The Enchantress (Wicked Book 1)

by Blaire Hammond

  While Leo went about lighting the fire, Stella saw to Grace’s wound.

  ‘Completely healed,’ Stella grinned.

  Laura skittered over to Grace, ‘there’s not even a scar!’

  ‘Stella’s good with medicine. She was a nurse here before we moved to Corin,’ Leo said proudly as he struck a match, lighting the kindling he had collected.

  ‘Did you ever notice how well your own cuts had healed?’ Grace asked, taking Laura’s arm and turning it over.

  There was indeed no scar left behind on Laura’s arm. She had been much too busy to even give her injuries a second thought once they had healed.

  Using the firelight, Stella and Grace went to work sorting out the ration packs.

  As Laura sat eating her dinner, her gaze settled on the fire, and her thoughts shifted to Caspian.

  Where was he? Had he caught up with James? Was he… alive?

  She scratched that last thought.

  Of course he is.

  She missed his soft voice, his grace, his wisdom, his kindness.

  Please be okay.

  Now that she had arrived on the path of over thinking things, her thoughts switched to Drew.

  Drew, his emerald eyes, sparkling with amusement.

  Drew, the boy she was indebted to, for he had saved her more than once.

  Drew, the witty, stubborn boy who cared so deeply that it seemed to frighten him into secrecy.

  Her heart pace quickened at the thought of him.

  What did it mean? Surely she couldn’t feel for someone she barely knew. Surely things like this didn’t develop so quickly.

  Yet, as she glanced up and caught sight of his bright eyes, she thought that perhaps it was indeed possible. Perhaps…

  Shaking her head, she scolded herself for worrying about a boy at a time like this. Her mother was being held prisoner. Her father was de-

  She cut herself off. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t even think it.

  In the hopes of a distraction, Laura observed her friends.

  Opposite her, Gemma and Grace were murmuring quietly to one another. Normally they would be giggling, but after the loss of Caspian, everyone’s spirits appeared to be dampened, despite their earlier batch of laughter.

  Stella and Leo were sitting a short distance from the fire, torches scrolling over papers.

  Logan and Drew were to the left of Laura, talking. Drew, stick in hand, was poking and prodding the fire. She had caught enough of their words to know they were conversing about the Wicked.

  Her eyes returned to the fire. The next big question on her mind was what was going on? This question sparked a whirlwind of others. Where was her mother? Was she all right? What was James and the Wicked up to? Why did he need her to complete his plan? What exactly was the plan? What did they want with the soul? What could she supposedly do? Who was he?

  She could only piece together the answers she had.

  What she knew was that there was a Wizard who had enslaved the trust of Wicked and James. She had an ability to do something that this Wizard needed. He was trying to raise an army, however, he required her power to do so. This led to the kidnapping of her mother in order to use her Black Magic to find a soul, and then use her again to lure Laura to them, which was working. But what was she supposed to do? Not seek out her mother? She had to go after them, even if it’s exactly what they want.

  There was so much more to it, Laura knew that much. It was just a matter of figuring it out. She hated being in the dark, though. She needed answers. She needed clarity.

  Laura rose and wandered over to Leo and Estella, eyes scanning their papers.

  ‘What’s all this?’ She asked, sitting down beside them on the log.

  ‘Did Drew ever tell you why he had been sent out to retrieve you?’ Stella inquired.

  ‘Only that he had a letter to deliver.’

  Leo cleared his throat, ‘before this happened there had been a huge rise in the deaths of women and children of the Enchanted and Humans in the past seventeen years. We sent off many letters of concern to the forces in Corin but we were continually brushed off.’

  Stella continued, ‘we think the Wicked were behind it. They were working under orders of their leader, or James. We think they were trying to re-create you. But after seventeen years of no success, we think that they then decided to come for you instead, especially now that you are close to your ceremony. James knew where you lived so that was easy enough. We sent Drew out to try and convince you to come back to the Manor, but we were too late.’

