Into the Mists

by Laura Greenwood

  "Where is Air?" Jared asked when they stepped out of the gates. Luch was sitting on the ground, licking her paws.

  "Long story, but we've got our seventh Warden. Let's go home, get some sleep and make plans for what's next," Macey said with a yawn. She'd felt a slight burst of energy when she'd joined with Air, but it wasn't enough to keep her going for much longer.

  "I don't see anyone?" Jared insisted, but Cam put an arm around his friend's shoulders and quietly got him up to speed, saving Macey from having to do a long and tiring explanation. All she wanted was her bed.

  "Is everyone ready to travel?" Flint asked and held out a hand. They knew the procedure by now and everybody took hold of his arm. It wasn't important to hold on tight, but there needed to be a connection to one of the two wraiths for them to travel the Staran. Both Cam and Flint had said how it was harder to enter the Staran now that they were getting even worse, but luckily, it was still possible. Macey didn't want to think about what would happen if they'd no longer be able to use them. How were they going to get from place to place? Most of the places they'd visited so far had been in other planes, not on Earth, or at least not on the Earth she'd grown up on.

  Izban was the last to touch Jared's outstretched arm, but as soon as he did, they were ripped into the Staran and away from the queendom of the sìth.

  The house looked just as welcoming as it always did. Macey was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. There was nothing but her bed on her mind. She knew she was being selfish, but she hoped her men would show Amber and Izban where to sleep. There were enough bedrooms, all they had to do was assign them one. She hoped they'd take one together and not insist on being prude.

  Macey staggered to the room she was sharing with her men. She didn't even bother taking off her clothes. They'd go in the bin tomorrow anyway; they weren't much more than rags by now.

  She pulled the duvet close to her chin, relishing the feeling of the soft fabric on her skin. She'd not had a proper blanket in ages, nor a mattress, nor a pillow... she fell asleep before the others could even join her.

  11

  Seven stone thrones in a circle. On them, six people, their backs straight, their faces serious. One of the thrones remained empty bar a strange shimmer in the air above it. And standing in the middle of the circle they formed, was Macey.

  "What's going on?" she asked groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

  "Welcome... welcome... welcome...," it echoed through the chamber. It wasn't just one of them speaking, it was all of them in unison. Six voices, three male, three female. Together, they sounded like a Gregorian chant Macey had heard once.

  Macey didn't even have to think hard to know who these people were.

  "Are you the past Wardens?" she asked for clarification?

  "Yes.... yes... yes... the last set."

  "How many have there been?"

  "Too many to count," the voices replied. "But you will be the last... the last... the last..."

  The echoing was beginning to distract Macey. It was a little too dramatic for her taste.

  "Why will we be last? What's so special about us?"

  "You're the ones who make or break the Wardens' legacy... if you succeed, there will be no more need for us. If you fail, there will be nobody left to fight for."

  Macey swallowed hard. No pressure then.

  "Does that mean we'll die if we succeed?"

  "No... no.... no... you'll live happily ever after."

  A slight chuckle followed that last statement. Dead Wardens with a sense of humour? How very strange.

  Now came the most important question. "Why am I here?"

  "Do you know what to do to save the world... the world... the world?"

  Macey cringed. That was the tiny problem she was trying to ignore.

  "No. We know that the Staran are dying, but we don't know why or what we can do about it."

  "The Staran are only one part of the whole picture. You will need to look beyond them to see the root of the evil that is spreading quickly."

  "The Voice... ehm, Mahoun?"

  "Again, he is only a part. There is more going on than you know, but you need to hurry up to find a solution."

  Macey sighed in frustration. How did new problems keep coming along? Dealing with both the Staran and the Voice was a big enough challenge. Now they were saying that there was more? Oh waves, this was becoming an impossible mission.

  "Can you help?" she asked, trying to keep desperation from sneaking into her voice.

  "No... no... no..."

  "Then why am I here? Just so you can tell me how hopeless everything is? How we're likely going to fail?"

  "No... no... no..."

  "And stop doing that echo thing!" Macey screamed, frustrated and angry. Bad news kept overwhelming here and there was no end in sight. Didn't she deserve a break? Some time with her men? A moment to recuperate from the time she'd spent as a prisoner?

  One of the six people got up. His face stayed in the shadows, but it was clear that he was a man. His broad shoulders reminded her of Flint, but he looked older, even though she could just see his body.

  "I'm sorry," he said calmly with a deep, gentle voice. "We're not used to talking to outsiders. We didn't want to anger you."

  "You didn't," Macey tried to backpedal. "It's just that I never seem to get good news, it's always doom and gloom. And with every answer we find, ten more questions pop up. It's so frustrating."

  The man chuckled softly. "I remember that feeling. It seems not much has changed for the next generation of Wardens. But don't despair, there is always hope. As long as the seven of you are together, there is still a chance to fulfil your purpose."

  "I don't have all the marks yet," Macey admitted.

