by M S C Barnes
“Was that supposed to happen?” Zach asked, still playing with the sword. “Aelfric said to place the paper at your feet immediately you stepped through the door Seb. Should we not have been standing over there then?” He jabbed the sword towards the wall.
“That wouldn’t have made any difference,” Seb said, trying not to feel guilty. “We would still have had to come around to the north-west and we would still be this side of the boundary.”
“Okay, we need another door,” Zach said. “Ask Aiden, Al.”
“I already have,” Alice said and pointed. “He says there is one there.”
Zach was moving instantly. Holding the sword in one hand he trotted to the wall Alice had indicated. It housed seven arched alcoves, the largest, centre one of which contained two sculpted figurines Seb could barely make out. Zach moaned as he stepped in a massive puddle of rainwater that had gathered in the grass beneath them.
“Bloomin’ brilliant! Now I’ve got wet feet… again!” He lifted his right foot and shook it as Seb joined him. “C’mon Seb. I’ve got a lovely, lovely sword; we need to be where the action is.”
“Dierne says Aelfric wants you to come to the church, Seb,” Alice said and Seb, nodding, reflected light onto the wall, making the door appear. Zach, impatient, opened it and leapt through.
They joined the others, who were assembled around the font just inside the entrance to the main body of the church. Everyone was there.
“What next then?” Henri asked Aelfric.
“Now we need to deal with Nicole,” Aelfric answered, sadly. “The enclave is in place, so she cannot leave.”
“She is making her way out of the river area, Aelfric,” Lily said, staring into her mirror. “It appears she knows something is afoot.”
“What is Jacqueline doing, Scarlet?” Aelfric asked.
“Just waiting,” Scarlet said. “Wait, no, she is moving. She’s walking back to the Inner Temple. She has left the doorway open to the other cave.” She frowned and shook the mirror. “For goodness’ sake!” she huffed, “It’s clouded over aga… oh, no, I can see. Nicole has just joined her.”
“Just Nicole?” Henri asked. “Not the others? Not Lotty?”
“No, just Nicole,” Scarlet said.
“The others have remained by the river,” Lily said.
“Nicole is reflecting candlelight from her hand onto one of the walls in the Inner Temple,” Scarlet half-whispered; her voice echoed hauntingly around the vast space of the church. “I think it’s where the door we used is. Now Jacqueline is opening her tin. She has opened the hidden compartment and is taking out a pinch of rowan powder.”
“They intend to lock the door,” Dom said.
“Nicole won’t be able to make it appear, though,” Greg said. “Not without having a legitimate need…”
“She may be able to,” Henri said and Aelfric turned to him. “We have the sign.” Henri pointed to his palm. “I must go.”
“You cannot my friend,” Aelfric said and Henri suddenly looked appalled.
“The enclave!” he said, realising. “Aelfric, we still have souls to deal with. One of us should have remained outside the enclave.”
“That is catered for,” Aelfric said calmly and Henri looked puzzled. “I sent a message to Maria on your boarder and Séamus on mine.”
“You involved other Custodians in this?” Henri sounded mortified. “What will they think of me?”
Aelfric placed a hand on his arm. “Nothing more than that you have done all you can to manage a rebellious Custodian. None of this is your fault. Now, if the sign is there, then you are right, Nicole will be able to reveal the door —”
“She has,” Scarlet said. “And Jacqueline has just locked it.”
“She is preventing us using any of the lower doors, forcing us to walk along the route of the tunnels to get to her,” Reynard said. “It will mean they can hear and see us coming and removes any element of surprise we could have had.”
“Do you think she knows about the enclave?” Greg asked.
“Possibly, if Jean-Paul has seen the swords and knows what they are,” Aelfric said. “Certainly though, she will know we have all gathered here and will anticipate that our next move will be to try and get to her.”
“She’s right then,” Zach said, tapping the tip of his sword on the decorative flagstones of the floor. The Caretaker, also brandishing a large broadsword, moved a hand onto the hilt of Zach’s sword and stopped him playing with it.
