“There’s no need to go to the Obscura if you don’t have to,” Gray told her.
Bryn gave him a pointed look. “Every time we go there, something bad happens. I’d rather be there to help Mia, if it’s all the same to you.”
“I don’t need protection,” I objected. “I’m going to be an agent the same as you, Bryn.”
The water witch grimaced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I know you’re more than capable, Mia. I’m just…”
“Bossy?” Gray suggested with a mischievous grin. “Overbearing? Controlling?”
Bryn whipped out her wand in a mock threatening manner. “Tell me that again, Graydon Alastair Mappleworth III.”
“I’d take the wand over your blood magic any day of the week,” Gray said. Even so, he gently steered the wand away from him.
Bryn’s blood was rare and potent and allowed her to control you if you had any in your system. She’d inherited the trait from her father, Volans Moldark, one of the most evil and powerful sorcerers in history.
“Don’t worry,” Bryn said. “I have no plans to make you my blood puppet. I like my boyfriends with a mind of their own.”
Gray quirked an eyebrow. “Boyfriends, plural, huh?”
Bryn ignored his comment. “It’s up to you, Mia. If you want moral support, I’m happy to tag along. I know it can seem scary there.” She smiled at the vampire. “But you’ll have Gray with you. He’s pretty handy in a crisis and he knows the Obscura well.”
“You have your own assignments to handle,” Gray told her. “What if we’re in the Obscura and you get called to headquarters?”
“It’s a possibility,” Bryn said, “but if Mia wants me there, I’m going with you.” She looked at me expectantly from across the table.
“Gray and I can do this,” I said without hesitation. “I appreciate the offer, though.”
“On the bright side, you’re only making an inquiry,” Bryn said. “What could go wrong?” She put a forkful of eggs into her mouth and chewed happily.
“I’d say bite your tongue, but you have too much egg in your mouth to get to it,” Gray said.
She scooted closer and kissed him on the lips, her mouth still full of egg. Charming.
“Should we call Nick?” I asked.
Gray took a sip of his blood orange protein shake. “Nick hates the Obscura. He won’t mind at all if we ditch him.”
“Bad experience?” I queried.
“It’s the werejaguar in him,” Gray replied. “Magical places in the gooey center of the earth make him queasy.”
I thought of my own preference for fresh air. “I understand the sentiment.”
“What’s the address for the Painted Veil?” he asked. “We’ll leave straight from here.” Gray polished off his shake.
“Which entrance are you taking her to?” Bryn asked.
“Depends on Ashara’s location,” Gray said. “Might not make sense to use the church.”
I pulled the note from my pocket where Peter had written the address. “Mockingbird Alley.”
“Gee, that doesn’t have an ominous ring to it at all,” Bryn said.
“What?” I said. “Mockingbirds are pretty.”
“They’re creepy,” Bryn said. “They mimic the sounds of other birds and animals.” She shuddered.
“It’s just the name of the alley,” I replied.
“Well, it sounds shady,” Bryn said, frowning at her boyfriend.
“It’s the Obscura,” Gray replied. “The whole market is shady.”
“Just wish us luck, Bryn,” I told her. “And tell the others I’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“Ooh, dinner,” Bryn said. Her mind already on the evening meal. “The cafeteria menu says hodgepodge stew tonight. One of my favorites.”
“But how many hodgepodges had to die for that stew to be made?” Gray teased.
Bryn kissed him firmly on the lips. “Be careful. If you die there, I’ll kill you.” She blew me a kiss across the table. “You, too.”
We finished our meal and paid the bill before parting ways. Bryn rode her broomstick back to the academy and Gray and I rode his motorcycle to the Obscura entrance. He decided that the church wouldn’t take us to the right section of the market, so he chose a different access point.
As much as I wanted the wind in my face during the ride, Gray insisted that I wear my helmet. I quietly conjured a spell to make the face area transparent and allow more air through.
The journey was so pleasant that I momentarily forgot our destination. We passed farmland and fields. Forests and lakes. We continued to ride until we passed a sign for a small town called Cedarmarsh. He parked the motorcycle in front of a tavern. The wooden sign had a painted rooster but no words.
“The entrance is here?” I asked. I turned around to get a better view of the town. A handful of shops lined the main street, most of them utilitarian in nature. A hardware shop. A potions shop. A smithy. The tavern seemed to be the only dining establishment.
“You’ll see,” he said cryptically.
I followed him into the tavern where a lone bartender stood behind the counter. The heavyset man brightened when he set eyes on Gray.
“Warden, what brings you all the way to Cedarmarsh? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Gray smiled and shook the bartender’s hand. “Nice to see you, Jack. How’s business?”
“The usual,” Jack replied. “I assume business is why you’re here.”
Gray nodded. “My partner and I are in need of an access pass.”
Jack’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “You sure? I thought you said last time you’d never venture that way again.”
Gray shrugged. “Circumstances demand it.”
“I see.” Jack cut a glance at me. “She up for it?”
I started to feel frustrated. “Up for what? What’s so perturbing about this entrance that everyone seems overly concerned?”
Jack broke into a wide grin. “Ha! I shouldn’t have asked. With that attitude, she’ll be just fine.”
