Screams rang through the crowd.
Spratlin said, "Oh, shit."
"Yeah, about that bad feeling."
The ground continued to rumble more aggressively as lightning stabbed repeatedly at the earth. Screams grew more frantic from the crowd on the main lawn of the James Estate.
Another bolt zapped the crowd, and someone yelled, "She's hit!"
Another voice yelled, "Murderer!"
"Get her!"
My eyes grew wide in fright. Those people were ready to lynch me. Luckily for me, continued zaps of lightning kept the crowd at bay.
"Don't listen to them, Mackenzie." Spratlin took off down the steps toward the direction of the chaos. "Come on, are you gonna help, or not?"
I had half a mind to use that as an opportunity to bolt, no pun intended, and run as far away from that place and the misery witchcraft has caused me as I could. But the screams were terrifying, and if there was a chance that I could do something to help... well, I couldn't let innocent people get hurt. Especially if it was all caused by the same person who was trying to frame me. Selfish motivation? Maybe a little.
As I hopped off the stage, bright light of varying colors could be seen from the crowd. Witches were casting their magic--fire, electric, pulses of energy, whatever they had in their magical arsenal.
I caught Spratlin just in time to see the most disgusting thing I'd ever laid eyes on. A decaying zombie, complete with rotted skin and exposed cheek bone lunged at an elderly witch. Undead creatures were literally roaming around attacking the guests! Spratlin shot a Water Beam into the zombie's head. The head exploded in a gooey mess as the undead body staggered around bumping into chairs until finally toppling over.
"Where'd it come from?"
"Somebody's casting dark magic to reanimate corpses."
"Necromancy?" I almost didn't believe it. I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the training mission where we found evidence.
My breath caught in my throat at the awe-inspiring magnitude taking place around me. Mr. and Mrs. James stood together with other Council members and combined their magic to make a barrier of protection around as many of the guests as they could. Mrs. James locked eyes with me. Was she protecting them from the zombies or from me?
The elders, while fully capable of taking out mass amounts of enemies at a time, were quickly ushered inside to safety. The on-duty Enforcers were making rapid headway with the zombie horde.
Two zombies stumbled near us as we ran for the gravel path. I let go of two quick bolts of electricity.
"Double headshot!" yelled Creep as he ducked around a lamppost. "I was wondering when we'd get to see you in action."
Jeremy and Ivy also joined us as he said, "The gang's all here. What'ya say we kick some zombie ass? It'll be like old times while playing clan matches, except... we could actually get eaten by monsters."
Spratlin ordered, "Keep her safe! We got some overzealous idiots in the group tonight who'd love to see her hang for something she didn't do."
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" I replied.
Creep yelled, "You got it!" My friends all surrounded me, as we continued to take out the crazed undead.
A zombie was approaching the crowd from the side, but it was too dangerous to shoot him in the head. I dropped to one knee and took out both his legs with a well placed Level 1 Electro Bolt. He clawed at the ground to continue his pursuit to the crowd. I ran over to him and curb stomped him with my size nine boot. "Tenacious things, aren't they?"
As Spratlin fired off another Water Beam he said, "You're hardcore!"
"Don't get too used to it. I'm still not hanging around."
Jeremy asked, "What's she talking about?"
"She's not really into the whole mage thing," Spratlin said glancing over his shoulder as he shot another blast of water.
"What? I thought you of all people would get into this. It's like starring in your own game!"
"Yeah, but in a game when the match is over, I can put down my controller and know some zombie or sewer demon isn't going to chew me into tiny pieces."
"That's true, man," said Creep. "I once got scratched by a demon. It was like the worst sunburn you've ever had times a hundred."
Jeremy shot a Fire Ball at a zombie. "That's because your pasty white ass needs a little vitamin D every now and then."
The Council members were able to get all of the guests inside while us and the Enforcers held off the zombies. I couldn't tell from my vantage point if there had been any serious injuries. I was curious if Mrs. G was alright. She wasn't on the lawn fighting zombies, so I prayed she had made it inside.
Three more zombies burst through the empty folding chairs running toward us. I shot three quick bolts to take them out. "Where the hell are these things coming from?" I asked.
Creep said, "Hell. Exactly."
Spratlin looked back over his shoulder. "I overheard my dad say that book we found was stolen."
That proved it. Someone had to know I was involved, and had been using this as an opportunity to frame me. But why me? I'm a nobody in the witch community. Another reason I believe with every fiber of my being that it was Alexa. We weren't exactly best buds. Who else could it be?
"Now do you believe me? It had to have been an inside job." A book that important would have been kept behind lock and key. Someone on the inside who had access either took it, or allowed it to happen.
"Probably. The Council has been very hush-hush about it."
I bet. No way they want their prestigious club, excuse me, coven getting a bad rap. As I knelt down to shoot a zombie in the kneecaps, the ground suddenly burst open and out came a swarm of flying black winged creatures.
"Demon Bats! Take cover!" Spratlin grabbed my arm and we ran down the gravel path. The flowers on the arbors and trellises only offered minuscule cover from the demonic creatures. "The barn!"
