‘And the portal has gone?’
Luella nodded. ‘It vanished, we looked, but it wouldn’t show up again.’
‘There were rumours the Old World was dying,’ said Daralis. ‘And they had to leave.’
‘Where would they have gone?’ Joseph inquired.
‘There were some other worlds, but I don’t know anything about those.’
‘Where was the portal to the old world?’ said Alex.
‘Down south,’ said Luella.
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘Not far from where the warlock lived.’
‘What about the shop, how did they hide it if they’re so far away?’ said Claire, changing the subject, as the thought of the brother was hurting the two sisters.
‘They probably did it before we thought about another warlock,’ said Joseph. ‘And we only searched for demons.’
‘Well, we can’t all fight like you do,’ said Michelle. ‘But some of us have different talents, and we should get ourselves prepared in case the warlock pays us a visit.’
Alex nodded. ‘What do you have in mind?’
‘Training, not just fighting, but the way we defeated the warlock.’
‘Good idea, but you need a teacher for that.’
I can do it, said Chi. You only need one of us to go searching, and Daralis and Luella can also teach if they want, too.
‘Thank you, Chi.’
Blaze smiled. ‘You don’t think it would be wrong of me to look in people’s houses do you?’
‘Not at all,’ said Alex. ‘I‘d stick to the bigger ones though.’
‘Oh,’ said Claire. ‘So we’re going to train, and you get to nose around the inside of people’s houses.’
Blaze grinned. ‘I know, and wish I could train with you, but I am getting on you know.’
Claire stood. ‘Behave . . . your body’s a lot stronger than mine.’
‘Body,’ said Kristina, as she flicked her brown hair out of her eyes. ‘He will come back to his own body and not that of a demon.’ She was one of the shyest in the mansion and hardly ever spoke when they had these discussions.
‘What makes you say that, Krissy?’ said Paige.
‘It’s personal now.’
Alex looked with interest. ‘What makes you believe he still has his own body?’
‘What better place would he need to keep his soul or spirit, and I’m quite sure he wouldn’t want to give it up,’ said Kristina, and Alex laughed. ‘Sorry if it sounds stupid.’
‘No, it’s brilliant.’
‘Of course,’ Daralis added. ‘He wouldn’t have put his soul in an amulet, if that’s even possible. He’ll also be a lot stronger in his own body.’
‘You need to talk more,’ said Alex, putting his arm around Kristina. ‘At least you make sense.’
‘Oii!’ Claire snapped. ‘Do you want our help?’
‘Of course, dear.’
‘Then if his body and soul is here,’ said Paige. ‘What’s on the other side?’
‘His spirit,’ said Daralis. ‘It would have been easy for him to separate from it and put it in another body. When you killed him you sent it to the other side, and now they are going to try bringing it back.’
Most of the women and James decided to get changed for the gym, and as there were no lessons for the children they watched a film.
‘House,’ said Alex. ‘Do you need to stay here when they’re training?’
I cannot stop accidents if I am not here.
‘I had a feeling you might say that.’
Was you thinking of searching in the daytime?
‘It can wait til after training, Blaze has the best idea and I’m gonna join her.’
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Die Warlock Die
Blaze took the crystal ball from the office and put it in her room, as she was the only one with living space to herself.
‘What she up to?’ Alex asked Joseph and George who were sitting on a sofa.
‘Probably fed up of sitting on an office chair,’ said Joseph. ‘And decided to watch it in comfort.’
Blaze poked her head around the door. ‘I need some dark sheets or something similar to cover my windows, and some candles.’
‘I’ll go and have a look for you,’ said Alex, and climbed the stairs as Daralis came down. He told her what Blaze was doing, and what she needed.
‘Take me to my cottage, I have the perfect items for her.’
They weren’t at the cottage for long. Daralis took some covers and a box of candles. Alex glanced at the book shelf, but couldn’t see anything important. Daralis took the candles to Blaze’s room, he followed with the covers.
Blaze looked up from her sofa. ‘Will you put them over the windows please?’
Alex did as asked, and Daralis put candles around the room. He sat on the sofa with the crystal ball on the table in front of him.
‘What’s with the change of rooms?’
‘More space,’ said Blaze. ‘I had a feeling there might be more wanting to watch, and the office gets a bit cramped. It’ll be more comfy spending the day in here, but we’ll need snacks.’
* * *
They lost count of how many houses they looked in. It was the following afternoon when Blaze came across a large house by some woods which she couldn’t enter. She tried, but the image kept going straight past the house into a field.
George shook his head as the image made him feel dizzy. ‘What’s happening?’
‘This has gotta be the place,’ said Blaze. ‘Something’s stopping the ball from entering.’
‘I’ll go and tell the others.’
They were in the gym, half of them training, and the other half practicing their talent. George saw balls floating in the air, as Kerry and Emma faced each other from twenty feet. They were picking the balls up with their minds and aiming them at each other, but the balls never hit their target and were quickly sent back. Anna and Leanne were floating six feet off the ground, which unnerved the solicitor.
