see, we have families. We have wives and husbands. Children. We are…like you.”

  A man whom Tora recognized as Cul Tremond, a tanner of hides, stepped forward. He was a big man, with arms thick with muscles like knots from years of scraping skins. He was not an outspoken man against the baron, from what she knew of him, but like the rest of the villagers, he detested the man’s actions. It was obvious that, with the constable and the rest of Agrino’s hand-picked guards no longer in the picture, someone had to step up as the new spokesperson.

  “Are you families of Sensitives…like her?â�� the man questioned hesitantly.

  “No,â�� Croat said, shaking his head. â��We are Lupan.”

  “Lupan?â�� The tone was derisive and came from somewhere within the crowd.

  Tremond frowned. â��Lupan? What kind of trick is this? There are no such things as Lupan.”

  “That’s because we have been in hiding for all these centuries,â�� Croat explained. â��We have had to be very discreet. We have taken advantage of your goods and services for many years, bartering in your markets, but every time we’ve done so as humans. Unfortunately, because of Baron Agrino, we’ve found ourselves in dire circumstances. It has come to the point where we have no choice but to seek your help.”

  Their fear was replaced with disbelief. Tora smiled, yet continued to hover her emotions over them to be safe.

  The tanner snorted. He glanced around at the crowd of visitors now surrounding them. Like the rest of the villagers, his scepticism was obvious. â��Why do you need our help?â�� he finally asked.

  “We know the baron has been kidnapping people with impunity ever since he took residence at the castle. He believes he’s beyond reproach, and beyond moral and ethical law. But what he’s been doing, or plans to keep doing with my people, is worse. He plans to capture every one of my kind and torture them until they agree to be part of the baron’s army. And he will torture or threaten our families if we dare to fight back or refuse.”

  She could see everyone’s reaction to the baron’s threat. She also knew that people rarely spoke of it, afraid that they would say something to the wrong person and be reported to the baron’s men. Tora cleared her throat.

  “We know the baron has been taking our men, and women, and even the children. Sometimes in broad daylight, but mostly at night, breaking into homes and absconding with entire families,â�� she said loudly. â��It’s not spoken of, but it’s come to the point where we must. We must be open about these atrocities, and we must begin to take action against them.”

  “How do you propose we do that?â�� another voice from the crowd called out.

  “Yeah. Do you plan to use your dark magicks on them?â�� someone else hooted. A few people tittered at the remark.

  “We’re here to offer you our help,â�� Croat answered. â��We want you to join with us, and together we’ll raid the castle, bring down the baron, and prevent him from causing us any more harm.”

  “Why do you think he came here? To our lands?â�� Mengar spoke up. â��We discovered the baron and his ancestors have decimated entire villages over the course of decades. They take over the rule of a weaker lord, usually by force, and claim all the lands and the people as their own. Agrino will stay here as long as he has places he can plunder, and people he can force to do his bidding. He’s already planning on extending his holdings. That’s why he’s building his armies. That’s why he has to be stopped now.”

  “If we don’t, within a few short years, Neabush will become an empty village…and my people will truly be as extinct as the stories say we are,â�� Croat finished.

  “Your people,â�� the tanner echoed. â��Your people?”

  Croat let go of her hand and took a step toward the man. â��So many of your stories about us are false. It’s time you all learned the real truth about Lupan.”

  Then, slowly, so as not to wholly frighten them, he began to turn.

  As did every other Lupan man, woman, and child standing at the edges of the forest.

  Several village women screamed. Many of the townspeople stepped back; a few of the men hefted tools for protection. But all of them went several shades paler at the sight, which even sent shivers through Tora.

  Then, almost like a silent signal, Croat and his people slowly reversed the change, resuming their human forms. Silence thickened the air in the open market area until Tremond inquired in a quivering voice, â��Y-you can change…in broad daylight?”

  Smiling, Croat answered, â��We don’t need full moons. We don’t practice any kind of magick. We are as human as you are, except we are blessed with an added ability. It’s the same as if you had been blessed with a long lifespan, good health, or a keen eye. We’ve come to join with you, to be allies against the baron.â�� He took another step forward toward the tanner, and this time no one in the square retreated. Tora sensed a major shift in their focus and belief. She credited much of it to the fact that Croat had approached them first in a human light, forcing them to accept the Lupan initially as husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers. That, and the fact that the Lupan had done so without threat, or the feeling of being threatened. Even now, Croat kept his voice pitched low and soothing.

  Tora closed her eyes, remembering how that same voice flowed over her the night he first made love to her.

  “We want to live our lives in peace, but it will take both of us working together to affect that peace. Alone, there are not enough Lupan to storm the baron’s castle. Alone, there are not enough of you to do the same. But together…”

  There was a pause that extended for many heartbeats. Finally, one man Tora didn’t recognize stepped out from the crowd.