A demon bat smashed into the side of the trellis, its head poking out as it continued to fight to bust through. Ivy shot her Pulse Beam at it, and its head exploded into a black, gooey mess. "Relentless little bastards."
"What about the others?" A demon bat came diving toward us. A well placed bolt of lightning to its exposed chest and down it went.
"Too many! Enforcers can only hold them for so long," Spratlin skidded to a stop as he punched in the code to get inside the facility. After all of our friends had gotten safely inside, he quickly slammed the big iron door shut.
"Whew!" he slid down against the door as a horde of zombies and Demon Bats slammed into the outside of it. Spratlin scooted across the floor to get away from the intense pounding.
"Is everyone okay?" I asked. There was a spec of blood on my forearm from where a branch scraped me, but I was otherwise fine. Maybe a little out of breath. Cardio was what the Council needed to put into their training regimen.
"No, I'm not okay!" Creep paced back and forth. He jumped every time something slammed against the door. "Why are zombies and demons at your party, man?"
By now, Spratlin had gotten back to his feet. "I don't know, but I didn't invite them."
"Who did?" I asked.
Ivy said, "Someone who's into some really dark shit."
"Necromancy and demonic cults go hand in hand."
I looked at Spratlin. "That wasn't just some sewer rat in my training mission, was it?"
"No."
"What are you talking about?" Jeremy asked.
"The Council thought it a great idea to send us on a training mission to teach me to deal with low level demons. Only, turns out said demon had kidnapped a little boy."
"Oh shit."
"Yeah, I got to play sacrificial lamb to save him." It wasn't that I minded saving the boy, but I am no lamb.
"Something stinks and it ain't the zombies," said Jeremy. "That's some hardcore shit to send you on a mission like that. Someone knew."
"And I'm gonna find out who."
Spratlin looked worried whenever I mentioned it.
"The Council
thinks I murdered Alise and also this guy named Thomas Johnson."
"No, way, man. You wouldn't hurt a fly... unless it was really annoying you and you had to swat it to get it out of your misery."
I gave Jeremy a look that said, 'Thanks, but that's not helping'.
"Zee, we know you didn't do it. Can't we talk to them?"
Spratlin stood beside me. "It's not that easy."
"I think I'm being framed."
"Alexa?" asked Ivy.
"Of course, but I need proof." I turned to Jeremy. "I'm gonna disappear for a little while."
"Oh! Like an undercover spy who catches the bad guy red handed?" Creep was just a little too excited about the idea.
I nodded. "Something like that. Jeremy, can you handle the store?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Don't give it another thought."
Ivy said, "We'll all help out. No sweat."
It made me so happy to be around my friends again. It was the first time since my Magical Coming Out Party that we had spent any quality time together. So much had gone on lately to keep us apart. It felt good to know that time and distance may have separated us, but we were all still the best of friends. Those who game together, stay together and all that jazz.
"Thanks, guys. I've really missed hanging out."
Jeremy stepped up to me. "When this is all over, we're gonna have one helluva game party. Uh... can we borrow your house?"
I couldn't fight the nervous laughter that had built up inside and we hugged. "Yeah, of course. And take your time moving your stuff out. I won't be there anyway." I turned toward the others and then turned back to Jeremy. "Just don't burn the place down while I'm gone."
I hugged the others and then I turned to Spratlin. He was usually the strong confident one, but there was something bothering him. "I don't know what to say. Thank you for all you've done."
I tried to hug him, but he stepped back. "Oh, no. If you think you're getting rid of me that easy, you're crazy. I'm coming with you."
I looked at him, not really sure what to say. On one hand, I was thrilled he wanted to come along, but he had a job, too, and a trusted position with the witch community. I didn't want him jeopardizing that for me. I must've done a poor job of hiding my relief because there was no arguing about it.
Then, he said, "I'll gather some supplies from the storeroom. You guys are welcome to stay here as long as you need to."
With that, I helped Spratlin pack a few things for our little adventure. Upstairs in the storeroom, I glanced out over the James Estate. The place was wrecked. Chairs were strewn all over the beautiful manicured lawn, the stage looked like an alien had burst through it from underneath, the once colorful flowers along the gravel path were scattered like someone had played 'he loves me, he loves me not' all over the place.
I hoped everyone at the house was okay. I wanted so badly to run to Mrs. G. It was tough to accept that it was all because of me. I hated leaving them like that, but staying here wasn't doing anyone any good. After this adventure, I'm taking a vacation.
12
The fire warmed my toes as I got lost staring into the orange and blue flames. We were able to sneak my bike to my house, and we rode away on Spratlin's bike back to the sewers. He thought it was a good idea to make as much progress into the underground cave system as we could while the witch community was distracted. After passing through the huge room where the lava once was, we found a small nook where we set up camp for the night. It had been a long night, and we were both exhausted. Neither of us knew where the cave system ended, so the last thing we wanted to do was walk into a magic fight dead on our feet.
The cave was cool and damp, not my preferred temperature. I liked warm air and the sun beating down on me, but whomever wrote the book on villains left out the part about sunshine. I stretched my limbs back into working order as Spratlin cooked over the fire.
"Ready for breakfast?" he asked.
