by K. V. Wilson
I release a whoosh of breath.
Ramsey and Xera are heading on foot towards the edge of the copse of trees so they have a clear vantage point. The turrets of the majestic Conwy castle peek out of the fog as we soar down, across the river and towards the tower the Guardian had mentioned earlier.
The raven shakes his head, keeping his eyes locked on the castle.
His voice is no longer proud and condescending, however, but fearful. I immediately block out all thoughts from Nwyfre as I sense a flashback coming on. I don’t want to know how he died. Only that I need to stay out of sight at all times. I need to get us out of there as soon as we’ve gathered enough information.
48
OTTERS IN THE GROTTO
Skye
Flint soars ahead, closing in on the river Conwy. He skims the water with a wingtip – an antic that probably took him years to master, and one that I certainly won’t fall for mimicking. Not until I can connect with my past lives and feel the true power of the earth within my veins.
How long will it take for me to remember? How does he make it look so easy?
I stare at the ancient dragon spirit with envy. He may have been a late bloomer, but he seems to have remembered most of what he’d been missing. He can speak Gaelic better than I can, which isn’t too much of a surprise because he’d been accustomed to Aelshen’s use of the Old Language. He also seems to have a strong grasp of the elements already. I note that the closer I get to him, the more the rain lets up. He appears to have erected a bubble of air that protects him from the harshest onslaught.
Uisge.
I focus on the droplets around me. I will the rain to divert its attention elsewhere, and to my relief, it obliges.
I turn to see that the other three ravens are landing. I beat my wings harder, forgetting my intent to keep the rain away. I wince as I come to a skidding halt, nearly toppling head over tail feathers in the mud of the marshy river bank. The others stare at me, folding their wings neatly against their backs. I do the same, grateful to take cover under Flint’s protective bubble.
The raven dips his head.
Flint hops closer to the river’s edge.
It takes me a few moments to realize that all of the fog we’d been travelling through had been Flint’s doing. I stare at him blankly.
I chuckle at his words, glancing back at Xáan and Koyah. I jerk my head towards the riverbank, indicating that they should step up beside us. They reluctantly approach as Flint begins counting down.
The spirit conjures a dense bank of fog so we can no longer see each other. Only the murky water lapping at our talons.
Nwyfre launches himself into the river. All I see is the flick of his tail as he disappears below the surface. I follow suit, concentrating on the form of a river otter. My drenched feathers make way for lush, tawny fur and a leathery nose. My wings and talons morph into tiny webbed paws. I grit my teeth as the icy water meets my whiskers, and just like that, I’m under.
The otter kicks his feet and breaks through the surface. I copy him and we search the surrounding area. Soon, two heads pop up a short distance away. One appears to be an albino mink, and the other an ebony otter. Koyah and Xáan paddle closer, closing the distance between us.
I gasp inwardly.
Flint gives me a withering look, but it doesn’t have the intended effect because he’s got a fluffy otter face.
The spirit dives, and it’s all we can do to keep up with him as he darts around rock formations and through thick bunches of weeds, hunting for the entry point to Saint Patrick’s hideout.
Flint gives me a mental chuckle.
I narrow my eyes.
I shut my eyes, ignoring the sting of the muddy water that seeps in. I concentrate on the world around me, scanning for nearby spirits.
I open my eyes and Flint swims up beside me, treading water with his tiny paws.
The two of us break through the surface and I Shift back into human form, gasping as dank air fills my lungs. Peeling the soaked tresses from my eyes, I peer into the darkness.
As I meet the spirit’s eyes again, they grow wide with terror. He Shifts and runs a hand through his short hair, glancing around to make sure Koyah and Xáan have followed us. The albino mink and the ebony otter Shift into their true forms, sputtering. They fall into silence at a glance from Nwyfre.
The dragon sucks in a breath.
A shiver wracks my bones as I scan the vicinity for nearby spirits. With my untrained mind’s eye, I can sense five humans. But the sixth presence is what makes my breath catch.
