“Nooooo!!” Jack screamed and it seemed as though Kalerum heard it. Blood spread over Lily’s clothes as Kalerum’ blade left her neck. Kalerum watched as she fell to the floor then turned and faced Jack through the vision. “So young…pity. And yet this is all because of you. YOU killed her boy, you!” he said matter-of-factly.
Jack, enraged, stood up. The vision disappeared again and now he was back in the house. Within moments of getting to his feet he was straight back down after being flung across the room and into the wall next to the door where he’d entered with Kalerum. He was battered and broken. Could the vision really be the future? Would Lily, Clive and Frankie die because of him?
A loud laugh interrupted his thoughts followed by a painful pounding in his head. Jack’s hands went to either side of his head as he rocked from side to side in agony. Tears welled up in his eyes. “What…do…you want from me” he stuttered in resignation.
The demon was in front of him again, the gaping hole in the side of her face showing her teeth and jaw. “Your soul!!” she screamed as she began to fly back towards him. Suddenly the front door flew across the room. The demon stopped short of Jacks body and turned to the entrance. Delaius walked in and the demon quickly made for him but came to a stop before she reached him. It seemed as if she was rooted to the spot as Delaius moved over to Jack. He was a mess. His body was bruised and broken. It felt as if his insides had been crushed.
“Delaius it’s a trap…” Jack muttered “they never wanted me…they want the pendant.” Jack said as Delaius held his head up.
“Where is the amulet Jack?” Delaius pressed.
Jack coughed and clutched his stomach from pain. “I gave it to…Lily has it” he stuttered.
“Sabula” Delaius said with clenched teeth. “Come we must go, there isn’t much time.”
Delaius helped Jack up and headed outside. He carefully sat him on the steps leaving him to lean on the railing before turning back to the house. The demon was still rooted to the spot in the house when Delaius turned his attention to her.
“You’ve lived too long demon” he said angrily.
“You cannot stop me” she shouted and laughed hysterically.
Delaius didn’t respond with words he was beyond that now. Filled with anger he placed a hand on the entrance to the house where the door used to be. After a few moments a fire started burning where his hand had been. Delaius looked at the creature whose face was still hysterical, “There is no escape for you now demon. You shall burn in your own hell.” Delaius turned back to Jack and helped him onto his feet before making their way away from the burning house, all the while the screams from the demon echoing into the night in counterpoint to the muffled cursing coming from Larcus’ verdant prison.
chapter twenty-two
The Attack
Delaius’ house was frantic. Clive and Frankie were trembling in the corner, still shaken up about what had happened at the barbeque. William, Hobbins and Aaron were in the bedroom with James who was still unconscious. Lily stood in the kitchen listening to Ben question Helena, “What do they want with us?” he was saying nervously. “We’ve got nothing to do with you people!”
Helena was trying to calm him down “Kalerum wants Jack because Jack possesses something.”
“What?” Ben questioned.
“I’m nae sure. Delaius never told me. It was for my protection. If I knew then the people who are chasing you would be able to get the information from me. That’s why he kept me in the dark…but you have to unders…” She stopped suddenly. Her eyes fixed on Lily. She was staring at her neck. Ben presumed the worst.
“You stay away from her!” he shouted, standing in front of Lily.
“Where did you get that?” Helena asked, stepping towards Lily.
Ben turned to face Lily who had her fingers on the pendant around her neck. “What? That thing. I don‘t think now’s the time to be gossiping about jewellry, do you?”
Lily looked down at it and then back to Helena “I’m not sure. Jack said I bought it when we were out walking the other weekend but I can‘t remember. Is something wrong?” she said.
Helena clutched it as it rested on Lily’s chest. “I know this Amulet” she said trying to remember something.
She quickly turned and rushed to the bookshelf in the hall, rummaging through books until after a few moments, and quizzical looks from Ben and Lily, she pulled a book out and, returning to the kitchen opened it on the table. The book was titled ‘The key of Andarrin’ she flicked through the pages as if there was no time to waste.
“What’s wrong with it?” Lily asked.
“Maybe she wants one for herself” Ben said less than happy with the current subject.
Helena didn’t pay attention instead she continued to flick through the book until two thirds of the way through it she found what she was looking for. Notes covered the top and bottom of the page. In the centre was a drawing of a chain attached to which was an amulet made up of three pieces. Lily looked stunned “it’s the same as the one on the left” she said grasping her pendant. A sense of fear washed over Helena and Lily could tell. “What is it?” she pleaded.
“We have to leave.” Helena said turning to the stairs. “Hobbins, William, get James, we need to go now” she said frantically.
Hobbins came to the top of the stairs to see what all the fuss was about. “What’s going on” he said as he came down the stairs.
Helena grabbed the book and showed it to him. Hobbins didn’t seem too shocked until Helena pointed out Lily’s pendant. His expression changed dramatically. “It was a decoy…get Fayne ready, NOW!” he shouted.
Helena rushed out of the front door leaving Hobbins to handle the group. “Clive, Frankie, come on everyone outside, we leave in one minute…Aaron, downstairs now come on!” he shouted as everyone rushed around frantically.
