Dark Light

by Nicola Fulford

  Chapter 13

  It was a Saturday night. Matt and Amber had been back at school for five days, and it was their first weekend off. Matt was now fully recovered and twice as annoying. Every time he greeted or said goodbye to Amber, it started with, ‘So my love,’ or ‘Love you’. It didn’t bother Amber so much, because she knew Matt knew she couldn’t do anything until they saved Will, because she at least owed him a chance.

  Amber tossed in her sleep. The night was dark and silent, but Amber’s mind was buzzing with information and fears and hopes and dreams that were not silenced even in sleep. Every night she dreamt the same dream. Will came back to her, but then The Voice came and took him away, and then she was forced to wander around her dream world in search of him.

  Amber didn’t see any of her other friends any more. The first day back, everyone had been talking about what they had been doing in the holidays and who they had met up with, but Amber had been in the corner with Matt, quietly running over the latest news from Lyana. Every free moment Amber had was dedicated to finding Will and The Voice, and every spare moment was therefore leading Amber further and further away from normality. She knew it should be bad, but this new world was exiting and mysterious, and she wanted to spend as much time in it as possible.

  The next Sunday, they had spent the day in Lyana’s attic, making notes and reading through thick volumes such as Mystic Creatures: a Guide, and Demon Spotter, Watch the Signs. There were only odd bits of information, and even then it was vague and didn’t really point to The Voice, like a paragraph in Witches United about an all-knowing being that could control and create beings like him.

  “This is pointless,” said Amber, throwing down Magic through the Ages and causing the snowy white cat-which Lyana said was called Merlin-to jump into the air hissing. “We’re never going to find Will like this.”

  “We don’t have another option,” Lyana sang in a high voice. If it were possible to find Lyana annoying, Amber would be annoyed now.

  “I can think of one,” Amber said. “Give me powers. We’ll have three against one and we’ll walk up to him, kill him, and get Will back, no problem.”

  “I wonder what Will would think about being saved by two girls and his competition,” Matt said thoughtfully. He had never tried to hide his dislike of Will, which Amber knew stemmed entirely from jealousy.

  “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a hundred times,” said Lyana. “No powers.”

  “We don’t have any other choice,” Amber said through gritted teeth.

  “It’s not worth risking your life for Amber,” Lyana span in a large captain’s chair to look at her through her thick, black lashes. “If Will sacrificed himself like you said he did, then he clearly wants you to be safe. You should respect that.”

  “And you should respect that it’s my decision,” Amber said.

  “Well it’s mine too, and I refuse to give you powers.” Lyana turned back to her book, while Merlin jumped up and curled onto her lap.

  Amber sighed and turned another battered page of her own book, Flash Bang Wallop, why sparks and sounds make good spells.

  “Can I speak with you outside for a moment please?” Matt asked.

  Amber looked up. He was looking at her.

  “Ok…?” She stood up and started towards the door, closely followed by Matt. Amber hoped he was going to hell her how she could get some powers without Lyana’s help. She liked the idea of not being so defenceless for once.

  Matt closed the door behind them.

  “Okay,” he said. “I think I know how we can get you powers without Lyana.”

  “Really?” Amber asked loudly in the high voice she used when she got excited. This what exactly what she had hoped Matt wanted to say to her, and it was some of the best news she’d had in a long time.

  “She isn’t the only sorceress out there. I’ve been to markets to pick up ingredients for her before, but they also sell ready made potions. I’m sure someone would sell me a potion to give humans powers.”

  “So I could be like you?” Amber asked.

  “Like I said, no one can really tell what the powers will be until they’ve appeared, but anything must be an advantage, right?”

  “Thank you Matt, thank you!” Amber jumped up and put her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome,” he murmured back.

  Amber released Matt from her embrace, but they were still just a few inches apart in the tiny hallway. He looked into her eyes and bent slowly down, his lips parting slightly.

  “No,” Amber twisted round to avoid him. “Matt, I’ve told you before, I won’t.”

  “Why?” Matt asked. “You know I love you.”

  “But I love Will!” she said. “You know I love him! We’ve been over this and over this, and you just make me feel like the bad guy every time.”

  “You won’t even give me a chance!” Matt shouted. “That’s all I’m asking for, just one chance. Please.”

