Sylvan Greenfield

SEVEN OF DRUIDS

An archeology student makes a mystical voyage to save

his girl from the Voidshapers - or so he believes.

PixelPerfect Publications | Den Haag

Introduction

Seven of Druids – Sylvan Greenfield

An archeology student makes a mystical voyage to save

his girl from the Voidshapers - or so he believes.

For hundreds of years, the druids of Eresa have been training in secret. The seven clans are battle-hungry. But nothing could have prepared them for what is coming.

Aaron Bishop, an archaeology student from Oxford, is on a holiday trip with his girlfriend Denise, when they are suddenly transported to a mystical realm. Gifted and cursed at the same time, Aaron has an ancient magic growing inside him. A Voidshaper, a merciless entity born of negativity, assaults Denise and turns her into one of them. Aaron’s world shatters.

Burdened by his lover’s fate, Aaron seeks counsel from the great Ouranis, a Phoenix of untold power, who claims she can give Denise her body back, but only in exchange for Aaron’s help against the Voidshapers – a journey that will change his life forever.

AuthorSylvan Greenfield

Sylvan Greenfield is a debuting fantasy writer from the Netherlands. For several years Sylvan has worked at a publishing house for children’s books, which sparked his initial interest in writing. Both his BA in Mandarin Chinese and his MSc in Political Science have equipped him with a comprehensive knowledge of language systems, political ideologies and cultural diversity. These aspects, in conjunction with a life-long fascination with the fantastical, the exotic and the only-thought-possible-in-dreams, convinced him of his purpose in life: to invite others along on his journeys of the mind. He has recently become a proud father of Lucas and, when he’s not contemplating fictional evil, spends his days with his family in Uitgeest, a small village in the Netherlands.

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Prologue

The sun beamed down at an almost vertical angle. Its golden rays bathed an olive branch in light. On the branch sat a squirrel. It had the see-through skin of a ghost and a bushy tail that shimmered silvery-blue in the sunlight. Every time it moved, the blueish shadow beneath its feet moved with it.

The spectral squirrel squinted against the dry Mediterranean breeze coming from the east. The breeze blew a single leaf up into the olive branches, where it was caught by the squirrel’s fluffy tail; despite its ghostly appearance, the squirrel still had ways of interacting with its environment.

Down below, a procession of nine people trudged uphill over a half overgrown path. They were each garbed in white woollen robes, pulled up under sashes of various colours bound around their waists. The men, seven in total, had their robes cut short at the knees, while the women’s went down to their ankles. Colourful shawls were draped over the women’s shoulders to set them further apart from their male companions.

Sandwiched between his much younger companions, the man in the middle had only a small band of white hair left to protect his scalp from the sun. His features were serene and his gait resolute. Nothing about him betrayed a single doubt for what he was about to do. His companions shared his determination. But, in contrast to their spiritual leader, there did seem to be some internal struggle going on inside them as though they wished there was another way, another path to take.

The moment the old man had disappeared out of sight, the spectral squirrel dashed down the tree and bounded through the vegetation after the group. More rustling noises followed and fleeting glimpses of blue could be spotted here and there on both sides of the path; a whole group of translucent creatures was speeding through the undergrowth like a miniature stampede.

Now the insects came. Dragonflies, horse flies, butterflies, mosquitoes, they all passed by the olive tree the squirrel had just abandoned for a better look. They all seemed to have suffered the same fate as the squirrel had; their bodies were but transparent versions of those of flesh-and-blood they once inhabited. Every single one of them appeared focused on the fellowship of nine and their solemn procession uphill.

The vegetation cleared and a great marble pillar entered the squirrel’s view. It looked up towards the roof of a giant temple. Despite nature’s best efforts to assimilate the building and turn its white to green, it still stood tall and strong. Following the row of pillars to the right, the squirrel was just in time to see the last woman venture inside.

Once inside the temple, the party of nine fanned out to form a circle. The eldest among them took position at the back of the room, in front of a stone basin filled with water. All seated themselves on the cold marble tiles in silence, and began to stare intently at an image of a solar disc cradled in cow’s horns that was painted on the floor. An uncomfortable silence permeated the small chamber. None of them seemed eager to begin the ritual.

The rear woman looked up. ‘The sun has passed its highest point,’ she said, her voice soft. ‘Shepherd, are you ready?’

In response, the elderly man in front of the basin closed his eyes and silence returned to the scene. Every head turned towards him.

The spectral squirrel was standing in the batch of sunlight that came in through the entrance. It was alone at first, but as the silence stretched on, more and more inhabitants of the forest trickled inside. There were roaches, frogs, hares, and even a large porcupine invited itself in. Their shared transparent appearance made the band of animals look like a single many-headed, many-winged abomination. And yet, the way they interacted with their environment indicated that their ghostly looks was only skin deep; they did seem to be physically present.

The old Shepherd gave a slow nod of his head, the bald patch on his crown glinting in the light. Despite his stoic appearance, sweaty droplets dotted his skin. ‘Andromeda, let us begin the ritual,’ he said. When he opened his eyes again, some of the spirit animals at the entrance moved further in. Others simply stayed to watch.

‘Druids, you know what to do,’ said Andromeda, the rear woman who had taken the lead. ‘Focus on the Shepherd and provide him with a steady supply of energy. Zeuxis,’ she added to the old Shepherd in a heavy voice, ‘may Ouranis carry you.’

At her final comment, all eight druids closed their eyes and pressed their palms together in prayer. The Shepherd did the same, but fixed his concentration on the painting of the solar disc on the floor.

One minute passed, then two. To the naked eye, nothing seemed to be happening. And yet, judging from the druids’ faces, the ritual was well underway.

At one point, the Shepherd’s eyes narrowed slightly and the spirit animals at the entrance startled. They began to jerk their tiny heads from one druid to the next, their faces curious. Some even began to retreat, caution muting their footsteps. Soon the tension was almost thick enough to taste.

The Shepherd’s muscles now began to tremble as though something unseen was passing through them – a force that strained his muscles to an almost intolerable degree. Meanwhile, the pocket of air around the Shepherd was turning blue; such a tremendous amount of energy was being channelled into its body by his fellow druids that his aura was becoming visible.

Now a whisper licked the Shepherd’s ears, one that only he could hear. The words slithered through the chamber like a viper, unnoticed by any of the other druids. The voice was silky and female. ‘The Voidshapers are here.’

The sense of fear that coated the words sent a shiver through the old man and his gaze intensified immediately. The other druids stayed on task, unaware of the threat.

‘More,’ the Shepherd uttered through clenched teeth, while his muscles continued to complain against the energy that was passing through them.

‘Shepherd…,’ the woman in the back whispered in concern, her eyes remaining shut in concentration. She didn’t understand the rush. The ritual was supposed to take at least half an hour.

‘More, Andromeda! Do it,’ the Shepherd said, barely able to move his lips. And because some of the druids had already complied with his first command, uncontrollable muscle spasms were making him labour to keep his hands together.

Andromeda’s breathing had become heavy. ‘As you wish,’ she said obediently. ‘Druids…’

Eight foreheads wrinkled up in concentration. Around the Shepherd’s body, the band of blue light began to move like water being gently stirred. Sporadically, and in slow motion, wisps of blue lashed out from the man’s skin. Here and there a feather or a beak could be identified in the blue nimbus around his body, but they were gone before anyone would be able to point them out.

Standing on the solar disc before him, a figure was beginning to form. It was a woman in her early twenties, dressed in the same white garments as the two female druids present. Only her sash was orange, a colour unrepresented among the other druids.

Suddenly, every single animal that was observing the ritual either skittered or shot away; several tendrils of black fog came creeping in through the entrance. The shadows they cast on the marble floor were as black as their dark depths; not a single ray of light was allowed to pierce through the darkness.

The Shepherd’s eyes flicked towards the invading fog. The figure of the woman standing on the painting, which had slowly become denser with every passing second, immediately started to fade.

‘We’re almost there,’ said the Shepherd, his voice dry. When his eyes found the transparent woman again, the energy link between them was re-established and the transportation ritual resumed.

So intent was their focus, none of the druids beside the Shepherd had any idea of the danger posed by the advancing mist. The cloud of ash, for that was what it looked like, had its prey served on a marble platter. The entire entrance was now blocked by the darkness, and walls of fog were circling the group like a pack of wolves sensing imminent dinner.

The Shepherd’s eyes bulged in fear. His mind was torn between the importance of the ritual and the danger the black mist posed. If he let go now, if he allowed the ritual to be interrupted, Isis’ gift could be lost forever. He couldn’t risk it. He mustn’t.

‘No… Andromeda…,’ he muttered. His wrinkled eyelids filled up with tears.

The woman heard him. She opened her eyes. By now, the fog had reached both sides of the room and was slowly creeping closer to spring its trap. Andromeda, who was sitting with her back to the entrance, whipped her head to the side and stared the fog straight in the eyes. For there were eyes, two of them. They were like two blue, glowing sapphires being carried forth by the cascading waves of black ash.

The growl of a starving predator followed. With it came a snout, tufty ears and bared fangs; a hyena, black as shadow, jumped out from the cloud of ash. It sank its teeth in both sides of Andromeda’s face, swung its body around the woman’s shoulders, and snapped her neck with a loud, echoing crack.

Andromeda’s limbs instantly lost all tension. Her arms fell down to her hips. Then she was dragged away by the hyena. Before the woman’s legs had vanished into the mist, however, her body dissolved. Her flesh and clothes turned black and formed the lower half of a second hyena, including its bottlebrush tail. Before the Shepherd could see anything more of her transformation, she was gone.

