‘I know,’ Olivia replied quietly, ‘but he doesn’t understand that if we don’t stand together now, we’re all going to die.’
Leaving her friend behind Olivia climbed the stairs slowly, her head was screaming in agony. It felt as if there were steel bands around her skull, being viciously and ruthlessly tightened. The whispering had started once again; no longer content to murmur in the background it was screaming in her head, so loudly she couldn’t think.
Entering her room, she dropped the painting down on her vanity unit, not noticing when it missed and clattered to the floor in a cloud of pink tissue paper. Crawling onto her bed she curled up and dragged the pillow over her head in an attempt to block out the screaming.
Theo turned to Mac and Charles.
‘Look, it’s going to take all of us to get through the woods,’ he spoke up, ‘it’s crawling with supernatural creatures. Charles is right about one thing, when I reach the Hollow I can’t take Nathaniel on. I did back in Salem; I stabbed him several times with my knife and it had no real effect at all. Now he’s been feeding on human souls I doubt any of us can stop him. This was always about distracting him long enough to get Temperance back, then we fall back to the house to regroup. Once we’re all safe we can come up with a plan to stop Nathaniel once and for all.’
‘So what exactly is your plan?’ Mac asked.
‘We go into the woods in force,’ Theo replied, ‘all of us. Once we make it to the Hollow we can get a look at where he’s holding her. Mac, you can skirt round behind them. I’ll distract Nathaniel long enough for you to grab my sister then we head back here as quickly as possible and get back inside Olivia’s wards.’
‘What about Olivia?’ Jake asked.
‘She’s not going,’ Theo replied flatly.
‘She’s not going to like that,’ Charles snorted.
‘I don’t care if she doesn’t like it,’ Theo answered, ‘she stays here even if I have to tie her to a chair. Louisa will be here anyway.’
Jake looked across to his sister.
‘Damn straight I will be,’ Louisa replied. ‘I’m not about to orphan my son, especially as I get the impression my husband will be going with you.’
Tommy smiled softly at her.
‘Stop smiling at me,’ she frowned. ‘If you don’t come back to me in one piece I swear I’ll kill you.’
‘I’m coming back baby,’ he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. ‘I came back from Iraq and Afghanistan; I’ll come back from this.’
‘You better,’ she grumbled. ‘Besides,’ she looked up at the others, ‘someone has to be waiting here to stitch your dumb asses back together when you come back bleeding.’
Jake turned to Roni worriedly, ‘I think you should stay…’
‘Don’t even finish that sentence Jake,’ she replied coolly, ‘I’m going… end of story.’
‘You’re so stubborn,’ he scowled, ‘it’s too dangerous. This isn’t the same as last time; we’re not going to be inside a protective circle.’
‘Don’t worry I’ll be there to protect you,’ she replied sweetly.
‘This isn’t about me being protected,’ he growled.
‘I’m going Jake, so shut up and accept it,’ she replied primly as she picked a piece of imaginary lint from her jeans.
Calypso chuckled behind him as he looked across to Louisa and Tommy who were both laughing silently.
‘WHAT?’ he demanded.
‘Nothing,’ Tommy replied innocently. ‘I can’t wait for the wedding,’ he muttered under his breath to Louisa, ‘your brother totally is fucked.’
Louisa sniggered quietly.
‘Don’t worry,’ Calypso turned to Jake, ‘I will be watching over her. I have plans for that one.’
‘What plans?’ Roni frowned suspiciously.
‘Okay that’s enough domestics,’ Danae clapped her hands. ‘So we’re agreed, Olivia and Louisa will stay here with Beau and the Baby. Charles, Davis and I, along with Calypso, Jake, Roni, Tommy and Theo will head into the woods, just after sundown. We’ll cut a path through any creatures in the woods. Once we get to the Hollow, distract Nathaniel long enough to snatch Tammy, then hightail it back to the ranch? Have I got that straight?’
‘Pretty much,’ Theo nodded.