  Laura was too startled to respond. Stella took her hand in hers.

  ‘We will find these people and we will banish them to hell. Okay? I promise, we won’t stop until they are gone.’

  Drew wandered off after a while, needing some time to himself. As he pushed through the bush, his thoughts turned to Caspian. His hope for his best friend’s safety was fierce.

  If he is hurt, or worse, I don’t know what I’ll do.

  Caspian’s words from the previous night surfaced.

  You have to live for the now.

  He couldn’t keep pushing people away. Not anymore. He had promised Grace he would be better, and he would. If she had died thinking Drew hated her, he would never have been able to forgive himself.

  Even Caspian, of all people, he had held at a distance, and now he was gone. Possibly forever.

  The people at the manor, his friends, his family, he loved them. And if he kept going down this path of death and destruction, he wouldn’t have this family to fall back on. He wouldn’t have anyone.

  He had to change.

  Drew broke through the trees and into a clearing, just as Laura entered his thoughts.

  He had held back from her, too, but his guard was failing him. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to ever forget her. Caspian was right. He had to talk to her.

  As he looked out over the sight before him, he smiled.

  Drew hurried closer to Laura as their friends settled down for sleep, beckoning for her to follow him. She secured her sword to her hip.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Laura asked, following him through the bush.

  ‘You’ll see,’ Drew said, grinning at her, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

  They didn’t walk for long. One moment they were pushing their way through the bush, the next they had broken through into a little clearing. Drew came to a halt, and Laura beheld the sight before her.

  She was engulfed by the sound of a gurgling creek and the rushing of a waterfall.

  The water was sparkling and glistening in the moonlight. Birds chirped as they settled down for sleep, an owl hooted in the distance, frogs croaked, and water rushed over the side of a rock formation, splashing little droplets of water up over the creek bed.

  Laura peered across at Drew, who was crouching by the stream, hands trailing in the water.

  As the creek bubbled and gurgled in rhythm with the distant rush of the waterfall, Laura turned to the brightest star in the sky and smiled.

  ‘I miss you every day dad,’ she whispered. ‘I am doing my best, I hope I am making you proud.’

  And Laura swore she saw the star grow brighter.

  She walked briskly to Drew’s side and sat down on the dampened earth.

  ‘This place is beautiful,’ she said.

  Drew sat back beside her, ‘many things in this world are.’

  Why are you blushing, Laura lectured herself, he wasn’t talking about you.

  Drew leaned back on his hands, like she was doing. His hand brushed against hers, and her heart was pounding so loudly that she was sure Drew could hear it.

  ‘How are you, Ace? And I mean, really, how are you?’ he asked gently.

  Laura considered his question for a moment, ‘I honestly can’t answer that. I don’t know how I am. I don’t even know what to think any more. My mind is a mess. I mean, the things I have seen. God, and the things I have done. I killed someone. I don’t-’ she choked on her words.
<
br />   Drew moved his hand over hers. His finger were warm, comforting, ‘Laura, it was you or him.’

  Laura sat up, pulling her hand free, and turned to him, ‘exactly! I chose my life above another! I killed someone else just so I could live!’ She buried her head in her hands and then pushed her fingers up through her hair, ‘I just never thought I would ever do something so awful. I never thought I was capable of that. I don’t know,’ she shook her head, ‘I am so stressed. I miss my mum.’

  Drew sat up too and glanced sideways at her, ‘as soon as we find your mum we will be able to clear everything up. Then you can have a proper burial for you father, and maybe you will be able to start moving on. It’s hard, I know, but in time you will come to terms with it all.’

  Laura began drawing in the dirt with her finger. She didn’t like thinking about her father’s funeral that she was yet to arrange.

  She changed the subject, ‘how are you? I know Caspian’s disappearance must be hurting you. You two are so close.’

  It was Drew’s turn to draw in the dirt, ‘I am praying that he is okay. But I have this dreadful feeling that he is with them. I think I would know if he was gone, though. Surely I would feel it if something wasn’t right?’

