Between

by Kirstie Keatings

  Soft yet strong hands brushed over her face, checking her over for serious injuries, then patted down her sides, earning small winces and reassurances that she was, or would be, fine soon enough. Liam confirmed this, kneeling beside Lila as she sat on a wall to rest, beginning to heal her hands. No one asked her what she'd been through, too concerned with her well-being at that moment, and she found the silence excruciating.

  “How do you do it?” Grace asked, mercifully giving her something other than the heat against her wounds to concentrate on. Lila gave Grace a blank look, indicating that she was going to require more information in order to properly answer her. “The death thing. Spirit walking. Where does your body go? Don't people think you're dead?”

  Lila gave an amused smile despite her state, relieved that Grace's inquisitive mind was something she could always count on, no matter what the world threw at them. She hoped that would never change.

  “It depends.” she began. “If you're really badly hurt, or untrained, your soul just gets thrown out of your body and you're completely astral. There's a lot less freedom in that, since you get weaker the longer you're away from your body. You can also kind of... dip your toes in. That's what most mediums train themselves to do, though they don't realise it. You remain tied to your body, but you can call on someone in the Spirit realm and talk to them. Then there's what I did tonight. If you're really well trained, you can take your body with you. It's called phasing. The only way I can describe it is like you're held together with a second skin, but you've got to concentrate to take on actual physical form in that place. You can also stick your hand out or step out and take physical form again, then pull yourself apart again to come back through.” Lila explained. “As for getting from one place to another, imagine it like walking into a basement that's laid out exactly the same as the floor above, getting to where you're going, and coming up the stairs. You're walking on another level of existence.”

  Grace took a moment to show comprehension, obviously working out a way to explain it in terms she understood quickly and easily. Her willingness to understand the dynamics of something she would likely never manage to participate in, simply because it was important to her best friend. It was something Lila appreciated more than words could express.

  A soft cough reminded her of the presence of the others, and she looked up to see Liam, Troy and Noah watching her with expectation and concern. They had been so patient, particularly when the stakes were so high and their friends were in potentially grave danger.

  “Sorry.” she murmured, inclining her head to show that she was more than focused on the conversation they were desperate to have. Digging in her pocket, she pulled out Adam's phone, handing it over to Noah, who began to fiddle with it. To Troy, she gave the disk, and she kept hold of Sadie's little bird, clutching it tightly.

  “It's not over.” she tried to explain. “The stuff with Beth. She's waiting for me on the other side.” Lila gave a shiver as she remembered the feeling of the evil witch choking her out. Death had been so close, and their earlier victories would have meant nothing to her. She wouldn't let anyone take that from her. They had lost so much, and she wanted to make sure Beth paid for that.

  “Elsie saved me. You should have seen her. It was incredible.” Lila enthused, worrying about her friend, though the athame rendered her virtually invincible provided it remained on her person at all times. “She turned into this apparition of pure fire, but man did she pack a punch. I think I have bruises on my side.”

  Liam's eyes rose to meet hers at that, something like guilt lurking behind them; it was obvious that he still blamed himself for being unable to save his little sister, and hearing about the way she had gone up against Beth without him again couldn't be helping. Lila resisted the urge to hug him; he wasn't a huge fan of having weaknesses indulged in public. Instead, she continued her story.

  “So, yeah. Beth is still really strong, and I wasn't prepared for her on my own. She made the room go dark, and trying to see her was nearly impossible at first. I found out a new thing I can do with my powers, and I thought I had her. It made me cocky, I guess. Before I knew it, she'd vanished and popped up behind me. It was nearly over so fast. I've never felt so stupid and unprepared in my entire life. Maybe I was never cut out to be coven leader.” Lila gave a shudder, hugging her own arms, and Liam pulled her into his own in a protective gesture, a silent disagreement regarding her inability to lead.

  “She did kill Elsie, and we all know Elsie was one of the most responsible people alive when it came to her studies. I don't think there's much you can do when you get caught off guard, no matter who it is that you're up against.” he reassured her. “Besides, you're not alone. We're always gonna have your back, no matter where you are. It's just a heck of a lot easier for Elsie to get to you in there, since she's the only one who can cross the veil.”

  Lila nodded, somewhat reassured, but mostly kicking herself for talking about it in front of Liam. He didn't need to think about his sister fighting the woman who had taken her life, or about one of his friends nearly meeting the same fate, especially when there were no more talismans to allow them to remain.

  Behind them, Noah put down the phone with an annoyed sound, startling them out of their conversation.

  “I'm sorry, other than the time you already got, the phone is useless in helping to find them.” he apologised, sounding upset over it. Troy slid his hand over Noah's forearm, squeezing silently in a gesture of support. He had the laptop open on his lap, and was watching the footage from the night before. They were still hidden behind the reflective wall of water, so they weren't concerned about being seen.

