The Angel

by Blaire Hammond

  She didn’t know how long it had been since Erebus had first captured her. She wished she did, or that she’d kept track somehow. But those first few days, or hours, she couldn’t be sure, had been so full of torture and pain that she could barely sit up right let alone make sense of the days.

  Erebus hadn’t been back in a while, just like Creshan. She wondered if that meant they had left her. If they had died. If she was going to rot away under the earth.

  No, that wouldn’t happen. Wicked still brought her food daily. One serving each night. At least, she assumed it was daily. She couldn’t be sure of that though, either. She spent so much time sleeping and drifting in and out of fever and pain that she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

  Well, except for one thing. Leo.

  She knew, no matter what, Leo was looking for her. He was out there. He was searching, and he wasn’t going to stop until he found her. She believed that with all her heart. With her whole being. And sometimes, when she was asleep, or if she closed her eyes hard enough, she swore she could see him. See his handsome face, smiling at her. Telling her not to worry. That he was coming for her. That he’d find her.

  She trusted Leo with her life. She knew he would find her. She only hoped she could survive long enough for him.

  ~

  Creshan was quiet and calm as he walked the length of the corridor away from Erebus’s office. He didn’t know why, but something had changed in Erebus. Then again, something had shifted within himself as well. He remembered. He remembered it all. The good, the great, the wonderful. He knew what it was to be kind, to care. And while there were moments when the darkness would close in on him, he still managed to fight it. He was strong. Stronger than he ever thought. He didn’t know how or why it had happened, but somehow, he’d found it within him to push back against the abyss. He knew the truth. He understood who he really was, beneath it all. He’d found himself again.

  Stella would be needing new bandages soon, he thought. Water as well, if he could sneak some to her. He kept his head down as he passed a group of Wicked Guards and was quick to close the door to the lab after him as he skittered inside.

  Hurrying down towards the back of the room, he checked under the sheet. A small smile played at his lips and he pulled the sheet back over the steel table. The results on his most recent experiment were in. It had been a success. The human had escaped.

  Chapter Five

  Bound For Home

  Megan’s wooden staph whipped through the air, slamming straight towards Laura’s stomach with lightning force. Laura dove to the left, rolling across the grassy mountain top and springing back to her feet with ease. She darted swiftly away from Megan’s second blow, but caught the third, sending her staggering backwards. Megan was both fast and unrelenting in her strikes, but Laura had learned her techniques. She knew what to expect.

  As Laura recovered her footing, Megan was already jamming her staph towards Laura in a fourth, deadly bash. But Laura remembered her training and tugged her sword free from over her shoulder, arcing it over her head and slicing it clean through Megan’s staph.

  Megan peered at the wooden end before tossing the weapon aside and drawing her own sword. The blades met with an enormous clang of silver on silver, and Laura grit her teeth as she pressed back against Megan’s strength. Laura saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Megan pulling a dagger from her belt with her free hand.

  Laura pulled back her weapon, unbalancing Megan and, taking the opportunity presented, she darted around her opponent. Before she’d even had the chance to place her sword to Megan’s throat, however, Megan had spun on her, slamming her sword down in a series of quick concessions that had Laura stepping backwards, directing her dangerously close to the cliffs edge. Nerves taking over, Laura dug her feet in and deflected the next blow, slamming back against Megan’s attack.

  The motion startled Megan, allowing Laura to spin on her heel and hurry from the side of the mountain. But Megan was ready again, freeing a dagger from her belt and sending it hurtling for Laura’s chest just as she’d twisted to face her.

  The power bubbled and rippled at the surface of Laura’s skin, and she called upon it, drawing it from within and creating an invisible barrier between herself and the blade. Megan’s dagger slammed into it with a dull thunk and clattered to the ground, bent and useless. Before Megan had the chance to attack again, Laura had her power back in her hands, twisting it into a pole of fire and sending it shooting straight in Megan’s direction.

