Into the Mists

by Laura Greenwood

  Amber struck first, sending twin bolts of lightning either side of Macey.

  Not waiting another moment, Macey summoned mini balls of water, and began juggling them in the air to gain momentum. Then, one after the other, she began to fling them at Amber, making sure each one narrowly missed the girl's head. Though one did accidentally come too close, luckily, Amber was quick enough to avoid it.

  She must be running on adrenaline though. She'd been weak to start with and could only be getting worse by the second.

  Maybe that was the Voice's plan. To wear them out to the point where they were no longer able to even think of fighting back. That way, their minds would be easy to slip into, and he could take whatever control he wanted.

  Wasn't that a cheery thought?

  The two women danced around each other, flinging their powers back and forth with increasing ferocity. It was almost a battle of who could conjure the most elaborate piece of magic.

  So far, Amber was winning. She'd conjured a massive snake, that probably looked something like her in shifted form, and made it coil around Macey. Being inside the electricity had been invigorating, and all she'd been able to see were the bright sparks coming off it.

  Once the snake's coils had receded, she caught Amber's eye, trying to ensure the woman would do exactly the same again. Only this time, Macey would add to the power and do.... something. She wasn't all that sure what, but it was worth a shot.

  "When you two are quite done, how about we actually consider getting you out of here?" a soft female voice sounded.

  Macey whipped her head around in shock, and was surprised to see a petite woman, even smaller than she was, standing in an archway off the courtyard.

  The woman's long mouse brown hair blew in the soft breeze, and her big eyes looked at the two of the scornfully.

  "Who are you?" Macey asked, not letting her on guard posture go slack. For all she knew, this woman could be another trick on the part of the Voice, and she wasn't ready to relax on the off chance.

  "Don't you recognise me, kelpie? I'm hurt. We had so many stellar conversations in your cell."

  "Luch?" Macey's brows furrowed. She'd been under the impression that the mouse was male. In fact..."But you're a woman?"

  "Well noticed. I can choose how I appear."

  "What are you?" she asked in awe, slightly confused by the whole situation.

  "Just Luch."

  "Luch!"

  Amber came running and threw herself at the women, hugging her tight. "I knew you weren't just a mouse!"

  "I'll pretend I didn't hear you call me 'just a mouse'," Luch chuckled, returning Amber's hug. "But could we leave now, please? Let's keep the hugging for later."

  Macey was still a little skeptical. "You didn't want to help me before. What's changed?"

  The woman shrugged. "I've seen you two fight. It seems you may actually have a chance in beating Mahoun. It's worth the trouble now."

  That made sense. Before, Luch had only seen her as a prisoner, taunted by the Voice.

  "Okay, how do we get out?"

  "We fly," Luch said and pointed at Amber. "If our beithir here can carry her boyfriend, she can carry both of us."

  "Now wait a minute," Amber protested. "First, he's not my boyfriend. Second, I can carry one of you, not two. And third, I've already tried flying out of here. It's impossible." She shuddered and Macey wondered what had happened. Had she tried to escape? Had the Voice punished her for it?

  "Last time you didn't have me," Luch smiled. "And I'll travel in Macey's pocket, don't worry about that."

  Without warning, she shrunk into a mouse. Yes, that's exactly what it looked like. As if she suddenly deflated and became tiny within the blink of an eye.

  "What are you looking at!" the tiny Luch shouted at the two women. "Never seen a mouse shift before?"

  Macey closed her mouth and decided to say nothing. Luch was weird even by supernatural standard.

  "Why couldn't you fly away from this place?" she asked Amber instead.

  "There was a barrier high up in the air. Hard like glass but invisible. I crashed into it and almost broke my neck. Just about managed to avoid falling, but it's clear that there's something protecting this place. I tried it one other time to explore how big this barrier is and if it goes all around the castle, but they caught me before I got far. After that I decided not to try again."

