‘What the hell is he doing here?’ Drew hissed.
‘You don’t think he knows we escaped?’
Drew shook his head, ‘no, I don’t think so. Remember what the others said about the search going on at the Lost City? He’s looking for something.’
Laura turned back to the door, peeking through the keyhole just in time to see Mr Stark step into view.
~
‘Stel said Laura and Drew are on a trail, but she hasn’t heard anything from them for a few hours so will check in when she does. She and Leo haven’t come across any news themselves, although the guards have increased again around the Manor. They’re still keeping their ears out, listening in when they can. Leo thinks we have a pretty good lead though, and has been searching for information on the markings we described to him.’ Grace told them, switching off her radio and shrugging, ‘he hasn’t found anything yet, but he won’t give up.’
‘It’s a good lead, yes, but it needs to be secure, which it isn’t, and it will remain that way if we can’t figure out what the markings mean soon.’ Mitch grumbled, frustrated that they still hadn’t progressed.
The morning after their visit to the hospital they’d checked out of the Inn, intending to collect the birds and take their leave, however they’d ended up stranded in the barn while a blizzard roared around them. Finally, when the storm had subsided, they took flight, eager to reach the town of Barbway nestled in beside the mountains, where they hoped to find the information they sought after. They currently sat in their new hotel room, huddled around the warmth of the fire, attempting to figure out what to do next.
‘Don’t be a jerk.’ Gemma snapped at Mitch’s rude retort.
Mitch glanced at her, feeling a sense of bashfulness at his short tempered nature. In the past week he’d grown to respect Gemma, not only for her determination and spirit, but for her ability to put him in his place, something even he had to admit he wasn’t use to. It had become a habit of his to always take charge, and having someone ready to oppose him not only pushed him to want to be better, but forced him to stop and think about those around him.
‘There’s a library down the street. Most libraries stock books from the Spirit World; presuming you know where to look, which Logan, I know you do.’ Gemma said, receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Logan. ‘I think you three should go there, search as many books you can for the markings.’ She continued. ‘Mitch, I think you and I should go meet with a fellow that lives nearby. Apparently he knows most ancient tongues.’
‘How do you know this ‘fellow’?’ Mitch inquired, eyeing her suspiciously.
Gemma shrugged, ‘same way I know your and Robin’s entire history.’
‘What?’ Robin exclaimed.
‘Please, you don’t think I would allow you to enter our home without doing my research on you? I know everything there is to know. Hey Mitch, what’s with that sock-’
‘Right, let’s get going. We’ll meet you at the library in a while.’ Mitch interjected before Gemma could continue, rising from the couch and copying a set of the markings down on a spare piece of paper.
‘Good luck.’ He said in earnest, passing the original to his cousin.
They hadn’t spoken properly since they’d left Alast, and Mitch still couldn’t understand why Robin was being so cold. He knew what Robin was like, and thought he’d been aiding his cousin in granting him with the opportunity to return home.
Robin took the page and left without so much as a word of thanks. Mitch turned away, feeling a little worse for it.
‘You and Robin haven’t made up yet huh?’ Gemma probed, leading him outside onto the snow covered street.
‘Apparently not.’ Mitch replied bluntly.
He didn’t really feel like discussing the matter.
‘I know this is a foreign concept to you, but you could try apologizing.’
‘For what?’
Gemma pulled up short, forcing him to stop too, and he realised she was staring at him completely dumbfounded.
‘You can’t be serious?’ He was about to reply but she was already speaking again. ‘I haven’t known Robin for anywhere near the amount of time you have, and yet it appears I know him better than you do. Don’t you realise how little faith he has in himself? How much he doubts himself?’
‘Yes, I do. Which is why I gave him the option to leave.’ Mitch said angrily.
‘No. You essentially told him you didn’t think him worthy of helping, confirming his own fears that the one person he looks up to above anyone else, the one person he trusts most of all, doesn’t believe in him.’
