“What are we gonna do?”
“We? There is no we, Alex. This is dangerous – I don’t need to be worrying about you all the time.”
Alex was hurt by that comment – he’d always thought he was helping when he was just getting in the way. “But –“
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I’ve stared death in the face loads of times before, but it’s never been certain before and I can’t expect you to take that risk with me.”
“Amber-Lou, I know I don’t have to do this but I want to.”
“I have a plan and you aren’t in it. I won’t put you in danger.” Suddenly all those fuzzy, out-of-focus thoughts became crystal clear and she knew exactly what she had to do. “But I can re-jig things to include you.” Actually, she had an important job for Alex and, not for the first time, she was glad that she wasn’t expected to do everything on her own. “I won’t be a minute.” The girl raced upstairs, he heard some clunking around before she ran back down ten minutes later. She was dressed in a red long-sleeved top, blue tracks and a new pair of trainers. “Dressed to kill.”
She wrapped the note from her father in a larger piece of printed paper and stuffed it into her pocket. Alex was at the computer busily scrolling down a page of text. “I’m seeing what I can find about Liatruz on the Internet,” he explained.
“What’ve you come up with?”
“He’s a shape-shifter which means he could look like anything when we find him.”
She looked at the screen which showed a very graphic illustration of one of his previous adopted guises. “Shoulda skipped lunch.”
“But, he’s human in essence and he stays in his human form most of the time which must be good. He likes to torture his victims –“
“Dad.”
“Sorry. But, he gets bored easily, if that’s any consolation. Then he –“
Amber-Louise held up her hand to stop him. “I’ve heard enough. Does it say if he’s got any weaknesses?”
“None. Except witches. It says he uses black magick which is the strongest kind. He’s resistant to all known white magicks.”
“Then we’ll just use some unknown magick.”
He turned off the computer, made a mental note to wipe the cookies from it later, and stood up. “You ready?”
She opened her mouth to speak and coughed before she could get a word out. “He wants Amber, he’s gonna get Amber. Plus some extras.” Amber pulled the long sword from the soft leather sheath strapped to her back and slid it back. “Sisterhood special.”
“What happens now?”
“We fight. I die. Simple as that.”
Alex tied her hair back with a red scrunchie. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make everything seem so easy. Just accept that this could be the end.”
“It’s not easy, Alex. But living is more scary than dying. Plus, there’ll always be someone to take over as a Sister.”
“That’s as may be but there’ll never be anyone who can replace you as my best friend.” He held the door open for her and followed her out into the night. “You’re very special, you know.”
“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t though. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a witch and I wouldn’t swap it for the world. It’s just that being this awesome witch is what got us all into this mess and I’m not sure if it can get us out.” Amber adjusted the strap over her shoulder and hiked up her trousers. “It’s nearly midnight – we best get going.” She broke into a brisk stride but Alex still had to run a few paces every now and then in order to keep up.
“How do you know where we’re going?”
“I just know.”
“Aah, she’s getting closer. I can feel her presence – stronger and stronger. With every step, she seems younger.”
“That’s because she’s a kid. My kid. And I’ll die before I let you touch her!” said Richard, fiercely.
Liatruz looked over at the man in the corner who was being gently scratched by one of the torture spells he had created. He’d toyed with the idea of Chinese water torture –that’s always fun – but had dismissed it for this one to save time. Richards skin was already red raw and peeling in places. “But you will die… eventually. No need to worry about that.” He clapped his hands twice and the scratching stopped. “A child should be easy to crack. But she – she has spirit. I’ve never seen her myself; I’ve just heard reports of what she was getting up to while in… captivity.” The word eluded him for but a second but when it was found, an evil smirk was attached. “I thought she was going to be, how do you say it, a pushover when she quickly realised she couldn’t escape by magick. Then she surprised us all by getting out and putting my children out of action. How can her own family mean so much to her when she has no quibbles about destroying mine?”
“Your family are evil – always were. Darkness runs in the family.”
“And soon she will be joining us.” Liatruz grabbed Richard by one arm and yanked him over to the wall. The warlock had an incredibly strong grip, and an incredibly short fuse. He wanted to hear his latest victim scream for mercy, just as he would make the child-witch do later. Tiring of his determination not to scream out, or even a plea for mercy, Liatruz rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “Still the brave little soldier.” He held his hand out flat. A tiny red dot appeared, no bigger than a pin point, and began to pulse in his palm. “I’ll make you scream so loud.”
Richard stared at the red spot, transfixed. He knew he should look away, look at anything but his hand, but he just couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from it. “You’ll pay for this,” he promised his kidnapper. “Why are you waiting around? I thought you wanted to kill me.”
Liatruz chuckled. “You haven’t worked it out yet, have you? You’re quite stupid really. Here I was thinking you were playing dumb, when you really are dumb.
“You weren’t brought here so I could kill you – though that sounds very appealing at the moment. No, you were brought here for a very different reason.”
