Ava took my hand and we leapt through together.
17
“OI, YOU! FREEZE RIGHT there.” The sharp tone of the man halted us the moment we jumped through the portal and into the ally across from the park. I pulled out the slip of paper with the opening cast on it and went to close the book when he spoke again. “Turn around slowly and keep your hands where I can see ‘em.” We did as he said, and were blinded by the bright flashlight he shone in our direction. I raised my hand holding the open book to shield my eyes. Ava did the same.
“Where did you two come from then?” he asked, not lowing the light.
“We were just out for a walk, we didn’t do anything wrong,” I said, defensively.
“A walk? You went for a walk at two in the morning in this part of the city? What is that you have there?”
“It is a book, can’t you tell? And last I checked walking isn’t a crime. My daughter and I needed some fresh air.” I sniffed, alerted to a stench that was anything but fresh. “What is that smell?”
“That is the source of my disbelief, mam. See with this here dead body, not a one person would be walking this way for a bit of fresh air. Now how about you toss that book over here, and try again telling me what you was doing out this late.”
I tossed the book over, trying to make it close on the way to the ground. If it closed he wouldn’t be able to open it, if it didn’t we might just end up in the nut house.
It landed with a slap against the ground but stayed open. Shit.
“So why are you here?” the man asked. The light moved as he crouched and picked up my book, flashing on something at his chest. But then the flashlight moved back to my face and I was blind again. I tried to think of a plausible reason to be near a dead body. To be out at all at two in the morning, but nothing was coming to me. Then I saw a shadow approach the one with the flashlight.
“Do I know you?” came a familiar voice.
“How would I know, I can’t see you,” I said all the while not even trying. My eyes were locked on what I could see of the other man’s hands holding my very open spell book.
“Lower the light, Officer Kirby.”
The light dropped from our faces to our hands and I lowered my arm to see Officer Peck beaming in front of us.
“Ah, it is you. I thought so. Doreen, isn’t it?”
Ava laughed beside me and I elbowed her lightly.
“Desmoree, actually.”
“Oh yes, Desmoree, how silly of me. Now,” he began as he stepped close to Kirby. “Please tell me why I happen to find you walking at night again? Surely Madel didn’t escape a third time?”
“No, just out for a walk. Officer Kirby said a there was a dead body? I don’t know why I have the worst luck in the world, but here I am.” I shrugged.
Officer Peck shot Kirby a glare when I mentioned the body. “I swear, my daughter and I were just out for a walk. The wind must have been blowing the other way, we honestly didn’t smell a thing until right now.”
I prayed my explanation was enough, but doubted it. Officer Peck’s frown grew to a smile. “Did you find Madel?”
“Madel?” Ava questioned quietly from about half a meter away. I wanted to move closer to her but didn’t want to piss off the cop.
“Yes, Madel is home now, thanks.”
“Not exactly a handsome dog that one, but who am I to judge? My last partner had a little rat thing, little bugga used to yap yap yap.”
Officer Kirby cleared his throat.
“Ahh, yes, so who is this daughter of yours? I don’t believe you mentioned a child when we last spoke.”
“Oh, I am sorry, this is Ava.” The flashlight rose to Ava’s face and illuminated her rainbow hair. Officer Kirby dropped the book to pull his gun. The book fell shut on the ground, but now Kirby brought a new threat, he stood shaking while holding a gun directed at Ava. I cast my shield, sending as much magic to it as I could and prayed it would hold. Ava barely registered a threat beside me. She had never seen a gun, so probably had no idea what it could do to her. Could it do anything to her, or to me? Never mind that, we don’t want to find out!
Ava then tilted her head. The smile she held briefly fell away as her mouth opened in awe.
“What are you doing?” Officer Peck asked Officer Kirby. “Lower your weapon!”
“She is the one. They said they saw a rainbow. You said you saw a rainbow. All of them did. It was night but they saw it. A rainbow moving in the darkness.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Officer Peck said as he reached up behind Officer Kirby and grabbed hold of his neck. In one quick movement I heard the sickening snap as his eyes went blank and all life left his body. His gun and flashlight fell haplessly to the ground beside my book of spells.
“Two partners in two years. They will probably look into that, huh?” Officer Peck asked, standing over the body of his now dead partner. “Don’t suppose you have a spell that will cover this up do you?”
I was still staring at Kirby, slacked-jawed, as what Officer Peck was saying caught up with me.
He knew I was a fairy?
“Oh, don’t look so surprised. And before you ask, yes I am human. Mostly. But you are going to make it so I can be so much more.”
“What do you mean?” I shifted between him and Ava, who though hadn’t sensed the treat before, now trembled behind me.
“The coven has been waiting decades for this moment, for the barrier between here and there to be dissolved.”
“You’re a cop. You are supposed to serve and protect and now you want to open the mouth of hell?”
“Oh, silly fairy, we want you to open all the doorways. And when you do, he will share his power with us. The coven will rule this world and any who oppose us will be ground to ash.”
Wow, this cop is nuts.
Ava whispered from behind me, “Mum, what do you mean protect?”
