by Claire Marta
“We are only allowed to interfere in certain ways.” Zook chimed in as he rolled his neck from side to side making it crack.
“Why?” Around them, Twitch had noticed he repeated that word a lot. Why did everything have to be so cryptic and secretive?
“Legends are made by one action.” Sharp, hazel eyes scanning the crowd, Nelly’s attention lingered on a couple holding hands. “One choice. That’s all it takes. Whether it be good or evil, we must be careful with the way we handle delicate matters.”
“Is this ever going to make sense or are you just screwing with my mind today?”
“Sometimes light isn’t enough to battle darkness. Sometimes it takes something equally dark to vanquish it.”
Twitch frowned at the old woman’s quiet words. What the fuck had she meant by that? Staring at her profile, something else snagged his eye. Standing by a shop was the young guy he had seen before. The same male in a biker jacket who had kidnapped Lexi and beside him was his greasy friend. They were talking heads bent together. When the older one noticed him watching he gave Twitch an unpleasant sneer.
“You’re an immortal wizard, Twitch and one of us, so you need to learn all of this.” Zook’s voice barely registered. “The truth is; we guide fate when it’s needed and hold back the apocalypse from swallowing the world whole. We do this by tweaking important events in our favour and battle the forces which would see this place burn.”
“I’m a techno mage and no way am I immortal,” he replied back, his attention still on the bastards by the shop. Foreboding crawled through every cell in his body. Something wasn’t right.
“Yes. You are and you have gone beyond a mage now. There is no going back.”
Fang went suddenly rigid. Hopping up on all fours, he growled low in his throat.
“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.” Children’s voices began to sing softly, all around them.
“What are they doing here?” Zook sprung up from the bench. Standing taut, he turned in a circle to find the source, but none of the demonlings were in sight. When he recognized the two humans watching them, he growled under his breath.
“I thought you said they wouldn’t come into the city?” Patting down the pockets of his long velvety jacket, Twitch found his smart phone and fished it out. Getting to his feet, he clutched it in one hand. Already, he could feel his magic reacting to the technology. It rose, waiting.
“No, not unless it was for something important. We must have missed something.” Easing herself off the seat, Nelly fixed him with a soul penetrating stare. “Is there something you need to tell us, Twitch?”
“Celion, the demon Lord, is Lexi’s biological father.” The words left his mouth before he had time to think. Somehow, she had pulled them from his head.
Throwing his hands up in the air, Zook gave him an incredulous stare. “Why didn’t you fucking tell us that in the first place?”
“I thought you already knew!” Twitch snapped back defensively. They seemed to know everything else so why hadn’t they known this?
The song was rising in a wave. Building each time, the youthful voices repeated the words. Yet the children did not make an appearance. “London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.”
“We are not all seeing.” Nelly shuffled forwards. One hand out stretched, she placed it gently on Twitch’s shoulder. “This information explains their appearance.”
On the edge of his awareness Twitch registered the sound of something whistling through the air. Metal. Before he could blink an arrow hit Nelly directly in the chest.
Staggering back with the impact, she stared down. Her frail hand reached up to touch the feathery end. Blood was flowing from the wound, staining her faded wedding dress. It seeped between her fingers; bright against her pale skin. Thin eyebrows dipping in surprise, regret darkened Nelly’s features as she stared back up at Zook.
Screams rose from the people around them. Terrified by the attack, everyone fled in different directions.
Zook dropped to his knees as he caught Nelly in his arms. “No. No.” His voice broke. “Gods, no, not you.”
“Zook...” His name was a soft whisper. On a long exhalation of air the light of life slipped from her eyes. Tumbling from her head, the crown of wilted yellow flowers landed beside her motionless gnarled hand.
“Nell, you can’t leave me!” Shaking her lifeless body, Zook did not seem able to comprehend what had happened. “What am I going to do without you, woman? Don’t give up on me. I love you.” An agonised sob escaped him as he rocked her in his arms. “Together forever, remember? It’s not supposed to end this way.”