“Not entirely in the way she expects though, Zach,” Aelfric said with a small smile. “You know of the Cursed Well, Henri,” he said. Henri nodded, looking intrigued. “Do you know what lies nearby?”
Now Henri smiled. “Yes I do,” he said. “And I doubt she does.”
“Let’s hope so,” Aelfric said. “For that will be your route. I am sure you would prefer to deal with Lotty’s rescue while we deal with Nicole?” he asked and Henri nodded again.
“Nicole and Jacqueline are walking through into the altar cave,” Scarlet said.
“Time is short, Aelfric,” Dom muttered. “If she has blood and skin —”
Aelfric nodded. “We must go.” He turned to Seb. “It is vital that you concentrate on your Aura Shield, Seb. Cue, Pace,” he called and the wolves leapt from nowhere into the aisle of the church. Instantly Cue moved towards Aelfric who waved the beast away and over to Seb. “Guard him,” he said. Cue whined but stepped across to Seb’s side with Pace.
Squeezing past the wolves, holding the sword in both hands, Zach grinned wildly. “Let’s do it then,” he said.
Aelfric regarded him calmly. “We will use the door below the Endless Staircase and walk from there to the caves at the end. We need to get to Nicole and Jacqueline before they are able to act on the effigy,” he said.
“They’ll know we’re coming,” Trudy said.
“That’s the idea,” Aelfric nodded. “Our direct approach will hopefully prevent them seeing Henri’s approach. There is a hidden and largely unknown, physical entrance from above ground, at the eastern curve of the River Styx, which opens at the Cursed Well inside. Henri, you, with Morgan and Reynard, will use that. Dom, Lily and Greg, you will go with them,” Aelfric said. He turned to the two Guardians. “When you have the group under control,” he said, “bring them to the altar cave.” The pair nodded.
“Aelfric,” Scarlet called out and Aelfric looked at her. “Jacqueline is putting some of the mud and stone mixture into the doll.” She looked confused. “The doll’s seam isn’t sealed and she is scooping the mixture into it.”
Aelfric stiffened. “Henri,” he said quickly, “We will go first. Jean-Paul should see us disappear and will search for us. Hopefully he will find us again as we enter the tunnels and then direct Yvette towards us. That should give you sufficient time to get to Lotty.”
Henri nodded and now Aelfric made the door they had used to get to the church reappear. Briefly, he placed a hand on Trudy’s shoulder and mumbled something to her none of the others could hear. She gave an embarrassed nod. “Then lead on please,” he said, smiling at her and, looking relieved, she opened the door and walked through. With the exception of Henri’s group everyone else followed, Seb shepherded across the threshold by an impatient Zach.
As they stepped into the Hellfire Caves tunnel, Seb shivered. The place seemed colder, darker and more ominous than he remembered. Dom had taken one torch, and whilst the two this group had left were ample to illuminate their immediate surroundings, they also served to create brooding, threatening shadows beyond them.
The group set straight off at a jog, scrunching over the damp gravel. Zach and Trudy led the way, directed by Aiden, who didn’t seem to need his map; he somehow, instinctively, found the route they required. Scarlet was still trying to stare into her mirror but after less than a minute she gave up.
“I can’t scry and run,” she panted.
Trudy was marginally hampered by her injured ankle and Zach, subtly, matched his pace
with hers. Nat stayed close to Seb who, at the rear with Alice, was followed by the two wolves.
As he trotted quickly through the gloom, he worried that, at any moment, he would feel a sudden depression followed by searing pain and so he tried to concentrate on his Aura Shield as Aelfric had advised him. But Aiden’s words kept echoing in his mind: ‘It is very difficult to deflect any harmful intent when blood or skin are used because they come from within a person…’ He tried to ignore those words and focus on how strong he had felt when he had repelled the attack on the boat.
They passed through a large cave, most of it cloaked in darkness, and continued along the tunnel until they reach a t-junction. Aiden led them left along it before it seemed to turn back again and head downwards and then Aelfric suddenly signalled for everyone to stop. Standing in the cold, Seb could hear, between the sound of everyone’s breathing, distant crunching noises.
