‘What are you doing?’ asked Aradia. ‘We should just go. There’s no one here.’
‘Of course there’s no one here,’ Liv said, her voice dripping with scorn. ‘Didn’t you hear those soldiers talking? Most of the Daughters of Morrigan are in prison. And the rest are scattered to the four winds. They don’t come back here.’
‘If you knew that then why did you bring us here,’ I asked angrily. ‘Is it some kind of joke to you?’
‘No, it’s no joke,’ she said quietly. I felt uneasy. There was something wrong here.
‘Then why are we here?’
‘Because you have something I want,’ she said smiling. ‘And I’m afraid that I’m going to have to take it from you.’
‘What does she have that you want?’ asked Sam.
Liv shot Sam an apologetic smile. ‘Her life.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I hoped that I’d misheard.
‘Her life?’ Mei said. ‘You want her dead?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ Liv replied as she walked towards me. ‘But don’t worry, It’s nothing personal.’
‘Liv! You’re joking, right? I mean, this has to be some kind of joke,’ said Aradia, wildly.
My brain was still trying desperately to process what she was saying. I’d imagined that the worst thing that could happen would be getting caught, having a warning from the Ravensborough police department, and Mum grounding me until my mid-twenties. Dying, funnily enough, hadn’t been on my list of likely outcomes. I looked over at Mei and Sam whose faces were frozen in fear. The adventure had turned into a nightmare.
‘You do realise that you’re outnumbered here, right?’ Aradia asked in a high, panicked voice.
‘In numbers yes, but in terms of power, no,’ Liv said, walking around us. She was circling us, as if we were prey.
Aradia raised her hands as if to perform some kind of magic spell. She waved them but nothing happened.
‘Darling, I really wouldn’t bother if I were you,’ Liv drawled nastily. ‘I’ve had this well planned. I bound your powers earlier. I put a potion in the coffee I gave you at my house.’
Aradia tried again, but still nothing happened. ‘But you’re only a Wiccan, like me,’ she protested. ‘There’s no way you could perform the kind of spell that would bind Gethan’s powers!’
‘You’re right, I’m not that powerful yet, but you seem to be forgetting that he’s outside, and you are all in here,’ she said crisply. ‘And with his heritage there is no way he’ll be able to get into this building. The same charm surrounds this building as is in Scarlett’s locket. There’s no way he’s coming to help his damsel in distress.’
‘Why is she calling you his damsel in distress?’ Sam asked in an angry tone.
‘Oh, Sam shut it,’ Mei snapped. ‘We have more important things going on here right now, don’t you think?’
‘Why would you want to kill me? I don’t understand,’ I said unable to keep the trembling note out of my voice. ‘I mean, I knew you didn’t like me, but...’
She stopped and looked at me with scorn. ‘You’re right. I don’t like you. But much as you irritate me, I’m not petty enough to kill you over a guy. Especially one who’s so out of your league.’
I knew that I had more urgent things to worry about at that moment than her cheap taunts, but that still stung.
‘But no,’ she continued. ‘This isn’t about that. You may have heard of a group of people called the FPL.’
I nodded grimly.
‘Well, I’m one of their rising stars,’ she boasted, her hands on her hips. ‘I may be young but eventually I’m going to lead that group. Then we’ll finally get to overthrow the Rationalist rule and take back our country from you people.’ She looked at Mei with disgust.
Hearing that just intensified the fear that was already coursing through my veins. ‘That’s all very well, but I still don’t see what that has to do with me,’ I said, my voice shaking. ‘I have nothing to do with the FPL.’
‘I only have Wiccan powers, witchcraft. Like her,’ she said nodding towards Aradia. Then with a dry laugh she said ‘Although I am better than she is. At least I’m not a half-breed.’
Aradia visibly bristled at this description of herself.
