Deadly Portent: An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy (The London Coven Series Book 3)

by M. V. Stott

  I was inside The Fenric. The members only Uncanny club in Mayfair. I walked up the stairs, calling out David’s name, already fearing the worst. I’d walk all the way to the top, only to find Other David already here again. Another moment between me and David pulled out of him and stomped into the dirt.

  There was noise up ahead, the crashing of furniture, the breaking of glass. I stepped into the bar, a figure was swaying back and forth in the centre of the room, like the building itself was rocking, buffeted by the waves at sea.

  ‘Eva?’

  David’s memory of Eva turned to me, ‘Don’t mind me, I’m just giving this club a bloody good twatting.’ An orb of fire appeared in her hand and she tossed it nonchalantly over her shoulder, the energy smashing into the bar and reducing it to splinters.

  ‘Magic? How can you be using magic here?’

  ‘Because I am actually here, a memory, not like you; an astral form projected into someone else’s mind.’

  I really hadn’t expected her to say that.

  ‘You know what’s happening? How is that even possible? You’re not you, you’re just David’s memory of you.’

  Eva shrugged as she picked up a bottle of vodka and took a swig. ‘Beats me, love. Maybe his memory of me is just of one really top notch, one-of-a-kind magical bad-arse that would know they weren’t real if such a, you know, situation occurred. Memory’s a weird thing.’

  I thought back to mine and David’s actual encounter here with Eva, when we were called to take down some wild beast terrorising the club, only to find a drunk, indignant familiar trashing the place. I remembered what I’d told David about Eva. About how she was the oldest familiar in the country. Possibly the oldest ever. That she had power, knowledge and skill way beyond mine. It would seem that David had really taken that information to heart.

  ‘So, what’s the deal, then? I mean, I might be very, very, very, mildly tipsy, but I can sense things falling apart in here. This memory’s not right for a start, is it? You and David should be stumbling in here to confront me, but oops, no memory of you or David, just me and an astral projection. Something’s eating away at his subconscious.’

  I took out the box L’Merrier had given me.

  ‘Ah,’ said Eva, ‘black magic? You know it’s really not smart to fuck around with that fuckery. Take it from someone who knows.’

  ‘Did you use it?’

  She bowed her head. ‘No.’

  It was strange to see her suddenly so sombre. Was she feeling something real, something true at last, even if she was only a memory of herself?

  ‘What happened, Eva?’

  ‘Do we have to? You’ve got someone to save and I’ve got alcohol to drink – we shouldn’t waste any more time on memories.’ She snorted. ‘Well you should, clearly, but not me.’

  ‘Eva, just tell me. Tell me why you’re like this.’

  Her shoulders sagged and she dropped onto the only chair she hadn’t already shredded. ‘My coven. One member of my coven. They… I couldn’t stop them. None of us could. What do I do now, Stella? How much longer can I run from my purpose? It hurts.’

  I opened my mouth to answer but the words caught in my throat as I felt a coldness prickle the back of my neck.

  ‘Oh, who’s this then?’ asked Eva as I turned to see Other David step into the room.

  ‘I’m too late, again,’ I said. ‘He’s already gone, he’s already erased the real David.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Eva, ‘No, that’s not true, I think he just ran into the Gents. He was white as a bastard.’

  Other David turned to go, turned to hunt David down, to burn him away with the fire in his eyes.

  ‘Eva, I need you to slow him down, can you do that?’

  Eva opened her palm and energy crackled. ‘Does the pope shit in the woods?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Well, consider it done anyway.’ Eva clapped her hands together, thick ropes of sizzling, brightly-coloured magic appeared between them as she began to pull her hands apart again and mould the spell. ‘Oi, big lad, think fast!’

  Other David turned in time to see a wave of energy explode from Eva and sweep him aside, sending him crashing through the window and plummeting to the street below.

  Eva lifted one hand and blew on two fingers as though they were a smoking gun barrel.

  ‘Less of the dilly-dallying, love, go find your boy.’

  I ran from the room, from the memory of Eva, and sprinted down the corridor towards the Gents, barging the door open with my shoulder with such ferocity that I almost fell to the floor as I rushed inside.

  David was curled up against the far wall head in his hands.

  ‘David? David, is that you?’ I approached softly, terrified that he’d look up and I’d see his eyes were on fire.

  ‘David, it’s me, it’s Stella. I’ve come to save you.’

  He looked up and I couldn’t help but smile, my heart jumping. It was the real David. Memory after memory he’d been erased from, but I’d found him again at last. I ran to him and crouched, holding him, scared that if I didn’t he would just blip out of existence.

  ‘I found you. I found you, David.’

  ‘Stella?

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I can’t breathe.’

  I released him from my bear hug, ‘Sorry.’

  ‘I knew you’d come. I wasn’t worried for a second.’

  ‘You’re curled up on a toilet floor.’

  ‘Just… having a breather.’

  I pulled him up onto his feet and tried to ignore how scared he looked. ‘I’ve been searching all over for you.’

