by H B Lyne
Hate swelled in his chest and a snarl escaped his lips as she disappeared out of his reach.
Wind Talker and Weaver emerged from the smoke, running straight for him, their feet pounding furiously on the road. Right behind them were two huge beasts, bounding along on two legs, the knuckles on the ends of their long forearms thumping the road too, like gorillas. He shifted form as his pack mates ran past him on either side and he strode forward to meet The Witches. A strange stillness oozing from inside him seemed to slow everything down, giving him ample time to plant his feet and ready himself.
He struck one of them full in the face, using her momentum to drive the impact and she flipped over backwards and sprawled on the floor for a moment before scrabbling to her feet. The other came at him with huge talons, but he dodged and spun around her. Wind Talker and Weaver shifted form and joined the fray. It was a bloody and vicious brawl, fur flew and the air was filled with ripping, snarling and snapping jaws. Eyes struck one of the attacking beasts full in the face, sending blood splattering from her nose onto the grey tarmac.
Out of the smoke a van suddenly appeared, skidding to a halt right next to the five fighting shifters. The side door slid open and the Wrecking Crew piled out, tooled up and ready for a fight.
Two more enemy Agrius shifters emerged from the smoke, racing towards them. The Wrecking Crew laid into them, holding nothing back. Eyes watched in stunned silence as Speaker-of-Steel, one of Rust's crew, strode over to a parked car and ripped the bonnet off like it was paper and rolled it into a huge tube. He turned and sliced through the smoke with it, knocking down one of the Witches and rendering her unconscious in the road.
'Eyes! Get inside! We've got this.' Claws' voice rang out through the smoke, which was beginning to clear and in the distance Eyes heard a siren. He tore himself from the fight, leaving the others to deal with the monsters in the street. He charged to the living room window and began ripping at the plants. Stalker appeared next to him, one of her swords in hand and she sliced through the vines like they were butter. He could hear screams inside and fear coursed through every vein in his huge bestial body.
He roared as he ripped a hole in the vines and clawed his way in through the window. He slammed into the floor, glass digging into his palms and knees. Stalker deftly leaped in behind him, her feet crunching lightly on the broken glass. Eyes strode through the house, still in his Agrius guise and headed straight for the dining room. The table was overturned, his family were gone. Panic flooded his head and the Agrius threatened to take control of him.
There was a scream from upstairs and he charged for the smoky hallway, his senses rapidly returning to him as his instinct to protect his family overrode the beast. He took the stairs four at a time and emerged on the landing, panting. Amy's bedroom door was open and he caught sight of movement inside. He strode to it and took a split second to assess the scene. A young Witch in human form was standing just inside the doorway with a silver knife clutched in her hand. Chloe was huddled in the corner, wrapped around a crying Amy and Perfection-of-Flesh had crossed the veil and was standing over them, protecting them. Eyes had arrived a second too late to save the fae, his chest was cut open and gold liquid was pouring out of him. His eyes caught Eyes' own and he mouthed something that Eyes couldn't make out before exploding in a shower of golden sparks.
Without a second thought, Eyes grabbed the Witch by the throat and yanked her out of the room. She made choking noises as he tossed her like a rag doll down the hall. He leaped through the air and landed on her chest, crushing her ribs under his massive legs. He plunged his teeth into her neck and her blood filled his mouth. She lay still under him. He pulled away and looked at her, his head cocked on one side, blood dripping from his open jaws. She looked almost identical to the girl they had killed in St. Catherine's. He felt absolutely calm, almost as if he were watching from somewhere above himself, detached from the situation. The girl had a silver claw through her ear, it looked raw, like it was still healing. Silver was harmful to their kind, especially those born under the full moon, like him. He climbed off her and stepped back.
His senses began to return to the present, he could hear gunfire and a police siren in the street outside and his wife and child whimpering in the room behind him. He shook his head and shifted into his human form. He ran in to them and knelt down in front of them.