  Amber looked at Matt’s pleading face, and was suddenly overcome by anger.

  “You’re doing it again!” she yelled.

  “Doing what?”

  “Making me into the bad guy because I have to hurt you. It’s not fair Matt. I’ve told you, I have to save Will, and I have to give him a chance.”

  “So you’ll give him a chance and not me?” Matt said sharply.

  “He was there first. I love him, and I can’t even think about what’s going to happen next until he’s safe-that’s if he’s even alive!”

  “So if he was safe, you would give me a shot?” asked Matt. He had a crazy look in his eye, like he was so focused on Amber that he couldn’t see anything else.

  “If Will was safe I would have a lot less things on my mind,” Amber dodged the question. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was manipulating Matt slightly, and he didn’t deserve it, because he was good and kind, but so was Will, and for now it seemed like the only way she was going to save him. She could apologize to Matt later.

  But Matt was gone.

  Matthew Pryer was running. Not running anywhere in particular, just running away. He knew he had to get into a big, open space before he called on The Voice, because he wanted to keep the girl he loved safe. The girl he loved, incidentally, happened to love someone else, and that someone else happened to be the guy Matt was trying to save. You just couldn’t make this stuff up, he thought to himself as he ran.

  The roads were opening up into the countryside. Matt was trying to pace himself; he couldn’t use all his energy before completing the task at hand, or else he would be facing another fortnight of bed rest at the care of Lyana, providing he survived to live that fortnight.

  Matt’s feet were leading him without his consciousness taking note of where he was going. But then, out of the darkness, Matt realized where he was. It was the clearing, his and Amber’s clearing.

  He stopped for a minute. His feet weren’t sore, and his chest wasn’t heaving for breath; it was like he had been on a light stroll around the garden. He looked around. This place would be perfect to summon The Voice to; distant, isolated, concealed, but he couldn’t bring himself to taint this special place with something so evil. His lips just couldn’t form the words that would do it.

  He continued running.

  It didn’t take long to reach a place that was far enough from any people that could get hurt or used as hostages. Matt wasn’t taking any chances.

  The grass was wet with frost, and he could feel the cool damp soaking through his trainers as he stood in the pitch black woodland, where the only light was from the moon, filtered down by the trees. He could still see clearly with his new mass of energy after being cooped up, on top of his usual powers; he could feel the pulse of power pumping through his veins, charged like a livewire, and ready to strike.

  He wasn’t really sure how this was going to go; it wasn’t like he did this kind of thing every day. He was almo
st surprised at himself, that he’d become one of those boys whose world revolved around one girl. He never expected him, of all people, to become one of those boys. It was Amber who Matt thought of as he called out to the night.

  “Voice,” he said aloud. The echo sounded around the clearing.

  Nothing happened.

  Thinking of Amber, Matt decided to do what she would do in this situation, which would be to do the same as they did on the TV. He laughed as he thought of it.

  “Voice,” he said again. “I summon you.”

  Matt held his breath, and the whole clearing was silent, not a branch broke nor a leaf rustled. Out in the distance, a single owl hooted.

  Then all hell broke loose.

  Birds started throwing themselves out of their trees and sailing off into the night; wind howled around the clearing, twisting trees and bushes; even the light itself seemed to fade from the surroundings.

  Silence fell like a cloak over the clearing.

  “Hello Matthew.”

  Matt froze.

  “It’s very polite of you to be afraid,” said The Voice. “It shows you might actually have some intelligence-I’ll admit it, I’ve had my doubts.”

  Matt turned around to face the figure. He looked different from the last time Matt had seen him; his appearance was entirely human now, with not a hint of abnormality about him.

  “You changed,” Matt said, looking at the blonde-haired, green-eyed boy.

  “Very many times,” he said. “But yes, I do look different from the last time you saw me. I was bored with my last appearance, and besides,” the boy smiled a wide, mad smile. “This one’s so much more fun!”

  “Who are you?” Matt asked.

  “Don’t you know?” the boy asked. “I’m sure Amber has told you all about me. She’s…amusing.” The figures mouth twisted into a sickening smile.

  “I said,” Matt said through gritted teeth. “Who are you?”

  The boy turned to him.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Will.”

