The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

by Ophelia Preston

  My head was a little clearer, so I was able to ‘feel’ the area around me. I felt the pull of a little sand nearby, stones a little further off and bricks behind me. I could also feel several portions of silver nearby. The cool metal called to me and I wanted to pull it to me, cut myself free and run. Something stopped me though and I tried to take in a little more detail.

  It was daylight. I could feel the sun warming my skin as well. I also heard water nearby, lapping against something. We weren’t rocking about so I didn’t think it was a boat. I was standing, with someone to my back, a hand on my left shoulder blade. My hands were still tied up but my legs were free. My mouth was gagged too, which I really did not appreciate.

  We weren’t moving but I heard someone off in the distance, scrambling over something. I heard swearing and finally a sigh. Edvard. He had to be looking for the tablet.

  Where were Chris and his pack and their allies? I wondered why this vampire was able to walk about in broad daylight unhampered. Were they not going to jump to the rescue and prevent this evil man from gaining unspeakable power?

  ‘Damn it, where is it? It’s meant to be growing now, becoming visible now! Did he lie to me? Would that bastard Atticus lie to me?’ Edvard’s voice drifted over to me. Thankfully his search was unsuccessful.

  ‘Sir, perhaps it will not become fully visible until tomorrow. That is, after all, Beltain, is it not?’

  ‘Gustav! Not in front of the hostage! Dear god man, you might as well tell her the whole plan!’

  ‘I thought we brought her with us so that she cannot escape? If she cannot escape then surely it doesn’t matter what is said in front of her? It’s not like I’m leaking details about using the other vampire clans to confuse the werewolves into thinking this was all just a territory issue! Her friends have not been able to find her so far and the clash last night went well from our point of view..’

  ‘Gustav! Silence! I thought you had some intelligence man! Nothing is fixed! I would like to assume that there is no way she can escape or be rescued but in fifteen hundred years I have come to learn that the unexpected can happen. That’s why it’s called unexpected, because you don’t see it coming.

  Never assume a plan will go the way it’s meant to. And never divulge any information to the enemy!’ The exasperation in Edvard’s voice was palpable. I could feel Gustav, I assumed, stiffening behind me. ‘And for heaven’s sake, don’t get offended, I’m trying to do this for our benefit!’

  I couldn’t hear what Gustav muttered in response to that but clearly Edvard could. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as Edvard moved towards us.

  ‘What was that?’ He demanded in a voice that said he knew exactly what Gustav had muttered.

  ‘I said this is all about you. It’s always about you. I am here because you made me and I am compelled to be here but I know that this is all for you. You don’t care about anyone but yourself, Edvard. You always have!’ came the gutsy response. I had to give it to Gustav, his sense of theatrics was impeccable.

  ‘Did I or did I not say that you would share in the glory of this find? Did I not say that I would make you my first lieutenant? I brought you here, at my own expense I might add, to share in this moment, you ingrate!’

  ‘Ingrate? Ingrate?’ Gustav seemed to despise the very letters the word was formed from. ‘I have done everything you have asked without complaint. You treat me like a dog and I take it, because you said you would share the power with me!’

  ‘Share the power? Surely there is only power for one super vampire?’ I put in. Gustav sucked in his breath.

  ‘You said we would reign as brothers! You said you would give me half your power!’

  ‘I think it’s all or nothing,’ I offered my opinion once more.

  ‘Silence!’ A hand smacked me on the side of my head. Pain sent me to my knees and I had a hard time hearing what was said after that.

  ‘Damn it, Edvard! You don’t know your own strength! She might not be able to perform the spell now!’ Gustav knelt beside me, gently touching my head. ‘She might have a concussion but I don’t think you broke anything. The skin isn’t broken.’

  ‘Put her over there and let’s get out of this damned sunlight. That’ll be my first act, to dim that blasted sun forever! Let’s move, people!’ Edvard called and a flurry of activity ensued. I was unaware of anything but the pain in my head.

  Chapter 13

  Someone shook me roughly and I groaned, pain shooting through my skull once more. The air was cooler and I had no idea how long it had been since I had passed out.

