# Soul Keeper

### Everwood Trilogy 1

## Kate Keir

Copyright © 2018 Kate Keir

All rights reserved.

* * *

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction, all names, characters, places, and events are the products of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
_For Rich_

_xxx_

### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Epilogue

Thank you...

Acknowledgements

# Chapter One

_Have we met before?_ I got so increasingly bored of hearing someone ask me that question. Apparently, I was the most universally recognisable person on the planet. People thought it was an awesome story when I explained it to them; they didn't realise that while this was a fun first for them, it was like the ten-thousandth time I'd had to go over it in my nineteen years on this planet. It happened almost daily.

Ever since I hit my teenage years, almost every new person I met believed they knew me in some way. They believed it with such ferocity they looked at me as though I was a complete liar when I told them we really hadn't met before.

Today wasn't going to be any different by the look of things. I was working at my part-time job—as a tour guide in the ruins of Castle Dion on the banks of Loch Ness—and a guy in my group just wouldn't accept that we hadn't met before.

"I'm sure I know you. Do you drink at the Indigo bar?" he pushed as I tried to focus on listing my facts about the castle's great hall to my tourists.

_Why won't he just let it go?_ I rolled my eyes. "No, really, we haven't." I didn't want to do my in-depth explanation as to how he thought he knew me, in front of twelve other people, although I had to admit he was quite cute.

He seemed to finally accept my insistence that he shut up and let me get on with my job, and he was quiet for the rest of the tour. Although I still caught him silently looking me over more than once.

I really liked my job. It was a fun way to bring in some extra money while I worked my way through college. I did have a bank account that was pretty healthy due to the insurance payment after my parents' death, but I had my whole life ahead of me, and I knew the money wouldn't last forever.

The tour ended, and after thanking the visitors for coming along, I let myself into the gatekeeper's chamber, which served as a staff-room in our twenty-first century version of the castle. Dropping down into a seat, I was relieved to find myself alone with my thoughts for a few moments. _The others must still be out on their tours_.

Just then, the door clicked open, and the annoying but "oh so hot" guy from earlier stepped into the room.

"You can't be in here. It's staff only." I rose from my seat and gestured to the door, indicating he should leave.

He shot me a dazzling smile and ran his hand through his tousled black hair. "I'll go, but only after you tell me where I know you from."

Sighing, I took a step toward him, reaching around him to grasp the door handle so I could usher him outside. "Trust me, you don't know me. Almost everyone who meets me says exactly the same thing. I just have an extremely recognisable face."

His friendly smile disappeared as I spoke. It was replaced instead with a dark, almost hungry look. "Everyone who meets you knows you?" The question had a wheedling tone to it, and it was totally different from the light-hearted, albeit pushy, questioning of earlier.

Nerves started to kick in, and when he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, squeezing so hard I yelped and let go of the door handle, I realised something was seriously wrong.

I began to back away slowly, my boots scraping across the stone floor—although it was warm outside and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, I always wore my favourite tan-coloured ankle boots at work—but the gatekeeper's chamber was pretty small. I wasn't going to get very far. _What on Earth is going on here?_

He started to cross the room toward me, and my eyes widened as I looked at his face. The dark expression was still there, but his face was no longer entirely human. The features started to swim, and there was a ghost of an alternate image overlaid on his skin. It was like a second, rotten face of a ghoul or some other kind of monster was merging with his good looks.

I briefly thought about screaming; it was the logical first choice of response when a freaky ghost thing was about to kill me in a seven-hundred-year-old castle. Then a wild laugh broke from my lips as I acknowledged how unreal this whole situation was. I looked around me, searching frantically for a weapon. _What the hell am I going to do?_

I was saved from making a decision when the door clicked open again, and I heaved out a sigh of relief when I saw Finlay walk into the chamber. The creature—because it really wasn't a boy anymore–turned toward my blond-haired saviour and growled.

"Begone, Draugur." Finlay sounded so different than usual I did a double-take. His voice rang with power, vibrating through the air as it resonated off the stone walls. He raised his outstretched hand, and held his flat palm toward the thing in the middle of the room, taking a step closer to it as he spoke.

The creature turned its head slowly to look back at me once more, sending a spear of ice down my spine, before it vanished. Yep, that's right; it completely and utterly disappeared. I sat down heavily in my chair and frowned in confusion.

"Finlay, what was that? What, actually just happened?"

I had known Finlay since my first day at school. We were five years old when we met, and he was the one thing that had always been a constant in my life. After my parents' boat sank, drowning them both and leaving me an orphan at thirteen, his amazing mother took me in until I elected to move back in to my family home when I turned eighteen.

Finlay had always been there for me throughout my grief, and I loved him more than anyone else on this Earth. He was the best friend anyone could ever ask for, but even though I knew him so well, I had no idea he was capable of getting rid of weird ghost people.

He crossed the room and knelt on the floor in front of me taking my hand in his and smiling. "Are you okay, Flor?" Finlay is the only person alive permitted to shorten my name from Flora to Flor.

"I'm okay, but you didn't answer my question, Finlay. What was that? And, and did he just disappear?" I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly.

"Err, yeah it did disappear." I had never seen him look so sheepish before. It would have been endearing if I wasn't still so hung up on what I had just seen.

I stood up, frustrated he wouldn't tell me anything about what just happened. "Finlay, why are you being so weird?"

"I'm not." He was defensive now.

"Then tell me what I just saw." I narrowed my green eyes and rhythmically wrapped my fingers around my copper-coloured braid, which trailed over my shoulder and down to my hip, waiting impatiently.

I thought he was just about to start talking when the door banged open, and a couple of the other tour guides came in, talking and laughing together. The moment was lost, and I knew I wasn't going to get another word from him until we were alone again.

I made for the door and poked his chest half playfully as I passed him. "I'm not going to let this go, Finlay. You know that, right?"

A fleeting look of what might have been regret passed over his face before he replied, "If only you could, Flora." Then shaking his head, he beat me to the door and left.

"What's up with him?" asked Jessica, one of the other girls.

Frowning, I made my way to the door. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

I jogged up the stairs that led to the staff carpark. Because the castle sits right on the edge of the loch, to get to it you have to use the hundred or so carved stone steps or a lift that runs down through the middle of the visitor centre to bring you back to the road.

When I got up top, I noticed Finlay's car had already gone, and I shook my head in frustration. Why was he so keen to avoid me after what had just happened? We could usually talk to each other about anything, but admittedly this was way off the scale of the usual stuff we would discuss.

We lived close to each other and often came to work in the same car, but today was Thursday, and I had my last day of college—before the summer break—straight after, so we had come separately. It was unfortunate, because he wouldn't have been able to avoid my questions if we were sharing a car together.

I opened the door of my eight-year-old, battered Suzuki and climbed behind the wheel, still thinking about the thing that had attacked me. Its interest in me had definitely been piqued by my admission that everyone thought they knew me. Question was, why? Sure, people were always fascinated by my familiarity, but they didn't usually change into something out of a horror book once they heard my story.

College gave me little time to think about my encounter with the monster or Finlay's intervention. I was too wrapped up in saying goodbye to everyone in my class to give any more thought to what had happened that afternoon and I welcomed the break, tired of turning things over in my head.

Going home was a relief. I was exhausted and ready to get some food before I called Finlay to get my answers. As I walked through the door to the tiny, two-bed cottage that was my parents' legacy of their obsession with country living, I heard a cranky "meow" sound from my bedroom. A fluffy, brown tabby cat with white paws and nose padded into the kitchen.

"Hey, Achilles." I scooped my rescue cat into my arms and cuddled him close, extracting a yowl of indignity for my efforts. He was the most beautiful Maine Coon cat you ever saw. He had been picked up by a local rescue centre when he was a few weeks old, and the very moment I saw him, I knew we were meant for each other, and I mostly believed Achilles agreed with me.

I reluctantly released my hostage, and he skittered through the cat-door without a backward glance. He had always been a tiny bit feral, and he still wasn't quite used to the idea of living in a house full-time. In winter, I would see a lot more of him—but it was the start of July now and he preferred to bask in the sunshine and mostly catch his own food from the rich pickings amongst the heather and hills surrounding the cottage for miles in every direction.

For dinner, I grabbed a pizza from the freezer; I was not in the mood to get creative tonight. Once I had eaten, I picked up the phone and tried calling Finlay's number. I wasn't really surprised when it rang and then went to voicemail, although I started getting annoyed after my fifth attempt to contact him.

"Finlay, stop ignoring me. Pick it up!" I knew the message sounded petulant, but I was furious with him. Whatever it was that happened today, he knew what that guy was, and he owed me an explanation.

I had all but given up on ever speaking to my best friend again when a sudden knock at my door caused me to jump in surprise.

Narrowing my eyes, I crossed the room to the kitchen and silently slid a knife from the drawer. Sense told me it was Finlay at the door. But if it was that ghoul-thing from earlier, I wanted to be prepared to defend myself this time. I opened the door slowly, hiding the knife behind my back.

"Hey, Flor, I think we need to talk."

I sagged in relief as I took in Finlay's blue eyes and the shaggy hair that framed his face—so blond it was very nearly white. He eyed the knife in my hand and stepped quickly through the doorway, gently disarming me and wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug at the same time.

"Flora, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have let you leave by yourself after what happened. That was unfair of me." He dropped the knife onto the sideboard as he spoke.

"You're damn right it was. I've been terrified all day. Terrified I imagined it and that I'm going mad. Terrified I'm going to be killed by him— _it_. Whatever it was." I stepped back out of his arms—usually such a comfort to me—and waited to hear what he would say.

"It's going to be a lot easier if I just show you, Flor." He bit his lip as he spoke, making him look a lot younger than his nineteen years, "Will you trust me?"

No matter what happened, I would always trust Finlay. Nothing would ever change that. "Okay."

"Then let's go." He grinned, and just for a moment, everything felt entirely normal again.

# Chapter Two

We got into Finlay's blue jeep, and I buckled my seatbelt, waiting patiently for him to at least give me some idea of where we were going. After fifteen minutes of driving in silence, I realised I wasn't going to get anything from him before we got to our destination.

"You know? I have never known you to be so secretive about anything. I'm beginning to think you're Buffy the Vampire Slayer or something." I laughed.

Apart from flinching almost imperceptibly, there was no reaction from him at the mention of one of my favourite old school TV shows.

I gave up at that point and reached out to turn up the radio. I knew the Ed Sheeran song that was playing would annoy Finlay; he hated Ed Sheeran. But he didn't show it, even when I sang along at full volume.

I realised long before we got there that we were heading back toward Castle Dion. As Finlay wound the car along the road that meandered down the western side of Loch Ness, I turned the radio down and shivered as I turned to him and spoke. "We're going back to where it was?"

"No, we're not Flor, I promise. We are going to the castle, but...it's really hard to explain. I'm not going to take you anywhere you could get hurt, I swear."

I bit my lip nervously but said no more.

He stopped the car about half a mile before we got to the castle, and I looked at him in confusion as he opened the door and started to get out into the warm darkness of the night.

"Five minutes, Flor, and you'll see. You'll see it all." He didn't give me time to think about it; instead, he started to walk toward the waterside.

It was surprisingly light out as I began following after Finlay. Looking up, I saw the moon was full, the beautiful silver beams falling into my path and illuminating the way. The brightness of the evening meant that as I approached the water, I could see Finlay jump into a small row-boat which was tethered to a tree.

As I drew closer, I let my puzzlement show on my face. "This is starting to feel more and more like some sort of weird date, Finlay." Although I climbed into the boat and sat down opposite him to allow him the room he needed to row, a part of me was waiting for cheesy Italian music to start playing.

Finlay untied the tiny vessel and pushed off from the bank with the ease of someone who had done this before, and before long I was astonished to discover how beautiful the loch looked at night. The inky water was topped by metallic ripples of moonlight that continually broke apart like quicksilver before the bow of our boat.

I was so entranced by the beauty of the moonlight on the water that I hadn't even realised we had drawn level with Castle Dion, my awe only broken by the sound of Finlay's voice. "Look at the castle, Flora."

I pulled my eyes away from the spectacle of the loch and turned toward my place of work. I started to complain I had seen the castle a thousand times before when my breath caught in my throat and I stood up so quickly I almost toppled the boat.

"Whoa, easy, Flor. Sit down." There was a smile in Finlay's voice as he studied my reaction.

I tumbled back against the wooden bench but didn't take my eyes from the stone behemoth towering over us. When I left this place in daylight earlier it had looked as it always looked—the ramparts jagged where parts had collapsed over the years. Every room was there in principle, but there was no roof or walls to separate or distinguish them. The turrets hadn't been there since the seventeenth century. I knew because it was what I was scripted to tell every visitor who came on my tour.

"This cannot be Castle Dion," I whispered.

Every rampart stood proud and complete, the walls were not crumbling, and the turrets rose tall up toward the moonlight above. The walls were made of a rock that glistened and sparkled, instead of the dull stone I had become used to seeing each day, and the gaping hole where the gate had once been, was now filled by an impressive wooden door attached to the stone by elaborate iron fixtures.

The door stood open, and I could make out the figure of a woman standing in the gateway watching our approach, as her long robes blew in the soft breeze. I felt a jolt of shock as I recognised her as Pen, Finlay's mother.

"Finlay, your mother is here. What is she wearing? Why is she here? And what happened to Castle Dion?" My mind was in turmoil as the questions tumbled out one after the other.

The boat bumped against the shore, and Finlay hopped over onto the ground. His mother greeted us both with a warm smile. "Finlay, Flora. Welcome to you both. This has been a long time coming."

Finlay ducked his head respectfully. "Penthesilea."

My mouth gaped open. He had just called his mother by her name, not even the shortened version of Pen. Her actual full name. "Finlay, don't call your ma that," I couldn't help but chide.

Pen opened her mouth to laugh, and the sound that came out was magical. "He means me no disrespect, Flora. You see, I am not truly Finlay's mother. I suppose you could say that we work together."

I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I looked from the boy to the woman, rendered temporarily mute by their revelations. "Of course, you're his mother. He lives with you, and you took me in and adopted me until I was old enough to stay by myself. How can you not be..."

Pen stepped forward, just beating Finlay to putting her arms around me and giving me a squeeze. "Oh, Flora, we haven't been fair to you. But there really was no other way. You had to come to know your birth-right in your own time. Come inside and we will tell you everything."

I honestly thought that if anyone else in the world had asked me to go inside a castle that used to be ruined but now wasn't—after everything else that had happened today—I would have run a thousand miles. Yet, if there was anyone in the world in whom I could place my trust, it was Pen and Finlay. So, I followed them to the heavy, studded door and stepped inside Castle Dion for what felt like the first time.

The inside of the castle reflected the changes of the outside. The entrance hall was made warmer by tapestries hanging along the walls. The floor had a sumptuous strip of carpet which ran along the central walkway, and there was furniture in the form of chairs and tables resting against the walls.

Cut flowers, neatly arranged in vases lent beautiful scents to the passageway. I inhaled deeply as I passed a huge bunch of Freesias.

Pen swept ahead of Finlay and me, her long blue robes making a shushing sound as she walked. When she threw open the gilded doors of the great hall, I couldn't manage to hold back a small "meep" sound.

This was not the hall I had stood inside just hours before. It had a roof and more of the tapestries from the hall. There was a massive wooden table at the centre of the room that was set up as though for an important meeting. The light came from flaming sconces that graced the walls at either side of the room. It was medieval and ornate and beautiful at the same time.

Finlay and Pen both sat down, with Pen gesturing to me to do the same. As I sat, I couldn't hold back any longer. "How is this place even possible? Will you both tell me everything now? Please?"

Nodding and smiling at me, Pen went on to tell me something that would change my life forever. "I am not who you thought I was, and neither is Finlay. We are not mother and son. We are both protectors, charged with ensuring your survival.

"You are a Soul Keeper, Flora. It is your responsibility to ensure evil souls—rogues—are not given passage back to the mortal world, but instead sent to the Endwood, where they will stay until they eventually fade out of existence forever."

My mouth formed a small "O" as Pen spoke. I felt as though I was in a story. None of this made any sense or felt real. _There's no such thing as Soul Keepers. Whatever they even are._ "Pen, I don't get it. What's a Soul Keeper? I'm sure I'd know if I was one. I think you've got the wrong girl."

Finlay's voice cut through my disbelief. "Flor, it's so hard to explain it to you. That was why I needed to bring you here to show you. When I left you alone earlier, it was to check with Penthesilea that now was the right time to let you know what we are. We haven't told you before because it makes you so much easier to find when you have awareness of who you are."

I flinched. "You mean that thing from today will know where I am now?"

Penthesilea spoke again. "The Draugur? Yes, doubtless it will have gone back to tell its master and its brethren what it saw today."

"Its master. Its brethren. You mean there's more of them? I have to leave before they find me." I started to stand.

"Sit, Flora!" Pen's voice was quiet but thrummed with a power that made me thud back against my chair.

"Sweetheart, I know this is so much for you take in. I am truly sorry we never told you before, but as Finlay says, it makes you easier to find when you consciously sort souls. It's easier to just allow your subconscious mind to do it for you. But the time for that is over. You are found out now."

"Sort souls?" I was still confused.

"There are two places, the Everwood and the Endwood. Think of them in terms of heaven and hell if you like, although they aren't quite the same thing." Pen smiled at me. "You are responsible for sending the good and the pure souls of the dead to the Everwood. Those souls are rewarded with reincarnation back onto the Earth. They won't remember it. They will be given new bodies and new memories will be made. However, they will remember meeting you and your decision to allow them the opportunity to live once more."

"That's why people always think they've met me before?" I breathed.

"Exactly," Pen agreed. "They have met you before. But it isn't really your face they recognise, it's your soul. You call out to them, Flora. You have a bond with every single person on the planet."

"Okay. So, what about the bad souls, and weird guy from today?" I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear this part, but my curiosity was getting the better of me.

"That part's a little less pleasant. The souls you reject are sent to the Endwood. They will never be reincarnated and never given bodily form again. Instead, they will spend nine years in the dark kingdom of Sluag, before they cease to exist any longer."

"What's a Sluag?" I shivered as I asked the question, remembering the monster from earlier.

It was Finlay who answered me. "If we're keeping with Penthesilea's analogy, he is kind of like the devil. Sluag's full title is The Host of the Unforgiven Dead. He rules the Endwood and all of the rogue souls within it. But don't worry, they can't leave the Endwood, not unless you change your decisions and invite them to."

"Not likely," I murmured. "What about the Draugur? That wasn't in the Endwood. It was here."

Pen stood up and paced slowly along the length of the table as she answered me. "Draugur are anomalies. Their name literally translates to _again-walker._ Imagine a game of draughts. When you get a piece all the way over to your opponent's side of the board, it gets crowned, yes?"

I nodded.

"Finlay and myself are not your only protectors, Flora. We are just two of the Dion—the group who are chosen to protect the current Soul Keeper, so that you can continue to protect humanity from being overrun by evil. If a Dion is killed, then their blood can be used to create new Draugurs from the souls within the Endwood. So, they are effectively crowned and can move between the Endwood and the mortal world, in the same way the counters in draughts can go back and forward on the board once they have been made. That was what you encountered today."

"Was it there to kill me?" I couldn't stop the question from leaving my lips.

Pen stopped pacing for a moment and levelled her eyes at me. "Not right there and then. It wanted to take you to the Endwood so that Sluag could do it himself. If Sluag takes the life of a Soul Keeper within the bounds of his realm, then it will rip apart the veil that separates the Everwood and Endwood and evil would be free to re-enter the world of its own accord."

# Chapter Three

While I tried to find a way to accept that the king of the dead wanted to kill me, Finlay stood and walked to the back of my chair. He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and gripped lightly as I breathed in and out deeply. Since I lost my parents, only Finlay had ever been able to bring me calm in my worst storms, and it worked even now.

His voice behind me broke my thoughts. "We've told you the worst of it, Flor. I think we probably should have started out with some of the good bits first, kinda help to break you in, you know?" He lifted his hands from my shoulders and walked around my chair to lean against the table, facing me.

I'd never really noticed before how well-muscled and lean Finlay was. His arms crossed over his chest were thick, and I could see the shape of his muscles underneath the tightness of his clean, white T-shirt. I could see why he was a protector, _a Dion_.

As though he could sense my thoughts, he grinned at me and waggled his eyebrows, making me blush and look away.

"Tell me some of the good stuff then? Because all I'm hearing is how I need to make huge decisions about bad souls and avoid getting myself killed."

"Well, you have to think the castle is quite impressive." Pen smiled and lifted her arms toward the ceiling, gesturing at the change in the building.

"The castle is seriously cool, but how did it happen?"

"This castle has been home to the Dion for hundreds of years. Since the Soul Keeper first came into existence, in order to rid the world of evil."

"Has it always looked like this for you?"

"Yes, always. None of the people in the mortal world can remember a time when the castle was whole; this helps to keep our secret safe. To me and the other Dion it has always been home, a stronghold from which to protect our charge. Loch Ness is a place like none other in the world. It is brimming with mystical energy, and it gives us a distinct advantage to have our home here."

I gave Pen a pointed look and wondered whether or not I should ask the question that was on the tip of my tongue.

She spoke up again before I could decide if I would ask it. "No, Flora, the Loch Ness monster isn't real."

"I honestly don't know if that makes me glad or sad." I laughed.

Pen laughed with me. "Would you like to meet the other Dion, Flora? I know they will be very excited to finally meet you properly."

I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach. _What if they don't like me?_ But then I looked at Finlay and knew that if they were half as awesome as my best friend, then I'd be just fine. "I would," I answered her.

A squeal of, "Yayyy," was followed closely by a girl of around my age throwing herself through the doors of the great hall and embracing me in a hug that was surprisingly strong for someone who must have only weighed about fifty kilos.

She had long golden hair, which hung in loose waves down her back, and huge eyes the soft brown colour of a doe's. Her skin was a deep tan colour, which I noticed straight away because not many people have tanned skin in Scotland.

"Hi, Flora. It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Mara." She let me go as she spoke and turned toward the door to gesture with her head for someone else to _come in_.

She was joined by a guy who had sandy brown hair which was cut in such a way it made his face look almost elfin. His hazel eyes were kind, and he had a slender build to him which matched Mara's willowy figure. Even before he entwined his fingers with hers, I knew they were a couple; they were perfect for each other.

"I'm Artair. A pleasure to meet you, Soul Keeper." He reached out and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you both," I replied. "Artair is an unusual name."

"It means eagle." He smiled.

Pen spoke up then. "Mara has a similar responsibility to you, Flora. She escorts animal souls to the Everwood."

"So, you sort animal souls?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't have to sort them." She smiled at me as she spoke. "There are no evil animals, Flora. Every single soul goes to the Everwood to be reincarnated."

"I guess that makes your job a little easier than mine," I half joked.

She looked sad. "Perhaps. Unless you have to escort a group of souls that came from an abattoir. You can still feel their fear, exactly as it was right at the end. Although I guess you'll get that with murder victims too."

"You can sense what they felt when they died?" I shuddered.

"Only for a very short time," she assured me.

I wanted to ask Mara so many more questions. Her role was so similar to mine that I knew she would be able to teach me a lot. Before I could question her any further, however, my attention was caught by a cough behind me, and I turned to meet the next member of the Dion.

I wasn't a short girl at five eight, but the girl who stood before me was at least five eleven, and she used every extra inch to look a little further down her nose at me. She had short dark hair and ice blue eyes, set within a beautiful but cold face.

"This is Freya, Flora." Pen introduced us with a note of warning in her voice. Clearly Freya was a diva.

"Nice to meet you." I offered my hand.

Pen frowned as Freya ignored my outstretched offering. "All of the female Dion have extra gifts or roles. While all of the male Dion are solely warriors, gifted only with the strength to protect you, Flora. Freya's role is to escort the souls you have rejected to the Endwood."

Freya spoke for the first time, and her voice was as cold as her glare. "Yeah, I just take out the rubbish for you."

I wasn't really sure what to say to that, but the taller girl saved me trying to think too hard when she turned and stalked out of the great hall without a backward glance.

"Pay no attention to her." Finlay came over to me and nudged my arm playfully. "She's just—"

"Jealous," a soft, deep voice echoed from the darkness beyond the doorway, cutting Finlay off before he could finish.

I could have sworn I heard Finlay full-on growl as the most striking-looking man I had ever seen walked into the hall. I immediately thought _man_ , because although I was certain he wasn't more than a couple of years older than me, he had a confidence about him that belied his age.

He was tall but lean and lithe. He had black hair and the most incredible amber-coloured eyes that reminded me of a wolf. He was dressed all in black, which felt like a massive cliché but at the same time suited him perfectly.

Finlay grudgingly stepped to one side, as the newcomer took my hand in his and kissed the back of it in a gallant, old-school way before he lifted his eyes to mine and said, "I'm Lyall. It's an honour to meet you, Flora Bast."

The kiss on my hand and his use of my full name, coupled with his good looks and lilting voice, knocked me speechless. A long moment stretched out into the realms of embarrassing, until with a roll of her eyes, Pen saved me.

"So, you have met each of us now, Flora. We are a family, and you are a part of that family too. It was only for your protection that we did not allow you to fully be a part of it sooner, and for what it's worth, I am sorry that we could not. Do you perhaps feel a little less confused about things than you did earlier?"

Managing to tear my green eyes away from Lyall's amber gaze, I replied to Pen. "I think so. It's a lot to take in and I guess I don't really know what I'm supposed to do next."

"We will help you with everything that comes next, Flora. You will start to learn the ropes, visit the Everwood and begin to really understand the souls under your care. Yes, you have subconsciously already been filtering the bad from the good, but the better grip you have on your gift, the better you will be at protecting yourself and the Everwood from Sluag."

I nodded at Pen and realised I did feel a lot better than I had earlier when Finlay had saved me from the Draugur. It had been a long time since I had had real family around me; after my ma and da had died, I hadn't had any blood relatives left. Both my parents were only-children and orphans, which had left me with nobody at all except Finlay and Pen.

Now it turned out I had been surrounded by family all along. Okay, Freya would take a little getting used to—but I liked all of the others already. My eyes flickered back to where Lyall had sat down, reclining in his chair in an easy way.

Pen spoke again then, breaking me out of my reverie. "Finlay is the logical choice to be your mentor while you are learning, since he knows you so well. He will accompany you to the Everwood." This time I thought I heard a small sigh of disappointment from Lyall, while Finlay grinned at me.

"Mara will also be very useful to you if you have any questions about souls that may fall outside of Finlay's knowledge," Pen finished.

"I would be happy to help you in any way I can, Flora." Mara beamed at me.

I really liked this girl already, and I had a feeling that we were going to be very good friends. "Thank you, Mara."

"For now, however, I think it's time for an old lady like me to get some rest. Flora, you will of course stay here from now on." Pen smiled.

I panicked, thinking about my cat at home alone. "Pen, I really need to get back to Achilles."

"Already taken care of sweetheart. I thought it best for Achilles to stay here while you are going to be so busy. He is currently lurking somewhere in the gardens with Phobos and Deimos."

"Phobos and Deimos?"

"My two feline terrors. I forgot you didn't know I had cats of my own, Flora." Pen laughed as she made for the door.

I shook my head, smiling to myself. "There's a lot I didn't know about you, Pen, but I'm learning fast."

After we left the great hall, Finlay and I walked up the sweeping staircase that led to the second floor of Castle Dion. My eyes took in the tapestries and paintings on the walls. Being here felt so strange, but I also had a strong sense of being home, and I liked that.

Finlay walked me to the sixth door along the landing, stopping outside. "This is going to be your room. We'll be staying at the castle permanently now that you know who you are."

"I'm not going to be going to work or college much anymore, am I?" My eyes met his as I spoke, asking him to tell me the truth.

"Not right now. You've got tons to learn, and it'll take time and dedication. Your path in life doesn't really need college qualifications, Flor."

I nodded, feeling the first real pang of loss for my "normal" life. It was a little sad and more than a little scary.

Reaching out, Finlay gently touched his fingers to my cheek. "Hey, I'm here, right next to you, Flor. You're not going to do this alone. I'm gonna be with you every step of the way, okay?"

"Always?" I smiled. If we ever fell out, or if I was feeling down and Finlay was cheering me up, I would ask him, _always?_

His response would never fail to be the same.

"And forever." He smiled back, before he headed along the hall to his own bedroom.

I gasped as I pushed open the door. The space inside was everything you would pretty much expect from a room in a castle. It was epic. But I was so tired—emotionally and physically—that after a quick glance at my surroundings, I fell into bed and slept almost right away.

# Chapter Four

The next morning, a knock sounded at my door just as I was pulling on my trusty tan boots.

I had found a wardrobe filled with clothes in my size, and after I had showered, I chose a pair of skinny blue jeans and a cream T-shirt to wear. I guessed it would be fine, as it was likely the clothes were supposed to be for me anyway. Pen had been expecting me after all.

I ran to the door, naturally expecting Finlay to be on the other side. Instead, my eyes met the wolfish amber orbs that belonged to Lyall, and my _hello_ stuttered at the back of my throat. This guy turned me into a serious nerd.

"I thought you might like someone to walk you down to breakfast, Flora Bast." His smile was like sunshine on a baby bunny rabbit, aka adorable.

"You know you can just call me Flora, right?" The formality in his use of my full name didn't fit with the look of flirtation in his eyes.

"Then, shall we go to breakfast, Flora?" He offered me his arm as he spoke.

"Why not?" I linked my arm with his, and we started toward the stairs.

"You know, I don't think I've met anyone called Lyall before. Does your name have a meaning? Like Artair's?" We reached the bottom of the stairs and walked toward the noise of dishes and cutlery.

"It does. It means _wolf_."

Before I could respond, Finlay materialised next to me and gently but firmly extricated my arm from Lyall's, wrapping it within his own instead.

"Cheers, Lyall. I can take it from here." Finlay winked at my dark-haired ex-escort as he steered me into the breakfast room.

I raised my eyebrows at my best friend as we took our seats at a table large enough to comfortably seat myself and all of the Dion. Pen, Mara, and Artair were already eating. Lyall sat at the same time as we did, not looking remotely ruffled by Finlay's intervention.

Freya was obvious, only by her absence. Pen must have noticed me looking for her and raised her voice over the clatter of plates and the chatter. "Freya was up and out early today, Flora. She had souls to escort to the Endwood."

"Does she go there by herself?" I was curious; if Freya went to the Endwood, then wouldn't Sluag kill her and create more Draugur?

"It's an age-old agreement between us and Sluag. He wants his rogue souls delivered, and we want them out of the Everwood, so Freya—or whoever is her current incarnation—will never be harmed when he or she is within the Endwood."

"That makes sense." I didn't envy Freya having to go there alone, though.

"I asked her to take most of the rogue souls at first light today, so you can explore the Everwood with Finlay. It wouldn't do to have you overwhelmed by them on your first visit." Pen finished speaking and sipped her tea.

"Talking of which." Finlay stood up and grabbed a slice of toast. "We should really get going, Flor."

"There are still some impure souls in the Everwood, Finlay." Pen's voice had a warning tone to it. "Flora needs to encounter both soul types to learn. But be careful. Take good care of our new Soul Keeper."

I stood up to follow Finlay and said goodbye to the others at the table, smiling at Lyall's cheeky wink when Finlay's back was turned.

We walked through the castle's cavernous entrance-hall, stepping out though the front gate and into the July sunshine—contrary to popular belief, it does actually get quite warm in Scotland in summertime.

"Finlay, how come no one can see the castle like this, except us? And how come we can't see anyone else here?" It was the height of tourist season. Even at this early hour, the castle should be full of visitors, yet we were entirely alone as we made our way through the decoratively landscaped gardens surrounding the beautifully restored building.

"I'm not entirely sure. But basically, we kind of exist on a different plane here. It's exactly the same place but almost as though we're here at a different time to them."

"All this time I worked here and I had no idea." I breathed in wonder as I looked around me.

My musings were suddenly broken by an indignant _prrrrp_ sound as a tabby fur ball started to wind frantically around my legs.

"Achilles." I picked my cat up and snuggled my face into his fur, surprised when he permitted the intense PDA and actually tried to burrow deeper into my shoulder.