“Cops are supposed to help people, they are who you go to when you are in trouble. They are supposed to be the good guys,” I replied, saddened by the reality I was showing Ava. A world where the good guys could be some of the worst guys, and the monsters could be the ones who help save your life. “Most cops are there to help, sweetie, this one is just off his rocker.” I took a step back and Ava moved willingly with me.
“Ah, ah, ahhh...” Officer Peck said, waving one single finger side to side maniacally. “Now, where would you be off to? The gateway can’t be opened without you, and open it will be. Oh, wait now...What is this we have here?” He crouched over Officer Kirby’s body, eyeing the book in his hands. “Hmm, what is this?”
He reached over and took hold of the book. In a split second the book burst into flames and crumbled to ash in his grasp.
“Shit, what was that, some kind of spell book? You better know the spell to open this gateway off by heart or we are going to have to start removing body parts—starting with your daughter’s pretty little fingers.”
“You won’t touch her. I will do what you ask, just leave her be.”
“Mum, we can’t open it,” Ava said from behind me in a trembled whisper.
“I have to open it, Ava. I won’t let them hurt you and...I can’t leave him there. He wouldn’t leave me there.” It felt so good to finally say the words out loud.
Ava’s hand ripped from mine and I turned on reflex to face her.
“You were going to open it all along, weren’t you?” she cried, her tears glistening down her cheeks in the dull light of the alleyway. “I can’t let you,” she said. Her form changed, her wings unfurled immediately and I felt the power coming off her, felt it envelop her in a bubble of safety and strength.
“Ava, you can’t stop me.” I looked up as she slowly rose above me.
“I can, Mother, you said it yourself, remember? I am more powerful than you.” And then she tried to blast me.
A ball of light shot out of Ava’s hand and flew over my head. I followed it towards Officer Peck. He ducked below a trash can and I turned back to A
va.
“You don’t want to do this. I have to get him out Ava. He is your father. He is my husband, my heart.”
“They will destroy this world, can you really sacrifice so many for one person?”
“I can and I will.”
“No you won’t, I told you mum, I won’t let you and I am stronger. My magic is greater.”
“No, dear child, maybe one day, but right your magic is young as too are you, and like most of the youth these days you are not very observant. I held out my hand and drew her energy to me. Not her life-force, only her bubble.
She felt it going, the shock and awe of it expressed so clearly on her pained face.
“I am so sorry, Ava, but I can’t let him die down there. In the dark, with the demons. I can’t. One day when you are older you will understand.”
When the last of her bubble was mine, it forced her transformation back to her normal form. She collapsed to the ground, weeping. Her glassy eyes bore into mine, then fell to my hand. Clasped tightly between two fingers I held a strand of the yowie’s fur. It darkened as the last of her power was drained, dissolving to ash in the end. I hated to use it against her, but I would set Jax free.
“I will give it all back, and should be able to. But I have to get him out first, I have to set him free.”
“Mum, no...” she pleaded one last time, but my back was already turned. Officer Peck held the leg of the fallen officer in is hands and began dragging it toward the end of the alley. I stormed past Officer Peck, the stench of death growing as I neared the body Officer Kirby had spoken of. It was another man, his insides as shredded as the woman in the street and the man in the woods. With Ava’s magic, I was strong. I felt the power surge through me. I felt dirty. The power protested inside, swirling around wildly as if it knew it was stolen, knew it should not be there. But the magic would do what I needed.
My shield came up easily and kept out the smell but the taste sat heavy on my tongue.
“Grab that one’s leg,” Officer Peck ordered.
“No fucking way. You killed them, you carry them.”
“Stupid fairy bitch, you do it now or I’ll have those logaras take a chunk out of your precious Jax.”
A chill ran up my spine when he spoke Jax’s name. I leant down and grabbed the ankle of the man. His body was cold, even through the denim of his jeans. I began to drag him, he was heavy and I could have used my shield to help, but I wanted to keep a layer between the body and myself.
When I reached the end of the alley there was a heap of bodies piled up high. Women, children, men. A random collection of blood and bones. The pool of blood beneath the pile of corpses was thick and dark. My stomach rolled. The bodies had been there a while. How did they keep them hidden for so long?
I dropped the leg of the man and Officer Peck heaved Officer Kirby’s body onto the bottom of the pile then dragged the man’s corpse closer to the bottom too. Officer Peck’s black shiny shoe landed in the pool of blood with a sickening wet slap.
I gagged.
“Why not open the gateway yourselves?” I asked as I heard Officer Peck plod behind me. “Surely If you can summon logaras demons you can open a simple gateway. Or didn’t you send the logaras? Is someone or something else really behind this grand plan of yours?”
He didn’t respond except to huff and grunt behind me as I circled the enormous pile. I tried not to look at the faces. At the tiny cheeks and hands. The innocent children slaughtered for no reason.
They could have been Ava. I clenched my fists painfully.
“Why kill all these people?”
He stopped and knelt by the stack, reaching out a hand he fingered the thick pool of blood. It had congealed to the point where when he raised his finger a thick string of blood came with it. It stretched from the pool to his fingertip before snapping away and plopping back to the pool below. Gross!
