Renounced: The Shelean Moon, Book Two Read online

  As it should be, Mr. Parde said sternly. And Leira will believe it when she believes in herself and her destiny, not before. That was definitely the Patriarch in him speaking. Donny thought his ideas might sound right. Leira was scared to commit herself.

  “Donny, you’re all right with this then?” Mr. Parde spoke in a normal voice. It was obvious he realized it would look strange to any onlookers if they just seemed to sit in silence for too long.

  “No problem. We need to sort this all out. Find out who is challenging us and why. It’s too dangerous not to.”

  Both Brios and his dad nodded.

  “So, what else do I need to do?” Donny asked.

  5

  The chocolates were gone, the DVDs—all four of them—had been watched, and Rach’s dad had picked her up. Leira wandered around the lounge feeling that something was missing, and then she realized what. There was no Donny projecting to her. No jokes. No how was your day? No nagging or asking if she’d done her homework or eaten her five a day.

  That was a running joke with her and Donny. He was always telling her to add variety to her diet saying apples, strawberries, and sweet corn didn’t make for a balanced diet. Usually, he’d project several times a day just to chat about nothing in particular. Now there was…nothing. She felt as if she’d lost something very important.

  Her mobile beeped, and her heart jumped. If it were from Donny, what would she do? Her heartbeat went back to normal. It wasn’t from him, but the text was from Rach.

  Home safely, thanks for a great day. Oh, and happy birthday again. So looking forward to tomorrow night…xxx.

  Leira grinned to herself at the lack of text-speak. Rach had grown as unaccustomed to texting as she had.

  At least someone still thought of her. Brios hadn’t come home, and her dad had gone out. Her mum had disappeared into her workshop. Well, into the big room behind it that was used for Sept business. Leira was bored and feeling sorry for herself.

  She told herself to suck it up. You wanted this so now you’ve got it, don’t moan. Plan your life. She looked at the clock and made a decision.

  Mum, I’m going for a run. There was no reply.

  Shoot, nope…I can’t project anymore.

  Leira knew if the workroom door was shut it was the same as a big keep out sign. Her mum had joked for years that the only emergencies that qualified opening it were a fire or lack of chocolate. She picked up her mobile. With a sinking feeling, Leira realized she might need to up her contract now that she couldn’t project…and probably pay for Rach’s as well if that was the only way for them to contact each other. It might be a good idea to look for a Saturday job. For a moment she wondered if she’d done the right thing in wanting to renounce.

  Duh, of course, I have. I had to if I ever want to discover who I am and what I want to be. It’s just weird because it’s all new to me. It took a few seconds to remember what name she’d put her mum under in the contacts for her phone. Mum for goodness sake, why anything else?

  Luckily, her mum had her phone switched on. She wasn’t happy about Leira’s plans and said so.

  “It’s getting dark, and you’re by yourself, love. Why not use the gym?” They had a small workout area in the house with a rowing machine, treadmill, and exercise bike in it. Usually, she’d have done that; however, tonight she knew it wouldn’t be enough. She needed to lose herself in running outside and feel the breeze on her body as she ran.

  “Mum, I promise not to go far.” The tone was wheedling, but for once she didn’t care. She needed to make her mum understand. “I really need to run in the fresh air to clear my mind, if nothing else. Hey, I can’t go far anyway. It’s almost dark.” A thought struck her. “Will I have lost my night vision as well?” She’d always been able to see reasonably well in the dark. That would be something she would really miss if it was gone.

  She could hear the smile in her mum’s voice through the phone.

  “No, love, that’s yours and nothing to do with Shalea. Shalea only reinforced it. Now, promise me you’ll only be gone for half an hour, okay? And stay on our land?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded and realized her mum couldn’t see her. “I promise, and I’ll tuck the phone in my bra.”

  That was easier said than done. A mobile just wasn’t designed for a bra cup. After a bit of jiggling and rearranging her clothes, she managed it…so after putting on shorts, vest, and trainers…she set out.

