Mr Stark pulled something from his pocket, flicked a switch on the side, and hauled Erebus over his shoulder as his staph unfolded. He drove it down into the rock, and a portal formulated before him.
It was at that moment that the Corin Enchanted Force, headed by Stella and Leo, flooded the cave. They clambered up the steps, mouths agape at the scene around them. Some of them charged for the portal, but they were too late, for the swirling mass closed around Mr Stark, taking Erebus with it.
‘He’s back?’ One of the Force Members whispered.
Stella nodded. ‘He’s back.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
One Life
Laura and her friends had scarcely begun to pull themselves to their feet and make their way to Stella and Leo’s side before a clap of thunder sounded and the portal re-appeared. Laura watched in horror as a pair of hands emerged, grasped a hold of Kane’s waist and dragged him into the deep red spinning oval of lightening. Several Force Members shot after Kane, but Mr Stark was, again, too quick.
‘You can still save him!’ The Sorcerer managed to shout before the portal closed.
Laura’s heart hammered in her chest as she stared after Kane. As easy as that, he was gone. Which meant Erebus still had what was required to take her body. She shivered, mouth agape, and her eyes swept across the room, taking in the rigid forms of the Corin Force. Then, Kane’s final words came scampering back into the forefront of her mind. Laura gasped, having abruptly understood his implication.
‘Caspian! Free his soul!’
There was a strangled cry from Stella as Mitch retrieved his bag, unzipped a pocket and produced a dark wooden box from within. He raised his eyes to the group, and Laura saw such a raw emotion within them that reflected so accurately the feelings contained inside her own heart that she momentarily found herself breathless.
Mitch approached quickly, bestowing the Devils Box upon Gemma, who, without delay, hurried to Caspian’s side. The group clustered around them, watching, waiting. Carefully, she lifted the lid, lowering the open box to Caspian’s lips.
Laura just caught sight of the stark white sphere that passed between the box and Caspian’s mouth. Gemma climbed to her feet and stepped away, clutching the box to her chest, eyes staring intently.
All was quiet.
Laura’s breath caught.
You have the chance to save one of your own.
Terian hadn’t been talking about Cara as Laura originally believed; he’d been referring to Caspian. And she knew then what was required of her.
‘May we have a minute alone with him?’ Laura requested, voice barely above a whisper. She glanced about at the Corin Force, allowing them to see the tears welling, threatening to spill.
The men understood, turning to exit the cave one by one, informing the group that they’d ensure the rest of the tunnels were empty.
The moment they were gone, Laura ran to Caspian’s side and knelt down, allowing her hands to come to rest over his heart. She felt the company of her friends as they formed a secure circle around the two of them, hope reflecting in each of their faces.
Then, the world blurred, her mind closed, and the only images present in her thoughts were those of Caspian’s beating heart, his eyes opening, face bright, and his lips upturning in a devilish smile.
Caspian deserved to live; he deserved to be happy, and as Laura’s eyes narrowed, the emotions wracking her body surged, and she felt the power beating inside her as if it were another heart.
Somehow, she reached for it, drawing energy from her very core and forcing it out through her fingertips. She could feel the power welling within; a weapon, a medicine. She could grasp onto it, wield it, speak to it.
Bring him back. She begged, pleaded, cried, shouted.
There was a pull; a tug like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Something appeared to be shifting inside her, swelling until finally it was released in an unexpected burst.
All fell silent and her body became very still.
There was a hesitation. Then, she felt the thump of a heart beneath her palms.
The world returned to focus and Laura’s breath hitched as she stared down into Caspian’s face.
The rhythm picked up; again came the thump.
And again.
She took his hand, willing his eyes to flutter open.
A pause, a sigh, a beat.
And then, they did.
Epilogue
August 29th
Erebus took to the stand, both The Sargent and Creshan flanking his side. His eyes wandered across the many cheering faces in the crowd before him; his thousands of followers, all dressed from head to toe in battle gear and ready to fight. He’d succeed; he knew that. He’d brought together an army who adored him, he’d had them trained so that they fought as good as the Enchanted, he’d been able to achieve something no one else had; purposefully converting unwilling Enchanted to Wicked, and finally they were ready. The time had come.
‘My Wicked,’ he exclaimed.
The crowd exploded and Erebus drunk in their cries. After a time, he began to signal for them to quieten.
‘My Wicked, I’m honoured to see you all so willing to fight. The improvement in your attitude is astounding, and I feel nothing but pride as I come to you tonight.’
Many Wicked hollered and shouted, and he couldn’t help but stand there for yet another moment, arms outstretched as he allowed the praise to wash over him.
‘I know I am here in yet another form, but I promise you, I feel better than ever. I am confident that, while there is still a long road ahead, I will find my final place among you, with both the power and image I deserve.’ He continued.
Once again the crowd bellowed as he took a bow, showing off the new body he’d acquired.
‘Now,’ he said, encouraging his followers to settle, though their excitement was electric. ‘I have some news for you all. As you may know, many Enchanted have begun to join our ranks; having sworn allegiance to us. I hope that as we proceed, you will continue to capture Enchanted and bring them to the labs to undergo the procedure. I understand, however, that not all Enchanted will come willingly, and should you find yourself in a situation where you must kill the Enchanted, then I implore you to do so.’
The crowd exploded, and Erebus could no longer conceal the grin that had been tugging at his lips.
‘Now, now, there is more!’ He shouted, raising his hands to indicate silence. ‘You will be pleased to hear that I have sent word to the Grand Courts in Alast. We are officially at war.’
The roars of the Wicked were deafening and Erebus couldn’t help but pump his fists into the air.
‘We are Wicked, and we will rise!’ He cried.
‘Long live Erebus! Long live Erebus!’ His followers chanted.
‘We’re coming whether you like it or not, people of the Enchanted!’ Erebus shrieked over the roars. ‘Try and stop us!’
‘Long live Erebus! Long live Erebus!’
Erebus threw back his head and laughed.
‘Now, we go to war!’
Acknowledgements
Wow. I can’t believe I’m already writing my second one of these. Where do I even begin?
Thankyou so incredibly much to all my family and friends who have continuously showed such tremendous support for me and my dream. Without you constantly spreading word about my books and buying many copies yourselves I wouldn’t be where I am now!
Of course I have to thank you, yep, YOU, right now for reading The Enchantress. As I said last time, the fact that you’ve even picked up my book means more to me than anything else, and if you’ve stuck with Laura’s story through book two then that’s truly phenomenal, and I can’t express my gratitude enough.
As always, many thanks go to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Lulu Publishing, because I wouldn’t be doing this at all without the service you provide.
Basically, from the bottom of my heart, thankyou for reading!
About The Author
Blaire was born in a small town in Victoria, Australia and grew up with a love for the quiet country life. After graduating secondary school in 2015, she began working at her local library, expanding her knowledge and discovering more about the literary world.
Her passion for writing stems from her adoration of books, which has been present since as far back as she can remember.
Her main inspiration comes from the books that pushed her into pursuing her passion for writing at the young age of 12, those being The Tomorrow series and The Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden. Blaire is also deeply inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books and anything Cassandra Clare.
Blaire hopes to continue following her dreams, strengthening her career as an Author.
You can find out more about Blaire’s upcoming books on
her website: www.blairehammond.weebly.com
Wicked
• Book 0.5 •
The Time Before
Blaire Hammond
Dive into three brand new short stories set before the events of The Enchantress. Includes a hand drawn map of Alast from the Author!
OUT NOW!
Wicked
• Book Three •
The Warriors
Blaire Hammond
War has arrived.
The Wicked will rise.
Coming in 2018!
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 28