“A blood offering was required to open the gateway,” he said, pinching his blood tipped finger with his thumb and smooshing them together. A maniacal smile returned to his face.
“Who told you there needed to be a blood offering? There is no spell that requires such an act. Not even the dark magics call for it. You stupid human, you have no clue, do you?”
“Shut up and do your part, or Jax will remain locked away in the darkness. Tortured for the fun of the logaras. You know how much they enjoy to play with their food. I’ve heard that they have kept some beings alive for decades.”
A sinking feeling took hold of my stomach and I glanced back to where Ava had sat weeping. She was no longer there.
Could I really open the mouth of hell to save Jax? Should I?
“How did you keep this hidden? The smell should have alerted someone, the park is right there,” I said, pointing to the other end of the ally and the dim lights of the park paths.
“The coven of souls have many gifts.” He said sticking his fingers into his mouth and sucking them clean.
I gagged turning away. “That is fucking nasty!”
His answering smile was tinged red.
Bile rose in my throat and I struggled to swallow it down.
“I will open the mouth, but if Jax isn’t the first one through, I will close it and seal it forever.”
“The logaras are on the outer edge of the gateway, you have a good chance he will be out first, though these demons can be pesky little buggers. No telling really what will come through first. You will still open the gateway, it is the only way you will see him again.”
I hated it, but Officer Peck was right. Problem was, I was not entirely sure I could open it. I struggled to open portals to places I knew, let alone a gateway to the demon realms. I was kind of counting on Ava to do the actual opening. But I have the spell and her power—or at least some of it. Maybe that will help me to open it. It better help me to close it too.
“You better do this right,” Officer peck said, coming to stand by my side. I cringed away and gave no reply. He had no idea what the opening of the mouth would entail, or at least I hoped he didn’t. I wanted to use the time to prepare the sealing spell, so once Jax was out I would be able to close the mouth and limit the release of the demons below.
I knelt by the back of the alley. The pile of bodies that were completely unnecessary loomed over me.
“Seriously, there was no need for this.” My voice broke as I laid out the ingredients one by one. Sure, the unicorns required a blood rite to retrieve the horn... I placed it at the furthest point of the circle I was forming. But that was no mass murder. It was no blood offering.
I pulled free each item from the bag and placed them one by one around the circle, when it came time to scatter the yowie fur within the circle I paused. I needed it to return Ava’s magic. I could probably use it to help Madel and the other hytersprites too. So I took only half the bundle out and tucked the rest away into the little pouch. The fur scattered easily and I prayed the wind would not blow it all away before I could cast the spell to seal the gateway.
The circle was complete except for the key. It would close the doorway and lock it permanently. I felt Officer Peck shuffling from foot to foot at my back.
“Is it ready yet? Can you open the mouth now?” he asked in a hurried voice. He was nervous or excited, both options gave me the creeps.
“Almost, keep your hat on,” I spat back.
He reached down and picked up the dragon scale. My heart leapt into my throat.
“Put that back, I need it to do your bloody cast.”
He scrunched up his nose and looked past it to the other items in the circle. I held up my hand, he placed the scale in it, and I released the breath I hadn’t realised I had been holding. I reached into my back pocket and wrapped my hand around the key, concealing in beneath my fingers I brought my hand forwards.
“What is that there? That in your hand?” he asked, shuffling behind me. Crap!
“What is it? Is it a key? It is, hand it over!”
“I need it for the spell too.”<
br />
There was a click of a gun and something hard and cold rested against the back of my head.
“If you shoot me you won’t get the gateway opened.” My voice shook a little. I had no idea if a gunshot to the head would be fatal, or if my shield would stop it, and I had no plans on finding out.
“HAND OVER THE KEY!” Officer Peck ordered again. I took a step back, looking from the pile of fabled offering to my hand and the key.
“NOW!”
My arm shaking, I lifted the key and he quickly snatched it away, ducking to beside the pile of bodies.
“Stupid fairy bitch. You think they didn’t know what you were doing? You think we were not watching. We know where you have been, we know what you planned. But now we have the key we can open all of the doorways. The coven of souls will rule all the worlds.”
A rustling noise came from within the mound. The heap of bodies breathed. It rose outwards, then sucked in. I watched, frozen, in awe of the stack of death coming to life.
Then a hand shot from the top of the mound and pushed the body of a dead woman so that it rolled over other dead bodies and slapped into the pool of thick blood surrounding the pile.
The arm was followed by another and another as several people climbed free of the pile. Hidden beneath the death, they waited. They looked like regular people. Business women, an ambulance officer, another police officer, two twenty-something twins that hissed at me as they clawed free.
“So this is the coven?” I asked, turning on my knee and standing to see the rest of them unearth themselves.
“As you rise from beneath the blood of the offering, you rise as one, a coven united in power.” Officer Peck called to them ignoring my question. “Sangist offra magni feracta, rise and take your place, stand ready to receive your power.”
Uniting The Fabled Page 22
