Darkness Rising

by Cate Farren

  I'm using too much magic. I'm making myself ill.

  She wiped her mouth. Her throat felt sore and she could still taste vomit on her tongue. She needed some water.

  "Saskia?" Loki called.

  He caught her as she was about to enter the house. He was talking with one of his shapeshifters. This one was female, dressed in fashionable urban clothing. She was strikingly beautiful. The way she looked at Loki, like he was the only thing in the universe, made Saskia despise her.

  "What is it?" she asked, desperate to sit down. She still felt queasy, as if her stomach were doing somersaults.

  Loki walked up to her and took her hand. "You're ill. I can feel it."

  "Low blood sugar," Saskia guessed.

  He shook his head. "No. Something has changed. Something..."

  Saskia tensed. He knew what she was up to. He was going to punish her for trying to escape. He was going to kill her and then he was going to kill Clover. She had to attack now before it was too late.

  He smiled radiantly and said, "You are with child!"

  "What?" exclaimed Saskia.

  "I can sense a shapeshifter inside you," he said, his hands going to her stomach. He laughed, excited, giddy. "You're having my baby!" He laughed again. "I'm so careless. I should've sensed this earlier, but I've been too busy getting things ready."

  "For what?"

  He ignored her question and pulled her into a hug. She could only stand there, dumbstruck, wondering how she'd gotten herself into this mess. How could she be pregnant? She couldn’t have a baby! They were messy and loud.

  “This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” said Loki, his grin annoying her.

  “There has to be a mistake,” she mumbled. “I...”

  “There’s no mistake. Surely you must feel it?”

  The only thing she felt at that moment was nausea and confusion and so many questions she thought she might pass out.

  How can I be a mother?

  How can I love a child?

  I don’t know how to be a mother!

  Loki said, “Just because your mother and grandmother were vile monsters it doesn’t mean...”

  The feeling of bewilderment and horror only lasted a moment, though. It was gone the instant she fully realized what this news meant.

  I'm going to be a mom!

  And I'm going to love this child, no matter what.

  IT WAS WHILE STARING into the pond, watching the fish dart and play, that Clover noticed something odd. It seemed to be a small pile of grey goo, floating on the surface of the water. She hadn't noticed to before because every now and then it would flicker, blending in to its environment. Was it some sort of weird frogspawn from another dimension that could camouflage itself?

  She poked the goo and fell back as an electric shock coursed through her. Memories flooded her brain, of Loki and the Primordial Womb and a feeling of abject loneliness. Then it was gone. The goo started to sink, dead.

  Clover grabbed it, holding it in the palm of her hand. It was just grey now. Lifeless. It had clung to life long enough to give her a message. She wasn't sure what the message was, but that didn't matter right now. She knew what this thing was, and it deserved a proper burial.

  "What is it?" Jessica inquired.

  Clover sighed. "It's a shapeshifter."

  "It's dead."

  "It somehow didn't evolve properly, and it made its way over here to die. It must have been here for weeks, lonely. So lonely."

  They dug a small hole by the pond with their hands and buried the shapeshifter. Clover recited some lines to one of the few poems she remembered from school. The words seemed appropriate for the occasion.

  She sighed and said. "I suppose we better get back. Loki will start wondering where we've gone."

  "We'll find a way to leave here," Jessica said. "I promise."

  "You're not supposed to cheer me up."

  "You're my mother."

  Clover smiled and pulled her daughter in for a hug. Jessica was right; she was her mother. It was her duty to keep her from harm. She had to get them away from here, even if she had to leave without discovering what Loki was really up to.

  The proto shapeshifter...

  All shapeshifters shared a bond. They were born of the same place, the Primordial Womb. They could talk to each telepathically and share memories and emotions. Clover had learned to block out what little she could hear and feel from this bond, mainly from Loki. But what if she pushed harder? What if she could find out Loki's plans by fully embracing the bond she shared?

  No. That would be too dangerous.

  She discarded that plan. If she delved into Loki’s mind he’d also learn what her and Saskia were up to. That would put them both in danger. Besides, Loki was incredibly powerful, hyper intelligent. He wouldn’t fall for such a ruse. Yet one of his soldiers, a virtual child, might. They were already susceptible to persuasion because that’s exactly how Loki taught them.

  I can finally find out what Loki’s plan for the world is.

  SASKIA FELT HER BELLY, not really feeling anything. She didn’t feel pregnant. All she felt was the deep need to puke again.

  “How many weeks am I gone?” she asked.

  Loki had made her sit down on the couch to rest. He’d made her a cup of green tea. She hated green tea.

  “Two weeks I think,” he said. She could tell he was merely guessing, but she let it slide. “It must be the first time we had sex when I was myself and not that musclebound werewolf.”

  Saskia nodded, understanding. She was glad.

  “What do I tell Clover?” she asked.

  “You don’t need to tell her a thing,” he advised her. “She must not know.”

  She crossed her arms, angry. “Is that because you’re in love with her? Figures. Everyone loves Clover.”

  “Not this again. I’ve told you I don’t love her.”

  He put his hands on her belly. She tried to push him away but he was firm.