  “What do you mean he’s gone?” asked Lyana when Amber re-entered the room.

  “I don’t know!” said Amber. “I just turned around and he was gone.”

  “Did The Voice take him?”

  “No-at least, I don’t think so.”

  “No,” said Lyana. “If The Voice had been here, he wouldn’t have left us alive.”

  “So he just…walked out?” Amber asked.

  “Why?” said Lyana. “Why would he do that? What were you talking about beforehand?”

  Amber thought back.

  “We were talking about saving Will,” she said. She thought it best to leave out the subject of Matt trying to help her get powers. “And then he tried to kiss me….and I said I couldn’t because I was too worried about Will and it wasn’t right after he’d risked his life for me.” Amber flushed.

  “What did you say exactly?” Lyana asked.

  “I don’t know!” said Amber exasperatedly.

  “Amber, it’s important. Think.”

  “He said…something about if he saved Will, would I give him a shot and I said that it would…make me feel better if I wasn’t so worried all the time.”

  “That’s it?” asked Lyana.

  “Yeah. I turned around and he was gone.”

  “And he didn’t say where he was going?”

  “No, he didn’t say anything,” said Amber.

  Lyana sighed.

  “Do you know where he is?” asked Amber.

  “Well, at a guess, he’s gone to find Will.”

  “But he can’t! Lyana, he’ll be killed.”

  “You don’t think I know that?” Lyana shouted. Her wide, blue eyes were alive with worry and anger. Whether she was angry with Amber, Matt or The Voice, Amber wasn’t sure.

  “Can you find him?” Amber asked quietly.

  “Even if I could, what would I do? I’m powerless with The Voice, he take me down in a second. I’m useless,” said Lyana.

  “No,” said Amber. “You’re not-there’s another solution to this and it all depends on you.”

  “I’m not going to give you powers Amber,” Lyana looked at her, but for the first time, Amber saw a trace of uncertainty in those blue eyes.

  “Lyana, it’s Matt. He’s going to die if we don’t help.”

  “I can’t, it’s too dangerous-you could die.”

  “I don’t care!” Amber shouted. “If you wont help me, then I’ll just have to waste my time looking for someone who will, and then who knows how reliable they’ll be.”

  Amber looked Lyana in the eye.

  Lyana sighed; Amber knew she was never going to let her go wandering off in the night searching for witches and warlocks.

  “Here.” Lyana plucked a tiny bottle off the shelf. If was filled with a deep, purple liquid, with about the quantity of two teaspoons.

  Amber reached out a hand.

  “One promise,” said Lyana. “You have to be responsible. These powers are dangerous; you have to be careful. Once you drink the potion, it’ll last for one hour.”

  “One hour?” asked Amber.

  “Yes, after that it’ll ware off, and you need to get somewhere safe because you’re going to crash like a kid coming down after a Christmas party.”

  “Got it, one hour and I’m done.”

  Amber took the bottle, broke the seal and tipped the contents into her mouth.

  “Oh, don’t stand there so speechless,” said the boy who claimed to be Will. “Where’s the fun if you aren’t pleading for mercy or telling me I’m lying?”

  “You’re sick, do you realize that?” Matt shouted. “Sick!”

  “Yes actually, I have been told that before,” said the boy. He spoke like a madman, thought Matt.

  “I suppose you’ve killed Will then,” he said sullenly.

  “Why would I do a thing like that? When I am him and he is me, then what would be the point in killing someone who is me; it’s only fun if the person isn’t me.”

  “I’m sorry?” said Matt, who hadn’t managed to follow the boy’s ramblings.

  “Yes you should be, why have you called me here?”

  “I came to get Will, but he’s dead-“

  “Didn’t you listen to what I said?” asked the boy. His green eyes glowed with irritation. “I am him and he is me, and I am very much alive.”

  “So…you’re Will?”

  “Finally, I see a spark of intelligence in you. I have to say, you’re rather more dumb than you look, and that is saying something.”

  “Does Amber know what you are?” Matt asked.

  “Does Amber know what you are?” the boy, Will, put on a poor imitation of Matt’s voice. “Of course not. I’m not as stupid as you are; I was hardly going to tell her that I was the bad guy all along now, was I?”

