by Helen Harper
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Stop fretting, Charley, I told myself in no uncertain terms. I could debrief and de-angst later. ‘We have to get moving,’ I said. ‘I’m glad you made it here without any problems.’
‘You were right,’ she said. ‘There were only a few people here on guard. It was a piece of cake to slip through the net and gain access. I’d have found you sooner, but we got involved with a few stragglers and they put up a bit of a fight. It wasn’t easy keeping the noise to a minimum while we put them down. Monroe is down the hall finishing up. I suspect Lord Max is downstairs.’ She glanced at the closed door. ‘We should lock them in.’
I shook my head. I’d seen the expression in the women’s eyes; they’d be too scared to move for several minutes. That was more than enough time for us to make our move. ‘There’s no key,’ I said. ‘And we have to get going. Come on.’
I let Anna lead the way past several other large rooms until we reached a plain, unvarnished door. She gave three sharp knocks and entered.
When I saw what was inside, I gaped. Anna had been right; both she and Monroe had certainly been busy. There was a full baker’s dozen trussed up in various positions around the room.
Monroe was bending over one figure, tying an intricate knot round them to hold them in place. He glanced up, his eyes catching mine. For the briefest second, his expression lightened, satisfaction in his gaze, then he nodded and the moment was over. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘You made it. You took your time.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘You try taking a fist to your head that knocks you unconscious and getting up again in a hurry.’
Monroe’s jaw clenched. ‘He did that to you?’
It shouldn’t have warmed me that he felt fury on my behalf, but it did. ‘He was making a point. And I’m fine now. Julie’s already inside. We’d better get down there before she decides to drink him dry.’
Monroe snorted. ‘That could only be a good thing.’
‘We’re not going to kill him. We’re the good guys.’
‘If you say so,’ Anna murmured quietly.
I shot her a narrow-eyed look. ‘I do say so. Let’s stick to the plan. Get downstairs, get Max, and put a stop to all this once and for all.’
‘And we’ll all live happily ever after?’ Monroe enquired.
‘Someone’s got to,’ I said. ‘Come on.’
The door opened and something was thrown in, a heavy object that hit the floor and rolled under a sofa. I frowned.
Monroe’s reactions were faster than mine. He dived after it, but he was too late. A fraction of a second later there was a blinding flash, a horrendously loud crack and the whole world slipped sideways. Again. This was becoming a bad habit.
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘You know the best thing about the British Army?’ Max drawled.
I struggled against my bonds. It didn’t matter what I did, I couldn’t move so much as my pinky. He’d taken full advantage of my disorientation. It was fucking galling to be all but knocked out twice in the space of an hour. Some all powerful enchantress I was.
I gave up trying to move and glared at him. At least I could still talk. ‘You’re going to tell me no matter what I say, so go on. What’s the best thing?’
He sauntered up towards me. ‘Lord Max.’
I snapped my mouth closed. Max smiled and pointed at someone out of my line of sight. A moment later Julie appeared, her wrists bound behind her. She opened her mouth at me, displaying the briefest flash of her fangs. I shook my head. Not yet. We weren’t there yet.
Max withdrew a narrow blade from his breast pocket. He leaned across to Julie and used the tip of the knife to draw a bead of blood across her cheek. It was fortunate that he was looking at me rather than Julie; she seemed more turned on than terrified.
‘What’s the best thing about the British Army, Lord Max?’ I bit out.
His grin grew even more smarmy. ‘I thought you’d never ask. The best thing about the British Army is that when they evacuate in a hurry,’ he purred, ‘they often leave behind a lot of their ordnance. It’s amazing what you can pick up when you have a good rummage around.’ He shrugged. ‘Sure, they make an effort to take all the really effective stuff – and we can’t find a way to get the abandoned tanks to work no matter how hard we try – but there are useful objects like flash grenades that work wonders when you’re trying to snag yourself a witch or two.’
He released Julie and sent her staggering into a nearby chair. I couldn’t see any of the others and my stomach tightened. If Max knew what Monroe and Lizzy were, he’d have them here too. I had to count on his continued ignorance to see us through.
