A Glimmer of Hope

by Steve McHugh

  “He said he killed his parents.”

  “He’s a redcap,” Tommy said.

  “He told me that, too. I don’t understand what that has to do with his parents, though.”

  “Redcaps are born human, and at some point they make a deal with another redcap. I don’t know how it first happened, or who was created first, but it’s a chicken-and-egg situation we don’t need to think about too much. Anyway, basically someone makes a deal with a redcap that they’ll join their kind. The redcap performs a blood-magic ritual around the human recruit’s home, and the recruit has to go in and murder everyone inside. Once the ritual is complete, the newly born redcap is able to absorb the souls of its victims into its hat. It does it by soaking up all of the blood from the victims—essentially a sort of vampire. The blood sustains it and is absorbed into the body over time, allowing it to maintain increased strength, speed, and the like.

  “After it’s gotten its fill of souls, it goes back to its home to perform another ritual, which will allow it to feed on all the souls it’s collected. It has to be done once every five years. Without fail. The longer it’s left, the weaker the redcap gets.”

  “So that hat is soaked in blood?”

  “The redcap is able to create some sort of small realm inside the hat where the souls and blood go. There’s no blood inside the hat. They can only open the realm to feed once back at their home. It means that over the years they get weaker and weaker, and then in the next second, incredibly powerful. They can feed a small amount outside of their home, but it’s just to tide them over. Unfortunately, trying to capture one after they’ve fed properly is incredibly hard work.”

  “Where is Elias’s home? Can’t you just find it and burn it down?”

  “Elias was born in England. We know that much. We don’t know where or exactly when, though. We also don’t know where his family home is; it’s information that any redcap will go to great lengths to keep secret. Destroying the home would be difficult—the spells around it are set up so that it can’t be destroyed. Even the smallest piece of land left would allow him to recharge. But stopping him from recharging in the first place would mean he’d just wither away and eventually die. Obviously that’s a lot more complicated than it sounds.”

  “He said he was a big fan of my father. He admired him.”

  “Your father’s crimes were big news in the human world when he first committed the murders, although Tabitha saw to it that most of the details were kept from human eyes. His fame only increased three years ago when it was leaked what he was: a human who became an umbra accused of killing lots of humans. It was big news. Murdering humans isn’t exactly encouraged, and the fact that he’d killed so many and wasn’t executed for it intrigued people. Some people don’t see what he did as being wrong. Some probably want to do something similar.”

  A phone on Olivia’s desk went off and she answered it, spoke for a few seconds with whoever was on the other end, then replaced the receiver and sighed. “We’re ready to go. You’ll be safe with Tommy and his people. And I’ll keep an eye on things from here. I’m sorry I can’t be more involved, but I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thank you,” Layla said, and got to her feet. “It’s all so confusing, but I think things are beginning to make sense.”

  Tommy got up. “I’ll see you outside, front parking lot.” He left the office, leaving Layla and Olivia alone.

  “He’s upset that you’re angry with Chloe. He didn’t put her there to hurt you.”

  “I know. I just don’t like being lied to. And I don’t like feeling as if our friendship was all a plan from the beginning. My father lied to me for a long time, and while I’m not equating her with a serial killer, it still hurts all the same.”

  Olivia walked around the desk. “Give her a chance. I know it hurts. A few years ago Tommy and Kasey were kidnapped by a monster. A creature of immense power, who wanted to use their torment to hurt me. Up until that moment, I’d been working with a friend of Tommy’s under the assumption he had been ex-Avalon. After they were taken, he told me the truth about who he was, and what he used to do for a living. I was horrified, hurt, and angry that anyone had kept such things from me.”

  “What was he?”

  “An assassin for Avalon. He worked for Merlin, did bad things to bad people, but that didn’t make it better. If anything, it made it worse. It felt like the friendship we’d formed was based on a lie.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Honestly, I sucked it up and got on with it. I needed to get Tommy and Kasey back, and that was more important than my ego. Also, he was able to do some questionable things to some awful people to get answers about where they were being kept. I couldn’t really hold who he was against him, when he was helping me get my family back.

