Loch Nessa (Damned Girl Book 4)

by Clare Kauter

  "I hope they don't decide to come back any time soon," I commented.

  Henry frowned. "Why?" he asked hesitantly, clearly not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

  I bit my lip. "That was the last of the wolfsbane."

  Henry looked up at the sky and murmured something that sounded a little bit like 'Lord, give me strength,' but when I asked him he denied it.

  "So basically if they decide to come back we're screwed?" he said. "Seeing as you're refusing to use your secret weapon."

  "As long as the others have the companion item, they can sense when I use the stone. I'd be thrown in jail and they'd never forgive me."

  "You do realise that they tricked you into joining the coven for their own purposes, right?" he said.

  "I thought they were your friends."

  "They are, but obviously I like you better or I would have turned you in."

  "Well, even if they did trick me into joining the coven and force me into a blood pact that means I can never escape them, and even if that slightly makes me want to bash in their skulls with a hammer," – Henry's eyebrows were five storeys high by this point – "I still don't want them to sense the stone with their companion item and figure out that I've been lying to them all this time."

  "Maybe you should ask Ed to steal that companion item for you as well."

  I rolled my eyes at him, not admitting that I'd considered the same thing myself.

  CHAPTER 20

  NEITHER HENRY nor I slept that night. Somehow we managed to survive the night with no further attacks from the wolves – or from anyone else. The garlic must have kept the vampires away, even if it had alerted the wolf pack to our presence. Either that or they were genuinely worried they'd contract vampire malaria from me and had decided not to risk it. I couldn't believe that I'd actually managed to fool them with a made up disease. Or maybe it wasn't a made up disease... After what Daisy had said about seeing a doctor, I didn't know anymore. For Satan's sake, was I going to have to get myself tested? Wait, no – with my weirdo magical blood (royal weirdo magical blood at that) that probably wasn't a great idea. You never knew what they might find in my bloodstream. And that's not to mention my recent use of Dora. That was definitely something I wanted to keep on the down-low.

  I shuddered at the memory of the Dora taking hold of my senses – the waves of pain racking my spine, the feeling of my skin burning away and my insides boiling down to sludge, the dissolving of my vision. While I had no desire to repeat that experience, we now had to go underwater in another lake and seeing as normal diving equipment was out, I suspected the witches would want me to take Dora once more. I was already feeling ill enough from the lack of sleep. I couldn't even imagine taking that potion again.

  Henry caught the look on my face.

  "You OK?"

  I shook my head. "Not really," I said. "I don't want to go back underwater."

  "The Dora?"

  I nodded.

  "I don't think it's a good idea, either. I might just shift and go in alone."

  I frowned. "Are you sure? Isn't that dangerous?"

  He shrugged. "I can handle myself."

  "But Nessie said this dragon was cranky. What if it attacks you?"

  He smiled, crossing his arms. "Are you worried about me?"

  "Of course I'm worried. If that dragon eats you, I'm left alone with two witches who can't cast any spells while trying to rescue a third witch who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth."

  "You talk about witches like you're not one."

  I groaned and picked up my backpack. "Oh man, don't remind me."

  He laughed quietly and put out the fire.

  Hecate and Daisy were already awake and packing up the tent, and despite the fact that they'd actually slept last night (jealous? Me?) they still looked sickly and exhausted. The Dora had really knocked them around. I wondered if they were even going to be able to make it the hundred metres or so from our camp to the water. Even if they could, I didn't think they should risk taking the potion again. They already looked like the living dead. Another sip might finish them off.

  I wondered again why it hadn't affected me so badly. My magic wasn't light or dark, one or the other, but somewhere in between. Could that be it? They were strong witches with a lot more skills than me, so I doubted it came down to magical aptitude. Or maybe it was just another perk of being the king of whatever.

  While the others were still shuffling around the campsite packing up, I wandered down to the water's edge. The lake was tiny, just as it had seemed when Nessie gave us the vision of the location. I wondered how a dragon could even fit in this loch. Nessie certainly wouldn't have unless he was completely coiled up. His cousin must have been a lot smaller to make this place his home. I absent-mindedly picked up a rock and turned it over in my hand. It was flat and smooth from years of water erosion. The perfect kind of stone for skipping across the water's surface.

  Looking over my shoulder, I could see that the others were still back at the camp. It was slow going today. Henry had to help the witches with every little thing. I suppose I could have helped them, but I was still annoyed with them for feeding me the Dora without my permission. And tricking me into making a blood-pact with the cult. Uh, coven. Sure, Daisy had brewed me up some tea to make me feel better, but she'd done that less out of the kindness of her heart and more out of obligation. She needed me to be at my best so I could defend her and Hecate from whatever might attack us next.

  Flexing my wrist, I pulled my arm back behind me before flicking it forward and slinging the rock towards the water. It flew further than I'd intended, carried by my anger, and sailed far too high to skim the water. After a large arc, gravity took hold and the rock hit the water with a loud splash, landing on one of its flat sides like it had bellyflopped. I glanced quickly back at the camp to see if the others had been watching, slightly embarrassed, but they weren't looking in my direction. They'd finished packing up the camp and were beginning to walk towards me. I turned back to the loch.

