Abomination

by Sean Stone

“You’ve got your iron bracelet to even the odds,” Clara said coolly.

  “I have and if you agree to put one on each of your wrists then I shall happily send my guards away,” Eloise offered. Clara made no reply. “I thought not. So, why have you asked for this meeting?”

  “We don’t want to fight you,” she began and Eloise immediately interrupted.

  “You mean you can’t fight me.”

  Clara chose to ignore the comment. “I’m here to negotiate peace,” She said as politely as she could. It was difficult to be polite to the likes of Eloise. Clara noticed that some of the windows around them were opening as the residents became curious about what was happening.

  “Peace,” Eloise repeated the word adding a hiss as she said the last part. “Peace would be a fine thing. Sadly, I do not negotiate with the spawn of Satan. There will be peace only when your kind are removed from the Earth.”

  “Spawn of Satan… You’re insane,” she said in awe.

  “Perhaps I am, but I am not stupid.” Before she’d even finished speaking ten more soldiers ran out from down the alleys either side of the street. They quickly surrounded the meeting, rifles trained on Clara. She was getting sick of guns being pointed at her. “Tell me, Miss Winters, how can somebody who was trained be MI5 be so easy to trap? Did you pay attention to your training at all?”

  Clara looked around at the soldiers surrounding her. There was no escape, no way to fight her way out. She’d been expecting a trap, but she’d thought she’d have an easier time getting out of it. She’d thought there would objects she could use as weapons, but there were none. Eloise had cleared the area more than likely. She looked up at the watchers in the windows again, there were a lot of them now. Several frightened faces peering out, ready to dart for cover as soon as the first shot was fired.

  “Do you see what’s going on here?” Clara called up to them. The man she made eye contact with looked terrified as if he hadn’t realised he could be seen. “Do you see? This isn’t about terrorism. You all know it. You haven’t seen a single terrorist attack. This is a government out of control. This woman is here to murder the people of this town.”

  “Utter nonsense,” said Eloise, adding a girlish laugh. “Conspiracy theories from the mouth of one of the lead terrorists.”

  “I’m not a terrorist,” Clara told them. “I’m a sorcerer. She has come to destroy the supernatural because she’s frightened of us. That’s what this is. Nothing more. A vicious attack on a race she doesn’t understand.”

  “A fairy tale concocted by a vicious terrorist,” replied Eloise. “Sorcerers? Please.”

  “It’s not a fairy tale. Look,” said Clara. She held out her hand flashing Eloise a smug smile as she conjured a ball of fire in her palm. She had all the proof she needed running through her veins “Look!” she shouted again and begun to rotate so everybody could see her. As the people watched their faces contorted in confusion and shock. Clara turned the fire to ice and then let it crumble into snowflakes to the floor. “Magic is real. And she,” she pointed aggressively at Eloise, “is here to destroy it. But you don’t have to let her. She has soldiers, a lot of soldiers, but you still outnumber them. Come out of your homes and take your town back from this madwoman. I beg you all to help me,” she implored them passionately.

  In the following silence even Eloise had nothing to say. The old woman looked up at the windows anxiously waiting for a response. Then finally one of the residents spoke, “Witch! She’s a witch!” The fearful disgust in her voice was unmistakable. The others began shouting too.

  “Freak!”

  “Monster!”

  “Kill her!” One shouted and Clara turned to them in shock. How could they be so cruel?

  “You see, Miss Winters,” Eloise said with mock sympathy, a smug smile on her face. “People will not accept your devilry. You have no place here. I shan’t kill you, though. I need you to lure the rest of that vile Coven to me. Then I’ll kill you and all of them.” Eloise stepped closer to Clara. “But in the meantime I can hurt you.”

  Suddenly the four-by-four flew across the ground, smashing through the soldiers and taking out four of them in one hit. Eloise and the eight remaining soldiers all turned and saw what Clara now saw. Arthur was standing with a look of violent rage that Clara had never seen on his face before. Behind him stood Dean, Kegan, Marlon and Toni.

