Dark Season: The Complete Box Set

by Amy Cross

  "Then how come you're in such a mess?" I ask.

  "Because I had to come and find Patrick. I thought he could help me. I took a risk, and it didn't pay off. Now I've got to get running again. But this time I know where I'm going. I just need your help. I promise you, if you come with me and you do what I say, everything's going to be fine. I've got a plan."

  "A plan?"

  "Yeah. A great plan. A fucking brilliant plan, but I can't pull it off alone. That's why I need you. I thought I'd get Patrick to help me fight the bastards off, but I've got a much better plan now. I don't need brute force, I need brains. And that's where you come in. I knew it the moment I met you."

  I stare at him.

  "I can make you come," he says with a sigh, "but it's gonna be exhausting if I have to drag your ass every fucking step of the way, you know what I mean? Besides, I'd hate to see you get ripped up by the rest of the pack. I've seen that happen to people, and it's not pretty. Or quick. And it'd really fuck up my plan, and I'd feel pretty guilty over involving you." He gives the rope a gentle tug. "Come on, darling. Not much further."

  "I don't believe you," I say.

  "I've got it all figured out."

  "For someone who's got it all figured out," I say, "you seem to be in a bit of a mess."

  "There's a plan!" he insists.

  "Okay," I say. "What is it? What's the great plan?"

  "Can't tell you," he says. "Not 'til we're there. Frankly, if I told you, you'd refuse to come with me, 'cause it sounds crazy."

  "I'm already refusing to come with you," I say.

  "Aye, but not seriously," he says. "I mean, you can't go back the way we came, 'cause I promise you there's wolves ready to rip you to pieces. My way's the only way. All you have to do is stick with me, and I promise you'll be okay." He smiles a little. "I'm a friend of Patrick's. A good friend. Maybe the best friend he's ever had. Doesn't that tell you that you can trust me?"

  I open my mouth to argue, but then I realize I've got no choice. All I can do is keep following him, and hope to God that Patrick turns up to save me before we run into a pack of hungry wolves. As Hamish starts walking again, I accept that I have no choice but to follow him. I reach up and try again to loosen the rope, but I don't think that approach is going to work. I need to come up with another way to get out of here.

  We follow the course of a river, partly to break any trail we might be leaving and partly because Hamish insists we have to wash every hour in order to get rid of our scents. As time passes, he becomes more and more distracted, constantly glancing over his shoulder to see if we're being followed. When I ask, he says he has much stronger hearing than I can ever imagine; he says there's nothing tracking us so far, but that he needs to know when they're on our trail. I can't help noticing that it's 'when' rather than 'if', and I can't help looking over my own shoulder.

  Eventually Hamish and I reach a bend in the river and he insists we wade in again, but this time he says we have to climb out the other side.

  "Nearly there," he says, clambering up the opposite bank. "From now on, expect the unexpected."

  "Nearly where?" I ask, following him up the muddy bank. I'm soaking wet. It feels like we're a thousand miles from civilization.

  He stands still and seems to be listening to something I can't hear. "I need to tell you what happens next," he says. "There are wolves here and they want to kill me. There's nothing I can do. I can't persuade them. I can't fight them. I can't outrun them. I can't stop them." He takes a deep breath. "But you can."

  I wait for him to explain, but he just stares at me. "How?" I ask eventually.

  He steps closer, leans in and whispers directly into my ear. "You have to command them to leave me alone. You have to threaten to do terrible things to them if they don't obey you."

  "I'm sure they'll be terrified," I say feebly.

  "They will be if you tell them you're a mage," he whispers.

  "A what?"

  He takes a deep breath. "A mage is a kind of powerful sorcerer from many, many years ago. They've all gone now, they left long ago, but some people - some very superstitious people - believe there are still one or two. And any sane creature on this Earth would be terrified to come face to face with a mage. In fact, a mage is just about the one thing that the Alpha Wolf would never, ever mess with."

  It's a bit much to take in. "What do you mean, they've gone?" I ask. "Where did they go?"