‘The Daughters of Morrigan have more powers than I do, and of an interesting type. And they’ve all fled or are in prison. That magic is lying latent, just waiting for a person to unlock it. I’ve visited here a few times over the last few months, trying to work out a way to access it. There’s a book hidden in the wall, a book that will enable the user to do just that. Power on that scale would ensure that I rise up the ranks quickly. ’
Aradia rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, come on, it isn’t that easy. If it was everyone could practice all types of magic.’
‘Not necessarily. For Scarlett to have gotten that locket the others must have lessened their hold on their positions within the group. Scarlett found the locket – she’s the heiress. If I kill the heiress on the feast night, and put on the locket before sunrise than I will be the new heiress.’
‘For that to work you’ll have to have her agreement,’ Aradia said. ‘That clause exists in all covens, it’s designed for passing leadership in the case of illness or death. You would have to get the consent of all daughters.’
‘But there’s only one daughter here,’ Liv said turning to me. ‘I only need Scarlett’s agreement to elect me as heiress. Then I kill her so I immediately become head. It’s simple really.’
‘And why would Scarlett agree to something like that?’ Mei asked.
‘That’s why you’re all here,’ she said. ‘If she cooperates, then I’ll kill you all quickly and relatively painlessly. If she doesn’t, well, then it will hurt. A lot. Do I make myself clear Scarlett?’
I couldn’t believe that this was happening. My brain felt like it was working double speed, trying to work out how I could get out of this situation. So far I was drawing a blank.
‘Can you not just let the rest go?’ I asked. ‘I’ll do what you ask, just let them go.’
‘It’s cute that you’re trying to save your friends, but I can’t do that I’m afraid. If I leave them alive then they’re witnesses.’
She grabbed me roughly by the arm and pulled me roughly towards a silver and wrought iron door in the wall. The door was patterned with birds and leaves, just like my locket. I had to do something.
‘Go on, open it,’ Liv said to me harshly. ‘The book is in there, and anyone with the locket on it should be able to open it.’
I hesitated for a second, and she hit me across the face.
‘Leave her alone!’ shouted Sam.
‘Who’s going to stop me?’ she taunted. ‘Come on Scarlett, open the door. Or I’ll start on your precious boyfriend.'
I had no choice. Putting a hand up to cradle my stinging cheek, I pulled the door open and saw a dark walk in cupboard space. All three walls were shelved and held a variety of objects, including a heavy book that looked like it had been thrown down a flight of stairs every day for the past two hundred years.
‘Take the book out now,’ she ordered.
Still desperately trying to work out a way out of this, I hesitated again. This time, I lost touch with reality. All I saw was a blinding white light that took up my entire vision. It took a few seconds for the pain to kick in, but when it did it was immense. Slowly I came back to full consciousness, putting a hand out to brace myself against the wall. It looked like my locket didn’t repel everything.
‘Scarlett, are you ok?!’ Sam shouted.
‘Scarlett, do it now,’ Liv said in an eerily calm voice. ‘Or, I’ll give your little Rationalist friend a touch of what you just felt there.
I looked at her with unconcealed hate.
‘It’ll hurt her more though,’ Liv said almost conversationally. ‘She doesn’t have any Pagan blood after all, she can’t defend herself.’
I continued to glower at her, but reluctantly pulled the book off the s
helf. It was heavy and covered in dust. My arms trembled with the weight of it. I offered it to Liv, but she shook her head.
‘I can’t touch it yet, only Daughters can handle it.’ I wasn’t in much of a position to argue. I carried the book over to the large lectern that stood in the corner of the room and placed the book on it. The moonlight spilling in the window illuminated the cover, which was as heavily engraved with the raven motif that seemed to be on everything in the room.
‘Open it,’ Liv commanded.
I flipped open the heavy cover, aware that I was beginning the proceedings for my own execution. The pages were covered in spidery handwriting that was hard to read in the moonlight. I moved the pages over squinting to try to decipher the words on the pages.
‘What am I looking for?’ I asked Liv.
