The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden Page 0,16

and power travel to his ears as he listened to forest sounds. ‘I hear small animals, nothing big.’

‘Concentrate harder, send out power, draw animals to you.’

Jo tentatively tried this and trickles of power extended out from him.

‘Now, when you sense something you want, let your power touch it, then pull.’

Jo concentrated hard again, sending out more tendrils of power, he felt more animals, one in particular, possibly a few hundred yards away. He could hear a powerful heart pounding so it must be large. He let his power touch the animal, a deer, and did as Sebastian said; he tugged at it with his power.

He sensed it change its direction and start heading towards him in the forest. It wasn’t under his control, but it was heading into his territory. Hunger coursed through his veins and he darted forwards. The deer came into site and he raced at it. He stopped, for a moment, in front of the deer. It looked right at him, into his eyes, startled. It was a beautiful male with large antlers. Before Jo made his move the deer stepped back, lowered his antlers and rammed Jo right in the chest. Jo staggered back, shocked, he hadn’t expected the deer to fight.

He looked down and saw the deer had drawn blood, but he could feel himself healing already. He heard Sebastian laughing behind him, goading him on. As the deer turned Jo took pursuit. He watched its powerful muscles contracting as it ran, elegantly avoiding trees and fallen branches. But Jo knew he was faster. He raced after the deer and sprang onto its back, feeling its tough fur beneath his fingers. He grabbed at those antlers that had rammed him, delighting in taking power over this beast that had damaged him, and he yanked the deer’s head firmly to the side. It screeched, the sound echoing through the forest, and Jo lurched forwards, sinking his lengthening fangs into the deer’s neck, piercing its jugular.

Warm blood rushed into his mouth and down his throat. It was good and eased the dryness, but he wasn’t satisfied. He drank and drank and drank; the deer’s life in his hands. He took it, feeling the primal energy of the animal give him power. He withdrew his teeth from the deer and grasped its neck, twisting quickly. Energy rushed though him as its neck snapped and the dear tumbled to the ground. Jo rolled away before he became squashed beneath the lifeless animal. He leapt to his feet, springing back to face Sebastian.

‘More,’ said Jo, blood thirst still pounding in his veins.

***

Sarah broke away from Daniel, still breathing fast. She stepped back from him reluctantly as he leant back against the bonnet, slightly out of breath, his lips swollen from their kiss. Sarah couldn’t keep her eyes off him and he looked back at her with heat in his gaze.

‘I know where we should go,’ she said.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. ‘It just came to you, like that?’

‘Yes, a place I’ve walked in the woods, it’s not too far from here, about 20 minutes if we drive fast.’

‘Why there?’

‘I don’t know, I just have this feeling.’

Daniel raised his eyebrows again. Sarah made herself stay put, resisting the urge to sink back into his embrace. She knew that if she did she would give into temptation and they would never go out. She needed to find Jo. She needed to stop feeling so frustrated. She needed this phase to end so she could face it and deal with it, and with the problems it would bring. Then all the faster she would be over it, over this anger at Jo that was consuming her, and she would be free.

‘OK, if you’re so sure, go ahead and drive.’

‘I am.’

Daniel looked a little worried.

‘What is it?’ Sarah asked.

‘I’m not sure, I have a feeling too. And it’s of unease. Why would you suddenly think to go to a specific place?’

‘I really don’t know - I just feel this impulse. It’s like we’ve got to go there.’

‘Do you often get feelings like this, that you can’t explain?’

‘I don’t think so. Let’s go.’ Said Sarah, she was getting impatient and wanted to be moving.

Sarah picked up her keys, she appeared to have discarded them in her moment with Daniel. She felt a pang, should I really be acting like this when Jo’s still missing? But where the hell is he? And it’s not like he hasn’t done anything like this before. And, Daniel, there’s just something