GIANT`S CAUSEWAY

The exercise proceeded similarly to the night before, except this time it wasn't about sheep. Ainmire gave a few more hints on how to track animals and subdue their spirits, then left it up to them to choose and summon their research subjects.

Mervyn was soon surrounded by a cloud of bats.

"Show-off!" Luciano growled.

"What will you try?" Alisa asked.

Luciano shrugged. "No idea. I can't spot any animals at all - except Seymour, of course. Ainmire must have been mistaken, or they've all run off by now."

Ivy disagreed. "They're there, even if you can't see them. The seabirds resting in their nests or in the rock crevices, the birds of prey up on the cliff, the rabbits and mice in their burrows on the grassy slope at the foot of the cliffs, martens and foxes - and not to mention the countless creatures in the water."

"Oh yes, the creatures in the water, that's really a brilliant idea," Franz Leopold mocked. "I'd like to see you lure a fish or a jellyfish onto land!"

Alisa was about to retort, but Ivy raised her hand. "I wouldn't lure them onto land. It's not their element, and I don't want to harm them. But I can call them."

She descended the basalt columns to a step where the waves sprayed into foam and reached out her hand. Suddenly, a fish leaped from the waves over Ivy's arm and then back into the water. Three more followed. Ivy returned to the others, who stared at her in disbelief.

"Maybe the marten lurking behind the bush over there would be a challenge for you?" Franz Leopold suggested to her. Alisa opted for a rabbit and trudged to the grassy patches covering the scree slope at the foot of the cliffs.

"And you, Luciano, which animal will you choose?"

The Nosferas chewed on his lip, then smiled slyly. "Seymour, come here, come to me." The wolf regarded him attentively, then looked up at Ivy. When she nodded, he trotted over to Luciano. He beamed. "See, I've already completed my task. I've summoned a wolf to me."

Ivy laughed. "I don't think Ainmire will let that slide."

"No, I don't think so either," came the deep voice of the Lycana. "You'll have to come up with something else. Those who have satisfactorily completed their task can return to Dunluce Castle. I'll continue practicing with everyone else until dawn."

Then he turned to Ivy.

"Now, Ivy-Máire. Impress me!"

Ivy muttered to herself and waved her fingers. Rustling began. Small gray-brown fur bundles crawled out of cracks and holes everywhere. Excitedly chirping, the mice rushed towards Ivy.

"There will soon be unrest among them," Ainmire remarked somewhat boredly.

"I know!" Ivy replied. "I've noticed the owl." She pointed in the direction of a rock ledge, from which a shadow now detached itself. Silently, the large bird flew over, barely skimming the ground. The mice either didn't notice it or were so under the spell of Ivy's call that they continued to rush towards her.

"This will be a slaughter," Luciano said, fascinated, watching the spectacle. Ivy emitted a few short sounds, and the owl glided over the mice, ignoring them, and then landed on Ivy's arm. It emitted soft sounds and rubbed its head against her shoulder, while the mice now swirled around Ivy's feet like a whirlpool.

"You've called the owl against its hunting instincts and prevented the mice from fleeing," Ainmire nodded. "Yes, I'm impressed. You can release it now."

He moved on to see what his other proteges were doing. Joanne and Fernand had summoned two rats. Tammo struggled with a storm petrel that didn't seem eager to come down from its nest. Chiara had found a weasel, Ireen knelt before a badger's burrow, and Malcolm tried to protect himself from the attack of some angry seagulls he had startled from their sleep.

Ainmire approached Alisa, who had finally managed to lure a young rabbit out of its burrow. She smiled up at the Lycana when suddenly a brown shadow shot forward.

"Yes, get it!" Franz Leopold's voice was heard, and the marten dashed towards the confused animal.

"No!" Alisa lunged forward, trying to catch the marten, but it slipped through her hands. At that moment, the rabbit slipped out of her control and surrendered again to its instincts. It darted back into its burrow and disappeared. The marten would surely have followed it if Alisa hadn't caught it by the tail. The animal squealed angrily and bit her hand. Alisa freed herself and grabbed the marten by the scruff of its neck. It squirmed and struggled. She handed it over to Franz Leopold unceremoniously.