“What’s that?” Aiden whispered.
Trudy snatched the torch from him and flashed it up and down the tunnel. Other than spreading frightening shadows around the walls it showed them nothing.
“Scarlet, what do you see?” Zach grabbed her and pushed her forward.
“Nothing,” she said, staring into the darkness and then she jumped as Dæved materialised in front of her and then zoomed over to Aelfric.
“Henri says there is a problem. We can’t find them — any of them,” he said, his rustling voice a whisper on the dank air. “Not by the river, or in the Inner Temple cave or the altar cave beyond. They have vanished!”
The slight crunching Seb had heard now turned into definite sounds of running footfalls. Zach, sword in hand, set off at a trot and just as he reached a point where the tunnel forked to the left, The Caretaker, holding a firefly torch, and Reynard dashed out of it. A bewildered Greg and Dom followed them and then Lily appeared with Henri, who looked upset.
“They were gone! When we got there, they had already left,” he said, angrily.
“So much for the containment,” Zach said. “I thought they weren’t supposed to be able to get away.”
“Lily,” Aelfric said, breathing hard. “What did you see?” He leant against the tunnel wall as she answered and Cue moved over to him.
“As we crossed through the door from the church, to the one near the hidden entrance, I could not scry. By the time the image reformed, Yvette had returned to Jean-Paul; I think she had already warned Nicole that you had appeared in the tunnels, and as we opened the hidden door, I saw Jacqueline and Nicole run in and join the group. We were around the curve, by the Cursed Well, and couldn’t physically see them. A black cloud covered my mirror. By the time we turned the bend to the main river track, they were gone!” she said.
“They must have used a water gateway,” Dom mumbled. “But where else could they go? What other water source will there be in such a small geographical area?”
“I have tried scrying to find them,” Lily said. “But the shadow keeps blocking the image.” She shook her head and Scarlet nodded. She had been looking into her own mirror and now dropped her hand to her side and shrugged. “I believe opening the water gateways causes the disruption. If that is the case then, until the gateway closes, we will see nothing,” Lily said.
Seb wasn’t listening; he was preoccupied by his palm, which had started aching, and then Aelfric, turning to him, spoke quietly.
“Séamus will deal, Seb.” He smiled and Seb nodded, relieved. Now Aelfric turned to Henri. “If Nicole has tried to go beyond the containment then she will know for sure that the enclave is in place. There will be a very limited number of water sources within its area, maybe only two or three. We must use that to our advantage.”
“What advantage?” Henri asked. “If we use the doors, we will still be caught as before, between those two or three places, only now none of us will be able to break free.”
“Not as before, Henri; there are three Custodians. Since we know one water source, the River Styx, one of us needs to remain there. Another of us can then try getting to Nicole through a door. If there is only one more water source within the enclave, she will either be there when the door opens or she will be forced to return to the river. If there is a third location within the enclave then the last of us will have to open a door to that place.”
“And if there are more?” Henri asked.
“Then we will have to resort, at that point, to leaving a couple of our group behind, ready to intercept them if they come back to the previous point, while we move on to the next. Eventually, Nicole will run out of options and one of us will end up in the same location as she is.” Henri nodded agreement. “If Jean-Paul is scrying,” Aelfric continued, “as soon as the water gateway is closed, they will know exactly where we are and will watch what we do next.” Aelfric stopped talking for a moment and seemed to struggle to catch his breath. The Caretaker stepped towards him but he shook his head, placed a hand on Cue’s back and carried on. “Although, we will also be able to see where they are and what they are doing. We will also have the advantage that, once the first of us goes through a doorway, he cannot follow or watch us all. So, let’s get to the River Styx and begin.” He indicated for The Caretaker and Reynard to lead the way and the whole group took the tunnel back down towards the end of the caves.
As they approached the part of the passageway that ran over the River Styx, Zach shouted to them all.
“Watch where you’re treading folks. You don’t want Seb-puke on your shoes.” Reynard, however, brought them up short of the river, a couple of yards from the grating. “Wise move Rey; can you smell that? Eiou!” Zach grumbled. Reynard, ignoring him, pointed at a dark recess in the wall.
