Relic: Blade (A Kane Arkwright Supernatural Thriller)

by Ben Zackheim

  He took a whiff of it and smiled.

  “I love the smell of hot bullets.”

  He threw them into the air and that’s when we could see the ghosts clearly for the first time.

  At first they were clouds of purple smoke, But right in front of our eyes the smoke gathered into dense shapes. After a few seconds we could see the outlines of humans floating above us.

  They filled the room, lining the cavern ceiling in the shape of some really pissed off people. The faces are what I’ll remember. Every face was filled with rage. They all wanted us gone. A slow growl rose until it surrounded us. Scarlett covered her ears.

  But Skyler was set to fight. His palms lit up and his hands slowly filled with his favorite weapons. Balls of blue fire. Or Blue Balls as he liked to call them.

  “I told you he had ghosts!” Scarlett shouted at me.

  “Congratulations! You’re right. Now try not to die.”

  I got off a few more shots. So did Scarlett. The bullets went right through the ghosts. Skyler threw his Blue Balls at them. It made them scramble out of the way so my guess was that they could be hurt by the spell.

  But how many times could he cast it before he ran out of steam?

  “STOP!” Cannon’s voice was louder than a thunderclap in your bathroom. My ears rang for a moment as the ghosts settled down, their faces fading into an expressionless mask.

  Cannon turned and gestured to someone. Cassidy and Rose were escorted up to his side by a couple of Cannon’s goons. One of them looked like a demon, scaly skin, red eyes and a smile that never went away. He glanced down at me and licked his lips with something similar to a tongue, though it looked more like a four-fingered hand.

  The other goon was a Lin.

  “Give me the sword or they die,” Cannon said.

  “You’ll have to do better than that,” I said. The twins’ eyes went wide. Sorry guys. “You could kill all of us a million times over if you had the sword so I’m not giving it up.”

  “True, but I wouldn’t be inclined to kill you with it. In fact, I don’t plan on killing anyone with it.”

  “Yeah? Just going to put it on your wall?”

  “Yes.”

  “To use when you do want to kill us.”

  “You think too much of yourself, Kane. Once I have the sword I doubt I’ll ever see you again. I have other things to do than follow a two-bit adventurer who never gets what he wants.”

  “I got the sword,” I said.

  “That you did. And now I get to take it from you. Just like I took all of your other treasures.”

  The ghosts swarmed down on us and Sklyer let them have it with a single Blue Ball. When the ghosts scrambled out of the way I fired at Cannon again. But the bullet was caught by one of his soldiers again. They were just too fast.

  Scarlett was lifted up by a messy jumble of human shapes. Their faces lunged at her and then pulled back. She was screaming.

  They were biting her.

  Blood flowed from a dozen places on her body.

  Skyler grunted. I think it was the most emotion I’d ever heard from him. His frustrated face was scrunched up in concentration as he was building the Blue Ball to end all Blue Balls. He was going to take out whoever and whatever was in the way. I think he liked Scarlett. I could tell he was going to give it his all to save her from that kind of death.

  With a scream he let the fire go from his control. It rolled across the cave, bouncing like a large balloon, leaving parted ghosts in its wake. As far as I could tell they weren’t taking any damage from the blue fire but they sure as hell were scared of it.

  The ball’s glow waned as it got closer to Scarlett and her captors. But it was strong enough to make them let her go. She collapsed to the stony ground with a sick thud and lay still.

  Skyler shrugged at me. He was telling me that he’d given the fight everything he had.

  And since I had nothing on hand to take out ghosts, well, let’s just say I saw the end in sight.

  I ran to Scarlett’s body. She was alive but badly injured. The cuts and gnashes were deep. Nasty fucking ghosts.

  “Have you reconsidered, Kane?” Cannon asked. I could hear the joy in his voice.

  When I took too long to answer, Cannon swept his arms forward and the twins were lifted up and above two sharp stalagmites.

  That would be a gruesome death.

  And a slow death unless they lucked out and skewered their neck or brain.