  “She’ll find out,” said Matt.

  Will looked at Matt with pure menace.

  “Oh,” he said. “I don’t think she will.”

  “Well?” Lyana asked. “How do you feel?”

  “I feel…normal,” said Amber. “Is that-normal?”

  “It might take a while for the potion to take effect,” said Lyana uncertainly. “I’ll make sure you’re okay before you go running off though, could you pass me that bottle?”

  Amber looked at the bottle, and then at Lyana, then back at the bottle. She took a step towards it when suddenly, the bottle glowed a blue-ish colour, and with a tiny pop, vanished from the oak table. Amber turned back to Lyana, who, she realized, was now holding the glass bottle. Lyana looked at her.

  “Wow,” said Amber. “That was awesome.”

  “Do you feel alright?” asked Lyana.

  “Alright? I feel amazing!”

  “Not dizzy or nauseous?”

  “No-why?”

  “Just, checking,” said Lyana. She set the bottle down. “Try it with something else.”

  Amber looked at the bookshelf; one book in particular, a large, red le
ather-bound one with age marks on the side. She imagined it in her hand, and then, with a pop there it was.

  She laughed.

  “This is so cool!” she said to Lyana.

  “And you’re sure you feel fine?”

  “Yes,” said Amber.

  “Well then, let’s go and save Matt.”

  “Do you know, the night I made you what you are, I was bored,” said Will. “I decided I needed a new hobby, and then along you came. I saw the men who were going to meet you; they weren’t going to kill you, but I find I can be very persuasive when I want to be, and they weren’t much of a challenge.”

  “You killed me?” asked Matt angrily.

  “No, I think you’ll find they did that for me-keep up. I’m not really supposed to harm humans; that wasn’t why my powers were bestowed upon me.”

  “Why me?” asked Matt.

  “No reason in particular,” Will leaned lazily on an old oak tree. “I was bored, you were there. Had I known how much trouble you were going to cause me, I would have chosen someone else. Still, thanks to you, I now have Amber-she is a little treasure isn’t she? I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun, before I kill her that is.”

  “Is that all you care about, killing people?” asked Matt disgustedly. Now he knew there was no reason for him to be here, and that he had to warn Amber, and that if he didn’t get away soon he would die, he was trying to come up with some sort of escape plan. Nothing was coming to mind.

  “Please don’t try to preach to me about the value of life, believe me you’re wasting your breath, and I’d try to save it if I were you; it’s not like you have many left.”

  Will, The Voice, turned towards the oak tree, from which he ripped of a long, sharp chunk of wood.

  “I have to say, you chose a nice setting Matthew,” he said. “It’s very…what’s the word….poetic.”

  Matt backed away. He still had no idea of how to escape, other than to fight, and he knew it was a fight he could never win. His only option was to keep him talking; he knew The Voice wasn’t able to stay on Earth for too long without being weakened.

  “Who was the girl you sent to kidnap you, Will?” he asked.

  “What girl?” Will stopped momentarily in his advance; he was now only a few meters away from Matt, who was backing up towards the trees behind him.

  “Amber said when what she thought was Will was taken, it was by a girl, with red hair.”

  “Oh, you mean Aliya? Yes, I had thought she would be useful, but the girls besotted with me-not that I blame her for that, I am of course a bit of a catch. She was jealous I was spending so much time with Amber, so she tried to kidnap her. Admittedly, it did mess my plan up a bit, but Amber is just so loyal, she stuck by me when I wasn’t even there,” he laughed. “It really has made my life easier.”

  He continued towards Matt, the wooden stake-like object held in front of him.

  “Anything you want me to tell Amber before I kill you?” Will asked.

  “Yeah, said Matt. “Tell her this.”

  In one quick movement he had reached behind him, snapped a huge branch off the tree, and pushed it with the force of a jackhammer.

  But Will was quicker, in less than the time it took to blink, he had grabbed the piece of wood, thrown it over his shoulder with such power that it splintered when it hit the ground, and was holding Matt a foot off the ground in a stranglehold.