  “Arthur Winters alive and well. I had heard you were back from the dead but seeing it is something quite… disturbing,” said Eloise.

  “Get away from my daughter,” he growled. He swiped his hand and one of the rifles flew out of a soldier’s hands and smashed into Eloise’s head. The old woman cried out and blood sprayed from her face as she thunked to the floor. The soldiers fired at Arthur and the others. They all hit the ground as the bullets came at them. One bullet hit something invisible and as the iron undid the cloaking spell Arthur’s car was revealed to them all. Another bullet grazed Dean’s shoulder, but the rest all missed. Dean threw something through the darkening sky and it clattered loudly as it hit the floor and rolled towards the soldiers who stopped before firing the next round of bullets. Clara backed away from them, her eyes locked on the thing that looked a lot like a grenade.

  “You’re magical grenades won’t work on us,” the soldier said, grinning.

  “It’s not magical,” said Dean. Clara got her shield up just as the grenade exploded in a flash of blinding orange fire that tossed the soldiers all over the High Street. Clara looked at the fallen soldiers. Some of them were bleeding heavily but a couple were already getting back up. One reached for his rifled and Clara reached out and summoned it to her. It was heavy and she felt clumsy with it in her hands. Before she could figure out how to use it Kegan was on top of the soldier. His eyes had turned an amber colour and his fingers had long dark claws on their tips. Clara looked up and saw the full moon rising faintly in the sky. Kegan slashed at the soldier, tearing his throat open and then he dropped him to die slowly in the street. The next soldier was on his knees when Arthur ran him over. The Jaguar hit him in the chest knocking him back, but Arthur didn’t stop there, he continued driving until the soldier had disappeared beneath the car, screaming as he went.

  “Get in!” Arthur screamed at Clara. The others were already piling into the car.

  “Hold on!” Clara said. This was her one chance to deal with Eloise finally. She turned to get the old woman, but Eloise was gone. She’d slunk off during the fighting.

  “Now, Clara!” screamed Arthur. It was obvious that his anger was aimed at her.

  “Kegan, come on!” Clara yelled at him. He was stooped over another soldier who he’d just mangled. Dark fur had already begun to grow on his face. He looked up at Clara and shook his head.

  “Transformation’s already started. Best if I stay outside,” he replied in a heavy growling voice. Clara nodded and then jumped into the passenger seat. Arthur raced away from the carnage before she’d even closed the door.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” he roared at her. Even as he shouted he was re-cloaking the car. “How could you be so stupid? How?” His face was a deep red colour and his eyes were bulging dangerously.

  “I’m sorry,” she said feebly. What else could she say? “It’s all right, though. We got away and we did them some damage.”

  “All right?” Arthur said more quietly, he looked at her incredulously and she knew that something was wrong. Clara turned to ask one of the others what had happened, but she didn’t need to ask. Dean and Toni were sitting with Marlon lying across their laps. His face was white and his eyes closed. Blood was pouring out of his chest just right of his heart.

  “No…” she said. She hadn’t intended for anyone on their side to get hurt. “Is he…?”

  “Soon,” Dean said giving her a sympathetic look.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, emotion welling up in her. She couldn’t be responsible for his death. Not because of her stupidity.

  Marlon’s eyes opened weak
ly. “Don’t be,” he said faintly. “I fought… for my Coven… It was an honour to fight… beside you and your father… the Winters… Dynasty…” By the time they reached the house Marlon was dead.

  Chapter 19

  Clara shut herself in her room as soon as they got home. She probably should have helped with Marlon’s body, but she needed to be alone. Marlon had died because of her decision to go to the meeting alone. How could she have been stupid enough to think she could defeat Eloise by herself? Marlon hadn’t deserved to die. Especially not because of Clara. She sunk down to the floor, pulled her knees into her chest and buried her face in her arms as she sobbed. She’d fought for too long. She’d lost so much. What was the point in it all? Every time they defeated one threat another took its place. It was a never-ending cycle of misery and death and she wanted out.

