‘I hereby and forever more allege to place my faith and give my full cooperation to the Wicked-’ his voice cracked, and his bottom lip began to tremble, but Erebus dared not interrupt him. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, then re-opened them, taking a second to refocused on the paper. ‘-of the Spirit World. They are now my allies, my family, and I shall follow them into the brightest and the darkest of days. I am Wicked.’
Erebus watched the boy, waiting. No markings began to appear on his skin, no glow surrounded his body. Nothing. The boy sat, staring at the page, seemingly unchanged; indifferent. Until he turned his wrist over, and the place where his silver W had been radiated gold.
‘It worked.’ The Sargent said in disbelief.
A slow, sly grin spread across Erebus’ face and he began undoing the chains from around the boy’s ankles and wrists.
‘How do you feel?’ Erebus asked.
Creshan locked eyes with Erebus and cocked his head to the side. ‘Like it’s time to destroy the Enchanted.’
Erebus’s grin only widened, and he turned back to Agatha and The Sargent. ‘Administer this formula to all Enchanted currently held within the mountain. And get Creshan here washed up and tended to by a healer. I want him well looked after. He is our first great success.’
Erebus spun on his heal, marching from the room. Finally the pieces were all falling into place. There was just one item left on his agenda that required completing.
He turned down a passageway, pulled a key from his jacket and unlocked the cell.
‘Get the hell away from me!’ The Sorcerer growled.
‘Ah, Mr Marker. So good to see you in such high spirits.’
~
Drew left the bitumen road and pulled up under the shade of the trees, the nearby lake beckoning to them both. Despite the gleaming, cool water, Laura was confused as to why they were stopping. They’d been on the road for hours on end, pausing only for fuel, and still they were running low on time. The closest Enchanted Enclosure was at least three hours away, and stealing a bird would take careful planning. They couldn’t afford to waist any of their precious time – Tera was a long way away.
‘What are you doing?’ Laura asked frantically.
‘Ace, we need more water. I ran out hours ago.’
‘The others could be there by now, we need to be there too, they need us.’ Laura protested, though with a nudge from Drew she finally dismounted from the bike.
‘We’ll be five minutes at the most, we won’t be any help to them if we pass out from dehydration. We need our strength.’ Drew reasoned, and Laura resigned, removing her bag to seek out her canteen.
They wandered down to the lake’s edge, pressing their canteens into the glistening water and watching as they bubbled and gurgled. Drew lifted his to his mouth, taking a long drink from it, then returned it to the water.
They were silent, and Laura chanced a glance at Drew’s face. He was somewhat paler than usual, and Laura was sure it was due to the overload of information they’d discovered. There was a part of her that wanted to attempt talking about it, however the other side of her understood Drew and his private nature would rather not discuss it.
Instead, Laura opted for a roundabout approach. ‘I still can’t believe Mr Stark is behind all of this.’
‘All the more reason to kill him.’
Laura flinched, memories of what she’d done only hours before all flooding back. She’d made an asserted effort to push the images from her mind, but she knew that those deaths would always weigh heavily on her, no matter who they were or what they’d done. In addition, she struggled to come to terms with what she’d achieved; she’d healed herself. She hadn’t exactly controlled her power, once she’d begun she’d lost her way, and the thought, the desire, took over, but the moment she felt her skin knit back together, she’d somehow been able to draw on the faces of her Mother and Father, and thus quickly found herself regaining dominance over her gift. It wasn’t something she believed to be sound proof – who was to say it would work every time? Especially when she was causing harm rather than good. Until she knew more, understood what exactly was occurring when she used her gift, she wasn’t sure she wanted to continue learning how to harness it.
Drew straightened, screwed the cap back onto his canteen and turned to help Laura to her feet. She took his hand, but when she glanced up all she could see was fire; bright red, orange, and burning. She scrambled back in fear and Drew spun in time to see the clouds turn to flames.
Laura forced herself to her feet, watching as slowly, something descended from the sky. Something transparent, with shaggy hair and a staph. It was the God they’d called upon what felt like months ago, Terian Molark.
