“You four drink,” said Zeke, “Now, before time runs out.”
“No, Zeke,” Xavier gasped. “You need to-”
“Argh, we haven’t got time for this,” Iris said, snatching the vials out of Xavier’s hand before throwing one at Emi and drinking hers. She passed the last half to Evan who drank reluctantly. It was only two gulp’s worth, but it was the strongest thing he’d ever drunk. The blue liquid was both hot and cold at the same time and felt like drinking an energy drink, only far stronger. Instantly Evan felt the borrowed magic suffuse his body. It wouldn’t last long however.
As Emi passed the last of her vial back to Xavier he looked like he wanted to argue with Zeke further, but there was only ten seconds left on the timer.
“Drink,” Zeke urged.
This time when the round began none of the gates rose. They waited in tense silence for what seemed like an hour.
“What’s going on?” Jed yelled.
Evan paced the sands, looking for any sign of the monsters to come. But there was nothing.
Then he heard a moan from deep in the earth.
“What was that?” Emillia squeaked.
The ground began to shake.
Suddenly multiple heads burst through the ground in explosions of sand, colossal heads on scaly necks that rose tall as trees. At first Evan thought it was multiple giant snakes rising around them, but their heads were of dragons, not serpents. Was it some great dragon-like demon?
“It’s a Hydra,” Xavier screamed.
Evan counted five heads as the leviathan finished emerging from the sand. Its body came last. The body was like a dragon too, a dragon with dark purple scales and lined with spikes. Its five heads were horned and the eyes were all a glowing green. All five heads roared at once before belching blasts of purple smoke.
They all jumped to the ground as the smoke-balls sailed over them. “Don’t let the smoke touch you, it’s poisonous,” Sabine shouted.
“Throw the grenades down its mouths,” Emi yelled as she rolled to her feet.
“Brilliant idea,” Xavier appeared surprised. He got to his feet and threw his grenade with pinpoint accuracy, right down the gullet of the left most dragon head.
The Hydra made a choking sound and then its head ruptured. Unfortunately it then grew right back again.
“Ushk,” Jed cursed. “How the hell are we supposed to beat that!”
“The middle head,” Sabine said suddenly. “It’s the only way to harm a Hydra. I’m sure that’s what I read in a book.”
The Hydra, however, noticed the threat in Xavier’s hand. As Xavier prepared to throw his last grenade at the middle head, all five of its mouths fired their poison blasts directly at him.
“Nooo!” Izekiel rushed forward, shoving Xavier away as all five blasts smashed into him instead. Zeke was taken high off the ground, his body suffused in the purple light of the poison. He then fell back down to the earth, unmoving.
“Zeke!” Xavier crawled over to his body frantically. Before he could reach him, Zeke’s armour melted off and the safety shield blocked Xavier from him. Zeke’s eyes were closed, and he still hadn’t moved.
“Get up, up.” Both Evan and Jed cried, seizing one of Xavier’s arms each and pulling him away as the Hydra spat more poison their way.
One blast was heading right for them Sabine created a massive shield of energy to protect all three of them however, just before the poison hit.
Xavier had begun to cry, not tearing his eyes from Zeke’s lifeless form.
“Xavier.” Evan shook him. “Concentrate. We need to pass. We’re almost there.”
“C’mon mate,” Jed said. “Zeke will be okay.”
Evan shook Xavier again and he appeared to get it together somewhat.
One more elimination and their whole team would’ve failed, right at the last hurdle. How the hell were they going to vanquish a Hydra though? It was just too big, too powerful.
“Okay, guys,” Jed took charge. “We need to distract the heads long enough to get that grenade down the middle one’s throat. Can you do that Xavier?”
Xavier nodded wordlessly, looking shell-shocked.
“Okay then,” Sabine agreed, “everyone fire off spells at the heads from far away. We can’t afford any of us to get hit by the poison or we’re done for.”
The four of them filed out in the direction of each head. Evan took the one by the middle head’s left, firing off jets of energy magic at the Hydra’s eyes, forcing the beast to focus on him. His teammates did the same thing as Xavier crept toward the middle.