  “I take it that was your attempt to defeat me, in which case, don’t bother. You can’t.” He dropped Matt, who thought he was about to pass out, on the damp grass. Matt watched at the blonde-haired boy took the sharp, dagger-like piece of wood, lifted his arm slightly so he could gain more force, and brought it down towards the ground, where Matt lay, too slow to move before the spike drove into his body, just below his rib-cage. Matt shouted out a stream of curses.

  “That,” said Will, taking the piece of wood back out. “Was for trying to attack me. “And this,” he drove the stake into Matt’s stomach. “Was for making that too easy.” He lifted the stake again and stood over Matt’s blood-covered body.

  He had never been in so much pain. He could feel the burning in his stomach where the stake had been driven in, like hot acid had been allowed to seep through his skin. Matt’s breaths were short and shallow, like those of someone who had just finished a hundred meter sprint. He could feel the blood on his fingertips as he tried to stop the bleeding. He knew he was going to die.

  Matt blamed himself; he had been an idiot, running off without telling Lyana or Amber where he was going, and not asking them for their help. Now Will would go back to Amber, make up some story about a miraculous mistake, and when she thought she was safe, he would kill her. Because he was a killer.

  He knew he couldn’t let that happen.

  Matt watched as Will walked around the clearing. He was very glad he had had the precognition to choose somewhere far away from any human inhabitants; there should be no more death tonight.

  The stake lay a foot or two out of Matt’s reach. He hoped he could reach it quietly enough that Will wouldn’t notice. If he could just land one good shot. He inched his fingers closer and closer. His arm brushed against a leaf, one tiny, dewy leaf, but Will heard it. He spun around.

  “Doesn’t this thing go any faster?” asked Amber.

  “Does it look like an off-roader to you?” said Lyana impatiently. “How was I supposed to know he would have chosen a place in the middle of a forest? What an idiot.”

  They were driving through a very bumpy, tree-filled area in Lyana’s shiny yellow Elise. Of all the things a sports car was good for, this was not one of them.

  She had to admit that it seemed pretty stupid of Matt to choose somewhere so out of the way; he could have chosen somewhere in the middle of town where there were plenty of witnesses to any impossible, superhuman activity that would expose The Voice for what he was.

  “How far away are we?” asked Amber.

  “Pretty far,” said Lyana.

  “Stop the car.”

  “What?” the beautiful girl looked at her like she was mad.

  “You heard me,” said Amber. “Stop the car.”

  Looking at Amber questioningly the whole time, Lyana put her foot down on the brake pedal and the car stopped.

  “I’m going on foot,” said Amber.

  “Okay, I guess that would be quicker,” Lyana started to get out of the car.

  “No, you need to bring the car round.”

  “Amber, don’t be stupid-“

  “If Matt’s hurt, we’ll need it to transport him in. I don’t think I could carry him again,”

  “I’m not letting you go off on your own.”

  “Then you’re sentencing Matt to his death,” said Amber harshly.

  “You’ll be killed!”

  “And so will he if he doesn’t get help soon. Please Lyana, just point me in the right direction.” Amber looked up into Lyana’s large, blue eyes beseechingly. The taller girl sighed.

  “Go straight ahead. I think it’s about four hundred meters.”

  Amber nodded.

  “Good luck,” she said.

  “You too.”

  Both girls shared an understanding look before Lyana accelerated off and Amber sprinted at full speed in the direction she had been indicated.

  If Matt had thought he had been in pain before, he was wrong. This pain was numbing, so bad that his body seemed to be shutting down all feeling to avoid it.

  Will had caught him trying to reach the stake, and as a punishment had pounded every part of Matt’s body until he had begged for mercy.

  “Why don’t you kill me?” Matt asked.

  “What would be the point?” asked Will.

  “So you don’t plan on killing me?”

  “I do, just not yet. What would be the fun in that?”

  The tiny part of Matt’s brain that was not taken up by the pain was disgusted with the way Will only seemed to be in this for the fun of it. He knew it p
robably didn’t matter whether Will turned round and killed him now anyway; he could feel what little strength he had left leaving him, and soon he knew he would be unable to move or cry out for help. Even if he did, no help would come. Perhaps he had chosen his spot too well.

  “Get up,” said Will suddenly.

  Matt could barely move his fingers, let alone gather the strength to lift his whole body.

  “I said,” Will raised his hand in the air. “Up.”

