“Déaþscúa…”

He tried to laugh good naturedly at the concern on KT’s face but it came out more as a painful sounding cough. “It takes more than an over-zealous firing squad to keep me down. Believe me. I’ve faced more than my fair share. Though I will admit that machineguns are far more effective than rifles. Annis knew that she had to be the one to finish me off. The cave-in might have done the trick, and who knows what I’d be like if I hadn’t been cared for, but you get the picture. I may be near immortal but that doesn’t that my body can’t be broken beyond repair. Drinking through a straw for the foreseeable future is no way to live.”

His body was still a mess. Cuts and bruises covered every patch of his skin and he was only standing with the aid of a walking stick. His movements were slow and deliberate and clearly brought pain to his face despite his laidback attitude.

He began to plate up the bacon, making well filled butties that he slid across to the two teens before tucking into one himself. Elizabeth joined them without a word, nodding to Déaþscúa as he handed her one of the sandwiches. They ate in silence until Kai, who had devoured the food, spoke up.

“How long will it be until you’re able to fight again? I’ve finally realised that we can’t find our dad without you.”

Déaþscúa frowned slightly, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t say. Whatever they were using in their bullets really messed me up. More than being shot hundreds of times anyway. My healing isn’t working properly. Again, not working properly in the sense that I am walking around a single day after said hundreds of gunshot wounds. I’m up but I feel weak as a baby. It’s tripped out my powers. I can’t use magic and can’t heal myself. That rules out relying on my bones as weapons and limits the damage I can take.”

“So we stay here until you’re feeling better?”

“Since I don’t know how long that will be, no. If Annis is trying to open of Heaven’s Gate then we have to act fast. It’s no longer about finding your family or my petty revenge. It just means we won’t be seeking direct confrontation with her or her followers. We need to be smart and luckily. That doesn’t require a strong body.”

“Everyone keeps talking about this ‘Heaven’s Gate’ thing as though we should know about it,” Kai said. “Why is it such a bad thing?”

It was Elizabeth who answered him. “In the early days of Earth, all life was magical. It was a time that you might think of as that of myths and legends. But as the years passed, the magic began to wane. The ruling body of the time decided to pump fresh magic into the world by opening a rift to the realm of gods. Nobody knows the exact details, but the plan failed.”

Déaþscúa picked up the story. “It turned out to be a disaster. Magic went wild. Seventy percent of the population was burned out in an instant. This was the birth of the powerless. It did succeed in greatly boosting the magic in the other thirty percent.”

“But why would Annis want to repeat that?” KT asked. 

“The theory behind the Gate was solid. Many believe that whoever performed it made a simple error. This was thousands of years ago. Scholars have spent lifetimes researching it. Maybe Annis thinks she has found the answer.”

“But wouldn’t that be a good thing?” KT asked slowly. “If it works, wouldn’t everybody become magical?” There was a faint glimmer in her eyes.

Déaþscúa shook his head. “I’m no expert but my understanding is that the Gate is tied directly to magic. It would forcibly pump magic into life. The powerless cannot process magic. Your bodies can’t contain it or guide it. Anyone without existing magic would likely die in agony.”

KT set aside the last bit of her sandwich, her appetite suddenly gone. “So what’s your plan?”

Déaþscúa hesitated. “I’m not exactly sure yet. I need time to think. Thinking tactically was not on my list of priorities last night. My body still needs a little more time too.”

“So when do we leave?” Kai asked.

“Tomorrow,” Déaþscúa answered. “I have a few things to organise and we have to wait for Jearl. Until then, there is a sparring ring down the corridor. You two should get some practice in. With me like this and Elizabeth burned out we need to rely on your strength.”

KT took a deep breath and steadied herself. “Déaþscúa… While you were unconscious you started to talk. You called out for Ava. Our cousin. Why did you never tell us?”

Déaþscúa’s face dropped. He didn’t answer and kept his eyes fixed on his scarred hands as they rested upon the table. KT was beginning to fear that she really should not have asked. Without looking up he finally spoke.

“I’ve hunted Annis for many years but she is the only being that continues to evade me. She had disappeared completely for a decade when rumours of her began to emerge from Scotland. I went to investigate the sightings and that is when I first met Ava Peterson.

“I was in a large town, skulking around alleyways in search of a way inside a building that I believed had been used by some of Annis’ supporters. Ava was a trainee in the police who saw me and thought I was suspicious. She followed me inside, expecting to catch me trying to steal something but instead she found me in a swordfight with a golem and a handful of goblins.”

“I expected her to scream and run. Instead she ran at the closest goblin and smacked it across the head with her baton. She had no fear and fought like somebody born into battle. I was quite frankly amazed. After the battle, drenched in blood, she grabbed me by the throat and demanded to know what was going on.”

“Her aura was out of control. It raged like a fire. If it flared up like that whenever she was worked up then she would be a target for any magical beings. I’d not seen anything like it. She fascinated me, so against my better judgement, I agreed to her demand to join me. She was a natural at everything she tried and took to our world like a bird to flight.”

He paused and the faint smile that had began to spread across his lips faded. “Then Annis found her. Ava had left me to return home for Christmas when Annis attacked her. She was in a car with her father. There was nothing that they could have done.”

Silence descended on the room. It showed no sign of abating so Déaþscúa shrugged awkwardly. 

“That’s all in the past now. Don’t get yourselves down about it.” 

“Why didn’t you tell us though?” KT pressed. “You knew from the moment that you saw me that we had to be related. You must have known about the lodge too. Why keep it a secret?”

“Why? Can you imagine stumbling into a situation where you come face to face with someone who looks identical to your dead partner? All those long buried emotions rushing back into your head, all those memories. How would you have liked me to bring it up? ‘Hey, you look exactly like my dead girlfriend who died horrifically because of me’. Every time I look at you it brings me unwanted pain, but I didn’t mention it because it isn’t your fault. Comparing you to someone else doesn’t help anybody. But that’s how it is. Does that answer your question?”