Laura stared up in disbelief as he fluttered gracefully through the air, for she hadn’t called upon the God’s, nor did she have the requirements to do so. Which begged the question… why was he there?
He hovered above the lake, his eyes coming to rest on Laura’s face. She shivered at his piercing gaze, until finally a small smile appeared.
‘Laura Harmer, daughter of Cara Westmill Harmer. We meet again.’
~
Mitch dismounted from the Enchanted Bird, his legs wobbling with relief at finally being set down on firm ground. It had taken them hours to reach Tera, however the fact that they had finally made it set Mitch on edge.
‘Do we tie them up?’ Gemma asked, taking up the rope around her bird’s neck.
Mitch glanced around at his companions; his friends, he amended after a moment, for they’d been through too much over the past days to consider each other as anything less. They were clearly exhausted. Regardless, they were determined. They were ready to fight, and to win.
‘No, I have a feeling we won’t be needing them anymore. We’ll leave them to their own devices, I think. They did us a lot of good and should they choose to go free then I accept that.’ Mitch replied.
He caught Robin’s eyes and saw the proud glint that lingered behind them. He inclined his head slightly in thanks, then untied his bird’s rope. The creatures peered around at one other, cawing in confusion and wonder. Then, one by one, they lifted into the sky, circling above, squawking with joy. Mitch smiled a little, then allowed his eyes to fall back to his friends.
‘Lets go find Erebus.’
They scoured the rainforest, searching for signs as to where Erebus’ hideout was. Mitch had a vague suspicion that he’d gone underground, though he couldn’t be sure. They were running out of light due to being back in the same time zone as Lastrala, thus amplifying their desperation.
They moved quickly, quietly, and after half an hour, when the last of the sun’s rays had begun to dissipate, they stumbled across a tiny clearing filled with stone ruins. Mitch knew in his gut that they’d found the place, and sure enough, when they stepped inside the skeleton of the old cottage, they discovered a hole in the ground, a ladder stretching down into the darkness.
Mitch passed Gemma an old shirt to tie outside for Drew and Laura, then, one by one, they took to the ladder. The climb was long and tedious, but finally lamp lights came into view and Mitch’s feet planted into the soft, dirt covered ground.
They made their way cautiously through the musky underground tunnels, following the directions of the torches. Mitch felt his heartbeat growing stronger, for the last time they’d entered a tunnel, they’d encountered something he knew he’d never be able to erase from his mind.
All was quiet, damp and dark, besides the flickering lamplights, and Mitch was growing more and more anxious with each step. As they passed an arched doorway, Mitch’s ears pricked up, catching the distinct sound of voices. He urged his feet to turn, forcing himself to step through the doorway. They entered yet another tunnel, and cautiously followed it until, unexpectedly, it opened out into an enormous underground cave.
Deep red flames flickered against the walls and a rocky staircase led to the platform above. Rather than taking the stairs, however, they opted for hiding beneath a s
econd overhanging rock, which concealed them in the shadows all the while allowing them to glimpse what was occurring above.
‘Cara!’ Grace whispered, clamping her hand over her mouth as she muffled her surprise.
Mitch glanced up to see a pale, skinny woman wearing scraggly, dirty clothes’, deep bruises under her eyes. She was beaten badly and looked exhausted; her hair hung in loose clumps and her limbs were almost skin and bone. It sicken Mitch to see the condition she was in. What had they done to her?
Caspian’s body, Erebus’ soul, stood close by, and Mitch’s gut twisted at the sight of him. His hand absentmindedly sought out the box containing Caspian’s soul, which he kept bundled safely within his bag. That poor boy; forced to endure such a horrific fate. They had to reunite him with his body; which meant they had to destroy Erebus.
Lastly, there was Mr Stark, hands fighting to secure a Wizards wrists behind his back. The bandage was gone from his shoulder and his staph was nowhere in sight.
‘Kane, it’s okay.’ Cara said softly, locking eyes with the struggling Wizard.
