by Suzi Davis
Mags slowly lifted her head, briefly meeting my eyes and then Sebastian’s. Her lip was swollen and a bruise was already darkening her puffy jaw, her eyes were bleary and slightly unfocused yet the anger in them, the pure and uninhibited outrage was obvious. And unexpectedly, her fury was directed at us. Her fiery gaze shifted to me.
“This is all your fault,” she spat at me, her accusation bitter and harsh. “They told me everything. I know who you are now, how dangerous you are, why you must be stopped. You deserve to die for what you’ve done to me!”
“Mags, no,” Sebastian denied. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. They’ve brainwashed you, tortured you into believing–”
“We’ve told her no lies, I assure you,” Jai politely interjected.
Darius grinned. “We’re not like you, Caoilinn.”
“Apparently,” I murmured in a cool and detached tone. I turned my attention away from Mags, hiding my unease as she continued to glare at me. It was important right now for me to play the part. “What did you do to her?”
“We just wanted to talk to her before you returned, find out how things were going with you three,” Darius explained innocently with a twisted, sinister smile. “But she kept insisting she couldn’t remember anything.”
“They didn’t believe that I couldn’t effin’ remember. They didn’t think it was possible for you to erase my memories like that,” Mags accused. “The things he did to try to make me talk… I swear I’m going to kill you myself, Caoilinn. I’m going to rip you apart with my own hands - and I’m going to enjoy it.” I tried my best to ignore her.
“We didn’t think you would be so cruel as to wipe out her mind,” Jai pointed out.
“We did everything within our powers to trigger her memory,” Darius continued, dropping his cigarette on the floor as he spoke and emphatically grinding it into the carpet. The smell of ash and burnt fabric drifted to my nose, a nauseating combination on the hot breeze coming in through the window. “By the time we realized she really couldn’t remember, well, she was a little worse for wear. We then explained the truth to her, filled in some of those large, gaping holes that you left in her pretty little head.”
“You lied to me,” Mags growled. She was speaking to me again, her eyes burning flames of fire. “You stole my memories, you destroyed my life! And you left me here, to be tortured and tormented without your protection so that you could have Sebastian all to yourself. I should never have trusted either of you!”
“You should have been protected by our wants still. There must be more of them nearby,” Sebastian quietly explained. I could see that Mags’ anger was hurting him, making him lose focus.
“There are at least five of the Others in the city,” I stated, trying to keep my voice level and in control. “These two would never have come alone.” I had suspected this from the moment Sebastian said he sensed the Others.
“True,” Jai agreed with another nod of his head.
“Why have you come?” Sebastian demanded, though in truth, we already knew the answer.
“You’ve been invited to attend a sacred ceremony of The Order,” Darius drawled. He stood lazily as he spoke, stretching his arms and cracking his neck. “We’ve come to escort you.”
“You will stand trial for the crimes you have committed against us,” Jai pronounced to Sebastian. His eyes shifted to mine briefly before he glanced down to look at the floor. “Caoilinn’s fate has yet to have been decided.”
“Kill her!” Mags demanded, her eyes wild as she strained against the ropes that held her. “She deserves death! Let me kill her! Let me taste her blood!”
I was taken aback by this vicious pronouncement, though no one else seemed to notice. All attention was on Darius as he smoothly stepped forward and struck Mags across the jaw, her head whipping violently to one side and her body sagging against her bindings once more. Blood dripped from her mouth to the floor with a sickening ‘splat’ sound. A quiet moan escaped her lips.
Sebastian was practically trembling with rage beside me. I still didn’t want him to move though, didn’t want him to react. I needed for him to let me stay in control of the situation.
“That was unnecessary,” I scolded. It was a struggle to keep my voice mild. Darius held my disapproving stare for a second before sharply looking away. My necklace throbbed against my chest, the heat inside of it slowly building.
