Wicked Folk (Witchy World Book 2)

by Jamie McFarlane

  "You'll pay," Luma said. The remaining corpses rushed us and I turned, focusing as much energy as I could draw from the ground beneath us. It felt as though I was trying to drink through a coffee straw. The energy was there, but constrained. I pulled at it and my eyes burned from the intensity of the light. As I closed my eyes, whatever was blocking me let go. My fingers felt as though they'd burst into flames and I released the crystal's chain.

  "Felix! Stop!" Gabriella's cool hands closed over my face and I realized I'd fallen to my knees. When I finally opened my eyes, we were the only ones still upright in the chamber. The fallen lanterns brought in by the Dark Folk eerily illuminated mounds of rotted corpses.

  "Luma?" I let go of Lace and ran to the fallen girl. Her eyes were closed, but her chest moved slowly as she pulled in breath.

  "Felix, more will be coming," Lace warned.

  "Go!" I said. "Get out." I placed my fingers on Thea's neck, feeling for a pulse, which I found.

  I turned back to Luma and scooped her up, following after Lace and Gabriella who were starting to pick their way under the low hanging shelf. Coming out on the other side, we struggled back to our feet. As a group, we stumbled and ran to the entrance, the dim sky of dusk still brighter by orders of magnitude than the cave.

  Shouts of excitement and the crack of a small caliber rifle spurred us down the steep embankment as we ignored the wooden stairs. Luma groaned as her head struck the hard-packed dirt beneath us. Gabriella whipped her wand around and caught the only figure we were able to see directly, his gun swinging wide.

  "You there, stop!" he demanded, lowering his rifle at us once again.

  "Adoleret," I pointed my finger at him, hurling a ball of flame into his chest. He screamed and dropped the rifle, running off into the trees.

  As a group, we stumbled forward, making it into the thick forest. My plan was to get to the stream bed and wait out the hunters in the dark. If we had to make our stand, that's just what we'd do. The crashing of men through the undergrowth around us grew louder. They shouted excitedly to each other, having caught sight of us.

  "We'll never make it," Gabriella said.

  "Stop moving," Lace said simply.

  "We can't," I said, misunderstanding her request as more fatalism.

  The sounds of more men closing in around us caught my attention. It would be only moments before they discovered our position.

  Lace clawed my shoulder, grabbing just enough material to spin me around. "Trust me," she implored.

  I stopped.

  She murmured what sounded like a prayer, her unkempt dark hair falling around her pale face. As she spoke, one of our pursuers came into view, looking around wildly.

  "I don't see anyone," he yelled. "Try further downstream."

  Two more men joined him, looking around. "They were just here," one argued, panting from exertion.

  Gabriella lifted her wand and flicked it in the direction we'd been heading. The leaves of a bush shook as her spell impacted it.

  "There!" The three men, all armed with rifles, ran forward through the undergrowth.

  Ding. The phone in my backpack announced a text message receipt.

  All three of us looked at the backs of the retreating men, paranoid the phone's sound would call them back. When it didn't, Gabriella slowly pulled at the zipper of my pack and fished out Judy's phone.

  "Anderson got the pictures," she whispered. "She wants permission to track our phone's location."

  "Permission?"

  "I think she figured out my day job," Gabriella said. "She says to hold on; the cavalry's coming."

  "You need to be quiet," Lace warned. "My spell doesn’t cover sound.".

  Darkness Exposed

  The bright beam of a high-powered flashlight lanced through the heavily treed forest, pausing momentarily as it illuminated the four of us still hunkered down next to the hillside leading to the cathedral's cave. Something about our position gave the invisible form behind the light pause, but so far it hadn't been enough to warrant more than a quick second look. Just as before, this searcher moved on, crashing into the forest to continue his frantic search.

  I held the unconscious Petaluma in a seated position in front of me, hugging her protectively with my arms. I wanted to teleport the girl back a few years, to the happy moments I remembered with her as a preteen, playing in this very forest. Just how that sweet girl ended up in a cave full of monsters under her control, while she attacked me and mine, was something I couldn't bear to consider.

