Zora's Dawn (Defender Book 1) (24 page)

Swallowing
hard, and hoping that Jane and Sara had seen the destination as well Zora
complied. “She’s going to Egypt.”

“WHAT??”
Shax was out of her chair and pacing agitatedly. “I knew it! I knew there was a
reason I was drawn to that country. This is why!” She swung around and faced
Axel. “I’ve spent months there, going all over the country. I was sent there so
I could be your guide.”

Axel
looked a little surprised at her vehemence. “Perhaps so Shax. Let us now hear
what Jane and Sara learned. Maybe they will have something to add to what we
know.”

Jane and
Sara were already shaking their heads. Taking the lead Jane responded. “Axel,
if Sara had the same vision as I did, we have nothing to add and I for one am
grateful Zora is here. I saw the vision as she did, except that there was no
sound. I would only have been able to tell you that she killed, that she took
the body parts and blood, and that she is going to Egypt. Without being able to
hear anything my vision lacked the clarity of Zora’s. And it was horrible
enough to see it without that. Zora my already high opinion of you has just
gone up.”

Axel
looked at Sara. “Sara? This was the same for you?”

Sara
nodded. “Yes Axel, I saw the same that Jane did. I didn’t even see the change,
my vision began when the werewolf killed the victim and ended when she picked
up the esky. Was that yours Jane?”

Jane
nodded her agreement. “That’s all I saw too.”

Jake had
been listening without moving but now he reached out and grabbed Shax by the
arm as she passed him. “Egypt is a big country. Even with Shax here to guide
us, how will we know where to go once we get there?” Shax pulled at her arm but
he held on. “Please stand still or sit again, your pacing is waking my wolf and
I feel quite agitated.” Shax stared at him silently with huge grey eyes, then
pointedly pulled her arm free and returned to her seat.

Axel had
been tapping his finger thoughtfully on his lower lip. “Jane, Sara, did you see
any more clues to where the wolf is going?” Both women shook their heads. He
looked at Zora who met his eyes, sighed and said, “She’s going to Cairo, to the
pyramids. I saw palm trees and the pyramids.”

Axel
permitted his eyes to widen, everyone else reacted with varying degrees of
surprise and curiosity.

“The
pyramids!” exclaimed Sunny. “Isn’t that a really well protected area? And loads
of tourists and touts? Hardly a place to murder anyone without being noticed.”

Jake
looked disgusted. “That’s the biggest tourist area in the country. Are you sure
Zora? Maybe you just want a holiday.”

Powers
glared at Jake and growled a low primal growl which Jake met with one of his
own. Jane and Sara were silent, each trying to remember all the details of
their visions to see if they could find something to corroborate Zora’s. Shax
whirled to the centre of the room, put her fingers in her mouth and whistled a
shrill whistle that had the more animalistic members of their group clapping
their hands over their ears in protest.

She glared
unapologetically at them all. “Everyone shut up! Who here, apart from Alex
who’s been everywhere, has even been to the pyramids?”

Jane
stirred. “I have, a long time ago.”

Shax
looked at her. “Do you remember what it was like?”

Jane shook
her head. “Not really, just the sight of the biggest one, and the weather was
soooo hot even for me and I was born in the tropics.”

Shax
smiled. “Oh it gets hot there, it’s the desert after all. Well I’ve been there,
lots of times. And let me tell you, yes there are tourists and touts and
security guards and police and guides. The city comes almost to the base of the
pyramids. But on the other side, what is there? Desert. Miles and miles of
empty desert. Sure, the werewolf would have trouble doing anything when it’s
busy but at night? She could take a security guard for heaven’s sake and the
others would be so busy playing on their phones they wouldn’t even notice. Think
everyone - we suspect dark magic, where better to perform it than an ancient
place like the pyramids?”

Axel spoke
for the first time since Zora’s pronouncement. “Shax is correct. The werewolf
may have selected the pyramids for the magic that still envelops the area. She
may have another reason, we cannot say at this point. But I am sure Zora’s vision
has not led her astray and Jake that was a remark in very poor taste. Remember
what I have said. We need to trust each other if we are to prevail.” Jake
looked embarrassed to be singled out so, and shot a look of apology in Zora’s
direction. She nodded in return, not ready to say any more to him at that
point.