“What is it?” Koyah asks in Yeva’si. I immediately place a finger upon my lips, hoping he’ll take the hint.
But how is this possible? Could it be?
49
MAIDEN OF THE LOCH
Skye
A strange voice echoes inside my head and I breathe in a torrent of murky water. I try my best to choke in silence. Flint pulls me onto the rocks beyond the grotto so I can recover.
I gape at Flint, rubbing my sore throat as the last of the lake water sputters out of my system.
The stranger laughs rather maniacally, causing Flint and I to exchange glances. He raises his fist to shoulder level, keeping his hand at the ready in case he needs to summon teine.
Flint clears his throat, glancing back at me as if I might swallow another gulp of the river.
The dragon shakes his head.
A stream of curses suddenly flows through my mind, making my eyes widen at the repertoire of profanity.
I tug at Flint’s arm as he starts to crawl up the rock face.
He pushes my hand away, giving me a curt nod.
A sudden burst of emotion tugs at my mind and I allow it to pull me away from reality and into a world that’s become almost as familiar as the here and now.
I stood on the edge of the cliff, starin’ out o’er the calm, serene waters of the Loch. The clouds overhead were gatherin’ with the intent to block out the sun, but I didn’t mind.
Let ‘em come, I thought to meself. I was out by the open waters, where I’d always belonged.
Me mouth broke into a wide grin as I took a deep breath, pushing off from the cliff face with perpetually bare toes an’ arcing me body into a smooth dive.
The cool liquid engulfed me with a feelin’ akin to heaven as it caressed me achin’ muscles. Not achin’ in the normal sense, but sore because they’d been away from me lifeblood fer so damn long.
I stretched me arms an’ legs, blowin’ bubbles as I initiated the age-old transformation.
Human to beast.
Woman to monster.
I was created as Yacumama, Mother of the Water. Warden of all who live within it. I intended to stay within me element, not that I’d ever want to leave the beautiful shores of me precious Loch.
I groaned as me limbs grew to immense proportions an’ me neck stretched. Moss-coloured scales emerged upon me slick skin. Me snout elongated and me teeth sharpened to the size o’ small dirks.
I could be happy here, finally free to roam the world without the likes of Patercius followin’ me around anymore. I’d thought him long gone, but some erroneous feeling was still nagging deep inside me soul that I should keep me eyes peeled for his Knights.
An’ I was never one to ignore me soul. Especially not when it came to Nwyfre.
So when the dragon called fer me aid, I was glad to oblige.
I gasp as the spirit’s memories change course, jumping ahead a few months – or years. I’m not really sure; the passage of time flows differently for the immortal.
“This is the only way,” he told me.
The wind tugged at his shaggy dirt-blond hair, and as I looked into his eyes, I could sense that familiar spark.
Nwyfre sat beside me on the hill overlooking some once-mighty castle in Wales. The moon – our only source of light on a night like this – glinted upon his dark irises. I wanted to ask him where he’d been, why we hadn’t met centuries ago. But as much as I’d wanted to be a part of his life, the water kept calling to me. I could never escape its grasp. And I never wanted to.
“Ye don’t really believe that, now do ye, Ddraig?”
“I’ve had enough o’ Patercius and his cronies. Hundreds of years more than I should have tolerated. I want to strike while the iron is hot. Murder ‘em all in their sleep.”
“This ain’t all of ‘em, I’m afeard,” I told the dragon. “An’ I’m not sure I like this side o’ ye.”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Every bit helps in the long run. We’ll be free when this is all said an’ done.”
“Shouldn’t ye first contact the other spirits ye mentioned? Ye said ye were a part of a trinity, didn’t ye?”
“Nessie, don’t remind me. I require your aid. Yours and yours alone. Please? Fer me?”
I winced. “For you, anything. But what of the mountain spirits in me home country? Surely—”
“You said yourself you wanted a life of adventure.”
