We got one.
The Lamiae jerked up onto its feet. “Chosen!” it hissed. JP’s jaw cracked down like a snake’s, and the Demon let out a bloodcurdling screech. The windows burst outwards in a shower of tiny cubes. I had to cover my ears from the piercing sound. The sound was echoed by the terrified screams of the passengers. Some tried to flee the carriage, but the Lamiae raised a hand and the light on the doors blinked out. No matter how hard people tried to prise them open, they wouldn’t budge.
“Grey,” I shouted, “call the Coven now!”
He slipped a Biomote out of his pocket and set a call link.
“You grab Daniel, I’ll distract our friend here,” I whispered to Alex. He nodded and went for the target. As I predicted, the Demon tried to attack him – which meant it turned away from me. I charged forward and jumped into a spinning kick. My foot connected between JP’s neck and shoulder. The Lamiae corkscrewed into a luggage rack, sending a storm of bags and briefcases flying around the carriage. I fired out a fist, but the Lamiae reacted faster. It leaned to the side, and my knuckles connected with the side of an overhead rack.
A chunk of metal broke off and clattered onto a table. The Lamiae grabbed the shard and thrust it at my throat. I pivoted out the way and kicked the makeshift weapon from the creature’s hand. In response, it seized me by the hair and flung me to the floor. Before I could get up, it stamped a foot down onto my chest. I gasped as I felt several ribs crack. Alex was still dragging a petrified Daniel to the far end of the carriage. He fired me a concerned glance.
“I’m fine,” I wheezed. Another blow came down at me. I rolled backwards to avoid it and used my hands to spring onto my feet. The Lamiae shot out punch after punch, and I twisted from side to side, avoiding every attack. I waited until the timing was right and grabbed the Lamiae’s arm, pitching it towards my body. I wrapped both of my hands around its neck and jumped upwards, driving a knee into its face. It let out a piercing howl and doubled over as JP’s blood poured from a broken nose. I didn’t feel guilty. When we got the creature out of the boy, he’d be in pain, but not in a terrible way. Lamiae possession made a host’s body more resilient.
“Grey, hurry up!” I yelled.
Grey was talking frantically into the Biomote. He looked over at me. “Okay they’re ready!”
“Alex, be prepared!” I shouted. He nodded, shoving Daniel down on a seat near the panicked huddle of passengers. He unsheathed his Crimson Twin and ran back toward us. I grabbed the wounded Lamiae and wrapped my arms around its chest, locking JP’s arms by his sides.
“Now, Selene!” Grey shouted into the Biomote. He pressed a button and held it at arm’s length. Selene’s voice, echoed by the rest of the Witches at Moon’s Edge, boomed from the enhanced speakers. Witches had a strong connection with the ether and their incantations could force a Lamiae’s ethereal form from its host.
Tibi imperō, fili umbrae, hunc hostiam…
The effect was almost instant. The Lamiae thrashed about, bucking me up and down like a pissed off bull.
… liberes ac quod abstulisti reddas…
The Lamiae surged backwards, smashing me into a set of doors. They buckled outwards. A fierce judder shot all the way up my spine, gathering in my head and shaking my skull. I locked both legs around JP’s waist, increasing my grip until I was using every ounce of my strength.
The Lamiae was screaming, a piercing sound that stabbed at my brain like a hot poker. Hold on, Gabriella! I willed myself. Don’t you dare let go! JP’s skin grew hot – so hot I could feel it scorching my flesh through my uniform. Curls of grey smoke rose up from burn holes that appeared on the leather. I grit my teeth together and closed my eyes, trying to ignore the searing pain. The Lamiae continued to leap around the carriage, using me as a human battering ram.
… tibi imperō, corporis fur, te expellas atque ad aether redeas.
JP’s head snapped backwards and, with an inhuman roar, a rolling cloud of white vapour poured from his mouth. He collapsed to the floor, pale face illuminated by the LED bulbs. Grey ran over and used his free hand to drag the barely-conscious skater along the aisle towards Daniel and the cowering passengers.