“What’s happening?”
“Who’s here?”
“Where are we going?”
Aaron rushed downstairs. “What about James, we can’t leave him” he said.
“You lot get outside, and let me worry about James…now go on” he shouted as he ran up the stairs and into the bedroom where William stood unstrapping the unconscious James. “You must leave now, help the others.”
“I’m not leaving either of you, if any one attacks us you’ll more likely break your hip before you do any real damage, now shut up and help me you dozy old fool” he said jokingly, trying to keep their morale up.
The rest of the group were all outside the front of the house but Helena was nowhere to be seen. “What now then?” Ben said.
“I don’t know.” Aaron responded. Suddenly a loud whooshing noise came from above them.
“What the hell is that?” Clive exclaimed.
A huge shadow was looming over them as something huge glided down and landed in front of them. Awash with fear, they turned to run but a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks. Turning they watched as Helena jumped down from a huge dragon. Its five metre neck supported a head as big as a car, it had teeth as big as swords and its eyes glowed with a golden light. With a body of around eight metres long, its tail doubled its length. Scales of the darkest green covered its entire body. It stood on short, sturdy legs and massive clawed feet dug into the ground. “This is Fayne.” Helena said jumping down from it “don’t worry she won’t harm you, now everyone on.”
“No way am I getting on that” Clive said.
“You don’t have a choice now hurry.” Helena warned.
They all moved towards the side of its body, but there didn’t seem to be a way up. “And how do you expect us to get up” Ben said to Helena. But before Helena could reply, Fayne shook her side and a thin roped ladder fell down.
“No way! It understood you?” Aaron said excitingly as they all climbed up to get on top of a large platform which matched the colour of Fayne’s scales. Helena was still looking towards the side of the house awaiting William. A sudden howl from far out the back
signalled that something was coming.
Inside the house William and Hobbins had un-strapped James and were carrying him downstairs when they heard the howls coming from the woods at the back of the house. William headed for the front door with James now over his shoulder. A loud noise sounded behind him, the back wall exploded and two black werewolves jumped through the gap across the smoking rubble. The first leapt on Hobbins and pinned him to the floor whilst the second sprang at William, sending him and James crashing into the front door.
A third wolf entered the house and, whilst the second wolf covered William, circled James’ unconscious body, doing nothing more than sniffing him. The werewolf nearest William pounced at him. William quickly ducked and, grabbing it bodily, hurled it through the door.
Helena turned as the werewolf crashed through the door. It was quickly on its feet but Helena was fast. She sped towards it, slapping away its arm as it swung towards her; she clutched its throat and tore out its windpipe. The werewolf dropped lifeless to the floor. Helena rushed to the door.
William was grappling the other wolf though he was still in his human form and it seemed the werewolf had the upper hand, snarling and biting as William tried to defend himself.
Hobbins lay pinned to the floor, the wolf slavering for the kill, but he now had his wand firmly in his hand under the wolf and muttered an incantation which shot a bright turquoise light into the underbelly of the wolf. The force sent the wolf hurtling back and crashing, lifeless, into the wall by the staircase. Hobbins got to his feet quickly as another two came charging through the hole, the first diving over James’ body towards William; the second seemed to be focused on James as it gripped his arm and began dragging him towards the back of the house. Hobbins sent a spell into William’s new attacker giving him time to get up before snapping the neck of the wolf that he had dragged off James.
“Not bad for an old man eh” Hobbins smiled at William as Helena rushed through the door.
She noticed James’ body being dragged through the hole in the back wall but, before she could move to assist him, the wolf that Hobbins had stunned dived at her, grappling her to the floor. William pulled it off her shoulders, slamming it to the floor and tore its heart out.
“You two must go now” Hobbins shouted as he sent yet another wolf crashing back with a spell.
“What about James!” Helena yelled.
William ran to the hole but as soon as he reached it he was sent back with such force he smashed back onto the floor. “Kalerum’s here!” he shouted to Helena and Hobbins, getting back on his feet.
“You have to go now, get them out of here.” Hobbins told them.
“I’m not leaving you.” William said stubbornly, but Hobbins was now preoccupied parrying spells which a wizard had begun firing at him.
“William come on, there’s no time.” Helena urged but William wouldn’t leave Hobbins, it wasn’t his way. He would die with him or they would leave together and Helena knew it.
“You have to get it out of here. If they get their hands on it…”
“No come with us, you don’t need to do this.”
“You need to go now” Hobbins shouted as he dug a knife into the belly of a wolf that had jumped towards him.
William turned to Helena, there was no time “Go, get them out of here.” He paused seeing tears forming in Helena’s eyes. “I love you…now go!” he said as he turned to face the assault.
“Borlin Fraeir” Hobbins shouted as a pack of Borlin Fraeir began crawling through the hole, their skin pink, void of eyes and slits for noses.
“GO!” William shouted to Helena before he began changing and within seconds his werewolf form was revealed. He howled as the creatures dived towards him and Hobbins. Grappling them, he threw them left and right ripping limbs off as they continued to charge.