Finlay came over and scratched behind Achilles ear, causing the cat to tip his head so far upside down in pleasure that he toppled out of my arms and landed on four paws in front of me. Finlay and I laughed as two much smaller kitties raced up to check that Achilles was okay.

"The ginger one is Phobos, and the black one is Deimos."

"They're so cute." I gave Deimos a quick scratch on his head before following Finlay into an open area of grass that was surrounded by hundreds of flowering plants.

Finlay stood facing me in the middle of the grass. He looked a lot more relaxed than I felt. His feet were shoulder-width apart, and his hands hung loose by his sides. Again, I was struck by how I had never noticed how gorgeous my best friend was before. As I walked toward him, he shot me a guileless smile and I couldn't help but return it with one of my own.

"Is this place like a gateway to the Everwood, or something?" I asked as I reached him and stood facing him, mirroring his easy stance.

"Nope. You can reach the Everwood anytime you like, outside Castle Dion. It's a natural thing for you to do, so it won't take you long to get the hang of it. I just thought it would help you to try for the first time in a nice place that was away from the others, so you didn't feel self-conscious."

"What if I feel self-conscious in front of you?" I said it only half-jokingly.

"That's never gonna happen. Now, you need to focus, Flor."

He became serious so suddenly, it made me forget my nerves completely. Drawing my eyebrows tightly together, I concentrated on his instructions.

"Close your eyes, Flor. This isn't something you will do normally, but in the interests of concentration, let's go with it."

I closed them and started to take long, slow breaths as though I was aiming for meditation.

"Good. Now this will be the hard part. I need you to think of the Everwood."

"But...I've never been there," I protested.

"Don't talk. Think, Flor!"

I had no idea what I was supposed to think about, so behind my closed eyes, I started to picture what I thought the Everwood would look like. Obviously, it was a wood; there were thousands, maybe millions of trees. Each tree was covered in thousands, maybe millions of tiny blue flowers.

I seemed to be imagining a wood at dawn, because the trees were all dappled with the golden light of sunrise, and a morning dew lay like crystals over the grassy carpet on the ground, while a light mist filtered through the trees and grass at ankle-level. It was the most serene place I had ever experienced in my life.

"Open your eyes, Flora."

I jumped and my eyes snapped open. I had completely forgotten Finlay and everything around me. All I had known was the wood.

When my eyes refocused on what surrounded me, I held my breath in awe. I was standing in the wood from my mind. Everything was exactly the same, down to the last detail. Even the mist teasing around my boots.

A moment of panic gripped me as I wondered where Finlay was and if I was here alone. _What if I came to the Endwood by mistake?_ But relief was quick when I felt him wrap his hand around mine and squeeze it reassuringly.

"I didn't expect you to manage it quite that quickly, Flor. I'm impressed."

"It's beautiful," I said softly.

"You will naturally feel an affinity for the place, Flor, because of what you are. But you're right, it is beautiful."

I started to walk, weaving my way through the trees. The golden light of the sun bathed my face, but I was surprised to notice I didn't feel any warmth from it. If I had to describe the temperature here, I would say it was perfect. It was neither hot nor cold and there wasn't even a slight breeze. I sensed this never changed.

"Is it always day-break here?" I turned back toward Finlay who was following after me at a small distance.

"Yeah. The sun is always rising for the souls who stay here. It's a new dawn for them...a new beginning."

"Does that mean it's always sunset in the Endwood?" I shivered as I asked my question.

"No. In the Endwood, it's eternal night."

"Wow, is everything in this world a cliché?" I laughed. "Although it makes sense, I guess." I started through the trees again. "Where are the souls?"

Finlay followed after me once more. "I suspect they've already sensed you, and I reckon they'll be here any minute."

As if on cue, a tiny yellow light, not unlike a firefly started to dance through the trees toward us. I watched it draw closer, mesmerised. It was probably about the size of a small chicken's egg.

As I stared, fascinated, I noticed more and more lights begin to appear, distant at first but gradually dancing closer and closer to where we stood.

The lights were all different colours. I could see yellow and green, blue, pink and orange lights. Some moved so fast I thought they would collide with the trees or even each other. Others moved more slowly, as though they were planning their path with care.

The light I first noticed was now just a few inches from my face. As I stared into the ethereal orb, I noticed it wasn't just yellow. It had a strong yellow hue, but running through the centre were myriad colours firing back and forth like electricity in the centre of the ball.

Then, without warning, I could hear it. Not with my ears, because there was no sound in the Everwood, except for the sounds made by Finlay and me. But I could hear it inside of me; I could feel the vibrations of this soul's very existence thrumming against every fibre of my own being. I could understand it when it asked me if it was going to stay in the Everwood, and I knew how to respond to it, sending my reply back in the exact same way it had asked its question of me. _Yes, yes you will stay and be reborn, pure one._

The soul zipped off through the woods with such speed I was worried it would crash, but it didn't, and I could feel its sheer euphoric joy as it celebrated my answer.

"It seems you're a natural, Flor. Although I wouldn't have expected anything else." Finlay stood in a strangely empty patch of air. There were no souls around him; they were all around me instead.

I was just about to make a comment about how I was infinitely more popular than him when I felt as though my own soul had been torn from my body and set on fire. It wasn't a physical pain, but I would have welcomed physical agony over what I felt in that moment, and it rendered me speechless, knocking me backward with such force I hit the ground with a thud.

There was another ball of light before my eyes, but this one was so different to the little yellow orb I couldn't even begin to think of them in the same way. This light was a dark red colour, and the electricity inside it bolted frantically back and forth as though it were a tiny storm inside a snow-globe.

The vibrations it sent through me made me want to be sick. It was trying to dominate me and force me to bend to its will. I knew this because there was no way in hell I was letting that little ball of evil intent stay here in the Everwood. It knew I was going to banish it, and it was so angry it wanted to kill me.

Just when I thought I would die if I had to put up with it for a minute longer, I heard a sound like tearing cloth and I found myself lying on my back in the square of grass in the grounds of Castle Dion.

"Flor, are you okay? I'm so sorry." Finlay landed on his knees next to me, gripping my cheeks with his palms and staring at me worriedly.

"What was that?" I asked weakly.

"I can't be sure because I don't have your gift. But I think it was the soul of a serial killer. Flor, that was not what I wanted for your first experience of the Everwood. I'm so sorry."

"I'm going back to kick its ass right the way to the Endwood." I started to push myself up on my elbows, but a rush of nausea caused me, instead, to roll on to my side and heave up everything I had eaten for breakfast on the grass.

"Yeah, I'm thinking your gonna need a little rest before we attempt stage two, Flor."

# Chapter Five

It took around five minutes before Finlay would let me even try to sit up again and another fifteen before he proclaimed me recovered enough to stand. It was obvious he was blaming himself for what had just happened, which I thought was crazy since there wasn't very much he could have done about the rogue soul.

Strangely, I didn't feel afraid. Which I thought I probably should under the circumstances. I'd all but forgotten the way the little red light had made me feel, and I wanted to go back to the Everwood, I wanted to be there again in that sun-glazed haven.

"Finlay, stop clucking. I'm okay." I placed my hands against his chest and gently pushed against him to stop him from trying to hold me up. "I'm not going to fall over again. I swear."

He stepped back and made a show of scrutinising me up and down. "Hmm, I think you're all right, but that's probably enough time away from the mortal world for now."

I started to protest, but he cut me off. "Flor, it's your first day. Your whole world fell apart and was rebuilt in a completely different way yesterday. Add to that you've just met your first serial killer in soul form. I'd say you're due a break."

"Okay, okay, _Dad._ So, what does everyone do for fun here in this magical castle?" I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at my friend.

Finlay ignored the _dad_ insult, admirably, and instead of retaliating he started to walk down the slope of the gardens toward the shore, where the land met the water.

"We do what most people do on a hot day. We go for a swim," he threw back over his shoulder.

Looking up at the sky, I blinked at the brightness of the hot afternoon sun. It didn't escape my notice that we had been in the Everwood for a lot more time than I had thought, and the heat of the day had ramped up as the sun rose higher.

"Swimming?" I broke into a jog to catch up with Finlay's disappearing figure.

When I caught up with Finlay at the waterside, I saw we weren't the only ones here. Mara and Freya were sitting at the side of the loch, surrounded by picnic food and bottles of juice.

Artair and Lyall were both in the water.

"You coming in, Flor?" Finlay pulled his T-shirt over his head and started wading into the water, still wearing his cargo pants.

I glanced toward the girls. "Err, I don't have any swim-wear with me, so I think I'll sit with the girls." I wasn't thrilled at the thought of spending time in close conversation with Freya, but I did like the idea of getting to know Mara a little better.

"Suit yourself." Finlay shrugged and dived into the water, swimming out to join the other two guys. My eyes briefly met Lyall's, but not wanting to look as though I was ogling his bare chest, I turned away quickly and headed toward where Mara and Freya sat.

"Hi, Flora." Mara beamed at me and patted the blanket next her. "Sit with us. I want us to get to know everything about each other."

I lowered myself down next to Mara, tucking my legs underneath me comfortably. Freya clearly wasn't going to say anything to me, so I levelled my gaze at her and said, "Hi, Freya."

"Hi, Flora." It surprised me that I got any response at all from Freya, but the tone of her voice was so similar to mine I knew she was mocking me. Sighing, I turned toward Mara and returned her warm smile.

Mara poured me a cup of orange juice and handed it to me. "So, how has your first twenty-four hours at Castle Dion been, Flora? Did you manage to make it to the Everwood today?"

"I did. I met a pure soul, which was completely amazing, but then I met a rogue one too, which was pretty awful. Finlay thinks it might have been a serial killer's soul. He wouldn't let me go back after that. He's become so protective since he brought me here." I looked out over the loch until I picked out Finlay's pale hair bobbing in the blue-green water.

"You know, that's not strictly true." Mara grinned. "Finlay has been insanely overprotective of you since he found out he was one of your Dion when he was nine years old. It's a natural way for us to feel toward you, Flora. We are pre-programmed to want to keep you safe, more than anything in this world. Finlay takes it to a whole new level with you, though."

"We're best friends." I followed Finlay with my eyes as he climbed out of the water and up a tree branch, before launching himself back into the water, splashing Lyall in the face as he landed. "I feel protective over him too. We've been friends longer than I can remember and he's never let me down."

Freya stood up with a loud snort of laughter. "Friends? Is this girl for real?" she asked Mara. "He doesn't want to be your friend, you little idiot, and you don't even see it do you?"

Snatching up her sunglasses and a bottle of juice, Freya began to make her way back up the hill toward the castle.

"Wow, she hates me," I said miserably.

"No, she doesn't," Mara soothed. "She's envious of you because you're the most important one of us, and because Finlay is in love with you and not her."

I nearly choked on my juice. "What? Finlay doesn't love me. We're nineteen years old, we don't even have time for love yet—and that's before we even talk about me being the Soul Keeper and him being a Dion."

I took a breath and narrowed my eyes, fully realising what Mara had said. "She's jealous because Finlay doesn't love her? Why? Does she want him to?" I wrinkled my nose. "I don't think she's his type."

Mara threw back her head and laughed. It was a beautiful sound, so pure and full of life. Artair clearly heard his girlfriend's mirth; he was smiling broadly as he paused half-way up the trunk that Finlay had just leapt from and turned his head to watch her.

When she managed to stop laughing, Mara raised her eyebrows at me. "So, you don't think he loves you, but you get cranky when I talk about the possibility of him liking anyone else. Interesting, Flora."

I could feel the heat in my face. I was blushing furiously. I needed to change the topic and so I did, quickly. "You and Artair seem like a match made in heaven. How long have you been together?"

"Well, we first met eight years ago when I was eleven and Artair was thirteen. I don't think Penthesilea explained to you that we are all orphans. Our calling isn't something you can really hide from ordinary parents, so our families are pre-ordained to die when we're kids."

"That's horrible."

"It's the way it has to be. It was the same for you too, Flora. You lost your parents so that Penthesilea and Finlay could place themselves in your life and protect you."

That made me angry. It was as though Mara was saying it was my fault my parents were dead, and it cut me to the core. "My parents were best placed to protect me, Mara. That's what parents do. So, who decided that they should be taken away from me?"

Mara sighed sadly. "Fate did. The same as fate decided to take our families and make us your Dion. That was how Artair and I came to live here. Finlay has been at Castle Dion for as long as he can remember, and Freya was even younger than us when she came here. She was only two when her parents died. She has been with Penthesilea ever since. I guess that's why we all give her a free pass for being so angry all the time."

I felt tears start to prickle my eyes. I was hurting because I missed my parents, and I felt guilty. I was also hurting because I envied the bond the Dion had forged with each other while I was I was oblivious to this whole other life. I doubted Freya would ever accept me, even if the others might. In that moment, I felt extremely lonely.

"Oh, Flora." Mara threw her arms around me. "I didn't mean to upset you. I wanted to try and help you understand us a little better."

"I want to understand you, Mara. All of you." My traitorous eyes flickered in the direction of Lyall again. "Tell me about you and Artair? I'm sorry I got upset."

"There's not really very much else to tell. Artair and me became friends almost straight away. As we grew up here and learned more about ourselves, we became closer and closer. When I was seventeen, he told me he loved me, and I said it right back. He's a part of me. I couldn't imagine my life without him in it."

"You are both so obviously made for each other." I grinned at her.

"It's expected that you will be bonded in the same way, to one of your Dion eventually." She changed the subject deftly.

"I have a bond with Finlay. We're best friends, and although we're not romantically _together,_ I do love him," I argued.

"That's not the same thing and you know it, Flora. I'm not saying that it must be Finlay. Lyall obviously finds you attractive—it's not like he hides it." She laughed.

The blush was back now, and it felt a lot deeper red than before. "Lyall is terrifying. He's so..." I trailed off.

"Handsome? Charming? Intense?" She nudged my arm with every word.

"Wolf-like," I murmured.

Mara gave me an odd look. "It will happen. It always does according to Penthesilea. You will fall for one of your Dion. It's a Soul Keeper survival instinct. You are never safer than when you have a Dion in your company. Don't worry about it though. There's plenty of time for you to make your mind up."

I pulled my legs from underneath me and drew them up so I could wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin on my knees. Finlay and Lyall had grown tired of swimming and were making their way toward us, dripping with water and laughing together as they jogged up the bank.

I studied them both as they approached us. Finlay was so familiar to me, and there was no question he was a great-looking guy. All of the girls at work adored him and had always been fighting for his attention. His almost white hair and bright blue eyes were so unusual and yet so beautifully matched. But he was my best friend, my only friend in truth; although I was sure Mara would be a firm friend of mine very soon. I had never thought of Finlay in any other way before, and I didn't think I ever would.

Shifting my eyes to Lyall, I was once again struck by how stunning he was. His dark brown hair feathered across his pale forehead, stopping just above his liquid eyes. The amber colour made his eyes look as though they were burning, and when he lifted his gaze and fixed his eyes on mine, it felt as though I were burning with them.

He reminded me of Damon Salvatore from _The Vampire Diaries_ , which obviously made me completely weak at the knees. But that also made him quite scary. He was way out of reach for someone as ordinary as me.

In the instant before the still soaking-wet guys arrived at our camp, Mara broke through my thoughts with a final word. "Don't get too hung up on it, Flora. Fate will take you wherever you're meant to be."

# Chapter Six

The next morning Finlay knocked at my door to collect me for training at the Everwood. We grabbed some food from the breakfast table and headed back toward the same clearing in the gardens we had used the day before.

"Close your eyes and imagine the wood again, Flor," Finlay instructed as he stood opposite me with his hands by his sides—in what I had come to think of as his "relaxed" stance.

It took less than ten seconds for me to close my eyes and feel the already-so-familiar atmosphere of the Everwood wrap around me. I kept my eyes closed for a moment longer while I relished the feel of my environment. I listened hard for any sounds, but there were none, save the sound of Finlay walking closer to me.

As I felt the gentle touch of his fingertips against my cheek, I opened my eyes and focussed on his face, which was only inches from mine. "You are awesome at that, Flor. You should be proud."

My face flushed and I took a tiny step back. "Thanks. I guess I am."

The look of hurt was only on his face for a fleeting second, but it was there long enough for me to see it. He started to walk toward the trees, and I knew he wanted me to follow him, even though he didn't ask me to.

We walked in a silence that was slightly strained, but I was soon distracted by the tiny multicoloured lights that had begun to hover in the distance. They danced between the trees, weaving their way through the blue flowered branches. I knew they were keeping their distance for a reason. They were all pure souls, and they knew the rogue soul had hurt me yesterday. They were asking permission to approach me in case they hurt me too.

Finlay must have known it too. "Today we'll try calling one individual soul to you at a time. You need to learn how to do this so that you don't get overwhelmed by them all."

"They don't seem to want to overwhelm me," I objected as I took a step toward the little orbs.

"They're all pure souls, Flora. They will play by the rules. But you should have learned your lesson yesterday; rogue souls don't do what's expected of them. Practising keeping pure souls at a distance will hopefully enable you to be able to do the same with rogues too."

"So, it works the same for both?" I tried not to show my surprise at Finlay's use of my full name.

"Kind of." His voice sounded a little softer now. "You will just have to be a lot more forceful with the rogues than you are with the pure souls. If you're too harsh with these little guys, they'll get upset."

"Oh." The last thing I wanted was to upset these patient little beings, waiting for me to let them know their fate.

Finlay chose a patch of long grass inside a clearing in the woods and sat himself down on it cross-legged. He looked over to me and patted the grass next to him. "Come and sit."

It wasn't a request. This new strict Finlay was going to take some getting used to. I walked over and sat next to my friend, crossing my legs in the same way as him.

"Okay, Flor. Pick one soul and concentrate on it. If any others try to get into your line of sight, I want you to imagine a shield that will only let the single soul you have chosen inside its boundaries."

Taking a deep breath, I looked around until I found a little green light that hovered respectfully on the edge of the woods. It seemed so sweet and inoffensive I felt a strong urge to talk to this one above all of the others.

"You got one?" Finlay followed my gaze with his eyes.

"Yes. Now what?"

"Talk to it, the same way you did with the pure soul yesterday."

I fixed my gaze on the green orb and mentally reached out to it. _Come here, little one?_

I didn't know what to expect, but the rush of utter joy that emanated from the tiny ball was so strong it almost brought tears to my eyes. The little soul dipped toward the floor and performed three loop-the-loops in quick succession before firing itself across the grassy clearing toward me.

When it reached the air in front of my eyes, it screeched to a stop and hovered about eight inches away from my face. The soul didn't speak to me in the conventional way of talking. I couldn't even hear its words inside my head. But I could somehow sense them, and I understood what it was saying to me.

"It just told me it loves me." I laughed aloud.

"Of course it loves you. You're its only hope of having another shot at existence in the mortal world. To that soul, you are everything."

Concentrating hard, I answered the glowing orb. _I love you too and you will stay here in the Everwood, until you are reborn. Be good, little one._

The soul flew toward my face and gently grazed itself along my cheek. The feeling of its touch was like an electric shock. It made me feel more alive than I had ever felt in my life. It whispered inside my mind. _Thank you, Flora,_ before it disappeared between the trees.

"I think that went quite well." I turned to Finlay and smiled.

"Like I said before, Flor, you're a natural at this. Being here suits you." He gave me an affectionate smile.

"How did I get here, Finlay? I mean how was I chosen to be the Soul Keeper, and who was the Soul Keeper before me?"

"Yours is one of only two souls that don't need to be chosen. You have always had a free pass back into the world, Flor. Your soul has existed since humanity began. The only soul on this Earth older than yours is Mara's, because animals existed way before humanity. Just like you, Mara's soul will always come back too."

"But I don't have any memories of living before?"

"None of us do. We keep our memories for a very short time after we die. That's why Mara said you can sense fear or sadness from people who died badly. Those memories fade for everyone, including you, so you need to be reminded of what you are by your Dion."

"So, was Pen a Dion for the last Soul Keeper?" It suddenly occurred to me that Pen was at least fifty. Old enough to have been around a long time before I was born. She must have known the person who came before me.

"Penthesilea is the last living Dion of the Soul Keeper who came before you. All of the other Dion and the previous Soul Keeper were lost to her. She has never told any of us the full story of how that happened. We've just kind of worked most of it out, because she must have been alone until Freya and I came here, and she started to rebuild your inheritance through each of us. Otherwise there would be more Dion than just us."

I shuddered; something told me the story of how Pen lost her Soul Keeper and the other Dion wouldn't be a happy one. A morbid part of me was also desperately curious to know how the last Soul Keeper died. I wondered if Sluag had had a hand in it.

"So, after the last Soul Keeper died, my soul was reborn as me? How did I sort souls when I was a baby?" It was confusing and more than a bit strange to think that my soul didn't really just belong to me. My soul was something that I had always taken for granted. To find out I had shared ownership of it made me feel possessive. Quite understandably, I thought.

"It's like we told you on the first night here, Flor. Your soul has been working in the background over the years. Even when you were a baby, your soul was mature and was able to keep sorting the good from the bad. You don't need to come to the Everwood in full body format to do your job. Given time, you will be able to learn how to separate your own soul from your body."

"That sounds painful. Why would I want to do it?"

"There are reasons." Finlay's cryptic answer was matched by an equally cryptic smirk.

"But on the downside, now that I'm consciously doing my job, Sluag can find me and try to kill me, right?"

"That's exactly why we hid you for as long as we could, Flor. It was easier for us and you. But once that Draugur found you, it was game over anyway. I guess it doesn't feel great having to catch up with everything right now, though."

I sighed and dropped my head sideways to rest it on Finlay's shoulder in the easy way I had done so many times over the years. "If I didn't have the familiarity of you in my life right now, then I don't think I'd be dealing with this quite so well, Finlay."

"I've always thought the world of you, Flor, and I've always been prepared to die to protect you. I'm going to make this all as easy to wrap your head around as possible." He gently rested his head against mine as he spoke.

"Don't die for me, Finlay. I don't think I could live through that," I murmured.

We sat like that, inside the Everwood, for what felt like hours, and I was entirely at peace. Being there felt as though I had everything I could ever need. I'm not sure either of us would have ever moved again if it wasn't for a bitter voice that suddenly spoke up behind us.

"Jesus, you two have been here for like six hours, and you've managed to address the sum total of one soul? What have you been doing? As if I need to ask."

I jumped guiltily and stood up, even though we had done nothing wrong, but Freya just had a way of getting under my skin.

Finlay stood up alongside me, and his face glowered with anger. "Flora is familiarising herself with the Everwood, Freya."

"Ha, is that all she's familiarising herself with, Finlay?" Freya stood with her arms folded over her chest and a mocking look on her annoyingly beautiful face.

There it was again. There was no doubt this time that I heard Finlay full-on growl at Freya as he bit back. "I'm getting sick of your attitude, Freya. Everyone is getting sick of it. We're a unit and unity is what will keep each of us alive. It's time you started behaving like you're a part of a team."

For a brief moment, Freya looked almost as though she might cry. Her face lost its cold mask, instead her lower lip jutted out, and her blue eyes shone with the faintest hint of salt water. Finlay had shocked her I was sure.

I was just about to step forward and check Freya was okay when she laughed. It was a harsh cackle, which sounded more like a caw from a crow, and it made me stop in my advance. My eyes grew wide as Freya's whole body started to swim in front of my eyes. It was like she had turned into smoke, her features and the colours of her clothes all broke apart and swirled together until they created a single colour. Black.

I looked at Finlay, wondering if this was something to do with Sluag. I was terrified we were about to start seeing Draugur coming for us. Finlay was obviously furious, but he wasn't scared, and that comforted me a little.

I turned back to what was left of Freya just in time to see the black colour weave into a tight-knit ball about the size of a melon before it burst apart into a mass of black feathers. A massive shrieking raven rose into the air. Fixing its ice blue eyes on us, it gave one final indignant cry before it winged its way deftly through the trees followed by a stream of souls I recognised as rogues.

I turned to Finlay, about to ask him what the hell had just happened, but he was already yelling after the raven. "Way to go, Freya. One step at a time, Penthesilea said. Don't tell her too much at once, or it'll be too much for her. You're not fit to be a Dion."

I touched him gently on the shoulder, pulling him out of his angry tirade. "Finlay, did Freya just become a bird?"

He looked uncomfortable and almost as though he might not answer me, but he did. "Yeah. When Freya escorts the rogue souls to the Endwood, she takes the shape of a raven. It's the logical form to take to lead souls that fly, I guess."

"I—is it just Freya who can do that? Become a raven I mean?" I asked.

He sighed heavily. "All of the Dion can shape-shift. We have different forms than Freya, though. Your protectors have strong animal alters to enable them to fight. Lyall becomes a wolf and Artair becomes an eagle."

I suddenly thought back to when Lyall and Artair had told me what their names meant. "Finlay? What does your name actually mean?"

"It translates in two ways," he answered. "It either means white-haired or white cat."

# Chapter Seven

"So, you can become a white cat? No wonder Achilles always liked you so much, even though he hates everyone else." I was blown away by Finlay's revelation. I wanted to ask him so many questions. Finlay didn't seem to mirror my enthusiasm; instead, he walked over to one of the closest trees and leaned his shoulder against it with his eyes closed and his back to me.

Walking hesitantly closer, I spoke softly to him. "Finlay, what's wrong?"

"I'm embarrassed, Flora. Don't you get it? I didn't want you to know I was a shape-shifter. It makes me a freak, and how could you want to be friends with a freak?"

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was a bad move because it made Finlay turn and look at me with such anger it made me take a step backward. "Finlay, I'm a Soul Keeper for God's sake." It felt strange to say _for God's sake_ now that I was pretty sure my existence meant God wasn't real. But it was a habit I was unlikely to get out of anytime soon.

"From everything I've heard over the last forty-eight hours, I am the ultimate freak. My soul isn't my own, I am completely responsible for making sure no evil gets back onto the Earth, and a crazy king of the dead wants to kill me so he can make the world into his own version of hell. I think you have a long way to go before you match my freak level."

"You can shape-shift too, Flor," he whispered.

"Into what?" Instead of adding to my worry about my weirdness repertoire, this new piece of information actually excited me.

"What you can shift into isn't predetermined. That's something that you will have to find out when you eventually learn how to do it. But you will be able to do it with a little training."

"I don't get it. If I can shift too, then why on Earth would you feel embarrassed about it, you dope?"

He grinned at me, my chilled-out Finlay returning to me little by little. "I don't know. I'm so used to feeling different to everyone else. It was tough for me because I was your primary guardian. I had to spend time in the real world with you. The others got to stay here at Castle Dion, so they never really felt like outsiders in the way I always have."

"You're not an outsider. You're my best friend and you are the biggest part of my world, Finlay. Yes, okay, it's a pretty screwed up world, but it's ours nonetheless. If you're a freak, then so am I, and I'm okay with that."

"Come here, you?" Without giving me a chance to respond, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into one of his speciality bear hugs.

Pulling back just enough to allow me to peek up at his face, I smiled at him. "So, when are you going to teach me how to shape-shift?"

His face darkened as he answered me. "There's one member of the Dion who can shift flawlessly. He's the one who taught each and every one of us how to do it. None of us are better qualified to teach you than him."

The dark look made total sense to me as realisation dawned. "Lyall?"

Finlay released me from his bear hug and nodded. "If anyone can teach you safely and fast, then Lyall can. We'll speak to him about it when we get back. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help."

"Okay." I wasn't sure how I felt about learning to shift with Lyall. He still terrified me. But I had a feeling if Finlay could have taught me just as well, he wouldn't have agreed to hand the responsibility over. "Should we sort some more souls now? I feel terrible I've only dealt with one."

"Did you hear what Freya said before? We've been here almost the whole day. If nothing else, I think we deserve some food, Flor. Plus, a bit of rest won't hurt you either."

I was secretly quite relieved to be taking a break, I felt exhausted after a whole day outside of the real world. "Okay, how do we go back?" I hadn't left the Everwood by choice yesterday so I had no idea how to get myself out of there.

"Just do the opposite of what you do to get here. Imagine yourself back in the mortal world. It's easy." As he finished speaking, Finlay disappeared from my view.

"It's easy." I rolled my eyes and mimicked Finlay out loud, and then I took a deep breath. _Okay, Flora. Just think about being back at the castle. You can do this._

The trees around me started to flicker and lose focus, telling me what I was doing was definitely working. I blinked and by the time my eyes re-opened I stood in the castle gardens just a few feet from Finlay. I was surprised to notice it was late afternoon.

"Well done, Flor. Let's go and get some food. I'm starving."

"That was surprisingly easy." I grinned as I followed after him.

"You are surprisingly talented, Soul Keeper." Finlay winked at me and draped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me along so quickly I almost tripped.

"Whoa, slow down. What's the rush?" I laughed at the easy atmosphere between us. Things almost felt as though they were back to how they used to be.

"I am literally gonna die if I don't eat in the next three minutes, Flor. That's the rush."

We both fell into the dining room together laughing and jostling against each other. Pen looked up in surprise and smiled warmly at us. All of the other Dion were already seated and eating their way through burgers, chips, and salad on the huge table.

Everyone said _hello_ to us as we sat down, expect for Freya who had the good grace to look sheepish when Finlay shot her a pointed look.

"How went your day in the Everwood, Flora?" Pen enquired.

I had started putting together a burger and was just in the process of stuffing it with lettuce and tomatoes, but I stopped while I answered Pen.

"It went really well, thank you. I sorted another soul. I wanted to do more, but time moves so differently there."

"She was amazing, Penthesilea. It takes her seconds to move between here and the Everwood, and the souls just migrate to her. They adore her. Oh, Flora also knows that we shift too." Finlay fired another look toward Freya as he finished.

Pen's eyes darkened slightly. "I thought we agreed we would take things one step at a time, Finlay. Telling Flora about the shifting should have waited for at least a week from now." She turned toward me before continuing, "Flora, don't think I'm trying to keep you in the dark. I just don't want to throw everything at you and overwhelm you."

I really didn't want Finlay to get into trouble with Pen, but it didn't seem as though he was going to tell her the truth of how I came about my knowledge. So, I held my tongue and didn't drop Freya in it. Instead I just replied, "I get that, Pen. I don't feel like you're hiding things from me."

Looking back to Finlay, Pen said, "Does Flora know everything? Including her own abilities?"

Finlay nodded, unable to speak around a mouthful of burger and chips. I've never understood people who mix their protein and carbohydrates in one mouthful. The thought makes me squeamish, but Finlay had always had a talent for shoving all of his food in together and seeming to enjoy it.

Pen's voice drew my attention back to her. "Shape-shifting is a gift, provided to us so we can defend ourselves against our enemies. It's a valuable asset to you, Flora. One you should learn as soon as possible."

I nodded my head enthusiastically.

Pen fixed her gaze on Finlay once more. "You are not the most suitable Dion to educate Flora in shifting, Finlay."

Finlay scowled a little at that, but he quickly replaced the scowl with a more relaxed look. "I know. Flora and me already talked about it, and she's happy for Lyall to teach her what she needs to know."

A wide grin broke out across Lyall's face. If ever there was a poster child for the wolf in Red Riding Hood, it was him.

"If that's okay with you?" Finlay addressed Lyall directly.

"I would love to teach Flora the ropes." He gave me a theatrical leer. "Shall we start first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Sure, should we meet at the castle gate?" I was grateful to be able to get a long night's sleep between now and my new tuition. I was exhausted.

"The castle gate, at seven then. I'll look forward to it." He shot a smirk in Finlay's direction.

Pen rolled her eyes at the two guys and then stood up and spoke in a voice that sought to capture the attention of everyone in the room. "I've been thinking. It's unlikely Flora will ever get used to calling me Penthesilea, so may I suggest we lower the tone of formality, and you all start referring to me as Pen from now on. We are, after all, peers."

There was a chorus of agreement, so after five shouts of _yes,_ we all finished our food, rose from the table to go and take a little down-time before bed.

Finlay walked beside me as we headed out into the hallway. "There's a full-sized pool table in the lower level of the castle. Wanna play a couple of games before bed, Flor?"

I shook my head. "Thanks, but I'm so tired right now, and I have a pretty big day tomorrow. I should get some sleep."

Finlay and I would often go to our local bar and play pool together after work, and I felt guilty saying no to him. Especially because it was so I could get some rest, ready to spend the day with Lyall tomorrow.