KT put down her cutlery and looked Déaþscúa straight in the eyes. She felt that strange tug on her mind, an alien feeling that she should drop the subject, but it slid off of her like rain on a tiled roof.

“I’m sorry. I’ve always been compared to her so don’t worry about it. I just need to know that you’re helping us because you want to and not because we are Ava’s family.”

Déaþscúa shrugged. “I promised her I’d watch over her family. Back then I only knew of her mother. So I’d pass by the lodge whenever I was in the area. That’s what led me to you two. It’s why I didn’t follow protocol and have your minds wiped. It’s why I put so much effort into freeing your dad and aunt. Her memory gave you an opportunity, but you have both proven yourselves capable on your own merits. I’m sorry that I wasn’t straight with you.”

Kai looked uncomfortable with the whole situation. Behind the discomfort was a growing curiosity. “Annis told us that our auras were different too. Is ours like Ava’s? Is that why you’re helping us?”

“No,” was Déaþscúa’s curt reply. “Her’s was golden fire. You two have something like quicksilver. Most folk have your more basic colours. Your blues, reds, greens, blacks. Silver is rare but not unheard of. They don’t reflect power though, only character. Now eat up. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

***

When everyone had finished, Déaþscúa showed KT and Kai to the sparring ring. It was a large room with a wide circle in the centre and several racks of weapons and training dummies. He grabbed one of the dummies and set it up in the ring. The dummy looked like an armoured scarecrow and was armed with a wooden club. Déaþscúa tapped a rune on its forehead and it jerked to life.

“This here is a Spartron. Half magic, half machine. Defeat it then turn up the difficulty. Rinse and repeat. Just don’t get hit as that club will break bones. That’s not even mentioning internal bleeding. My magic is out so I can’t heal you. My body needs it all to heal itself. Enjoy.”

Déaþscúa stepped from the ring, leaving KT and Kai to stare at the dummies with concern. He stood beside the door where Jearl joined him. They spoke in muted tones that were little more than murmurs to the teens.

“You sure this is a good idea, boss? You really want to push them this hard? Them Spartrons are right bastards if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not that I care much either way, ya know.”

“If they can’t protect themselves from a training dummy then what chance do they have? If they get themselves crippled then a sickbed is the best place for them until this all blows over. I have a feeling they’ll do just fine though.” He faced back to the twins and raised his voice. “Try not to die while I’m gone, okay!”

***

They watched Déaþscúa and Jearl leave. Kai finally shook himself and grabbed a training axe from one of the racks. The second that he stepped into the ring the Spartron jerked around to stare eyelessly at him. 

“Greetings combatant,” the dummy said in an echoey voice. “Please choose the level of skill between one and ten that you wish to train at.”

“Err…Level one,” Kai told the machine awkwardly.

“Level one is activated. Beginning training session in three. Two. One. Begin.”

The Spartron rushed forward with the whirring sound of gears. It raised its club and swung high to smash Kai’s head like a pumpkin. Kai crouched and spun, dodging the machine’s charge, and slammed his training axe into its exposed back. It stopped then sagged defeatedly.

“Level one training bout completed. Victory achieved. Would you like to spar again?”

Kai snorted contemptuously. “That was easy. How does Déaþscúa expect us to be ready for battle using this? Training level five.”

Level five is activated. Beginning training session in three. Two. One. Begin.”

The Spatron became a blur of movement that made straight for Kai. The teen smirked as he made ready to dodge but at the last second the dummy jolted to the side, right to where Kai was moving to. The club darted for Kai’s ribs and was only turned away by a hasty block from his axe. He span, swinging the axe low but the machine slid back easily before diving straight back into the attack. 

They traded blows for a while. What Kai lacked in skill he made up for with a brutal determination. His position changed, leaving himself open to a lunging attack. He took a glancing blow in the shoulder but managed to hook the club between the axe’s head and its shaft. He twisted it violently and the club wrenched loose of the Spartron’s grip.

Sweating, Kai stepped out of the ring and slumped onto one of the benches. He motioned for KT to take his place, a competitive light in his eyes. “The one who gets the highest wins?”

“Game on,” KT grinned. She grabbed the only doublesword in the room and took to the ring. “Level five.”

Retrieving its club, the Spartron took its place again then began its countdown. KT prepared for its initial charge but it surprised her by moving back then circling around her. She turned to keep it in view but it doubled back then zigzagged at speed for her. 

She jumped back and swung horizontally to meet any point it could attack from, spinning in the air with the swing to avoid smacking herself in the gut with the other end of the blade. The spartron blocked the attack easily and pressed on. KT parried with one blade then countered with the other before kicking out with her foot. She too was lacking in skill but where Kai used an animalistic passion, KT flowed like a raging river. The two blades of her doublesword never stopped and nor did her body. Her legs kicked in lunges and sweeps, assaulting any area the blades were not. The Spartron’s single club couldn’t keep up with the flurry and eventually slumped in defeat from the sheer number of attacks.

Kai took on level six and managed to beat it after a hard fought battle. He came out of the ring with several bruises and was breathing raggedly. KT matched his performance and came out of the ring a while later, battered but still standing.

They took a break to eat before coming back to take on level seven. The countdown ended and the Spartron wasted no time in striking out at Kai. The force of the blow was nearly enough to take the axe clean from his hands. He cursed as another swing followed immediately that jarred the muscles in his arm painfully. He hastily jumped back but was offered zero respite. The club cut up toward Kai’s face. He blocked but his axe was knocked high by the force of the impact. Before he could recover the Spartron swung low to take Kai’s feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground struggling for breath.