“Alex, get it!” I yelled, unsheathing the Blood Brothers. He jumped into the air, slicing the Crimson Twin down towards the vapour. At the last second, it swept to the right. His blade swiped nothing but thin air. Alex hit the floor, rolling expertly along the aisle. He spun his head around.
“Dammit!”
I pivoted and flicked a Brother straight at the vapour. The cloud momentarily split into two, and the blade sailed between, glancing off an overhead rack and clattering harmlessly to the floor. The ethereal Lamiae swept through the air towards the huddled passengers.
“Get it!” Alex shouted. But it was too late. Before we could stop it, the Demon poured itself down the throat of a pensioner in a duffel coat. She went rigid for a moment and then jerked to her feet. Those around her screamed and pressed as far away from her as they could – about three inches.
JP had come to his senses. “What’s going on? Someone help me!” he yelled in a fearful voice distorted by his broken nose. He thrashed against the invisible Grey.
“Stop struggling, I’m trying to help you!” barked the Guardian. The spell of the Kapre belt was broken instantly. The skater stared upwards, seeing him for the first time. “W-what the hell man! Where did you come from?”
“No time to explain, just get in there and stay down!” Grey commanded, forcing JP onto the seat next to the confused-looking Daniel. JP nodded dumbly and shrank down into the footwell like a stowaway, using his t-shirt to stem the flow of blood.
The possessed pensioner leapt into the air and stuck to the ceiling like a spider. She crawled along at an alarming speed in horrible jerky movements. Panic had evolved into hysteria. The passengers were sobbing and praying to any god that would listen.
“Selene, it got into another host, start over!” shouted Grey into the Biomote receiver. There was a pause and then the incantation began again, even louder this time.
Tibi imperō, fili umbrae, hunc hostiam, liberes ac quod abstulisti reddas…
The Lamiae pounced off the ceiling, carving through the air and hitting Grey in the chest with clawed hands. The Guardian flew backwards, and as he hit the floor, his Biomote escaped his grip and slid underneath a seat. The Lamiae scrambled for it. Alex grabbed the old woman’s hair and it came off in his hand. He stared at the purple wig in his fist, blinking in momentary confusion.
I sprinted forward and jumped into a sliding dive, feet first. My boot toe connected with the Biomote, and it lifted into the air, pinballing off the wall next to the broken driver’s door and landing in Alex’s outstretched hand. He raced forwards and hooked an arm around the furious Lamiae’s throat, dragging it to the floor on top of him.
“Christ, it’s boiling!” he yelled as he fought against the bucking pensioner. He jammed the receiver against the Lamiae’s ear.
…atque ad aether redeas!
The old woman’s head snapped back, and the Lamiae spirited from her mouth. The lady sank into a quivering ball on the floor. I quickly pulled her to her feet and set her on a chair before returning to the action.
In one fluid motion, Grey drew his gun and fired a round at the cloud. It hit one edge of the vapour and a spray of white liquid splattered against an advert for student railcards. More spilled from the limply-hanging trail of mist, as if it were a wounded arm. The liquid dripped to the floor, burning into the metal like acid. The cloud spiralled to the side, rolling into a tube shape, and it darted through the air between us. Alex swiped with a Crimson Twin at the same time I lunged out with my remaining dagger. The two connected in a shower of red sparks and a hiss of purple smoke. The Lamiae dodged underneath the crossed blades and slipped through the opening above the driver’s door.
“Oh for god’s sake!” cursed Grey as we watched it possess the driver. The portly man snapped around in his seat, mouth stretched into a
disturbing grin. White ooze spilled from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his blue overalls. He leaned across the control panel and shoved the train lever into the furthest-most position.
Then snapped it off.
I had to grab the overhead rail as the train gave a heaving jerk and gained speed at an alarming rate.
“Now, everyone dies!” the Lamiae hissed.
Alex threw the Biomote to Grey. “Third time lucky. Ella, help me.”
