Magic Unleashed

by T J Green

  “Good. Well, one of the spirits is lurking in All Souls. It turns out that it—he—is a Nephilim.”

  Dan paused, mid-bite, and stared. “Isn’t that some biblical something?”

  “Yes,” Avery said, and explained what it was. “There are seven of them, three deaths in three churches so far, and no doubt more to come. And we have no idea how to stop them. They’re very powerful, far more than normal spirits. I need to talk to the Witches Council.”

  “I hate to tell you this, but there are more than three deaths, Avery. There were another two reported in breaking news only a few minutes ago. I heard it on the radio.”

  “What?” They must have been reported after she left Newton, or he’d have said so. “Where?”

  “Bodmin and Perranporth.”

  “More old churches?”

  “I think so. There weren’t many details.”

  Avery’s legs felt weak and she headed around the counter and sat on one of the chairs next to Dan. “This is awful.”

  Dan cradled his coffee as he watched her. “Yes, it is. Pretty scary, too. There must be a spell you can use, with all your juiced-up magic.”

  “There are lots of spells…it’s just finding the right one.”

  “Isn’t that what the Council is for? You all work together, pool your power. You’re not alone, remember that.” Dan smiled, trying to reassure her.

  “I think I’m feeling very overwhelmed right now.” She sipped her coffee again, enjoying the hit of caffeine.

  “That’s because it’s big and it’s new, but you’ll get your head around it. You always do.”

  She smiled at him. “Thanks. I’m just tired, I think. Sleep will help.”

  “Guess who I saw yesterday?”

  Avery considered him for a second. “Dylan?”

  “Bingo! I saw at him at the Uni library. You’ve made quite an impression. All of you, actually.”

  “Have we?”

  “Oh, yes,” he nodded. “He tells me they’re heading to St Luke’s tonight.”

  “Yes. I’m going, too. I’m not leaving them alone with Caspian.”

  Dan nodded, relieved. “Good, I was hoping you’d say that. Now, go and catch up on some sleep, I’ll manage here for a few hours on my own.”

  “Are you sure? Because that sounds wonderful.”

  “Yes. Come and relieve me for lunch.”

  Avery stood gratefully, walking towards the rear of the shop. But before she headed up the stairs to her flat, she strengthened the protective wards on the shop, just in case.

  14

  “Another night, another church.”

  Alex leaned on the low wall that edged St Luke’s Church. Unlike All Souls, this church was slightly out of the town, and there were no neighbouring shops or houses to witness their activities. “This is becoming quite a habit.”

  “Not one I’m enjoying,” Avery said. She studied Alex’s face again, worried that he hadn’t yet fully recovered from last night.

  He saw her worried expression and laughed. “I’m fine, Avery.”

  She reached up, cupping his cheek with her hand. “I hope so. I was really worried last night.”

  He grabbed her hand, pulled it to his lips and kissed her palm. “I know. You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

  “So you keep telling me.” She smiled, warmth spreading through her.

  “I mean it.” He looked as if he was about to say more when they heard cars arriving, and they looked around to see the three investigators arriving at the same time as Caspian.

  Dylan, Cassie, and Ben shouted their hellos, and then started to wrestle equipment from their van, but Caspian grimaced when he saw them. He slammed the door of his sleek Audi, and his sister, Estelle, emerged from the passenger seat.

  Avery’s only contact with Estelle had been on two instances. The first time was when she had been attacking Reuben at Old Haven Church, and in defence, Briar had half-buried her in soil and Avery had knocked her unconscious with a fallen branch. The second time had been at Faversham Central, their name for Sebastian Faversham’s mansion, where Estelle had attacked them in the corridor and Reuben had managed to better her. Today, Avery reflected, was the first time they had seen her and they hadn’t been attacking each other. Unfortunately, she looked like she wanted to attack them right now. That was fine. Avery wanted to wipe that dismissive look right off her face.

  “Nice to see you, too,” Alex said, smirking.

  “We don’t need you here,” Caspian said, turning his back on them as he opened up the church. Estelle stood next to him, glaring at them.