Axel
continued, “Can anyone think of any kind of a pattern here? This wolf has
zigzagged over the country and now she is headed to Egypt. It seems to make no
sense but there must be a reason.”

The group
was silent, until Sara raised a tentative hand. Axel smiled gently at her.
“Sara, please share. I value all input no matter how unimportant you may feel
it to be.”

Looking
slightly embarrassed Sara began, “Jane, remember I was happy to go with you to see
Daciana because I missed her concert in Sydney?” Jane nodded and Sara
continued, “Axel I don’t know if this has anything to do with the murders or is
simply coincidence. But Daciana was performing in Sydney when the murder
occurred there, and she is here now too. I don’t know about Mackay but I do
know that she is doing a performance at the pyramids next week.”

Complete
silence met her words, each person there thinking it through. Shax spoke first.
“Daciana is not a werewolf guys, I think we all agree on that. It can’t be her,
so I think it’s just coincidence.”

“She
travels with a big entourage, it would probably be easy to get a casual job
with her while she’s on tour.” Jane was looking thoughtful, and Shax nodded her
head in agreement.

Jake spoke
up. “But the rogue werewolf is a woman, surely Daciana does not hire casual
female staff when she can easily get men who are much stronger to act as
roadies.” Zora frowned at Jake resenting the sexist comment. However she kept
her mouth shut, not wanting to further antagonise him.

Shax had
no such problem. “Don’t be an idiot Jake. Daciana will need all kinds of casual
workers for this tour – wardrobe and makeup assistants as well as roadies.
There are female roadies too you know. There are a lot of strong women out
there who do physical jobs. Plus this is a werewolf we’re talking about. Even
in human form she will be stronger than most women.”

Axel stood
up, commanding everyone’s attention. “Sara, thank you very much. You have
brought something to our attention that we should have already thought of. I
believe it could well be more than simply a coincidence that the werewolf is
striking in places where Daciana is performing. I think we must consider it a
very real possibility that she is using the tour as a way to accomplish her
goal, whatever that may ultimately be. Again I say, everyone please, no matter
how trivial you think it may be, tell me everything that comes to your mind.
This is a puzzle and every piece is important.

So, we
must decide who will go to Egypt, and who will stay here. We need people on the
ground here to monitor the activities of the loner wolves and also that lawyer.
I must know more about him. Tomorrow we will all meet here again for breakfast
and I will tell you what I have decided. For now, go to bed, get some rest.
Jane and Sara, Joe and Sam – I will require you back here also for breakfast.
Please be here at seven am sharp. You four are now part of this investigation.”
He smiled briefly at them all and then gazed expectantly at them. Getting the
message that they were all summarily dismissed they left as a group, filing out
the door and into the hallway beyond. Zora was the last to leave, and on
looking back saw Axel sitting in an armchair, silver mist swirling around him.

Breakfast
the next morning was a sombre affair, with everyone wondering what Axel had
decided. Zora was worried too about how they would get to Egypt. Her passport
was up to date, but she was more concerned that Axel would decide to use mist
travel. It was certainly the logical thing to do since they would beat the
werewolf to Egypt that way. But she was sure he had said something about
difficulties transporting by mist travel over water.

Once they
had all eaten Axel cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him expectantly. “I
have had lengthy discussions with my mother The Queen and we have made a
decision. Of course we must go to Egypt as soon as possible. However mist
travel is not reliable over large bodies of water. At least not with a
passenger, as it were. So I have chartered a private jet, and we will leave
this afternoon.

Zora and
Powers, you of course will accompany me. Shax and Sunny you will come also and
bring your familiars. Jake, I have hesitated about you, given your voiced
disapproval over Zora. We cannot have dissent in our group. However both Rusty
and Simon vouch for you. They are needed here; I require the wolves to find all
the loners and to find any more of those that are currently unknown. It is a
big task requiring a lot of coordination and they are more valuable here. So
Jake you will come, but know that I will be watching you.” Jake gave a single
nod and kept silent.

