The Curse of Oberon (The Inglewood Chronicles Book 3)

by Croston, Jeremy

“You of all people should understand the power of stories ‘Bloody Lizzie’ Bathory.” I hated it when any of my older friends like Kristie brought up my dubious past. “There’s a seed of truth in all those old tales.”

  Connor took to explaining it for us. “The Dullahan is a creature created of purely dark magic and it is bound ta whoever summons it from the fiery pit it lives in. A spectral creature, it only returns once it has completed the mission the summoner has given it.”

  As he finished up, “As with all ghostly apparitions, the Dullahan has very few weak points in which to attack. The thing we need ta find out is what exactly she would summon it ta do.”

  “To do that, we need to find Anita and ask I assume.” I was not going to be frightened by this witch and her pet. At least not yet.

  “Have you heard of O’Byrne Cliffs?” I nodded my head yes at Connor’s question. “Then that is where we are goin’ ta go. And yes Liz,” he could tell I was not onboard with his inclusion, “I am goin’ with ye. This is my territory and I will not have this witch torturin’ the humans.”

  Kristie gave me a ‘meh’ shoulder shrug, so I decided to drop it. If this was my territory, I would be forcing my way along too. Over in the corner, Fergus was leaning up with a smile on his face. “Sorry lasses that I pulled one over on ye. It was never my intention, but we had ta be sure we could trust ye.”

  “Excuse me for being a bit pissed, friend. When you invited me to run with your pack, I thought there was a bond of trust.”

  “Bernard,” Fergus tried to keep it cool. Bernard was one large wolf. “I trusted ye, I really did. But I never met Liz over there and we weren’t sure she’d be usin’ ye.”

  Vic’s older brother walked right up to him, a good head and shoulders taller and looked down with anger. “Next time you’re not sure, just ask or you won’t like the consequences.” And with that he turned around and smiled. “Things are settled here.”

  Fergus was as white in the face as Connor. “That’d be one big wolf…”

  “Alright Connor, this is your territory, so you get to be in charge of this operation.” It was actually nice to pass the leadership torch off to the ambassador of this region.

  He tried to look confident. “Alright, I know where the cliffs are. Let us get there before dark, as I have no intention of dealin’ with a witch at night.”

  Interlude II

  **Cristof**

  There were only four of us in the dungeon – myself, Lemoyne, Anders, and Kai Orochi. This was no longer just a simple incident of betrayal; no, without trying to sound melodramatic, this was a possible end of the world scenario. I had just told the three of them what Rissa told me and I could see even Lemoyne’s personal attacks of Roderick fall to the wayside.

  The French vampire expressed his thoughts first. “Are we one hundred percent sure the girl understood what she heard?”

  “Before I called the three of you together, I reached out to Gregory and he verified. We all know Gregory Collins is not one to make up a story just for fun.”

  Anders cursed in his native Portuguese. “If this is true, we have a much larger problem than just Jonathan being a rat.” Then he raised a very good point. “Does anyone even know where Cain is supposed to be buried?”

  Lemoyne raised his hand. “Very few know this, so I share it with the utmost of caution. In a tower-like temple in the old Byzantine empire, outside the city of Constantinople.”

  “Lemoyne,” Kai’s quiet voice brought a sense of calm. “It has not been called that in a long time. You date yourself.”

  “Istanbul then. Either way, the temple is in modern Turkey, hidden just out of view on the Black Sea.”

  I was a little surprised at his knowledge, but I would run with it. “How does one open the crypt to free the monster? That is, if he is still alive after all these millennia.”

  “That is an even greater secret; according to the documents I have personally read at the Vatican, the Byzantine-Vampire Emperor Justin II used a witch to seal with tomb shut.” It was like a lightbulb went off in his mind. “The witch who is in service to Elizabeth – what is her name?”

  It took me a moment to remember. “Rosette O’Byrne I believe. Why do you care?”

  His eyes flew open, making the rest of us wonder if he had lost his mind. “The witch who sealed the tomb, it was said she had flaming red hair and spoke in a Gaelic voice! This cannot be a coincidence!”

