Mercy (The Guardians Series 1)

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘It’s a bit girly,’ he eyed her warily.

  ‘If I have to wear one so do you,’ Theo replied pulling his own from the neck of his sweater.

  ‘Fine,’ Jake grumbled, taking it from her and slinging it around his neck.

  ‘Don’t turn your nose up,’ Olivia told him pointedly, ‘it might just save your life before all this is over.’

  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

  She handed them each an object wrapped in black velvet and watched as they unwrapped them.

  ‘Holy shit,’ Jake’s mouth fell open, ‘are these the hunting knives I brought you?’

  She nodded watching their reactions in amusement. Theo was fascinated and as he did with everything, he was studying it in minute detail, trying to figure it out. Jake on the other hand was a kid with a new toy.

  ‘What did you do to it?’ he asked enthusiastically.

  ‘It’s a bit hard to explain,’ Olivia frowned thoughtfully. ‘They contain Hell fire and ancient magic but it’s not something I can re-create. These knives are two of a kind, they can’t be replaced so be very careful with them.’

  ‘I’ve got a magic knife?’ Jake smiled like a little boy with a light saber, ‘what can it do?’

  ‘It can kill Hell Hounds and I’m pretty sure it can kill most supernatural creatures.’

  ‘Most?’ Theo asked.

  Olivia shrugged.

  ‘It doesn’t exactly come with a manual,’ she answered. ‘It was made with Hell fire, which comes from the Hell dimensions so logically it should be able to destroy creatures from Hell, but it’s not an exact science. Try not to experiment too much, they’re there so you can defend yourselves, don’t go looking for trouble.’

  Theo nodded.

  ‘Jake?’

  ‘Yeah, yeah I heard, don’t go looking for trouble,’ he answered absently as he turned the blade and watched in fascination as the writing inscribed in the blade glowed blue, ‘cool…’

  Olivia sighed shaking her head in resignation.

  ‘So are we clear on how it’s going to go down?’ Olivia asked them.

  ‘More or less,’ Theo replied.

  ‘I’m going to bind my father so that he can’t use his powers. At that point you should be able to overpower him and Jake can get the cuffs on him. After that we’ll hand him over to Macallister and he can do what he wants with him.’

  ‘We can’t rule out him having the white haired guy with him.’

  ‘Davis?’ Olivia mused, ‘no we can’t. They seem to have been in this together right from the beginning, I think we can expect him to be there too. If we can take him I’m sure the authorities want to speak with him about my father’s escape from Morley Ridge. Do you have more than one set of cuffs?’

  ‘I’ve got cable ties,’ Jake replied more seriously, ‘they fit easily in your pocket. Theo and I can take a couple of them each.’

  ‘Have you both got your guns?’

  Theo and Jake nodded.

  ‘I’m still wondering if we should include Captain Macallister in this,’ Jake looked at Olivia. ‘He’s a good guy I think we could do with a bit of extra back-up; we still don’t know exactly what we’re walking into.’

  ‘No,’ Olivia answered, ‘we just don’t know enough about him Jake. If this was a normal situation I’d say yes, but we don’t know how he’s going to deal with the whole magic and demons thing. It’s not fair to involve him in something like this. Once you know the truth about the magic world we live in there’s no going back. He doesn’t need to know that the stuff horror movies are made of is real.’

  ‘Fine,’ he replied, ‘I don’t like it but this time it’s your call.’

  ‘Okay, when we get into the woods, we need to get to Boothe’s hollow as quickly as possible. As you know my father is an incredibly powerful witch, once he casts the circle around the clearing we won’t be able to cross the line and all of this will be pointless.’ She glanced across to the window; ‘we’ve got about an hour until sundown.’

  There was another knock at the door and Theo disappeared.

  ‘Are we expecting someone else?’ Jake asked in confusion.

  ‘Just one more person,’ Olivia looked slightly apologetic, ‘just try not too freak out too much okay?’

  ‘Sorry I’m late,’ Louisa stepped through the door carrying a large box of medical supplies. ‘You have no idea how hard it was to sneak all of this out of the medical centre.’

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  ‘Oh hey Jake,’ she replied absently. ‘Theo, there’s another box in my car, would you mind?’

