I have to do something now. Nick’s heart squeezed in on itself. A noise came from behind him. He tried to charge forward, but stalled.
Austin swiped his double-bladed knife across the half-elf’s throat.
‘No!’ barked Nick.
But he saw no blood splatter out. In fact, he saw no James. There was a buzz, like when James opened a lock with magic, only it was stronger, making the air fizzle. The half-elf literally disappeared. A millisecond later he re-materialised behind Austin and thumped him in the back of the head.
Nick blinked idiotically. That’s how he travelled so fast … That’s how he vanished when I chased him down the street … Nick turned, remembering he’d heard a noise behind him, and there stood a tall guy with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a navy Ralph Lauren polo shirt and sand-coloured chinos. ‘Fin?’ His best friend’s eyes were stretched open. His jaw hung stupidly.
Like Nick, he must have seen the half-elf teleport. Great.
‘Nicolas!’ shouted James, alerting him to the situation. Somehow the half-elf had ended up on the kitchen floor, most likely weak from teleporting, and now Austin set his rage on Nick. The hallway was not particularly wide; any attempt to dodge a strike would be tough. But it wasn’t a strike that took him.
It was a vision.
Austin charged. He pitched his weapon above his head. Nick saw the necromancer’s arm tense, ready to slash down, so he stepped to one side. Austin realigned course. He moved again; again he was mimicked. He saw the two blades come at him.
Nick snapped to, feeling as if he’d witnessed the necromancer’s attack in slow motion.
Austin charged. He pitched his weapon above his head. Nick saw the necromancer’s arm tense, ready to slash down, so he stepped to one side. Austin realigned course. He moved again, and when Austin mimicked him again, Nick swiftly slid back the other way and ducked under the necromancer’s arm. He pivoted, grabbed the back of Austin’s shirt and propelled him into a door frame. The thump his head made was disgusting and knocked him out cold.
After puffing out his chest and then releasing the breath, Nick sighed out, ‘Hi, Fin …’
Fin stood gobsmacked.
‘Fin?’
Steps came from behind Nick. He felt a hand push him aside then saw James lurch towards Fin and raise his short sword. He stopped with the blade’s point inches away.
‘Woah, James!’ Nick grabbed the half-elf’s other arm. ‘What are you doing?!’
‘He saw me use magic. He saw what happened here.’ James’s expression seemed uncertain. His eyelids hung wearily low. ‘I told you we were willing to guard our secrets.’
Fin spoke up for himself. ‘Hey, man, I can forget what I saw here.’ He held up his palms. ‘Actually … I didn’t see anything at all. Just walked in now.’ He’d always been a gentle soul. A lover, not a fighter, as they say.
‘He’s seen too much,’ stressed the half-elf. His hand twitched the short sword.
‘He’s my best friend.’ Nick smacked James’s weapon arm down and away. ‘You should know that; you’ve been keeping an eye on me. Anyway, he already knows I can see the future, and I trust him with everything.’ James softened his glare, then looked back and forth between the two of them. He eased up, as Nick finished with, ‘He’s never shared any of my secrets, and he’s told no one about my ability.’
James blew out his cheeks. ‘Fine.’ He moved back a step.
‘What is going on here?’ asked Fin.
I’m going to have to tell him everything. The realisation gave Nick relief. One less person to lie to. ‘Fin,’ he began, ‘can you go sit in the kitchen for now, please? It’s all to do with Kerra and my ability, but I’ll explain in a minute. We need to …’ He didn’t finish the sentence, but let his eyes drop to Austin unconscious on the floor.
Before moving, Fin communicated tacitly with Nick, the way only a close friend could. He flicked a furtive glance at the half-elf and then returned his eyes to Nick and widened them. The silent question: ‘Do you trust this guy?’
Nick nodded almost imperceptibly, and then his best friend stepped over the body and made his way to the kitchen.
My legs are shaking so much; does everybody get like this? He looked at James, who appeared more worn out than anything, and wondered how uneasy he felt in physical confrontations. ‘What are we going to do with Austin?’ He spoke low. ‘Shouldn’t you restrain him or something before he comes around?’
