by TJ Green
They stepped over to Estelle’s body, and El conjured a fiery rope to wrap around Estelle’s prone form. They dragged her into a side room and sealed the door.
The blue light bobbed ahead of them, and they quickly followed it along another side corridor, into the depths of the house. The house was furnished with impeccable taste, and they progressed quietly down the carpeted corridors lined with priceless works of art.
A shout disturbed them, and they turned to find two men they hadn’t met before, but had only seen on photos; Caspian’s cousins, Hamish and Rory, one blond and the other dark-haired.
As Avery quickly assessed their opposition, she was aware of movement behind her. She turned to find Caspian grinning malevolently. They were trapped.
The next few minutes were a jumble of shouts, wind, fire, and water, and they summoned every bit of power they had. El’s sword flashed with fire, balls of energy bounced off the walls, and then the lights went out.
Avery wasn’t sure if they were winning or not. The energy balls pummelled her, and several times she fell before getting up again. She realised she had been separated from the others, and suddenly Caspian loomed above her.
Just as Avery was about to throw up a protective shield, the floor cracked and rumbled, and Caspian also lost his balance, falling on top of Avery. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and his weight crushed her.
Briar was here, somewhere.
Massive roots shot up through the floor of the mansion, wrapping around Caspian’s ankles and pulling him through the splintered floor and down into the ground.
His face was masked in fury, and he turned and tried to blast the roots free. Some he did manage to break, but the rest were too strong.
Avery was caught up with him, unable to break free, and once Caspian realised it he sneered, grabbed her tight, and pulled her with him.
Avery waited for the horrible, suffocating feeling of earth to cover her, but instead, they fell through space, crashing onto a stone floor below.
The smells of damp and mould were overwhelming. They were in the cellars.
She had fallen on Caspian, which at least provided her with a soft, if bumpy, landing. She fought free of him and the roots that continued to snake around them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blue light bob away to her right.
Sally.
Newton dropped through the hole in the ceiling next to her, winded, but still holding his shotgun. “Are you okay?”
“Sort of,” she said, smashing at another tree root. “Better than him.”
Caspian was now wrapped in roots that bound him like iron. Avery could see bright blue flashes that encased his body as he tried to free himself, but so far, he was failing.
“Are they okay up there?” She looked up into the darkness of the corridor above. The sizzle of magic snapped like lightning in the dark, and she caught a flash of El’s sword scything through the air.
“As far as I could see. Come on, we have to trust they’ll be all right.” Newton followed the blue light, leaving Avery with no choice but to follow him.
The guiding light led through several interconnected rooms, all in darkness, until eventually they came to another corridor. The air smelt slightly fresher here, and they saw another light ahead.
A room opened up on their left, with a dim light seeping through a small hatch at eye level in a wooden door. The hatch was lined with iron bars, and they edged to it, ready to fight.
Avery peered through the opening and saw Sally lying on a pallet on the floor. There was no one else in sight. She turned to Newton with relief. “It’s Sally, and she’s alone.”
As she reached for the handle, a snarl came out of the darkness, and a dog launched at both of them, mouth wide and dripping with saliva.
Newton pulled the shotgun up and blasted it, twice. It howled and then fell dead at their feet.
“Quick reflexes, Newton,” Avery said admiringly. She called out, “Sally, it’s us, we’re coming in!”
The door was sealed with a very simple spell, and Avery easily unlocked it as Newton reloaded. Fortunately, the Faversham’s arrogance was an asset for them.
Sally sat up, looking confused. Her face was streaked with tears and dirt, her hands were blooded and bruised, and she shivered in the cold. “Avery! Where am I? How long have I been here?”
Avery rushed over and hugged her. “Sally, we’ll explain everything later. Are you okay?”
“Yes—no, not really,” she said and burst into tears.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes, I’m not hurt.” She struggled to her feet.
“What did you do to your hands?’ Avery asked, concerned.
“I beat the door and made myself hoarse from shouting, but all I could hear was a bloody great dog.”
“Can you remember anything?”
“No! The last thing I remember was being in the shop, and then I woke up here.”
“Okay, we need to move. We’re getting you out of here. Newton, anything else out there?”
“Not yet!” he called.
“Right, follow me, Sally.”
Avery pulled Sally out of the room, and then followed Newton along the corridor until they eventually came to a set of steps leading up. At the top of the stairs, they headed through another door to find that the passage led two ways—one back into the main part of the house, and one to a rear entrance.
“Right, leave Sally with me,” Newton said. “Well be waiting in the van.”
“Are you sure you can get out of the grounds?”
“I’m pretty sure the family’s tied up here. And I can handle dogs.” He looked at Sally. “Think you can run?”
Sally’s colour had already returned. “Yes, honestly, I’m fine. I’m just glad to be out of that room.”
Avery nodded. “All right. I’ll see you later. And Newton, if we’re not out in an hour, go.”
“If you’re not out in an hour, I’m coming after you,” he said firmly, his eyes glinting fiercely in the dark. And with that he headed out the door with Sally.
Avery turned back toward the interior of the house.
