Quinn suddenly unfroze, her head spinning as she tried to work out what was happening.
‘Quinn, watch out!’ Charley yelled, but Judith reacted before she could move, Quinn’s body falling limp on top of Dru’s.
Charley’s eyes widened as she looked upon the scene in front of her: Marcus, Aiden, a very wide, very deep gaping hole, stretching by the looks of it to the ends of the earth.
She’d seen all this before.
‘Time to choose, Charley,’ Judith called menacingly. ‘Which one of them are you going to save? You don’t have time for both.’
Charley thought back to her vision, the whole thing making sense now. That’s what it had meant; in some screwed up sense, it had told her what to do, who to pick when the time came.
She got up from the ground and ran to one of the figures, clinging on desperately as his fingers began to lose their grip.
Marcus stared up at her in confusion.
‘As much as I appreciate the gesture, Charley, I don’t think it’s me you should be saving.’ He struggled, craning his neck to see Aiden at the other side of the gorge, also moments away from falling. ‘Go,’ Marcus said. ‘Help him.’
‘I’m helping you both,’ she whispered, crouching down beside him.
‘You what?’
‘I’m going to save you both.’
‘Charley, you can’t . . .’
‘Yes I can. Come on, Marcus, it’s you who always talks about how powerful I am,’ she whispered, ‘and as much as he’d hate me saying this, I know you’re stronger than Aiden.’
For once in his life, Marcus didn’t gloat. ‘All right, what’s your plan?’ he asked.
‘Give me your hand.’
‘What? Charley, I’ll fall.’
‘Remember the day you kissed me?’
‘How could I forget?’ he said, laughing softly.
‘You asked me if I felt anything when you took a hold of my hand. I said I didn’t but I did – I’ve never felt anything like it.’
‘What’s your point, Charley? I don’t mean to rush you, but we don’t exactly have time to hang around, if you’ll excuse the pun.’
‘My point is, I think we can beat her.’
‘Who, you and me?’ Marcus frowned.
‘I felt the burn, Marcus. I still feel it now. I don’t know what it was but when your hand touched mine I felt power like I’ve never felt it before. We need to close the chasm, then we’ll deal with Judith. I can’t do it without you.’
Marcus looked at his feet, nothing but a dark hole below them. He turned back to Charley and thrust his hand into hers, the fire igniting again as soon as their fingers met. Slowly, the chasm began to shrink, the ground rising up from beneath them.
Both Marcus and Aiden’s feet made contact with it, the hole almost gone as it pushed them to the surface. Charley pulled Marcus to his feet.
‘You with me?’ she asked, and Marcus nodded. ‘Good, let’s fry the bitch.’
Judith shook with laughter as Marcus reached out and took Charley’s hand. Aiden’s eyebrows came together, desperately gazing at Charley for an answer. She mouthed, ‘I know what I’m doing,’ to him and he nodded, trusting her implicitly.
‘Very clever, Charley dear,’ Judith mocked. ‘Does this mean you’ve made your choice? Have you really chosen to be with a demon? A filthy, horrid, loathsome demon with nothing to offer you but a burning flame? A flame that will disintegrate the moment you show interest in another. If that’s the case, you’re more of a fool than I thought.’
Charley peered at Judith from under her brows, her fingers still grasped tightly around Marcus’s hand.
‘People aren’t defined by what they are,’ she told her. ‘They’re defined by what they do. Marcus may have made some bad choices but he redeemed himself along the way. You, on the other hand, there’s no hope for you now. You were corrupted a long time ago, Judith. There’s no saving you.’
‘Did I ask to be saved? I may be diabolical, Charley, but that’s how I like it. That’s how I want it, and that’s how it shall stay. I’d rather burn in hell than become as helpless as you lot are, all impotent and weak.’
Marcus felt a vibration in his hand, something glowing between the cracks in their fingers.
‘That can be arranged,’ Charley said spitefully, and she thrust her hand forward, Marcus gripping on with all his might. The power that stemmed from them was incredible, the ground shaking as their magic erupted, skewering Judith like a pig on a spit.
