Ghosts of Winter: A Dark Shapeshifter Urban Fantasy (Echoes of the Past Book 2)

by H B Lyne

  Stalker bent and touched the ground. It was burned but whole, the sky was filled with ordinary clouds. You would never have known there had been a gaping wound across all the worlds here. She took Weaver's hand and they picked their way across the rubble to meet the others.

  'Well done,' Eyes patted Wind Talker on the back. 'Next stop, the river.'

  With barely a pause, the four of them set off west, towards the snaking river that ran through Caerton and had formed the western border of their old territory.

  Stalker ran over in her mind the strange encounters she had had, first with the cat and then the demon. Guilt gnawed at her along with the nagging sensation that all was not as it seemed.

  As they approached the river bank, Stalker could hear the lively activity across the river, in St. Catherine's. She remembered fighting the chaos demon near Red Bridge with Eyes and Fortune and felt a stirring of painful emotions at the memory. Fortune leading the fight with his huge war hammer, the exhilaration of fighting together with members of her pack for the first time and the pride and joy of Fortune singing her praises afterwards.

  This side of the river was quiet, Hepethia had not yet caught up to the fact that the Blue Moon were gone and as yet there was no pack working to keep the population under control.

  Wind Talker moved carefully up to the bank of the river, which was concrete here. Closer to the outlet into the estuary the banks were mud and silt. The tide was fairly high and the river flowed past them, foam clinging to the concrete wall below as rubbish floated past. Stalker wrinkled her nose against the polluted stench.

  Wind Talker looked up and down the water, there was no sign of activity. He took a knife from his bag and held out his forearm, his sleeve was already pushed up and with a swift movement he sliced a deep cut into his arm and twisted it to make the crimson blood drip into the murky water.

  Below them, the water started churning and bubbling. Eyes and Weaver took a reflexive step back but Stalker leaned forward to get a better look. Blood kept dripping from Wind Talker's arm and Stalker looked up and down the river for signs of a reaction from the river elementals, beyond the bubbles below. Movement caught her eye, something was speeding up the river towards them, she could see the ripples on the water forming a V shape as something swam quickly just under the surface. It stopped a few feet out from the bank where she and Wind Talker stood and then burst up through the surface, sending water cascading over it as it rose up to eye level.

  Stalker jerked into a defensive stance. An old woman hovered before them, perched on a fountain of bloody, murky water. Her skin was green and she wore rags. Her teeth were black and broken, her nails were long claws and her hair was a tangled mess of wiry black that clung to her face and hung down her back. Stalker flinched away from the hideous hag, but Wind Talker stood firm.

  'What do you want?' the demon hissed at him.

  Stalker flinched, but held her stance. They had been looking for a fae, a creature of water and nature, not this thing before them. She glared at Wind Talker, wondering whether he was expecting this demon or not. Wind Talker glanced at Stalker, there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. He cleared his throat and stood tall and proud.

  'Jenny-of-the-River, greetings. We come to petition you to serve as our ally.'

  Stalker looked at Eyes, his face was full of worry, and Weaver was hanging her head. Stalker had a terrible feeling about this. Their old patron, Grins-Too-Widely, had been an ancient fox shifter who had grown so old that he had lost his humanity and become a creature of Hepethia. He had worn a permanent grin on his face that made him extremely creepy to look at, but she only ever got a positive vibe from him. That was not what she was getting from Jenny-of-the-River.

  The demon grinned, her black teeth gnashing together greedily.

  'I'd be delighted to serve a fine young pack such as yourselves.' Her voice dripped with sickly fluid in her throat and Stalker cringed. 'All I ask in return is the blood of the occasional child.'

  Wind Talker nodded as though this were a perfectly reasonable request.

  'No,' Eyes stated firmly and turned to leave.

  'Alpha,' Wind Talker called, halting Eyes in his tracks. 'I believe we should consider this offer.'

  Weaver looked at him, her eyes wide with horror. Stalker shook her head and tried to make sense of why he would be willing to go down that route.