  Her eyes took on a defeated look for a moment, but then she squared her shoulders.

  "But Luch has been with me for so long, and if she says that we can fly out of here, then I believe her. Let's do this."

  STOP TALKING AND START KILLING!

  All three women ignored the Voice this time. He'd not made an appearance in person yet, and so far, he was staying out of their minds, so he wasn't worth wasting time on.

  Amber quickly took off her ragged clothes and shifted in one fluid motion.

  By the waves! Macey had thought that the rumours about beithirs were just exaggerations, but obviously they were true. Amber had turned into a massive - giant! - snake with a head like a dragon and two long tendrils hanging from her chin. Despite this kind-of-beard, she still looked feminine somehow. Macey shook her head in amazement. How could that thin, small girl suddenly turn into this gigantic form? Of course, she was a bit larger as a kelpie than as a human herself, but the difference wasn't as mind-blowing as in Amber's case.

  Strangely enough though, the beithir had no wings. How was she supposed to be able to fly?

  Amber flicked her head, motioning Macey to get on her back.

  She picked up little Luch and carefully sat down on where she supposed Amber's shoulders were. The beithir's scales were soft and warm, not at all what Macey had expected.

  "Where do you want to sit?" she asked Luch, but the mouse was already climbing out of Macey's hand and up her shirt. Her tiny claws hurt a little, but Macey knew better than to complain. When the mouse reached the shirt's neckline, she climbed inside, making herself comfortable between Macey's breasts.

  "Seriously?"

  Luch snickered. "It's not my fault you don't have any pockets. Now fly, Amber, or we'll never make it out of here."

  Amber nodded her massive head and tensed her muscles. Then they were up in the air, hovering above the ground. It looked effortless, as if gravity had decided to no longer work on the beithir. Amber wasn't even moving but still, she was flying. How very strange. Macey made a mental note to ask the girl later on how she did it.

  They gently rose higher, increasing in speed. The courtyard below became smaller and smaller and Macey got a better view of the castle she'd been held prisoner in. It was a massive, expansive structure with dozens of towers and turrets. It had seen better times and on one side, the main wall was crumbling and some of the buildings had lost their roofs. It fit the image in her head that not many people actually lived here. It was just the Voice, the prisoners and some guards. There was smoke coming from a chimney on the main building in the centre of the castle, but that was the only sign of life.

  Macey wondered where this castle was. Somewhere in Scotland? Elsewhere in Britain? Or maybe in a strange inbetween place like her men's house? There was a lot of mist all around them, covering the land surrounding the castle, but that could have been just the weather rather than the mists of the Staran. She supposed she was going to find out soon.

  "Don't go too high, aim for that reddish tower over there!" Luch shouted and Amber nodded slightly to signal that she'd heard.

  While most of the castle was built from dark grey stone, there was one sandstone tower that they were now flying towards. It looked almost too pretty to be in a place like this.

  "There's a hole in the barrier just above the merlons that you should be able to squeeze through."

  "Should?" Macey shouted against the wind. "Are you sure we're going to fit?"

  "I didn't think she'd be this big!" Luch shouted back. "We'll see!"

  Macey's hair whipped around her face. She really should have le
arned from last time to carry hair ties with her. Advice for another time. It wasn't like she could do anything about it right this second.

  She couldn't do much about anything.

  Luch squeaked from between her breasts, clearly enjoying the experience. Why wasn't Macey surprised? The mouse was an odd creature indeed.

  She wasn't sure what made her do it, but Macey ducked down and pressed her body flush against Amber's smooth scales. A static charge started to build around her body, and she tried to brush it off. An undercurrent of concern remained. She didn't want this to end badly, otherwise the three of them could end up trapped with only the Voice as company again.

  Or at least, Macey and Amber would. Luch could probably come and go as she pleased. Then again, there must be a way that the mouse was shielding her mind. Otherwise the Voice would have already known about the creature, and done something about it. Macey didn't think it'd be likely for him to leave anyone alone who was already within his clutches.