  ‘Don’t hey Jake me’ he snapped at his sister before turning to Olivia. ‘Why is she here?’

  ‘Relax,’ Louisa answered before Olivia could open her mouth, ‘I’m not here to gate crash your little hunting party but I am here to stitch up any of you idiots if you manage to get yourselves hurt.’

  He looked to Olivia who just shrugged.

  ‘It seemed like a good idea.’

  ‘You’re not going into the woods?’ he asked Louisa.

  ‘No, because I don’t have a death wish,’ she answered easily.

  He humphed, slightly mollified.

  ‘Besides,’ she scooped an enthusiastic Beau off the floor and nuzzled his adorable face, ‘someone has to watch this handsome boy.’

  Theo dropped the other box down beside the first.

  ‘My God Louisa what have you got in there?’

  ‘A bit of everything,’ she shrugged as Beau licked her face happily.

  ‘We should go,’ Olivia spoke quietly.

  Louisa dropped Beau back to the floor. She hugged each one of them in turn leaving Olivia until last.

  ‘Be careful,’ she whispered, ‘I just got you back, I don’t want to lose you again.’

  ‘I know,’ she replied.

  They stepped back, a look passing between them before she turned to the others.

  ‘Okay let’s go.’

  Within minutes they had their coats and warm hats on and were trudging across the heavy snow to the edge of the woods, in the rapidly fading light.

  ‘You sure about this?’ Jake asked Olivia.

  She breathed out a deep misty breath.

  ‘I’m sure.’

  Jake looked across to Theo and nodded, they both drew their weapons and with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other they headed into the tree line.

  Mac watched from his vantage point as the three of them trudged into the woods with weapons drawn. ‘Now’, he thought ‘we finally get to the truth’ and pulling out his own gun and flicking off the safety he followed into the woods behind them.

  ‘We should have brought torches,’ Jake mused as they moved quickly but warily through the trees.

  ‘It wouldn’t have done much good,’ Olivia replied, ‘you need your hands free to be able to defend yourselves.’

  ‘That won’t do us much good if we can’t see,’ Theo agreed with Jake.

  Olivia stopped and turned to face them looking up at the sky.

  ‘We are losing the light quicker than I thought,’ she murmured thoughtfully.

  Theo and Jake watched as she pulled off her gloves and shoved them in her pockets. She cupped her palms together and a bright golden light appeared between her hands. Her skin had begun to glow and her whiskey coloured eyes deepened into gold. The light pulsed and grew bigger until it lifted out of her palms and separated into two. On each ball of light, wings made of pure flame unfurled and suddenly, hovering in the air, were two giant dragonflies made entirely of flames.

  Theo watched in wonder as they beat their gossamer wings and hummed against the cold air. He’d seen one of her dragonflies the night she had been injured in the woods but it still didn’t diminish the awe of seeing it again. One of them hovered at Theo’s shoulder and one at Jake’s.

  ‘They will stay with you,’ she told them, ‘as long as my heart is still beating t
hey will remain at your side lighting your way.

  ‘This is so cool,’ Jake tried to poke his with his finger.

  ‘Will it not weaken you, to have your attention divided?’ Theo asked in concern.

  Olivia shook her head, searching for a way to explain.

  ‘It’s like breathing while you’re eating, it’s automatic, it doesn’t require conscious thought. These are the same; I don’t need to concentrate on them.’

  ‘We should get moving,’ Jake urged them onward, glancing anxiously at the sky.

  They headed deeper into the woods towards the clearing and Boothe’s hollow. The closer they got, the more Olivia could sense the demon’s presence. It was stronger than it had ever been; it flexed and strained against its bonds, angry and impatient. It knew it was so close to freedom.

  ‘Did you hear that?’ Theo asked suddenly.

  The sound came again, a kind of shriek and the sound of beating wings. They looked up at the darkening sky and through the gaps in the branches could make out black shapes.

  ‘Bats?’ Jake raised his gun.

  ‘Those aren’t bats,’ Olivia hissed as she raised her hands. Much as she had when faced with the Hell Hound she pulled her fists apart and as she did a bow appeared and burst into sapphire coloured flames.