  “Why do we not ask Roderick? Surely he can put these puzzle pieces together?”

  While I liked Anders suggestion, Lemoyne still held a grudge. “How do we not know he is in on the scheme? We still have not cleared him of being ‘in the know’ as they say in America.”

  “If you plan to hold secret meetings,” I had to smirk at the old vampire’s voice, “then I suggest you do not hold them in a place where I know every passage.”

  “Roderick…” The two rivals, Lemoyne and Roderick locked eyes. “Spying on us to see what information we have gathered?”

  “Quite the opposite you pompous fool, I have come to corroborate the facts.”

  Kai opened her arms wide. “It is an honor to have you join us. Cristof, in a wise move, decided to keep this just to us until we were sure it was not just a misdirection ploy.”

  Roderick walked right by Lemoyne and joined Kai and Anders. “I assure you it is not. As I have stated before, I witnessed the removal of the gem from the catacombs from under London. Funny how certain individuals did not either wish to believe me or choose to hear me.”

  “Enough!” The time for petty arguments was over. “The two of you can deal with your issues later. I want to know everything Roderick.”

  He complied, as my looks kept Lemoyne from adding his little comments while he told us all he knew. My first thought was I needed to talk to Liz about her report, as it appeared she omitted some very important points. Unfortunately, it was too late to give her a stern talking to.

  “So this is why Jonathan is in Ireland. I was curious why he fled there.”

  “Yes, we were all under the impression that Elizabeth was after him due to his killing her chief inspector.” Anders put his hands together, looking worried. “We need to send reinforcements over there to help capture him.”

  “Capture is not enough.” Kai was not as lenient. “Death to the traitor is the appropriate punishment. Though allow me to offer a different course of action.”

  “What are your thoughts Kai?”

  “We send a team to the temple Lemoyne spoke of Cristof. We do not know if Jonathan is still on the Emerald Island or not, but we know his eventual move will be to free Cain, no?”

  We all contemplated her idea. “Liz is in Ireland and if she is hot on his trail, then we let her finish the job. I am sure she reached out to either Kristie or Connor as it is.” That seemed the most reasonable course of action. “Lemoyne, I recommend you take Anders and Kai with you to Istanbul.”

  Roderick’s hands went flying in the air. “You are going to send him? Are you daft?”

  “Would the three of you go and get ready? Allow me to talk to Roderick alone.” Anders and Kai were pleased to be given an out, but Lemoyne wanted to linger, I could tell. I gave him a hard look before he joined them heading back into the main part of the house. Alone finally, “You are an insufferable fool, you know that?”

  “Me? You are the one sending Lemoyne of all people to guard Cain’s prison.”

  “Again, shut up for a moment would you?” He looked aghast I would talk to him in such a way. “Do you trust me?”

  He shifted from annoyed to perplexed. “Thirty minutes ago, I would have said yes without hesitation-”

  I put my hand over his mouth, tired of hearing his bitching. Was it disrespectful? Highly. “Listen carefully as I might be your only true ally in all of this.” I let go of his mouth, and had to bite my lip not to laugh at his indignant face. “Tonight, there will be transport awaiting you to take you to a highly unusual place.”

  “I do not
take orders from you.”

  Ignoring him, “Just prior to Lemoyne’s initial trial for you, word reached me that a helicopter was seen over the ocean, heading to a place that none willingly go.” His eyes grew and his mouth dropped. “I want to know why someone would go to Neverland. Are you up for a field trip my old friend?”

  **Jonathan**

  As promised, the blonde hair and blue eyed witch showed up to the castle I was currently making court in. I dismissed her upon seeing the note from Anita that just read ‘Promise.’ I knew exactly what she was referring to, yet cared little. With the witch firmly in my possession, whether she came across my older sister was none of my concern.

  What did bother me was the fact Pan had not returned yet from Neverland. My source was never wrong, so I knew the Gem of Babylon was on the island. The question that really bothered me was how it ended up there. I had asked multiple times about it, but was stonewalled each time.