I nodded and together we rushed the Lamiae. It swept out a hand, which smashed into my temple, causing spots to appear in my eyes. Alex grabbed it by the throat, hoisting it into the air and slamming it to the floor. The possessed driver thrashed about, but I wrapped myself around one side of its body, pinning its arms and legs to its side. Grey ran over. He dodged the desperate blows and pressed down on the other side. Alex knelt down on the driver’s chest, positioning his Crimson Twin lengthways just above its twisted, gnashing mouth.
“Careful!” I warned.
“Don’t worry, I’m know what I’m doing.”
“Alright. Grey, tell Selene to be as loud as she can.”
The Guardian spoke into the receiver in breathless bursts and then held the Biomote over the hissing Lamiae. Selene and the rest of the Coven were shouting as loud as they could, even the enhanced speakers crackled from the overload of noise. The creature bucked and screamed in agony as the incantation ripped it from the host’s body.
…TE EXPELLAS ATQUE AD AETHER REDAS!!
“Long live Hades!” screeched the Lamiae as its ghostly form rushed from the driver’s mouth. This time, it connected with the sharp edge of Alex’s Crimson Twin and tore into ribbons. They twisted around each other until they became a spiralling ball, which spun faster and grew bigger by the second.
“Get away, now!” I yelled.
We sprang up, dragging the confused driver with us. I had just enough time to wrench up the twisted door before the Lamiae exploded in a shower of white gore. I heard it splash onto the metal and watched as yawning, white-trimmed holes appeared on the surface until it resembled a slice of Swiss cheese. I dropped the mottled door as Alex let out a whistle.
“Thank god for that,” breathed Grey. “It’s done,” he said into the Biomote. “Thanks, Selene.” He hung up and slipped the unit back into his jacket pocket.
I ran to one of the emergency stop units and smashed the glass with the side of my fist. I pulled down the red lever.
Nothing happened.
The train continued to race forward, its wheels making tortured screams as it struggled to keep itself on the track. “We have a serious problem,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “The Lamiae must have overridden the brakes when it possessed the driver.”
Alex’s face went ashen. “Ella, the next stop is Waterloo. The end of the line. If we crash at this speed, god knows how many people are going to die!”
I paced around trying to think, but I was interrupted when the train screamed around a sharp corner. And tilted.
There was a universal cry of fear as people tumbled against the walls. Before I could think, I was thrown through one of the smashed windows. In an automatic reaction, I grabbed onto the frame and heaved myself back inside. Alex was tangled inside the luggage rack, holding the old woman in his arms. Grey was balancing one foot against the top of a seat and the other on the angled floor.
“We’re going to derail!” Alex shouted.
“Huntmaster, what do we do?” Grey asked frantically.
I shut my eyes, trying to clear my mind and think. I snapped them open a split second later.
“We have to throw ourselves against the other side!”
They nodded in agreement.
“I need you to find something to hold onto and try your very hardest not to let go,” Alex said in a soothing voice to the old woman. “Can you do that for me?” The frail lady saw him for the first time, and her eyes went wide in confused terror, but she nodded and wrapped her gnarled fingers around one of the luggage rack poles. I coiled my feet against the wall, which was fast becoming the floor. Alex and Grey did the same.
“Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Ready.”
We sprung upwards. Our palms hit the opposite side of the carriage, and it groaned as it slammed back down onto both rails. The force caused the rest of the carriages behind to follow suit. I was left draped across a seat, with a laptop under my knee and a pool of cold coffee next to my face.
Mio dio, that was close.
We all stood up and dusted ourselves down. I wracked my brain. We got lucky. We’re either going to derail or crash into Waterloo station. We need to stop the train somehow without brakes, we need—
“Alex, call Delagio!”
I could tell instantly he knew what I was thinking. He scooped his Biomote out of his pocket and dialled.
“Grey, you head through the train and make sure everyone is okay. Alex and I will heal anyone who needs it when this is over.”
“On it.”
He waded through the groaning passengers and ripped the deactivated doors open, disappearing through the other side.
Alex hung up and nodded at me. “He’s heading straight to the Nexus.”
“Okay. We’d better prepare everyone.”
