The Angel

by Blaire Hammond

  Stella wandered slowly down the hall, peering into each window or doorway. She had awoken to an empty room and had pondered where Leo and her brothers were, or rather, what it was they were up to. She wasn’t really allowed to walk around without one of them there to aid her, Archer had made her promise, but she was much too restless to remain couped up in her room.

  She’d been confined to her bed for over a week already, only being granted permission for a few hours of walking or sitting per day, and she felt ready to be up and moving again. Her bruises had healed and her infection had disappeared, thanks to the advanced power that was Enchanted Healers – the Spirit World was lucky in that sense, injuries healed faster than any Human’s wound could. She was still a little weak and her bones ached, as did her hand, but for the most part, she felt she was almost back on track…

  She knew she was maybe lying to herself in some sense, though. It would take a long while before the aches and pain would leave her completely – before she’d learn to accept the missing finger on her hand. And she knew it would take even longer for her mind to come to terms with the torture she’d endured. Her nightmares were intense, and while Leo was there, comforting her through them, she would still wake in the morning, sweaty and shaken.

  She tried not to think too much about what happened; about Erebus and his loyal Wicked using every method at their deposal without killing her outright in order to make her talk. The missing finger on her right hand was enough of a reminder of what she’d been through. She felt the phantom pain of the missing digit, and it haunted her enough in itself let alone allowing the memories of Erebus to enter her mind.

  If ever they did appear, she’d forced them straight back out. She would not give in, nor would she permit the horrors taking over. She was stronger than that. Besides, there were much more pressing matters at hand, and she considered those to be of higher concern than her mental state. In addition, the nightmares were enough. Her sleep was plagued by Erebus, she couldn’t allow her days to be as well.

  The number one item on the agenda was to locate her students. They were the most important people in her life – along with her parents, brothers and Leo. They were her family. She loved them as if they were her own children. Finding and protecting them from any further harm the war could ravage was all she wanted.

  She trusted her students of course, she always would. She and Leo had spent years training them, and she knew that they had to create their own paths in life, but still… they meant so much to her. Not knowing where they were, what they were doing, it was killing her inside.

  That wasn’t the only subject on her mind, however. She knew there was a war still out there. She also knew that every Enchanted that could fight was needed. She was needed. And she wanted to fight back. She wanted to show Erebus that he couldn’t break her. That she would not cower from him. That he would not win.

  She wanted to play her part in the battle. Convincing her brothers and Leo of that, however, would be a hard task. They were already protective of her. After what she’d been through, they were likely to be more so.

  Stella rounded a corner and finally spotted a nurse reading a clipboard. She cleared her throat and the nurse jumped before looking up, surprised.

  ‘Sorry,’ Stella said sheepishly. She’d forgotten how good she was at sneaking around. ‘Do you know where my brothers or my husband is?’ She asked with a smile.

  ‘Down in the conference room I believe. Three rights and the door at the end,’ she responded in kind.

  Stella nodded a thanks and continued her journey through the hospital.

  It had been a long week, she had to admit that. Being caught up on all that had happened since she’d been kidnapped had been shocking. Hearing of the state of the world, the Humans, the Enchanted, it was frightening.

  She and Leo had had a long talk the night she’d woken up. She’d told him of her time imprisoned. Speaking about it helped her to put it out of her mind. Having Leo listen meant the world to her. It allowed her to heal. To acknowledge what had happened and to move on. It wasn’t something she would ever forget, she knew that, but she felt better having talked about it.

  Leo had also told her of his father. About the truth he shared of his wife; Leo’s mother. It was a shock, but Leo, as much as herself, required the time and opportunity to make sense of all he’d discovered. When Leo told her of what his father had done – of how he’d sacrificed his life so that they could escape, she’d been brought to tears.

  They’d talked long into the night and even well into the early hours of the morning. By the time she fell asleep, Leo was holding her to him, promising to never let her go.

  Of course, when she next awoke she found herself confronted by her four brothers who’s faces ranged from tears to fury. Sully wanted to kill Erebus. Tarim continued to wipe the tears from his cheeks as he hugged his sister to him. It had been an emotional reunion.

  Stella pushed the doors to the conference room open, snapping herself from her trance. Five men swivelled away from the table to face her.

  ‘Stella! What are you doing here?’ Martin exclaimed, rushing to her side.

  He encouraged her to sit, but she shook him off.

  ‘I’m fine. Honestly,’ she said with a light chuckle. ‘What’s going on in here?’

  Archer stepped aside, allowing her to see the map of Elixir on the table. Stella crossed the room and peered down at it.

  ‘Everything that’s marked with a cross has been invaded. Everything that’s got a stroke is under threat.’

  Stella had to hold back her gasp. There were so many countries marked on the map. So many at risk or already taken by the Wicked.

  ‘So what’s the plan?’ She asked.

  ‘As soon as you’re well enough, we’re going to head back to your parents and drop you there. Then we’ll be rallying anyone willing to fight and moving on Lastrala. It’s the largest country that’s been invaded. Taking it back would be a huge knock for the Wicked,’ Leo explained.

