Made of Scars

by Eden Wildblood

  Archie began to panic when Jakob and Wynter then did the same. They both stood and Jak sniffed the air.

  “What’s wrong?” he gulped.

  “They’re here,” the three creatures all answered in unison, and Archie didn’t need to ask who they were on about. Somehow, while they had been hiding away thinking they were safe, the enemy had been closing in. How the hell had they known where to find them? And more importantly—

  “What do we do?” he asked, and then ran out to the tunnel and looked up and down it, as though he might somehow be able to see through the darkness and find a way to escape the vampire he’d heard all about. He had no chance of evading Marcus, at least not without his magical friends, and so turned back to the three of them. “What are we gonna do?” he demanded again, panic rising in his chest.

  “We fight,” Brodie answered, and then he finally opened Jakob’s cell to release him. It’d taken the arrival of their enemies to end their feud, and Archie wanted to scream at them both. Where were their defences? Their back up plans? And what the hell had Brodie been playing at all this time?

  “I’ve got no chance against a horde of vampires!” he bellowed, and his heart sank when they all looked back at him with the same blank looks on their faces. “Shit. None of us do, do we?”

  “No, but stay close to me and I’ll do what I can, okay?” Brodie told him, and for the first time Archie actually thought he showed some real caring for him. That he might be sorry for having dragged him into this war only to have then left him unprepared and without any chance of escape.

  “Let’s all stay together. Get to the chopper and either me or Brodie will fly us out of here,” he offered, and the others nodded in agreement. It was their only chance, and when the sound of scurrying bodies scraping the wet ground began to resonate up from the depths below, Archie knew it was time to move.

  He dropped his still warm cup of coffee and when the mug smashed on the ground, the sound sparked him into action.

  Go, go, go, he told himself. Don’t look back!

  He ran for higher ground, and reached the archway out of the cave in time to see a collection of horrific grey hands clambering over the cliff edge from the other side.

  The vampires were climbing up the damn rocks.

  They were scaling the island as well as invading it from the depths. Covering every inch of the place their little team had called home these past few months.

  The vampires’ heads quickly began poking over the top of the rocks a second later, and Archie knew he’d never forget the sight of a hundred red, soulless eyes peering at him through the grey morning light.

  They were vampires, sure, but weren’t like Jakob in the slightest. They were more like zombies, not men and women. Not a single one seemed to have any semblance of humanity left in them, and Archie immediately went into fight or flight mode.

  He went with the latter, and ran up the small path to where he knew the chopper awaited them, and was grateful for not only knowing the way like the back of his hand, but also for having put in the work this past few months and having gotten his fitness levels the highest ever.

  His heart was pounding in his chest, but he persevered and found he didn’t need to rest or catch his breath at all. Especially not with those awful vampire soldiers so hot on their heels.

  He didn’t stop until he reached the small hangar that shielded the helicopter from the elements and breathed a sigh when he saw that Brodie and Jakob were already on hand to help him get the blades cleared and the chopper ready to go.

  He was about to usher Brodie into the cockpit, but he was already around the other side, and so Archie knew what he had to do. He climbed up into the pilot’s seat and fired up the controls. His hands were shaking and he had to force himself to calm down.

  “You can do this. Go!” Jakob called from the back seat, and with a nod, he took a breath and then went for it. Archie managed to get them off the ground just as the wave of vampire soldiers clambered up over the cliff edge, and he pulled back sharply on the controls in a bid to hurry their escape.

  Their group then watched in horror as the horde ran towards them, and he took off, hoping for the best.

  They could do this. They could get away.

  All he had to do was punch it.

  But then his heart sank when he saw the vampires running in droves towards them, piling up on top of one another’s shoulders below where their chopper was just taking off. He was fixated on them, trying desperately to pull up in time to get away, but then a thud came from the opposite side of their craft and he spun in his seat, which was when he saw a second group of vamps who were careening over the top of the small hanger.

  And then the front one reached over, his grey outstretched hand extending forward through the wet and windy weather…

  “Shit!” Archie cried as he lost control, and knew they were done for when instead of heading up, they were suddenly plummeting towards the ground about to crash. The damn vampires had them, he knew. It had to have been the huge one at the front. He was bigger and somehow seemed more determined than the others, and Archie was sure he caught a huge smile spread across the vile creatures pale face as they careened towards the ground.

  It was then that he turned to Brodie, his eyes wide, and saw the jinni shake his head solemnly. Their chance of escape was lost. They had tried and failed, but he was glad they’d tried at all. Better to die fighting than give up and go anyway. Right?

  A split-second later, Brodie transformed before his eyes, becoming nothing but smoke, and then the pair of them were somehow out of the helicopter and freefalling towards the ground.

  Brodie was gone again in a flash, but Archie knew why when a black shadow then caught him in his arms to stop him from hitting the ground, rather than let Archie’s frail body take the full force of the fall.

  He knew exactly who was holding him. As always, no words were said, but Archie smiled to his friend, expecting for Brodie to drop him so they could run, but instead he carried him to the cliff edge and then flung him over the edge like he was tossing him out to sea for a mere swim.