  He smiled. ‘Yeah. Sorry about that. That glowy-eyed bastard keeps turning up. Handsome guy though, am I right?’

  I laughed. Even here, even now, he couldn’t help himself, but when I looked at him again, I could see the worry in his eyes.

  ‘I’m almost gone, Stella. There’s hardly a thing left of me. I can feel myself getting colder as each bit of me is turned off. How are we going to stop... well, me? Other me.’’

  ‘I can save you, but I need your help.’

  ‘I can already see the flaw in this plan, but I’ll do my best.’

  ‘Somewhere in your memories, somewhere in your mind, is a splinter. A slither of dark magic. You need to take us to it.’

  ‘How am I supposed to know where it is?’

  ‘Close your eyes, try to picture it. To picture the point where this is all emanating from. The paper cut that stings.’

  David closed his eyes, his brow creasing. ‘I’m not sure I can.’

  ‘You have to try. So many people’s lives depend on it; the whole of London depends on it.’

  And you, David. That’s what I wanted to say. You depend on it, and I can’t lose you.

  The Gents’ door burst open and a great blast of air blew us back, pinning us to the wall.

  Other David appeared in the doorway, eyes blazing.

  ‘It’s too late,’ said David.

  I grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes, our faces so close our lips almost touched.

  ‘David, please, you can do this. I know you can. I believe in you.’

  Other David began to walk into the Gents, the fire in his eyes engulfing his entire head. I tried to ignore how my heart was beating hard enough to burst out of my chest as I concentrated on the real David.

  ‘I can’t feel anything,’ he said.

  ‘You can, David. Just ignore what’s happening in this room. This room doesn’t matter. Just open yourself up and feel the intruder. Feel the sharp point that stuck into you when I brought you back to life. Take us to it.’

  Other David lifted a hand and it erupted in white flame as he prepared to remove David from the memory.

  ‘You can do it. David, you can do it, you can save everyone.’

  His eyes snapped open and he inhaled sharply. ‘I have it!’

  Other David was yanked back suddenly, as though attached to a bungee cord. Eva poked her head
into the room.

  ‘Well go on then, bloody run!’

  David grabbed my hand and pulled me after him as the room streaked and—

  —A forest.

  There were things out there. Hidden things, walking through the undergrowth. Monsters. I knew where we were. The only place that really made sense.

  This was where we killed Mr. Trick.

  Where David died and I brought him back to life using black magic.

  Where this whole thing started.

  ‘Come on,’ I said, not letting go of David’s hand.

  ‘You know he’ll follow us here,’ replied David. ‘He’ll step into every memory I have until they’re all his.’

  ‘Then let’s not waste any time.’

  The splinter hung in mid-air in a clearing. It looked like a shard of black ice puncturing existence.

  ‘This is what was left behind when you saved my life?’

  ‘The dark magic, it rushed through your body, through your mind, and left a trace of itself behind. There’s always a price to pay when you use the black arts, I knew that. But what choice did I have?’

  I pulled out the small box L’Merrier had given to me.

  ‘I need to pull out the splinter.’

  I reached up tentatively, unsure what would happen when I touched the splinter. Would it burn me? Would it turn my hand to dust?

  I breathed in once, then let it go. I gripped the splinter. It was cold. Cold enough to hurt. It was also stuck. I yanked at it, but it wouldn’t budge.

  ‘Stella,’ said David, pointing past me. Other David, eyes aflame, was stood just beyond the treeline.

  ‘Come on,’ I said, grunting, trying again and again to pull the dark shard free, but it didn’t budge an inch.

  There were more Other Davids with every passing second. Other Davids from every stage of his life. They stepped out of the trees, one by one, a complete circle.

  David began to pull the shard with me, both of us pulling at it desperately. Did it move? Was that a slight give?

  The unseen monsters in the forest howled and the Other Davids grew in number with every breath taken. Tens, then hundreds, then thousands. Other Davids from every moment of David’s life descending upon us.

  ‘It’s coming!’ said David, clenching his jaw so hard his teeth threatened to shatter.

  The Other Davids began to walk towards us.

  ‘Come on, it’s nearly out!’ I cried.

  Stella—

  ‘What did you—?’

  A wet hand on my leg.

  I looked down to see something dark and withered and foul leering up at me with huge, yellow eyes.

  I would have screamed if the realisation hadn’t robbed me of breath.

  It was Mr. Trick, or the memory of him at least. That’s all it could be, surely? That was enough though. I let go of the dark shard in shock and fell to the dirt, bones jarring.

  ‘Stella, what are you doing?’ asked David, frantically pulling at the splinter as the Other Davids stepped closer and closer, ready to remove the last true David from his memories.

  ‘It’s him! Don’t you see him?’ But David didn’t look down, he carried on pulling at the splinter.

  Only you, Stella, I’m here for you.

  Mr. Trick reached up and scratched at my neck with his ragged fingernails.

  ‘Fuck you!’ I yelled and kicked out. As my foot connected, his body crumpled and tore, like I’d just attacked a wet paper bag.