'Are you both all right?' he whispered. There was no reply, they simply shook and sobbed. Amy's face was buried, but he looked into Chloe's eyes. They were somewhere far away, tears streaked down her red face. He gently checked them both over for physical injuries, but could find none. 'Thank Artemis,' he breathed.
'Martin,' a quiet voice reached out from behind him. He turned to see Stalker in the doorway, the sword in her hand at her side dripping with blood. 'You need to come downstairs with me. Teri will sit with them for a minute.'
Weaver appeared just behind her and nodded solemnly. Eyes looked down at his family and shook his head. He didn't want to leave them.
'No,' he said firmly.
'It's your dad,' Stalker said, quiet but insistent.
Eyes felt something horrible lurch inside him and in a sudden panic he tore from the room, pushed past Stalker and leaped down the stairs in just three strides. He ran down the hall and into the kitchen. His mother was shrieking and sobbing, her face stained with tears and blood all over her clothes. She was clutching her husband, who was slumped against one of the kitchen cupboards, his throat had been torn out and his face was white, his eyes lifeless.
'Dad?' Eyes croaked and walked slowly over to him, dropping to his knees. He was dead, undoubtedly, but Eyes didn't want to accept it. He tried to find somewhere to check for a pulse, but there was nothing left of his throat, so Eyes lifted his wrist. Nothing.
'Martin,' Stalker spoke softly behind him again. 'I know this is absolutely terrible and I know you need to deal with your family, but I just need one minute of your time out here, please.'
Eyes scowled at her, he saw the urgency in her face and grudgingly followed her down the hall to the front door. It stood wide open, the vines had been roughly hacked back, and the smoke was almost clear outside now, just a fine layer hung in the air. A police car stood idling at the kerb, its blue lights flashing silently in the haze and Vengeance-of-Steel was leaning against it, a shot gun slung over her arm. When she saw him she strode over to him.
'They've fled,' she said, her voice cold and hard. 'Theodore is aware of what's happened and is sending a cleaning crew now to process the scene before my colleagues arrive. I have to call this in now, shots were fired, if I don't report it questions will be asked. It's best if your pack leaves now. You and I will stay.'
'Where are the Wrecking Crew?' Eyes asked, scanning the street. Curtains twitched in almost every window and a few doors were starting to open as his neighbours dared to seek answers.
'They chased The Witches away,' Stalker replied.
'It was really good of them to come, I didn't think they would from my last conversation with Rust.' Eyes spoke softly, he was numb. 'You too,' he addressed Vengeance-of-Steel.
'Not by choice,' she said icily. 'Just doing my job. I'm here to respond to this stuff first, before my colleagues.'
'Eyes, I'm going to take the others back to the house now,' Stalker said. 'I hate to leave you, but we can't be here when the other police arrive.'
'I know,' he replied, nodding gravely. 'I'll be okay.' He walked slowly back into the house, his mother was still howling in the kitchen but he had to check on Chloe and Amy. As he put a foot on the stairs, Weaver appeared at the top, looking worried. She jogged down the stairs to him.
'Neither of them have moved, Amy keeps crying but Chloe has gone into some sort of catatonic state. Eyes, I think she may be affected by the madness. I am so sorry.'
There was a ripple in the veil and three strange men crossed over. They were dressed in plastic overalls and all had pale skin and white eyes. They were fae. Eyes was about to leap ont
o the nearest intruder, but he held up his hands in surrender and Weaver grabbed Eyes' shoulder roughly, holding him back.
'Theodore sent us,' the man-like fae said quickly and firmly. 'Just leave everything to us.' The three of them dispersed and Eyes watched cautiously as they began moving around the house, examining the scene. One went out through the front door and there was a blinding flash of light. Eyes ran to the door and looked out. His neighbour opposite stood on her front step, totally frozen. A few other humans in the vicinity were equally still, their faces filled with fear and shock.
'Don't worry,' the pale man said quietly as he bent to take something out of his huge bag on the floor at his feet. 'They're fine, just frozen in time while we sort this mess out.' He began spraying something green from a white bottle onto the plants that engulfed the house and they instantly began to rot at an incredible speed, falling down off the house and disintegrating on the ground. Eyes went back inside and ran up the stairs. One of the men was crouched over the dead Witch on the landing.