KT tried next and attempted to avoid the dummy’s attacks rather than defend against them. She dodged, ducked and spun but never had a chance to launch an attack of her own. Eventually she tripped on her own feet in her haste to backpedal and was rewarded with a club to the ribs. She dropped, gasping for air.

“Damn it!” KT said through gasping breaths. “How are we supposed to stand against Annis if we can’t even beat a stupid dummy? Before we were dead weights but now Déaþscúa expects us to be the muscle. Dad and the others are depending on us! Christ, the entire world might be!”

It was at that moment Déaþscúa returned to the room. He watched with a sly smile as Kai helped KT back to her feet. He stayed by the door and beckoned the teens to him. He took in their sweaty, disheveled appearance and nodded approvingly. 

“Wheels are in motion. Everything is as ready as it can be until Jearl gets here. Now we just have to prepare ourselves. What level kicked your ass?”

“Seven,” Kai answered sourly. “If I wasn’t injured I’d beat it no problem.”

“Seven is impressive, especially for two teenagers who aren’t fighters. I’d almost say miraculous. The Protectors train at level eight as a standard and they’re the trained soldiers of the Grand Moot. If you can both beat level six without any real training then what you could achieve with some guidance would be astounding. Something to note though, I never said you had to train one on one. You’re going to be fighting together when we leave so training together might be a good idea. Numbers can make up for individual power.”

KT and Kai looked to each other. They nodded in unison before both stepped into the ring once again. 

“Level seven,” they said as one.

Once more the Spartron whirred into action, lunging straight for KT. She threw herself back but at the last second the machine darted instead for Kai as he rushed to flank it. Club met axe then span to meet sword blade. The top half of the dummy moved like a spinning top to keep up with the attacks from two sides. 

KT tried to think ahead and plan out how the fight would go but the dynamics between the three of them were so different than in a simple two man duel. When it was just you and your foe there were only three factors to keep track of. There was your own movements, those of your opponent, and the environment and surroundings. By simply adding another person, everything changed. Even with that person being on her side she realised that she couldn’t simply focus on what she was doing and what the Spartron was doing. Her moves affected what Kai could do as his moves affected her. It was like a balancing act. Only, balance was not enough. They needed combat synergy.

She dropped back, leaving Kai to hold off the machine for a few seconds while she circled around behind him. She reared her arm back.

“Duck then uppercut!” she shouted to Kai. “Now!”

She threw the doublesword. It span through the air like an oversized shuriken. Kai heard her and ducked low. The Spartron battered the double sword away but had left itself open for the shortest of moments. Kai’s axe flashed upward and thudded into the dummy’s chest. While he was still half knelt, KT ran and used his back as a springboard. She kicked out in mid-air, slamming her foot into the Spartron’s head with enough force to snap it sharply to the side. She landed behind it and swept her legs low just as Kai stood and drove his axe into the machine’s side. Together they toppled it, watching in satisfaction as it hit the floor limply.

“Easy, eh?” Déaþscúa said, sharing in their satisfaction. “It’s all just a matter of practice. Except if you’re just born with unnatural talent. Then I suppose it’s not a matter of practice. The sentiment still stands though. Which on that note, I have the space of an afternoon to catch you up on everything you need to know about what may lay before you. A quick, well stocked brain is usually more useful than an abundance of muscle.”

They left the training room and walked along the wide corridor. KT admired the art and objects that they passed but came to a stop in front of a tall manikin between two cabinets. A black cloak was draped around it with the hood up over a smooth yellow mask with a smiley face carved into it. It looked like someone had taken the Grim Reaper, stood it in an alcove then covered the skull with a silly face. Something about it drew KT’s attention. She reached out to touch the mask and the head tilted to the side to look at her in a curious manner. She yelped and jumped back.

“Don’t mind old Fred,” Déaþscúa told her without any sign of concern. 

“Who the hell is it? Why is it just stood there in your house?” KT questioned shakily.

Déaþscúa paused and looked at the cloaked figure. “The question is more ‘what is it’ really. He, I call it a ‘He’ but I don’t really know, just kind of… appears every now and then. He’ll just stand somewhere and stare at me. I’ll look away and he’ll be gone again. When I first saw him I tried to kill him but I couldn’t hurt him at all. I’ve gotten use to him now I guess.”

“But what is he? Why is he watching you? It’s bloody creepy,” Kai said. He was keeping as much distance as he could from the creature.

“I don’t know really,” Déaþscúa admitted. “From what I can piece together, I believe that it’s a creature that lives outside of time. It’s akin to Death but instead of seeking out lives that are ending it follows people who fundamentally change the world. I think he feeds off of destiny, if that makes sense to you. Great heroes and despicable men and women have reported seeing a strange, black robed figure throughout history. He scares the hell out of me but then I started calling him Fred to make him feel more cute. I see him as a pet cat now. He wanders in and out without my knowledge, follows me but doesn’t talk. Just ignore him.”

He continued down the corridor, leaving the strange being behind, and took them to a small room with half a dozen armchairs circled around a large table that took up most of the space. Flames burned in a fireplace which gave the room a comfortable warmth. Books, papers and an assortment of objects were already laid out on the table. Elizabeth sat in one of the armchairs.

“You seem to have combat down already,” Déaþscúa was saying as they took their seats. “What you don’t know can kill you though so I guess this is Survival 101. Elizabeth,” he nodded to the woman.

Elizabeth pointed to an intricate diagram of the human body that was scrawled with notes. “As you both know, the human body can be toned and improved. A fat man and an athlete of the same age will perform very differently. This is also true of the mind. Powered humans train their minds to use magic and other abilities but the Powerless can also use their mind to achieve unbelievable things.”

“I am sure you have heard tales of mothers lifting cars to save their children or the like. Determination can be measured and does have a physical impact upon a body. If you two can sharpen your minds and learn how to focus your thoughts you can push your bodies past their natural limits. This will obviously be useful when fighting things that are beyond your scope. I can’t teach you much but this book should help,” she said, sliding a thick volume across the table.