  “All I care about now is you, our baby, and our plans for the world,” he said, smiling up at her. He seemed genuine. “Do you believe me?”

  She nodded, though she still had her doubts. She knew she wasn’t as beautiful or as charismatic as Clover. Anybody would pick her over a red-haired witch with freckles any day of the week. She’d learned that the hard way with Adrian.

  I am ugly.

  “You know you’re beautiful, right?” he told her.

  She shook her head. “I’m not as beautiful as her.”

  He smiled and kissed her on the lips. “You are beautiful.”

  She laughed, believing him. For a moment she felt like the most loved person on the planet, and it felt good.

  MOST OF THE SHAPESHIFTERS that Loki had created weeks ago were now gone. They'd been sent in groups through portals to God knows where. Only five were left, and they were sitting by a small camp just outside the rim of the Primordial Womb. They appeared restless, agitated. They were obviously bored, waiting for whatever it was Loki had in mind for them.

  "How are you all doing?" Clover called.

  There were three women and two men. They all looked alike, siblings from the same parents. They each had green eyes, short black hair, high cheekbones, and small button noses. They were very attractive in an arrogant supermodel sort of way. They were dressed in a range of smart, millennial hipster clothing. They appeared to be Japanese.

  They eyed her suspiciously before one of the males (complete with man-bun and hipster beard) said, "We aren't allowed to talk to you."

  So they know who I am.

  "I just thought you might be lonely," she said, smiling. "I keep seeing you sitting up here, bored out of your minds. Maybe you want to ask me questions?"

  One of the females said, "Ask you questions about what?"

  They even have impeccable Japanese accents. Why is that?

  "Loki knows all," Clover went on, smiling at her warmly, as if they were best friends. "But he hasn't spent time as a human. I was bro
ught up as a human. If there's anyone who could teach you how to blend in it would be me."

  She felt their eyes on her, studying. Jessica waited, breath held. Clover knew she could fight her way out of this if things went south, but what about her daughter? She hadn't been taught how to defend herself.

  The shapeshifters came closer. One of the males said, "What can you teach us?"

  "I can teach you so much," said Clover, keeping her smile perfect. "What do you want to know?"

  They looked at each other, and then back at Clover. They appeared genuinely intrigued by her offer to teach them, but they seemed wary too. They didn't want to offend their creator. She only hoped their desire to please Loki and do their best would win out.

  "The human world scares us," one of the females admitted. "They're far more complicated than even I imagined."

  "Why do they hate each other for no apparent reason?"

  "Why are they obsessed with their cell phones?"

  "Why are they afraid of things they don't understand?"

  The questions kept coming, thick and fast. Clover tried to answer as best she could, but even she had trouble with some of them. They asked too many philosophical things about racism and sexism that she just couldn't answer. It made her feel ashamed to be half human to be honest.

  “One question at a time,” she demanded. The shapeshifters went quiet. “Thank you. I’ll try and answer as many questions as I can.”

  "Why would humans hate supernatural creatures if they knew about them?" one of the males asked.

  The others looked at him, shocked.

  "I've already answered that," said Clover. "People fear things they don't understand. But remember not all humans are like that, just...some."

  Why did that one question shake them?

  “Is your skin color an issue?” another asked.

  Clover paused. She really wanted to get back to the previous question. Yet she knew she must answer this one. It was important.

  “I can pass for white American,” she admitted. “So I’ve never experienced any issues with my skin color. But when I was at school I did get teased a little because they knew I was half-Korean. It wasn’t nice, but I stood up for myself, and I let the bullies know I wasn’t to be messed with.” She brought them back to the previous question. “As for why humans would hate supernatural creatures if they knew about them...it’s a difficult question to answer.”

  She knew this was the time. She was getting close to an answer.

  "You could bond with me," Clover suggested. "Then you'd know everything."

  They appeared appalled, as if the process disgusted them.

  "We can only bond with Loki," they all said simultaneously. It was kind of freaky.

  Clover laughed. "I'm his granddaughter. He'd want you to bond with me. Besides, what better way than to serve him than to learn everything about humanity before your mission? He'd be proud of you and your ingenuity. You want to make him proud, right? You want to do everything in your power to prove to him that you're worthy, right?"

  She felt like a power manipulator, just like Loki himself. At least his genes were good for something.

  And what happens when Loki finds out what they did? Will he kill them?

  She felt a hand on her shoulder.

  "That's enough," Loki insisted. He gripped her shoulder, hard. "You've confused them enough. Come with me, Clover."

  Clover felt sick. She hadn't felt or heard him approach. The shapeshifters must have seen him but hadn't indicated a thing.

  "I was trying to help them," Clover insisted. “They were confused and scared.”

  "That is true," Jessica said.

  Loki smiled. It chilled Clover to the bone.

  "Do I look like I was born yesterday?" he demanded.

  He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. She let him, feeling her cheeks redden and her heart beat accelerate. Was this the moment he finally decided she wasn't worth the trouble? Was this the moment he realized she'd never, ever be on his side?

  When they reached the door of the house he let her go. She stared at him, waiting. She'd put up a good fight when he tried to kill her. It would be futile, but there was no way she was going to die without getting in a few good punches first.