"Mmmm, nothing like the smell of hotdogs in the morning." Again, not my preferred cuisine, but when stuck underground hunting for clues, I would take what I could get.
"Might as well enjoy a hot meal while we can."
He had a point. The storeroom only had a few items. Luckily, I snagged a jar of peanut butter and some tortilla wraps from my place before we left. After a few meals of that, I'll be begging for a hotdog.
I nodded my head toward the fire. "Did you make that with magic?"
"No. I'm a Water Mage, which means I can only conjure and control water."
"Can you make ice?"
"Yes, but I had to learn. Changing the form of your element from one form to another, like water to its solid state, is called Complex Augmentation."
"Guess mine isn't as cool."
"Lightning may not have another form, but there are still things you can learn to change it up. That's called Simple Augmentation."
He stuffed his trash into his backpack. "And then there's Practical Magic, like picking locks or producing the smell of strawberries."
We sat in silence for a few minutes while I thought about the different types of magic and chewed another bite of hotdog. If I get out of this murder investigation alive, I plan to study up on magic and learn all I can.
There was something I'd been wanting to bring up to Spratlin, and I figured now was a good time. "I've been thinking about what the detective said about my scars. Whoever is behind this doesn't know about one of them."
Each scar represented a life I saved. I explained to Spratlin that assuming Alexa was behind it, it made sense that she knew about Gaylin. That was one. And the mission in the sewers when I saved the little boy made two. Obviously, she knew about Thomas Johnson, which made three.
"So, she doesn't know about the little girl at the arcade."
"That'd be one silver lining." I went back to mindlessly eating my hotdog.
"I hope you're right. I never got a chance to talk to the Council about her."
Shit. I hope I was right, too.
Spratlin put out the fire. He mixed the ashes with the dirt from the cave floor and spread it all around. "That should do it. We should get going."
I shoved the last bite into my mouth and took his hand to stand up. We walked down a corridor a little ways and then came to a fork. Spratlin shrugged at which way to go, so we took off down the left side. The scenery didn't change much--it was still as cool and damp as the rest of the cave had been.
"By the way... Where the fuck are we?"
He chuckled. I couldn't decide if he was amused or disgusted. "Such a dirty mouth for such a pretty woman."
I didn't need his approval. I cocked my head and glared up at him.
"We're in a cave," he replied.
"I know that, Sherlock. Where are we in relation to the town? I didn't know Blackwood had caves."
We entered the sewers outside of town, but I felt like we were heading north toward the mountains as we traversed the cave system.
"They've been closed off for years. Or, at least, that's what I was told."
My voice grew louder as I asked something else that had been on my mind. "Why haven't the people of Blackwood ever noticed they're all surrounded by witches?"
He stopped and looked at me with perked eyebrows and pursed lips, like he didn't want to state the obvious.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." Everyone in this damn town was a witch, and I was just now being let in on the joke? I kicked a rock down the corridor as hard as I could. "I've gotta be the biggest lame ass that's ever lived."
"Don't beat yourself up. You haven't lived here long enough to know. Mages are forbidden to reveal their abilities to plain hands."
"Plain hands? You mean muggles?"
"Well, yeah. Around here we use the term plain hands." He held up his hands to show me they were empty. "Plain hands, no magic." Then he produced a ball of swirling water in his palm. "Only mages have magic hands."
I gave him a disgusted look. "That's really lame." He shrugged and continued down the path.
I mumbled under my breath, "I like muggles better."
I wasn't paying attention when Spratlin stopped, and I bumped into him. His back was much more muscular than I had realized.
"Dead end."
It took me a second to realize what he had said. "Oh. Guess right was right after all." I turned around and headed back to the fork. As we approached the intersection, it was my turn to stop. "Look."
There was another set of footprints headed down the path on the right.
"Someone knows we're here," he whispered. "No sense in turning back. Just be prepared."
"I'm not turning back. I'm knee deep in this shit now." I let him step in front to lead the way, although the fact that my back was exposed to nothing but darkness didn't give me the warm fuzzies.
"Tell me more about magic. You're a water mage, so you can't produce fire or other elements. But is that possible?"
"It's possible, but only the most powerful mages can do it."
"How do you know if you have the ability?"
"As you advance in rank, your ability may evolve. Right now you're an Apprentice. When you level up to Journeyman, you'll start developing the ability to use Practical Magic."
"Is that what you are?"
"No, I'm a Disciple. One rank above Journeyman."
"How many ranks are there?"
"You start with Apprentice, Journeyman, then Disciple. Most mature adults who have been practicing magic since childhood are Disciples. Only some go on to become an Adept. To become one, you have to take on the role of teacher and study all the different forms of magic at a much higher scholar level."
"I'm guessing that by teaching me, you're on your way to being an Adept?"
"That's my goal. You're actually my first student."
"First time?" I slapped him on the butt. "I like the sound of that."
"Then, there's the rank of Archmage, the highest rank a mage can achieve. Most of us will likely never see that rank. In layman's terms, only the best of the best ever reach that rank. It would be like earning a Ph.D. and being elected president at the same time."
Wanted Witch (Daughter of Darkness Book 1) Page 7