Warlock Wanted: Arcane Inc. Book 2

by Sean Stone

  “Eddie. You look…” he left it hanging.

  “Shall we discuss my case then? After all, you and your master are responsible for me being here.” I walked past him and took a seat at the table. On the inside I was tense and on edge but for him I would appear laid back. He would not get any satisfaction out of my predicament. He sat down opposite me equally at ease.

  “Are you hoping for a confession? The camera is off. They aren’t allowed to record this,” he said. There was no emotion in his voice at all. The day he’d revealed the truth to me had been the day his emotions disappeared. Everything about the man was fake. I wondered if he even had a real personality. He was Rachel’s automaton. Nothing more and nothing less. The perfect goon.

  “I just want an explanation. Why put me here? I can hardly do what she wants from prison.”

  “You’re not going to prison, Eddie. In twelve hours or so the serum the false witnesses were given will wear off and they won’t be able to stand by their statements any longer. The whole case against you will fall apart.”

  “I thought that’s where the witnesses came from.” It was nice to be right. “So why do this? Why have me arrested?”

  “To get you out of the way so we could prepare the final stages of the plan. She sent Shay to pick you up yesterday. That was your test. To see if you’d learned to do as you’re told.”

  “Well I guess I failed.”

  “Categorically. If you’d gone with Shay, Rachel would have given you a choice. Go with her and she would have saved your friends. Refuse and watch them die. She was impressed that you managed to save them. You’ve come a long way since the old days. You’re even more valuable to her now.”

  “Yay for me,” I said sarcastically. “Why the wendigo? Why kill those random people? I didn’t know them. And why did she get the council to get me to investigate?”

  “Impressive. You figured it all out. Aren’t you a clever boy? The wendigo was to distract you from the other creatures she planted in your friends houses.”

  “Shame I spoiled her plan.”

  “Not really. She had accounted for you figuring things out. Of course, she has a plan b which you are experiencing right now. And if that should go awry, she has plan c, d, e f, you know the alphabet.”

  “So what is plan b? Where does it go from here?” I asked dreading the answer.

  “She’s putting on a little show at the Hazlitt theatre tonight. I don’t know if you’ll be released by then but you’ve proven how resourceful you are already.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out an A5 flier. He laid it carefully on the table and then stood up.

  I didn’t pick up the flier. I didn’t want to touch it. I could see it fine where it was. It was an advert for a play. The title in big bold writing was: EDDIE’S CHOICE. Beneath the title were images of marionette puppets, each with their heads hanging limply and blood running down their bodies. Subtle. Cameron snapped his fingers and the flier flipped over. On the back was a cast list:

  Matt Stoker

  Emma Kessler

  Ashley Sheridan

  Margie Sheridan

  Pete Sheridan

  I closed my eyes. I’d saved them all for nothing. She’d had me arrested so she could go about and put them all back in danger.

  “I will kill her,” I whispered. I opened my eyes and glared up at Cameron. “I will kill you.” My threats had no effect whatsoever.

  “Don’t be late. The show starts at nine pm with or without you.” Cameron left without another word and once again I was taken back to my cell. I glanced at the clock as I was taken passed the sergeant’s desk. It was ten thirty. Ten and a half hours until show time.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  On the bright side at least I now knew Ashley’s dad’s name. Pete. I hadn’t expected him to be a Pete. I’d expected him to be more of a Gerald or something. I don’t know why. I pulled the leaflet from up my sleeve—I’d put it there to stop the cops from taking it from me—and looked at it again. Five names. After everything I’d done to save them from her she’d just put them all back in danger again. I’d been stupid to think I’d beaten her. Like Cameron had said, she always has a back-up plan. I spent the next couple of hours trying to formulate a plan of my own. It was impossible. I’d never even been in the Hazlitt so I had no idea of the layout. I had no idea what Rachel had planned. There was no way to plan against her. My options were do as she said, go with the flow and try to save my friends, or run away and let them all die. This is exactly why I’m not supposed to make friends, so that running away is easier. I’d already decided my days of running away were behind me. I wasn’t going to run again. This time it ended. One way or another me and Rachel were settling things tonight and either way I wasn’t going anywhere with her. Either she was going to die or I was. Preferably her. I’d even settle for both as long as she ended up dead.