  What are you waiting for? Do something!

  "Do you want to know my plans?" he asked finally.

  Clover shook her head at Jessica, who was holding back. She didn't want her daughter to interfere.

  "I thought you were going to kill me," Clover admitted.

  “I thought I was going to kill you too.” He looked her in the eye, and she hated to see the disappointment there. She could take being hated but not this. “But if I really want you to see things my way, which is a long shot even I have to admit, I have to be honest with you. Can I be honest with you?”

  She didn’t answer. She was too shocked.

  “I’m sick of playing games,” he stated. “I know you’re plotting against me. I know you’ll never be on my side. But I also know you’re not totally on their side either, whether you admit it to yourself or not.” She nodded, and he continued. “You know I want the world. I want my children to live in peace. To live in peace, I have to kill them all, humans and supernaturals alike. I think you know that already.” He came closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face. “The war starts at the home of Dracula himself. I attack Whitby soon.”

  “Why...why are you telling me this?”

  He grinned and said, “I’m telling you because you can’t do a thing to stop me.”

  CLOVER COULDN'T SLEEP that night. All she could think about was Loki's imminent attack on Whitby. They had no chance. Shapeshifters had been sent out in their thousands over the past few weeks. The whole town must be swarming with them now, pretending to be human, just waiting for the call to arms. Dracula and everyone who worked for him were as good as dead.

  She knocked on Saskia's door and crept quietly in. Her friend was sat up in bed, reading a book.

  "You can't sleep either?" Clover asked.

  Saskia shrugged. "I can't remember the last time I had a decent night's sleep."

  Clover sat on the edge of the bed. "Loki told me his plans last night. He's going to attack Whitby and kill Dracula and all the supernaturals with him. We have to stop him."

  Saskia looked torn. Clover sighed, wishing she could slap her friend. She thought she was a more powerful witch than this. Her mother and grandmother had seemed to think so. Surely creating a portal was easier than she was making it out to be?

  Unless she really didn't want to leave and was stalling.

  Was it possible? Was Saskia purposefully stalling their efforts to escape?

  "I don't think I'm ready," Saskia admitted, closing her book. "I'm sorry."

  "You have to be ready," Clover insisted. "If we can stop this we can save a lot of lives."

  Clover had no choice but to push Saskia. She was their only way out of here.

  Saskia nodded. "I'll do it."

  Clover smiled, a little ashamed she'd thought so ill of her friend. Of course she wanted to escape! She was just as much of a captive as Clover was, maybe more so. Loki never paid Saskia much attention. He treated her like she was just a stray cat that wouldn’t leave.

  It's weird that he's allowed Saskia to stay, even after Rose and Romily died.

  "Tell me what you need," Clover said, standing up. She had to be ready.

  Saskia climbed out of bed, looking a little flustered. "Right. I think I can do it now, but I might need a little extra. We buried my grandmother with her magic crystal, so we might need that." She paused, looking a little ill. "I'm not sure I can dig her up. It makes me feel sick."

  "Don't worry. I'll do it."

  Saskia nodded. "Then find Jessica and come back. We can do this."

  Clover grinned and kissed Saskia on the forehead. It was time to finally go home.

  Chapter 35

  Clover took a deep breath and started digging. The stench
of Romily's rotting body hit her almost as soon as she broke ground. It was like a steak left out on the windowsill for too long. It made her want to wretch.

  All I have to do is dig.

  The shovel hit something. Clover tossed the shovel aside and knelt down on the ground. She pulled out a decaying arm, tugging further until the whole ghastly body came out. Romily was scowling evilly even in death.

  "What a vile woman," she muttered.

  She rooted around in the witch's pockets until she found the crystal. Even Clover could feel the magic in it. There wasn't much left, but it would have to do. She only hoped Saskia was powerful enough to open the portal.

  "What are you doing?"

  Clover tensed as Loki's shadow passed over her. She slipped the crystal into her pants pocket, pulled off Romily's wedding ring, and stood up. The stink of the corpse hovered between them.

  "Saskia wanted her grandmother's wedding ring," said Clover, showing him the item of jewelry in her hand. It was gold, inset with a small emerald; a pretty ring for an ugly woman. "It's worth a lot. I told her she should sell it but I think it has sentimental value."

  "Why isn't she digging it up?" he asked.

  "She's ill."

  Loki nodded, accepting her lie rather too quickly.

  "Loom after her," Loki advised.

  Clover was confused. "You know she's ill? Why didn't you say anything?"

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to push him away but she was concerned. Saskia really was ill, and Loki knew about it. Why did he know and not her best friend? Why would Saskia keep something like this from her?

  "How is Jessica getting on?" he asked, changing the subject.

  "Jessica is fine," Clover insisted, feeling proud. "Why do you ask?"

  He grinned, making Clover shiver. "You've done wonders with her in such a short time. I want to thank you for that."

  He seemed genuine, and she nodded, accepting the praise. She knew she'd done her very best with Jessica, but it wasn't over yet. The girl had so much more she needed to learn and experience, and she would do that once they were away from this prison.