Twitch

by Claire Marta

  The old woman’s wrinkled brow pinched together as she smoothed out the worn material on her lap. “You don’t like my dress?”

  “No, no. It’s lovely, but I have never seen you wear anything else. I thought maybe it was time for you to try something else...maybe something in floral or pastel?” Twitch explained awkwardly. Shit, he did not want to offend her. He just thought she deserved something pretty and new.

  Nelly sighed. “As a Banshee, my true form is housed within the confines of this body you see before you. It is impossible to change. This include the clothes I wear since this condition struck me.”

  “What condition?”

  A sad smile slowly curved her thin lips. Shaking her head, Nelly removed her worn blue hat to rake her thinning white hair with bony fingers. She had said all she was going to say on the subject. Twitch recognised her silence. Not wishing to cause her any more pain which he could see haunting her time ravaged features he did not probe for answers. Nelly would talk when she was ready. If she felt she needed to. He had learnt that quickly after first meeting her many months ago.

  Chin resting on his paws, Fang lay on the bench beside Twitch. Ears lifting, he watched them in silence. It was unnerving. Those big brown eyes observed everything. After following Twitch out of the house, he had reluctantly brought his new pet along. They were still getting used to each other. Fang had settled into the house surprisingly fast. After peeing in almost every single room down stairs he had claimed the mage’s home as his territory. Now wherever Twitch went he was companioned by a small furry shadow. One that had no manners. The pooch was happy to cock his leg anywhere which was irritating.

  Reaching out, Twitch caressed the dog’s soft caramel fur. Fang growled. An odd throaty sound. Then with the flash of sharp white teeth the dog nipped at his fingers.

  “Son of a bitch!” Twitch roared, jerking his hand back. “You ungrateful shit. You’d still be in Brighton being skinned alive while a demon played peek-a-boo with your entrails if it wasn’t for me, so remember that.”

  With a snuff, Fang hid his muzzle under his paws. For a dumb mutt, it seemed to understand every word spoken to him. Not ever having a pet before, Twitch had no idea if this was normal.

  Zook came into view. With a swagger and a cocky expression, he strode across square. The place was a busy thrum of activity. Dodging tourists and workers alike, he kept the polystyrene cups he had cradled safely against his chest.

  Reaching the corner where they sat, he handed out his offerings then took a seat beside them. “Tea, milk no sugar for Nelly, and half a cup of sugar, milk and tea for Twitch.”

  The heat from the cup seeped into Twitch’s palm as he accepted it. Holding it between his hands, he gave a content hum.

  “How the fuck can you drink it like that?” Zook asked, before taking a sip of his coffee.

  “It takes talent. I’m a sugar addict. I enjoy the buzz.” Lifting his own drink, Twitch rested it against his lips and took a gulp. Sickly sweet, the hot liquid rolled down his throat and into his stomach.

  “Asier is arrogant enough to think he is the only one keeping the demons out of the City, but the truth is, we are the glue that keeps this place together.” Nelly said softly as she swivelled to hunt for something within her cart.

  “Is London the only City to have Guardians?”

  “No. Every major City around the world have them including your home of Avalon.” She plonked a bag into her lap. “Some of us are ancient protectors. Others are new; only a few centuries old.” Scooping up some bird seed, she scattered it before them.

  As if they had been waiting for her, a flock of pigeons descended on them out of nowhere. A flurry of wings and dark silhouettes blocked out the view of the early morning sun. With buggy eyes, they cooed and fought for the food that was laying across the ground.

  “How long have you two been here?” Twitch watched them as he took another sip of his tea.

  “We came to this place when the Romans invaded, but it was not our original task.” Gathering up some more seed, Nelly threw it out. Going wild, the pigeons pecked it up with greedy beaks. Leaping off the bench in a brown blur, Fang yelped. Tail wagging, he chased the birds.

  “Mesopotamia.” Zook replied, blowing out his cheeks in a childish way.

  “When the City fell we moved on to find a new home.” Nelly’s eyes glazed over with a wealth of memories as she stared down at her wrinkled hands.

