Outback Spirit Read online

  “Who knows? Drew doesn’t and I’m betting those cretins the Dust Dogs don’t, either. We’re talking about something that probably happened like one hundred and seventy years or so ago, so your guess is as good as mine. Indigenous people called Australia home for over forty thousand years before any of us came along. Who knows what else is hidden out there.”

  “But aren’t you worried the Dust Dogs will come back?”

  “Sure, but now you’re all clued up, so I won’t play nice next time. The damn dingo fence is supposed to keep them out, but no one can stop a man or woman from climbing the thing, no matter the magic on it.”

  Now she was just talking in riddles. “Dingo fence? What’s that?”

  “It’s a pest-exclusion fence, like the one they built for rabbits,” Vera explained. “It’s over five and a half thousand kilometres long, if you can believe it. There’s a section about a hundred kilometres north from here. I guess all those white dudes didn’t like dingo packs rustling their sheep. The magic was put there afterwards to stop the shifter packs from moving south.”

  “There’s more than one pack?”

  “Used to be, now they’re all fractured…or as far as I could make out from Drew’s rambling.” Vera shook her head and gestured to the floor in front of the refrigerators. “C’mon. Enough about that. Let’s get to work.” The witch sat cross-legged on the linoleum floor.

  “You want me to sit on the floor?”

  “If you hadn’t noticed, it’s hotter than hell outside. This is the best place to be.”

  Eloise shrugged and sat beside Vera. Immediately, she felt the radiating cold from the glass-fronted fridges at her back and sighed. Bliss.

  “Magic is about focus,” Vera told her. “You know yourself best. The sound of your heartbeat, the air passing in and out of your lungs, the way you swallow your spit.”

  Eloise opened her eyes. “My spit?”

  “Shh,” Vera said. “Close your eyes and focus. It’s all about centring yourself.”

  “Like meditation?”

  “Exactly! If you can find your inner peace and control what you find there, then you will have power over your mind. It’s the thing that’s been giving you problems.”

  It seemed like a sensible conclusion.

  “Close your eyes…” the witch murmured. “Imagine yourself floating out of your body and into the sky. You’re soaring through the air, the wind brushing past, the sun hot on your back.”

  Eloise imagined herself in the air, the outback far below, scrub and scrappy trees as far as the eye could see. Red earth, sapphire sky. Her breathing calmed and the real world began to slip away.

  “You have power within,” Vera murmured. “A ball of light that will guide you where you need to be.”

  Eloise didn’t know how long they were there before she sighed and opened her eyes. At least a good forty-five minutes. Her mind was full of everything but a ball of light. Rocks… Rocks from Kyne’s mine. His hand in hers. His arms around her. His skin touching hers.

  The last thing she wanted was an attachment to him—it’d be for all the wrong reasons.

  “I don’t know if I’m feeling anything,” Eloise muttered. Her cheeks felt hot and she pressed the backs of her hands against her face.

  “It takes practice,” Vera told her. “I can give you the tools, but you have to learn how to use them first.”

  “Learn to crawl before trying to run.”

  “You’ve got it! Finn will know more,” she said. “There are elementals where he comes from.”

  “Where he comes from?”

  “His world. Whatever they call it.”

  Eloise’s mouth fell open. “Finn comes from another world?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a shrug, “all fae do.”

  Her mind was blown. “Kyne said there were a few of them living in a camp.”

  “Yep. They’ve carved themselves out a little patch about a kilometre to the northeast. There’s something about Solace that makes it potent for them.”

  “Potent?”

  “Their magic thrives on natural places of power. There’s a ley line here.”

  Eloise’s head was spinning even more than it had when she’d discovered Kyne was an earth-shifting elemental. Fae, parallel worlds, ley lines…the arcane plot just kept getting bigger the longer she was in Solace.

  “Are there other places like this?” she asked, thinking of the black mountain in her dreams. “Places of power?”

  “Oh sure!” Vera replied. “There’s tons of them.”