  There was a tentative knock at her door which she ignored. She didn’t want to talk to anybody right now. She knew she’d done wrong and couldn’t face being berated for it again. The door opened despite her ignorance. She didn’t bother looking up. She heard somebody close the door and approach. A soft manly sigh and then the person sat down next to her.

  “It isn’t your fault, you know,” Dean said gently.

  “You don’t need to… say that. I know it is,” said Clara, her voice shaky.

  “You did the right thing, Clara. You tried to stop Eloise.”

  “And Marlon died!” she replied in an almost shriek, looking up at him with puffy wet eyes. She couldn’t stand the pitying expression on his face.

  “We’re at war, Clara. He’s not the first to die and he won’t be the last,” Dean argued. He spoke passionately and without raising his voice.

  “Exactly. Another person to die in this war. He died because of something I did,” she said in a whisper.

  “He chose to be there, Clara.”

  “Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. She wasn’t going to let Dean blame Marlon for his own death.

  “I will. Because he chose to go there and he chose to fight as we all did. We all knew the risk and we all took it. You brought Eloise out into the open. You gave us the chance to take her out and the failure of that plan is on all of us. Not just you.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder consolingly. “Do not let this break you because we need you, Clara. We need you to keep fighting. I can’t do this without you.”

  “Why? I’m no-one. Just a girl in way over her head,” she mumbled. “Everything I do just leads to more shit.”

  “Over your head? Maybe. But from the moment I met you I saw your determination and your courage. You’d been beaten by Blackwood again and again, but you didn’t let it break you. You got up and you tried again. I admired that. You made me want to stay and fight,” he said.

  “But I don’t know what to do anymore,” she said, a new wave of tears breaking out. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep fighting these monsters. I can’t!”

  He grabbed both of her shoulders and held her still. “Clara, stop it,” he said firmly. “You don’t have to come up with all the answers. We’re all here to help you, but you do have to fight. Otherwise we’re all dead. Every person in this town is in danger and we have a duty to help them.”

  Clara snorted. “The people of this town… I told them the truth about what Eloise was doing. Showed them that magic is real and they turned on me.” Dean looked surprised but said nothing. “They called me a monster and said I should be killed. Why should I fight for them?”

  “They’re scared. They don’t understand,” he reasoned, though his argument was half-hearted.

  “You’re right. I can’t stop fighting because if I do then I’ll be killed.” She wiped her face and Dean let go of her shoulders. “I’m not fighting for them anymore, they can’t be trusted,” she said of the humans who’d turned on her. “They’re as bad as Eloise. I’ll fight for our kind.”

  “Well, I’m one of them, remember?” Dean said almost reluctantly and smiled awkwardly. The look on his face made Clara giggle. In that one moment he was almost cute.

  “You’re an honorary supernatural,” she said, smiling genuinely. “Shall we go and figure out what to do next then?”

  “Later. Let’s take a bit of time to relax. I think we’ve earned it,” he said. She completely agreed.

  Arthur had been too hard on Clara and he knew it. What she’d done was bloody idiotic, but her heart was in the right place. She’d had the courage to face Eloise, but he hoped that she’d learned not to do it on her own again. He was equally angry with Dean and Kegan for letting Clara go through with her suicidal plan. He’d trusted them to stay by her side. He took a deep breath and calmed himself.

  What was done was done. What mattered now was what they did next. Eloise would be out for their blood now — even more than she already had been. But Arthur would think about that later. There were other things on his mind right now.

  Toni was preparing Marlon’s body for the coven funeral which would take place tonight. Right now, he wanted to put the mess with Adam to bed. He picked up the glass box that was glowing with blue light. It was Adam’s magic. His own magic not the Montford magic. Eddie had managed to separate Adam’s from the rest — with great difficulty he claimed more than once. Arthur headed down to the basement.

  Adam was sitting against the far wall, wrists manacled once again, looking despondent. He didn’t react when Arthur entered, he remained staring at the floor. Arthur approached slowly and knelt before him. Carefully he placed the glowing box on the floor between them.