  The static built more, causing Macey's ears to pop. She held back a groan. That was never a good feeling, and in her weak state, it was even worse. If they failed in their attempt to escape, then there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to fight in the state she was in. Weakened and disheartened. To say the least.

  Amber likely wasn't that much better. Though using her power did seem to have restored her a little bit.

  Surprisingly, Macey recognised the moment they flew through the hole in the barrier. It was almost as if something scraped across her skin. But Amber was flexible in this form, and while it was slow going, she did manage to twist and turn her way through.

  It wasn't until fresh air hit Macey's face that she actually breathed a sigh of relief. As with their fake escape, she could feel the difference between this air, and the air from within the Voice's fort. It was stale in there, probably a result of so many prisoners.

  Though the comparison did nothing for the lingering worry that they hadn't actually escaped, and that this was just another trick of the Voice's. In fact, if he hadn't been such a show off, Macey might even have wondered if Luch was the Voice, and just taking another form to mess with them.

  Mind games. It was all just mind games. Which scared her. Physically, she was powerful, and strong. She could fight something if she could see it and she had to. But mentally? Macey wasn't so sure. Especially given the events of the past weeks. There was no doubting she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. Not by any stretch of anyone's imagination. Which was a shame. She had to make sure her brothers never heard her admit that.

  Her brothers...

  She'd left them in there. If that was even them.

  But no. She couldn't think about them right now. There was nothing she could do while so high in the air. And there was nothing she could do without risking all three of their lives. If it was just her going back in there, then she could have accepted it. But it wasn't. Neither Amber or Luch deserved the extra danger in their lives. If Macey could keep them far away from here, then that would be the best course of action.

  Though she doubted it was going to be as simple as that for Amber. The other woman, or the giant flying snake, depending on what form she was in, was the Lightning Warden, after all. At least, Macey doubted anyone else could have given her a mark. Which meant that Amber was stuck with her for now.

  From what she'd seen of the red-head, she didn't think there'd be any qualms on her part for seeing this thing through.

  Izban was going to be another matter. There was something deep down that told her he was going to be a problem. Even if it was just a slightly argumentative one. Hopefully her men had got him into a more supportive state in the time they'd all been a part.

  She made a mental note to try and work out just how long that had actually been. It was an almost certainty that she'd been away from her men for a longer amount of time than they'd been together, and she just hoped they hadn't forgotten about her.

  Macey chastised herself. Of course, they hadn't forgotten her. Cam would never let them forget their jobs as Wardens for a start. Flint just wouldn't want to let her go. And Jared...

  Shit. Jared. He might not be doing so well if she'd been away for more than a few days. He'd said his incubus was more under control when she was near, which meant that now she wasn't...probably best she didn't go there.

  A jolt shook her from her thoughts, and she glanced around, slightly surprised to see the light dimming around them already.

  The second jolt was all it took Macey to figure out Amber was becoming too tired to fly. Really, they should all be amazed they'd gotten this far without falling out of the sky. It said a lot about the beithir's mental strength and sheer determination.

  "I think it's time to rest," Macey shouted over the wind, only to have the large snake nod its head.

  Luch shuffled a little inside her shirt, but didn't pop her head out, meaning the mouse was probably asleep. Lucky for her.

  Macey's eyes were beginning to droop, and she imagined Amber's were doing the same. They had to be. Flying felt like draining business.

  The next time they lost height, it was a much smoother process, suggesting that Amber was doing it on purpose this time. Macey appreciated the softer flight pattern. Almost as much as she'd appreciate solid ground.

