‘Please,’ Gemma added. ‘Let us help you.’
Maya’s eyes moved from each of them over and over, clearly taking in all that she’d been told. Was it possible that the Enchanted still lived in them? That they could fight back against the Wicked blood and still remember who they were? Once, Mitch wouldn’t have believed it. But after Grace’s compelling speech to the Wicked when she’d killed Mr Stark, and seeing the way they seemed to change, to break out of their trance, he couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Erebus will find us. He will kill us,’ said Maya, her voice low.
‘We won’t let that happen,’ Drew spoke up for the first time, his promise firm.
‘We’ll protect you,’ Gemma agreed.
‘Just let us help you,’ Laura finished.
Mitch watched in anticipation as Maya sagged away from the blade a little. She took a step back from them, only a small one, and slowly, Laura lowered her blade of air. Then, Maya extended her hands, wrists together, to them.
Mitch frowned at her. ‘We’re not taking you prisoner. If you come with us, it’s of your own choice.’
He could see the relief in Maya’s face.
‘But you will have to walk ahead of us. Just to be sure,’ Drew added, eyes locking with Mitch.
Mitch knew he was only being cautious, but he still wished Drew hadn’t said it. He was worried they would break the trust they’d only just built up with Maya.
But Maya simply nodded in understanding and looked to the door.
‘Okay, let’s go,’ Laura urged, and together, they set off.
Maya didn’t stray or attempt to escape, to Mitch’s relief. They made it back to their base where they took her to Erine’s lab. Guards were brought to keep watch, just to be sure, but Maya entered willing and hopped up onto Erine’s table. Mitch remained on her left, Drew on her right. They had to be careful, they knew that there was every possibility she could be playing them so she could gain the opportunity to take out the scientist working on the cure.
But she didn’t move, didn’t even flinch as Erine came over and began mumbling away. He asked her a few questions about herself, which she answered honestly, then he moved to pull out a vial from his pocket. Inside, a gold liquid glowed bright, and he retrieved a needle from the nearby bench.
He pulled on a clean pair of gloves, then looked up at Maya.
‘Ready dear?’ He asked.
Maya looked terrified all of a sudden as she watched him inject the needle into the vial and fill it with the cure. He didn’t need much, but still Maya was clearly scared.
‘It won’t hurt you. It will either work or it won’t,’ Erine told her. ‘And if it doesn’t, then nothing will change, I guarantee it. You were Enchanted once, so you cannot be harmed in the same way the Enchanted that were experimented on were.’
Mitch knew he was referring to the way the Wicked had burned up from the experiments, presumably because when they pledged allegiance to the Wicked, the Devils knew they didn’t mean it in their hearts. The fact that the converted Enchanted had once been Enchanted would mean they were safe from that happening to them, for the blood still ran through them, even if they were converted to Wicked.
After a moment, Maya caught Erine’s eye, then nodded.
‘I’m ready.’
Erine’s smile broadened, and he reached for her arm searching for the best place to inject the cure. Then, once he’d found it, he pressed the needle in.
It only took a second, and then the needle was out and Erine was stepping back to watch, curiosity in his eyes. Mitch and Drew also moved away, and Gemma and Laura remained in the corner of the room, observing the situation with hope on their faces.
Mitch wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the momentary glow of gold that encased Maya before it dulled, leaving her calmly sitting there. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as she regained composure, then she glanced around at them. Before anyone could do anything, she smiled.
Cheers went up around the room, the largest of all coming from Erine, as they celebrated their success.
Maya threw her arms around Erine, thanking him profusely for turning her back. Erine blushed and patted her back, insisting it was only his job. Still, Mitch knew he’d gone above and beyond to try and find the cure. He hadn’t been forced to help them, and no one would have blamed him if he hadn’t, considering the Enchanted’s history with the Mariadies, but still, he had anyway.
So, they’d done it. They had figured out the cure, which meant they could begin capturing Converted Enchanted and turning them back. Not everyone would come as easily as Maya had. She’d been alone for a long while, fighting in a war she hadn’t wanted to, scared and unsure of what she should do. She’d been desperate to try anything. But there would be Enchanted so far gone that they couldn’t reach them through memories and kindness. It would take work, and probably mean holding them against their will, which wasn’t ideal, but they had to do it. They deserved to be turned back, to be the person they once were.
At some point, Megan had entered the room, and Mitch had assumed it was to see what all the shouting was about. But when he saw her face, he knew something was wrong. The celebrating dyed down, and Laura hurried forward.
‘What is it?’ She asked, her forehead creased with worry.
‘We just received word from a group of Enchanted that they found a number of Humans hiding out in the bush. Or at least, they were humans. They are Enchanted now. Erebus has obviously been trying everything to convert them to Wicked, and instead only produced more Enchanted. He’s been dumping them to die.’
‘What?’ Gemma gasped.
‘What does that mean?’ Laura asked quietly.
‘Well, it means Humans are being made Enchanted against their own will. They don’t want to be a part of this world. They never asked for it,’ Megan sighed. ‘It means Erine, your work is not yet done. We need to find a way to convert them back. They will be arriving tonight. They’re willing to do anything to be turned back. Including undergoing experiments. But nothing that will harm them, please.’
