by Eliza Tilton
I hugged her tight.
“What’s happening? How did you find me? I need to find my father and brother.” She breathed heavy.
“I don’t know. We’ll stay here until it quiets out there.”
With a gentle tug, I brought her over to a chair and sat her down. “I’m going to look for water to clean the cuts. There should be a basin in the washroom.”
She nodded and held her trembling hands in her lap.
Uneasiness crept in. I had to stop the madness outside, but no way could I do anything with Arabella so close. I headed to the back washroom. With a quick check to make sure she wasn’t watching, I slipped in and locked the door.
What do I do?
Shifty had given me the short version on how to use this new power. Every request would need to be made in blood. I took the dagger out of my pocket and poked the tip of my finger. When the blood dripped, I scribbled a symbol on the ground and recited the spell.
An acrid scent filled my nose, and I held in the urge to vomit. With the mind-link re-formed, I made one request: return.
Anger faded, replaced by a wave of calmness. I gripped the sides of the table, holding myself steady from the waves of nausea rolling in my stomach.
“Leo?”
Arabella’s voice steadied me. I inhaled the salty air, trying to remove the filth covering my mind. “Coming.”
I wiped the blood on my pants and grabbed the pitcher of water from the wash table. My throat burned with dryness, and the dull ache in my head spread until my temples throbbed. I splashed a few drops of water on my face before going back to Arabella.
She stood outside the washroom, her pretty face twisted with concern. “I was worried.”
I gave her a faint smile. “I’m okay. Let’s get those hands cleaned.”
She followed me into the main room. The desk had drops of blood by the corner, the chairs were all knocked on the floor, and a ray of morning sun shone in on the dead man in the middle, the jagged piece of glass still lodged into its skull.
Arabella sat on the chair, and I kneeled in front of her. One by one, I washed each finger. Little pieces of glass stuck out of her skin, and I carefully picked them out, tossing them to the ground. She winced but never cried.
I wanted to kiss the cuts.
But they were there because of me.
How could I ever be forgiven for hurting her? How could I look in her eyes? Shame heated my cheeks. Arabella could never know the truth about today. I never wanted her to look at me any different.
A fat piece of glass dug into her wrist. “Hold on. This one is stuck good.”
She gripped the arm of the chair with her free hand while I yanked out the glass. She leaned forward with a groan, and I pressed my hand against the wound.
“Thank you.” She sighed. “You always seem to be fixing me up. You’ll have to trip on something so I can repay you.”
“That’s not necessary.” I sliced off a piece of fabric from the tattered part of her dress. “You don’t owe me nothing.”
“Leo . . . those things outside. Where did they come from? Are there more?”
I’d never felt lower in my life than this moment. “I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
With her arms cleaned, I stood to put some distance between us. She sat in the chair, glaring at the zombie on the ground while hugging herself.
Soon this one mistake would kill me and everything I loved.
A bang hit the front door. When we turned, we saw a familiar face peek in through the window.
“Edgard!” Arabella knocked over the water pitcher and ran.
When she opened the door, her father and brother crashed in and surrounded her in a hug.
“Thank the Lord you’re all right.” Her father kissed the top of her head before releasing her to Edgard and walking toward me with an outstretched hand. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
I held out my hand. Mr. Grace took it and pulled me into a gripping hug.
“The Lord’s watched over us today,” he said. “We feared the worst.”
I wanted to hide away, fearing the good Lord would tell him who’d caused this mess.
Edgard had an arm around Arabella’s shoulders. Standing next to each other, they looked like twins with their auburn hair and freckled faces. Arabella wore a smile as she leaned into her brother.
“It was good you were here,” he said to me with a glaring expression. “You always seem to be there when Arabella’s in trouble.”
“None of that, Edgard.” Mr. Grace clapped a hand on my shoulder. “This boy is a blessing. I’ll not have you interrogate him.”
The glare didn’t leave Edgard’s face, and I didn’t blame him.
I wasn’t a blessing.
I was a curse.
Chapter 17
Arabella
Edgard had always been protective of me, but Leo had given no reason for such hatred. I removed myself from my brother—a little spite to let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Leo glanced at me from beneath his dark lashes.
“I need to check on my family,” he said.
“Of course. I’ll escort you.” Father patted Leo on the back. “Edgard, take the wagon and get your sister home. I need to meet with the mayor to discuss today’s events. Zombies haven’t been seen in over five decades. If there’s a necromancer here, we’ll need aid from the queen’s guard.”
“Is it safe?” I didn’t want anyone to leave this room, not when there were monsters outside.
“The creatures stopped attacking and ran off into the woods,” Edgard said, taking out his gun to check how many bullets were in it. “How are you going to get home?”
Father picked up and righted one of the knocked over chairs. “I’ll have the sheriff take me later. You two go, before those demons come back.”
Leo shuffled past me with his head down, shoulders sagged, and whispered so low I almost didn’t hear him, “Be safe.”