‘Do you have anything I can tie him with?’ he said raggedly.
‘Erm …’ Nick scurried to his room and searched it. I should have kept those handcuffs he used on me, he thought with regret, because it wasn’t like he had rope lying about his house anywhere. The best he could settle on was the cord from an old dressing gown. Luckily the fabric had stiffened over the years, and so would hopefully offer more resistance.
He returned to the hallway and passed over the cord. James knelt down, rolled over the body, and tied Austin’s wrists together. As he did, he said, ‘I’ll arrange for him to be picked up and taken away. Understand, Nicolas, that this will be the last time you see him. He’ll be questioned, and I assure you he’ll be punished for what he’s done.’
‘Do you mean executed?’ Nick hoped his best friend didn’t overhear, and he wondered what James’s kind considered fair punishment. Isn’t me giving the go-ahead the same as swinging the axe myself? One of the only things he knew for sure about himself was: I’m not a murderer, and never will be. ‘Won’t he be locked up instead?’
‘We have our own system. You should take into account that if he is working for whom I suspect he is, the person you’ve figured out is an enemy to my kind, then Austin is guilty of that crime too.’ Still kneeling, James tilted his exhausted face up to look Nick in the eyes. ‘It is my people who will judge him for that, not yours.’
Nick supposed that was reasonable. If Austin had been conspiring with a person from the Otherworld, then it should be the Otherworld’s laws that decided his punishment. It’s like visiting another country; I’d expect to be governed under and punished by their justice system while I’m there. It still didn’t feel completely right, though.
‘Do you need my help with any of this?’ Nick asked.
‘No. It’s better you stay out of the way, actually. The people coming here will be half-elves, and maybe some trusted humans. They all have a responsibility to help in situations like this, but they also have a right to privacy. They may not want to be seen by you and your friend.’
‘Okay. We’ll go to my bedroom while they’re here. What are you going to do about Austin’s van? It wasn’t in the drive, but it must be nearby. I think he rented it from somewhere local.’
James searched Austin’s pockets and took out a set of keys. He took a while to deliver an answer. ‘I’ll get someone to search the area and nearby streets. When it’s found, I’ll have them clean the van out and then leave it outside the van hire company at midnight tonight, with the keys in the ignition. Austin is most likely going by a false identity. He will have given those details to the company, and probably will have paid upfront to hire the van. I doubt they’d chase it up, if they even could.’
Impressed, Nick wondered, Maybe he’s not as useless as I thought … ‘That should work. Just make sure they really clean it out; Austin put Kerr—’ He stopped, not wanting Fin to find out this way. ‘You know what I mean. Anyway, I’ll take Fin to my bedroom now.’
As he walked away, he saw James pull out a mobile and make a call, keeping a wary eye on the motionless necromancer.
He found Fin sitting at the kitchen table. One of the chairs had been knocked over onto its back, a glass had been smashed and was in pieces near the sink, and on the worktop the kettle and some pots were … well, they weren’t where they were supposed to be. Sugar was spilt on the side, and teabags, too. Nick sighed, and that was before he spotted blood specks on the tiles. ‘Hey, Fin,’ he said awkwardly. ‘Erm … let’s go to my bedroom.’ He pointed over hi
s shoulder at James. ‘He’s going to deal with guy on the floor while I tell you what’s going on.’
‘You sure, buddy? Do you know this dude?’ Fin was healthy and well toned, and right now his biceps gave a twitch, but he wasn’t the sort to initiate violence. He would fight to protect himself and his best friend, though; Nick knew he could rely on him for that.
‘I … I trust him,’ said Nick. ‘Come on.’
‘He’s got freaky eyes, man,’ Fin commented. Nick hadn’t thought of them as freaky; they were just a bit unsettling. ‘And he did that thing … Did you see what he did? He vanished, and then out of nothing he showed up again.’
It shocked me just as much as it shocked you. ‘I’ll explain—’
‘And who’s the dude on the floor? What’s it got to do with Kerra? Was it him who took her?’ Fin was normally easy-going, and much more pliable, but it wasn’t every day that Nick saw his best friend in circumstances like these. He reckoned Fin just wanted to feel more in control of the situation.
