Vengeful Magic

by TJ Green

  “Not yet, we don’t. Not until we’ve solved this.” She dropped the coins back in the chest. “This is what Miles was searching for.”

  “And was killed for—by the spriggans guarding it.”

  “So, why is this still here?”

  “Miles was looking on his own,” Alex said. “That’s the only reasonable explanation.”

  Avery shook her head, looking perplexed. “Maybe whoever is involved is planning to come back for it. After all, they took the treasure from Looe, despite the fact that there’s a spriggan there.”

  “Maybe. I still think we’re missing something.” Alex walked over to the casks, pulled a bung out and sniffed, before recoiling. “Christ. That smells rancid. I presume it was brandy.”

  “And these,” Avery said, crouching by the rotten bundles of cloth, “would have been silks and fine linens.” She lifted a few pieces, but they disintegrated quickly. She stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. “What a waste.”

  Alex started pacing. “Originally, these must have been hidden with the plan to come back to claim them later, and something stopped them. Either they were caught, or killed.”

  “Maybe they were caught by Reuben and Caspian’s ancestors’ spell.”

  Alex nodded, his thoughts racing with scenarios. “We’re getting closer to working this out, I’m sure, but I don’t think we should leave these here.”

  “Agreed.” Avery looked thoughtfully around the space. “Why did Miles get attacked? The fact that he was killed by the spriggans suggests that he must have been either in here or close by. But the entrance above was sealed. He could not have got in here that way. The stone is far too heavy for him to have shifted alone, and it looked undisturbed.”

  Alex nodded. “He could have come in through the pool below, but he wasn’t wet, either.”

  In their excitement at seeing the chests and casks, they hadn’t explored the rest of the place, and now Alex’s gaze swept around the room. It was definitely manmade, constructed from huge stone blocks, with a low, beamed ceiling, and the floor was beaten earth. It definitely felt like a cellar. The far side of the place was still in shadows, and sending a witch-light ahead of him, Alex walked over, flashing his torch across the walls, and finding a narrow doorway.

  He called over his shoulder, “Avery, there’s another room.”

  Alex proceeded cautiously. Beyond was a series of small, connected rooms, mostly empty except for some disintegrating wood. They were swathed in cobwebs, and as he walked, dust kicked up around them. When he finally reached the end, he found a narrow stone staircase leading to a hatch in the ceiling.

  He turned to Avery, who had followed him. “There’s the way out.” He ascended the stairs and pushed the hatch upwards, but it didn’t budge. “It’s sealed.”

  “We could try to move it with magic,” she suggested. “But, if it’s covered with earth or rock, or even another building—”

  Alex sighed. “We’d be crushed. Damn it.” He studied it for a few more moments before heading to Avery’s side. “I guess we’ll just have to accept that it’s sealed. It’s certainly been undisturbed for years. The dust hasn’t moved, and the cobwebs are thick. There’s no way Miles came in this way.”

  “Come on.” Avery grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the main room. “I’ll use witch-flight to get these chests to my van, and then we’ll seal the entrance again.”

  “And then I suppose we should release the spriggans,” Alex said. “Let’s hope they don’t decide to follow us outside, or that will be a whole other level of crap to deal with.”

  El was working up a sweat. Tom Trenary may be old, and a ghost, but he was reasonably adept with the sword. Fortunately, El had youth on her side. Tom, however, was mean. And their fight was drawing attention.

  While they circled, parried, and attacked, the clash of their swords drew two more ghosts, and El had the feeling they were waiting to swoop in if Tom lost, ready to end her. She was surprised they hadn’t already. As if he’d read her mind, Tom leered at her and gave an almost imperceptible nod to their observers. He unleashed a furious attack designed to absorb all her attention, and the other two swept in on either side.

  If Tom was willing to play dirty, so was she. Still fighting, El released a wave of power and it pulsed out around her, sweeping back all three ghosts and sending them crashing against the surrounding walls. Then more ghosts arrived, fire and malevolence burning deep within their empty eye sockets, and she realised she was hemmed in.

