by Sean Stone
“No, Eddie! Eddie, kill me, kill me now! I will come for you!”
I put my hands on the back of my head and waited for Richards to arrest me. The officers moved forwards on his command. They were all bewildered but continued their jobs regardless. Very professional. I admired that. The woman who had tried to shoot me grabbed Rachel and helped her to her feet. Only she wasn’t helping her.
“Rachel Lecon” Richards said. “I am arresting you for more murders than I can possibly count and a string of other offences. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say will be used against you in court.”
I watched in confusion, waiting to be arrested, but it never happened.
Rachel continued to scream even as they dragged her away. “I will kill you, Eddie! I will kill your friends! You’re all dead!” I ignored her. Nothing she said would ruin this moment for me. She had no magic and no friends. Her threats were empty.
“Ashley Sheridan told me the truth,” Richards said. “How Rachel committed all the crimes I thought you’d done. And how she set you up. Just like you said she had at the station. Apparently Rachel confessed at the theatre. The four survivors all confirmed it.”
“Really?” I couldn’t believe that all four of them had lied for me. Pete looked ready to kill me when I left.
“Really. And the witnesses that came out about you have all admitted to being forced to make false testimonies. It looks like a pretty elaborate set up. I’ll need statements from everyone at the theatre but I’d say the case against Rachel is pretty good. Can you assure me that she isn’t going to be a danger to me or my officers?” He’d seen me and Rachel fighting. He knew what she was capable of.
“She’s harmless now. She’ll try to get into your head and manipulate you. Keep sharp and she won’t be able to.”
I was still in shock. Ashley and the others had lied to get me off. I owed them big time. I already owed them but now I owed them even more.
“What happened here, Eddie?” he asked. “The flying weapons and the…”
“Magic,” I said simply.
“Right…”
“You should probably leave that part out of your reports,” I said. Then I walked away. Richards made no attempt to stop me. He was too baffled but that he’d seen and maybe even little afraid. I didn’t care that he’d seen magic, as had his officers. All that mattered was that it was over. I was a free man in more ways than one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I had to give a statement the following day about what Rachel did to me and what happened at the theatre. I pretty much told the truth leaving out the part about the magic and the monsters. Richards and his officers had decided to forget that the magic had ever happened. Richards didn’t ask me about it. Not once. I’ve noticed that a lot when people learn about magic. They often prefer to pretend they hadn’t found out. It’s much safer for them to brush it under the carpet. If they accept that magic is real and people like Rachel are out there then they have to accept that people like the police can’t really help them. All their security measures are redundant against a person like Rachel. If they accept that magic is real then they accept that they are not safe. And nobody wants to be unsafe. Better to lie to yourself than accept the truth.
There were witnesses who’d seen the magic I used on Cameron but they were dismissed as druggies and mental people. And nobody cares what a mental druggy thinks. I think it’s offensive to refer to somebody as mental. I don’t care. If you’ve stuck with me this long then I’m going to assume that you’re not that sensitive. I’m a fairly offensive guy.
Matt and Emma were fine, although a little shaken, it wasn’t the first time they’d found themselves in a spot of bother because of me. I’d make it up to them with some spell or something. Matt was of course devastated by the loss of his sword. I’d have to make that up to him too.
I tried calling Ashley but she told me to give her some space. She was not fine. Understandable really. Her mother had died. I wasn’t really okay myself. I was quite fond of Margie, she was a very loveable woman in a grandma kind of way. I was certainly going to miss her. But this is no time for getting emotional so I’ll just move on. There was one final loose end to clear up before I could go and relax. I had a few hundred quid to collect from the council. I had killed a wendigo for them after all.
I was in Muggs enjoying a cup of tea without the fear that somebody had dumped the mind-control serum in it. By the way I’d gone to Rachel’s house in the village and taken all of her supernatural stuff. Richards had allowed me to do so. He didn’t want it in a police evidence room any more than I did. There wasn’t much stuff I could use there. I did find her grimoire, though. I could use that to figure out the curse she’d put on me and reverse it. Although, the darkness had gone back to being far more controllable now that she was no longer a threat. Still, it would be nice to not have to worry about it wouldn’t it? I’d figure it out at some point. No rush. The best of her stuff was wherever her menagerie was. Of that I have no idea and I have no intention of going looking for it. That’s a job for someone else. I don’t do anything unless I’m paid.
And there was the money now. Derek Cook, my favourite pervert walked in and sat down opposite me. He’s only my favourite at the moment because he has my money. Afterwards he would be my least favourite again. Dirty old lech.
“Money?” I said. No time for chit-chat. Not with him anyway.
“You caused quite a stir,” he said disapprovingly. “It’s going to cost a fair bit to repair all the damage in town.”
“Money,” I repeated.
“Alright.” He pulled out a thick brown envelope and handed to me across the table. I peeked inside it. It looked like the right amount. I finished my tea and stood up.
“If it’s short I’ll be in touch,” I said.
“Is that it?” he asked, standing up. “No debrief?”
“It’s dead. The town is safe. What more do you want?”
“I don’t know. I mean, more pleasantries I guess. I thought after all this we could have some sort of business relationship in the future?” he spoke with the utmost sincerity.
“Why would we need that? We’re done. You’ve got my number if you need my services in the future but frankly I hope we never meet again,” I told him. I tucked the envelope in my inside pocket.