  When I took too long again, Skyler was scooped up by the purple mists and lifted fifty feet above our heads. He squirmed and spat all the way up.

  “Him, you can let go,” I said pointing to Skyler.

  “Funny!” Skyler yelled down at me.

  “Have you reconsidered?” Cannon asked again. He was out of patience.

  I was about to say no when someone else said calmly from just behind me, “No.”

  Fox stepped from a shadow as if he’d been part of it.

  Creepy Vampires. Never know when they’re going to show up.

  Chapter 45

  “Welcome to the party,” I said to Fox.

  “Let them go, Cannon,” Fox said. “You know the wizard won’t let you take it in the end.”

  “I’m not a wizard,” I shot back.

  “Oh, I think he’s made it very clear what he’ll do,” Cannon shouted. “He wants nothing to do with us and our little spats. You know that.”

  “I also know him,” Fox said. His confidence caused a silence in the room. Cannon hesitated. He was nervous.

  “What the fuck are you two talking about?” I asked.

  “Merlin!” Skyler yelled, floating above me. He was kicking back now, supported by the ghosts. His hands wrapped behind his head as if the spirits were his La-Z Boy.

  “Excuse me?” I asked shooting him a look.

  “Merlin. That’s who we’re talking about,” Cannon said slowly, as if I was a moron.

  “Merlin. The wizard Merlin,” I said, not believing what I was hearing.

  “No, not that Merlin,” Skyler said. “The other Merlin.”

  “What other Merlin?” I asked.

  “Exactly, you idiot! What other Merlin is there? For fuck’s…”

  “All right, all right,” I yelled back.

  “He’s through there,” Fox said. He pointed to the crack in the wall where the mysterious light was emanating from. “Probably practicing a dramatic speech.”

  “So you’re telling me that the wizard Merlin is real and behind that wall there?” I asked, irritated.

  “Yes,” Fox said.

  “And you’re telling me also that he’s the guy who’s going to keep the sword safe,” I guessed.

  “Yup,” Skyler said.

  “And you decided now would be a good time to let me know about this?” I screamed at Skyler.

  “Gentlemen, we don’t have…” Cannon started.

  “Yeah, now’s a good time,” Skyler cut in.

  Fox decided that was actually a good time for him to attack.

  He spread his arms wide and his demon, Belch, emerged from the shadows behind him, lifted him up and tossed him like a paper airplane. The Vampire flew as fast as a rocket across the cavern. Cannon was lifted out of the way by his ghosts.

  Fox rolled to a stop on top of the cliff above, pulled a sword from a scabbard and lifted it high.

  “To me, my brothers!” Fox yelled.

  Then, above us, another army of ghosts appeared.

  Fox’s army were a beautiful, soft white, pulsating with life. There was almost a golden edge to the hue. If you looked long enough they could become any color you imagined.

  The army wasn’t nearly as big as Cannon’s, but over a hundred of them charged the wall of purple mist protecting Cannon.

  The sight of them swarming was awesome.

  But the sound of ghosts clashing was terrifying.

  It was like the angst of a million souls tethered to this mortal coil and fighting for their spot to escape it. The ag
ony went right to my own sense of mortality. Their sadness told me that this was a precious life and that, if we’re lucky, we’ll finish our job here by the time we die.

  Deep thoughts in a deep cavern fighting for our lives.

  Yeah, it didn’t make much sense at the time either. You’d think we’d be slashing away at each other, us humans. But when I looked around the cave every single one of us was watching with the same awe.

  Even Skyler and Cannon.

  I was the first to come out of the spell the battling spirits had us under. I hid behind a stalactite. It was a good perch to watch everyone come to their senses.

  Scarlett and Skyler dropped to the ground as their captors engaged with the white army. A couple of Fox's ghosts swept in at the last second to shield their fall. They inserted their bodies under their heads so they bounced off something softer than solid rock. The rest of their bodies were out of luck, though, and they writhed on the ground from the impact.

  I didn't get a chance to see what happened next because Cannon was looking for me.

  "Find the one with Excalibur!" he yelled.

