Mercy (The Guardians Series 1)

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘What did you see when you looked at him’

  ‘He’s not like the others, the ones I’ve seen. Their colours are dull and attached to others like one giant spiders web. But Theo he is surrounded by bright golden threads and they are not attached to anything. I don’t understand why. It’s almost as if he’s adrift, he doesn’t match everyone else, it’s like he doesn’t belong here,’ Hess finished with a frown.

  ‘But what does this have to do with Infernum?’

  ‘It surrounds him, a whispering echo like a plucked string continuously vibrating through the threads of his life. It is a part of him and yet not. I don’t know, I wish Ma was here, she would know what to do.’

  Bridey took her sister in her arms and cradled her gently.

  ‘I know Hess, I wish Ma were here too. But we’ve got each other and that’s what is important.’

  They both looked up sharply as the door banged open and Theo stepped purposefully in carrying a large bundle in his arms. Bridey's eyes once again held a wariness while Hess looked at him as if he were a puzzle she was trying to figure out.

  ‘Come,’ he urged as he dropped to his knees beside them amongst the straw littered floor, ‘there is not much time before my brother is expected.’

  Bridey flinched as Theo pulled a knife free from his clothing.

  ‘Do not fear me,’ he told her softly as he reached for her hands, ‘I will not harm you.’

  She watched closely, her brow folding suspiciously as he cut the binding at her wrists. She winced lightly as the blood flowed back into her hands and she rubbed at the tender and broken skin of her wrist whilst Theo cut her sister’s bonds.

  ‘Why are you doing this?’ she whispered. ‘We are accused.’

  ‘Because I will not have the blood of children on my hands,’ his gaze was clear and determined, ‘here put these on.’

  He tossed the bundle of cloth at them both and as she and Hess unravelled it they found a pair of boots and a pair of softer leather slippers, two dresses, a thicken woollen shawl and a stout dark cloak in a heavy practical material.

  She turned to gaze at Theo who was now pulling a bridle down from its hook.

  ‘Where did you get these?’ Bridey asked.

  He paused without looking directly at her.

  ‘They belonged to my sister,’ He shook his head as he retrieved a worn saddle, ‘They may not be a perfect fit but they will keep you warm.’

  Bridey kept her mouth shut as she began to pull a thick dress over her sisters torn smock, working silently to clothe them both, as Theo led a chestnut mare from her stall and began to saddle her quickly and efficiently.

  Once they were dressed they approached Theo apprehensively.

  ‘This is Lucky, she has an even temperament and is easy to ride.’ He looked down at the two young girls, ‘have you ridden before?’

  They both nodded.

  ‘Good,’ he bent down and lifted Hess into the saddle first. ‘Do you have any family, anyone you could go to?’

  ‘No,’ Hess shook her head, ‘It's just us now.’

  Theo pursed his lips thoughtfully as he lifted Bridey into the saddle, tucking her in behind her sister. Then he picked up the cloak and wrapped it around Bridey’s shoulders.

  ‘I’m sorry there’s only one cloak but it’s big enough to fit around both of you, it should keep the worst of the cold out.’

  Bridey nodded as she wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist and he handed her the reins. Tucking the heavy cloak carefully around Hess she turned to regard Theo with puzzled eyes.

  ‘You know what they will do to you when they realise you helped us escape?’

  ‘Yes,’ he breathed softly.

  ‘Then why?’ she frowned in confusion, ‘we are nothing to you, why risk your life.’

  ‘I am not a good man,’ Theo replied quietly, ‘it can in no way make up for the things I have done but maybe saving you will go towards helping me to redeem myself. Besides, I wouldn’t hand a stray dog over to Nathaniel Boothe. If he has taken an interest in you then it can only come to no good.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Bridey reached out tentatively and touched his hand.

  He attached a stout sack and a water skin to the saddle. ‘There is food in here, use it sparingly for I do not know when you will be able to get more. Head south and get as far away from Salem as you can, I will try and mislead them if I can to cover your tracks.’