"There, take this creature!"

"Our spirits are supposed to keep them in check, not raw physical violence!" He smiled smugly and released the marten, which still chirped angrily but remained sitting on Franz Leopold's arm for a while, smoothing its fur back into place before jumping to the ground and disappearing into the bushes.

"The rabbit was about to obey me if you hadn't scared it away!" she protested accusingly.

Franz Leopold still smiled. "Was about to is not enough. You simply didn't have it under control!"

She was about to protest, but Ainmire intervened. "It is very difficult to steer an animal against its most important instincts. And to escape from mortal danger is one of the strongest!

Therefore I say,"You both did well and are dismissed for the day."

"That's the first good thing I've heard tonight," said Franz Leopold.

While Alisa didn't necessarily agree, she still appreciated the praise.

"Let's go," Franz Leopold suggested. "Ivy has long since finished."

"Yes, but I don't think Luciano has," Alisa replied.

"And? Should that concern me? If you want to wait for him, you'll barely make it back to the castle before sunrise, if you're lucky."

Alisa ignored his sarcasm and approached Luciano just as Ainmire prompted him for the third time to fulfill the night's task.

Alisa could feel Luciano's rising panic. His gaze darted frantically around until it settled on a small object. What was it? Alisa leaned forward slightly. The empty shell of a sea snail that the surf had washed ashore. No, not empty. Suddenly, the small calcareous spiral trembled. Tiny antennae felt their way out. A pair of pincers appeared. Then two pairs of legs emerged from under the shell rim. With the other two, the crab had to hold onto its dwelling, which protected its vulnerable abdomen. It began to cross the sandy hollow with scuttling movements.

"Now, Luciano?" Ainmire asked. "Have you found a subject for study?"

"But of course!" exclaimed the Nosferas, jumping up and falling to his knees in the hollow. He extended his hand so that the small hermit crab ran directly into it. The Lycana looked at him bewildered, while Alisa and Ivy laughed.

"What's wrong?" Luciano protested. "I passed the task. I found an animal, and it came to me. You all saw it!"

Ainmire teetered between annoyance and amusement.

"May I return to Dunluce with the others now?"

"Well, if you wish and think you've practiced enough for tonight."

"Yes!" Luciano exclaimed convincingly. "Tonight, I have accomplished enough."

"Ah, Druid Tara, you're still here. How lovely of you to visit us at Aughnanure," Áine said, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Not many residents of Aughnanure would express it that way, I'm sure. No, I can't expect overflowing joy at our reunion."

"They don't mean any harm," Áine hastened to assure her. "They would never do anything to you."

The druid chuckled softly. The thought that someone might try amused her visibly.

"Besides, you're not coming to visit us, but because of the yews that Aughnanure gave its name to."

"Achadh na n-Iubhar," Tara said, nodding. "The Field of Yews. They are amazing plants. With their mighty hollow trunks and the poison residing in their berries and needles, they have always been sacred to the Celts."

"They age like druids," Áine said with a smile.

"Yes, and yet only a few of them are left. Perhaps the three there in front of the castle are the last ones still imbued with the old magic. I hope you can protect them from the hungry axes of men!"

Áine smiled wryly. "At night, perhaps, but people rarely go out at night to chop wood for their fires, tools, or houses."

Tara frowned. "You also don't allow people to accidentally wander into the castle during the day while you rest in your coffins. It should be possible for you to protect these trees!"

The vampire shrugged. "You don't have to discuss that with me. I'm nothing but a servant. Talk to Gareth or, better yet, to Donnchadh if it's so important to you."

"For me?" exclaimed the druid. It was one of the rare moments when she lost her composure. "It's important for all of us. For our land!"

Áine turned towards the gate. "Well, you may be right about that. Talk to Gareth. I must go now. I wish you good days and nights until we meet again."

Tara stopped her. "Áine, where are you going?"

An expression of annoyance flickered across the young woman's face. "Druid Tara, I was not aware that I owed you an explanation for my actions!"

The old woman sighed. "Oh Áine, I fear for you - and for your companion, with whom you intend to visit the moors again tonight."