  ‘Can you speak?’ Gustav demanded, removing my gag. I tried to speak but couldn’t. A cup was pressed to my lips and I drank gratefully, clearing my throat. I tried again.

  ‘My head hurts,’ I said finally.

  ‘I can’t give you anything for it, I’m afraid. We need you clear headed for this part. Come,’ he removed the blindfold and led me over to the edge of the water.

  My first impression was that it was dark. We had been here for many hours. My second impression was that we were far from alone. There had to be several dozen vampires here with us.

  The leader of the vampire clan present looked me up and down.

  ‘You’ll have to do like that. Give her the words to read,’ he ordered Gustav. The vampire at my side sighed and did as he was told.

  ‘You know, you really shouldn’t let him talk to you like that,’ I said. Gustav stared at me for a moment before ducking his head and handing me a piece of ancient looking paper.

  ‘Well, read!’

  ‘I have no idea what the hell this says!’ I was telling the truth. It was in a language I’d never seen before.

  ‘Do I have to do everything?!’ Edvard came forward, yanking the paper from my hands. He looked it over and sighed. ‘Very well, I see that it is not a modern language but really, you should have more education.’

  ‘I have a degree in geology, thank you very much!’ I was offended by this man on so any levels.

  ‘It says, Lord of the Moon, He who hatched the Cosmic Egg, We beseech you for your aid. Grant us the Emerald Tablet and allow us to share in your wisdom! Rise, rise, rise!’ Edvard said theatrically.

  I shook my head. The man was clearly crazy if he thought I was going to do this for him.

  ‘Not in your lifetime!’

  ‘Read the fucking paper or I will drink you dry!’ he raged. He really was crazy! His eyes had taken on the look of some sort of religious fanatic. Even Gustav looked shocked.

  ‘So drink. I will not help a mad man gain the power of a god!’

  I was serious. I would rather die than let this crazy man gain power.

  Edvard sighed again, looking at the ground, like he was trying to find a particular pebble.

  ‘I had a feeling this might happen,’ he seemed to come back to sanity in an instant. He nodded to someone behind me and I heard struggling. ‘So we brought someone here to help you decide.’

  May stood before me. She looked bruised and battered, her clothes dishevelled and her hands tied in front of her.

  ‘I told you I’m the last person you should have taken!’ she groaned, a look of despair in her eyes.

  ‘Really? You think so little of me?’ I demanded of her. She looked at me.

  ‘No, I think that little of me. I betrayed you, Emilia, in the worst way possible. If I could take that back, I would. You don’t know how sorry I am. I hate myself.’ Her head slumped. I’ve always been good at reading May. She could butter up any family member except me. I knew right now that she was telling the truth. I couldn’t believe that she thought I wouldn’t help her.

  I could feel Edvard and Gustav watching, confused.

  ‘You might hate yourself, May, but I don’t hate you. Give me the damned paper!’ I turned back to Edvard. He beamed suddenly and handed it over.

  I read his words aloud and nothing happened.

  ‘Read it again!’ He ordered. I did, with the same result.


  ‘Why did you need an earth witch in the first place?’ Gustav asked.

  ‘To call on the tablet.’

  ‘She needs to use her powers to call it then, not simply read the words.’

  ‘I can’t,’ I said honestly.

  ‘We will make you!’ Edvard hissed. I was getting really annoyed with him.

  ‘No, you’re not listening to me. I didn’t say I won’t do it, I said I can’t. My head hurts too much, I can’t reach out to anything right now.’ That wasn’t entirely true. I had been trying to reach out to Chris but couldn’t feel anything. It hurt like hell. As it did trying to reach out to the stones lying at my feet. If my head wasn’t so painful I might have been able to knock our captors out and get away.

  ‘Fuck!’ Edvard swore. He spun on his heels and walked over to the shore. A moment later he came back and ordered one of his men to get some aspirin. The man ran off at high speed.

  ‘After all this planning, to have to wait for a headache to clear!’ He shook his head.