  ‘How?’ Hess asked.

  ‘After a while I will allow them to extract a confession from me, I will tell them that you travel east towards relatives.’

  ‘What do you mean, extract a confession from you?’ Hess asked worriedly.

  ‘It means they will torture a confession from him,’ Bridey replied flatly.

  ‘No,’ Hess breathed in horror.

  ‘I fear it will be unavoidable once they realise what I have done,’ he sighed ruefully

  ‘Come with us,’ Hess pleaded.

  ‘I can’t,’ he shook his head removing a small purse from his pocket. Take this, there is not much coin I’m afraid but it is all I have.’

  ‘You don’t have to do this,’ Hess replied softly as her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘Don’t waste your tears on me little one,’ Theo tucked her matted hair behind her equally dirty ear, ‘I am not worthy of them.’

  He turned away from them and picked up his journal. Slipping the picture he had drawn earlier from its pages, he folded it and tucked it in his pocket before turning towards the girls and handing the journal to the younger one. When the others arrived it would not do for them to read his private thoughts, recorded within the pages of his journal knowing that his doubt in their cause, his lack of faith and overwhelming guilt would only condemn him further in their eyes.

  ‘Take this for me and keep it safe.’

  ‘Perhaps we will meet again one day,’ Hess rubbed her tear stained face and merely succeeded in smearing more dirt across her cheeks.

  ‘Perhaps,’ Theo smiled gently, ‘Be safe and may God go with you.’

  Bridey nodded her head as he led the horse to the door and pulled it open.

  Theo froze, the mare behind him shied in surprise as he found himself staring into the furious eyes of his brother.

  ‘What are you doing Theodore?’

  ‘The right thing for once,’ Theo replied his face a stone mask of cold determination. ‘Step aside brother,’

  ‘They are accused.’ He spat the word as if it were something filthy; ‘Nathaniel himself will question them.’

  ‘No,’ Theo stood firm, ‘I will not allow it.’

  ‘Who are you to say what is allowed and not?’ Logan hissed. ‘We swore an oath to the court, we swore to rid the world of the plague of witchcraft.’

  ‘Logan, listen to yourself,’ Theo breathed, allowing his frustration to show, ‘This is not what Temperance would have wanted. What started out as the best intentions has degenerated into utter madness. Look at them Logan, really look at them, they are children, barely any younger the Temperance was. Is this what God truly wants, for us to become the murderers of children? We were supposed to protect the innocents not strike them down in God’s name.’

  ‘Heresy!’ Logan bellowed, ‘You have allowed yourself to become corrupted by these creatures.’

  ‘It is you who have become corrupted brother, this is not the path. It can lead only into darkness.’ Theo held out his hand towards his brother. ‘Please brother, I implore you, do not force my hand, I have no wish to harm you.’

  ‘You are no brother of mine,’ Logan’s eyes flattened to a cold glittering black. Waves of rage emanated from him, as flecks of spittle appeared at the corner of his mouth, ‘You have been possessed by the devil.’

  ‘Brother,’ Theo warned, ‘I beg you do not do this,’

  ‘I accuse you,’ he shrieked, ‘you have been corrupted by these spawn of the devil’s whore.’

  Theo looked
at him with sad eyes, so this was it. This was where the line had finally been drawn. His brother was as lost to him as his sister. His rage and thirst for revenge had pushed him over the edge into madness. All traces of the man he had once known and loved were gone. Theo straightened his shoulders and looked his brother in the eye.

  ‘Stand aside brother,’ his voice was hard and full of purpose, ‘or I will make you stand aside.’

  ‘You are not my brother,’ Logan pulled a knife from his clothes, ‘You are a demon who wears his face and I will end you.’

  He lunged forward and Theo grabbed his wrist with one hand and his throat with the other. Spinning him around he slammed him into a thick wooden post.

  ‘Go now!’ he yelled as he fought to keep his brother pinned.

