by Amy Cross
***
“Get them out!” Ephram Kazakos shouted, clambering over piles of fallen brickwork. “Get everyone out!”
With the church's roof having collapsed just a couple of minutes ago, bringing parts of the walls down with it, the scene in the center of town was chaotic. There were no lights and no-one had managed to take control of the situation, but while several survivors were already digging through the rubble, many people were still trapped. As a flash of lightning briefly lit the scene, Ephram spotted a bloodied hand poking out from under a pile of rocks, and he quickly made his way over and tried pulling the figure free.
“Come on,” he hissed, straining to shift a large section of stone.
Just when he thought he wouldn't manage, the stone shifted slightly.
“Father Westengen!” he shouted, as soon as he saw the man's battered face. Reaching down, he pressed two fingers against the side of the priest's neck, searching desperately for a pulse, before the crushing shock finally hit him. “No,” he whispered, realizing that the man was dead. Pulling his hand back, Ephram made the sign of the cross against his chest as tears filled his eyes. “Why, Lord?” he whispered. “Why have you allowed this to happen?”
“Help,” a voice whispered nearby.
Turning, Ephram looked around at the dark rubble, but he couldn't see anyone.
“Help,” the voice said again, sounding weaker this time, as if she was slipping away second by second.
Scrambling across the broken stones, he began to pull more rocks away, until finally he spotted a face below. This time, there was still a flicker of life in the person's features, so he cleared as many rocks as possible before reaching down and grabbing the figure's arms. He took a moment to get a better grip, before pulling her up. There were several large cuts on her face, and blood everywhere, and it was a few seconds before he realized who he'd found.
“Elise!” he shouted, tapping the side of her face. “Elise Corvey, wake up!”
Her eyes flickered for a moment, before she turned and look at him. A few seconds later, her eyes opened wide and she tried to sit up. “Where's Suzanne?” she asked, before wincing as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. “Where's my daughter?”
“There's no word yet,” he replied, “but you're hurt. We have to get help.”
“But Suzanne -”
“She'll be fine!”
“You don't know that!”
“She's with Kate,” he continued. “Kate'll look after her, I'm sure of it.”
Looking around in the darkness, Elise was just about able to make out the silhouettes of other locals as they pulled more survivors from the rubble. The rain was still pouring down and for a moment she felt as if the whole island was in danger of being washed away. Finally, she turned back to Ephram.
“Where's Suzanne?” she asked again. “Where are Kate and Lazare? We have to find them!”
***
“I've got you,” Suzanne said as she rolled Lazare onto his back. Having finally reached the firmer ground, she swung her leg over and straddled him while desperately feeling for a pulse. Pressing her fingers against the side of his neck, she realized there was nothing. “Lazare?” she whispered, trying not to panic. “Can you hear me? Daniel, say something!”
She waited.
Nothing.
All around her, rain continued to pour down.
“No,” she said after a moment, pressing her palms against his chest, “I won't let you die!” She barely remembered her First Aid training from school, but she had no choice. After taking a moment to prepare herself, she began to give him chest compressions, before switching to the kiss of life as she tried to get air into his lungs. “Come on,” she hissed, starting the compressions again. “I dragged you all the way out of there. You have to live!”
Nearby, unnoticed, a mud-covered figure was still slowly rising from the depths, silhouetted against the night sky. The rain did nothing to wash the mud from Estella's figure. Instead, she stepped slowly onto the firmer ground and kept her eyes fixed on Suzanne, who was still desperately working on Lazare's motionless body.
“Come on!” Suzanne shouted desperately, trying more compressions before putting her lips against his again. She checked for a pulse, but there was still nothing, so she tried more compressions, until finally she spotted a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye. “Kate?” she asked, turning and seeing the silhouetted figure nearby.
Slowly, beneath the mud that still covered her face, Estella began to smile.
“Help me!” Suzanne yelled at her. “Estella, please! Help me save him!”
Without saying anything, Estella took a step closer.
“Damn you,” Suzanne continued, looking back down at Lazare and trying more compressions. She knew she was running out of time, and she knew she couldn't allow Estella to get too close, but at the same time she refused to stop trying to save Lazare's life. She might be able to get away if she ran, but she'd be leaving a good man to die. “Please,” she whispered, as tears rolled down her cheeks, mixing with the rain, “if you're up there, God, and if you can see what's happening... we need Daniel Lazare. All of us, we need him, don't you understand? He might be the best man on this whole island, and if he dies, that means there's no place for good people here. Please, if you let his life end this way, it's as if you're saying that the whole of Thaxos is doomed.”
She tried a few more compressions, before stopping and lowering her head as more tears flowed from her eyes.
“Please,” she sobbed. “Please...”
“You're a fool,” Estella told her, her voice barely heard over the pouring rain. “There's no chance for -”
Suddenly Lazare began to cough and splutter. Rolling onto his side as Suzanne climbed off, he vomited a huge amount of muddy water while desperately trying to catch his breath. He tried to get up, but the pain was too intense and all he could do was bring up more water, until finally he got onto his hands and knees and let the foul substance dribble from his mouth.