“On the contrary,” Jai disagreed, his voice as soft and polite as ever. “We are also here to exact punishment from the traitor. She was to bring you both to us in payment for her crimes against The Order, though she thought it was just Caoilinn we wanted.”
“What crimes?” Sebastian demanded.
“Erasing our memories of you both, assisting you in your escape, turning her back on us for nearly three hundred years. She was to be shown more mercy because she was only your accomplice. But she has obviously failed in the task assigned to her, and failure is not accepted by The Order. We get what we want, when we want it.”
“Or else?” I asked.
“Or else we destroy whatever stands in our way. Darius?”
Darius stepped forward again, an anticipatory smile on his face that made my stomach turn. He stepped right up to Mags, lifting her chin with one of his large, wide fingers until her foggy eyes met his.
“I want you to die,” he whispered to her. Her eyes widened, her bloodstained lips parted in surprise.
“No!” Sebastian called out as Darius huge hand abruptly crushed against Mags’ throat.
It happened so fast, there was no way we could have stopped it. There was a sickening crunching sound as Mags’ windpipe collapsed beneath Darius’s iron grip. Her eyes bulged, her lips turned purple, her hand weakly rose up to claw at her throat. Before Sebastian or myself could even take a step forward, Darius grabbed Mags’ head with his other hand and abruptly and violently twisted her neck, the loud cracking sound seeming to echo through the sudden silence in the room. He released her and she hung as limply and lifelessly as a rag doll.
“No!” Sebastian screamed again. He started to step forward, charging towards Darius but I grabbed his arm, struggling with all my might to restrain him.
“It’s too late,” I urged him, speaking as calmly as I was able. I was shocked and nauseated, struggling to hold onto my sanity while this nightmare played out in front of my eyes. “He’ll only do worse if you provoke him.” We were obviously outnumbered, no longer protected by our own wants. We had no choice but to do as they asked and to follow along with their plans. Besides, this was, in a way, what we had wanted too. The Others were the only ones who could take us to the head temple and we needed the whole of The Order to be gathered together at the same time for me to be able to remove all their magic… if my plan would even work. I had never wanted Mags to die; I truly didn’t want anyone else to die. I felt so frightened and afraid that I couldn’t even summon any tears.
I avoided looking at Mags’ body, the horror and shock of it all making my stomach queasy and my knees weak. I needed to focus, to appear to be in control still. It was a struggle. I stood up straighter as I faced Jai and Darius. Sebastian’s hand found mine and I silently drew strength from him, praying that somehow, someway, we would both survive the next twenty-four hours. I held onto the hope, no matter how desperate or unlikely. I had spent enough time cowering in fear, being complacent and accepting my fate and I’d had enough. This time, I was going to take action. This time, I wasn’t going down without a fight.
“I didn’t want her to die.” I spoke in Caoilinn’s voice, my words sweet and clear in a chilling way that made my disapproval obvious. Sebastian shifted beside me.
“Well, you can’t always get what you want, can you?” Darius smirked back at me.
“We’ll see about that,” I quietly answered, a discrete threat to my words that wiped the snide smile from Darius’s face. It felt surprisingly good.
“I’ve had enough of this. Let’s get going.” Darius spoke to Jai, gesturing with h
is chin to Mags’ body. “Take care of this, will ya?”
We didn’t have to ask what he meant as Jai stood and immediately produced an old, silver, butane lighter, flicking it open with his thumb. He approached Mags with an expression that was almost bored. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to throw up as I realized what was about to happen.
“You two, let’s go,” Darius commanded.
I didn’t move immediately, taking my time to slowly pick up my bag and Sebastian’s from the end of the nearby bed. I didn’t want to appear hurried. The sound of flames beginning to crackle and the scent of the burning sheets spurred my actions though. I said a quick, silent prayer for Mags then turned and quickly led us out of the room and into the hallway, almost running to the stairwell with Sebastian right by my side and Darius close behind us.