He sauntered towards me, still with the same nauseating smile. ‘You didn’t really think I expected you to hand yourself over with barely a protest, did you, Charley? I know you too well and I’ve been in this business for too long. I knew you’d try something.’ He raised his shoulders in a fluid, nonchalant shrug. ‘In fact, I was counting on it. I needed to see exactly what you were capable of when you were backed into a corner and how your powers work. Now I know.’ He leaned in. ‘I have to admit, I didn’t expect that you’d be capable of murder. Especially the sort of murder that yanks a man’s intestines out of his stomach and leaves them lying in a trail across an expensive Persian rug.’ He sighed. ‘I rather liked that rug. I’d been planning to keep it. But the bloodstains do add a certain je ne sais quoi to the pattern. Maybe it’ll still look good in the right conditions.’
I stopped breathing. If he’d been in that room, he’d have seen Lizzy. She was in her bunyip form when I left; even if she’d shifted back to being human, she would be stark naked. If he discovered what she really was…
‘My man shouldn’t have tried to rape your friend,’ Max continued. ‘For that, I am sorry. I didn’t think he was that type. He probably deserved what he got in the end.’ He peered at me as I tried to keep a stoical expression on my face and not appear too relieved. ‘You know my other team members who went into that room are still unconscious? Are they likely to recover?’
How should I know? I tried a shrug of my own but, trussed up as I was, I failed. ‘I don’t know,’ I managed.
‘Hmm.’ He pulled away and stroked his chin. ‘It’s clear to me that your powers reside in your hands. Any time you’ve performed … magic, it’s been your hands that have done the deed. No special words, no telekinesis, just a snap of your fingers and hey presto!’ He grinned. ‘I’m right, aren’t I? By the look on your face, my little experiment means I know more about you now than you know about yourself.’
He paused for effect and then said, ‘You really shouldn’t have left those two women alive. They told me a lot about what you did. You have too soft a heart. Me? I’d have sliced their throats in a heartbeat and been done with it. Your friends, who are more skilled than I imagined, also showed a reluctance to kill. Still,’ he mused, ‘it was a stroke of genius sending that actress.’ He jerked his chin at Julie. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’
The actress in question was looking more dangerous by the second. Max still thought I was the only one around here with special powers. He really had no idea.
Julie licked her lips slowly, lasciviously, and I shuddered. This could go very badly for Max indeed.
There was a knock at the door. A moment later, a moustachioed man entered, looking like he should have been at Downton Abbey rather than in magic-torn Manchester. He was wearing a damned tuxedo and holding aloft a silver tray. Max really did fancy himself as lord of the manor.
‘Lord Max,’ the man murmured. ‘Your evening drink.’ The butler presented him with a glass containing what looked like whisky.
Max grunted and took it from him, taking a delicate sip and rolling the liquid around his mouth like some daft connoisseur. ‘It’s amazing what delights can be found in some of these abandoned dwellings,’ he told me.
He put the glass down while I marvelled at how quickly he had adapted to this new world. You could say what you
liked about the nasty bastard, he certainly didn’t let the grass grow under his feet.
He smiled as if he knew what I was thinking. ‘Now, Charley, let’s get down to business.’
Max truly was an idiot. He was desperate to control me and bring me under his thumb because he saw me as powerful and magical and – whatever. I wondered how these negotiations would go if he knew the truth about the others he’d managed to capture.
‘Go on then,’ I said tersely. ‘What do you want?’
‘Your undying loyalty, obviously. I’m not stupid enough to believe that I’m going to get it without a little … enticement, however. You have magic, Charley. I have your friends.’
He went back to Julie, reached down to her arm and stroked it in a most unpleasant manner. Her pupils flared at his touch; deep down, I suspected it was more with desire than disgust.
‘I’ll keep them with me to encourage you be part of my new society. They’ll be safe as long as you toe the line.’ He grinned. ‘You have several friends. Even if one dies, there will still be others.’ He leaned forward. ‘I want your magic, Charley. I will have it. Manchester has gone to the dogs and I’m the pitbull in charge. Resist all you want, it won’t do you any good.’