I moved to the driver’s cab and picked up a telephone fitted into the dashboard. Pressing a red button in the centre and clearing my throat, I spoke into the receiver. I used my charm voice – the one that made humans do what I wanted. It had a high-pitched, shrill tone that made the hairs on the back of the listeners’ neck stand up. There was a crackle and then I heard my own words echo from hidden speakers.
“Everyone, I want you to see and hear us, and without fear, understand that we are here to protect you. We need you all to divide into equal groups on either side of the train. If you feel it start to tilt to one side, you all move to the other as fast as you can. Do you understand?”
Every regular human on the carriage nodded like timid schoolchildren. They stood up slowly and split into two groups, settling into the seats.
The train continued to race along the tracks. London screamed past in a furious whirr of buildings and trees. There was nothing left that we could do. It’s up to you now, Delagio. Alex stepped into the cab. He looked first at me, and then down to the burned leather on my jacket sleeves. He opened his arms and I sank into them. As he pressed his lips against my forehead, I felt the buzz as the charges rushed through me. I didn’t even need to look to know that all my wounds were healing. I felt my insides shift as my cracked ribs repaired themselves. In a matter of seconds, I felt as good as new. Our powers were amplified by each other because we were soulmates. Alex’s unique gift of healing had even bought me back from the brink of death before.
Alex let me go and I gave him a soft smile.
“Thanks.”
“Glad I could be of service. Think you’ll need a new one of these, though,” he chuckled, tapping his fingers against the charred sleeve of my uniform jacket.
I turned to look out of the windscreen and froze. In the distance I could see the arched beams of Waterloo station. The end of the line...literally.
“Alex.”
He turned to look and his hand gripped mine.
“We’ll survive this...won’t we?”
“Probably.” I gestured behind me. “But they won’t.”
“He’ll be there.”
All I could think about was the mother and her baby daughter from the first carriage. The little girl, completely innocent and blissfully unaware, playing with her mother’s chain.
“God, I hope so.”
I lifted the receiver once again and spoke. I had to swallow away the lump that had formed there. “Everyone, I need you to hold onto something and brace yourselves for an impact.”
I hung up the speakerphone and wrapped my hand in Alex’s. He squeezed it.
I closed my eyes.
The train jerked suddenly. I went careering
forward into the control panel. Alex hit the driver’s chair and tumbled to the floor. The wheels let out a series of piercing screams as they locked. The tangy scent of burning metal hit my nostrils and, through the side windows, I saw a shower of blue and yellow sparks spray up from the ground.
Scopare! This is it. We’re derailing!
When there was no horrific screech of twisting metal, I realised what was actually happening.
We’re slowing down.
A shadow swept over the train as we entered Waterloo station. I heaved myself off the control panel at the same time that Alex stood up. We stared out of the windscreen. Our train was screaming along the tracks that lead right to the main hub of the station. Terrified commuters were sprinting away from the platform edge, tripping over one another in their blind panic. Transport officers were backing away, shouting into walkie-talkies attached to their shoulders. A few hundred yards ahead, the tracks stopped dead. A metal bumper stood waiting for us to smash into it. Then I saw something else. A shape on the tracks. I strained to see and a smile formed on my lips.
Delagio.
He was facing the train, arms outstretched. His trademark Stetson hat was perched on top of his head.
Come on, come on! I repeated in my head like a mantra.
The train continued to slow. I looked down at the speedometer. We were still doing seventy. It’s too fast.
Sixty, fifty, forty-five.
I could make out Delagio perfectly. His eyes were closed and blood was streaming from his nose.
Forty, thirty.
It was a matter of seconds before we hit him. It’s not going to work.
Something else dropped down onto the tracks. Then half a dozen more objects joined them. It took a split second to work out what they were.
More Guardians.
They held out their hands and the train jerked again. I clutched Alex and watched in awe as the speedometer dropped like a stone.
Twenty, ten, five.
The train rolled to a hissing stop a few inches away from Delagio. He wiped the blood from his nose with a handkerchief and then gave the front of the train an affectionate pat. Stepping around the side, he motioned for us to open the window. Alex slid it down.
The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2) Page 2