The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2)

by Stuart Meczes

  The dog guy was staring at me with wide eyes. I could tell he was torn between duty for his ‘friends’ and his own preservation. Self-preservation won out. Like his dog, he turned tail and started to run away, but in a flash I’d grabbed him by the back of the neck, spinning him around to face me.

  “You. How long have you been sitting out here?”

  “A-about an hour,” he stuttered.

  “Then you would have seen me. Tell me what I was doing here.”

  He looked confused. “W-what?”

  I shook him hard. “Tell me!”

  He pointed to one of the tower blocks. “You came out of there, man. You was walkin’ like you was on a mission. Then you just stopped here. Lookin’ all confused and that, as if you’d just woken up. Declan, he fought you was a bit tapped in the ‘ed. Fought you would be an easy target. He made us do it.” He raised his hands in a defensive way. “That’s all I know, mate. Serious.”

  I tried not to let my shock show. What would I come here for? I couldn’t think of a single reason. Plus the fact that he’d said I’d been inside. Council Estate flats had security locks on the outside doors, and none of them looked broken. Which means someone let me in.

  I tried to think, but then the whispers started. I couldn’t make out what they were saying. They all drowned each other out, blurring into a sound like a leaking balloon. But then they were joined by the dominant voice. The one that controlled them. It spoke in words that scratched at the edges of my brain with infected fingers.

  Punish him. Make him bleed.

  I stared at the remaining guy. His face was pale with fear. He was so fragile in my hands. So easy to break.

  Make him scream.

  I squinted my eyes shut.

  No. I won’t do that.

  The voice released a hiss of anger. Although it couldn’t force me to do anything physically, it influenced my words when I spoke, making them harsh and full of malice. I pulled the would-be mugger’s face close to mine. “Listen to me, you little arsehole. People like you think you’re top of the chain. Invincible. But you’re not. You’re about as low as it gets. You’re pond scum. You don’t care about all those people you shoot, stab, or beat to death just so you can get your grubby little hands on a new frigging phone or some cash. I may be in the wrong place, but you’re in the wrong business.” I squeezed his neck harder, feeling the frantic pounding of his pulse vibrate through my fingers.

  He whimpered and a patch of urine appeared on his joggers. “Look at yourself,” I said in disgust. “Look around you. This is what you get if you carry on this way. Or worse. It’s only a matter of time. There are bigger and more important things going on in the world than this petty crap. Sort your life out you, little prick.” I shoved him away and he half-fell to the ground before scrambling away. I marched over to the plastic sheet and scooped the dog up before it could run away.

  The Coven can turn him into a Familiar.

  “I’m taking your dog,” I shouted at the disappearing figure.

  I looked down at the quivering animal in my arms. I held it the way Gabriella did with the animals in the Sanctuary and softened the cadence of my voice to show it I meant no harm. “There, there, boy, I’m not going to hurt you.”

  The dog stopped shaking as violently. It edged out its tongue and gingerly licked my hand.

  I looked up and realised that apart from the pile of unconscious teenagers in the centre of the courtyard, there was no one else around. Even the drug dealer had vanished. All the music had been turned off, and the sudden silence was deafening.

  But even so, I could sense people were still around. I could just make out silhouettes watching from the darkness inside the windows. I could feel hundreds of eyes on me. It felt like a scene from an apocalypse movie where everything has fallen still and those who remain exist in the shadows, hiding from the horrors that stalk them.

  Or are the horrors that stalk.

  A shiver rolled down my spine. I could sense that the eyes watching me weren’t human. And they weren’t friendly. I was suddenly aware of how alone I was.

  I scratched the back of Razor’s ear.

  “Come on, boy, let’s go home.”

  3

  Gabriella

  The elevator rushed through the Nexus, heading for Moon’s Edge.

