by Helen Harper
Monroe’s lips grazed my forehead. ‘And it paid off,’ he said. ‘I don’t know how else we would have got out there.’
‘Julian…’
‘He’s tougher than you think.’ He sighed. ‘He will pull through.’ Monroe moved back and looked at me. ‘Even if he doesn’t make it, he wouldn’t have wanted this any other way. You did what had to be done.’
A squirming knot of unease fought through my aches and pains to take precedence in my belly. ‘We’re not out of the woods yet. There are cards yet to be played.’
As if she’d heard me, Felicity stomped over. I couldn’t tell whether the anger in her eyes was because of our brush with death or because she’d missed the fight. She glared at us both. ‘He wants to talk to you.’
I swallowed. There was no point asking who she was referring to. I reached for Monroe’s hand, my fingers entwining with his.
We sauntered over casually, managing to display genuine magnanimity in our victory. Of course, that’s not actually true. In truth, we shuffled over, wincing and grimacing all the way until we reached Barrett. When we glanced down at him, I wasn’t the only one with an expression of smug triumph on my face.
He was in a bad way. He’d clearly taking the brunt of the collapsed building and even my untrained eye noted his broken leg and crushed arm. All the same, the werewolves had taken no chances and had tied him up in much the same manner that his own guards had held me. Even if Barrett had the energy to muster more magic, I doubted he could have done any harm.
I met his eyes. ‘I guess you failed.’
Barrett’s lip curled. Despite his obvious pain and his imprisonment, he wasn’t giving up. ‘You’re a fucking moron,’ he hissed through gritted teeth. ‘All of you are.’
Nero raised a foot to kick him but Monroe shook his head and the younger wolf dropped it again.
‘Not from where we’re standing,’ I said mildly.
‘By new year,’ Barrett said, ‘you’ll be starved out of here. Without me, you have no way of getting in supplies. You know your pathetic crops aren’t going to be enough. You might have the magic but you don’t have the common sense. You think you’ve saved yourselves? You’ve doomed everyone here instead.’
‘We’ll work something out,’ Monroe said. ‘As I’m sure you’ve realised by now, we’re not that helpless or needy.’
I pointed at him. ‘What he said goes. If need be, I’ll leave. I’ll take the quarantine and persuade the government to send in supplies for everyone else.’
Barrett choked out a weak, but still derisive, laugh. ‘You’re such a saviour,’ he said sarcastically. ‘Yeah, you do that. Stroll out that door. Do it now, in fact.’ He smirked. ‘I told everyone over the wall that the only people left in Manchester have been altered by the magic to the point where they’re nothing more than vicious, wild animals. They believe that you’re dangerous. Deathly dangerous. You won’t be put in quarantine if you try to leave and you won’t have time to request anything from the government. Step out that door. If you’re not wearing a hazmat suit, you’ll be shot on sight.’
My stomach churned. All the same, I kept my expression blank and turned to Monroe. ‘You know,’ I said carefully, ‘it would be easy to test that theory.’ I toed Barrett’s leg. ‘We send him out of the door without his suit on and see what happens.’
The flash of fear on Barrett’s face told me everything I needed to know. He was telling the truth – about this at least. ‘They won’t shoot me,’ he spat. ‘I’m Fab Barrett. I’m a celebrity. You’re nothing. No matter what you do now, you’ll all starve to death. Slowly. You could have let me help you and take a bit of magic for myself in return. Instead we’re all going to die.’ He spat up a glob of blood. ‘Congratulations, enchantress.’
I curtsied melodramatically in his direction, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of anything else. Then Monroe and I limped away.
***
‘He was playing us all the time,’ Julian said, still deathly pale and his voice thready. ‘He could still be playing us now.’ He looked at me. ‘Would you really walk away and head out of that door? Would you take that risk?’
I didn’t answer; Monroe did. ‘You know she would.’ He gave me a crooked smile. ‘I’ll be with her all the way if she does.’