  Megan dodged the attack, but only just. She wasn’t quick enough to regain her composure, however, and before Laura could comprehend what she was doing, her sword was at Megan’s throat. Cheers erupted around them as the crowd watching on went wild.

  Both women were breathing heavily and while Laura wasn’t sure about Megan, she knew her own heart was hammering in her chest with excitement and adrenaline. She smiled.

  They’d been training for only two weeks. First, Laura had learned how to draw her gift to the surface and hold it there for extended periods of time. Then, she’d been taught how to wield it, how to call on it and have it act as she desired. It was a weapon of its own, and Laura was still shocked at how her own strength doubled with its aid. That morning’s battle had been the final test. Megan was to act as a Wicked, and Laura was to ensure she deflected the attacks with her power.

  Megan grinned down at Laura and Laura lowered her blade. She couldn’t quite believe she’d done it. She still struggled to understand just how powerful she was, but with Megan’s help, at least she knew what she was capable of. At least she had a chance against Erebus.

  ‘Excellent. You’ve done well,’ Megan said, clasping Laura’s hand in one of the Caster gestures for admiration, and the clapping and cheers amplified.

  ‘Only thanks to you,’ Laura responded in kind, before turning her gaze to the Casters who had quickly become her friends.

  ‘You are ready,’ Megan said as the crowd began to quieten.

  That comment was enough to lead the Casters into silence. No one spoke, and Laura understood why. If she was ready, that meant it was time to leave. And if it was time to leave, that meant leading the Casters into war and, most likely, to some of their deaths.

  Laura shivered as the wind whipped about them. The sun was warm on their skin, but being so high up brought with it a cool change. The sea shone bright under the blue sky, beckoning them.

  ‘When do we leave?’ Laura asked, voice soft.

  Many of the Casters around her clasped hands with their neighbours or reached for their children. Laura knew the children would be staying behind along with only a few adults who were either too old or unable to fight. But there were still many who would be joining them. Including the creatures of the Islands, who would be following as they set sail.

  ‘Before dawn tomorrow,’ Megan responded, eyes searching the crowd.

  Many inclined their head or gave nods of agreement. But the fear and sadness was etched into their faces. Gemma had been training them for two weeks, so they were as ready as they could be for the battle. And with their gifts, they had an advantage. But it was still going to be dangerous. There were still no guarantees of survival.

  ‘Come, everyone. We must pack. I will alert Obverse of the news,’ Megan said, and the group began to disband.

  Obverse, Laura had come to learn, was the leader of the Malati Creatures, one of the many races living upon the islands. He was, perhaps, the closest confidant of Megan’s, and often spoke on behalf of all the creatures.

  ‘How do you feel?’ Gemma asked, matching her stride as they started down the mountain.

  ‘Truthfully? Scared,’ Laura replied.

  ‘Understandable. But you were awesome out there. You’ll kick ass when we get back. Erebus won’t know what’s coming.’

  Laura smiled at her friend’s attempts to calm her. The two of them had been so busy the past two weeks with their own training, but still, every night they had t
aken time to catch up and talk. Even if it was about nothing important, they still allowed themselves the chance to debrief and simply be normal for a few moments. It had brought them closer together, so much so that Laura truly considered Gemma to be one of the best friends she’d ever had.

  Not once had she been forced to ask for Gemma’s advice or tell her she had to be there. Gemma had simply done it. She’d gone out of her way to help her, to talk to her, to calm her or listen to her. She’d acted without question, because she honestly cared. And Laura hoped she had been someone to lean on in turn whenever Gemma was feeling scared or anxious.

  ‘Let’s hope so,’ Laura said at long last. ‘I want to end this war.’

  Dawn was close to breaking the next morning when they finally clambered aboard the ships. It had been an extensive and heartbreaking goodbye with those Casters who were staying behind, understandably, and thus it had taken them longer to reach the cave where Megan’s ships where hidden. They’d feasted long into the night, spending time together and taking the chance to make fond memories before leaving. It had been a beautiful, clear night too, which only allowed them all the more time to dance and sing together around the fire. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so as the moon began to leave the sky, the Casters began packing, readying to depart.