She heard a distant boom, and then the house shuddered. Every light went out. Was that us, or them, doing that? Avery considered producing a witch light, and then decided against it for now. She edged along the corridor, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. The air changed, and she realised she was entering the large entrance hall, as she saw the broad curve of the stairs next to her. To her right, a long corridor ran away into darkness, and she heard shouts and felt the sizzle of magic. She was about to make her way to it, when a figure ran towards her. She prepared to attack, and then realised it was Alex. He too had his hands raised. He stopped when he saw her and sighed with relief. She ran to the edge of the hall to join him.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
He nodded. “Rory and Hamish are big thugs and powerful, and then Uncle Rupert waded in. It was touch and go for a while, but we broke free. Briar’s coming now, while El and Reuben secure the others.”
Over his shoulder she saw Briar’s small shape running towards them, grinning as she saw Avery. She was slightly out of breath, but blue flames trickled through her fingers, and she looked raring to go. “Have you found Sally?” she asked, standing next to them.
Avery nodded. “Yeah, and Newton’s taken her to the van. Now we just need to find the grimoire.”
“Any ideas?”
Avery’s shoulders sagged. “Not really.”
They fell silent for a few seconds, and then Alex grinned. “What if we used the locator spell with blood? Would it work on Reuben’s grimoire?”
“It might do!” Avery said, brightening. “He needed his blood to reveal it; maybe his blood will lead us to it as well.”
Alex led them back down the corridor, but they’d only gone a short distance when they met Reuben and El. With their light hair and dark clothes, and El’s sword still glowing with fire, they looked like avenging an
gels. Both of them smelled of singed hair and smoke. Alex pulled them all into an elegant room, lit only by the faint moonlight from outside.
“We need your blood and hair,” Alex said to Reuben.
“Now?” Reuben asked, clearly confused. “What for?”
“To find your grimoire.” Avery looked sheepish. “I just wish I’d thought of it earlier.”
“You know the spell?” Briar asked, from where she stood at the doorway to make sure no one appeared unexpectedly.
“Sure, but it will be basic.” Avery turned and grabbed an antique silver bowl from a cabinet. “And this will be perfect.”
Reuben pulled a few strands of hair out, and then El gave him her sword. He pulled it across the palm of his hand, and a stream of blood trickled in to the bowl. Avery added the hair and then whispered a spell, holding her hand above it. The blood and hair started to bubble together, and as they mixed, it boiled down to nothing, until only smoke remained in the bowl. The smoke then rose out of the bowl, a deep, blood red glow within it, and drifted in the air for a second. Avery said another spell, “Blood to blood, hair and skin, lead us to the spells of the kin.”
The smoke drifted to the door where it hung for a few moments before heading right, back to the main entrance, and then up the grand stairs to the next floor.
“Are you sure the others are tied up?” Avery asked El as they followed the smoke.
“Absolutely. Any sign of Caspian?’
“He’s downstairs, Briar looked after him.”
“So, just Sebastian, then?” Alex checked, hearing them.
Avery nodded. “I hope so.”
At the top of the stairs, the smoke headed down a long corridor, passing several doorways. It moved faster and faster, until it streaked down another corridor, and then through a doorway on their right, where they found themselves in an enormous library.
A glimpse of the moon beyond the window cast the room in a silvery light. As Avery’s eyes adjusted, she saw that all four walls were lined with shelves, packed with books. Leather armchairs were placed around the room, and in the centre was a large wooden desk. On it was Reuben’s grimoire.
Unfortunately next to it, seated at ease, was Sebastian Faversham. He sat very still, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, his hands together under his chin as if in prayer.
They pulled up short at the doorway, preparing to defend themselves. But Sebastian just stared at them, his face in shadow.
His voice hissed across the room. “What have you done?”
“We have defended ourselves,” Avery said, thinking he was referring to their fight.
“I don’t mean that!” he said, his voice threatening. “You destroy my house, attack my family, but you have done far worse than that.”
Reuben was seething. “You have stolen my book, kidnapped an innocent woman, and killed my brother! You dare ask what we have done?”
Sebastian slowly rose to his feet, seeming huge in the shadows. “I mean the magic you have released from under All Soul’s Church.”
“Ah, yes,” Avery said, shuffling awkwardly. “You noticed that?”
“Noticed?” His voice rose. “The whole magical community will have noticed! The magic even now pools above White Haven, drawing attention and all manner of creatures.”
Avery felt her heart thump loudly. She glanced at the others, but they looked as baffled as she felt. “What do you mean, ‘creatures?’”
“Anyone or any thing remotely connected to magic will have sensed that today. It rocked this house, and beyond. I hope you’re pleased with yourselves.”
A thousand possibilities raced through Avery’s head, but she subdued them. There was plenty of time to worry about his accusations later. How dare he presume to be so much better than them!
“We’re pleased we’ve found our old family magic,” Avery said, annoyed and stepping into the room. “If it wasn’t for Octavia, it wouldn’t have been trapped down there, anyway! Maybe, if there was something to worry about, you should have been more honest.”