  “It's okay, we're not down and out yet.” Liam sounded determined, and it was contagious. They all moved to huddle around the laptop, which was playing scenes from the restaurant, narrowed down to the hour they knew they were due to meet. It didn't take long to see them come in, and Lila was filled with an uncomfortable feeling, her stomach flipping as she watched, feeling like she was invading on their privacy. It was necessary to find out what had happened, but watching as Sadie reached across to tangle her fingers with Adam's before either had discussed the potential of their relationship with the group felt like a betrayal.

  Thankfully, it didn't last long. Sadie answered a call, remained in her seat for a few moments, then left the restaurant through the front door. Adam fidgeted in his seat until two men dressed as police officers moved in and spoke to him. He was forced to his feet and handcuffs were fastened around his wrists. Noah reached over, pausing the video, peering closely.

  “Those aren't normal handcuffs.” he observed. “If you look closely, there are markings for binding on them.” Noah looked worried, but it was Liam who went white, twisting the screen to get a closer look without the blurring which accompanied looking at a screen from an angle.

  “I know where they are.” Liam stated, his voice monotone and deliberately even, though his face showed fear and discomfort, like he knew something they didn't, something more than being the only one to figure out where they had been taken.

  Chapter Nine

  Jeffrey walked at a fast pace, almost too fast to keep up with, especially when Adam was so focused on making sure Sadie didn't topple over on her injured ankle. He probed mentally with his power, trying to see how far it would stretch in his limited capacity. Gloria had given him enough wriggle room to reach within the walls of the compound, which he was able to map out in his head by sensing the barriers provided by the twisting corridors. They were somewhere in the centre of the building, probably the stronghold where they could store dangerous witches and perform their sick torture.

  “You're pretty trusting, considering you only have our word that we wont betray you.” Adam observed, a smug hint in his tone. He was going to beat this jerk if it were the last thing he ever did.

  Jeffrey smiled, a strained look of patience written in the curve, pressing against his cheek as if forcing boulders up a hill. It only succeeded in ma
king him appear even more menacing.

  “Oh, I have more than your word. I'm fairly certain that you'll be very cooperative to our cause.” he answered, and Adam's hackles raised, a prickling of unease washing over him. Sadie stumbled, and he lifted her despite her protests, carrying her bridal style and speeding up to keep pace with the tattooed witch hunter.

  “What's that supposed to mean?” he demanded, the threat of violence beneath his words. He almost didn't want to know what this man – this monster – could have over him. He knew that he had no limits.

  “Almost there.” Jeffrey answered, infuriatingly vague about what he was lording over Adam. Not for the first time, Adam considered punching him in the face. This time, it was only the girl in his arms preventing him – Sadie, saving him from himself yet again, even if she'd had little to do with the planning of it.

  They rounded what felt like the millionth corner, and stepped into one completely different from the others. The floor was a pitch black gem, utterly bare, its only decoration their reflections, distorted due to the angle they were looking down at it. The walls were solid stone, at least sixteen inches deep, and set into it were thick wooden doors with metal viewing slats.

  It looked like a prison, and by the way Adam's powers fled from him, it was designed to hold witches. The floor must have been spelled onyx, creating a power vacuum, meaning that it was impossible to cast magick anywhere it was laid. It left him feeling cold to the bone in a way he knew couldn't be warmed with extra layers of clothing. It was the absence of the spark deep inside him, its power smothered.

  Sadie gave no indication that she had noticed, answering his silent question on whether or not her powers had been returned to her. Either Gloria hadn't tortured Sadie, or she hadn't extended her the same opportunity. It wouldn't be a surprise. Despite their attempts to convince them otherwise, many members of the covens would always associate Sadie with the loved ones they lost in the battle.

  “Do you like it?” Jeffrey asked, his smile now genuine and self-satisfied.

  Don't punch him.

  “Very classy. Why are we here?” Adam faked boredom, setting Sadie on her feet since they didn't appear to be moving any further. She wobbled unsteadily for a second, before placing a hand on the wall and righting her stance, pain evident in her expression.

  Jeffrey slid open a viewing window, and a hoarse stream of expletives spilled out into the corridor. Adam stepped forward in a daze.

  It couldn't be.

  Glancing into the viewing window, his heart almost stopped. Rose was in the centre of the cell, her wrists bound to the ceiling by the same cuffs they'd put on him when they had taken him from the restaurant. There was no way she was getting out of here, and judging by her dishevelled appearance, she had been here for a while. They had to have followed her and taken her before she had reached their grandparents home.

  Turning to Jeffrey, his eyes were full of murder, and he curled his fist, punching the witch hunter in the face. He made no attempt to stop him, taking the hit and stumbling back, raising his fingers to his lip to check how badly he was bleeding. It was a completely unsatisfactory punch, and Adam's frustration shot up even higher.

  Grabbing the bars, he tried to tug them off of the door, but it was useless without his powers. Kicking the door did nothing but bruise his toes.

  “Rose, I'm going to get you out of there, I promise!” he choked out, feeling close to tears – Rose was his responsibility, and he had failed her yet again. This was, of course, what they planned all along, the one thing which would make him obey utterly.