  'I don't think we can do that, Wind Talker,' she said softly. 'Come on, let's go and look somewhere else.'

  The ritualist looked back at Jenny, and with an apologetic sigh he bowed his head to her.

  'I regret, we cannot accept those terms.'

  Jenny hissed and spittle flew from her mouth, splattering Stalker in the face. She winced and wiped her skin with her sleeve. Jenny's fierce eyes blazed and Stalker tensed again, certain for a moment that an attack would come, but the demon released a rattling breath and sank back down into the river. The pack set off away from the bank and Stalker fell into step next to Wind Talker.

  'You can't have been serious,' she said, looking at him carefully as they walked.

  'Of course I was serious,' he replied. 'Whoever we get to be our ally will require some display of loyalty and service from us in return. If we want a powerful ally we may have to settle for something that we might have found unsavoury in our old lives.'

  Stalker gawked at him.

  'Well, let's not drop down to the murder of children as a first step,' she huffed. 'Let's see what other offers we get first.'

  Wind Talker shrugged in half-agreement and Stalker dropped the subject, reeling in shock from his coldness.

  The four of them walked in silence for a few minutes, Stalker had no ideas for what they might try next. It was just starting to rain, but in true Hepethia style the drops of rain were even more effective at getting them wet than their human world counterparts, and within moments Stalker was soaked to the skin. She thought about how wet Caerton was, it was part and parcel of living on the estuary. She looked up at the sky overhead, the clouds were dark grey and purple and rolling over one another. There was a flash of lightning on the horizon and a few seconds later the rumble of thunder reached them.

  'Huh,' she said with the realisation of what should have been obvious to all of them. The others turned to look at her. 'How about a weather elemental?' she asked.

  'That is a really good idea.' Eyes gave her an appraising nod.

  'Where will we find one?' she asked, and almost as one, the four of them turned to look up at the telecoms tower in Redfield, just north of St. Mark's. It was by far the tallest structure in north Caerton and on both sides of the veil it was a dominant metal tower with a glowing red light at its tip. The Blue Moon must have willed it into being in Hepethia, and Stalker couldn't help wondering why.

  They set off at a run towards it, eager to get there and potentially find themselves an ally. They crossed Hepethia quickly and found themselves at the base of the tower. It stood alone in the middle of an industrial wasteland, surrounded by a rusted mesh fence that was easy to get past at one of the flimsy joints.

  Stalker looked up and saw lightning flash overhead as thunder crashed above them at the same time; they were right below the storm. Stalker grabbed hold of the nearest section of the metal tower and started climbing. The others were quick to follow and they climbed with varying degrees of skill up the great tower.

  Stalker reached the top first, followed by Weaver. Eyes clambered up somewhat ungainly and Wind Talker was the last to arrive, almost losing his footing at the last moment, but with a hand from Eyes found his feet on the solid surface at the top. They were standing on a platform with a tall spike jutting out of the middle up into the sky, the red light blinking at the top. Stalker looked out over Hepethia. From this great height she could see for miles. Some areas were recognisable landmarks from Caerton, like the river, snaking its way north towards the estuary. Others were a warped version of their human world counterparts, like the maze-like s
treets of St. Mark's. But patches gleamed even in the dull sunlight, the crystals of Hepethia shone in a rainbow of colours dotted around the landscape where shifters had had no reason to influence the area.

  Stalker turned her attention upward. Thick clouds billowed and rolled overhead, but the storm had paused. Wrapped around the light at the top of the spire was a twisting, almost translucent creature that shifted form the way clouds did.

  Wind Talker squinted up at it and gasped.

  'What? What is it?' Eyes asked.

  'The-Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain,' Wind Talker whispered in awe. 'Or in other words, Thor.'

  Stalker whistled softly, impressed. She was familiar enough with Norse myths to know of the god of thunder. His father, Odin, was among her patrons, as she was a member of the Berserkers, Odin's Warriors. She never expected to meet Odin, or Artemis or any other deity. They were supposed to be distant beings living in other realms. What was Thor doing here in Hepethia?