She thrashed her arms as her skin began to crack, her chest drawing in, driving the breath out of her lungs. Judith screamed – a sharp, piercing wail which vibrated through the air, causing the birds to scatter from the tree tops. The sky darkened, the wind picking up as Charley and Marcus stood rigidly still, drawing power from everything around them.
Judith’s eyes turned red and the skin which wasn’t already ruptured began to melt from her face like candle wax. Her clothes caught fire, her hair turning to black ash as the flames crawled through it.
‘How could you, Marcus?’ she cried. ‘How could y
. . .’
She never got to finish that sentence. The fire consumed her and she shattered like glass, the impact knocking everyone off their feet.
Charley opened her eyes, glancing around to see Marcus on one side of her, Aiden on the other. Quinn was awake now, still lying next to Dru, her eyes wide as she gazed at the destruction around her.
Aiden looked at Charley. ‘It’s over.’
Aiden helped Charley to her feet, both of them bewildered, not quite believing what had just happened.
Noticing Fergus still lying unconscious, Aiden ran to him. ‘Dad? Dad!’ he yelled in his ear, and Fergus stirred.
‘Aiden . . .’
‘Thank God you’re okay,’ Aiden breathed, pulling his father upright.
Charley was already at her sister’s side, Marcus close behind her. The impact of the blast had tossed Jess from the mound and they’d found her face down in the leaves.
Charley put her hand underneath Jess and let out a sigh of relief when she felt a steady, thumping heartbeat.
‘It’s okay,’ Charley whispered. ‘It’s all over now.’
Marcus picked Jess up, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her neck, and carried her back to the rest of the group.
Quinn was still weeping over Dru’s body. ‘Why’d you have to go and be so damn brave?’ she sobbed. She looked up at Charley. ‘Just when she decided that she actually wanted to live, Judith took her away from me.’
Charley’s heart went out to Quinn; if something had happened to Jess, Charley would never have forgiven herself.
There was a groan from nearby and they all turned to see Tabitha, lying wounded a few feet away. ‘Tabby!’ Fergus cried, limping to her side. His heart almost stopped when he got to her, looking down at the mess before him.
There was a hole the size of a tennis ball in Tabby’s stomach, blood seeping from it at a rapid rate. Fergus gasped, his eyes widening in horror.
‘No, Tabby.’
Tabitha smiled, her breathing laboured as she touched his cheek. ‘It’s okay, Fergus. Sometimes, it’s just the way things have to be.’
‘No . . . no, I can’t lose you,’ he whimpered, clutching her hand until his knuckles turned white.
Tabby gently shook her head. ‘You won’t lose me, Fergus. I’ll always be with you – in here.’ She put her hand to his chest and placed it over his heart.
Tabitha had arrived long before she’d actually shown herself. She’d been so frightened though, so terrified when she thought back to the first demon who’d almost killed her that she’d stayed hidden, watching from her hiding place as the chaos unfolded before her.
‘I should have helped Druanna,’ she whispered, but Fergus put a finger to her li
ps.
‘Don’t talk,’ he said, the tears flowing freely now. ‘Don’t strain yourself.’
‘You can,’ – she was struggling to speak – ‘you can still save her.’
Fergus frowned, his eyebrows coming together. ‘Save who? Dru?’
Tabitha nodded.
‘Dru’s gone, Tabby,’ he said sadly, ‘there’s nothing we can do for her now.’
‘Li . . . link them . . . again.’
‘What?’ Fergus gulped. ‘We can’t link them, Tabby. Dru’s already dead.’
‘But–’
‘No, we can’t. Quinn could die.’
‘Yes, but Dru could live.’ He looked at the ground, shaking his head vigorously. ‘It’s not your decision to make, Fergus. It’s . . . it’s Quinn’s.’
Tabby coughed, blood spurting from her mouth. She began to choke on it and Fergus tilted her head, trying his best to make her more comfortable.
‘Take care of them, Fergie. All of them. And if need be, let them take care of you.’