"That's none of your concern," the vampire said.

"No, you are aware of the danger. I can do no more. - But I have one piece of advice for you: Stay away from the hut. Something is brewing there that will end in bloodshed, and it would be unwise to unnecessarily get involved in the fray. It interests you and arouses your curiosity, I know, but remember, it is no longer your world."

The druid would have expected objection, but Áine just pressed her lips together. She waved goodbye and then disappeared across the river into the dense bushes. Tara watched her, shaking her head.

"May the night protect you," she murmured. Then she also left the courtyard, albeit much slower. She drew a golden, crescent-shaped knife from her belt and carved into one of the old yew trunks. While murmuring the ancient language, the summoning spell that few still knew, she began to erect a powerful protective ring around the castle and the sacred trees.

Áine ran through the night. The air was fresh and smelled spicy, and she quickly forgot her resentment towards the old woman. The night was so beautiful and whispered sweet, seductive promises to her. Somewhere out there was Peregrine, and he was waiting for her! Áine quickened her pace. Like the storm wind, she rustled through the branches and soon reached their meeting point, but she couldn't spot neither the wolf nor the man, although the place still smelled like him: the black earth, the stones, the bushes. They breathed happy memories.

Restlessly, Áine paced back and forth. Where could he be? Dark thoughts proliferated like weeds. He had changed his mind and was no longer willing to take the risk. He had fallen into a trap, hunted and captured. Somewhere out there in the moor, he was ending his life or had already lost it. He would never come back to her!

"What nonsense!" she said brusquely. "He's running late, so what? That doesn't have to mean anything." But the poison of fear wasn't so easily dispelled. She needed to distract herself.

"It's no longer your world," Tara had said. Fine, she wouldn't interfere. But she could listen in a little if they met again in the hut tonight. What harm could it do to check? Áine sniffed once more in the direction from which Peregrine would come and then headed towards the hut.

Yes, the humans were there again. She saw the glimmer of light under the door crack and between the not quite closed curtains. And she smelled their presence. Áine didn't need to be particularly cautious to approach the hut unnoticed. Human senses were only crude tools. They were blind and deaf, their instincts stunted over millennia. How easy it was to surprise them. To surprise them wickedly!

Once, I was just as ignorant, she thought, forcefully pushing aside the memories that rose within her. Actually, she shouldn't have such feelings at all—if one believed the other vampires. But were they honest with her? Besides, she hadn't discussed it with too many. This wasn't a topic for conversation during the resting hours in the hall.

Áine turned her attention to the people behind the door. Mostly men. She could smell their sharper sweat. Their blood also radiated a little warmer than that of the women. Or rather, of the woman, because there was only one adult among them. Áine peered through the curtain slit. She couldn't see the woman's face, but judging by how the men treated her, she must have been very beautiful. The second female creature was a young girl. Fourteen or fifteen, the observer estimated. In the painful phase of transition, no longer a child but not yet a woman. Her face was an open book of rapidly changing emotions. She was captivated by the atmosphere of secrecy and danger. She was proud to be there, yet also angry that the men tolerated her presence but didn't take her seriously. She could bring them beer, cheese, and bacon, but not engage in discussion with them! Jealousy surged within her repeatedly, towards the boy by her side, who looked so surprisingly similar to her and must be her age. She felt compelled to do something daring, yet she was already aware of the danger and could sense the suffering that loomed over them all. That scared her, but she managed to suppress the budding panic.

Why did it seem to Áine that she could feel exactly what was going on in the young girl's mind?

"There's someone outside the door, listening to us," the girl suddenly whispered. The men fell silent. Fearful glances darted to the window, the door, and then to the passage leading to a small adjacent room.

"Did you hear something?" asked the woman whom the men called Karen, looking around hectically. Now, for the first time, Áine could see her face. She was truly very beautiful. As flawless as she herself had once been. Before they had inflicted those scars on her. Unwillingly, Áine shook her head and turned her attention back to the frightened group of people in the hut. The emanations of fear seeping through all the cracks aroused the bloodlust in her. She felt her fangs protrude, sharp and dangerously sharp, over her lip.