“Come on, let’s move,” Darius barked. I could hear Jai running after us now, the fire set and the flames spreading quickly.
I held Sebastian’s hand tightly as we raced down the stairs, bursting out the bottom of the stairwell and nearly crashing into a small group waiting just outside the doors.
“Caoilinn, Seamus, how good of you to join us. The car’s waiting outside,” David greeted us as if we were friends he was merely picking up at the airport.
I quickly examined each of their faces. David, Charlie and a young, dark haired, Greek man who I hadn’t yet met stood before us, all of them except for David eyeing me warily.
“We’re in somewhat of a rush. If you wouldn’t mind?” David gestured politely for me to lead the way. I could already see the large, black SUV parked outside the hostel’s doors. Cries of alarm were just starting to be heard on the floors above us. Any second now the fire alarm would sound.
“I do mind,” I replied sharply. I held my head high though as I walked past him, deliberately stepping in close as I passed. I was pleased when he took a small, barely perceptible step back. Perhaps my plan might work after all.
The fire alarm began ringing just as we stepped outside. Heads were turning our way as other tourists began to flow out of the building behind us; chaos ensued. The thickening crowd bumped and jostled me, the sudden noise and commotion in the street overwhelming. I spun around in panic as I lost my grip on Sebastian’s hand.
“Gracelynn!” he called out. Darius and Charlie were each holding one of his arms and dragging him away from me towards another black SUV parked just two cars behind the one I stood before now.
“We’ll be taking separate vehicles,” David politely explained, holding the front passenger door open for me.
I stole one last fleeting glance at Sebastian before taking David’s proffered hand, knowing I couldn’t afford to allow any hesitation or possible weakness to show.
“Of course,” I agreed as I allowed him to help me into the car. My heart was pounding in my throat, my stomach tied up in a knot and my fear was just barely held back. I didn’t speak again as Nathaniel and Jai climbed into the back of the SUV and David took the driver’s seat. We pulled away from the curb, leaving Mags’ corpse, the burning building and Sebastian all somewhere behind us. I tried to feel confident, I tried to feel brave but I was trembling down to my very core.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my fear making my tone sound haughty and cold.
“To Hades,” David answered with a cold laugh. “We’re taking you to the Underworld, Caoilinn, where few souls escape.”
Chapter Seventeen – The Necromanteion
I could tell we were driving south-west out of the city. I fought the constant urge to check over my shoulder to see if the vehicle that Sebastian was in was still behind us. I wanted to appear calm and in control - and so I did. I felt like I was still in shock over Mags’ death too and the numb, empty feeling inside of me was easy to take hold of. I’d spent most of my teenaged years suppressing my true emotions and it came back to me with a sad and natural ease. I knew I needed to project confidence but on the inside, somewhere deep down beneath it all, I was terrified.
“Where exactly is this little meeting going to be held?” I coolly asked after we’d been driving west for about an hour. David had turned the radio on and old rock tunes were playing softly in the background. The familiar, catchy tunes were drastically at odds with the mood in the vehicle. Other than the music, there was no noise inside the car except for the occasional uncomfortable shuffle from one of the Others in the back.
No one answered me, so I decided to try again. I squeezed the pendant of my necklace, drawing as much strength from its familiar shape and warmth as I could.
“I want to know where we’re going.” I spoke softly and sweetly but somehow, the sound of my voice filled the small space, demanding an answer.
“The Necromanteion,” Jai answered quietly.
David made an irritated “tsk”ing sound in the back of his throat.
“Patience, patience, Caoilinn. All will be revealed to you soon enough,” he chastised. He glanced at my hand upon my amber necklace with obvious annoyance. I was surprised no one had tried to take it from me. They would have discovered just how unwilling I was to give it up.
I glared at the side of his handsome face but he refused to acknowledge me again, his dark brown eyes staring steadily ahead. I shifted in my seat, half-turning my body towards Jai and Nathaniel who sat in the back. Neither of them could quite meet my gaze. I spoke slowly and gently, with a chilling calm of my own.
