She screeched and tried to throw the churning magic in her hand at the faoladh, but missed, causing an explosion of blood, fire, and anger some yards away. Two more wolves tackled Carman as she began to chant again, her skin turning pale and dark circles spreading like an infection under her eyes. Whatever magic she was drawing up now, Charlie knew it was nothing but pure hatred and malice.
The three wolves pinned her to the ground, and the largest of the faoladh—the leader who had vowed his loyalty to Liev earlier that day—approached the witch. She spat at him in between chants, the vile black spittle smoking against his white coat. The faoladh leader ignored it, and then bent down to bite at the throat of the witch. Charlie considered looking away as his stomach twisted.
To his surprise, though, when the faoladh pulled back it was not Carman’s throat that his jaws tugged at, but a magic figure. Charlie looked again with his Sight and saw it clearly—the faoladh were ripping the magic out of her. And she did not let it go quietly.
He grimaced—maybe she was his enemy, but this was not something he would have wished even on her. Priest and Lisa turned away, not seeing but understanding, while the Blind Boy watched, vengeance in his eyes.
With a final, powerful tug, the leader jerked backwards, and an energy shaped much like Carman herself dissolving into the air. The faoladh nodded solemnly at him, leaving him with the witch as she curled into a fetal position.
Charlie let out a deep sigh and leaned on his spear, closing his eyes. Their job was done.
“Charlie!” Lisa warned.
A grating sound caused his eyes to snap open, and he quickly brought the spear back to a defensive position. Carman was stalking forward, looking very old now, her bone dagger raised.
“Give up!” Charlie repeated. “There is nothing you can do to me now.”
Carman sneered. She looked empty, lacking any power or presence she had previously held. “While I am still alive, boy, I will torment you in any way I can.”
She leapt forward, and perhaps her magic was gone, but her monstrous, Greater blood was not. Her bone knife clashed against Charlie’s spear fiercely. She raised the knife again, shrieking at him like a wild animal, intent on driving the blade into this mere human that had taken everything from her.
She did not see Charlie’s spear as he brought it around and thrust it forward, lightning fast. It pierced her heart.
Carman stumbled and sunk backwards, a mask of hatred aimed at the young Hunter.
Tired, Charlie yanked the spear out and leaned on it again, looking around as the last small skirmishes ended. Many of the remaining witches turned and ran from that street.
The cycle of the Witch Moon was ending, already setting against the pitch black horizon. Only one of the scattered fires allowed them to see when the last witch fell to one of the faoladh.
“It’s over,” said Charlie. “Drakauragh is saved.”
“Drakauragh was not the stakes,” the Sagemistress said by her window, although no one could hear her. She stood from her chair, looking up at the moon. “One day, Hecate will rise, and the Ancients with her. What will you children do then? Will you save your world?”
The Sagemistress closed her eyes. However, no visions of the future came.
“Only time will tell,” she muttered, then turned for the stairs. Drakauragh was dead to her now. It was time to move on to other places, other plans.
The moon had fallen, and the sky had turned back to its every-night black. The people of Drakauragh came out of their homes. They picked through the debris and the bodies on the street. Despite the carnage left behind, there was a feeling of happiness in the air—they were alive, and without being slaves or victims to the witches’ terror. They would make repairs to their town without complaint.
I’m going now, the Blind Boy told the group of Monster Hunters. I wanted to thank you. Without your help, I don’t think I would have been able to let go.
“But what about the people who get lost in your woods? Who will help guide them out?”
The Blind Boy faced Aisling with that alien, serious look.
I’ve been living beyond death for far too long. Whoever it is that protects those people, it can no longer be me. His eyes drifted towards Liev. I think it will be okay, with the return of our true protectors.
The Hunters were almost sad as those white globes closed and the smoke began to fade away. But somewhere in the wind that blew the last bit of black smoke away, they could hear a word: peace. And they knew with a sort of contentment that he had earned at least that much.
It was a strange sight as the Sagemistress’ wolves and the faoladh watched each other warily. Both packs growled and paced, but no bloodshed came between them as both packs acknowledged the Hunters. In particular, the wolves actually bowed to Liev, and then they were gone, racing through the darkness of midnight.
Lisa sighed, her head against her brother’s. He was still a wolf.
“What happened in the Old House, Charlie?” she asked, standing up.
Charlie shook his head. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
She grabbed his shoulder, but when she spoke it was softer than Charlie thought it would be. “Not later. I need to know. Why is Liev still a wolf? Did you not make it in time?”
The stares of all of the Monster Hunters weighed down on him. He looked at the ground beneath Liev’s paws. A great huff shook him out of his stupor, and he looked up to find, surprisingly, encouragement in those silver eyes. Liev nodded at him.
Charlie sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words.
“He did make it in time,” someone said, and they all turned to find the Curse Eater, Abigail, standing there. There was a dark smudge over her forehead where VISVS had been written. “However, there were two curses on the boy. I was only able to eat one of those. Charlie chose to lift the greater curse, and suffered greatly to help his friend.”