  "They tired of this world. The violence and all that stuff, so they left for somewhere more peaceful, one of the other seven worlds. But it's not impossible that one of them could have stayed behind and remained hidden, or maybe got a bit bored and came back. And we're going to trick the wolves into thinking you're one of them. Trust me, they'll listen to you."

  "I'm not a mage," I say. "This is your plan?"

  "I know you're not a mage," he replies, "and normally you'd never be able to trick the wolves. But you've got something special about you, something that might just seal the deal." He leans in and sniffs me. "You have a scent that no other human has. You've spent so much time around Patrick, you smell like him. And other things too. Smells like you've met a Sentinel as well."

  "Listen," I say, trying again to loosen the rope around my neck, "this isn't going to work. There's only one thing we can do, and that's to go and find Patrick. He can help us."

  "He's already here," says Hamish.

  I turn, but there's no sign of him.

  "He followed us," Hamish continues. "He stayed out of sight all the time, but I promise you, he's here. If we need him, if we really need him, he'll help us. Fortunately, he's being smart for once, and he's gonna let me try my plan. He understands that it might actually work." He pauses for a moment. "Patrick's brute force isn't what we need. We need brains and bravery. I don't need him, darling. I need you."

  "Why me?" I ask. "And don't call me darling."

  "Because you can pull this off! Because you have the scent of a vampire."

  I shake my head.

  "You do," he says. "You're human, so you don't notice it. But trust me, any of the higher species can smell you from miles away. And that's good, because it'll unnerve them. They'll be extra cautious around you, and they'll feel like they don't know what you really are. Act like a mage, and they'll believe you are one."

  "I'm not," I say. "Look at me. I'm really, really not anything special."

  "They don't know that," he says. "You just walk up to the Alpha Wolf and you tell him you're a mage, and you command him to release me. He'll believe you."

  I think about this for a moment. "Why the hell would he believe me?"

  Hamish smiles. "Because he has a fucking high opinion of himself, and because he knows a normal human would never be so dumb as to walk up to him, surrounded by thousands of blood-thirsty wolves, and claim to be a mage. It's quite possibly the most insane thing a human has ever done, and that's why it'll never occur to him that you're bluffing."

  "And what if he asks me to prove it?"

  "He won't," Hamish replies, "not if he believes you. He wouldn't dare."

  I think for a moment. "We need Patrick," I say.

  "He's here. He's watching."

  "We need him now!" I say firmly.

  Hamish grabs me by the shoulders. "Listen to yourself. Patrick's great. He's strong and he's brave, but that's not what we need right now! If Patrick gets involved, there'll just be another fight. I thought you wanted to avoid anything like that, eh?"

  I think some more. "This isn't a plan," I say. "That is ridiculous. How old is this Alpha Wolf?"

  "No-one knows for sure," he says. "Some say hundreds of years, some say thousands -"

  "And you think you can trick him so easily?" I ask.

  "No," he replies. "But I think you can. And I think he'll let us walk out of there without a scratch, and then you can go home to your Patrick and your little life, and I'll be on my way." He looks up, at something behind me. I turn, hoping to see Patrick, but there's nothing.


  "I can't do this," I say. "Why me?"

  "Because you stink of vampire," Hamish says, with a hint of venom in his voice. "And you're the only human in the world who does. And besides, even if you're not a mage, you're something else, something of interest. Your name, sweetie, is mentioned in the Book of Gothos. That's got to count for something. You can't detect it, but trust me, there's something about you, a kind of energy, that's not human. What I'm hoping is that the Alpha Wolf is gonna mistake that for the scent of a mage."

  I look at him. "Or what?"

  "Or they'll rip you to pieces for practice before they get started on me." He grabs the rope and unties it. "There," he says. "Now do your best to look like an ancient, powerful mage."

  "I can't," I say.

  "You have to."

  "Or what?"

  "Or we both die." He looks at something behind me. "I know you can do this."

  "I can't!" I say again.

  "You have to," he replies. "They're already here." He nods to indicate something behind me.