  Eloise frowned, her mind working overtime as she tried to figure out how it all worked.

  “I can see your concentration is shot.” Vera got up and went over to one of the fridges. “What do you like to drink? I’ve got juice, soft drinks, alcohol…”

  “Oh no, it’s okay,” Eloise said.

  “Eloise, seriously! Live a little! It’s on the house.”

  “Okay then.” She stood and surveyed the selection, settling on a bottle of apple and blackcurrant juice. “Thanks.”

  They sat on the floor together, drinking and talking, and for the first time since her powers had manifested, Eloise almost felt happy. But soon Wally would fix her van and then what? Everyone had already been so nice. Hardy had offered her a temporary job for a project that had zero profit attached to it, and there was no way she was going back into a mine any time soon. Vera didn’t need help, even with or without Drew. Wally wasn’t looking for an apprentice and neither was Blue. Even if she wanted to stay, there was no way she’d be able to provide for herself. Food did grow on trees, but they were all behind an impenetrable paywall.

  Reality was, Solace was just another stop on the long road to nowhere.

  “I’m not sure I can learn enough in two weeks,” Eloise mused, her heart heavy.

  “No one can learn everything there is to know about magic in that short amount of time,” Vera told her. “Magic is a lifelong kind of thing. It’s not for us mortals to know all the secrets of the arcane universe. If Kyne was here, he could hold your hand and show you what you need to see. Put you on the starting block, so to speak. I can only guide you in the general direction.”

  “So, keep meditating.”

  “Keep meditating and your power will find you sooner or later.”

  “I hope so,” she murmured. “I really hope so.”

  Blue opened the back door of the pub, garbage bag in hand, and stopped dead in his tracks. Something big was rustling through the bins…again.

  Sometimes it was a big brute of a goanna or a kangaroo. He’d even found an emu picking through the upturned contents once. Had to chase the bastard off with a broom.

  But this time, it was none of those things.

  Seeing Drew picking through the bin, he sighed and tossed the garbage bag down.

  “Stop that,” he said, startling the shifter.

  Drew jumped back, the lid of the bin slamming. He wiped his hands on his shirt and grimaced.

  Blue looked him over. The kid needed a damn shower. “Come inside before you get a parasite.” He held the door open and glanced around, hoping Finn wasn’t lurking. The last thing either of them needed was a stoush out in the open.

  Drew slunk through the door and into the kitchen, his grubby bare feet slapping on the tiles. Damn kid doesn’t even have any shoes.

  “What are you doing out there, hey?” he asked. “The whole town is looking for you.”

  “That’s a lie,” Drew replied. “Only Finn and Vera. And that’s because they think I owe ‘em something.”

  That wasn’t far from the truth. A couple of apologies was a good place for him to start paying off his debts.

  Blue looked him over. “When did you last eat?”

  The shifter shrugged.

  “How d’you like it? Well done? Stupid question, I only offer ‘em charcoaled.” Turning on the grill, Blue opened the fridge and took out a burger patty and some buns. “Life with that pack of yours wasn’t so glamorous,
eh?”

  Drew shook his head. “They’re more dingo than human. Sometimes I reckon they only turn human so they can ride their motorbikes.”

  He slapped a beef patty onto the grill. “Why’d you fall in with them in the first place? You seem like a smart kid…a majority of the time.”

  “It wasn’t what I was looking for,” Drew told the publican. “I was the runt of the litter, out on my own. I just wanted to belong, I guess.”

  Blue flipped the burger patty, the meat sizzling on the grill. “Nothin’ wrong with wantin’ to be with your own kind, I suppose. But I’m guessing they aren’t the only pack of dingoes out there.”

  “No.” Drew shook his head.

  “What about your parents?”

  “Dead. I was raised by my grandpa, but he’s gone, too.”

  “I’m just showing my hide as an ignorant human here, but you have to be born a shifter, right?”

  Drew nodded. “Yeah.”

  “What about your family’s pack? I’m guessing they weren’t related to the Dust Dogs.”

