by Stead, Nick
“Are you so arrogant as to think your wolf’s blood will protect you from ME? I will claim you eventually, and next time you will not escape.”
A shiver ran through my lupine body. I couldn’t even console myself with the thought that it was only a dream, knowing as I did that dreams were far more than random images conjured by the brain while we slept. Was it just a nightmare, or was it something more than that? I had no way of knowing, but even after I’d fully woken, I still felt like Death was coming for me.
I couldn’t explain why the dream unnerved me so, especially as I didn’t exactly fear dying. Yet my heart still pounded in the grip of terror. What had the woman done to me?
It had grown dark in the time I’d spent in my troubled sleep and the cottage was now empty. A fire burned in the hearth, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance and mock. But I was grateful for its warm glow, especially once I returned to human form and the cold air slid over my skin once more.
Another wave of exhaustion hit me as the change completed. I had to lie back while my body recovered, until sleep began to creep over me again. Perhaps it was a mistake to transform but I’d been feeling stronger for the meat I’d eaten earlier and the rest I’d had, and I was determined to get some answers. Whoever the woman was, she appeared to have gone off on some errand while I slept, but I would insist on speaking with her when she returned. In the meantime I planned to have a look around, and it would be easier to explore the room on two legs instead of four.
I didn’t want to nod off again until I’d had chance to try and find out a bit more about what was going on, so I forced my weary body upright into a sitting position. My heart pounded in my chest as if that simple act had been a great exertion. I welcomed the feeling after the unsettling sensation of it stopping, and I looked down at my body to find it as flawless as ever. The transformation had repaired the damage as normal, leaving no trace of the wound that had almost cost me my life. I frowned at that. The injury should have killed me quicker than my body could bring on the change to heal itself. Just what had this woman done to me?
She’d left me a blanket folded on the end of the bed. I grabbed it and wrapped it around my goosepimpled flesh, then I forced myself to my feet. My muscles protested but I ignored the aches and pains shooting through my legs and shuffled forward. The cottage had to hold some clues as to who my saviour might be and why she’d gone to the trouble of saving my cursed life, and I was determined to find them.
My curiosity only grew as I took in shelves lined with herbs, incense, candles, and vials of what appeared to be various oils. Cupboards contained more of the same. Perhaps most curious of all was the utter lack of the modern world within these walls – no gadgets lying around or batteries to power them, and there were no electrical sockets. Again I felt like I’d travelled back in time. There was even an old mortar and pestle for grinding the herbs, and as I made my way over to the table in the far corner I could see a stack of parchment and a quill dipped in an ink bottle.
My eyes fell on the open book lying on the wooden surface. Maybe that would give me the answers I craved. I started towards it when something slid into my peripheral vision, like a shifting of shadows. The image of Death’s grinning skull bearing down on me filled my mind again, and I felt a fresh stab of fear. But when I turned my head in that direction, it was to find – nothing. The only movement came from the twisting shadows cast by the writhing flames, the cottage still empty of anyone other than myself. Somehow that wasn’t as comforting as it should have been.
I turned my attention to the table again and made my way over, drawn to the book. Passages in a foreign language lined the aged paper, formatted in a way that at first made me wonder if I was looking at poetry. But there were a few small bones scattered around it and as I turned the pages it was to find most of them were covered in occult symbols. I’d seen all I needed to guess the woman’s true identity, and I fell back from the table in shock. She was a witch!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Danger in the Shadows
My mind raced as I stumbled away from the table, towards the door. Lady Sarah had told me that witches were ‘in decline in this modern world’. The only ones I’d encountered had been working for the Slayers. And could I really blame them? I knew a little about some of the infamous historical witch trials and the horrors those men and women had faced. If joining the Slayers was their one chance to live, I could see why they’d taken it.
There was also the fact they were still human. They might have gained supernatural power through the practice of magic, but that didn’t make them either undead or demonic in nature. They remained human, and though I’d thought of them as traitors to turn their backs on the supernatural world they were a part of, there was no real reason for them to turn against humanity. It probably made more sense for them to side with the Slayers than it did with us. All of which meant that I had to assume this new witch was also an enemy, with some twisted motive for saving me. I wasn’t going to stick around to find out what that motive might be.
I didn’t have enough strength to run from the cottage. The best I could do was a fast shuffle, but it felt painfully slow. It seemed to take me a good half a minute just to reach the door, and as I was about to step out I tripped on the edge of the blanket.
The material was ripped from my hands. I daren’t waste any more time retrieving it so I left it on the floor and suffered the sting of the cold again.
My hands were shaking as they reached for the door handle. I threw it open and stepped out of the cottage, casting nervous glances at the surrounding countryside. My nose detected no strange scents and my ears picked up no sounds other than those made by my own body, yet I couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling something was hiding in the shadows.
I tried to focus on my escape but I had the nagging feeling there was something I was missing. Was it Death coming for me, just like I’d seen in the nightmare? Or were more hallucinations on their way to haunt me? At least the latter couldn’t do any physical harm.
