The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2)

by Blaire Hammond

  Gemma found herself stopping again, swallowing hard. ‘I tiptoed down the stairs, moving towards the music room, and somehow I knew what I would find. I felt it in my bones. I was already choking down tears. The door stood ajar, and bloodied handprints stained the wood. I pushed passed the door and could no longer conceal those damn tears.’

  Gemma stopped all together then, as the image of what she found, forever imprinted in her mind, appeared behind her closed lids. She forced her eyes to open, training them on her white knuckles as her hands gripped one another.

  ‘My parents were killed in the same way the maids were. I tried to revive them, despite knowing it was useless. I remembered Abe, and knew I had to find him, had to see if he’d survived, but deep down in my soul, I understood something wasn’t right. He’d become distant, traveling for long periods at a time, coming and going at odd hours. However I moved to stand anyway, hoping to search for him. My mind was frantic and I was unable to piece together what was right in front of me. And then I heard the growl. I was hit with the stench of rotting flesh. I could feel the heat radiating from it. I turned and saw nothing but darkness. I was staring into the face of a Goblin.’

  Gemma loosened her grip on her hands, feeling the blood rush back into them.

  ‘I knew then that someone, presumably one of our many enemies, had sent the Goblin to kill the residents of my home. It had its orders, most likely with the promise of being restored to its former Enchanted self, and so would stop at nothing to kill me. Of course, that meant I had to kill it first. So I did. It was the hardest battle I have ever fought, and I, honest to the Gods, believed I would die. But I continued to fight, because a rage like no other had awoken in me, and it felt right to kill this monster who took the lives of the ones I love. I still don’t know what happened but somehow, I managed to get the upper hand, and I killed the beast, thinking I was avenging my parents and the servants who I’d come to know and care about. But killing the Goblin left me with more questions than answers, and I felt no relief as I watched it’s body burn into a pile of ash. I arrived on the Corin Grand Manors doorsteps an hour later, covered in blood and shaken. They took me in, of course, and I would not be the person I am now if they hadn’t.’

  Gemma stopped abruptly, the constricting feeling in her throat growing stronger with each word. She could hear Laura breathing, and waited for her to speak, knowing exactly what she was going to ask but unable to continue on her own accord.

  ‘Did you ever find out who was behind it?’ Laura whispered.

  Gemma grounded her teeth together and felt the anger rising inside her as she recalled the traitorous man who murdered her family.

  ‘It was Abe. He’d been working with the Wicked behind Dads back. I still don’t know what led him to change allegiance, only that he did. He was caught and banished to hell.’

  Gemma heard Laura swallow, and finally raised her gaze to meet Laura’s, catching a glimpse of sorrow, understanding and realisation in her eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry Gemma. I’m so sorry I ever judged you. I understand, now, why you…’ Laura trailed off, but Gemma knew what she meant to say.

  She felt the swell of respect she had for Laura grow once again and gave her a nod of appreciation.

  ‘And that’s why I promise to do all I can to help find your Mother again, and kill Erebus. He did this to you and your family. You deserve your redemption, the redemption I finally found when my parent’s murder was banished.’

  That time, it was Laura who nodded with appreciation, and Gemma wondered if perhaps they could grow to be friends, the kind of friend she wanted, and she was beginning to suspect, Laura wanted too.

  ‘I should let you get some rest before dinner.’ Laura said finally, and Gemma watched as Laura jumped down from the dresser and took three quick steps to the door, opening it wide.

  She paused, turning to meet Gemma’s gaze again, and she appeared to be deep in thought, until finally, she simply gave Gemma a smile, a gentle, kind sort of smile, not the joyous one she was known for.

  ‘Thankyou, for telling me. For letting me understand.’