  “My name is Veel Blowran. The baron’s men kidnapped my wife six months ago. I want her back. What’s your plan, and how can I help?”

  In the next second, the fear and palpitating distrust vanished. Tora blinked as she smiled. Beside her, Croat took a deep breath in relief as he received her silent news.

  Love poured into her as he took her hand once more and squeezed it. When she glanced up at him, pumpkin-colored eyes smiled back down.

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  Chapter 32

  Design

  The coming together of human and Lupan was tentative, but filled more with curiosity than fear. Regardless, Tora kept herself attuned to the situation.

  Mothers met with mothers to talk about children and daily life. The young adults blended. The men, however, brought in crates and chairs and benches so everyone could sit and discuss as Croat went over his plans.

  With the baron’s men locked down, Tora’s next mission was to find what had happened to the Meesoms, and hope
fully gain a clue as to where her brother might be found. She was halfway up the path, heading for the jail, when Croat sent her an emotional tug, letting her know he worried about her absence. If he couldn’t see her, he couldn’t protect her, but she sent him the reassurance she would not be long.

  When she arrived, Preataruth was standing outside the door of the rock-walled structure. He gave her a little nod as she approached.

  “Are the people who were being held here still inside?”

  “No. In fact, when we brought the constable and the others, the cells were empty. Why?”

  Tora made a face. â��The constable was holding my friends, the Meesoms, when I was on trial.”

  “Yeah, I remember. A very pregnant woman and her husband in chains, right? They brought them out as witnesses against you.â�� He nodded, then shrugged. â��They’re no longer here. Sorry.”

  She looked over his shoulder. â��I’m going to check at their cottage, but I don’t think they’ll be there, either. If Croat asks where I am, tell him I went to the Meesoms. It’s not too far. Anyone in the village can take you there. I won’t be long.â�� She hurried away before the Lupan guard tried to persuade her otherwise.

  Tora seriously doubted the constable would have let Vester and Alissta go free after her trial. They wouldn’t have been arrested unless he was certain the couple were in league with Sensitives. Plus, the fact that he had used them as witnesses against Tora told her they had yet to be tried and sentenced themselves. Feederick Tusshion would certainly use their confession against Tora as evidence against them at their own hearing.

  If the Meesoms weren’t at their cabin, there were very few other places left where they could be. It would be safe to assume they weren’t dead. The Meesoms were in prime health. If anything, they would make excellent servants.

  Tora shivered at the thought they might have been transferred to the baron’s castle, yet it appeared to be the only other logical explanation. Especially in lieu of the fact that the guard who had confronted the Lupan when they had arrived had stated they were aware of Tora’s disappearance after she had left Neabush.

  The cottage was on the outskirts of the village, nestled between fields of wild raspberries and a small grove of crabapple trees. As soon as she rounded the side of the house where the front door was located, she could tell no one had been living there for a while. The door hung open, swaying lazily with the breeze. The chickens kept in the pens underneath the trees were gone, presumably taken by the baron’s men. She also bet that if she checked the small barn, the cow and calf would also be missing.

  Tora went inside, but briefly. A quick glance around told her the entire story. The fireplace was full of cold ashes. The pots sat clean upon the table. The bed in the next room, however, was rumpled. Clothes were scattered on the floor. The Meesoms had been asleep when their cabin had been entered.

  She turned around to see pieces of the wooden bar Vester used to lock the door. The violent breakin had to have been loud and sudden.

  Sighing, Tora turned to leave when her eyes caught a glimpse of something on the hearth, right in front of the cold fireplace. Something compelled her to go over and look more closely at it. She kneeled and peered at the smudged but still somewhat readable writing.

  B…A…a backward S…

  Oh, dear gods! Basil!

  He had been here, and recently! That was his scrawl, right down to the turned S. At some point not too long ago, he had come into this cabin and used the ashes from the fireplace to write his name. Why, she couldn’t tell, and for the hundredth time, Tora cursed the fact that Sensitives could not read those of their own blood. Basil could be within a hundred yards of her, and she wouldn’t be able to sense himâ��

  A hundred yards?

  She tore out of the cottage and ran straight for the barn, her heart pumping as fast as her feet were moving. If the Meesoms kept Basil and tried to hide him from the rest of the townspeople, the barn would be their only safe bet. The cottage was too small. Besides, there was both a loft and a root cellar in the barn, both of them unobtrusive and hard to spot unless someone knew where to look. Excellent places to hide a person if the baron’s men weren’t aware they existed.

  An emotional question ringed with hope burst through her chest. Croat could tell she was exuberant about something, and was as curious as he was delighted for her to know what was causing her happiness. Rather than answer him, Tora left their communication free-flowing, allowing him to receive every nuance.