He took it on the chin, though. "Okay, maybe see you tomorrow night." He started toward the stairs down to what I assumed was the snooker room. I could hear Artair and Mara laughing down there and the unmistakable sound of snooker balls bouncing around the table.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow." I made my way up the stairs, delighted to finally be able to get some rest.

As I approached my room, I noticed a tall figure stood in the shadows beside the door. For a brief moment of panic, I thought it was a Draugur, but as I braced myself for attack, Freya stepped forward, revealing her face to me.

I let out a huge breath of relief, and she smiled at me. An actual, genuine smile and not one of her usual sneers. "Sorry, Flora. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right. You didn't," I lied.

She raised a perfectly defined eyebrow at that but didn't call me out on the fib.

"I wanted to thank you for not telling Penthesilea—Pen about what I did. I expected you to, after the way I've behaved toward you. So, thank you, and I'm sorry you found out about shifting like that. It's an awesome gift. You should have the opportunity to enjoy learning it."

_Wow!_ "That's okay, I was just following Finlay's lead, but I'm not a snitch either. Apology accepted though." I smiled at her.

She nodded and gave me another genuine smile. "Thanks, Flora. See you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," I murmured in surprise. I might have said more, but she was already halfway down the stairs and wouldn't have heard me if I had.

# Chapter Eight

I was walking through a wood that looked almost exactly like the Everwood. I knew it wasn't the Everwood because everything was black and the sky was pitch dark, except for the light of the full moon. I also knew I was dreaming, because I could feel the dampness of the dew from the grass on the soles of my bare feet, and the rational side of my brain insisted I wouldn't allow myself to wander around outdoors with no shoes on if I were awake.

Knowing I was dreaming meant I didn't really mind going along with things. Everyone knows nothing can hurt you in your dreams, no matter how crazy they get. Even if you drop off a cliff. Okay, you'll get that stomach-wrenching feeling of falling, and it will feel so real until the exact moment you're supposed to hit the ground. But you don't hit the ground. Instead, you wake up with an uncontrollable spasm of fear, thankful you're actually in your own bedroom and not hanging around cliff-tops or throwing yourself off them.

So, safe in the knowledge I was tucked up in my bed at the castle, with Achilles asleep, curled up on my feet, I carried on, winding my way through the silver-lighted trees.

I stopped to examine one particular tree, noticing the bark was jet black in colour. Tilting my head back so I could look right up to the top, I realised I couldn't see a single leaf on the skeletal branches.

Shifting my eyes to the other trees, I examined each in turn. Every tree I could see was the same: dead, black, and leafless. They looked like giant charred fingers, stretching up toward the infinite and starless sky.

With a jolt of fear, I realised I must be in the Endwood—it couldn't be anywhere else. "I shouldn't be here," I spoke aloud. My voice sounded muffled, the same way it does when you're standing in a heavy snow storm.

I turned a full three-sixty circle, looking for an obvious way out. I vaguely remembered the Endwood was connected to the Everwood, so there had to be a way to get myself back to safety; I just had to find it.

Every direction looked exactly the same; more and more of the ominous black trees stretched away into the shadowy distance. Choosing a random direction, I began to walk. I smiled to myself as I wondered if I would be able to find a cliff to throw myself off so I could wake myself up before I hit the bottom.

The landscape didn't change. I kept walking through the same damp grass, surrounded by the same dead trees, following a path that was lit by the same cold moonlight. I tried to convince myself that it was okay; this was just a dream. But the panic started to rise inside me. This felt way too real to be a dream, and I suspected I was trapped here.

I hadn't even realised my pace had quickened until I was almost running. Fear was pushing me into "flight" mode. Every part of me hoping I would find the pathway back to the Everwood and then eventually home.

When I broke through the trees into a clearing, I almost sobbed with relief—the landscape had changed, something was different. Although I had no idea if this was a good thing or not.

By the time I noticed the Draugur wending its way through the trees surrounding the clearing, I was in the epicentre of the circle and knew it would be able to run me down before I could reach the tree-line again.

It had a human shape, but its face was the hideous moth-eaten mess I had seen shades of when I encountered my first Draugur in the gatekeeper's chamber. It stalked me from the tree-line, grinning at me and exposing its broken line of yellow tomb stone teeth.

Before long, I realised another Draugur had joined the first, this was followed by another and another. Until I counted nine of the creatures weaving their way through the trees, watching me intently with filmy eyes.

It dawned on me then that if they had wanted to hurt me, they would have done it by now. That wasn't what they were here for. They stayed on the outskirts of the clearing because they were keeping me within it. They were holding me here like a penned animal. Either waiting for something or someone.

"Well worked out, Soul Keeper." The voice crossed the clearing from behind me, making me jump and turn at the same time. If I had to describe that voice, I would have said it was like standing in the middle of a frozen lake and hearing the cracking sound as the ice splintered and broke apart beneath your feet.

The creature entered the clearing and started to walk toward me. It was tall, maybe six four. It wore grey leather armour and a long grey cloak which almost reached the grassy floor. Like the Draugur, it was human shaped, but the face was where all similarity to a person ended.

Its skin was made up of large, grey armoured scales that ran from the top of its head, down to where its neck met the collar of its jacket. The creature had random tufts of grey, wiry hair that sprouted in between the scales on its head.

If I had thought Lyall had eyes that burned, I clearly hadn't met this thing yet. Its eyes were a sickly orange colour, but they flickered and flamed as though the inside of its skull was a fire pit.

It opened its mouth to speak and I took in row after row of pointed teeth. "Do you know me, Flora Bast?" It slowly moved closer and closer.

There was only one answer. I was in the Endwood, that much was clear to me. The Draugur surrounding the clearing were obviously working in service to this thing in front of me. "You're Sluag." I answered him.

"I am. Well done, Soul Keeper. Do you know why you're here?" He grinned at me, exposing those hideous teeth again as he came to a stop a few feet in front of me.

"You're going to kill me," I offered.

"Sadly, no. I can do a lot of things that others cannot. Unfortunately, I can't kill you in a dream. So, rest assured you're safe for now, Flora."

I didn't want to show my fear, even though my legs trembled. I drew myself up to my full height and replied, "For now maybe. But you do intend to kill me, don't you, Sluag?"

"Of course I do, and when I do, both myself and my servants" —he gestured to the watching Draugur— "will celebrate your death in a way that is fitting for such an important sacrifice."

He took a step closer to me as he spoke, and I couldn't help but recoil from him. He laughed at my disgust. "What's wrong, little girl? Don't you like my face? I can change it to something that is a little more pleasant to you, if you like."

As he spoke his face began to warp and change until it gradually became the face of my father. I felt as though I had been punched in my stomach. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I backed away from the monster wearing my father's friendly face.

"Why would you do something so cruel?" I asked him, looking away from him, toward the ground.

"One day, I intend to bring you here to the Endwood in reality. I will slit your throat on a sacrificial altar, then drain every last drop of blood from your still-warm body, and use it to open the door into the mortal world for myself and all of my rejected souls and Draugur; and you think I'm cruel for taking the face of your father?" He laughed mockingly.

I lifted my eyes back up to look on my father's face once more. But Sluag had discarded the stolen image and converted back to himself. I was thankful.

"Why do you have to kill me? Okay, I'm still new to this. But from what I've been told, you're basically king down here. Is that not enough for you? Do you have to have more?"

"Oh, Flora. You've so much to learn, and sadly, I think you will probably perish before you get the chance to learn it. My souls—the ones you reject—can only stay with me for nine years. After that they cease to exist, forever.

"Because you and all of the other Soul Keeper's who've come before you are so good at what you do, it's only a matter of time before you weed out all of the evil souls in the world and send them to the Endwood."

Sluag walked to a tall tree stump and melodramatically threw himself down into a sitting position. "After nine years pass by, what do you think will happen then, Flora Bast?"

"The last rogue soul will die."

He frowned at me. "It won't die, it's already dead. But you're close enough. It will end, as will the Endwood and without the Endwood, there is nowhere for me to be, so I will also cease to exist."

I wasn't sure if I could argue with his logic, but I sure as hell wasn't going to accept it either. "So, you're basically going to ruin the whole world so you don't stop existing? How long have you been around for, Sluag?"

He seemed surprised at my conversational use of his name. But he answered me nonetheless. "I have existed since humanity began. Once the blight of humans was unleashed on the Earth, there had to be someone willing to take on the less desirable elements of your pathetic race. I find it strange that you accuse me of wanting to ruin a world that your ancestors and peers have already done a superb job of tearing apart by themselves."

"But it's our world, not yours. Yes, we get things wrong, and some of us are really bad people; that's why they end up here in hell with you. But most of them are good people, and they don't deserve what you want to unleash on them."

He threw back his head and laughed at my impassioned speech. "If you think you're going to persuade me to change my mind, little Soul Keeper, then you're going to be disappointed. As much as I've enjoyed our little chat, I didn't bring you here to receive a lecture. I brought you here to get the measure of you. I wanted to know how easy it would be to kill you."

"Trust me, it won't be easy. All I have to do is avoid the Endwood, and I'll be fine. If you kill me outside the Endwood, it doesn't open the floodgates for your hell. Nothing will ever make me go there, and eventually you and your gang of freaks" —I swept my arms in a circular gesture at the watching Draugur— "will all be gone. Forever." I sounded a lot braver than I felt.

He paused, his demeanour changing completely in one brief instant. He seemed to become taller and even more menacing, if that was at all possible. With narrowed eyes, he leaned down toward me and spoke.

"You might not think it now, Flora. But there are ways to persuade you. Your Dion might exist to protect you, but they can also be used against you, little dreamer. One day, in the not too distant future, you and I will stand face to face again and I will kill you."

# Chapter Nine

I lay in bed, watching the sun rise through the arched windows. It was five thirty, and I hadn't been back to sleep since I woke from my dream of the Endwood, four hours ago. Instead, I had tossed and turned whilst wide awake, imagining my own death and wondering what Sluag would do to my Dion. He had threatened to use them against me, and I needed to warn them.

It was pointless trying to sleep now. I was meeting Lyall at seven, so I climbed out of bed and headed into my private bathroom for a shower. The hot water made me feel slightly more human, but I groaned when I looked into the mirror and took in the black rings under my eyes.

I quickly applied some highlighter, which brightened up my eyes, and after studying my skin, I added a quick brush of bronzing powder to each cheek. Being auburn-haired meant I had naturally pale skin, but this morning, I almost looked as sickly as one of the Draugur, so I figured my complexion could do with a little help.

I tied my hair back into a high pony-tail and plundered the wardrobe for a pair of black jeans, a black vest and my usual pair of tan boots. I checked myself out in the mirror and was satisfied with my appearance. I wasn't sure I'd win _Britain's Next Top Model_ , but I didn't look as shocking as I had when I got into the shower.

I jogged down the stairs at five to seven. My intention was to meet Lyall and tell him I had to talk to Pen before we started training. I didn't want to tell anyone else about the dream yet, mainly because I didn't fully understand it. I suspected Pen was exactly whom I needed to speak to for my answers.

Lyall was already waiting at the gate when I arrived. He looked as delicious as always when he flashed me a huge smile, but I was too distracted by thoughts of my dream to do more than offer him a weak smile in return.

"Ouch. Way to hurt a guy's feelings, love," he joked.

"Sorry, Lyall. I really need to talk to Pen before we train today. Do you know if she's awake yet?"

"She's definitely awake. She left at daybreak with Finlay to go to Edinburgh. There's a library there that houses all of the literature about the Soul Keeper and the Dion. She's been trying to find the next prophecy."

My disappointment was temporarily replaced with curiosity. "Prophecy? What do you mean?"

Lyall shifted from foot to foot impatiently. It was obvious he wanted to start training me to shape-shift. But he answered my question. "The first ever Dion wrote a ton of prophecies. Many of them tell us who the next Soul Keeper will be; that's how Pen found out about you. Others warn us of danger, like if Sluag is planning anything."

"Oh. So why did she decide to go and check on the prophecies now? Does she know something's going to happen?" I was starting to panic over my dream again.

"I have to be honest, Flora. I don't tend to check up on Pen's motives for doing things. She probably wants to see if there's anything relating to you, now that you know what you are." He gave me a look that said. A _re we ready to go now?_

I shrugged off my worry. I couldn't talk to Pen until she got back. Yes, I could call her, but I wasn't sure my dream would translate properly over the phone. It would be crazy to waste the opportunity to learn a new skill today. I started walking along the path next to Lyall. "Okay, okay. I'm ready. Let's do this."

Lyall led me through the gardens until we reached the edge of Loch Ness. The day was not quite as hot as yesterday, but it was still comfortably warm enough to be outdoors in my sleeveless vest.

Lyall stopped walking once he reached the flat ground at the bottom of the slope which led to the waterside. "Here's as good a place as any." He watched me as I walked the rest of the way down the slope and I could feel the heat from his eyes on me.

I stood before him and stretched both arms out and away from my sides. "All right, I'm ready. What do I do?"

"It's not that simple, Flora. You can't just shift in the same way you jump to the Everwood. You're supposed to be able to move between the two worlds, but the prophecies suggest that the Soul Keeper wasn't given the ability to take another form until quite recently. You're going to be a novice at this, at least to start off with anyway."

I frowned. I hadn't realised I'd gotten so used to being quite good at this stuff over the last few days. I also missed Finlay's way of making me feel awesome about the things I did. Lyall was demanding rather than encouraging.

"So, where do we begin?" I asked, nervously.

"Well, usually I'd start with understanding the animal you're going to become. It's easier to take on a form if you know what that form is. But your name isn't giving any clues away."

The Dions' names made even more sense to me now. "So, you all knew what you would become. Artair is an eagle, Finlay is a cat, and you're a wolf. But, what about Mara and Freya?"

"Freya's role of escorting souls means she will always be a raven, no matter her name; so we knew what she would become. Mara is more complex. She is Mother Earth. She is every animal, and all of nature, which means she can become any of the creatures whose souls she cares for."

"Wow, Mara's pretty lucky, huh?" I couldn't imagine how amazing it must be to be able to change into any animal in the world.

"She is. Unfortunately, you're not. I guess you could say you're still in the trial stages for a Soul Keeper to work out her spirit animal." Lyall pointed at the floor as he spoke, indicating I should sit, which I did.

"So how do we find out which animal I'll become?" I looked up at him, sheltering my eyes from the sun with one hand.

"I think we'll have to start by teaching you the basics, the parts of shape-shifting that apply to every form, no matter what. The only other info I have to go by is that the last Soul Keeper was able to become a tiger, and the one before him was a bird of prey. So, we can rule those out for you, I think."

"If the last Soul Keeper was a tiger, and it didn't work out, I'm not sure what better options are left for me," I said worriedly.

"Let's not get too hung up on the end result, okay?" Lyall sat down next to me, sending a jolt of electricity through me when his leg brushed lightly against mine.

"We're going to keep it really simple to start with. Let's go over all of the basic stuff. I'll tell you what to expect and the place I go to in my mind when I want to shift. Then I'll show you what happens when I do shift. As I become a wolf, I want you to watch every tiny thing that happens. I want you to be able to expect the stuff that your body will go through when you eventually change. Okay?"

I nodded. "Will it hurt me, Lyall?"

"A little bit probably, to start with at least. It's nothing you won't be able to handle, though, love." The smile he gave me simultaneously melted my insides and reassured me I would be okay.

Lyall was nothing if not thorough in his instructions. The sun moved across the sky, reached its zenith, and was well on its downward slide into late afternoon before he finished telling me everything I needed to know about what would happen to my body when I shifted, how it would feel, and the place I needed to take my mind to be able to get there.

The only part that remained unclear was when he told me he envisioned the black wolf he would become inside his mind, just before he changed. I was unable to imagine my animal until I actually managed to become it for the first time. It worried me that this could end up a vicious circle of failure, and I told Lyall so.

"You're not going to fail. You won't shift today, Flora. You might not shift in the next month, even if you try every single day. But you _will_ shift at some point."

He jumped to his feet and grinned down at me. "In the meantime, do you want to see how it's done?"

"Hell, yeah," I nodded.

"I'm going to try and slow the whole process down so that you can see it in detail. But once I get to a certain point, I won't be able to hold it back, and it'll be over in the blink of an eye. Pay attention, Flora."

I nodded. I had started to feel a little nervous. Firstly, because I was going to watch Lyall change into an animal in anticipation of being able to do it myself one day, and secondly, because I was going to end up alone out here with a wolf.

Lyall had reassured me we retained all of our own personality when we shifted. We didn't mentally turn into wild animals and could still think and rationalise like humans. But I'd never even seen a real wolf, so I was more than a little unsettled.

Lyall took a few paces away from me, pulling his black T-shirt over his head as he walked and throwing it to the ground. Then he bent down and pulled off his boots, placing them on the grass one by one. Next, he turned his back to me and pulled off his cargo pants.

I lowered my gaze to the floor, embarrassed. Then I remembered I needed to pay attention, so I lifted my eyes and focused them on a point on his back, directly between his pale shoulder blades.

"Pay attention, love," he called back over his shoulder.

Before I had a chance to reply, I was startled to see the skin of Lyall's back start to ripple and darken in colour. My eyes didn't dare wander any lower, but suddenly I was staring at the back of his head instead of his shoulders. He was losing his height.

He turned toward me, and a soft growl pulled my attention to his face, but already it wasn't Lyall's face anymore. Instead of a human nose, he had an elongated and fur-covered snout. In the next second he dropped to all fours and somehow became fully and completely a wolf–tail included.

I breathed in deeply as I took in the majestic animal before me. The only thing that hadn't changed about Lyall was his eyes; they burned with the exact same amber fire now as they did when he was a man.

"I missed so much of that. One minute you were you and then..." I trailed off as he started to pad on giant black paws slowly toward where I sat.

_Don't be afraid, Flora. I won't hurt you._

"Lyall, did you just talk to me inside my head?"

The wet nose was only inches from my face now. The wolf drew back its lips in what looked like a grin.

_What big eyes you have when you're scared, love._

"I'm not bloody Red Riding Hood, Lyall. Stop it." I was laughing now, despite the ferocity of the eyes that burned into my own.

He pushed forward suddenly, closing the small distance between us and running his pink tongue up from my chin to my hair line. It smelled of dog.

"Eww, you're disgusting." I pushed my hands into the thick black fur and pushed him away, still giggling.

Before I could blink, he bounded over me and sped behind a nearby tree. I figured he wanted to protect his modesty while he changed back into a human. Giving him a moment to himself, I wandered down to the edge of the loch and dabbled the tip of my boot into the clear water.

I turned as I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He only stopped when we were almost toe to toe, and I had to crane my head back to look up at his face.

"How did you talk to me inside my head?" I asked.

"We can all do it, but only when we're in animal form. It lets us communicate with each other when we can't talk out loud. Sorry, did it freak you out?"

"Yeah, a wee bit. A heads up would have been nice." I scowled jokingly.

"Sorry, I'll keep you informed next time." He lifted his hand up to press the back of his fingers gently against my cheek.

"Sorry about the lick too." He grinned wickedly.

A cough made us both jump back from each other guiltily. Finlay was standing at the bottom of the hill, watching us, and he looked angry.

"Flora, Pen wants to see you in the great hall, right now." It was all he said before turning away to walk back up the hill.

# Chapter Ten

I felt a twinge of guilt for saying a quick thank you and simply abandoning Lyall after we had spent the entire afternoon working so hard together. I jogged up the hill in the direction Finlay had, hoping to catch up with him and ask him if everything was okay. I knew he'd seen how close Lyall and I had been, and I could sense he wasn't very happy about it.

By the time I got to the top of the hill Finlay had already reached the castle gate and was stepping inside. I groaned in frustration but kept up my pace in an attempt to catch up with him before he reached Pen, and I lost my chance to talk with him alone.

It was a pointless endeavour. By the time I made my way into the great hall, I was flushed and out of breath, but Finlay was nowhere to be seen. Only Pen was seated at the gigantic wooden table. The long silver strands of her hair were pulled tightly back into a knot at the base of her neck, and she was dressed casually in trousers rather than her usual long robes. I supposed she would have looked a little out of place walking through Edinburgh in her Dion clothing.

She looked up and smiled warmly at me when I entered the hall, gesturing for me to sit in the chair nearest to her. I walked along the length of the table. The echo of my footsteps on the stone floor highlighted the silence in the room. I felt a heavy sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. I suddenly didn't want to tell Pen about my dream anymore.

"How went your day with Lyall today, Flora?" She asked as I sat.

"Good. I didn't shift, but Lyall says I won't be able to for a while yet. He really helped me to understand the basics behind it, and he let me watch him shift too."

"Lyall is right. It takes time, especially for someone who doesn't know how they're going to turn out when they change. Lyall is an exceptionally talented shape-shifter, and it took him several weeks before he managed his first successful change." Pen was absently tracing her fingers over the grain marks in the wood of the table as she spoke.

"We'll keep working on it." I hesitated a moment as I tried to work out what I was going to say next. Pen arched an eyebrow at me as though she knew I had something important to tell her, but she waited patiently for me to start talking again.

"Pen, something happened last night. I was going to tell you this morning, but you'd already left for Edinburgh, and something told me not to tell any of the others until I'd spoken with you first."

"Sluag summoned you in your dreams." It wasn't a question.

"H—how did you know?" I couldn't hide my surprise.

Pen sighed heavily when I confirmed her suspicion. "This is one of Sluag's favourite tactics. He has a fondness for the theatrical, and if he can get inside your head and make you doubt yourself, and us along the way, then all the better."

"I didn't know how to stop him. I didn't even know what was happening until I realised I was in the Endwood, being herded by the Draugur." I frowned.

"Can you tell me everything that happened and all that was said, right up until you woke, Flora?"

I told Pen the whole dream, starting with my first moments walking through the Endwood and finishing by telling Pen about Sluag's threats against the Dion and his promise to kill me.

"The part that really bothered me was when he said he would use the Dion against me. I don't want you or any of the others to get hurt because of me," I finished.

"We aren't going to let that happen, Flora. But you must remember, your Dion are ultimately there to protect you, and if that means they get hurt or even die, then only the expected price for your safety has been paid."

"I didn't ask for people to die for me. I don't want anyone to die for me. I'd rather die myself than lose Finlay." My voice was getting louder as all the worry and fear I had pushed away earlier came crashing back over me like a wave.

"Stop!" Pen's voice bounced back from every wall, making me flinch and hold my tongue.

"Flora, I've heard a Soul Keeper say almost those exact same words once before. He said them about three weeks before he took his own life. I must tell you the story of that man, who should have been my only Soul Keeper. I need to tell you because I will not allow you to end up walking the same path as he did."

My eyes were wide with surprise as I nodded and sat back in my chair. I wrapped my arms around myself, as if to shield my body from some unseen danger, and settled down to listen.

"I'm sure you have realised by now that I am not of your generation, Flora. You and I were never supposed to meet. You should have been born an ordinary girl, with your own soul, and parents who survived to raise you."

I blinked at that. It was difficult to think on how differently my life would have turned out if I hadn't lost my parents.

"Your predecessor was called Aiden Williams, and he was just thirty-five years old when he died. That probably seems a thousand years away to a girl who's only nineteen, Flora. But trust me that is not a life expectancy I wanted for my last Soul Keeper, and I certainly don't want it for you."

"What happened?" I was genuinely curious now, even though the darkest part of my heart told me what I was about to hear was going to be awful.

"Sluag had no goal other than to get Aiden to the Endwood so he could kill him. It is the exact same thing he wants from you. Sluag has become a little more desperate as each year passes without success. He wants to escape the Endwood, and he wants to bask in a world that is torn apart by pain and fear and evil.

"In truth, the world will never be entirely free of evil. We can send infinite amounts of souls to meet their end with Sluag, but there will always be some pure souls who are eventually tainted by the pain of living within the mortal world. Some of those souls will embrace the darkness that lies on the edge of every human subconscious, and they will no longer be pure; they will become rogue."

"So, it's all for nothing then? If we're never going to be able to rid the world of evil, then my existence is pointless." That hurt, more than I could have imagined it would.

"You are not pointless, Flora. You control the evil within the world. You and your predecessors are the reason that the balance of good far outweighs the bad. But, Sluag isn't taking any chances. He has been nervous for centuries that we will eventually put him out of existence. As the world grows more articulate and more connected, we are undoubtedly improving the way we treat each other. His supply of rogue souls is dwindling."

"But it's not good enough," I insisted.

"It _is_ good enough. Although it doesn't stop Sluag from desiring to break free from his confinement and bring the darkness of the Endwood to the mortal world."

"Which he needs to kill me to do," I pointed out.

"If you allow your Dion to do their job and take care of you, then he will not succeed, Flora. That was where Aiden failed," Pen finished softly.

"You were telling me what happened to him?" I prompted.

She nodded before continuing with her story. "Aiden was strong and smart, not unlike you. He knew that the world would be destroyed if he ever went to the Endwood, and so he avoided it at all costs. He played the game the right way, as a Soul Keeper should. Sluag was understandably displeased by Aiden's avoidance of his Draugur. Myself and the other Dion protected him admirably for twenty years after he was first exposed as the Soul Keeper.

"So Sluag changed tactics. He sent the Draugur to target the Dion when they were alone, rather than Aiden. He picked us off, one by one, like deer being stalked. Aiden started off with eight Dion. When he died, he had only me left. But, Sluag didn't stop there. He learned that he could summon a Soul Keeper while they were asleep."

"You mean like he did with me?" I asked.

"Yes, Flora. You didn't allow Sluag into your dream; he took your soul to the Endwood while you slept. He summoned you. That was exactly what he did with Aiden. He started off by planting seeds of doubt, convincing Aiden that he was responsible for the deaths of his Dion. Then his torment progressed until he made Aiden believe that his Dion would eventually betray him. It drove Aiden to the edge of despair and isolated him beyond even my reach.

"Only my bond with Aiden allowed me to be there for him until the end. But, even that wasn't enough. Aiden disappeared one morning, and by the time I found him it was too late; he had thrown himself from a cliff, and he was dead." Pen's eyes shone with tears that spilled down her cheeks as she finished.

"Why?" I breathed.

"He left me a note that told me exactly why he did it. He knew that Sluag wouldn't stop until he had what he wanted. Only I stood between them by that point, and he refused to allow me to die for him. His reasoning was that if he killed himself in the mortal world, then Sluag could no longer do it in the Endwood and open the veil. He also didn't want to sacrifice my life for his own protection.

"Aiden allowed Sluag to break into his mind, Flora. That was what killed him. That is why you must find a way to disbelieve the things that Sluag tells you when he summons you."

"Can't I just stop him from summoning me? That would be a hell of a lot easier, right?"

"We can't protect anything except your mortal body, Flora. There is no way I know of to help your soul when you are sleeping. That was why I went to Edinburgh with Finlay today. To see if I could find something in our manuscripts that would tell me how to stop Sluag from summoning you. I knew it wouldn't be long before he started to wage war on your mind."

"Did you find anything?"

I was sure Pen thought I didn't notice the dark look on her face as she replied. "Nothing of any great importance, Flora."

I was quiet for a moment as I thought back over all that Pen had told me. "Mara told me that you said it was inevitable I would fall in love with one of my Dion, and become bonded to them?"

"Yes, you will." Pen agreed.

"You were in love with Aiden." It wasn't a question.

"And he was in love with me. We were married for twelve years. Aiden Williams wasn't just my Soul Keeper, he was my soul mate."

"Pen, I had no idea. I'm so sorry for everything you've been through." I felt tears prickle at the back of my own eyes.

"Don't be sorry for me, Flora. I told you this not because I wanted to make you feel bad for me, but to give you a warning. You must trust in your Dion. They will only ever try to protect you and if they die doing it, then they will do so in the knowledge that they gave their lives for yours.

"And you must think hard on who you choose above all the others. It's clear both Finlay and Lyall desire to have you for their own. The wrong decision could have devastating consequences."

"Pen, I've never even thought about having a boyfriend. I've always figured I was young enough to put that stuff off for at least a few years yet."

"I'm not asking you to decide right away, Flora." Pen reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. "That wouldn't be fair to Lyall as you've only known him such a short time. But you must eventually learn to place your trust in your Dion–the Dion with whom you are bonded above all others. It could save your life."

"I will think about it, Pen. I promise." I sighed heavily. I doubted I'd be able to think about much else.

# Chapter Eleven

Once I left Pen, I was determined to find Finlay. Aside from everything that Pen had told me, we'd never fallen out in all the years we had been friends, and it upset me to know I'd hurt him.

I headed up the stairs to the first-floor landing and knocked on the third door along, which I knew was Finlay's room. When I didn't get a reply, I knocked a second time and rested my ear against the wood of the door to listen for any sounds of movement inside. Nothing.

Deciding to try the gardens, I began descending the elaborate staircase toward the ground floor and the castle door. I passed Freya, who was on her way up the stairs and I paused in my quest to ask if she had seen Finlay.

"Not since he got back about an hour ago. Sorry, Flora." She flashed me a genuine smile as she spoke.

I thanked her and carried on down the stairs and out into the gardens. It lifted my mood to know that Freya and I were apparently still on good terms, and I made a mental note to myself to spend some girl-time with both Freya and Mara very soon.

Without even thinking about it, I found myself walking to the spot Finlay had chosen for me to practise going to the Everwood. I was disappointed but unsurprised to find he wasn't there. After one final check, I began to make my way toward the water's edge. Even if I didn't find Finlay there, it was peaceful and beautiful. The perfect place for me to reflect on my chat with Pen.

I found a tall, old Oak tree and sat down with my back resting against the ancient trunk. I briefly toyed with the idea of going to the Everwood, but the warmth from the golden light of the setting sun glistening across the blue-green water was so tempting I decided I would prefer to stay in the mortal world today. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against the knotted tree-trunk, listening to the sound of the water lapping gently against the shore.

I thought about the things Pen had gone through. She had lost the most important person in her world and it clearly still haunted her almost twenty years later. I was pretty sure if I lost Finlay I would feel the exact same way. The problem was I felt as though I was already losing him, and I couldn't figure out a way to stop it.

I did love him. I was completely certain of that. But, even though it sounded totally clichéd, I wasn't in love with him, and I wasn't sure I ever could be. I just didn't feel that way when I looked at him. Even when I melted into one of his huge bear hugs, it was because I craved the comfort and protection that his friendship offered.

"Maybe that's exactly what love is," I mused aloud.

Although I had my own very definite idea of how love should feel. I expected fireworks, dancing unicorns, and an inability to spend more than ten seconds apart from that person without feeling as though I was dying for need of them.

"I've definitely been watching too much _Vampire Diaries_." I laughed into the evening air.

"You still obsessing over Damon?" Finlay's voice made me jump, and my eyes flew open.

"Hey," I offered softly.

"Hey, Flor," he answered back as he sat down beside me, leaning his back against the tree trunk.

"Finlay, why were you so angry with me earlier? I kinda feel like I should apologise for something, but I'm really not sure what." It wasn't the most tactful start I could have gone with, but I was getting tired of feeling like the bad guy when I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Oh, I don't know, Flor. Maybe it was because you've only known Lyall a few days, and he was all over you. Meanwhile you don't have time to even hang out and play pool with me."

_Seriously?_ I seethed internally.

"Seriously, Finlay. You're going to say that to me? Lyall wasn't all over me. He was teaching me about shifting, remember? We'd been working so hard all day, and you turned up right on the tail end of it when we'd actually cut loose and chilled for about thirty seconds. And, anyway, if I want to flirt with Lyall or let him be all over me, then I can, because I'm free to do what I please."

"Flora, I've looked after you for almost your whole life long. I've loved you for almost as long as that. I know that this is all really new to you right now, but I've spent the last fourteen years knowing that you would have to choose one day.

"I guess it just never really occurred to me that you would ever choose anyone apart from me. We're best friends, and we know each other better than anyone. I've held you while you full-on snot-cried into my T-shirt, Flor, and I still think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I don't want to have to compete for you, and I never expected to have to."

I stood up with a yowl of frustration. "Arggh, Finlay, it's not a competition, though." I paced furiously up and down in front of the tree. I was so angry with him.

