I pad away from the smell of newly chopped wood and towards the damper peripheries of shady labyrinth rolling my shoulders to relax them from the strain of the work. Cas is taking ages with the kids, and it’s hard to remember why we’re bothering when he’s not there to steady me, and anyway I’m feeling faintly nauseous. I wonder if I’ve caught some weird disease from the water, whether I should tell anyone where I’m going, and my vision keeps going strange, like there’s black lines creeping in on the sides. I blink and shake my head, and suddenly realise that it’d be quite nice to see Cas. And the kids. What if something’s happened to the kids? I need to protect them.

I sigh and take off, soaring down to the castle, taking short, precise wing beats, shaking my head to clear my vision. Whatever’s doing that, I probably ought to check with someone, someone who knows... what was I thinking about? I land awkwardly, slightly dizzy from the quick flight, and feel my soul slip sideways from my body, so that I’d appear a limp double image if anyone was watching. I scrunch my eyes closed and try to compose myself, but my breath is coming short, so I open them wide and run a hand through my hair.

The kids. Where are they? I shift into wolf form, sleek and pressed low to the ground. A stone under my left back paw seems to shudder and then turns abruptly from a flat grey monotone to shine blue, and I hardly notice. Blue rocks. Low on the list of priorities.

I slip through the door, sticking to the shadows. No one else can know, because the children could be in danger, right? There’s a whole castle filled with potential nut-cases. I’ve got to get to them before anyone else does. I slide through the corridors, my feet trotting quick, until I get to where I can smell my children, and I glide back into human form, my mind easily opening the door before I can bother reaching for it. I stand still in the door way and smile.

All three of them, nice and quiet. I walk softly over to Flynn and stroke his hair gently, and try to pull him towards me.

How is my boy?

I smile at him. Mine.