‘The rite to elect an heir. Come on, move faster. I’m getting impatient.’
I did as she asked numbly. I was out of options.
‘There it is!’ Liv shouted pointing to the entry in question, accidentally touching the page as she did so.
‘Shit!’ she shouted nursing her hand. She leaned over the book and looked at the entry, struggling to make out the words in the weak light.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ she muttered. She put her hand up and twisted it to create an orb of light by which to see the book. Nothing happened.
‘I can’t make a light orb,’ she said confused. ‘Why can’t I make a light orb?’
Aradia sighed. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to kill me and I’m answering questions for you. But of course you can’t orb beside the book. It’s protecting itself. It won’t allow magic to be performed near it in case you use a spell to steal or harm the book. There are plenty of people out there who would love to get their hands on it.’
Liv sighed. ‘Right, I better light a candle.’ She walked over to a shelf under the window and picked up a candle. As she was turning back to me, I suddenly had an idea. I didn’t know much about magic, but there was no way we were going to get out of here alive if I didn’t do something. I slammed the book closed and picked it up. I ran to the other side of the room with it.
‘Get right behind me!’ I shouted to the others. ‘Now!’
‘That’s cute Scarlett, but it’s not going to work,’ Liv drawled. She put her hand out, palm facing upwards and a blue ball of light formed on her hand. She threw it at us and it sent us flying like skittles.
‘I was sure that would work! I was sure the book would try to protect itself!’ I shouted in panic at Aradia.
‘It did!’ she shouted back. ‘Guys get behind her again.’ Liv formed another ball in her hand, still blue though a darker shade than before.
‘Focus, Scarlett,’ Aradia whispered in my ear. ‘Concentrate on pushing the energy back at her!’
I didn’t know what she meant, but I focused my mind and tried to do what she said, pouring all the energy I had into the task. When the impact came it was still hefty, but this time we managed to stay standing.
‘Push harder,’ Aradia urged.
‘I can’t,’ I said through gritted teeth. The mental toll of pushing back against her was colossal – I knew that I couldn’t keep it up for much longer. Liv continued to pound us with bolts of light, and we managed to stay upright, but no more.
The room turned dark. I looked up at the window, and there was a swarm of ravens outside. They would help me, I was suddenly sure of it. I didn’t know where the knowledge came from. But how would they get in?
‘Gethan,’ I screamed. ‘Gethan!’
‘What Scarlett?’ his voice shouted back to me through the door.
‘We need help!’
‘No we don’t, we’re fine!’ Liv shouted back, her voice reverting to the flirty cadences she always employed when talking to Gethan.
‘Don’t listen to her,’ I shouted back frantically. ‘She’s trying to kill us!’
‘I can’t come in Scarlett you know that!’ he shouted back.
‘I need you to smash the window around the back!’ I shouted through the door.
‘I can’t!’ he shouted back. ‘I can’t touch the building, it’s protected!’
I scrambled across the floor to pick up the book, but Liv stood between me and the book. With nothing else to do, I grabbed my locket as if holding it would make the charm extra powerful.
‘I wouldn’t bother, if I were you,’ Liv said. ‘Your locket wards off dark magic, and I don’t practice dark magic. So it’s as good as useless.’
She walked over to me and leaned her face in toward mine, her face scrunched up and menacing.
‘This is my final warning. Get over to the lectern with the book now, or I will torture one of your little friends here.’
I struggled to my feet. All of a sudden there was a large crash as the window shattered under pressure from the ravens. The glass went everywhere and I heard Mei gasp in pain. The birds poured into the room. I closed my eyes and willed them to stop Liv, somehow. I heard her scream and opened my eyes. All I saw was silver moonlight glinting off the shiny feathers of the ravens. She was screaming in pain as they attacked her.
Aradia got to her feet and ran towards the door, pulling it open. Gethan was standing there looking confused as Liv’s screams echoed in the night air. It wouldn’t be long before the soldiers heard the noise and came to investigate.
