The Legacy of Souls (Seb Thomas Book 2)

by M S C Barnes

  Yvette, charging at Aelfric, staff raised ready to strike him, vaulted Cue. The wolf leapt at her and Dierne, disappearing in a flash, reappeared over her head. He snatched the staff out of her hands as Trudy reached them and grabbed her from behind, pulling her to the ground.

  “It wasn’t him,” Georges shouted at Yvette as she twisted out of Trudy’s grasp and jumped up, just avoiding Cue’s massive paws. “He’s trying to help.” The crow was still stabbing its beak into Emile’s clothing and and as he rolled over, Yvette saw it for the first time. Aelfric once more raised his hand and shot a bolt of light, striking the bird. He staggered backwards himself as the crow squawked and, releasing its grip on Emile’s jacket, fled away into the darkness on the far side of the mausoleum.

  Trudy pulled Yvette away from Aelfric and pointed at three more crows gliding at speed just above the grass, all heading for Emile.

  “What is going on?” Yvette yelled.

  “They are attacking Emile because his body is corrupted,” Greg shouted. “From using the water gateways. They will eventually attack you all.”

  Aelfric was having to lean against the wall for support. “All of you need to go through the doorway,” he said, his voice cracking. “Jacqui, you and Philippe too. Dierne, carry Emile.”

  Dierne, handed Yvette’s staff to Trudy, hoisted Emile from the ground and zoomed with him to the doorway.

  Trudy thrust Yvette’s staff back at her. “Aelfric is not your enemy,” she shouted.

  Yvette weighed up her words for only a moment and then she nodded, grabbed the staff and, as Trudy darted left, she darted right, each dealing a blow to one of the crows. The third one passed between them and Trudy caught it with a back-swing while Yvette helped Georges to his feet.

  “Go with them,” she shouted, as Jacqueline and Philippe ran for the doorway. The crows were already solidifying and wheeling around for another attack and Georges sprinted to the door.

  “I’ve got this,” Trudy shouted at Yvette. “You go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she shouted back. “I am a Guardian, not a coward.”

  Aiden had opened the door for Dierne who held Emile on the threshold. As the others arrived he handed him to them and they dragged him through the door. Aiden yanked it shut. The first crow slammed into it and dissolved, while the other two, without a quarry to chase, veered off to join the ever-growing flock on the other side of the mausoleum.

  Love’s Intent

  Nicole yelled at Aelfric.

  “Where have you sent them?” She strode across the grass towards him and Aelfric, still leaning on the wall, lifted his head.

  “Jean-Paul will be next, Nicole, and then Yvette. The crows will attack them,” he panted.

  Jean-Paul, standing by himself in the middle of the mausoleum, had been watching the battle between the crows and the Guardians. Unlike Nicole and Yvette, however, on hearing Emile scream he had moved away from Aelfric, creeping over to the other side of the cenotaph. Now, hearing his name, he fidgeted and looked across nervously.

  Nicole stopped a few feet from Aelfric. She seemed to note, suddenly, how pale he looked and that he was having to lean against the wall.

  “What is the matter with you?” she said, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to one side.

  Aelfric ignored the question. He stood straight and, taking a step away from the wall, spoke firmly.

  “We need to get Jean-Paul and Yvette out of here,” he said. “These totems do not judge or discern Nicole, they simply act on what they see. Look,” he said. Keeping his hand low, so as not to appear threatening, he reflected Aiden’s torchlight onto Yvette, revealing a tangle of delicate tendrils which covered every inch of exposed skin on her body. The tendrils waved and undulated, like the fronds of an anemone in a deep sea current and, as she breathed in, they disappeared, as if sucked into her, then, as she exhaled, they reappeared, shooting outward in their masses.

  Jean-Paul made a small sobbing sound now as he looked at his hands. They, like Yvette’s, were covered in these tendrils, but there were so many more and the ones on his skin were much longer. He dashed over to Lily, who was standing beside the cenotaph behind Dom, and muttered anxiously to her. She placed a calming hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly to him. Yvette, staring at her hands, looked momentarily appalled then frowning, turned to see Nicole’s reaction.

  Nicole had crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.