“And what might that be then?” If he could just keep Liatruz talking for a while longer, maybe Amber would come before he was hurt too badly. The red light now seemed to be fighting it’s way from under the warlocks skin and – no, don’t look at the light. It’s evil light. With one final, concerted effort, Richard managed to drag his gaze from the almost hypnotic beam and up to his cold, ice-blue eyes. After seeing the evil pleasure he found there, he had to wonder if the red light was all that bad after all. “Teach me how to play the flute? A ballet recital, perhaps?”
“Nice try, but no. I’m not planning on killing you… yet. No, I need you alive. You’re the one person your girl will give her life for, without so much as a thought for herself.”
“So, you brought me here to act as, what, bait?”
“You have more brains than I gave you credit for.
“Now, what are her weaknesses? What should I prey on? She grows ever closer and I must be prepared. How do I begin her end?”
“Why should I tell you anything that might hurt her?”
“Ah, loyalty. I remember that. Nasty, bitter stuff; full of repercussions.”
Richard shifted on his feet, trying to get some feeling back inti his left leg. He wasn’t going to say anything that might further the danger his daughter was in. He knew he shouldn’t expect Amber-Louise to drop everything and come to his rescue, but was glad she would. He was more important to her than she realised, but until she felt that she could talk to him properly, he had to keep secrets. It was always a horrible feeling though, he now realised, secrecy had its uses.
The light burrowed out from Liatruz’s hand and moved through the air in a slow arc towards him. “Now, this might hurt a little. Oh hell, who am I kidding? This is gonna hurt a lot!”
“Think about this Amber. He’s going to kill you. You might be ready to die, but I’
m not ready to lose you.”
“This isn’t your decision to make. I’m not ready to die but he’s crossed a line by taking my dad – and he’s going to pay. I’ll make sure of that.”
“By giving him what he wanted all along? You’re letting him win.” Panting slightly, Alex clamped a hand on Ambers shoulder and turned her to him. “Are you ready for this?”
“I have to be,” she told him, her eyes wide and frightened with the now familiar haunted look they always held. Oh, Alex. I can’t say that I’m ready to give it all up ‘cos I’m not. And I can’t lie to you. “Of course I’m not ready to die, but I should. That’s what’s always happened, and now it’s my turn. Maybe I deserve it.”
“How can you say that? Nobody deserves to die this young. Especially when they’ve never done a thing wrong in their life.”
“I killed all those people and I don’t even feel guilty. And now I’m trying to kill another one. And I still don’t feel bad. I just want it over.”
Alex bent down a few inches so he was at eye level, and noticed that her face had turned hard and cold. He was itching to find Liatruz too, but it was important that she was ready. At least she stood a fighting chance then.
“Alex, I’m 16 years old. There are a million things I’d rather be doing than saving the world. Like sneaking into a nightclub or getting drunk. But this is what I have to do. It’s my job.”
“It’s not just your job – it’s you. Even if you didn’t have your powers, you know you’d try to save your dad and everyone else.” She’d always been an impulsive girl and Alex was positive she would’ve been like that without magick. “I know you would.”
“Even with all the things I can do… what if it isn’t enough?” She had prepared a trick that Liatruz wouldn’t be ready for but she was worried it might not work. “What if I can’t save anyone? What if I’m not up to the challenge? What if –“
“Shh! You can do this – I know you can.”
Amber-Louise twisted away from him, looked at her watch – twenty past midnight – and began to jog past the row of shops. It wasn’t very far to their destination now – less than a quarter of a mile. Alex ran a hand through his hair, nervously, and followed.
The young woman had no idea what the time was, but judging by how dark and chilly the night had become, she knew it must be pretty late. The few street lights that were still working (maintenance was virtually non-existent) were flickering as though the bulbs were in need of replacing. That was good. The monsters wouldn’t come out in such weak light. She didn’t know much,, but she knew enough to keep out of their way.
She was homeless. Had been for years. Her family had been killed when she was just 9, and she had been forced onto the streets to fend for herself ever since. The police had chalked her up as just another runaway. That had been good at the time – just another anonymous statistic. A few years ago, she had taken a job on as a waitress in a diner and saved her wages to buy a ticket to England in the hope that she wouldn’t be found. And now, just a week past 21, she was tired of running all the time.
She brushed her jet black hair behind her ears and hoisted her jeans up. She hated this. The bad people were everywhere though, strangely, the night was now her cover. Sitting down on the kerb, she clasped her hands behind her neck and looked down at her feet. She’d spent so long running away from the bad things, there was nowhere left to turn. But she could keep hiding. There were no records of her here, she could disappear into the night and no-one would blink an eye. Where would she go, though? Just as the woman decided to take a walk to clear her head, she looked up and saw two dark figures hurtling towards her. They couldn’t be normal people because they would be foolish to be out here. It couldn’t be the monsters either because they’d be melting.
Gripping the chainlink fence behind her, she pulled herself to her feet and looked towards the couple. They were almost upon her and she could tell they were both human. They were headed for the ruins of the old library. There was a girl and a boy; the girl carried some kind of weapon strapped over her chest. “You can’t go in there!” she warned before they passed her.