  Inspector Richards came back at about midday but after I informed him that the man who had turned up had not been my solicitor he stormed off again. I wondered if the guy I’d called had actually got my message or if Cameron had hijacked it completely. It didn’t really matter. I had no intention of being here long enough for a second interview anyway. I was still trying to figure out how I was going to escape when the answer came to me. I don’t mean I thought one up I mean the answer literally came to me. One of the officers came to my cell and informed me that my solicitor was on the phone. He led me down to the phone and then stood rudely close. Clearly I was not going to get any privacy.

  “Hello?” I said, wondering if it was actually the solicitor or if it was in fact Cameron again.

  It was neither. “Eddie,” Ashley said from the other end of the line.

  “Ashley!” I glanced over my shoulder nervously. The officer wasn’t paying me any attention, he was more interested in something on his phone. I wondered if he was playing Pokemon. “I thought you’d been taken?” I whispered.

  “Someone tried to take me. I got away.” She continued to surprise me. “But listen, they’ve got my parents. I take it this is Rachel’s doing?”

  “Yes,” I admitted. I couldn’t help feeling guilty. I’d led Rachel to Maidstone. “Rachel wants me at the Hazlitt tonight or she’s going to kill them. She has Matt and Emma as well. Ash, I’m sorry—”

  “Save it. We don’t have time for apologies and I don’t blame you anyway. I’ve made some arrangements. I’ll be coming to get you as soon as the sun sets. Just keep your head down and wait until then. Oh, and try not to wind anybody up in the mean time.” She hung up without another word. Try not to wind anybody up. That was going to be problematic.

  “Well?” the officer asked. Richards was probably growing impatient waiting to be able to interrogate me.

  “Stuck in traffic,” I replied. I very quickly found myself returned to my cell.

  With no phone, watch or clock I had no idea what time it was. All I had to go by was the sunlight growing weaker through the window. I only hoped that sunset came before nine pm. I wondered what Ashley had planned and why it had to wait until this evening. I had my suspicions as I’m sure you do.

  Richards did come to see me again in what I thought was the afternoon but without a clock I had no idea. He let me know that if the solicitor didn’t arrive in a couple of hours then I’d be forced to use a duty one. Bloody cop trying to make things difficult for me. I took a small semblance of satisfaction knowing that even from my prison cell I’d managed to annoy him. I tried to think of some witty response that would irk him even more but in the end I followed Ashley’s advice and kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to jeopardise the rescue. Richards waited about for a response but when it was clear he would not get one he left again.

  The afternoon passed very slowly. I was just getting up to use the toilet when a fizzling noise came out of the camera on the ceiling and then the whole thing exploded. Tiny fragments of plastic scattered across my cell. My eyes moved to the window and saw that it was past su
ndown. Ashley was here. Then I heard the shouting. Several men and women shouting at somebody from somewhere in the station. The shouts were quickly replaced by screams. I stayed by my bed and listened as footsteps approached my cell. There was another shout followed by a scream in the corridor outside and then silence. I was about to approach the door when it was thrown right off its hinges and slammed into the far wall. If I’d moved any closer then I would be a two-dimensional warlock sandwiched between the door and the wall. I was glad I hadn’t.

  Standing in the doorway was Adrian Lazaro and it was suddenly crystal clear why Ashley had waited until sundown. My suspicions were correct. Adrian’s a vampire you see. I met him about a month ago. Me and Ashley had used his blood to perform a very complex ritual for Killian Myers. Killian’s the guy I killed, remember? In exchange I agreed to provide Adrian with a favour of his choosing at the time of his choosing. I got the distinct impression that he had not come to cash in. I really hoped he hadn’t anyway. I had enough on my metaphorical plate.