  I looked out the window; the cool night offered a breeze that whipped my hair around. I was so close to my goals. I could not wait for Pan any longer; he knew where to reach me once he had the gem. It was time to leave this country and begin the final phase.

  Part 3

  Victor: War for Neverland

  Liz: The Dullahan

  Chapter 19

  Isa was just as proficient a killer as any I’d met. The Orcs never stood a chance from our tag team assault. The best part? I hadn’t needed to transform to end this little patrol’s nefarious deeds. A few well-placed slices with Pan’s silver knife, and the task was done. Isa had gone full vamp on ‘em and let me tell you how scary that was.

  When she removed her fangs from the last remaining Orc’s neck, the thick greenish blood was running down her face. “Not as good as human, or even animal, but it’ll do the trick.”

  It was hard to watch. “That looks just awful. You must got an iron gut or something.”

  She hefted the Orc to the ground like he weighed nothing. “If I were you wolf, I’d cut and clean some of the meat from him. It’s been a few days since you last ate anything and you’re looking a bit thin. That boar meat you devoured isn’t going to keep you going forever.”

  I felt odd taking dietary advice from a lady who just drank from an Orc, but who was I to turn down a valid opinion. It didn’t take long though for me to get overwhelmed by the rancid smell from inside these things. I cut off just enough to hopefully keep me upright before abandoning the task.

  As we began our trek back to her hideout, “That’s the third patrol we’ve put down in as many days. The Orcs are getting restless.”

  “Yes, something has them wound up and I think it’s you.” The little pixie vampire moved like a damn ballerina through the forest, often times leaving me a few steps behind tangled up. “Would you please not plod around with so much gusto? It’s a damn miracle those wolves haven’t found us yet.”

  Just as she said it, I got tangled in some more vines. Using what strength I could muster, I ripped them down making all sorts of racket. “The sooner they find us, the better. I’m tired of picking off these small groups.”

  I was expecting an argument, but instead I got an agreement. “I am too. Killing Orcs is fun, but not nearly as satisfying as drinking from the Orc Chief. Without him, Pan will be left to our mercy.”

  That was the hope, at least mine privately. By the time we got back, I was pretty tuckered out, from lack of eating I think. I roasted up some ‘tasty’ Orc strips and forced myself to eat ‘em. They tasted like chewy globs of bacon fat. It wasn’t five-star dining by any means, but after a few strips, I could feel a difference.

  “I’m going to take a nap if you don’t mind.”

  Isa really paid no attention to me when we weren’t out on our Orc hunts. She looked over to acknowledge and went back to sharpening her vast array of crude weapons. I leaned up against the wooden corner of the treehouse, where the wind was most prevalent and drifted off.

  Sleep had been more restless lately. Each time I dozed off since I got here, I felt like something was trying to make contact with me. This time, it was successful.

  I knew I was asleep, but in my mind, I was fully aware. A shining white light pulsed in front of me; Oberon’s curse. “You have become the Warg’s host.”

  “Welcome back to the party. I’m glad you’re keeping track of things tucked down here nicely.”

  It went from white to grey, back to white. “The vampire’s curse was more powerful than I expected. It is a shame I can do nothing more for you than what I have provided.”

  “You reached out to me to say sorry? Can’t do no more to help?” I might’ve been a bit sarcastic with this thing inside me. “Sorry, I ain’t buying that.”

  “It takes much for us to meet in such ways and the less we do, the better. Today, I came to you to offer a warning.”

  I swatted at the curse, like an annoying fly. “What the hell kinda warning can you give me?”

  “The vampire’s curse, I sense the-” Whatever it was going to say, I wouldn’t get to hear. Something pulled me back to the present. My eyes opened to see Isa way too close for comfort.

  I tried to back up only to bang my head against the wooden sides of the treehouse. “Shit! Damnit woman, what’re you doing so close to me?”