  “Nope.”

  To hell with it. It was easier to get blood out of a stone than answers out of this kid. “So, where are they?”

  “My parents were out on their own. When they died, it was just me and Grandpa.”

  Blue had enough clues now to make his own conclusions. After his grandfather died, Drew must have wandered on his own until he’d drifted close enough to Solace to be drawn here like the others…except he’d found the Dust Dogs first. An outback kid with little schooling, freedom to roam, and a supernatural background hadn’t led to many prospects.

  Whatever trouble he’d gotten into with those dingoes, it had him digging in the bin like a rat. Feeding the kid a burger was the least he could do to get things moving in the right direction.

  “You want cheese on your burger? Tomato? Lettuce?” Blue turned to the fridge and took out plastic containers. “Bacon and egg… Hmm… I’ll make you one with the lot.”

  Drew snorted and watched as Blue cracked an egg into a metal ring on the grill. “Why are you helping me?”

  “Sometimes,” he slapped a slice of bacon next to the egg, “it’s just a burger.”

  “It’s never just a burger.”

  Blue sniffed and flipped the beef patty onto the toasted bun. Slapping on the other ingredients, he handed the plate to Drew. Maybe some food would loosen his lips, but probably not.

  Drew slopped some tomato sauce onto the top of the burger, put the top bun on, then inhaled it like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  “Thanks, Blue,” he said through a mouthful.

  “Good to see you still have some manners.”

  “I don’t need talkin’ or advice.”

  “Well, I’m going to give you an earful, no matter if you want it or not.”

  Drew looked up at him. “Told ya… It’s never just a burger.”

  “What do you think you’re doing going around hitting Finn with a shovel?”

  “He poked his nose where it didn’t belong.” He went back to stuffing the burger into his mouth. “His manners suck.”

  “Finn is out for your blood, mate,” Blue told him. “He won’t rest until you make it right with him.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  Blue frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “It doesn’t matter. If you want to stay around here, then you better think of something.”

  Drew kept his mouth shut, which was both good and bad. The kid had secrets, that was for sure. How old was he? In his twenties at least, but the way he was acting, Blue thought he could pass for a thirteen-year-old.

  “If you keep going the way you are, you’ll wind up in a ditch and there’ll be nothing any of us can do for you.”

  “Then I’ll end up in a ditch.” Drew shoved the last of the burger into his mouth. He’d polished off the whole thing quick smart.

  “Where are your boots and clothes?” Blue asked.

  He shrugged. “At Vera’s.”

  Blue sighed. Kids. “Grow a pair and go get your stuff. If you won’t trust me, then trust Vera. She took you in when you were in trouble, and the only reason she’s angry with you is because you’re not telling her the truth. She’s more forgiving than you realise, mate.”

  “Vera doesn’t want to see me. Women like it when you do what they tell you.”

  “Except they never mean what they say.” He shook his head. The kid had a lot to learn about life. “She tells you to clear off, it means she wants you to come back…preferably grovelling.”

  Drew said nothing. He just wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “This is the last time I’ll say it, kid, then it’s up to you.” Blue picked up the empty plate and dumped it into the sink. “Whatever you’re hiding, we’ll help you, but you’ve gotta come clean.”

  Drew smirked and swept his arms wide. “I’ll take it under consideration.”

  “Fair enough.” Blue sighed for what felt like the millionth time and screwed up his nose. “At least take a shower and put some shoes on.”

  The shifter narrowed his eyes and stood. “Thanks for the burger, old timer, but I gotta fly.”

  He pushed out the door and Blue followed, leaning against the doorjamb. The shifter scurried across the yard, heading for the scrub.

  “Hey,” Blue called out, “watch yourself. There’s a full moon coming up.”

  But Drew was already out of sight.

  Damn kid. His head was thicker than a two-by-four.

  Chapter 11

  It was two days before Kyne dug out the last of the black opal.