‘Yeah, it was him. But we really need to go to my room now.’
Fin’s gaze fell past him and, transforming into a glare, landed on the unconscious man in the hallway. He stared in resentment for a moment, then looked back to Nick. Being given some answers seemed to have reassured him a little, because he rose out of the chair and said, ‘Alright, buddy.’ He followed Nick to his bedroom.
When the door was closed and they were both sat on the bed, Nick began with, ‘I was wrong about my vision, Fin. Kerra’s … she’s … not alive.’
The shock softened Fin’s face. ‘What?’ he said, almost a whisper. ‘She’s dead?’ His eyes kept moving and fixing on different things, though they gave the impression he was not seeing anything at all. Nick watched him as tears filled his eyes. He lifted his head suddenly. ‘I am so, so sorry, man.’ His voice crumbled at the end. Nick saw him wince as he leaned forward and hugged him. Accepting the embrace, Nick managed to hold himself together. I’ve cried enough, and I’m sure I’ll cry again when it’s all over. But not now. Fin mumbled in his ear, ‘I’m here for you, buddy.’
While they consoled each other, sounds came from the hallway: low talking, James’s sullen voice, a few bumps and thumps. Panic entered Nick, as if injected straight into his heart. He hoped like hell all this commotion wouldn’t draw attention. What if someone dropped by? Would James silence them like it appeared he was about to do to Fin? I’m lucky the police haven’t seen anything …
When the moment was over, Fin moved back and deftly rubbed his eyes dry. He asked, ‘What happened to her?’
‘I don’t think I’ll have time to explain it all now. But that man I knocked out in the hallway—Austin is his name—he’s the one who killed her. And he would have killed me too.’
‘Why?’ Fin looked angry.
‘It’s really complicated, and I don’t really know the full story myself.’
Nick’s mobile vibrated, making the two of them jolt. He checked it and found a text from Tom:
Hey, I’m out with Michael at the moment. You called me? Is everything alright?
Nick explained to Fin how he’d tried to call his brother, fearing he was at home and in danger. Then he replied to the text:
Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just checking up on you. Let me know when you’re coming back home.
Soon after, his phone buzzed with a simple: ‘OK.’
‘Can’t you tell me any of it?’ Fin urged.
Nick tried to get it straight in his head first. He took a breath. ‘As simply as I can put it, it’s to do with my ability. Austin works for a person who wants me dead because he thinks I’m an oracle. James, the guy who put the sword in your face out there, also thinks I’m an oracle, but he’s trying to keep me alive because the people he works for are enemies with the person who wants me dead.’
‘An oracle?’ Fin’s brow burrowed. For a few seconds he said nothing else, clearly processing the information he’d received. ‘Are you being serious, man?’
Nick shrugged emphatically. ‘I feel the same way, Fin.’
Knock, knock. When he opened the door, James’s face greeted him. The half-elf appeared less worn out than before, but still in no great shape. ‘He’s been taken away, Nicolas. We should head back to the other two.’
The other two; I haven’t even told Fin about Juliet or Tamara … or about witches, elves, ghosts, and the rest. ‘Okay. Let me speak to Fin quickly; I’ll be a minute.’ He closed the door without waiting for a response.
‘I’ve got to go with James somewhere … just to sort this mess out. But can I ask you to do me a massive favour?’
‘Anything, buddy.’
‘Can you tidy up my kitchen, please? I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone for, so I don’t know if I’ll have time before Tom comes home.’
‘Alright. One condition, though.’
‘What’s that?’
‘You’re my best buddy; I understand why you’ve been keeping this stuff secret … not everyone would believe it … but I’m not everyone. When you get back, you gotta tell me everything, man.’
‘I will,’ said Nick, and he really meant it. ‘Thank you, Fin.’
Within minutes, Nick was back in his car for what felt like the millionth time today. James sat in the passenger seat, silent and gloomy. ‘James,’ Nick sounded as bad-tempered as the half-elf looked. ‘I need to know something before we go.’
With a bored expression, James lifted his eyebrows. ‘What?’