  "You will have them, soon. But you won't need them until the very end, so don't worry."

  "So they're important?"

  The man laughed again. "Oh yes, they're very important. Right now, though, you should focus on something else. The Staran won't let you travel on them for much longer. You need to stabilise them before you can proceed to deal with the other issues. A certain mouse should be able to help you."

  "Luch? But she's not said anything about the Staran so far?"

  "She? Is she pretending to be a woman this time?"

  Macey nodded, remembering how surprised she was when Luch had first appeared in her human form. As a mouse, she didn't have a defined gender, but if Macey'd had to choose back then, she'd said it was a male mouse.

  "Luch shows itself as whatever it wants to be. It must be in a feminine mood at the moment, or maybe it didn't want to look like competition to your husbands."

  "Wait, they're not my husbands," Macey interrupted. "We're not married. I only met them... well, not long ago."

  "Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes it's hard to keep the present and future apart." The man cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Although we see many futures, and only one of them will come to pass."

  "So, you can see a future where I'm married to my men?" Macey asked, wide-eyed.

  "Yes, in several of them. The ones in which you win."

  Macey smiled grimly. "How do I win? Who do I need to fight?"

  "That will very much depend on the path you choose to take," the man answered.

  "Helpful," Macey muttered. Even though this was a dream, and there'd be no way of hiding her thoughts and feelings.

  "I know. I remember being in your position. Nothing seems to help, and everything seems to get more complicated by the minute."

  "You can say that again," Macey said darkly.

  "Though I'll admit, I only had one man to deal with, rather than three." The man chuckled to himself. "You really did make things that bit more complicated for yourself."

  "They're the least complicated bit," she protested. "With them I know where I stand. They love me, I love them," she admitted, before realising it was the first time she'd ever said it out loud. She'd tell them about it later though. Right in the middle of the most st
ressful situation of their entire lives.

  "I'm glad to hear it. I remember that feeling too." He glanced over his shoulder, and back towards where the other past Wardens were seated.

  "Is this place we’re in somewhere us Wardens need to go?" Macey asked.

  "No. This isn't really a place as such. More an echo of what is past. The thrones do exist. But they existed where we needed them to and will exist where and when you need them too."

  "So, they'll just appear?" That should have surprised her. Or freaked her out. Or something, but it'd had gotten to the point where nothing was surprising her.

  "I assume so. They did for us."

  "But aren't you just human?" she blurted out, remembering something Malan had said.

  "Yes. And I believe that's where the world has been going wrong. With the exception of Air, all any of us have ever been is human. It came as even more of a shock to us than it did to you."

  "I must admit, finding shifters along the way hasn't been the weird bit."

  "Exactly." The man looked off into the distance. "The road ahead is tough, Macey. You need to be prepared."

  "Can you help me?" she asked hopefully.

  "No, I don't believe so. The trials you have to face are too shrouded in mystery for anyone to see. Even prophets such as Malan and Fedelm will struggle to see your true path. There are so many you could take. In some, your battle is internal. A battle for yourself so to speak. In others, the war encompasses all manner of beings. And the people you've befriended along the way, are those that will aid you here."

  "So, what you're saying is that anything could happen to me?"

  "Pretty much." The man shrugged. "But I suspect the truth lies somewhere between there. You will have mental battles to face. Mahoun is trying to stop the prophecy coming to pass, though what's in it for him, is beyond anything I know. On paper, he has nothing to gain from the Staran dying. Nor from the things that would die after that."

  "Because there's far more at risk than just our way of travelling?" she clarified.

  "The whole world is at risk. Everything. Each type of magical being, every way of life. Even the humans are in danger."

  "Got it. If I fail, everything will die. The world will implode. Nowhere will be left untouched."

  "Pretty much, yes."

  "Cheery thought."

  "It's rather a heavy weight to bear. Our Wind Warden almost lost her mind over the pressure. I can empathise. She was only fifteen at the time. It's a lot to take in at that age," he said wistfully.

  "At any age," Macey returned. "I don't think this would be any easier if I was as old as Aunt Nessie."

  "Ah, yes, Nessie. She was only young when I met her, but she made an impression on Jonas."

  "Jonas?" Macey echoed. "That was aunt's first husband's name"

  "You don't know?" The man seemed surprised.

  "Obviously not, please enlighten me."

  "This place both exists, and does not," he started. "People can visit if they so wish."

  "Go on..." Macey prompted, a sinking feeling she knew where this was going.

  "We were the Wardens a hundred or so years ago, when your Aunt was a young kelpie, just exploring the world. Not unlike you, actually."

  "Please tell me you're not saying what I think you are?" Macey shook her head from side to side, trying to rid herself of the images that had taken root there.

  "Jonas and Nessie fell for each other instantly. Almost like it was written in the stars so to speak. They were inseparable until it came time for the final battle."

  He looked away, sadness etched all over his face.