‘Fabian Barrett set the fire that destroyed our supplies,’ Julian continued. ‘He knew that sooner or later one of us would try and sneak into his tent, so he laid a clue there to make us trust him. He had his own man killed. He lured me out last night with the promise that we could talk things out man to man and then he knifed me. He’s been injecting himself with bloody magic! We can’t trust anything he says or does. If you’re shot on sight as soon as you leave Manchester, you’re not saving anyone.’
I smiled. ‘Do you know how Barrett sneaked out of his tent without anyone noticing? Nero and the others had the place surrounded and yet he still managed to get to that building in much the same time as Monroe and I did.’
Julian growled. ‘I imagine his silver tongue had something to do with it.’
‘Nope. You know Nero would never have been persuaded like that.’ I shrugged. ‘Besides, you spoke to him. He didn’t let Barrett past. He didn’t see him sneak away.’
In the corner, Alora sat up straighter and looked at me. ‘The tunnel,’ she said. ‘He must have used the same tunnel that he used to travel here. There must be other exits.’
I nodded my head. ‘Exactly.’
She raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘Under the tent?’
‘I think so.’ I paused. ‘We should have already realised that. I don’t know that it would have mattered before, but it matters a great deal now.’
Alora got to her feet and began to fidget, as if sitting down was too relaxed a position for discussions of this nature. ‘So you propose what? We use this tunnel ourselves to sneak in and out? We get our own supplies and pretend to the rest of the world that we’re still cut off?’
‘That would work for a while,’ Monroe answered. ‘Assuming we weren’t noticed buying cartloads of goods and trundling them along to a hole in the ground.’
‘But,’ I added, ‘it wouldn’t be long before another Fabian Barrett showed up. There will be others like him who think they can control the magic here and use it for their own ends. Maybe they’ll be better than him and want to put it to genuine good use.’ I shrugged. ‘And maybe they won’t. Either way, the magic isn’t anyone’s to control. Anyone who wants it should be able to have it.’
I leaned forward, my eagerness getting the better of me. ‘Barrett knew that by using magic we were also generating magic and releasing more of it into the atmosphere. It’s why he wanted to control the enclave instead of destroying it. He wanted us here. He needed us here. We’ve been concerned that we might cause too much magic to build up again but,’ I beamed, ‘if we can ship that extra magic out to whoever wants it in return for the supplies we need then we all win, at least in the short term. In the end, Fabian Barrett has given us the means for our own survival. He really is our saviour.’
Everyone snorted at that, even Julian. I was concerned that the effort was too much for him. His cheeks went an alarming shade of red although the rest of his skin remained ridiculously pale.
Alora scratched her head. ‘But if our alleged saviour is to be believed, no one on the outside will trust us.’
My smile grew. ‘Fab,’ I said mockingly, ‘was right. People know who he is. They’re inclined to trust him simply because they’ve heard of him. Knowing who he is made us more likely to trust him in the beginning too. Celebrity power is as strong as any of the other power we have at our fingertips. We need the right person at the right time to talk to the rest of the world. I really believe that then we can turn all of this to our advantage.’
Dawning comprehension lit the others’ faces. Monroe, however, pursed his lips. ‘Assuming we can keep her sober for long enough, of course.’
Chapter Twenty-seven
We sto
od at the spot which marked Fabian Barrett’s hazmat tent. The tent itself had already been ripped down and the material burned in a sort of ceremonial fire. A lot of people had cheered; apparently it didn’t take much more than a few murder attempts to turn the tide of public opinion. If I hadn’t been so nervous about what was to come, I might have joined in.
I pointed at the manhole cover. ‘It’s down there,’ I said. ‘I’m sure of it. It’s the only place that makes any sense.’
Julie looked remarkably dubious. ‘In the sewer? Darling, I know I said that I’d do what I could to help but even I have limits.’
‘I’ll be with you all the way,’ I said briskly. ‘You’ll be absolutely fine.’
‘You can barely stand up and you’re covered in bruises. I don’t think the sight of you will calm anyone on the other side of the wall. And I don’t think you’re in any state to traipse through a sewer tunnel for several miles. Neither is Monroe. He’s looking distinctly green around the gills.’