  We'd been hiding for what felt like hours, but it was more like forty minutes when Petaluma stirred.

  "Shh," I encouraged, as Lace's concerned eyes bored into us. She'd been against bringing Petaluma along given her less than positive experience with the girl so far.

  "Uncle Felix?" Petaluma asked, groggily. "Where are we?"

  "In the forest, hiding from the Dark Folk," I said.

  She sagged back into my arms. "He'll kill us all."

  "No, sweet child, he won't. The FBI is on their way."

  "He's too strong," she said.

  "Just rest," I said.

  "Felix," Gabriella whispered. "Look."

  At the mouth of the cave, Thea emerged, outlined by a light from behind. Apparently, she'd recovered and with her at least one of the necromancers with whom we'd tangled. She stumbled forward and worked her way down the stairs.

  "Lady Althea." A man approached from the path that led back to the parking area. "What are your orders?"

  "Where is the Applebaum child?"

  "Jorie saw her come out of the cave with the princess and the prisoners from last night." I recognized the voice as belonging to the first security guard who'd imprisoned Gabriella and me. "He fired a shot to get them back into the cave, but they ran."

  "Kill them all," she said. "No survivors."

  "Even the girl?" he asked, surprised.

  "Especially the girl," Thea said coldly. "She's weak and knows too much."

  I half expected Petaluma to gasp or become angry. Instead, she silently turned into my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

  "Willum wants you back at the church immediately," he said.

  Thea didn't reply other than to push past him.

  "I don't know how much longer I can hold this," Lace said after a few more minutes. "I've never masked so many for so long."

  "Have you ever joined with another sister?" Gabriella asked, reaching for Lace's hand.

  Lace took Gabriella's hand, looking at her skeptically.

  "Do you feel that?" Gabriella whispered. "The warmth in the palm of your hand. Please let me in. Allow my spirit to join with your own."

  "I'm afraid," Lace said.

  "I won't hurt you," Gabriella reassured.

  Lace nodded, the tension in her face draining.

  "Share your pain with me," Gabriella said soothingly. "You needn't carry this burden alone. Tonight we stand together, sister."

  "I see you," Lace whispered.

  "And I see you," Gabriella replied.

  A small shuddering breath reminded me that I held a small witch who also needed support. With a free hand I wiped the quiet tears that had fallen on her cheeks. She'd no doubt heard Thea's death sentence. "All is not lost," I comforted, to which she had no response.

  "Do you hear that?" I asked after perhaps another fifteen minutes had passed.

  "What?" Gabriella asked, sounding like she was only about half there.

  "Dogs," I said.

  A moment later, a man in full tactical gear with FBI emblazoned on his chest, burst into view, wielding a large flashlight and being pulled along by a German Shepherd. The dog drew up short, five yards from our position and whined, pawing at the air.

  "Drop the spell," I whispered. The dog barked frantically at my voice, but didn't advance.

  "What is it, girl?" the man asked, shining his flashlight across our position just as Lace released her spell. I felt fortunate the agent didn't have a weapon drawn, as he startled a
nd nearly dropped the leash. The dog, having discovered a target, lunged forward. "Freeze," he yelled, swinging the light back onto us. "Raise your hands. FBI."

  "We're unarmed and injured," I said, raising my hands. "Agent Anderson is looking for us."

  "Hold there," he said over the barking dog. "And don't move."

  "Tactical, I've got a group of four saying they're the vics," he said. After a moment he replied to an unheard voice. "Two women, one child and one man." He paused, obviously listening to orders. "He's late twenties, straight dark hair."

  "What are your names?" he called over, still not advancing.

  Before I could answer, however, two men with rifles rose, and wearing night vision goggles silently entered the small clearing.

  "Felix Slade, Gabriella Valverde, Lace Faa and Petaluma Applebaum," I said.

  We waited while he relayed the information. "They're clear," he finally announced. "Henderson, take 'em back to the command post."

  "The cave," I said, pointing up the hill. "There are several people still in there."

