‘What I think,’ she said finally. ‘Is while Erebus sure as hell is crazy, he isn’t stupid, and he wouldn’t return here after everything that happened.’
‘So what are the soldiers up to?’
‘Could be just clearing up, could be looking for something, I don’t know.’
‘Why would they be looking for something if they don’t believe your story? And in the middle of the night, no less.’
Gemma shrugged, ‘I don’t know, you asked so I answered.’
After a moments silence, Mitch asked, ‘so you don’t think it’s worth searching the place?’
Gemma paused, thinking through her words. ‘Perhaps not search the place, but I think listening in on some of the soldiers might be a good idea.’
‘All right.’ He said, and before Gemma could respond, he was gone.
She turned back to the guards, watching carefully as they moved debris and scoured the earth. What were they hoping to find, if not proof of Erebus’ return?
Mitch suddenly reappeared beside her.
‘We’ll take the west side, the others are going to search the east. We’ll be closer to the conversation, so listen carefully.’
He didn’t grant her the chance to oppose, only took off through the bush, beckoning for her to follow. They rounded the city, moving closer to the rubbles dump site. Two men lingered about, mopping their sweating foreheads and necks as they waited for the next wheelbarrow to arrive.
Gemma crouched behind what was left of a brick house while Mitch hid in the bush on the opposite side. They kept still, straining their ears to listen, but it wasn’t until three wheelbarrow trips later that someone finally spoke.
‘How much longer to you think he wants us to search?’ One of the men asked, though Gemma dared not glance around the corner to see which. ‘There’s nothing in this mess. It’s a waste of time. I should be getting back to my family.’
Gemma recognised the accent instantly. Mandrian. He was from Mandra, called to Alast to work.
‘It’s good pay though.’ The second man grumbled, his accent clearly Alastian.
He’d been born on the very soil they stood upon.
‘You can go home to your loved ones every night though. I haven’t seen my family in a month.’
‘Mandra is dangerous at the moment. You’re safer here.’ The second man said after a while.
‘That’s exactly why I should be there. Protecting them.’
Gemma frowned, searching for Mitch in the bush. She couldn’t see him, but she was sure he must have been as confused as she was. What was going on in Mandra? Nothing had been on the news recently and if things really were bad it should have been reported to all Enchanted across the world.
She waited a while longer, but the next row of wheelbarrows came along and Gemma knew she wouldn’t receive any more information.
She edged along the side of the building then ducked into the bush, catching up with Mitch. They hurried back to the meeting point where Grace, Logan and Robin were already waiting.
‘Anything?’ Mitch asked, but they all shook their heads.
‘What about you?’ Robin countered.
Gemma met Mitch’s gaze momentarily before he turned to his cousin.
‘Have any of you heard about Mandra recently?’
The three standing before them frowned.
‘No, should we have?’ Logan responded when neither Grace nor Robin had mustered up a reply, appearing as confused as Gemma still was.
‘One of the guards said things are bad at the moment, that he should be back there protecting his family.’ Gemma told them.
‘From what?’ Grace asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gemma shook her head grimly, ‘I don’t know, but with Erebus on the loose, it can’t be good.’
~
Cold.
Dark.
Alone.
Quiet.
It’s so quiet.
Please, someone.
Speak…
I’m so alone. Please don’t leave me. I will fight. I will fight.
I WILL FIGHT.
Caspian…
I am Caspian…
Caspian Falcon.
Remember.
I will remember.
Chapter Thirteen
The Next Clue
The streets of Graysmill were dead when Laura and Drew rolled into the small town not long later. There was an eerie silence that filled the place, sending cold shivers up Drew’s spine despite the desert heat that had risen considerably since entering the dusty part of the country. It was as if a permanent grey cloud hung over the town, dampening its spirits, darkening its streets. A few cars lined the streets, though their owners were long gone. To where, it wasn’t yet clear.