  Aelfric, having to shout above the noise of the crows, spoke quickly. “Water gateways were never meant for living creatures from the human realm to pass through. Only Custodians and Dryads can use them and avoid harm. The gateways rely on the presence of water-welts,” he pointed at Yvette, “to absorb all the oxygen in the water around them, making it so stagnant it cannot support normal life, thereby preventing accidental transition. Your group, along with Jacqueline and Philippe, have been coated with these welts on each passage, it was unavoidable, and because it is unnatural the totems see them as tainted. They will turn on them.”

  On the other side of the mausoleum, Reynard, The Caretaker and Zach were still battling to keep the crows away from the golem. The number of birds was, fortunately, no longer increasing, it seemed that all those totems within the enclave had now assembled. However, their efforts to attack the golem were becoming more determined and cunning. They appeared to be working in groups, some acting to draw the Guardians’ attention while others tried to slip in from behind, above or to the side.

  Reynard, standing guard over the golem itself, had taken to dealing with all the attacks on the ground while Zach and The Caretaker concentrated on the airborne ones. Three crows hopped between and around Zach’s feet and Reynard kicked one, swiped the other with his sabre and struck the third with the sword. That one was thrown yards to his left but the other two became insubstantial and swirled around his legs before reforming behind him. Already two more were bounding towards him from the front as The Caretaker, sweeping the Sælen Sword in a narrow arc, managed to send another crow flying across the enclosure and Zach dealt a blow to two more, catching both with the same swing of his sword. The activity was fast and frenetic and the Guardians were clearly tiring. There seemed to be no permanent way to get rid of the crows; even the ones struck with the swords, after taking a few seconds to recover, rejoined the attacking throng.

  And now a group of ten crows flew together towards the cenotaph while, simultaneously, another large group hopped and bounded towards the Guardians’ feet. Zach and The Caretaker managed to intercept two each, with one swing of their swords, and catch two more on the back swing. Reynard stamped and kicked at three birds while sending two flying with his sword and making a further one dissolve into vapour with his sabre but that left four on the ground and two in the air. He turned to strike at the two crows to his left and Zach took one in the air to the right but that bird suddenly veered away and swooped at Jean-Paul. As it latched onto his jumper he screamed. Reynard span, leapt across and swiped it with his sabre. The bird disintegrated but Jean-Paul, terrified, backed away and bumped into Dom, causing him to overbalance and drop the firefly torch. As it hit the ground, the wood splintered and the fireflies zoomed out, twirling chaotically for a second, before flying skyward. That side of the mausoleum was plunged into darkness.

  Two things happened; Henri, losing his light source, was unable to keep the invisible barrier containing the golem in place, and the Guardians were momentarily unable to see anything within the black haze of the crows they had struck, or between the dark shapes of the others still flying or hopping over the ground. They couldn’t, therefore, see the golem as it began moving swiftly towards towards Seb.

  “Where is it?” Henri called and Trudy, seeing what was happening, ran to Aiden, snatched his torch from him and pelted across to the other side.

  “Stand fast; we will step on it,” Reynard called to Zach and The Caretaker and instantly all of them stood still. Anchored to the spot now, they continued to strike fran
tically at as many crows as they could reach. Firework sparks flashed and birds flew left and right as they were hit by the Sælen Swords. Trudy, reaching Zach, waved the torch around, trying to find the golem amidst the black fog cloud.

  The stinging and throbbing in Seb’s feet was horrendous now as the golem, unseen, made progress towards him and unable to help himself, he cried out. Nat hugged him, and spoke into his ear.

  “You have to protect yourself and you have to believe in me, Seb, and how much I want to protect you.”

  Nicole was laughing as she looked at the activity by the cenotaph.

  “Which of you is going to stop this nonsense? Simply tell me what I need to know and this can end now.”

  “Gotta be a touch of madness in her don’t you think, Caretaker?” Zach shouted, panting as he turned on the spot and swung the sword. He had pulled his staff from his trouser belt loops and was also swiping at crows with that. “Seriously, my lady,” he yelled at Nicole, “You and Heath are actually a perfect match!”

  “There’s that smart mouth again,” Nicole chuckled. “Hasn’t helped you much Zach has it? Tell me where your piece is. You can’t keep doing this forever, and have you seen the amount of blood Seb has lost? I should imagine that head wound is quite sore.”