  “Head for the mainland… Only the mainland!” he called as Archie descended, reminding him of who lived on the other island, and to avoid washing up there or else become the werewolf’s supper.

  Archie hit the cold water a second later and immediately lost his bearings. He went into panic mode and looked back up at the island that was covered in grey naked bodies that were still clambering up out of the ocean and scaling the rocks. There had to be a thousand of them there by now, but there was one saving grace. At least they were no longer coming for him.

  Their prize was fifty feet up in the air. Wynter.

  A wave then swept over Archie’s head, dragging him under for a second and when he re-emerged, he was left clambering to regain his composure. He knew he was already going into shock with the cold and that he had to save himself. This entire situation was insane, but he had to move. Had to get away from them or else become their supper too.

  There was nothing he could do other than swim for it, and thanks to Brodie he’d been given the chance of surviving Marcus’s attack. At least he was in a better position than those he’d had to leave behind, and he wasn’t going to waste his chance to escape the vampire invasion.

  He swam towards the farthest land he could see through the darkening cloud and lashing rain, thinking it was the best bet at finding the mainland. The current seemed against him, but he pushed on. He used every ounce of strength he had left and hit the rocky beach what felt like an age later.

  Archie was shaking from head to toe with the cold, but knew he could manage one more push. He could make it to safety, and so clambered up the beach in search of help.

  Everything ached, but he forced himself on. Up he went, over the pebbles that cut his knees and through a patch of tall grass, only to find the lighthouse standing directly ahead.

  Shit! He’d ended up exactly where he didn’t want to be.

&nb
sp; Archie curled into a ball and forced himself to scream silently into his hands. He knew he couldn't stay there. Not with the warnings Brodie had given him about the wolf who lived on the island. The creature whose territory he had just invaded by setting foot on the otherwise uninhabited land. He had no time to spare, and sat back up, readying himself to dive back into the ice-cold ocean.

  “What have we got here then?” a voice from behind him then boomed, before Archie was struck over the back of the head, making him crumble in a heap with the shock and pain.

  He rolled onto the ground and then looked up to find a huge, dirty man dressed in rags standing over him, and wasn’t given the opportunity to respond before the man grabbed him and dragged him towards the huge white building ahead.

  Inside, he hauled Archie up too many stairs to count, his back and hips thumping against every concrete step as the werewolf wrenched him higher up and into the towering building. It was agonising, especially when teamed with the pain wracking through his skull from the blow to the head he’d just been given.

  When they came to a stop, it was only for the man to string him up by his wrists, which was when Archie finally got a look around.

  He was in some kind of bedroom, and there were two women in it with him. Both of them were pale and dishevelled, and were clearly terrified by the return of their captor. They were cowering in a corner together and whimpering, and then seemed relieved when the man left again.

  Archie’s head was pounding and it took him a few minutes to gather his senses, but he forced himself to stay awake.

  “Please, help me,” he whimpered, but the girls both shook their heads.

  “He’ll punish us,” one said. She was a brunette with huge blue eyes. Eyes that were sad, like she’d seen too many horrors to recount. “You need to be good. Do what he says.”

  “How long have you been here?” he asked, thinking of how Brodie had told him the werewolf would’ve quickly claimed any prey and then had his fill before devouring them. He wouldn’t keep them hostage, but the women had clearly been there for longer than a day or so. It appeared that when in human form, he had found a way to deny the beastly part of himself his feast. And in doing so had only postponed the poor girls’ torture.

  “I don’t know for sure, but it’s definitely been a few weeks,” the other answered. She was blonde, not that he could properly tell from the dirt on her, and she seemed even more timid than the first girl. She couldn't seem to look Archie in the eye, and he didn’t blame her. She had to have been terrorized these past few weeks, and was clearly suffering with some kind of trauma.

  The man had kept them captive. Kept the girls for himself rather than let the wolf have them. He had to have some control over his animalistic side, or so Archie hoped. Perhaps he could even reason with the guy?

  Yeah, that was clearly wishful thinking given the two hostages he’d kept at his mercy for weeks seemingly without a care. And now he had a third too. Archie wasn’t sure which was worse, the vampires or the wolf.

  “Our boat got into trouble so we headed for shore and towards the lighthouse, but then found ourselves in his clutches almost right away. He locks us in here each night so the beast can’t have us, but most days I wonder whether that would be preferable,” the brunette told him, still cowering on the bed.

  “Always so dramatic, Rosalie. She’s just still getting used to spending so much time with me, but you won’t have to worry about that. Unluckily for you, I’m not into boys. The beast is though. I think I’ll keep you until tonight and then let him have his fun...” the man said as he returned and placed down two plates of cooked eggs and berries for the women to eat.

  Archie didn’t answer. There was clearly no way to bargain with him, so instead he began hatching a plan. He knew now that he had the day to try and get away, because any longer and he would be done for. Night would fall and he’d be dead, and so he found himself wondering about his friends the next island over. Were they dead too? He hoped not, and not only because he wished there might be a chance of getting rescued, but because he truly cared about them. Jakob had become a true friend to him, and while things had been strange between them, he was terrified for Brodie.