Ice flooded Mitch’s body and he stiffened, staring straight into Gemma’s hardened eyes, realising exactly what she was telling him.
‘Damn it.’ He hissed angrily, though that anger was not aimed at Gemma, but himself. ‘How could I be so foolish?’
Not only foolish, but how could he be so insensitive?! He was always one for speaking before thinking, never taking a moment to wonder if his words could be harmful. He couldn’t recall a single occasion when he’d paused and placed himself in the recipient’s shoes, allowing himself to feel what they must be feeling, thinking, suffering. He resolved to amend his mistake immediately, voicing a silent promise to himself to always remember that people were not unbreakable; they could hurt.
‘Yeah.’ Gemma said, turning back to the road and pressing on through the snow.
Mitch caught up to her with his long strides, unable to formulate a single response. What must she think of him? Snowflakes fell softly around them, turning the town into an icy wonderland.
‘Do you think he’ll forgive me?’ Mitch asked, finally breaking the silence.
‘He will, but you’ll have to prove you believe in him. Telling him so won’t be enough.’
‘And how do I do that?’
Gemma patted his shoulder. ‘You’re a smart guy, figure it out. I can’t do everything for you.’
Gemma turned off the street and into the house yard on their left. Mitch followed, and they made their way onto the porch, glad to be free of the falling snow at last. Gemma reached up and rapped three times quickly on the door.
Mitch still couldn’t push aside the guilt that wracked his mind. The last thing he’d ever wanted to do was offend the one person he trusted and cared about most in this world. Robin was his best friend, and he knew he never would have had the capacity to accomplish even half the things he had without Robin by his side, encouraging him, helping him study, training with him and forcing him to pick himself back up when he fell down. Robin was his rock, and to think he’d straight out told him he didn’t believe in him horrified Mitch.
Still trapped in his trance, Mitch found himself struck off guard when the door eventually swung open to reveal a male Warlock dressed in silk Pyjamas and a crimson robe. He smelt strongly of alcohol and his face was a mess of scraggly hair and wrinkles,
‘Yes?’
‘Are you Mr Lerman?’ Gemma queried.
‘That’s me.’ He purred, revealing a glass of scotch in the hand that was hidden inside his robe. He took a sip as he, quite obviously, looked Mitch up and down. ‘What can I do for you?’
Mitch was a taken aback.
‘We just have a few questions.’ Gemma said, grabbing a hold of Mitch’s sleeve.
Mitch realised he’d been recoiling a little under the scrutiny of the drunk Warlock, who, he was fairly certain, was currently making eyes at him. He undoubtedly wasn’t against those who enjoyed the company of the same gender, however he’d never exactly been subject to another man’s attention.
‘Yes, we have some questions.’ Mitch said, recovering as best as he could from his surprise.
He shook Gemma off and straightened his coat. The man seemed to notice Gemma for the first time then, and glanced between the two.
‘And here I was thinking it was my lucky day. What is it you’re after?’
Gemma pulled her ID from her coat pocket, flashing it at Mr Lerman. ‘We
’re here on business. We’re Enchanted and need your help with a problem.’
‘Of course, come in.’ He said, stepping aside and allowing them to pass. ‘Do either of you want something to eat? Drink?’ Mr Lerman inquired, gesturing them down the hall.
‘No we’re fine thankyou.’ Gemma responded.
‘Well I need a top up. Make yourselves at home, I’ll join you in a moment.’
Still feeling a little flustered, Mitch followed Gemma into the sitting room, which was considerably warmer than was required, despite the snow.
Gemma stifled a laugh. ‘He appears to be quite taken with you.’
Mitch ignored her, removed his coat and gloves, and took a seat on the couch. Mr Lerman returned and settled back in the chair opposite Mitch. He sipped lazily from his glass as his eyes danced across Mitch’s outfit.
‘Not that I want to take your attention away from my friend here, but we have some important queries to make, and heard you may be able to help us. It’s to my understanding that you know many ancient tongues?’
