The one outside.
James opened the door, and the witch stood there with her broom in hand. ‘Can I help you?’ he said, thinking it was some kind of joke.
‘Yes, are you the master of the house?’ she said, and pushed past him.
‘No, he’s unavailable at the moment, but why don’t you come in.’
The witch glared at him. ‘You better go and make him available.’
‘Sorry, quite impossible at the moment,’ said James, as all the others stared. They had seen some strange things since they had been there, but this was just weird.
‘I’m not asking, I’m telling you,’ she said in a threatening tone.
House, is she for real? James asked.
Yes, she has some power, and she did fly here on her broom.
‘We would like to help you,’ said James, ‘but until he’s ready it’s quite impossible.’
The witch pointed her stick at him. ‘I demand to see him now.’
Blaze stood. ‘Demand all you like, but as James said, until he’s ready you can’t see him.’
‘You don’t seem to take me serious, would you like to see my power?’
‘You can’t harm anyone here, House won’t allow it.’
‘House . . .?’ said the witch, looking around.
‘Yes, and you wouldn’t have even entered the grounds if he thought you were a danger to anyone, so threats won’t work.’
* * *
Shaula climbed down a few steps, and saw the visitor. She ran straight back to Alex’s room, jumped on the bed and hid behind him.
‘What’s wrong, Shaul?’ said Adhara.
‘The wicked witch from the film is downstairs,’ she said, and the other girls ran to the stairs to take a look, and they too were soon on the bed hiding with Kaeya who had no idea why.
Alex sat up.
‘Papa, you’re awake,’ said Shaula, and put her arms around his neck.
Alex smiled. ‘It would appear so, and what’s wrong with you lot?’
‘There’s an evil witch downstairs,’ said Adhara.
‘That’s just a disguise, she won’t hurt you. She hasn’t frightened Tia as well has she?’
‘She’s watching a film with the pucas and the other pixies.’
Alex took some clean clothes into the bathroom to get changed.
The witch lowered her stick. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve been rude, but it’s urgent I see your master.’
‘I’m no one’s master, and can you change that silly outfit as you’re frightening my children,’ said Alex, as he came down the stairs carrying Shaula, with the other two hiding behind him.
The witch arched an eyebrow. ‘You’re not the master, are these not your servants?’
‘Do they look like servants? Livvy, tell our guest what I am to you and the other girls.’
‘He’s our father, or the popular name here is papa,’ she said smiling.
Alex put Shaula down. ‘Not all of them of course, as most are my friends, but all are family.’
‘How many children do you have?’ said the witch.
‘Seven daughters, I was thinking of stopping, but I might get old one day.’
‘You’re in a much chirpier mood,’ said Carrie.
‘Yeah, I feel refreshed.’
‘Who’s their mother?’ said the witch.
‘Dunno, can’t remember meeting her.’
‘How strange, and what do you mean silly outfit?’
‘You look much friendlier in white, Daralis.’
The witch looked taken aback at what he said. ‘How do you know my name? And I wear white?’
‘I’ll answer your questions when you tell me why you’re here.’
Daralis glanced around the room at all of them. ‘I’ve come to tell you the warlock’s not dead.’
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Daralis
Silence filled the hall with shocked looks on many faces.
Alex rubbed his eyes. ‘What do you mean the warlock’s not dead?’
‘You didn’t kill him. Well, at least I don’t think so.’
‘He looked dead before he vanished.’
Daralis pondered, and nodded. ‘The body vanished . . . then I was right. I’ll tell you what I know, but first you must tell me how you know my name.’
‘Well, important things first. I’m Alex, and these are my friends or should I say family,’ he said, and introduced her to everyone in the hall.
‘And just how do you know my name?’ Daralis asked again.
‘I saw it written on a letter, and I’ve seen you in white, and how you chase people out of the forest.’
‘What letter? And how have you seen me in white? As for chasing people off, they were causing damage to the forest.’
Alex smiled. ‘Very admirable of you, but why don’t you let your little friends out now, as there are many here who haven’t seen them in a long time.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Daralis, sounding nervous. ‘And do you ever give a straight answer?’
Claire coughed. ‘You’ll be lucky.’
‘I can see you now, it’s some kind of spell which makes you look different to others,’ said Alex. His psychic powers broke through her enchantment, and could see the woman in white, with three pixies sitting on her shoulder. ‘Hello, my little friends.’
Daralis gasped and put a hand to her mouth. ‘No . . . it’s impossible for you to see them.’
‘Kaeya, would you come out please?’ The pixie needed no second invitation, and was on his shoulder in seconds.’
‘Oh . . . no,’ Daralis cried. ‘The warlock killed them all.’
‘No, he trapped them, apart from your three friends that is,’ said Alex, and explained what happened to them, but forgot to mention how many escaped.
‘All those years, and I never knew,’ said Daralis, as her disguise vanished, and was now wearing a long white dress, and everyone could see the three pixies on her shoulder.
Kaeya stretched forward holding Alex’s ear as she tried to get a better look. ‘Those are my friends,’ she said, jumping down, and ran over to Daralis who put the pixies on a table.