  It had been weeks since Alex and I had last seen Sophia, and we were both missing her like crazy. The poor girl had retracted into her shell after Midnight’s death. He’d been a father to her, and it crushed me to see how broken she’d become in the six months since he’d died. Rather than time healing, it seemed to be making her worse. She no longer spoke. Not a single word since the day that bastard, Dakin, had stabbed a poison-coated blade into Midnight’s heart and stolen our friend from us.

  Sophia lived with the Coven now; it had been Midnight’s dying wish and one that we all agreed with. It had been madness to have her as a Guardian in the first place. After all, she was only twelve years old. Insanity caused by the desperation of a crumbling Alliance.

  The doors rolled open and we stepped into the dimly-lit caverns. Alex was carrying a stray pit bull he said he’d found wandering near his house. The dog’s yellow eyes darted from side to side, taking in the unusual surroundings. Cats were typically used for Familiars, as they were the easiest to turn, but dogs were just as faithful to their companions once changed.

  I pulled a burning torch from its holster on the rocky wall and held it out in front of us. We walked through the tunnel, the flickering light sweeping along the path and up the walls. The place had an odd scent to it. The others thought it was mildly unpleasant, but I secretly liked it. It reminded me of the smell of the dusty wardrobe in the attic at my first house, where I used to crouch among the moth-eaten clothes when I played hide and seek with Mama and Papa. But that was a long time ago.

  When we had made it past the halfway point, a pair of shimmering green eyes appeared in the gloom. There was a hiss and then the Familiar realised who we were and the sound dissolved into an excited purr. The dog started to growl, but Alex shushed him and he fell silent. I knelt down. The Familiar rushed over and rubbed its head contentedly against my outstretched hand.

  “Hello, Uriel,” I cooed.

  It was a Witch’s right to own a Familiar. Beyond companionship and loyalty, they offered protection and warning. This one was Claudine’s. It had once been a stray cat, disease-ridden and barely alive on the streets of Paris. Now it was a powerful shapeshifter and faithful companion to the new Schoolmaster of the Coven.

  “Good boy. Go tell Claudine we’re here,” I said, giving his ears a final scratch.

  The Familiar gave a soft mew and sprinted off into the darkness.

  When we emerged into Moon’s Edge itself, I saw that Claudine was giving a magic lesson to the child Witches. They all sat in a semi-circle on the floor, faces transfixed in an adorable mixture of curiosity and awe. Their Familiars – in the forms of cats, dogs and rabbits – were huddled up behind them. All oil black. Some were asleep; others rolled on their backs and playfully pawed the air or each other.

  Unlike the traitorous Sylvia, who had been a bony mix of hard features, Claudine’s face was one of serenity and sweetness. She was Selene’s great granddaughter and every bit as wonderful as the Coven leader. She had transferred from Etoile – the Parisian Coven – to take the vacant position, and we all got on incredibly well. I was happy that Sophia had someone as kind-hearted as Claudine to watch over her. As she spoke, I could hear the soft inflection of her French accent. She was wearing a pretty blue dress and a matching bow in her hair. Her auburn locks hung loose over her shoulders in ringlets. A far cry from Sylvia’s harsh black dresses and scraped-back ponytail.

  I motioned to Alex, and we leaned against the wall, underneath a crooked shelf topped with jars of rare herbs and roots, and watched.

  “Now children, the trick to making a communal spell work is once again simply a belief in the power of the ether,” smiled Claudine
. “As you know, magic bleeds through the Veil from Pandemonia like secret air. And it’s invisible like air too. But you are all special. You can tap into that ether and use all the wonderful gifts it has to offer. And sometimes you don’t need to use a magical incantation to activate it; your collective power is enough. But you must believe. Or it won’t work.”

  She uncurled a hand. In her palm lay a rose petal. It looked like a bloody teardrop against her pale skin. “Now I want you all to imagine a field of beautiful roses. The colour doesn’t matter. In fact, think of as many colours as you like. Can you do that for me?”

  There was a series of nods from her captivated audience.

  “Wonderful. Now please hold hands and close your eyes.”

