“Come on, we can break through into the other half of the Hall and get out that way,” he urged, pulling her back towards the main foyer.
“Mike, it’s too late” she wept, tugging on his hand. He turned, and Richard stood behind them, his black cloak billowing in a non-existent wind.
“Tilly, come with me,” Richard said, his hand held out towards her.
“Never, you bastard,” Mike yelled back, pulling her protectively behind him. Creatures began to scurry up the walls behind them, and Matilda screamed, grabbing hold of Mike’s back
Richard raised his hands, and a beam of light emanated from them towards the creatures. Mike automatically lifted his hands in retaliation, and he shot out a beam of energy cutting straight into Richard’s beam. The two beams of light exploded as they connected in front of them and Mike, overpowered by the intensity of Richard’s magic began to stumble backwards. Matilda grasped at his back, trying to hold him steady.
“Tilly, stop it!” Richard yelled walking towards them, his power far greater than Mike’s. “We don’t have much time.”
Anger surging through her veins, she stepped out from behind Mike, and lifted her hands. Drawing on her magic, and shooting a beam of light towards him, the air around them was electrifying as it connected to Mike’s beam. Matilda forced both their energy at Richard, forcing him backwards. Mike glanced at her and she gave him an encouraging smile, as together they forced their power on him.
Clawed hands, and feet burning into the plasterwork, the black shadows scurrying across the ceiling, came rapidly towards them.
“Mike,” Matilda yelled in warning, as she saw them. “Eric, where are you?” she screamed. They were never going to be able to stop them on their own. One propelled itself towards them; Matilda broke from the beam holding Richard and directed it towards the demon. She hit it precisely, and it exploded into ash.
Richard eyed the creatures with anger, before shooting towards her. Matilda screamed as Mike shoved her out of the way and as she spun back around, Richard abruptly lunged for Mike. In an instant, he hauled Mike up, one handed, by the throat. Water streamed from Mike’s eyes, and coughing as he choked, he grasped at Richard’s hand, his life ebbing away from him.
For a brief moment, Richard smiled at him, and with a wink, his hands sent a pulsating fiery beam of energy through Mike’s body.
“Mike, oh my God, no!” Matilda screamed, her legs almost giving away, her heart-wrenching from her body, as Richard discarded Mike’s lifeless body to the floor.
Richard took a stride to close the distance between him and Matilda and he waggled his finger for her to come to him.
“Tilly, we must go now, don’t you recognise me?” he asked.
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. Hugging herself against the sheer panic rippling through her, profound grief tore through her very soul as she looked down at Mike.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she wept. “I will never be yours, I hate you!” she screamed.
The demon creatures began gathering all around them, their distorted faces leering at her. Richard eyed them, and lifting his hand, the energy emanating from him held them in stasis.
“Tilly,” Richard said, taking another step towards her. “Come with me now!”
Matilda backed against the wall, lifting her hands in defence towards him. His heart wrenched as he looked at her.
“Tilly, you must listen to me,” he started.
“Leave her alone, brother.” Her eyes spun to the left and Eric stood there.
“You will not stop us now, Brother,” Richard, cursed, and his eyes gazed at Matilda.
“You stole her from me - you took away our future and murdered our child!” Eric’s voice rose in anger as he stepped in front of her.
“Your child!” Richard retorted. Matilda spun towards him and anger was evident in the tight twist of his lips. “He was my son, not yours!”
“Child?” she repeated, a pang of remorse touching her heart.
“Yes,” Eric said, his teeth grinding with fury. “Tilly was expecting our child when you killed her. We were going to leave, get married, and raise our son together.”
Matilda raised her hand to her mouth, choking back her tears.
“You fucking liar!” Richard screamed. “You stole her from me!”
Eric glanced down at Mike and he started to move towards him. Richard lifted a hand and blasted Mike’s body along the corridor, and further away from him.
