Heart's Darkness

by H D A Roberts

  Law was kneeling nearby, surreptitiously breathing through his mouth. But before he could say anything else the door slammed open and a voice like something from the grave spat at Law.

  "What did you do to my brother?!" Bartholomew Killian, Lord Death rasped, looking thoroughly unhappy.

  He wore black (what a surprise), a designer suit worth more than most cars, with a tasteful platinum tie clip and cufflinks. His signet ring was silver, with a black grinning skull on the upper face. He carried a cane that seemed to almost warp the world around it with Death Magic now that I could sense it properly. I wanted to throw up again.

  "Lord, he was conducting his studies... and did you say brother?" Law asked, aghast.

  "No, now be quiet!" Killian barked before turning towards me. Law recoiled in fear, and I couldn't blame him. Even Killian's smiles could be terrifying if you didn't know him. The other students had already vanished from the room, no doubt in a distinctly 'fleeing' way. And Law rapidly followed.

  "Fill your mind, Kid," he said, grabbing my shoulder to prop me back up, "equations, favourite songs, clutter your imagination with anything and everything you can think of, except that thought which allowed you to See."

  I did my best, breathing carefully, filling my mind with minutiae and details of nonsense, reciting Magical Formulae and constructs, listing every member of my Windward classes and their rankings. The impressions faded, the Sight dimmed, and I relaxed by degrees until I could breathe normally again. But it was still there, that Higher Sense, lodged in the back of my skull like a tick.

  I shuddered.

  "Wow, that was unpleasant," I said, fetching up against a seat.

  He snorted.

  "What do you mean by arsing about with High Magic without one of us supervising? You could have melted half the city!"

  "What, really?" I asked, suddenly terrified.

  "The way you were carrying on, maybe," he said, settling himself on a chair, "and why the hell did you start with Death? You're supposed to start with Space and work your way up very slowly!"

  "Oh like I meant to!" I protested, "I was just following the sodding meditation instructions and wham, Death is all around me."

  He chuckled again, "Yes, you can never do things the easy way, can you?"

  We both smiled, and I took a moment to breathe.

  "Thanks for coming. I was in rather a bad way," I said once my heart rate had returned to normal.

  "Well of course I came, and right in the middle of a meeting, too, I might add, but you feel an Archon-level pulse of Death Magic, you turn up!"

  "Still, thanks."

  "You want to thank me? Drop this class, right now. They have no idea what they're doing, not with you. It's like poking at a nuclear bomb with a slightly smaller nuclear bomb while blindfolded and wearing oven mitts."

  "Lovely metaphor."

  "And what happened to your face?"

  "Would you believe I got sucker-punched by a Pureborn?" I said, rubbing my aching belly.

  "You're kidding?"

  I shook my head.

  He froze for a long moment.

  "Looks like a good hit," he said, almost nonchalantly. I should have taken that as a warning, but I was still a little groggy.

  "Knocked me out," I reported.

  That was the last straw. He burst out laughing, and then just didn't stop, the bastard.

  "Oh, when I tell Jen, she will pee herself!" he said, still laughing his arse off.

  "I bet you would tell her too, wouldn't you?" I said with a theatrical glare.

  "And Lucille, oh my, what will she say?"

  "Oh no, not Lucille, I'm begging you, she already gets in quite enough cheap shots as it is!"

  "Oh, was he little? I'm picturing something five-foot two with a lisp and plastic shovel beating you something merciless," he said, pulling out his phone and tapping something in.

  "No he wasn't, and he had the element of surprise!"

  "Yes, the frightening young woman-"

  "It was a big, strong guy, at least a head taller than me!"

  "Little girl, pigtails, definitely a lisp," he continued, still tapping at his phone, "broke your nose and kicked you in the crotch because you stole her lollypop."

  "I can't describe how much I hate you right now."

  "And I'll bet she said 'And let that be a lethon to you, you big meanie'!" he said in a lisping voice.

  "And this is why I don't tell you things!"

  He continued laughing, but I was feeling better.