"Give me a break. I've just found out that I'm a Soul Keeper. I didn't even know those existed a week ago. I'm trying to learn to change into an animal shape of unknown origin. Again, that stuff didn't exist for me until just now. I have a crazy version of the devil coming to me in my dreams and telling me he's going to kill me. Then to top it off, my best friend now wants me to declare my undying love for him, and he's having a tantrum because I'm a bit distracted right now by everything that's going on!"

"Sluag has been to you in your dreams?" Finlay's voice was a lot calmer as he registered my slip up.

I stopped pacing and grimaced at my big mouth. "Yeah, last night. It's no big deal. He just threatened my Dion and then swore he was going to drain every last drop of blood from my body in a ritual sacrifice that will rip down any defences for the mortal world. It's fine." I sighed and sat back down against my tree.

"That's not good news, Flor. He only found out who you were when that Draugur discovered you at work. He didn't wait very long to start trying to mess with your head. I'm assuming you told Pen about this?"

"Of course I told Pen. I tried to find her this morning, but you guys had already left for Edinburgh. Not that you felt our friendship worthwhile enough that you needed to tell me about your little trip, obviously." It was childish, and I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I did anyway.

"Jesus, Flora, grow up. I'm worried about you. I'm always worried about you. I didn't tell you about Edinburgh because I didn't want to make you think we'd come back with a ton of answers for you, in case we didn't find anything."

I thought back to the odd look on Pen's face when I asked her if she found anything important in the manuscripts. "Did you? Find anything, I mean?"

"No." He answered me too quickly and avoided meeting my eyes with his own.

"You see, you tell me to be honest with you, Finlay, and Pen tells me I need to trust all of my Dion. But both of you are lying to me. I know it. How can I even think about putting my heart in your hands when you won't even tell me what you found out today? I don't care if it's something horrific, I want to know?"

"I don't have anything to tell you, Flor. We didn't find anything out." His voice was quiet now.

"Well thank you for your honesty. Do you want some of my honesty, Finlay?" I didn't wait for his answer. "I am attracted to Lyall. It's true. He's a great looking guy, and he's also more focused on helping me find my way with all of this than he is on trying to score points. Plus he's hot, he's funny, and he's _mature_."

"Wow, I never realised you could be such a complete bitch, Flor." Finlay started to walk away from me, his fists clenching and unclenching in anger.

"Finlay, I didn't mean that." I stood up and walked toward him, grabbing his right hand with my own and twining my fingers through his.

"You've been my best friend since forever, and I love you, Finlay. That's the biggest reason I find it so hard to think of you in any other way. Being _romantically_ linked with you wasn't something I'd ever even contemplated. To be honest, I had no idea that you had. You always had a steady supply of girlfriends coming your way."

"I had girls throwing themselves at me, but I never actually got serious with them, Flor. It's all about you. It's always been about you. Not because I had to take care of you, but because I cared for you." He gave me a sad look. "You really never felt it, though?"

I thought frantically back to Pen's story before I replied, knowing that what I said next could have a devastating impact on, not just our friendship but also the safety of my Dion and myself.

"Maybe, in time..."

Pulling his hand away from mine, he gave a harsh laugh that sounded nothing like the Finlay I knew.

"Don't waste your breath, Flora. You've told me everything I needed to know. I never realised that when this day came I just wouldn't be good enough for you."

He turned away from me and before a heartbeat of time could pass he shimmered and changed before my eyes, becoming a pure white cat about the size of a leopard. Turning wounded feline eyes on me he ducked his head and bounded through the trees and out of my sight.

I felt the first tear escape as I leaned my forehead against the Oak tree and wondered how the hell I had just managed to screw up every single thing that Pen had warned me about.

# Chapter Twelve

Hunger eventually drove me to leave the tree behind and head for the castle, just as the sun was starting to set, and a chill had found its way into the air around me. I didn't want to see Finlay or Lyall right now. I wasn't even sure I wanted to see Pen.

I had suspected Pen was holding something back when I asked her about the manuscripts. I might have been able to let it go, but after speaking to Finlay and seeing his reaction, I was more convinced than ever they were hiding something from me.

I'd watched enough movies and read enough books to know that whatever they were hiding wasn't going to be a lovely surprise revelation about how I was going to be the ultimate Soul Keeper. The one who saved the world and killed Sluag—could he even be killed?

Of course, I'd do all of this single-handedly, without any harm coming to myself or the Dion, and the world would celebrate my awesomeness for eternity.

The reality was, they had found out something horrific that would mean one of us, maybe all of us, would die, and Sluag would win his war on humanity.

Not knowing was the worst part. It frightened me to think that something awful was almost certainly coming and neither Pen nor Finlay would arm me with the knowledge I needed to perhaps protect myself and the others.

I walked into a very hushed and subdued dining room. Everyone was here, but there was none of the laughter and banter I had grown used to hearing at dinner.

Mara and Artair sat together, with Freya sitting quietly on Mara's right-hand side. Pen was in her usual seat at the head of the table. She met my eye when I walked in, giving me a small smile but saying nothing to me.

Finlay and Lyall sat at opposite ends of the table, and the atmosphere between them was thick and foreboding. Finlay kept pausing in-between mouthfuls of food to scowl at Lyall.

My dark-haired suitor did an admirable job of pretending to ignore Finlay's snarl, instead acting with a casual disinterest in everything around him. But I could sense the anger coming off Lyall in rolling waves.

"Well, this is nice." I shrugged as I carefully selected a chair that was an equal distance away from everyone.

I had just filled my plate with food when a beeping sound caught my attention. It took a couple of seconds for me to realise the sound was a text message on my phone. It had been that long since I'd had a message, I had begun to think there was no reception in the alternate dimension of the Dion's castle.

I pulled the phone from the back pocket of my jeans and opened the message.

_Hi Flora, I know you don't work at the castle anymore. Robin told us your friend called to say you'd quit. But me and a few of the others are going out next Friday and thought you might wanna come. Let me know, Jess xxx_

The thought of a night out with the girls from my old job was exciting. None of them were close friends in the way Finlay was, but we'd been on nights out together tons of times before, and it was always fun.

I also had a desperate urge to go back and spend some time in the _real world_. It felt as though I'd been here at the castle a lot longer than I actually had. I missed doing normal stuff, and I also felt more than a little sad to hear my job had been given up on my behalf. I wondered who had called my boss to tell him.

"It's Jess, from work...um, my old work," I corrected. "She asked me to go out with them next Friday. I'm going to go. I feel like I need a break." I had intended for my statement to come out as a question, but halfway through talking, I changed my mind. I was almost twenty years old and had lived alone for the last eighteen months. I didn't need to ask permission to go out.

"No." Finlay used the exact same tone he had used when he got rid of the Draugur in the gatekeeper's chamber.

I arched a brow at him. "Excuse me?"

"We can't keep you safe in a huge crowd of people on a Friday night. Plus, you'll be less alert to any danger if you're drunk."

It was a reasonable argument. But, after our fight earlier, I was feeling less than reasonable.

"I don't need you to keep me safe. I'll be out with friends who are nothing to do with this screwed up world. Being in a crowd will hide me, not highlight me, and I won't drink either," I finished.

Finlay was just starting to argue with me again, but Pen interrupted. "I understand your concerns, Finlay. Yet, Flora is making a huge transition right now. If she needs a time out, then we must respect that. Flora is a fully-grown woman after all."

I had to suppress the urge to fire a smug smirk in Finlay's direction.

"I'll go with you, if you like?" There was no flirty attitude from Lyall when he offered to come with me, and he didn't say it in a pushy way like Finlay had, which I appreciated.

"That kind of defeats the point of me getting away. I'll be fine. I'll stay alert and keep my phone with me. You can come and pick me up at the end of the night if you like." I had intended to throw that offer out to the whole room, meaning to encompass all of my Dion in the word _you_.

Lyall, however took it to mean just him. "I will. Call me when you're ready to come home, and I'll go and get you. Doesn't matter what time."

Finlay stood up quickly, his chair scraping the floor as he pushed it back and headed to the door. "I'm glad that's sorted then. I couldn't make it next Friday anyway. I have somewhere else I need to be."

I bit my lower lip as I watched the retreating back of the boy who had been my best friend in the whole world for most of my life. Right now, it didn't feel like that friendship was something that would ever be possible for us again.

"Don't worry about him, love. I'll take care of you." Lyall narrowed his eyes and shook his head angrily as he watched Finlay go.

Pen was standing now, carefully watching everything that had unfolded between the three of us. Mara, Artair, and Freya just looked surprised and a little awkward.

"You are never more valuable as Dion or more safe than when you stand together," Pen addressed us all. "There is a rift forming between you, and that is dangerous." She gave Lyall a pointed look.

"Flora, you may go out on Friday. I feel that some time away from here will do you good. But no drinking. Between now and then, I want everyone to work together to bring Flora up to speed. Lyall, you will continue training at shifting." She waited until Lyall nodded his agreement before turning back to me.

"I will speak with Finlay later. He needs to accompany you to the Everwood until you feel that you are ready to deal with rogue souls alone, Flora. Otherwise, can we please try not to fight amongst ourselves? Sluag would have a field day to know we're less than a week into welcoming our Soul Keeper into the fold, and we are already in dissent."

There was a murmured chorus of, "Yes, Pen. Sorry, Pen," as we filed out of the dining room.

Dinner ended so late everyone headed to their own rooms. I closed my door and lay back on my bed with my eyes wide open. I was terrified to go to sleep, certain that Sluag would summon me again.

I had no idea if I would be able to control my response to any questions he asked me. _What if he asked how things were between Finlay and me?_

He'd know that his visits to my dreams were working and he'd keep pushing to break my mind in the same way he'd broken Aiden's. I'd only met Sluag once, and already I had caused an epic rift between me and my best friend, and any friendship that Lyall and Finlay had once had was strained to breaking.

I was doing a terrible job of learning from past mistakes.

I played the argument with Finlay back in my head, over and over again. I knew I shouldn't have said half the stuff I had. He didn't deserve the way I had treated him, but he was just so infuriating when he got jealous and protective.

When he had tried to stop me from going out with my friends, I'd wanted to punch him. Even Pen didn't seem to want to stop me living my life away from here from time to time. Although I knew she was lying to me about the manuscripts too. How could I place my trust in them when they wouldn't even be honest with me?

Finally, exhaustion won. I couldn't fight my tiredness any longer, and I drifted off to sleep at about two thirty in the morning. Thankfully, my sleep was peaceful and undisturbed, filled only with the boring things ordinary people dream about.

# Chapter Thirteen

My excitement grew throughout the week as I anticipated my return to freedom and normality for a night. My training with Lyall was tough. It was frustrating me that I still couldn't shift, even though Lyall kept telling me I was doing brilliantly.

I enjoyed my time spent with Lyall immensely. He was firm but fair and always gave me credit when he knew I was doing my best. Equally he'd pull me up when he knew my heart wasn't quite in it.

The time when I wasn't on my game usually happened right after a training session with Finlay in the Everwood. Both of us had tried to make an uneasy truce, but it was hard. He was distant and cold, something I had never seen in him before. Even when I tried to make a joke or lighten the mood, he would shrug it off, insisting we focus on the task in hand.

By the time Friday evening came, I was exhausted from failed attempts at shape-shifting with Lyall and also from battling to keep things on an even keel with Finlay.

I gave Lyall a frustrated growl as I once again missed the mark in trying to become my inner animal. These were my last few moments of training before I would need to start getting ready for my night out with Jess and the other girls.

"Don't let it get to you, Flora. The more of a big deal you make in your head, the harder it'll be to succeed." Lyall stood up from where he had sat on the grass, while watching my pathetic attempts.

Panting hard from my exertions, I grabbed my water bottle from a nearby tree stump and started to make my way back to my room for a shower. "It's just so hard. I feel like I'll never be able to do it," I complained.

"You will be able to do it." He followed, frowning. "It hasn't helped that you've been sent here on a wave of negativity for half of the week, love."

_So, my issues with Finlay haven't gone unnoticed then?_

"I'm not talking about this right now, Lyall. I've kept up my end of the bargain this week. Now I have dancing and laughing and normal stuff on my agenda for the rest of tonight." We reached the castle gate, and I started to make my way inside.

"Flora?" His voice made me turn.

"Have fun, lots of it. But be aware and be safe. Call me when you want me to come and get you, okay?"

"Okay, see you later." I shot him a genuine smile before hurrying into the castle and bounding up the stairs to my bedroom.

Mara and Freya were already waiting for me. They both grinned as I walked through the door. Mara gestured to the pile of clothes strewn across my bed.

Although Pen had provided me with a wardrobe full of day-wear, she hadn't given much thought to stuff I could wear for going out. I suspected because she hadn't really expected her Soul Keeper to make a break for normality.

"Oh. My. God. How many clothes do you girls have?" I laughed.

Freya picked up a gorgeous silver halter top and held it up against me. "This would look amazing on you, girl."

Mara squealed, "Eek, it really will. But go and get in the shower first, Flora. I need a blank canvas to work my magic on." She gestured to several make up bags, hair curlers and brushes of every kind.

After a long and emotional week, it made me smile to just hang out and be girly. I had a premonition tonight was going to be exactly what I needed.

After my shower, I let Mara and Freya decorate my face, twist my auburn locks into a mass of doll-like curls and dress me in the silver halter and a pair of extremely tight faux leather pants, coupled with some killer heels.

When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognised myself. I looked like a different person. I didn't usually wear very much make up; I figured I was probably wearing my whole year's quota in one sitting.

"Flora, you are a fox." Freya was triumphant.

"You look amazing." Mara looked up from packing away her tools to compliment me.

I felt a rush of gratitude toward them both. "Thank you so much, girls. You both know that you're welcome to come along with me tonight, don't you?"

Mara finished packing and stood up, ready to leave. "If we do, you won't get that break from the weird and wonderful that you're craving. You need to do something for yourself tonight, Flora."

"Besides, I wouldn't wanna be seen dead, out with you, Soul Keeper." Freya winked at me as she slid out of the door.

I laughed as I took one last look at myself in the mirror before I headed downstairs to wait outside for my taxi.

One thing I had learned this week was how to cross over from the Dion version of the castle to the real-world version. It was actually surprisingly easy. All I had to do was approach one of the original boundaries that were in place when the castle was built, and step through it back into normality.

As I crossed the threshold of the original grounds I felt as though I were walking through a waterfall of colours, the air shimmering around me as I emerged into the ordinary world.

It had surprised me to learn that I didn't have to access the castle via the loch. I had thought Finlay had brought me that way because it was the only way to get in. But now I knew better. I guessed he had just wanted for me to see it at its most beautiful. No time this week had felt like the right time to ask him to confirm my thoughts though.

My taxi arrived, and shaking off any thoughts of Finlay and our argument, I jumped into the back of the car and focused on the night ahead. "The Foxhole, please?" I said, naming the bar where I was meeting Jess and the other girls.

I hadn't been ready for the jolt of nerves as I paid the driver and climbed out of the taxi at the front door of The Foxhole. I found myself looking around suspiciously at the crowd of Friday night revellers, wondering if any of them were Draugur in disguise.

_No, enough. I'm not going to let thoughts of them or Sluag ruin tonight for me._

When I walked into the bar, the music was already up to full volume, and the place was so busy I had to squeeze through several groups of people before I managed to spot my girls. I caught Jess's attention and waved as I approached her.

"Flora, omigosh, look at you. Hi." Jess threw her arms around me in an exaggerated hug. "It's amazing to see you. What are you drinking?" She tugged me toward the bar as the other girls smiled at me and shouted their hellos.

"I'm not. I mean I am drinking, but just a soft drink, thanks, Jess."

She screwed up her nose at me and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. "You are _not_ having a soft drink, sweet."

I began to protest, but Jess wasn't listening. She called the bartender over with a wink and a smile and ordered two Vulpine Divine cocktails. They were specialities of The Foxhole and were known to be deadly.

Not wanting to be _that_ boring friend, I took the bright red glass of liquid Jess held out to me and sipped at it. It was as delicious as I remembered.

"Come on, Flora. Come and dance." Jess grabbed my hand and dragged me through the crowd to the dancefloor. I felt as self-conscious as only a sober person can, when on a dancefloor filled with intoxicated others. When Jess offered me a second drink, I paused for a moment, knowing I shouldn't take it, but I was also desperate to just let go and have some fun.

"That's my girl." Jess laughed as I took the glass and drained it halfway. My nerves had gone, along with any reservations about dancing and I joined in with the other girls, swaying my hips to the beat.

We spent a relentless hour on the dancefloor. Every time I thought I'd stop to get a drink of water, a song I loved would come on and I'd have to keep dancing. Just when I thought I'd die if I didn't get some fluid into me soon, Kim, the newest girl in our group–my replacement, in fact–came over and offered me a bottle of mineral water.

"Thank you, I don't think I could have lasted much longer." I beamed at her as I took the bottle and drank it back eagerly.

She smiled back at me and melted back into the crowd to carry on dancing.

Inevitably after drinking that much water, I suddenly needed to go to the bathroom. I signalled to Jess where I was going. Usually we would go to the bathroom together. But, Jess was currently entwined with a hot guy, so she just waved at me that she would be here when I got back.

I crossed the dance floor, pushing my way through the crowd and starting to regret the two cocktails. My head was getting fuzzy, and I felt really hot all of a sudden. I stumbled and only just managed to stop myself from falling to the ground. I felt so faint I changed direction, and instead of heading for the toilets, I started to head for the door. I needed some cool air in my lungs.

As I stumbled out into the street, I felt a moment of blind panic. I was sure I was about to pass out, and if I did, I'd be completely vulnerable. The fear only intensified the feeling of nausea and imbalance. I managed to take a few shaky steps toward the side of the bar building, but then I felt my legs give way and I started to fall toward the floor.

A strong pair of hands hooked underneath my arms, just in time to stop my knees from hitting the floor. I let myself fall back against my mystery saviour whispering, "Thank you, so much," as he guided me toward the side street that ran alongside The Foxhole.

I was gently turned around and brought to rest with my back against the brick wall of the building behind me. My head had lolled forward as nausea threatened at the back of my throat. Now I lifted my head to see who had helped me in my moment of need.

As my eyes came back into focus, I was confused to see Kim, who gave me the water inside the bar. Standing next to her was a guy who looked familiar to me, but my alcohol-addled brain couldn't work out where I knew him from. Not until he spoke at least.

"You are a lot less cautious than your predecessor was, Soul Keeper," he hissed.

Realisation dawned as I finally recognised his face. It was the Draugur from the gatekeeper's chamber. I used my hands against the wall to push myself off as hard as I could, trying to get a head-start over them. Unfortunately, four-inch heels are not the footwear of choice for sprinting, and I was quickly bowled over by the male Draugur as he caught up with me and threw me to the ground.

Kim—or the thing that had pretended to be Kim—stood over me and laughed. "Oh, silly. I really didn't think you'd be stupid enough to take that drink from me. But you were."

I looked up at her from my place on the floor. The nausea had passed, but I had run out of things to say. I was afraid.

"What's up, Soul Keeper? Do you still feel unsteady? Don't worry, the poison I gave you won't kill you. You'll recover very soon. You're not going to die until we get you back to the Endwood and hand you over to Sluag." The thing that was Kim reached down to help me stand.

"He's going to kill me if you do that," I whispered.

"I know. Just as soon as he does, we'll be rulers of this pathetic world. No one will be able to keep us confined any longer." She hauled me to my feet and pushed me forward, forcing me to walk unsteadily in front of her.

I was about to make a second attempt at running when a snarl sounded behind us. I whirled around just in time to see a huge black wolf fly through the air and tear the Kim thing's head off her shoulders.

The wolf paused to turn eyes of fire on me for a split second, and I shot him a grateful smile. Then he turned his shaggy head and began to prowl toward the other Draugur who was cowering against a bin, awaiting his own fate.

# Chapter Fourteen

Lyall didn't hesitate. He gathered himself back on his dark haunches and then launched toward the Draugur, snarling furiously. I dropped my eyes to the floor, not wanting to watch what happened next. I couldn't unsee the damage that Lyall's wolf jaws had done to Kim, and even though I knew both the Draugur were already technically dead, I really didn't want to witness the second Draugur being dismantled.

The sound of shoes pounding against the ground brought my head back up, just in time to see the Draugur run around the corner of the street with wolf-form Lyall in close pursuit. I managed to stand up, although I was a bit wobbly in my heels. I pressed my hand over my mouth and turned away from the headless body of Kim which lay still on the ground.

I came to rest with my back pressed against the wall and my head tilted back against the brick. My breathing had begun to return to normal, although the urge to cry still burned at the back of my eyes. I stayed there for a moment, examining the stars in the dark sky above me until a movement caught my eye as human Lyall walked back into the alleyway.

He didn't break his stride until he was standing in front of me. Without giving me a second to speak, he reached forward and wrapped me in his arms, pulling me tightly against his chest.

"Lyall, I'm so sorry," I gasped, burying my head into him. "I shouldn't have had a drink. But it wasn't just the alcohol. Kim gave me water that was laced with something, which messed with my head. They would have killed me," I finished on a whisper.

"Shh, you're safe now, love," he soothed. "Although it would be best to get out of here before she manages to put herself back together." He gestured at Kim as he spoke.

"She'll do that?" I pulled back from him in horror.

"Flora, in the nicest possible way, she's a zombie. She was dead and now she's not. Yes, she's going to put herself back together." He took a hesitant step back from me. I was sure he was worried I was going to throw-up on his shoes. I tried to put on my bravest face, despite the fact I did want to be sick and nodded at him.

He caught hold of my hand with his own and started walking. "Come on, let's get you home."

He felt my resistance as I pulled back against his hand, making him look back at me questioningly. "Can we not go back just yet? I'm really enjoying being in the real world."

"Even though being in the real world almost got you picked up by Draugur and sent to Sluag for sacrifice?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Please, Lyall. Just a little while longer?"

Glancing at his watch, he nodded at me. "All right, love. I know somewhere we can go for you to enjoy your freedom for a bit."

Lyall led me to the car and drove us out to a place I recognised as The Hill of the Witch. A large, grassy mound that was reputed to have once been home to the most powerful sorceress in Scotland. As he pulled up in the tiny carpark at the foot of the mound, I wondered to myself if the story was in fact true.

"There's some boots on the back seat. You might want to swap your footwear before you attempt the hill."

"Why are we here, Lyall?" I asked as I pulled off my heels and traded them for the muddy wellies I found behind my seat.

"Don't worry, there's no magical or mystical agenda. Other than I heard the Aurora Borealis was going to give quite the show tonight. Unusual in summer." He closed his car door and began walking up the hill.

I had seen the Northern Lights once or twice before, but their beauty never failed to take my breath away. I slammed my door shut and hurried after Lyall in my oversized, borrowed boots.

He beat me to the top and sat down on a wooden bench. Even in the darkness, I could see his amber eyes burn as he watched me approach. "You know that's an interesting look you're sporting. It's like countryside chic." He winked at my scowl as I sat down next to him.

"I'm not sure this was the destination I had in mind when I got dressed tonight." I wasn't angry. I smiled at him as I looked up at the sky. Hoping to see the lights begin to dance.

"You look beautiful by the way, Flora." He followed my gaze, studying the Milky Way cascading its way through the midnight sky.

I was saved from giving him an answer as the first pulse of blue-green light rippled through the darkness. It was quickly followed by some less common Aurora colours. A spear of red burst across the galaxies and a purple haze teased its way between the stars. It was a truly beautiful show.

We sat in a companionable silence, which made me think about how Finlay and I used to do the same thing. It broke my heart to think he and I might never spend time together like this again.

"What's making you frown? I'd hoped the Aurora would make you smile." Lyall gently nudged my thigh with his own.

"I was just thinking about..." I stopped, realising it was unlikely Lyall wanted to hear about my Finlay woes.

"It's okay to think about him and talk about him, you know. I know how important he is to you, Flora. You two will make up. You just need to give him a bit of time. He's not been used to sharing you with all of us."

"What I need to do is give him a good, hard slap." I laughed. "Mara says it'll all work out, and I'll end up where I'm supposed to be. But right now, I have no idea where that is. I'm attracted to you, Lyall, but I don't know you very well. I'm scared if I get it wrong, I'll get us all killed."

"Whoa, calm down, Flora. For starters, I think you know I'm attracted to you. Massively attracted to you. However, I'm not going to push you for anything at all. That wouldn't be fair. You have enough to deal with right now." He turned toward me and took my hand in his reassuringly.

"Thank you, for not pressuring me," I whispered.

I couldn't help but think it was strange that Lyall, whom I had known for a few days, was more reluctant to push me than Finlay, whom I had known for years.

"I will never do that to you, love. Secondly, you are not going to get us all killed. We're going to keep you safe and keep ourselves safe too. I'm guessing Pen told you about her other Soul Keeper, huh?"

"Yeah," I sighed and leaned back against the bench, looking upward once more. "She told me she was married to her soul mate, and Sluag still managed to destroy them all. What hope do I have?"

"Sluag didn't destroy them all, though, did he? Pen's still here, and she is a valuable asset to us because she knows what we're up against. She's lived it. He took everything from her, including her ability to shape-shift. But she's still fighting against him with us."

"Pen can't shift?" I was surprised. I'd just assumed she didn't do it so often because she was older now, and I knew from experience that it hurt.

"No, she lost her ability to shift when her Soul Keeper died. Pen used to become a white tiger. Aiden was an orange tiger. They kind of matched each other. But once he was gone, so was her gift." Lyall pulled off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders as he finished speaking.

I thought about protesting, but I was cold, so I let it go. "So, does a Soul Keeper's inner animal always mimic the one belonging to the Dion she's bonded with?" My voice was tinged with excitement.

"That would make things a lot easier I guess, but no, Flora, it doesn't always work out that way."

"Oh." I was disappointed.

"But it is possible. We'll just have to get you to change a-s-a-p, and we'll see."

"Why do I feel like you have an ulterior motive for getting me to shape-shift?" I accused, with a smile.

"Maybe I do." He gave me his best Lyall wolf grin.

I thought about everything he'd told me as I watched the light display above our heads. It was slowing down and dimming now. It felt as though the sky was telling me it was almost time to return to my other world.

Then something occurred to me. "Lyall, were you following me tonight? Because I'm pretty sure you were only supposed to come and pick me up _after_ I called you." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Err, not following as such. I'm overprotective of you, and I'm not going to apologise for it. In my defence, if I hadn't been you'd probably be in the Endwood by now, love."

I shuddered. "Thank you. I'm glad you were there. Although I'm slightly concerned that even after what you did, Kim isn't dead. Can't Draugur die? Die again, I mean?"

"They can be sent back to the Endwood, if that's what you mean by die. You need to call the rogue soul forth. It will try and hide within the body, but the body is just an illusion. Once you have it in sight you can force it to go back to the Endwood."

"Why didn't we send it back?"

"Because you're not ready for that level of confrontation with a rogue soul, and because I lost the other Draugur that ran, so I was expecting it to come back for us at any minute. I just wanted you out of there."

"I think that was a good call," I agreed.

"So, am I allowed to take you home yet, Miss Bast?" Lyall put even more stress on his London accent as he stood and offered me an arm.

"I don't understand how you can still have that accent after you've been in Scotland for forever." I laughed as I stood and linked my arm with his.

"Not forever, love. Just a very long time," he said softly as we started down the hill.

I had no idea of Lyall's history before he knew he was a Dion. Apart from his accent giving away that he had lived in the Capital at one point in his young life, I knew nothing else about his backstory.

As I climbed back into the car, letting Lyall close the door for me, I resolved that I would find out more about him. He had already done so much for me in such a short time that I felt I owed it to him—and to my Soul Keeper self to get to know the real person behind those intense, amber eyes.

When we arrived back at Castle Dion, I crept guiltily up the stairs behind Lyall. I didn't want to run into Pen because of the drinking, and I didn't want to see Finlay, because I was certain he'd think that more had happened between Lyall and me tonight.

When we got to my door, Lyall shot me an apologetic look. "You know I'm going to have to tell Pen about the Draugur attack, don't you?"

I cringed but nodded. "I know. I wouldn't want you to keep it from her."

"I won't tell her about the cocktails, though." He winked.

I felt a surge of relief as he said it, and without thinking I pushed myself up on to my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Goodnight, love. Sleep well." He smiled back at me as he made his way along the hall to his room.

Just as I was closing my own bedroom door, I caught sight of a movement farther along the hall. My eyes flickered toward Finlay's door just as it clicked quietly shut.

"Perfect," I groaned as I shut my door on the world.

# Chapter Fifteen

It only took me moments this time to realise I was back in the dream version of the Endwood. As soon as the charcoal black trees appeared around me, stretching their branches up to the endless, pitch-black sky, I stopped walking and frowned. A brief look around told me there weren't any Draugur lurking nearby, so I decided to take a stand against Sluag.

Sliding to the floor, I crossed my legs in the lotus position. Ignoring the cold wet feel of the grass against my pants, I closed my eyes and thought about being in the Everwood. I wondered if I actually had enough willpower to take myself there instead of here.

"No, Little Dreamer. You cannot will yourself away from here." Sluag's cracked voice made me jump, and my eyes flew open.

Suddenly, my decision to sit down in protest felt less like taking a stand against Sluag and more like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum. He towered over me, making me feel small and insignificant on my spot in the cold grass. I stood up and took a couple of quick steps away from the scaly monster who had once again hijacked my dreams.

"Why do you keep doing this, Sluag?" I sounded more confident than I felt. I hated the way he could hear the thoughts that should have been safely hidden inside my head.

"Such a brave little Soul Keeper, aren't we?" He walked to a black rock and sat down casually, as though we were in the park on a Sunday afternoon.

"You weren't so brave earlier were you, Flora? Thank goodness for the loyal Lyall coming to the rescue." He smirked, making the grey scales on his face grind together unpleasantly.

I knew there was an underlying threat in his use of Lyall's name, but if I reacted, that would only let Sluag know how much of a nerve he'd hit. It could put Lyall in greater danger. Instead, I stayed silent, grinding my teeth in rage.

"Why don't you sit down, Soul Keeper." He gestured to a rock near to his own as he spoke. "I'm not letting you leave for a while yet, so you may as well rest your legs."

I looked at the offered rock and then turned to survey the surrounding area. I chose an alternative rock that was about three times the distance away from Sluag, sitting down with a feeling of childish triumph.

He chuckled at my obstinacy, which annoyed me even more. I had wanted to offend him, but his laughter made me feel as though I'd lost this particular battle of wills.

"So angry all of the time, Flora. How do you find the time to help those sensitive little pure souls when you are so perpetually filled with rage?"

"Funnily enough, I'm only usually angry when I'm here with you, Sluag. I can't work out if it's your charm or your good looks that bother me so much." I hated the thought of him getting anywhere near the pure souls of the Everwood.

He studied me for a moment, the pale orange flames of his eyes flickered with interest. When he spoke again, his tone was dripping with false concern. "That's not the truth, Little Dreamer. You reserve your most vehement anger for your lamented best friend Finlay, I believe. Such a sorrowful tale of a years old friendship, broken apart in just a few short days. See what your responsibility as Soul Keeper has stolen from you, Flora?"

I knew he was trying to hurt me, trying to mess with my head just like he had with Aiden. I thought back to Pen's warning of how Sluag would keep trying to make me doubt my Dion and myself.

"Finlay and I will be fine. It will take a hell of a lot more than what's happened to break us apart, Sluag." As I said it, I realised it was the truth. Finlay and I had so much history together, and I would _not_ throw that away. I resolved to find Finlay as soon as I woke up tomorrow and sort things out for good.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to help me see how important Finlay is to me, Sluag. But you just did. I guess you made the wrong call this time, huh?" I crowed jubilantly.

Sluag stood up. I watched his sickly orange eyes, trying to work out if he was angry at my victory over him.

"You know, Soul Keeper. Now you come to mention it, I think that Finlay said almost the exact same thing when he came to see me recently. It's a beautiful thing that you both feel so strongly about each other." He paced back and forth in front of me as he spoke. He wasn't smiling. He looked almost like a concerned father.

I was taken back by the revelation. No way had Finlay voluntarily gone to see Sluag in the Endwood. _Had he?_

"You mean you forced him here in his dreams, like this?" I gestured around me with both arms as I spoke.