Upon hearing the growl of the hyena, every single person present, with the exception of the Shepherd and one druid at his side, stood up. The druid still attending the Shepard was eyeing the scene with mixed shock and amazement, but was holding his ground regardless. He valiantly continued his efforts to supply the Shepherd with more energy.

‘I am almost there!’ the Shepherd called out to the druids, even though the image of the woman that they were trying to transport still looked far from solid.

‘What is that?’ one of the druids asked after coughing into his hand. With his other arm he was shielding his face as though he was afraid that another hyena would jump out and make him share Andromeda’s fate.

The fog had filled up almost half the room. It was drawing closer and closer. With every square inch of space it swallowed, the druids took a step closer together.

‘Aristion, I need two more to help me complete the ritual,’ said the Shepherd, his hands still pressed palm to palm. ‘The rest of you must protect the apprentice. It is the only way.’

During his short speech, as many as six hyena heads rose from the cloud of ash. Their beady eyes burned with blue fire. Their lower jaws were hanging loose in a silent cackle. Their tongues seemed to be already savouring the cornered lumps of meat.

‘Now!’ said the Shepherd.

At once, three of the druids joined the one already sitting there. Despite his confused state, one realised he was one too many and jumped up again to join his companions for the defence.

The four druids on guard gave each other quick looks and nods. Something in their minds seemed to click in place and their expressions steeled. They knew they were in for a fight, a tough one, but in no case would they allow their Shepherd to die before he was able to transfer his power to his successor. Or else their duty to protect Isis’ gift would fail and their connection to the animal kingdom, not to mention the great Ouranis, would be severed forever.

‘For Eresa!’ said the druid called Aristion.

‘Ouranis, protect us!’ said another, before he thrust his palms against each other and forced his entire body into a state of paralysis. A second later, a wolf, translucent like a ghost, sprang forth from his chest. It was as if the druid had been hiding the beast inside his body all along. The spectral wolf landed on all fours and in silence, charged its prey.

Aristion, who had just proclaimed his loyalty to Eresa, his beloved Sanctuary, had his hands pressed together too. With his mind focused on his animal of choice, three spectral eagles shot out from his chest, flooding the scene with silvery light.

As the spectral wolf threw itself into the black fog and between the hyenas, the eagles swooped in and aimed their hooked beaks for the eyes of the beasts. Gushes of wind battered down on the hyenas’ heads, blowing most of the fog away in great swirls of darkness.

As the fog cleared away, the entire scene became suddenly clear. The wolf had sunk its fangs deep into the neck of one of the shadowy monsters. The remaining hyenas were gazing upwards, ready to rip feather from wing as the three ghostly eagles descended upon their heads. The druids watched how cascading waves of black fog continued to ooze from the hyenas’ hides, painting the marble floor the colour of ash.

The success of the wolf and eagles instilled hope in the hearts of the druids. One saw a chance to use his spiritcraft as well and summoned a swarm of spectral locusts. The swarm spewed forth from his chest, zig-zagged upwards, then immediately began circling the group of druids like a tornado of twinkling lights.

The advancing darkness retreated instantly, appearing to take a moment to adjust to the new situation. The druids used the time to regain their composure and regroup.

In unison, a threesome of hyenas broke through the cocoon of locusts. The attack came as such a surprise that two of the druids were lost before they had the time to retaliate. They were both dragged to the ground, one by the shoulders and one by the neck, and were forced to join the enemy.

The Shepherd was watching the battle unfold from his seated position. With every sacrifice his druids made to protect Isis’ gift, he saw his chances dwindle. Panic was building inside him. If he should die today without passing on his power, life in Eresa would never be the same again. His people might even be forced to leave this world after calling it their home for centuries, and return to the homeland. Why had the Voidshapers chosen this time to attack? Had they sensed the energy generated by the ritual?

Aristion, with the eagles, and his companion, joined the Shepherd. They watched the cloud of darkness punch through the circular wall of twinkling locusts from all directions. The sparkles dowsed in quick succession as the locusts were swallowed by the fog, never to re-emerge. With them gone, the only light that still allowed the druids to see was coming from the three eagles and the wolf, all of which were being mind-controlled back by their druid masters.

‘Shepherd, it’s too powerful,’ one of the seated druids said. Despite his best efforts to continue his duty, the man couldn’t keep his eyes off the enemy.

The Shepherd had managed to steady his hands. He was biting his lip in an effort to think of a solution and keep control of his energy at the same time. Meanwhile the darkness was creeping ever closer. The hyenas had become submerged within the fog. Even the ceiling had now become completely obscured by the black mist.

‘Shepherd…,’ pressed the druid.

During the next few seconds, the Shepherd flicked his eyes from the three druids sitting beside him, to the two who were peering down with desperation enlarging their eyeballs. They didn’t deserve this. They had no idea what they were up against. And he had sworn to the great Ouranis not to tell them. It didn’t matter anymore. It was over. Or it was for him.

‘Enough!’ said the Shepherd, making the three sitting druids jump up in shock. ‘You all need to get out of here. The ritual has failed.’

‘We can’t,’ said one of the sitting druids. ‘Shepherd, you’ll die!’

A deep sigh made the old man regain his state of tranquillity. ‘Do not concern yourselves with me,’ said the Shepherd calmly. ‘The Council must learn of what has befallen us. Eresa must be saved. One of you will have to become my successor and convince her to be content with it.’ At the mentioning of “her”, all ten eyes widened in disbelief. Sputterings of protest came from all directions.

‘Go, now!’ he shouted and suddenly, the band of blue light around his body flared up like a bonfire.

The three sitting druids jumped to their feet. Then all five of them headed straight for the entrance, with the three ghostly eagles and the spectral wolf ploughing through the black fog before them.

The moment the druids were swallowed up by the enveloping darkness, all light went out.

The Shepherd’s palms were still pressed together in a praying position, while the accumulated energy from the druids was continuing to race through his arms and torso. He could hear the growls of hyenas coming closer and closer through the pitch blackness. There was no road left to take but one. Be kind to them, Ouranis. Be kind to… him.

Meanwhile, the spectral squirrel that had followed the procession of nine to the temple had found another vantage point. It had taken up position high up in a carob tree. From behind one of the tree’s succulent green legumes it was gazing down at the temple with its head tilted in curiosity.

Only the triangular-shaped roof was left of the temple, protruding from a sea of black, foggy darkness. Then the cry of a man, spine-shivering, rang out. It drowned all other sounds, including the other calls and shouts coming from the entrance, as well as the growls of hungry hyenas. A flock of translucent birds scattered, screeching in annoyance. Moments later, all was silent.

Chapter 1

A little over an hour before the attack on the druids, on the same island of Delos, Greece, my girlfriend and I were enjoying some time off in the archaeological museum. Neither of us had ever seen a druid, nor heard of a type of magic called “spiritcraft”.

Denise and I were students of archaeology at the University of Oxford, and had recently moved in together. We’ve had a bit of a rough start, which convinced Denise’s parents it was a good idea to send us here, to Greece. They wouldn’t hear a word against it either. After last year’s success – the four of us went on a tour around Egypt – they felt like another culture trip was exactly the thing Denise and I needed to iron out the kinks in our relationship. Naturally, we didn’t try too hard to convince them otherwise; Greece was a place we had read and heard so much about during our studies and beyond, that we felt like we had to see the sights for ourselves one day anyway.

After showing us around and highlighting the most significant artefacts the museum had to offer, our unfortunately named, but enthusiastic tour guide, Adonis, had left us to marvel at the craftsmanship of the ancient Greek people by ourselves. Adonis had joined up with a colleague and went to see if he could “score a frappe”, or so he informed me. By the way he looked at me you would think he expected me to want to go with him. Indeed, part of me was longing for an extra-large iced coffee, but I also didn’t want to squander my time on Delos. Because chances were we would never be here again.

‘You’re still not feeling well, are you?’ said Denise. I looked up from the ground, blinked, and there she was, standing with their arms folded.

‘I told you, it’s nothing,’ I threw back at her. ‘Just enjoy yourself, all right? We’ve only got half an hour left until we’re out in that blazing heat again.’

‘That’s exactly the problem. I’m not so sure we should be.’

‘Look, it’s nothing. Remember Egypt? If I can survive that, I’ll live through this one too.’

Denise shook her head. ‘You’re just as stubborn as your brother. I suppose it runs in the family.’

‘No it doesn’t. We may be twins, but we might as well not be. We couldn’t be more different, Keith and I.’

‘Really? You should’ve heard him talk to Patricia the other day. She doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into, poor girl.’

‘You mean like you?’

‘That’s different. I’ve known you since high school.’ A smile curved her lips. ‘You’re an acquired taste, Aaron Bishop.’ With that she turned to a display case showing a variety of ancient clay figurines. I stared at her for a spell and used the time I wasn’t being gauged to regain my composure. I did indeed feel a bit lightheaded.

When Denise spoke again, her voice was soft, but curious. ‘Aaron, look at this.’ She was pointing at a statuette of a woman with wings for arms and wearing a headdress consisting of a disk cradled between bull horns. ‘It’s a figurine of Isis, the Egyptian goddess. That’s weird. What’s a depiction of her doing here?’

