Bloodthorn

by Tamara Grantham

  The chains wouldn’t budge an inch. My fingertips burned with an unnatural icy sensation where I pried at the metal links.

  The sound of footsteps came from outside the cabin. I stopped, listening, using my elven senses to amplify the sound.

  Someone walked slowly and deliberately, their feet crunching over dead leaves and debris with each footfall. I froze, readying my magic, only to realize that the metal bands would block me from using it. The inability to use my magic left me panicked. What could I do? How could I fight anything without my powers? Unpredictable or not, magic was my only defense.

  I needed another weapon.

  I crawled closer to the flashlight and grabbed it up. I doubted it would be enough to fend off a predator, but I kept it close all the same. Sitting on the floor, I waited, the light illuminating the white puffs of air exhaling from my mouth, feeling that each breath I took was too loud.

  The sound of footsteps faded and soon disappeared. When I was sure that whoever had been outside was gone, I crawled to the door. Grabbing the knob, I turned it, then pushed the door, but it didn’t budge. I rammed the door with my shoulder but with no success. Panicking, I tried again and again, when I finally felt a spell woven into the wood. Someone had used an elemental spell. Normally, reversing the spell would have been simple enough, but with the chains binding my wrists, I had no chance of negating the magic.

  The bloodthorn, or whatever creature had captured me, had no doubt locked me inside. Shivering, I backed away from the door, trying to be logical while fighting my growing panic.

  I held the flashlight close, but my only source of light seemed to grow dimmer with each passing minute. Scanning the room, I searched for another way out. The cabin had only one window, so I crept toward it on quiet feet, but as I drew closer and pointed the flashlight’s beam at it, my heart sank. Inky black magic emanated from the window as well.

  Still, I couldn’t just sit around and wait for the creature to come back, so I used the butt-end of the flashlight to attempt to bust out the glass. After several tries, the glass remained intact without a scratch—the black magic making it stronger than steel.

  Collapsing to the floor, breathing heavily, I felt hopeless. What chance did I have of breaking free? The chains had stifled my magic. I had no way out. I sat, huddled and shivering, trying to think through my situation.

  Someone had planned this. The wards on the window and door, the magical chains—they had all been done specifically to trap me. Someone who knew me had done this—someone who had studied me.

  It couldn’t be Brent. I knew, deep down inside, that it wasn’t him. But what if the bloodthorn had taken over Brent’s body?

  No, no, no.

  While I didn’t love Brent anymore, it would still hurt if anything happened to him. It had to be someone else. That was the only logical explanation.

  When I closed my eyes, images of the dream I’d had of Kull returned, and the pain of losing him hurt worse than the pain of being trapped.

  Holding the flashlight tight against my chest, I felt a dent in the top of the metal band. A memory surfaced…

  He used a strange metal stick. We do not have them on our planet. It was round and flared at the top.

  The door banged open, and in the dim light cast from the flashlight, I stared, shocked, as the creature entered the room. The door slammed shut behind him with a flash of black magic.

  The creature stalked toward me, and I backed away, fear running like ice water through my veins. It was so tall it barely fit inside the room. Although its face was partially hidden by a mane of thick, coarse hair, I could see it had a horse’s skull, and its green, pinprick eyes glowed in the darkness. The creature walked on two legs, though hunched over, and its fingers were tipped in unnaturally long, dagger-like nails. Chains clinked around its shoulders as it walked toward me.

  As it moved, black magic shimmered around its body, flickering lights that blinded me for a moment. I shielded my eyes, but when I turned back to the creature, it had transformed. Officer Gardener stood in the room with me.

  I gasped and drew back. “You,” I said, “it’s you?”

  “Yes, Olive. It’s me.” He smiled, a look that sent shivers down my spine.

  “But, the beast attacked you… I remember it attacked you.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  I pondered the past several hours, trying to remember correctly. He’d gotten me out of the car, and then… something sharp had stabbed my arm. A syringe! He’d drugged me with something. That’s why I’d had so much trouble remembering.

  The beast hadn’t attacked him. He’d transformed, and then he’d taken my clothes and tied me with the chains. I couldn’t remember anything else after that. Rubbing my temples, I wished I could remember more but came up blank.

  He circled me, his booted footsteps echoing through the cabin. I could tell he was holding something, and when I focused I discovered it was a syringe.

  My insides squirmed. He was going to drug me again. I couldn’t let it happen.

  “I suppose you’re confused right now. Possess does that sometimes—makes you see things that aren’t real—but mostly, it just makes you forget your pain. For a little while, anyway.”

  “You? You created the drug? Why?”

  “It helps cull the soul’s energy. Everyone I collect from has been on the drug for some time, just as you will be. It makes taking your soul an easier process, and for you, it’s almost necessary. Yours will be a hard soul to collect.”

  “You won’t get the chance.”

  “Don’t be so naïve. I will take your soul just as I’ve taken the others, and then creating the portal to the undiscovered land will be a matter of using your energy to reunite the fairies’ stone with the smaller piece.”

  He reached in his pocket and pulled out the fairy princess’s ring. Kneeling beside me, he held the ring close enough for me to see the glimmering red jewel.