  It was that spooky almost-dark-but-not-quite time where everything looked as if it was in soft focus. Leira loved it. She could spend hours just looking at the changing patterns as the world slid into night and then trying to capture them in charcoal, watercolors, or pen and ink. Sometimes, she thought she’d nearly got it, but at others, she knew she was nowhere near. She could never stop trying though because it was in her blood. A bit like Shalea was—or rather had been. She sighed.

  Have I done the right thing?

  “Well, you won’t know until you try, Leira,” she muttered. Anxious questions flooded her mind. What would happen if she wanted to go back and rejoice in her gifts again? Dare she ask her parents or Brios? She knew she had to give her decision more of a chance. Until she really tried to see what it was like without Shalea, how would she know what she wanted? Apart from all that, Donny would definitely be impossible if she changed her mind. No way was she going to let him think he’d won. She knew what she wanted to do with her life and until he actually asked her and listened to what she had to say, he and Shalea could go fly—or project and change. She giggled to herself.

  Oh, Leira, fu-nny. It’s all up to you now.

  She wondered what Donny and Brios were doing. It didn’t seem right not having them in her mind. Oh well, life’s too short to worry.

  Leira lengthened her stride as she began to move between the trees, following a well-worn track. The moon was rising, and soft light filtered through the foliage showing her the way. Not that she needed it. After all, she’d run this track both as human and leopard so many times that she could have done it with her eyes closed. About that time she stumbled over a protruding tree root.

  Hmm, maybe not with my eyes closed. Concentrate or I might do more than stub my toe.

  Join us.

  Eh? She almost stumbled again. What the hell is this all about? Who on earth is that? If someone’s got past dad, it must be important.

  We invite you. You are one of us.

  Er… no, I don’t think so. Leira was puzzled. She’d never heard that voice before, but it was definitely Australian like the other one, and it was no one she knew—that was for sure. She was careful to try to not project. She didn’t want whoever it was to think she had any interest in them.

  We know you. You are one of us.

  “Oh, go away, brain buster,” she muttered and could have sworn she heard laughter. She decided she’d imagined the voices in her head. The earlier one had been quite a sexy voice. This new one was definitely not sexy, but it was distinctive. And like the first one definitely not one she’d heard before.

  We will never go away. Remember us, remember me.

  “Bog off.” She remembered a book she had years ago called Spanish for Kids. There’d been a great phrase she and Brios had used loads: Vete a la porra, idiota. Bog off, you idiot. Maybe she should use it now? But telling your brain to bog off didn’t quite seem right…a bit like complaining to yourself.

  “Run, Lei…just run,” she muttered as her body warmed up. She lengthened her stride.

  It felt weird running across the lawns and the track without changing into her leopard. She hadn’t realized just how far it was to the river because she usually loped not ran. Leira grinned to herself as her eyes adjusted to the gloaming. She loved that word for the soft dusk they got at this time of the year. She wove her way along the well-worn path and realized that this part of her life was okay. At least she’d have no excuse for not keeping fit, but it might be a good idea to get her dad to check her bike over.

  For
now, though, she’d run. Once she got into a rhythm, she began to enjoy herself.

  Really, she thought, it’s been way too long since I’ve run this as a girl—well, woman now I guess, and not as a leopard.

  The paths and tracks were well known to her—either as a human or an animal, and she knew where to avoid tree roots and low branches. Ahead she could see the silver gleam of the river. To the left was the tiny turnoff track to her own private glade. River or glade? River. Leira decided she didn’t much want to visit her glade at the moment. She thought it was going to be a while before she could go there and not remember that was where all this sorry mess had started.

  She steered around a gorse bush and slowed her pace as she turned onto the riverbank. There was a splash somewhere upstream. She’d often fished in here with Brios and her dad. Neither of them was a great fishermen and truth be told, she could out-fish them both. However, she understood they enjoyed the relaxed hours spent on the bank with a fishing rod, sandwiches, a drink, and not much else to worry them except missing a bite.