  I turn and see wolves. Not just a few wolves. Lots of wolves. Maybe a hundred, standing between the trees and staring at us. And among them there's a man, a big man with dark skin and bright white eyes. It doesn't take a genius to work out that he's the boss here. I turn back to Hamish, and now there are wolves behind him too. I look around and they're everywhere. We're completely surrounded. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe thousands, of wolves. And there's still no sign of Patrick.

  "Brave heart, Sophie," Hamish whispers in my ear.

  Hamish

  New York City - 1903

  I'm in a bar that's packed with humans. They're all completely oblivious to what's really going on in the world. They're so obsessed with their own little achievements, they completely miss the bigger picture, but this city is becoming the latest battleground for a war more terrible than anything they could possible imagine. Me? I'm just here to watch. After all, you rarely get a chance to see so many people die all at once.

  The vampire war is almost over. I've no idea who's going to win, but I know it'll be finished soon. This is particularly bad news for me, because the war has been consuming the resources of the Alpha Wolf. As soon as the war comes to its inevitable conclusion, he'll be free to turn his attention back to me, and then I'll really have to start running again. So I'm in New York for a drink, hoping the vampires will keep fighting for at least a few more centuries.

  "It's rare to spend so much time among humans," says Garvey, sitting at the table opposite me. "They stink, and not in a good way."

  I nod, looking down at my beer. "So what's the latest news?"

  Garvey looks uncomfortable. "Gothos has fallen."

  That's it, then. The war is pretty much over. Gothos was the last stand of the ruling vampires. To think that such a proud and ancient house is now overrun with vermin.

  "Any word from Patrick?" I ask.

  He shakes his head. "It's hard to keep track of any one person in particular. But there are rumors, you know... Some people believe the war will be over within a year. It's said there is a plan, but no-one knows what the plan might be."

  "There's always a plan," I say, taking a big sip of beer. "Plans don't mean anything. Any fool can have a plan."

  "Some say that Patrick is up to something," says Garvey. "Some say that the ruling vampires fear Patrick more than they fear anything else, because they know what he's capable of. There's a sliver of burning ice in that man's heart. Some even say that he'd be willing to commit genocide, just to end the war."

  "They might be right," I point out.

  Garvey nods. I've always liked Garvey. He's right on the edge between authority and chaos, and he's reliable. I feel like he'll always do the right thing, even when his back's against the wall.

  "There will be a huge change," he says. "When the vampires finally fall, there will be a vacuum. A lot of people will try to fill that vacuum."

  "What does the old boy think?" I ask, referring to the Alpha Wolf.

  "He's worried," Garvey says. "He fears an imbalance. He believes we're going to enter an age of chaos. It's been wolves, vampires and humans on this world for so long, and he fears some new power will step forward. Something terrible. There are already signs. Last year, the vampires sent ten thousand to do battle. All of them were destroyed, yet no-one knows how. The one thing the Alpha Wolf fears more than anything is uncertainty, and he's starting to believe that the vampires are being manipulated into annihilating one another. He fears our species might be next."

  I look at the humans all around us.

  "If only they knew," I say.

  "They'll have their own war soon enough," says Garvey. "This is not going to be a good century for anyone."

  A drunk human falls on our table, sending our drinks flying. He looks at us, smiles, gets up and disappears back into the crowd. I can't help smiling; humans are funny creatures, and always entertaining to observe.

  "Can you call the Alpha Wolf off?" I ask. I've been planning to ask all evening. "Tell him I'm sorry, but tell him there's no point wasting so much time chasing me down." I stare at him for a moment, and then I look over at the window as I suddenly understand what's happening. Outside, there's just the darkness of night. "They're here, aren't they?" I say eventually.

  "Yes," says Garvey. "Did you really think I would come alone?"

  I look at him. "I'm too tired to fight tonight."

  "Good," says Garvey. "Then this will be easy."