Mr Lerman finally resigned his wandering eyes, turning to regard Gemma.
‘You’ve heard correctly.’ Mr Lerman replied, swivelling back to Mitch. ‘How old are you boy?’
‘Twenty-One.’ Mitch said, his voice weak.
‘Ah, perhaps a little too young.’
Mitch could almost hear the laughter Gemma was holding in, and knew she would be thoroughly enjoying seeing him both awkward and off guard.
‘Such a shame. I could have shown you a thing or two.’ Mr Lerman winked.
Mitch gulped, and was truly relieved when Gemma came to his rescue.
‘Mr Lerman-‘
‘Collin, please.’
‘Ah… Collin. We would be incredibly grateful if you could take a look at these markings and tell us if they’re at all familiar.’ Gemma said, pulling the sheet of paper from Mitch’s pocked and passing it to Mr Lerman.
Collin forced a sigh, then reached out and seized the page. He glanced over it’s contents only once before he stiffened and straightened in his seat, slamming the glass down on the coffee table.
‘Where did you get these?’
‘We saw them on the body of… of an Enchanted that turned up dead.’ Gemma stammered, clearly as taken aback as Mitch was by Collin’s reaction.
Collin was no longer making eyes at Mitch, but rather staring daggers at him. He thrust the piece of paper in his face, forcing him to take it.
‘It’s time for you to go. And don’t come back here.’
‘What, why?’ Gemma asked desperately.
Collin snatched up his drink and rose from his seat, alcohol sloshing over the sides of his glass.
‘I refuse to work with those markings. I don’t want to ever see them again. Leave. Now.’
‘Why?’ Mitch countered, already standing.
‘Because they’re curses.’ Collin snapped, ushering the two of them back down the hall.
‘Curses, what do you mean?’ Gemma pleaded.
They were both already back outside, the freezing cold air biting into their skin.
‘Please, what are they?’
‘They,’ Collin said, grasping the door handle. ‘Are from the old Devils tongue.’
And he slammed the door shut in their faces.
~
‘The markings. They’re from the Devils ancient tongue.’ Gemma exclaimed as she and Mitch burst into the room where Logan, Robin and Grace had been studying.
Logan’s stomach dropped and his eyes widened. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Considering the reaction of Mr Lerman? Yeah we’re pretty certain.’ Mitch confirmed.
Logan watched with interest as Robin glanced down at the book in his hands then stepped forward.
‘I was going to discard this but…’ Robin opened the book. ‘It’s a book of the God’s ancient tongue. I wonder if…’
‘It has some of the Devil’s language…’ Mitch finished.
‘Wait, so if this is the Devil’s markings then what does that mean?’ Grace intercepted.
‘I don’t know yet,’ Robin said, face growing pale.
He placed the book on the table under the lamplight, fingers working fast to flip through the pages.
‘Oh my god.’ He said at last.
The group crowded around him, scanning the page he’d come to rest on. On the faded yellow paper was the title Markings of Swearing Allegiance.
Below that read:
When one swears allegiance to that of the opposite side, one must truly believe they want and deserve to serve their new Lords. Should the Gods or Devils find their determination and promises impure, their bodies will be scarred with the burns of betrayal in the language of their would be Lord. The Gods markings will appear as illustrated below.
Logan understood exactly what that meant. Erebus was forcing Enchanted to swear allegiance to the Devils, transforming them into to Wicked.
Chapter Eighteen
Dark Truths
Laura watched as Drew desperately scoured the floor, walls, even the ceiling, searching for the concealed hideout he was positive Kane had. The commotion coming from the other side of the door was growing louder; Kane’s things were being tossed around harshly and furniture was clearly being broken. They were merciless in their search, although Laura was stumped as to what they could be seeking. Was it possible that Mr Stark had found out about Laura’s gift? They’d all been so careful not to mention it, and after reading Kane’s journal entries, she realised it was for good reason that they didn’t.