Déaþscúa picked up where Elizabeth had left off. “As well as your bodies and minds, you can also use other people’s minds. Gadgets, enchanted items, potions, anything that can give you an edge. Always have tricks up your sleeves. Be unpredictable. Find what fits your style and integrate them into your plans. A lycan can smell you in the dark so use stink bombs. Goblins hate light so use flares. A ring that can shoot a laser once per charge can still turn the tide of a fight if used correctly. You two are weak by our standards but the weak have strengths of their own.”

He paused and studied the two teens. “What do you want to learn about first? A rundown of creatures is usually a good start.”

KT hesitated for a moment before asking “What are you? The real answer this time. You survived being reduced to literal pulp. You fought using your own bones. You’re like nothing I’ve ever heard of.”

Déaþscúa sat in silent contemplation. After a few seconds he sighed. “I am both many things and just a simple man. If you really want a label then I suppose I’m known as an Addonexus.”

“Addonexus?”

“In simple terms, I was born under the passing of Halley’s Comet. For reasons that would take too long to explain, the comet affects newborn babies at a genetic level. Rather than having a magical well that can be tapped into, our magic is infused into our very body. I can use magic but would be considered fairly weak by most powered standards. In return my senses and reactions are superior in every way and my body heals at a dramatic rate. I can also control my bones.”

“I don’t remember ever reading about an Addonexus,” KT said slowly.

“There aren’t many of us. Only children born in a one or two day span every seventy five years are Addonexus. Of those, many die when their body spirals out of their control. Puberty is when most realise they’re special because their bones begin to shift and fevers wrack their bodies,” Déaþscúa stated. “Puberty is hard at the best of times, let alone when it involves your bones shredding your own innards.”

“What’s so special about a flying space rock anyway?” Kai asked.

Déaþscúa shrugged. “No one knows yet. The comet has been in the skies for thousands of years though. Many believe that it was actually the star that the wise men followed to find Jesus.”

“Wouldn’t that make Jesus an Addonexus too?” KT said sceptically.

“All I am saying is that he was born under a shooting star, used magic and was nailed to a cross, stabbed with a spear and left to die yet walked out of his burial cave right as rain.” He shook his head to refocus himself. “But what I am isn’t important right now. What’s your next question?”

They talked over everything that could be remotely useful long into the night. When they finally retired to their beds, KT found her mobile phone and tried her luck at getting it to work. She hadn’t even looked at it in days. It turned on, a miracle in itself after all that the phone had been through. The battery was low but a wireless signal was available. This surprised her because of their remote location but she had hoped that Déaþscúa would have an internet connection. 

Tucked up in her covers she searched the term ‘Addonexus’. It took some looking but she found a few scattered mentions of the word but only one fragment told her anything beyond Déaþscúa’s own description. 

She read the line aloud in a whispered tone. “Heralded into life by the comet’s light, heralded into death when the light again is seen. Those of the Addonexus live but in the space of Halley’s passing, seventy five years of youth.”

She made a quick search of Halley’s comet, her brows furrowed in confusion. The last comet was in 1986. That would mean that Déaþscúa was only a few years older than her and Kai. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, not in his twenties. More than that though, he had known Ava. The dates didn’t add up with what he had said. She would have to fact check him in the morning. With questions still spinning in her head, she soon managed to drift off into a reluctant sleep.

Her fitful slumber was shattered many hours later by a thunderous blaring noise from outside the house. KT shot from her bed, grabbing her doublesword that was leant against the wall, and rushed to throw open the curtains. Her window looked out across the gardens and woods at the back of the house. She couldn’t see anything that may have caused that noise. 

Noting that her tailored clothes had been left on the set of draws, she quickly changed then rushed downstairs. The front door stood open and Déaþscúa and Elizabeth were outside, staring down the path out of the valley. Grumbling angrily, Kai stomped down the stairs and joined his sister. Together they left the house to see what was happening.

Parked a short way down the path was a giant, black SUV that was all sharp edges and angles that seemed to somehow flow, curved and elegant despite the deep lines. It had four doors, tinted windows and wheels that looked more at home on a sports tractor. KT had thought it impossible but it made the last vehicle look like an old lady’s mobility scooter. If the last SUV was a military vehicle then this one was from some demonic world of war.

The noise sounded again, coming straight from the car. It was the loudest horn that KT had ever heard. The driver’s door opened and Jearl hopped out, a smirk splitting his face from ear to ear.

“Mornin’ all. I thought I’d take the liberty to acquire a ride for us. This suit your needs, boss?”

Déaþscúa laughed aloud. “I think I’ll make do with it. Does it have a cup holder?”

“Oh yes, guv. And a mini-fridge.”

“Well then,” Déaþscúa grinned. “Let’s take her for a spin. Does a baptism of fire sound fitting to you?”

Jearl mirrored his childish excitement. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Got a good first test drive for you too. How does a rescue mission sound to you?”

Previous – Chapter 15.

Next – Chapter 17.

“Are ye sure this is wise, Miss Ailia?” asked the old man, Cathal. He watched the vampire storm around the store as she muttered angrily to herself.

“Wise? I’m one of the elder race. We’re naturally wise. It’s hard to be hotblooded when you’re dead,” she answered sharply. “No. What isn’t wise is some powerless bastard thinking that he can send men into my shop to kill me. I hunt mortals, not the other way around.”

Cathal shook his head but didn’t press the matter further. Ailia was impossible to reason with at the best of times. She had a superiority complex the size of a planet trapped inside a child’s body. Not that Cathal would ever point this out to her.