'Did you do this?'
Eyes nodded. The man gave him an appraising nod, like the slaughter of this girl was something to be proud of. Eyes felt pretty cold about it, he had done what he had to but he wasn't pleased about it. He strode past him and into Amy's room. The two of them were still huddled just as he had left them. Chloe was staring into the mid-distance, her grip on Amy unrelenting. Amy was crying silently, but had managed to turn her head so that she could see him. Her eyes were wide and terrified.
'Daddy?' Her voice trembled and fresh tears spilled from her eyes.
'I'm right here, baby.'
'You left,' she said, trembling.
His lip quivered and tears welled up in his eyes.
'I'm so sorry, I'm right here now. I was just outside before, trying to stop the bad things getting in. I'm so sorry I wasn't right here with you. I'm so sorry.' The tears ran down his cheeks and he swatted them away. The guilt, fear and grief were overwhelming. How could he have run outside like that? Why didn't he stay with them?
'We're done,' a quiet voice spoke from the door. Eyes turned to see one of the cleaners standing there.
'Thank you,' he said, his voice hoarse.
'You're welcome, but it's really Theodore you should be thanking. Good luck.' The man turned and went downstairs.
Moments later, it seemed, the house was filled with police and paramedics. Someone was trying to drag Eyes away from his family, he was too numb to object strongly. Two paramedics lifted Chloe and managed to untangle Amy from her arms. Eyes tore free of the people around him and scooped Amy up into his own, protective arms.
'You left us,' she whimpered and began wailing.
Someone gently removed her from his shaking arms and he felt himself being led away. He looked down at the spot where he had killed the Witch, she was gone and there was no trace of any foul play. Downstairs the front window remained smashed in and there was blood all over the kitchen. He was led out into the street and saw Vengeance-of-Steel talking with two other police officers by her car. She glanced over at him with a blank expression and returned to her conversation. There was no trace of the vines left on his house and he saw more police stringing tape across the street and the forensics team arriving. His parents were being loaded into an ambulance together, his father on a stretcher and covered in a sheet. Eyes stared at them in numb shock.
He was helped into a separate ambulance and moments later, Amy was placed in his lap. She looked up at him and then dropped her head onto his chest. Everything was a blur, he felt that strange detachment again, but he wrapped his arms around his precious daughter and held her. The Witches had been after her, like Stalker said, an eye for an eye. The Lightning Lords had killed the Alpha's daughter, so she had come after his. Thank Artemis she had failed. But the price had been his step-father. Fresh tears ran down his face as the paramedics wheeled Chloe in on a stretcher. She lay staring at the ceiling, totally blank and it occurred to him that he might never get her back.
Chapter Six
Stalker-of-Night's-Shadow
They left Eyes' house quickly on foot, Stalker in the form of a collie, the others in their human forms. It was an anxious journey and Stalker picked up her pack mates' rage and fear as they made their way across Crossway and St. Mark's. The streets were buzzing with activity. Police cars and ambulances flew past them as they fled the scene. News of the event seemed to follow them like a tide chasing them up the beach. People ran from their houses and workplaces, phones clutched in their hands as they read the news on them or shared it with others.
As they reached the doorway of 32 Grove Street, Stalker caught the scent of one of the Witches. She gave a short bark to alert the others and sniffed carefully around the door. The lock had been damaged and the door swung open as Wind Talker touched it.
Stalker led the way inside, advancing slowly down the hall. The scent was stronger inside, but old enough to suggest that the intruder was long gone. Stalker stared in horror. There was graffiti on the walls, declaring the Lightning Lords to be “Luna's Bitches”. It was smeared in blood; the metallic smell clawed at Stalker's throat and she whimpered softly.
Wind Talker thundered up the stairs and Stalker followed him, feeling anxiety rolling off him in waves. He bounded up the stairs to the attic two at a time and when Stalker arrived a moment later he dropped to his knees and cradled his head in his hands. Almost everything was gone, including most of the boxes of Flames-First-Guardian's notes and the map of their territory. Wind Talker's ritual supplies were smashed and scattered all over the floor.