‘Okay then, we’ll need weapons,’ Danae pouted thoughtfully. ‘We’ve got a supply in the car, most of them you’re familiar with. They’re basically what we used last time we went up against them, the night we tried to close the gateway.’
‘I’ve still got my knife Olivia made for me,’ Jake replied. ‘Theo?’
‘I’ve got mine too,’ he lifted his hand, pushing up the sleeve of his sweater to reveal the vines of different colors crawling up his arm. ‘It’s not like I can be separated from it.’
‘Charles, Danae and I can pretty much defend ourselves,’ Davis replied, looking across at Mac, Tommy and Roni. ‘I’d feel better though if you had more efficient weapons.’
‘Hold that thought a moment,’ Calypso stood, disappearing abruptly into thin air.
They all stood in silence for a few moments staring at each other in confusion when she suddenly reappeared carrying a large awkward bundle wrapped in a plain, rough blanket.
‘What’s that?’ Jake asked curiously.
‘Weapons,’ Calypso dropped them on Olivia’s desk, folding back the blanket to reveal a couple of spears, a crossbow, some knives and a couple of swords.
‘I can see that,’ he frowned, ‘but I wasn’t planning on getting that close and personal with them. We’d probably be better off with the guns.’
‘The guns won’t do you much good,’ Calypso shook her head.
‘And these will?’ he asked dubiously.
‘These may not look like it but they are incredibly powerful against supernatural forces,’ she replied.
Jake gazed down at the rough Iron Age weapons. They didn’t look too pretty but he could vaguely make out faint etchings of strange symbols in their pitted metal.
‘Where did you get them?’ Roni asked suspiciously.
‘The British Museum,’ Calypso shrugged.
‘In London?’ Davis replied with a low whistle, ‘that’s a hell of a trick.’
‘The British museum,’ Roni’s face paled and she dropped down into the nearby chair, breathing heavily.
‘Uh-oh,’ Jake turned towards her, pushing her head down between her knees ‘just breathe sweetheart.’
‘Here give her this,’ Louisa handed him a paper bag.
Calypso frowned in confusion, ‘I only borrowed them,’ she told Roni as she breathed heavily into the bag. ‘Besides they won’t even notice they were gone; they were concealed inside a monolith which was on show.’
‘You broke the monolith?’ Jake replied slowly.
‘How else was I supposed to get inside it?’ Calypso answered.
‘You broke a thousand year old monolith?’ Davis asked in shock.
Roni’s eyes widened and she began to breathe more unevenly, the bag inflating and deflating rapidly.
‘Just breathe sweetheart,’ Jake shook his head incredulously as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. ‘You know it’s crazy, you don’t bat an eyelid about facing down an angry demon and a horde of Hell creatures, but this is what makes you hyperventilate?…’ he chuckled lightly. ‘Is it any wonder I’m crazy about you.’
‘You will put them back afterwards won’t you?’ Roni gasped.
‘Sure,’ Calypso shrugged, ‘right after we’ve scraped all of the monster blood off them.’
The bag re-inflated once more.
‘Okay then,’ Danae spoke up, ‘everyone choose your weapon and then let’s see if you know how to use them.’
Olivia tossed and turned uncomfortably, her subconscious thrusting in and out of strange dreams. One moment she was standing looking into the white milky eyes of Nathaniel with his teeth peeled back in an angry snarl as he lunged
for her, the next she was holding in her hands a book of pure flames.
‘You know what you have to do…’
She woke abruptly, clammy with sweat and reaching out with shaking hands for the glass of water, which Louisa must have left on her nightstand sometime while she was sleeping.
Taking a sip, she pulled in a deep breath. The pain her head was almost gone. She still felt a little delicate when she turned her head too quickly, but it was manageable. Likewise the screaming had once again dulled to a whisper in the corner of her mind.
Glancing out of the window she saw the sky was still filled with the random lightning strikes but beneath it the daylight was giving way to twilight. Wondering how long she’d slept for she climbed to her feet. Feeling a prickling sensation between her shoulder blades and a familiar summer scent wash over her, she turned and found herself staring into the familiar gaze of the Goddess Diana.