  ‘A headache you yourself created, buddy,’ I reminded him. He raised his hand to hit me again but Gustav stopped him.

  ‘Edvard! She will be useless if you do that!’

  Edvard turned and screamed. He kicked the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. I grew concerned at his sudden and complete lack of sanity. He was getting worse.

  ‘You want this idiot to gain more power?’ I asked Gustav quietly. The vampire sighed and shrugged. He clearly wasn’t as sure about anything as he had been. Even he recognised the change in his ‘maker’.

  After a while, the errand vampire returned and I was given some painkillers. We had to wait a further half hour for them to kick in and Mr Maastrich handed me the paper again.

  This time I tried to reach out and was able to feel everything around me. I could feel the rocks and stones, and the tablet gave of a hum that was so warm and fuzzy that I wanted to curl up with it.

  I raised all the stones around me and aimed them at the vampires. They ducked for cover as I reached for May. Gustav grabbed May and brought his fangs down on her neck, drawing a hint of blood.

  ‘He won’t be able to hold back for much longer, you know,’ Edvard came forward, wiping a drop of blood off his forehead.

  ‘Don’t do it, Em,’ May called, then winced as Gustav bit a little deeper.

  I ground my teeth and turned back to the water that sat before us. I could see the Statue of Liberty across from us, lit up like a beacon. Part of me wanted nothing more than to read the damned words and end this but I knew what it would mean. A crazy, god-like Edvard running about, doing whatever the hell he wanted, unstoppable.

  ‘Time is ticking, Ms Anderson. Read the words, call on the tablet and this will all be over. Do not and I promise I will kill every member of your family, slowly.’

  I uttered the words again, calling on the beautiful feeling tablet. It rose from the water, glowing an off-green light. Edvard squealed like a child and ran into the water, taking the tablet in his arms.

  Growls ripped through the night before shapes leapt at our captors. I heard incantations and the tablet was ripped from Edvard’s grasp, to fall on the beach beside me.

  A battle ensued. I couldn’t follow everything that happened. Werewolves and other were-beasts were ripping vampires to shreds, far outnumbering them. Their main strategy seemed to be to rip the throats out of the vampires to the point that they took their heads clean off. I couldn’t tell which wolf was whom!

  The vampires were not unarmed themselves and I saw several wolfs and big cats fall after being stabbed with silver daggers.

  Ben appeared out of the night and went over to May, untying her. My Gran, Saskia and Shaya were all chanting words I couldn’t quite grasp, preventing Edvard from moving. I wondered how they were able to get there so quickly, and whether the Weres would stop at killing the vampires! The sound of flesh ripping and people screaming sickened me.

  Bradley Morgan appeared, almost dream-like. He calmly walked over to the tablet and picked it up.

  ‘I see that it was not safe here, after all,’ he muttered calmly and made to leave. Gustav launched himself at the man, impaling him in the stomach with a sword.

  My brain was functioning on a far slower level than usual. I kept wondering how Gustav could have brought a sword and I hadn’t noticed it! The metal should have called to me! At the very least it should have been visible.

  Gustav snapped up the tablet and began to read from it. The emerald light emanating from it grew and grew until it fully engulfed him.

  Edvard screamed in rage, still unable to move from the holding spell my family and friend were keeping him in. They stood together, a beacon in the night, chanting together, holding him immobile.

  May came over and hugged me as I stood there, obviously this was shock because I honestly didn’t know what to do other than hug her back, shock from the concussion and events leading up to this, rather than to May hugging me.

  Everyone seemed to stop moving and I wasn’t sure if time had actually frozen or if they were as curious as I was at the vampire enveloped in green light.

  Gustav began to glow brighter and brighter, his body rising above the ground. He cried out, obviously in pain, still clinging to the tablet.

  My attention was drawn to Bradley pulling the sword out of him as though it was of no regard. He began to chant in a language I didn’t recognise. The light around Gustav vanished and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He groaned and released the tablet.

  Edvard tried to move but the spell prevented him.

  ‘Really, boy, you want the power of a god?’ Bradley asked Gustav.

