“Looks like.” He started toward the circle, and I followed.
Cool wind whipped my hair back from my face as we climbed the shallow hill toward the stone circle. The air smelled of salt and grass, a fresh scent that cleared my lungs and my mind.
There were so many people around the circle that we couldn’t get close, but I immediately heard whispers of what was going on.
Theft.
I leaned close to an old woman who gossiped with her friend, straining my ears.
“Dug it right out of the ground, they did,” she said. “Under the cover of night. Can you imagine?”
“What did they take?” I asked, unable to help myself.
She shot me a suspicious look. “Eavesdropping, dearie?”
“Sorry.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “Just curious.”
She huffed. “Well, you’d have to ask the Alpha. This is her turf and her business.” And not for the likes of you, outsider.
I could all but hear her say the last bit. She was definitely thinking it.
“How do I find the Alpha?” I asked.
“If you weren’t so obviously a mainlander, that would have revealed it,” she replied.
“Please?”
She harrumphed. “It’s a busy night, but you’ll find her at her club, The Norn. Good luck getting in, though.”
“How—”
She turned away, and clearly, the conversation was over. I glanced at Lachlan, who was studying the crowd around us.
“We’re not going to get close right now,” he said. “Let’s head back and see what we can find there.”
“We need to go to this place called The Norn.”
He nodded. “We’ll find it,” he said, and headed away from the stone circle.
“Could this be related to the theft at the museum?” I asked, knowing it was a long shot.
“Maybe. But these circles were here long before the Vikings. The coincidence is too much, though.”
I agreed. This was related somehow. I just needed to find the connection.
The town was still quiet when we returned, and we set about looking for The Norn. Google Maps didn’t have any answers for us, though I shouldn’t have been surprised. Supernatural towns like this weren’t exactly inviting the Google vans to town to map the streets.
Over the afternoon, we covered every lane, read all the signs, and traipsed down the smallest alleys, and yet, we were still unable to find anything. Even the people we asked seemed to have no idea—or they didn’t want to tell us.
We ended up stopping in a pub for dinner—fish and chips, which was excellent—and managed to pry a bit of info out of the bartender. Or rather, he wasn’t able to run away from us.
The old man leaned over the bar, looking like he hadn’t left the dimly lit place in the last fifty years, and gave us a suspicious look. “You’ve got business with the Alpha, have ye?”
Lachlan nodded. “Paying our respects.”
The man eyed Lachlan up and down. I couldn’t tell what species he was, but I guessed some kind of shifter from the way he looked at Lachlan.
“You’re an Alpha yourself, aren’t ye?” the old man asked.
That confirmed it. Shifters could recognize an Alpha’s power. Something in our animal nature made it as natural as breathing.
“I am. Guild City.” Lachlan’s voice lowered, vibrating with the power of the Alpha’s command. “Now, tell me where we can find The Norn.”
The man’s jaw tightened as he tried to resist the command. Not all Alphas could command members of another pack, but not all Alphas were Lachlan, either.
Finally, he grimaced and said, “Ye’ll find it through the green door at the corner of Fleetwick Street and Winding Lane.”
“Thank you.” Lachlan laid the money for our meal on the table, and the man scooped it up and hurried away.
“That was handy,” I said.
Lachlan turned to me. “It doesn’t work on you.”
“I know.” Which was weird as hell.
“You’re different, Eve. We’ve always known it, but it’s becoming all the more apparent now. And there’s something about these places that’s familiar to you, isn’t there?”
I nodded. “I don’t know what it is, but yes. Wyre, and now here.” I rubbed my arms, wishing I could put my finger on what exactly it was. “It’s no coincidence that these thefts are happening and they’re tied to a place that means something to me—I just have no idea what the larger meaning might be.”
“The Maker has planned this.”
I shivered. “I think so. And that’s the scariest part. He’s always one step ahead of us.”
“We’re stronger. You’re stronger. Whatever you are, it’s powerful.”
I nodded. Before I could stop myself, the words escaped my lips: “Back on Wyre, I wanted to shift. I could feel something inside me, and I was desperate to change.”
“Into a wolf?”
“I don’t know. I think so. Must be, since I might be related to the pack that once lived there.” I met his gaze. “Why have I felt empty for so long, and now I’m finally feeling something?”
“Maybe you’re home.”
“But Guild City—”
“Is your home, too. But this could be part of your past.” He reached for me, as if he wanted to brush his hand against my cheek. My heart leapt, and I longed to lean into his touch. But at the last moment, he drew his hand back, his forehead creasing.
My heart deflated the tiniest bit, and I kicked myself.
Of course he couldn’t touch me. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation. Spilling my guts to him was dangerous. The two of us were barely hanging on, both using potions to get through the day. And the only reason we were having so much trouble was because we were resisting what was between us.
We had to.
For his sake, and for mine.
I shoved the last bite of chips into my mouth—trying to be unladylike because repelling him would be a good thing right now—then stood. I brushed my hands off and said, “Let’s go find this place.”
He nodded and rose.
Together, we walked out into the darkening night. I could feel the moon just beginning to rise, and fear sliced through me. I couldn't see the damned thing yet, but it was already pulling on me. The moon gave as much as it took, and if I didn’t figure out what was going on me with me soon, I wasn’t going to survive it.
“Are you all right?” Lachlan’s gaze was searching.
He was too damned observant. “Fine.” I hurried off down the street. “This way. I remember seeing Winding Lane down here.”
The streets were bustling as we cut our way through town. Though they’d been empty before, they were now heaving with people, many of whom were dressed as Vikings, complete with fur cloaks and helmets. At least half of them held flaming torches high above the crowds, creating enough heat to warm the night.
Songs reverberated through the streets, and in the distance, I could see a massive wooden boat drifting toward us. It sat right above the head level of the crowd, and I had to assume that it was being carried on the shoulders of the townsfolk. Up Helly Aa was no small deal around these parts, and something about the ceremony tugged at my soul.