  Matt felt his entire body rise painfully off the ground into a standing position.

  “Fight,” said Will.

  “I can’t.” Matt’s speech was slurred because of a thick lip he had got in the beating.

  “Then you will die,” Will said matter-of-factly. There was no pity in those cold green eyes.

  He rushed towards Matt with the speed of a cheetah. Matt was barely able to step aside fast enough to dodge the heavy blow that would have hit him.

  Will squared himself up again. This time Matt noticed he seemed to have acquired another sharp wooden weapon. The Voice ran straight at him again, and Matt dodged again, like a bull and a matador. The dance went on.

  Matt’s steps were sluggish, and each one seemed to be just a nudge away from tripping him up or pushing him into the blade itself.

  This last time Matt saw the unmasked glow of hatred and carelessness in Will’s eyes. Will didn’t rush him; he watched, and then with the speed and strength of a lion, had Matt on the ground.

  “Do you give up?” he asked.

  “Do I have a choice?” Matt replied tiredly, he didn’t want to fight a losing battle anymore.

  Will lifted the stake into the air one last time.

  “This was fun,” he said. “We should do it again some time.” He plunged it down into Matt’s chest. “Oh wait-you can’t.”

  It was an injury that even with his accelerated healing, Matt would not be ale to recover from. He couldn’t move any more; he couldn’t fight.

  Amber’s lungs were burning, her sides were about to split open, and her throat was frozen from breathing in icy air. She knew she was getting close-she didn’t know how she knew, but she knew, and even through the worry for Matt, the searing pain in her side and the mental pain that had been building up over the last month or so with everything she had had to live with, there was still that spark of excitement at the thought she might get to see Will again.

  Somewhere close by she thought she heard voices, at least one voice, and it was one she would recognize anywhere.

  It was Will.

  Amber’s heart skipped a beat, and her legs suddenly found that they could move faster. But it didn’t sound like Will, though the voice definitely belonged to him, there was something new there, and it frightened her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see what she was about to, but her feet had carried her around the trees, through some bushes and into the clearing, all stealth and advantage of surprise forgotten.

  What she saw at first didn’t really seem to register. There was Matt, lying on the floor, not moving, surrounded by blood. Standing over him was a figure she knew, a figure she recognised, but it couldn’t be-

  “Will?” she said.

  “Amber,” the boy turned to her, he looked terrified. “The Voice-he was here. Matt tried to fight him but, he just wasn’t a match. He’s killed him Amber. He’s dead!”

  “No. He can’t be.”

  “I tried to help, but what could I have done. I’m only human, and these guys are like super-charged or something.”

  “Will, I’ll explain it later, but right now we have to help Matt,” Amber said.

  She ran over to his body, which lay a few meters into the clearing, with a tree branch sticking out of it. She tried to pull it out, but her hands were shaking too much, and she was in so much shock she could barely make her hands work.

  “Branch,” she said, holding out her hand. A second later a sharp, wooden stake was grasped in her hand. Matt groaned.

  “Amber?” he said. It took him a second to register that it was really her, and then he grasped her hand tightly and spoke urgently. “Amber run. Will is The Voice. Run. Get out of here. Now.”

  Behind her, Will clapped slow, sarcastic, booming claps that echoed eerily around the clearing.

  “Well done Amber,” he said. “I take it that little witch gave you those powers?”

  Amber looked at him wide eyed. This wasn’t possible. It just was not possible. That tiny part of her world that remained was being pulled from under her feet, and when it was gone she would have nothing left to support her.

  “Wow,” Will said. “I must be a better actor than I thought. I really did have you fooled. You’re little friend down there paid the price for your stupidity”

  “Why?” Amber asked.

  “Why? Because it was fun!”

  “You’re sick.” Amber took Matt’s arm and started dragging him out of the clearing.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Will said.

  Amber ignored him.

  “Fine,” he said. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  He raised a hand and Matt’s limp body rose into the air. His mouth fell open in a silent scream, and suddenly his eyes had flown open and were releasing tears down on his cheek. Matt swung back and forth in the air, like some sick kind of grandfather clock.

  “Stop!” Amber shouted. “Stop!”

  “Are you going to behave?” asked Will.