“Why the sudden worry anyway?” Ailia said. She gave him a withering glare that suggested bad things would happen if he doubted her ability. “I eat pathetic leeches like this Golman for breakfast. I know where he sleeps, how many guards he has and who he has been in contact with. This’ll be a walk in the park.”

Cathal sighed. “O’ course. Normally I wouldnae worry but ye said he’s in the pay o’ Annis. Nothin’ good comes when she’s involved.”

Ailia made a childish snort. “Golman is a nobody. I may not like Annis but I can respect her. She won’t give a damn about him. He is a pawn, a semi useful tool whose greed makes him easily manipulated. Anyway, if I know Bram then Annis already has her hands full.”

She stopped circling the shelves and finally grabbed a bubblegum pink minigun from a display case. She caressed it like a pet dog, her smile growing, then she returned to glaring at Cathal, challenging him to comment.

A bell rang, causing the shelves to slide and turn until the shop was once again a shrine to bright colours and fluffy teddies. Cathal hobbled over to a screen behind the counter that showed the front of the building.

“Hmm, a lovely wee lass coming for a new toy,” he said nervously. “Er, yes. Miss Ailia, ye should get goin’ now. Wouldnae want te keep that unfortunate man waiting. I’ll hold the fort here.”

Ailia walked over to him. Cathal tried to keep himself between Ailia and the screen until she grabbed his jumper and lifted him over her head. 

“You’re a terrible liar. Hell, everyone is a terrible liar to a vampire. Why do you insist on making yourself look like the old fool you are?”

She looked down at the screen then and froze. Her arms began to shake and Cathal braced himself. She dropped him, her eyes not moving from the screen. The image showed a young woman walking down the drive by herself. The woman glanced up to where the camera was watching her from and waved pleasantly. 

Cathal watched Ailia for a moment then retreated into the back of the shop. He had a quick turn of speed for an old man with a limp.

The door to the shop swung open and the woman entered. She was a redhead with messy hair that ended just above her shoulders. The last inch of her hair was black. She wore knee high cowboy boots, snug black leggings and a tanktop that was red, orange and yellow like fire. Her eyes were pink and her face beautiful. Tattoos ran down her exposed arms. A blue band graced each of her wrists. 

“Heya. It’s been a while, eh, Ailia.”

Ailia just stared at her. The girl’s fangs seemed very prominent and a faint red glow filled her eyes. It took her visible effort to calm herself.

“Glory Valentine. I thought I’d made it perfectly clear that I would tear your throat out if I ever saw you again,” she said, a dark menace in her voice.

The woman smiled at her. “I seem to remember that you actually said that the time before we last met. If memory serves me right, the actual last time we met I had you across my knee after a sound beating.”

If Ailia had still possessed a beating heart her face would have flushed bright red. Burning rage and shame warred across her features. She clenched her grip on the minigun.

“You need to learn to relax, eh. What’s a few sour moments between friends?” Glory said pleasantly.

Ailia turned away from the woman. “I’m not your friend and I never will be,” she muttered. She span back around, the fire returning to her voice in an instant. “Now what do you want? I have important business tonight.”

“Well, I’m not here for your wonderful company or to buy a new stuffed toy so take a guess. I’ll even give you three chances.”

Ailia placed the minigun down on the counter then jumped up beside it so that she was at the same height as the other woman. She leaned in slightly so that they were looking straight into one another’s eyes. 

“You have a job up here in Scotland just when Black Annis starts causing trouble. She is hiring an army. Tell me your morals aren’t so easily swayed that you would work for her?” Ailia asked. She spoke calmly but made sure that the woman had a full view of her fangs.

Glory also leaned in. Now they were basically nose to nose. “Don’t try and intimidate me with your pearly whites, Ailia. I’ve been closer to them than this and they’ve never scared me before.” She paused then straightened up. “But no, I’m not in Annis’s pocket. I do however know when chaos is gonna breakout, and where there is chaos there are people willing to pay for mercenaries. It was actually the local Moot that contacted me.”

Ailia sat down with her feet dangling off the edge of the counter. Relief crossed her face which she quickly suppressed. “Chaos is underselling it. I’ve been keeping my ears open and it seems you aren’t the only one who’s been drawn here. Annis has somehow bought the services of a blood-lycan and a man known the world over as the White Swordsman. She has the support of a powerless businessman too who is providing her with hired muscle. Or at least ‘had’ the support of a powerless businessman. After tonight she’ll have to find a new puppet.”

She toyed idly with the gun as she spoke. “The MacFeelan clan is already fighting against Annis’ forces and no doubt they’ll muster up the other clans before too long. Then there is Bra-, I mean Déaþscúa.”

Glory nodded. “Yeah, I’d heard about that. A bold move, going against the Moot to kill Christie. It seems they’re not happy with Déaþscúa. As an associate of his I wouldn’t be surprised if they have their eyes on you already.” She neglected to mention that it was Déaþscúa who she had been contracted to kill. 

“Yep. Looks like a real storm is brewing. It’ll be like old times,” Ailia said in her normal, childish voice. Then she seemed to remember herself and returned to her brooding. “Not the good old times though. They were long before you were even born. Everything for the last few decades have just been mundane distractions. Pleasant wastes of time.”

Silence hung between them for a drawn out moment. Glory removed a sheet of paper from her pocket and dropped it onto Ailia’s lap. 

“That’s all the ammo we’ll need and where to send it to. I’ve got a meeting with the Moot to attend to now. Something about them isn’t sitting well with me at the moment. Watch yourself around them, okay?” She turned to leave but paused after a few steps. “How long are you going to judge me by my childhood self? Ah, forget it. I know you don’t have an answer. I’ll be seeing you. Say hi to Cathal for me.”

And then she was gone. Ailia sat in silence for a while without moving. Cathal was showing no signs of resurfacing. Eventually she shook herself then slammed her fist into the counter. The wood shattered and split into two. Even as it collapsed she grabbed the minigun and jumped down gracefully.