Gray set a few coins on the counter. “Appreciate your help.”
Jack came out from behind the counter and crooked a finger. “Right this way.”
Gray and I followed him to a trapdoor and headed down a set of steps to a storage room filled with barrels. There was a damp odor mixed with ale.
“Mind the path you take,” Jack said. “Rumor has it you-know-who has been active lately. Might be hunting season.”
I swallowed hard. That didn’t sound good.
“We’ll handle it,” Gray said. “Mia is an excellent witch. I know she’ll have my back.”
I straightened my shoulders, pleased by the compliment.
Jack pried the lid off one of the barrels. “Who’s first?”
I stared at the barrel. “We’re riding there in a barrel? Is there a river we need to float down or something?”
“You’re not riding in the barrel,” Jack said. “This is the entrance.”
My gaze shifted to the dozens of other barrels. “How do you know which barrel is the right one?”
Jack pointed at the side where Crème de Thistle was written. “No one drinks Crème de Thistle. They wouldn’t dream of opening it unless they knew its true purpose.”
Gray climbed one leg over the side and I heard the splash of liquid. “I’ll show you how it’s done, Mia.”
I scrunched my nose. “We’ll be soaking wet.” Not to mention reek of brew.
Gray winked before disappearing into the barrel.
“Your turn, witch,” Jack said. He gestured to the open top of the barrel.
I took a deep breath. If Gray thought this was the best way to get to the Obscura, then I trusted him. I flipped my leg over the side of the barrel and cringed as my shoe filled with thick liquid.
“It’ll be okay,” Jack said. “The barrel’s enchanted.”
I laughed. “I should hope so. Otherwise, Gray and I are going to be awfully uncomfortable in a second.”
I
pulled my other leg over and held my breath before slipping inside. My feet hit the ground with a thud and sent a sharp pain up my calf. Not my best landing. I touched my clothes and realized they were dry.
“You might want your wand for this part,” Gray said. “It’s dark for non-vampire eyes.”
I retrieved my wand and performed a basic illumination spell. The tip of my wand began to glow.
Gray glanced at my wand and grinned. “E.T. phone home.”
My brow creased. “What does that mean?”
He sighed. “All that pop culture and Bryn never told you about E.T.? It’s a Terrene movie. An alien has a finger that lights up. She mentioned it during our first trip to the Obscura. I thought it was weird and slightly endearing.”
“Bryn has a lot of weird and slightly endearing habits.”
His grin split wider. “That she does.”
I cast my gaze at the surroundings. I could only see about a yard in any direction. “Where are we?”
“This passage should take us to the right section of the market,” Gray said. “It’s faster than going from one end of the market to the other. Less chance of running into unsavory characters, too.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Are you sure about that? I don’t get a great feeling about this place.”
Gray chuckled. “It’s not the most inviting pathway, I’ll give you that much. Then again, no path to the Obscura is without peril.”
“What’s the issue with this one?” I asked. “Jack mentioned a hunting season?”
Gray’s eyes glimmered in the darkness. “I don’t think we need to worry. He doesn’t like vampires. If he smells me, he’ll steer clear.”
“Who is he?”
Gray paused his footsteps. “He’s called Chesson. He lives in these passageways. When he runs out of his stash of food, he tends to pursue alternative sources.”
I gulped. “Alternative?”
Gray’s mouth formed a thin line. “Women.”
Terrific. “So he kidnaps women, drags them into a dark and isolated pathway, and then eats them?”
“In a nutshell.”
Fabulous. “Any signs I need to watch for?” I asked.
“Not watch,” he said. “Listen. If we hear their cries in the distance, then we need to find another route.”
“Their? I thought it was just one creature.”
“Not his cries,” Gray said. “Theirs.”
I shuddered, the realization settling in. I was listening for the cries of the captive women. “No one’s been able to kill him?”
“This isn’t a common pathway,” Gray said. “No one knows how long Chesson has dwelled down here. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a targeted effort to find him.”
“Why not?” I demanded. “Aren’t these women’s lives valued by anyone?”
Gray lowered his eyes and my stomach churned.
“No one cares what happens to these women?”
“Their disappearances might get reported, but…” He pressed his lips together. “Chesson is an intelligent hunter. They tend to be women on the fringes of society. That’s how I know about the disappearances, from my time on the edge.” He shook his head. “It’s a horrible situation.”
Gray had spent years lurking in the shadows after the death of his AMF partner. It wasn’t until he met Bryn that he decided to return to his job as a warden and to society in general.
“You never tried to kill him?” I asked.
“I’ve never gotten close enough,” Gray said. “Like I told you, he avoids vampires.”
“And most paranormals coming through here avoid him.”
“If you’re coming through here to get to the Obscura, you tend to have other pressing priorities,” Gray said.
Like we did.
But still.
“Let’s get to the market,” I said. The sooner, the better. I already had images that haunted me. I didn’t need sounds to accompany them.
We continued through the dark and damp passage. Occasionally, the passage would divide into two, but Gray always knew which direction to choose. I was glad to have him with me. There was no way I could have navigated this path on my own. We reached another fork and Gray had just stepped to the right when a piercing cry split the darkness. A shiver shot down my spine
“We can’t leave her,” I said, my tone grim and determined.