  Was Marcus going to kill him for taking Wynter away?

  It didn’t even bear thinking about.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and watched as the girls scoffed down their food like they hadn’t seen a proper meal in weeks. They probably hadn’t, and he understood why they were so ready to accept the offer of a meal from their captor. He then expected the dirty, feral man to leave, but he didn’t. The blonde hadn’t so much as swallowed her last bite before he was on her. He grabbed her by the hair and then took her to the filthy bed across the room without a care for Archie’s presence, and ignored her pleas as he then mounted her.

  Archie did his best to look away and try to allow her some modesty, but when the brunette cried for him to stop hurting her friend and joined them voluntarily on the bed, he was surprised that the man did as she’d asked. But then the unthinkable happened. The vile man pushed the blonde girl away and kicked her in the ribs, completely ignoring her screams for mercy.

  “You’re no good to me broken,” he spat, and then looked to Archie with a dirty smile, “it looks like she’s just brought you some time, boy. Maybe I’ll keep you around after all…”

  Twenty

  Back on the island, Wynter was in her invisible form inside the cave, and Marcus had her surrounded by a wall of his creepy soldiers. Brodie was inside too, as was Jak, and her soul mate was looking seriously close to dangerous territory. She could feel her heart breaking already, and screamed herself hoarse begging for Marcus to put an end to her torture.

  Once Jakob was out cold following his numerous beatings, he was strung up over the alpha’s shoulders like some kind of rag doll. She seethed and cursed the huge soldier, but he didn’t so much as flinch. Why would he? He was nothing more than a beast for hire, and of course Marcus had utilised him well.

  She turned her face away, and found four more of his soldiers pinning Brodie down on the cold, solid ground. Her jinni saviour had fought more than a hundred of them off. He’d stood his ground and bravely tried his best to succeed, but had eventually failed. The soldiers were too strong, and even though Brodie had demanded she stay hidden beside him, Wynter had known there was no way she could let his fight continue.

  He couldn't pay for her mistakes.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are…” Marcus sang and she reappeared in her misty form, but took the chance to throw a punch his way during her moment of surprise, and instead of lashing back at her, he simply burst out laughing. “My sweet, sweet girl. There you are.”

  He then stopped and eyed her up and down, his breath hitching, like he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “Leave now, Marcus. I am not your slave any more and you have no claim over me,” she tried, “I’m stronger and can beat you now. Strong enough to stop you.”

  “You can’t help yourself, can you?” he teased, “forever my little fighter.”

  But she wasn’t playing.

  “Let us go. You can’t win, we’ve proven this. There’s no need to play these games any more. Plus, I need both of them if I have any hope of surviving and you know it!”

  “Oh, him?” he asked, pointing over to where Jak was still out cold. He then went over and laid into him, dragging him down onto the ground before punching and kicking him some more.

  Wynter stepped forward, acting on instinct to stop him, but it was Marcella who moved into place between her and Marcus, holding her back from intervening.

  “Stop him, please,” she begged, and the Priestess shook her head resolutely, making her see red. “You’re nothing more than his little bitch, you know that? Don’t you want your own life? To make your own decisions? I thought witches were meant to be more powerful than vampires, so why is it you just do everything he says?”

  The friend she thought she knew was indeed lo
ng gone. The Priestess simply smiled timidly, and then placed Wynter’s hand on her belly.

  “I need nothing more than what I have, my love. She knows you. Knows your voice and your spirit. She knows how good you made me feel that day we made love, and she knows how greatly I care for you. She misses you. I miss you too,” was her response, and then Marcella suddenly kissed her.

  Wynter tried to pull back, but then she realised she couldn’t. She was rooted to the spot by some kind of magical forces, and even then when the witch eventually pulled back, she was still unable to move a single wisp of her smoky form.

  She glared at Marcella, but her eyes were shining back and were a pure, brilliant white. It was like something had overcome her too, and all Wynter could do was stare into her glowing eyes in shock.

  Marcella then opened her mouth and she recited some kind of spell over and over again using that peculiar multi-layered voice. They were strange, foreign words and even though she didn’t know their meaning, Wynter started screaming at her to stop.

  Whatever she was up to, she had the feeling it wasn’t going to do her any good, and was proven right when Marcella then began to violently shake. It was like she was having some kind of seizure, but all the while she continued to recite her spell, and Wynter realised then how she could neither see nor hear anything else. It was as if time had stopped for the two of them and the world around them had ceased to exist. They were in their own little bubble, and nothing was coming in or out of it.

  The spell freezing her to the spot was then suddenly broken and Marcella fell backwards, like she’d passed out. Wynter grabbed her before she could hit the ground, crying out for someone to help, but no one seemed to have noticed. She then looked up and found the witch had indeed created some kind of magical circle around them, and it was only when Marcella stopped fitting that she realised what’d happened.

  She had hands and arms, legs and feet. Wynter was whole. Flesh and blood, or whatever jinni’s had in place of what was once her human body. But it was real. Her heart was somehow beating in her chest and there was an incredible sense of strength within her that somehow didn’t seem like it was there to be shared and then taken away, but given willingly.