Alex stood next to her. “No, he’s just pissed off because we have just as much power as him.”
Sebastian threw back his head and laughed, and the sound sent chills down Avery’s spine. “Power! It’s not just about power!”
“So, we can have the grimoire then?” Reuben asked.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Avery could hear the sneer in Sebastian’s voice. He lifted his hands, and flames started to crackle in his palms. “You may have released your magic, but I shall destroy your book, and then you’ll see what true power is!”
In a split second, he turned and threw flames at the grimoire, but before any of them could respond, the grimoire flew across the room towards them, smacking Reuben in the stomach and sending him staggering back. His hands wrapped around it, holding it tightly. Briar and El stepped forward on either side of him, preparing to attack.
Avery turned back to Sebastian, wondering what had happened, and then saw the bright, burning image of Helena materialise in front of him. The smell of burning flesh was sharp and nauseating, and smoke poured off Helena’s body, filling the room.
If it was an apparition, it was a strong one. Avery covered her nose and mouth and squinted through the smoke. Helena had leapt at Sebastian and wrapped him in her burning body. Whatever magic had been released earlier had strengthened Helena, and she now swelled with power.
Not only did Helena appear to have gained physical form, but Sebastian could clearly feel her, too. As she wrapped herself around him, he screamed with rage and pain.
Avery felt Alex’s hand on her arm. “Time to go.”
“But...” she looked back to Sebastian, horrified. He was burning alive.
“Now, Avery,” Alex said, pulling her out the room and down the corridor, running after the others, who raced ahead of them.
The thick, black smoke poured after them, following them like an animal, and they raced down the stairs, out through the front door and across the grass.
Avery risked a look back to the house. She could see the library window from there; it was the only one filled with flames.
23
Newton drove them all back to White Haven as fast as possible without attracting attention. Desperate as they were to get home, he went the long way around, avoiding traffic cameras and anything that might incriminate them in whatever had happened at the manor.
They sat on the floor in the back of the van, propped on old blankets and braced between boxes and the sides, trying not to topple over as Newton steered them to safety.
“Can we please release whatever spells bound the others?” Avery asked, as soon as she could get her breath. “I don’t want to think Helena will kill all of them—they don’t deserve that.”
“I beg to differ,” Reuben said, his eyes hard. He still clutched his grimoire.
Briar answered, “Already done. I don’t want that either, Avery.”
“How the hell did Helena gain physical form?” Reuben asked.
“I’m not sure she really has,” Alex explained. “I think it’s just a severe and strong manifestation, brought on by the wave of magic we released, and her fury at the Favershams. After all, his ancestor is the reason she was burnt at the stake.”
“But the smell,” Briar said, covering her face with her hands. “It was awful. I still feel sick.”
“Imagine being burnt alive—that would be far worse,” El reasoned. “Are you all right, Avery? Things seemed really weird under All Souls when she possessed you.”
Avery fell silent for a moment, trying to work through what had happened. “As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think she wanted me back in my body. I accidentally spirit walked when the spell broke, so she didn’t do that, but she sure didn’t want to let me back in, either.”
Alex was sitting next to her, and he snaked his arm around her and pulled her close. Avery shivered with pleasure, snuggling into him. He sighed. “I had a horrible feeling
that would happen.”
“I know you did, but we needed her,” Avery said. “And at least we broke the spell, rescued Sally, and got the grimoire.”
“But will she come back?” Briar asked. “What if she tries to get back inside you?”
“I let her in last time, remember? I don’t think it can happen again.”
“I think another tattoo might be in order,” Reuben said with a wink.
Avery rolled her eyes. She looked up to the front of the van, where Sally was sitting in the passenger seat next to Newton, silent for now. She called over, “How are you, Sally?”
For a few seconds Sally didn’t move, and then she turned around to look at them all, finally resting her gaze on Avery. “I’m not entirely sure, Avery. In fact, I’m not sure of anything at the moment.”
Newton called back over his shoulder. “I’ve been trying to explain a few things to Sally, but—”
She finished the sentence for him. “There’s magic, and there’s magic, and I just need some time for it to soak in. And don’t you dare think about spelling it out of my head!” She said forcefully.
Avery raised her hands in surrender. “Witches honour—if you’ll keep this a secret!”
“Of course I will,” Sally snorted as she turned back to look out of the windscreen. “I don’t want to be carried off to the local loony bin.”
“And how are you, Newton?” Briar asked.
“I’m fine,” he said, still concentrating on the road. “Just hoping I can keep us all out of trouble with the police.”
“There’s no way the Favershams will report it, so I think we’ll be fine,” El said.
“And what about the magical explosion?” Briar asked. “I think we need to talk about that. We’ve released something that might have huge consequences.”
“Ah, yes,” Reuben said. “The creatures we will attract to White Haven.”
“You know what?” Avery said, “I just want to appreciate having got through tonight. Let’s discuss everything else tomorrow night. Meet at mine?”
There were nods of agreement, and then Sally said, “And make me a new hex bag, will you, Avery? Just way stronger than the last one.”