Why wouldn’t he say more than a few words? I understood my father and brother were here, but didn’t I deserve a conversation? I held in the urge to say a hundred words drenched with my thoughts. It took all my self-control to not reach out and brush the hopelessness from Leo’s face.
I feared this was the last time we’d see each other. After today’s events, my family wouldn’t let me leave the grounds.
“You too,” I managed to say before Leo and my father left the building.
“How is he always conveniently around?” The disdain in Edgard’s voice struck a nerve, and I refused to be belittled.
“Like Father said, it’s a blessing Leo had been here, or I would be dead, many times over.” I turned on my heels and stomped out the door.
“Don’t you find it odd?” Edgard asked as he chased after me.
The clear sky was too bright and beautiful. How I wished it would rain buckets, straight on Edgard’s head.
“No, I don’t find it odd.” I picked up my dress and walked faster, eager to leave Edgard’s opinions far behind. “I happen to like that he’s around.”
The gasp from my brother brought a smile to my face.
“Do you fancy him?”
I almost wished I wasn’t walking ahead of Edgard just to see the shock in his expression. “Perhaps I do.”
“That’s preposterous!” Edgard’s voice shrieked as it rose, and I smiled wider.
“It’s not, and I think Father would approve.”
“Arabella!”
I smirked and ran the rest of the way to the wagon, thankful we didn’t pass any of the aftermath from today. I grabbed the side and pulled myself up to sit on the bench. Only when I sat did I glance at my brother whose brow knit so tight it surely pained him.
He sat next to me, and I grinned.
He broke into a smile. “You had me goin
g.”
It wasn’t a lie what I’d said, but I knew my brother, and he wasn’t ready for me to be honest. “Can we go home? I’m exhausted.”
Edgard took the reins, and we headed out of Port Tablo.
On our ride, I thought on all that had happened today. Father and Edgard had both seen their share of unnatural creatures, especially working for the queen, but not me. To me, the undead, the wolves that changed into men, and humans who lived on blood were old fables told to young children to keep them from wandering around at night when they should be in their beds.
“Edgard, those things today, have you ever seen one?”
His jaw twitched, and I held my breath in anticipation. “No. I’ve only been in the guard two years, and the most supernatural creature I’ve ever seen was a drunken werewolf.”
“How is it possible?”
“Necromancy is very dark and ancient magic. Most of the occultists who practice the dark arts don’t have the knowledge to raise the dead.” His voice was low. “If there is a necromancer in Wales, none of us will be safe.”
I dug my hands into the folds of my dress.
There was no tie to the cult who’d kidnapped me and necromancy, but since occultists practiced magic, it could mean they were here. The Lord provided his clerics with certain holy gifts, but only the devil’s children had magical abilities.
What did that mean for me?
Was it magic that stopped the undead? Or did the Lord grant me with an ability to fight evil? I’d never find the answer to that, at least not today.
A bump sounded from behind us. I glanced at the tarp that covered the back of the wagon where Father usually stored tools. The burlap rose.
I blinked twice, not sure if I had gone delusional.
“Edgard.” My voice quaked.
“What?” He glanced back.
We both went quiet as the burlap rose and rose until the shape of a person became clearly visible.
“Oh, Lord, protect us.” Fear constricted my heart, and my body trembled.
“Take the reins!” Edgard shoved the leather straps in my hands and pushed me aside.
I fumbled to get a good grip and keep control.
Edgard drew his pistol and fired. The shot sent the horses into a frenzy. They neighed and the wagon zigged back and forth. I gritted my teeth and used all my strength to guide the horses straight, but they were racing out of control.
Another gunshot, and the wagon slammed into a rock, causing Edgard to fall onto my back. “Hold it steady!”
“I’m trying,” I yelled.
I couldn’t look behind me to see what was in the wagon, but my mind pictured the worst. One of those creatures had snuck in.
We raced toward the forest where the trees were too close together for us to pass through. My muscles strained against the weight of the wagon. Planting my feet, I pulled with all my might to steer the horses away from the woods, but it wasn’t enough.
“Hold on,” I warned Edgard.
The horses galloped into the woods. The wagon shook as it hit rocks and fallen tree branches. My head bobbed up and down as we bounced. Edgard screamed and leaned his back against mine.
“What’s going on?” I glanced over my shoulder and wished I hadn’t.
A skeleton with only pieces of flesh hanging to its bones wrestled with Edgard and snapped at his face. My brother kicked into the skeleton’s ribs, crushing one, but the creature didn’t slow.
It tilted its head at me with gaping holes where eyes should have been.
The reins slipped from my grasp.
The horses neighed, and suddenly we were flying into the air then slamming to the ground. Ringing bellowed in my ears. Dirt and grass filled my mouth. I wiped the muck out my eyes before opening them.
The wagon lay on its side, the horses running free. I shook my head and pushed myself into a sitting position. Edgard was on his back, eyes shut. Blood trickled from the side of his head.
“No!” I scrambled across the dirt. “Edgard!”