  Ceasg

  4

  This time, there were no men awaiting them. Macey was quite glad, actually, because she wasn't sure if she could have believed them to be real. It was all so confusing. She didn't want to hug and kiss them if they were only figments of her imagination. Or the Voice's imagination. She shuddered as she tried to find a more comfortable place on the ground. Something was digging into her hips, but no matter how she turned and tossed, there was always a place that hurt or pricked or annoyed her. Sleeping on the ground wasn't comfortable, and even though she knew she needed to sleep to recharge her energy, she was having a hard time actually doing so.

  Luch apparently didn't. The tiny mouse was snoring as loud as a human, nestled against Amber's chin. The girl had decided to stay in her beithir form for protection and warmth, and Macey was a little jealous of her. She'd probably be more comfortable in her kelpie form as well, but for that, she needed water or she'd suffocate. So here she was, fighting to sleep.

  They'd talked about one of them staying up to keep watch, but all three of them were too tired so they'd scrapped that plan. If anyone wanted to attack them, they were too weak to fight much anyway. Especially if the Voice decided to show up.

  Macey checked that her mental barriers were still in place. Thank the waves, they were. She thought they might have become a little stronger since she got Amber's lightning mark, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. For now, the Voice hadn't tried and infiltrate her mind, so that was a good sign at least.

  Unless this was all still one of his games.

  Macey shuddered again. Her brothers would call it mindfuck, but as a princess, she'd not use such language. She'd only really learned swear words once she'd left the loch and moved to Earth. It had been an enlightening process. Humans had such a colourful language.

  She turned again, this time because her thigh was pressed against something hard, probably a small stone. This night was going to be long and uncomfortable.

  Eventually, she must have fallen asleep because waking up was a long and painful process, despite the little claws tapping her cheeks.

  "Luch, stop it," she groaned, tempted to pull her non-existent blanket over her face.

  "Rise and shine," the mouse said cheerily, continuing to pat Macey's face with her paws. "Come on, we need to leave and get some distance between us and him."

  That woke Macey up. The Voice. Yes, they needed to leave and get away. And hopefully find her men in the process.

  She sat up and saw a very human Amber crouching in a bush not far away. Macey averted her gaze, not wanting to intrude into the other woman's privacy. Her own bladder was telling her it was time for a potty break as well. At the same time,
she was thirsty. They needed to find themselves some water and food soon.

  She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around. Last night, it had been dark and hard to see where exactly they'd landed. Now, she was glad they hadn't. It was too depressing.

  They were in a barren, brown landscape full of mud, low hills and thorny shrubs. No houses, no signs of life. Not even a single tree. And no colours, either. A hundred shades of brown and grey, but nothing living. She looked at the ground. No grass, either. Just mud and fallen leaves.

  Wait, leaves? How could there be leaves without trees?

  Please, don't let this be another of the Voice's mind games.

  The better option was that this was some kind of magical place. Like the Staran, but more depressing. Purgatory. Something like that. A place so hopeless and desolate that her heart sank with every minute she had to look at the dead landscape.

  How were they going to find food here? And water?

  The mud was wet, so maybe it rained here occasionally, but for now, she was more interested in a stream or loch.

  She got up and patted down her clothes, glad she'd been lying on leaves rather than mud. Amber returned from behind the bush and gave Macey a small smile.

  "Good morning. Not the nicest place we've ended up in."

  Macey grimaced. "You could say that. Any idea what direction we came from?"

  Amber pointed to her left. "That way. And I'd be tempted to just fly into the other direction. All I want is to get away from him."

  "So, we're going to fly again? Are you feeling strong enough?"

  Amber smiled. "I'm feeling like a new beithir. Let's see if we can find a way out of this place. Ready?"

  She sounded excited. After being in captivity for so long, even being in this dreich place had to be exhilarating for the redhead.

  "Yes, I'm ready. Stop ignoring me," Luch peeped and stamped her tiny paw.

  Macey suppressed a snort. The mouse was hilarious, no matter how serious she was trying to be. Luckily, she hadn't changed back to a woman though. Macey had found that a little unnerving. Somehow, she didn't believe Luch was just a simple mouse shifter.