Julie’s mouth opened a fraction wider. It looked as if her fangs were elongating by the second. I swallowed.
‘You’re a fucking prick, Max.’
‘I know. Ain’t it great?’ He removed his hand from Julie’s arm and pointed at the hapless butler. ‘Hit him with a bolt of your magic.’
‘What?’ I recoiled even more than the butler did.
‘I want to see your powers in action. I know what you can do, but I want to witness it here and now. Strike him or I’ll slit little ol’ Julie’s throat.’
He pulled out his knife again, in case I’d forgotten about it, and walked over to me. He released a knot so that one of my hands fell free then he returned to his spot behind Julie, playing with the knife and balancing it by the tip on his palm, like a stage magician.
The butler was rooted to the spot, his eyes wide with terror. Julie was the complete opposite; she even winked at me. I had no way of knowing how strong her vampiric powers were. This was a hell of a gamble.
‘I won’t do it.’ The tremor in my voice was real. ‘I won’t hurt another person for the sake of it.’
Max sniffed. ‘You will.’ He lunged down with the knife in one swift motion, slicing it across Julie’s pale skin. For a moment I thought he’d missed but then beads of bright blood appeared along her neck. She gurgled once and her head dropped forward.
I retched. Max left Julie’s slumped body where it was and sauntered towards me. ‘There, there,’ he cooed. ‘Don’t worry. There are plenty more where she came from.’
He took a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped my mouth with it in an almost tender gesture. I stared at him in horror.
There was the sound of a slamming door. The butler had clearly decided to make a run for it while he could. I wasn’t surprised; Max was a complete psychopath.
‘It’s so hard to find good help,’ Max murmured. He glanced at Julie’s body. ‘Shame. It was rather nice to have such a renowned actress in our midst. Still, I always found her character annoying. It’s probably for the best that she’s gone. This new Manchester is for the likes of you and me, not her.’
He went to the door and popped his head out. ‘Bring the Australian next,’ he called. ‘And someone kill that freaking waiter already.’ He turned to me. ‘It’s pointless to keep resisting, Charley. It will be far less painful for you if you give in now.’
My stomach churned. ‘Alright,’ I whispered. ‘Alright. I’ll do whatever you want.’
Max smiled. ‘Atta girl.’
Someone put a hood over my head to drag me outside, on the off chance that I was stupid enough not to have already realised where we were. I was shoved and pulled some distance, my feet tripping over one another. At least my hands were now untied; that made it easier to maintain my balance, even if I dared not raise my fingers by so much as a smidgen to make my escape. I tried to pay attention to where I was being taken but being hooded was totally disorientating.
When the hood was finally yanked off and I could breathe properly again, I realised I was back in the same small park where I’d met Max earlier. I blinked several times to regain my vision. The clearing was small, but it was packed to the gunnels with people. Max clearly wanted my acquiescence to my new role as his magic slave to be as public as possible.
I swept my gaze across the assembly. Jodie was there, and I suspected the hooded figure next to her was Cath’s, but it was difficult to be sure. No doubt Cath would be keeping a low profile, given her recent history with Max. That was something, I decided. I didn’t want her or Jodie to be nabbed too.
Max had dressed for the occasion and a dark cloak swirled round his feet as he strode up. He smiled benignly but the light in his eyes was totally vicious.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he intoned. ‘Thank you for joining us on this fine evening and in this wonderful place. Manchester is now ours. We can do whatever we want with it. No more government or police or taxes or misery. Finally we are free!’ His manner seemed to suggest that this ‘freedom’ was all his doing. His grandstanding was certainly impressive.
A voice from the crowd yelled out with such confidence that I could only presume it was a plant. ‘But what about all the crazy magic? What if we’re still in danger?’