  "They're lucky they still found a way to be able to meet. She used to come here once a week or so. Until about twenty-two years ago. She stopped then. We haven't seen her since."

  He looked back towards the other Wardens.

  "Which Warden was Jonas?" Macey asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer. There was only one way this was going, and she wasn't sure what to make about it.

  "Water, but I think you already knew that." He smiled weakly.

  "It makes sense. Kelpies are drawn to water."

  "And to Wind, Fire and Earth apparently." He smiled coyly and Macey laughed.

  "Apparently so."

  "Jonas is a good man. Though he's fading now. We all are, to make way for you."

  "I'm sure he is. I'd never think my ex-Uncle was anything else." And it did explain why her Aunt had always seemed so distant from the uncle Macey could remember."

  "He's not your ex-uncle, Macey. He's your father."

  12

  With a gasp, Macey woke up.

  "What's wrong?" Jared asked sleepily and pushed himself up until he was looking straight at her. "Bad dream?"

  "You could say that," Macey muttered, still trying to get her head around what'd just happened. It didn't feel like a dream. The image of the room with the stone thrones and her conversation with one of the previous Wardens was as clear a memory. It had to be a memory. It was real.

  Which meant that everything she knew about her family was a lie.

  "I need to see Nessie," she announced and got up, struggling with the blanket which had tangled itself around her legs. No, that wasn't a blanket. That was Flint, stretched out diagonally over the bed.

  "Huh?" He rubbed his eyes and looked at her in confusion. "Why are you kicking me?"

  "I thought you were the duvet," Macey mumbled. "Now get off my legs, I need to kill a certain loch monster."

  Cam cleared his throat. "Ehm, I'm sorry to be a spoilsport but you may want to put some clothes on first."

  A moment later, Macey was back under the covers, hiding her naked body. Not from the guys. From herself. The universe.

  "What would you do if you suddenly found out that your parents aren't your real parents?" she asked, her voice close to a whisper.

  "Burn someone?" Flint suggested.

  "Did you have a bad dream?" Cam asked, making Macey glare at him furiously.

  "Don't patronise me! It wasn't a dream, it was real. I met Wardens, and one of them told me about... Nessie."

  Jared tried putting a calming hand on her shoulders, but she shrugged him off.

  "Want to tell us more about it?" he said gently, his voice full of incubus charm.

  Macey sighed. Saying it aloud was going to make it more real.

  "He said my late uncle is my father. Which means that - unless he slept with my mum which I highly doubt - that Nessie is my mother."

  "What the..." Cam bit down a string of curses, before he took a deep breath and smoothed his expression. "You don't look like Nessie though."

  "I don't look like my mum either. Nor like my dad. Nor like anyone in my family."

  "But Nessie is old," Jared mused. "She shouldn't be able to have a child at that age."

  Macey sighed. "Kelpies can have children for a lot longer than humans. Almost until they die, pretty much. So, it's definitely possible. But... no, it can't be true. Why would they lie to me? Why would she give me to her sister?"

  Tears were running down her face before she even realised that she was crying. Three pairs of arms wrapped themselves around her and she breathed in the scent of her men. It was comforting and soothing. But she wasn't sure she wanted to be soothed right now. She wanted to be angry, and keep that anger burning until she got the chance to confront Nessie.

  Her aunt? Her mother? Someone not related to her at all? Macey was beginning to doubt it all. She'd grown up as the third in line to the throne, but if she wasn't her father's daughter, she'd be in a completely different position. And her brothers... maybe they were actually her cousins? That at least would explain why they'd always been so different compared to her.

  "Urghhhh!" she groaned, clutching her head in frustration. This couldn't be real. Maybe it was a dream after all?

  "Take a deep breath," Jared said softly. "We'll work this out. How about you tell us what else they said?"

  Macey noticed she hadn't actually told them all
the important bits. The ones that affected all the Wardens, not just herself.

  She sighed. "You better get the others while I put on some clothes. We have a lot to discuss.

  Izban and Amber both looked flushed and happy when they joined the other four. Macey hoped they'd actually got some sleep and hadn't just talked, kissed or done other things. They were all going to need their energy.

  When they'd all settled down on the bed - which seemed to have grown since the last time she'd slept in it - Macey told them what had happened in her vision.

  "You're sure it wasn't just a dream?" Izban asked but Amber elbowed him in the ribs.

  "Sorry," he muttered and Amber gave Macey a cheeky smile. It was good to see that the beithir was dealing with Izban's grumpiness. Maybe he'd actually become bearable now that he had a girlfriend.

  "That Warden didn't really seem to be all that useful," Cam observed. "We already knew that the Staran were disintegrating and that it would have terrible effects on everything. Maybe he expanded on how bad it really would be, but he didn't tell us anything about how to stop it, right?"

  Macey shook her head. "No, he didn't have any advice. All he said was that now that all seven of us are together, we have a chance. And that the marks are important but we don't need them yet. So, I have time to get my missing ones."