I opened my mouth to argue. Jodie stepped up. ‘Julie is right. Besides, if this doesn’t work she won’t be able to get back into Manchester. The enclave needs you far more than it needs her.’
‘Pardon?’ Julie didn’t seem particularly impressed by Jodie’s assessment of the situation.
Jodie looked at her. ‘I’ll come with you.’ She flexed her fingers, a flicker of her own newly found magic appearing and disappearing as she did so. ‘If we meet any beasties down there, we’ll deal with them together.’
‘I’m sure the tunnel is clear,’ Lizzy said. ‘If Fabian Barrett and his men used it, it must be fine. But for what it’s worth, I’ll come along for the ride.’
I blinked at her. She shrugged at me. ‘One thing I’ve learnt from you is that anyone can rise to a challenge. We’ve all got power now, we can all save each other. Part of Barrett’s problem was that he wanted to be the one in charge. He wanted to be the supposed hero and drape himself in all the glory, regardless of what happened along the way. What he didn’t realise is that we all have it in us to be heroes.’ She paused. ‘Plus, he didn’t bring in any Vegemite. I know it’s hard to get hold of in this country, but I had expectations which were dashed. If I’m to be satisfied, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.’
Cath hefted the bag on her shoulders and grinned at us. I shook my head. ‘Oh no. Not you too.’
‘I’ve got to keep it 100, Charley. I want things here to work out as much as everyone else does.’
‘Your medical skills…’
‘Are amazing,’ she nodded. ‘I know. But plenty of others have been learning to help out in the hospital and we do have two fully trained doctors. I’m not invaluable.’ Her eyes gleamed. ‘I want some action.’
Monroe walked up slowly, carrying four bags. From the white lines around his mouth, he was in far more pain than he was letting on. ‘You’ve each got enough inside to last you for a full day. It shouldn’t take any longer than that to get under the wall.’
I glared at him. ‘You knew about this? That they’re all going and leaving us behind?’
His blue eyes met mine. ‘It’s their choice. Freely made. You lectured me about something like that once upon a time.’
Something twisted inside me. At the end of the day, we were responsible for each other; we had to have faith and trust in each other. Our continued survival wasn’t down to the actions of just one person; if we made it, it would be because of all of us. I believed in my friends. I had to prove that belief.
‘Your names will go down in history,’ I said quietly. ‘What you’re about to do is amazing.’ I glanced at them. ‘And if anything goes wrong, we’ll come after you in a heartbeat.’ I’d drag my beaten and bruised body after them if that’s what was needed.
Lizzy grinned. ‘We know you will. But we’ll be fine.’
Julie sniffed. ‘Look, darling,’ she said, ‘if you want to take my place, then feel free.’ She reached into her pocket and drew out her little hip flask. Rather than take a sip from it, however, she upturned it. The gin glugged out, splattering onto the ground. She allowed herself a small smile. ‘It looks like I’ll be getting redemption elsewhere,’ she said, as much to herself as to any of us. She flicked a look at Jodie. ‘Fancy offering me a vein later as compensation?’
‘In your dreams.’
It would be a miracle if they made it to the end of Barrett’s tunnel without killing each other.
Cath, apparently sensing my doubts returning, grabbed one of the bags from Monroe. ‘Let’s get going,’ she said firmly.
I crouched down to pull off the manhole cover. Unfortunately, a wave of dizziness overtook me and I sucked in a breath.
Jodie knelt down beside me. ‘This is why we need more than one hero,’ she said. She grabbed the cover by its edges and flipped it over. Despite my swirling head, I looked down. Shit. Was that…?
‘Guns.’ Monroe’s body stiffened. ‘Lots of them.’
We stared at them in silence. While I was beyond glad that I’d been right about the tunnel being here, the evidence in front of us showed just how far Fabian Barrett had been prepared to go in order to gain control of Manchester and the magic. It was sickening.
I shook myself and looked at my friends. ‘Are you sure about this?’
None of them answered. Instead, Julie blew me an airy kiss. ‘Toodle-do.’ She stepped forward and dropped down, landing on a steel walkway with a clatter. The others followed one by one, until they were all shrouded in the tunnel’s gloom.