So your curiosity won the battle over your concern for me, I thought. Interesting. Then I said, ‘Didn’t you know? There’s a lot of overlap between Greece and Egypt here on Delos. Isis even has her own temple here. And I think…,’ I produced the tour schedule from my back pocket with a flourish, ‘… yes, it’s our first stop after the museum. No, sorry, the second. We’re going to Hera’s temple first.’

‘I remember reading something about a religious trinity that was going on between Isis, Serapis and Anubis in the Graeco-Roman period,’ I said, ploughing on before the subject changed back to my health. ‘It was in that book you bought at the travel agency. The temples of Apollo and Artemis and the others are much older, though. But hers may still be worth a look.’

Denise acknowledged my words with a nod. ‘It says here that Isis was known for her magical powers of protection and healing. And she was thought of as the ideal wife and mother.’ A grin appeared on my face, which was spotted. ‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ I said airily. ‘I just thought it was funny that a figurine of Isis piqued your interest out of all these, being the ideal wife and all.’

‘Yes, you would find that funny, wouldn’t you? Well, let me tell you, there’s nothing wrong with showing some concern for the man I’m planning to marry someday.’

‘And… we’re walking,’ I said and stalked away briskly. I had barely taken two steps, however, when my mobile rang. I recognised the number. ‘It’s your mum. Why’s she calling me?’

‘Because my battery’s dead, remember?’ She took the phone and added, ‘I forgot to charge it, again.’

I suppressed a sigh and turned to the life-size statue of a lion, which sat on a pedestal with its mouth gaping. By the look on the animal’s face, it appeared to have been in the middle of an apology when the lion was forced to experience the calcifying results of one of the Medusa’s tantrums.

‘That was quick,’ I said when Denise gave me back my mobile. Denise nodded. Something was obviously bothering her. ‘Well?’

‘My mum just came back from the hospital. Apparently grandpa managed to sprain his ankle.’

‘You’re kidding me. Now his ankle? He hasn’t gone back on that roof again, has he? They only just removed the cast from his hip.’

‘No, he slipped down the stairs, according to his own story. He’s been lucky. It doesn’t seem too serious.’

‘Not yet, you mean. I’m telling you, you should tell your mother to call the roofing company before he tries to get up there again. He’s almost ninety for heaven’s sake!’

‘She promised to keep an eye on him,’ said Denise dismissively. ‘Let’s focus on something else.’ There was a moment’s pause, during which I put my phone back into my pocket, then, ‘Do keep it on, though. You never know.’

After about an hour’s worth of sweat, and with our minds flooded with more impressions of the ancient Greeks, we were shielding our eyes against the mid afternoon sun. We had just finished our visit to the temple of Hera and were making our way uphill to the one that had been built in honour of Isis.

As was the case with most temples and statues on the island – since not much was left of the ancient culture – the power of our imagination was put to the test once more. It had been one ruin, broken pillar and eroded statue after another, but our guide was fantastic. Adonis’ exuberant personality and colourful descriptions made it easy for our creativity to fill in the blanks and almost see the white-robed worshippers bring their offerings for the Gods they so deeply venerated.

‘If you come a bit closer, you will be able to see what the image on the disc represents,’ the guide said when Denise and I joined the group in front of the temple. ‘Who can tell me what it is?’

Denise wasn’t paying attention to the tour. She had seen me screwing up my eyes in discomfort, which was quite remarkable since she was walking behind me. ‘You do know you can’t hide it from me, don’t you, Aaron?’

I quickly straightened up and ironed my face. The effort forced me to take a deep breath, something not even Denise’s x-ray vision could prevent. ‘Just don’t, Denise. We’ve been over this. It’s probably just the sun.’

The fact was, ever since that morning a strange sensation of dizziness had been bugging me. It felt like a host of insects had taken up residence in my skull and had used my brain for a game of toss. I thought I managed to hide the worst of it from Denise, but after exiting the museum it had only gotten worse. And just a couple of minutes ago, the insects appeared to have gotten bored and deemed it more entertaining to grab my thought-container in their tiny legs and take it for a spin.

Denise screwed up her lips in disappointment. ‘I told you what, ten times already? You should drink more. Here, you can have some of mine. And don’t bother giving it back before it is empty.’

‘I’m fine, really. I don’t want to run out. We’ve got the entire afternoon ahead of us.’

She had already taken one of her bottles out of her backpack and handed it to me. ‘Drink,’ she said, using a voice that told me I could try to bribe her with the world’s most amazing back massage and she would still insist.

‘All right, all right, I’ll have some. What about you?’

A second bottle was already out. While draining about half of its contents, Denise tuned both eyes and ears back to Adonis. He was ushering the band of tourists inside the temple, which was a funny sight as the entrance was basically all that remained standing of the once great structure. Before I knew it I was watching Denise’s black ponytail bouncing against her backpack as she followed the group inside.

‘I guess I’ll carry this for a while,’ I said to no one in particular, as I thrust her empty bottle between the ones inside my own pack.

Even though I fully intended to refer to the bottle, I was seconds away from discovering this sentence could have referred to something else entirely.

The cry of a bird unlike any I had ever heard suddenly battered down on my eardrums. The sound embraced me like a mother reunited with her long lost child. At the same time, it slapped me in the face for a reason that was beyond my comprehension. The cry was that of a fearsome predator of the skies, and something in its voice reminded me of desperation – and the will to protect. The noise sent painful spasms past my eardrums. I let out a cry of my own. I didn’t even realise I was already down on my knees, and that my hands were pressed against my ears as though they were afraid my skull could crack in two at any moment.

I heard Denise call my name somewhere far away. I couldn’t look up. The pain was too severe. My backpack was kicked aside and I felt a hand on my back. It was a woman’s touch, gentle, but unfortunately it couldn’t soothe my agony. It was obvious Denise couldn’t have heard what I had. She might have been tough, but running towards me and lending a hand would have been the last thing on her mind if she had.

My mind was racing. Am I suffering from some kind of heat stroke? What was that cry? Where did it come from? Slowly I opened my eyes. An annoying and persistent bottle of water was obstructing my view of the ground.

‘Drink, Aaron,’ I heard Denise say. ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. Here.’ The bottle disappeared, then returned without the cap.

Traces of the cry still echoed around my skull like a flock of ducks. I pushed the bottle away.

‘It’s not that,’ I said, somehow knowing it was the truth. Not to mention the fact that my stomach barely seemed able to keep down the contents of the first bottle I drained. More people had joined us by now, which was obvious due to the crunching of sand and stone under their feet, and the many murmurs coming from all around. I looked into Denise’s concerned eyes. ‘Just let me breathe for a second, Denise.’ Her hand was still on my back. It felt hot.

Before me stood the entrance to the ruin that had once been the temple of Isis. Slowly the half collapsed structure acquired more detail. But, even as I thought I was coming back to my senses, they seemed to betray me once more. Out of the entrance, from behind the four stone pillars that were all that was left of the temple, a duo of azure globes made their appearance. The light they emitted painted the pillars blue. I was now convinced it was the heat stroke throwing me another curve ball and causing me to hallucinate: this couldn’t be really happening.

The globes were mesmerisingly beautiful. My eyes felt enchanted and they had no choice but to follow them. Everyone else was looking at me and my rolling eyeballs, probably drawing their own conclusions. I paid no heed to their muttering. The pair of translucent orbs was barely visible against the clear sky. Twisting and turning they danced through the air like two hummingbirds performing a mating ritual. Then, after another double corkscrew, they changed trajectory and started heading straight for me.

I gave a loud curse and threw myself backwards, thrusting my hands into the sand behind me. Fear was clutching my chest. I could barely breathe. Now Denise saw the globes too. She grabbed my shoulder so forcefully that my T-shirt objected with a loud ripping sound. Others joined in and were able to either jump aside or utter screams of surprise of their own. I wasn’t.

Two forceful impacts followed when the azure orbs slammed into my chest, forced the breath from my lungs, and pressed my back into the gravel. The scene dissolved into darkness, black as pitch, and I lost all sense of self. I figured this was what it must feel like to fall unconscious.

Seconds, or perhaps hours, later I blinked my eyes. Nothing changed. Whether I closed my eyes or used them to gaze at my surroundings, they couldn’t pick up anything but blackness. And, at least for the first few seconds, there was no sound either. There was just me, the earth, and the intense darkness around me.

A girly scream came from my left. It was followed by the speeding image of a ghost, or perhaps a squirrel. I honestly couldn’t tell which. But whichever it was, I could still feel its claws landing on my chest and running across it.

‘Denise?’ I asked as I recognised the voice. The scream she had uttered acted like a talisman against fear. The air tasted like ash, which stuck to my tongue and palate with every breath I took.

‘Aaron?’ she asked in return. She sounded very close and I could hear her hand searching the ground. So I reached out and grabbed it into my own.

‘I’m here. Are you all right?’

‘I… I think so,’ she said, sounding unsure. ‘What happened?’

‘I think we died,’ I said bluntly, as it was the only thing that made sense to me. It may sound stupid, I thought, but what else could have happened? ‘Did you see that squirrel?’

The sudden growl of a canine predator made Denise grab every part of my body she could find and hug it. ‘I did,’ she said in a voice that could have belonged to a petrified ten-year-old.

‘Whatever you do, don’t let go,’ I told her, squinting blankly into the darkness. I had to blink every other second, as my eyeballs appeared to be drying out at an alarming rate. Denise made a whimpering sound to acknowledge my words and intensified her grip. I figured she must be pressing her lips together to prevent the ash from entering her throat.

Voices came, shouts, then more growling. They seemed to have come from higher up the hill. ‘Go, quickly,’ I whispered through tight lips, pushing Denise away from the din. ‘And stay close.’