Erine’s eyes widened, and within an instant he was off, flicking through his pages, mumbling to himself again. It was never ending, it seemed. One thing after another. They could never simply be happy for a moment before the next disaster occurred.
‘At least he hasn’t succeeded in turning them into Wicked,’ Mitch said, running a hand through his dark brown hair.
Megan gave him a grim, sad smile. ‘Yet.’
~
Erebus reached the stage and peered out at his Wicked Guards, the ones that were meant to protect him and his prisoners. Ever since Stella’s escape, he’d been locked up underground, furiously attempting to find a way to convert the Humans to Wicked. But when yet another batch had come out as Enchanted, he had snapped. He was already desperate to leave so they could go after the Sorcerer with the possession mark’s trail, however he’d yet to do so due to the inadequacy of his Wicked.
‘This. Is. Not. Good. ENOUGH,’ he bellowed by way of greeting to his guards. ‘Failure after failure, and it’s your fault. YOURS.’
He grinded his teeth, turning away from his Wicked, disgusted by the shocked and hurt looks on their faces. They were weak. They didn’t deserve him. They deserved to rot, left at the hands of the Enchanted as they always had been. And no wonder. They were worthless. They couldn’t even work out how to turn Human’s to Wicked. Beyond that, they couldn’t even win a Gods damned war.
‘Useless. The lot of you,’ he spat through his teeth. ‘I told you to find me the girl, and still not a word of her whereabouts. You honestly can’t expect me to believe that not a SINGLE Wicked has seen her? Of all of you, across the world, not one has spotted her?’
Rage. All he felt bubbling within him was rage at his pathetic excuse for an army. They didn’t appreciate him. He should have had better. He deserved better.
‘Sir, some have s-’ Creshan began, but Erebus spun, slapping the boy across his face befor
e he could finish.
The stupid imbecile was going to tell him that there had been some possible sightings, but that wasn’t good enough. Not to mention, there was something going on in Creshan’s lab, he was sure of it. Too many failures, and too fast. He’d taken up the task of overseeing it himself, but how was it that they still weren’t making even a single breakthrough? Unless someone was sabotaging them?
Erebus peered out at the Wicked, seeing the questioning looks. He would not stand for it. They would do better or die trying.
‘Find the stupid girl!’ He growled before turning and stalking from the stage. ‘And organise a team to accompany me on my mission. I leave soon.’
He made his way through the many winding tunnels, heading for his next meeting. He had a plan, an idea that would speed up at least one of his problems; a way to end the war.
It was time to pay the Devils another visit. They’d been begging for their chance to enter the battle. That opportunity, he decided, had finally come. The Enchanted wouldn’t know what hit them.
Chapter Eleven
A Time For Hope, A Time For Prayer
Logan stood beside Grace, their arms linked as they waited for General Lain to appear. Enchanted, Casters and Creatures alike crowded onto the streets around the stairs leading to entrance of a hotel. It was the best vantage point for gatherings, and that was exactly what was happening around him.
‘Ace!’ Someone called, and Logan peered over his shoulder to see Drew weaving through the mob towards Laura.
Laura stood on his left, a smile on her lips as Drew came up beside her, resting an arm around her shoulders.
‘I thought I’d miss it,’ Drew commented.
‘Right on time, actually,’ Laura responded, nodding towards the steps.
Logan’s brown eyes shifted to see General Lain, Megan, Obverse and Loki all passing through the doorway, stopping before the crowd. In an instant, everyone began to quieten, awaiting the announcements they’d all been called forward to hear.
‘Thank you all for coming,’ General Lain began, and Grace quickly took Logan’s hand, nervous about what was going to be said. ‘I understand there is much work to be done, so I will keep this short. I’m sure most of you have already heard the news, but a cure for the Converted Enchanted has indeed been discovered.’
A cheer went up through the mass of people, and Logan couldn’t help but let loose a whoop of his own.
‘We have begun administering the cure to all Converted Enchanted we can find and will continue to send out groups to locate more. In addition, testing for the Human’s turned Enchanted will start soon.’
The cheer quietened a little as everyone was reminded of what Erebus was doing to the Humans.
‘Now, moving on to a more pressing matter. I’m sure you can see the three leaders standing behind me. Megan Beretude, Chief of the Casters. Loki Sanderson, Leader of the Mariadies. And Obverse, a representative of all Creatures,’ General Lain was sure to introduce all three of them, allowing them the chance to smile or wave or bow, as Obverse had. ‘I’m pleased to see the Enchanted have taken the discoveries of each race in their stride, but I did want to discuss the matter further. All three of these leaders, and their people, have come to our aid, despite the little help we’ve given them in the past. Not knowing of their existence is not an excuse. For me, anyway. We should be known as a kind, loyal and trustworthy race. That Megan’s Casters felt they had to hide from us out of fear is outrageous on our part. We must strive to be better, for that is not the kind of people we want to be known as, is it?’ General Lain paused to allow his statement to sink in. Logan was glad to see the Enchanted silent, glancing between one another with shame. ‘I think we can all agree the answer is no,’ General Lain continued. ‘So, we will be the people we’ve always meant to be, but perhaps lost along the way. We will prove to the Casters that we are trustworthy. We will prove to the Mariadies that we are loyal. And we will prove to the Creatures that we are kind. We will show them that their help is beyond appreciated, and we will ensure that when we win this war, we allow these people a fair and safe place within our society.’