  I felt more hands on me as David pulled me back up. ‘Help me!’

  I glanced down, but the memory of Mr. Trick was gone. I felt my neck throbbing, blood dripping.

  No time for that. Not time for thinking or fear. I wrapped my hands around David’s and we pulled. It was giving! It was moving, a tooth ready to turn and turn and finally—

  —Out it came!

  We both fell to the ground, the splinter gripped tight in my hand. I pulled out the box and placed the shard inside.

  28

  Everything was out of focus.

  I was flat out on a hard floor, body aching.

  ‘Oi, wake up, love,’ came a familiar voice.

  Blinking the world back to sharpness, I sat up. I was still in the safe house that Razor and his eaves family had produced for us, with Eva stood over me.

  ‘I did it?’

  L’Merrier stepped into view, holding the box out for me to see. ‘Yes.’ He rolled his wrist and the box disappeared.

  ‘Christ, my head is killing me,’ said David, rubbing at this skull as he sat up. I pushed myself over to him and held him tight.

  ‘You’re okay.’

  ‘I knew you’d do it. Wasn’t worried for a second.’

  ‘Liar.’

  ‘Okay. Maybe for a second, but no longer than that.’

  I laughed as he wrapped his arms around me and we both did our best not to collapse from exhaustion.

  I took David home and helped him up the stairs so he could collapse onto his bed and get some sleep.

  ‘I suppose you’re going to need to do a little more flim-flam on Layland and the others, magic lady,’ he said as he laid his head on the pillow and tried to keep his eyes open a little longer.

  ‘I’ll take care of it,’ I told him. I wondered how sharp his memory was now. How many holes the experience might have left him with. But we could sort that out later. All that mattered for now was he was alive. Alive, safe, and no longer a threat to anyone. L’Merrier made sure that information got out fast, so no one would take it into their own hands to try and kill him again.

  I inhaled sharply as I felt David’s hand over mine.

  ‘Thank you, Stella.’

  The words caught in my throat for a second, tongue dry. ‘It’s my job, detective.’

  He smiled, eyes drooping. I wondered if I’d ever have stopped him if I hadn’t been able to prevent him going critical. If I’d have done the right thing and put the city first. Could I have done it? Would I have killed him? As I watched him drift off to sleep, his hand still upon mine, I thought I already knew the answer.

  ‘Where is it?’ I asked as I stepped into L’Merrier’s Antiques, which now showed no signs of the huge fight that had taken place just hours earlier.

  ‘The shard is destroyed,’ he replied, sliding out of the gloom, his hands resting on top of his stomach as shafts of light danced upon his large, shaved head.

  ‘People died because of you. Innocent people in my city.’

  ‘Yes,’ he replied.

  ‘And you almost killed David, too. All because you thought you knew best. Knew what was right. Knew what to do without ever even stepping outside of this fucking shop to find out for sure.’

  I wondered what he would do. Would he attack me for speaking to him like that? Me, just a lowly familiar.

  Instead, he bowed his head, for once unable to look me in the eye.

  ‘I made… a mistake.’

  ‘That’s not all you made,’ I said, stepping to him. ‘You made a new enemy too.’

  L’Merrier opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t wait to listen. I turned, disgusted, and walked out of his shop.

  Eva was waiting for me back at the coven.

  ‘You could stay,’ I said.

  ‘Could I?’

  ‘London is a big place, and I don’t have any witches. The two of us could keep the city safe together. We could be the new London Coven; two familiars protecting millions.’

  She smiled as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag, then blasting the smoke out of her nostrils.

  ‘Nice idea, love, but I don’t belong here. If all this has shown me anything—if you’ve shown me anything—it’s that I’ve been avoiding my responsibilities for too long. I need to go home. Which is a real pisser, believe me.’

  Part of me was sad to see her go. Another friend, another familiar, it would make life… fuller. But how could I argue? The very idea of running away from London for ten years, like she had from Cumbria, made my hea
rt skip out of rhythm. A familiar belonged where she was created.

  ‘Thanks for eventually helping,’ I said, smiling.

  ‘Pleasure. Well, mostly. Apart from all the nearly dying bits.’

  I walked with her to the door. As she stepped out into the blind alley beyond, she turned back and winked. ‘Thanks, love. Thanks for showing me the way home.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  She wavered and squinted at me. ‘By the way, that looks nasty, you should get it seen to,’ she said, pointing to my neck. As the door closed I ran to the nearest mirror, pulling down the collar of my jacket.

  Four red lines were scratched into my neck. They ran at an angle, one next to the other.

  Only you, Stella, I’m here for you...

  My legs began to wobble and I pressed a hand against the wall, lowering myself down until I was sat on the floor, other hand to the scratches that now throbbed.

  It wasn’t possible.

  That had just been my astral form in an old memory.

  ‘When Mr. Trick comes to town, all the uncanny shall fall and frown…’

  I curled up on the floor, and closed my eyes.

  The End.

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