  “Rather a talented witch, your sister.” Jeffrey drawled, using a handkerchief to dab blood from his chin. “Despite the flooring, she was able to destroy another cell, and we had no choice but to cuff her like that, especially when she tried to take her own life to deny us the 'pleasure' of doing it.” he sounded impressed, like he had caught himself a trophy, and Adam, cold at the idea of his sister ending her life, imagined beating him until he showed the pain, and then the light faded from his eyes. He knew it was a bad idea, though. One punch could be forgiven in a fit of emotion, but anything more would be seen as disobedience, and his sister would pay the price.

  “What about me? I have no one you can take. These tactics wont work on me.” Sadie spoke, and Adam felt a wave of pride for her.

  “You'll do it simply because you wont abandon your friends. Not when it was technically you who hurt Rose, and because you've fallen for our wounded hero here.” Jeffrey didn't miss a beat, and they all knew he was right.

  “How do I get her out of there?” Adam asked, desperation laced in his voice.

  “Oh, immediately – but don't think you'll be free. We've been developing new toys, you see. She'll be wearing a special collar. The moment you disobey or turn on us, she'll receive an injection of a poison derived from amanita mushrooms. Within six to fifteen hours, if you haven't completed your task, symptoms will begin to appear. Intense pain, vomiting, internal bleeding, coma.... and death. Any attempt to remove the collar will result in the dose being administered immediately. We have the antidote here, of course, which means you will have no choice to return.” The casual tone in which Jeffrey discussed murdering his sister caused all of the violence inside of Adam to disappear, replaced with a sense of dread and of being caged.

  “That's barbaric!” Sadie burst out, horror written all over her face, and Adam realised how tired she looked. He felt disconnected from the world, like he were merely a spectator, and he took the time to observe everything, including the way Jeffrey carefully controlled his expressions. They weren't seeing the true man, which meant that Adam would not trust him; not just because of what he was doing to his sister, but because someone who could hide how they felt so easily could lead them into a trap.

  Jeffrey unlocked the cage, stepping in – he'd chosen to ignore Sadie – and leaving the door open. He was the one with the keys and the advantage when they had no magick. Witches were unaccustomed to having to use their physical being, whereas he had trained extensively. Allowing Adam to punch him had been an experiment. He was more athletic than anticipated, and Jeffrey would be watching him, but with his sister in hand, there really was nothing he could do about it.

  Fitting the collar, Rose gave a worried whimper, obviously concerned that it might backfire and inject her when it was fitted. Jeffrey was tempted to activate it right now – he hated witches, loathed them, particularly this one. The stronger they were, the more dangerous they were. The sooner they were all dead the better, but he had no choice but to continue with this ridiculous plan. His superiors had demanded it.

  The cuffs were released, and Rose rubbed her wrists. She shied away from Jeffrey, obviously terrified of him, and Adam realised that this man must have personally tortured his sister, vowing silently that one day, he would kill him. He strode to his sister in three steps, wrapping her up in his arms and cradling her head in his hands.

  “Rose – Gods, I thought you were safe. I'm so sorry I didn't check in with you. I'm so sorry.” he begged for her forgiveness, berating himself on his uselessness as her guardian. Rose wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight in return.

  “It wasn't your fault. We agreed that it would be a trip where I disconnected and found myself again. We weren't supposed to be in touch while I was up there. I barely made it out of London when they grabbed me. They... Adam, they shot Morgan. She's dead.” Rose was crying openly. The curses flying through Adam's mind were too explicit for him to repeat in front of his nearly fourteen year old sibling. His heart ached at the loss of Morgan, who had been a family friend for years, the woman he'd entrusted to take Rose to their grandparents. Apparently, he had a knack for getting people hurt – Rose, attacked at home and kidnapped when he tried to protect her, Morgan, dead. Not to mention Sadie, who had been kidnapped when she went to dinner with him. He was cursed.

  “From now on, we're never out of touch.” he promised.

  “They're going to ki
ll me, no matter what. You know that, right?” Rose was trembling at the thought, and Adam shook his head violently.

  “No, no they're not. I won't let them. We're going to figure this out. We're going to get out of this safe and sound. I promise.” Adam answered, immediately regretting the promise. He didn't want a broken promise to be the last thing she remembered if the worst should happen. He would just have to stay true to it. Rose would not die on his watch. He couldn't take it. It was becoming a pattern, enduring things he was sure would kill him, and he could handle that – but the death of his sister was not going to be something he would bear.

  Beside them, Jeffrey gave a soft cough.

  “This reunion is lovely, but I'm fairly confident that you are all in dire need of a bath and some fresh clothes.” he suggested. “Follow me.” Jeffrey walked out of the room, absolutely certain that they would follow. He wasn't wrong. They moved warily, following him down the corridor. Adam had his arm slung around his sister's shoulders, and Sadie limped after them. It was a slow procession, reflecting the moods of everyone but Jeffrey, who had cheered up noticeably when Rose had mentioned Morgan's death. In a sickening realisation, Adam knew it was pride. Jeffrey was glad he'd murdered an innocent woman, just because she was a witch. It didn't matter that she had never harmed a fly. Oh, he hated this guy.