The man stilled, face filled with regret. Clearly, the two knew each other, which made the proceedings that much harder to watch. Mitch felt Gemma’s presence beside him.
‘What’s going on?’ He asked quietly.
‘That Wizard, he’s a Sorcerer. He has the possession charm, he was the one who helped Cara get a lot of her charms.’ She paused, biting down hard on her lip. Mitch suspected he knew what was to come, but that didn’t make the news any easier to hear. ‘If I’m correct, he’s going to allow Erebus to inhabit Cara’s body. And if he does, it will enable Erebus to take Laura’s when the time comes.’
~
‘Why are you here? I didn’t summon you did I?’ Laura asked, shielding her eyes from the burning heat of the fiery sky.
‘Don’t be absurd. You, young one, are not that special.’ Terian replied through the grin plastering his face.
Laura stared up at him. ‘Then why are you here?’
They didn’t have time for his games, and for some absurd reason, facing down a God wasn’t as scary as it had been the first time around. He didn’t appear to want to kill them, though he did lose the grin at hearing the tone in her voice.
‘Well, young girl. I come to you today for I am curious.’
Laura waited a beat for him to continue, however when it appeared he wasn’t going to, she turned away. He wanted her to ask, and she certainly wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction by doing so.
‘Come on Drew, we’re wasting time.’ She said, trudging up the creek bed.
‘Uh… sure…’ Drew replied cautiously, backing up after her, eyes trained on the God.
‘Are you not interested in what I have to tell you?’ Terian demanded, a look of bewilderment on his transparent features.
Laura halted in her tracks, spinning to face him. ‘Look, in case you haven’t noticed, our entire race, our world actually, is in trouble. Erebus is back, and he plans on taking over both the Enchanted and Human race alike, unless we stop him.’
Terian crossed his arms, his muscles bulging at the gesture. He watched her, a peculiar look crossing his face, and as she turned to retrieve her bag, he began to speak.
‘Why do you fight the inevitable? War is coming young one.’
Laura paused, pivoting back to the God.
He uncrossed his arms, taking up his staph, which floated in the air beside him. ‘I see all, as do my fellow Gods and Angels. We know Erebus Cain Wizard has return, and we have seen his plans. War is coming, and I think you already understand that. But right now, you have the chance to save one of your own. And I am going to help you.’
Laura dropped her bag. ‘My mother?’
Terian said nothing.
‘Why would you help us?’ Laura asked, unconvinced.
‘Because I have been watching you, young one. I don’t often see such sacrifice; such willingness, from one who knows so little.’ He inclined his head. ‘The Enchanted will be ready for war, you and your young friends will make sure of that. But you will fail to save your companions should you continue at your current pace. I do not want to see that, for your story has peaked my interest.’
Terian raised his staph and slammed it down into the air. There was a deafening crack of thunder overhead before a small blue ball of lightening began to grow at the lake’s edge. A portal.
‘Your friends have made it, now you must join them.’
The portal sizzled and crackled as the blue lightening-like substance swirled about, waiting for them to enter.
‘This will take you to Tera. You will find a clue to the entrance left by your friends.’
Laura slung her bag over her shoulder, feeling the weight of Kane’s papers inside. She took a single step towards the portal, eyeing it with both wonder and concern.
‘Wait.’ Laura said.
‘Yes?’
‘Leo Mayfire, my friend, he gave you a locket. You cheated us out of what we were owed last time, and I think you should give it back.’ Laura insisted, her voice calm, hopeful.
She certainly wasn’t demanding anything of the God, but she prayed he would recognise the truth behind her words.
The corner of his mouth twitched before settling into a half smile. Terian inclined his head ever so slightly, and out of nowhere Leo’s locked appeared, floating down from the sky and coming to rest in Laura’s outstretched palm. She shoved it into her bag, glancing back up at the God. Perhaps he wasn’t so bad after all.
‘Thankyou,’ she said. ‘For everything.’
His smile widened and Laura turned to Drew.
‘Together?’ She asked.
‘Together.’ He replied, taking her hand.