All was quiet for an instant, until suddenly, someone started to clap. A Mariadie, not far from where Logan stood. Then more Mariadies were clapping, and Casters and Enchanted too. The Creatures were stomping and jumping, expressing their own delight at the speech.
Grace gripped his hand harder, and he snuck a look at her face to see her smiling with relief. They’d all been worried about how the Enchanted would take working with the Mariadies, the Caster and the Creatures. It looked as though they’d quickly come to realise how great an advantage their assistance was.
General Lain smiled, pleased. ‘Good. Now that’s out of the way,’ he shouted over the crowd. ‘Let’s win this damn war!’
~
Laura caught her breath as they rounded the corner of the last street. The border between the land that they’d taken back and the land where the Enchanted still battled the Wicked loomed up ahead. She felt her heart pace quicken as she caught Grace’s eye. Her friend shot her an encouraging smile, but Laura could see she was as concerned as the rest of them.
They’d received word of the Humans being converted to Enchanted the day before, and after sending spies into the battlefield, they’d soon discovered that there was a lab where the experiments were taking place in the next city over. They’d talked to the newly made Enchanted they’d rescued from the bush, and soon had a map to the location.
It had been decided that the Mariadies, the Casters and the Creatures would work to secure the city. They were still keeping on par with their plan to set up a larger base, only they’d be saving Humans as well, which in everyone’s opinion, was a win, win. They also hoped that in taking back the city, it would allow Erine access to the lab so he could see what they were doing to the Humans and find a way to undo it.
He’d already set to work with the help of the Enchanted Humans and Maya, who relayed any information she could on what she knew of the enemy. But he needed more information; needed more clues so he didn’t harm the Humans in trying to turn them back.
Laura knew that the battle ahead would be her first real one since she’d faced down the Wicked in Alast before they took her and the other Enchanted hostage. It would also be her first battle with her newly acquired skills and training. She only hoped she could help make a difference.
Smoke trailed up from the burning cars and buildings around them, and the smell of it hung heavy in the air. The Mariadies had continued to clean up what they could, but they were desperate for rainfall to put out all the fires. That they weren’t spreading was enough of a blessing in itself.
The sky was dull, the sun barely visible through the thick clouds. It was as if the Gods were mirroring the sadness of the world. Despite that, there was enough light to guide them through the streets and to the border.
The sounds of crying and clashing blades and shouting already reached their ears, and Laura felt herself tense. She could see bodies ahead. She could smell blood and lightning and fire. She could taste the smoky air and metal tang of broken blades. It was heartbreaking.
Drew and Grace kept pace with her as they darted out behind cars and hid between buildings, taking care to stick to the shadows. They’d broken up into groups of three or four so not to attract attention, and to allow them to surround the city with ease.
Nonetheless, despite knowing she would have the back up of some of the best warriors, Laura felt nervous. She didn’t want to lose any more people. She couldn’t keep watching those she cared about die.
‘There’s a gap there between the buildings. If we pass through there then keep to the trees, we should make it right down into the city without having to see anyone,’ Drew suggested quietly, pointing out his plan to them.
There were already teams that would be working to secure the land surrounding the city, but Laura, Drew and Grace had been tasked with helping take back the lab where the experiments w
ere occurring.
‘Okay, let’s go. No use waiting around,’ Grace said in response, straightening and darting out from their hiding spot before either of them could protest.
Laura was up and following, sprinting across the hard bitumen road and diving through the gap between the last of the buildings that marked the border. They reached the grass, hurrying into the trees, the only noise reaching Laura’s ears the sound of their feet slapping against the earth.
She was puffing, though not because she was tired. The nerves were eating her up inside. Still, the adrenaline was beginning to kick in, granting her new bursts of speed just when she needed them most.
They kept up a running pace, darting through the trees and under the cover of the bushes. It wasn’t night, so the sun didn’t help their situation much, despite the clouds blocking it. Regardless, they weren’t seen as they made their way down into the city.
As they drew closer, Laura could suddenly feel the intensity of the battle. She could see more and more Wicked and Enchanted through the trees as they flew past them. None turned to look at them. None followed. The Mariadies were doing as they said they would. They were keeping the Wicked occupied.
Then, to Laura’s surprise, they broke through the tree line and were rushing into the city. It was a whole other scene that was pictured before her. Bodies littered the ground, debris from the burning buildings already settling atop of them. The streets were paved with blood and muck, shattered glass and broken cars.
It was a sight that would never leave Laura. But despite the horror of what would be forever imprinted in her mind, they kept running. They were met with little opposition as they followed the directions they’d been given to the lab.
The Wicked were too caught up in their own battles to be worrying about them. Nevertheless, Laura found herself wielding her sword more than she would have liked. She held her power in, however, determined to save it. She couldn’t afford to use up all her energy yet. She still needed it.
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