  ‘May your God be with you Sir,’ Bridey murmured as she dug her heels into the mare forcing her forwards and out of the barn doors. As soon as they were free of the building she urged the horse into a gallop and didn’t look back.

  ‘I will find them,’ Logan hissed, ‘And when I do I will make them suffer for your betrayal.’

  ‘You will have to get past me first,’ Theo breathed heavily as he pitted his strength against that of his brother.

  Logan shoved him backwards breaking Theo’s grip and planted his fist in his face. Theo stumbled back blocking the doorway, his eyes wary, his only thought to keep his brother from the open doorway. He knew he had to give them as much of a head start as he could, before the others arrived with Nathaniel Boothe and they managed to overpower him.

  Logan hissed as he rushed him, his blade held high. Theo moved to meet him, raising his arm to block the downward stroke. A searing pain speared up his arm as the knife passed clean through his forearm protruding from the other side. Before Logan had a chance to pull the blade clear Theo twisted his arm with a determined cry.

  As he had hoped the hilt snapped off, leaving the blade embedded in his arm and denying his brother a weapon. Balling his good hand into a fist he drove it into his stomach. The air whooshed from Logan’s lungs, forcing him to buckle forward, giving Theo the opportunity to bring his fist up under his chin. Logan's head snapped back and he stumbled backwards trying to pull in a deep breath.

  Theo grasped the detached blade tightly and pulled it through his arm, ignoring the stinging pain as it bit into the palm of his hand. The useless piece of metal slipped from his wet bloodied hands and hit the floor with a clanging sound.

  Logan glanced up at his brother, his blind madness met Theo’s cold fury. His teeth peeled back in a snarl as he launched himself forwards, tackling Theo’s mid-chest and slamming him against the wall. From that point on there was only hate and madness between the two brothers. They grappled and rolled into the wall, across the floor, slamming each other into any hard surface they could find, landing a punch wherever they could. It was a dirty fight of which neither was willing to give any quarter.

  They were barely aware when they slammed into the bale where the lamp sat. They certainly didn’t notice when it teetered precariously on the edge, nor did they care when it toppled to the ground with a resounding crash. Fire caught the straw littered floor immediately like a great claw of flame devouring everything in its path. The fire let out a great roar and the beast grew. Flames licked up the wooden supports towards the beamed roof. A huge sheet of red, gold and orange broke and rippled like a gigantic wave.

  Smoke choked the air as the two brothers continued to wrestle across the floor. Suddenly there was a loud cracking and Logan looked up from where he had Theo pinned to the ground, his hands around his neck. The beam gave way and crashed to the ground as Logan rolled clear. Theo coughed through the dust and ash that was thrown into the smoky air. His lower body was pinned to the ground, he struggled to pull himself free but it was no use.

  ‘God has his own way of punishing, Theodore,’ Logan shouted above the roar of the fire, ‘Your soul is going to burn in hell along with the devil you sold it to.’

  ‘Then I’ll see you in Hell,’ Theo ground between his teeth as he watched Logan edge out of the doorway.

  ‘You first brother,’ Logan smiled as the roof gave way sealing the doorway.

  Theo dropped his head back against the floor and roared in frustration. He tried once again to pull himself free but it was no use. So this was how it was all going to end. He prayed to God the children got away, if he had done nothing else good with his life at least he hoped they would get to live theirs away from Salem and free from persecution.

  He coughed against as the thick oily smoke invaded his lungs. It was like inhaling burning hot brands from the fire. He looked up as he heard another huge groan of timber and an alarming splintering sound. He drew in a painful breath and the whole world seemed to slow as he watched with the quiet acceptance of a man who awaited his fate the roof broke apart and plunged directly down towards him. He closed his eyes and waited to die.