  “Well, they do, so get over it,” Alex said, joining Caspian at the door. He nodded at Estelle. “Estelle, always a pleasure.”

  Estelle narrowed her eyes. “Do we need both of you?”

  “Safety in numbers. Especially with you two here. Besides, if this is anything like the spirit in our church, it’s very mean.” He hesitated a moment. “We found out what it is. What they are.”

  “And?” Caspian drawled. “Do you want a drum roll?”

  Alex ignored his sarcasm. “They are Nephilim.”

  Estelle released a barking laugh, throwing her head back. “Really?” Her voice dripped with doubt.

  “Really. So watch your step, Estelle. It might get all biblical on your ass.”

  Caspian and Estelle paused on the threshold of the church, staring at each other for a few seconds, and then Caspian looked at Alex, clearly annoyed. “How do you know?”

  “I communed with the one in All Souls last night, through a crystal ball.” Alex shrugged. “He said there were seven of them. The question is, do we really want to try to record this one, now we know what it is?”

  That was a good question, Avery thought, and one they had debated on the way over. They could all be put in more danger than they needed to be. The whole point of allowing the paranormal investigation was to see if the spirits were linked, and it seemed they were.

  Ben spoke from behind them. “Yes, we do. The more we film, the more we know.”

  “And besides,” Caspian put in, “you might be wrong.”

  “I didn’t think you wanted them here?” Avery asked sharply, referring to the parapsychologists.

  “Let’s not upset Genevieve,” Caspian said, turning away from her. “Now, let’s get this over with.”

  They followed Caspian into the nave, the dim electric lights throwing shadows everywhere.

  Like All Souls, this church was medieval in design, and the high, vaulted ceiling stretched above them. Unlike All Souls, it was much smaller, a country church, similar in size to Old Haven. And it had been smashed to pieces.

  Over half of the polished wooden pews had been destroyed, the altar overturned, and candles were scattered on the floor. Set in the walls were small, arched niches that had contained icons, flowers or candles, and all but two of these were now empty, their displays strewn across the floor.

  “Bloody Hell,” Ben murmured, looking around in shock. “What happened here?”

  Avery felt as shocked as he looked. This spirit had actually destroyed objects. Big, heavy objects. Some of the pews were now only splinters of wood.

  Caspian rounded on them, eyes blazing. “I presume this hasn’t happened at All Souls?”

  “No,” Alex said, taking in the damage. “Not last night, anyway. It might have by now.”

  Estelle’s cool, clipped tone resonated through the church and she glanced dismissively at Avery and Alex. “Well, so much for it just being a spirit.”

  “Maybe,” Avery began, just as coolly, “the spirit has gained a lot of power from killing its victim. Where was the body found?”

  Estelle dropped her eyes and pointed, a glimmer of regret on her face. “Here in the nave, next to the altar. You can just about see where the blood was.”

  Dylan and Cassie were now behind Ben, and rather than looking dismayed at the damage, they actually looked excited. “Wow. Brilliant,” Dylan said. “I wish we’d caught thi
s on camera.”

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Alex said, raising his brows. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Cassie, Ben and Dylan worked quickly, falling into well-practised routines, and soon they had their equipment set up, and Cassie had taken her initial temperature readings. Dylan was already prowling the perimeter with his thermal imaging camera, while Ben set up the audio.

  While the team organised themselves, Avery and Alex righted the candles and Avery lit them with a word. Estelle and Caspian stood in the centre of the room, and Avery knew they were doing what she and Alex were doing; trying to feel the spirit and locate its presence. So far, Avery sensed nothing, but she knew it must be here.

  “You know what?” Alex said, frowning. “I’m going to make a very big protective circle. Guys!” he shouted. “Be prepared to get your ass over here quickly.”

  Ben, Cassie and Dylan turned and nodded, but Estelle sneered. “Scared, Alex?”

  Alex just smiled thinly. “You’ll thank me for this later.”