We had to be careful not to trip, for the path we followed downhill was half overgrown with vines and different types of vegetation. I tightened my grip around Denise’s wrist; we could easily lose each other in this pitch blackness. The notion that we had died already and this place was either heaven or hell, or anything in between, had no place in my mind anymore. The ingrained habit of moving away from danger was powerful enough to overrule any curiosity for what was happening.

‘Who are you?’ I heard a male voice say. It had come from back up the hill. Denise and I halted instantly, listening. Had they heard us?

‘Your Shepherd,’ said another, a woman this time. ‘What has happened here?’ But instead of an answer, the first half of a cry of pain came from the man’s mouth, before a cough and a great deal of sputtering followed.

Then a blinding flash bathed our part of the hill and the forest around us in light. Both Denise and I squinted against its dazzling power, as well as the gusts of wind and ash that were being blown into our direction by two massive wings. There, hovering in front of the entrance of a Greek temple, was a giant bird, sharing its size with that of the average automobile. At first I thought it was composed of silvery dust, but as my eyes adjusted to the amount of light, I realised it had the same ethereal appearance that the squirrel had when the tiny beast jumped on my chest.

Positioned directly under the bird I saw a buxom young woman with an attractive, heart-shaped face. She was dressed in white garments with an orange sash around her waist and a similarly coloured shawl draped over her shoulders. Her palms were pressed together tightly, as though she was praying for something. Beside her, lying on the ground, was a figure wreathed in black smoke. The woman was studying it with an expression of mixed horror and incomprehension; she evidently had no idea what she was looking at.

I couldn’t see what the black figure represented until it got to its feet and cocked its head at the bird above it. The figure resembled a black hyena, but one so filthy, it seemed like it was actually sweating the ashy grime I could taste on my lips from every square inch of its body. It was perspiring so profusely in fact, that the grime was flowing copiously down its pitch black hide, staining the grass around its paws.

Evidently taken by surprise, the woman whipped her head from left to right. ‘Druid, where are you?’ she said while backing away from the hyena. Her hands still seemed glued to one another for some reason. ‘Adrastus, was that you?’ Then her eyes fell on Denise and me. ‘You there, watch out!’

What happened next went by so quickly, neither Denise nor I had time to react. A second hyena had used the undergrowth and the confusion to mask his escape. And Denise couldn’t have chosen a worse time to brush away a translucent wasp that was annoying her. By doing so, one of her hands was just close enough for the hyena to snap off a fingernail while continuing its rapid retreat though the vegetation.

‘Denise!’ I called.

She clamped her other fist around the injured finger and hissed in pain. Tears were gushing from her eyes, mirroring the slow trickle of blood that immediately began seeping through her fingers.

‘Oh, no… Denise…’

I had just put a consoling hand on her back when a great flapping of wings made me look up at the temple. With this, the giant bird shot away into the darkness, probably chasing the first hyena – which had now also turned tail – and took all light with it. Slowly the dark fog withdrew and the rays of the sun were finally able to break through. The long, blonde hair of the woman in white came into view again. She was running towards us.

‘Is she all right?’ asked the woman when she had come close enough for me to judge her age. I figured she had to be in her early twenties, although the confidence with which she carried herself could easily add ten more. Her face looked bewildered. She seemed just as confused about what was happening as I was.

I looked down at Denise’s finger, then into her eyes. They were hard, though they weren’t squinting in pain anymore. ‘I think she’s going to be…’ My breath faltered. ‘Denise?’ Denise had slipped out from under my arm. She fell down on her knees and hands, and began staring at the ground with her eyes bulging in shock. ‘Denise, what’s wrong?’ I asked in desperation. I looked up at the blonde woman. ‘What’s wrong with her? Do something!’

‘I… I can’t,’ she said, looking shocked. She glanced back over her shoulder at the temple and added, ‘I don’t understand. None of this should have happened. Where is everyone?’

‘None of what? Where’s who?’ I didn’t wait for an answer. Quickly I kneeled down beside Denise. Judging by the way she was trembling all over, however, I wasn’t even sure she remembered my name.

‘Aaron…,’ Denise said beseechingly, ‘forgive me…’ Tears shattered onto the tangle of leaves and vines between her hands. They were dark, as if fallen from an ink bottle.

‘Wha…’ A hand was laid on my shoulder. I felt it tighten around my shirt and pull me up. ‘What are you doing?’ I asked the blonde woman, who had her gaze locked on Denise, her expression hard as granite. ‘Let me go!’ I slapped the woman’s arm away.

And then, as I stooped over Denise to satisfy my urge to help, something taken straight from the mother of all nightmares began to unfold. First Denise began to cough and wheeze horribly as though someone had emptied an ashtray into her mouth. Then her clothes bulged as black smoke accumulated between skin and fabric. Tendrils of dark fog began to rise up from the ends of her sleeves, the legs of her trousers, and the bottom end of her shirt.

‘Denise, no!’ I said. ‘W–What’s happening?’

‘Stand back,’ said the woman, as though from very far away.

Soon Denise’s entire body was cloaked in darkness. There was nothing I could do. On top of this, the blonde woman, whoever she was, was doing her best to prevent me from getting close. And in my current, desperate state of mind I was doing a poor job of fighting her. A few seconds into Denise’s transformation, a sense of estrangement from my own girlfriend washed over me. It was like my own mind was trying to save itself by telling me to get away; it recognised the danger.

I felt tears roll down my cheeks. My entire world was shattering to pieces as the woman I had come to love so deeply was now being taken by the monster of all transformations. A single word rang from my throat, carrying every drop of my affection as it echoed through the woods around me. ‘DENISE!’

At the mention of her name, the shadowy face of a black hyena with beady, blue eyes emerged from the gloomy fog. The transformation was complete, or it seemed that way. And, as Denise moved forwards, her slender, doglike body left most of the dark grime behind, while more of the greasy substance kept exuding from her skin like a fountain of black chocolate. I gasped.

A voice came shooting up the hill. ‘Selena!’ A young man, sharing our age and also dressed in white, now came running up the path and two more people followed. Seeing them together reminded me of the recreations of ancient Greece I had seen back in the museum we had visited that same afternoon.

Denise halted in her step, one grimy paw hanging motionless in the air. She began whipping her head between Selena and me and the advancing threesome, apparently figuring out what to do. A low growling sound came from her throat. Then she crouched into a retreat, but the tree behind her and the thick vegetation surrounding it made it difficult to choose an escape route.

The young man in the lead had short black hair offset by a single strand of white. He gave the dark hyena a quick frown and said, pointing to one of his companions, ‘Peleus saw the smoke coming out of the water. We came as quickly as we could.’ His entourage passed him and more eyes fell on Denise.

‘By Isis’ skirt!’ the man named Peleus exclaimed. The young woman behind him gasped in an almost exact imitation of me a moment ago.

‘Briseis, Peleus, circle it so it can’t escape,’ said the young man, trying to drown the fearful murmurs with his command.

‘Please, don’t hurt her!’ I said, and turned to Selena. ‘Tell them, please. She’s my girlfriend!’ All heads remained fixed on Denise, who was bowing her head submissively and lowering her back in an attempt to look as unthreatening as her monstrous demeanour allowed. Selena was evidently still trying to make sense of the situation.

‘Leander, no,’ Selena said suddenly. She was clearly not used to issuing commands, but she tried it regardless. ‘Stay back. I don’t believe it is here to hurt us.’

It? I thought while my mind was desperately trying to make sense of the situation. My whole world had been thrown into turmoil. Her name is Denise! She saw her transform, didn’t she? What’s going on here?

Leander, who seemed to enjoy a certain level of respect from the other two, looked back at his companions’ shocked faces. ‘Are you sure about this?’ he asked. Selena said nothing. ‘What about you? Has the ritual been completed?’

‘I… think so,’ Selena said thoughtfully.

‘And the others? Where are Andromeda and Aristion?’

‘They…,’ Selena began, then breathed out through her nostrils. Her eyes travelled to Denise, to me, then to the vegetation that the second hyena had used to escape and back to Leander. ‘I can’t say for certain.’

‘Hmm.’ Leander looked doubtful. ‘But you are sure there are no more of these things? Never mind,’ he added quickly, ‘we can’t take the risk. Let’s have a look around. Whatever happened here, it must’ve had something to do with that dark fog.’ As he finished his sentence, he gave the grime beneath Denise’s paws a scrutinising look.

‘I already have, Leander,’ said Selena, which seemed unlikely considering the tiny amount the dark mist had allowed us to see. ‘Andromeda and the others can take care of themselves. They probably headed down to the coast to see where the fog came from. We should get back to the Sanctuary instead and report to the Council. Aaron here came from the homeland.’

Leander, whose eyes didn’t seem able to see me before, finally noticed me standing there. His eyes grew slightly as he linked his homeland, wherever that was, with my face and he swallowed Selena’s lie without a second thought. ‘The homeland. That explains a lot,’ he said, indicating my clothes with a nod of his head. I didn’t think my leather sandals, cotton trousers and shirt were all that different from the white garments and straw sandals these people were wearing, but it still impressed him. ‘Peleus, have you ever seen anyone dress like that?’

With difficulty, Peleus removed his eyes from Denise and looked at me. ‘Never. He must be telling the truth then.’ He gave me the impression he wasn’t the brightest, quite in contrast to Leander and especially Selena; behind Selena’s eyes I imagined a brain that was continuously processing past events, in preparation of sketching all the possible scenarios in her head. The only thing on Briseis’ mind seemed to be Denise. She looked appalled by her appearance and didn’t seem to care much for anything else at the moment.