  The response caught in Gemma’s throat, and she smiled back up at Laura, hoping her look conveyed what she wanted to say. It must have, for Laura gave her the slightest nod, and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

  Gemma forced her lids to lower, for she knew if she allowed them to remain open, she would once again catch her reflection in the mirror. She calmly lifted each leg up onto the bed, then, exhaustion suddenly taking over, she slowly laid her head down onto the soft pillows, finally letting the strain of the past weeks go, permitting herself to fall into the dark depths of sleep.

  ~

  Leo glanced at his wife, wonder, excitement and intelligence all dancing behind his eyes.

  ‘See how placing this magnetic disc by the electronic panel stops it, and then unscrewing this piece from the side holds it in a paused motion. It seems to still be transmitting data, but almost like on a continuous loop, claiming I’m still here in the office.’

  Stella was nodding along, ‘yes, I see! You’re brilliant Leo!’

  ‘Well, it was due.’ He grinned, twisting the screw back in place and removing the magnet.

  ‘So, we can use this?’ She inquired hopefully.

  ‘We can, but not for long. It would become suspicious if we remained in one place for a whole day.’

  He saw her face fall, and knew she’d hoped for more.

  ‘I’ll keep trying.’ He promised.

  ‘No Leo. It’s all right. I think I knew deep down we’d have to let them go.’

  Leo could both see and feel the concern radiating from her as she begun to pace. He hated their current predicament more than he could possibly express in words. He felt weak. Useless. They’d tried so hard to warn the Enchanted of the looming war, resulting in their being punished, outcast, classed as crazy, and now they were facing banishment. It frustrated him, and for the first time since the realisation of Erebus’ return, Leo felt very real, genuine fear.

  However, because of their suspended case and current house arrest, they knew that, as a result, sooner or later they would have to escape the confines of the Manor to go after Erebus. If they didn’t, who else would? They all knew they would regret it if they simply sat back and allowed war to break out, no matter how cruelly the Enchanted were behaving towards them. Leo’s heart simply broke because both he and Stella had hoped that they would be able to leave with their students when it came time to escape. It appeared that their hopes were slowly but surely diminishing.

  If they were to leave with their students, immediately the Force would realise something had to be wrong and as a result they’d have Enchanted tailing them, which would make tracking down Erebus significantly more difficult. So, they’d have to leave cautiously and, of course, quietly, which couldn’t be done with Stella and Leo bound by their ankle monitors. They could disable them, as Leo had discovered, but it wouldn’t conceal their escape for more than twelve hours, at the most, which wasn’t enough time. It was for those reasons that Leo knew Stella’s fear and his own frustration was, indeed, warranted. Allowing their students, whom both Leo and Stella had vowed to protect with their lives, go out on such a dangerous mission without them by their side, was cause enough for their anxiety and frightening thoughts.

  Leo stood, drawing Stella to him.

  ‘They’re smart. They’ll be okay.’

  She nodded into his chest.

  ‘I know. I’m just not ready to let them go.’

  He tightened his hug.

  ‘Me either.’

  ~

  ‘So fire, earth, water and air are the elements of the Gods?’ Laura inquired, receiving a nod from Leo in return.

  ‘They can also control the elements, hence helping through the means they did.’

  ‘I can’t understand how Mum can do all of this.’ Laura shook her head, her brow furrowing.

  ‘I did a lot of research, there are no l
oopholes in the remaking of an Identity Mark. Once destroyed, it’s supposedly gone for good.’ Drew added, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

  ‘So suppose she can summon the Gods, why hasn’t she called on them to defeat Erebus?’ Grace questioned, and Laura realised she’d been wondering the same thing herself.

  Stella shrugged, looking to Leo, who usually had all the answers. However it appeared he was just as stumped as the rest of them.

  ‘There must be conditions to her ability to call on the Gods.’ Logan said, his eyes flicking to Laura. ‘She had Laura perform the summoning, perhaps she is the exception?’

  ‘What was it Cara said about how you survived your birth?’ Stella asked quickly, eyes widening.

  Laura straightened in her seat, ‘she allowed an Angel to possess her, giving her and myself the strength to survive.’