  “You were moaning and groaning in your sleep. I wanted to make sure you were still alive.” She looked down and called out, “Marko, he’s alive.”

  I heard a loud grunt below. The blasted thing was so loud it shook the tree. “And you complain about the noise I make.”

  “Unlike you, Marko can defend himself against the hostilities of Neverland. If something is stupid enough to charge after a forest troll, then they deserve the swift death that comes with it.”

  “When we go after the Orcs, why doesn’t he come along? I’d imagine that’d make our jobs easier and safer?”

  She rushed over and covered my mouth with her hand. “Don’t ever ask him to help us kill the Orcs, do you understand?” She looked positively possessed. Realizing I was freaked out, “Marko lived with the Orcs before I befriended him. He saved me, but at the cost of his place in their tribe.”

  “Oh.” Another outcast, that I could relate to. “I think I understand.”

  “He’ll protect me and by extension you, but don’t think for a minute about asking him to go to war with his former family. I could never do that to him.”

  That worked for me. I shook the cobwebs out, still disappointed that I hadn’t heard the end of the message. As I stretched out, I wondered about telling her about the talking curses, but chalked it up to her thinking I was insane. I needed her to keep helping me if I was going to accomplish what me and the Sphinx came here to do.

  I saw on the table a crude carving. “What’s that?”

  “This is a poorly drawn map of Neverland. If we’re going to put an end to the Orcs and Pan, we’ll need to get you sorta caught up on the lay of the land cowboy.”

  The way she called me cowboy… Jeez at every corner I was being reminded of Liz. I wondered how she was holding up. Hopefully better than me.

  She carved an X in the middle of the drawing (and I use that term loosely). “From my time on the island, I know this to be the place where the wyrm goes back to. The fastest and easiest path back to Pan will take us right by its home.”

  That last thing I wanted to do was willingly get close to that beast. “There isn’t a better way? I mean, if we have to go around the long way, ain’t that better than walking to our doom?”

  “Sure, if you want to stick around this place longer than needed, by all means slink around the island.” Her voice went cold. “It’s not like there aren’t a million things ready to kill you. Or option B is to grow a pair and follow my lead.”

  “Just how long have you been stuck on this island?”

  “Like I said before, for too damn long. To be honest, I don’t even know what’s out there for me off this place, but I’m willing to find out.”

  Th
ere was something bothering me, like a fly you want to smack but is constantly out of your eye line. You know he’s there, but you can’t find him. That’s exactly the sensation I had right now. It was something I’d be keeping an eye on for sure.

  That being said, Isa was gearing herself up. “I’m guessing we’re leaving soon?”

  “You’re a smart one.” She slid two knives into her boots. “You’ll need these.” She tossed me a few of her stash.

  They weren’t as well made as Pan’s knife, but you could never go wrong with extra blades. I put them in my pockets, half concerned I’d stab myself. “We kill the Orc Chief; the wolves will be broken of his control?”

  “No Chief, no orders to be given. It’s a pretty cut and dry solution.”

  I grabbed one of the leather satchels and loaded up one of the mason jars of blood. Isa had done the honors of bleeding out the boar I had for dinner a few days ago. I figured if I needed to use the Warg, might as well have the necessary payment at hand. With that, I was ready.

  I walked over to the built in ladder and began my descent. About three quarters of the way down, I was face to face with Marko. I stopped, out of fear mostly, and the troll inhaled. The force of the wind nearly pulled me off the tree.

  When it stopped, “Honest. Good.” His voice was like an earthquake.

  I was about to ask what he was talking about when he turned around and stomped off into the trees. I looked up at Isa, who was giving me an interesting look. I had a feeling she had the same wonders about me that I had about her. At the very least, the troll could vouch for me. I didn’t have anyone to vouch for her.

  Chapter 20

  We’d begun our hike early the next morning. Neverland seemed to be a lot bigger than I gave it credit for to begin with. Isa hadn’t wanted to stop for breaks either, but I convinced her we needed to keep fresh. And the reason we needed to stay fresh? We were just getting to it.