‘There isn’t much time Olivia,’ she regarded her with serious eyes.
It was the first time she’d referred to Olivia by her name, which was strange in itself, but her eyes which always held a kind of knowing amusement, were now wide and filled with worry.
‘What is it?’ Olivia asked.
‘You are running out of time,’ she replied. ‘You must go to the woods now.’
‘I can’t,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘there’s no way Theo and the others would let me.’
‘Then you must go without their knowledge.’
‘What?’ Olivia gasped, ‘on my own?’
‘Daughter,’ Diana stepped forward, grasping her arms gently, ‘I know you are fearful. I know I ask too much of you, but you have to. It has to be you and it has to be now.’
‘I don’t…’ she shook her head.
‘You do know what you have to do,’ she whispered softly, ‘you have always known.’
Olivia looked into her eyes and something inside her tightened.
‘My children?’
‘Will be safe,’ Diana replied, ‘you know, Olivia…trust yourself.’
She did know, she’d known for days and now the time had come. She had to make a choice, knowing that if she made the wrong one out of fear, her husband, her children and everyone she loved would pay the price.
She turned and glanced toward her closed bedroom door.
‘I’ll never be able to sneak out without them noticing,’ she murmured.
‘You have the compass,’ Diana whispered.
Olivia pulled the little locket from her sweater. Holding it in her palm, it pulsed like a tiny throbbing heartbeat. The metal suddenly pulsed hot and swirled, before reforming itself back into the tarnished compass Hades had given to her so many months ago.
When Olivia looked up, Diana was gone and only the faint scent of flowers hung in the air. Knowing she didn’t have much time she headed for her closet.
She found her boots but knew she wouldn’t be able to go downstairs and retrieve her heavy winter coat. She rummaged in the closet pulling on a thick hoodie of Theo’s, which fit snugly over her bump, and also a lighter jacket, drawing the hood of the sweater over the collar of the jacket so it sat more comfortably,
She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully as a plan began to form in her mind. What she needed was a decoy, something that might fool Nathaniel at least temporarily, just long enough for her to get Temperance away from him. It would be a gamble, but right now that was all she had.
Dropping down to her knees awkwardly, she pulled back the rug in front of the fireplace in her room. Digging her fingers under the corner of the floorboard she prized it loose, revealing a cavity beneath it. Reaching in she felt her fingers wrap around the edges of a book binding. Pulling the old, thick, leather bound book free she blew the dust from it and ran her hand over the cover of Hester’s Grimoire.
‘I’m afraid I’m going to need your help again,’ she whispered to the book.
She climbed unsteadily to her feet, not quite used to her new center of balance and pulled a thick scarf from the closet, wrapping it securely around the book so that its cover was concealed.
Standing slowly she took one last look around her room. Praying that Theo would forgive her she pulled the compass free, laying it in her palm.
‘Wake up,’ she whispered, watching as the little needle inside it twitched and began to spin… ‘Take me to the woods...’
Taking a deep breath, she watched as the room began to swirl and blur around her.
‘So is everyone clear?’ Theo asked again.
‘I think at this point we’re as prepared as we can be,’ Mac nodded, ‘we just need to wait for sundown.’
‘It won’t be long now… I think we should…’ Theo broke off suddenly and turned as he saw a figure appear in the corner of the room.
Spinning round, he relaxed slightly when his gaze fell on a familiar figure.
‘Sam,’ Theo smiled in relief at the sight of his friend, ‘I’m so glad to see you.’
‘Theo,’ Sam interrupted abruptly, ‘where’s Olivia?’
‘She’s upstairs sleeping,’ he replied in confusion.
Sam blinked at Theo, his expression grave and filled with concern. Theo’s heart began to pound and a heavy feeling of dread sat like lead in his stomach, but it was Sam’s next words that made his blood run cold.
‘Are you sure about that?’
27.
