Sins Among Royals

Time passed as if it was of no significance and Indie sat uncomfortably the whole way to Eliora's home.

Noah and Heidi seemed to grow more and more excited the closer they got but not Indie. A sense of guilt and regret sat uneasily in her stomach.

Soon the vehicle left the main road and they started winding down a narrow gravel driveway that was bordered on both sides by towering pine trees. Much like the surrounds of Ebony’s home but flat.

The greenery that surrounded them was blindingly beautiful as Indie saw small animals scurrying through the undergrowth as they drove passed.

As she peered over the front passenger’s seat Indie noticed a cliff that looked ancient and worn. A rather stately home sat on the edge and looked as though it were an old converted mill of sorts. The old log cabin had been mixed with a more modern extension that ran back from the edge of the cliff. The was a river on the far side of the home that dropped over the side of the cliff in a torrent of turbulent water.

“Welcome to Craggy Bluff,” Noah smiled warmly as their vehicle pulled into a circular driveway. “Home of my aunt Eliora and her husband Walter.”

Indie was in awe at the size of the place, it was dramatically huge for just two people.

In a flash Heidi was scrambling over Indie to get out of the car.

Opening the door she let little Heidi out first. It seemed the long drive had built up the child’s energy reserves.

“Oh Indie,” Noah placed his hand over hers before she climbed out. The two of them stopped and stared at each other as the world around them ceased to exist. All he could see was her and all she could feel was him. A moment Indie would cherish for it felt as though Noah was really looking at her. The electricity that passed between them gave her hope that one day he would forget about Medea. “Aunt Eliora is a little eccentric,” he added as he suddenly tore his gaze from hers. “I probably should have told you that earlier.” He almost scoffed at that as he climbed from the vehicle and turned his back on her.

Indie felt deflated but the thought was not allowed to linger as one of the security team offered his hand for Indie to take. She gave him a gentle smile as he too averted his gaze. It was as if everyone was allergic to her.

Stepping around the side of the vehicle Indie spied two older looking people standing on the large patio out the front. The woman embraced Noah then pulled back with a frown. She glared at him before taking one of her hands and slapping the side of his head.

Noah stood there looking at his aunt in shock, “what was that for?” He almost growled.

The woman looked at Indie who hid behind the vehicle and though they were some distance apart Indie heard what she said clearly, “you rude boy! Go and get her. Don’t leave her standing there alone. She’s new and doesn’t know where to go.” Though the woman was elderly she sure didn’t miss a beat as Noah turned from her and walked to Indie.

His eyes burned into her and she could tell he was a little mad but it wasn’t her fault.

Noah escorted her towards Eliora who suddenly turned serious.

Eliora gave a gentle curtsey as did Walter but the pair straightened considerably after that. “She’s a nobody?” Eliora questioned her nephew quickly.

“I am a somebody!” Indie growled at the old woman. “My name is Indie Jones from Aspen.” She had grown tired of the pompousness of Noah’s family and had resigned herself to never staying silent.

Unfortunately an uneasy silence fell over the group before Eliora laughed and clapped her hands together, “give my nephew some of those balls Indie. He needs them.” She held her hands out to Indie and pulled her in for a hug. “I like you,” Eliora laughed again. “Come in I’ll show you to your room.”

The four of them walked through the open door. It swung on one hinge and looked as though it were made from one piece of solid wood. Straight through the door was a large open room that looked to be the main hub of the house. All exterior walls of the room were made of glass and metal and stood two stories high. A large void over the entire sitting room gave it height and a sense that it was far larger than it really was.

Indie followed her host closely as they turned left where she saw a double height white wall with three openings. Walking through the first of the openings they passed many other doors before they descended a small staircase that descended into what looked like the old part of the home.

“I hope you don’t mind heights Indie,” Eliora opened a door off of the left hand side of a hallway and stepped inside. “Our guest rooms all hang over the cliff face.”

Indies breath caught as she stepped into the room and looked out over the landscape below. Part of her was expecting a raging river but what she saw instead was a beautiful lake surrounded by lush forests. The lake had a small island towards the far side and had little headlands jutting out into the lake making sheltered bays and coves. Around the lake she could see cabins and a large field hidden in the trees. Small streams lead off in all directions providing an outlet for when the lake reached its capacity.

“What are those buildings?” Indie questioned quickly.

“Good eye,” Eliora began as she too cast a glance down at the beautiful lake. “That is summer camp where all our young are trained. They come to learn about the shifting process and about like in the pack. At other times it is used for mating rituals and hunting.” It left Indie in awe. Such a large area and so beautiful.

“The whole thing?” Indie questioned again.

“Well yes.” There was a slight pause, “We do share with humans though but they only seem to use the area for duck and pheasant hunting.”

Indie couldn’t help but stare in awe at the beauty of the area. It seemed almost magical. “I would love to visit again one day soon and go kayaking or swimming.” She turned to Eliora and smiled before the older woman got an idea.

“Oh I know! After you get settled Noah can take you out on the kayaks before dinner. Twilight on the lake is beautiful.” Eliora clapped her hands together with a smile. “Oh you two have to share a room as well,” she cackled loudly. “We had a problem with mice in the new part and termites in the old part of the house was so don’t complain Noah.”