  "Bobby. Secure that cave," the first agent said.

  The agent who had been identified as Henderson slung his assault rifle over his shoulder and flipped the lens of his night vision goggles up. "Can you walk?"

  "Yes." I helped Petaluma to her feet and then looped an arm under Lace's shoulder.

  "Keep your lights pointed low and on the path. We don't need to blind the other agents," he said, pointing to the path. The sound of a shout and weapon-fire sent us all to our knees on the other side of the muddy stream bank. The shots had been fired at least a hundred yards away, but I knew better than to believe a bullet couldn't find us.

  "We're clear," Henderson announced a couple of minutes later.

  The large clearing where a few hours before, only a single truck had been parked had completely transformed. A white-tented command center stood next to a black, armored vehicle. Huge halogen lights shone out in all directions, illuminating a myriad of emergency vehicles, many with their light bars still flashing.

  Henderson led us through the chaos and over to the back of one of three ambulances that sat up on the dirt track leading out.

  "Anderson wants to see you after you're checked out," Henderson said as a man wearing an EMT uniform approached Lace, helping her to sit on the wide back bumper of his vehicle.

  "I'm fine," I said, before Henderson could leave. "Gabriella, will you stay with Lace and Petaluma while I talk to Anderson?"

  She nodded. "I've got it, Felix."

  Henderson escorted me back to the command post, stopping to knock at the open door of the armored vehicle. "Anderson?"

  "Felix. Good." Dana Anderson looked out the door. "Thank you, Agent."

  Radio chatter behind her announced the capture of another person in the woods. I scanned the makeshift brig which was nothing more than ropes around a group of folding chairs. Of course there were several heavily armed agents standing by to enforce the detainment area. A dozen men and women, wearing the clothing I associated with inhabitants of Eppy Faire, sat handcuffed, looking very unhappy. While disappointed, it was no surprise Thea wasn't yet among the detainees.

  "You didn't find Thea Sanders?" I asked.

  "No," she said. "Was that Petaluma Applebaum with you?"

  "She's a victim." I hoped Anderson wasn't able to see through my lack of confidence in that statement.

  She didn’t respond to my assertion, but moved on. "What's in the cave, Felix?"

  "It's bad, Dana," I said. "Are you sure you want to be here for this?" An image of her dead partner replayed in my mind's eye.

  Agent Anderson nodded at me, a weary look in her eyes. "I want to catch this bastard."

  "There were seven or eight people in the cave when we escaped," I said. "Althea Sanders was one of them, I don't know any other names. We saw Althea and a couple more escape, probably headed back to Eppy."

  "We'll get her; there's a warrant out on her. Was Willum Gordon involved?

  "I'm sure he was calling the shots, but he wasn't down there," I said.

  "Follows his pattern," she said. "Do you feel up to going in the cave?"

  "Have you cleared it yet?" I asked.

  "They're going in now," she said. The sounds of tactical chatter spilled from the back of the heavy vehicle and she moved me over to one of the tables beneath the white tent top. "I'd like to introduce you to one of our non-traditional profilers, Jardeep Farha."

  A middle-aged man, early fifties, with dark, tanned skin rose. He looked to be middle-eastern and when he spoke, his accent sounded Arabian. "Pleased to meet you, Felix Slade," he said, extending his hand. "Jardeep Farha."

  A tingle of energy passed between us as we shook and I searched his face, seeing something familiar in his eyes. I couldn't quite identify it, but I felt as though I recognized him. The slightest smile passed like a phantom across his face and was just as quickly gone, leaving me to wonder if I'd seen it at all.

  "What's going on, Felix?" Gabriella asked across a state trooper who limited her access to where Anderson and I were talking.

  "I'm going to lead Anderson down to the Cathedral," I said.

  Her eyes reflected her concern. "Are you sure?"

  "It'll be okay," I said. "Stay with Lace and Petaluma, they need you."

  "Be careful."

  "Let's move," Anderson said grimly, motioning for Farha to follow.