  “This is your magic. Eddie separated it from the Montford magic and left it for you,” said Arthur. He had wanted to get all the Montford magic secured, but Eddie had refused to surrender it and considering Arthur would be unable to pay him for a while he could hardly argue. At least the filthy magic was out of Cedarstone.

  Adam glanced up at the box and then made a contemptuous noise. “I’m allowed magic now, am I?” he muttered. The anger that had been present in every word he’d spoken was now gone. He was simply broken.

  “This is your magic. No-one has the right to deny you it,” said Arthur. He gave the box a nudge. “Are you yourself again now? Can I unchain you?” Arthur asked hopefully.

  Adam looked up and Arthur at once saw the answer to his question. His eyes shone maliciously in the dim room and his mouth twisted into a contemptuous smile. “I was always myself, Arthur. The magic didn’t make me this way and taking it away has changed nothing. I’m powerless. I’m not a different person.”

  “I’m sorry that you hate me, Adam, I really am,” Arthur said shaking his head. “If I could do anything to help you you know I would do it in a heartbeat. I am sorry for everything that has happened to you, but it wasn’t my fault.”

  Adam’s smile slipped away as he sighed and his entire face turned tragic. “Let me go, Arthur. I won’t cause you anymore harm. I promise. Just let me go,” he asked, his tone gentle. Arthur knew he wasn’t just asking to be freed physical, he wanted Arthur to forget about him.

  Arthur nodded. “If that’s what you want. It’s not what I want, but I guess it doesn’t matter what I want. He pulled the key to the chains from his pocket and worked the locks loose. Once undone, Arthur rose to his feet and gave Adam a wide berth. He wasn’t worried that Adam might try something, he just wanted to give him plenty of space.

  Adam pulled the chains off his wrists and stood up slowly. He twisted his wrist a few times and then bent over and retrieved the magic box. He held it in his hands pondering it, then looked up at Arthur. He gave a small nod of gratitude and then headed for the stairs. Arthur watched him go silently. There were several things he thought of saying but he said none of them. It was best to let him go as things were. Adam stopped of his own accord, one foot on the bottom stair. He looked over his shoulder.

  “Watch out for Apophis, Arthur. He wants you dead for some reason. He used me to get to you this time. I don’t know what he’ll try next time,” he said in a hushed tone and
then he left.

  Arthur slid down to the floor and looked up at the door. How had things gotten so bad? Maybe the town had been better off cursed. Adam certainly had been. How many lives had Arthur destroyed by waking up Nickolas Blackwood. No. He would not give in to such demotivating thoughts. Breaking the curse was the right thing to do. The atrocious things that had happened after had been because of the atrocious people who’d done them. Not because of Arthur.

  Adam emerged in the hallway, his magic in his hands. He thought about reabsorbing it but there was really no point. He didn’t need it anymore, not for what he had in mind. He was heading for the front door when he heard Toni’s voice from the kitchen. He couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. She’d stuck with him through everything, she deserved a goodbye.

  “Toni,” he said from the kitchen door, his voice was hoarse and dry. Marlon was lying on the kitchen table and she was performing the preparations for the funeral. Adam wondered how the old man had died. Toni looked up and her jaw fell open.

  “Did Arthur let you out?” she asked, visibly nervous, ready for a fight.

  Adam nodded. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “You always stood by me. By turning on you I betrayed you. You always had faith in me and I let you down,” he confessed. It was his second biggest failure, the first being to his family.

  “I love you, Adam,” she said softly.

  “I know. I love you too, in a different way. There could never have been anything between us, Toni. Losing my family… That stayed with me.”

  She nodded quickly, trying to fight her tears. “I know.”

  “Well, goodbye then,” he said and turned away.

  “No!” Toni said suddenly. Adam stopped, but did not turn back. “I know what you’re going to do, Adam. Don’t. Please don’t do it.”

  Adam paused, thinking about her words. It was too late now, though. “Goodbye, Toni,” he said again and then left.

  When Adam arrived at Montford Manor he found Apophis standing in the same room Adam had been possessed by Henry Montford in. Apophis looked at him, his eyes a grey colour and there was disappointment on his face.