  They watched as the The-Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain conducted the storm around the tower as if it were an orchestra. Around the edges of the platform were small beings of static energy scuttling about, they were almost invisible but Stalker caught fleeting glimpses of many tiny limbs and they sparked as they moved. She got the impression that they were biding their time, hoping to get the chance to pounce on the shape shifters.

  The Lord circled above and when he finally caught sight of them he rushed down and landed on the platform with a surprising thud. He took a roughly man-like form, but still towered above them all in height.

  'What are you doing here?' he bellowed at them with a strong gust of wind.

  'Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain, we are seeking a patron and would be honoured if you would consider the role.' Wind Talker spoke in his most commanding voice, though Stalker sensed a hint of humility. She thought Wind Talker was being rather ambitious in making this request, but she remained silent, intrigued to see how this would play out.

  The god swirled around them and didn't respond. He swept over them and covered them briefly, leaving Stalker and the others feeling very cold and wet.

  'You!' He twisted around and a long arm with a pointing finger darted out of his cloud-like body directly at Stalker.

  'Me?' she asked meekly.

  'You can fly!' He started laughing and Stalker tensed up, suddenly certain that he was going to throw her off the tower. But he just hovered there, pointing at her chest. She glanced down and caught sight of her necklace, resting against her skin. Her fingers went to it and she smiled in recognition.

  'Sort of,' she replied. The others looked at her with mixed expressions of surprise and relief.

  She jumped up and hovered in the air about a foot from the platform. The-Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain howled with laughter and clapped his hands, flashes of lightning burst around them and claps of thunder accompanied each clap of his hands.

  The levitation only lasted a few seconds, however, and Stalker drifted silently back to the platform. The god stopped laughing abruptly and scowled at her. Stalker's thoughts cleared and she was struck with the idea of shifting form. Her unique ability to take any animal form was sure to have an impact on this deity. With a little focus, she shifted into a beautiful, graceful snowy owl and soared around the spire of the tower. The Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain cheered her on again and when she landed on her human feet he seemed satisfied.

  'I am a being of the sky. Not a groundling like yourselves. More Shifters really ought to dedicate more of their time to learning how to join me up here,' he barked and spread his arms wide, looking up into the thunderous clouds.

  'May we request then that you suggest one of your orchestra to serve us?' Stalker asked, taking the lead for the pack and playing on the favour he showed her.

  The Lord turned his shapeless face to her and out of nowhere a bolt of lightning struck the tower, sending a burst of electrical current through the metal structure. Stalker felt the shock and heat rushing through her flesh, and rage started to shake her body but she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Odin's gift of restraint ran through her hot veins and the rage didn't take control. Slowly she opened her eyes again.

  The others were shaking fiercely and before her eyes Fights-Eyes-Open shifted into his Agrius form with a roar and attacked the powerful deity before them, quickly followed by Wind Talker and Weaver. Stalker was the only one to retain control and the fight could not be prevented. With a groan, Stalker forced her body into the small form of a bat and darted underneath the Lord-of-Storms-and-Rain to support her pack against this formidable foe. Perhaps she could at least prevent the god from swatting her pack like flies.

  She flitted around him to distract him while the others clawed and bit at him. Despite his cloud-like form he was definitely solid and a few good blows were landed by her pack as the rage took control of their bodies and compelled them to attack.

  The static fae remained on the sidelines, but seemed to be cheering their Lord on. Stalker slipped past him, avoiding his crushing fists, but the others weren't so lucky. The Lord slammed a fist into Eyes and electrocuted the Alpha, sending him flying back from the fight. He went skidding across the metal and at the last second grabbed the edge of the platform, narrowly avoiding a lethal fall.

  Weaver also took a hefty blow and Wind Talker's hair ended up standing on end with the static from a few very near misses. Stalker kept up the distraction and hoped that one of her pack mates would be able to take advantage of her actions.