  “Ashley told me you required release from captivity,” he said in his dry posh voice. He wasn’t as posh as the Queen but he was certainly too posh for Kent. Not that that’s difficult.

  “And what’s this gonna cost me?” I asked. He already had one favour in the kitty.

  “Nothing at all. Ashley came to me for help, therefore, the debt is hers,” he informed me. “She is waiting for us in the lobby. Shall we?” He stepped into the corridor and gestured for me to follow.

  I placed the leaflet for Rachel’s show on my bed. I didn’t know what might happen but it seemed a good idea to leave Inspector Richards a clue as to where he could find me. I left my cell and we made our way down to the Sergeant’s desk where several police officers were lying motionless on the floor. Some had blood on their necks where he’d obviously fed from them, whilst the others officers were clean.

  “Please tell me you didn’t kill them?” I said in horror. I didn’t want Richards blaming this on me. I noticed that he was not among the fallen.

  “I did not. Ashley advised me of your situation and why murder would not be advisable.”

  “And where is…” I stopped talking when I saw her walk out of a nearby room. She had a tray with my belongings in it. She stopped moving when she saw me. I knew by the look she gave me that she remembered everything she’d said about liking me when she’d been suffering from the wendigos bite and she was embarrassed. “Thanks for coming,” I said softly. I stepped over a fallen cop and took the tray from her hands.

  “Don’t mention it,” she said in the same gentle tone I’d used.

  I took my wallet, keys and phone and pocketed them before putting on my belt and jacket. Then I saw the time. It was quarter to nine.

  “We need to go.” I said at once. “But we can’t leave them like this.”

  “I will ensure that they are sufficiently healed and remember nothing of these events. You two go and tend to your business,” Adrian said.

  “You’re not coming?” To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Having a vampire in your corner is never a bad thing. Trust me on that.

  “I have no intention of stepping into the middle of a warlock fight. Don’t worry, Edward, you’ll hear from me soon enough. I’ll be in touch to settle our debt.” He smiled at me revealing long white fangs. I gave him a small grimace and then headed out with Ashley.

  We hopped into Ashley’s car and she tore away from the police station. We had no time to lose. There was now only eleven minutes until show time.

  “How’s your bite?” I brushed her hair aside so I could see her neck. She didn’t flinch from my touch, but then why would she? Her neck was now completely healed. There was no trace of the bite. Like it had never happened.

  “All gone now,” she said. “And I didn’t turn into a wendigo.”

  “So I see. You took out the cameras,” I said, remembering the camera in my cell exploding.

  “Yep. Couldn’t leave evidence that I’d broken you out.”

  “Of course not. But how did you do it? I thought you weren’t very savvy with magic and that trick with the cameras was no amateur spell.”

  She sighed. “Let’s do the elephant in the room,” she said.

  “Excuse me?” I snorted. “You mean let’s address it?” I certainly had no intention of doing any elephants no matter what room they were in.

  She glared at me. “I said some things in Mote Park.” Her cheeks reddened and she turned back to the road.

  “You did. Did you mean them?” I really hoped she wasn’t about to deny it and blame it on the delirium.

  She took a moment before answering. “Yes. Do you…” She trailed off. It was an awkward question she was trying to ask. Most people don’t tend to go up to you and ask if you fancy them. Not once they’ve passed the age of twelve. I’m not sure why, though. These things were so much simpler when I was twelve. Just ask the question. Straight to the point.

  “Yeah. I do.” It was my turn to feel awkward. “But what does this have to do with you and magic?”

  “Oh, Eddie, use your brain. For someone so good at spells and potions you really are quite dim sometimes. I lied about needing help with magic. I just wanted an excuse to spend time with you. Not that we’ve managed to get round to it yet.”

  “Oh,” I said. Seemed obvious now. “You don’t need a reason. Just say you wanna hang and I’ll be there.”