  “With great power comes—”

  “Great responsibility,” Twitch cut Zook off. Scrunching up his nose, he shoved a mess of long reddish curls out of his eyes. “You stole that line from Spiderman.”

  Zook grimaced. “Actually, I was going to say sleepless nights, broken bones and very little gratitude from the unaware population whose lives you save on an almost daily basis.”

  Rolling his eyes, Twitch snorted. “Sounds a lot like my regular job.”

  Fang was busily running around and around. For a creature with stubby legs he sure could move fast. In a panic, the birds flapped away, but quickly returned not ready to give up their eager gorging on food.

  “Your magic is deep rooted. You can tap into it through the earth. The powers you had before are now entwined with what recently awakened within you. It is time you accepted both.” Nelly informed him as she raised her head.

  Twitch caught movement in his peripheral vision. Someone was watching them. The young handsome man in the black leather jacket was standing by a shop. A spark of recognition leapt to life, but it was a loose thread he couldn’t place. Then the memory struck him. Glancing back in his direction, he found the guy had disappeared. Twitch was certain it had been one of the men that kidnapped Lexi and kicked him in the face. Before he could think on it, another figure he knew well rounded the corner.

  “What’s Chen doing here?” He asked the others as the shifter spotted them and headed their way.

  “Dragons understand the flow of magic and chi in beings such as us. They are custodians of forgotten knowledge.” Discarding the paper bag back in her cart, Nelly eased herself onto her feet.

  “He’s here to teach you to centre yourself.” Zook explained, giving him a mysterious look before sipping his coffee.

  Balancing his polystyrene cup on the bench, Twitch stretched his legs out in front of him. “You mean like rearrange my chakras or some shit like that?”

  Lips cracking into a grin, his friend shook his head. “No.”

  Chen bowed respectfully. “Guardians, I am honoured you called on me for help.”

  “Chen, we are the honoured ones. Thank you for coming this morning.” Holding out a bent and twisted hand in welcome, Nelly greeted the dragon.

  “My wife had me bring some food for you. She thought you might be hungry.” He told them, holding up two plastic bags. Both were bursting at the seams with the containers inside. Placing them in Zook’s hand, he then shook the old woman’s hand.

  “Hey, Chen.”

  “Twitch, I always knew there was something special about you.” Chen’s expression turned sly. “You still with that pretty girl?”

  “Yes, I’m seeing Lexi later.” Blushing, Twitch grinned.

  Giving up on his manic chase of the birds, Fang flopped down by his feet. Sprawling on the ground with his tongue hanging out, the dog shut its eyes to rest.

  “That’s good.” The dragon noticed the Pomeranian and crouched to scratch its belly. “My wife said if things did not work out you’re still welcome to one of our daughters.”

  Instead of greeting the touch with teeth, Fang rolled onto his belly to receive the full royal treatment.

  “Erm, thanks,” Twitch replied. The damn dog seemed to get on with everyone else, but him. With Jasmine, it had been love at first sight. Zook brought it treats. Even Nelly had let him sit in her lap to give it a pet.

  “Let’s get started.” Zook rose from his seat leaving the bags for a moment to bin his empty coffee cup. “We can eat this after your training session.”

&n
bsp; “Right here?”

  “Not quite.” Clinking the rings on either hand together, the cursed God stood tall, his legs slightly apart. Concentration tightened his expression, making the scar over his left eye stretch.

  The air around them shifted. Glistening, it shimmered with a swirl of different transparent colours hit by the early morning sunlight. Against the laws of nature, the air curved around them, becoming a sphere. Its walls no different than a soapy bubble.

  Raising a finger, Twitch prodded what he thought was fragile. Magic cascaded from the solid sphere in foaming sparks.

  “Okay, what the fuck is this shit?” Twitched asked, perplexed and amazed.

  “A dimensional bubble.” As Zook widened his hands so did the sphere. “When this City was built we added them in certain places. We use them for training or to catch an enemy so they can’t hurt innocent lives when we battle.” Pushing his arms out as far as they would go, the enchantment obeyed. Shooting out in every direction it jerked to a halt forty yards away from them creating a square.