Stalker nudged his arm with her nose in a gesture of support, then turned and ran back down the stairs. The living room had more blood on the walls, and the furniture had been knocked over. The new upholstery on the sofa had been ripped with talons, shedding the stuffing onto the floor. Stalker snarled and padded into the kitchen. The table and chairs had been overturned and Weaver and Claws were already straightening things out.
'Fucking bitches!' Claws snapped. His hands were trembling.
Stalker shifted form and yanked open the back door, the glass panels of which had been smashed. She stepped onto the broken glass, feeling it crunch under her boots. The garden had been ransacked, plants pulled up and the earth in the centre of the garden had been disturbed, though it didn't look like the culprit had had time to dig deep enough to uncover the hidden grave.
'Damn them,' Stalker cursed under her breath as she went back into the kitchen.
'Should we call Eyes to tell him about this?' Claws asked.
'No,' Stalker and Weaver said together without hesitation.
'He's got enough on his plate right now,' Stalker said with a sigh. She set right a chair and sat down at the dining table. The four of them lingered in the kitchen in silence for what felt like hours. They couldn't even look at each other.
'Why didn't I see it coming?' Weaver whispered eventually.
Stalker glanced at her, a puzzled frown creeping onto her face. Weaver usually had visions warning them of things like this attack. But Artemis hadn't seen fit to warn her this time. It did seem odd.
'I don't know,' Wind Talker said softly. He stared at the floor, utterly lost for answers for possibly the first time in his life.
'Where's Unchained Lightning?' Claws said suddenly. He was on his feet in an instant and crossed the veil before the others had even reacted. They exchanged worried glances and followed him quickly into Hepethia and out into the garden. It was empty. Stalker searched the skies, but they remained resolutely dark grey and empty of life.
'Should we try summoning him?' Stalker asked, casting furtive glances at the others.
'No,' Wind Talker replied. 'Not yet. If we haven't heard from him by tomorrow evening we will.'
Reluctantly, they crossed back into the human world and slowly did what they could to secure the house and set things roughly right.
'We should take turns keeping watch,' Stalker said quietly. For some reason she coul
dn't bring herself to raise her voice much above a whisper. Their home had been defiled and didn't feel entirely safe now. The others nodded in agreement and Wind Talker moved to the sit at the foot of the stairs to take first watch. Weaver and Stalker curled up together in the living room to get some rest.
Stalker was plagued by violent dreams. She saw Eyes' father slumped on the kitchen floor with his throat ripped out and the sickeningly familiar face of another dead Witch over and over again. Eventually she settled into a deeper sleep, away from the terrifying images but when she woke up in the morning she still felt exhausted.
'I'll go and patrol the border soon,' she told the others over a solemn breakfast. 'We should call Eyes and find out how he is.'
Stalker didn't wait for a reply, she immediately made the call. She waited a while and eventually he answered.
'How are you doing? How's your family?'
'Mostly alive,' he said, his voice thick with venom.
'I'm so sorry,' Stalker said. She tried not to take his tone personally.
'No, I'm sorry. I haven't slept yet. Amy's okay, traumatised, but I think she'll be okay. My mum, well, same really. Grieving. Chloe, I don't know. She's catatonic.'
'Oh Eyes, I am so sorry.'
'How are things there?'
She hesitated, unsure whether to tell him about the break in or not.
'Okay, we're all exhausted and worried. I'm about to head out to patrol the border.'
'Good idea, can you arrange shifts to keep patrolling for the next 48 hours in case there is a second attack?'
'Of course. Don't worry about us, you take whatever time you need with your family.'
'Thanks. I have to go, Amy's waking up. I'm glad you're all okay.' Eyes hung up the phone.
'You didn't tell him about this place,' Claws said, watching her carefully.
'I know,' she replied. 'That can wait. He wants a constant patrol for the next 48 hours. I'll head out now.'