  "Come on candy-thief," he said once he'd gotten control of himself (mostly), "Let's get you home before any other small children with kittens in their arms beat you up again."

  I groaned as he helped me up and opened a Portal for us.

  We emerged right into Blackhold's front hall. It didn't take long for a Warden to go looking for help (I didn't look especially well).

  "Matty?!" Cassandra shouted, darting towards me before recoiling at what I assumed was a rather horrific smell (at least there was one benefit to the broken nose...), "What the hell happened to you?"

  "He got beat up by a little girl," Killian said, completely straight-faced.

  "That is not what... oh, never mind," I said as he let me go and Cassandra took my arm.

  "A regular, human little girl," Killian continued as Demise came along and gave a brief nod to her former master.

  She looked very intently at my face for a second before her expression hardened dramatically.

  "Tell me who did this, my Lord, and his intestines will be at your feet by nightfall," she said.

  "Please don't say intestines," I said, feeling queasy again.

  "Would you prefer something in a brain? Perhaps I might provide a lung? Or a spleen, I hear they're all the rage these days," she continued with an evil smirk on her face.

  "If there was any food left in me, you'd be wearing it right now," I said after I'd finished gagging.

  "What else happened to you? A beating shouldn't have created this much vomit," Demise replied.

  I glared and she took my other arm, helping me along on my shaky legs.

  "He was trying to use High Magic under those ham-fisted twits at the University," Killian said to Cassandra, "naturally he ran face first into Death Magic and took too good a look behind the curtain."

  "Shit," Demise said, taking a better grip on me, "How much did he see?"

  "Everything, I should imagine," Killian said.

  "Damn it. He's too fragile for that!" Demise said, "It's a miracle he's not a drooling wreck on the floor right now!"

  "Hey!" I complained bitterly, "I'm standing right here, and remain relatively both compos mentis and readily hurt by that sort of implication."

  Demise pulled my eyes open and peered in, one at a time. She placed her hand on my forehead and I felt a tingle of Magic that made me shiver.

  "Hm," she said finally, "I really thought he'd be insane."

  "I've seen the Black, Dee. Death isn't much to be afraid of after that," I said, my hand almost unconsciously moving towards her side where she'd been wounded by the Black. It hadn't been pretty.

  She saw the gesture and captured the hand, squeezing it gently and offering me a little smile.

  "Big daisy," she muttered.

  "Seriously, it's starting to hurt my feelings a bit."

  "Yes, mention feelings, that'll butch up your image," Cassandra said, which made Killian roar with laughter and make us all jump.

  "Oh, sorry," he said, "It's just a little bit great that we have a First Shadow with a sense of humour, I think you may be the first one, actually."

  "Oh, don't encourage him!" Cassandra barked, "If I hear one more egg pun over the breakfast table, I'll break my oath and throttle him, I swear!"

  "You took an oath?" I asked, "Since when?"

  "Really, little brother? Puns? The lowest form of whit?" Killian asked disgustedly.

  "Egg-sactly right," I said, deadpan.

  Cassandra emitted a faux-scream
of frustration and made to swat me before remembering the vomit and giving me the finger instead, all of which drew the attention from up above. Tethys had been attracted by the commotion and let out an enraged squawk as she took in my appearance, practically flying down the stairs.

  "God, what the hell happened?!" she said, darting through the gathering crowd of witnesses to my humiliation.

  "What I'm hearing is that he was beat up by a little Pureborn girl and then frightened himself into projectile vomiting, that about right, Lord Killian?" Cassandra asked innocently.

  "That is exactly what happened," Killian said judiciously.

  "People used to be afraid of me, what happened?" I asked in a grumble.

  "You decided that your girly feelings couldn't stand spreading a little terror, and now nobody thinks you're dangerous," Killian said bluntly.

  "I am so!" I protested, "I have laid out some creative and vicious punishments."

  "Yes, your enemies tremble at the Sleep Spells you throw," Killian said, "no doubt they wet themselves at the thought of a good night's sleep."

  He sniggered at the end there, not able to keep his face straight any more.

  "I need a shower, and then some plotting time," I said, giving him an evil look which just made him grin wider, "And thanks for helping today."