Drew pulled up by a quaint pub in the centre of town and switched the bike off, climbing from the seat after Laura.
‘What’s happened to this place?’ Laura whispered.
‘Nothing good.’ Drew replied grimly, eyes scanning the deserted town.
Shops, restaurants and supermarkets lined the dirt road, though if any of them were open, it wasn’t obvious. The doors were closed, the stands out front empty, the chalkboards wiped clean. Something bad had happened, Drew had sensed it immediately.
‘Let’s check the pub, see if anyone’s inside.’ He said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the closed door of the old brick building.
They crossed the pavement, pushed the door open and stepped into the building. The stench of alcohol was strong and they were hit with a wave of warmth as the door banged shut behind them. One glance around and Drew felt as though they’d gone back in time. A wooden bar lined the back wall, bottles stacked up on shelves behind the counter. Wood stools sat along the bar and the wooden floor was unpolished and stained. Round tables were scattered throughout the room, a piano set up in the far right corner. In all, a total of five men sat around the bar, one being the attendant, and the moment the door shut, all five of those men turned to stare at them.
Drew felt a sense of uneasiness sweep through him. He was used to facing drunken men. He’d done so a number of times, in fact. But the men before him were different. Their expressions were dark, as if they were boiling for a fight; as if they were begging to kill.
Drew felt Laura tense beside him, however he knew if he glanced at her, it would only make her more vulnerable to the men. Instead, he started towards the bar.
‘Lads.’ He said, taking a seat three chairs down from the men.
They continued to stare at him, their mouths remaining closed, their eyes wide open, unblinking.
Finally the barmen pulled two glasses from under the bench. ‘What’ll it be?’
Drew knew he had to keep his wits about him, so alcohol wouldn’t be a good choice, however he also knew declining a drink would cause more suspicion than they’d already drawn.
‘Whatever’s your regular.’ He responded, and watched as the man pulled a dark green bottle from the shelf and half-filled both glasses.
He slid them down the bar and Drew caught both, passing one on to Laura.
‘We don’t have to drink these do we?’ Laura breathed.
‘No,’ Drew murmured, lifting the drink to his lips and pretending to take a sip.
The moment he did so, the five men appeared to relax, turning back to their own drinks and taking large gulps.
‘So, what brings you to our town?’ The barman asked, pulling a different bottle from the shelf and filling one of the five men’s glasses.
‘Just passing through.’ Drew replied.
He had to play it casual. Asking outright about the body would not be well received, he thought. He had to work it out of them. Have them offer up the information.
‘On your way to where?’ The man sitting closest to them asked, his voice gruff and unyielding.
He took a swig from his glass and turned to watch them with his icy grey eyes. He was at least fifty, his face worn and leathery from a life
time working in the desert sun, his clothes faded and patched.
Drew met his gaze, ‘haven’t decided yet.’
‘Not running away from something are you?’ The man at the other end of the bar tested, though he didn’t spare them a glance, his eyes remaining fixed on his glass.
‘Or someone.’ The barman added.
The corner of Drew’s mouth upturned as he took another pretend sip from his glass. The taste of the beer settled on his lips, and he forced himself not to wince at the flavour. Definitely not good quality drink.
‘Perhaps,’ he replied.
‘You won’t want to be settling here then.’ A third man remarked, standing. He took three large strides towards the window and peered out. ‘That your bike?’
Drew turned slightly at the question, meeting the eyes of the barman who was staring at him openly.
‘It is.’
‘It’s a good one. Where’d you get it?’ The man by the window asked, letting the curtain drop and wandering back over to the bar.
Instead of resuming his place, however, he took up residence leaning against the wooden counter beside Drew.
‘Bought it along the way,’ Drew replied cautiously, knowing that news travelled in the desert, especially between small towns.
There was a ring and the barman left the counter, exiting through a back door near the piano. Drew eyed the man leaning beside him, catching a glint of excitement in his dark eyes. His beard twitched with the upturn of his lips.