Two feet from him, a skeleton dragged itself across the ground, the lower half of its body gone. My unconscious brother had no defense. Pieces of splintered wood cluttered the grass, the only obstacle keeping the creature from reaching Edgard.
The gun had disappeared during the crash, and I had no weapon, except myself.
“You will not touch him!” I belted out a high C and held the note.
The creature stopped.
Keeping the note, I jumped to my feet and ran to the dazed creature. With all my strength, I kicked its head right off its skeletal body, snapping the top of the spine in the process. I stopped the song, gasping as the head rolled into a bush and the rest of the body crumbled into a pile of bones.
“What did you do?”
My brother’s voice sent a shiver up my spine. He arrested people who practiced magic. I turned around, terrified. “I don’t know. It just happened. You were unconscious, and I was so afraid.”
Edgard sat and held a hand to his bloodied head. “How long have you been able to do that?”
“Just today.” I dropped to my knees, pleading with my brother. “Please, don’t send me away. I don’t know why I can do this, but I’m not evil. I’m not from the devil.”
“Do you think I would turn on my own sister?”
Our gazes met, and there was no questioning his loyalty. “No.”
He opened his arms and I went to him, falling into his embrace. He squeezed me. “You are far from evil. We’ll figure this out. Until then, tell no one, especially Father.”
Chapter 18
Leo
Charcoal covered my fingers, smudging the image in my hands. I used the black to add tears to the sketch. She didn’t deserve to be sad, and everything I did seemed to make it that way. Sketching her face helped me think. When I moved across the page, I knew where the strokes were supposed to go, where each freckle needed to be. Drawing was the one thing in my life I could control.
The chains around my father clinked together.
“Relax, Pa. I’m going to fix you right.”
I had to chain him in the room, otherwise he’d wander like the others. Shifty had kept those dead miners in the tunnels with some minor spell. I was too exhausted to order a bunch of dead men around. Plus, the constant loss of blood from the incantation wearied me. My head hurt too much to think, no less control a power I didn’t understand.
Since my father only recently died, he hadn’t decomposed yet. Shifty said I could recite a spell that would preserve him, probably another lie. I thought back to the moment Pa reanimated.
“You said you could save him?” I had asked.
“I did,” Shifty said. “He’s alive, isn’t he?”
If I had known my pa would turn into some walking nightmare, I would never have agreed to anything, but now that I had him here, I couldn’t seem to let him go.
He groaned and wandered forward. The chains around his ankles fastened high to the wall kept him contained. The strong features I remembered were now a sickly white, the brightness in eyes dimmed to a dull mud. Besides his sullen appearance, he still looked the same.
Except he ain’t the same.
He was something worse.
I ignored the moans and clanking to finish sketching Arabella’s face.
“My, my, quite the artist.” Shifty hovered near the table, swirling like a black tornado.
“Go away.” I pressed the charcoal harder. “I did what you asked.”
“Yes, but our bargain is not complete.”
The tip of the charcoal broke and created a black line right across Arabella’s cheek, ruining the sketch. I flung the charcoal and drawing across the room. “You got your souls. I’m done.”
“Did I?”
Shifty flew in front of me, and I pushed away from the table to
create distance.
“You called them back too early,” he said. “I only got five.”
I held my ground, glaring at the black mist.
Shifty’s eyes glowed red. “That was not our bargain. While I may not be able to leave the mines, my power is strong enough to enter your beloved’s house. I will torment her and her family until they rip their eyes out to stop the visions I’ll send.”
“You won’t,” I said.
Coldness seeped into my skin, right to the bone. I started shaking. My teeth clattered against one another. The chill dug into every muscle, every damn thought.
“Send them out again, control it,” he whispered. “Accept your new power, and no one will need to suffer. Hasn’t your little bird been through enough?”
I hugged my arms around myself to keep warm. How did Shifty know anything about Arabella? Did he spend his days hiding in the shafts of her home, eavesdropping?
Pa shook, making the chains clang and rattle, breaking my thoughts. “It’s too much. I can’t . . . stomach . . . the stench.”
“You will learn.” Shifty swirled around me, covering me with darkness.
In all our years together, he’d never used this much power. He’d never shown any of these abilities. He talked about how he slaughtered the warlocks who’d summoned him, but that was decades ago. Did those five souls empower him? What would happen when he got twelve?
Coldness seeped in deeper, and I searched my memory for anything I knew about Shifty’s power. The only thing that came to mind was his phylactery gem—the object of power holding him in this world—but I didn’t know where those damn warlocks hid it.
“Ahh.” I gripped my sides and dropped to my knees, shaking. It’s so damn cold.
“Now, send them.” His voice grated on my ears.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I thought of Arabella and how she would suffer if I didn’t give in to his twisted wishes. If I had to sacrifice myself to him to save her, I would. “Fine.”
The coldness left my body. I sighed and rubbed my hands together, blowing air on them to warm up.
Shifty’s eyes switched back to yellow.