“Try to blind the heads,” Emillia screamed out her sudden idea. “Then it won’t be able to see Xavier at all.
Before they could try Emi’s suggestion Evan realised they’d underestimated the Hydra’s intelligence. The middle head saw Xavier coming and screeched to its other heads. The Hydra ignored the team’s attacks now and all heads swivelled to Xavier, preparing to do to him what they had done to Zeke.
“No!” Evan cried, “Everyone, attack the middle head at once, it’s our only chance.”
They converged at the Hydra’s centre, ducking or jumping beneath its poison blasts. He and Jed reached the Hydra first. The monster rose up however, scuttling forward on its great legs for the first time. It was incredibly fast for its size.
Instead of backing away, Jed ran on, leaping into the air and landing on the Hydra’s back. He plunged his axe into the monster’s scales repeatedly. Evan himself gathered all the sorcery he could muster, creating a shield of energy he then placed over the mouths of the two heads either side of the middle head, so the poison blasts couldn’t get in their way. His body trembled violently from the effort though, and he wouldn’t be able to do it for long. He could see Iris and Sabine notice his plan and begin to seal up the remaining two heads with their own spells.
“Do it, do it now,” Evan roared.
Xavier sprinted forward, holding his grenade high. The Hydra had one last trick however, sweeping its giant tail. The tail moved so fast Xavier had no time to dodge. The thick tail crashed into his feet, causing Xavier to land headfirst into the sand. The grenade flew out of his hand, as soon as it landed it would explode and be useless to them. Emi caught it however, fierce determination shining on her face. She ran toward the middle head, only metres away now.
Evan could see the Hydra trying to keep the middle mouth shut, but it opened its maw in pain as Jed’s axe bit into its back.
The Hydra’s whole body writhed erratically now as it fought back frantically. Evan’s body weighed him down as he struggled to hold his magic. Suddenly the Hydra’s body lurched forward in a violent cough and both its heads managed to break his spell. Two poison blasts, which had been struggling to break through since Evan sealed them. Shot out at breakneck speed. Evan had no time to move as both blasts hit him from either side.
He heard his teammates scream his name as the poison washed over him, beginning to disintegrate his armour. It felt like his arms and legs were being stung repeatedly by bees as he was thrown back to slide across the sand. He rolled as he went struggling at the purple haze all around him.
“NO,” he roared, “focus on killing it.”
Through the violet miasma he saw Jed strike the Hydra’s middle neck savagely. As its maw opened wide Emi lobbed the grenade down it. The Hydra shook its middle head in confusion and tried to retch the grenade back up. A second later the bomb detonated. As the middle head burst apart in a shower of blood and brains, the other four heads followed suit.
They all cheered as the gong sounded. They’d won, they’d completed the trial.
Evan smiled weakly at his team, before falling to the ground and passing out.
Chapter 19- Warning
Brooke and Arantay left the Pixie Palace quickly. The man-made crimson mist of the club was replaced by natural grey mist as they departed.
It was a bitterly cold night and the full moon glared down at them like the eye of a malevolent giant. Brooke had to jog
to keep up with Arantay’s fluid strides. Swathed in the icy fog, Arantay appeared much like a ghost from London past.
Brooke guessed Tay was determined to be done with this mission by the end of the night. Probably so he spent as little time with her as possible.
They headed in the direction of Hyde Park, as Phosian had directed. Arantay sniffed the air every once in a while to try and detect the rogue’s scent.
Brooke’s fear mounted with every minute and horrible thoughts kept rushing through her head.
What if we can’t cure or kill the werewolf? What if he’s too insane to deal with? What if Andon kills us instead?
Whenever these thoughts became almost too much to bear she focused on her magic, drawing it to the surface, ready to use in a second. She focused particularly on the air element, deciding she would use that to repel Andon if he got too close. It felt bizarre that they might stumble upon the deranged beast at any second. Yet she had to be ready for it.