"No, no, no, Flora. Only the Soul Keeper can be summoned like _this_." He copied my gesture mockingly. "Finlay came to see me in the real Endwood. I think the poor boy is quite confused, and made miserable by your growing relationship with your other Dion, in particular with the wolf."

"You're lying," I whispered. No matter how unstable things had become between Finlay and I, there was no way he would go to Sluag voluntarily.

"What would I wish to achieve by telling you lies, Flora? Especially when the truth is so much more disquieting for you." He gave me a sorrowful look.

"You want to split me and my Dion up. Pen told me everything about how you try to get inside a Soul Keeper's head and make them feel as though there is no one in the world they can turn to. That's what you're trying to do right now. Well I have news for you, _Mr Host of the Unforgiven Dead_ , it won't work."

He threw back his hideous head and laughed, exposing the rows of teeth behind his grey lips. "Ahh, Little Dreamer. I am not trying to get inside your head. I'm already there. Just as I was inside Aiden's head before he chose to depart this life. You won't ever get rid of me. I'm a part of you. We both exist because of each other."

"Aiden and I are _not_ the same person. I might share a soul with him, but that's as far as it goes. I don't doubt my Dion—any of them—and I don't doubt myself. You won't win this war, Sluag. Every time you force me to be here in your pathetic kingdom makes me more determined to rise above you. You are nothing to me, and you can't hurt me."

I was tired now. I just wanted to wake up in my warm bed back at the castle. I couldn't go until Sluag let me, though.

"I wonder how you will feel when you are inevitably betrayed by one of your Dion, Soul Keeper? My money is on Finlay. I think he's the weakest link, the chink in your armour, the one who will be your downfall."

As he spoke his pacing brought him closer and closer to me, until he was standing just a few feet away. His eyes were lit with grim humour. "It will be so very sad to see your fearless protector fall from grace, after all these years by your side."

I hated the fact he was picking on Finlay. I also hated the way he knew we were going through a rough time. I didn't want this monster to know the ins and outs of my personal life.

"Finlay will _never_ betray me, Sluag. He will always be my best friend, and he will always have my back. He spent years protecting me from you and your Draugur when I didn't even know you existed. He's never failed me, and I know he never will." I stepped closer to Sluag as I spoke, determined to show him he couldn't hurt me with his lies.

"If not Finlay, then I wonder who will be your ultimate undoing, Flora?" He tapped his index finger against his lips thoughtfully. "Lyall is over-confident, Freya is jealous, and Mara and Artair are very self-focused. Perhaps you might even be responsible for your own destruction. Or maybe the lovely Penthesilea will fail you as terribly as she failed her husband."

He was so close now I could smell the aroma of death and decay oozing from his scaly body. Swallowing back the bile that the smell of him caused to rise in my throat, I stepped even closer to him and glared into his fire-pit eyes.

"To be honest, Sluag, I am bored of your lies and your attempts to turn me against my Dion. They are all on my side, and I trust them, even though I've only known most of them for such a short time. You're not gonna win. You're not getting out of your little hell-cage on my watch, so can I suggest you quit this crap and let me get some real sleep?"

He stared back at me for what felt like forever, his expression giving away nothing of what he was thinking. Then suddenly, he broke off his gaze, stepping back into a sweeping, theatrical bow.

"As you wish, Flora. You may return to your slumbers."

The Endwood started to shimmer and disappear as Sluag released his grip on my mind. I breathed out a huge sigh, relieved to be returning to my bed.

"Do me one favour, Little Dreamer?" Sluag's disembodied voice floated through the greyness of my vision as I moved between worlds.

I didn't reply to him, but he continued anyway. "Say hello to Finlay for me?"

I could still hear his gleeful laughter echoing inside my head as my eyes settled on the now familiar surroundings of my room in the castle. Looking at the gilded clock on the fireplace mantel, I saw it was quarter past one in the morning. I sighed deeply, knowing I probably wouldn't get any more sleep for the rest of the night.

Instead of trying to sleep, I lay in bed and ran through different ways that I could make sure Finlay and I sorted things out in the morning. I was certain everything Sluag had told me was lies, and now I was more determined than ever to get things back on an even keel with my best friend.

# Chapter Sixteen

I did manage to eventually fall back to sleep, just as the sun was starting to flood through my window. When my alarm went off at eight, I groaned and hit snooze, burrowing beneath the covers for a little while longer.

After another ten minutes of warm dozing, I reached over to grab my phone and wrote a text to Lyall. We were supposed to be working on shifting today, but after my latest visit from Sluag I was determined I needed to spend time with Finlay. It was time to make amends.

I hit send on my message and then typed out a second one for Finlay.

_Hey, can we meet up and train at the Everwood today? F xx_

I lay back in bed and watched my phone, waiting for a response. When it beeped with the message tone, I sat up quickly to read it.

_K. See you at the clearing at nine? F xx_

I breathed out in relief and leapt from the bed to get ready, I didn't have long to get a shower and grab a snack on my way out the door.

At five to nine, I stood in the clearing, munching on a piece of toast that dripped warm butter down my fingers. I looked calm and relaxed on the outside, but inside I was so nervous, which made me sad because I never used to feel anything but comfortable around Finlay.

I watched him enter the clearing and saunter across the grass in my direction. I really wanted to meet him halfway and let him envelop me in a huge hug, but something inside me made me stop before I could move my feet. Internally, I questioned why I didn't go to him and all I could think of was what Sluag had said to me the night before:

_My money is on Finlay. I think he's the weakest link, the chink in your armour, the one who will be your downfall._

I shuddered despite the sunshine. I couldn't let Sluag ruin today. It was exactly what he wanted and if there was one thing I knew for sure it was that Finlay and I needed to get back to how we used to be. I gave him a warm smile as he reached me.

"Hey. How are you?" I was praying he wouldn't bite my head off. It would be a lot more difficult to come back from a terrible start to the morning.

"Hey, Flor. I'm good. You ready to go?" He stopped in front of me and ruffled his hand though his pale hair. He looked exactly like what would probably come up on your computer screen if you Googled _really cute guy_.

"Let's do it." I smiled.

Willing myself to the Everwood was like second nature now. I no longer closed my eyes or even really thought about it. All I had to do was imagine I wanted to be there, and it would happen. It made me smile a little to notice I got there a split second before Finlay did this time around. This was starting to feel like my kingdom now.

He acknowledged my early arrival with a quick nod of satisfaction. "Okay, Flor I think we should see how you do working with more than one soul at a time today."

"Pure souls? Or rogue souls?" I asked.

"Probably both, but I think it makes sense to start with your little buddies." He gestured as he spoke to a gathering of tiny lights hovering behind me.

As I turned, I smiled to see my pure souls waiting oh so patiently for me. The multicoloured balls of light danced through the air. Some seemed to be racing with each other, speeding through the trees neck and neck until they screeched to a stop at what appeared to be a mutually agreed upon finish line.

Others hovered sedately at head height, the miniature bolts of lightning inside them pulsing slowly as they waited for me to tell them their fate. It had become clear to me that pure souls tended to stick together in large groups, while rogues were more often found alone or sometimes in smaller congregations. I asked Finlay why.

"The souls recognise each other, Flor. The pure souls have a lot in common. I guess you could say they enjoy each other's company. The rogue souls also know they are alike, but that makes them not so great company so they don't tend to hang out together."

"They make my job easy then. If I see a big group, then I'll know it's pure souls. If they're alone, then I know they're probably rogues." I turned back to the gathering of lights, looking forward to communicating with them all at the same time.

"Whoa, not so fast, Flor. Rogues can be deceptive. They often try to hide themselves within a group of pure souls. That's why it's better for you to sort souls consciously rather than with your subconscious. When you're sorting with just your mind, you can make mistakes. It's unlikely you'll get it wrong when you're here in person."

"But I'm not always here. So, does that mean I'm letting tons of impure souls escape back into the Everwood?" I frowned.

"Don't stress over it, Flora. You'll get it wrong sometimes, but you'll catch most of the souls that slip through before they get a chance to reincarnate."

"Most of them? What about the evil that manages to slip back into the mortal world?" I panicked as a terrible thought sprang to my mind. "What if a murderer kills someone because of my screw up?"

"Stop doing that." Finlay's voice was hard. "You have to learn to let those thoughts go, Flora. If you don't, they'll destroy you. Those things may happen. That's a part of who and what you are. Being a Soul Keeper isn't easy, but you're strong enough to do this. I know you are."

Finlay's voice had softened. As he finished speaking his beautiful blue eyes stared intently into mine. This was the boy I had grown up with, the man who had been everything to me for my whole life long. Finlay would never betray me. Sluag was so wrong about him.

"Finlay, I've missed you so much."

He didn't reply. Instead, he took a quick step forward and wrapped his thick arms tightly around my waist, pulling me against him. The tension drained from my body, and I relaxed into the warm comfort of the familiar bear hug.

We stayed that way for an endless amount of time. I didn't want to pull away; I didn't want to feel the loss of him. It was only when I started to feel a strange tugging feeling inside my head that I leaned back from Finlay and looked around me. I felt as though I was waking from a dream.

We were surrounded by tiny lights dancing in the air around us. While we had been distracted by each other, the souls had obviously grown tired of waiting, and so they had taken matters into their own hands. I now recognised the tugging feeling inside my head, as their way of trying to communicate with me, letting me know they wanted me to tell them what their future held.

Finlay took a step back from me and turned in a three-sixty circle, staring in awe at the souls surrounding him. He wasn't used to having them so close. "I think they want you to do your job, Soul Keeper." He laughed.

"All of them? At the same time?" I had no idea how I was going to try and communicate with them all at the same time. There must have been three-hundred tiny lightning balls waiting for my attention.

"Yep, all at the same time. I'm kinda guiding you blind here, Flor. To be honest, Mara would have been a better choice to help you out with this part."

My voice was firm as I replied, "I want you here."

"Okay, boss." He winked at me. "So, what you need to do is imagine you are casting a net out with your mind. Every single one of these little guys is linked to you, so they should be easy to round up."

Concentrating on his instruction, I imagined a sparkling silver net inside my head. Next, I focused on the lights dancing in the air around me. They almost shook with excitement when they felt my attention fall on them, allowing the fine silver strands to gently cover them. I began pulling them in toward me.

"Great work, Flor." Finlay's words made me lose my concentration for a brief moment, and the net shimmered and disappeared. "Oh, no you don't. Keep concentrating. Keep them in the net and check that you don't have any rogues hiding inside there."

Once again taking Finlay's instruction on board, I brought the net back to life and mentally reached out to try and communicate with the little souls. As my gaze swept over each light, they bobbed excitedly up and down. I repeated the process again just to be sure I hadn't missed any of them, but after the second sweep, I was completely confident there were only pure souls inside my net.

I considered asking Finlay what to do next, but my own intuition nudged me in the right direction. I communicated with the lights in the same way I had done with individual souls previously, but this time I imagined my internal voice echoing through the net, enabling each and every one to hear me.

_You are all pure, and you will all stay here in the Everwood until you live again._

Almost before I finished, the silver net burst into a thousand sparkling strands. The lights spilled from their temporary confinement, and in a flurry of delight and excitement, they melted into the woodland surrounding us. One or two came flying past my face first, just touching my cheek on their way past as they thanked me, before following their friends through the trees.

"Well done, Flor. That was textbook perfect. You are amazingly talented at this." The approval was obvious in Finlay's voice.

"Thanks. It wasn't too difficult. Although my head was starting to feel a little crowded with all of them chattering away in there." At one point, it had been quite overwhelming to have a few hundred voices competing for my attention inside my head.

"That's why we started with pure souls for your first attempt at communicating with a group. If you found those guys noisy, then you can imagine what it will feel like to have a gang of rogues inside your mind. Especially when they are trying to bully you into letting them stay." Finlay had sat down on the grass with his legs stretched out in front of him.

I sat down next to him, but crossed my legs under me. "I don't think it'll be much fun dealing with rogues in the same way. I guess it's a good thing they don't hang out in such big groups."

We spent the next few minutes in a companionable silence. I was grateful the day had gone so well, but I was still nervous about speaking to him about how strained our relationship had been over the last week.

He beat me to it. "Flor?"

My stomach flipped as the words, _Don't screw this up, Flora_ ran repeatedly through my head.

"Yep," I replied in a strained voice that was trying to be too casual.

"I want to apologise for my behaviour. It was wrong of me to expect so much from you. I had no right. I was jealous and stupid and more than a little bit arrogant actually. I don't blame you for being so angry with me." He gave me a sheepish smile.

"Finlay, I'm sorry too. We've been friends forever, and I should have understood how hard it must be for you to share my friendship with the others after I found out about everything."

"I missed you, Flor. Even if you can be a nightmare sometimes." He laughed.

Giving his arm a friendly punch, I laughed out loud. "Hey, I wasn't the one who had a tantrum over nothing. But seriously, I missed you too. A lot."

Clutching his arm in mock agony, Finlay fell onto his back against the wet grass. "I think you broke my arm." He chuckled.

"I'll do the other one if you don't quit the melodrama." I laughed as I lay back in the grass next to him so I could watch the white fluffy clouds slowly wend their way through the Everwood's sky.

I thought back to last night and my time in the Endwood with Sluag, and I smiled to myself.

"What's making you so happy?" Finlay took a break from his own cloud studies in time to turn and see my smirk.

"Well, last night Sluag hijacked my dreams again. Only this time he was really heavy on telling me that I was going to lose you. He said that you'd betray me. I'm just laughing because I swore to myself I'd make things right with you today, and now I have. So Sluag can go and suck it."

Finlay sat up with a jolt. "He told you I'd betray you? What else did he say?"

I followed his lead and sat up too, slightly taken aback by his apparent anger. Although I understood it mustn't have felt great to have someone accuse you of being a traitor.

I tried my best to dismiss what Sluag had said.

"Not much really. Just that you'd betray me—oh and he said you'd been to see him by choice. Can you believe the crap he tries to use to mess with my head?" My laughter died in my throat as I took in the look of fury on Finlay's face.

"He told you I went to him? Flora, you don't believe him do you. I mean that's bull, you know that, right?"

"Finlay, calm down. Of course, I know he was lying to me. Jesus, I wouldn't be here doing my best to make things right with us if I believed his lies. I can't wait to tell him how wrong he was now we've sorted things out."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and leaned across to give the top of my head a quick kiss before he stood up and offered me his hand. "Okay, good. C'mon let's go and get something to eat. I'm starving."

I took his hand and followed him out of the Everwood, but for the rest of the day, I found it tough to shake the nagging feeling that Finlay hadn't been entirely honest with me.

# Chapter Seventeen

A knock at my bedroom door drew me out of the depths of my thoughts. I had been thinking about the things Sluag had said to me, but mostly I had been thinking about Finlay's reaction when I had told him about them.

Shaking off my worries, I crossed the room and opened the door to see Mara and Freya standing in the hallway with huge grins on their faces.

"Err, hi?" I questioned suspiciously.

"You have been deemed far too miserable these last few days. You are not permitted to stay in your room any longer, Miss Bast." Mara giggled.

"So, you have no choice but to be taken for lunch in Inverness and maybe for some retail therapy afterward." Freya nodded toward my bag and boots which I had casually discarded in a heap on my bedroom floor, indicating I should put them on.

Realising resistance was futile, I started to pull on my boots while the two girls hovered in my doorway. Once I was ready to go, I crossed the room to my bed and scratched a very sleepy Achilles behind his ear. Grabbing my phone from the end of the bed, I headed out into the hallway.

As we made our way down the stairs, Mara and Freya were talking animatedly about where we should eat, and before very long, I was caught up in their enthusiasm too. We eventually decided on a restaurant we knew that did great pizza.

As we were crossing the threshold of the castle, I heard a male voice call my name. I turned toward the sound, seeing Lyall crossing the entrance hall toward me.

"Give me two minutes?" I asked the girls before walking back to meet Lyall halfway across the floor.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"You guys heading out anywhere nice?" He gave me his best wolfish smile.

"Just for some lunch in town, then maybe some shopping. They think I need cheering up."

"Perhaps they're right. Just make sure you take care of yourself, okay?"

"Don't worry, Lyall I'm not going to drink at three in the afternoon. I'm not that out of control." I laughed.

"Okay, but be safe and be aware, love." Then turning toward Mara and Freya, he called out, "Take good care of her, Dion."

"Of course, we will, Lyall. Chill." Freya rolled her eyes.

Turning back to me, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Have fun, see you when you get back."

"Okay, bye," I mumbled back, touched but a little embarrassed by his concern.

Mara and Freya started to tease me relentlessly as we made our way outside and into Freya's car, and they carried on for the entire journey to the restaurant.

When we were sat inside the restaurant and had drinks on the table and pizzas ordered, Mara's teasing turned into questioning. "Seriously, though, Flora, are you and Lyall actually together now?"

"No, we aren't together. We're getting on amazingly, and he's been so good at helping me with my shifting training. I think he just worries about me."

"Although you still haven't managed to shift yet? You sure that's all you two are up to when you're training?" Freya smirked.

I laughed. "The only reason I haven't shifted yet is because I'm awful at it. I honestly don't know how Lyall can keep so patient with me."

"I'm sure you're not awful at it," Mara interceded. "It's a tough thing to master when you know what you're trying to become. I can't imagine how hard it must be when you have no clue what you're aiming to be."

"Tell me about it." I sighed.

"You do know there's a good chance you'll become either the same animal or the same coloured animal as the Dion you're bonded to?" Freya asked me just as our food arrived.

We all waited quietly for the waiter to finish putting our pizzas on the table. Shape-shifting wasn't something we could really discuss in earshot of a human. I smiled to myself when I realised I no longer thought of myself as completely human; it was equal parts weird and hilarious.

As soon as the waiter left, I questioned Freya further about my inner animal. "Lyall told me I could become the same animal as the Dion I was bonded to, but he didn't mention that I could just become the same colour but a different species. Is that true?"

"Completely true. Ask Pen. She'll confirm it. She found it written in one of those dusty old books she loves trailing through." Freya stopped talking to push a slice of ham and pineapple pizza into her mouth.

"I will," I mused. "Hey, do either of you know what Pen found out last time she was down in Edinburgh? It's like a huge secret that only Finlay and her know about."

"She doesn't usually discuss much of that stuff with us, unless she feels it's something we really need to know. I'd be surprised if she told Finlay either. Are you sure he knows?" Mara queried.

I thought again about how weird Finlay got when I asked him about the prophecies and when I mentioned the things Sluag had said. _Maybe he was just weird about all of this._

"I'm not sure. I thought he did but maybe I was wrong." I decided a subject change was needed.

"Anyway, how are things with you and Artair?" I asked Mara.

Her face lit up in the way it always did when she spoke about Artair. "Things are perfect. Things are always perfect with us."

Freya made a fake balking sound and pretended to push her fingers down her throat. But Mara's good nature didn't allow her to take it to heart.

"Actually, things are a little bit better than perfect right now." Mara sounded secretive.

"Tell?" both Freya and I chorused.

"Artair asked me to marry him. I mean not right away, but I said yes. We're engaged." Her voice went up an octave at the end of the sentence.

Even Freya couldn't keep her usual pretend cold front up at the news. We both squealed in delight and gave Mara huge hugs and congratulations. The other diners gave us strange sideways glances, and the three of us sat back in our seats grinning and talking more quietly.

"You'll be needing bridesmaids, of course." I gestured emphatically at myself and Freya as I spoke.

"I am _not_ wearing one of those dresses," Freya grumbled.

"Calm down, you two. We have no idea when it's going to happen. We haven't even told Pen yet. Plus, we're still so young, there's really no rush at all." Mara laughed.

"Well I can't wait until the big day. I'm so excited for you both, Mara." I spoke with genuine delight. This was just the sort of news I needed after my last few days of worrying over Sluag and Finlay.

"I can't wait to go and shop." Freya was already standing up from the table. "Are you two ready to go?"

Laughing, Mara and I stood up. Mara nodded, "Yep, I think so. Let's go."

We paid the bill quickly and headed out onto the street in the direction of the shops.

The afternoon was sunny, and a warm breeze followed us along the maze-like streets of the city. We must have gone into fifty shops, and the other girls were laden with bags of clothes, shoes, and cosmetics. Money was no problem for a Soul Keeper and her Dion, apparently. Pen provided all of the Dion with bank cards that seemingly had no limit to them.

"You'll get a bank card too, Flora. I'm sure Pen will have ordered one for you," Mara had assured me when we started shopping.

"In the meantime, I can get whatever you need with mine." Freya had held up her card and beamed.

I had never been a big fan of shopping, but I took advantage of Freya's bank card and bought a pair of jeans, two new tops and a gorgeous new pair of black boots that came halfway up my calf. They were definitely too warm for the summer, but they would be perfect for the cold Scottish winter.

As we left the most recent shop that Freya and Mara had practically cleared out, we approached a bookshop, and I turned eagerly to them.

"I'd quite like to buy a couple of books."

Both girls looked at me blankly, but Freya handed me her bank card.

"The pin is four, one, seven, nine. I'll use Mara's for now. We'll be in the clothes shop over the road, okay?"

"You two should read more. It's enlightening." I took the offered card.

"You know, I think we'll stick with clothes for now, Flora. Will you be all right by yourself?" Mara looked doubtful.

"I'll be fine. It's broad daylight. I won't be too long. I'll come and find you when I'm done."

We said goodbye, and I headed into the cool, dimly lit bookshop. The smell of new books hit my nose, and I inhaled deeply. If Finlay had been my primary saviour after my parents' deaths, books had been the next best thing.

There was nothing in the world I preferred above letting my mind completely sink into the pages of a book. I could easily spend hours inside a different world, often becoming so immersed that when I put the book down, I would be almost dazed by reality for a few hours afterward.

As I walked along the shelf-lined aisles, scouring the titles, my eyes drifted up and down rhythmically as they followed the variety of different fonts. I laughed softly to myself as I thought about how I now lived within one of these fantasy worlds.

I spent about fifteen minutes browsing the store until I had six books in my arms. I had reached the very back of the shop where it was quiet and darker than the window-lit front area. Turning to head back in the direction of the checkout, I almost walked in to a tall man who looked to be about my age.

"Oops, sorry," I mumbled as I swerved past him.

"Could you put this back please? I don't think I'll buy it." Before I could explain I actually didn't work there, he dropped the book he was holding on top of my own pile and disappeared quickly into the gloomy half-light of the shop.

"Great," I growled.

Spotting a small table at the end of the aisle, I hurried over and dropped the pile of books onto it. I left my own choices on the table and picked up the book the stranger had dropped on top of the pile, intending to put it back on the nearest shelf.

I was just about to post the book into a vacant slot on the shelf when the title caught my eye.

_Traitor._

I paused, inhaling sharply. I lifted the book back down and studied the cover. It was a solid black colour with the title printed in crimson red across its centre. There was no author name.

I hooked my index finger under the cover and slowly peeled it back to reveal the dedication page. I really didn't want to look. I wanted to put the book back and walk out of the shop, but morbid curiosity made me focus on the single line that was handwritten in the same crimson colour as the title,

_Say hello to Finlay for me, Little Dreamer._

Dropping the book on top of the discarded pile I would now never buy, I jogged back along the aisle, holding my breath until I burst through the shop door and onto the street. I almost collided with Mara and Freya as I emerged, blinking into the sun.

"What's up, Flora? Are you okay?" Freya placed a concerned hand on my arm.

Catching my breath, I shot a look back over my shoulder, toward the bookshop. "There was a Draugur inside. It didn't try to hurt me. It—it was just there to give me a message."

"We need to go back." Mara started walking quickly in the direction of the car.

Shivering, despite the warmth of the sun, I followed closely behind her. "Yeah we do."

# Chapter Eighteen

Pen was furious with us.

As soon as we arrived back at Castle Dion we had gone to find the older woman and let her know I had encountered a Draugur. It was the part where I went into the bookshop alone that really made her mad.

"I don't know what to say to you. After what happened on Flora's night out, you still let her go off alone in the mortal world. You know how unsafe it is for us all out there. Sticking together surely isn't that difficult." She was glowering at Freya and Mara as she paced up and down the great hall.

I couldn't let the others take the blame for everything. "Pen, I was the one who said I'd be fine. I chose to go into the store alone. They went along with it to give me five minutes to myself."

She stopped walking and fixed her gaze on me. "You are a Soul Keeper. If we lose you, we lose everything. You have a responsibility to the entire world to stay safe and alive. What you did was selfish and irresponsible."

The words stung, and I dropped my gaze to the floor, tears burning at the back of my eyes. It hurt to be told I was selfish after how hard I had worked since finding out I was a Soul Keeper.

"Pen, I'm so sorry." Mara had her own tears pooling in her huge brown eyes.

"Me too." Freya didn't look sorry. She looked defiant. But that was just her way.

"Leave us. I need to speak with Flora alone. I love you both with all of my heart, girls. I'm just angry right now, and I think you understand why."

Both girls nodded and hurriedly let themselves out of the main door, leaving me alone with Pen.

I stood awkwardly, scraping the toe of my boot across a piece of the stone floor that jutted up into a tiny peak.

"Sit down, Flora." Pen took a seat herself.

I was shocked to notice that Pen looked really quite old all of a sudden. "Pen, I'm so sorry—"

She cut me off. "I know you are, Flora. But your scolding is over. We have far more serious matters to discuss. You didn't tell me that Sluag had summoned you again."

_Crap, I hadn't realised we were going to be talking about that._

"I was going to tell you, Pen. I just wanted to try and work out what he was trying to do first. You asked me not to pay attention to his lies so I was trying to sort out what was truth and what wasn't in my own head."

"So once again he encourages secrets and lies between you and your Dion. He's winning, Flora. He's getting inside your head and causing you to doubt us and yourself. You have to remember I have been here before."

I sat back in my chair and rubbed at my eyes in frustration. It seemed I couldn't get anything right anymore. The truth was, I had been trying to protect Finlay. I was worried that if Pen knew what Sluag had told me, she would turn against my best friend. But after the latest trick with the Draugur and the book this afternoon, I couldn't keep Finlay out of it any longer.

Pen's voice was softer now. "The truth, Flora. Start with the summoning and finish with today's events."

I told the story of my dream, including my childish stand against Sluag, which made her smile a little. I finished by telling Pen about the bookshop and the book that the Draugur had dumped in my arms.

"I didn't tell you right away because I was trying to figure things out. I felt as though I'd be betraying Finlay if I told anyone, and we've only just managed to fix things between us. I'm sorry, Pen. I wasn't trying to lie to you." I sighed heavily as I finished talking.

"Oh, Flora, I understand better than you could ever imagine. I know what it is to care for someone so deeply that you would protect them at all costs."

I sagged in relief. Of course, Pen would understand. She would have done anything to protect her husband because of how much she cared for him. "Thank you, Pen. You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel." I started to stand.

"Stay seated, Flora. We still have much to talk about."

I frowned but sat back down in the dark wooden chair.

"Flora, I have to ask you something now, and before you answer, I want you to sit and think about the question for at least one minute. Do you promise me you will?"

I swallowed hard and nodded. I knew I wasn't going to like the question.

"Flora, do you believe there is any truth in the things Sluag has said about Finlay?"

Even though I'd made a promise, my mouth flew open automatically to say no. But Pen silenced me with a single raised index finger. She pointed to the large clock on the wall and mouthed, _One minute._

I sat in the silence and really thought about Pen's question. Did I believe Finlay could be a traitor? If I was honest with myself, then no, I didn't believe he would ever betray me. Although on the other hand, he had been so evasive when I questioned him about the prophecies and when I told him what Sluag had said about him, that I was convinced something wasn't right.

Thirty seconds stretched out and finally became a minute as the second hand on the clock completed a full rotation. I was more confused now than I had been at the start of the minute. I looked at Pen, scared to hear her repeat her question.

"So, do you believe there is any truth in what Sluag has told you about Finlay, Flora?"

"I don't know," I admitted quietly.

"Then Sluag has achieved what he set out to do. One the one hand, if Finlay has been to see Sluag and has indeed agreed to betray you, then Sluag has stolen your best friend and confidant and has acquired an ally who lives within the very heart of your Dion. This puts you in grave danger indeed, Flora."

A single tear slid down my cheek as I listened to Pen speak.

"On the other hand. If Sluag is lying, which is extremely likely. Then that means he has gotten himself so far under your skin you have been almost convinced that the one person on whom you should always be able to rely is in fact a traitor. In essence, Sluag is tearing your relationship with Finlay apart before your very eyes."

"It doesn't matter what I do or think. He's already won. You warned me he'd break me and my Dion apart. Even knowing everything I do, I've still let him make me doubt my best friend. Finlay will never forgive me if he finds out." I dropped my head into my hands, my arms resting on the solid oak table.

"For what it's worth, Flora, I don't believe Finlay is a traitor to you. I believe he is jealous of Lyall. I believe he's struggling to handle your new place in the world. But I honestly cannot accept that he would go to the Endwood voluntarily to speak with that monster. Sluag has _nothing_ to offer Finlay that would entice him to change sides."

"When you put it that way, it makes complete sense, Pen. God, I'm such an idiot. You warned me that Sluag would do this, and I've played right into his hands. How could I ever have doubted Finlay after everything he's done for me?"

"I am working on finding a way to prevent Sluag from summoning you, Flora. I know how distressing it must be to be kidnapped in your sleep. It sounds like you handle Sluag well when you are in the Endwood, but I will be happier when we can find a way to stop him from getting to you."

"Do you think that's possible?" I looked at Pen hopefully.

"I think it may be. But be patient. I am working on more than one thing right now, Flora. I'm trying to find a way to create Dion from people who are already adults so we don't have to wait for replacements to be born and grow older."

I frowned. "You mean in case one of my Dion die?"

She smiled. "I'm not planning on any of us dying, Flora. Don't worry. It would mean that no Soul Keeper would ever be left without any Dion to care for them, however."

I knew she was thinking back to Aiden losing all of his protectors except her.

"That goes hand in hand with something else I have discovered in the prophecies. I believe there is a way to convert the Draugur."

"Convert them? How?" I was curious.

"There is a passage in one of the manuscripts that says, _A Blood Inheritance Secures Allegiance_. I can't be sure yet, but I think it refers to a ritual that can literally force the Draugur to swap their loyalty from Sluag to you."

"Wow, that would be nice. No more minions of darkness trying to drag me to hell." I laughed.

"There is so much for me to work on, Flora, and I am only one person. I will do my best to unravel all of the prophecies, but I need time to do it."

"Which means you need me to stop trying to get myself killed and start trusting my Dion, right?" I asked sheepishly.

"That would be wonderful." She beamed.

"Thank you, Pen." I stood up and crossed the room to the wooden door. As I reached for the handle she called my name, and I turned back toward her.

"Finlay loves you with a ferocity that is rare to find. I don't doubt his loyalty, and I truly don't believe you should either. But I do think you should take some time apart for a few days. Let Lyall keep up with your shifter training. It would be lovely to finally find out what you will become."

I gave her a smile and a nod and made my way out into the hall, feeling a lightness in my heart that had been missing for a long while.

# Chapter Nineteen

Training with Lyall was fun but gruelling. At first, I had thought he was stern and actually quite a harsh tutor. Now I had gotten to know him better, I realised he was just passionate about getting results. He wanted me to succeed, and he got just as frustrated as I did every time I failed to make the change to whatever it was I was eventually going to learn to become.

We were on the third consecutive day of our intensive training since my chat with Pen and almost every single part of my body hurt from trying to change over and over again. I had just failed for the seventh time today, and I was so frustrated I kicked out at a nearby tree and growled in disappointment.

"Hey, grumpy ass?" I could hear the laughter in Lyall's voice as he called out to me.

I turned around to snap a "what" at him. But before I could speak, he threw a bottle of water toward me. I had to concentrate on catching it as it fell through its arc in the air, so I held my tongue.

I was grateful for the drink, however. I was constantly thirsty when I trained with Lyall, and he knew it, which was why he always kept water to hand. I unscrewed the lid and swallowed back two thirds of the cool fluid before concentrating on trying to slow my rapid breathing.

Lyall approached me, taking a drink from his own bottle. "You're doing amazingly, you know. This isn't easy. You shouldn't go too hard on yourself."