  The cave was filled with water, and the ceiling was high enough that the ships masts were raised to full height. The ship’s themselves were enormous, large enough to carry up to five hundred passengers. They were nothing like Laura had ever seen, built from the materials available to them on the Island by Megan’s ancestors.

  The creatures met them there, taking up four of the five ships. The Casters were aboard the fifth along with two hundred other creatures that simply could not fit on the first four ships.

  Once the masts were aligned and the anchors risen, it was time to go. The Casters waved to their loved ones, and Laura teared up as Megan led the armada for the cave’s entrance.

  Both Gemma and Laura had desperately wanted to head for Alast, but they had both admitted that it was for selfish reasons. Lastrala needed the reinforcements, more so than Alast, which was why they’d made the difficult decision to make their way to Lastrala and dock in Elias’s town again. In addition, they had no idea what had happened in Alast since they’d left. The hostages could have been rescued, and bringing the Casters there could end up being a waste of time. Or, and as much as Laura didn’t want to think of it, they could have been converted and they’d only end up fighting their own people.

  So, the fleet set their direction for Lastrala, sailing across the bright blue water and into the rising sun, retracing the trail Laura and Gemma had come by only two weeks prior. They were heading home.

  ~

  Caspian hurried up the steps to Erine’s lab, Oscar close in tow. The two of them had come as quickly as they could after receiving Erine’s message. He’d made a break through. That had to be what the message was about. What he wanted to see them for.

  In the two weeks since they stole the Enchanted body from one of the Enchanted Force Stations they’d had little luck in discovering what the formula Erebus used in order to convert the Enchanted.

  It hadn’t exactly been a smooth mission, either. First, Loki had met them at the exit of the Mountain, asking what they were up to. Erine hadn’t even bothered to hide their plans, and Loki had been both intrigued and frustrated. She knew that Erine working to find a cure for the converted Enchanted was still helping the very people she didn’t want to assist, but at the same time, she couldn’t in good conscious tell them not to search for a cure when she’d already made it clear they wouldn’t be coming to their aid in any other way.

  She’d let them go, and from then on it had been a cursed mission. They’d almost been caught three times, and while the saying goes ‘it comes in three’s’ they had ended up being cornered on the fourth. Oscar had knocked the guard out, but not before he’d received a good look at his face. It wasn’t ideal, but what could they do? They couldn’t very well take him hostage.

  Of course, they did find their body and make it back to the underground without further problems, but a warrant for Oscar’s arrest had been released the very next day, and leaving the mountain became virtually impossible for him after that.

  In studying the body, all they’d discovered were small amounts of Wicked creature blood injected into it. But if that was all it took to convert them to Wicked, wouldn’t using Enchanted creature blood be the likely cure? Unfortunately not. They tried Enchanted blood, Enchanted creatures blood, even holy water in the hopes it might wash the Wicked blood from the system. Nothing seemed to lead to the answer.

  Erine had been working day and night on solving the mystery, and it was beginning to show. It appeared he’d grown older in a matter of mere weeks. In spite of that, they were no closer to a cure. Unless Erine had discovered it in the last three hours since they’d spoken with him.

  Caspian burst through the doors into Erine’s lab and hurried to his side. The place was a mess. Vials everywhere, testing equipment strewn about. The body was concealed by only a thin sheet and the smell wasn’t pleasant either.

  ‘What is it?’ Caspian asked quickly.

  ‘Did you find something?’ Oscar pressed, reaching the two of them moments later.

  Erine’s hair stuck out in all directions and he’d truly come to look to be the definition of mad. He held a vial in front of his face, a dropper pressed to the opening of it.

  ‘Shhh!’ He hissed.

  Caspian halted, watching Erine’s shaking fingers as he released a drop of clear liquid into the vial. The thick blood inside changed from a deep red to a light pink in an instant.