“London Bridge is broken down, Broken down, Brokeennnnnn dowwwnnnn.” The words of the nursery rhyme turned into shrieks of madness.
“Ding Dong, the Bitch is dead. Whatever will you do?” Stella grinned from ear to ear. She was standing on the edge of the square, partially hidden by shadows. Her pigtails bounced as the twisted cheerleader skipped away, a cross bow resting against her shoulder.
Fang snarled. Dashing after her, he disappeared in a blur of brown.
Twitch stood frozen. Breaths coming out in jerky pants, he stared at his fallen friend, his expression haunted. Memories flashing back, he remembered holding his sister in his arms the same way, blood covering his own hands. Dead. Nelly was dead just like his twin. No! Not again. This could not be happening again.
With an animalistic roar, Zook set the old woman’s body aside and charged to his feet. Expression distorted in grief, he took off after Stella.
Nelly’s glassy eyes stared up at Twitch. It was a struggle to look away. After a beat, he raced after Zook. The square was empty. Fear of being caught in any cross fire, the public had dispersed.
Sprinting in the direction they had gone, he headed down one of the roads which branched off Covent Garden Square. They couldn’t have gone far. The silence was disturbing now that the childish song had come to an end. Dodging people who were still ducking for cover, Twitch could hear police sirens in the distance.
“Zook! Fang!” Shouting their names, he heard Fang barking crazily up ahead.
As his next step connected with the pavement a gloom swept around him. It was so unnatural it sent the hairs on the back of Twitch’s neck standing on end. Coming to a halt, his coat whirled around his ankles. Breaths coming out raggedly, he found it hard for the air to expand in his lungs. The atmosphere was strangely dense. No longer could he see the shops or the people around him. With one step, he had walked through an invisible door. Something he now knew was possible. But this did not look like the Nether. All he could see was endless night.
As Twitch’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he listened for any signs of life. Fang was still barking up ahead. No other sounds penetrated the murk. Where the hell was he?
Fishing out his smart phone, he called forth a spell to illuminate his path. An orb formed. Lighting enough of a glow to see where he was going, it hovered at his side.
Something copper scented stained the ground. It started in drops then grew into patches. Blood. The smell of it was strong, metallic and left a bitter taste in Twitch’s mouth. Praying it wasn’t Fang or Zook’s, he followed the trail. Growing thicker, it was soon covered in crimson with no speck of what lay beneath.
Movement disturbed the abyss before him. Glowing eyes reflected in the black.
Shadowy figures were on their haunches. Crunching and tearing could be heard. Half hidden by their thin bodies was a corpse. Skin translucent, the victim’s eyes were glossy and vacant. A gaping hole had been torn through the woman’s stomach. Glistening and pooled in a growing puddle of congealing blood, her guts had been pulled out to spill like party streamers. The children sat, feasting on her dead flesh. Blood smeared across their faces and chins, their teeth ripped hungrily at the clumps they had carved off with their claws.
Bile rose in Twitch�
�s throat. It was the most gruesome sight he had ever seen. Hand pressed to his stomach, he fought off the wave of nausea.
“We’re going to get you and your little dog too.” Stella’s cackle echoed around him. “Mummy used to watch that movie with me. It was our favourite...” she sighed.
“Then the monster living in my head killed her, but hey, shit happens.”
Sulphur. Thick and stinking, it clogged the gloomy air.
“Zook? Fang?” Twitch whispered. Where the fuck were they?
“Do you like our new trick? Isn’t it neat?” The psycho cheerleader continued with excitement. “It makes it so much easier to lure a dumb grown up in, and when they do, no one can hear them scream. It’s called the Twilight, where demons come to feed on the weak.”
Shapes took form. Two men. Twitch knew the moment he saw them it was the two humans who were helping the Demons. The ones who had kidnapped Lexi. The ones who had helped murder Nelly. They were looking around with wide terrified expressions.
Sensing them, the children crawled towards the males. Licking the blood dripping from their lips, their cat-like eyes fastened on them hungrily. The corpse clearly had not satisfied their hunger.
“Hey! What the fuck are you doing?” The greasy older male questioned. “We’re in charge. The Demon Lord said so.”