They both stopped in their tracks and looked at her. She walked a few paces to catch up with them. “Who are you?” the boy asked, warily. He had every right to be cautious.
“I’m India. And I’m telling you that you shouldn’t go down there.”
“Why not?” asked the girl with the weapon. Maybe it’s not the best idea to tell her what to do.
“Because he’ll kill you. He kills everyone.”
“I know. That’s why I have to go. He’s got my dad down there and I’ve gotta save him. I’m the only one who can stop him.”
“Who are you?”
“Oh. I’m Amber-Louise. And this is Alex. You shouldn’t be out here – it’s really dangerous.”
“I haven’t got anywhere to go. And how are you going to stop them?”
“Still working on that part,” panted Alex. “Listen, people are dying and everything’s falling apart. Stay here and you’re gonna get killed.”
“I guess we can protect you but… What do you think, Alex?”
“I dunno. Short version: we’re going down to fight him. You’re either with us or you’re not.”
“Sorry to be so blunt,” apologised the girl as she ducked under the hole in the fence. “But time’s running out.” Without so much as another word, the girl picked up some bricks and started throwing them into another pile. She fixed her hands around a large sheet of timber and slid it over the hole to leave the opening uncovered.
I knew this place didn’t feel right, thought Alex. He crouched down beside her, ready to climb down at any minute. “You coming, India?”
“What’s down there? I mean, I’d like to know what to expect.”
“So would we,” said Amber-Louise. She slid down the hole, happy to let herself free-fall the 10 feet to the floor. Alex, now much more protective of his fragile bones, climbed down the side of the hole after her. India pushed herself off the fence and peered down the hole before heading down. Even though she had just met these kids, and she was scared stiff of what she might find there, she somehow trusted them and believed she wouldn’t get hurt. “I’m with you,” she announced. “Big fight – builds trust.”
Amber saw India climbing down and smiled. She knew how hard it must be for her to blindly follow her into the unknown. But already a bond was forming between them – trust, and Amber knew that they were going to be friends. India wasn’t used to battling the things they were up against all the time.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help,” India offered as she steadied herself on the ground. “So, do you guys do this a lot then? I mean, you look like you know what you’re doing.”
“It’s why I’m here,” Amber announced, walking down tne stripped tunnel, which had once been a bright corridor. “How I live. How I die.”
“Stop talking like that, Amber-Lou. You’re not going to die.”
India looked at Alex, then at Amber, and finally back to Alex. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I do,” said Amber. “It’s like you said; he kills all the good people. Which works out quite nicely ‘cos I kill all the evil ones.” She stalked down the half-lit tunnel, flanked on either side by Alex and India. She jumped the small step that marked the entrance and found herself in a semi-familiar room. The old library archives – as good a place as any, I suppose. “Love what you’ve done with the – Dad!?”
Chapter 10
Kathy was standing at the drinks machine at the end of the corridor, sorting out the change for a much-needed cup of hot, strong coffee. Forget the water, I’ll just eat the beans. She’d been run off her feet all day and was ready to fall asleep on her feet. The rest of the crew had been working for just as long as her but, having a longer break, they had their own canteen to go to while she was stuck with t
he rubbish from the vendors. The machine was out of order and, in frustration, she kicked it. “Damn machine’s working again,” she grumbled to the man standing behind her. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
Her break was nearly over so she decided to take a rest in the rec room until it was time to get back to work. It was tempting to go to sleep, having been up and running for nearly 24 hours, and she found her eyes closing. This close to a state of unconsciousness, Kathy didn’t know it but she was ultra aware of things that were going on. Not of the things that were happening around her at work – which she should be worried about. Things that were happening miles away.
Something’s wrong. It was a feeling she had become used to over the years, mostly because her niece had told her many times how screwed up her life was. She tried to ignore this unease, tried to push it to the back of her mind, so she could concentrate on staying awake. She couldn’t risk being late and getting fired – she was good at this job and she enjoyed it. Her shift finished in a couple of hours, she enjoyed the knowledge that she had a full 48 hours to rest after that and that she would spend a minimum of 24 asleep.
One of her friends, Lisa, walked into the room and flumped down on the chair next to her. “What I wouldn’t give for a sledgehammer over the head right now.”
Tiredly, Kathy raised her dead from the sofa she was sprawled on and peered at her friend through bleary eyes. “Can I go next? After this, I’m going straight home and crawling into bed and no-one better disturb me until next century.”
“That’s a long time. Actually, no, it’s not quite long enough.”
“The coffee machine’s not working.” Kathy was too close to falling asleep and was saying anything to keep her mind busy. Something’s wrong, was the thought that her mind kept coming back round to. If she couldn’t just ignore the feeling, maybe it was something serious. In a daze, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it – it was just a feeling, and a fuzzy one at that.
“…So, I was thinking that – what’s wrong?”