  There was shifting, and then the children linked fingers with one another. They fell silent as if in joint meditation. Almost instantly the rose began to shudder in Claudine’s hand. Then it levitated into the air, hovering a few inches from her palm. New petals began to appear out of nowhere and seamlessly attached themselves to the original. Even more incredibly, they were all different colours – reds, blues, yellow, orange, purple, and more – a gorgeous floral rainbow.

  “It’s working! Well done, everyone. Keep going.”

  The rose continued to form, growing in size and beauty. Once the head was complete, a florescent stalk appeared underneath. It grew in length, shimmering in the candlelight. Instead of thorns, it sprouted miniature rose buds, all of which were different colours.

  “Look, children,” said Claudine.

  They all opened their eyes and let out a collective gasp of wonder. The rose was an exquisite bloom of colour and beauty that defied even nature itself.

  “Tres bien, children. That was fantastic.” With a deft movement, Claudine plucked the rose head from the stem and leaned down, popping it into the bob of the nearest Witch. The girl giggled and gently touched it with her tiny fingers. Then Claudine rolled her hand along the remaining stem and flicked her wrist. The stem burst into a multi-coloured shower of glitter, which sprinkled around the Witches. They all squealed in delight.

  Claudine noticed us for the first time and gave a warm smile. “Okay children, on the tables you will find a few items and a list of spells to try. I want you to split into groups of four and try them out. All through communal thought, no incantations.” She produced a large bar of chocolate from nowhere. “Best team gets this.”

  The Witches rushed to their feet and ran to the benches. Their Familiars burst to attention, shifting into birds and flying after their companions in a flurry of wings.

  Claudine came over to us, and we all kissed each other’s cheeks.

  “Bonjour, Ella, bonjour, Alex.” She said his name like ahleeks. “What a lovely surprise. How are you both?”

  “We’re good, thanks, Claudine. How are you?”

  “Oh, I am very good, merci. I am having so much fun teaching the children. You know, they are so much better behaved than at Etoile. There was this one mischievous girl there, Émile. She worked out how make things vanish.” Claudine shook her head at the memory. “It is very difficult to teach a lesson when everything you need has disappeared into the ether.”

  We all laughed. Claudine had a way of making you feel completely at ease. It was probably why all the children loved her so much.

  “And who is this little fellow?” she cooed at the dog, who sprang to attention and lovingly licked her outstretched fingers.

  “He’s a stray. Alex found him,” I said. “We thought you could make him a Familiar. Maybe Sophia will accept him?”

  Claudine smiled. “Oh, how thoughtful of you. I shall do just that this afternoon.” She lifted the dog out of Alex’s arms and set him down on the floor. “Go wait over there, there’s a good boy,” she whispered, pointing towards a cushion in a cosy-looking corner of the room. The dog bounded over immediately, curled himself into a ball, and closed his eyes.

  Claudine stood back up and dusted off her frock.

  “So how is Selene?” Alex asked.

  Claudine paused. “Oh, she is okay. She and the other adults are resting. All these premonitions of new Awakenings are taking their toll, to be honest.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “So, you are here to see Sophia, yes?”

  Alex nodded. “She’s not out here, I noticed.”

  Claudine gave a long sigh. “I have tried to involve her many times. But the poor girl is just so closed off, more and more so each day. All she and young Tommy do is bury their noses in those books. Either that or she is at Midnight’s grave. I cannot convince her to do much else. It makes me so sad to see the pain that she is in. I wish I could do something to make her feel better.”

  Don’t we all? I felt a wrench of sadness at the thought of Sophia’s anguish. Poor bambina. So young and she has experienced so much pain already. I knew all too well what trauma at a young age could do to a person. The Sorrow had stolen my parents from me all those years ago. Luckily I had crawled through my misery and emerged on the other side. And now I had Alex. I only prayed that Sophia could do the same.

  “We’d like to see her, if that’s okay.”

  Claudine smiled. “Of course.” The schoolmaster pointed to the rich, red curtain covering the circular passageway that lead to the children’s quarters. “She is in her room...as usual.”

