B00JX4CVBU EBOK by Peter Joison Page B

aunt-mother. The High Vordene have a castle near Stenness in Orkney.’
    ‘Orkney?’
    ‘Sounds strange I guess. Why not London or Edinburgh? But if you think of Orkney as the head of the British Islands, it makes more sense. It’s an ancient and holy place. Anyway, the castle is where all the British Vordene girls are born. That’s where I was born, and all my sisters, of course. The High Vordene also preside over the important rituals. We were initiated by them almost five years ago. It was amazing.’ Ember looked across at Turner. ‘They also do the Binding.’
    ‘OK. What’s the Binding?’
    ‘It’s a ceremony that each Vordene go through after they find their Ring. And just like it says on the tin, it’s a binding ceremony, where the women of the Vordene and their spirit animal are joined and acknowledged. It’s done in Orkney, at the Standing Stones of Stenness. Heard of them?’
    ‘Nope.’
    ‘Old. Older than the pyramids. Older even than Stonehenge. Sacred and powerful ground.’
    ‘And this is something you guys would want me to do? Bind? Sounds a bit like getting married.’
    ‘Yeah. I guess it does—when the spirit animal is actually a man.’
    Turner held up an imaginary wedding ring and slipped it onto his finger. ‘Do you take these five women?’
    Ember laughed. ‘Oh my God!’
    They were both silent for a minute. Turner looked out of the side window at the ploughed fields. He saw a dead tree in the middle of one field with a raven or crow sitting on its branch.
    He shook his head to clear it when Ember said, ‘So would you?’
    ‘Would I what?’
    ‘You know. Bind with us. Really become our Ring. Protect us. Fight with us.’
    Once again Turner lapsed into silence. The car was approaching the outskirts of Wilby.
    ‘Turner?’
    ‘I was just thinking. I don’t have any good coffee at my place. Want to grab a coffee and a bite to eat at that blue cafe on High Street?’
    He looked again out the side window. The dead tree and raven had passed. Could he really go through with the Binding? Should he stay with the girls? He didn’t know if he had it in him to live up to their expectations.
    Ember glanced at him and pursed her lips. ‘You didn’t answer my question.’
    Turner gave her a small smile. ‘Didn’t, did I?’
    *
    Turner and Ember sipped their coffee. They could hear sirens coming from across town. 
    ‘I hope no one is hurt,’ said Ember.
    ‘That many sirens? Sounds like something big. Maybe a couple of houses on fire or something.’
    The sirens died away, and the usual hubbub of the town filled the void. Turner stared at Ember over his coffee. He was pleased she had suggested they sit at one of the outside tables. He loved the way the sunlight highlighted her hair, the usual dark red, now orange and radiant. He couldn’t believe he was actually sitting here with this mysterious and beautiful woman.  
    He wondered what to say. He wanted to mention her hair, but instead said, ‘I like this part of the town, with its ancient little buildings. Like straight out of Shakespeare.’
     ‘I guess,’ said Ember. ‘I’m kind of used to it though. Lived here most of my life. But tell me about you, Turner. Where do you come from? What do you do?’
    Turner swallowed the piece of lemon tart he’d been chewing. ‘Me? Boring as a sack of rocks, me. I was adopted as a baby, grew up with my adopted mother and father in Harlow, north of London. Moved to London after college, and I’ve been writing code, programming games and things for the last few years.’
    ‘Oh? Any for the phone? I like word games.’
    ‘I made a game called Jumpy Lumpy Llama. It’s just a jumping game.’ Turner noticed Ember tapping away at her phone. ‘You don’t have to …’
    Ember smiled. ‘Too late.’ She held up her screen; it showed the download page for Jumpy Lumpy Llama. Ember looked at the phone again. ‘Looks like it has good ratings. It must be doing well, huh?’
    Turner shrugged.