“What was the other curse?” asked Darcy.
“To die a thrice death.”
The Hunters exchanged glances and, slowly, understanding set in among them.
Charlie stepped forward, speaking at a whisper. “Now that Hecate is gone, can’t you take the curse of being a faoladh away from him?”
Abigail shook her head. “I am sorry, Charlie. My gift came from Hecate. It’s gone.”
He nodded, unable to turn around and face his friends. A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, turning him and embracing him.
“I’m sorry,” said Lisa over his shoulder. “It was wrong of me to blame you. Thank you for taking care of my brother.”
A couple of tears slipped past his defenses. “But I couldn’t save him from becoming a wolf!”
“We’ll figure it out. He’s alive. That’s what matters right now.”
Charlie nodded.
Nash started to take a step toward the two and give them a big bear hug but a hand grabbed his shoulder like a hawk’s talons.
“What?” he asked Darcy, whispering severely.
She just shook her head at them, wiping a couple tears from her eyes.
“Man, you guys are a sorry bunch.”
The group turned to see Liev standing there—Liev as a human, not a wolf. As the black tattoo shrunk from over his body to sit strangely over his shoulder, Liev shook his head, grinning at Charlie and Lisa.
Lisa ran forward, nearly tackling her brother.
“Ow, ow, ow! Sore! Watch the ribs, please. And if someone could hand me something to cover up with, I’m in my skivvies here. Actually, I’m not even sure what those are. I don’t think I’m in them, either, though.”
Priest threw his long jacket at the boy, who caught it and clothed himself, then returned a serious hug to his sister.
“Thanks,” he told her. “For not giving up.”
Charlie turned to Abigail, eyes wid
e. “How? I thought once you turned into a wolf…”
The former Curse Eater shook her head. “You thought he would remain a wolf, didn’t you? I’m sorry. While the moon affects them, faoladh are not bound to it. After the first moon, they change only when they need to become the protector.”
The team looked at Liev with wide, glad eyes.
“What? You guys didn’t think I was going to be the fluffy team mascot, did you?”
This time, Darcy dragged Nash into the group hug. He rolled his eyes, giving up.
Priest eyed Charlie, who stood away from the others. Charlie shook his head and walked up to Liev, extending a hand. “Sorry for almost killing you, before. I thought you were going to start attacking us.”
Liev shook the man’s hand, smiling sadly. “Stuck inside that body, I thought I was, too.”
“My name is Priest. This is Chen.”
“Liev. So you guys locals?”
“They’re from Hunter’s Grove,” Lisa told him. When he frowned, she said, “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“Apparently.” Looking around, his eyes fell on Aisling. “Hi.”
She smiled. “Hi.”
Lisa rolled her eyes.
Nathaniel walked up to them from the street. “I imagine you all need to get some rest.”
Nash smiled, slapping the man on the shoulder. “First, you got anything to eat?”
Chapter 12: A Bitter Return
His fingers were on the window latch, hovering, hesitating. There had been no presences the past few nights, and no Hunters. Only silence and maddened, restless dreams. He felt jittery, and his mind hurt.
Of course, Donnie knew why there were no Hunters. But still, he couldn’t take it anymore. It was not in his nature not to know, or to leave be.
Taking a deep breath, he flung the latch over and lifted the window, expecting the presence to be there immediately. Perhaps he was a fool, but Donnie was not stupid. He knew what he dealt with was dangerous.
“Where are you?” he wondered aloud, almost reaching out to the window.
“Right here, kid.”
Donnie spun around, a numbness spreading through his arms and legs. He raised a pencil from his nightstand like a knife.
The man in the corner laughed. “What are you gonna do with that? Give me lead poisoning?”
Donnie felt the pencil slip from his grasp. He looked around, disoriented. The pencil was still on the nightstand.
“What do you want?” he asked the man.
He was a slender man, dressed in a nice black suit and fedora. His beard was as well trimmed as the rest of his angular face.
“The real question is what do you want? Why did you let me in?”
Donnie leaned back against the wall for support, sliding away from the window. “I-I don’t know….”
“I think you do. I know what you want, Donnie.”
“The other night, when Hunter’s Key was under attack. Did you do that to them?”
“No. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have, but it was someone else.” The man smiled lightly. “Why? Afraid I’ll do the same to you?”
“You,” Donnie stopped to swallow. “You said you needed my help. What are you trying to do.”
“Oh, I can’t tell you that. Not yet. You have to choose whether or not you will help me.”
“What’s in it for me? Why should I help you?”
The man grinned, and it scared Donnie. It was unnatural.
“Now we’re getting to the point. Here’s the trade, kid. You give me your dreams. In return, you’ll have all the power your human heart desires. And after that, I’ll tell you how you can help me.”
“Power,” whispered Donnie.
“Beyond that little imagination of yours, kid.”
