The Inner Circle: Holy Spirit by Cael McIntosh

same time, her other body leapt, sinking
its fangs into the leg of another. The others fought back, but
couldn’t compete with those under her control. As intelligent as
they might’ve been, they couldn’t compete with the fangs of their
kin coupled with the mind of a human.
    The various El-i-miirs prowled about
but she was content that the others were all dead. She let out a
soft whine from two of her mouths and laid down subordinately.
    ‘ We need weapons,’
Ilgrin said, gazing at the bright red blood covering his clothes
before more closely analysing the puncture wounds on his arm from
which his own blood trickled.
    ‘ I think I’ll keep
these two for a while,’ El-i-miir spoke through her human mouth
while unable to avoid simultaneously growling through the mouths of
her wolves. One of them had a slight limp, but had otherwise
escaped unscathed.
    ‘ Are you sure you can
handle them?’ Seteal asked worriedly.
    ‘ I’ve possessed more
wilful creatures than these in my time.’ El-i-miir raised her
eyebrows in irritation at Seteal doubting her, but after having
noticed the turmoil taking place in her aura she found herself
unable to maintain ill-feelings.
    El-i-miir jolted and turned again to
re-examine Seteal’s aura. There was something different about it,
as though there was a smaller aura beneath the main one. El-i-miir
couldn’t remember having seen anything like it. Still, there were
more pressing matters that demanded her attention.
     
    *
     
    Despite the cold, when they came across
a small stream, Ilgrin refused to pass up the opportunity to wash
himself clean of wolf blood. He clambered over slippery rocks,
using his wings to maintain balance, before pulling them tight and
diving into the freezing water. The chill was motivation enough to
complete his task at a harried pace.
    ‘ We should camp here
for the night,’ Ilgrin implored the others as he made his way back
to the riverbank. The sun sat lazily on the horizon and he failed
see the sense in passing up an opportunity to sleep by such a ready
supply of water.
    ‘ I’ll gather some
firewood,’ Seteal said. Although she acknowledged his suggestion,
she’d refused to look him in the eye.
    By the time the fire was properly
burning, the shadows were long and the night was fast approaching.
Ilgrin hung his shirt and pants over a branch close to the fire in
the hopes that they’d be dry by morning and wrapped himself in his
cloak to maintain decency.
    The group sat about the fire with
stomachs rumbling while Seeol flittered about catching and eating
whatever insects were unfortunate enough to catch his eye. Ilgrin
watched in curiosity as El-i-miir turned to her wolves with a
penetrating stare before they both scampered off into the night.
When they returned, each held a hare in their jaws. Ilgrin took it
upon himself to perform the less-than-glamorous duty of skinning
and gutting the animals, before cooking them over the fire and
doling out the meat.
    Once fed, El-i-miir again sent the
wolves into the woods. ‘They won’t be returning this time.’
    ‘ Why?’ Seteal asked
as she lay down. ‘I’d have felt a lot safer with them guarding over
us.’
    ‘ I can’t affiliate in
my sleep,’ El-i-miir stated as though it should have been obvious.
Her tone reminded Ilgrin that she was very much unused to spending
time in the company of anyone but for other Elglair.
    Silence prevailed for a good while
thereafter, during which Seteal stared unnervingly at Ilgrin’s
toes.
    ‘ Can I help
you?’
    ‘ How am I going to
forgive you?’ Seteal looked him in the eye.
    ‘ Seteal,’ El-i-miir
reprimanded.
    ‘ No, it’s okay.’
Ilgrin put a hand on El-i-miir’s knee. ‘Let her speak.’
    ‘ I’m not trying to be
argumentative,’ Seteal said. ‘I’m just asking . . .
how?’
    ‘ I’m not
asking you to forgive me,’ Ilgrin stated,
‘and perhaps you never will. But I want you to know that I am
truly, deeply sorry for what happened to