‘Would you have killed Fin?’
The half-elf’s face remained the same, but his eyes measured Nick. ‘No,’ he answered after a frustrating silence. ‘That would have complicated things. I just wanted your friend to know how serious the matter is. And like I told you, my kind are secretive.’
You’re a dick. Nick bit his tongue. ‘I can’t wait for this day to be over,’ he muttered, then drove towards the only hamlet on the island.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WAITING WAS AWFUL. Juliet sat where she always did in her sessions with Tamara, but at this moment they barely communicated. The witch had expelled a mini rant about how much money she was losing today, cancelling on clients again, but then she plonked herself down in her usual chair and huffed in exhaustion.
Juliet hadn’t expected this chance alone with Tamara so soon. Since last they saw each other, her mind had considered things to confront the witch about. Now, though, she was entirely unprepared. She’d been annoyed to discover Tamara lied about there not being ways to the Otherworld, because Tamara knew how much she wanted her soul back and had hidden the truth anyway.
But … I have more control now, and my ability has helped me out more than once.
Tamara’s head hung back, eyelids hovering open. She broke the awkward quiet with, ‘You are unhappy with me, Juliet.’
‘Yes.’ Juliet tried to sound reasonable. ‘But you were right the other day … I was being a hypocrite; I’ve had to lie to people I care about, but I believe my reasons are justified.’ Thinking of Kim and Ryan, she rephrased, ‘Or justified enough.’
‘And I hid things from you for reasons I believe valid.’
‘I understand. I do.’ Juliet’s face was tense, and she wasn’t sure why. ‘You don’t need to explain yourself.’
‘I should, though.’ With visible effort, Tamara rocked her head forward. ‘The Otherworld is dangerous, but I have a responsibility to protect it, as my ancestors did. I did not like telling you there was no way there, no way to get your soul back.’ Her proud face creased under a frown. ‘Seeing your distress saddened me deeply.’
Knowing Tamara hadn’t lied easily assuaged some of Juliet’s annoyance, maybe because she knew how difficult deceiving a loved one was. I shouldn’t empathise with myself for telling hard lies; the consequences might be even harder to take, and could affect other people too …
‘And the sad truth is,’ Tamara went on, ‘I have no knowledge of what a soul looks like. I know that souls travel to the
Otherworld when a human dies, and that they remain there until taking on another life, but even that I know only from talk and legend. I have never heard of any being actually locating a soul.’ She sounded regretful. ‘Not all of the Otherworld is even charted, I’m afraid; there could be a Sea of Souls for all I know.’ She gave a hum in amusement.
Juliet smiled softly to show she appreciated the explanation. So I might never get my soul back. But she was sick of fighting it. Until all this drama was over and the dangers were gone, it would be best to remain soulless. Her ability might come in handy again, and for some spirits it could mean the difference between an eternity of suffering and the freedom of moving on.
‘I am very fond of you, Juliet,’ said Tamara. A sadness entered her eyes. She pushed her hands low down under her elbows, as if hugging her hips. ‘You remind me of someone I cared for very much, someone who is no longer with us, neither physically nor spiritually.’
Her sister? Juliet remembered the witch speaking of her sister the first time she visited here, saying she’d passed away roughly ten years ago. The more Juliet dwelt on it, the more she thought she recalled something … maybe a story in the media. I would have been fifteen then, maybe sixteen. The death of Tamara’s sister would at least have made the local news.
Juliet felt strangely honoured to be a reminder of someone the witch loved. She took it in and said, ‘There’s a lot I admire about you.’
Tamara chuckled lightly. ‘You don’t have to say something back for the sake of it. How can you admire me after I spied on you in our appointments and reported your doings back to James?’
That was a good question, Juliet realised, but it was time for one liar to stop feeling bitter over another liar’s deceit. ‘I’m not just saying it. I mean it.’ And she did; she admired Tamara’s confidence and knowledge, her frankness, her stamina to endure the stresses that must come part and parcel with her line of work, and she also appreciated that even though Tamara acted strict most of the time, she could show compassion when it mattered. That was something Juliet struggled with, especially under stress, and wanted to improve in herself.
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