Danger

"What about your mum and dad?" Hannah faltered slightly but Lucy shook her head firmly.

"There is nothing they can do, it will upset them and put them in danger." Lucy argued. Hannah nodded slowly, realising also that the less people knew the safer Lucy would be.

Lucy looked pleadingly at her strong, dark cousin. Hannah had been her idol for years now. She was inspiring, cool and in some way other to everybody else. "I don't want to be a killer." Lucy whispered softly.

"I'll think of something. I'll find a way to keep you and everyone else safe. I promise." Hannah took Lucy's icy hands and imprisoned them between her own to warm them up. "I swear Lucy, I'll protect you."

The effect of these words was instant.

*

The White Lady closed her eyes and smiled as she felt the energy race toward her with the ferocity of an avalanche. At her age and experience the force caused her physical form no more discomfort than a light breeze. The White Lady opened her eyes to see a young woman slowly materialise in the courtyard. The girl stumbled, her beautiful dark eyes darted around wide with fear.

"Hannah".

Hannah's jaw dropped as she stared at the lady who'd addressed her. The lady radiated a white glow that warmed Hannah's skin. She was incredibly tall and she wore a beautiful pale blue dress. A thin veil covered her face but her kind expression was clear through the transparent gauze. Hannah acted on instinct and bowed low to the lady before her. "Do not be afraid I mean you no harm." Hannah envied the woman's slow and sedate speech that flowed with the ease of a river running over smooth pebbles.

"Who are you?" .

"I have many names. You may call me Serena." Serena smiled kindly at Hannah who was trembling and sweating all over.

"Where's Lucy?" Hannah asked, she wanted to move and search for her cousin but was unable to take her eyes from the vision before her.

"She is still in the woods and you are still with her. You are on another plain now, time moves differently here. When you return to Earth no time will have passed for your fellow beings."

"What do you want with me?" Hannah stepped back, she felt rock crumble beneath her feet. The courtyard was cracking, one particular line ran along its length separating Serena and Hannah. The courtyard was small and surrounded by towering white, stone walls whose shuttered windows were wide open. From these windows the small, round faces of children were looking down on her. On seeing that they'd been discovered they all began giggling and whispering softly together. Serena followed Hannah's gaze.

"They like you and so do I." Hannah's gaze snapped back to the lady and now she eyed her suspiciously. Serena sighed sadly. "Lucy Knight is a cursed child. I have watched her from this palace from her birth, knowing her fate. There is no cure for what she is. I want to protect her but that is not in my power, it is however in yours." Serena smiled sadly once more. "By saying the sacred words you have bound yourself to your cousin. Hannah, from this day on you have a duty to protect Lucy and the wolf."

"But how can I?" Hannah protested. "I want to, I have to keep her safe but I have no idea how to!" Hannah's expression was pleading. A bell tolled in the distance. The sound was followed by the scraping of chairs and the sound of footsteps, shouts and laughter. The courtyard suddenly stretched until it had become the size of a football pitch. Children filed out into it and began nosily playing with toys that had appeared out of nowhere. "What is this place?"

"I can help you, if you accept what you have now become. You are no longer a human girl Hannah, you are the Werewolf Keeper. To accept this title means great sacrifice."

"But I can protect Lucy?" The lady nodded. "Then yeah... I stand by my oath."

"So be it." The lady turned and walked away. Hannah realised that the world around her was fading. She looked around at all these children dressed immaculately in white, all so happy and carefree. Most continued to laugh and play around her but a few stopped to wave goodbye. Hannah's attention was caught by the tallest of this group. Hannah's dissolving hand reached out. The girl looked really familiar...

"Jessica?"

**

Lucy and Hannah both crashed to the ground. Lucy stuffed her hands into fists, they felt all funny like she'd just contracted a very concentrated dose of pins and needles in her hands. Lucy tried to work out what had happened. She remembered Hannah swearing to protect her, those kind words had sent a reassurance through her body and it had felt like a crushing weight had been lifted from her. What had happened next was fuzzier. Her hands had suddenly been trapped to Hannah's as if some magnetic force was forcing them together. And then... Had there been a blinding flash of light or no light at all? She remembered the sensation, it had been like she was weightless - rolling or spinning in some kind of emptiness. She'd felt hands pushing her around. Then a woman's voice had whispered close in her ear...something. But the more she tried to remember, the more it slipped away.

She sat up and turned to look at her cousin. Hannah was in a crouching position, as tense as a tightly wound up spring. Lucy opened her mouth to ask Hannah what had just happened to them but Hannah raised her hand, halting her cousin's words.

"I just need to try something out." Hannah explained. "For some reason it feels like a really good idea." Lucy remained in mute puzzlement. Suddenly a breeze ruffled her white blonde hair and she blinked. Hannah was gone. A peal of laughter erupted from behind. Lucy spun around to see Hannah grinning with leaves in her hair and a red flush to her cheeks. Lucy gawped. "Hey Lucy, check this out." Suddenly Hannah was passed her once more standing beside a thick tree trunk that the wolf had uprooted. How had she gotten there so fast? Lucy's jaw dropped even further. "Cool, huh?"

Hannah was holding the entire tree trunk over her head with one hand.