  A few ghosts broke away from the crowd and swept around the cave. It wouldn't take them long to find me so I had to do something and fast.

  I decided to hope. I know, I know. Stupid of me. But as long as Fox was directing his army at Cannon I had to slip away and find "Merlin" while they were scrambling.

  I kept low and ran. I was about ten yards from the crack in the wall when I made the mistake of checking on how my team was doing.

  Not well.

  The purple ghosts were a wall of mist. Screaming faces poked out and disappeared randomly. They rolled over us, feasting on the whites ones as they drifted. There’s no other way to put it. Cannon’s army darkened to black as they consumed Fox’s spirits. The white army was reduced to small, struggling gray spots inside the expanding mist.

  Belch was hanging onto one injured arm. Demon blood dripped from his dangling hand and rolled down the stones, filling the cave with the smell of sulfur. The demon was hanging back, waiting for orders. But there was no one left to give him any.

  I had one chance.

  I ran for the crack in the wall.

  The light streaming from it was blinding but I could just make out green on the other side. I saw the unmistakable texture of leaves and flowers and tree trunks.

  Then I was swept up, lifted from under my arms and carried to Cannon's feet.

  The cavern was oddly quiet. When I could tell up from down I noticed that Skyler and Scarlett were being held down by masses of purple. The twins were still tied up at Cannon’s feet, gagged. Cassidy looked scared but fine.

  But Rose was on her side, a pile of clothes and rope. She was bleeding from the head. She didn't move.

  Fox was also at Cannon's feet. He was as still as a corpse. The non-walking, blood-sucking kind.

  Cannon twirled his fingers in the air and we were surrounded.

  Then the ghosts’ cloudy shapes slithered over my team’s faces. The wide-eyed look Skyler gave me told me what was going on. They were being suffocated.

  "So! Let's try this again!" Cannon yelled. The tone in his voice told me he was done with being interrupted. He was going to kill them all if I didn't give him the sword. It was time for me to decide.

  I walked toward Cannon, but not in a straight line. I made sure there was as clear a path to the crack as I could make. If Merlin really was behind that wall then maybe he could help us.

  The ghosts sensed my plan and moved closer to me, ready to beat me to the punch.

  "The sword, Kane," Cannon said.

  I glanced at my team. Skyler’s eyes rolled back in his head. They weren't going to make it much longer.

  "Let them go and I'll give it to you," I said.

  Cannon glared at me. Then he twirled his finger in the air again. My team gasped for breath.

  I closed my eyes. I focused.

  The portal started as a slender yellow light, floating a few feet over my right shoulder.

  Then the portal cracked open with a snap like brittle wood.

  I saw movement from inside the portal. I got out of the way just in time.

  Rebel leaped out, Excalibur in hand.

  Chapter 46

  She took one hop and two powerful, striding skips to reach Cannon. Excalibur was pointed straight ahead, classic Suwari No Tori no Kamae stance with some serious gymnastics to go along with it.

  She slashed downward. A ghost threw itself in-between its master and the sword. But Excalibur sliced right through the mist. The ghost shot out an unholy shriek and Cannon’s chest opened up in a flood of red. He didn’t have time to scream before he was grabbed by a thousand ethereal hands and pulled into the darkness of the cave’s ceiling.

  A distant, delayed scream fell from above.

  Most of Cannon’s army flew from the purple cloud and took the form of something resembling a human again. Rebel was surrounded by them. But they didn’t pay any attention to me. They wanted her. They flew in for the kill but she swung the sword in a full circle around her. The move looked desperate but the front line of attackers kept their distance.

  There was a low rumble from somewhere in the cave. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Then the screams started. Cannon’s ghosts were screaming.

  But the sound.

  I’ll never forget that sound. It was like hearing an animal get eaten from the inside. Because that’s exactly what was happening.

  Excalibur glowed bright in Rebel’s hands. Its golden glow lit the cave up like a hundred torches. As the light got brighter, the screams of agony got louder until Fox’s spirits burst out of their captors like cannonballs fired from a cannon.