‘Sorry, your Highness,’ said one of the pixies, when he embraced her and backed away.
‘There are no kings or queens any more, just friends,’ snapped Kaeya, and embraced him and the other two pixies.
Alex raised both eyebrows. ‘Are you their Queen?’
‘I was, but I stood down when we were on the other world, as survival was more important.’
‘And to think I only thought of you as a princess.’
Kaeya smiled. ‘I was once.’
House, where are the other pixies and the pucas?
In the cinema.
‘I’ve been keeping these hidden from the warlock for such a long time, I never knew I might have been able to free them,’ said Daralis, with tears in her eyes.
Alex shook his head. ‘And you may have been killed trying, and your three would’ve been taken.’
‘I know, but the thought of them being imprisoned.’
Alex sat down, and gestured to Daralis to do the same. ‘You knew we defeated the warlock, but not of the pixies running around the forests?’
‘I have ways of seeing him. It helped me keep ahead of him so he didn’t find us. I noticed he was moving quite a lot down south as if searching for something. I travelled north for a while just to keep out of the way, and when I searched again there was nothing . . . he was dead.’
‘I thought you said he wasn’t dead.’
‘He is, and maybe he isn’t, it’s complicated, I could sense him and then I couldn’t.’
‘Tea or coffee?’ said Livvy.
‘Tea please, with milk and sugar. I’m sorry for thinking you were servants, but with a place like this it’s what I expected.’
Alex looked around the room. ‘Believe it or not some of them actually work here.’
Claire closed her book and put it down. ‘It’s not our fault you go
t us here under false pretences. House even sends the dirty laundry down for us, and puts them back in the correct rooms when they’re cleaned.’
Daralis smiled. ‘The atmosphere in here is quite comforting.’
‘Yeah, it’s nice, and we all get along without any arguments,’ said Alex, winking at Carrie who stuck her tongue out. ‘You said you could see him?’
‘Yes, and his dread clones, which are pure evil. I could have tried to see more of what was happening, but he might have sensed it.’
‘Is that what those things are?’ said James. ‘We killed a few of them.’
‘It’s a name I gave them, what they’re called I wouldn’t know. They’re some kind of demon, and that’s why I’m here.’ Daralis smiled at Livvy who passed her and Alex a mug of tea each.
Alex put his on the table. ‘You can still see them?’
‘I divined it last night, and they’re still here. It can only be for one of two reasons I can think of. One is they have their own power now, and must be stopped.’
Joseph rubbed his hands together. ‘Why would the demons being here make you believe he’s still alive?’
‘It was his power which brought them here, and if he has gone then so should they.’
Alex considered it. ‘And what’s the other reason?’
‘He might have some way of coming back from the dead.’
‘That’s just cheating,’ said James, with a look of disgust.
Daralis watched the four pixies jumping around. ‘Yes, and he would be even more powerful if he did come back.’
‘What makes you say that?’ said Alex.
Daralis sipped her tea. ‘He’s part necromancer, and would have no fear of the other side. He would have made sure he could get back . . . and he might not come alone.’
Joseph scratched his chin. ‘How would he be able to do that?’
‘My guess would be his soul or spirit, he would have had to separate from it, and bind it in some enchanted item.’
‘I read something about that,’ said Claire. ‘And it won’t be easy to find?’
‘And what’ll you do if you find it?’ said Blaze.
‘Destroy it,’ said Alex.
‘What about his amulet?’ James asked.
‘He had a powerful one,’ said Daralis. ‘He would wear it all the time, but he wouldn’t carry his soul around with him.’
Alex had a grim smile. ‘Well, he’ll never wear the amulet again.’
‘So, where do we look? I can sense his clones but that’s all.’
‘Maybe they’re the key,’ said Joseph. ‘It would solve both problems.’
Daralis raised an eyebrow. ‘How do you mean?’
‘You said it could be one of two reasons, If he’s coming back they are the ones to do it.’
‘That’s sound reasoning.’
‘So,’ said Alex, ‘we either just follow or kill them.’
‘They’ll never tell you where it is, death is nothing to them as he would just bring them back.’
Alex looked around at the others. ‘We have to find out where, any ideas?’
‘If we only had a library,’ said Paige. ‘And the use of some computers.’
‘And a librarian,’ Claire added.
Carrie leant back on the sofa next to Alex. ‘I’ll be Buffy.’
Alex shook his head in amazement. ‘OK, I like your idea, but let’s not go over the top.’
‘When do we start?’ said Paige.
‘Well not tonight,’ said Alex, and sent a message out to everyone except Blaze. Have you all given out your cards and presents yet? There was silence and shocked looks as most of them ran upstairs.
Blaze stood with arms folded and lips pursed. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Party time.’
‘We were going to have one, but if he isn’t dead what’s the point?’
‘No, you killed him, all of you did. It doesn’t change anything, and I was proud of what you did.’
‘Even after we drained all your energy?’ said Carrie, as she came back down with a bag.
‘Yeah, you did what you had to do, and you did it very well. What I’d like to know is . . . how you did it.’