It looked like I was still in the middle of nowhere, out on the moors. Even with my enhanced senses, my eyes struggled to penetrate the darkness, especially after being around the fire in the cottage. Any natural light was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, and I had no option but to run blindly into the night.
My uneasiness mounted with every step. Was I truly alone out there? I still couldn’t hear or smell anything out of the ordinary, and yet it continued to bring me no comfort.
A sliver of moonlight broke free of the clouds. I was sure I saw movement then. Something was out there with me, I was certain of it.
The moon was nearing full again. It continued to break out of its cloudy prison, its ghostly light so strong that I could see my own shadow. But that wasn’t all I could see. There was another shadow standing before me, a patch of darkness the light couldn’t touch. And this shadow had teeth, bared in a feral snarl, just like the one I often wore in wolf form.
Glowing red eyes locked on my own. It looked like a huge black dog, but I knew it couldn’t be a mortal animal. I felt my wolf half reacting to its presence, and he was just as uneasy as I was at how it had so suddenly appeared, without any warning. There should have been the sound of its movement or a scent for me to detect, yet even though my eyes could see it, to my other senses there was still nothing there, as if the dog was made from the very shadows it hid in. And if this thing wasn’t a flesh and blood animal, what chance did I have against it? At full strength I am one of the greatest predators to stalk the Earth. You know this: you felt the power in my jaws when I ripped the life from your mortal body. But that night I was still weakened from the mortal wound that should have killed me, and the transformation I’d undergone without the energy needed to support it. There was no way I could transform again without feeding first, not even partway to wolf form. I was going to have to face this thing as a human. And in my weakened state, I was no longer the predator, but the prey to this other beast.
My gaze slid to the side as I stumbled on, wanting to give the dog as little reason as possible to attack. I knew all too well the workings of the canine mind – direct eye contact was a challenge to dominance. I was also careful not to completely turn my back to the creature, taking a path that I hoped would allow me to go around it, without directly turning away and behaving like prey. Assuming it would react like its flesh and blood counterparts. Its mind might not bear much resemblance to a mortal dog, even though it looked like one, and I would have no way of knowing until it was too late. Now there was another comforting thought.
At first it seemed my ploy was working. The creature made no move to attack, though its eyes never left me. Then it charged, and once again it seemed I was doomed.
The beast leapt and I crashed to the ground, pinned under one of its huge paws. I was suddenly taken back to the night I’d been bitten. The werewolf who’d awoken my lupine nature had been black furred as well. I’d thought I would die to his jaws, and so had Lizzy, the one friend who wouldn’t leave me to die like the others had; those four who’d been more concerned with saving their own skins. No, Lizzy had refused to run even when I’d told her to leave me, and she’d helped drive the wolf off. But I’d left Lizzy behind with the rest of my human life, and there was no one to save me that night.
The dog lowered its great head, its jaws bearing down on my throat. But there was no warm breath on my skin. Physically it was very much there though – it had a weight to it like a real animal, and in my current state I couldn’t find the strength to push it off and make another bid for freedom. I’d used up too much of my body’s reserves and unconsciousness beckoned again. I was grateful to be offered that small mercy, letting myself slip into the blackness with the knowledge I would at least be spared the same pain I’d visited on my victims. Then I knew no more.
I awoke to find I was back on the bed in the witch’s cottage, the blanket I’d discarded now draped over my naked body. The witch was sitting watching over me again and the huge black dog lay on the floor beside her chair, glowing eyes fixed firmly on my vulnerable form. I yelped in shock and sat up, but when it became clear my life wasn’t in any immediate danger, I settled with my back to the wall and eyed the two with suspicion.
“Who are you?”
Those turquoise eyes glittered with fresh warmth, so full of life compared to the cold eyes of Lady Sarah and the other vampires. “I’ve been called many things over the years. Satanist, pagan, witch. But my name is Selina.”
“So you are a witch!”
“I am, and you are right to be wary; too much trust will get you killed in our world.”
“Yeah, especially when every other kind of spellcaster I’ve met has been working for the Slayers. So why did you save me?”
“It was not your fate to die out there on the moors.”
Real or imagined, the Grim Reaper I’d been seeing seemed to disagree with that. But I didn’t voice the thought out loud. “The way you talk about my fate, it’s like you’ve seen my future or something.”
“Indeed I have. You have a great destiny ahead of you, young wolf. Would you like to hear it?”
“I make my own fate,” I growled.
“As you wish.”
“Why am I here anyway? Am I your prisoner?”
She shook her head. “You are free to leave whenever you choose, but I would advise you recover a little more of your strength first. Here, I brought you some more meat.”
“How do I know you haven’t poisoned it?” I asked, sniffing the raw flesh and eyeing her with more suspicion.
“Why would I make the effort to save you, only to kill you myself? I admit, I did task my familiar with watching you and keeping you here.” She gestured at the shadow dog. “But only because I knew you would not be strong enough to leave. However, if you are truly determined to leave now, I will not stop you again.”
Her words did nothing to ease my wariness, but the meat was too tempting to resist. I tore into it and felt more of my strength returning as the raw flesh slid down into my stomach.