Fergus sobbed, his tears landing on Tabitha’s cheek as he bent down to kiss her. ‘Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.’
‘I never will,’ she whispered. ‘Tell Aiden I love . . .’ But before she could finish, her eyes clouded over, her chest no longer moving. She was gone.
Fergus turned to see his son standing behind him, staring down at his mother.
‘Aiden . . .’
Aiden’s eyes stung as he forced back tears.
‘Is she . . . ?’
‘Yes,’ Fergus whispered. ‘I’m so sorry, son.’
A tear escaped from Aiden’s eye, his chest tightening as he looked upon his mother’s body.
You shouldn’t have come, he thought, wiping his cheek with his sleeve. After everything, all of their quarrels and disagreements, he had finally been starting to understand his mother – why she did the things she did, why she always behaved in such an overbearing and snobbish manner. Tabitha had loved him from the bottom of her heart, and now she was lost to him.
‘Is it true?’ Aiden said, composing himself, although Fergus could see it was only a front. ‘What she said about Dru?’
Quinn was listening now, too.
‘Yes, it’s true. We could try another linking spell, but it would be incredibly dangerous. You’re talking about messing with life and death. If Quinn was strong enough, she might be able to withstand it long enough to bring Dru back. More than likely though, she would die trying.’
They all looked at one another, stunned by this revelation. Quinn got to her feet.
‘Do it,’ she said.
‘Quinn, you must think about–’
‘Do it, Uncle Fergus. There’s nothing to think about.’ Her eyes burrowed into him, down to the core, and she said it again. ‘Do it.’
Fergus nodded, motioning to Aiden to sit with his mother. ‘All right,’ he sighed. ‘I hope you know what you’re asking me to do.’
Quinn bowed her head, kneeling back down beside Dru. ‘She would do it for me.’
Fergus nodded, bending down and kissing Quinn’s head. ‘Take her hand,’ he said gently, and Quinn did as he asked. Fergus waved his hand over Dru, tiny fragments falling from his fingers like glitter. He began to chant.
‘Link them now and let them live, one will offer, one will give. Let what’s happened be undone, breathe not as two, exist as one.’
He could see Quinn struggling as he said the words, her face going grey as she desperately tried to fight the impending doom which was waiting for her.
She was stronger than he’d imagined she would be.
Once he was finished, Quinn lurched forward, panting, her hand coming loose from Dru’s. ‘Did it work?’ she asked promptly, pinching herself to make sure she was still there – still alive.
Dru’s eyes opened and she gasped, her eyes bulging as Quinn’s essence crept through her.
Fergus breathed a sigh of relief. ‘It worked.’
Aiden handed Jess a cup of tea, her eyes vacantly staring ahead as she took it from his grasp.
‘I don’t understand,’ she whispered, her hands turning red as she held the hot mug. She looked at Charley. ‘You aren’t my sister?’
Charley shook her head. ‘Biologically, no, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you.’
‘And,’ she turned to Marcus, ‘you’re my brother?’
‘Afraid so, kiddo.’
‘But you tried to kill me?’
‘Well, when you put it like that . . .’ Marcus stopped, hanging his head in shame. ‘Yes, Jess, I did. There’s nothing I can say to change that or make it right. I don’t expect you to ever forgive me.’
Jess looked back at Charley. ‘So if you’re a magician, why are Mum and Dad just normal folk? Was . . . was she a magician, too?’ she asked, referring to Bud.
‘Yes,’ Charley nodded. ‘Gran’s powers didn’t pass on to Mum because she lost them before Mum was born. I don’t know why they came back to . . .’ Charley still felt awkward saying her name, ‘. . . to Bud and me, I think they must have just skipped a generation or something.’
Jess blinked. ‘And I’m a demon?’ She felt ridiculous saying it. ‘This is ludicrous.’
‘Trust me, I know. When Aiden first told me I was a magician, I laughed in his face.’
‘But aren’t demons bad? Does that mean I’m . . . evil?’
Marcus shook his head. ‘Not all demons are wicked.’
‘You’re wicked. You tried to kill me.’