‘We all came out to help, but had no idea how,’ said Blaze. ‘The amulets we had off Joseph started to tingle, we held them, and somehow we knew what to do. We pointed our other hand at the warlock . . . and said die.’
Alex looked at Blazes amulet, the glass ball held by a golden hand was no longer clear, but half filled with a golden energy — which looked a lot like his own.
‘May I see yours?’ Daralis asked Carrie, who was the closest to her.
‘Yeah, sure,’ said Carrie, and pulled out her two necklaces she was wearing.
‘This is a very powerful talisman you have here,’ said Daralis, and the noticed the heart-shaped pendant. ‘And this is very beautiful.’
‘Alex bought it me,’ said Carrie, who was quite happy telling anyone who would ask about it.
‘You’re a lucky woman,’ said Daralis, looking at Alex who just smiled.
Carrie looked sadly towards him. ‘We’re just friends.’
‘That’s the best way to start a relationship.’
‘We don’t have a relationship, we’re just friends,’ said Carrie, and Alex looked away hiding his disappointment.
‘For now,’ said Daralis. ‘Am I invited to this party?’
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah, I’d like you to meet the others.’
‘There are more of you?’
‘A few more. I’d like you to stay tonight, as it wouldn’t be a good idea for you to fly home after you’ve had a drink,’ said Alex, and looked around but couldn’t see the adult wolves.
James noticed him looking. ‘They’ve gone for a run.’
‘It’s a long one if they left the cubs.’
‘They did it last night as well. They’ve been quiet since the women killed the warlock.’
‘They might be on to something.’
Summer stood. ‘Are you and our guest going to have something to eat before you start drinking?’
‘I’m not hungry,’ said Alex, as the others came back down with bags.
Summer folded her arms. ‘Tough, you haven’t eaten for over two days.’
‘If you insist, I’d love to have something to eat.’
‘I’ve already eaten thank you,’ said Daralis. ‘And to think I called you their master.’
‘It’s best not to argue with the woman who feeds you every day, and you, my dear lady, only had a snack.’ Alex smiled, as everyone stared at him.
James shook his head. ‘Now that was weird.’
Daralis gasped. ‘How on earth could you know that?’
‘The same way I know your name.’
‘When did you find all this out about me?’
Alex smiled. ‘Well, it all started when I was having a few words with the warlock, and the ladies here decided to kill the poor chap. In the process they knocked me out for a couple of days.’ His extra energy from the long sleep had put him in a hyper mood. Disappointment would not affect him tonight.
‘That’s a bit harsh,’ said Blaze.
Claire laughed. ‘It’s true though.’
‘I suppose it is.’
Alex continued. ‘Anyway, it was during this forced coma where I dreamt it.’
Claire elbowed him. ‘Don’t push it, Mister.’
‘You don’t really know if you were there,’ said Daralis. ‘It might have been just a dream.’
‘I know, as I was in your cottage in the forest when you had something to eat, and put a bowl of salad out for the pixies.’
‘Why would you be there?’
Alex shrugged. ‘I don’t know, my dreams usually have an important message, and all I can think of is that it showed you’re one of us.’
‘And what does one of us mean?’
Alex smiled again. ‘A friend.’
‘And you believe I am?’
‘Yeah, but we woul
d have found that out soon enough, so there has to be something else.’
Daralis looked worried. ‘How much did you see?’
‘From where you chased those people, until you came here, and then I woke up.’
‘Alex!’ Paige snapped. ‘You can’t spy on someone for that long.’
‘I wasn’t spying. It was a dream in which I had no control over.’
Daralis blushed. ‘But I had a bath and went to bed.’
‘I never left the living room, as I was looking at your bookcase for about five minutes, then you returned.’
‘I slept for ten hours, I don’t usually sleep that long but it was the first time in two days.’
‘I realised it was longer when I noticed it was daylight outside, and looked at your clock. I saw you have something to eat, and read until it was dark.’
Joseph leant forward with his hands on his knees. ‘It doesn’t sound like one of your usual dreams.’
‘No, there was a lot of nothing from what I can remember, but it was fun flying.’
The wolves returned not long after they had eaten, and Daralis put her arms around both.
Alex watched them. ‘You’re already acquainted.’
Daralis stood. ‘Yes, we’re old friends.’
You’re awake at last, said Rho.
Alex nodded. ‘Finally.’
We went for a long needed run last night and saw demons which looked different to the others.
‘Different how?’
Bigger, with claws for hands.
‘Where were they?’ said Alex.
About fifty miles south, searching in some old ruins.
‘We should go and kill them,’ said Carrie.
‘No.’ Alex smiled at her. ‘You’re right of course we should get rid of them, but if they’re looking for the warlock’s soul they might lead us to it.’
‘It wouldn’t be the warlock’s soul,’ said Daralis. ‘As they should already know where it is.’
I thought the warlock was dead, said Chi.
‘It’s more complicated than we thought,’ said Alex.
That’s why we saw a couple of suits on the floor torn to shreds.
James put his hands through his hair. ‘You reckon the demons are fighting each other?’
Yes, but it doesn’t make sense.
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘Daralis told us they might have their own power and not want him back, but some might have stayed loyal.’
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