  “I need the stone intact, you see. The larger stone collects dark energy for the time being, but if I ever want to use it for the portal, it will have to be in one piece.”

  “I don’t understand. Why do you need the stones?”

  He gave me a leering smile that made me draw back.

  “I’m glad you asked. When I first discovered the dark land, I was much younger and wore a different skin—the form of a unicorn. I saw images of the undiscovered land in the pool I guarded. Voices came to me—softly at first, and then their pull became stronger and stronger until I listened. Bring me the starstone, they said, and I had no choice but to do what they wanted. I took the unicorns’ stone and descended into the world unknown. I lived there for many years, until I nearly forgot my past life. But the unicorns’ stone was not enough, for those in the under realm needed the power of the fairies’ stone as well.

  “I returned to our world and took the fairies’ stone, but I was forced to come to Earth Kingdom. Now, I have only one way to get back. I must use the fairies’ stone to create a portal, but I cannot use the stone without the energy of mortal souls, and I cannot open a portal without your magic.

  “I’ve had help, of course. Otherwise, I never would have accomplished it.”

  “Who helped you?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not important. After I became trapped on Earth, I knew that if I wanted my plans to succeed, I would need a suitable body to inhabit, so I took this man’s form. His was an easy soul to possess. He had lost much—his family had left him, he was plagued with nightmares of the wars he’d fought. He was compromised, so I used his weakened state to my advantage.”

  “But why? Why take the starstones to the undiscovered land?”

  “For the same purpose that many have been seeking for years—to bring about the return of Theht. She will return to the world once again, whether you fight it or not. Her arrival is only a matter of time. I seek to call her forth.”

  He grabbed my arm, his callused hands rough against my skin.

  “Now
,” he said, a sly smile on his lips, “are you ready for another dose?”

  “Stop!” I screamed, aiming a kick at his face.

  I caught the corner of his jaw, and his head snapped back. He released me for just a moment, and I used the time to race away from him. His form blurred for half a second, growing so tall it loomed in front of me, and then it faded, taking on the officer’s form once again.

  My mouth grew dry as he walked toward me. I had nowhere to run or hide. I tried calling my magic but only found emptiness inside. I had nothing left. No magic. No weapons.

  He lunged for me, and though I darted backward, he caught my leg and slammed the needle deep into the tissue of my calf muscle.

  I screamed, feeling the solution burrow inside my veins. My breath came out in labored gasps as the drug took effect. I clawed at the wooden floorboards, my nails scraping over small grains of gritty sand. I needed to think, to concentrate. My mind was the only weapon left in my arsenal, and without it, I was completely helpless.

  My back hit the wall. Whimpering, I huddled into a ball with my arms wrapped around my legs. The liquid worked its way through my bloodstream, warming me, making me immune to the cold.

  “Don’t fight it,” he said.

  I heard his words as if from far away, though I knew he was sitting next to me.

  “You’ll enjoy this part.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tears moistened my cheeks when I woke. More than anything, I wanted to go back to sleep, but as my mind rebooted, I remembered where I was—trapped by Officer Gardener, the bloodthorn. My body ached as I crawled into a sitting position, and my skin, cold and covered in a clammy sweat, tingled as the blood returned to my muscles.

  As I scanned the room, I saw Officer Gardener sitting in a chair across from me. He locked his eyes on me, and I was reminded of my near-nakedness. I hugged my arms around my legs.

  “You’re just in time for breakfast,” he said, then tossed something at my feet.

  I shied back as I realized it was a dead cottonmouth snake, and he laughed as I recoiled from the serpent. He wanted to frighten me, to make me feel afraid and helpless. He needed my soul at its weakest so he could take control of it. But I knew what game he was playing. I wouldn’t let him see my weakness.

  “I’d like my clothes back, please,” I said, my voice hoarse.

  “Sorry, can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “For the same reason I can’t give you food. Clothing is a comfort. It makes you feel warm and safe. Being cold and hungry will make the process of retrieving your soul’s energy go much quicker. Trust me, I would be doing you a disservice by returning your clothing.”

  “I doubt it,” I said.

  I huddled in my corner, trying to think past the drugs that still lingered in my system. I’d dreamed of Kull again but couldn’t remember where we’d been. Somewhere safe. And warm. My heart pounded in my chest, the cold making me shiver uncontrollably. Hunger pains pinched my stomach. Someone would save me. Kull was detained and wouldn’t be out anytime soon, but Brent would know I was missing. He would know something was wrong. I only had to endure this a little longer.

  “I suppose you might believe someone will rescue you?” he asked, as if reading my thoughts. “Perhaps I need to inform you of the truth of your situation. Detective Sanchez has been informed that you were transferred to the downtown station, but there will be quite a bit of red tape and paperwork to be done before he can even see you. By the time he realizes you aren’t there, you will be a corpse resting on the bottom of the lake, and I will be gone from this place with the starstone.”

  “It won’t happen,” I said. “You’re wrong.”

  It was the only thing I could think to say. I didn’t want to let him see how completely terrified I felt.