“That’s a shame I was hoping we could meet again in the future. I wouldn’t have minded if you brought your lady friend too. She has a nice rack on her. I tell you what I’d sell my wife for one night in between those globes. I could suck on those for—” I smacked him on his nose as hard as I could. He fell onto the seat, clutching at his bloody nose. “You broke my fucking nose!”
Nobody in the pub even batted an eyelid at us. They knew to mind their own business and stay out of mine.
“If you mention Ashley again I’ll fucking kill you,” I said and left. I don’t think he wanted to see me again after that.
I went Ashley’s after a couple of days. I figured that’s long enough and I wanted to make sure she was okay. She’d seen me incinerate a room full of people and I needed to know how she’d taken that. Her dad, Pete, answered the door.
“Go away,” he said flatly. It was clear he did not like me. I’ve got enough friends so it doesn’t matter.
“I want to see Ashley,” I said.
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
“I’d rather hear that from her.”
“If she wanted to see you she’d have done it by now. She’s in a right state because of you and I’m not letting you anywhere near her,” he said. He broadened his shoulders and made a show of blocking the doorway. He was only a little guy so I could easily push him aside and that was without magic. With magic I could probably roast him.
“What’s your problem with me?” I said. Stupid question really.
“My problem? Because of you my wife is dead!” he yelled. I had that coming. “Because of the nonsense you g
ot my family involved in. I watched her die and I couldn’t go to her. I couldn’t tell her I love her. Couldn’t do anything to make it easier for her. She died on her own whilst three hundred people laughed their heads off.” He started to cry as he spoke and I took a step back. “My daughter had to watch it all too. To make it worse you let the woman who killed her live. You had the chance to kill her and you didn’t take it. And still Ashley helped you. She gave a false statement to the police. And so did I, for her, not you, by the way. So I think we’ve done enough for you now and no, I will not let you see my daughter. We’ve given enough and if you come to this house again—”
“It’s okay, Dad,” Ashley said as she came down the stairs behind him. Her hair was a mess as if she’d just woken up and her eyes were red and puffy.
“Ashley, go back upstairs. I’ll deal this,” Pete said. By “this” he meant me. I’d lost my status as a person in his eyes apparently.
“Dad, go inside. I’m an adult I can deal with this myself.” Pete stared at her hard and then shot me a murderous look before storming back into the house. Ashley stepped out onto the front step and brought the door to behind her.
“Ashley, I’m sorry. It’s—” She raised a hand stop me, biting her bottom lip.
“Eddie, I don’t blame you.” Her words were more relief than I could have hoped for. I still blamed me, though. “My mum’s death was Rachel’s fault, not yours. But the rest…” She shook her head as she trailed off. “Over three-hundred people, Eddie. You killed them all.”
“I didn’t mean it,” I said pathetically as if I’d called somebody naughty rather than committed mass-murder.
“You’re cursed, I know. So I don’t blame you for that either. But you’re still dangerous.” She spoke her words softly.
“I’m not. The darkness…” I tried to explain that the darkness wasn’t me.
“Is part of you. I know it came from the curse and you don’t want it but it is a part of you. Maybe you can remove it, maybe you can’t, I don’t know. All I know is that while you have it inside you you’re dangerous. I don’t know when you might give into it and kill someone. Kill me.”
“I’d never hurt you,” I said without a beat.
“You wouldn’t. The darkness might.”
“I can control it.”
“You can’t. I’ve seen it take over, Eddie. And the scariest part is there’s no difference. When I looked at you being controlled by the darkness I couldn’t tell that it wasn’t you in control. And if I can’t tell then I can’t be safe around you. And I definitely can’t get close to you.”
“Ashley, please. I can get rid of it,” I said.
“I don’t think so. You’ve had it for thirteen years.”
“People have been cursed for longer,” I argued.
She gave me a weak smile and then surprised me with a hug. It wasn’t the sort of hug I’d have hoped for. It was more of a pity hug. Even so, I returned the gesture and took what I could get.
“Goodbye, Eddie. Please, don’t come back.” Her voice was choked on the last. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then returned inside, closing the door gently behind her. And that was the end of that.
I walked away knowing that this time it really was finished. Any relationship we might have had was not going to happen. Rachel had ruined it. I had ruined it.
I didn’t go to Margie’s funeral. It would have been inappropriate. I visited her grave afterwards and said my final goodbyes. I hope she went somewhere nice in her afterlife. She deserved it. But I have no idea what happens when we die.
I suppose you’re wondering what I did with all the magic I took from Rachel. I didn’t return it to my unit that’s for sure. I didn’t keep it inside me either. I didn’t want to tempt myself. Power corrupts and all that. I kept some, just a little. The rest is hidden away and I’m not going to tell you where because that would be stupid. But if you’ve been paying attention you’ll probably be able to figure it out.
Well, that’s that. I mean it this time, it really is the end. No tricks. The story is told. A bit of a happier ending than the false ending, eh? You’re probably expecting a big speech now about how upset I am that my romantic hopes with Ashley have been shot to smithereens. Or maybe about how hopeful I am that I can fix it. Maybe you want me to bleat on about how bad I feel for killing all those innocent people. Well, forget it.
You can get the first Cedarstone Chronicles novel for free by joining my Reader’s List.
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Also by Sean Stone:
The Cedarstone Chronicles
Cursed
The Cult of Osiris
The Ancients
The Cedarstone Chronicles Books 1-3
Arcane Inc.
Warlock for Hire
Warlock Wanted
Short Story Collections
Horrors from Cedarstone
Horrors from Cedarstone II
Horrors from Cedarstone III
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