"I didn't hear anything," the girl said slowly. "It's just a feeling..."

"If we start relying on Nellie's feelings now, we might as well give up altogether," the boy said disdainfully.

"Cowan, shut up!" she snapped at him, then lowered her voice. "I can't say where I know it from, but I'm sure: Someone or something is out there, spying on us. Someone or something..." Her trembling voice trailed off. Her eyes widened and stared at the narrow gap between the curtains through which Áine peered into the hut. The vampire was sure the girl couldn't see her, yet she instinctively recoiled a bit, keeping the serious girl's face in her sights.

Nellie, she thought, studying the girl with interest. Hold onto your keen sense and don't let the old, dulled ignorants take it from you. If you sense danger, then it's there!

Áine didn't care that the men reached for shotguns, spears, and axes.

"Four to the back door, the rest follow me," one of the men ordered. "Cowan and Nellie, you stay put. Fynn, you stay with them and make sure nothing happens to them. Let's go!" He ignored Cowan's protests about being treated like a child. Nellie looked with a glassy gaze towards the window.

"You can't catch this creature," she whispered, but the men probably didn't hear her words. They gathered behind the door and then pushed it open. The warm glow of the lamp spilled across the threshold and flooded over the marshy ground and trampled grass, over bushes and weeds. Áine had already turned away and disappeared soundlessly.

"There's no one here," said one of the men, wielding an axe in both hands.

"We didn't find anything either, Myles," confirmed the one who led the group around the hut from the back door.

Myles drew in a breath and looked around suspiciously. Then he squatted down and examined the footprints in the mud. "And yet, I could swear Nellie didn't make a mistake."

The others just shrugged. "Those are all our own tracks."

"Can we be entirely sure of that?" Myles asked, looking around. The others remained silent. He rose and followed them back into the hut. "Perhaps we should leave it at that for today. And next time, we'll bring the bloodhounds."

Áine walked through the night without a care. She didn't hear Myles' last words.

The young vampires lay in their coffins, awaiting the sunrise. Alisa lay amidst her newspapers and books, Luciano held a small velvet pouch containing a silver strand of hair in his hand. Only Franz Leopold had slipped unnoticed out of his coffin again, now stroking along the sarcophagi and listening to the thoughts of those resting within them. He moved from the coffins of the Dracas to those of the Vamalia, the Nosferas, and the Pyras. He paused when a fragment of thought brushed against him, seeming odd. Then, a vision from Malcolm's coffin reached him, clearly showing Alisa in a seductive pose. Franz Leopold grimaced and continued walking. The young Lycana were not resting here in this room. He didn't care about Mervyn, but where was Ivy's coffin? Among those of the other clan members? Perhaps on the upper floor above the grand hall. Franz Leopold stepped out into the small courtyard and then hesitated. The servants in the building on the other side had already retired for the night. At least he hoped so. He couldn't afford Matthias's presence at the moment. So, where to now? He looked around searchingly. Suddenly, he thought he saw something white flashing under the archway on the north side. He crossed the courtyard and stepped through the arch. His gaze swept over the crumbling stone parapet to the expanse of the sea below, shimmering like mother-of-pearl under the fading sky. Then he spotted the figure standing to the left of the half-ruined tower at the railing, gazing out over the sea. The wolf at her feet turned to look at him with its yellow eyes, but Ivy showed no sign of having noticed him. Without taking his eyes off the wolf, Franz Leopold approached.

"Shouldn't you be in your coffin?" Ivy asked without turning around. She probably knew of his presence since he had left the sleeping chamber. It was hard to hide anything from her.

"You as well?" he replied, moving to stand beside her at the railing, beneath which the rock dropped down to the foaming sea. Franz Leopold took a small package out of his pocket and handed it to Ivy.

"A gift? For me?"

He looked away awkwardly. "Oh, nothing special. It just happened to come into my possession." He didn't mention the effort Matthias had put into getting it.

Ivy unwrapped it and looked down at the book. "Stories about werewolves," she read, then fell silent. "That's surely an exciting read. Thank you," she said after a long pause, tucking the booklet into her pocket.