“Leave him alone!” Matilda screamed, going for Richard, but Eric’s arm flew outwards, catching her and forcing her to stop.
“No, Tilly,” he urged. “Take Mike to the chamber.”
“Eric,” she pleaded.
“Just do it, Tilly,” he ordered.
“No, Tilly, don’t go with him!” Richard yelled.
“Tilly!” Eric roared. “Go!”
“Matilda, run!” Matilda turned to the voice - it was her uncle.
“Joe, stop, what are you doing!” she screamed watching as he charged towards Richard with one of her father’s old swords. Richard spun around.
“Die you bastard!” her uncle screamed plunging the sword into his stomach.
Richard hollered, his hands lifting to the sword embedded in him. Grabbing it, he pulled it out, and threw it in the air. With anger, his finger pointed to the sword and he spun it around mid-air and launched it straight towards her Uncle.
“Joe!” Matilda screamed hysterically, her hands lifting in horror as the sword cut through his neck and beheaded him.
Eric grabbed her and pulled her away.
“Run, now!” he ordered.
She reached down and grabbing Mike under his arms, she tried to heave his body.
“Shit!” she sobbed, as he was too heavy.
“Use your magic, Matilda,” Eric hollered. Matilda threw her hands to her head in a panic. Then the biscuit tin spell came to her mind.
“Eldoor, notmar elia, levartara,” she chanted. Mike’s body rose from the ground. She drew him to her, and ran with his body floating behind her.
Released from Richard hold, the demon creatures scurried screeching after her.
Richard lifted his hands and brought forth his magic; bolts of white magic flew from beneath his robes and began to fill the hall smothering it in his light.
Matilda reached the barrier between this wing and the west wing. Lowering Mike’s body, she turned her energy towards the partitions.
“Belcara,” she screamed, blasting a hole in the wood. Raising Mike’s body, she hurried through the gap to the other side. It was so dark Matilda was unable to see so she drew an orb and held it in front of her. She angled Mike’s body and lowered him down the stairs to the secret room. She slammed the oak door shut.
Sick to the pit of her stomach, her heart pounding in her chest, she drew a breath, and lifted her hands towards the door.
“Elamra, domorn estpalia, Elarmra, dormorn estpalia,” she chanted waving her hands over the door as she recited the protection spell she had saved a few days before. As the door was made of oak, she knew it would work, but she wasn’t sure how long it would hold. Matilda turned to the altar, lifting her hands she locked onto it and yanking it hard she swept the stone table in front of the door.
“Mike,” she wept, dropping to her knees. Her shaking hand touched the side of his face and to his neck as she felt for a pulse. There was nothing, Mike was gone.
She gathered him in her arms and leaning against the cold wall of the cavern, she hugged him.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, kissing him and sweeping her hands through his dark hair. Right to the very depths of her grieving heart Matilda sobbed cradling him in her arms. She could not imagine her life without him now. Having failed them both, she decided she would rather kill herself now, and be with Mike than to be taken by Richard for him to do whatever he wanted with her.
Chapter Sixteen
The door to the room from the other direction opene
d and he walked in.
She stared at him, her heart pounding from her chest her skin crawling with dread. She rose to her feet, and lifted her hands towards him.
“Stay away from me,” she demanded.
He walked towards her, and her legs wobbled.
“Tilly, don’t you recognise me?” he asked, his eyes begging her to remember.
“You’re Richard,” she replied. “I will use my magic, don’t come any closer,” she warned.
He shook his head.
“No, Tilly, I’m Eric,” he replied, and he held his hands outstretched towards her. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.”
She swallowed and her eyes wandered the shadowy darkness of his face hidden within the hood of his cloak.
“No, you’re Richard!” she yelled, taking a step back.
“I’m Eric,” he insisted with a shake of his head. Her eyes flew back to him.
“Don’t try and trick me, I know who you are!” she screamed.