  The white ghosts had distinct human forms now.

  They were knights.

  Their armor glistened white. Their swords stood ready for battle. Their faces were focused. In some cases, even cocky.

  With a battle cry, they attacked.

  Cannon’s formidable force quivered and scattered. The ones that didn’t get out of the way in time evaporated into a light gray smoke.

  But at that point I didn’t give a shit about a war between ghosts.

  Rebel.

  Rebel was back. I couldn’t believe I was seeing her with my own eyes.

  Now if we could only make it out of there alive.

  The remaining ghosts combined into one large cloud and started to retreat into the darkness of the cave’s high ceiling. The tail end of the thing snagged Skyler by the ankle and pulled him up into the darkness with them.

  “Oh, this is just great,” Skyler shouted as he disappeared into the darkness.

  “Belch! Throw me!”

  The demon moved fast. He crouched in front of me and I climbed into his cupped hand. He winked at me. His breath smelled like hot dogs.

  The next thing I knew I was flying. Well, tossing I guess, but it felt like flying. The darkness ahead quickly surrounded me and the air went right out of the room. Except for one thing. I wasn’t in the room anymore.

  If I had to guess I was in space.

  Cold as ice, check.

  No air, check.

  Stars brighter than I’d ever seen them, check.

  Ahead of me was Skyler. He was flailing around like a rag doll being pulled by a car. The purple cloud glowed enough to light my way. I was catching up to them. They didn’t know I was there.

  Wherever I was.

  I’d been smart enough to take a deep breath before the air went away. I hoped Skyler had done the same. As I caught up with them, I remembered how he’d chide me about hiding underwater in the pool for twenty minutes at a time. The skill was coming in handy.

  I reached the tail end of the mass that was once a thousand ghosts. And I could feel it all around me. Like a thin sheet of velvet flowing through space.

  I grabbed on.

  I couldn’t hear the shriek, but I could feel the beast tremble at my grasp. It began to fold around me, coming at m
e from every direction. Skyler disappeared from view as folds of wisp covered me. I pulled and pulled as hard as I could, using every ounce of strength to climb closer to my teacher.

  Then I spotted a body drop past me. It was Skyler. He was falling back to the cave. I bent my body toward the spot where I’d seen him. I slid into a vacuum of some kind. Now I was falling, too.

  I could see Skyler under me, his body limp. He bounced off the walls of the cavity. I straightened myself out and dove at him.

  I reached out.

  I got a handful of his hair and pulled him close.

  His eyes were wide. I didn’t see any life in them. Against every natural instinct, I wrapped my mouth around his. He tasted like muffler.

  I exhaled into his mouth once. Nothing. His eyes stayed motionless.

  I exhaled again. Nothing. I was almost out of breath.

  I exhaled a third time. This was it. I felt a pain in my lungs that made me panic.

  Skyler didn’t move.

  Wait, I thought. Doesn’t he always carry…

  I patted his shirt and pants. I felt something in his chest pocket.

  It was a Wad.

  But I didn’t have the air to speak the spell.

  Would thinking the spell words do the trick? I hoped so because the next blackout would be the end.

  I thought the spell’s words as “loud” as I could. I mouthed them.

  “Skyler Rocks!”

  And my world went black.

  Chapter 47

  I woke up on the cave floor, alone.

  Every square inch of me hurt. I gathered my strength and sat up.

  I didn’t see anyone. But I heard voices from the other side of a nearby boulder. I managed to get to my feet.

  Scarlett was kneeling over Rose and tending to her wounds. She spotted me and yelled, “Are you okay?”

  “What happened?”

  “You and Skyler just dropped from the ceiling! Fox and Rebel disappeared into thin air at the same time.”

  “Damn it. A Swap Spell.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Swap Spell! Skyler and I traded places with Rebel and Fox.”

  “Where were you?”

  “I don’t know. But there wasn’t any oxygen.”

  Scarlett glanced up at the darkness. “They’ll be okay. I need to take care of Rose. She’s having a tough time. Are you okay?”