Franz Leopold suddenly felt foolish. He leaned over the railing as if there were something fascinating to discover below. Wasn't the entrance to the cave where their ship had docked down here among them?

"The view is magnificent, isn't it?" Ivy smiled at him. "I love the time of dawn, when the velvety colors of the night fade and the sky begins to blush timidly. What a play of magnificent shimmering colors that we never get to see at night. Everything is just dark blue, gray, and black. The beginning of the day is a tempting promise of incredible splendor that will always be denied to us."

Franz Leopold moved a little closer, but not without casting a quick glance at the wolf. Seymour still stared at him, but seemed to sense no threat to his mistress and remained calm.

"I never thought about the colors of the day. Can there be more than the splendor of the dresses worn by the women in the opera or the ballrooms? I don't think so!"

Ivy gave him a brief smile. "I don't know. I've never seen a ballroom. Perhaps one has strange thoughts when growing up among so many sheep."

Franz Leopold smiled back. "That can't be it. If the sheep had influenced you, your mind would now be a murky, foggy broth, occupied with little more than grass."

"Juicy grass that shimmers like emeralds in the sunlight," Ivy said, chuckling.

Franz Leopold rolled his eyes. "Please, let's change the subject."

"Alright, no more sheep, I promise!"

What nonsense were they talking! And yet he would have wanted to stand here next to her for hours longer, just listening to her voice. She had placed her hands on the stone railing. How slim and delicate her fingers were. His hand lay barely a few inches from hers. He had to grip the stone tightly to prevent himself from accidentally moving closer. Ivy still wore that lizard-shaped ring that had caught his eye when they parted ways in Rome. She seemed to feel his gaze. Hastily, she withdrew her hand and hid it beneath the silvery fabric of her gown.

"Well, what shall we talk about then? I can tell you a bit about Dunluce Castle, if you're interested."

He didn't care what they talked about, as long as the sound of her voice didn't stop, so he nodded.

"You probably already know that the first castle here on this rock was built by the Celts."

With his head slightly tilted, he studied Ivy's profile, which stood out ever brighter against the roughly hewn black stones of the tower wall as the sea began to shimmer like her hair.

"The foundations you see here are from a later structure from the 13th century. The castle was often besieged because the location was coveted, but it wasn't until the 16th century that a MacDonnell from Scotland managed to capture Dunluce. He settled here until in 1639 a storm shook the foundations of the castle."

Ivy paused dramatically.

"And then? Did the MacDonnells flee from a little wind?" Franz Leopold mocked.

"The sea claimed part of the castle that night. When I close my eyes, I feel like I can sense it. How the storm howled around the walls and the towering waves crashed against the rocks, making the foundations of the castle tremble. The family was probably in the hall of the Manor House, warming themselves by the large fireplace and waiting for the meal that the servants were preparing here in the kitchen. I don't know if they were so busy that they didn't feel the cracking and shaking, or if fear of their stern lord made them endure until it was too late. Wave after wave rolled in and scattered against the cliff, but each one took a piece of the rock, hollowed out the cave further, widened crevices, and broke pieces off the cliff."

"Until it collapsed!"

"Yes, until it collapsed, tearing down the outer wall and part of the towers, the pantry, and the kitchen along with the servants working inside. Everything was engulfed in the turmoil of the churned-up sea and sucked out into the ocean. After that, the mistress of the house insisted on leaving the castle."

They fell silent, looking out at the calm water today, which must have raged like a cauldron that night.

Franz Leopold yawned heartily. "Forgive me, it has nothing to do with your story. I could stand here with you for hours..." Another yawn interrupted his sentence. Ivy's face blurred before his eyes. The sun must be rising in a few minutes, yet she stood at the railing, gazing into the distance.

"Our time is up," he said slowly. "Let's go back to our coffins." He turned away and shuffled heavily toward the passage, but Ivy still gazed out at the sea. "Come on, or we'll fall asleep here, and then there will be no waking up for us."

"I want to know what that boat is. It doesn't belong to the Lycana, nor to any fishermen I know."

"Yes, and?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's heading straight for the entrance to the cave. How skillfully it maneuvers around the rocks. The helmsman seems to know his craft."