  This was going to be new for her, having a mate who felt and lived every emotion she sensed. She worried about overwhelming him. But the good thing was he could only react to her. His abilities funneled from her. If he touched anyone by himself, he would remain blind to them as he had always been. Almost as an afterthought, a question raced through her mind: if she tried to read someone now, would he also be able to sense them?

  She burst into the barn and paused a few feet beyond the double doors. â��Basil? Basil, are you here? It’s me! Answer me, Basil! You can come out. You’re safe now!”

  As she’d suspected, the animals were gone. Running to the pen where the cow was normally kept, Tora found the iron ring in the narrow door hidden in the ground underneath the hay, and tugged on it. The cellar beneath was dark, but that didn’t surprise her.

  “Basil? Are you down there?”

  She strained her ears but couldn’t make out any sound or movement. The cellar smelled of rich earth and old manure. Her eyes went to the loft.

  “Basil, answer me!”

  He wasn’t there. She was positive. But where he had gone continued to baffle her.

  Unless he was captured along with the Meesoms.

  Her hopes sank. A questioning touch fell on her heart. She returned his touch with one of disappointment, and hoped he would understand.

  When Tora left the barn, the sun was shining almost directly overhead. The faint smells of cooking fires drifted in the air, and her stomach rumbled in reply. It had been a while since she had eaten, since all of them had eaten, for that matter. Once she got something in her belly, she knew she would be able to think more clearly. And maybe, if she was lucky, someone would remember seeing the lanky young man.

  Croat sent her a silent message. It was the wish to have her back with him. It was also tinged with the heat of sexual desire, and Tora felt her body respond to it. The shiver that tightened her nipples also threw her lower abdomen into shock. Something warm and wet ran slick between her thighs. Her craving was answered with his own and she laughed aloud with joy.

  Tonight promised many things, and for the first time Tora found herself looking forward to getting to learn more about the man who swore to be her husband. The man who had changed everything about her in the course of a few days…in the course of a few hours.

  A man who was more than a mere mortal man.

  There was nothing at the Meesoms to tell her where Basil had gone. At least she knew he had been taken care of by the people she’d befriended. That much set her mind at ease, knowing he had not gone hungry during her absence.

  Turning her back on the barn and cottage, Tora started across the fields, toward the village. She never heard the horsemen until one of them shouted at her from the other end of the crabapple orchard. Smothering her terror, she tried to reach the outer edge of the forest and prayed her screams could be heard by one of the Lupan guards.

  She never had a chance to escape them.

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  Chapter 33

  Kidnapped

  Croat!

  His blood instantly froze in his veins as her scream tore through his mind.

  Croat dropped the map and started racing for the other end of the square, in the direction where he knew Tora had gone. He ran blindly, guided only by the sheer terror that he received from her.

  Croooat!

  Almost immediately, five other Lupan joined him. No one spoke. They knew something had to have happened to
cause their leader to suddenly bolt. Their alarms raised several notches higher when he morphed into animal form. Within seconds, a half dozen man-beasts caught the scent of the horses and knew the truth.

  They ran without taking care to remain hidden. It was no longer relevant at this point. If they had any chance of saving Tora, it was to hit the baron’s men with full and immediate force.

  There were four of them. Croat eyed the man in the middle who struggled with Tora as she fought him.

  The other guards shouted when they spotted the Lupan coming straight for them. Two raised their rifles, and shots exploded, but missed. The men were having to fight their panic-stricken horses as much as their own terror.

  The big man holding Tora pulled back an arm and struck her on the side of the head. Tora’s scream cut off as a bright red lance of pain jolted him. It fueled his hatred a hundredfold, and Croat roared his anger.

  Tora’s sweet presence was gone again. She was unconscious, leaving him feeling as if she had been rent from his soul with one stroke of a huge ax.

  The man bearing Tora, now sagging across his lap, kneed his mount and started away from the cottage. The other three continued to fire their guns at the Lupan, but their horses were quickly becoming impossible to control. The Lupan roared again as they converged on the guards.

  “Save the horses!â�� Croat yelled amid the men’s cries as the Lupan pulled them from their saddles and did quick work, ripping out the guardsâ�� throats. Worton and Breeat shifted into human form as they grabbed the reins and tried to calm the white-eyed, screaming horses.

  In the distance, the one guard sped away. Croat started to go after him, but a pair of bloodied hands grabbed his shoulders.

  “Wait, Croat! No!”

  He whirled on his friend with a snarl. â��That bastard has Tora!”

  “We know,â�� Mengar said. â��Croat, they were on patrol! They took Tora because she was alone. That man has no idea she’s a Sensitive!â�� He gave the Lupan leader a shake. â��Let’s get back to the village and solidify our plans. The sooner we attack, the greater our chances, especially now that the guard has seen us.”