‘Blaze has found something,’ he said, as the two women descended slowly to the ground either side of him.
‘At last,’ said Alex smiling. ‘Do you like how they do that?’
‘It’s a bit creepy to be honest.’
‘I know . . . which makes it even better.’
‘Would it be too much to ask them to use the stairs?’
They walked to Blaze’s room. The image in the crystal ball was of an old house. Blaze showed them what happened when she tried to go inside, and the image changed to a field behind the house.
Alex watched with interest. ‘Best if we pay it a visit.’
* * *
The attack-pack went to the study followed by Paige and Claire.
‘We’re coming, too,’ said Claire, head tilted, and giving him a hard stare.
‘James said you’re too slow, remember?’
‘I never did,’ James interjected. ‘I said soon as Claire was up to speed she would be ready.’
‘And we are now,’ said Claire, quite smugly.
Alex shrugged. ‘We’re not going to fight, just check it out.’
Asima stared at him. ‘You may not be expecting to fight, but should always be prepared.’
They arrived in the woods near the building with House hiding them from the view of any onlooker. They moved forward until they came to an invisible wall.
Alex slid his hand across it. ‘So, this is what’s stopping Blaze from getting in to the house with the crystal ball.’
‘A force field,’ said James.
A powerful one, strong magic is doing this, House told them.
‘How powerful is it?’ said Alex.
Too powerful. In time I could break it down, but it will take too long.
Claire touched the wall. ‘What if we all try together?’
Your powers combined would do it, said House. But to train you how would take even longer.
‘What we gonna do now?’ said James.
Alex felt like punch
ing the invisible wall. ‘If we can't get in, then we wait for them to come out.’
‘What? Out here?’ said Claire.
‘No, at home. They won’t go anywhere until tomorrow, when the warlock is reborn, so we’ll watch and be ready to return.’
‘Why fight here, and not at home?’ said Paige.
‘We need House.’ Alex felt as if something was tugging at him from beyond the wall. ‘If we fight at home he’ll be just protecting everyone, and we want him on the offensive.’
‘How can we see the place, if it has a shield around it?’ Claire asked.
You have psychic powers, and can see through shields when you know it’s there, said House. The same way the warlock could see the mansion.
The group returned home and the others were waiting anxiously.
‘Is it the right place?’ said Blaze.
Alex nodded. ‘We believe so, but there’s no way in.’
‘We are going to attack them soon as the force field is down,’ Claire added.
Luella raised both brows. ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’
Alex stared out the window. ‘It’ll be better to fight them there, than here.’
‘Are you sure they’ll be coming here?’
‘He wants the pixies and revenge, also the office in town means he’s coming this way, and wants our home, too.’
‘What can I do?’ said Luella.
‘Can you and Daralis do some protection spells or potions for the group?’
Paige shot him a sharp look. ‘Do you think so little of us that we might get hurt?’
‘It’s because I think so much of you that I want you protected,’ said Alex. ‘And yes you’re all good at what you do, but we don’t know what we are going to face, so we best take any help we can.’
‘But you’ve been out fighting them many times,’ Paige argued.
‘Those were lesser demon’s, we’ll be fighting something a lot more powerful. The biggest we faced since the warlock was eight foot tall, but we fought one at least ten feet before, and they may also have another warlock with them.’
‘Are you trying to scare us off?’ said Paige.
‘Would it stop you from coming?’
‘Is that what you want?’
‘No, I just want you prepared,’ said Alex softly.
Carrie huffed. ‘I’m quite sure that was my suggestion before.’
‘What was?’ said Alex.
‘Going after the warlock away from the mansion,’ she said, giving him an unfriendly look.
He put his arm around her. ‘You’re right, but we’re a lot more experienced now. Let’s not forget you already killed him since and I’ve no fear of him.’
‘Then you should,’ said Luella. ‘That’s not the attitude you should take with you.’
‘I’m sorry, Mother, but it’s true. I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but the fact is we need to do it as soon as possible.’
‘Why so urgent?’ said James.
‘He might stay hidden for weeks while he plots, and I don’t want to play his games. He could wait for any of us to leave the mansion, like when you take George to his office. Of course he could attack us straight away as he’ll believe we think he’s dead. We do have the advantage of knowing where they are, and they don’t know that.’
‘Where has all this come from?’ said Luella.
‘All what, Mother?’ he said, with his arm still around Carrie.
‘This knowledge you have of the warlock’s intentions.’
‘Trust me,’ said Blaze smiling. ‘Your son has a knack of knowing events before they happen, I gave up asking how.’
Luella looked at him. ‘Do you know everything that’ll happen to you in the future?’
‘No, just certain things at certain times,’ said Alex. ‘If I knew everything, I’d be either a very happy man, or a very sad one.’
‘We’re all here because of Alex,’ said Carrie. ‘Not just us, but the pucas and pixies.’
‘And one day he might do something for himself,’ said James.
Alex raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s a strange thing to say.’