  “Thank you, Claudine.”

  “You are very welcome. It is good to see you both. Please do come and chat if you want to afterwards. I should like some adult company. I can make a fresh pot of whiteroot tea.”

  “Sounds great. We will,” I said.

  Claudine gave another warm smile and then excused herself. She headed over to one of the tables. “Oh fantastique, children. That is one very blue tomato!”

  “She’s amazing,” said Alex as we passed through the curtain.

  “I know. Do you think she would join our cause?”

  Alex shook his head. “I wouldn’t want her to. She’s not a fighter, and her role is too important here. There’s no way I’d take her from the children.”

  I was unsurprised, but still touched, by Alex’s selflessness. Even with the burning desire he felt to find his father, he wouldn’t let it compromise his morals. It was yet another of the many reasons I loved him.

  The rounded walls of the path to the children’s rooms were filled with colourful paintings. They depicted famous Witches from mythology, such as Circe and the Fates. Ignoring the darkness of their subject matter, the painted Witches were all cute smiles and bright eyes. Above us, the ceiling appeared to be open to the night sky. Stars twinkled and a full moon bathed the area in a pale glow, but outside, I knew it was still daytime.

  The passage opened into a circular hub area with dozens of doors. They were round and wooden, like giant shields. A line ran down the middle and twin handles sat on either side. In between each of the doors were flickering candles skewered on iron candelabras that had been attached to the wall. Below them were plaques with the names of each room’s residents. Sophia’s room was to our one o’clock. She shared it with Adrianna, the girl who Claudine had given the flower to, as well as an older Witch named Trixie.

  Alex knocked gently on the door. It made a hollow sound. After a beat, I twisted the door handle and we stepped inside.

  Sophia’s room was a complete circle – as if it existed inside a hollowed-out tree trunk. The few melting candles that provided the light gave it a sombre mood. They were perched on a ring-shaped shelf that ran the perimeter of the wall. An array of charms hung from a pentagram, which dangled from the high ceiling. There was one bunk bed and one double, both curved and pushed against opposite edges. A dream catcher had been tied to the end post of each one. Trixie was asleep on the top bunk, her face mostly hidden under the covers. An assortment of Witch paraphernalia lay scattered about – including a stick of incense, which released a sweet, woody scent into the room.

  And then there were the books.

  Hundreds and hundreds of boo
ks. Stacked in precarious piles. Shoved onto shelves. Stuffed under the beds. Lying open on the floor. Some had bookmarks in them. Others had sentences underlined in red ink. There were dozens more than the last time we had visited, as if they had bred. Apart from practicing magic, reading was all Sophia ever did these days. We often found her curled up asleep in the Warren library, surrounded by books on magic and the occult. No one knew what she hoped to find in those pages, and she refused to explain. Oh mia bambina, what are you searching for?

  Sophia was sitting cross-legged on the double bed. A dusty tome was open in her lap. Tommy was curled up on the end of the bed, dozing. Wrapped up in the little Shaman’s arms was the worn bunny rabbit he’d gifted to his friend when she had been at her worst. His familiar – Vincent, was in the form of a tarantula, perched on his shoulder.

  We moved over to the bed. Sophia was still focused intently on her book, head bowed as if in reverence. She was moving her lips to the words, but as we knew all too well, no sound followed. The girl made no reaction to our arrival. She has no idea we’re here.

  Alex cleared his throat and Sophia acted instantly, slamming the book shut and slipping it under her pillow with incredible speed.

  But not before I’d scanned its contents.

  The yellowing pages had been filled with the scrawling passages of Val’tu – ancient Umbra. I felt dread seize my stomach.

  The book was on Demonic magic.

  Demons were the most deadly of all Umbra. And so was their magic, which was why, along with Necromancy, it was strictly forbidden. Any Witch caught even glancing at a book on the subject without permission could launch an entire investigation. And Sophia is studying one.