  At that moment, I bolt from my chair and race through the crowded bar, diving into the backroom where a group of humans are playing pool. Instinctively knowing that Garvey is after me, I leap at a window and smash through it, coming out in a side street. Still not looking back, I race down the street and around the corner, but as I do so Garvey appears from nowhere and forces me to the ground.

  "This can be so much easier," he says, panting. "All you have to do is submit to your fate."

  "My fate is to die," I say. "Why the hell should I submit to that?" I manage to throw him off and run off down the street. As I run across a train bridge, Garvey leaps onto my back and forces me to the ground again.

  "You think you can outrun the Alpha Wolf?" he snarls. "What kind of a fool are you? You're going to have to stand and fight one day."

  "One day," I say. "Not tonight." With that, I force Garvey off me and push him over the side of the bridge. I look down in time to see a passing train run straight over his body. When the train is gone, all that's left is a mangled mess, but I know that won't last for long. Soon he'll be breathing again, and soon after that he'll be able to walk. Within a day he will be back to full strength, and by that point I'll be running again. Then again, this is a busy train-line; I guess it might take a while before he gets a long enough break to recover fully.

  I turn and hurry across the bridge, further into the darkness. Tonight's not the night for me. I need to get going. But Garvey was right. One day, I will have to stand and fight. And I'll need someone with me. Someone smarter than me. Someone braver.

  Sophie

  All around us, there are wolves. Thousands of them.

  "If you need help," whispers Hamish, "you can rely on Garvey. And remember, Patrick's out there, watching. But you don't need him."

  I'm about to ask what he means, but he steps away from me. The wolves are watching, and the dark man - the Alpha Wolf - is walking slowly toward me.

  I look around, still hoping for some sign of Patrick. I know he likes leaving things to the last minute, but I kind of wish he'd show his hand right now. Hamish says I have to try not to need him, but the truth is, I do need him. After all, I'm standing here alone, surrounded by thousands of wolves all desperate to rip me apart.

  "Hello," says the Alpha Wolf, stopping when he gets close to me. He conspicuously looks up and down my body. "For a human, you have bad taste in friends."

  I don't say anything. I have no idea what to do next. My heart is pounding in my chest and it feels like my blood is r
unning cold. I look around at the wolves. Some of them are in human form. One of them, I recognize: Garvey is watching. He looks at me with a mix of sadness and tenderness.

  "Hello Hamish," says the Alpha Wolf. "I'm glad you finally stopped running. Five hundred years is a long time, but -" He looks at me again. "I can see you've been having fun, fraternizing with humans when you should have been paying your debts."

  "Go fuck yourself," says Hamish.

  The Alpha Wolf snarls, but he seems restrained. It's as if he's teasing, enjoying the confrontation. He wants this to last. It's as if he knows he can kill us at any second. I look around again, hoping to spot where Patrick is hiding.

  "I don't usually speak to humans," the Alpha Wolf says to me. "It's rather beneath me. But you have shown some degree of courage, and..." He sniffs the air. "You have certain interesting qualities." He walks around me, still sniffing my body. "Most humans cower and beg for mercy," he continues. "Why do you not do the same?"

  I take a deep breath. It's now or never. I have no idea what to say. What does a mage sound like? Here goes nothing. But what do I say? I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

  "What makes you think she's human?" asks Hamish.

  The Alpha Wolf roars with laughter. "She looks pretty human to me," he says.

  I take a deep breath. This isn't working at all. We're going to have to switch to plan B any second; we're going to need Patrick. "I'm not human," I say weakly. How did Hamish describe a mage again? A powerful sorcerer? I've never seen a powerful sorcerer, but I imagine they look a damn sight more impressive than this. Shouldn't there be thunderbolts shooting from my hands or something?

  "Not human?" asks the Alpha Wolf, almost spitting the words with contempt. "Then what are you?"

  My voice is trembling. "Not human," I manage to say. All I can think is that I need Patrick to make a move. This plan isn't working.

  "It's true that you have the scent of a vampire," the Alpha Wolf says, stepping back as if to get a better look at me. "But that is not so hard to come by. Nothing particularly impressive."