  Fortunately, within seconds Ash landed next to her, and without hesitating they tackled them all in a messy, brutal fight. Ash used his wings to sweep the spirits either out of the way or to herd them into tight spots, and then finished them off with the sword, while El used magic to compliment her blade. The spirits, however, flashed in and out, disappearing and reappearing seconds later in concerted attacks. For a few minutes it felt as if they might be overwhelmed, but the combination of wings, magic, and the swords gave them the upper hand. Eventually it was over, and the ghosts were despatched by the Empusa’s swords to whatever grim fate befell them.

  Ash turned to her, breathless. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere, but it looked too much fun not to.”

  She laughed. “Apology accepted. I’m just glad I managed to wipe the smile off Tom Trenary’s face. And besides, taking on so many all on my own was probably a bit much.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he said, taking her in from head to toe. “You seemed to be doing just fine.”

  She returned his scrutiny, determined not to be outdone by a Nephilim. “You, too! I guess we better make sure there are no others lurking around here.”

  Ash folded his wings behind his back and led the way out of the courtyard and further around the house. “There was no activity by the nursery, and besides, simple damage seems pointless, especially when you consider that both Caspian and Reuben are rich.”

  “But why the concerted attack?” El asked, confused. “Is it really just about revenge?”

  “Revenge is always a powerful motive.”

  A loud explosion broke the silence of the night. They both froze, looking at each other in shock, and then El ran towards the noise, and Ash flew. As El rounded the corner at the far end of the house, she saw a plume of smoke and flames.

  What the hell?

  The explosion had blown a huge hole in the wall, and another half a dozen ghosts were swarming inside. Ash was already swooping down, and he grabbed one, while striking down another. El charged in, killing the one at the rear, before being caught in a powerful blast of magic that came from inside the house, propelling them all backwards. At the same time, roots exploded out of the ground like writhing limbs.

  El flew through the air, landing in a heap on the ground, heavily winded, and the Empusa’s sword fell from her hand. She dragged herself to her feet, panic stricken. The spirits had faded to shimmering, barely-there shapes. She lunged at the sword, getting a hand on it just as a spirit rushed at her. As soon as her hand touched the hilt she could see it clearly again, and she angled the sword upwards, impaling the ghost as it leapt. It slid down the blade, pinning her in place until it vanished with an anguished scream.

  The roots snaked through the air, trying to pin the spirits in place, but it was difficult. They moved constantly, manifesting elsewhere in the blink of an eye, trying to avoid the thrashing roots that managed to spear a couple of them, shattering bones like glass. Ash and El waded among them, ducking and dodging, finally finishing them off with the swords.

  When the last one vanished, Ash and El waited, swords readied, El not quite believing that it was over. She looked at the destruction all around them. The earth was a churned-up mess of roots and fallen masonry, and a ten-foot hole had been blown in the house.

  Reuben.

  Her heart in her mouth, El was about to run inside when he appeared in the gap, flanked by Caspian and Briar. His hands were on his hips as he surveyed the mess, and he pursed his lips at El and As
h. “That’s the last time I let you two out to safeguard the house.”

  Avery and Alex sat in the Bedford van, down the street from Ethan James’s house, and Avery yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open.

  “I’m knackered now.”

  “Let’s just give it another half an hour,” Alex said, checking his watch. “But I doubt we’ll see much tonight.”

  Avery leaned back in her seat and chewed her lip, mulling over the recent events. “Ethan must have found a map in the White Haven Museum papers. That’s the only explanation.”

  “We don’t even know if it is Ethan yet.” Alex shuffled to get himself more comfortable. “Or if it is, who else is involved. Or the identity of the witch who must be helping them.”

  “I’d love to know where the museum papers came from.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I guess not,” she admitted with a sigh.

  “They were probably donated years ago, which is why they’ve been gathering dust. But you’d think people check what they donate!”