The fog thickened, idling around street lamps and muddying their light. The mist made every shadowy doorway and back alley they passed a place to hide. Her acute sense of fear had heightened. She studied every person’s face who happened to pass them by, looking for unnaturally coloured eyes.
One moment Arantay was visible, the next the fog would close about him. Brooke turned her jog into a run and sped up behind him, pushing down her panic as she saw him again.
“Slow down Arantay.”
“Hmm, oh sorry.” He seemed unaware she’d even fallen behind. “Stay close to me.”
“I’m trying,” she replied between gritted teeth.
Eventually they arrived at Hyde Park, but Arantay swerved, keeping to where the mist was thickest.
Anonymous buildings drifted in and out of the fog as they circled the area and Brooke thought she heard footsteps not far behind them.
“It’s just humans,” Arantay whispered.
Sure enough, two women passed by minutes later. Arantay dismissed them, his eyes flitting from building to building. His ceramic face twitched every so often as he picked up a new scent.
Suddenly his soft footfalls ceased and he stood, still as the statue he so often resembled.
“We’re close.”
As he uttered the words Brooke’s stomach dropped and her body started to tremble.
“I think there’s more than one,” a sliver of alarm touched his own voice now.
Maybe he was debating whether he could handle two maniacal werewolves at once.
Brooke’s magic flared inside of her, it almost felt as if her fingers were crackling with it.
“But Phosian only said there was one?” Her voice broke
“Sssh.” Arantay barely made a sound as his scarlet lips mouthed to her, “their hearing is three times that of your own. Coat your blade with the silver gel.”
She complied, watching him coat his own sword with the enchantment. Their weapons glistened coldly in the moonlit mist. She privately wished the werewolf, or werewolves, would never get close enough for them to have to wield their swords.
The sounds of far off pedestrians and car engines had dissolved, all she heard was her own panic-stricken breathing. Arantay didn’t appear to breathe at all.
Abruptly the fog curtain was pulled aside and five figures stood before them, their unnatural eyes burning brilliantly.
They were in human form, for now.
It was the two werepanthers they’d bumped into earlier, Quinn and Kane. But they’d been joined by others. One was a heavyset bald man, with gold hoop earrings and a variety of ugly tattoos, including a fang on his cheek where a teardrop might be. The other two were a boy and a girl so skinny they looked like they might blow away with a strong gust of wind. Their skin was pale, but grimed with dirt and their brown hair looked like one mass of knots.
“Yeah, these are the ones, Markus.” Kane pointed her and Tay out to the bald man. Kane’s blond beard was matted with blood.
The bald man growled as he looked them over, his eyes flashing a sickly yellow.
She didn’t need Tay to tell her that Markus was a werewolf, or that he hadn’t come to offer them help with the rogue.
“Thank you, Kane,” Markus spoke in a deep guttural voice, the muscles in his bull neck standing out in sharp relief. “Vore will appreciate your loyalty.” Markus turned back to them. “You two need to leave. Leave our city, meddling in the affairs of Moonlight Races will only end in trouble for you.”
The men wore faded brown jackets, stretched tight over their heavy frames. All three had thick brows that were furrowed, and strong jaws clenched. The girl and the boy wore clothes that were barely more than rags. Brooke realised the two teens were staring at her with a look of… hunger.
“You heard him,” Kane added. “Run back to where you came from.”
Kane and Quinn must’ve realised they were tourists when they bumped into each other at the club. Brooke was sure they had no way of knowing they were Venators though. She guessed strangers like Tay weren’t welcome. They might think Tay was a vampire, encroaching on their territory, or maybe they’d heard of Elfpires too.”
“Why?” Arantay returned, his melodious voice a sharp contrast.
“You smell like them yet you are not one. Who are you?” Kane answered with another question.
Ah, so they knew Arantay was supernatural, just not what.
“I am only half vampire friend, I am not part of the London coven, rest assured.”
“Then why do you hunt Andon?” Kane’s voice became harsher as he stared at their blades, which gleamed silver.
“Andon?” Arantay feigned ignorance. “My friend and I were just passing through. These blades are a precaution. We know werewolves run these streets.”