“Cathal! We need a new counter! I want it sorted by the time I get back!” she yelled into the doorway. She didn’t wait for an answer, instead stomping straight out of the shop. 

The sun had slumped beneath the horizon but it was still not fully night. She knew that Golman had a compound close to the border where he had been spending most of his time of late. It was an hour and a half drive there but Ailia had a strong disdain for cars. She could manage it in twenty minutes.

It was widely held knowledge that vampires could turn into bats. This was of course ridiculous. All of that extra mass would have to go somewhere. Unless it was a very dense bat anyway. No, vampires were much more complicated than that. 

Ailia focused on her body. It was cold flesh and bone, varying constructs of carbon without the special element of life that all mortals possessed. Magic held her together rather than blood and nerves, and magic could be manipulated.

Carbon could be as hard as diamonds, as soft as chalk or even be a gas. Vampires were able to harness this property to dispel their bodies into a mist. This would be a fatal exercise if they had lives to lose but being dead did have its advantages.

She felt her body loosen. For something so destructive it was a pleasant experience, only comparable to an orgasm or a last breath of life. Her will extended outwards, encompassing her dress and the minigun. They too joined the haze of particles. Her mind, itself entwined with magic, gathered together the mist into a shadowy, wraithlike mass.

The shadow took off with the speed of the wind, swirling above the rooftops into the jetstreams high in the sky. From below, in the dreary gloom, she could have perhaps been mistaken for a swarm of insects. 

In this form she didn’t exactly think. Only the most basic element of her consciousness existed like this and all of its focus was spent on keeping the atoms that made up Ailia Vihart from drifting away forever. She was still able to feel though, at least in a loose sense of the word. She could feel the wind blowing through her, feel the clash of particles as she sped through clouds and sense the lightness of her form. It was the closest to true peace that she would ever feel.

Sensing that she was nearing her destination she willed herself down, spiraling through the clouds to gather together on a rooftop like liquid being poured into a mold. It was never a pleasant experience to leave the half-life of that existence to the worries that were intrinsically coiled around a physical form. At the end of the day, a body was little more than an anchor for emotions and pain.

Ailia sneered at the tiny village below her. She hated the countryside. It felt, well, too… dead. She laughed to herself at the bad joke. It was one of the many drawbacks to being in a child’s body. The moodswings, the tantrums, the sudden bouts of random joyfulness. It made being a powerful creature of the night who is feared by all rather difficult. She tried to focus herself. Vampires didn’t have emotions but they did have intense thoughts. The way Ailia saw it, thoughts were just emotions that spoke back to you. 

There were lights beyond the village, nestled into a divot of land a short distance away. A single road ran up in that direction. Ailia concentrated on it, pushing everything else from her head. She jumped down, switching to her shadow form for a brief second to appear on a hill between the village and the light.

She could see the compound now. It was a series of cheap warehouses huddled together in the shadow of the steep cliffs that surrounded them on three sides. The soil had been churned up by tires and several lights splashed the walls in unnatural yellow. The whole place looked weak and miserable except for the large amount of men that seemed to be guarding it.

She could sense their life, hear the pulsing of their sweet blood even over the electric hum of the lights. They were armed but none of them seemed tense or excreted the pungent scent of fear. It appeared that they weren’t expecting trouble. There were two things that nobody expects and one of them was an ancient vampire with a vendetta ripping their throats out with a little girl’s body.

Ailia moved closer. The prospect of a bloodbath honed her senses. Something was wrong. She had done her research on Golman. One didn’t reach Ailia’s age by being unprepared. He had risen up the ranks of business from his own cunning, entering the world as a penniless orphan to become a successful entrepreneur. He had outplayed his competitors at their own games until he was the only one left.

More than that though, he had discovered the secret of the powered community and had somehow gained enough influence within it to be notice by Annis. He knew the dangers of the world he had forced himself into and he knew that he would be stepping on the toes of many dangerous people. For him to leave himself so undefended just didn’t add up. There was no doubt that he had done his research on Ailia too after the failed attempt on her life so he should have been ready for her.

She extended her senses further. There were more men within the buildings but not enough to make any difference. Some of the men were injured. These men were tired too. Ailia guessed that they had recently been in a battle. Some of the men sent against the MacFeelans most likely. 

She shadow-stepped again, this time materialising on the edge of the cliff. No new threats caught her attention. There were dogs but they had trouble catching the scent of vampires and there were plenty of searchlights but she had no intention of been caught in them.

“What is your plan?” she whispered to herself.

She warped to the opposite cliff then walked its length back to her original position. Nothing revealed itself. Her options were to turn back for another day or continue blindly towards a potential trap. Ailia wasn’t one to back down from a challenge though.

There was a newer building built in the far corner of the compound. It had that distinctive new building smell but also had the scent of machinery cutting through it. The walls were thick, far thicker than any normal structure, as was the roof. Two men guarded the door. Her reports said that it was a safehouse built to serve as Golman’s home away from home as he conducted increased business in the area. A single heartbeat drummed within.

Another shadow-step brought her onto the roof of the building. Her footsteps were silent as she padded across the cement. There were sensors across the edges but nothing in the centre. The defences by human standards were impressive but Ailia was on a whole other level.

She moved to the roof of the closest warehouse so she could watch the guards. They held rifles and scanned their surroundings diligently. She’d only have one chance to get past them without the whole compound being alerted. 

Her eyes zoned in on the door. It was sturdy metal with a passcode lock. Without access to the code stealth wouldn’t be an option. Silencing the guards while ensuring that one survived long enough to tell it to her would be tricky with all of the other guards that were patrolling the grounds.

“Looks like I get to do things the fun way,” she said with a giggle.