  ‘You!’ Edvard hissed. He looked more shocked at seeing Bradley than when Gustav had begun to read from the tablet.

  ‘Me, boy. Who told you the location of the tablets? Who told you of their existence?’

  ‘Atticus. I met him in Europe when I went over during the First World War. It was a perfect feeding ground for a vampire. Europe has had so many wars, I’ve been busy until recently. Atticus told me of the tablet and when it would be available.’ Edvard almost seemed compelled to speak.

  ‘That foolish fop? What did you offer in return?’

  ‘Death. He said he was too old to care about life anymore. He wanted death and exchanged the location of the tablet for a swift passing. How are you still alive?!’

  ‘I am damned, you bloody fool! I cannot die! Trust me, I’ve tried. And you, young man, why were you reading from the tablet?’ Bradley turned from Edvard to Gustav.

  ‘I hoped if I read from it, that Edvard could not,’ the blonde vampire admitted. He was clearly still in pain.

  ‘Bastard! I will kill you!’ Edvard screamed at his progeny.

  ‘No, I don’t think you will. Gustav here has a lot more power than you now. Not the full godhood but he’s gained enough to keep you off his coat-tails. Mr Hunter, would you please take Gustav somewhere safe. I do not think he is quite the monster Edvard is. Madam Reid et al., Perhaps you would be so good as to bring Edvard over onto the shore beside us?’

  Gran did as asked and Edvard moved unwillingly.

  ‘My son, you have been a thorn I could not root out since the moment you took that which was not offered. I fear that your time has come. Let me gift you with that which you made me take from you so long ago,’ Bradley said very archaically. He took the sword which had run him through and plunged it into Edvard’s heart. Edvard looked so shocked that he just stared at Bradley, open mouthed. His body crumpled to the ground in a boneless motion.

  Bradley removed the sword and swung it over his head in a sweeping motion, removing Edvard’s head from his body. May came forward and raised her hand briefly and the body burst into flames.

  I watched as Bradley stood solemnly over the remains, waiting until it was completely gone. He then turned to me.

  ‘I’m sorry this had to happen. I tried to keep the location a secret for as long as I could, and managed this past thousand y
ears but nothing can remain hidden forever. It is good that it was Gustav, rather than Edvard, who gained the power of the tablet. He, at least, has some conscience left. I shall take him into my care for the time being, after we have all recovered,’ he indicated the gaping wound from which his blood still poured.

  ‘I don’t understand. Who are you?’ I asked.

  ‘I am Bradley Morgan, currently of New York. I have had many names over the centuries and this one suffices for now. If I am not mistaken, you appear to have suffered a head injury. I think a trip to a healer or doctor would be in order, for many of us.’ He ushered me away from the beach.

  Chris rushed to me and hugged me. It took me a moment to realise he was naked. It took another moment to realise that almost all the men around us were naked. They all looked worn out, haggard and in pain.

  ‘Warehouse,’ Chris ordered and everyone bundled into cars and vans. I learned it was two in the morning as we drove back to the warehouse, and so technically Beltain.

  Saskia, my Gran and Shaya spent the rest of the night checking everyone over for injuries.

  True to his word, Bradley came for Gustav a few hours later and left with him, without saying a word to anyone.

  Chapter 14

  I woke to sunlight streaming through Chris’s curtains. The light was bright, telling me that I’d slept into the early afternoon.

  Chris lay beside me, looking much better. The haggard look was gone, to be replaced by a peaceful, relaxed expression. He had a short beard and I wondered how fast that must have grown! He moved, pulling me to him, breathing in my scent. I stroked his face and waited until he woke.

  Chris’s face broke out in a smile when he saw me and he kissed me with such tenderness that I was speechless.

  ‘When you went missing, I went crazy. I couldn’t think straight. Don’t ever scare me like that again, baby!’ he said softly. I nodded, not sure what to say. ‘The longer you were gone, the more we worried. I couldn’t feel you at all!’ His jaw worked double time, trying to hold back on emotions that threatened to overtake him.