  “Well, let’s see if we survive this first.” She pulled up in front of the Hazlitt. People were going back and forth like nothing was going on inside the theatre. Their lives were unaffected by what was so negatively effecting mine. There was even a little chap working in the confectionary shop by the doors. I wondered if he knew what was going on inside. I kind of felt like everybody’s lives should come to a stand still until the matter was resolved. It was almost rude of them to carry on as normal.

  “We? You know I can’t let you come in there with me, right?” I said. I wasn’t putting her in danger again. I already had four people to worry about.

  “You know you don’t have a choice, right?” she quipped. “Those are my parents in there. I’m not sitting back and doing nothing.”

  “Ashley, I don’t—”

  “Eddie. This isn’t a discussion. I’m coming in,” she snapped. There was no point in arguing. How could I stop her anyway? I could try and paralyse her with a spell but then she’d be left unprotected out here.

  “Fine. Come in then. But let’s be smart about this. We can’t both go in together.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Rachel’s expecting me.” She was probably expecting Ashley too by this point. “I have to go in through the front. You should sneak round the back and we can try and take her by surprise.”

  “Alright. I’ll find the back door.” She went to climb out of the car.

  “Ash.” I took her arm stopping her. “Don’t do anything to put yourself in danger. Follow my lead, yeah?”

  “Okay.” She nodded. Our eyes met and I really felt like I should kiss her. If this was going to be the end for me and maybe her as well then I didn’t want to go without one kiss at least. But I was too scared to do it so I let go of her arm and she slipped away.

  Inside the theatre was empty. Nobody was in the lobby except for one man standing behind the main reception desk. There was nobody in the box office selling tickets. The posters on the wall said nothing about Eddie’s Choice. In fact, it was supposed to be a showing of Psychic Sally Wenshaw. I couldn’t believe she’d come back to Maidstone so soon after I’d exposed her to be a fraud. What was more astounding was that her show had sold out according to the sticker plastered over the poster. If I survived this I’d deal with her then.

  The man from the main desk approached me. “Mr Lancaster?” he asked politely.

  “That’s me,” I said, resigned to my fate. No doubt he’d been forced into this. He likely had no idea what was going to take pl
ace on the main stage tonight.

  “Please follow me.” He led me through the theatre until we came to a double door. “The auditorium is through these doors. Please be quick, the show begins in three minutes,” he said before leaving me alone. I thought ushers were supposed to open the doors and show you to your seats. Not here I guessed. At least not tonight.

  Well, this was it. The end. The big finale. The fat lady was about to sing. Thirteen years of running and all for what? Just delaying the inevitable. I should have known that sooner or later she would catch up with me. I suppose that a part of me did know. That’s why I settled in Maidstone really. I was tired of running. I wanted to be found. I wanted it to be over. And now it would be. There were people to save first though. Once they were all safe and Ashley was out of harms way too, I could finally face Rachel. I was certain I would lose. She had so much more magic than I did. She had Cameron. She had Shay. She had an entire collection of supernatural creatures. I was alone. And I was terrified. Like a child running from the bogeyman, my time had finally run out. There was nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide. What did the bogeyman have in store from me on the other side of those doors? There was only one way to find out.

  I took a deep breath and tried to settle my nerves. On the inside I was a little boy but I would appear to be a confident and powerful man to Rachel. Never show weakness. Never show fear. She taught me that. I calmed myself. Stopped my arms from shaking. I raised my chin up high and then with a click of my fingers the doors swung open.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The curtains on stage were closed. Rachel’s little show was prepared behind them. I looked around as I stepped onto the aisle. Every seat in the auditorium was filled. Had the theatre actually sold tickets for the show? Or had Rachel forced the audience to attend? Did they even know what they were about to witness? I remembered the poster for Sally’s show. These were probably her audience. I didn’t want to think about what Rachel had done to Sally. Not that I had any pity for her.