‘Do you know how he crossed over?’ asked Leander. ‘And why?’

‘That is for the Council to work out,’ said Selena with finality, as though hoping Leander wouldn’t press the matter any further.

Leander chewed on the words for a moment or two, then said, ‘Fine. So you’re absolutely sure we can’t do anything here?’

‘I am sure.’

‘Well, you’re the Shepherd now,’ said Leander, as though that settled the matter. ‘What about this one?’ he added, turning to Denise. ‘Do you want to take them both with us? The Council is not going to like it, I can tell you that.’

I was quite surprised, and pleased at the same time, for the light-hearted attitude Leander took towards Denise’s appearance. For someone who had evidently never witnessed anyone or anything like her, he seemed remarkably fearless. In fact, the same held true for Peleus as well, although his eyes never left Denise for more than two seconds.

Selena and I looked into each other’s faces. Mine had to be burning with the desire for her to agree. ‘It will be fine, Leander,’ said Selena. ‘I will help them see reason.’

I turned back to Denise. Despite her feral appearance, her posture showed a level of anxiety only matched by my own frantically beating heart. She was obviously just as confused as I was, probably more. In the presence of this many strangers, she seemed to melt in place until there was nothing left but a shapeless hump of foggy darkness with two beady eyes shining from its depths. Is this really my Denise? I questioned in silence. I thought back at the other two black hyenas I had seen. She’s definitely different compared to the other creatures, but… is this still her? My Denise wouldn’t cower away like this.

‘Are you coming?’ said a voice. ‘We can talk on the way if you like.’ I looked up and saw Selena standing there with an inviting look on her face. The others had already begun moving downhill, but stopped and turned when they caught Selena’s words.

‘How about “no”?’ I said, my voice gathering strength with each word. ‘Not before you tell me what is going on. Who are you people?’

Selena’s pupils moved to the corners of her eyes, then took a step towards me. I mirrored her by taking a step backwards, teeth clenched. She stopped, held up a hand in a soothing gesture and said softly, so that the others couldn’t hear, ‘Please, come with me. I have answers, if you let me. But you need to trust me.’

‘And why should I do that? First tell me what happened to Denise and how to get her back, then we can talk.’

Selena bit her lip. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help you. Please.’

My fury continued to build. ‘How can you help me if you can’t do anything for Denise? What else do I need, new sandals?’

‘Selena, is there a problem?’ asked Leander.

‘Everything is fine,’ said Selena. She gave me a meaningful look, saying, ‘We’ll be right there.’ I folded my arms. And before I knew it, Selena had closed the gap between us and bent towards me, whispering, ‘You’re on a small island. There is no one here but us. Your girlfriend is in mortal danger and I am the only chance you have. These four truths are absolute. The choice is yours.’ And with that she wheeled around and walked briskly towards the others, who were all staring at us as though unsure what to make of Selena’s funny behaviour.

‘So…,’ said Leander, pointing at me. Selena joined them, saying nothing. Leander withdrew his finger and used it to scratch his head, looking befuddled.

What on Earth is going on here? I asked myself. This is so messed up. These people are the only ones around? Do I even have a choice? I have to find help for Denise. And that Selena knows something she’s not telling, I’m sure of it. But can I trust them? I sighed and steeled my resolve. Fine, but they better have the answers we’re looking for.

‘I am very sorry for this,’ said Selena, as she and Denise and I started following the others down the hill. Denise was walking in front of us, with her snout almost scraping the overgrown path and her bottlebrush tail dangling between her legs.

‘Me too,’ I said curtly, frustration colouring my voice. ‘Now can you please tell me where we are?’

It took a while for Selena to respond, and even when she did, her mind didn’t seem fully present; during the time I took to make my decision, she seemed to have been contemplating recent events as well. ‘I was right about you coming from the homeland, wasn’t I? Incredible,’ she added in answer to her own question. I searched her face. She was looking at Denise, but no expression related to the word “incredible” could be found in them. Behind those blue pearls, I knew her brain was still working tirelessly. ‘Did you see anything of the ritual?’ she asked at length, without averting her eyes.

‘A ritual? No, I didn’t see anything. But you said you had answers for me.’

‘I have some, yes. My name is Selena Zaro,’ she said, sounding like she wished we could start over the conversation. ‘I am a druid. And you have just entered the realm of Ouranis.’

‘Realm of Ouranis? I’ve never heard of such a place. My name is Aaron Bishop. Hers is Denise.’ Despite my need for information, my attention was attracted by the cloud of ash that was continuously being emitted by Denise’s skin. The trail extended about a yard or two behind her, where it evaporated into thin air before our boots and sandals could step into the inky substance.

‘I’m pleased to meet you, Aaron,’ said Selena.

‘So, this realm of Ouranis, it’s somewhere in Greece?’

‘Greece?’ Selena shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘You don’t? Then what are you saying, we’ve travelled to another dimension?’ Despite the severity of the situation, I gave a chuckle. A memory now replaced my current thoughts. ‘You said I was from your homeland. So that must mean you do originally come from where I’m from.’

Instead of answering, she began murmuring to herself, of which I repeatedly picked up the words “council”, “captains” and “shepherd”. Instead of asking any more questions, which Selena was obviously reluctant to supply anyway, I chose to observe and listen for a while. I was rather annoyed by her reserved attitude towards me at first, though from the way Selena was shooting her fellow druids occasional, haunted looks, it seemed she was almost as upset by what had happened to Denise as I was. As a result, I felt the emotional walls erected by my irritation crack slightly.

The silence between us lasted until Leander’s voice carried up the path. ‘Selena, this is your chance.’ We found him standing just beyond the forest’s edge, where the path led us out of the woods and continued to snake through a colourful flowerbed. Leander had his finger aimed at a cluster of flowers for a reason that was not immediately clear to either of us.

Selena’s eyes kept searching until her head stopped and a wry, unsure smile appeared on her face. I could see it too. The large ears of a hare, blue and translucent like the squirrel had been earlier, were sticking out of the vegetation. They were difficult to spot because the hare was so far away. Yet we managed it because the hare’s silvery outline contrasted starkly with the green and yellow of the flowers behind it.

‘Please be silent for a moment,’ Selena said softly without diverting her eyes from the hare. The rest of the group kept watching her intently, as though hoping for Selena to turn the hare into something with a lot more translucent meat on it with her druid magic. For a long spell nothing happened. Then Selena shook her head. ‘Nothing yet.’

Disappointed, the group wordlessly turned back to the path. I was glad to see Denise had the presence of mind to comply and continue with them. For a second there I thought she wouldn’t, for she seemed entranced by the hare’s translucent appearance. The blue light in her eyes matched the blue skin of the hair perfectly.

After topping another hill, a smaller one this time, the panorama opened up and I found myself overlooking a semi-circular shoreline with a pair of wooden docks sprouting from the shore like fingers jabbing into the sea. Up ahead was a tiny island with one end almost nudging the shore. The small landmass was covered with thick forest and fenced by a low wall that seemed to encircle the entire isle, reminding me of the balustrade of a mediaeval castle.

‘Eresa,’ Selena said to my raised eyebrows.

‘Sorry?’

She pointed ahead. ‘It is the name of our sanctuary.’

I nodded. As I glanced back at her, there was a certain preoccupied look in her eyes. ‘And that’s where you’re bringing us,’ I said, deliberately pointing out Denise and my lack of freedom.

Selena’s troubled look changed to one of compassion. ‘Your friend’s… accident gave us no choice, Aaron,’ she said, lowering her voice again to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. ‘You will understand why soon enough. It is clear that the Shepherd ritual, which apparently chose me, has gone wrong somehow. There were supposed to be eight druids waiting for us. We need to understand why they weren’t there. Or why most of them weren’t,’ she added in a smaller voice.

‘Chosen for what?’

‘To become the next Shepherd and receive Isis’ gift.’ A jolt of confidence straightened her back. ‘And because none of the druids were there to meet me,’ her face dropped a little, ‘it is of the utmost importance that we find out whether Isis’ gift is still with us.’

‘Does it have something to do with what happened to Denise?’

‘I’ve been thinking about that same question, and I think it is possible. I cannot be sure, however. We have never encountered anything like these black creatures before.’

‘You’re talking about my girlfriend,’ I said in a harsh, almost menacing voice. After everything that had happened, it was impossible for me to keep my voice from sharpening the edges of my words.

‘I apologise. Your friend, Denise, does seem different compared to Adrastus. He was transformed into one of these creatures as well.’ She looked uncomfortable. ‘I suppose you may have seen him near the entrance of the temple.’

‘You mean the one who was scared away by that giant bird?’

A weak smile curved Selena’s lips. ‘I suppose you may call her that,’ she said enigmatically. ‘As for Adrastus, I didn’t know him very well, regrettably. Though of the little that I knew of him, not much seemed to be left after his transformation. Denise on the other hand, appears to be more in control of her actions.’

‘She’s strong,’ I said, a sense of pride in igniting in my stomach. ‘But I can’t detect much of her personality either, unfortunately. You do seem to know a thing or two about these transformations, though,’ I added quickly, now that our conversation was finally getting somewhere. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s just odd to see you being so calm if you’ve never seen them before. The same goes for all of you.’