“We make our own rules and you are nothing but toys to shred and eat.” Stella responded in a sing song voice. She was still hidden. Cloaked by the evil gloom of the place.
Lips peeling back, the youths bared their pointed bloodied teeth. They attacked as one. Under the weight of so many bodies the men toppled easily. Screaming, they desperately tried to fight for their lives. The sound of rendering flesh rose as teeth and claws sliced and diced followed by the wet squelch of organs being ripped free. Gurgling ensued. Death rattled in the human’s chests as they lost the battle to live.
“Come out and face us.” Zook was suddenly at Twitch’s side, appearing out of nowhere. Not looking at the mage, he stared into the limitless dark ahead.
With a growl, Fang stood between them. Carmel fur a mess, he had a dark stain across his back. Twitch hoped he was not wounded. From the way the dog stood ready to fight it looked like the blood belonged to someone or something else.
“Hey handsome, you want to join your friend? Does it hurt bad knowing I put an arrow through her old fragile heart?” A figure skipped into view. Beyond the demonlings who were busy gorging and feasting, Stella observed them with a malicious smile. Still dressed in her cheerleading uniform, the top clung to her chest still in the early stage of blossoming into womanhood. As she moved her skirt rustled around her knees.
She seemed pleased with herself. The cross bow she had used to end Nelly’s life was resting idly on her shoulder. Dipping down, she ran her finger through a splash of red. Examining the blood, she painted it across her lips. It made her look even more psycho. “Who wants dessert?” Giggling manically, she drew the children’s attention their way.
Abandoning the carcasses, they snarled. With a speed and dexterity Twitch had only seen in vampires, they attacked.
Fang lunged forwards. He sank his teeth into the first one to reach them. Small jaws shaking from side to side he snarled. Screeching, the child clawed at the canine’s body with its freakishly pointed talons. As they dug deep into the dog’s soft coat Fang squealed in pain.
“Get the fuck off my dog.” Raising his boot, Twitch kicked the demonic offspring in the chest. Unprepared, it sent it flying backwards. Hitting the ground, the Pomeranian lay limply. Fresh red streaked his flanks. This time it was his own blood that coated his pelt.
“Daddy Celion wants Lexi and we’re going to bring her back to him.” Stella shared as she placed an arrow in her weapon. “He didn’t say anything about how he wanted her, though, so I hope he’ll be happy with pieces.”
More children descended upon them. In the semi darkness, they were distorted movements of shadows and gangly limbs. They swarmed with a single mindedness. To feed.
Magic coursing up through his veins, Twitch held the smart phone tight. Lips moving, his spells blasted out. Tiny, blue sparks danced across his skin. Cracking outwards like a whip, they lashed out with the same force. The direct hit sent the inhuman cannibals in its path flying through the air.
Zook placed his arms out, palms facing outwards. His own magic buzzed to life as the silver rings he wore reverberated with a primal power. It radiated out of his taut muscled frame. Mystical and unearthly, it amplified. As it seemed to reach its peak, it spluttered out.
“NO!” Shaking his rings, Zook stared at them disbelievingly. “Fucking curse. Damn it. Why now?”
Whoosh. Streaking through the dark, metal glimmered in the light of the orb still burning bright. The arrow embedded itself in Zook’s side, with a wet smack. The force sent him stumbling sideways. With a grunt, he clasped the protruding wooden shaft.
“Aww, what’s the matter? Did the big bad Guardian lose his itty bitty powers?” Advancing towards them, Stella discarded the bow. Crimson adorned her slim cheekbones like war paint. Sticky and wet, the blood had dribbled to her jawline. “Time to die.”
“Zook, look out!” Twitch’s warning came too late. Surging over him, the children swallowed him in a black tide of grasping and clawing bodies.
Distracted from his casting, Twitch moved to help his friend. The horde that he’d been holding at bay moved as a mass. Eager, demented eyes fixed on their target. He was not prepared for their onslaught.