  Weaver crept up on the Lord from behind and leapt onto his back, digging her huge claws into his shoulders. The deity roared and reared up like a huge horse, his arms flailing and trying to get purchase on the pesky shifter at his back. Wind Talker and Eyes dashed in low and hit him hard in the chest and the Lord writhed away from them, rising up into the air. Weaver leapt down before he got too high and the pack stood tall and proud, looking up at him as he twisted back up his spire, retreating from them.

  'You can have my son, Bound-and-Chained-Lightning,' he bellowed down at them. 'You will find him there.' A long arm spiked out from his reeling form and a flash of lighting darted down from the sky. The pack looked quickly across Hepethia to see where it would strike. It impacted half a mile away to the south, in the heart of St. Mark's. 'He is a grave disappointment to me, restrained to the earth through sheer incompetence. But maybe he will be good for something. If you can free him he will serve you.'

  The pack retreated quickly to the edge of the platform and shifted back into their human selves. The static fae were getting very excited and Stalker wasn't sure they would hold back much longer.

  'We thank you for your cooperation,' Eyes barked at him with a curt nod of the head before beginning the long climb down. Weaver followed but Wind Talker looked over the edge with trepidation. Stalker looked back up at the Lord, with what she hoped was a pleading expression. The deity huffed, showering her with fresh rain, before a cloud fae came swirling down from the mass above and scooped up Wind Talker, collected Weaver and Eyes on its way past and floated the rest of the pack gently to the ground. Stalker, however, took a running jump and felt the wind rushing past her as she dropped like a bullet towards the ground. Her heart raced with exhilaration as she fell. Ten feet from impact her talisman kicked in and she gradually slowed down and drifted gently to land next to her pack mates, smiling serenely.

  'Thank you,' Eyes said with evident relief.

  'No problem,' Stalker replied.

  'I didn't know you could levitate,' Wind Talker said, looking at her with wonder.

  'I've hardly had chance to test it. Shadow's Step gave the amulet to me the morning of the attack.' She stroked the clay gently. Weaver gave her a sad sort of look and Stalker gave her a small smile to let her know she was okay. 'It just works for a few seconds no matter what height I jump from.'

  'We should go,' Eyes interjected.

  The pack set off at a run, heading south to the spot where the lightning had struck. The air was still buzzing with static when they
got there, there were tiny ripples coming off a mound of pure crystal. It gleamed silvery blue in the late afternoon light and the sides jutted up from the smooth ground to form a wall over six feet high. The afternoon was drawing late and the tumultuous sky overheard was darkening, the storm was abating, the Lord having tired himself in the fight, but the rain persisted.

  Stalker approached the mound and clucked her tongue in thought.

  'I guess we need to get inside,' she said quietly. Weaver came up beside her and placed a hand on the crystal. Stalker copied her and felt the cool, hard surface against her palm. She pressed hard against it and felt a little give. She glanced at Weaver, who looked surprised and quickly retracted her hand. Stalker persisted and felt the crystal softening and warming. She watched in wonder as it slowly melted away from her palm and a small opening appeared. It wasn't a mound at all, it was an impact crater. She looked around at the others, unable to hide her excitement and beamed at them. Eyes watched carefully, a small smile playing on his lips. Wind Talker frowned, caution written on his broad face.

  Stalker took a step into the opening and stopped short, her gaze settling on the snake-like elemental curled up and glowing bright blue-white. It was about six feet long and the light radiating from it rippled along the supple body. It had huge chains shackled around it and rooted into the crystal floor.

  'That must be him,' she whispered, looking over her shoulder at Wind Talker for confirmation. He peered around her and gave a single nod of his head and the four of them filed carefully in through the doorway and stood and watched the elemental for a minute.

  Eventually he raised his head and looked at them with lamp-like eyes, obviously not surprised to see them, he must have been aware of them before.

  'Hello.' The fae's voice was little more than a crackle of electricity, but the one word somehow came through clearly.