“Through here,” he said and pushed against the back of it. It receded by about an inch and then he slid the section of wall across, revealing a further narrow passageway which he stepped into.
Led by Henri, everyone followed, the space so confined they had to proceed in single-file. The pace Reynard set was more of a run and the light from the torches leapt and danced over the very low ceiling and close walls as the tunnel curved left. After a couple of minutes it suddenly opened out onto a small bank beside the underground river.
Aelfric had been forced to let go of Cue in the cramped space and as he stepped out of the tunnel his legs suddenly gave way and he had to reach for Dierne. Dierne tried to hide what had happened, catching him and discretely supporting him, but Henri had noticed.
“What’s going on Aelfric?” he said, alarmed and then Seb realised why. The hand Aelfric had placed on Dierne’s shoulder was covered in blood.
“Aelfric!” Greg said and went to help him. As everyone started fussing Aelfric waved them away but eventually had to admit that he was in no fit state to refuse help, or to stand. He sat down heavily and Cue and Pace leant their bodies against him. Dierne, struggling to mask his concern, knelt behind him and propped him up.
“Has the bleeding ever stopped?” Greg asked, crouching beside Aelfric and opening his coat. The front of his chest and his left whole side were covered in blood.
“For a while,” Aelfric winced. “I am afraid the climb up the Staircase set me back a fair bit though,” he said.
“Are the other wolves inside the enclave?” Dom asked, kneeling in front him.
Aelfric shook his head. “They are all within it, but that is not an option Dom; you know that,” Aelfric said.
“What has happened?” Henri demanded, looking worried.
“It doesn’t matter, Henri,” Aelfric said, then groaned as Greg tried to take his coat off. Dierne pushed Greg’s hands away, frowning at him.
Aiden, hovering nearby, rummaged around in the deep pockets of the coat he had borrowed from Seb and pulled out a small first aid kit and a little brown bottle.
“I’ve got a few things that might help,” he said, handing them to a grateful Greg.
“When did you stock up?” Zach muttered.
“At Helen’s,” Aiden smiled, then moved away and beckoned
for Zach and Nat to go with him as Seb, with relief, noticed the pain in his palm had gone. Séamus, whoever he was, had managed to deal with their trespasser.
“We don’t have time for this,” Aelfric insisted, while Greg began unpacking items from the first aid kit. He tried to stand but Dom prevented him.
“You have time to have the wound patched at least, Aelfric,” he said.
“Be quick then,” Aelfric said to Greg who nodded. “Henri, use the door at the end; take Reynard and my group. Go and find Lotty,” he said. “I will wait here with Seb’s group in case Nicole returns.”
Henri wasn’t about to move. “Not until you tell me what has happened,” he said.
It was Trudy who, a touch of anger in her voice, explained.
“Before he learnt how to protect himself, Seb was attacked with imitative magic — twice,” she said. “It caused real injuries. To save him, Aelfric used the wolf-stags and transferred the wounds onto himself.” Henri looked astounded. “He has never recovered from them because he never gets the time to rest and use the wolves to heal himself; something always happens to prevent him doing so.”
With Dierne’s help this time, Greg removed Aelfric’s coat. Beneath it, his shirt was soaked in blood and, as Greg lifted it and removed the sodden bandages, Seb was appalled to see that the wound in Aelfric’s side was still gaping, fresh blood seeping from it, and, worse still, the one in the centre of his chest had re-opened. Henri looked as appalled.
“Aelfric, why did you not say something? It’s a miracle you are alive. You cannot continue —”
“Eeiou that’s a lot of blood,” Zach, returning from his little huddle with Aiden and Nat, interrupted, and grimaced. “So, is it a patch up job and then we go and get Nicole?” he asked, toying with his sword, twirling it around and watching the blade flash in the torchlight.
“No, it isn’t!” Henri said. “Aelfric stays here. Aelfric, you need to rest and use the wolves. Greg will have to stay too and dress those wounds and you will need Trudy in case Nicole returns here. If I may, I will take Morgan, Dom and Lily though?”