  Suddenly he felt a strange pressure on his upper arms as if someone had grabbed him. The next thing he knew everything around him lurched and he found himself upright and standing on a strange hard surface in the freezing night air. He stumbled as he tried to regain his balance. Leaning forwards with his hands on his knees he coughed up thick black spittle and dragged the crisp clean air into his lungs. Slowly as his breathing evened out and he regained his balance he stood slowly and took in his surroundings. He didn’t recognise where he was, he almost certainly was no longer on his family’s land. The burning barn was nowhere in sight. The air smelled and tasted clear with the cold bite of autumn. He could hear the rustle of huge trees in the night breeze although he could not make them out in the darkness. The clouds moving across the sky suddenly cleared, illuminating his path with silvery moonlight.

  He started as a figure was revealed by the pale light. The man standing in front of him was as tall as him and broad. His dark hair seemed to curl slightly at the ends, his skin was pale and although Theo couldn’t make out the colour of his eyes they watched him calmly and patiently as if waiting for him to adjust to his new surroundings.

  ‘Who are you?’ Theo croaked, his voice sounded foreign to his own ears. He cleared his throat and tried again, ‘Who are you?’

  The man in front of him smiled warmly in amusement.

  ‘A friend,’ he replied.

  ‘Where am I? How did I get here?’

  ‘A better question would be when are you?’ The man replied casually.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ Theo shook his head to try and clear hi thoughts.

  ‘Theodore Beckett,’ the man began.

  ‘How do you know my name?’ Theo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  ‘I know more than you can possibly imagine Theo,’ He sighed, ‘But now is not the time. I can only tell you that you are no longer in Salem and the year is no longer 1695’

  ‘I don't…’he shook his head, ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Theo,’ he explained gently, ‘you are in a Town called Mercy and the year is 2015’

  ‘No, that’s not possible,’ he shook his head again, ‘it’s not possible, I died… I died in the fire…This is Hell. I’m in Hell.’

  ‘You might feel that way once you’ve watched a couple of episodes of the Jersey Shore.’ The stranger murmured under his breath.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he grinned, ‘You’re not in Hell my friend, I hate to throw you in at the deep end so to speak but I’m sure you’ll adjust.’

  What am I doing here? I don’t understand, I don’t understand any of this,

  ‘Back that way,’ he indicated over his shoulder, ‘through the woods you’ll find a house by a lake and in it lives a woman you might just recognise.’

  ‘Who?’ Theo asked suspiciously, ‘who is she?’

  ‘Oh I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise,’ the man smiled, ‘but whether she likes it or not, she needs you. She’s now your responsibility.’

  ‘I don’t think so,�
�� Theo’s expression darkened. ‘I am not a wet nurse; I don’t intend to be responsible for anyone.’

  ‘Not your choice,’ was the good natured response, ‘I know what you’ve done Theo and I know what you want’

  ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘Redemption,’ he shrugged, ‘Trust me, she’s your ticket to peace and forgiveness but first you need to protect her.’

  ‘From what?’ he frowned,

  ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’

  ‘What if she doesn’t want me to protect her?’

  ‘You’ll figure out the details Theo I have the utmost confidence in you, oh and by the way,’ He leaned forwards as an amused smile tugged at his lips, ‘Watch out for the car’

  ‘What’s a car?’

  But he was talking to thin air, the man before him had disappeared. Hearing a strange noise behind him he turned and threw his hands up to protect his eyes from the sudden glare of two bright lights.

  Olivia yawned and shook her head, sitting up straighter in her seat. She was nearly home and she was ready to drop. Her eyes began to droop and she forced them open again shifting in her seat and cranking her window down even more to allow the cold air in. She glanced down to turn up the volume on the stereo but as she looked up she screamed and gripping the wheel with white knuckles, she slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a screeching halt and she felt a slight bump.

  She yanked the door open and jumped out of the car.

  ‘Please don’t be dead…please don’t be dead…’

  She dropped down to her knees by the dirty bloody guy lying on the road in front of her headlights. She placed her fingers at his throat and felt his pulse kick strongly. He groaned and turned towards her as she cupped his face.

  Theo’s eyes fluttered open focusing on the woman leaning over him with concern written all over her beautiful face.

  ‘It’s you,’ he whispered and the last thing he remembered was a pair of gold coloured eyes before the blackness took him once again.