He stood next to me, looking cool and fresh in his black jeans and black T-shirt. I looked down at myself, feeling majorly self-conscious. I was dressed in grey jogging pants because I found them the most comfortable clothes for training to shift in, and my white sleeveless top was saturated in the sweat that glistened all over my face and body.

"I'm a mess," I complained.

"Nope, you're beautiful, even when you're covered in sweat and scowling, love." He winked at me and ducked away, laughing as I swiped at him.

"Are we going to try again?" I was determined to get this right. It had almost become an obsession for me. Not only did I want to be able to better protect myself, but I also desperately wanted to know if I would take the same form as either Lyall or Finlay.

"Are you sure you want to? You must be exhausted." He shot me a concerned look.

"I want to. I want to finally be able to nail this, Lyall. Apart from anything else, this training is tough. The sooner I manage to change, the sooner we can stop trying to kill me every day." I placed my hands on my hips and shot him a determined look.

"I'm broken-hearted that you don't want to train with me anymore," he sniggered through feigned sorrow.

"You know I enjoy spending time with you. I can't thank you enough for how much you've done for me. But I want to finally find out what I'll become, Lyall."

He gave me an odd look. "The lady wants to know whether she will be a cat or a dog? I understand, love."

"I'm pretty sure the rules don't say I _have_ to bond with a Dion that shares my shape, anyway. I'm not sure anyone could stop me from making my own choice?" I pouted.

He crossed the clearing and gave me one of his familiar kisses on my forehead. "I don't think anyone ever managed to stop you from doing something you'd set your heart on, love."

I laughed aloud. "Are you saying I'm headstrong?"

"Never." He laughed. "Anyway, I've had a thought. You're at your most powerful when you're in the Everwood. It's your realm, Flora. Perhaps it might be worth going there to try your next shift?"

"At this point, I'm willing to try anything that could help. Let's do it."

"Okay, as long as you promise this will be your last attempt for today?" He gave me a questioning look.

"Promise," I said sincerely.

We both conjured up the tranquil setting of the Everwood in our minds, quickly finding ourselves standing amongst the blue flowered trees.

"Okay, we're going to do this exactly the same as if we were back at the castle. Nothing's different except the scenery." Lyall took a seat on a fallen tree branch, leaving me standing alone in between the trees.

I clenched and unclenched my fists several times, trying to relax my muscles as much as possible. Lyall had explained to me that shifting was easier when you weren't tense. It made complete sense that if you allowed your muscles to relax, then when they had to shrink and morph into your new shape, it would hurt a lot less.

"Okay, love," he called to me. "Think about changing. Imagine every part of your body being receptive to those changes. Your legs want to get shorter. Your teeth want to get longer. Your body wants to be covered in fur."

We had agreed that it was unlikely I would become a bird and even less likely I would become a hamster, so even though we were completely in the dark about my shifter form, we were aiming for furry and ferocious. What neither of us had said out loud, was that we knew we were probably aiming for either a big white cat or a black wolf.

I closed my eyes and imagined the changes were happening in my body as I heard Lyall speak them out loud. When it came to colour and specific shape, I only ever permitted a grey haze to appear in my mind. I was pretty sure the reason I had struggled with shifting for so long was because I refused to choose a complete image to focus on. But my heart simply wouldn't let me choose between Finlay and Lyall.

As I listened to Lyall repeating his instructions over and over, I felt the first phase of my shift begin. I wasn't surprised. I found it easy to reach this stage now and the next. It was getting past the third phase that usually sent me panting and swearing to my knees.

I felt the desire to change start to swim through my body, and as it began to take a hold of my muscles and bones I felt phase two start. At this point, I could feel the prickle of real change threatening to happen all over my body. I could also feel a sense of clearance inside my head that would enable a second, more feral mind to share the thought-space.

I could only vaguely hear Lyall's voice now, but I knew it was encouraging me. I thought I heard him shout, "You're doing it, love," but I couldn't be sure as I was distracted by a bolt of agony that tore through my body. I couldn't believe it. I knew this was the start of the final phase of shifting. I was knocking on the door of phase three, somewhere I had never managed to get to before.

The pain was worse than it had ever been before. Usually I would get to this point, and in one quick burst of agony, I would be thrown out of the shifting cycle and be back in the real world, with only a splitting headache to show for it. This was different. I was going to change.

I heard a sickening snap as my bones began to reshape themselves to accommodate my new form. The pain continued to pulse though me, but it was a tolerable ache, just as Lyall had promised it would be.

In a brief moment, I heard Lyall shout something that sounded like a warning. I panicked and lost all focus which caused a searing rush of pain as I was thrown back out of my shift and returned to my normal body, just in time for a dark shape to knock me off my feet so hard I lost my breath as I collided with the floor.

I heard a sudden growl and saw wolf Lyall leap across me to clamp his jaws down on the throat of a Draugur who had been headed straight for me. As I tried to override the nausea in my belly, I realised we were under attack. There was a heavy weight over my feet and a glance told me it was a second Draugur. This must have been the one that knocked me to the floor, I realised.

I sat up and hit out at the Draugur with my fists, trying to land a hard punch or find an eye socket I could poke, but with my legs out of action, I struggled to reach its face. I could hear Lyall snapping and snarling at his opponent a few metres away from me.

The Draugur climbed off my legs and crouched over me, hissing through rotten teeth. "If you won't come willingly, Soul Keeper, then you can be put to sleep."

I tried to kick out at the ghoul but it was much stronger than I was, and it wasn't dazed to hell after having been dragged out of an almost shape-shift. It raised its hand back behind its fleshless head; too late, I noticed a heavy piece of wood between its skeletal fingers. It brought the wood crashing down on my skull, and everything went black.

# Chapter Twenty

I was dreaming, and I knew I had been for a while. My first real thought was that I was glad I wasn't in the Endwood. Instead I found myself on a beach. I could hear the waves rippling along the shore, and the seabirds clamoured noisily in the sky above my head.

It was a bright and cloudless day, and the sun shone down on the water, making the tops of the small waves look as though they had been covered in melted gold.

Not far off the shore, a small boat caught my eye. It was a tiny sailing vessel that was painted in a deep green colour. My breath caught as I took in the name on the side of it: _Flora_. This was my parents' boat, and the two people whom I could just make out at the bow were indeed my ma and da.

My eyes filled with tears as I began to jog along the shore, following the boat, shouting and waving to catch my parents' attention. They couldn't see or hear me, though, and I looked around the beach in frustration, searching for another boat that could take me to them.

As I continued my search, I suddenly noticed the light begin to fail, and the sound of the sea birds ceased at the same time. Looking back to the boat, I was dismayed to witness the large, dark storm clouds roiling though the sky above my parents. The waves were no longer lapping at the beach; instead, they crashed and burst against the shoreline. Even if I found a boat now, I would be smashed to pieces if I attempted to launch it.

I was equally horrified and mesmerised by the image before me. I followed the boat as it was captured by the swell of the sea. It was going to be pulled under, I realised. I was about to watch the moment of my parents' death.

They both stood on the deck, and I could see them better now, I called out to them, but they didn't respond to me. They looked so afraid. A flash of lightning confirmed the storm had arrived, and I blinked as the whole panorama was lit up by stark, white light.

When I opened my eyes again the tall, grey form of Sluag stood on the deck of the boat behind my parents. I screamed at them to turn around, to stop him, to get away. But instead, they both raised a hand and waved sadly at me as Sluag drew a long silver blade from his belt.

"Noooooo," I screamed above the wail of the storm.

As he drew the blade across each of my parents' throats he smiled broadly at me. I hadn't realised I had slid to my knees, and I was pounding my fists against the sand while I howled.

"Eventually, Flora, I will take everything from you," he crowed triumphantly as he dropped my mother's lifeless body to the deck.

"I hate you," I shrieked in my grief. Then I repeated it over and over again. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."

My vision clouded as I used all of my breath to shout across the ocean at Sluag. I felt dizzy and sick, so it took a moment to realise someone was calling my name.

"Flora? Flora. You're okay, I'm here with you You're all right."

My eyes flew open, and I sighed in relief as I took in Finlay's face. He sat next to my bed and was squeezing my hand tightly in his. I couldn't understand how I had gotten back into my bed at the castle. The last thing I remembered was Lyall and I fighting the Draugur in the Everwood.

I sat bolt upright in the bed. "Lyall?"

Finlay tried valiantly not to roll his eyes, and he almost succeeded. "Lyall's fine, Flor. He's been here with you for hours, but Pen insisted he go to get cleaned up. He had quite a bit of Draugur blood on him."

My head throbbed mercilessly, so I dropped back against the bed once I knew Lyall was okay. I reached my hand up to where I remembered being hit by the Draugur and was shocked to feel stitches. I looked at Finlay questioningly.

"All I know is what Lyall told us. Two Draugur attacked you both while you were training. Apparently, you didn't see it coming because you were getting really close to shifting, Flor." He grinned at that.

"What happened to the Draugur?" I smiled weakly as I remembered how I had almost made it through phase three of my change.

"Lyall ripped them to pieces. That's why he's gone to get cleaned up. You took a hefty knock to the head, Flor. You've had six stitches and lost quite a bit of blood. But don't worry, you're okay. You just need rest."

I sighed and squeezed Finlay's hand tighter. "Thank you for being here when I woke up, I had the most awful dream."

"I'll always be here, Flor. Right by your side for as long as you need me." He frowned. "Was it a dream, or was it Sluag?"

"A bit of both, I think. I started off dreaming about my ma and da, but then he somehow hijacked it and killed them while I watched. Jesus, I can't even be unconscious in peace." I hit my fist weakly against the bed in anger.

"Pen thinks he's ramped up his attacks on your mind and on your physical form because he's frustrated by you." Finlay poured me some water as he spoke.

I took the water gratefully and drank it back. My dry throat felt instantly soothed. "Why's he frustrated?"

"Because you're so goddamn tough." Finlay laughed.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "But seriously, why?"

"Pen says you're doing brilliantly. You're coping with the summonings. She even tells me you're giving him sass when you're at the Endwood. You have avoided several attempts to kidnap you; that's obviously because your Dion are so efficient." He smirked.

"But it's all just been through luck and the fact that you guys are willing to risk your lives to protect me. I hate it, Finlay. I'm not tough at all. I'm scared."

He carefully laid himself on the bed next to me and wrapped one arm around my shoulders, gently rolling me against his chest. He took care not to jostle my head in any way.

"Flor, you don't need to be scared. We won't let anything happen to you. Pen's working on a way to get rid of Sluag. Permanently."

I looked up at him hopefully. "Do you think it can be done? Can he be gotten rid of?"

"I think he can, and I think that Pen will be the one to find a way. She's got scores she _really_ wants to settle." He shrugged, forgetting my head was nestled against his arm.

"Ouch," I squeaked.

"God, Flor, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?" He unhooked his arm from around my shoulders and gently took hold of both my cheeks with his hands.

"I'm okay." I was suddenly so aware of his bright blue eyes just inches away from my green ones. I swallowed hard.

"If something had happened to you today, I think I would die. There's no world without you in it, Flor." He rested his forehead against mine.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.

_"Ahem."_

Finlay and I jumped apart from each other so quickly another spiral of pain shot through my head.

A freshly showered Lyall stood in my bedroom doorway. He had his thickly muscled arms crossed and was leaning with one shoulder casually resting against the doorframe. Dressed in his usual all black ensemble, he looked just as divine as ever.

The only evidence of the earlier fight was a bandage covering his left forearm and a small cut that ran parallel above his left eyebrow.

He stepped into the room. "How's the patient doing?"

"I'm okay. My head hurts." I flinched as another bolt of pain shot through my skull.

Finlay stood up. "I'm going to tell Pen you're awake and see if we can get you some stronger painkillers. I'll be back later, okay?" He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek before heading to the door. As he passed Lyall, I watched them both nod stiffly to each other.

After Finlay left, Lyall sat down on the edge of my bed. "Flora, I'm so sorry. They caught me off guard and they shouldn't have. You were so vulnerable when you were shifting, and I should have been more aware."

I reached out and placed my hand on his arm. "Hey, I'm here and not in the Endwood being sacrificed. I'd say it was a good result."

He gave me a small smile. "I still hate that I let them hurt you. I don't ever want to see you in pain."

"From what I hear, they ended up in a lot more pain than me, once you were through with them." I laughed softly so I didn't hurt my head again.

"They did," he growled.

"Thank you, Lyall, for protecting me, and thank you for teaching me how to shift. I almost made it through phase three this time, you know?"

"I know. I saw."

He didn't sound very happy about it. I supposed it was just because I had been so vulnerable when the Draugur attacked us.

"I need to get fixed up as quickly as possible so we can get back to training. I reckon I'll do it, the next time we try." I grinned.

"I reckon you probably will," he said sadly.

I lifted my hand from his arm and gently touched the back of my fingers to his cheek. "We'll still hang out? Even once I can shift properly, won't we?"

"Of course, we will, love." He smiled.

I smiled back at him, but it quickly turned to a grimace as the agony once again pulsed through my head. My arm dropped back to the bed, and I groaned aloud.

He placed a quick kiss in the usual place on my forehead, then stood up and crossed the room. "I'm going to chase those painkillers up for you, love."

"Thanks," I whispered through the pain.

He reached the door and had already turned the handle when curiosity overrode the pain in my head. "Lyall?"

He turned his amber eyes back to meet my own but didn't say anything.

I took that as a cue to continue. "Did you get a chance to see anything that would tell you what animal I'm going to be? I was so close, there must have been something?"

"I couldn't tell what animal you were going to be, Flora. You didn't quite get that far before the Draugur attacked."

I was disappointed. "Oh. Well next time then, huh?"

"Next time," he agreed.

I snuggled back against the bed and closed my eyes, needing to rest my aching head.

"I did see what colour you will be, though."

My eyes flew open. "What colour?"

"White, love. Your fur was white."

I blinked at the back of my door as he clicked it closed behind him.

# Chapter Twenty-One

It took a week before Pen allowed me out of bed for longer than the time it took to grab a quick shower. My stitches had come out by themselves after five days, and although Pen wasn't pleased they'd come out so quickly, she agreed that the gash in my head had healed sufficiently that she didn't feel the need to stitch me back up. Apparently having the blood of a Soul Keeper was good news for healing.

During my time confined to my bed, I was visited by each of the Dion daily. Once they were sure I was okay, Mara and Freya had been quite amused by the fact I had been injured on Lyall's watch and not theirs. Especially after he had been so pushy about them taking care of me.

I had begged them not to tease him about it, knowing he was struggling to deal with his discovery of my shifter colour. I didn't tell anyone about my white fur, not even Finlay. I wanted to give Lyall and myself time to adjust to the bombshell before we made the knowledge public.

Whenever Lyall visited me, I attempted to talk to him about what had happened, but he refused to discuss it, changing the topic to more neutral territory each time I tried. It was frustrating, but I was pretty sure he thought that it would make it more real if we talked about it.

I had just gotten out of the shower and dressed on day seven when Pen knocked at my door before letting herself in.

"I think you're about ready to get out of here, Flora. But I would say that you should take things easy with training for a little while. Just until your head is healed completely."

"I will. I think I'll go to the Everwood today. I'd like to spend some time there and see some pure souls."

"I'm sure they will be glad to see you. Will you take anyone with you?" She asked the question so casually, but the meaning behind it was obvious. Everyone had noticed the tension between Lyall and me, even if we hadn't filled them in on the reasons why.

"Not today, Pen. I think I'd like to get back on my feet before I start working with the others again. Is that okay?" I looked at her doubtfully.

"Of course, it's okay, Flora. While I would prefer you to always have at least one of your Dion guarding you, I also appreciate you need time to yourself. Apart from anything else, you're an adult. You are capable of making your own decisions. Take your phone with you, though."

"Thank you for understanding." I gave her a quick hug before heading down the hallway to taste fresh air for the first time in a week.

I didn't wait until I got to a particular spot. As soon as I stepped out into the sunlight, I imagined my Everwood and crossed over into the other world. I knew I'd missed being there, but I hadn't been ready for the sheer elation I felt as I trod the springy grass carpet beneath my shoes.

I walked through the trees, smiling as the tiny lights approached me. I could sort the pure souls with barely a thought now. My training with Finlay had paid off. I used my new skills to net groups of souls and send them off in an explosion of happiness and delight when I approved their reincarnation.

Even when a rogue soul hovered dangerously close to my face, I wasn't worried. The little angry ball of green lightning danced before me threateningly, its aggressive movements matching its words inside my head. I raised a hand and threw my response at the soul using my mind.

The soul faltered in the air as I marked it with my rejection. It wasn't sad, just angry. I could feel its desire to hurt me thrumming through my mind.

"Begone," I spoke aloud.

The light paused as though it was taking a moment to glare at me, even though it had no eyes. Then it dipped through the air and started to weave its way through the trees.

As I watched the soul departing, I was hit with a sudden thought. _Would the rogue head in the direction of the Endwood?_

Curiosity overwhelmed me. I knew the Everwood and the Endwood connected at a certain point. I was aware the soul couldn't cross into the Endwood without Freya as an escort, but I figured there was a possibility it would head in the direction of its new home.

My feet moved before I gave myself a chance to consider how stupid my idea was to follow the soul. I had zero intentions of actually going into the Endwood, but I wanted to catch a glimpse of the kingdom of Sluag for real and not in a dream.

I walked behind the rogue, following its path through the trees. A few pure souls followed after me, dancing in front of my face as though they were trying to stop me. _Don't worry, little ones, I'm not going in there._

The pure souls continued to follow me for a little longer, but gradually they began to disappear, until it was just me and the rogue soul again. I had a sense the pure souls were too afraid to go any closer to the border with the Endwood.

Then the scenery started to suddenly change, the ancient thick trunked trees grew thinner and thinner, and there were less of them surrounding the path I was walking. The grass was becoming sparser below my feet, and what was there had started to look sickly and brown. The light became dimmer and more shadowy.

No more than six metres in front of me, the landscape looked as though two separate worlds had been pushed together. On my side of the divide was the Everwood. Even though its trees looked less healthy here, they did still have some life to them. On the other side were the charred and twisted remains of trees I recognised from my dream trips to the Endwood. The black grass ended in a stark straight line that clearly indicated the border that should not be crossed.

I stopped walking and watched the rogue soul bounce repeatedly against an invisible barrier which was preventing it from continuing any farther on its journey. It would wait here now until Freya next came to take it on its way.

The sound of a snapping twig behind me made me spin around to confront whoever was trying to sneak up on me through the Everwood. As Lyall appeared out of the gloom, I relaxed, breathing out in relief.

"You scared me," I scolded.

"The Endwood has been over-spilling into the Everwood for decades. That line on the ground that looks like it should be a border between the two, is not. You're precisely two steps away from being within the bounds of Sluag's kingdom, love."

I flinched and automatically took two steps back toward Lyall. "I—I didn't realise. I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. You were curious. But if you've finished up with your sightseeing, then might I suggest heading back to where we belong?" He nodded in the direction of the lush woodland of the Everwood.

I jogged toward him and fell into step beside him. As we headed away from the cheerless border with the Endwood, a final glance back over my shoulder confirmed the rogue soul was still banging itself against the invisible barrier over and over again. With a shudder, I turned back to concentrate on my own kingdom.

"How did you find me?" I asked as we strolled through the safety of the dawn sunlight.

"I went to your room to visit you, but Pen said you'd just left with her blessing. She said you were going to the Everwood, and she asked me to check on you."

"Oh." I was disappointed. I had hoped he'd come here because he wanted to see me, not because he'd been told to.

"I would have come anyway." He laughed as he nudged my shoulder with his.

"I'm sorry for what you saw. My fur, I mean." I had no clue what else to say. I couldn't change it. I would be what I was supposed to be.

"I'm not, Flora. It's great that you got that far. One, maybe two more attempts and I honestly think you'll change completely." He couldn't disguise the sadness in his voice, no matter how hard he tried.

I sat on a large mossy rock. "I haven't made any decisions, Lyall. I don't believe I should have to choose the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, based on what colour fur I have when I shift."

"What if making that choice could be the difference between life and death?" he asked.

"Then if I get it wrong, I'll die." I shrugged.

"Not for you, but for the people you care about?"

My smart-ass comeback died on my lips. "I don't want anyone to die because of me," I murmured.

He walked toward me and stood in front of where I sat on my rock. He placed his hands on each of my shoulders and looked down at me. "I know you don't, love. That's why you'll agree that you and I should put a bit of distance between us."

"No."

I tried to stand, but he gently used his weight on my shoulders to keep me in my seat.

"You can shift, Flora. You have it in you now. Any of the other Dion will be able to work with you to help you get through phase three."

I started to speak, but he cut me off as he continued. "Spend some time with Finlay. Get to know him again. He's the same person he always has been to you, even though it might not feel that way."

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

"Because I care about you and because I have a duty, love."

"Your duty is to protect me, not abandon me." I hated that I had tears pooling in my eyes.

"Don't do this, Flora." He used a thumb to wipe away a stray tear.

"I'm not doing anything. You're the one who's breaking everything apart," I yelled.

"I think that already happened, love. I'm trying to allow you the time to put the pieces back together. Pen will be calling a meeting in the morning. She thinks she's found a way to fulfil one of the prophecies, but it means her going west for a little while."

"And you're going with her," I finished for him.

"I am."

"And if I ask you not to leave me?"

"I'll still go, love. I have to."

I was quiet for a moment as I contemplated my limited options.

"It's only going to be for a few days, maybe a week, Flora. Promise me you'll try and spend time with him?"

I knew he was doing the right thing. That was why it was so hard to argue with him.

"Okay," I whispered.

He placed his fingers underneath my chin and gently tipped my head back, and then leaning forward he placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Thank you, love," he whispered before he shimmered and faded from the Everwood and my sight.

I drew my legs up onto my rock, wrapping my arms around them, and rested my chin on top of my knees. Both my head and my heart hurt.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

I wasn't at all surprised the next morning when Mara knocked at my door to let me know Pen had called a meeting in the great hall. I hurriedly swept my still damp hair back into a pony-tail and pulled on my trusty tan boots. Sleep had, understandably, been in short supply last night, although I was grateful Sluag hadn't put in an appearance.

I made my way down the stairs with mixed feelings, not really ready to hear confirmation that Pen and Lyall were leaving. But I was also a little curious to see if Pen would share which prophecy she thought she had deciphered with us.

Everyone else already sat at the long table when I walked in, and I paused as I looked around the room, deciding where to sit. Lyall was seated next to Pen, and for once he wasn't slouched casually in his chair. Instead, he sat up straight and kept his eyes facing forward when I walked into the room.

_Okay, Lyall I get the hint._

I quickly crossed the floor and sat next to Finlay, who gave me a broad smile as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

Pen stood up to speak. "Thank you all for being here this morning. I wanted to give you an update on my studies of the prophecies, as I believe I may have unravelled one which could prove useful in the future."

Artair spoke up. "Are you going to tell us which it is?"

"I am." She sat back down and rested her arms on the table before continuing. "It seems that a lot of the old rituals rely heavily on blood magic."

"Are we talking, like sacrifices?" Freya wrinkled her nose.

"Not always. Yes, for Sluag to break apart the veil between the Endwood and the Everwood he would need to sacrifice Flora, resulting in her death." She grimaced and looked at me. "Sorry, Flora."

"No worries." I shook my head and gestured for Pen to continue. It occurred to me that it was completely crazy I didn't even blink at the thought of being slaughtered by a demonic lord of the underworld.

"Quite often a token blood sacrifice will do. I believe that to be the case here. I recently came upon a document that showed me the spell casting ritual to enable adults to become Dion. They could then be called upon to replace a member of our group if one of us were to die."

"Which we're never going to let happen, right?" Mara spoke firmly.

"I'm certainly not planning on losing anyone, Mara. But none of us is invincible. If we are given an opportunity to prepare against that eventuality, then we should take it."

We all nodded solemnly in agreement.

"It seems that if I successfully complete the ritual in a location where a Dion was previously killed by Sluag or his Draugur, then it should enable us to bestow the abilities of a Dion upon a completely ordinary person."

Me being me, I spoke my mind. "Does that mean their family will die?"

"I don't believe so, Flora. It's much easier for an adult to disappear voluntarily, than it is for a child to be taken. I think this ritual could make the process of becoming a Dion or a Soul Keeper much less traumatic than it has previously been."

"So, what or who is going to be the blood sacrifice?" Finlay asked.

Pen looked to her left toward Lyall and my stomach felt queasy.

"I need the blood of a Dion. Lyall will be coming with me. He has agreed to be the sacrifice."

Lyall took in the dismayed looks on our faces and laughed. "Don't panic. She's not going to kill me. I'll slice my palm with a ceremonial blade and give maybe half a pint of blood to bind the spell."

Pen continued. "I have chosen a location on the west coast of Scotland, where one of the Aiden's Dion was killed by a Draugur. It just so happens, the murder was committed in a standing stone circle. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all how much power is harnessed within those places. I believe that even a small offering of Lyall's blood will have its potency increased ten-fold by the magic contained within the circle."

"So, can we create more new Dion even if one of us doesn't die?" Freya asked.

"No, I'm afraid not, Freya. There are very definite rules, and we need to abide by them. As much as I would like to be able to raise an army in the same way Sluag is trying to do with his Draugur."

"Are you leaving today, Pen?" Mara asked.

"Yes, Lyall and I have already packed what we will need for a few days, maybe a week. Hopefully when we return, we will have good news for you all."

Lyall shifted restlessly in his seat. "In the meantime, we need to discuss keeping Flora safe while Pen and I are away."

I shot him a look that said, H _ow about you just don't go?_

He ignored me and looked instead at the other Dion expectantly.

Finlay had been stretched back comfortably in his seat, not unlike the way Lyall usually did. He sat forward now and placed his elbows on the table as he spoke.

"I'll take care of Flora."

"We are all capable of helping you, you know?" Freya chipped in.

"Seriously, guys, we can all work together to protect Flora." Mara spoke diplomatically.

"I think Finlay is probably best placed to protect Flora. He should be her primary protector while we're away." Lyall's words even drew raised eyebrows from Pen.

Finlay gave a triumphant smile. His delight was obvious when he realised Lyall was backing off intentionally.

"Flora is so close to being able to shift, Finlay. With a little gentle encouragement and one or two more tries, she's going to do it. I have no doubt."

Lyall's expression belied the enthusiasm of his words. He looked as though he were concluding a business negotiation, instead of handing over weeks of his own hard work for someone else to reap the end result.

"Shifting training it is then, Flor." Finlay grinned at me.

I realised I was still scowling at Lyall. I couldn't believe how easily he had given up everything we had worked so hard at together. Quickly recovering myself, I smiled and nodded my head at my best friend.

Pen stood up. "Well if that's settled, then I think Lyall and I should be thinking about leaving for the west. Unless anyone else has anything they would like to discuss before we go?"

No one did.

The others stood up and wished Pen and Lyall well on their journey. Mara gave each of them a huge hug and made them promise to be careful and come home safely.

I wanted to be childish and say nothing, mainly because I was still hurting. I knew he was trying to do the right thing, but that didn't take away the sadness I felt. I made myself stand up and embrace Pen, knowing that I would never forgive myself if anything happened to the woman who had been like a mother to me and I hadn't said a proper goodbye.

Turning away from Pen, I found myself looking up into the face of Lyall.

"I expect you to be able to complete a textbook perfect shape-shift by the time I get back, love." He smiled.

I bit my lip and said nothing, making him raise his eyebrows questioningly.

"Flora?" Finlay called, making me turn my head. "There's no reason we can't start practising your shifting now. Let's go."

"Okay, I'm coming," I called back, before returning my attention to Lyall. He opened his arms and I stepped toward him, wrapping my own arms around his waist and allowing him to pull me into a warm hug.

"Please be careful," I whispered.

"I will. I'll see you soon."

We hugged each other tightly for a few seconds longer before he released me and gently kissed my forehead. Then he crossed the room to catch up with Pen, and they walked out into the hallway and left for the west.

# Chapter Twenty-Three

I couldn't be sure whether it was the fact that I was so worried about Pen and Lyall, or if the sudden loss of my shifting mentor had impacted my abilities. But no matter how hard I tried in the days after they left, I just couldn't shift. I could barely even get to phase three in fact.

"This is pointless," I growled as I sat down on the grass and drank back a whole bottle of water. I had just had my fourth failed shift of the morning, and it was only ten thirty.

"It's not pointless, Flor. You just need to get your focus back. Maybe we need a break for a while. We could go and swim? Or head into town for some lunch?" Finlay sat next to me and smiled encouragingly. He'd been so patient with me even when I was throwing tantrums—which had been quite often.

I looked around the Everwood, thinking about how nice it would be to go and spend a few hours in the real world. Then I remembered the last two trips I had made to the city both could have ended in me coming face to face with Sluag for real.

"Nope, I'm good here." I was playing with my empty water bottle, turning it over and over in my hands.

"Flora, I know I've got plenty of stuff wrong over the last few weeks. I've failed you too many times. But you don't need Pen or Lyall here to keep you safe you know?"

I was silent, concentrating on my bottle.

"Flor, you do trust me, don't you?" He knelt down in front of me as he spoke and gently took the bottle from my restless hands.

I met his eyes and studied them for a moment. They were beautiful, such a bright blue they were almost ultra-violet, and they held a purity and honesty in their depths.

"Of course, I trust you." I smiled.

"Then why are you so reluctant to do anything lately, except almost kill yourself trying to shift?"

I sighed. "Because I don't particularly want to end up getting my throat cut open, allowing evil to break through the veil and destroy the world as we know it. Plus, I don't want any of you to die protecting me. Pen's doing this ritual because she thinks Sluag is going to kill one of you, maybe more than one."

"Pen's doing the ritual to give us options _if_ that time comes, not when. I'm worried about you, Flor. You're usually a tough cookie, and lately you seem so fragile. He's getting to you."

I started, wondering how Finlay knew that Lyall was getting to me. Then I realised he actually meant Sluag.

"Has Sluag summoned you again?" Finlay's eyes narrowed.

"Actually no. It's all been quiet on the messed-up trips to the land of the dead front. It's just horrible knowing that he can do it whenever he wants and I'm pretty sure he can read my mind when I'm there too. It makes me feel creepy and unclean." I curled my lip as I spoke.

"Pen will find a way to stop him from getting into your dreams, Flor. I know you must be disappointed that wasn't the first ritual she figured out. But give it a bit more time and you'll be free of him, I swear."

"I know. I'm not really disappointed. I just wish I didn't have to lie in bed, wondering if my soul is gonna get kidnapped again when I fall asleep."

"You are so brave, Flor. After everything you've found out and gone through over the last few weeks, most people would have fallen apart. But I knew you wouldn't. You're amazing." He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss against my cheek, which was still flushed pink from my shifting exertions.

I pulled back from him the tiniest fraction and he frowned. "Why would you do that, Flor?"

"Because I know you want more, and I don't think I can give you it." I lowered my eyes.

He captured my chin and gently pushed my face back up so we were looking at each other again. "You and I were meant for each other, Flor. We grew up together. We know everything there is to know about each other. You are the most important thing in the world to me, not just because you're a Soul Keeper, but because you're you."

I stared back at him. "Finlay, I just don't know if I can ever think of you in that way. It's exactly because we're so close that it feels strange for me to even consider pushing past the boundaries of friendship. Of course, I'm attracted to you, you're bloody gorgeous, but I'm not sure I can."

"Lyall, told me about the colour of your fur when you shift."

I blinked in surprise. "When?"

"Just before he left. If that doesn't tell you that you can trust me, then I don't know what else will, Flor. Can't you feel it? We're already bonded, even though we've never done this..."

He didn't give me a second to think about what he was doing. Leaning forward, he planted his lips against mine, hard.

A thousand thoughts ran through my mind in that moment: guilt toward Lyall, confusion about what would happen next with Finlay and me, and fear that Sluag would try and take Finlay away if he knew how important he was to me.

The thought that should have run through my head was that I should stop kissing my best friend. But it didn't and so I didn't stop. Instead I kissed him back, sighing as I let the last of my willpower crumble.

When he eventually pulled away from me, he breathed out in a rush of exhilaration. "That. Was worth waiting for."

I couldn't be sure I hadn't just made the biggest mistake of my life. "I don't think we should have done that," I whispered.