There was a click followed by the sound of wood shifting apart, and Laura glanced over to see Drew had removed a panel in the floor below the bed.
‘Quick.’ He hissed, motioning for her to get inside.
She scurried quietly over to him and glanced down into the darkness below, simultaneously pulling a torch from her bag. She shone it into the hole, revealing an old rickety ladder, dirt walls, shelves filled with canned foods and a single bed with a pillow and sheet covering it.
They were both down the ladder in an instant, Drew having paused to replace the floorboards over the entrance. They were swept into darkness save for the torch light, and just in time, for they heard the opening of a door and distinct sounds of heavy footsteps above. Laura flicked off her torch, engulfing the two in complete blackness, and sucked in her breath.
‘Nothing in here sir, the place is bare.’ The owner of the heavy footsteps called.
‘Where would he leave it?’ Huffed Mr Stark impatiently. ‘We’re running out of time. We need them before this blasted war begins.’
Laura felt Drew stiffen beside her, and noticed that her own heartbeat had increased considerably. What was Mr Stark talking about? Did he believe their story after all? Did he believe war was coming?
‘Yes sir. We’ll keep looking.’
The footsteps receded, replaced by an eerie silence.
‘What was that about?’ Laura asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
‘I don’t know. If he believes us, then why keep the truth a secret from the Enchanted? Why paint us as liars?’
‘Maybe he doesn’t want to worry anyone? Maybe he’s trying to stop the war before it happens?’
Drew shifted. ‘Maybe. But people should be worried. They should know what’s to come. They should be preparing.’
Something slammed hard against the wooden floorboards above and Laura jumped with fright.
‘This is useless. Let’s go. We’ll return later when we have more information.’ Mr Stark growled.
They listened to the four sets of feet that ascended the stairs and waited for a full half hour before crawling back up the ladder and out of their hiding place. Kane’s home was a mess, and it hurt Laura to see the shattered remains of all he’d ever owned. Knowing it wasn’t safe to linger, they hurried back up the steps and out into the cool night air. They soon found themselves checked into the Inn Sean’s Mother had suggested, and were currently seated by the window,
radio in hand.
‘Anyone there?’ Laura said into the walkie-talking.
‘Sure are, and boy do we have some interesting news.’ Came Gemma’s fast reply.
‘We’re here too.’ Stella chimed in.
‘Good. We have news to share as well.’
‘You first.’ Gemma said.
‘Well, we found the location. The owner wasn’t here, we think he’s been taken, but we managed to pick up some information. We don’t know what it contains as we haven’t yet had a chance to read it, but it looks promising. We were interrupted by the arrival of a certain lead Authority Member before we could get any further into our search.’
‘You’re kidding? What did he want?!’ Gemma scowled.
‘He’s looking for something, like he was in Alast. We don’t know what, but it’s worth keeping an eye on him.’
Drew spoke into his own radio then. ‘It appears he knows about the war.’
‘What?!’ Stella shouted through the receiver.
‘He’s always been a selfish man. I’ll bet he wants the glory for himself.’ Leo scoffed.
‘Sounds about right.’ Drew agreed.
‘What was your news?’ Laura asked, directing the question at Gemma.
There was clear hesitation before she finally began to speak. ‘It’s not good. We found the source of the markings. They’re the Devils Language.’
Laura was unable to halt the gasp that left her lips.
‘They only occur when one fails the switch of allegiance.’ Mitch added.
‘Oh my God.’ Stella whispered.
‘They’re forcing our people to change,’ Gemma finished, voice shaking.
Laura raised her eyes to Drew, catching the same shock she felt reflecting in his own face.
‘This is worse than I thought.’ Leo said, voice calm, though Laura could imagine he was feeling anything but.
‘We have to go. We’ve been hearing rumours about deaths occurring in the mountains and plan to go there next.’ Gemma told them.
‘Be safe everyone,’ Stella said quietly.
Laura could hear the dread in her voice. She didn’t blame her. Erebus had to be stopped.
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 21