  Just as the clearing had been transformed, so too had the entrance to the cave. Floodlights on temporary poles lit up the night, a pale wash on the face of the mountain. Two prisoners were cuffed and being held at gunpoint on their knees. A third was brought out; struggling to keep his feet and blinking wildly. Not far away, technicians worked beneath the same lights, unspooling long electric lines and assembling a ventilation tube.

  "You're clear to go in, ma'am, but there are a lot of nooks and crannies down there, I'd be careful," an agent advised as we reached the top of the wooden stairs.

  Anderson pulled her service pistol from a holster at her belt and nodded in response. The three of us entered the cave and were immediately struck with the all too familiar smell. Anderson stopped and pulled a white breathing mask over her nose and mouth, offering one to me.

  "We'll have lights on in ten minutes," a technician in a white jump suit announced at our backs.

  She snapped out an order. "Don't come in until I give the go ahead."

  "Yes, ma'am," the technician replied.

  Agent Anderson turned her head toward me. "How far down is Mulper?"

  "Twenty yards on the other side of that low hanging ceiling," I said, my hot breath blowing back into my nose behind the mask. I wasn't sure why we were wearing the masks, as they didn't appear to do anything for the smell and I noticed that Jardeep had opted not to wear one.

  To Anderson's credit, she had skipped the business suit and instead wore tight jeans, not hesitating to mimic me as I slid down to my back side and worked my way beneath. Glow sticks every few feet made the trek easier and we soon exited on the other side.

  "My god," Anderson uttered. Her flashlight acted a pointer in the dim glow of the electric camp lanterns left behind by the tactical team. A near-perfect circle of corpses surrounded a bare spot of earth where we'd made our stand.

  Jardeep's flashlight beam caught on the golden chain of the crystal pendant I'd dropped. "What is this?" he asked, carefully picking his way through the litter of bones and bending to inspect it. With tweezers, he picked it up for an easier look.

  "That’s mine," I said. "I must have dropped it."

  "Care to explain how it's in the center of all of this?" Dana Anderson asked.

  "You wouldn't like the explanation," I said.

  "Perhaps we can save that discussion," Jardeep said, his voice smooth and authoritative as he slid the necklace into a plastic bag, careful not to touch it.

  Anderson frowned and chastised him. "You should not be disturbing evidence."

  "An artifact such as t
his shouldn't find its way into the hands of the uninitiated," he said, holding up the bag so he could more closely inspect it. "Tell me, Mr. Slade. What is special about this necklace?"

  Up to that point, I hadn't determined if I liked or disliked Jardeep. Something in the way he asked made me uncomfortable, as if he already knew the answer but was testing me.

  "It has sentimental value," I said. "I’d like it back."

  He raised an eyebrow. "You enchanted this?"

  I held out my hand. "It is mine."

  "It's evidence," he replied, dropping it into his pocket.

  "What's down there?" Anderson asked, shining her light down the slope.

  "The Cathedral." I followed the trail of glow sticks, not interested in revealing I'd generated a pulse of light powerful enough to knock out the entire room full of animated.

  "Wait," Jardeep pushed. "What happened here?"

  "Zombies tried to kill me and my family," I said. "Beyond that, I'm not ready to have that conversation."

  "That's obstruction," he replied.

  "Knock it off, Farha," Anderson said. "We're here for Gordon. Felix, would you care to speculate what the Dark Folk might have been doing in the Cathedral?"

  The three of us rounded the corner and I, once again, took in the church-like setting.

  "Dark mass," Jardeep answered. "Willum positioned himself as a deity with the Dark Folk. This room has been westernized and made to resemble a church, but that altar is unmistakable. The members were sacrificing to him. Who was in here?" He'd arrived at the steel cage, door open and chain slack. "It was recently occupied."

  "David." Anderson's voice was low and filled with pain. I was about to correct her; it hadn't been Mulper in the cage. But when I turned, I realized that she’d walked off and found her partner, lying crumpled against the wall. I mentally kicked myself for not having warned her, although I knew Gabriella had sent pictures.