When the strange blurring of color stopped spinning around her, Olivia found herself standing deep in the heart of the woods. Although the sky above her still held the dying rays of light, it couldn’t penetrate the twisted canopy of trees and winter branches which cast the woods into a dim foreboding darkness.
As she lifted her hand two of her dragonflies burst into flame, but instead of her usual gold and red, they shimmered and changed color the same way the fire back in her library had. It vacillated back and forth between sapphire blue and black, to silver, to lavender, to a mix of all of them. Despite the unusual flames she felt better, not quite so alone with them bobbing and dancing over her shoulder.
Holding the wrapped book closer to her chest she started walking. She knew these woods so well, she could have been dropped in the middle of anywhere and she’d still be able to find her way to the Hollow, even with the hindrance of the dying light.
The cold was brutal; it was just on the cusp of winter and the air was freezing. Her cheeks were already a ruddy pink and her fingers were beginning to stiffen. Allowing her power to pool down to her fingertips, she let the warmth of her fire flood her veins, warming her from the inside. She continued on, wishing she’d thought to grab her trusty backpack to put the book in as her arms were beginning to ache. She could feel a thousand pair of eyes around her, watching, keeping pace with her and she began to feel uneasy, the first licks of fear scuttling down her spine like tiny insects.
She walked on, clutching the book tightly to her chest, her breathing uneven. She’d never felt so exposed before. Every other time she’d faced a threat, or she’d found herself in a dangerous situation, she’d been scared but she’d faced it head on. This time all she could think about were her children growing inside her and a sense of panic clawed at her throat.
She had to protect them no matter what. It wasn’t a question of her life anymore; it was a question of theirs. She never should have taken such a risk, she knew that. Theo was going to be mad as hell but how could she explain to him something she herself didn’t quite understand? There was a driving force deep inside her and an absolute knowing that this was what she was meant to do. She was supposed to be in the Hollow on this night, she just wasn’t quite sure why or what was going to happen. But the one thing she did know was that her children would never be safe unless she faced Nathaniel once and for all.
Slowly she became aware of something slithering along the ground near her. Deep in the tree line she could feel its maleficence as it kept pace with her, moving ever closer. She quickened her pace, keeping her head down a
s she pressed through the woods. She glanced to her left and saw a pair of sooty red eyes glowing in the dark. She veered off the path deeper into the woods, trying to lose the creature that was tracking her. It matched her pace; she could hear it now, the dry dusty scales of its body as it slithered through the twigs and dead leaves. She stopped abruptly, dropping the bundled book to her feet. Pulling her hands apart her bow burst into the same strange multi colored flames as her dragonflies.
When the creature broke the tree line and surged toward her in a mass of sharp, needle pointed teeth and strange spines which protruded from its serpentine body, she calmly let loose a bolt of pure fire. She watched with satisfaction as it hit its mark dead on, the creature recoiled, hissing and belching fire as her magic consumed it. It squealed a strange pig like sound as it hardened and curled into itself, now no more than a charred, burned out husk.
Detecting another movement in her peripheral vision she turned aiming into the trees. Another movement flickered on the other side and she turned again, spinning in a slow deliberate circle, trying to mark her target. Her heart thumped wildly, her body surging with adrenalin. She felt a snort, a gust of breath part the back of her hair and a low warning sound, somewhere between a growl and a purr. It sounded almost like a lion or some sort of wild cat. Then the dim light shimmered in front of her and she blinked.
There was a huge white cat watching her with ice blue eyes and as she turned her head to her right she found herself inches from a pair of vivid green eyes.
Her bow tattered and dissipated as she relaxed her stance, staring at the two giant cats circling her.
‘You’re the Gata aren’t you?’ she asked softly.
The white one let out another deep feline purr as if she were answering her somehow.
‘You saved me,’ Olivia spoke again, as they moved in closer, ‘at the hospital. You saved me from the female demon.’
The black one nudged her with his huge face. She reached out tentatively and stroked his fur; it was soft as he bumped her face with his.
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 193