She threw the minigun high into the sky then sprang off the roof at a sprint with her arms held out to either side of her. The men didn’t have time to react before her open hands impacted with their faces and drove their heads into the wall. Instantly she pivoted and kicked out so that her feet slammed into the door. There was a thunderous crash as it was torn from its hinges and flew into the room beyond. 

The momentum of the kick carried her back towards the warehouse. She span in the air, kicked off from that wall too and shot forward into the building, rolling as she hit the ground. Another guard ran to the door with his gun at the ready until the minigun finally succumbed to gravity and landed on his head with a gruesome crunch of bones.

Ailia picked the gun up and sauntered into the main room. A lone man in his late twenties stood with his back against the wall, a pistol clutched in his hands. He was dark haired and tall and would have been considered as handsome if not for a slight pudginess. 

“Mr Golman, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” Ailia announced in her sweetest voice. She licked her lips with a slow deliberation.

His posture was that of a cornered animal, all fear and tension, but he couldn’t hide the confidence that burned in his eyes.

“Cut the act. I can see that you aren’t in the least bit scared. You can feel pride in the fact that you’ll die like a real man at least.”

Golman shrugged and stood up straight. He now held the gun casually at his side.

“Ailia Vihart, a local arms dealer and a vampire of over three hundred years young. Ye live up te yer reputation. I’m still nae impressed though. Ye see, ye have a stranglehold on the UK armament market within the powered community. Trouble is, that is the direction I want te expand my own business in. I have been given the opportunity te remove ye and increase my sphere of influence among the powered. I’d be a fool nae te take it.” His voice retained an accent but he spoke clearly and professionally. 

Ailia laughed aloud. “That’s funny ‘cos I’m the immortal vampire with a minigun.”

Golman tapped his watch without looking away from Ailia. There was a sharp click then he bounded to the side and opened fire with the pistol. To Ailia it was as though they moved in slow motion. She swayed to the side and levelled her minigun. 

The walls around them juddered then suddenly slid down into the ground to reveal giant lights. They clicked on, blazing ultraviolet light lancing from all sides into the room. Alia cursed. The light instantly blinded her, overwhelming her heightened vision. She could already feel a stinging sensation crisscross her skin. Vampires didn’t burst into dust in sunlight but staying inside a giant suntan booth wasn’t a good idea.

There was the sound of running feet from the door. She span and fired in their direction and was rewarded with brief screams and an overwhelming smell of blood. She turned to spray the lights with a hail of bullets when more clicks sounded around her. Gaps in the wall opened and more guards piled in. 

She heard the slight scrape of triggers being pulled and the bang and whistle of bullets. She could smell the gunpowder and heated metal. Even without the use of her eyes she danced around the bullets, dropping the gun to gain mobility. Guided by the smells of sweat, fear or excitement, she ran at the men. Her fingers tore through flesh with childlike ease. 

Something was wrong. It didn’t feel quite… real. Ailia tried to ignore what her ears and nose were telling her and look beyond them. There! Just on the edge of her hearing was a faint, high-pitched screech. How had she not noticed it? The smell of blood wasn’t quite right either. There was a chemical edge to it. 

She stopped moving and cleared her mind. Dizziness was creeping over her. Before she knew it she had fallen to her knees. The lights suddenly shut off, replacing the blinding light with dazzled darkness. As her vision cleared she could see Golman standing over her. The rest of the room was empty, devoid of any corpses. She tried to stand but her body felt beyond her control and an ungodly migraine racked her brain.

“I’ve been told that nobody is as arrogant as vampires,” Golman explained matter of factly. Ailia struggled to follow his words. “They tend te underestimate their foes because of their clear superiority. If ye can get inte their head though then they donae know that they’re losing. Ye vampires are lords of a dead age. Against peasants with iron ye were gods but in this age, against modern technology, ye are nothing. We have easy access te portable daylight, machines that can create unhearable sounds that affect the mind and man-made gases that can damage cells while smelling perfectly innocent.”

“You bastard…”

Golman laughed then pushed her to the floor. She could feel her consciousness slipping. It was a strange sensation for someone that never even slept. Golman spoke as she faded, his words cutting through the mental fog to etch into her brain.

“Yer just jealous that ye have been surpassed by a weaker race, like the brutish neanderthal outpaced by the brains of the homosapien. My plans extend far beyond Annis. She is but a means to an end, as are ye. The age of legends is ending, bringing forth the true age of man.”

Previous – Chapter 14.

Next – Chapter 16.

KT screamed at the top of her lungs. It was a soundless scream compared to the primal crashing of rocks all around them. She was expecting splitting pain, bones to break, blood to spill, her body to contort as she was crushed into a pulp by rubble. None of this came.

KT risked opening her eyes. A blue dome covered the group that formed a barrier between them and the certain death beyond. As debris hit the dome, the rocks fizzed and broke away, dissolving like sugar cubes in water. Elizabeth stood at the dome’s centre, her hands splayed and sweat drenching her face. Her body shook and her eyes were tightly closed.

The shield grew darker, sliding rapidly into a bruised purple colour. Elizabeth dropped to one knee. Her teeth were clenched and her clothes were already drenched. Her face was flushed red with effort. Then the purple light grew flushed too, turning to a deep red. As the shield turned red, it was as though it drained the colour directly from Elizabeth. Her face was now deathly pale.

Then the explosions stopped. Rubble still fell and everything continued to rumble and shake but gradually it all faded to a still calm. Only the dust moved, obscuring the view of anything more than a few feet ahead of them. The dome spluttered then blinked out of existence. It’s disappearance left a circle of clear ground amidst a sea of carnage.

“Damn it,” Niall growled. He surveyed the damage with dull eyes until they fell upon Elizabeth.

She was on the ground now, as pale as a corpse. Blood flecked her lips and her breathing was shallow. Friseal’s body was beside her, as were a few other fallen MacFeelans. And what was left of Déaþscúa.