‘I understand your confusion, Aaron, You must also understand, however, that all of us,’ she pointed out the group with her eyes, ‘have spent our lives training for the possibility that one of us would become the next Shepherd. So changing one’s shape may not seem as unnatural to us as it does to you.’

‘And you know this how, exactly? Or are you saying you were waiting for me as well?’ Once again I failed to leave the frustration out of my voice. Everything about this whole situation seemed so otherworldly and unfair, part of me was thinking it didn’t really matter what I did or said, because I would wake up from this nightmare any time now anyway.

In response, Selena seemed content to just give me another cordial smile and look at me for a spell. Then she gave me the most unsatisfactory answer she could possibly give me. ‘I have to ask for your patience, Aaron. All will become clear once we are back in Eresa.’ I shook my head, silently conveying this was a giant mistake. ‘I understand how you must be feeling, Aaron. I promised you answers, and you will get them.’ In a whisper, she added, ‘But I’d rather discuss this somewhere more private.’

‘Have it your way,’ I muttered. But if she can’t help me, I’m going straight to that Council of theirs.

We reached the shore. Absently, I gazed at a blue speck which I figured had to be a bird of some kind. It had seated its feathery behind on a branch half way up a Juniper tree, a tree that sprouted from the edge of the island called Eresa, located a little off the coast. Directly ahead there was an opening in the low wall that circled the island. It gave access to a path leading to the island’s centre. There was only one problem.

‘Where’s Trionyx?’ Briseis asked the group. She was shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand and was searching the body of water between us and the island.

‘What is she looking for?’ I asked in a whisper. I didn’t even know why I was whispering.

‘Trionyx, our transport,’ said Selena. ‘He should be here.’ She fell silent again and joined Briseis in her search. Leander and Peleus were giving each other confused looks and they too joined in the search.

‘Right,’ I said to no one in particular. I turned away to see how Denise was doing. She was gazing up at me with her beady eyes glowing from their black sockets. ‘Are you all right?’ I mouthed soundlessly. The monstrous hyena continued to look at me with an unblinking stare. I thought I could see her jaw moving up and down, but was unsure whether she was trying to talk back or wondering which limb to tear off first. Don’t worry, Denise, I’ll find help. These druids apparently know a thing or two about changing one’s shape, so one of them must be able to help us.

‘Selena, you’re the Shepherd,’ said Leander. ‘Try to call for him. He can’t be far. He just ferried us.’

I wasn’t paying attention. ‘I’m going to help you,’ I mouthed to Denise, supplementing my words with hand signals as best as I could. ‘Help… you…’ Even a wag of her bottlebrush tail would have given me at least some idea of what was going on inside her head. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. And this new monstrosity of a face of hers was so shockingly different from anything I knew, any facial expression she was able to pull would be too hard for me to read. Not to mention that over the next half a minute or so, her body cloaked itself in such intense darkness, it was hard to discern one facial feature from the other. By now, pointing out a fang or even one of her tufty ears was nigh impossible.

‘I’m not sure if I’m doing it right, Leander,’ said Selena. ‘I’m supposed to hear the animals’ thoughts, but I can’t. I believe we have no choice but to swim across this time.’ Several disappointed groans followed.

‘Great,’ muttered Leander after a sigh. ‘Everyone, you heard the Shepherd. It’s time to get wet.’

‘What about this... thing?’ asked Peleus contemptuously. It took me a moment to realise who or what he was talking about. Then I saw the druid jabbing his finger at Denise like a thrusting spear.

‘You leave her alone,’ I told him, my voice low and threatening. Pure bravado was carrying my words, which instantly drowned all conversation. The group’s spirit changed with a snap of a finger.

‘Excuse me?’ Peleus said into the silence, rounding on me. For some reason he began moving his hands towards each other until his fingertips met. Judging from the look he gave me I half expected him to draw a dagger or some similar small weapon from under his robes. I knew it couldn’t be anything larger, as I had already ensured myself none of them carried any such weaponry, evidenced by the shape of their garments.

‘You heard me.’ I stepped closer to Denise to convey my resolve, though not close enough to offer a few fingers as lunch. Peleus appeared frozen, as if unsure whether to hit me, yell at me, or back off.

‘Peleus, don’t,’ said Selena with quiet authority. The tone of her voice took him by surprise. ‘Aaron is our guest. And so is Denise. Don’t let her appearance guide your actions.’

‘Guide my actions?’ Peleus repeated as his hands parted. Finally he lowered his arms, slowly, his fists tightly clenched as though they were indeed holding daggers. He appeared to suffer another moment of internal struggle before he turned his back to us. ‘It’s not its looks I’m concerned about…, Shepherd.’ His last word had a sour taste to it. Selena uttered a heavy sigh.

‘Thank you,’ I said to her. Selena gave me a cool look that told me she wished she could get rid of the itch named Aaron Bishop on her back with a simple scratch.

‘Selena, are you going to tell us your plan before or after we show our new friends to the captains?’ Leander dropped at us. I could see in Selena’s eyes he had hit the right chord with her, yet she managed to keep her composure. ‘Look, I’m only asking because I don’t think that whatever you’re planning is going to work,’ said Leander, his face slightly apologetic. ‘You know the Council. They never agree to this.’ Whatever “this” was, he indicated with a swift glance at Denise. ‘And since when are we not on talking terms anymore? You know you can trust us.’

Selena spent a moment considering his words. ‘And you can trust me, Leander. I’m not doing anything behind the Council’s back. I am going to speak to them directly, in fact, in a meeting.’ By the tone and hesitancy in her voice I had the impression she had just made up her mind about this. ‘That is all I can say, I apologise.’

‘A meeting,’ Leander repeated questionably. His eyes leapt from one face to the next. Nobody said anything. He took a deep breath. ‘You know I hate it when you do this,’ he then told Selena. ‘But I guess you have to have done something right to earn your Shepherd sash.’ Selena produced a small smile. ‘Peleus does have a point, though. We don’t even know if… she… can even swim. Without Trionyx, I fear we can’t risk it. Neither do I think we can fly her across. Or can you?’

‘I’ve never tried letting her carry anything,’ said Selena after a short pause. ‘It might be possible, but I’m not sure. Also, I have no idea how Denise’s body will react to my phoenix, or how tightly I need to grip.’

We all watched the weird grime flow from Denise’s body. It did indeed seem you needed much bigger claws than those of Selena’s bird to grab hold of her.

‘Then we’d better not try,’ said Leander. ‘If your energy doesn’t last or something unexpected happens, she’ll drown for sure.’

‘There is another option, though,’ I said. ‘Hyenas can swim, can’t they? Dogs can.’

Peleus whipped his head towards me, his eyes granite, but it was Leander who responded in words. After shooting Denise another look he drew closer and whispered, ‘Look, I don’t know what is going on between the three of you, and frankly, I’m not sure I even want to know. But if you are indeed from the homeland, you have a long way to go to earn the Council’s trust. And Selena has bigger responsibilities now.’ Peleus turned away, his jaws clenched, to which Leander added, ‘And let me tell you, you cannot afford any accidents right now.’

By almost kissing the grass with her snout, Denise was attempting to show her obedience to the group. Or that was what I thought she was doing, since the front part of the cloud of ash shrunk suddenly. None of the druids acknowledged her efforts, however, not even Selena.

I’ve heard the word “trust” a little too often for my taste, I thought. How can they expect me to trust them if they don’t give me any reason to? By giving me answers, for example. Still, Leander seems like a good guy. It’s obvious he wants to avoid conflict and I clearly don’t need any more problems. ‘Okay, I see your point,’ I said, feeling a sense of appreciation for Leander growing inside me. ‘Then what do you propose?’

‘Unless Selena wants to risk it,’ he looked at Selena, who shook her head in reply, ‘some of us need to stay here to wait for either Trionyx or a druid to show up who can help us across. Or you two can swim ahead, but I’m still worried about that dark smoke. It must have gone somewhere.’ He turned to Selena again. ‘You could ask Lycomedes to come back for us. You can tell him about the ritual on your way back. I suppose I’d better stay here with Aaron.’

‘I agree,’ said Selena. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

‘Peleus?’ Leander asked. Peleus gave a curt nod and joined us.

‘I’ll wait for master too,’ said Briseis, which somewhat surprised me. Of everyone, she was definitely the least comfortable being in Denise’s presence. Selena, who realised she was going to have to make the trip by herself, shot Briseis a discomfited look. Then she seemed to make up her mind and nodded her approval.

‘Oh, and Selena,’ Leander added as Selena prepared the orange shawl around her neck for a cold dive, ‘Congratulations.’

Chapter 2

With Selena gone, the five of us, Leander, Peleus and Briseis, Denise and I, began our wait for this surreal world’s version of a ferryboat to come and pick us up. Peleus still didn’t seem to have much love for either Denise or me, but fortunately, Leander and Briseis were more than talkative. Our conversation reminded me more of a boxing match than a normal heart-to-heart, however, as both my side and theirs tried to direct as many questions towards the other’s ears as we could in the time we had until Selena got back.

Despite my many burning questions about this strange place, it was difficult to keep my mind from Denise. So I decided to use her bizarre fate as a catalyst to find out as much as I could from the druids, so as to put myself in the best position to give Denise her old body back and get her home.