  Watching the ripples dance across the surface of the water, I tried to get my anger under control with slow breathing. The water was calming and I breathed in time with its movements, wondering how long it would take for the waves from the rock to stop appearing. I frowned. It hadn't been that big a splash, really. The ripples seemed to be staying for an inordinately long time, and rather than peter out, if anything they appeared to be growing larger.

  My stomach began to rekindle its relationship with gravity and I bit my lip, hoping that the waves didn't mean anything, while knowing (of course) that they did. Something was moving below the surface.

  The ripples grew larger – less ripples, more waves – and I had to scramble back up the bank to prevent myself from getting wet up to my knees. Bubbles made their way to the surface, first small and then growing larger. The air above the loch seemed to shimmer like a mirage on a hot day, except here it was the exact opposite of hot. Instinctively I put my hand into my pocket and clutched the Doomstone, my safety net, but it was stone (ha) cold. Its magic was suppressed, and as I attempted to use my own magic to feel out what was happening, my power seemed to fizzle and fade away. The energy in the air was dampening my abilities.

  The waves grew larger still and I stepped backwards, slipping on a rock and landing flat on my bum. It hurt, but I didn't have time to stop and whine about it. I scrambled back in a seated position as the bubbling water grew more and more choppy until finally a red, scaly head with fishy barbels on its face burst through the surface of the water. It shot up into the air, impossibly tall, while the lower half of its snake-like body remained submerged. The head glared down at me from on high before the creature started to bend towards me, mouth open, fangs on display.

  My backwards scramble grew more urgent as the dragon's head shot towards me. A million thoughts raced through my head. Those teeth... Nessie was a herbivore, but did that mean his cousin was? They didn't look that similar – could they be differen
t species? I had no idea how dragon genealogy worked. I suspected that was the kind of thing they taught you when you undertook a dragonology degree as Alora had. Maybe this dragon was a meat eater. Maybe that's what had happened to Alora. Maybe that's exactly what was about to happen to me.

  The dragon was metres away now – a metre – a centimetre. He stopped close to my face, growling.

  How dare you throw rocks at me, you vile human? it roared.

  Sorry, I thought. I, uh, didn't mean to get you.

  Oh, really? He sounded incredulous.

  I frowned. Yes, really. What kind of idiot would throw a rock at a dragon intentionally?

  He seemed to consider that for a moment. I don't believe you. It landed right on my head.

  He placed his tiny little T-Rex arms on his hips. In another context it might have been amusing, but right now it didn't seem so funny. Sure, he couldn't reach me with his arms, but his teeth weren't nearly so far away.

  I swear I wasn't aiming for your head. Even if I'd seen you before I threw the rock, I promise my coordination's not that good. I just wanted to skip the stone across the water.

  He ignored me. What brought you to my lair?

  Um, I was looking for you, actually. You see –

  You were looking for me?

  Yes, I –

  You admit you knew I was in this loch? His voice grew louder with each word.

  Uh, yes, I –

  And yet you claim you didn't mean to throw that rock at me? he roared.

  I didn't! I knew you were in the loch, yes, but –

  So you did know you were throwing it at me! You did it intentionally!

  I held the sides of my head with my hands. The dragon's voice was so loud it felt like it was shaking my brain loose, but I didn't know how to block the voice out. If he'd been speaking aloud I could have covered my ears, but it wasn't like I could cover my mind.

  I – I didn't mean –

  He bared his teeth and a waft of his breath hit me square in the face. I gagged at the scent of it. It was an acrid blend of sulphur and rotten fish. Yeah, this guy definitely wasn't a vegetarian.

  Great, we barely manage to fight off those frigging wolves only to have you eat us instead, I thought under my breath. (I'm aware that doesn't quite make sense, but just bear with me.)

  The dragon paused, its open mouth a matter of inches away from biting off my head.

  Did you just compare me to a wolf? he asked. How dare you?

  Oh, sorry to offend you, I replied, rolling my eyes. It must be so shitty when your food talks back.

  I am nothing like those mangy, smelly –

  Yeah, yeah, I said. You ate my friend and now you're going to eat me, but you're so much better than those wolves.

  The dragon frowned. Is that why are you here? You think I ate your friend?

  We wanted to ask you if you'd seen her. Right now, though, it seems like a safe bet that you have seen her. And that you've also swallowed her.

  The witch?

  I frowned. How many people did this guy eat? Did she come here to see you?

  She did.

  I waited. He didn't continue.

  And?

  And she left. I do not harm humans.

  Narrowing my eyes, I asked, Really? Because the way you were baring your teeth at me...

  Don't be ridiculous. I don't like humans, but I do not wish harm upon you. Those wolves, though...

  So you didn't eat Alora?

  I did not.

  Well, that was good. Kind of. I mean, if she'd been eaten I would have been able to go home, but I guess it was nice for her that she was still alive.

  I don't suppose she told you where she was off to next?

  She was going after the wolves.

  I frowned. What? Surely he couldn't be serious. A lone witch going after an entire wolf pack? That was insane! Especially if we were talking about those massive wolves who'd attacked our camp last night. Are you talking about those massive wolves who attacked our camp last night?