  The busy town that had been active moments ago was now gone. They stood in an open field. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Thick, green, knee-high grass was swaying in a warm breeze. Bird song filled the air. Twitch took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of wild flowers. He understood the mechanics of such spells, but had never seen one like this. It reminded him of the magical pockets he could weave, but this was on a much grander scale. Somehow, they had caught a chunk of time and bottled it so it would remain forever untouched. This was something that should have been impossible. But here it was. Again, the magnitude of what he was witnessing struck him. It was beyond everything he knew. Was this how humans felt when they came across a magic wielder such as himself?

  Rolling onto his feet, Fang raised his ears. With a bark, he set off to sniff around his new surroundings.

  “Humans don’t know this is here. They can’t see it, but some supernaturals like me can. The ones strong with chi,” Chen explained. “The Guardians are generous enough to allow me and my family to spread our wings here when we request it to be opened as we don’t have the ability ourselves. Anywhere else in the city and it would start a panic.”

  The bench they had been sitting on was gone along with the bags of food he had brought them. Twitch’s back pack was also missing.

  Not having it close left him unsettled. Twitch was rarely without it when he could help it. It contained everything he needed. As no one was worried about the food Chen had brought he had to believe everything would remain safe.

  Reaching for a blade of grass, he rubbed the tip between his fingers trying to relax. The heat of the sun beat down on his head. Here, it had to be the middle of summer.

  “Let’s take everything you know and drop kick it into the Thames River,” Zook told him, brushing his hands down the front of his t-shirt. He was wearing one with another obscure band Twitch had never heard off. It made him wonder if they existed.

  “You know that isn’t possible, right?” Twitch answered with a raise of an eyebrow.

  “I meant it metaphorically. It’s supposed to open you up to the possibilities that there is more out there than the magic wielders you come from and know.”

  Mouth sloping up into a smile, Twitch gave a raspy laugh. “Trust me, after the other night my mind is a psychedelic landslide of holy fucks.”

  “Good.” Nelly nodded in approval. “Let’s start with what you can do about a dragon.” The folds of her long-faded wedding dress were clutched in her hands as it caught in the long grass.

  “You just told me to forget everything I know!” He pointed out.

  Muffled woofing came from their right. Fang was having the time of his life. Racing through the long stalks, he sent them bending and bowing in his wake. Twitch envied his freedom.

  “There is no way you can bring down a dragon, let alone demons, if you don’t start trusting your new magic. You don’t have any tech, so it’s all you can call on.”

  “But it’s dark.” Twitch turned his attention back to Zook, worried. Thumbs looped into the belt of his black leather trousers, the male was standing at ease. “I can’t control it. I almost lost myself to it in Brighton, but somehow Lexi brought me back.”

  “Everyone has light and dark within them, some have more of one than others,” Nelly murmured, bending over to examine a single yellow flower growing among the wild plants.

  Like a tidal wave, shifter energy crashed into his back. It sent the grass ripping with its power. Twitch wobbled on his feet. He was used to werewolves. This energy was a million times stronger.

  For a moment, his gaze locked with Zook’s. His friend’s velvety brown eyes rose to stare at something behind Twitch. Lips parted, the male was staring in reverent awe.

  Panting with his tongue hanging out, Fang plonked down beside him. Lifting a back leg, he scratched behind his ear, completely ignoring them all.

  Releasing a shaky sigh, Twitch turned to face Chen. Watching them attentively through jewel-like eyes sat a dragon.

  Scales the colour of silver shot through with streaks of violet gleamed in the sunlight. Chen stretched. Rolling his impressive muscular body, he showed off his wings with a reptilian pride. Claws that could shred flesh into ribbons and slice through bone unclenched against the ground.

  Twitch stood in awe. He had never seen a dragon shifter in its dragon form. Knowing Chen was a shapeshifter was one thing, but seeing him in the true form was both amazing and terrifying.

  Swinging his tail from side to side, the dragon rose into the air with the powerful flap of his colossal wings. Leathery and thick, they were a dark purple edged with pointed peaks.

  Wisps of smoke curled up from the beast’s nostrils. Jaws open wide, he showed off an array of dagger teeth. Tasting the warm breeze, a skinny tongue flicked out past his rubbery lips.