  The black creatures dove lower and as they came into view, they realised she was right. Those things sure as hell weren’t bats.

  ‘What the hell are they?’ Jake shouted.

  ‘I have no idea,’ Olivia aimed at one of them and let loose a black arrow. It shrieked and burst into black ash which rained down on the snow. ‘You need to use the knives.’

  ‘Just how are we supposed to do that,’ Theo asked as one swooped and dove straight for him.

  Jake let out a couple of shots and one of the bullets tore through its black leathery wing causing it to crash into the ground in front of Theo. Diving forward he plunged the knife straight into its body and it exploded into the same black ash .

  ‘Aim for the wings and take them to the ground,’ Jake yelled above the harpy-like shrieks.

  Olivia took out another one with a pure black bolt from her bow.

  Raising his gun Theo fired, managing to wing two of them for Jake to finish off as they hit the snowy ground.

  Mac tripped over a tree root and as he looked up the creature let loose a shriek of triumph and plummeted towards him. He fell backwards and his gun was thrown from his hand. He tried to edge away but the creature flapped above him snapping at him with a strangely bird-like beak filled with dozens of needle- pointed teeth. It bit down on his hand, causing him to cry out in pain as blood sprayed across the pristine white snow.

  Suddenly the creature exploded, showering him with blackened soot and as he looked up he saw Olivia standing against the white woodland with a bow of pure blue fire aimed at him. He lay there, slightly dazed at what he had seen, as rough hands grabbed him and hauled him to him feet.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Jake asked him angrily, ‘You could’ve gotten yourself killed.’

  ‘Gently Jake,’ Theo reminded him, ‘can’t you see he’s in shock.’

  ‘We don’t have time for this,’ he hissed.

  Olivia’s bow dimmed and disappeared as she approached Mac, pulling a crisp white handkerchief from her coat pocket and wrapping it around his hand to stop the bleeding.

  ‘Are you alright Captain Macallister?’ she frowned in concern, ‘are you injured?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘Mac,’ he croaked, ‘call me Mac. Did you just save my life?’

  ‘Yes I did,’ a small smile played at the corner of her mouth. ‘Look we don’t have time to explain, so I need you to trust me and do exactly as I say okay?’

  He looked to Theo and then to Jake.

  ‘Is she always this bossy?’

  ‘Yes,’ they both answered in unison.

  ‘Okay,’ he nodded to Olivia.

  ‘I need you to stay with Theo or Jake, no matter what happens or what you see, do not leave their side alright?’

  He nodded in agreement as Jake handed him the gun he’d dropped. His eyes widened as he watched the flaming dragonflies hovering at their shoulders, but he wisely chose not to say anything.

  Suddenly Olivia looked deep into the tree line her eyes distance.

  ‘He’s casting the circle,’ she gasped, ‘we’re out of time, RUN!’

  She darted through the trees, running flat out with the others chasing behind her.

  The sky was ablaze with purples and pinks, as the sun plummeted below the horizon bringing with it a blanket of darkness. She focused on the light ahead and as the trees began to thin out she could see the clearing and the hollow at its centre. Burning braziers were set up in a circular shape about two feet in from the edge of the clearing creating a smaller circle within it. She could see a hooded figure standing in front of the tree and a body lying on the ground. Her lungs were burning as she pushed her legs faster. A hazy pale light pulsed at the edges of the circle, rising up to form a dome. She knew the minute it was complete the clearing would be impenetrable to her. Forcing one last burst of speed she broke out of the trees and leapt over the wall of light that was forming. She hit the ground on the other side and rolled to absorb the impact, turning just in time to see the edges of the shield meet, forming a solid barrier of power with her on one side and the others on the outside. Theo beat his fist against the transparent wall but it was no good, he couldn’t reach Olivia.

  She turned back to the hooded figure in front of her and pulled herself to her feet. He seemed content to just stand and watch as her gaze dropped down to the man staked out on the cold snowy ground. Her mouth fell open in shock; underneath the dirt and five day beard her eyes met the terrified gaze of Thomas Walcott. He struggled against the huge cruel looking iron pins which had been driven through his wrists and ankles pinning him to the hard frozen ground. He looked as if he was desperately trying to say something but she couldn’t understand, his jaw had obviously been broken and he could barely do more than make a mournful moaning sound.