  Male bonding, Leira giggled to herself. Females tended to do it over chocolate and DVDs, or with retail therapy. Though there was nothing like a good day of hitting the shops, she loved fishing and could cast a mean rod—better than Donny, to his chagrin—and bring back her fair share of the fish when she put her mind to it. It was a bonus that her likes were so diverse.

  The splashing noises got louder.

  At least there are no sharks up here. Now that would be something…

  She laughed to herself as she sat on the fallen log her dad had moved near the edge of the bank. Leira squinted down the river. There was just enough light for her to see a wet and gleaming arm as it curved out of the water, slicing through it cleanly. Out in the middle, there was a channel deep enough to swim in. It looked like someone had found it. Leira shivered, and for the first time, she wondered if she’d been stupid to come down here by herself. She usually felt safe on their land which stretched across the river where the trees still grew thick and tall for several hundred yards. As Shaleans, it gave them space to shift and run. As a human, it sometimes gave her a none-too-happy sense of isolation. This was one of those times.

  All of a sudden, Leira wished she could project. She moved her hand to check that she still had her phone, and felt the comforting bump inside her top. Still there, thank goodness.

  A cold breeze, sharp enough to send a shiver through her sprang up and rustled the reeds. Leira stood up quickly, pulled her phone out, and placed her finger on the speed dial number for her dad.

  “Hey there.”

  She twisted so fast she nearly fell over as she realized where the voice had come from.

  The river.

  Oh, my…The arm she’d noticed was attached to a male body. Now that is one hot male body and that hair? I wish it were lighter, and I could see more. There’s something about a guy with shoulder length hair…

  That was about all she could identify in the half-light. But the voice…she’d heard that somewhere before. She put the phone in her pocket but still held onto it like a security blanket.

  The guy stood up in the shallows. Leira took a step back and almost stumbled over a thick branch. She grabbed it firmly and hoped she looked capable, strong, and well…menacing.

  “Whoa.” The hot as hell bloke held his hands in the air. “I come in peace in passing if you like. It was too good of a chance to miss.”

  What was?

  “Meeting you…of course.”

  Damn, I know I didn’t project that. I can’t. How did he know what I was thinking?

  He moved nearer and held out one hand. The other rested on his hip. She couldn’t help but notice it was a nice looking hip even covered in soaked boardies.

  Oh…yummy…Aargh. No—stop it for goodness sake. Water dripped off his body making tiny splashes in the river as circles increased with each droplet.

  Leira took a step back.

  “Troy Conlan…hi.”

  Does he think I’m daft or something? That I’m an eeejit? No way am I going to shake hands. He could flip me into the water, and drown me. He’s way too big, strange, and well…yup—scary. Something about him isn’t quite right…

  “This.” She cleared her throat. “This is private land. You’re trespassing.”

  The guy laughed, and she saw the gleam of strong-looking white teeth…and something else? His smile was too brief for her to check, but she could have sworn it appeared predatory.

  Nah, Leira…you’ve leopards on the brain.

  “Look, please leave. As I said, you’re trespassing.” She thought that sounded definite enough, and she was happy with the tone she’d managed.

  “Oh, babe, that’s not very friendly is it?” he said in an amused voice. “And here I was told Scots were famous for their hospitality. Don’t you know…there’s no such thing as trespassing in Scotland?

  6

  “Pardon?”

  “You heard me, babe. Ask your old man. Scotland has no law of trespass. Now, if you’re not going to be friendly then I’m off until the next time.” He gave a wave, blew a kiss and with a laugh and a splash turned back into the deeper water.

  There was another splash. Then, a flash of liquid fire seemed to swirl around the area as the water swelled and a curve of light haloed across the river, high over the departing swimmer. Leira felt a sharp pain in her side as she saw a toned arm cleave the water, and a hand curl in a goodbye salute.