  “It’s not exactly the same situation as you’re in, but I get it. Chloe isn’t the kind of person to fake a personality to get close to someone. She made friends with you because she cares about you. Simple as that. I doubt she lied about her family or her past. She’s not much of an undercover operative. That was never why she was put there.”

  “Why was she put there? Why her, I mean?”

  “Her mother was responsible for sending her and my daughter to a nightmare world. One where the blood elves number in the hundreds of thousands. Chloe got sick, almost died, and had to be given a spirit scroll to heal.

  “Turns out Chloe’s mum had also sent her ex-husband—Chloe’s father—to the same world. He died trying to get his daughter home to this realm. Chloe’s mother was arrested, and currently resides in a deep, dark hole. Chloe lost control of her power, almost hurt a bunch of people, and decided that she wanted time away. We granted it. While here, we asked her to watch over you. It wasn’t only about wanting to see if you’d develop powers like your father. We were worried about you.”

  “Why?”

  “Your mother’s death. We weren’t sure it was an accident. Still aren’t, to be honest. We knew that Nergal would have preferred to get hold of her rather than you, but obviously she died before that could happen.”

  “You think my mother was murdered?”

  “The investigation never uncovered conclusive evidence proving murder. When all of this is done, I’ll be happy to find the file for you. You can look for yourself.”

  “Thank you.” Layla’s mind reeled from the possibility that her mother hadn’t actually died by accident, that someone had intentionally caused her death. “All this death because my father caught the attention of Nergal.”

  “Yes. I’m hoping we can turn things around, go on the offensive. Because having the specter of Nergal and his people somewhere out there waiting for us to make a mistake . . . frankly, it’s exhausting. And we only get to make one mistake.”

  Layla glanced out of the window at the fields behind the building. She wondered if Elias and his people were already out there, waiting for the moment they could spring their next trap. She wanted to do something, wanted to go on the offensive, to bring the fight to them. But first she needed to know where they were, and that meant sitting tight and waiting for them to come to her.

  “What if we made it look like we were making a mistake?” Layla asked.

  Olivia smirked. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I want to bring them to me. I want to end this.”

  “I think we need to have a chat with the rest of the team before we decide anything, but you’re thinking a lot more like someone who’s done this for a while than I expected.”

  “The spirits. They’ve been through things like this, and their calmness about the whole situation helps me to be calm too. I think parts of their personalities are going to start blending into my own. I’m not sure when that starts to happen, though. Besides, there’s no point in denying what’s happening, even if I don’t necessarily accept the spirits and drenik at the moment.”

  “That’s something you’ll need to do. Sooner rather than later.”

  “I know. R
ight now, Elias is higher on my list of concerns. But if he thinks I’m going to go quietly into the night to become a bargaining chip, he’s mistaken.”

  25

  Two Mercedes G-Class SUV’s were parked outside of the building. The first contained Chloe, Diana, Remy, and two other people, while the second held Kasey, Harry, and Tommy, plus a spot for Layla, who was glad for the chance to ride shotgun.

  “These things are beasts,” Tommy said with a smile. “You ready to get going?”

  Layla nodded. “Let’s go see the new surroundings.”

  Tommy started the ignition and beeped the horn, signaling the first car to start moving. “You’re safe in here. The bulletproof glass is tinted from the outside. The tech we have at Avalon is a few generations ahead of what humans have. So be prepared for possible surprises along the way.”

  Layla switched on the air conditioning and adjusted one of the vents. “That okay?”

  “It’s all good with me, Layla. We want you to be comfortable, even in this thing. We might be at the new compound a few weeks. Depends on how desperate Elias becomes. Oh, we got you some of your university work. And an extension. Sounds like you’re doing some interesting stuff.”