  Suddenly he shrieked in agony, his back arching off the ground as his exposed chest began to sizzle and split down the centre from his sternum to his navel. The stench of ozone and dark magic flooded the circle making her retch. Biting back the urge to vomit she turned to stare at the hooded figure in front of her. There was no time for a binding spell, so with steady hands she raised her bow, satisfaction flooding her body and driving away the nausea as her flame blazed a bright sapphire.

  ‘No,’ she commanded resolutely, ‘as much as I hate him, you are not taking his life.’

  As the figure turned towards her she heard a familiar voice calling her name. It came from behind her, chilling her down to the bone. She turned slowly and her eyes focused on the figure of her father, standing on the other side of the circle trapped behind the wall of magic. Next to him was the pale haired man Davis. An icy feeling of dread washed over her, locking her muscles as she twisted slowly back to the hooded figure in front of her, if her father wasn’t the killer then who?

  The figure slowly pulled back its hood.

  Olivia’s bow suddenly disintegrated, the fiery blue flames tattered as if torn apart by an unseen wind. Her legs collapsed beneath her and her breath rushed out of her lungs, she could feel her heart pounding in her throat as her mouth went dry and when she spoke her voice was barely more than a dry whisper.

  ‘Mom?’

  Isabel West was still a stunning woman as she towered over her daughter. Time had done nothing to diminish the beauty of her face or the long dark hair which cascaded from her hood in silken loops. A raised red burn scar fanned out from her cheekbone with thin spidery tentacles up into the hair line at her temple, turning a single lock of hair pure white. Even this did not mar her beauty as she watched Olivia with cold whiskey coloured eyes.

  ‘Hello Olivia.’

  Her mother’s vo
ice crushed her heart and clamped her chest in a steel vice, the pain was nearly unbearable.

  ‘NO!’ she whispered in absolute horror.

  Isabel regarded her with fathomless eyes before turning back to Walcott. Once again his back arched and his chest began to burn and split further as her magic tore him apart.

  His scream of agony seemed to shake Olivia loose and her lips thinned into a resolute line, her eyes narrowing as she rose to her knees and once again drew her bow, this time aiming directly at her mother.

  ‘I said you’re not taking him,’ she repeated shakily.

  Isabel threw her hand out towards Olivia and she felt the full force of her mother’s vast power but it barely nudged her. It seemed to split and run either side of her as if something had deflected it. She watched as her mother’s eyes dipped to the moonstone at her throat, her eyes widening a fraction in surprise. Then Isabel reached into the fold of her dark cloak.

  Olivia didn’t even see the gun, until the shot rang out in the stillness of the circle. She was suddenly thrown backwards and hit the ground with force as the bullet tore through her flesh. She tried to move but she was still too stunned. She tried to drag some oxygen into her lungs but the breath seemed to be caught in her throat.

  Theo roared and smashed his fist against the shield as he saw Olivia thrown to the ground, her blood staining the snow crimson. Jake’s heart almost stopped as he saw she was not moving but before he could say anything he heard a familiar growl behind him. As he turned he saw the surrounding forest glow with several pairs of red eyes.

  ‘Theo,’ he stashed his gun, knowing it would be no good and pulled out his knife, ‘Theo you can’t help her right now.’

  Theo turned and saw the Hell Hounds as they slowly stalked out of the tree line and shimmered into solid forms.

  ‘What the fuck are those?’ Mac’s eyes widened.

  ‘They’re Hell Hounds,’ Theo replied dangerously as he passed Mac his gun in addition to his own. Here take this, bullets won’t kill them but will slow them down.’

  For a moment his gaze met the cool eyes of Charles Connell but he didn’t have time to worry about him right now as they turned to face the hounds. One of them leapt straight for him. He raised his arm to protect himself but it knocked him back and sunk its teeth into his forearm, piercing through his coat and his skin. With a hiss of pain he brought the knife up and plunged it into the hound’s throat. It exploded into inky dust in front of his eyes, the sudden release of his arm a relief.