Marcus raised his eyebrows. ‘I guess I am.’
Charley tucked a loose strand of hair behind Jess’s ear. ‘Marcus did the wrong thing, you’re right, and it’s up to you if you ever want to forgive him. He does care about you though, just know that.’
‘Have you forgiven him?’
Charley smiled at Jess. At that moment she felt more like her mother than her sister. ‘I’ll never forgive him for what he did to you,’ she said, and Marcus looked like he’d been kicked in the guts. ‘I do understand why he did what he did though. Judith used him. It was all just a game to her, she wasn’t bothered who got hurt along the way. Whatever you decide to do regarding Marcus, I’ll support you.’
Jess looked at Marcus – her brother – and said, ‘Was it really Charley and you who saved me?’
Marcus shook his head. ‘Charley did most of the work. I was pretty useless to be honest.’
Charley looked at him as if to say that’s not true, but said nothing.
‘Can we tell Mum about this?’ Jess asked.
‘I don’t think that’s such a good idea. She might not handle it all that well.’ Charley turned to Fergus, who was sitting in the olive-green arm chair, clutching Tabby’s copy of Jane Eyre. ‘Will the sleeping spell have worn off?’ she asked him.
Fergus didn’t answer. Instead, Marcus replied, ‘More than likely.’
‘She’ll be worried sick. She won’t be able to get a hold of us.’
‘Here,’ Aiden said, tossing his phone to Charley. ‘Call her from that.’
Charley went to him, crouched down and lifted his chin with her finger.
‘How you holding up?’ she asked, trying to show her support but at the same time trying not to smother him.
‘Okay,’ he smiled sadly, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. ‘I have you, don’t I?’
‘Always,’ Charley whispered.
Quinn was sitting on the sofa, Dru’s head resting on her lap. The pair of them had barely said a word since they’d got home, Quinn just happy to have her sister back. She wasn’t sure what Dru was thinking; her face gave nothing away.
‘Did I do the right thing?’ Quinn said to her quietly. ‘You did want to come back, didn’t you?’
Dru’s eyes didn’t move from the spot she was gazing at, but she smil
ed anyway. ‘Yes, Quinn, you did the right thing.’
That evening, they sat around Aiden’s living room, emotions running high. Of course they felt triumphant; they’d saved Jess and thwarted Judith, but they’d also lost so much in the process. Aiden had lost one parent, Marcus, two; Fergus had lost a wife; Quinn had lost her sister, and then miraculously got her back again. No one was really sure quite what to say.
Charley had spoken to her mother, telling her that Jess was sleeping and that they wouldn’t be home late. Linda had gone ballistic, yelling down the phone about how worried she’d been.
Eventually, after a lot of arguing and a lot of shouting, she’d calmed down. ‘As long as Fergus drives you home,’ she’d instructed. Charley had agreed, although there was no way she was going to ask Fergus to do that, not after what he’d just been through.
She’d also phoned Abbie, who’d been furious at the fact she’d missed the battle.
‘Always miss the fun part, I do,’ she’d whined miserably.
‘I’ll be sure to inform you when the next one arises,’ Charley had laughed.
‘Yeah,’ Abbie huffed, ‘make sure you do.’
They’d talked for a while, Abbie genuinely concerned about her friend. She couldn’t believe everything Charley was telling her; it sounded like the ramblings of a child. But it wasn’t – it was Charley’s life. All of their lives.
After a while, Fergus got up from his chair and announced that he was going to bed.
‘You know where I am if you need me,’ he said.
‘Dad . . .’
‘Yes, Aiden?’
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
‘I will be, son. With time, I’ll be okay. And so will you.’ Aiden looked wistfully at his father. Fergus said, ‘You’ve all been through a great deal. It will take some time for it to sink in. But never forget, this is the kind of thing we have to deal with. There will be more battles, not necessarily demons, but beings just as powerful and just as dangerous. There may come a time when you think you’re safe, but you’re not. We are never done fighting.’
They all sat staring, shivers running through each of them. Then Fergus left the room.
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