  “I think so. Not everyone agrees.”

  “It’s boring,” Harry called from the rear passenger seats with a slight laugh.

  “Ignore him, he’s just upset because he couldn’t understand half of the big words I used.”

  “Not half,” Harry argued. “About a fifth.”

  Tommy laughed. “We have some video games, board games, and the like at the property. Just in case the chemical components of metals begin to overwhelm you. Not Monopoly or Risk, though. We want you to relax, not kill one another.”

  “Do my parents know about this?” Harry asked. “I haven’t spoken to them.”

  “We’ve contacted them and said you’ll phone soon. We told them that you were helping with some odd marine life we’ve found washed up on the shores of Iceland. Apparently we had to have your help. Your parents sounded exceptionally proud.”

  “Thanks, Tommy,” Harry said.

  “No problem. Once this is all over, I’ll show you the remains of a kraken. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

  “As in the legendary creature of the sea?” Harry asked, sounding like Christmas had started early this year.

  “Yep. They’re not from this realm, but they do exist. I get the feeling you’re going to see a lot of things you didn’t think existed before a few days ago.”

  “Magic and monsters,” Harry said. “My Dungeons & Dragons-playing fifteen-year-old self would be having the time of his life. If people weren’t trying to kill him.”

  “Fifteen? You play D&D every other weekend,” Layla pointed out.

  “Yeah, but we drink whiskey while we do it. That makes it incredibly manly.”

  “Really?”

  “No. Just means games last longer when someone throws the dice with a bit too much force.”

  “I’ve never played D&D,” Kasey said. “Maybe we can get a game going at the property. Facing off against magic-wielding monsters sounds a lot more fun when you’re not getting your hair singed.”

  “You’ve fought magic monsters?” Harry asked, clearly awestruck.

  “Sorcerers, sure. They’re not exactly a barrel of laughs.”

  “I’ll tell Nate you said that,” Tommy said with a laugh.

  “Kase mentioned him before. He’s a friend of yours, yes?” Layla asked. “Will he be at the property?”

  “He’s not around at the moment. He’s . . . Actually, who knows? He vanishes every now and then to deal with whatever is currently trying to kill him. He’s a good friend to have. And he’s a sorcerer, a fairly powerful one too. Nergal likes him about as much as he likes me.”

  “You’ve met Nergal?”

  “Once. A few years ago. I think being blasted back fifty feet through a concrete wall means I lost that fight. He’s feared for a reason.”

  “And we’re going up against him?” Harry asked, his awe replaced by fear.

  “I really hope not. He’s never come to England before, and I can’t see why he’d start now. No, you’re safe from him.”

  Layla remained silent for the rest of the journey, opting to look out of the window at the passing countryside. Eventually the car went down a dirt track, which after about a half mile revealed a massive complex ahead.

  Tommy slowed the car and pulled in through the front gates, which were manned by several armed security guards. There were no twenty-foot-high walls, just a small wooden fence that encircled the property.

  The car drove along the curved path up toward the stately home that sat at the apex. The house appeared to be several centuries old, and Layla stopped bothering to count the windows when she hit thirty. And that wasn’t even half of it. The building had two floors and ramparts on the roof where more armed guards patrolled. Yet more guards walked around the estate, across perfectly maintained lawns, and beside beautiful, ornate statues and colorful flowers. A large statue of a fish sat in the center of the lawn, water flowing out of its mouth and into the fountain below.

  “What is this place?”

  “It doesn’t exist,” Tommy told Layla. “Officially this is a pig farm.”

  “I don’t think you want to keep pigs in there,” Harry said.

  Tommy stopped the Mercedes behind the first car and got out, motioning for Layla to do the same.

  The rest of the group were gathered at the bottom of a set of a dozen steps leading up to the double front doors, which were currently open. Two guards, a man and a woman, stood in front of them, like a heavily armed version of the staff from Downton Abbey.