  “Right. Chen is going to attack and you’re going to defend yourself.”

  “You’re fucking insane! I mean...he’s…” Gesturing frantically at the creature playfully hovering with a graceful ease, Twitch glared at his friends. “Huge!”

  “Chen isn’t going to eat you. This is practise, remember?” Nelly soothed. She picked up several more yellow flowers. Between gnarled fingers, she twisted and weaved them.

  “He might set you alight, though.” Lips twitching with humour, Zook grinned.

  “Excuse me?” With a nervous hand, Twitch shoved some of his rebellious reddish curls off his forehead. “As in on fire?”

  “It’s accidental, but can happen from time to time if a Dragon gets over excited.”

  “Zook, stop it, you’re scaring the poor boy.” Narrow eyebrows sloping down, Nelly shot him an expression of disapproval.

  “I’m only teasing him, Nell. I’m sure it won’t happen...this time.” Zook added so quietly, Twitch almost didn’t hear it.

  Zook and Nelly backed away from Twitch and the dragon. They both looked at Twitch with a mixture of emotions. Nelly’s wrinkled face held a smidgen of concern. Zook, on the other hand, was rubbing a thumb along his chin beneath a smirk.

  “Maybe we should start with something easier? This really is not a good idea.” Twitch called after them. “How about Fang attacks me instead? I’m sure I can handle him.”

  “You think we would give you a choice?” Zook hollered back.

  Whoosh. The sound made Twitch groan. Swivelling around so fast, he almost lost his balance he came face-to-face with Chen. He was no longer hovering. Vast wings spread wide, he was zipping upwards. A dazzling shape reflecting the sunlight high above the clouds.

  Twitch panicked. His smart phone was still in his back pack. He had no other tech on him. Magic fizzed beneath his skin, but he had no way to call on it. Deeper inside, he could feel his darkness stirring.

  “Concentrate.” Nelly’s voice reached him across the distance that now separated them. “You have the ability to use all your magic now without technology. You must learn to combine the two.”


  Chen circled in the sky. Twitch watched him closely. Was he getting ready or had he decided to take pity on him?

  Tucking his wings tight into his back, the dragon shot downwards like a spear. Flames streamed upwards from his jaws.

  Although Twitch knew Chen wouldn’t hurt him, primitive fear exploded in his head, overwhelming him. Every instinct screamed for him to run. Unable to resist, he obeyed the urge.

  “Run, Forest, run,” Zook shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth.

  With her bony elbow, Nelly jabbed him in the ribs. “Don’t distract him, Zook.”

  “Fuck off!” Twitch shouted back. Arms pumping, he was running full pelt. But the long grass slowed him, making him trip and nearly fall on his arse. Breathing hard, he continued to flee through the endless field of lush green.

  With a spine freezing bellow, the Dragon swept low. Twitch did not see it, but he felt it. The air charged with its nearness. With a shriek, he raised his hands to protect his head. A breeze whooshed over him, ruffling his hair. The giant dragon’s belly was so close the force of its passing took him straight off his feet.

  Landing hard face down in the grass, Twitch spluttered. Tickling his cheeks, the soft green blades were warm from the sun. Catching his breath, he inhaled the scent of heated earth. Well that had sucked.

  Barking loudly, Fang bounced onto his back. The canine’s weight was enough to knock the last of the air from Twitch’s lungs.

  “Whose side are you on?” Groaning, Twitch lay prone. Growling and snuffling, the dog buried his snout into the messy hair in the back of his head.

  This was not what he had been expecting this morning. Playing chicken with a dragon was not fun. He could hear Zook laughing. Somewhere above, Chen roared.

  “Up you get, Princess.”

  As he raised his chin he found his friend’s hand waggling helpfully. Reaching up, Twitch accepted it. With a strength beyond a human’s, Zook dragged him to his feet.

  “See. We told you; without trust in your abilities you won’t be able to defend yourself,” Nelly told him sagely. She was chewing on the end of a blade of grass between her thin lips. Tugging off her blue cap, she placed the flowery crown she had woven for herself on her head. The splashes of yellow were bright against her ivory hair.