  Striding into Hardy’s shop, he dumped the overflowing parcel onto the counter as the vampire appeared out of thin air.

  Kyne would never get used to his various enhancements. Most of the time, he spirited around this place like a ghost, but he was handy when someone needed something heavy lifted.

  “You look like you’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards,” Hardy stated, looking him over.

  “Hello to you, too,” Kyne grumbled.

  “Finally got all that black, eh?” He picked up the parcel and peered at the rough opal through the clear plastic. “More than last time. Roof give you any trouble?”

  Kyne rolled his eyes. “You should do stand-up comedy.”

  “You know, I got an international buyer for some of that black you brought in the other day. Some good chunky pieces in it.”

  “And chunky profit, I’m guessing.”

  “Oh, you bet.” The vampire grinned and Kyne was glad he’d rarely seen the vampire’s fangs.

  His gaze moved towards the workshop. Eloise had been on his mind since the moment he’d left her at her van the other day. Her story, her search, the way she instinctively used her abilities without even noticing. Everything.

  “Vera has been in her ear,” Hardy murmured. The vampire hadn’t even raised his head to see what he was doing.

  Kyne narrowed his eyes. “Of course she has.”

  “You’re not worried?”

  “Vera is many things, but evil isn’t one of them,” he replied. “Misguided at times maybe, but not evil. It’s about time she had some sensible female company.”

  It was Hardy’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “That’s high praise coming from you.”

  “We had a chance to talk. Eloise has had a rough go of it. She could be bitter and angry about it, but she’s not. All she seems to want is to understand.”

  Hardy held up the parcel of opal. “Was this worth leaving her?”

  “Yes and no,” he admitted. “After you buy that, I won’t have to go out for the rest of the season or even the next if I don’t want to.”

  “Black Hole is dry?”

  “Until I can get machinery out there to sink another shaft, then yeah. It’s done.”

  Hardy grunted and looked at the parcel. “How much d’you want?”

  “You’re not going to look at it?”

  “We both know it’s all for show,�
� the vampire replied. “We go back a long way, mate. I know you’re not going to shaft me.”

  “Well then…” He glanced at the door to the workshop.

  “She’s there if you want to see her.”

  Of course, she was. He could hear the rumble of the grinders.

  “Two hundred,” Kyne snapped.

  “One fifty.”

  “Two hundred.”

  “One seventy-five.”

  “We do this every time and it always ends with me getting what I want,” Kyne told him. “Let’s cut to the chase, old man.”

  “I ain’t old,” Hardy complained, “I’m perpetually twenty-nine.”

  “Really? You look forty.”

  The vampire made a face. “Times were tough in the olden days.”

  “Thanks,” Kyne said. “I’ll check my account tomorrow.” He rounded the counter and strode into the workshop, not waiting for an answer or an invitation.

  Eloise was bent over the array of grinding wheels, peering at a piece of opal. From here, Kyne couldn’t see the small stone in her fingers, but assumed she was working on potch as practice. She was so engrossed in what she was doing, that she hadn’t noticed him lingering across the room.

  Hardy had stayed out front, which was nice of him, even though he could still hear everything they said if he wanted to. Vampires were annoying like that.

  Her hair was tied back in a messy knot at the base of her long neck, her skin almond under the light. Kyne blinked and shook his head.

  “Hey,” he finally said, walking over to her.

  Eloise looked up and when her gaze met his, she bit her bottom lip.

  He peered over her shoulder. “What you got there?”

  “Just some potch,” she replied, holding it up.

  “Can I see?”

  She dropped the stone into his hand, keeping hers well away from his. Old habits died hard.

  He felt the simmer of colour the moment the opal settled in his palm. Studying the cut, he shook his head. Hardy had missed a fleck when he’d given Eloise a parcel of black potch to cut. Had he known? Unlikely. There was only a tiny splinter of red and blue over one edge of the perfect oval, but it was colour all the same.

  “Polish this and you’ve got yourself a nice little show piece,” he told her. “Did you know this was here?”