"Maybe we shouldn't have, Flor. But I'm not sorry. I know you probably don't want to hear me say this, but I love you. I've loved you my whole life long."

I stood up quickly, completely freaked out by what Finlay was saying. "Finlay, I can't hear that right now. Nothing's changed. I still can't make you any promises. Not until I understand what the hell is going on with my life."

He stood up too and wrapped me in a bear hug. "Flora, I should never have pushed you, and I won't do it again. I swear. We'll do everything on your terms and in your time. Just give me a chance? That's all I'm asking. Just give me a chance to prove myself to you?"

I laid my head against his hard chest and listened to the heart beating within. I wanted to say yes, because I didn't want to hurt him and I wanted to trust Finlay would always be there for me. "You already have," I whispered.

"Thank you." He leaned his head down and kissed my hair. "Wanna try shifting again?"

"Hell, yeah. Let's do it." I laughed.

We separated and Finlay took his usual relaxed stance while he called out words of encouragement to me. Whether it was because I felt like things were really getting back on track with Finlay, or whether it was because of his kiss I couldn't tell; but I sailed through phase one and two of my change.

"Amazing, Flor, you're at phase three. Keep going." I couldn't concentrate on Finlay's face, just his voice.

I heard my bones crunch and grimaced at the pain, but I fought to try and keep control of myself and the situation because I could sense that this time was exactly like when my change was interrupted by the Draugur attack. I was going to shift.

Dropping to my knees, I struggled against the urge to vomit. Inside my head, I cursed Lyall for telling me I would be able to cope with this. I felt as though I would die before I managed to discover my inner animal.

Then, out of nowhere the pain suddenly stopped, and I gathered myself enough to look down at my hands—or what should have been my hands—on the grass in front of me.

Instead of human fingers, I saw two huge, white furry paws that ruthlessly flattened the grass around them. A strange sensation drew my attention to my ass, and I realised I was wagging a bushy tail behind me. I laughed, delighted, but the sound that came out of my mouth was more of a half snort and half growl.

Looking around, I caught sight of Finlay staring at me, eyes wide in surprise. I opened my mouth to ask him what I was, because I still wasn't sure, but the words wouldn't come out of my feral mouth.

Then I recalled the way Lyall had spoken to me inside my head when he had been in shifter form. Concentrating hard on the question inside my mind, I stared intensely at Finlay, hoping that would be good enough to allow him to hear me.

_Finlay, what am I?_

He continued to stare at me for another full minute before he seemed to snap out of his shock enough to say, "Well that's interesting."

_What's interesting? Finlay, tell me?_ I growled impatiently.

"You're a white wolf, Flor."

Sitting my furry behind down with a thud in the grass, I howled—I actually howled—in frustration.

_Oh for God's sake, can anything ever just be simple for me?_

# Chapter Twenty-Four

I lay awake in bed for a long time after I left Finlay. He had handled the discovery of my inner animal a lot better than me. I had felt an insane need to keep saying how sorry I was, but he just brushed my apologies off, telling me I had nothing to be sorry for and that we should be glad that I had finally learned how to shift.

I had picked my phone up several times through the night, considering sending a text to Lyall, letting him know he had been too hasty; I could, in fact, still bond with either him or Finlay. But each time I returned my phone to my bedside table without hitting send, unsure why I was suddenly so reluctant to make contact with him.

I finally began to drift into a hazy zone of "almost" sleep as my muscles started to relax and my mind slowed down a little. Even before I was fully under, I felt the tug of another mind inside my head, beckoning me to fall deeper into my slumber.

I realised it was Sluag calling me, and I gave an involuntary kick, almost as though I thought I could swim back up and out of my dream-state to escape the summoning. It frightened me to discover he had the ability to drag me to the Endwood even when I wasn't quite fully asleep; his control over me seemed to be increasing.

There was no solitary walk through the charred trees for me tonight. As soon as the dark landscape of the Endwood materialised before me, I saw Sluag sitting on a rock just a few metres away. He was grinning delightedly, which probably didn't mean anything good for me, I thought miserably.

"Hello, Little Dreamer. Or should I say, hello, little wolf?" His eyes burned with amusement as his wide grin exposed his hideous rows of teeth.

"Do you spend your whole life following me around and watching what I do? Because if you do, you probably need to get a life, Sluag. Oh, wait, you can't, can you?" It was childish and provocative, but I had so much going on in my mind, I didn't have the energy for him.

He chuckled and the sound was hideous, like fingernails across a gravestone. "I like you, Little Dreamer. I'm going to miss that spirit once you're dead."

"I'm starting to think being dead would be better than having to put up with you inside my head." I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him, determined not to let him know how much these summonings took out of me.

"Speaking of which, I think you have some interesting information in that little red head of yours." He focused his fire-pit eyes on mine as he tapped two of his long grey fingers to his scaly head.

The sudden nudge against my mind sent me into a blind panic. I now had enough access to his thought-space to know he was aware that Pen and Lyall were away, but he didn't know where they had gone to. His mental intrusion was an attempt to steal the information from my unguarded subconscious.

Inhaling sharply, I followed my instinct, imagining a tall stone wall circling around Pen and Lyall inside my head. I felt a satisfying bump against the barrier as I ejected Sluag from my mind.

"Looking for something?" I sounded a lot more confident than I felt. If I let him know where Pen and Lyall were, he would undoubtedly send his Draugur after them. I couldn't let that happen.

"Hmm." He was irritated, I could tell. "Your abilities flourish with every passing day, Soul Keeper."

I smirked, relieved I had stopped him from taking the information he craved.

"Of course, this means your impending death will probably need to take place sooner, rather than later. I can't have you becoming too powerful, can I, Flora?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Sluag." It was a lie and he knew it.

He raised his nose and inhaled deeply, making a show of sniffing the air. "You've been _very_ close to the traitor today, Little Dreamer."

I stiffened. I hated it when he called Finlay a traitor. But I didn't let my mental barrier drop, knowing that he was probably talking about Finlay to try and distract me.

"I have to say, I am slightly surprised that you haven't heeded my warnings about the white-headed warrior, Soul Keeper. It seems he has you wrapped around his little finger." Sluag stood up from his rock with a flourish.

I chose a rock of my own and sat down. It was hard work concentrating on keeping him out of my head and my legs were trembling.

"We talked about this last time, Sluag. Finlay and I are stronger than ever. I really should thank you for helping me to see how to put things right between us."

I gritted my teeth and groaned as he fired his mind forward and into my own while I was speaking. He had hoped to catch me unawares, and he almost did. I had only a second to spare before he would have had full access to Pen and Lyall's location. Instead he recoiled back from my barricade and out of my mind once again.

"Tell me, Flora. When you were having your beautiful moment with Finlay, did you feel even an inkling of guilt for Lyall?"

"Of course, I felt guilty. I still do." My gut twisted, and my mind rang with warning bells. _Why was I talking about this with him?_

"You shouldn't worry yourself so, Little Dreamer. You won't need a _boyfriend_ when you're dead anyway." He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he said boyfriend.

"The more you threaten me but don't actually kill me, the less scary you become, Sluag. You can't touch me or my Dion from down here, and it must drive you crazy to know it. Finlay loves me. He will never betray me even if I choose Lyall over him. I think you've been stuck in the depths of hell for so long you don't know what friendship and loyalty look like."

"I know exactly what friendship and loyalty look like, Flora. Shall I tell you?" He had moved closer to me and was pacing up and down in front of my rock, nudging my mind with his own every now and then as though to check if I was still paying attention. My wall was holding strong, however.

"Loyalty is something that Finlay lost when he chose to come to the Endwood and promise to give you up to me, in return for the guarantee of an eternity as my right-hand man, when I rule your pathetic little world."

"Bull," I snarled.

"Is it, Little Dreamer?" He raised his eyebrows and continued, "Friendship is something you can't have, because you keep Finlay and Lyall hanging on, waiting for you to make a decision about your future. What sort of a girl treats her friends like that? You'll have no one to blame but yourself for Finlay's betrayal, Flora." He gave an exaggerated sigh.

My face burned in shame. "I was thrown into this without any instructions. The only reason I'm in this situation is because someone has to stop you from sending your evil into the world. I'm not trying to hurt either of them," I yelled.

He didn't reply. He just smiled at me expectantly, his burning eyes lit up with triumph.

I threw my hands to my head as I realised he had managed to get into my mind, find what he wanted, and leave before I even knew he was there.

"No," I whispered.

"Yes," he hissed, almost bouncing in glee.

"But, I didn't feel a thing."

"Oh, Soul Keeper, you are so confident of your own abilities, and yet you have no idea of mine. It doesn't have to hurt you when I break into your mind. I don't even have to let you know that I'm there. But I am very good at making you believe that it hurts, so that you don't even realise you've let your little wall down too far."

"You were playing with me," I murmured quietly.

"I was." He rubbed his hands together in glee. He had never looked more hideous.

"What happens now?" I stood up from my rock, stepping toward him.

"Why, I thought that would be obvious. Now, you will return to your room, and I need to go and get my Draugur ready for a visit to the west. The Standing Stone Circle of Broca, more precisely."

The Endwood and Sluag both started to shimmer and fade as he released me from the summoning. For the first time, I fought against my expulsion; although, I didn't really know why. He wouldn't listen to my pleas for the life of Pen and Lyall, even if I begged.

For the first time since I had discovered I was a Soul Keeper, I felt young and afraid, but most of all I felt stupid. _How could I have thought I had the power to keep him out of my mind?_

As soon as I was back in my bedroom, my hand flew to the phone on the bedside table. There was no hesitation this time as I scrolled through my contacts before hitting call on Lyall's number. The phone didn't even ring once, instead going straight through to voicemail. _They mustn't have any phone signal._

"Lyall, you have to leave. Sluag is sending his Draugur after you, right now. Get Pen, and get away from there. Call me when you get this, please?" I had started out shouting, but my voice tapered off into a whisper by the end of the message.

I ran to the door and flew along the hallway, hammering on each of the other doors as I went. I needed to rouse the others and could think of no quicker way to do it.

Freya was the first to stumble out on to the landing. "Flora, what the f—"

I cut her off. "Sluag knows where Pen and Lyall are. He's going to kill them."

By this time everyone else was awake and had made their way into the hall, so they heard what I'd said. Mara gripped Artair's hand and gasped, and Freya's eyes widened with worry.

"We all go to the great hall. Now."

My shoulders slumped in relief as Finlay's calm voice rang out behind me. I was so grateful to my longest-standing Dion, for taking control of the situation as I followed him down the stairs.

# Chapter Twenty-Five

I felt lost as everyone began to sit at the long wooden table. Pen and Lyall's absence loomed over us, making both the table and the room feel too large for our tiny group.

Artair sat down just as he was leaving a second voicemail for Lyall, and Freya was cursing as she hung up the phone after trying Pen for the third time. Finlay stood at one end of the table—where Pen usually sat. He didn't even wait until I sat before he spoke.

"Flora, we need to hear everything that happened. I'm guessing you were summoned again?"

I blushed. Not only did I not want to confess to providing Sluag with the means to find and kill Pen and Lyall, but I also didn't relish the idea of telling all of my Dion the content of my conversation with Sluag. Especially not the part about Finlay and I having a _moment_.

Finlay seemed to understand my hesitation. "There's no time for sensitivity, Flor. Tell it like it is."

I told them everything, afraid that if I left something out, I could miss a vital piece of information that might help us to protect the two Dion who were now in danger. When I came to the part about Sluag calling Finlay a traitor, I looked over at him and studied his reaction.

Apart from an almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw, he gave nothing away. I wasn't fooled. I knew it must have hurt him to have the accusation spoken out loud before the others and I hated myself for ever doubting him. When I finished telling the others what had happened, I sat back in my chair, taking a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry. I should have tried harder to keep him out of my head."

"No offence, Flora, but I really don't think you stand a chance one on one with Sluag. Especially not when you're in the Endwood, even if it is just in dream form." As usual, Freya didn't hold back.

"It's useless worrying about what's happened. We need to concentrate on what we do next," Artair said.

"Artair's right. What we have to do is help Pen and Lyall. How long will it take for the Draugur to get there?" I didn't really want to hear the answer to my question.

"They can be there within the hour I reckon, Flor. They aren't bound by the constraints of time and distance like we are." Finlay looked grim.

"Then if we can't contact Pen and Lyall, they won't even know the Draugur are coming for them." Mara's face was deathly white.

A sudden thought struck me. "If we shifted, could we communicate with them by thought?"

"No chance." Artair shook his head sadly. "They're over sixty miles away. Once we get about a mile of separation between us, the telepathy just fizzles out."

"If I fly, I can get there in a couple of hours. It's a better plan than doing nothing." Freya stood up as she spoke.

"Artair and I can come with you. All three of us can fly." Mara started to stand too.

"No." Finlay's voice was loud and commanding, making us all look toward him questioningly. "Freya, I think it's a good idea for you to go." He turned to Mara and Artair. "I need you two to stay here with me."

"Finlay, what's one extra Dion going to be able to do? Sluag will send every single Draugur he has for them, now he knows they're alone." Artair stood up next to his fiancée.

"Do you think so? Because I happen to think that Sluag is smarter than that." Finlay was frowning in concentration.

"What do you mean?" I asked my best friend.

"Okay, he stole the information from your mind. But like he said, you would never have known he'd been in your head if he hadn't told you. Apart from obviously wanting to torment you, because he knows how important to you Pen and Lyall are, I think he wants us to do something stupid, like send everyone west."

Realisation dawned on me. "He wants me to be left alone here."

"He won't send all of his Draugur west. He'll save most of them to send after Flora once we leave her vulnerable." Freya nodded in agreement.

"But what about Pen and Lyall?" My voice came out sounding very small.

"I'm sorry, Flora. You're the Soul Keeper. No one is more important than you." Finlay's voice was firm.

"You can't just leave them to be killed." Mara was furious.

"I think Freya should go. But you and Artair need to stay here with me." He pointed at me. "She's the reason for everything. If he gets hold of her, we might as well all be dead."

I bit back a sob of frustration and sorrow. "Finlay, I can't let them die because of me."

"I hate to do this to you, Flor, but you really don't get to make the choice here."

I looked at him, and the hurt must have shown in my eyes. "You're going to pull that card on me?" I asked,

"Flora, he _is_ right." Freya's tone was surprisingly soft as she came to stand next to me, resting her hand gently on my tense shoulder. She shifted her gaze to Finlay.

"Permission to go now?"

He paused for only a fraction of a second, before nodding once.

She didn't hesitate. Her clothes fell into a small pile next to my chair, and with a harsh caw, she flapped her midnight wings and flew to the stone windowsill. The raven Freya tapped her beak against the glass frantically until Artair crossed the room and opened the window, allowing her to dive off the sill and melt into the night.

Finlay avoided my desolate stare. "Artair, you need to keep trying Lyall's phone. Mara, keep calling Pen. Tonight, we don't sleep. If Sluag's Draugur show up, we need to be ready for a fight. I don't expect him to be light on numbers."

"Exactly when did Pen put you in control here, Finlay?" Artair had returned to Mara and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, trying hard to comfort her.

Finlay growled. "If I hadn't taken control just now, you'd all be on your way to the west and Flora would probably be dead."

"Couldn't we all go?" Mara's cheeks were wet with tears.

"I'm a cat and Flora's a wolf." I thought I saw him grimace when he said the word wolf. "We can't keep up with you two, on foot. You'd either have to fly at our pace, which wouldn't get you there in time. Or you'd have to leave us behind, which again would put her in danger."

"You know, it's suspicious that you've taken total control here and ensured that Flora's Dion are split three for three. Especially after Sluag has accused you of being a traitor, Finlay." Artair stepped protectively in front of Mara as he spoke.

I could barely follow what happened next, such was the speed with which Finlay crossed the room and wrapped his hand around Artair's throat. He kept momentum, pushing forward until Artair's back hit the stone wall with a thud that made Mara cry out.

"A traitor?" Finlay's voice was feral as he pressed his nose against Artair's. "Is that what I am? Because all can I see, is that I am the only one who wants to do whatever it takes to keep Flora safe."

"Finlay, stop," I shrieked.

Artair raised his two hands up in a gesture of submission. His face was going red as Finlay squeezed harder.

I crossed the room and laid my hand on the arm that was throttling Artair. "You need to get a hold of yourself. If you don't stop right now, I'll change into a wolf and start running for the west myself."

After an endless moment, where I was terrified Artair would run out of air, Finlay let go and took a step back from us both.

I gestured to Artair's gasping form. "Mara, take Artair upstairs. Make sure he's okay. Then would you please keep trying to call Pen and Lyall?"

She nodded at me as she ducked her head underneath one of Artair's arms and started to help him out of the room. She turned toward Finlay as she passed by him, her eyes pooling with tears. "I don't know what that was, Finlay, but you may have just broken something that can never be fixed."

After they left, I closed the door behind them and turned to face my best friend. He sat down heavily in Pen's chair and rested his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.

I walked slowly to the table and chose the seat next to his. He gave me a surprised look. He obviously thought I'd sit farther away.

"I thought you'd be scared of me." His voice came out sounding hoarse.

I looked at him sadly. "I'm more scared of you right now than I have ever been of Sluag. I don't even recognise you."

"I'm pre-programmed to protect you, Flora. Add to that the fact that I love you more than life. I can't let anyone make a bad decision that could end up with you getting killed."

"You didn't have to hurt Artair."

"No, I shouldn't have done that. But he will forgive me."

"I'm not sure Mara will."

"Maybe not, Flor. But you'll still be alive, so I'll take it."

I looked down at my hands clasped on my knee. My fingers were twisting restlessly. "We can't let them die, Finlay."

"They won't die. Pen's been playing this game for years. She's nobody's fool, and Lyall? Well, Lyall's kick-ass."

I looked back to my hands. So many thoughts were running through my mind. I contemplated sneaking out of the castle to go and find Pen and Lyall.

"Neither of us is going to bed tonight. You can't sneak off, Flor."

I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he had Sluag's ability to read my mind.

He gave a weak laugh. "No, I can't read your mind. But I know you well enough to know when you're plotting."

_How can I resent him for trying to do his job and keep me safe?_ "Thank you for protecting me," I whispered.

"Always."

"What happens now?" I asked.

"We wait."

# Chapter Twenty-Six

The next few hours passed slowly with no news. Mara and Artair remained upstairs, obviously avoiding Finlay. Although Mara did send me texts now and then, letting me know they still hadn't made contact with either of our missing Dion.

Finlay was true to his word and hadn't let me out of his sight, even going so far as to come and stand guard in the hallway outside the bathroom when I could no longer hold off from going.

As soon as we returned to the great hall, he walked to the window and stared into the darkness, as though he would be able to see the shadowy figures of any Draugur that marched on Castle Dion through the night.

We had barely spoken, and the silence only increased my anxiety as I repeatedly imagined the Draugur surrounding the stone circle and closing in on Pen and Lyall, eventually overwhelming them both.

"I had to take charge. Leaving you vulnerable wasn't an option, Flor." Finlay didn't turn away from the window as he spoke, and I almost didn't hear his words because he said them so softly.

"I know. I'm not sure you needed to attack one of our own to keep me safe, though." I couldn't lie. I was still disturbed by Finlay's actions earlier.

He sighed heavily. "If I'm completely honest with myself, Flor, I didn't attack Artair to keep you safe. I lost it when he called me a traitor."

I had no reply for that. I had suspected that Artair's accusation had been what provoked Finlay's reaction. How could I blame him?

"Sluag has been chipping away at my reputation for weeks," Finlay continued. "Making you believe that I'm going to betray you. Turning the others against me. Turing you against me."

I crossed the room to him. He still had his back to me, so I hugged him from behind. I wound my arms around his waist and laid my head against his back as I spoke. "He hasn't turned me against you. I told you that I trust you, and I meant it."

He stiffened and then relaxed again. "You can't tell me you haven't thought about believing what he's told you. You can't tell me he hasn't got inside your head even a little bit."

I could feel the muscles in his back shift as he inhaled and exhaled. My own body naturally fell into the same rhythm as his, and our breathing synchronised as I kept my arms around his waist and my cheek pressed against the soft material of his T-shirt.

"He's gotten so far inside my head, he has his own house, with a white picket fence and a garden set up in there." I laughed. "But that doesn't mean I believe a word of what he says. He'll say whatever he can to try and isolate me, just like he did to Aiden."

"Excuse us?" Mara's voice shocked me into releasing Finlay and stepping back from him. We both turned in surprise.

Mara and Artair stood in the doorway to the hall. Mara gave us both a disapproving look before holding her phone up. "Pen's on speaker."

I almost collapsed with relief as both Finlay and I sprinted across the room to hear what Pen had to say.

"Is everyone there now?" Pen's voice came crystal clear through the phone speaker.

"Yes, we're all here. Are you okay? Are Lyall and Freya okay?" I held my breath as I waited for her reply.

"We are all fine, Flora. I sensed the Draugur before they actually appeared. I think because there were so many of them. So, Lyall and I made our way to a little cottage by the sea that I rent for just such an emergency as this."

"Thank goodness." I breathed out in relief.

"What about Freya?" Finlay queried.

"She's at the cottage too. I left a message at the stone circle that only the other Dion would understand. I suspected you may send a search party for us if you knew the Draugur were coming."

"I'm sorry we didn't send more of us to help you, Pen." Artair looked pointedly at Finlay as he spoke.

"You stayed to protect our Soul Keeper. I would be disappointed if you had made any other choice." Pen was firm, and Finlay looked satisfied.

"Are you on your way home?" Mara asked hopefully.

"Not just yet. The good news is, I have completed the ritual. Lyall's blood was as potent as I had hoped it would be within the Stones of Broca. But I need to go back and seal the spell, so it cannot ever be undone by another."

"That won't take long, though?" Finlay queried.

"We will wait a couple of hours to be sure the Draugur have given up their hunt. Then we will go back at dawn. I expect to be home by tea-time tomorrow. Or is it today by now?" Pen laughed.

"Be careful," I begged.

"Flora, I have a favour to ask of you."

"Of course, Pen. Ask away?"

"Freya told me about the summoning and Sluag breaking into your mind. My first mission when I return will be to find a way to put a stop to both of those things, for good."

My face flushed in shame as Pen spoke.

"It's not your fault, Flora. However, I can't afford for Sluag to steal our new plans from your mind tonight."

"You want me to stay awake until you're done?" I cringed. I was exhausted.

"Yes, please."

"Don't worry, Pen. I'll stay with her and keep her awake." Mara raised her eyebrows at Finlay as he spoke.

"Thank you, both of you. I'll send you a text as soon as you are free to sleep, Flora. Now I need to go. Freya will stay with us and travel back tomorrow too. See you all soon."

"Bye, Pen," we chorused, before Mara hung up.

Mara and Artair started for the door, but they paused when Finlay called out Artair's name.

Finlay bowed his head. "Artair, I'm sorry about earlier. I still think I was right to make the decisions I did. But I shouldn't have gone for you. I hope you can forgive me?"

Mara narrowed her eyes, but Artair walked back toward Finlay, holding out his hand. "It's forgotten. We were all worried and stressed. I'm sorry I called you a traitor. I didn't mean it."

They gave each other a rough handshake, both smiling.

Mara came to me and gave me a warm hug. I was surprised but delighted and responded by hugging her back.

"I'm sorry, Flora. I'm glad Finlay didn't let us do something stupid. But you do understand why I was angry, don't you?"

"Of course, I understand, Mara. Finlay shouldn't have done what he did. But everything will be okay now, as long as I can stay awake for a while longer." I laughed.

She stepped back from me, holding me at arm's length. Shooting a quick glance in Finlay's direction, she whispered, "Just be careful, okay?"

I started to ask her what she meant, but she let go of my shoulders. Grabbing Artair's hand, she led him out of the door and into the hallway.

I shook my head. Mara was obviously still upset by what Finlay had done to Artair. Thinking back to it, I really couldn't blame her. One thing I did know for sure, though, was that my best friend would never hurt me.

Finlay held his hand out to me. "Come on, even if you can't sleep, you can still rest."

I took his hand, and we headed upstairs to my room. Once we were inside, I sat on the bed and scratched Achilles's head while Finlay shut the door. There was a time when I would never have felt uncomfortable about Finlay being in my room.

It seemed that time had passed.

Tying to ignore Mara's cryptic warning, I yawned widely as I kicked off my boots and stretched my toes out.

"No, no, no. Not a chance, Flor. You don't get to sleep until Pen says so, I'm afraid."

Finlay started to scour the bookshelves that lined almost one whole wall of my bedroom. Each shelf was so full it almost buckled under the weight.

"What are you looking for?" I hadn't ever seen Finlay reading very much.

He kept searching. "Not really sure it matters too much. But, this will do." He chose a book, pulling it off the shelf and flicking through the pages.

"Are you going to read to me to keep me awake?" I laughed.

He closed the book and gently threw it so it landed on the bed next to me. A startled Achilles hissed and dived off the bed, seeking sanctuary on the top of the wardrobe instead.

"Nope. You're gonna read to me, Flor." He settled himself down in a high-backed checked armchair I knew was really uncomfortable and gestured to me that I should begin.

I picked up the book he had thrown me and looked at the title. _Nineteen Eighty-Four?_

"Can we not read something a bit more cheerful?" I raised an eyebrow.

Finlay smiled impatiently. "You can choose the next one. For now, it's George Orwell or nothing, Flor."

Sighing, I opened the book and started to read aloud. I wondered if it was possible to actually die of sleep deprivation. I fiercely hoped there wouldn't be enough time for a next book.

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

As soon as Pen's text came through to my phone, I put down the book and allowed myself to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep. Finlay insisted on staying with me, just in case the Draugur attacked Castle Dion, but he did permit himself a few hours of sleep in the hard-backed chair.

When I woke, Finlay had gone, and the light that streamed through my window was starting to glow with a rose-gold colour that told me I had slept until late afternoon. As long as they hadn't been ambushed on the way, Pen, Freya, and Lyall would be home very soon.

I got out of bed and quickly showered and changed. I looked in the mirror as I plaited my long auburn hair and was surprised to see a woman who looked very different from the girl I had been just a few short months ago. Before all of this. Now my face was slightly slimmer, and my features were sharper. My green eyes were a little harder than they had been. With a start, I realised it was almost my birthday. In six days, I would be twenty.

A knock at the door pulled my attention away from my reflection. "Come in," I called as I made my way from the bathroom to the bedroom.

Mara popped her head around the door. "They're back." She grinned.

I didn't hesitate. I ran past Mara and down the stairs, two at a time. I flew over the threshold of the great hall and wrapped my arms around Pen.

"I'm so glad you're safe." I laughed.

"It's very nice to be back." Pen smiled.

Next, I gave Freya a hug. "Thank you for going to help them, Freya."

She disengaged herself from the hug quickly, but she smiled at me.

Looking over Freya's shoulder, I caught sight of him. He stood casually, talking to Artair in a quiet voice. He looked angry, but as his amber eyes met mine, he smiled and ran his hand through his dark hair. He really was smoking hot.

I hesitated for just a moment, unsure if I should go to him but wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and inhale the clean scent of his skin.

Lyall didn't give me a choice; instead, he gave Artair a quick nod and started to walk toward me with his arms open wide. In two quick steps, I was wrapped in his arms and he in mine.

"I was so worried about you," I murmured.

"I'm back now, love." He gently stroked my hair as he spoke.

"I have things I need to tell you." I felt a pang of guilt for not telling him about my shifting success sooner.

"You wanna go for a walk outside before it gets dark?"

I nodded and we headed outside.

"If you finished the ritual, does that mean we can call on new Dion now?" I asked excitedly as we walked through the gardens.

"Yep, Pen nailed it. It's official, when I die you can order in a replacement before I'm even cold," he joked.

I punched his arm. "Don't even. I've spent the last week terrified I was going to lose one of you."

We had reached the edge of Loch Ness. Because of the setting sun, the view was epic. A blanket of red fire shimmered across the water and up and over the hills in every direction.

I suddenly felt shy as I said, "Um—so, I finally shifted."

He grinned at me in genuine delight. "I knew you weren't far off, love. Well done."

"I became a wolf, Lyall."

His mouth dropped open, and his eyes grew wide. "Seriously, Flora?"

I smiled and nodded.

I didn't even see him move before he grabbed me around my waist and lifted me up into the air, spinning me around until I was dizzy. We both laughed out loud, and my heart soared.

Things were starting to work out for us. We had completed a ritual that was the first step toward defeating Sluag, all of my Dion had survived the trip, and Pen was working on keeping the freak out of my dreams and my head.

When Lyall finally put me back down, I smiled at him breathlessly. "So, maybe you can quit this _keeping our distance crap_ , now you know I'm a wolf, huh?"

He didn't answer me; instead, he wrapped one hand around the back of my head and leaned down to place his lips on mine. I was taken by complete surprise, and I forgot to close my eyes. This close, his amber eyes were so beautiful it made my heart hurt.

For a few seconds after he stopped kissing me, I felt lost. But he wrapped his fingers through mine and held on to my hand as he tugged me along beside him. We walked together along the side of the loch in silence for a few minutes.

"I probably shouldn't have done that, Flora," he admitted.

"It wasn't like I told you to stop." I smirked.

But then I thought about Finlay and the way he had protected me so fiercely when we were under the threat of the Draugur. I remembered the taste of his stolen kiss, and I was no less confused than I had been before I shifted. I felt equally drawn to both of my Dion, but for different reasons. Perhaps more so to Finlay because of our history together. Although my attraction to Lyall was so strong it felt as though there was an invisible cord that tied us together.

"Nothing's any clearer for me, though, Lyall. I kissed Finlay." I confessed.

"I'm not hugely surprised. I did leave you behind and tell you to try and make things right with him."

"Then why did you kiss me just now? If you want me to be with Finlay, that makes no sense." I was pouting and it annoyed me.

"Honestly, love. I truly believed that when you shifted, you'd be a white cat, just like him. Once I saw the colour of your fur then I accepted you were supposed to be bonded with Finlay. I knew you felt at least a bit of what I did, and so I thought I needed to take myself out of the equation. Give you time to work things out."

I stopped walking. "And, now?"

"Well everything's changed now, love. There is still every possibility that you and I are supposed to be bonded. I'm sure as hell not going to walk away and play the bigger man."

I studied him for a moment. I found it hard to believe he would risk the possibility of me choosing the wrong Dion to bond with after everything he had done to persuade me to try and make things work with Finlay.

"I saw you talking to Artair earlier." I said, changing my tactics.

"Yeah, we had a quick catch up." His eyes darkened ever so slightly.

"And he told you what Finlay did to him?" I asked.

At first I thought he wouldn't answer me. He stared intently out over the loch, concentrating on the dying embers of sunlight.

"He's volatile, Flora. He could have killed Artair."

"But he didn't. He stopped."

He bit his lip. "I know you're in love with him, but I'm worried that he could hurt you. Knowing what I know now, I'm not sure he is supposed to be your bonded Dion."

"Well that's pretty convenient for you isn't it?" I was shouting now. "You sail back in, after abandoning me, and all of sudden claim to be _the one_. Finlay stayed with me. He kept me safe. Okay he screwed up, and he knows it. But where were you when the Draugur could have attacked castle Dion?"

He was angry now. "I could say I was on the west coast, bleeding for you, but you know what? I'm not that kind of guy. Finlay's out of control, Flora. I think Sluag knows that the best way to get to you is through him."

"Sluag has been trying to separate Finlay from us since I first came here, Lyall. Can you blame him for losing it? Imagine how you would feel if you were constantly accused of being a traitor."

"I'd prefer it if you weren't alone with him right now." Lyall's voice was calm.

"You don't get to prefer what I do, Lyall. You left me and he was there for me. He never left my side last night. He came to my room and stayed with me until this morning."

Too late I realised how that sounded. "We didn't..." I trailed off.

"I'm not your keeper, love, and I don't want to be."

"This is exactly what Sluag wants. Us fighting between ourselves and not being able to trust each other." My voice was calmer now.

"I don't trust Finlay right now, Flora. Pen won't either when I tell her what happened. You _won't_ spend time alone with him for now," he snapped.

I started to argue but thought better of it. "I'm going inside." I started back toward the castle.