  “We get donated items, remember?” Avery said, shaking her head. “Or I buy books from house clearances. People don’t look at what’s in there. Not really. What’s puzzling me, if it is him, is why would a very respectable museum curator turn into a thief?”

  “Turn to the dark side, you mean?”

  She giggled. “Yes. Surely cataloguing all of that stuff and having it in your museum would be huge!”

  “Selling it on the black market would be bigger.”

  “Only if you have connections. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  “I reckon museum curators would know all about it. Even from the position of trying to stop it. He’d know more than we think.”

  The sound of a door shutting stopped their conversation, and they both froze, watching the end of the drive ahead. Avery used the binoculars, watching a slight figure wearing jeans and a hoodie emerge on to the road, the hood pulled over their head. They crossed the road, heading to a car parked on the opposite side, facing them, and Avery and Alex slid down in their seats, Avery grateful they had used their shadow spell again.

  The figure looked furtively to either side. It wasn’t until they passed under a streetlight that Avery got a glimpse of their face, and she groaned as their suspicions were confirmed.

  It was Mariah, the head of the Looe Coven.

  Chapter 21

  Reuben studied the hole in the wall of his billiards room and mourned one of his favourite spaces, a place where he and Gil had spent many happy hours.

  “Well, what a bloody mess. I suppose I should be grateful that they didn’t blow the whole bloody house up.”

  The dust had finally settled, but bricks were strewn inside and out, and the billiard table was upended, as were other items and furniture. Caspian, El, Ash, and Briar were with him, inspecting the mess.

  Caspian’s eyes narrowed as he inhaled deeply. “Gunpowder. It’s very distinctive. I guess it’s something they’d be familiar with.” He turned to look at Reuben. “Intriguing.”

  “That’s one word for it.” Reuben looked up at the cracks in the ceiling. “For spirits, they’re remarkably destructive.”

  “And remarkably solid!” El added. “I know I was carrying the Empusa’s sword, but they had a real physical substance!”

  Ash nodded. “I agree.” His wings had now disappeared and he was wearing his t-shirt again. “They are certainly bridging two worlds now, and that’s ominous.”

  El righted one of the upended chairs and leaned against it, thoughtful. “It reminds me of when we encountered the ghosts at White Haven Castle last year. They had a strong physical presence too, and we thought that was because of our magic.”

  “Good point,” Briar agreed, “which lends weight to our beliefs that the spirits are being strengthened by a witch.” She looked a little sheepish. “Sorry about your garden, Reuben. I’ll fix that in the morning.”

  “No need to apologise,” he said breezily. “You helped get rid of them. Thank you.” Reuben was always amazed by how much power Briar wielded in such a small frame.

  “The important thing,” El said, moving next to him and sliding her arm around his waist, “was that they didn’t get to either of you. But wow, your families must have really pissed them off!”

  Caspian scratched his head. “That’s something I know we’ve been good at for a long time. And this, to me, has the feel of a curse. We were good at those, too.”

  Just then, a door banged at the front of the house, and Avery shouted, “Hello?”

  “Down here,” Reuben shouted back.

  He had called Alex after the attack, taking a chance that they’d still be up, and wanting to make sure he and Avery were okay. Alex leapt at the chance to come over, telling him they had news. In a few minutes, Alex and Avery stood next to them, mouths hanging open.

  “Bloody hell,” Alex said. “I thought we’d had a crap night. What happened here?”

  “Ghosts,” Ash said dryly.

  Alex looked sceptical. “With explosives? Or was that one of you?”

  Reuben laughed. Well, he tried to; it got stuck in his throat. “Nope. That was them.” He finally turned away from the hole in his wall and had a good look at the new arrivals. They were both dishevelled, their clothes rumpled and their faces smeared with dirt. “You’re filthy. What have you been up to?”

  “Spriggans and buried treasure,” Avery said, unable to suppress a grin.

  Everyone’s attention now left the smoking ruins and switched to Avery.

  Briar almost stuttered. “You’ve found treasure?”