  Amber nodded. Tears were running down her cheek, and she still had Matt’s blood-soaked hand in hers.

  “Good,” Will said. “Oh, and your little witch friend can come out now.”

  A bush rustled behind Amber, and out climbed Lyana, leaves woven into her silky black hair and mud smeared across her pale face.

  “I’m sorry Amber,” she mouthed.

  Amber nodded understandingly. They had failed.

  “Now,” Will began. “I have a proposition for you Amber. Hand over your friends and join me, and I will spare you.”

  “Like she’d ever unite with a little scum-“ Lyana started.

  “Silence!” Will’s voice echoed around the clearing. “Speak to me like that again, and I’ll show you what we do to little witches like you,” he said maliciously.

  Amber looked down to Matt, who had fallen to the ground at her feet unconcious, then over to Lyana who held her gaze and mouthed ‘One hour’. Amber’s time was nearly up, and she’d barely used her powers. If they were going to act, it would have to be now. Lyana nodded.

  She raised her hand and a great wind filled the clearing. As it spun, Amber thought it sounded like dogs snarling and howling behind her. The wind got stronger and stronger, and suddenly a tree fell to the ground; it missed Will by only an inch or two.

  He looked up at Lyana dangerously, and the next moment had her screaming out in pain, shrinking slowly onto the cold ground. Her head hit the grass and she lay unmoving.

  Amber ran forwards.

  “Relax,” said Will. “She’s not dead. Yet.”

  “Let them go,” Amber said. “Take me and let them go.”

  Will ignored her. He had picked up the sharp piece of wood again and was heading in the direction of Lyana’s unconscious body. Amber acted without thinking.

  “Stake,” she said. The wood was gone from Will’s hand and the next moment was in hers.

  “Oh, I forgot she gave you powers,” he said. “Now I can do this.”

  Amber’s brain was on fire. It was like every possible space in her head was burning in acidic, blistering flames, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The pain was so bad she couldn’t remember who she was, where she was, why she was there. And then it was gone, and Amber was back in the clearing, gasping for breath.

  It was no use fighting any more. She was all alone. Matt was barely breathing, and she wasn’t going to get him the help he needed soon enough. He was dying. If she gave up now, maybe Lyana would survive.

  If she had ever lo
ved Will, she couldn’t understand why. There was nothing she wanted more in the world now than to never see him again. She just wanted to save Matt.

  Amber’s watch beeped. Her hour was up; her power was leaving her.

  Will had reclaimed the wooden stake. He walked over to where Amber lay by Matt, who was taking great wheezing breaths, like the air wasn’t reaching his lungs. He caught Amber’s gaze and held it.

  “Well, this has been fun,” said Will, standing over the two of them. “It was nice knowing you Matthew. Goodbye.”

  As Amber watched Will lower his hand, it was like the whole seen played out in slow motion around her. The trees rustling, the point of the piece of wood inching closer and closer to Matt’s chest, Will’s malevolent, merciless expression as he stood towering over them. Suddenly, Amber felt a huge surge of emotion. Love, hate anger, terror, torment, horror, betrayal, all seemed to blur into one thing: power. Without her even meaning to, a great scream escaped from her.

  Will looked at her, and for a moment she thought, just maybe, she saw a hint of fear in his expression. The next moment he was gone.

  The battle was won. Amber’s powers had left her at a moment that had coincided with every imaginable emotion, and the result had been a huge burst of energy. It had been enough to get rid of Will, for now at least.

  Matt took in a great, gasping breath. Amber knelt down beside him quickly. Tears were steadily seeping down her cheek; she had been too late. The last blow may not have hit him, but he had been put through too much, lost too much blood, too much energy.

  Matt tried to lift his head and talk.

  “Shh,” Amber said. She felt like her heart was being ripped from her. “Don’t try to speak. Lyana’s safe, she’s over there.”

  “I-I-“ Matt couldn’t get more than one letter out.

  “I’m sorry Matt. I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner. I’m sorry I sent you here in the first place.”

  He squeezed her hand and took in another wheezing breath. Amber knew he didn’t have long left. She looked deep into those liquid-blue eyes that were so panicked now by what was to come.

  “I love you,” she said.

  Matt looked back at her and barely managed to speak two words before closing his eyes: “I know.”