Hobbins was sending spells as fast as he could which seemed to set the creatures on fire as they impacted but they were overwhelmed and Hobbins felt his legs go from under him. Two of the Borlin Fraeir had grabbed him and moments later he was being dragged out of the house. Helena ran to help but William threw her back towards the front door. He gave her one last look to make sure she was alright before charging after Hobbins.
There were over a dozen; werewolves, vampires, Borlin Fraeir, and there standing at the back next to the shed was a wizard, James’ unconscious body lying next to his feet. William attacked all who stood in his path. Ripping the flesh of the eyeless creatures and pulling the jaws off the werewolves and still they came at him.
Helena ran to the dragon and jumped through the air onto Fayne. She hated herself but she had no other choice.
“What’s happening” Lily stuttered nervously.
Helena ignored her question. Instead she placed a hand on Fayne’s lower neck. “Go!” she screamed and as soon as the word left her mouth Fayne’s huge scaled wings spread out and she leapt up into the sky.
Aaron started “what about the other three?” he asked frantically “we can’t just leave them.”
“There was nothing I could do” she said, more to herself than to Aaron.
“The amulet is close, I can feel it.” Kalerum said to a tall well-built man next to him as they walked out of the woods. The oval amulet around his neck with the red crystal in the centre glowing even more brightly than it had when he’d been with Larcus.
“Vegilinski, release Sabula.” Kalerum told the man, Vegilinski.
Vegilinski clutched the lock on the shed and, after a few moments the lock opened and fell to the ground.
William continued to keep Kalerum’s men at bay to give Helena and the others time to escape. Hobbins was now free of his captors clutches and stood back to back with William trying to hold the attackers off, but there were too many and they couldn’t hold out much longer. Hobbins sent a vampire crashing back into two wolfs who, in turn, leapt at him. He managed to best one of them with a spell but the other one was quick, it’s fur dark and streaked with red; it was Balzac. He snarled and snapped at Hobbins who was desperately trying to keep the fearsome jaws from tearing his throat.
William, momentarily free of antagonists, turned to help Hobbins, ripping Balzac away before he could finish off Hobbins.
Hobbins regained himself in time to deflect a spell from a wizard. He rose up and sent his own spell into the man sending him falling lifeless to the ground.
William and Balzac rolled to their feet and charged each other, tearing and biting. William was tiring and Balzac was getting the upper hand. He gripped William’s chin and flung him back towards Hobbins. Hobbins dodged William’s flying body as Balzac raced towards him but Hobbins managed to fire off a spell which sent Balzac hurtling back.
Kalerum began casually walking towards Hobbins until he stood no more than ten metres away. Grabbing Hobbins’ attention, Kalerum motioned for the others to concentrate their attack on William. The two men gazed at each other, Hobbins trying to figure out who this man was. Hobbins struck first and sent a plume of green light towards the man. Kalerum dismissed Hobbins’ spell with a wave of his wand and easily waved away a series more that Hobbins fired at him. Hobbins was becoming nervous as Kalerum raised his wand for the first time, sending a bolt that blew Hobbins’ wand from his hand. A further flick from Kalerum and Hobbins doubled over as his clothes and flesh were sliced open from his right shoulder to his left hip. He fell to his knees as something cracked and rumbled from the direction of the house. Hobbins glanced behind him to see the side of the wall break free and hurtle towards him, there was no time for him to react as the entire kitchen wall crashed into him and left him semiconscious on the floor.
Vegilinski came out of the shed “it’s done” he said to Kalerum who was now standing over James.
From the entrance to the shed, a black apparition drifted towards William, who had just tore the jaw off a werewolf. Starting forward, its claws fastened into William’s stomach before he could do anything, “Sabula” he muttered to its empty face.
; “Die, and soon she will join you” he heard inside his head before it released its long claws, leaving William to fall to the ground. William’s human form returned as he lay staring upwards at Sabula hovering over him.
“He’s a good asset” he heard Vegilinski say about Sabula. Kalerum’s attention was caught by the sight of the dragon flying south, high in the sky towards the distance. William turned to see what had seized Kalerum’s attention and the sight of the dragon brought a grim smile to his face, at least Helena and the others were safe.
“Sabula” Kalerum shouted. Sabula leapt up into the sky to pursue the dragon.
“NO!!” William cried. Mustering all the strength he could he jumped off the ground towards Sabula, his arm grew large and hairy, fingers becoming sharp claws, he gripped Sabula by the neck and dragged him towards the floor. But Sabula was stronger than any werewolf. He turned in mid-air and smashed his clawed arm down into William’s face sending him crashing back to the ground. William leapt to his feet once more as Sabula hurtled towards him, claws forming fists. William knew he couldn’t win but he put everything into a swing of his fist. Sabula crashed into his chest and William was sent flying, unconscious, through the air until he crashed into a tree at the edge of the wood. His body dropped to the ground and rolled down a slope before coming to rest in a thicket. Sabula was about to pursue him, Hobbins, lying on the floor, bloodied and dying, managed to get out some words to distract him.
“Sabula ramana gistaki” he muttered.
The Amulets (An 'Amulets of Andarrin' tale) Page 18