“What and where is the Necromanteion?”
Jai hesitated, his eyes darting forwards to the back of David’s head. It was Nathaniel who answered this time, shrugging his thin shoulders uncomfortably.
“The Necromanteion is near Parga, about four hours from here. It is known as the Oracle of the Dead and the chosen meeting place for The Order,” he told me softly, his polite, British tones almost apologetic. He only met my eyes briefly and reluctantly before gazing back out the window with a frown. Just from that brief glance, I could tell he spoke the truth and I could also tell that he didn’t entirely want this to be happening... whatever this was. I filed the knowledge away, hoping it was something I could use later.
“Well, that clarifies everything,” I muttered, adding a touch of annoyance to my tone. A smile twisted David’s lips that actually took away from his good looks; there was something very wrong about that smile.
“Speaking of clarification, how rude of you it was, Caoilinn, to erase and confuse our memories at The Giant’s Causeway – it took us some time to recall exactly what had gone on there. And that’s not to mention what you did to poor Walter. That was certainly… unexpected.”
“It was deserved,” I lied. I swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn’t notice. It was a struggle more than ever to maintain the façade of being Caoilinn. I took a slow and silent breath in, focusing on my dream memories of her, of how it felt to be her – her power, her strength, her confidence. I tried my best to embody it all.
“Perhaps I should thank you though. He wasn’t a good fit to The Order and it was becoming quite the dilemma as to what we would do with him.”
I thought I heard Nathaniel shuffle behind me.
“You should choose your companions with more discrimination,” I commented dryly. “I can’t say I care much for any of them – especially Darius.”
David let out a soft laugh. It was a disturbing sound that sent chills down my spine.
“Be careful, Caoilinn. With the current situation as it is, you wouldn’t want to offend anyone,” he warned. “Darius has his strengths and weaknesses, like most others.”
“He tortured and murdered Mags,” I stated flatly, not quite able to hide the quivering anger in my voice. I blinked quickly, banishing the image that was building behind my eyes of Mags’ tortured and battered body with her head hanging lifelessly at such an unnatural angle.
“You murdered Walter because of the crimes you felt he had committed against you,” David shot back calmly. “Tell me, what is the difference?”
I paused before answering, tak
ing a quick moment to consider my response.
“I wonder… how close is the other vehicle to us David? Are you certain that there are enough of you to out-number me right now?” I asked innocently. His eyes flickered to the rear view mirror while his lips compressed into a thin line.
“You don’t want to play games with me.” His voice was deadly but unexpectedly, I didn’t feel that afraid anymore; I didn’t feel much of anything.
“Who’s playing games?”
There was an uncomfortable silence in the car, one that I quite enjoyed being the cause of.
“Jai, send a message to Krystos. Tell him to stay close,” David quietly snapped. “And tell him to be on standby for the signal.” He glared at the road ahead, his irritation clear.
“The signal?” I echoed, trying not to sound too curious.
“Yes. If you try anything, Seamus will be killed instantly.”
I opened my mouth to respond but no sound came out. Fear struck my heart, momentarily paralyzing my body and stealing my breath. I had no response this time.
“How did you kill Walter?” Nathaniel suddenly asked from the back seat in his soft, accented voice. I turned slowly to face him. He hesitated briefly before dropping his eyes.
“Did you see the mark on his body?”
“Of course,” he murmured back.
“That’s how.”
I turned back around without saying anymore.
“And you did a thorough job of erasing Mags’ memories,” David commented, his eyes on the road ahead. “A permanent effect, if I’m not mistaken?”
He waited for me to nod before continuing.
“Seamus and Mags had quite clearly given us the impression that such things were not possible. It would appear that either they deceived us or you have deceived them.”
“It would appear that way to you,” I agreed coldly.