Reluctantly, Franz Leopold came back and looked at the fishing boat. Yes, it was heading towards the cave. "What could they want here?"

"There's nothing here except a few fishermen's huts - and Dunluce Castle!"

"...with a direct access from the cave!" Franz Leopold added, feeling Ivy's restlessness infecting him despite the leaden fatigue. "What can we do? It's almost daylight."

"Yes, I know, but should we just lie in our coffins while down there some strangers or vampires land and try to invade the castle? Can we be sure they don't have evil intentions?"

Franz Leopold shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy, and let Ivy lead him across the kitchen yard. They hurried through the archway into the main courtyard, Franz Leopold feeling as if he were wading through water. Ivy led him through the building attached to the north side of the Manor House, then through a short, vaulted passage that ended at the foot of one of the round towers. Ivy was about to reach out when the door swung open and a figure staggered towards them.

"Ireen?" Ivy exclaimed in surprise.

"They destroyed her, just like that! I couldn't do anything," she stammered. Horror contorted her face.

Franz Leopold grasped her arm. "Who are they? And who was destroyed? Speak in clear sentences!"

"I don't know who they are and where they come from. Gwenda wanted to protect me, and now she's destroyed!"

"Gwenda? Your shadow?" Ivy confirmed. Ireen nodded.

Franz Leopold exchanged a glance with the Lycana. He suddenly felt wide awake again. "Who? Who did this to her? Were they humans?"

Ireen just shrugged helplessly.

"We should find out what's going on down there!" growled Franz Leopold.

Ivy nodded, her expression showing determination. "Yes, we should!"

"No!" screamed Ireen, clinging to Ivy. "They'll slaughter you too if they see you!"

"We'll make sure they don't see us," Franz Leopold replied. Ivy sent Ireen to her coffin. She seemed relieved not to be asked to come along. The shock seemed to have robbed her of her last strength. Her gaze wandered restlessly. She staggered and had to hold onto the stones of the wall.

"Don't go!" she said plaintively, then slunk away with her head hanging low.

"We'll take the spiral staircase. It leads us directly into the cave. There are enough ledges and niches from which we can find out unnoticed who has invaded Dunluce," Ivy said.

Franz Leopold remained silent. Exhaustion returned with force. He needed all his willpower not to fall asleep on the spot. Ivy pulled him further. He let his hand glide along the wall to overcome the dizziness, yet he saw through the fog and heard her voice from afar.

"We need to get closer," she said, her delicate hand in his, pulling him forward with surprising strength.

"I can't anymore." The annoyance at his weakness, which washed over his mind like a wave, made him see clearer again for a few moments. He saw the boat lying at the pier and two men unloading elongated crates with a warm aura. Near the pier lay a body in a pool of blood. It didn't move anymore. Only the blood still flowed. The severed head stared at them with lifeless eyes.

Ivy crept a little closer. "By all demons of the night, there are vampires in those crates - foreign vampires, or do you think differently, Seymour?"

The wolf made a series of strange sounds, then Ivy quickly spoke a few sentences in Gaelic. She was about to creep even closer when Seymour snapped at her garment and held her back.

"What?" She turned around and stared at Franz Leopold, who sank to his knees at that moment.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and closed his eyes. "We have to go back. Get ourselves to safety. Otherwise, they'll destroy us!"

"Leo, get up," she whispered urgently in his ear, pulling at his elbow. To his amazement, his body obeyed and allowed himself to be led back to the stairs. He couldn't see anything anymore, but his hands felt the rounded wall again. Then he felt his legs give way a second time and he sank onto a step. Seymour whimpered and nudged him encouragingly on the cheek, but strength and will were completely depleted. Nature demanded its toll.

"Seymour, what do we do now? We need to disappear quickly and block access to the castle."

The wolf answered her in its language. Franz Leopold felt Ivy's hand on his cheek. Her breath brushed against his ear. Then he thought he felt her cool lips on his. How did his mind come up with such a thing? A foreign voice echoed through the darkness, then it seemed like hands were reaching for him and lifting him up. He was being carried. Then his mind floated away for good.