I was surprised to learn that my earlier guess of this place being located in another dimension wasn’t that far from the truth; the island which Denise and I found ourselves stranded on was actually the one our trip to Greece had led us to, the island of Delos, albeit a different version. But they too knew the island only by the name of Delos, even though they had never heard of Greece or Europe. In fact, Leander told me the temple I had seen on the hill was none other than an intact version of the temple of Isis we had departed from, oddly enough. So I figured that the two azure globes, which I thought had knocked me unconscious, must have either teleported us back in time, or indeed to some strange, unknown copy of the world I knew. Always supposing this wasn’t some feverish lucid dream, that is. Or the afterlife.

The druids also told me that their home, Eresa, was known by another name: The Phoenix Sanctuary. It was a name which I guessed may have something to do with the fact that, aside from those born and raised inside Eresa, every druid that lived here had abandoned their previous lives for the opportunity to start afresh. After all, I knew that the Phoenix, as a mythological creature from ancient times, was generally associated with rebirth and regeneration. Both of my companions were uncharacteristically evasive when I tried to explore the subject, however, and they quickly changed tactics.

When it was their turn to begin the assault, Briseis grabbed her chance and liberally sucked me dry of any knowledge I had of the ritual that had been performed at the temple, the manner in which I had found my way here, and more even about the world I came from. With Selena gone, the thread that had stitched her lips together had apparently snapped and she showed no restraint anymore. Unfortunately, neither she nor Leander, who mostly listened, could tell me how I was able to understand their language, or they mine.

More remarkable even than what they told me about their world was the fact that they were perfectly all right with me coming from a place they couldn’t reach by boat or on horseback. And despite the fact that they had no idea how to get there, and that they didn’t have any knowledge of anyone else coming here recently, their kind apparently knew of the existence of my own world all along.

Apparently, a previous Shepherd by the name of Zeuxis had told them about the world their forefathers came from long ago. He had learned it from the great Ouranis, a being with whom Selena was soon to have a private conversation with, and in doing so, receive the blessing of the Shepherd. I had heard the title of “Shepherd” mentioned several times now, and I imagined it to be some kind of mediaeval bard, whose jobs included both storytelling and giving directions. How the druid Council fitted into the political picture, I wasn’t quite sure yet.

‘There they are,’ said Peleus suddenly. He was on his feet in no time. I could almost taste the impatience coating his words.

‘Leander, I don’t understand,’ I asked softly so Peleus couldn’t hear us gossiping. ‘Have I done something to offend him?’ It was obvious Peleus was rather uneasy with me being here, not just Denise, and I wondered if the few words I shared with him were the cause.

Leander eyed me for a moment, obviously considering his answer carefully. Then he nodded his head to the opposite shore. ‘Aaron, take a look and tell me what you see.’

A small, elderly man and a blonde woman had emerged from the depths of the forest on the opposite bank. The man had his hands pressed together. I saw something blue and silvery appear in the water before him. It created a sloshing sound that was audible even from this far off. They both stepped onto the raft, which then began moving towards us with an elegance no average tree trunk could imitate and without any visible means of propulsion. Only when they had sailed about half the distance did the tell-tale movements of the raft betray what it actually was.

‘Is that a crocodile?’ I asked in disbelief.

Leander smiled at the wonder in my eyes. ‘Not exactly. It is the manifestation of Lycomedes’ energy. As is the case with every druid in Eresa, our empathy with a specific type of animal enables us to link with their essence and mould our energy into the shape of their image.’

‘Well that makes a lot of sense,’ I said sarcastically, already confused.

Leander let out a chuckle. ‘I suppose it doesn’t until you see how we live. I still needed to tell you this in response to your question. You see, Peleus over there has spent almost his entire life connecting with the spirits of jackals. I didn’t want to stir something up, but when you compared… hyenas,’ he added with a glance at Denise, ‘to dogs, you did indeed offend him. Every druid takes great pride in the animals they have chosen, Aaron. You would do well to remember that. And once in Eresa, I advise you not to make the same mistake again.’

‘I was just trying to help,’ I said earnestly. ‘We wouldn’t have had to wait if we had just swum across as a group. But I know that would have been a gamble with Denise looking the way she does,’ I added in a lower voice. Though I hadn’t discussed it with them, I still found it odd that neither of them had asked me a single thing about Denise, about who she was, and why she was with me. I figured it was simply Selena’s seemingly magical influence over them that made them refrain from asking about her. Or they might have thought they would alienate me if they did so, and thus making me reluctant to answer any more questions.

‘You shouldn’t worry about it, Aaron,’ said Briseis. ‘At least it gave us the time to learn something about each other.’ I returned a thankful smile.

‘Very odd indeed,’ said the old man named Lycomedes a few minutes later, when he had drawn close enough to take in Denise’s black-as-pitch features. He was dressed in white like everyone else, and had the same orange sash bound around his waist. His hair was a dark shade of grey, his eyes auburn and sharp. His crocodile had disappeared into thin air the moment he and Selena jumped off. ‘You said it has been a girl once?’ he asked Selena. ‘Human?’

Selena looked at Leander first, who didn’t look as surprised as I expected him to, then to me. ‘She was. And this is the man who came with her.’

‘Hmm,’ the old man said thoughtfully, undressing me with his eyes. ‘What’s your name, boy?’

‘Aaron Bishop.’

‘Aaron,’ Lycomedes repeated, moving his jaw in a way that told me his facial muscles didn’t quite agree with the motion. ‘Bishop it is, I think.’

I thought I could see a blush appear on Selena’s cheeks, but paid it no heed. There was something much more pressing gnawing at my brain. And judging by the feat the old man had just displayed with the translucent crocodile, I figured he might be the right one to ask. ‘Can you do anything for Denise?’

In a dual motion, a frown appeared on Lycomedes’ forehead and he pointed at Denise. I nodded encouragingly. ‘No,’ he said, as if his answer was as obvious as the existence of butterflies. ‘I am but a ferryman. And a poor replacement, it seems,’ he added, counting the seven heads, himself included. We were indeed quite many. ‘We’ll need Trionyx, or it will never fit.’

‘Master, please,’ Selena threw at him, appearing flustered. ‘This is serious.’

‘Yes, about that,’ he said curiously. ‘Where’s Andromeda, and the other ritualists?’

‘I told you, something went wrong with the Shepherd ritual,’ said Selena. ‘We don’t know where they are.’

‘I’m not talking about the ritual,’ he said dismissively. ‘That ended a while ago. Why haven’t they come back?’

‘I told you we should have looked for them,’ Leander snapped at Selena. ‘You barely could’ve had the time to search properly.’

‘Don’t be so dramatic, Leander,’ said Briseis. ‘It makes your feathers fall out.’ Selena suppressed a snort. ‘This is Andromeda we’re talking about. Aristion, Adrastus, they were all there too. I don’t believe there’s anything to worry about.’

‘Selena, we do need to take a final look before we head back,’ said Lycomedes, evidently making up his mind on the spot. ‘If something did go wrong with the ritual like you told me, some of their energy canals may have overloaded. It could be the reason why they haven’t come back to the Sanctuary.’

‘If you deem it necessary,’ said Selena. ‘You should go. I wish to remain here with Aaron and Denise.’

‘No, I’d rather have you come with us and show us where you’ve looked. It may narrow our search area. And you know how much I hate circles, especially if I have to hike them.’ This last comment didn’t make much sense to me, yet it seemed like I was the only one.

Selena shook her head. ‘I have something important to discuss with Aaron, Master, and I don’t believe he wants to part himself from Denise.’ Selena gave me a look that told me I had better say nothing or I’d end up being chased all the way back up to Isis’ temple by a summoned beastie of her making.

You treat me like some GPS ankle bracelet, and yet I should continue to trust you? I commented in silence, while my insides started boiling again. If only I had another option… Well, there is, but not one that can help Denise.

‘As you wish,’ said Lycomedes, throwing both hands in the air. ‘You’re the Shepherd now.’

It surprised me how easy it was for Selena to persuade the others to leave her alone with Denise and me, especially since the last time, when as many as three druids were needed to make the group feel safe enough to split up. Currently, Selena and I were watching Leander, Briseis, Peleus and Lycomedes cutting a straight line through the flowery meadow and heading back up the hill.

Denise had put her tailed behind into a cluster of flowers and was eyeing Selena with a stare that could scare away any pride of lions, ghostly or corporeal, with ease. Waves of foggy blackness were continuously billowing from her hide, causing her to become enveloped in dark smoke a few seconds after she had sat down. By now even her head had become barely distinguishable, while her blue, piercing eyes continued to burn brightly. It was like she was carrying her own cloak of concealment everywhere she went.

‘I don’t know how much time we have, so we will need to act quickly,’ said Selena without preamble. ‘Listen, Aaron, the reason why I decided to leave the others in the dark, as it were, is because I have a theory about what transpired during the ritual. As I said, I believe something went wrong, disastrously perhaps, and need you to help me discover if I’m right.’

‘Finally,’ I sighed. ‘All right, let’s hear it. What is this ritual thing about, exactly?’

‘Yes, well,’ said Selena, slightly flustered, ‘the ritual, the one that has been performed at the temple this afternoon, is designed to help the Shepherd choose his or her successor. With the help of a small group of druids, they channel their energy and in doing so they summon the most worthy candidate to his location. How he does it is not important right now,’ she added in response to my questioning look. ‘Just know that as it happened, I was the one who was chosen.’

‘Okay, so you’re the new Shepherd. What does that have to do with me, or Denise?’

‘That is my point. I don’t believe I am the new Shepherd. I was chosen, yes. Yet for some reason, Isis’ gift, the Shepherd’s power, was not bestowed upon me. At least I don’t believe it did.’