  Stella took it all in, then peered across at him. ‘Sounds good. Except for one thing. You’re not leaving me behind.’

  Archer and Tarim both moved to interject but Stella held up her hand.

  ‘It will take a few days to reach our parents at least, so I will rest then. And the journey over to Lastrala will give me another week or so. That’s plenty of time. I’m not letting you all go off to battle without me. You know that’s not how this works,’ she looked directly at Leo then. ‘It’s always been us. Never you and I separately. I will not leave you.’

  Leo’s eyes met hers and softened a little. She knew he was desperate to argue with her, but she also knew that he understood that her mind was set. He respected her too much to make her stay behind.

  ‘Stel, please,’ Sully begged, stepping up beside her. ‘I know you want to fight, but you’ve been through so much.’

  Stella wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him tight.

  ‘I know you mean well, but I have to do this. We all do.’

  Sully hugged her back and she felt him give in. She knew then that all her brothers, no matter how much they wanted to take care of her, wouldn’t dispute the matter. They loved her, but they also knew she could stand on her own two feet. She always had and she always would.

  Plus, Leo would be there with her. They were a team. They started the battle together and they would end it together.

  ‘When should we leave?’ Stella asked as Sully pulled away.

  ‘Tomorrow, if you’re up for it and the doctors say you can,’ Leo replied, running a hand through his sandy brown hair.

  ‘The doctors said I was well enough to leave two days ago. I only stayed because you all made me,’ said Stella with a laugh.

  Martin chuckled. ‘Well, that settles it. Mum and dad will be pleased to see us.’

  And just like that, the decision was made.

  ~

  Erebus Cain Wizard had been but a boy when he had first wondered what it w
ould be like to rule the world. He had enjoyed those small opportunities of leadership he’d been gifted by his father whenever he left the house for work or took him to town meetings. He’d enjoyed them so much so that he’d demanded his mother listen to him and abide by his rules.

  His father had been none too happy with him after that instance. When Erebus had attempted to force his sister to do his bidding (that being murdering the neighbour’s cat, who had constantly snuck into their house and eaten Erebus’s favourite biscuits baked by his mother) that had been the last straw. Granted, there had been many more bizarre occurrences that had led to the decision.

  Erebus had been shipped off to boarding school alone, and with barely any possessions or money to his name. Of course, his parents had promised that they would remain in contact. That, however, had not happened. They had been rich, his father being a well-respected town merchant, and sending their son off only upped their status, for the townspeople had been weary of the strange boy.

  Erebus, with only himself to keep company, had retreated from the world. He still attended his classes, but he had spent his free time studying. That, and frightening his roommate, whom had indeed grown scared of him, and often would bunk in his friend’s room, if he could sneak out without being caught. Erebus preferred it that way. He had been fond of his privacy.

  It wasn’t long before Erebus took a liking to science, and had begun to study every book he could grasp a hold of. The Library became his second home, as he’d spend many cold, rainy nights staying up there reading. He had been intrigued by the human body. Moreover, he had been interested in the study of altering it. Granted, there was little research on the topic, and in the end, he’d gathered his information first hand – that being he had studied the human body himself, testing, searching and learning.

  As the years went by, however, some had started noticing the shift in his behaviour. On top of that, the missing humans from the morgues had become a problem. To start with, Erebus hadn’t needed many, but soon his experiments grew complicated, and he had required more bodies. Authorities had started to notice, and eyes turned to a select few. Erebus had not been one of them, that was, until the launder had discovered traces of blood on his school uniform.

  He’d been forced to flee, for he had learned too much to allow himself time in jail. He had been close to a break through. He was sure of it. So he did just that – he left, once again alone, with no possessions or money to his name, and barely a finished education, though that had hardly mattered to him.

  He had been homeless yet again, and while it had infuriated him, he had worked hard to make the best of a bad situation. Soon, he had turned to a life of crime, hiding out in old basements of homes and stealing tools, bodies and food from his new city. At that time, the world had been a different place. The water had been shallow, so there had been much more land, and thus little borders. His own continent had been called Maliki. It later became Mandra, though its size had been more than halved.

  As the years went by, Erebus had continued to learn and experiment, until at long last, on the eve of his twenty ninth birthday, he had discovered something. A way to alter the human body. To grant it power and strength beyond anything one had ever experienced before.

  Having lived a life in the gutter, cut off from his family and unable to be the leader his father had been, Erebus had seen a way to change that. He had known then what he had desired most of all. He had wanted a power that would not only cast him as a leader, but convince everyone that he should be followed. He had wanted riches so he’d never have to be homeless again. He had wanted glory and admiration and dedication. He had deserved it, after all.

  He had known that in order to make his dreams a reality, however, he would have to first find a job working in a lab somewhere. He would have to build up his profile, so he could use their equipment, for even such an experiment as the one he had wanted to attempt was beyond the capabilities of his small, underground set up.