“How cute,” Estella continued, stepping closer. “I hope, Suzanne, that you're not tempted to believe God answered your prayers. This little miracle is nothing more than a coincidence, and it's one I intend to correct immediately.”
“What else should I have done?” Suzanne asked, turning to her. “Asked you for help?”
“It might have been worth a shot. You never know.”
“You're nothing but a monster,” Suzanne continued, getting to her feet as Lazare continued to catch his breath on the ground. “You're evil through and through,” she added. “If you think you can take control of my body again, you're wrong. I'd rather die that let you anywhere near me.”
“Harsh words,” Estella replied, tilting her head slightly. “You don't really think I'm evil, do you? Would it surprise you to learn that once I was like you? Innocent and sweet, kind. The only difference between us is that you got all the luck, and I was dashed against the rocks of fate and misfortune.” She reached out toward her. “You're so young, Suzanne. Please, don't pretend for one second that you know anything of this island's history. So much has happened here over the years, so many people have been wronged. It's time for all of that to be put right.”
“You don't scare me,” Suzanne told her. “You came up here to the stones in my body, which means your real body isn't here, which means...” She paused, before taking a step closer. “Go to hell, Estella. I'm too busy to deal with your drama right now.”
“It's not that easy,” Estella replied. “I have other matters to attend to on this island.”
“Leave me out of it,” Suzanne said firmly.
“You're terrified.”
Suzanne took a deep breath. She knew her couldn't keep from shivering with cold and fear, but at the same time she was filled with such anger at Estella, she was determined to make a stand. If she was going to die, she at least wanted to die on her feet, facing Estella and refusing to back down.
Estella stared at her for a moment, an
d finally the rain began to wash away her mud-covered form, leaving nothing behind.
Feeling a wave of relief pass through her body, Suzanne breathed out and felt as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
“Suzanne,” Lazare spluttered, getting to his feet. “I... What happened? The last thing I remember is being in the chamber, and then it was flooding, and then...”
Helping him to stay up, she put two fingers against the side of his neck. When she felt a pulse, she couldn't help but smile. “It's okay,” she told him. “I got us both out of there.”
“You did?” he asked incredulously, before allowing himself a faint smile. “Well, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. I always knew you had a tough streak.”
She smiled back at him, and for a moment, as they stared at one another, she began to wonder if she was about to receive her first proper kiss. Finally, she began to move her lips closer to his.
“Where's Kate?” he asked, turning away and looking around. “We have to find Kate!”
“I don't know,” she replied, telling herself that the moment hadn't been right. “Kate was gone when I got up here. I haven't see your bike, either, but I guess it might have sunk. We could try to find it, but I think it might be lost.” She paused, before looking back down at the mud. “What if Kate sank too?” she asked, horrified by the idea. “What if she's still down there?”
“We have to hope she isn't,” he replied. “Suzanne, we need to get back to town. The whole island is still in danger, and we have to find Kate before it's too late!”
II
“I knew you'd bring her here,” Nixon said, watching as Edgar reached the bottom of the steps with Kate's ravaged body in his arms. “Where else could you have brought her?”
“My house might have burned,” Edgar replied, stepping past him and setting Kate on a table, “but at least part of the basement remained. She'll be dry here, and safe for now.”
“Let me take a look.” Heading over to join them, Nixon looked down at the creature's ravaged form. In just the past few hours, its features had begun to heal at an accelerated pace, most likely due to the fact that she'd been reunited with Edgar. She was now recognizably Kate again, having survived almost a century in the chamber's stone altar. “It worked,” Nixon muttered. “I couldn't save her a century ago, but the other techniques I tried... It should take little more than a few days before she's up and about properly.”
“She should never have had to endure all of this,” Edgar said darkly.
“I agree, but -”
“It's your fault.”
“My fault?” Nixon turned to him, shocked. “Are you still going on about that? I'm not the one who let her go off to Raven's Briar! I'm not the one who put her in Estella's cross-hairs! I'm not the one who caused her to suffer terrible injuries that she could only survive with a second heart!”
“So you're saying it's my fault?” Edgar asked.
“I'm saying it's her own fault!” Nixon continued. “If it's anyone's fault at all, then Kate made her own choices. They were wise choices, good choices, sometimes they were brave choices, but they were her own. And somehow, thanks to you and a little bit thanks to me, and a few other people along the way, she survived. Barely, but she did. So instead of blaming other people for the state she's in, maybe you should be impressed that in the middle of all this madness, a human managed to find a way not only to survive, but to actually help us!” He paused for a moment, clearly exasperated. “But I'm not going to stand here and argue with you, Edgar, not after everything that has happened. If you blame me, then that's your choice. Tear my soul apart again, bury me again, punish me, do whatever you want, but I'm sick of living in fear.” He took a step back. “Kate's going to be fine. She just needs a little patience. There's nothing more I can do for her. If you were keeping me alive just so I could help her, there's no need anymore. You can do what you want to me.”