  "Any time," he said, looking at his phone.

  I offered lunch, or even tea by way of a thank you, but he had appointments and left as quickly as he'd appeared. My Wardens and partner trailed me as I wobbled my way up the stairs towards my room. I think a few of them wanted to help, but were rather wary of the vomit, not that I could blame them there.

  "I'm not going to keel over, you know."

  "You're not looking at you right now," Tethys said with a snigger.

  "I had a teeny altercation, and a slight stomach upset, that's it," I said as my legs started getting shakier still and Cassandra had to actively hold me up.

  "An altercation with a little girl," Demise sniggered.

  "It was a great big guy!" I complained.

  "Sure it was, Love," Tethys said, patting a clean patch of shoulder

  "It really was, though," I said in a small voice. Everyone laughed.

  I grunted and walked through my bedroom door, Tethys in hot pursuit as the others went back about their business.

  "Come on, tell your Tethys what happened," the Succubus purred as she followed me into the bathroom.

  "Can I shower first?" I asked.

  She sniggered and helped me undress, keeping the foul-smelling clothes at arm's length until she could shovel them into a hamper. I hopped in the shower and washed while telling Tethys what had happened. She laughed when I told her about my nose.

  "That's not nice," I said as I hopped out and brushed my teeth before dressing in a fresh t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms.

  "Oh, Love, it's just so very you," she said, planting a tiny kiss on my cheek (which was at least clean, if now throbbing from the lack of medical attention, exacerbated by all the throwing up), "sticking your head into something that has nothing to do with you on account of a girl."

  I sighed and headed to my bed so I could lie down and give my injuries some attention. Tethys laid down with me and stroked my chest and head while I attended to it. It took a while, but I got the job done, and by then I was ready for a rest. I yawned and Tethys curled up around me, her arm over me.

  "Tethys?" I asked in a small voice.

  "Yeah, Matty?"

  "I know it's an unreasonable request, but... promise me you won't die?"

  I'd told her about the Death Sense thing, but I don't think she really understood. You couldn't unless you'd seen it with your own eyes. But she still understood enough to know that it scared me, and was willing to do whatever she could to comfort me.

  "Of course, I won't, Love," she said, kissing my cheek very tenderly, "when the last star in the sky goes out, you and I will toast the end of everything from our little secure bunker and make like bunnies while we wait for the next big bang. How does that sound?"

  "Thank you," I said, closing my eyes, exhausted and scared, but feeling better in her arms.

  "Any time," she said, squeezing in tight.

  Chapter 18

  I woke up to find Kandi playing with my phone and Tethys still comfortably wrapped around my chest, gently stroking Kandi's leg.

  "What time is it?" I asked groggily.

  "Just after five," Kandi answered, "Now, who is Mary? And why is she sending you dirty pictures?"

  "What?" I asked, suddenly waking up.

  Kandi turned the phone so I could see what had been a rather long text conversation I'd had no part of, but no sign of dirty pictures, thank God.

  "Why are you trying to kill me?"

  "You keep snuggling with my girlfriend," she said with a grin and a glare (a rather sexy combination on her).

  "In my defence, I also snuggle with your girlfriend's girlfriend," I said returning the smile.

  "Well, that's alright then," Kandi said sarcastically.

  "Seems quite fair to me," Tethys said sleepily.

  "It would, you hedonist!" Kandi said, reaching down to pull Tethys hand to her mouth so she could nibble gently on her girlfriend's fingers.

  Tethys smiled and settled her head more comfortably on my shoulder.

  "Oh, I really don't want to go out again tonight," I said with another yawn.

  "Then don't," Tethys offered.

  "I have to, I made an appointment, and I gave those Witches my word."

  "What Witches?" said a dark, brooding voice from beyond the door, which I now noticed was slightly ajar.

  "Um... did I say Witches? I meant-"

  The door opened very slowly, creaking alarmingly to reveal Cassandra, her eyes daring me to lie to her.

  "Um... so... here's the thing..." I started.

  The eyes, already narrowed, narrowed further still.