  “If the people in Downton Abbey all had machine guns, I’d have watched it,” Harry said.

  “Because that’s what it was missing? Heavily armed soldiers?”

  “Downton Abbey needed more Jason Statham.”

  Layla stared at Harry in disbelief.

  “Everything needs more Jason Statham,” Harry said by way of explanation.

  “Everything?”

  “Sure, why not? You’re telling me that show wouldn’t have been more entertaining if he’d kicked a few heads in?”

  Layla considered it. “Fair point.” She turned to Tommy. “So, this is my new home?”

  “Everyone’s new home for a while. Until we find and stop Elias and his people, anyway. There are thirty-seven of my people here, divided between four shifts, with two overlapping at any one time. That’s not including us. We are literally in the safest place I can imagine that isn’t on the moon.”

  “Can you get us to the moon?” Layla asked.

  “No,” Tommy said with a slight smile.

  Layla followed Tommy into the house, admiring the beautiful decor and furniture. Colorful rugs lay on dark wooden floors, and paintings of landscapes adorned the white and blue wallpapered walls. Electric lights that had been made to appear like gas lamps sat beside them. A grand staircase led up and around to the floor above.

  “How many rooms are in here?”

  “A hundred and something or other,” Tommy said. “I never bothered to count. There are several in the basement. This place used to belong to a member of Avalon who really thought he could become a king. It was confiscated from him after his death and kept as a sort of hidey-hole, should we ever need one. Only three people in Avalon know it exists: Olivia, Elaine, and Lucie, the latter of whom is currently in charge of the SOA.”

  “You trust all of them?”

  “With my life. And with the lives of everyone here. If I didn’t trust them, we’d be somewhere in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country.”

  A young man walked toward the group. He appeared to be slightly older than Layla, although considering Tommy was several centuries old and appeared to be no more than mid-thirties, the newcomer could have been any age. He had long dark hair that fell over his shoulders, the beginnings of a beard, and piercing blue eyes. His skin was pale,
and he had several burn marks on one of his forearms.

  “My name’s Jared,” he told Layla, his words wrapped in an Irish accent. He offered her his hand, which she took. “I’m sorry about what happened to you. This is all a lot to take in. Being an umbra takes some getting used to.”

  “You could say that,” Layla agreed. “You went through something similar?”

  He nodded. “It was a few years back now, but when I found the spirit scroll, it wasn’t exactly a good time. We’ll talk some more once you’re settled.”

  “I’d like that,” Layla told him.

  “Everything arranged here, Jared?” Tommy asked, breaking whatever moment had existed between Layla and Jared.

  “Yes, boss. If Elias or his people turn up, they’re gonna find themselves in a bit of bother.”

  Tommy turned to the face the rest of the group. “Remy, can you show Harry and Layla to their rooms, please?”

  “You want me to carry their bags too?” he asked.

  “I think walking with them is probably enough,” Tommy replied. “But I guess if you want a tip, you’ll have to carry the bags as well.”

  Remy coughed into his hand. “Screw you,” he said between coughs. “Sorry, it’s a terrible affliction.”

  The sides of Tommy’s mouth creased upward. “Once you’re settled, I’d like to see you all in the drawing room. Let’s say in an hour.” He pointed to the left. “It’s through that door.”

  “Just say in there,” Remy said snidely as he walked past. “Drawing room.” He tutted.

  “Your father was a rich lord,” Tommy said, as Remy began to ascend the stairs.

  “Yeah, but I like giving you shit. It gives me a sense of well-being.”

  Kasey and Diana turned away from the group and chuckled, while Layla and Harry followed Remy up the staircase to the next floor.

  It didn’t take long for Remy to show them to their rooms. They were right opposite each other, halfway down a huge hallway that ran off toward the right of the building. Layla had counted four doors before reaching the one to her room, and there were another four further down the hallway.