‘What are our odds of success, Charley?’ Lizzy called.
‘Excellent.’ I might even have been telling the truth.
She smiled. Then, within moments, all of them disappeared from view.
***
Eight hours later and no one was smiling at all. Waiting around for something to happen was far harder than it looked.
‘I feel a lot better. We should go after them.’ I stood up on wobbly legs. When my knees buckled, I sat down again. At Monroe’s look, I glared. ‘We can’t just hang around here twiddling our thumbs! It’s been hours. Anything might have happened to them. I could take a bike. I’ll be able to catch up to them.’
‘I hardly think that a bicycle in the sewer would get very far,’ he said. ‘Even if you were in any fit state to ride it.’
‘It looked like there was a decent walkway. We should at least try.’
‘Julie and the others will get the job done.’ He ran a hand through his hair. I gave him a suspicious look. There was a definite tremble to his fingers and beads of sweat on his skin. He sighed at me and lifted up his T-shirt. Although his others wounds were already healing, there was a nasty gash on his side which was edged with yellow pus. ‘It’s infected,’ he told me. ‘We don’t have any antibiotics and I don’t have the strength to burn it off. Not just yet.’
Alarm flared through my bones. ‘That settles it.’ I stood up again, this time managing to hold my balance. ‘I’m going after them.’
He growled. ‘You’re not much better than I am.’ His eyes, which were glazed with pain, flashed. ‘If there’s one thing you’ve taught me it’s that we don’t have to do everything alone. They’ll do it. You know they will.’
My shoulders dropped. ‘I hate feeling helpless like this.’
He caught my fingers in his. ‘I know,’ he said quietly. Then his head jerked up.
‘What?’ I demanded. ‘What is it?’
Before I’d finished my question, the barricade alarm started to ring. The sudden hope that lit through me was quickly extinguished by the expression on Monroe’s face.
‘Stay here,’ I said.
He rolled his eyes. ‘Fat chance, sunshine.’
The pair of us stumbled out of the door. I’d barely gone three steps when I realised it definitely wasn’t Julie returning. The bellowing roar from up ahead told me that much.
‘Shadow beast,’ Monroe grunted. ‘I knew it.’
I tilted my head back and took in the giant dark sha
pe. It was a massive creature. Why now? Why come here now? Was it sensing our weakness and taking advantage? It opened its mouth and roared again, causing the buildings around us to shake. My fingers jerked in response as a brief surge of magic flared through me. It wasn’t enough, though; it wasn’t anywhere near enough.
Streams of people appeared. Some were werewolves, already transformed into their animal shapes. Some had their own magic flickering at the ready. A group of vampires bounded forward, eyes glowing red and fangs bared. I looked around. The whole community was out here; we were all prepared to defend our enclave, no matter what it took. Regardless of what state Monroe and I were in, everyone was ready to do whatever was needed. We were all heroes indeed. The shadow beast didn’t stand a chance.
‘Wait,’ I croaked.
Of course, no one heard me. I tried again.
‘Wait!’
Monroe glanced at me. ‘What is it?’
The first wave was almost at the shadow beast. Theo and Felicity were already on top of the barricade and facing it down. I shook my head. This was all wrong. I reached down inside myself and pulled on everything I had, using the last of the magical energy I could muster to bolster my voice and carry it to everyone. ‘Wait!’
This time I was more than loud enough. My scream echoed round the streets and most people clamped their hands over their ears. Some threw themselves to the ground.
‘Don’t touch the shadow beast!’ I yelled. My voice was becoming weak and scratchy again. I cursed and pulled myself forward. Everyone, even the beast itself, stared at me. I shook my head in warning at Felicity and Theo.
‘It’s not going to hurt us,’ I whispered. I turned to Monroe, who understood straight away. He muttered something to one of the wolves nearest him. I continued dragging myself towards the beast. Every step was excruciating but I made it. I got there. I clambered on top of the barricade.
‘Charley,’ Felicity said, ‘with all due respect, this isn’t the time for a speech.’
Next to her, Theo frowned. ‘Why’s the monster not doing anything?’ he asked.