  ‘Yes!’ Erine laughed. ‘I knew it!’

  ‘What? Knew what?’ Oscar asked, impatient.

  ‘We’ve been wrong all along. We’ve been assuming this experiment was the one. But we missed something. They’re dead!’

  Caspian looked to Oscar, who shrugged and shook his head. They had no idea what Erine was getting at.

  Erine scoffed. ‘Kids,’ he muttered. ‘Look, this body is dead. Meaning the experiment didn’t work. We’ve been looking for a cure for someone who wasn’t even converted.’

  Caspian’s mind was racing in an instant. He suddenly understood what Erine was implying.

  ‘So, you’re saying we’ve been wasting our time?’ Oscar replied.

  ‘Not entirel,’ Erine said. ‘They used Wicked Creature blood on this Enchanted. It didn’t work, when they swore allegiance to the Devils, they were burnt out because they weren’t really Wicked, and thus their heart wasn’t in the oath. But that got me thinking. They were clearly onto something with the creature blood. So, what if they used Wicked blood?’

  Caspian’s eyes flickered to the vial. ‘What’s that then?’

  ‘This? Oh, just some Wicked blood.’

  ‘Where did you manage to get that?’ Oscar asked, concerned.

  ‘That’s of no importance right now. Look, I took the Wicked blood, and tested Enchanted blood. It didn’t work. Holy Water didn’t work either. But a mixture of both? It looks to be enough to dilute the Wicked blood somewhat.’

  ‘Only somewhat? We need more than that,’ Oscar said.

  ‘I know, which is why I think I know what the cure is,’ Erebus responded, putting the vial down and reaching for a book.

  Caspian’s heart beat louder and excitement ignited within him.

  ‘Holy water is water from the heavens. Enchanted blood is the blood of part human, part angel. It makes sense that it would be enough to turn a Wicked back, but I think because of the trauma and change, it can’t take on the Wicked blood by itself. I think we need pure Angel blood, too.’

  Caspian’s heart stopped all together. Angel blood. How were they going to manage that? Angels were barely a living being unless in the body of someone on the brink of death, and even then, their blood wouldn’t be in the body. That was a near impossible task.

&nb
sp; ‘How are we going to find Angel blood?’ Oscar asked at last.

  Erine was flicking through his book. ‘I’m working on that.’

  Caspian saw the look of deflation in Oscar’s face. For just a moment, they’d been so close.

  ‘Okay. Well, we’ll leave you to your study. We have a meeting with Loki,’ Oscar responded after it became clear Erine had no more to say to them.

  ‘Hmm?’ Erine said, peering up at them, confused. ‘Oh, yes, yes. Of course. Good luck. You might sway her this time.’

  Erine returned to his book and Caspian swivelled to face Oscar.

  ‘Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.’

  Oscar nodded, and the two of them left.

  The past two weeks hadn’t only consisted of searching frantically for a cure. There had been much catching up with the Mariadies. The two of them had been spreading word, quietly and cautiously, of the situation across the world. The Humans who were being taken captive, the Enchanted being converted, the Wicked taking over, the tyrant that was Erebus. They were planting the seed, hoping the people would give in and fight Loki on her decision. Many were sympathetic. Some blatantly agreed. But nothing had changed. Yet.

  Loki had requested a meeting with them, and Caspian hoped it was finally the moment when she would change her mind.

  As they trailed down the steps, heading towards Loki’s council room, Reya materialised in the entrance to her classroom, books in hand.

  ‘Much luck?’ She asked, eyes settling on Oscar.

  Oscar shook his head. ‘Not yet.’

  Reya gave him a sympathetic smile and reached a hand out, resting it on Oscar’s arm. ‘You’ll find it soon, I’m sure.’

  Something flickered to light within Caspian. Reya had been running into them more and more of late, and it was growing somewhat tiresome. Caspian could have rolled his eyes as she squeezed Oscar’s arm before retracting her hand, glancing briefly at Caspian then leaving after sharing another smile with Oscar.