Edgar stared down at Kate, as if she was all he could think about.
“She's back now,” he whispered finally. “That's all that matters.”
“Have you seen this?” Nixon asked, holding up a silved-tipped bullet. “That goddamn policeman actually used one of these on me. I had to dig it out of my own flesh before I could find the strength to break free from his jail. Given the weather, I might well have drowned in there if I'd stayed.” He turned the bullet over between his fingers. “The worst part is, he was right to arrest me. I've done things, Edgar, things no sane or righteous man should ever do. I've killed, I've...” He paused for a moment. “There's something else I should tell you, Edgar. I heard a strange voice that came through Alice Marco's mouth. I think -”
“Not now,” Edgar said firmly.
“It's important, there -”
“Not now!”
Nixon stared at him for a moment. “No,” he said finally, “you're going to hear this, whether you like it or not. There are beings out there, Edgar, who patrol the border between life and death. I think you've managed to catch their attention with your freakish little collection of dead souls. You should probably be ready for more trouble.”
“I can handle anything that comes for me,” Edgar said darkly.
“I'm sure you can. Or at least, you think you can.” Pausing for a moment, he finally headed toward the steps. “I came here as soon as I broke out of the jail cell, but now I have other things I have to be doing. I must check on Alice and see if there's anything more I can do for her. As for you and me, Edgar... If you intend to kill me, as punishment for some imagined failing, then I'd rather you got on with it as soon as possible. Otherwise, I suppose our dealings are over. Either way...” He watched as Edgar continued to focus on Kate's ravaged form. “Either way, it has been a privilege to count you as a friend, and I'm sorry if those days are over.”
Once Nixon had left the basement, Edgar reached into his pocket and removed a silver necklace with the name Elspeth engraved on one side. He reached down and placed the necklace in one of Kate's hands.
“I saved this for you,” he whispered. “I hope that now, when you need it most, it can guide you to safety.”
***
As rain continued to pound down, Doctor Young's body remained on the cobbles in the town square. Most of the blood from his wounds had been washed away now, leaving nothing but a torn and damaged pile of flesh and bones. Thawn's body, nearby, was much the same.
A moment later, a frail and scarred figure stepped closer to them, limping slightly. Struggling to walk, the figure made its way past Doctor Young and over to Thawn, where it stood in mourning for a moment. Finally, it turned and limped across the square, heading for the edge of town.
***
“Can you hear me?” Nixon asked, taking the sheet from over Alice's head and then kneeling in front of her. She'd lost so much blood and her face seemed a little distorted, but as he placed a hand on her cheek, he couldn't help but feel hope, deep down, that she might yet come back to him. “Alice,” he continued. “Alice Marco, it's me. It's -”
Suddenly her eyes began to open. Slowly, but after a moment she was staring straight at him.
“Is it you?” he asked, with fear in his voice. “Please, tell me that no other dark forces have taken over what's left of you. Tell me that I'm really speaking to you again.”
“It's me,” she whispered, “but... They're still here, James. They're still clawing at the edges of my mind. They're angry.”
“What are they?” He waited for a reply. “Alice, tell me what you can see. I can help you, but I need to know what we're dealing with.”
“They're...” She paused. “It's hard to see them in the darkness, but they're all around me. I think they're trying to warn me about something. Something's coming, James, something's threatening to rise up from the depths. Something dark and cold, something that has been waiting for a long time.”
“Ashalla,” Nixon whispered, feeling a shiver pass through his chest.
“Something that was called many years ago,�
�� she continued, “but it has taken a long time for him to start waking up.”
“That fool Quillian called Ashalla,” Nixon muttered. “It all happened more than ninety years ago, and he's long gone, but slowly his actions are starting to have consequences.”
“They say he must be stopped.”
“Well, they're certainly right about that.”
“They're hurting me,” Alice continued, with a sudden hint of pain in her voice. “James, they're clawing at me desperately. Their nails are so long, it hurts, James please, make them stop...”
“I don't know how,” he replied. “Alice, you have to be strong, I'm working on it, but I don't have an immediate answer. I need time to figure something out.”
“They're closing in,” she whispered. “I can feel them clawing at the inside of my soul, it's like they're trying to tear me to shreds. They want to -”
Her voice stopped suddenly.
“Alice?” he asked, waiting for her to continue. “Alice, say something. Alice, I'm going to find a way to get you back, but it'll take time. I think I know someone who can help us, I just have to ask her. I'll have to swallow my pride somewhat, but I'll do whatever I have to. All that matters is finding a way to restore you to a full body.”
He stared at her for a moment, hoping against hope that she might reply.
“Any body will do,” she whispered finally.
“Alice?”
“Any body,” she said again. “I can do the rest, James. I know now, I understand. Bring me a body, and attach my head to its neck, and I know I can start to heal myself. After all, if Kate Langley can recover from everything she's been through, why shouldn't I do the same?”
“But...” He paused, before getting to his feet. “Of course. I'll find one for you, and then... And then we can be together...”