“Tilly, open your heart to me, please,” he begged. “You know deep down who I am. Richard tricked you.”
“No, Eric’s been helping me, he saved me!”
“Richard tricked you into believing he was me,” he said desperately. “Tilly, please look at me, you know it to be true. My brother deceived you.” As he lowered his hood, Matilda trembled. She looked into his eyes, and her heart pounded, unsure.
“I have used every ounce of my magic to get back to you from the afterlife. My brother is far more powerful than I am but even he didn’t realise how strong the enchantment was that you placed upon us. He couldn’t kill me himself, so he had me hung, thinking it would stop me from returning, but I will live again within Mike, and we shall be as one.”
“But you killed him!” she screamed, tears weeping down her cheeks.
“My love, I did not,” he said, taking a step towards her, his hand lifting to touch her. Matilda didn’t flinch. Instead, she allowed his hand to lightly caress her cheek.
“He is, I saw you kill him,” she wept, spinning to her right and pointing angrily at Mike. “He’s dead.”
“No, no… Tilly my love, blood cannot kill blood. I merely did that to stop Richard from taking over his body. Richard is not aware Mike is our blood. Mike will be okay, I promise, but if Richard were to step into Mike and take his soul, all would be lost. He will take you, and your power, and he will unleash hell upon the humans of this time.
“But my uncle Joe, what you did to him,” she frowned fiercely. “You can’t tell me you can bring him back without a head!” He shook his head, his eyes sympathising with her.
“No I can’t bring him back. He was working with Richard, your uncle was already dead Tilly, and under his power. He believed Richard would re-unite him with your aunt if he did as he wanted.”
“No he can’t be dead, I could see him,” she retorted.
“You can see ghosts, demons and the walking dead, and in your desperation you believed what he wanted you too.”
“But Mike saw him too,” she insisted.
“Yes, my love, but Mike can see them too he is a warlock, he is me.”
“He didn’t see Eric,” she mumbled.
“That’s because my brother didn’t want him to see him,” he replied.
Matilda turned her back on him and stared at Mike’s lifeless body.
“I don’t understand any of this. The ghost is Eric, he was helping me, he guided me, – and he saved my life when I was eleven from the demon.”
His hands touched her shoulders, and she jumped.
“No, Tilly, I’m the glowing man,” he whispered. She turned her head to look at him, and her eyes meeting his, she looked deeply into his soul and lightning struck at her heart as he began to glow before her. Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes, and she turned the rest of her body to face him.
“I spoke to you the first day you arrived here.”
“I thought that was him,” she mumbled.
“No, it was me. I tried to warn you, but I didn’t have the power as he did to appear in full body, until today.”
“Eric,” she murmured, lifting her hand to his face. He stopped glowing at her touch.
“I tried to stop the demon woman when she took you into the forest. I came to you in your father’s study, and when Mike was on the roof, and it was my voice you heard, Tilly, not his. Richard came to you in body to trick you, to get close to you and Mike. I didn’t have enough power until today to fully reincarnate.”
“And you can now, because it’s All Hallows’ Eve,” she whispered, and he nodded.
“Yes, my love.”
“How did I get it so wrong, Mike was right, I shouldn’t have trusted him,” she said. Her hand touched the scaring to his face.
“Richard is powerful, Tilly, he plays tricks with your mind.”
“So why didn’t he just kill me then, why these games?”
“He doesn’t want to kill you, my love, he wants you for himself he always has. Can you remember our last day together?” he asked, his hand gently sweeping a stray lock of her from her eye.
“I’m not sure, I see images, but they are not always clear,” she replied. “I saw his face – your face.” She shook her head in dismay as she remembered. “I forgot you were twins.”
“When we tried to flee, Richard did this to me. He burned me with his magic, and cut me with his dagger.”
“I – I think I remember,” she stuttered, recalling the recent vision. “He said – I was pregnant when Richard killed me, is that true?” she asked.