‘You’re looking for trouble, Kid.’ He said.
‘It’s often trouble who finds me, actually.’ Drew responded.
They were dancing around the topic, but Drew knew that the man currently staring him down was keen to tell them about the town.
‘It does, does it? Perhaps it’ll find you here.’ The Man’s voice was gravely, rough, and sluggish from the alcohol.
‘Perhaps, though I’ve heard that trouble has already arrived.’ Drew responded, forcing himself to take another fake sip.
He noticed Laura doing the same beside him, and while she remained quiet, he could tell she was taking everything in.
‘Oh something worse than trouble is lurking in this town.’ The first man with the faded clothes told them, standing and moving closer.
‘What kind of something?’ Drew inquired, swivelling slightly in his seat, though he forced his expression to appear uninterested.
No one answered him, and Drew took another fake sip. They could hear the barman still talking softly on the phone in the background.
‘Something deadly. Taking people and leaving behind burnt, marked up bodies.’ The man with the beard told them some minutes later as the barman returned, his face red.
‘Time to clear out, the town’s going into lockdown.’
Drew’s eyes flickered to the barman, ‘what for?’
‘The killer has returned. Another body showed up.’
Drew rose in his seat, Laura following suit beside him, but as they turned to leave, the four men sitting at the bar were suddenly standing behind them, blocking their exit.
‘You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with it would you?’ The bearded man questioned suspiciously.
Drew raised an eyebrow, ‘I’ve been here talking to you the whole time.’
The men didn’t move, besides crossing their arms.
‘Come on, hurry up and get out.’ The barman shouted, and the men finally relented, stepping aside, allowing Drew and Laura to pass.
As Drew reached the door, he heard the gravelly voice say, ‘we don’t like strangers in our town. Watch your backs, or you might just find yourselves facing that trouble you claim of.’
Drew glanced briefly over his shoulder, unable to ignore the shiver working its way up his spine.
‘Thanks for the drink Lads,’ he said, then pushed the door open for Laura and himself to exit through.
‘I heard the barman say the body was found on the outskirts of town by a stockman. Police are on their way now, but if we hurry, we might make it.’ Laura told him in hurried whispers as they rushed towards the bike.
‘Good job.’ Drew replied as they secured their packs on their backs.
‘Why do you think they’re on lockdown?’
‘No one want’s to be the next victim.’ Drew said grimly, glancing once more around at the desolate streets.
~
Gemma settled back comfortably into the groove of a tree, eyes scanning the bush, body tense. She’d been asked to keep an eye on the birds while the others took to the rubble, searching for clues and listening in on conversations. She knew Grace suggested it because she was worried about her, however Gemma had accepted the proposal purely because she knew she needed the rest and didn’t want to push herself to the point where she’d have to take the tablets Stella had given her.
She felt something nudge against her shoulder and glanced up to see the bird she’d rode to Alast on peering down at her.
‘Hey buddy, how’s it going? You should be sleeping with your friends. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.’ She murmured, reaching up to pat the birds feathered neck.
The bird cawed quietly, burrowing its head closer to Gemma’s side before trotting back over to his friends and curling up to sleep just like a dog would.
‘Making friends with the birds now too?’
She shifted her gaze to the boy striding towards her, gave him a once over, then flickered her eyes back to the birds. ‘Animals are always better to make friends with.’
She heard Mitch snort, then watched as he bent down and took a seat leaning against a tree opposite her.
‘You should take something for the pain.’ Mitch said quietly.
Gemma clenched her teeth. She thought she’d been hiding her pain pretty well, although she had noticed how observant Mitch was. Combined with Grace’s simple knowing tendencies, Logan’s smarts and Robin’s understanding, they were a force to be reckoned with. She took to playing with a blade of grass, folding it, tearing it, scrunching it. It was cool in the forest despite the fact that the sun had risen a number of hours before.