‘Call the birds off, and put the book back in the cupboard,’ Aradia said frantically. I closed my eyes and imagined the ravens flying out the window and out into the night sky. With a flutter of wings, they did just that. I ran with the book, struggling with its weight, and stashed it back in the large closet. I could make out sticky patches on Liv where the birds had broken the skin. She was lying in a puddle of blood.
‘Oh my God,’ said Sam. ‘Is she dead?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said in a shaky voice staring at her. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. There were open wounds all over her body, and her face was unrecognisable. Under the blood I saw a glimpse of white bone and felt my stomach heave.
‘Guys, we have to go!’ Gethan called through the door. ‘There are soldiers on their way!’
‘What are we going to do?’ Mei said, her voice full of fear. ‘We can’t just leave her here!’
‘Well, we can’t take her with us,’ said Aradia urgently. ‘Carrying her will slow us down, and we’ll be caught. Look, the soldiers will find her and call an ambulance. She’ll be ok!’
‘We’ve got to go now,’ urged Gethan. ‘Hurry!
I stood still, looking at Liv who was still lying on the ground unmoving.
‘Scarlett, we’ve got to go!’ said Mei grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the door. A group of soldiers were running down the road, alerted by the squawking birds freewheeling in the sky overhead.
‘Stick to the shadows!’ hissed Gethan. We walked slowly around the square in the dark, trying to make as little noise as possible. The soldiers arrived in the square.
‘Something’s not right,’ said one. ‘I want this area searched. Now!’
The soldiers turned their flashlights on the buildings around the square. Quickly, we climbed through a broken shop window and lay face down on the floor. Sam just lay down before a torch beam lit up the shop. I was afraid to breathe, and my lungs hurt for want of air. They were probably going to search all the buildings in the square – we were going to be caught.
‘Captain, look!’ a shout came. I closed my eyes tightly. ‘There’s a girl in here, she’s in a bad way. We’re going to need an ambulance.’
The torches were turned off, and I exhaled, relieved. Gethan got to his knees and looked out.
‘They’re all over by the temple,’ he whispered to us. ‘They’re not looking over here. We need to get onto the street that leaves to the station. Stay in the shadows everyone.’
We climbed slowly out the window and crept toward the street. Our hearts were pounding, but luck was with us and we managed to make our way out of the square undetected.<
br />
‘Are you ok?’ I whispered to Sam and Mei.
‘I’ll be a lot better when we get out of Darkfield,’ said Mei. ‘Nearly dying was kind of terrifying – I think I’m in shock.’
Sam said nothing, his face stony and unmoving. Well, we’d just witnessed something horrific, what could I expect?
We made our way back through the tunnel. The trains would have stopped for the night, and there was none of the laughing that had occurred on the way in. We were all subdued and we walked in silence. Finally, we reached the platform and pulled ourselves up. The electronic board told us that the next train was three hours away.
‘Will we wait?’ Aradia asked Gethan.
He shook his head. ‘We need to go somewhere safe in case they worked out how we got in.’
‘Where will we go?’ Mei asked.
‘We’ll go to mine,’ Aradia said. ‘Mum’s an apothecary, she should be able to sort out our injuries.’
I was wondering what injuries she was talking about. Then I felt a tremendous stinging all along my arm, which grew so painful it took my breath away. My back was sore too, probably from where I’d landed after being thrown across the floor.
We walked through the neutral area and up into the Pagan quarter and towards Aradia’s house. We went inside and she opened up a connecting door to the apothecary.
‘You all go down there, I’ll wake Mum,’ she told us.
Aradia came into the room with a sleepy looking Lavendell, who was in her dressing gown. She sighed looking at us all. I expected her to freak out and ask questions, but she didn’t.
‘Alright, who got the worst of it?’ she asked simply.
Sam pointed at me. ‘Scarlett did.’
‘Ok, where is sore?’ she asked gesturing to me to sit down on the counter.
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