Nwyfre gave me a curt nod. Then he launched himself onto his feet, breaking into a run. The dragon let out a whoop of excitement and I joined in as I sprinted to catch up with him. He tore off his clothing – stumbling a bit to remove his trousers – and then he was off into the night.
The immense crimson dragon beat his wings harder an’ harder as he lifted into the sky. I let out a squeal as the adrenaline began kickin’ in. Me own body altered its shape, this time not into a river monster but into a full-fledged dragon, wings an’ all. Instead of a bright cherry, however, me scales formed into their distinct mossy green. ‘Tis a far better look fer camouflage.
I asked him how long it’d take, if we’d still have time to make our escape before daybreak. Not long, he’d told me. Once the Knights got what they deserved, we’d be on our way an’ we’d be free to begin our lives together. Like we’d done for lifetimes before this one.
As I soared above the castle, summoning fireballs to rain down upon the unsuspecting Knights on patrol, I felt a thrill in me soul that I hadn’t felt in ages. I felt the pull of the nearby river tugging at me spirit an’ giving me strength. I felt Nwyfre’s love intertwining with mine.
We would succeed, I thought to meself.
An’ then an immense pain lanced up me forearm. I gritted me teeth as I tried to shake the arrow free, but it was of no use. As I felt me wing begin to grow limp, it was all I could do to bring me body safely down to the cold, dank dirt of the castle grounds.
As me body slammed to the earth, a multitude of soldiers closed in, aware that with his ally downed, Nwyfre could only circle above helplessly.
They dragged me in. The last I ever saw of me lover was the image of his human form racing towards me, fire in his palm and in his eyes. The soldiers attacked an’ I cried out. I never knew if he lived or died that day. But I knew one thing: that he would come back fer me. An’ I would be waitin’.
A long silence ensues as Flint sinks to the floor, covering his eyes with his hands.
<‘Tis me name. Don’t wear it out. Actually, do. For it’s been a decade an’ a half since I’ve heard it spoken.>
You were in love with the Loch Ness Monster, Greg?
Nwyfre chokes back tears and his body begins to shake.
How old is Nessie?
Nessie groans.
The dragon sighs deeply.
I feel anger surge through my waterlogged body as my own temper begins to flare.
The monster is silent. When she finally speaks again, her voice is soft and humble.
I give the two Yeva’si men a quick explanation of our situation. They’d been sitting there awkwardly the entire time, and I feel a pang of guilt for not keeping them in the loop.
“Let’s just say Nwyfre has found an old friend. She’s a prisoner here, and we’re going to make it our first priority to get her out. If you don’t want to come, I understand.”
“I don’t intend to betray you the way you did me,” Xáan mutters, punctuating his words with a simultaneous glare and a wry grin. I roll my eyes. There seems to be an endless cycle of betrayal between his family and mine.
Koyah approaches and places a hand on my shoulder. “I’m not leaving your side, Ru-Yeva. I don’t want to lose you again.”
His words are so eerily similar to what Nessie just told Flint that I stifle a shiver.
“Alright, let’s stay together. Any sign of the enemy, and it’s every man for himself. We can all shapeshift, so there’s no need to worry. We can blend in with these dark, dank walls no problem.”
Koyah nods. “Always the careful one, Skye.”
50
PAWN OF PATERCIUS
Skye
Flint Shifts to mouse form and I emulate his every movement, all the while sending positive vibes towards Nessie.
Nwyfre led his love here, to Patercius’ hideout, so the two of them could decimate the Knights’ population. She was caught and imprisoned. She’d thought him long gone.
But he’d come back for her. He’d come back and the Knights had killed him.
A tear runs down my whiskered face as I attempt to shove Nessie’s memories out of my mind. I need to keep focused or I’ll meet the same fate, taking Xáan and Koyah with me.
Speaking of the two Yeva’si men, they’re following closely behind me. I can feel their spirits, strong and somewhat fearful, as we approach the evil that lies within these caverns.