She turned from the pair and took Heidi’s hand, “this little princess has a bed set up in my room.” Before the trio walked out Eliora turned to her nephew, “Take her out on the lake kid, it’s the least you can do for forcing her to move away with you.”

As soon as the door closed a silence fell over Noah and Indie. He was hesitant and she felt guilty. The awkwardness soon got the better of them as Noah spoke up, “I’ll take you down to the lake if you like.”

Nodding her head seemed to be all Indie could do before Noah left the room. “Aren’t you coming?” He called back to her loudly as she pulled herself from her thoughts and followed.

Noah barely waited for her to catch up as they left the house and walked back towards the cars, “how do we get down there?” The question was genuine as Indie could not see an obvious path or road down the cliff face.

“There,” Noah pointed towards a small building at the edge of the forest.

Walking towards it Indie seemed a little confused but when Noah pulled the door open she saw a small ladder that lead down into a tunnel which lead them to a hole in the cliff and a well worn trail down to the lake. “Cars and trucks come in the other side,” Noah pointed to the horizon in the distance as Indie squinted and saw a bush trail. “Sometimes people are flown in.” Though it was usually only Noah and his family that were flown anywhere.

The winding trail quickly lead the pair down to a path on the forest floor where Indie again found herself in awe of the nature around them. It was beautiful. Birds flew through the undergrowth dodging trunks and branches along the way. Their songs filled the canopy with life.

The forest opened out to a clearing that held a few cabins and a small field. “This is one of the practice fields. When packs come they are separated from each other and put into different areas around the lake. It makes for better training when you face someone who isn’t from your pack.”

Indie wasn’t too sure how to respond to a single thing Noah said. It was mind boggling for her to think about. The scale of the area was beyond gigantic. What she had seen from Ellora’s home was only a small part.

Soon they arrived at the shore of the lake and it left Indie breathless. It was more than anything she could have imagined. The landscape on the far side of the lake looked pristine, untouched wilderness. “This place is incredible.” She sighed with delight.

“That is usually the first impression everyone has when they get here.”

Indie cast a tentative glance at Noah and noticed his focus was very much on the landscape before them, as if he were trying his darnedest to ignore Indie.

“We should get out there before the sun sets. I’ll take you on a quick loop before coming back in.” Noah worked quickly to pull the old wooden kayak from the shed and before long the pair were paddling out into the calm waters of the lake and Indie felt herself falling in love with the area.

They paddled in silence till they reached a fair distance from shore. The still afternoon air held hints of autumn as a gentle breeze wafted through the air around them. “Can we go to the island?” She shouted back at Noah.

“No,” he answered instantly. “It’ll take too long to get out there and back again.” It seemed like a fair point but she couldn’t help but feel disappointed at his response. Silence fell again as they carried on paddling before the nose of the canoe turned slightly towards the island. “I guess we could paddle around the shore ”

Indie smiled and nodded her head, “Thank you,” she turned her head towards him gently and saw his smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

More silence. As they drew closer to the island however, the wind whipped the water into a frenzy and the pair found themselves fighting against the current as it blew them off course. “Keep paddling!” Noah yelled as loudly as possible. The sudden change in weather was not uncommon for this time of year.

Indie buried her paddle as deep as she could before pulling it back in the water. The motion repeated again and again.

Out of the corner of her eye Indie could see a set of rocks approaching them quickly. The wind strengthened and they were still some distance from shore. Before she knew it water began pouring in the side of the canoe. “Swim to the island” Noah called he pulled himself out of the boat and waited for an extremely hesitant Indie.

Why was she not moving? Noah found it strange. He pulled her into the water quickly and watched as she floundered about in the water. Could she not swim?

Putting his arms around her he lay on his back and kicked towards the island. Though Indie was terrified she was surprisingly still.

Reaching the shore Noah dragged Indie up the stony beach as rain began falling heavily. It blocked out the beach from which they had come.

“Why didn’t you swim?” Noah yelled as he pulled Indie towards the tree line on the little island.

“I don’t know!” Indie yelled back. She was still in shock at how quickly the weather changed and how dangerous and different the outcome could have been.

“Shift. It’ll be easier to keep warm,” he demanded as they climbed into the undergrowth of the trees and though it shielded them from the wind it didn’t do much to keep them dry.

“No, I can’t!” She yelled as she yanked her hand from his grasp.

Her actions only annoyed Noah more. “Why not?” She was a strange woman and he didn’t understand at all.

“I can’t tell you,” she replied as she felt a lump form in her throat at the memory.

Noah put his hand up to Indies face and forced her to look up at him. “You will tell me now before my temper sours even more.”

He saw the reluctance in her eyes but his curiosity had been piqued. “You kill people for what I’ve done!” She choked as tears flooded her eyes. How was she going to tell him why she never wanted to shift again.

“Indie!” His voice thundered as he watched her shrink in its wake.

“I can’t shift cause..” She trailed off quickly thinking of the best way to word it. Looking up into Noah’s eyes and she saw no sympathy, no patience, nothing. “Poppy wasn’t always like us.”

At her admission, Noah growled as his fists clenched tightly. His muscles bunched and the deathly stare in his eyes sent a shiver of terror through Indie.

He was getting ready to shift.