  Yvette ran across, joining Trudy looking for the golem. She struck at two crows with her staff. As they reformed they turned on her, grabbing at her with their talons. Realising, she yelled at Jean-Paul.

  “Come here!” She beckoned him. He didn’t move. “COME HERE!” she shouted. “We can draw them off.” He looked terrified and hid behind Lily. Tutting, Yvette strode over to him. Several of the birds followed her and, unperturbed, she batted them away with her staff. Reaching Jean-Paul, she pulled him to the back of the mausoleum. Ignoring his protests, she stood in front of him, swiping at more crows as they turned away from the main flock and attempted to attack both Jean-Paul and her.

  “There!” Trudy, shouted, pointing. With the flock thinned it was clear that the rest of the crows had changed the direction of their attack; they were hopping or swooping a few feet away from Zach. “The crows know where it is,” Trudy said, swinging her staff at the group of birds, scattering them. “There, Henri. It’s there!” she yelled as she caught a glimpse of the golem. But one crow now suddenly jumped. Flapping a mere foot through the air, it landed its full weight on the cloth doll figure, sinking its talons into the material of its back.

  Seb felt a heavy weight slam into his back; the air was forced from his lungs and he couldn’t even cry out as razor-sharp points tore through the skin above and below his shoulder blades. He bent forward, gasping. Zach leapt over and struck the crow with his sword, knocking it sideways, but its talons were wrenched free, ripping the material of the doll. Seb screamed with pain. Though Alice and Dierne reacted immediately, pulling the pain away from him, nothing could dull the sheer agony he felt as his skin was shredded. Cue and Pace let out a howl and now Aelfric staggered over to Seb, sat beside him and looped his arm around his shoulders. Instantly the pain stopped and as Aelfric pushed the wolves onto Seb, he felt their energy fill his body.

  Nicole turned and looked at the wolves, then at Seb and then at Aelfric and opened her eyes wide.

  “How touching, Aelfric,” she said. “Like a doting father looking after his son? But you can only take the pain from him. His fate won’t change. And do you think The Caretaker and Dierne are going to be able to watch you suffer in Seb’s stead? In fact, I think I am more likely now to get the information I need.”

  Aelfric wasn’t paying any attention to her. “Seb,” he murmured, struggling to speak. “You need to break the link. Understand that this influence is borne out of hate; there are other influences and love is a much stronger source. You can overcome this.” Now he lowered his head, gritting his teeth, but was unable to suppress an audible groan.

  “Well Dierne? Come on,” Nicole said, impatiently. “Aelfric is suffering. You know there is no resolution to this other than to tell me what I need.”

  As Aelfric stifled another groan, Dierne looked from him to Nicole and suddenly thorns appeared all over his body and his aura flared to such an intense green that it spread half way to her.

  “Oh, that hit a nerve,” she gloated and then flinched as Dierne zoomed towards her. Riven immediately darted between them, putting up a hand, and Dierne stopped.

  “Do not, Dierne,” Riven said. “I told you — other than to protect her.” They hung in the air facing each other and Seb wondered if Dierne would ignore the smaller Dryad and try to attack Nicole, but within seconds the thorns had disappeared from his body and he zoomed back to Aelfric.

  “I will tell you nothing,” he said to Nicole.

  “You horrible, horrible woman!” Scarlet shouted at her now. “How can you do this?”

  “I am not doing this,” Nicole snapped. “Your friends are. All they have to do is tell me what I want to know.”

  “And then what?” Scarlet yelled. “Then you go and find the pieces? It won’t help you even if you do. You can’t open the Access Stone. You saw what happened to Heath. You are just a stupid, evil woman and Zach’s right… You are mad!”

  “She’s agreeing with me? Did anyone hear that?” Zach panted. “She’s agreeing with me.” He span and struck a crow with his sword as though he were hitting a tennis ball. Sparks flew and the bird shot across the mausoleum, narrowly missing Nicole. “Darn it! So close,” Zach chuckled, turning to swipe at another crow.