Something clicked in Donnie then. He thought of the Hunters. Of Charlie and Darcy, Nash, Lisa, and Liev. If they would not let him in, he’d find his own way into the world of monsters and magic. He looked at the man.
“Do it.”
They stayed the night at Drakauragh, resting only a little. Charlie remembered Carman’s threat about sending her son to the Key. He wanted to get back as soon as he could.
In the morning, Nathaniel and seven of the other men from Drakauragh approached them with four wooden boxes.
“What is this?” asked Priest.
“Dunwick was found dead in his house last night,” Nathaniel told them. “The other followers of the Goddess had fled, taking horses. But they left these and others in their houses, as well as in the Old House.”
Nash lifted one of the lids and let out an impressed whistle. The crate was filled with silver, gold, and other small gems. It looked like some ancient treasure chest. “You’d think they would have spent this to help the town.”
“Dunwick and the others have always been saving these up for the day their Goddess would come for them. They won’t be needing any of it anymore, though.”
“We can’t take this much,” said Priest.
“I’ve heard of the Monster Hunters before, old timer. I know you are a meager bunch, but even you have to eat.”
“We appreciate it, but I think we’ll be fine. You need this more than we do. Use it to rebuild your town, and maybe even branch out to other towns and cities.”
“Thank you, again. We could use the money. At least let us send you a little of the excess when you get back home.”
“Speaking of branching out,” said Aisling, standing as tall as she could next to the men, “if there is anything Drakauragh specializes in, my grandmother was influential in our town. I can help start some sort of trade and business between us.”
Nathaniel smiled and nodded seriously, appreciative of the girl’s initiative. “That would be wonderful, young lady.”
Nathaniel himself rode with the Hunters, to escort them through the fastest route. Although the wolves had helped them defeat the witch coven, they still took the more cautious path.
No monsters stopped them though. The road was quiet. Peaceful, but eerie. It did nothing to calm the worming doubt inside his stomach.
It took only three days to ride back to Aisling’s estate this time. She and Marcus welcomed each other sadly—the butler knew right away that his old master was gone.
Aisling’s grandmother never had a phone in her house, and Darcy’s cell phone was dead. Even if it hadn’t been dead, it was doubtful they would have had any service.
“I’ll go into town,” said Marcus at dinner that night. They all ate their fill, Nash and Liev eating like there would not be a tomorrow.
“There is a grocer who was once a pilot,” the butler continued. “He’s a good man, and will be more than willing to help get you back home.”
Charlie nodded, trying to look up in spirits about it.
“Thank you,” said Priest.
Nathaniel left the next morning.
“Thanks for the dinner,” he said. “And again…for Drakauragh.”
Aisling smiled. “We’ll be in touch.”
She walked back inside and heard laughter. Liev was telling the others a joke in the parlor room. She grinned as Lisa punched her brother in the arm and Darcy and Nash burst out laughing. Charlie wasn’t in the room.
Aisling left the happy scene behind and went upstairs. She found him on a balcony looking over the hills behind her house, to the north, hands stuffed in his jacket. She could hear the thunderous clopping of Nathaniel’s horses as he and his men began their journey back to Drakauragh.
“Why are you up here, alone?” she asked.
Charlie looked over his shoulder, slightly startled. “I don’t know. I’m scared, I guess.”
“Of what you’ll find at home?”
“Yeah. That and…I know this isn’t going to end any time soon.”
He thought about
Hecate—a monster that no one else truly saw—and about the vision of the creature swallowing the moon.
“It’s going to get harder, too.”
“Your friends trust you.”
“That’s the part that scares me.”
“Seems like you’ve done great so far. I’ll…I’ll be there, if you need help, too.”
Charlie nodded. “Thanks.”
She smiled sadly. “Lisa will be there, too.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, partly comprehending but not sure if he wanted to.
“Will you be okay?” he asked, changing the subject and then wishing he hadn’t.
Aisling shrugged it off, although it didn’t keep her eyes from misting. “I think I’ll be fine, as long as I stay busy. She wouldn’t have wanted me to mope. You know how she was. I might even fly into Hunter’s Grove every once and a while,” she said, her voice cracking.
Charlie wondered if he should hug her or not, deciding instead just to lay a hand on her shoulder.
“He’s ready now!” came a call from downstairs. The teens all rushed from the parlor and the stairs to find Marcus in the front doorway. “The grocer, the pilot…he’s heading to the hangar now and can fly you out today.”
“That was fast,” said Nash.
Marcus’ cheeks glowed a slight shade of red. “Well, it may or may not have been settled with a long overdue game of poker. I’ll owe him a favor, too.”
They grinned at him.
“Thanks, old chap,” said Liev, at which Marcus frowned intensely.
They roused Priest, who had been resting, mending his wounds still—Aisling had not been able to master her gift without the air of the Otherworld yet—and found Chen working happily in the stables. Aisling and Marcus drove them to the hangar, no one looking at the dark stains in front of the door, and met a frail looking old man there who was suiting up in old aviator gear.
Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Witch Moon Page 25