‘Are you saying…,’ I began, pointing at Denise. I couldn’t even voice my thoughts about this so-called “Shepherd” being able to transform into something that no one would want to encounter in a dark alleyway. After all, it was Selena who had hinted that the Shepherd was able to change their shape.

‘I already told you I have no idea what happened to Denise,’ said Selena a little impatiently. ‘No, the most prominent among the Shepherd’s abilities is the one that allows him to communicate with animals. But I have yet to hear any of their voices.’

‘So that’s what you were trying to do with that hare we saw earlier, you were trying to read its thoughts,’ I said. Selena nodded pensively as though she was reliving the event in her head and was contemplating the disappointing silence. ‘That still doesn’t explain what all this has to do with us.’

‘Well, I believe that, because of what happened at the temple at the time of the ritual, the Shepherd’s powers went into you instead of me.’

My jaw dropped and kept hanging there for a spell. Then I let out a snort. ‘Oh, come on… Are you serious?’

‘Why shouldn’t I be?’

‘Me? A real-life Dr Doolittle? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint. But even given the circumstances I haven’t heard a thing out of the ordinary. And I daresay I would have heard my own girlfriend, if she counts as an animal now. I’ve been focused on her the entire time.’

‘Perhaps you were not listening properly. Senses can be easily manipulated by emotions.’

‘Look, Selena, I don’t know what is going on here, but I just want my girlfriend back and to go home, all right? That’s all.’ I paused for a moment. My better judgement, fed by the look on Selena’s face, told me I needed to switch tactics immediately. ‘It’s not that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done so far, defending us against the others and all that, but…’ I took a moment to think about my next words. ‘All right, fine. I’ll continue to play along if you promise me right now that you will do everything you can for Denise.’ Selena gave me a blank stare, as though she could see something she couldn’t see before. ‘I mean it. I need your promise.’

‘You wouldn’t have to ask me that if you knew what is at stake,’ said Selena. ‘But since you don’t, I promise.’

‘Thank you. Now, if there’s anything I can do for you, I will. Just… don’t give me this rubbish about special powers and everything. I’m afraid I have enough on my plate already.’

‘That is fair,’ said Selena, then looked out across the water and drank in the shoreline of Eresa. ‘Aaron, on our way here, I’ve been thinking about how to handle the situation, and I believe I can be reasonably sure that Andromeda and the other druids are not coming back; or at least some of them aren’t. If my suspicions are correct, Adrastus, who I saw change with my own eyes, might even have been the last of the ritualists to be turned into one of these hyenas.’ She held up a hand to keep me from interrupting. ‘What this means is that if Lycomedes, Leander, or anyone else learns about what has befallen them, it would be disastrous for you and Denise.’

‘Because of how she looks,’ I filled in.

Selena nodded. ‘At the very least, they will want to use her to find out what happened to the ritualists and how to get them back. We cannot allow this to happen, not before we know for sure that the Shepherd’s power has not been transferred to you. All faith in you, in the Shepherd, would be lost.’

‘Why? I don’t understand. Why is this power so important? I mean, talking to animals?’

‘I cannot go into too much detail now, because I cannot be certain how much time we have left. Just know that the Shepherd is very important to us because it is he or she who can claim audience with Ouranis. She means everything to us. And to lose our connection with her would be… unimaginable.’ It was evident by the wet glint in her eyes that even the word “unimaginable” fell short of what she truly meant.

‘And you think I am that connection?’

‘Again, I do not know. This is why I was hoping for an opportunity to put my theory to the test before we enter Eresa. Either way, it is imperative no one is given any reason to doubt the fact that I am the new Shepherd, because it is our belief that only the one who is chosen by the ritual can become the Shepherd. It has always been that way. Therefore, at least until we can find some kind of remedy for Denise’s condition, we will need to keep today’s events a secret. My peoples’ faith in Ouranis, and our connection to her thoughts are not to be questioned, Aaron, especially not by an outsider. I hope you understand.’

‘Oh, I do understand,’ I replied sincerely. ‘I just think you’re making a fuss over nothing. I mean, you probably just need some practice or guidance, or something. I’m still willing to give it a try, though, if you want to be sure.’

‘Good, then prove it,’ said Selena, standing up. It was evident she didn’t want to give me time to have second thoughts. I quickly went after her with Denise loping behind. She seemed just as interested in watching this play out as I was.

Upon reaching the shoreline, Selena halted and began peering into the distance. I emulated her but could see nothing but blue stretching in all directions – and the floating forest called Eresa. Distant mountains and coastlines were blocking our view of the horizon behind it. I had noticed them before, but had been too preoccupied to pay them any attention.

Now that I had a few moments of peace, a thin line of sparkling silver attracted my eye. It was positioned at about the same height of the water line between the sea and the island of Eresa. Every time the water receded to prepare for another wave to batter against the few feet high wall that closed off the island, the twinkling line came into view once more.

I pointed them out to Selena. ‘Those are periwinkles,’ she explained absently. ‘They are a kind of snail that has a symbiotic relationship with the island, and us I suppose. We supply a safe living environment for them, while they keep the Sanctuary afloat.’

We fell silent again until after a minute or two, Selena said, ‘This is what we will do. Aaron, I’d like you to close your eyes and focus your mind on contacting Trionyx. He should be around here somewhere, but for some reason I can’t see or hear him. And because he is already used to interacting with humans, it should be an easy task for the Shepherd to call him. Remember that we also need him to bring Denise to the island, so it is important that you succeed.’

‘Okay, I’ll try.’ I gave Denise a glance, then asked, ‘Just his name, Trionyx? You’re not giving me anything else?’ Selena shook her head and with a sigh, I closed my eyes.

The first thing I noticed was that my eyes seemed more than content with the action. I felt tired, despite the fact that the sun was still blazing down on us. My thoughts were swimming this way and that like a single-sailed fisherman’s boat caught in an autumn storm. Blue lights popped up in my mind one after the other: the twin globes that had sent me to this odd place, the beady eyes of Denise, the tapered ears of the hare we had passed. They made it difficult to focus on any one thing at a time.

Tri-onyx, Trio-nyx. I repeatedly called out the name in silence and envisioned projecting the thoughts outwards like homing pigeons, all sounding slightly different, and each in a different direction. None of the pigeons returned. Again and again I tried, until not even the peace-inducing sound of the waves fist-bumping the shore was able to keep my mind arrested any longer.

‘I told you it wouldn’t work,’ I said dismissively, opening my eyes. ‘It was my great grandfather who herded sheep, not me. I’m no Shepherd.’

My bad attempt at a joke did not crease any of Selena’s features. She merely kept staring into the distance. ‘Try again.’

Again I took a deep breath. But, just as my lids fell over my eyes and I was about to start resuming my efforts, a great disturbance in the water wrenched them open again. The surface of the water bulged, causing a miniature tidal wave to soak our sandals and grime-covered paws. Denise gave a yelp that could have belonged to a dog whose tail had just been squashed by a bull hippo.

To my astonishment an enormous, grey, overturned bowl rose up from the watery depths. The sight brought images of giant jellyfish to my mind, though it would have had to be one that had mated with a sea turtle; a turtle’s head the size of a mature grizzly bear came next. Every single one of the beast’s features was silvery blue and translucent, allowing me to see his pointy tail moving up and down through the long length of his body. Even more remarkable was that, because of his transparency, Trionyx’s body acted like diving goggles, enabling us to peer several feet into the body of murky water underneath him.

‘There you are,’ Selena greeted the giant beast with a warm voice. ‘You had us worried.’

In response, the turtle lowered his massive head and started to approach us like a horse longing for a bit of affection. Every foot the turtle came closer, Denise and I met with a step backwards. I didn’t realise I was still moving until Selena stuck out her hand and placed it between the turtle’s nostrils. The turtle halted immediately – and Denise and I did as well.

‘Aaron, Denise, meet Trionyx,’ said Selena. With each caressing movement of her hand, a trail of silvery light remained behind until it faded a few seconds later. It was like seeing the moon play with an ice sculpture on a starlit night, except, of course, the scene was being played out in full daylight. The sight was simply awe-inspiring. ‘Thank you, Aaron,’ Selena added without looking away from Trionyx.

‘Not me,’ was the only part of my thoughts that made it to my mouth. I swallowed, then said, ‘It wasn’t me.’

‘Sure it was. I didn’t call for him.’

‘Then he must have seen you standing here. You did say he was already used to you.’

‘Why don’t you come closer?’ asked Selena, ignoring my discomfort and staring pointedly at my feet standing a few yards behind her. They felt as though glued to the ground. ‘You might as well become used to him now, don’t you think?’

‘I’m not him,’ I said exasperatedly, still holding ground. ‘I’m not the Shepherd. Don’t you get it?’ The name “Shepherd” felt like a ball and chain every time it passed my lips or eardrums.

‘Why is it so hard for you to believe?’

‘Why is it so hard for you not to?’ I returned. ‘I’m just an ordinary guy. It almost sounds like you’re glad you haven’t been given these powers. You’ve been training for this opportunity for a long time, haven’t you?’

Selena’s cordial features changed within the span of a snapping finger. A mixture of emotions I couldn’t immediately place fell over her face like a blanket. Upon seeing them, I recalled what Leander and Briseis had said about Eresa being a sanctuary for people who either chose, or were forced to, abandon their lives and desired a new start. Orphaned children, or men and women traumatised by what they had done or seen in the past, everyone was offered the chance to find new purpose, to become someone else. It made me want to take back my words as I wondered in which category Selena could be placed.

‘I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’