  Goosebumps dotted her skin. She felt decidedly iffy and decided it was time to head home. She’d have to ask her dad about that arc of light. It hadn’t come from the mysterious swimmer…that was for sure…it was well above him. It must mean something, but she had no idea what.

  If it’s to do with Shalea, would I still see it though? This Cadal stuff seems to have no rhyme or reason to it.

  She didn’t see the figure across the river at first because it was almost hidden by the gorse.

  What on earth is that? Its form was neither fully human nor animal. As Leira squinted to make out what it was, its amber eyes sparked with emotion. Then the form shimmered and faded until all that was left of its presence was a flicker of light and a swaying of the bushes.

  Somehow, Leira’s limbs wouldn’t work properly. She let go of the branch. Her hands couldn’t hold it, and she struggled to get into a jog, let alone a run. Her legs felt heavy as if she was walking through treacle. It was an effort to put one in front of the other. Couldn’t she just sit down and rest?

  It’s our time, Leira.

  It was that ominous voice again. Her tongue was furry, and her brain wouldn’t work to enable her to tell it—them—to go away.

  The noise from her phone almost made her stumble. She couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.

  Oops, my leg’s vibrating.

  She fumbled to fish it out of her pocket and nearly dropped it as her fingers refused to bend properly.

  “Leira, where the hell are you? Mum’s going crazy. You’ve been gone for two hours. None of us could sense you at all. What are you playing at?” Brios sounded more than angry.

  “What?” she forced herself to talk clearly and not mumble. “I can’t have. I only ran to the river. I’m on my way back.” She started to sway. “Bri? I think you need to come and get me. I seem to be sort of stuck.” Her words slurred and her mouth felt all fuzzy like she’d eaten something strange. “And I can’t talk properly and…”

  Not him—you need us. Ask us, we will take care of you. Come to us.

  Bri. She called out in desperation before she remembered she couldn’t project. But her dad had told her anything really urgent would get to one of them. Surely what was happening at that moment was important.

  You have us. You don’t need anyone else.

  She knew that wasn’t true. There was no way she needed anyone but her family. She held her phone closer, but now all she heard was static. Then she listened to a small voice, distorted and tinny.

&nb
sp; “We’re on our way. We have your back, love. Hold on.”

  She could have cried. That was her mum.

  There was a growl, a screech, and then a roar that vibrated the ground. Noises, she tried to tell herself. That’s all it is, just nasty noises. Like a DVD of David Attenborough in the jungle. Her attempt to reassure herself didn’t work and for the first time in whenever felt truly threatened.

  Leira hoped her mum would hurry. Okay, she wasn’t normally scared of anything—after all, being a Shalean pretty much sorted that—but now? Now she was. Leira bent and managed to pick up a branch from the ground again and held onto it tightly. As a weapon, it might be lightweight, but it reassured her to have some ammunition.

  There was a noise behind her, similar to the sound of a foot, or paw placed carelessly or deliberately on a twig to make it snap and crack.

  She tried to walk faster; however, sadly her feet just wouldn’t go where she wanted them. That made her confused and disoriented. It didn’t even seem as if she were on the right track anymore. Surely she didn’t remember bushes like these on her way down? It was strange because she’d run this track in one form or another at least once every week, and there was no way they could have just sprung up.

  You’re coming to us.

  She felt hot animal breath on her neck. Yuk.

  Coming…

  Like hell I am. Not voluntarily anyway. With a monumental effort, she turned around and thwacked with the branch. There was a yowl—a hurt, retreating yowl.

  “Leira?” She heard Brios yell.

  “Here.” It wasn’t much of a shout. She tried again. “Here.” Not much better but she hoped he was able to sense her.

  There was a crash, the sound of a howling wind and another unearthly screech. This one sent her nerves into overdrive.

  Brios, in his leopard form, appeared from behind a tree with her mum close behind. Two sets of leopard eyes fixed intently upon her. Before she had time to catch her breath, her mum’s shimmer haze surrounded her when she changed into human form.