“The half-breed lies,” Markus snapped, his contempt clear. “I think we should rip the truth from his pale throat.
Brooke gasped as for a split-second the lycan’s face distorted, his teeth growing so vast they wrenched his mouth into a permanent grimace, his eyes slits of molten gold.
“Allow me, sir,” said Kane, stepping toward Arantay.
Before she knew it, a green energy ball had burgeoned in her hand. She was ready to defend herself.
“Kane!” Quinn pushed him back. “The girl has magic.”
A sound halfway between a thunderous bark and a roar erupted from Kane as he shoved Quinn away from him. “Venators!” he spat. “You leave us alone. Your kind does not belong here.”
Arantay’s sword rose a fraction higher.
“Leave,” Markus repeated, “or I’ll make a bloody carcass out of your pretty girlfriend there.”
“Do that lycan, and I’ll unseal your head from your shoulders.” Arantay’s voice was quiet but held a malignant menace. Brooke remembered how truly powerful he was.
Kane chuckled deep at the back of his throat. Brooke noticed his nails had grown into claws. The homeless-looking girl had also started edging toward her. Brooke kept the energy orb dancing in her hands.
“Andon has done nothing wrong,” Markus snarled. “So what if he’s attacked a few humans. Those meatbags deserve it. I myself have kil-”
Markus fell silent as Kane shoved him with a look of warning.
“The point is,” Kane said quickly, “you Venators have no authority in our city. You just think you do. What we lycan’s and shifters do is our business, and ours alone.”
“Kane,” Quinn warned again, tugging on his accomplice’s sleeve.
“Get off me, cub.” Kane cuffed Quinn round the head. “Know your place in the pack. Or are you just craven?”
“No, sir.” Quinn stepped away reluctantly.
Kane turned back to them, his face a grotesque mask of hatred. “Touch Andon and bring the wrath of London’s packs down upon you, half-breed scum,” he warned vehemently.
“You should listen to your pack mate,” Arantay advised, nodding at Quinn.
Brooke could see Quinn was scared, but it didn’t look like he was afraid of a fi
ght, more that he didn’t see the need to start one. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him. It appeared Quinn didn’t like Kane much, but was bound to obey him.
“And you should do as we say,” Kane replied. “That little silver spell won’t work on werepanthers, just give it up.”
“Venators have no quarrel with you,” Arantay said, “but we cannot leave London before our business is settled. Just let us pass and there’ll be no need for bloodshed. I warn you, you will not win.”
“Vore is the uncrowned king of London,” Markus chuckled. “He’s forged alliances with many shifter packs and offers sanctuary to strays too.” Markus jerked his head in the children’s direction. “If you dare fight us, you’ll bring Vore’s wrath down on all your demon hunting kind. We’ll kill you and any other Venator who dares set foot in our city.”
Maybe it’s better to lie, Brooke wished she could tell Tay without them hearing. She was sure the Masters didn’t want them bringing so much attention to themselves. Battling in the streets would certainly do that.
“We aren’t here for the Moonlight Races,” she said, trying to diffuse the situation. “If you must know, we’re tracking demons in London. Now please, let us go in peace.”
“I can smell your lies,” Kane spat.
“Hmm, I think I’ll eat her tongue,” Markus licked his lips, “for daring to trick us, after I’m done mating with her that is.”
Arantay’s lips skinned as his fangs lengthened. “Threaten my companion again, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to restrain myself.”
Markus chuckled. “You little leech, I’ll enjoy squashing you.”
“Perhaps we should consult with Vore before starting a fight with Venators,” said Quinn. “Our fight is with the night children, not the demon hunters.”
Kane turned and struck his fellow werepanther so hard Quinn stumbled to the ground, unconscious. Brooke gasped, whilst the two children hooted in glee.
“Bloody coward!” Markus snorted.
“Last chance,” Kane growled. “Go back to your own world now. Whilst you still can.”
“I told you,” Tay said quietly. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
Moonlight War- Act I (The Realmers Book 2) Page 24