Selina watched me eat with a gentle smile. I frowned and shifted with discomfort, unsure what to make of her apparent kindness. It could still be a trap. I gathered the blanket around me and shuffled forward, to the edge of the bed. Selina said nothing, and her familiar stayed where he was. That was encouraging. I tried to stand and found my legs much more willing to take my weight. They carried me to the door without complaint.
I paused in the doorway and looked back at Selina. She was as good as her word at least, making no move to prevent me from leaving or to take her blanket back. But I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Could she be the new friend I needed? A part of me wanted to believe so. What if I stayed? I could enjoy some shelter from the elements and the warmth of the fire, and perhaps learn more about witchcraft and Selina’s role in the war, if she had one. It was tempting.
I turned away. She’d neither confirmed nor denied any involvement with the Slayers, so how could I trust her? For all I knew, the Slayers had decided they wanted me alive again for some twisted purpose, or maybe this ‘great destiny’ she kept speaking of was as a sacrifice to fuel some powerful ritual. She’d not given me any real answers about why she’d saved me and I knew that no matter how badly I wanted to find a new friend, I had to assume the worst. And yet, if she did mean me harm why would she be letting me go? It was a risk I couldn’t take. I stepped back outside and returned to the isolation of the moors, lonelier than ever.
Uncertainty nagged at me as I trudged across the seemingly endless plains, Selina’s words reverberating inside my skull as if they’d become trapped there. Who wouldn’t want to believe they were destined for great things, and had I not wanted to be famous while I was still a part of the human world? Yet I found that I no longer had any desire for fame. I still felt dead inside and I knew the limelight would bring me no pleasure. And with greatness there would no doubt come responsibilities, which was the last thing I wanted. Better to endure in the shadows and remain the mere beast the vampires believed me to be than become a figurehead and take the weight of everyone’s needs on my shoulders. I could barely cope with my own troubles, let alone those of others. Whatever destiny Selina had seen for me, I didn’t want it.
My thoughts turned to my latest brush with Death. I felt emptier than ever and not for the first time I couldn’t help but think how it would have been better if my wretched existence had been allowed to come to an end. This was the second time I should have died. First the curse had brought me back and now witchcraft had pulled me from Death’s clutches. If the Grim Reaper of my nightmares was real, there was no wonder he felt cheated, though it wasn’t like I’d had a say in the matter either time. Somehow I couldn’t find any kind of gratitude towards Selina for saving my life, and when my path took me back towards civilisation and I found myself prowling through another village, it was little surprise I felt drawn to the local graveyard, outside a church.
I gazed at the tombstones as if transfixed by them, a part of me wishing I could join the dead and finally know peace. But I knew myself well enough by then to know I couldn’t simply let go of my grip on life, and if Death was truly coming for me, he would have to take me by force. As much as I hated my meaningless existence, I couldn’t just give up. Still, there was a sense of peace to the graveyard that kept me there for some time, even though it was another place I didn’t belong. I only stirred from my dark musings when the rain started. Only then did I turn my attention to the church.
Its grey stone walls loomed cold and uninviting, yet I found myself approaching them as the light drizzle turned to a heavy downpour. The wooden door swung open for me, even though I could see no one inside. It wasn’t much warmer within the old building but at least it provided shelter from the elements, and I hoped I might find sanctuary there till the rainstorm passed. You might wonder how it’s possible for a place of worship to provide sanctuary for a monster such as me, but even thoug
h Lady Sarah had once said I was one of the eternally damned like the vampires, I had no trouble walking over holy ground. No invisible force repelled me, no divine power caused me to burst into flames. Maybe it was another sign God didn’t care for humanity, or maybe there was some hope for me yet.
I took a seat on one of the pews. It was hard and uncomfortable, and I could feel Christ’s eyes on me as he hung from his cross. I ignored them. Better this than staying out in the rain.
The scent of a human male carried to me and I tensed. I’d not noticed him when I’d first entered, too focused on the desire for shelter. But he had my full attention now. My eyes tracked him as he strode towards me – the vicar of this parish.
“Are you lost, child?” he asked, taking a seat beside me. There was more of that kindness I was coming to think of as a rarity among humans and I felt myself relaxing in his gentle presence. He made no comment on my strange appearance, probably assuming I was a homeless orphan or a runaway. He didn’t seem to recognise the dried blood on my skin for what it truly was, and I doubted he would ever have guessed I was naked beneath the blanket I hugged around me.
“I think I must be; I’m no Christian.” I turned my gaze back to the crucifix.
“God finds us at the most unexpected of times. Perhaps he brought you here to show you the way through your troubles, or so that we might guide you down a lighter path.”
“I never used to believe in God, but I have had cause to question certain beliefs recently. I’ve done terrible things, Father.”
“The Bible teaches us God is merciful and forgiving of even the most heinous of sins, if the soul is truly remorseful and seeks redemption. You are young,” he said, smiling. “And I doubt your sins can be so terrible as to place your soul beyond salvation.”