"I'll walk you back. I don't want you alone outside right now." Lyall fell into step next to me, but I refused to speak to him again. When we arrived back at the castle, I jogged up the stairs to my bedroom without a backward glance.

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

I had five minutes to myself, sitting in the half dusk and wondering how the hell Lyall and I had managed to fight so badly within ten minutes of his return. It felt as though I couldn't maintain any sort of relationship with any of my Dion these days, and it made me feel like an epic failure as a Soul Keeper.

Pen didn't even bother to knock. Instead, she quietly opened the door and crossed through the gloom of my room before sitting on the bed next to me. She placed one of her hands over mine.

"Lyall told you, didn't he?" I asked.

"He had to, Flora. Anything that can be a threat to you needs to be addressed."

"I don't understand how you, of all people, can see Finlay as a threat to me, Pen." I tried to keep my voice respectful, but the frustration crept into my tone.

"I know he made good decisions, Flora. He chose to do almost exactly what I would have chosen if I were here."

"So why does everyone want him lynched all of a sudden?" I growled.

"Finlay has unnatural strength. All of the Dion do. He could have done real harm to Artair. I appreciate we have a way to replace lost Dion now, but that doesn't mean we can let them kill each other in temper." She gave a weak smile at her attempt at humour.

"I feel as though all of this is my fault. You warned me Sluag would try and break us all apart, and he has. He's winning, Pen, and I keep letting him do it."

"I hate that he has access to you when you're asleep, Flora. I aim to do whatever I can to fix that. But it isn't your fault. You're doing so well under the circumstances. You must remember to disbelieve any of the things he tells you."

I snorted. "You need to tell that to Lyall. He's the one who's convinced Finlay will betray me."

"He cares about you, Flora, and I share his concerns. Finlay has been acting very out of character lately and we shouldn't ignore that."

"Pen, you've known Finlay almost his whole life long. How the hell can you doubt him?" I whispered.

"I don't, but I think the pressure from Sluag is getting to him."

"It's definitely getting to me," I confessed.

She gave me a kind look. "Lyall isn't trying to control what you do, sweetheart, he just wants you to keep your distance from Finlay for now, until we figure a few things out."

"I don't know if I can promise that, Pen." I sighed. "Finlay needs me right now."

Pen stood up. I could tell this was the part where she outright pulled rank on me and banned me from spending time alone with my best friend. Running the options through my head, I decided it was probably best to just agree with her and find a way to see Finlay secretly. _More deception?_

A hammering at the door stopped Pen before she even managed a word. We both looked toward the door, and I called out, "Come in."

Freya stepped into the room, her eyes wide with worry. "Finlay and Lyall are fighting."

Pen pushed past Freya and disappeared downstairs. I rolled my eyes. This wasn't going to help Finlay's cause. I followed an ashen-faced Freya out of my room and down to the great hall.

My ears started to pick up sounds that seriously unnerved me as we approached the hall. I could hear the crash of furniture breaking into a thousand pieces. There was snapping and snarling and the occasional yelp or hiss of pain.

I heard Pen say, "This must stop."

Freya and I stepped into the great hall, and I gasped as I took in the carnage before me. The wooden chairs that once neatly lined the solid table had been thrown about the room as though a tornado had passed through. Many of them had been crushed into splintered heaps of kindling.

The heavy drapes that covered the windows had huge slashes running through the material, and I was dismayed to notice trails of blood spatter running across the table and along the stone of the walls and floor.

The hideous sounds of battle came from the far corner of the room, where a blur of black and white fur yelped and howled in unison. Lyall and Finlay had both changed into their animal shapes, and there seemed to be no holding back as they repeatedly tore chunks out of each other.

As I watched, the black wolf leapt at the white cat and latched its jaws around the furry throat. The cat howled in pain and wrapped its front paws around the wolf, clawing at the black back and opening up a series of massive wounds.

The cat suddenly sprang away from the wolf and turned back to face Lyall, hissing and snarling. The wolf shook himself, as though trying to right the missing tufts of fur that Finlay had ripped from his back.

Snarling and snapping as though he was totally feral, Lyall approached the spitting white form of Finlay. They both leapt toward each other at the same moment and crashed together in mid-air. They both fell back to the stone floor with a thud.

Finlay looked as though he was suffering much more than Lyall, but I rationalised it was probably because the blood showed up much better against the snow-white fur than it did against Lyall's black coat.

Finlay was much larger than Lyall in shifter form, and he used his extra weight to his advantage now. He pinned Lyall down against the floor and swiped a massive white paw across Lyall's face. The black wolf howled in pain and anger. Pushing up, he threw Finlay off balance and clamped his huge teeth down on Finlay's foreleg. I heard a sickening crunch.

I began to step forward, unable to stand and watch any longer while they did this to each other. But Pen took control, her voice stopping me in my tracks.

"Enough!"

They stopped suddenly and turned two sets of animalistic eyes on us. It was as though they hadn't even realised we had been watching them; they had been so intent on tearing each other to shreds.

Pen's voice was low, but it shook with anger. "You are Dion, the sworn protectors of the Soul Keeper. I understand that we have all been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. But you disgrace yourselves by behaving in his way."

The wolf whimpered quietly and sat back on his haunches. The white cat hung his head and gently licked a bleeding paw, while staring at us with sorrowful blue eyes.

"I cannot believe I am to speak to you both in this way." Pen shook her head angrily as she walked toward the now penitent animals. "Go to your rooms, clean your wounds, and consider the damage your behaviour has done to us."

They both started to slink from the room. I noticed neither Finlay nor Lyall would meet my eyes. They turned back toward Pen as she continued speaking.

"I will not have a repeat of this tragic situation. If anything like this happens again, I will consider exiling both of you from Castle Dion."

After they had slunk from sight, Pen turned to Freya. "Did you see how this happened?"

"Not entirely," Freya admitted. "Lyall pulled Finlay up over what happened last night with Artair. They started to argue and then one of them changed. I don't even remember who. Then they both shifted and just started ripping chunks out of each other."

Pen nodded. "Freya, would you please go and check on them both? I know their wounds will have mostly healed by the time they change back. But if you could make sure they are both calm and keeping out of each other's way, I would be grateful."

"Of course, Pen." Freya gave me a rueful smile and ducked out of the door.

Pen held her hand up wearily. "I know you are going to want to defend their actions, Flora. But even I am too tired to try and work out how we repair these cracks that keep appearing tonight."

I closed my mouth. I hadn't even realised I had been about to speak.

"Tomorrow, I will call a crisis meeting. We have to try and work these issues out, or it will all play out just the same as it did for Aiden and his Dion."

"You wouldn't really exile them, would you?" I blinked.

"Sometimes, I wonder."

"Pen, I'm scared we can't fix it." I was still shaken by the fight.

She placed her hand gently on my forearm. "We will, I swear. But just for tonight, would you please ignore the desire to go to check on them. Take yourself to your room and get some rest. I imagine you are as worn out as I am after recent events."

"I will. I promise." I meant it.

We both made our way to the staircase.

"Goodnight, Pen."

"Goodnight, Flora."

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Flora?"

_Did someone call my name?_

"Flora?"

That time I definitely heard someone calling me. I groaned in my sleep and tried to snuggle deeper into the bed. I was way too exhausted for a trip to the Endwood tonight. _If I ignore Sluag, perhaps he'll give up._

"Flora?" The voice had gotten more urgent, and it was accompanied by a hand shaking my shoulder to rouse me.

It dawned on me the owner of the voice was actually here in my room with me. I panicked and sat bolt upright as I cried out, "Sluag."

A finger pressed gently against my lips. "Shh, it's not Sluag. It's me, Flor."

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I took in Finlay's shape. He had a huge purple-yellow bruise on his right cheek and a bandage on his arm, stained by spots of blood that had seeped through the white material.

"Finlay, are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"I need to ask you something, Flor, and you have to answer me with complete honesty, or this won't work. Can you do that?"

I had managed to wake myself up a little now. I considered his request for a moment before nodding.

"Do you trust me?" He stared into my eyes as he asked his question. There was no guile and no deception, just the bright blue windows into my best friend's soul.

"Completely," I whispered.

He smiled. "Then get dressed and come with me?"

I hesitated for a moment, remembering back to Pen's warning.

He reached out and gently touched my cheek. "Flor?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Finlay. But Pen was pretty angry tonight." I felt guilty.

"If I don't take you and show you this, Pen will be even more furious with me. You have to know, Flor. You all do."

Curiosity stirred me. Biting my lower lip, I made my decision. "Okay."

I climbed out of bed and grabbed some jeans and a long-sleeved, blue top from my wardrobe before heading into the bathroom to get dressed.

When I came back into the bedroom, Finlay was on his feet and waiting by the door. I pulled on my boots and followed him into the hallway.

He handed me a warm winter coat, which made me pause in surprise. But he offered me no explanation; instead, he held a finger to his lips, indicating we should be quiet. I gave an involuntary shiver as I wondered why he didn't want the others to hear us, but I quickly shrugged it off. He must have his reasons.

As soon as we were outside, Finlay signalled to me we should go to the Everwood. I barely even had to try before I found myself standing in the familiar landscape. But I gasped as I realised that something was drastically wrong.

I had come to expect the windless, temperature-free climate of the Everwood. Every time I had visited it, there had been no change in the atmosphere, ever since the very first time. There should be no heat or no cold here. I didn't expect any moisture in the air, or any kind of breeze.

That was why I was so shocked to find it was snowing and so cold I could barely breathe.

"Finlay, what's wrong here?" I faced him through the falling flakes as I pulled on the coat I carried in my arms.

"This is the next part of understanding the Everwood, Flor. This place can warn you of coming danger in its own way."

It clearly hadn't been snowing for very long. There was only a thin layer of powder on the ground, and the drifts that nestled against the base of the trees were still only very small. "What does the snow mean?"

"I'm so sorry, Flor. I don't know how to tell you this so it doesn't hurt you. Lyall is with Sluag right now. He's in the Endwood discussing the terms of your death. The snow signifies the betrayal of a Soul Keeper."

"No," I whispered.

Finlay closed the distance between us in two strides and wrapped his arms around me in his familiar bear hug.

"I'm so sorry, Flor," he whispered against my hair.

"He wouldn't do it, Finlay. You're wrong." I tried to pull away from his embrace, but he held me firm.

"I've been watching him for weeks now, Flor. Sluag was using me as a scapegoat, all this time. He pushed the focus on me, claiming that I would betray you. All along Lyall was conspiring with him to hand you over to be sacrificed."

A sob hitched at the back of my throat. "Finlay, you have to be wrong. He wouldn't."

He finally released me, taking a step back. His white hair and pale skin were highlighted by the falling snow. He had never looked more beautiful or more unearthly than in that moment.

"Why do you think he tried to kill me earlier, Flor? If you and Pen hadn't of walked in, I don't think he would have stopped until my heart did."

Everything Finlay said made complete sense to me, but my heart wouldn't believe that Lyall could betray—not just me, but all of the other Dion too.

"Lyall was on the west coast with Pen. He would have told Sluag where they were so he could send his Draugur to attack. Sluag wouldn't have had to break into my mind for the information." I was confident in my reasoning.

Finlay snorted. "That would have been too obvious and too easy to trace back to Lyall. They're both smarter than that, Flor. He's keeping us all on side until he finds the right moment to deliver you to Sluag."

With every word, my doubt grew like a ball of poison in my stomach. I couldn't believe that Lyall had used my growing feelings for him to manipulate me like this. I started to march through the snow, blinking back tears that ran in trails of warmth down my ice-cold cheeks.

"Flora, where are you going?" Finlay yelled. I heard him jogging through the snow behind me.

"I have to see," I said softly.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him. His eyes shone with unshed tears. "I can't let you go to the Endwood, Flor. He'll kill you and it will all have been for nothing."

"Finlay, you can't bring me here and tell me that, then expect me to go back to bed and sleep it off." I shook my arm free of his hand and started to walk again.

He kept pace alongside me, our breath coming out in white clouds in the freezing air. "I will _not_ let you step over that border, Flora."

I gritted my teeth against the cold. "I'm not going over the border. I'm going to the border. I have to try and see him. Perhaps it's just a mistake, Finlay."

His eyes darkened. "I don't think so, Flor."

"But what if it is. What if the Draugur have taken him? He might need our help."

"I wonder if you would have been so quick to jump to my defence, if it was the other way around?" he murmured.

"Of course, I would." I was hurt by his words. But that could wait until I knew Lyall was safe.

As we progressed along the path I had used when I last made my pilgrimage to the border with the Endwood, I was surprised to see a barricade forming up ahead. It seemed as though every pure soul in the Everwood had come together to create a huge colourful wall that stretched right across the path I needed to take to get to my destination.

When I drew level with the bright patchwork of souls, I paused before them. Concentrating on pulling every single soul into a silver net, I spoke to them as one inside my head.

_I know you are only trying to keep me safe. But, please let me past. I have to know the truth._

One tiny pink soul detached from the others and floated toward me through the falling snow. It came closer and closer until my eyes crossed when I stared at the tiny lightning bolts contained within its core. The soul didn't stop coming toward me until it was lightly resting against my forehead.

Instantaneously, I could hear its voice inside my mind. The little soul was shouting as loudly as it possibly could, and it was repeating the same warning over and over again.

_Don't trust him. He is a betrayer!_

I shook my head and pulled back from the little light. "I'm sorry, little one, but I have to see it for myself before I can believe that."

The light paled briefly before darting back to join the main group, which still blocked my path. Overwhelmed by frustration, I tried to reason with the determined souls one last time.

_Let me past or I will make you do it._

The souls stood resolute. The single word that hummed from them in unison was, _traitor_.

Raising my hand, I spoke aloud in the way I usually reserved for rogues.

"Begone."

My voice rang through the wood. As it echoed back through the trees, the souls burst apart like an exploding firework and raced through the snowflakes, melting into the surrounding landscape until they had all completely disappeared.

"They will find it hard to forgive you for that." Finlay followed me down the now clear path.

I ignored him. We had reached the border between my kingdom and Sluag's. Weaving through the thinning trees and brown grass, I made sure to stop before the place Lyall had claimed was the true border and not at the more obvious line which I had originally assumed was the point I should not cross.

Finlay, however, kept walking until he stood with his back to me and his toes almost touching the charred and blackened ground of the Endwood. I cringed. He obviously didn't know the border was misleading.

"Finlay, you have to come back. Lyall told me the border is here." I dragged my toe through the dirt and snow, creating a faint line that he couldn't see. "The Endwood has bled into the Everwood over the years. You're in danger."

He didn't turn around or react in any way to my worried voice. It was as though he could no longer hear me.

"Finlay?" I cried.

Nothing.

Frantically, I looked around me. There was no sign of any movement—no Draugur and no Sluag. Taking a deep breath, I stepped over the border and ran quickly toward Finlay. I grabbed his arm and pulled him around so he was facing me. I was a little surprised to notice that he had his phone in his hand.

"Flora," he whispered before suddenly leaning down and crushing his lips against mine.

I pushed my hands against his chest, trying to tell him that now really wasn't the time for kissing.

Then as suddenly as he had kissed me, he released me, making me take an involuntary step backward.

It took a moment to register the cold fingers that snaked around each of my arms. I craned my neck back to look behind me, until I met the vacant eyes of two ghoulish Draugur who had tight hold of me, one on either side.

_How could I have been so stupid?_

I looked desperately back toward Finlay. There were no Draugur holding his arms. He had taken a few steps back from me, and his eyes had become hard and cold.

"Finlay," I whispered.

The dark figure of Sluag emerged from the darkness behind Finlay. I was about to shout and warn him, until I saw the monster rest a scaly hand on my best friend's shoulder. It was an almost fatherly gesture, and it made me feel sick with fear.

Sluag's voice was triumphant. "Ahh, Finlay. Well done, well done indeed. You have delivered my gift exactly as promised."

# Chapter Thirty

My legs buckled. If I hadn't been held up by the two Draugur, I would have ended up on my knees in the blackened grass by now. I vaguely realised it wasn't snowing here in the Endwood. Tears ran down my face as I looked from Sluag back to Finlay.

"Finlay, what have you done?"

He refused to meet my eyes; instead, he turned and took several steps away from both me and Sluag. He turned his back on me and the Everwood, moving deeper into the Endwood, I noticed.

Sluag delighted in answering my question on Finlay's behalf. "He has given me the Soul Keeper, just as he swore he would." He gave Finlay a respectful nod. "I especially like the part where you encouraged her to cross the border by telling her not to do it. You know her stubborn nature very well indeed, traitor."

He walked toward me, his fire-pit eyes flamed even brighter in real life. _Or was it just because he was so delighted by Finlay's betrayal?_

Sluag wrapped his long, bony fingers around my chin, and I stared at his face through my tears. "I _did_ try and tell you, Flora. More than once, I recall."

I hissed in a breath and tried to turn away, but he held my face firmly.

"I told you that he"—he gestured extravagantly in the direction of the pale-haired boy who now refused to look at me,—"would be the chink in your armour. Your downfall."

"Why?" My question came out so quietly I knew Finlay wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Why?" Sluag let go of my face and laughed as he began to pace up and down in his usual way.

"Oh, Little Dreamer, you know the answer to that question. He did it for power. Just as I will sacrifice you to acquire my own power over the mortal world. Finlay is going to rule by my side. I strongly suspect that if we use your blood correctly, we can make him immortal."

He raised his arms above his head in one of the dramatic gestures to which I had become accustomed. "We will finally leave this place, and The Host of the Unforgiven Dead and his Little Traitor will rule for a thousand years together."

In that moment, I realised I was going to die, and it was going to happen sooner rather than later. Yet, the agony of Finlay's betrayal ran so deep inside me I found it hard to care about the loss of my own life.

"I'm still not scared of you, Sluag." I lifted my head to stare at him defiantly.

"Let's hear you say that when you're choking on your own blood, Little Dreamer."

He made eye contact with the Draugur who had hold of me. "Bring her, now."

They started to drag me deeper into the darkness. Sluag followed after us and called back over his shoulder to Finlay.

"Come, betrayer. I know we were going to wait until the morning to make the sacrifice, but I feel the need to move things along a little quicker. The Soul Keeper dies tonight."

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Finlay's jaw twitch at that.

I tried once more to get through to the boy who was once my whole world. "Finlay, all of the things you said to me. You told me to trust you. You asked me to love you. You care too much to let me die here."

For the first time, Finlay looked at me, and I would have sworn in court he had tears in his eyes as he spoke. "I told you what you needed to hear, so I could persuade you to follow me to your sacrifice when it mattered." He laughed bitterly. "You rejected me, Flor. Now it's my turn to reject you."

If his initial betrayal had been a knife to my heart, then those words were the twist of the hand that would seal my fate.

A sudden shriek in the sky made me look up, and my heart lifted slightly as I saw an eagle and a raven soar through the trees above our heads. _Freya and Artair._

I looked around me frantically, wondering if the others were here too.

"We seem to have company," Sluag hissed.

As he spoke, another twenty of his Draugur stepped forward, emerging from their hiding places within the blackened tree line.

I growled in frustration and struggled against the death-grip of the Draugur.

"You didn't think I had failed to cover every eventuality did you, Little Dreamer?" Sluag laughed through his hideous teeth.

After that, everything happened fast. The eagle and the raven both dived down in perfect unison, attacking the eyes of the Draugur who had their cold hands clamped around my arms.

With a loud snarl, a flash of black plunged headlong into the newly emerged group of Draugur, letting me know that Lyall was here too. I felt a stab of fear. _He can't fight them all?_

Under the onslaught of the two huge birds, both of the Draugur dropped my arms at the same time, and I looked quickly around me, not sure what to do. I saw Pen standing behind the border, still just within the bounds of the Everwood. She held a large bow and was accurately firing arrows into the Draugur that were trying to attack Lyall.

Mara ran down the brown grassy slope and crossed over into the Endwood, without hesitation. She carried a short sword and used it to gracefully slice through the neck of the first Draugur who tried to break her charge.

Seeing me, Mara called out, "Flora, to me?"

I stared at the scene that was unfolding around me in bewilderment. I watched as Sluag removed himself neatly from the fighting. He walked up a set of black obsidian steps which led to a raised dais, set back into the trees. He stood tall, watching everything that was unfolding within his kingdom, but well out of harm's way. He was still grinning.

_We can't kill you, and yet you're still a coward who won't even fight?_

My eyes danced across the battle until they found Finlay. He was making his way through the fighting, avoiding the skirmishes that broke out around him. I watched him skirt the bloody fight between Lyall and a Draugur, unable to comprehend how he could leave Lyall to face the attack alone after so many years spent as his friend.

A loud screech told me Artair and Freya were still conducting their aerial attacks on the monsters of this hell.

"Flora?" Mara called out to me again. She sounded more desperate this time.

I turned to see her trying to battle three Draugur in her quest to reach me. I ran in her direction and howled Pen's name over the clamour of the fighting.

Pen turned in time to see Mara almost overwhelmed and quickly fired arrows into two of the Draugur. As I reached Mara, I lifted a rock from the ground and brought it down hard on the skull of her third attacker.

We both ran, side by side across the clearing to help Lyall, who was surrounded by Draugur. Passing a fallen ghoul, I noticed a sharp sword glinting in its hand. Without slowing, I leant down and swiped the blade, relieved to feel it was light in my hand.

Mara threw herself into the fighting, and I found a moment to appreciate her ferocity, considering her usually kind and caring nature. She took one Draugur in the face with her blade, blinding it as she embedded the length of her steel blade across its eye sockets. Without pausing she tugged her blade free and made a graceful pirouette before running another through the stomach. With an unexpected amount of strength, she yanked the sword up, gutting the monster in a heartbeat.

My attention was grabbed by a Draugur that placed its hand on my arm and started to pull me in the direction of the dais. I had been distracted, and I lost my footing before stumbling after it for a moment.

Pulling myself together, I found my feet and without hesitation swung the sword back behind my head before bringing it down in a deadly arc against the back of the creature's skull. Warm blood spattered across my face and I curled my lip, revolted.

A soft, warm head suddenly nudged my hand, and I looked down to see wolf Lyall standing next to me during a brief respite in the fighting. His amber eyes burned into mine as I heard him speak inside my head.

_Mara, get Flora across the border. I can handle the rest of them._

Mara's breathing was heavy as she finished off another Draugur. "Flora, he's right. This doesn't stop until we get you out of the Endwood. As soon as you're safe, the others can come back to the right side of the border too." She looked up at the sky toward the eagle and raven as she shouted.

I couldn't argue with that, I had never wanted any of them to risk their lives for me. I grabbed the hand she offered and followed after her in the direction of Pen.

Mara had just crossed the border ahead of me when I felt a tug on my plait, and I stumbled backward against the Draugur that had hold of my hair. I let go of Mara's hand, but she spun around quickly, and grabbing my shoulders, she turned me with such speed, that as we traded places, the Draugur had no choice but to release my hair or tear it out.

Mara placed both of her hands against my chest and pushed me, sending me toppling back into the Everwood. As I stumbled backward, I witnessed an expression of surprise ripple across her beautiful face as the Draugur thrust a sword through her back. The monster had stabbed so hard the blade ripped through her body and burst through her chest in a spray of hot blood. For a moment, Mara's lips bubbled with red liquid as she tried to speak. Then she collapsed to her knees before me, landing hard on her side.

The shriek of the eagle as I watched the life leaving Mara's body was soul destroying. Landing on my back, I released the blade I had been clutching in a white, bloodless hand and wished with every part of me that I had died in her place. Pen's arms were suddenly hooked underneath mine. She pulled me back until I was several feet away from the border. I was babbling incoherently.

Seeing me safely behind the line of the border, raven Freya flew back into the Everwood and settled in a tree behind us. Artair had shot back over the border like an arrow when Mara had fallen. We were now just waiting for a wolf to come back to us.

_Come on, Lyall._

Wolf Lyall burst forth from the remaining group of Draugur and sped toward us. As he reached Mara's body, he lifted her arm in his massive jaws and dragged her the extra few feet needed to bring her back into the Everwood and home.

Silence fell across both worlds. Until Sluag's rasping laughter reached my ears.

"By my reckoning, that's two down with four to go, Penthesilea." His remaining Draugur had gathered around the base of the dais. They showed no concern for their fallen comrades, knowing they were not truly dead.

I cast my eyes back to where Mara lay. Artair had changed back into human form, and he was sobbing as he knelt beside her and cradled her head, keening loudly.

Finlay had reached the bottom of the dais, and he stood looking at Sluag. The scaly monster extended his hand benevolently in Finlay's direction.

"Yes, yes. Come and take your place by my side, betrayer. We may not have succeeded today, but it is only a matter of time." He looked at me as he spoke, his eyes shining with undisguised pleasure.

Finlay hesitated for a moment. I stumbled forward, still aware enough to be careful to keep back from the Endwood territory.

"Finlay?" I called.

He turned toward the sound of my voice, but his eyes were vacant of emotion.

I looked down at Mara and Artair. "Why?" This time my whisper could be heard in the silence.

He didn't reply; instead, he turned his back on me and walked up the steps. He reached the top and crossed the dais to stand next to Sluag. He kept his eyes focused forward, and he made no reaction to my sob of desolation as I sank to my knees in the snow.

Lyall's voice was strong and hard behind me. I hadn't even noticed him change back. "I have no idea how long this sick partnership is going to last, but I want you to hear me now, Finlay Michaelson. If you _ever_ think that you can come crawling back to us when that thing is done with you, then think twice. If I even see you within a thousand miles of Castle Dion or of Flora, I will tear you into a million pieces. I won't stop until there is so little left of you, no one would know what it was you used to be."

Sluag looked thoroughly delighted by the threat.

Finlay finally showed some emotion as he dropped his eyes to look at the floor.

_You should be ashamed._

I vaguely felt the warmth of Lyall's arms hook underneath my knees and my shoulders as he gently lifted me in his arms and rolled me against his chest. Our sorry-looking group turned their backs on the pale-haired Dion who had betrayed us and began to make their way back through the Everwood.

I heard Artair's sobs of despair as he lifted Mara from the snow and turned to follow us, and my heart felt as though it would break in two.

As he walked, a beautiful spirit doe suddenly broke cover from the woods and reverently walked toward Mara's limp form in Artair's arms. The doe gently touched her nose to Mara's hand and nodded her graceful head at Artair as though she were telling him how sorry she was for his loss.

The deer was followed by a steady stream of spirit animals of so many different kinds. They all approached us warily at first, but got braver and braver as they approached Artair and Mara to say goodbye to their good-hearted Soul Keeper.

Eventually, we reached a clearing and Artair knelt down to gently lay her in the centre of the grass. There was now a stream of hundreds of spirit animals following behind us, flooding into the clearing. Artair stepped back and nodded to them, allowing each and every creature to come and pay their respects.

"You go ahead. I'll bring her when they are done." His voice cracked in despair as he knelt beside the girl he would now never marry and bowed his head, completely giving way to his grief.

# Epilogue

### LYALL

"How is she?" Pen asked as Lyall entered the great hall and sat down quietly. His anger rolled off him in waves.

"The same," he growled. "She won't eat, sleep, speak. Nothing." He smashed his fist against the table in frustration.

"She's grieving, Lyall." Pen spoke softly.

"Pen, we're all grieving for Mara. But she hasn't so much as moved in six days. It's her birthday today, and she's going to let it pass her by without speaking a single word?" He dropped his head into his hands.

"She grieves after Finlay as much as she grieves after Mara. She needs time, Lyall." Pen placed a gentle hand on the back of his head.

He snarled, "Don't say his name, Pen."

"Why? It will likely be the first name on her lips when she finally chooses to speak again. He has broken her in ways that you cannot imagine, Lyall. But that doesn't mean she loves him any less than she once did."

Lyall grimaced. "I suppose we should be glad that you managed to complete the ritual. We can recruit a replacement for Mara and keep our numbers up."

"Providing I am right and we can make Mara's soul jump into an adult host." Pen frowned.

"If we can't?"

"Then we will have to wait for an animal Soul Keeper to be born in the traditional way."

Lyall sighed. "I hope that's not the case. There's only four of us since _he_ did what he did. How can so few protect her?"

Pen lowered her eyes. "I think we will probably need to recruit more than one replacement before much longer."

"What do you mean?" He frowned.

"I've thought it over a thousand times since that night. Sluag can have no further use for Finlay, now that he has failed to deliver Flora to him. I'm pretty sure that he lives on borrowed time in the Endwood."

"You think Sluag will kill him?" Lyall almost grinned.

"I do, and soon. But before you celebrate that fact. Know that this news could be the thing that sends Flora over the edge. I have already watched one Soul Keeper throw away any desire to live, Lyall. I don't wish to watch it again."

Lyall thought about it for a moment. "How can I help her, Pen?"

"You are doing everything you can for her right now. Keep doing exactly what you are. When the time comes, we need to keep Finlay's death from her, at least until his soul has lost its memories." Pen wouldn't meet his eyes.

"She won't have to send his soul back to the Endwood? Will she?" Lyall stood up.

"I'm afraid she will. Betrayal is not expected of Dion, and so their souls are expected to be pure. It has always fallen to the Soul Keeper to sort them into the Everwood. In Finlay's case, he is now rogue and needs to be sent back to Sluag."

"That's the worst thing you could ever ask of her, Pen. It'll be bad enough if she has to cope with his death. God knows, I can't understand it, but I know she loves him still. She won't survive sending him to the Endwood."

"She can and she will. You don't give Flora the credit she deserves, Lyall. However, I want to make sure she doesn't encounter Finlay's soul until after his memories fade. If he knows himself, he will lie and manipulate and twist her mind into believing he can be saved. A week after should be long enough to wait." Pen's voice was firm.

"What if she chooses to keep him in the Everwood?" Lyall felt sick at the thought.

Pen shook her head. "We can't let that happen, Lyall. I'm already certain that Sluag will try and use Finlay's blood for some abomination or other. We have no idea what we are going to come up against over the next few months. I'm studying the manuscripts, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. I'm getting old," she finished sadly.

"You think Sluag has big plans, don't you?" He spoke grimly.

"I do," she agreed.

"Can we truly win this war, Pen?"

"I don't know. I hope so. There are a few discoveries I have made that have given me cause to hope Sluag may not be immortal, after all. If we can regroup, and if we can bring our Soul Keeper back from the precipice on which she now stands, then perhaps we have a shot." Pen smiled weakly.

"Then there's hope?" He spoke sadly.

"There is always hope, Lyall. For now, you must be the one who stands by her side. You tell me that she loves Finlay, but I know she loves you too. If anyone can bring Flora out from the darkness that consumes her, I believe it is you." Pen embraced him warmly as she spoke.

"I'd do anything for her," he admitted.

"Then love her and be patient with her. If she grieves a man whom you despise, then you must still support her. We almost lost her once, Lyall. We can't let that happen again."

"It will never happen again," he spoke firmly.

"Then I would hope that with a little time and a little patience, our Soul Keeper will return to us."

* * *

_To be continued..._

# Thank you...

A thousand thank yous' to anybody who chose to pick up Soul Keeper, and read it. I am honoured that you gave me the opportunity to bring you along for the beginning of Flora's journey. I hope you enjoyed it enough to want to follow the story through to its conclusion in Soul Reaper and Soul Eternal.

Reviews are the life-blood of any Indie author, and I remain eternally grateful to those who leave a review for Soul Keeper after reading. If you enjoyed the book, I'd be thrilled to know, and if not then please tell me what I could have done better. Feedback from readers is the best way for me to improve and grow as a writer.

Much love to you all. See you soon for Soul Reaper xxx

* * *

Please reach out to me. I love to hear from readers, and will always reply.

Facebook & Twitter: @AuthorKateKeir

Website: www.katekeir.com

# Acknowledgements

A huge thanks to Katrina at Crimson Phoenix Creations for designing my beautiful book cover for Soul Keeper and the other two books in the trilogy. You are so talented lady!

Thank you to my favourite ladies for reading the first draft of babble that I created, and telling me when I had got it right or wrong.

Thank you to my wonderful editor Lia. I can't believe you came back to edit three more of my books after the lengthy job you had with my debut. I would like to think I've improved a little since then, but thank you for polishing my manuscript up to publication standard.

To my long-suffering hubby, who had to endure writer's widowhood for six months while I wrote all three books, thank you for your unwavering support. This one's for you.