They backed up a safe distance, shared one finale look, then took off at a run. They leapt through the portal, falling into the blue abyss below.
Chapter Twenty-Four
A Single Stance
The doorbell chimed, indicating that the Force had finally arrived, though hours had passed since Stella and Leo had sent out their urgent call for help.
‘Change your mind about allowing us to talk to your students?’ Asked Acting Head of Force, Mr Carrie.
He stepped past Leo and Stella and into the entrance hall of the Manor, three Force members following closely behind.
‘No, that’s not why we called you.’ Stella responded.
Her voice was frantic, and Mr Carrie turned, catching the look of fear and anguish in her face.
‘Then why did you call us here? Where are your students?’ Mr Carrie inquired, eyeing her wearily.
‘They’re not here.’ Leo said.
Mr Carrie’s head snapped around. ‘Then where are they?’
‘They’ve tracked down Erebus.’ Stella told him. ‘And-‘
‘You sent your students away from the Manor without consent?!’ Mr Carrie interjected.
‘Please, we are all in danger, if you could only listen-‘
‘Search the Manor!’ Mr Carrie demanded and his three men left his side to do so.
Stella looked to Leo helplessly.
‘Mr Carrie, please, just take the time to hear us out. It’s important.’ Leo reasoned calmly.
Mr Carrie ignored them, waiting for his men to complete their sweep.
‘No one to be seen.’ One man said upon his return.
‘Their weapons are gone too.’ Another added.
Mr Carrie turned to Stella and Leo. ‘Arrest them.’ He said, and suddenly the three Enchanted Force Members had them in cuffs.
‘We know where they are, we can take you to them.’ Leo said, refusing to struggle despite wanting to with every fibre of his being.
‘Yes. You will. We leave right now.’
Stella glanced around, ‘what, just us five? You need more men than that! I’m telling you, we’ve found Erebus, our students have gone to confront him right now. They’re waiting on us to bring back up. Please!’
But Mr Carrie paid no them no
heed.
‘Listen to me you moron!’ Stella snapped, and Leo grinned inwardly. ‘Erebus is back whether you believe me or not, and I am telling you now. He will destroy us. Please, listen to me, to us, and bring back up. We’ve been talking through walkie-talkies with them, and they told us hours ago that Erebus was in Tera, you know, the rainforest on Mortan Island. They will be there by now, or close at least, and they need us. Please.’
Mr Carrie paused, spinning slowly to face Stella, a glint of recognition in his eye. ‘Walkie-talkies you say?’
Stella nodded anxiously, ‘yes.’
Mr Carrie eyed one of the Force Members holding Stella. ‘Didn’t you say you hacked into a station a few hours ago? And they said something about Tera?’
The Wizard nodded, ‘we only heard the end, there was some kind of muffle on the radio, took us days to crack.’
Leo felt a smug sense of satisfaction wash over him.
‘That was us!’ Stella exclaimed. ‘Please, Mr Stark is not working for the Enchanted, he’s been with the Wicked all along. He’s managed to cover all of this up in the hopes that when Erebus finally declared war the Enchanted wouldn’t be prepared.’
Mr Carrie’s eyes narrowed disbelievingly.
‘You have to believe us.’ Stella continued. ‘I understand how farfetched it seems. At least bring the Corin Force as back up to Tera. And if we don’t find anything, then nothing will be lost besides some of our time, and Leo and I will surrender quietly. But if we prove to you Erebus has returned, then it may just save the Enchanted and the Humans.’
Mr Carrie stared at Stella for a very long time, his blue eyes betraying nothing, until at last he gave her a short nod.
‘Release them,’ he told his men. ‘Then round up all the Force Members you can, on and off duty. Gather enough people to summon a God. We’re going to need a portal.’
~
Gemma’s heart hammered in her chest and she knew exactly what she had to do. She couldn’t allow Erebus to possess Cara; it would be the end for them all if he did. Their only hope was to side-track Erebus until back up arrived. The problem was, they had no way to gage how long that would take, especially with the walkie-talkies out of action. What if others never came? They could all be killed.
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 26