  Working quickly, he withdrew all the necessary things from his pack, including a large silver dagger, and he used salt to outline the circle, just as they had done before. Avery worked with him, speaking softly. “I think this is a great idea. And it worked well last night.”

  Alex nodded. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  For the next 15 minutes nothing happened, other than their own pacing and waiting.

  “It doesn’t want to play,” Caspian murmured, annoyed.

  “Could it have escaped?” Avery asked.

  “No. I know how to seal a building, thank you,” Caspian said sarcastically. He turned his back to them and watched the ghost-hunters.

  The spirit may have been refusing to appear, but the tension in the room increased anyway. Being in such close proximity with Caspian and Estelle was annoying.

  Ben and the other parapsychologists ignored them, focussing solely on recording the damage, and Ben even provided some walk-through audio.

  Then, without warning, the electric lights that weren’t that bright in the first place started to buzz and crackle, the light pulsing.

  They all spun around, and Avery threw her senses wide, trying to identify where the spirit was. A large, dark mass started to manifest behind the altar. The EMF meter started to whine, and then one by one, the lights shattered around the room, the candles now their sole source of light.

  Alex grabbed Avery’s hand and pulled her into the circle. “Everyone, get in here now!”

  Cassie ran to them straight away, standing close to Avery, but Ben continued to use the meter, and Dylan continued to record. Caspian and Estelle ignored them too, stepping closer to the spirit that had started to manifest.

  The dark mass rose taller and taller, its bulk filling out.

  Cassie shouted, “Dylan. Ben. Please come here!”

  They glanced at them, and then looked back at the spirit, and seemed to decide that retreat was wise. They edged back, step by step, continuing to record all the while.

  Caspian and Estelle, however, had poised themselves for attack, their hands raised, balls of energy visible in their palms.

  Without warning the spirit grew, becoming more human in shape - except for the wings spread wide behind it. It lunged at Caspian, one large wing sweeping him off his feet and sending him crashing into the wall.

  That was enough to make Ben and Dylan run.

  Estelle had no such fears, and Avery wasn’t sure if she was brave or stupid. She threw ball after ball of energy at the spirit, but instead of retreating it grew in size, its enormous wingspan now reaching halfway along the wall. Avery couldn’t work out if she was seeing its shadow from the candles, or the spirit itself. Would it even have a shadow?

  Alex yelled, “Estelle! Stop! You’re giving it power!”

  She ignored him, instead conjuring flames and hurling them at the spirit. Caspian, meanwhile, staggered to his feet, and added his power to hers.

  Avery looked at Alex bewildered. “Can’t they see what they’re doing?”

  “Blinded by stupidity,” Alex muttered. “Caspian! You’re not helping. Get back here!”

  The spirit continued to change, forming two legs and then arms, but the wings remained. It again lunged at Caspian and Estelle, catching them both with its wings this time, and sending them flying through the air. Caspian landed awkwardly on the top of the broken pews, and Estelle on the stone floor in a crumpled heap.

  Avery glanced at Alex and they instinctively had the same thought. They both darted out of the circle, Avery yelling at the ghost-hunters, “Don’t move!”

  Avery headed for Estelle where she was lying dazed, but still conscious, and summoned air. The gust lifted Estelle up, clean off her feet, enabling Avery to pull her back into the safety of the circle. At the same time, Alex pulled Caspian to his feet, and dragged him away.

  The Nephilim, now more creature than spirit, advanced towards them across the nave, but its features were still unformed. A voice filled the air, almost deafening, and Avery recognised the language that Alex had been repeating over and over again the previous night.

  Caspian resisted Alex’s help, but Alex had clearly had enough and punched him, obviously the last thing Caspian expected, because he collapsed in a heap and Alex dragged him along the floor. Avery helped lift him into the circle, and then uttered the spell that would seal them in.

  The flair of magic was palpable and the Nephilim paused, watching them. It then began to circle them, its strange, guttural language still filling the church.

  “I did not expect this,” Ben said. His eyes were wide and his hands shook. The EMF meter buzzed wildly. He asked Dylan, “Are you still recording?”

  “Yep. Not sure quite how steady the footage will be.”