Paige shook her head. ‘No, you do everything for others, but never for yourself.’
‘You’re both wrong. I’m very happy here and I’m certainly no saint, but I’ll destroy anything that would try to change it.’
‘Well, as long as the potions don’t make me go round telling everyone I love them — then I’ll gladly take one,’ said Claire, changing the subject once again.
‘No,’ said Daralis, ‘that was a healing one, these will be for protection.’
‘OK,’ said Alex, ‘those who are going to fight, we need to get something to eat and an early night.’
‘What?’ said James. ‘But it’s not night yet.’
‘No, but the Warlock is to be reborn on the twenty-eighth, which comes after midnight.’
‘You reckon they’ll bring him back that early?’
‘I believe he’ll want them to perform the ceremony straight away.’
‘I’m not sure I could sleep.’
‘House will help you if you need it, but while I’m thinking about it, do you know where we can get some swords?’
‘I know a place; I can go now if you want.’
‘Our new recruits would be better off with one. They might have their short swords off you, but might need something bigger.’
‘I’ll go and choose mine?’ said Paige.
‘Claire too,’ said Alex, and handed over his bank card.
They had dinner early while watching the news channel with Rachel Evans reporting from the warlock’s country estate. ‘We have some shocking news. The police told me they have so far found twenty-one bodies buried in the grounds here, they are still searching and expect to find more.’
Blaze shook her head. ‘Those can’t be just the mothers.’
‘No,’ said Joseph. ‘There would have been other rituals with sacrifices.’
That worried Alex. A sacrifice would also mean some innocent was going to die. It was six o’clock when he decided to go to bed. Sleep wasn’t really needed if they were going to attack the warlock after midnight, but waiting around for them to come out might be too much. He didn’t get undressed just lay on top of his bed ready, when there was a knock on his door.
‘It’s open,’ he said, and Carrie entered.
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t sleep like this.’
‘I know, and I doubt if I will either,’ said Alex. ‘You can join me looking at the ceiling if you want.’
‘Why not?’ said Carrie, and joined him on the bed.
Alex turned onto his side and looked at her. ‘Do you fear anything?’
‘Yeah, but only those I’ve no control over.’
‘I can relate to that.’
‘Do you believe it’ll be all over, and we’ll live in peace?’
‘Like the Sun and Moon.’
‘Always there but so far apart,’ said Carrie, and they were both quite content lying there together, until they fell asleep.
* * *
Carrie, it is time to wake up, said House.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said, still half asleep.
You need to get ready, and be fully alert.
‘But Alex is still asleep,’ she said, as she trudged into the bathroom and splashed water onto her face.
James, it is time, said House.
‘What? Have they come out?’
No, Alex is having one of his dreams, and everyone needs to be ready.
James roused himself, and walked downstairs where he was joined by the rest of the group excluding Alex.
Luella looked up. ‘What’s happening?’
‘House told us to get ready,’ said James.
‘Where’s Alex?’ Blaze asked.
Carrie put her sword belt on. ‘Still asleep.’
‘So why are you getting ready?’
‘House told us to,’ said James. ‘And it’s nearly midnight.
’
* * *
Alex dreamt, and saw the warlock capturing pixies. There were the women, pregnant with demon offspring, all with crazed looks on their faces. He saw the warlock sacrifice men, women, and children. Alex grew angry and the dream changed. He was in space now, there was no meteor this time just the sun. He flew towards it, but it didn’t burn or blind him, there were solar flares coming off it and one flew straight at him. The flames engulfed him, and felt the power of the sun race through his body. He woke, and heard a voice . . . a tired little voice.
Papa!
‘Papa’s coming sweetheart.’
Alex jumped off the bed and picked up his spear-sword. He ran out of the room, and leapt over the railing to the floor below, startling everyone downstairs.
‘What’s happening?’ said James.
‘We’re going in,’ Alex replied.
‘What about the force field?’ said Asima.
‘I’ll take care of it,’ said Alex, his eyes glowing with the golden energy. He looked at his spear, as both ends sprung out.
‘And just how are you going to take care of it?’ said Luella, but appeared to understand when she looked into his eyes.
The vase appeared before them, and Alex thought of where they should go. He wanted House to fight not to conceal them.
The warlocks other home appeared in front of them. Alex’s hand had the same golden energy, and hit the invisible wall with immense force. There was a loud bang, it was like glass shattering, and the force field was no more. He charged at the main doors as they burst inwards off the hinges.
Three demons in suits appeared, and hissed. Frightened of what was attacking them, but not as frightened of what will happen to them if they failed to defend the house. It didn’t help as an invisible force sent them flying backwards into the far wall as Alex entered.
The wolves dived in either side of him at the oncoming demons, within seconds they were all inside. Paige and Claire leapt in fighting with their new swords, striking at the demons with ease. James and Asima had gone the other side fighting with Rho. Carrie joined Chi and her speed was amazing. Jodie stood in the doorway helping her friends by thinning any group of demons with her crossbow.
Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside Page 40