  Laura rested a hand on his arm.

  Drew gave her an appreciative smile, and this time, when he placed his other hand over hers, she didn’t pull away.

  ‘Can I ask you something?’ Laura quizzed.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Why do you call me Ace?’

  He let out a laugh and glanced sideways at her, ‘remember when I tackled you?’

  She rolled her eyes, ‘how could I forget?’

  ‘Well it was an ace tackle.’

  This time Laura burst out laughing, ‘are you serious?’

  As they settled down, Laura turned to him, ‘it was a pretty good tackle.’

  He nodded, smiling, ‘yes. Yes it was.’

  They were interrupted by a screech. They were on their feet in a second, turning to face the sound.

  Laura bit back a scream. Enormous bats were soaring through the sky, swooping through the trees, their beady eyes locked on their target. Their mouths hung open displaying a set of razor sharp teeth.

  They charged for Laura and Drew.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Fight For Survival

  Laura and Drew unsheathed their swords in unison.

  The first bat was upon them in only moments, swooping over their heads and clawing at their hair and faces’. Laura thrust her sword overhead at the bat. With great satisfaction, she came in contact with its side and sent it spiralling to the ground.

  Drew swiped at a bat soaring in from his left, slicing clean through its wing. He didn’t have time to watch its dead body hit the water for yet another bat was attacking him fiercely.

  They felt the splash of bloody water spray over them as they sent dead bats rocketing into the water.

  Laura ducked as a bat swooped overhead. A second bat was already charging, its menacing eyes locked on her. She stabbed her sword out in time to sever the bats neck, and its lifeless body thumped to the ground. She ducked away from the claws of the first bat, pulling her blade from the dead body. She swung it up and felt the silver come into contact with the bat above. She didn’t see where its body landed for another set of beady eyes were in her face, set on killing her.

  As Drew killed off another screeching creature, he chanced a look around, and wished he hadn’t. They were completely surrounded.

  Like a bolt of lightning, a claw shot out, slashing open the flesh of his arm. He cursed himself for allowing a moment’s distraction and, using his uninjured arm, killed the bad with a single swipe.

  Then his sword fell from his grip and he stumbled forward as another bat attacked him from behind.

  He wasn’t able to right himself in time and the bat clawed at his cheek as he hit the ground.

  A flash of a sword swung through the beast and blood rained down over him. He rolled out of the way as the creature hit the ground.

  He turned to see Laura, drenched with blood, extending a hand to him. He took it gratefully and staggered to his feet, sword in hand.

  ‘Thanks.’ He said.

  ‘Any time.’

  The two took up their positions and held back the bats for as long as they could.

  ‘There are too many!’ Laura shouted as she sent another clawed creature swirling down to earth.

  Out of nowhere, a dagger imbedded itself into the chest of a bat that had unknowingly come up beside them. Drew and Laura spun around to see the rest of their group advancing on the beasts, swords extended.

  Drew and Laura glanced at one another with relief. Then they plunged further into battle.

  With the seven of them now fighting, the situation was under control in a matter of minutes.

  ‘How did you guys find us?’ Drew asked as the blood stained group formed a circle by the water’s edge.

  ‘We could hear the screeching from camp. We followed the sound.’ Stella said, wiping the blood from her face.

  Laura huffed, ‘how the hell were they able to see us? I thought bats were blind? How did they know to attack?’

  ‘I suspect they had demon blood in them, giving them sight. They were probably ordered to attack by the Wicked.’ Leo said, crouching by the creek in the hopes of washing the gore from his hands, however the murky water was thick with blood and fallen creatures.

  ‘Let’s go further upstream and clean up.’ Stella said, moving in the direction of the waterfall.

  The others followed, leaving Laura and Drew by the creek.

  ‘You were good out there.’ Drew said.

  She shrugged. ‘I was mostly swinging my sword around wildly and hoping I’d hit something.’

  He laughed, then winced as his arm brushed his side.

  ‘Here, let me look.’