  “And you are a stupid girl who knows nothing,” Nicole spat back at Scarlet. “Henri will, I am sure, help me with what I need when the time comes — freeing two innocent souls in one go. But that’s the next stage; we won’t be going into that at the moment.”

  Henri had frozen. With the feverish activity around the golem, he hadn’t managed to get a clear line to it in order to re-instate the barrier. And now, slowly, he turned to Nicole.

  “What?” he demanded.

  Nicole laughed at him. “Not now, Henri. There is time for that later,” she said. “Time for you to save your innocent wife from an eternity of darkness.”

  Free of pain, Seb was able to witness and understand everything that was going on and now he felt a cold hand grip his heart as he realised what Nicole was intimating. The Access Stone couldn’t be opened unless a Custodian had a legitimate and proper need. That was where Heath’s problem had been. He had tried to free Braddock, a corrupt soul, from there out of a selfish desire to be reunited with his twin. Nature had punished him for it. That was why he had resorted to using Seb to open the Access Stone. And Nicole would have the same problem if she tried to open it in order to free Heath. So she needed someone to do it for her. Had she, then, killed Lotty and banished her soul to the Soul Drop, giving Henri a legitimate need to open it — to save his wife’s innocent soul — and allowing her access to it to free Heath? That was what it sounded like.

  Staring at Henri, Seb saw the look of horror which crossed his face and then the one that followed — absolute rage. Henri had obviously drawn the same conclusion as him.

  “Where is she?” he yelled and strode over the grass towards Nicole. Riven remained in front of her, protecting her, but now Dæved soared across and stopped inches from the small Dryad, towering over him. Like Dierne, thorns had appeared all over his body.

  “Move aside Riven,” he growled.

  “I cannot let you harm her,” Riven said, bowing his head and remaining where he was.

  “Move aside!” Dæved said, menacingly.

  “I am her Weaver and her twin,” Riven answered. “I will not let you harm her.”

  Henri had reached Dæved by now and Nicole glared defiantly at him.

  “Don’t pretend you are going to do anything, Henri,” she said. “At the moment you are asking yourself, has she killed my lovely wife? Has she destroyed her host body and damned her soul? But then, if I had done that, where would my bargaining power be? Lotty is safe, but you won’t find her. And I
won’t return her until you open the Access Stone for me.” She lifted her head. “But, as I say, that is the next stage. For now, why don’t you concentrate your efforts on persuading Dierne and the others to speak to me.”

  While they had been talking, the golem was still moving and, with it, the flock of crows and the Guardians. Yard by yard the battle got closer to Seb, but several more of the crows had pealed off and were now focussing on Yvette and a sobbing Jean-Paul. As the numbers attacking them grew, The Caretaker left the other Guardians and went to help Yvette. Seb could clearly see the water-welts covering her; they had grown considerably in length. Jean-Paul was more affected, however, and the crows were furiously trying to get at him. He cowered behind Yvette, curling into a ball, and called out to Nicole.

  “Help us!”

  She glanced across but said nothing and then she looked back at Henri.

  “Now Henri, I know Seb is making a big song and dance about them, but his present injuries, although painful, are just superficial, surface wounds. Look at my baby though, he travels well doesn’t he? If he isn’t stopped, more serious wounds will follow, and you are neglecting your post.” She grinned, looking over at the golem, which could only be seen intermittently as individual crows reformed from hazy black clouds and before others, being struck, dissolved and obscured it. It marched determinedly in Seb’s direction and, as Trudy, Zach and Reynard hit each crow, it gave the appearance that they they were actually clearing a path for it.

  Seb was horrified by the amount of staining he could see over its entire body. He could feel his shirt sticking to his back under his jumper and knew it was soaked in blood. Nicole had said the wounds were superficial, but they were still bleeding considerably. Beside him, Aelfric had his eyes closed and his jaw clenched, grappling with the pain that should have been Seb’s to bear. Feeling utterly relieved at being free of that pain himself, Seb also felt utterly guilty. Sitting within the cocoon of Aelfric’s aura, he knew he should push Aelfric’s arm off, but he didn’t think he could stand to experience that agony again particularly as, very soon, it would get much worse. He tried to look at the feet of the golem, dreading to see threads dragging behind them, but thankfully, the figure had once more been hidden.