  I broke. Confessed the whole thing.

  The poor woman was banging her head against the wall before I was half-way done.

  "Absolutely not, understand?"

  "It's only a small coven."

  Her eye began to twitch. I swallowed convulsively. Kandi started giggling, thoroughly enjoying my discomfort. Tethys smothered her before she could draw the glare down upon them (sensible woman).

  "So, just to clarify, you, a notorious idiot when it comes to women, have accepted an invitation, attached to a sob story, from a group of young, likely attractive, young Witches to... 'help them with their Magic'."

  "That sounds about right. The idiot bit is a little harsh."

  "Really, Matty? Is it really harsh?"

  I looked away, muttering, "I believed Ms. Jones," I said after some thought, "she looked genuinely afraid of what was happening. If something happens to them, and I could have helped... I don't think I could live with that, Cassie."

  Cassandra sat on a convenient chair, rubbing her eyes.

  "Alright," she said, "Go, but you will take your phone, and you'll maintain an open line to me the whole time, understand?"

  "Sounds fair."

  "And if I hear so much as a toe go over the line, I'll make what they did at Salem seem like a friendly neighbourhood barbecue."

  "You realise they didn't actually get any Witches at Salem, right?"

  "Shut up, Graves."

  "Yes Ma'am."

  Cassandra took one more look in my eyes to make sure I was telling the truth, and then she left, apparently having forgotten whatever had brought her within eavesdropping distance of my bedroom door in the first place.

  "So, these Witches..." Tethys purred in my ear.

  "No."

  "I didn't say anything yet!"

  "I know. Still no."

  "Give in, you know I'll get my way eventually," she whispered before gently pecking me on the neck.

  "Kandi, that's your cue," I said, slithering away.

  "No! Not again, I couldn't walk right for days after the last time! You got her goin
g, you sort her out!" Kandi protested, darting for the door. I caught her with my Will and dropped her into Tethys' waiting arms while I collected my phone.

  "Oh, you naughty girl, running from Tethys," my Succubus said, planting a line of kisses down Kandi's neck, "You know I'll always find you."

  "Maybe a little gently, this time? Don't let her get carried away?" I suggested.

  "I suppose," Tethys said with a long-suffering sigh. Kandi giggled and slid herself down into my former spot.

  "Ooh, still warm," Kandi said before settling against her girlfriend while I closed the bedroom door discreetly behind me.

  Miss Jenkins made me a light supper, which filled me up nicely, and I headed off to see the Witches. A less evolved man may have heard some music from 'The Wizard of Oz' in his head as he walked down their drive, but I didn't, no sir...

  The house was brightly lit, with soft music coming from the upper floors. The front doors opened almost the second I knocked, revealing Ms. Jones, dressed in a set of baggy robes, her hair pulled into a loose tail.

  "Ah, Mister Graves, thank you for coming!"

  "Ms. Jones," I replied politely, shaking her hand.

  She led me into the house, past some common areas full of women cheerfully chatting, studying or watching TV. There was no sign of cauldrons, no beakers containing preserved body parts... no eye-of-newt. It just seemed like a normal hall of residence, though a busy one.

  I was a little disappointed. One expects certain things from the lair of a Witch.

  "Are you always this full?" I asked.

  "No. About a third of the Coven lives in other halls or off campus. We're banded together for safety right now, at least until we know what's going on."

  "Sensible," I replied as she led me into a small study near the back of the house, where I could see a meticulously maintained herb garden. There had to be several hundred varieties of flower, herb, spice and fungus, all neatly laid out in beds, pots and heated greenhouses. It was an impressive space, and I said so.

  She practically preened at the complement.

  "Fifteen years of work went into that!" she said proudly, "I started it with two students and a handful of coriander seeds, and now look at it!"

  "Is that Phoenix Bane?" I asked, having seen a particularly vile-looking purple flower, tucked into a corner of the greenhouse. Refined properly, it could rob a creature of its immortality. They were notoriously difficult to find; and thought to be impossible to cultivate. There were also a number of other very rare plants I knew in passing, some of them could be very dangerous, if handled improperly.