Gray didn’t argue, probably because he sensed the futility of it. Another cry reached our ears. It clearly came from the passage on the left.
“I defer to you, future Keeper Holmes,” Gray said.
We inched our way through the passage. The cries grew louder and it quickly became apparent that there were two distinct voices.
Chesson had more than one woman.
My grip tightened on my wand. This monster wouldn’t live to eat another day. How could no one care enough about these women to stop the creature from continuing to hunt? How many had he killed over the years?
We reached another division, but this one sprouted four new pathways instead of two. I paused to listen and heard soft whimpering. I was fairly certain it came from the far left. I motioned toward the entrance with my wand, and Gray nodded. A few steps later, I suppressed a gasp.
Thirty feet away, two women were tied to spits as the creature prepared a fire nearby— he intended to roast them alive. What kind of name was Chesson for a monster like this? His white tusks were long and curved and his face reminded me of a rhino. His massive body was the color of a plum and sported human-style arms, the legs of a large satyr, and a horse-like tail.
One of the women noticed us and stopped crying. I quickly put a finger to my lips. Chesson sniffed the air and I aimed my wand as his head jerked in our direction.
“Conglacior,” I said.
A layer of ice formed over the creature and he froze in place. Gray wasted no time vampire-sprinting to untie the women. I kept my wand pointed at Chesson in case he broke through the spell. I had no idea what kind of power he possessed.
The women dropped to the ground and I noticed that one seemed remarkably weaker than the other. Gray put his arm under the weaker one to help support her as they ambled out of the cavern.
“Thank you,” the stronger woman said. Her face was covered in fresh bruises and her clothing was torn.
“We’re headed to the Obscura if you want to join us,” I said.
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied. “I can escort my sister from this horrid place.”
“You know how to get out of here?” I asked.
“The creature kidnapped my sister and I came in search of her,” the woman replied. “I memorized these passages. When I finally found her, the creature wasn’t here, but it managed to return before I could untie her.” She narrowed her eyes at Chesson. “It overpowered me. His tusks are sharp. He wields them like weapons.”
“Not anymore,” I said. No sooner did the words leave my lips then the sheen of ice began to crack. “Go!”
The women hurried out of the cavern. I had to prevent the creature from pursuing them. The weaker sister wouldn’t be able to move fast enough.
Chesson moved his leg and Gray pounced before the creature had a chance to fully recover. The vampire wrapped his arms around Chesson’s thick throat and attempted to subdue the creature.
“Your fangs,” I called.
“His hide is too thick,” Gray replied, struggling to maintain his hold.
I aimed my wand, but it was difficult to do any offensive spells with Gray in the mix. “You need to let him go.”
The creature flexed his shoulders and Gray went flying across the cavern, slamming into the stone wall. Chesson was strong. I thought of the woman who’d come to save her sister, how brave she’d been. She hadn’t stood a chance against this creature.
But I did.
I called to my magic and lifted my hand. Air rushed into the cavern and streamed beneath the creature’s hooves. He toppled backward and fell on his tail. I thought I’d have tim
e to hit him again, but he was surprisingly limber. Chesson was back up in a heartbeat and racing toward me, swinging his tusks from side to side. If I didn’t get out of the way now, those tusks were going to slice right through me.
I didn’t get out of the way.
I opted to stand my ground and summoned my magic. The air swirled around him. He began to spin, faster and faster, incapable of breaking free. The mini-tornado continued to build in strength. The wind gusts blew the fire sideways and Gray fought his way toward me, careful not to get burned or sucked into the vortex. Once the vampire was safely behind me, I shifted the tornado to the left and raised it higher off the ground so that it was directly over the open flames. Then I turned the creature onto his side and kept him spinning.
“You made your own spit,” Gray said, clearly impressed.
“Seems appropriate,” I replied. I kept my focus on the tornado, not wanting to break my concentration until the creature was no longer a threat. His days of hunting and killing women were officially over.
His plum-colored body turned black and his shrieks finally subsided. I slowed the twisting air until the creature’s remains crumbled into dust.
Gray clapped me on the shoulder. “Good work, Mia. Those sisters are alive thanks to you.”
My hand dropped to my side. “But how many had to die before them?” I gestured to the pile of bones now visible in the far corner of the cavern.
“You can’t save them all,” Gray said. “No one can.”
I stared at the bones, an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Maybe not, but it won’t stop me from trying.”
Chapter Four
Strong smells drifted into the passageway and I knew we had to be close to the market. A mixture of sweet and spicy odors filled my nostrils and I was relieved to finally arrive. My muscles ached from the journey, but I had a feeling I’d been holding tension in my body ever since we left the tavern. Maybe now that we’d reached the Obscura, I’d be able to let it go.
We stepped out of a dimly lit passage into what appeared to be a town square. Brick buildings lined the square and a large fountain bubbled in the middle. I pulled a face when I realized that it wasn’t water in the fountain.
It was blood.
Outgrow: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Keeper of the North Book 2) Page 3