Barrelling into him, his smart phone went sailing into the shadows. As his tech vanished, Twitch’s magic ebbed. Scrambling desperately to keep balance, the weight of so many knocked him off his feet. The burden was suffocating. Bony elbows dug into his ribs. Hands grasped his arms and legs.
Sharp, dagger-like teeth gnashed close to his face. Breaking through the material of his coat, Twitch cried out as they pierced his skin. More buried themselves into his legs. He was being overwhelmed. Mind on fire, the darkness inside him clamoured to break free. His resolve to keep it bottled was wearing down. If he unleashed it now, it could save them, but at what cost? There was no choice if he wanted to survive.
With a resonating roar, Zook flung his attackers from his arms and back. Eyes burning with pain and hatred, his features were cold as stone. The arrow jammed in his side was still in place. Fresh blood pulsed from it as he moved.
Dropping to one knee, he slammed his fist into the ground. Glinting in the semi light, his silver rings made impact. A shock wave of magic shot outwards from the blow. It was ancient sorcery. With a sonic boom, it sent everyone sprawling. Crack. Light spilled in as Zook’s spells splintered the demonic domain they had been sucked into.
“Catch you later, Alligator.” Stella called as the Twilight realm melted away.
In the next instant they were once more standing in a London street. The children were nowhere to be seen. It was dark. Street lamps lit everything in a pale glow. People stopped to gawk at them. Face’s shocked that two men and a dog had materialised out of nowhere.
“You should have told us.” Zook bellowed, his expression bleak as he ignored their audience. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell us about Lexi?” Pushing up unsteadily to his feet, he rounded on Twitch. “Nelly is dead now, because of you!”
“I’m sorry.” Tears dampened Twitch’s cheeks. They slid down his face and mingled with the blood from his wounds that trickled to the ground. The teeth marks he had suffered were burning, but he welcomed the pain. It concealed the guilt.
“You think that’s going to make this better?”
Fang whimpered. The dog eased himself up onto dirty paws. Limping forward, he wagged his tail weakly. As he moved the claw marks he had received were visible.
“No..I..” Reaching out, Twitch tried to take Zook’s arm. Crimson leaked from his friend’s side. It stained his shredded t-shirt and the hand trying to stem the flow. The cross-bow bolt was still embedded in his flesh to the hilt.
Fl
inging away his helping hand, Zook shot him a venomous look. “Get the fuck away from me.”
Shoulders slumping, Twitch watched as his friend walked away. Tears flowing freely, he began to weep.
Lexi caught sight of Asier and Kane. Striding along, the Master vampire seemed to be in a hurry. She needed to confront him. Knowing the truth was eating away at her. Did they really have a contract? And why didn’t she know?
Leaving her station at the bar, she made her way up the spiral metal steps which lead to the VIP area. It was a place her father liked to view his domain.
“Celion must be pleased, he’s getting a fresh intake of foot soldiers. That’s a problem we will need to eradicate in the future. I won’t stop until every demon carcass on Earth is laying at my feet.” Asier’s voice was full of venom. So dipped in hate.
Lexi faltered on the steps. It was true. He hated her kind. Hated all of them. Herself included.
The Master vampire’s expression froze as he noticed her. She could see his fangs were fully extended. Their deadly tips glistened in the flashing multi coloured lights that shone from above. For a heartbeat, they stared at each other.
“I..I thought you might want a glass of b...blood or something, Master.” Lexi stuttered, the colour fading from her face.
“Lexi, come here.” Asier held out his hand. As he spoke his fangs receded into his gums.
For a moment, she hesitated. Then slowly she trotted across the space between them to where he sat. Taking his hand, the warmth of his touch sank into her chilled skin. Lexi moved restlessly as she stared down into his upturned features.
“Have you stopped seeing the mage as I requested?” He asked softly. As the pad of his thumb rubbed over her knuckles she shivered.
Kane sat staring at them. Lexi could feel his gaze boring into the side of her head. It felt hot and possessive. Things had shifted between them and Kane seemed to be fully aware of that.
“Yes. I won’t be seeing him again.” She told them as she bowed her head, hoping to hide the lie. “I ended it.”