  I needed magic. If only I could find a way to remove the chains! My only option was to talk my way out, but how could I possibly get through to a creature of darkness?

  “Please,” I said, “I’ll activate the portal for you. You don’t have to kill me. I’ll use my magic to open the portal, and then—”

  He crossed the room and struck me across the face, hard. Stars danced in my vision as pain stung my cheek, then radiated through my skull.

  Kneeling beside me, he took my face between his fingers, forcing me to look at him. His image blurred, and I was no longer looking into the face of a human. Slimy black magic surrounded him. His face was a horse’s skull, and his eyes—green points of light—seemed to peer straight into my soul.

  My skin crawled.

  “You,” he said, “will not tell me what to do.”

  My mouth had grown so dry I couldn’t answer. Not soon enough, he backed away, appearing human once again.

  I tried to steady my breathing. Being in the same room with that creature was more terrifying than I cared to let on. He knew it, too—he knew his presence would frighten me, and that’s why he was here. After several calming breaths, I focused on my options. I had to be overlooking something. He hadn’t killed me yet, so I still had time.

  Officer Gardener sat at the table. He threaded his fingers together, staring pensively at the wall. Perhaps I couldn’t reason with the monster, but how much of Officer Gardener—the real person—still existed within him? Was there a way to get through to him?

  “The man whose body you took,” I said, “where is he now? Is he dead?”

  “His body remains alive for the time being, until I am finished with my work here.”

  “So part of him is still alive?” I asked.

  “Yes. I could not eradicate him completely or else his body would die, and then he would be of no use to me.”

  “And you have all his memories?”

  He nodded. “I have them all.”

  “What will you do with his body once you are done here?”

  “Kill it, of course. I cannot leave any loose ends.”

  “Why? You’re never coming back to this world. Why does it matter if he’s dead or not?”

  After a pause, he shrugged. “I suppose it does not matter one way or the other, except there are certain rules in place that must be abided by—rules about the truth of the undiscovered land and yours—things he would know that he should not.”

  I followed his line of thought. “You’re not supposed to speak about the world you found?”

  He nodded.

  “Can you at least tell me its name?”

  “No. To speak its name is forbidden. I can only tell you that I will return there soon.”

  “Why is it forbidden?”

  Not answering, he gave me a hard stare.

  Forbidden name. Got it. Change the subject.

  “Can’t you take away this man’s memories before you leave his body?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “It seems like it would be the safer way to handle the situation. If you leave his corpse behind, there will be an inquiry as to how he was killed—especially since he’s a cop. There is a chance, however remote, that the authorities here could discover the undiscovered land as a result of his death.”

  “Not likely. The humans here are too preoccupied with their own problems to understand anything that exists beyond their own world.”

  “But there is still a chance the investigators would find out about the undiscovered land,” I said. “Wouldn’t it be better to leave the man behind with no memory of his encounter with you?”

  He tapped his fingers on the table, a rapping sound that echoed through the cold, empty cabin. “No. You are only trying to make me spare this man’s life. It will not work.”

  Frustrated, I sighed. There had to be some way to get through to him.

  “Why is it of any concern to you if this man lives?” he asked.

  “Because he does not deserve death. Murder is something we don’t take lightly here on Earth. It’s one of the worst criminal acts one can do to another. It is evil and abhorrent.”

  “But why does it ma
ke any difference to you?”

  “I suppose it doesn’t,” I answered. “But there are those who would never be the same if he died.”

  Officer Gardener kept his eyes on the wall as he spoke. “Yes, he thinks of them often. A daughter—Julie. He likes to take her to the shooting range when she visits. Her favorite gun is a pink-camo .34 caliber. He gave it to her for her fourteenth birthday. His ex-wife hates it. Her name is Kate. He still loves her, and he suspects she loves him still, but he won’t tell her.”

  “Can you hear all of his thoughts?” I asked.

  “Yes, if I allow them.”

  “What else does he say?”

  “That,” he said with sternness, “is not something I wish to discuss.”

  “Fine,” I mumbled, rubbing my arms for an attempt at warmth, my stomach growling.

  Concentrating was getting harder to do in my weakened state, and talking morality to a depraved creature of darkness was something that took energy—a resource I was short on at the moment.

  “These chains,” I said, “what are they?”

  “They are spellcasted with an omaji-word. They will repel any spell except for those I allow.” Abruptly, the officer stood and walked to the door. “I must go,” he said. “The others will get suspicious if I’m gone for too long.”

  Without another word, he left the cabin through the front door. I watched as he went. When he opened the door, a hint of blue sky shone through the opening for a brief moment. I longed to be outside, to be free. Somehow, I would find a way to get these chains off my wrists.

  Perhaps if I slept my strength would return, and hopefully, I would be able to think of a way out. It was the only hope I had left.

  I awoke to the sensation of freezing water being tossed in my face. Gasping, I sat up as icy needles bored through my skin. A rough kick to my ribs brought me fully awake. Officer Gardener stood over me. His overconfident smile had been replaced with tightly drawn lips and narrowed eyes.

  As I sat up, he tossed a cloak at my feet.