  So that was exactly what he had done. Erebus had been cunning and smart, but he had also been patient, a trait that had been long lost to him as the decades went by. It had taken fifteen long years to perfect the experiment. But in the end, it had been worth it. He had found himself with such a power. Fearing the possibility of having it taken from him, though, he had decided to create others alike himself, so that they may become his body guards.

  That had been his mistake. For not only had the results been vastly different to that of his own experiment, but the instant he had created the Enchanted, that had been the end of him.

  Erebus jolted awake, sitting upright in his desk, the real and current world coming back into focus around him. He often dreamt of his life before, though they were far from his favourite dreams. He’d been under great stress of late, however, so that perhaps explained why he was suddenly returning to some of his darker memories.

  He glanced about his office. It appeared as though he’d fallen asleep half way through Creshan’s report. Another failure. He’d been suspicious of the boy, but despite having Wicked follow him, nothing of concern had been discovered. He was doing exactly as he had been asked, which meant the failures were simply due to the fact that the right formula had yet to be found.

  Erebus knew he could probably help, but it had been a long time since he’d last been the one in the lab, working all hours. He’d lost his knack for it, and, moreover, he had a war to oversee.

  With a low growl, Erebus turned his attention back to the report. He noticed a note sitting on his desk – one that certainly had not been there prior to his nap. He reached for it, reading over the words carefully. Then, a dark, menacing grin spread across his face. It was good news indeed. Word of a Sorcerer sighting had reached them. And she apparently had the possession mark.

  ~

  Oscar and Caspian were on shift together for the first time during their entire trip across the ocean. They were honing in on Lastrala, traveling straight for its tip where the worst of the fighting was. Already they’d sunk three Wicked war ships without a single casualty of their own. Their ship had taken a few hits but still sailed strong.

  The Mariadies had teams working hard to patch up any holes or damage caused during the fights. They worked in perfect unison as always to hold their ground and defeat their enemies.

  Oscar could tell Caspian was impressed. He’d said as much to Muka after the first battle. It secretly pleased him to see how much Caspian had grown to respect the Mariadies. He’d always wanted the Enchanted to see the world they were missing out on – the warriors that could aid them in their constant fight against evil. That he’d helped just one of the Enchanted see the truth was a great feat. He hoped Caspian would help him vouch for the Mariadies after the war. Assuming they won, that was.

  In addition, Oscar had to admit, throughout all his training and hearing all the stories that were shared of the history of the Mariadies, he himself had never seen them in action to such an extent. He knew of their strength and talents, but to experience it playing out before him blew him away. He’d been out on missions with them during his training, but even those couldn’t compare.

  ‘Everything all right?’ Caspian asked from beside him.

  The two of them were cleaning the weapons and making more arrows for the collection.

  ‘Yeah fine,’ Oscar responded, shaking himself free from his thoughts.

  ‘We must be close now,’ Caspian commented, peering out at the ocean.

  Fog could be seen in the distance, blocking out the sun and bright blue sky.

  ‘Only a day or two out, I reckon,’ Oscar responded.

  He felt his voice waver a little and Caspian picked up on it. He looked back at Oscar, his eyes reflecting concern in them.

  Oscar returned his gaze to his work, continuing to clean his newly made arrow of any last impurities.

  ‘What is it?’ Caspian asked.

  Oscar knew he’d have to talk about his worries. But he also didn’t want to say them aloud. S
till, the way Caspian was watching him was enough to draw it from his lips.

  ‘I’m just worried about them.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The Mariadies.’

  Caspian’s eyes registered understanding and Oscar glanced out to sea.

  ‘We convinced them to come help. If they die, if their whole race is wiped out… it’ll be my fault. I was the one who suggested going to them.’

  ‘Oscar, stop being so hard on yourself. Yes, you had the idea, yes, we both convinced them, but at the end of the day, it was their decision. They made the choice to come help. They know the risks as much as we do. They’re not oblivious.’

  Oscar could see what he was saying, and even felt a little better for it, but he couldn’t ignore the pang within him that reminded him he couldn’t fail again. He couldn’t let the Mariadies be wiped out. But he also couldn’t let Erebus win the war.

  ‘I can see you thinking. Stop it. Get out of your head. I get it, okay? I get that you don’t want to let people down. But you are way too hard on yourself. And you expect way too much from yourself. You’re only as Enchanted as the rest of us. We all have to make decisions that will lead us on our own paths. You over think your decisions too much and put too much pressure on yourself to ensure the outcome of that decision comes to fruition.’

  Oscar found himself watching Caspian, unable to draw his eyes from him. He saw as Caspian forced a sigh and looked up to meet his gaze.

  ‘I said this to Drew once, and I think maybe you need to hear it too. You have to live in the now. We are only here once, only alive once. If we waste that one opportunity at a life worrying about every little thing then we won’t fulfil our purpose, will we? Trust your path, okay? And live.’

  Oscar didn’t know what to say. He realised then that Caspian’s words came from experience. He remembered that there was once a time not long ago when Caspian was sure he wouldn’t live a full life of his own. That he would die young. And he understood that making the best of a bad situation must have become his goal. Living his life despite the future he knew he’d never have had become the norm for him.