Axel
continued. “Marcus, I would ask that you accompany us?”

The
vampire nodded and replied. “Naturally Axel, we vampires wish to help in any
way possible.”

Axel
looked at the visiting defenders and guardians. “Jane, as sentinel of Melbourne
you and your guardian will stay here. Sara, I would ask that you and Joe come
with us. While Zora is very powerful, there are gaps in her education and I
would ask that you help with filling in those gaps. I may not have the time to
do so, although Zora we will be continuing your physical conditioning as often
as possible.” Sara inclined her head in agreement and Jane also, although it
was clear that Jane was disappointed to be left behind.

As Zora
watched she spoke up. “Axel, while I was hoping to be able to come with you to
Egypt, I can see the wisdom of your choice. I am the Melbourne defender and we
have a situation with unknown rogue werewolves in my city. Naturally my place
is here. However know that you can always call on me at any time.”

 Zora
smiled at her and Sara placed a hand over hers where it rested on the table. “I
will miss your wisdom and your humour Jane. I will be in contact with you often
for assistance with training our Zora.” Jane smiled fondly at them both but
said nothing more.

“Right, so
we all know what we have to do? Let’s get organised. Sara, you and Joe go with
Jane and Sam now, and come back here at two pm. Bring enough belongings for
several weeks, I do not know how long we will be gone. Since you came here from
Sydney you may need to do some shopping? I will provide you with a credit card.
Powers, talk to Malcolm and bring him up to speed, Sunny and Zora you let your
families know you will be away for some time. You both may need some things; I
will send Emma out to shop for you so please provide her with a list of
requirements. That goes for you too Powers. The fairy guard will of course
travel with us. Jane, I will be sending a contingent to assist you with your
work here and to protect you. We do not know how dangerous it may be in days to
come. Marcus, I do not need to tell you what to do.” Marcus inclined his head
with an accompanying small smile.

The
gathering broke up then as they all went off to take care of their assigned
tasks. Zora could not get her head around it. This afternoon they were simply
flying off to Egypt on a chartered jet no less. She didn’t even know you could
do that, and had no idea about the logistics required to make it happen.
Reminding herself that Axel was the prince of the fairies she decided to go
with the flow and stop worrying about anything except what she needed Emma to
get for her, and the coming talk with her father. As he knew nothing about defenders
she decided simply to tell him that she was going to Egypt with Sunny as part
holiday and part a travel writing assignment.

Later that
afternoon, staring out of the window of the plane as it taxied down the runway
in preparation for take-off Zora was still unable to believe what they were
doing. It simply didn’t seem real that a group of people – no scratch that, a
group of fairies, witches, vampires, werewolves, guardians and defenders – were
flying off to Egypt to stop a rogue werewolf from killing again and possibly to
stop her from using dark magic for purposes as yet unknown. It was like a bad
movie, except the movie would end with either a plane crash or a showdown by
the main character and the werewolf after everyone else was dead. Zora
shuddered, she knew she would be the main character and had no doubt that she
would die also. The plane lifted off and as she heard the landing gear
retracting Zora couldn’t help wondering how this journey would end, and if they
would all come back alive.

Her
thoughts were interrupted by Axel, who with supreme disregard for the request
made to stay in their seats until the plane had levelled out had come to sit
beside her. “Little Zora, we have a long trip ahead of us, and unknown dangers
at the end of it. I wish you to use this time to learn more about our enemy and
also about your abilities. Since you can see auras, the first thing I wish you
to do is to study the colours and their meanings, so that you are better able
to read the people you see.” So saying he handed her a simple file folder.
“Here is the information you will need, please study this and then we will
discuss the auras of the fairies, which as you know differ from human and
supernatural ones. Later on I will have Sara talk to you about defender
abilities and I will talk to you both about rogue werewolves. The better
prepared we are the better we will be able to resolve this matter with no more
bloodshed.”