  The dragon nodded.

  Why was she going after them?

  He sighed. I told her not to.

  Are you serious about this?

  He nodded again. I made the mistake of telling her that the wolves had taken something from me. She offered to get it back. I told her it was a suicide mission, but she wanted to go anyway.

  What did they take? Why did she want to get it back?

  He sighed. She asked why I was so glum and if there was anything she could do to help me. I told her that the wolves had stolen a chest from me many years ago and nothing would cheer me up short of getting it back.

  So she went to retrieve it for you?

  Nodding, he thought, I spoke in jest, but she was serious. I told her not to go. I told her they would not hesitate to harm her. The local wolves, unlike me, have no qualms about hurting humans. They were hunted down many years ago and slaughtered to near extinction by humans, helped along by light dwellers.

  That's why they attacked us? They knew there were creatures of the light among us?

  I cannot know for sure, but that would be my guess. Dark magic permeates this forest. Creatures of the night have nothing to fear here. When they realised there was a hidden camp, they must have guessed that light dwellers were inside.

  I nodded. That made sense. Do you know where exactly Alora went to look for these wolves?

  They have an island.

  Just like his cousin had done, the dragon sent me a mental image of a hidden castle on an island in the middle of a loch. I frowned, thinking. Maybe that castle, like the one we'd stayed in, had a ward over it that prevented others from using magic to see in. If Alora was being kept there, that would explain why we couldn't scry her.

  Be careful when you go after her, the dragon warned.

  Do you think they've killed her already?

  The dragon shook his head. No. They'll be waiting for the full moon to sacrifice her as part of the ritual.

  What ritual?

  The chest I was guarding... it contained some very dark objects. They use them to call upon the dead.

  Necromancy?

  The dragon nodded, his eyes dark. He didn't seem to approve of the practice, and I tried very hard not to think about my own forays into raising the dead. They sacrifice a life to call up another, hoping one day their king will return.

  My heart began to thud in my chest, so loudly it was almost audible. The king?

  If you plan to save the witch, you must leave now. It will take time to reach the loch where she is being held, and tonight is the full moon. That is when the ritual is performed. If you don't leave now, you'll be too late.

  He pulled his head back, drawing himself up to full height before his body began to slip back down below the surface of the water, descending like a pole retracting into the loch.

  Wait! I just have a couple more questions. What's in the chest? What king does the ritual call up? How do we get into the castle?

  The dragon ignored me and continued his descent.

  Good luck.

  When the dragon's head disappeared below the water's surface, I tried to stand again and found that my legs were more than a little shaky. Understandable, I guess. I'd just faced a dragon with no defences whatsoever. OK, so he hadn't turned out to be that bad after all, but it was still a little scary.

  Now that the dragon was out of sight, I could feel my magical ability returning.

  "Thanks for all your help, guys," I said as I stumbled back towards the others, who were waiting further up the bank.

  "You looked like you had it under control," said Hecate.

  "We would only have slowed you down," Daisy added.

  "Besides, there didn't seem to be much point in all of us getting eaten," Hecate said.

  I fought back an eye twitch and turned to Henry.

  "And you?"

  "I tried to help," he said. "When I saw the dragon appear I tried to run down and assist you, but this one wouldn't leg
go of my leg." He glared at Hecate.

  She shrugged. "It was for your own good."

  "Could you hear him from back here?" I asked.

  The others nodded.

  "OK," I said. "Then I guess it's time to jump back on the carpet and sniff out some werewolves."

  "Today just keeps getting better and better," Henry murmured.

  CHAPTER 21

  WHEN I WOKE up later that day, it was dusk and Hecate and Daisy were gone. I blinked in confusion when I first woke up, unsure what had happened. I was in a tent, but how did I get here? The last thing I remembered was, let's see... talking to the dragon, and then getting on the carpet. Right. I must have fallen asleep on the carpet and someone had put me in the tent when we'd arrived.

  Wait! That meant we were near the werewolves' lair! Since we'd all seen the lay of the land and loch when the dragon had sent us the image with his ESP-mail, we'd been able to discuss our plan of attack on the way here. The island was located in the middle of Loch Madadh, surrounded by more of the dark forest of which I'd grown so fond. We'd decided to make camp in the forest by the bank and keep an eye on the island to figure out how we would be able to get in and rescue Alora. At least, that had been the plan before I'd fallen asleep.

  I emerged from the tent to find Henry sitting by the fire in his human form, snapping twigs off a branch and tossing them into the flames. He glanced up at me as I approached, shooting me a small 'hello' smile. The sun was setting and the air was extra chilly, so I walked over to join Henry.

  "Where are the others?" I asked. I knew they mustn't have been anywhere nearby or Henry would have been in animal form.

  He handed me a note scrawled in swirly cursive.

  We're sorry to leave you like this, but with the wards in place you should be safe. Hecate and I are going to free Alora. We are officers of the law, and you two are civilians (at least for now, Nessa). It wouldn't be right to put you in danger for us, so we have decided to rescue our sister alone. We'll see you again soon.