His lip trembled as he gazed at her, and he gave a gentle nod.
“It is true, my love.”
“How – how did you know it was a boy?” Matilda mumbled.
He smiled at her and offered her his hands.
Matilda lifted her shaking hands towards him, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You are a witch, my love you knew you were carrying our son. My twin was older by ten minutes, and as the first- born, he received the strongest power, and the right to choose his bride first. He chose you, but we have loved each other since we were, but children and nothing will ever take you away from me, Tilly – not even Lucifer himself.”
“How can I be sure, you are who you say?” she asked.
“Tilly, I know you feel it within your heart, your eyes tell me so,” he replied, his hand pressing on her breast, and feeling the quickening of her heart. She took a deep breath at the tingles of magic vibrating from his hand and entering her body.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. He smiled, and as his hand swept her beautiful hair behind her shoulders, his mouth moved down and met hers.
Matilda drank him in, and the sensation of his lips on hers was so wonderful, it was almost painful, and it was exactly as she felt when Mike kissed her. Her body pushed against him, and his arms swept around her, pulling her tighter to him.
“Oh god,” she moaned, as she pulled away. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I didn’t recognise you.”
“No, my love, don’t be sorry, my brother is powerful, he is hell itself, and we must stop him. We will be together soon I promise, but first I need you to find the book, Tilly, can you do that?” She wiped her eyes and nodded.
“Yes, Eric,” she replied.
Matilda frowned.
“He does know,” she said.
“Know what?” he questioned.
“He does know about Mike, he kept telling me, he and Mike were the same. And when Mike and I – well you know, were together, I thought for a minute that he stepped into his body.”
Eric looked at her with concern, and then to Mike’s body.
“He must have been checking him. We were lucky he did not fully possess him. He couldn’t have been strong enough then to possess him. There’s not much we can do now, we have to hope he believes Mike is truly dead.” He gazed adoringly at her, and pulled her once more into his arms.
“It is so wonderful to hold you once more,” he said, inhaling her.
“But now I have to go.”
“What, no!” she cried, pulling back from him. He smiled, and ran his knuckles down her cheek.
“My love, it is as we planned, this body will only sustain me for tonight. I must join with Mike in order for us to live.”
“What will happen to Mike, you – you won’t kill him, will you – I love him - too?” Her skin prickled in fear at the thought and she glanced at Mike.
“No, my sweetheart, our souls will merge as one, he will still be Mike, but with my memories too.” Matilda nodded, relieved.
“Where is he, where is Richard?” she asked.
“Manifesting into a full body,” he replied. “I don’t know how much time we have left, and I don’t want to leave you on your own, but I have no choice. I must join with Eric in order to stop Richard, and Tilly, whatever happens he must not take you.”
“Take me?” she questioned.
“Make love with you, be it willingly or by force. If Richard takes your power tonight, on All Hallows’ Eve he will render you a mortal. He will use your power to walk this earth, and destroy the humans. There are a few, like you, who possess the power to kill a demon using white magic. Therefore, you are a major threat to him and his plans. It has taken him centuries to obtain the power he needs to become the demon he is, and we have to stop him. Take my hand, Tilly,” he said. “Take my energy my love and give it to Mike,” Eric begged, his hands outstretched towards her.
“Eric no, then you will be gone forever,” she wept. He smiled and a rush of love washed over her.
“No my love, it will mean we will be together always and forever. I am already here, Tilly.” He looked over at Mike, slumped against the wall.
“Mike,” she barely said, and he nodded.
“Now recite the enchantment, take my energy and my powers it is what we planned, it is what we wanted. You must revive him, and give him this power so you can defeat Richard together. It’s okay I promise you I will never leave you, Tilly. Trust me, do this and you will have us both,” he promised, and he took hold of her hands. “You must remember where you put the book, as it is the only way you will stop him.” Matilda nodded. She sniffed back her tears and pursed her lips as she took control of her emotions.
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