  Holding his arm gently, she inspected his wound. It was terribly deep, there was no doubt about that.

  Out of nowhere, a voice became present in her mind. Heal him, it whispered. The world around her seemed to blur, her mind instructing her on its own accord. All she could see was Drew. Unable to stop herself, she placed her hands over the cut.

  ‘Ace, its fine. Stella will fix it.’ Drew said, but Laura wasn’t listening.

  Her eyes closed, her hands remaining firm on his arm

  Heal. The word was pulsing against her eyelids, in her mind, through her body. She willed the word into being. Into action.

  ‘Laura…’

  Her eyes flew open. She stared at her knuckles, then removed her hands from his arm. She gasped with fright, stepping back abruptly.

  His cuts were gone. Not even a scar remained.

  ‘How…’ Drew trailed off, unable to draw his gaze from his healed skin.

  ‘I don’t know. Oh my god, what was that? What did I just do?’ Her heart was beating wildly, her breath raspy and uneven.

  She was overwhelmed with panic. She had just healed a wound that only stitches and salve could fix.

  ‘Ace, it’s all right.’

  He reached out, drawing her to him.

  ‘I… I don’t know... I’m afraid. What… what else am I capable of?’ She whimpered.

  He held her firmly in his arms. ‘Don’t be afraid. You have a gift Laura, and finally it’s starting to show itself. As soon as we find your mother I’m sure that she will clear all of this up. You will be okay.’

  Laura nodded into his chest, then pulled back slightly.

  ‘Can we go get cleaned up? I feel quite disgusting actually.’

  He laughed, ‘of course.’

  By midnight, everyone had cleaned up and fallen asleep by the fire. Well, almost everyone.

  Laura sat cross-legged, staring into the flames, too wound up to sleep. A whirlwind of thoughts consumed her.

  She couldn’t wrap her head around what she had done. She had healed Drew. How? How had a single word beating in her mind become so powerful?<
br />
  She raised her eyes to find Gemma was awake, eyes trained on the fire.

  ‘Is everything all right?’

  Gemma moved to sit, ‘just worried about Caspian.’

  ‘I hope he is safe,’ Laura whispered. ‘I hope they didn’t capture him. I hope he just followed them then lost their trail and is now searching for us.’

  Laura let loose a sigh after Gemma didn’t respond. ‘It’s because of me he’s in danger.’

  Gemma rose her eyes to Laura’s. ‘Because of you? This is all because of you!’ She hissed, gesturing around her with her hands. ‘We would all be back at the manor, safe, alive, un hurt, if you hadn’t come along. You took advantage of everyone here. They were all to kind too say no to helping you. But I saw through it. I warned them. Now look where we are? Huh? Running from authorities. Running into danger. Caspian is gone, possibly dead. Grace was nearly killed. That Flyer was too. And Delilah was!’

  The way in which Gemma spat out the words in a hoarse whisper was frightening.

  Laura was taken aback at the outburst. Then it dawned on her. Everything Gemma said was true. It was her fault. She had dragged them into her mess, and now they were facing such awful danger because of her.

  ‘I wish you had never come. I wish you would leave us alone. At least then we would be somewhat safe. This isn’t our war to fight. It’s yours and your mum’s. You are the one they want.’

  ‘I’m sorry Gemma. I-‘ Laura choked, ‘I never wanted any of you to be dragged into this. I was selfish. I am selfish.’

  She removed her gaze from Gemma and rose to her feet. She had continually forced herself to stay strong. But as she secured her bag on her back, she knew it had all been an act.

  She wasn’t strong. She tried to be for the sake of her father’s memory. For the sake of finding her mother. For the sake of herself. But she wasn’t.

  She turned away from the fire, from Gemma, and left her companions behind, knowing this was the only way she could protect them from being hurt worse than they had already been.

  She had to do this. She had to find Caspian and return him to his friends. It was the only way to set things right.

  She knew roughly which direction the Lost City was in, so set off, using the light of her torch to guide her.