  Estelle rose shakily to her feet and hissed at Alex, “You punched Caspian.”

  “And I’ll punch you, too if you try anything,” he said, rounding on her. “Normally I don’t like violence towards women, but I’m willing to make an exception for you.”

  Caspian sat up groaning, clutching a hand to his nose. Blood streamed down his face and he glared at Alex.

  “We saved your life,” Avery said pointedly, before he could start to argue.

  The heavy slap of feet on the floor made them turn back to the Nephilim, but instead of advancing further, it laughed—if that’s what it could be called. It was like a howl that sent goose bumps along Avery’s skin and lifted the hairs on the back of her neck.

  The Nephilim turned away, lifted its wings, and soared towards the closest window. It didn’t hesitate, crashing through at speed, sending glass shattering everywhere and splintering the frame. And then it disappeared into the night.

  “Great. Just great. So much for sealing the bloody church,” Alex shouted. He clenched his fists and with visible difficulty took deep breaths and tried to calm down. He looked at the ghost-hunters. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so,” Cassie mumbled, while the others nodded.

  Avery sank to the floor, depressed and unsure what to do next.

  “It was stronger than I anticipated,” Caspian admitted. He was still sitting on the floor, and like Avery he seemed deflated, sinking into himself. He whispered a spell and his blood flow stopped, and then he lifted his t-shirt, wiping his face with the hem.

  “It will be going after the others,” Alex said. “They’ll all be out within the hour, and then who knows what will happen.”

  “Death and destruction. We need to tell Genevieve.” Avery looked resolute. “Who knows, with some warning, she may be able to stop the others?”

  Caspian shook his head and stood up. “I doubt it, but it’s worth trying. Drop the spell, Avery, we don’t need to stay in the circle any longer.”

  Avery nodded and released the spell, watching Caspian as he stood beneath the shattered window. He raised his hands and the broken glass and frame started to reassemble itself, until seconds later the window was fixed.

>   “Wow,” Dylan said admiringly, “that’s so cool.”

  Caspian turned to him, narrowing his eyes. “I trust you will keep our secrets?” His tone didn’t invite refusal.

  “Absolutely. We value our clients’ privacy,” Dylan said emphatically, Ben and Cassie nodding vigorously next to him.

  “Good.” Caspian looked at Alex and Avery. “You better go and check All Souls and repair any damage there, too. We’ll stay behind and fix this.” He gestured to the destroyed pews. “This is all about damage control now. The less anyone, including the police, knows about this, the better.”

  15

  After the cold and dismal atmosphere at St Luke’s Church, Alex’s flat was a warm and welcoming haven.

  Avery sat with a glass of red wine, curled in the corner of Alex’s soft and luxurious sofa, watching the dancing flames of the candles. The blinds were closed, shutting out the night, and Alex was sitting on the floor, turning the pages of his grimoire in a vain attempt to do something useful.

  Avery had just taken a call from Genevieve confirming that the others had escaped, too, leaving broken glass and damaged window frames behind. What was worse was that she hadn’t blamed her, and Avery felt that if only she had shouted at her, she might be feeling slightly better.

  Before Alex and Avery returned to Alex’s, they had stopped at All Souls, but that too had a smashed window, fortunately at the rear of the church, away from the road. They had repaired it, and checked the interior to make sure nothing else had happened inside, but unlike St Luke’s, the interior was intact.

  The ghost-hunters had returned home and Avery reminded them to wear their amulets, just in case. Dylan had pulled his out of his shirt, saying, “Are you kidding? I wear this everywhere now!”

  That had given Avery some comfort, but she felt more depressed than she had in a long time. She swirled her wine and took a large sip. “I feel helpless.”

  Alex looked troubled. “Me, too. But the spirits have escaped, so now we have to figure out what to do.”

  “What was it like the other night, to have that thing in your head?”

  He shuddered at the memory. “Intense and unpleasant. It was strong, maybe more than it should have been because of the crystal ball, but,” he shrugged, “it worked. We know what it is. And it knows what we are, too.”