  ‘Perhaps, because of that, you have some kind of connection to the Heavens? Maybe it’s you who can summon the Gods, and Cara just showed you how?’ Leo said steadily, though Laura could see the wheels were turning in his mind.

  Laura frowned, ‘I don’t know, I mean, when she was holding onto me, she definitely did something.’

  ‘What if you have to have the Identity Mark to call on the Gods? And instead of preparing you for the possession, she was preparing you, in the same way, for a summoning instead?’ Leo reasoned, all the pieces falling into place, though Laura wasn’t confident she believed it. Regardless, Laura wanted answers, no matter how farfetched they appeared to be.

  ‘The only way to find out is to test it. We could ask more about Laura’s gift if we succeed, maybe the Gods can present more information, a way to wield it?’ Logan offered.

  ‘You’re not seriously talking about summoning the Gods?!’ Drew asked suddenly, his words spilling out a little louder than necessary. He wasn’t angry, Laura could see, but he was, much the same as her, in disbelief that it was even possible.

  ‘Look, maybe we’re completely wrong. Maybe Laura can’t summon the God’s at all, and it was Cara all along. But we’ve got to try, right?’ Logan countered, his voice much calmer, more reasonable, than Drew’s had been.

  ‘But summoning’s can be dangerous, and they don’t give away their time freely, unless what’s happing below poses a direct threat against them, which makes why they helped us all the more confusing. But, that aside, we’d have to have something valuable to trade with if we want answers about Laura.’ Grace objected.

  Laura was moving to stand, a sense of excitement at the prospect of finally taking a step forward, of actually doing something, filling her. Sure, she didn’t think what her friends spoke of was actually possible, but she was growing restless.

  ‘I’m willing to do what it takes.’

  Stella pushed her chair back, rising too.

  ‘Are you sure Laura?’ She asked, her voice hesitant, eyes searching Laura’s for any sign of doubt.

  Laura gave a quick, eager nod in response. ‘Of course. I need answers, and maybe if I can find some, then I’ll be able to prepare myself better for when we go up against Erebus.’

  ‘Not everyone should be present. Just in case something…’ Leo trailed off, and nerves flit quickly through Laura’s stomach.

  ‘I’m coming.’ Drew said firmly, already on his feet.

  Leo didn’t argue to the contrary, accepting Drew’s decision.

  ‘I’ll attend also.’ Leo said, ‘everyone else should stay behind.’

  ‘Where are you going to do it?’ Grace asked, appearing brave, though the underlying concern for her brother, for all of them, rung clear in her tone.

  ‘It’ll have to be a secluded place, you know what the effects can be like.’ Stella said quietly, aiming her comment at her husband.

  ‘I know of a place.’ Leo responded, standing and linking his arm through Stella’s as if to promise everything was going to be okay.

  ‘But, the monitors…’ Logan said, inclining his head towards Stella and Leo’s left ankles.

  Leo grinned then. ‘Stella and I have discovered a way to disarm them without the Force receiving a notification that they aren’t working properly.’

  ‘Well, it was Leo who did all the work.’ Stella insisted, clearly proud, and Laura caught Leo’s slight blush thanks to his wife’s praise. ‘And because of this breakthrough, he should be able to leave the Manor long enough to perform the summoning.’ She continued. ‘It’s just a matter of slipping past the guards that are on watch.’

  ‘Easy done,’ Drew shrugged. ‘I’ve been studying their patterns for the past two weeks.’

  ‘You should leave at midnight, before the guards change over. That’s when they’ll most likely be less alert.’ Grace added, despite the growing worry evident behind her eyes.

  ‘Looks like we have a plan then.’ Leo concluded.

  Chapter Three

  The Summoning

  ‘You’re joking? That’s dangerous! The Gods aren’t always forgiving when called upon for no reason!’ Gemma exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, and Grace caught her wince at the sudden movement, though she tried to hide it.