‘I took something before we arrived. I’ll be fine.’
Mitch leaned back further into the roughness of the bark, bringing his folded coat up to rest behind his head.
‘Shouldn’t you be working? You know, searching for clues?’ Gemma inquired, though the bite in her words wasn’t quite present for she didn’t have the energy to keep up their usual tone of conversation.
‘The others will be fine without me.’
Gemma gave a short laugh, ‘they sent you to keep an eye on me.’
‘They’re worried.’
‘Well I’m fine, you can get back to your job now.’
Mitch rolled his eyes, ‘this isn’t my job.’
‘Oh, right, what about the whole “saving the Enchanted is all I care about” crap?’
‘That’s true, yes, but I’m here because I want to be. It’s not my job.’
Gemma crossed her arms, removing her gaze from his.
‘What’s your problem?’ He asked suddenly.
‘What’s my problem? What’s my problem?!’ Gemma felt the anger bubbling up inside her begging to be released, so she allowed herself a moment to calm down before she spoke. ‘My problem,’ she said, attempting to keep her tone even. ‘Is that you show up out of nowhere, spinning this story, and expect us to trust you. Sure, you’ve helped us a lot, but it could all very well be a trick. Some kind of ruse to get us in worse trouble. And every time I try to approach the subject with you, you conveniently avoid answering my questions, only furthering my distrust of you. You don’t realise what is out there, Mitch. Erebus is back. And he will stop at nothing to take Elixir from both the Enchanted and Humans. I know what he is capable of. Because last time I was here, I almost died, and next time we face him, I’m fairly certain I will. But I’m willing to risk that if it means we can keep the rest of our race and the Human race safe. And what frustrates me is tha
t you don’t seem to believe us!’
She cut her speech off before her voice could grow louder than a whisper. She slumped against the tree and went back to watching the birds, pain shooting up her side. She huffed as she pulled the pills from her bag and swallowed two, hating that she had to take them.
‘I believe you.’ Mitch said, his voice low.
Gemma turned to him slowly. ‘What?’
‘That’s why I’m here. I believe your story. The moment I heard it, I believed it. Robin and I have been working to get close to you all ever since. To help you.’ He paused to remove his gaze from the birds, his eyes coming to rest on her face. ‘It took us a long time to even get assigned as guards for the Manor, but we knew we had to meet you, talk to you all.’
Gemma straightened, though the pain had yet to subside and she could feel the beginnings of a headache. ‘Then why didn’t you just tell us that rather than spinning some story-‘
‘Because we- because I didn’t want to believe it. Like the rest of the Enchanted, I didn’t want to say it was true, though I knew deep down it was.’
Gemma raised an eyebrow. ‘Ah.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Fine.’
‘It’s just funny that brave, macho Mitch is afraid of the power behind words.’
‘I’m not macho,’ Mitch snapped.
‘You’re right, you’re not.’ Gemma said, suppressing a smile.
He scoffed, settling back into his coat-pillow once more. ‘What was he like?’
‘Who?’
‘Erebus.’
Gemma’s veins ran cold. ‘I don’t actually know. Laura had Grace and Logan help me out of the tower while she held back the Wicked before- before everything else happened.’
There was a pause, in which Gemma froze, realising she’d revealed too much. Throughout everything, the residents of the Corin Manor had agreed upon two things. They would not pass on Cara’s secret as to how she’d given birth to Laura, and they would not divulge that Laura, due to her parentage, concealed a power like no other. While they’d explained to Mitch and Robin that Drew and Laura were leaving on a separate mission, they had not informed them of the reasoning behind their desperate need to seek out Kane. The two boys had proven where their loyalties remained; to the Enchanted, and given the circumstances behind Erebus’ rise, they could not be sure that the Enchanted would not want to use Laura too, perhaps not for evil, but to recreate others who held such power. For the time being, the safest option was to keep her gift a secret.
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 16