Max steepled his fingers together as if taking the question seriously. ‘Indeed,’ he said, nodding. ‘Indeed, I can see why you’re worried. You shouldn’t be, though. I have a secret weapon.’ He spun round in my direction and pointed at me. ‘This is Charley. She can perform enough magic to protect us all.’
Somehow I doubted that very much.
‘She’s a witch!’ someone else yelled.
‘Yes,’ Max agreed. ‘But she’s my witch. She’s on our side. She’ll do whatever I tell her because she trusts me wholeheartedly. Isn’t that right, Charley?’ Max crooked his finger.
Beyond him, Lizzy, Monroe and Anna were hauled into sight. Behind each of them was a hulking man holding a gun. I guessed that Max had given up relying on teenagers.
I didn’t answer immediately and Max’s expression hardened. ‘I said,’ he repeated, ‘isn’t that right, Charley?’
The man behind Lizzy raised his gun and pressed it against her temple. She blinked at me with big eyes. I breathed out, feeling the tension ease slightly in my chest.
‘Actually, Max,’ I drawled, ‘it’s not.’
And then it truly began.
Although Monroe was silent when he exploded from man to wolf, Lizzy grunted as her transformation took place. The man behind her leapt backwards in shock, dropping his gun to the ground.
The bloke behind Monroe might have been able to squeeze off a shot, but Anna had lightning reaction times. She scooped up the fallen pistol and swung it round in the nick of time. A loud crack filled the air and felled the man. The noise of the shot would have been deafening if we hadn’t already been deafened by the shrieks and screams of the crowd that had gathered to listen to Max’s proclamations.
I briefly registered the blood seeping out of the man’s thigh while Anna turned the gun towards Max. At the same time Monroe and Lizzy leapt towards the swarms of people desperately trying to escape from the naturally occurring amphitheatre. There were too many trees and too much dense foliage. I grimaced as people started stepping over fallen bodies and shoving those who were still upright in a bid to get out before the wolf and bunyip were upon them.
They didn’t know that it was all for show. The crowd’s terror became a creature of its own, mass hysteria affecting everyone and making the situation worse. Despite our best intentions, these people were going to get hurt – and without any help from us.
I hissed and raised my hands, ready to jet out two plumes of magic over their heads. I wasn’t aiming for people, I was aiming for
the trees to clear a path so the suffocating mass could flee. Then I remembered the plan and my heart sank. We’d been counting on this audience; I had to stop them from killing each other but I also had to keep them here.
I turned my hands towards myself. ‘Loud,’ I whispered to myself. ‘Make me loud.’
My magic jolted through me, rushing through my hair and sending goosebumps across my skin.
‘Stop!’ I screamed.
I hadn’t expected it to work, but work it certainly did. My voice, high-pitched with fear and amplified by magic, reverberated round the small space to such a degree that the ground seemed to shake. Every single person clamped their hands over their ears. Several collapsed with silent screams of pain etched onto their faces. Even Lizzy and Monroe looked shaken.
Shit, shit, shit. I wasn’t trying to shatter eardrums, I was attempting to instil some calm.
‘Stop,’ I said again. My voice still boomed but at least it wasn’t at agony-inducing levels. ‘No one will be hurt, but you all need to look at me and listen.’
I licked my lips and prayed. Showing fear and trepidation, faces slowly turned to me, more out of terror about what I might do next rather than the desire to listen.
The realisation that I’d inspired fear like this was far more disheartening than I could have imagined. I felt my hands shake and beads of cold sweat break out on my forehead.
A small hand slipped into mine. I glanced to my left to see Cath. ‘You’ve got this,’ she whispered.
I bit my lip and nodded. Drawing in a breath, I made a start. ‘Manchester is not what we once knew – we all realise that. There are people like Max who think this is an opportunity to take the lead, to subjugate others and become as powerful as possible. But,’ I said, deliberately repeating myself, ‘Manchester is not what we once we knew, and neither are its people.’
I pulled back my shoulders. ‘I am an enchantress. That much must be clear. I didn’t plan for things to happen this way but they did.’ I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers, sending sparks into the air. Several people cowered – but they were listening.