  ‘We don’t even know that it’s going to work.’ Grace said calmly.

  ‘And it won’t be for no reason, they’re going to ask about Laura’s gift. If she knows more, it’ll help her learn to control it.’ Logan countered.

  ‘Hopefully, it’ll also give us a better understanding of why Erebus wants her power specifically.’ Grace added.

  ‘But what about the trade off?’ Gemma pressed, her face slowly contorting into a look of genuine concern.

  ‘Stella’s helping Leo find something.’ Grace replied, noticing the pain slowly etching its way into Gemma’s features. She reached forward, gently pushing Gemma back against the pillows. ‘But enough about that, we shouldn’t worry ourselves with it until tonight. How are you feeling?’

  Gemma’s scar stretched slightly with her forced attempt at relaying a reassuring smile.

  ‘Better. I still don’t know how you guys carried me from the Lost City all the way to the Alast hospital. I never thanked you both for that.’

  ‘We would do it again, Gem, there was no way we were going to let you-‘ Grace caught herself.

  Gemma raised an eyebrow. ‘Die?’

  Grace flinched at the word, at simply the thought, of Gemma dying. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would have been like to lose her best friend, not after losing so much already. Still, in the late hours of the night, under a blanket of stars, as she and Logan carried Gemma’s bloodied body through the dense, dark bush for hours on end, tripping, falling, but forging on through it all, they both truly believed that, despite all their hurried efforts, Gemma was going to die.

  ‘I would have died, if you two hadn’t…’ Gemma stopped herself, and Grace wondered if she, too, recalled the rushed struggle she and Logan made through the bush together, hoping to save Gemma’s life. ‘Well, I hope you both know that I appreciate what you did. Especially after how I had been acting.’

  Grace felt her heart soften, and saw the corresponding feelings radiating in Logan’s face. No matter what they’d been through in the past, Gemma was still their best friend, and they would do anything for her.

  ‘We were all under high pressure and emotion,’ Logan reasoned.

  ‘Still, it was inexcusable. I should have been more understanding, less cruel. And after all Laura did for me regardless of how awful I was to her… ’

  ‘She forgives you Gem,’ Grace said, resting a comforting hand on Gemma’s arm.

  ‘I know. I’m just not sure I deserve it.’

  Grace could see the inner war waging behind Gemma’s eyes; could see the pain and turmoil she was struggling with both emotionally and physically. After a long year of grappling with her past; of coming to terms with her present, and forcing herself to settle into a new home after losing all she loved thanks to the betrayal of a friend, it was reasonable for her to appear closed off and untrusting.
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  ‘Perhaps the problem isn’t Laura having forgiven you,’ Logan said, taking Grace’s hand, urging her to speak.

  ‘Maybe it’s that you can’t forgive yourself,’ Grace finished for him, giving his hand a squeeze.

  Gemma raised her eyes, and Grace recognised the expression of agreement register in her best friend’s beautiful face. Nothing more could be said, not until Gemma allowed herself the strength to move on, thus granting herself forgiveness.

  ~

  Laura was both swift and quick on her feet as she led the way up the stairs, Drew close behind, heart racing in anticipation of the coming training session.

  ‘You’re sure you don’t want to rest up some? We did train all morning, and with the summoning tonight…’ Drew inquired half-heartedly, trailing off for he already knew the answer.

  ‘Worried you can’t keep up?’ Laura baited, though the humour wasn’t quite behind her remark as it once would’ve been, before she encountered Erebus.

  ‘You wish.’ Drew returned.

  Laura had changed dramatically throughout the past two weeks, since losing her mother for the second time. No longer was she the inquisitive, positive, all affirming force she’d once been. Now, she’d grown fiercer, stronger, more determined, and, above all else, she’d become quieter. She rarely spoke, like she so often use to, ever the curious one, continuously searching for the positive in a bad situation. In the past weeks she’d lost all of that; she remained in her head, always thinking, planning, calculating; and training had completely taken over her life.