  Alex and Avery were both grinning insufferably, but at least it was taking Reuben’s mind off repair bills and feeling like he had a death warrant on his head.

  Alex preened. “Yes, and if you fix us a drink, we’ll bring it in.”

  Five minutes later, they were assembled in the snug, after plugging the hole with yet more protection spells. Ash had volunteered to keep watch, anyway. Three wooden chests were in the middle of the room, their lids open, revealing the collection of gold coins and jewels within.

  Reuben stood transfixed, arms folded across his chest. “Herne’s magnificent hairy balls! You actually found treasure.”

  In fact they were all mesmerised, standing in a circle, just staring.

  “Where did you find this, again?” Briar asked.

  “We think we were beneath St Catherine’s Castle,” Avery said, going on to explain the hidden tunnels. “I’d like to go back in the day, actually, just to check the grounds, but I doubt we’ll find a thing.”

  “That place is a complete ruin,” Caspian agreed. “If there’s an entrance, it’s been long buried by earth and rubble.”

  “How much do you reckon that’s worth now?” El asked.

  “Hundreds of thousands of pounds, probably,” Alex estimated. He stepped forward, picking up a few coins to examine. “A few guineas, doubloons, and…” He frowned. “Something else I don’t recognise.”

  It was as if he’d broken a spell, and they all started to pull coins and jewels out, a palpable excitement filling the room.

  “But,” Alex continued, “we think this is part of a larger hoard. It has to be, or why does there seem to be a few sites involved?”

  Reuben looked at his old friend and nodded. “Something like this must have been in the chests in Looe. Maybe they carried it out in bags instead.”

  Caspian had retreated to the sofa again, the night beginning to take its toll. “Bags would certainly look less conspicuous.” His hand rested gently on the site of his stab wound, and Briar immediately headed to his side to offer another healing spell.

  “You should go to bed and sleep,” she advised him.

  Caspian shook his head. “I’m not missing out on this! Besides, I need more whiskey to get me to sleep after all this excitement.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” Reuben said, heading to the cupboard where he kept a bottle and glasses. His head wa
s buzzing with the events of the night, and after passing round drinks to those who wanted one, he sat down. “Tell us about Mariah again.”

  Avery looked bleak with disappointment. She always thought the best of people, and no doubt Mariah’s betrayal was a shock. Actually, to be fair, it was to Reuben, too. He just happened to be more cynical than Avery.

  “There’s not much to tell,” she said, easing into the armchair. “She snuck out of Ethan’s home looking very shifty. She has to be involved, and not in a good way.” She looked at Caspian. “You know her better than any of us. What do you think?”

  He met her eyes briefly, before glancing at the rest of them. “I’m afraid that since I have become friends with you, she and Zane are ignoring me. They feel I’ve betrayed them.” He gave a dry laugh. “They were big fans of my father, and our families go back many years. But, Zane and Mariah are both vindictive, narrow-minded, and spiteful. I’m honestly not surprised she’s involved. She probably knows a lot more about that cave in Looe than she’s letting on. What was she like at the council meeting?”

  Avery shrugged. “Her normal self, really. If anything, I found her more animated than normal, but maybe that’s because she was being questioned about smuggling in Looe. She certainly didn’t seem awkward or guilty.”

  Briar’s hand flew to her chest. “I hope she wasn’t behind Inez’s death. Or the man on the cliff top.”

  Alex shook his head. “I think that’s the spriggans. But she must be responsible for the super-powered ghosts.”

  “Wow,” Briar said, flabbergasted. “Should we tell Genevieve yet?”

  Avery answered immediately. “No. We’re sure she didn’t see us, and what if other witches are involved?”

  “But Genevieve wouldn’t be. We can trust her,” El said.

  Reuben looked at his friend’s pensive faces. “I think Avery is right. Let’s keep this between us. Whatever her reasons are, she’s involved. Maybe she’s connected to pirates in some way, or maybe she’s a close friend of Ethan’s and is getting a cut of the treasure. I don’t actually care. The important thing is working out how to stop her.”