Loud music thumped through the ground, up Buddy’s legs and through his body, on which Cal was perched self-consciously. On another day, she might have found it exciting – she might even have ditched Buddy and gone to party with the rest of them – but today, it was obnoxious. No matter how loud the beat became, it couldn’t quite drown out the imagined screams in her head.

The costumes weren’t helping either. Cal had seen at least three people wearing black-out skeleton outfits, and she’d been forced to suppress a shiver each time.

This is ridiculous, she thought, squeezing her legs as Buddy shifted uncomfortably beneath her. You’re only supposed to stress when you’ve been through the war yourself.

Buddy shifted again, his ears flicking. Cal assumed he was as uncomfortable with the noise as she was.

Policing the Commune’s annual Hallowe’en party should have been a sweet gig, but she wasn’t in the mood for it today. She and about half a dozen other mounted guards were stationed around the edge of the village while a few more foot-guards patrolled inside. The foot-guards were there to intervene if there was a crisis, while Cal and the other mounts could be used to fetch backup, doctors or the king as needed. Thus far, it didn't seem like any of them would be of any use, since the atmosphere of the place was so jolly. The people here were acting like a rain after a drought: delighted shouts and a variety of laughs mingled with the music, children tugged excitedly on their parents’ clothes and every now and again a shriek went up as someone jumped out from behind a bush wearing a zombie costume.

The costume thing was a bit surreal, since Xarans didn’t celebrate Hallowe’en and had a limited concept of dress-up. Or at least, they did in the Volcano. The other kingdoms, Cal couldn’t be sure about.

Thinking about Xara made her already rather fixed smile waver. As usual, Buddy was attracting a lot of attention. At first people seemed to assume that he was just dressed up too, but as they got closer they began to shout and point. Since Cal had taken up the shift, she’d been surrounded by people – mostly small children – all of whom wanted to pat Buddy on the neck or offer him a wet apple. In spite of her own mental turmoil, Cal had noticed that he was unusually subdued. Buddy usually loved attention, and always played up to the crowd; now he just accepted the pats without really interacting with his adoring fans, and had started rejecting the apples.

Might just be reflecting my mood, she pondered a little guiltily, reaching forward to scratch him in his favourite spot behind his left ear. He shifted again.

“Um, Cal,” he muttered under his breath.

“Better catch your lightning,” Cal said loudly to the nearest person. “Happy hour starts in two minutes!”

That did the trick. Within thirty seconds the crowd had cleared as everyone dashed eagerly off to the bar, dragging their offspring with them. Buddy exhaled gratefully, his sides deflating beneath his ker’s legs.

“Listen, there’s something I want to try,” he said. His voice sounded odd – uncertain, hesitant even. Neither of these were characteristic traits of the glory-loving Dark Lightning aja. “Just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Oh-kay…”

He held his breath. Cal intertwined her fingers through his mane, wondering if he was going to attempt to make lightning or shadow travel or something. None of his powers had worked since they’d moved to Shaman. Apparently, it was uncommon for familiars to –

Can you hear me?

Buddy’s voice resounded loudly in her mind – it sounded like he was shouting. Surprise jolted through her body, jerking her hands and causing him to pull his hair sharply. He groaned.

In the name of Paradise, Cal!

She should have been expecting it that time, but wasn’t. This time she jumped so violently that she lost her grip altogether and slipped off his back, landing on the ground with a sharp thump. Now it was Cal who groaned.

You stupid great –

Cal! Buddy stamped his hoof and blew air excitedly through his nostrils. I knew it. We can hear each other’s thoughts!

“That,” Cal rose slowly to her feet, rubbing her backside furiously, “is not normal, man.”


CALDERA