“Lizzy, ye alright?” Niall asked as he knelt beside her.

She breathed heavily before managing to muster words. “I’m spent. It’s all gone. Gone.” She stared into the middle distance and spoke as though to herself.

Niall cursed before signalling to the few unharmed MacFeelans to carry the dead and wounded. He once again lifted up his brother’s limp frame. “We need te get back te the camp.” He started forward without another word.

KT helped Kai to his feet then they both supported each other as they limped the short distance to the camp. Jearl joined them from a hiding spot up a tree and immediately took the place of one of the Scotsmen who carried Déaþscúa. His usual cheerful, carefree demeanour was gone.

Smoke was what greeted them first as they neared the camp. Then fire. Then strung up bodies. At a shambling run the group entered the camp to find it recast in the likeness of Hell. Burned out cabins, shattered possessions and corpses were all that remained. 

KT stared in dull horror. It was like returning to the lodge all over again only worse. The only body present there had been her mother’s, and she had still clung to life. Here, women, children and the elderly and ill, lay butchered in the mud, hacked to pieces where they had fallen. Scores of goblins, lycan and other humanoid shapes were present in the litany of death where the MacFeelan’s had fought. For how few had stayed behind they must have fought like demons of war.

She wandered a short way into the camp, drawn by the horror like icy fingers pulling at her soul. A mound of goblin and hired guns marked the area in front of the main hall. Maridia lay at its peak, her jaw missing. She had fought hard to defend the door but had ultimately been overwhelmed. The door behind her had been torn from its hinges. The sobbing of men and a low wail of a woman within confirmed KT’s fears.

Howls of grief and anger tore from the warriors’ throats. They scoured the camp searching for loved ones, their cries only increasing when they were found. KT, Kai and Jearl stood at the settlement’s edge, out of the way of the distraught clansmen. Déaþscúa and Elizabeth lay by their feet.

KT couldn’t bear to watch the men roar at the heavens. She turned her attention onto Déaþscúa and was amazed at how he looked. His body had regained much of its form, the gaping wounds and shredded flesh having faded to smaller holes that were already scabbing over. She noticed that his lips were moving slightly so she leaned in, placing her ear just above his mouth. He was mumbling something. The words were unclear at first but he was beginning to speak louder.

“Ácennicge! Géoc mec! Hit earfoðe! Cwéman! Ácennicge!”

“It is Old English,” said Elizabeth as she slowly sat up, surprising KT. Her voice was weak and her eyes still looked dazed but that keen intelligence still shined through. “I don’t know much but I can tell he is calling for his mother.”

“You’re right there, miss,” Jearl told her. “He must be feverish. He’s calling out like a sick child. It’s good to see his throat’s healed enough to speak though.” The untidy man looked to Elizabeth. “And what ‘bout you?”

“There is nothing to be healed,” she answered tiredly. “Magical energies can be a cruel mistress. You can deplete your magical stores and yet push further and draw more. It takes energy from your health, your very life. I had to push far to keep up that shield. My body will recover, minus a few years, but my magic, that is lost forever.”

“I’m real sorry about that. I know how rough that must feel.”

“Are you magical too, Jearl?” KT asked.

He gave her a strange look then smiled his cocky smile. “Me? Nah, can’t light a candle without a military-grade flamethrower. I’m just good ol’ reliable Jearl.”

Kai finally tore his eyes from the suffering and came to KT’s side. He was bloody and bruised but was still the picture of wrath. 

“They killed them all. Women and children. Babies. All of them dead. Is this what she plans to do to Dad and the others? Is this supposed to help save the damn world?” he said. KT had no answer. “I just want this to be over. To go home and see Mum and Dad again.

“Your mother is safe,” Elizabeth told him soothingly. “She is in a Powerle… a regular hospital with a fever.” She had stumbled over the word ‘Powerless’, a term that now likely referred to her too.

Déaþscúa was still calling out weakly. His words changed constantly, slipping through languages like gears on a car. KT didn’t understand any of it until the words transitioned into English.

“I’m sorry. Why? Why does everyone die? I tried so hard but failed you all. Dead. So much death. Ava…”

KT frowned. “Did he say Ava?” Maybe it was a coincidence.

Elizabeth nodded sadly. “Yes. She was his accomplice. They were very close. Her death hit him very hard. He hasn’t been the same since.”

KT’s mind was working overtime. Almost scared to hear the answer she asked the question that blazed in her head.

“Ava Peterson? A dark haired woman who died almost twenty years ago here in Scotland?”

Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to frown. “Did Déaþscúa tell you? He speaks of it to nobody.”

“No. She was our cousin. She died before we were even born. It was her mother who we were here visiting. Déaþscúa never said… That’s why he always looks at me like I’m a ghost. What really happened to her?”

Kai looked shellshocked. “We were always told that it had been a car crash. That Ava and Uncle Frank had skidded off the road during a storm. It was Annis, wasn’t it? We were told that this wasn’t the first time that Déaþscúa has been here hunting her.”

Elizabeth waved them away unsteadily. “It is not my place to tell you. It is Déaþscúa’s story to tell or keep locked away.”

“But she is our family!” KT said.

“Ask Déaþscúa once he has healed,” the witch told them again flatly. “Now quieten down. We have company.”

From the flames emerged Niall. He addressed them bluntly. His face was a mask of thinly veiled wrath. “We will lay the dead te rest now. As soon as we’re finished, we march te war. I will take ye te a nearby faegate that will see ye te safety.”

They all nodded. Kai and Jearl manhandled Déaþscúa off the ground and the group followed Niall through the woods. Daylight still shone down but the sky was growing darker and the wind was bitterly cold. Another hour and it would be dark. Nobody spoke. Niall kept his eyes forward and walked with a brisk speed that the others struggled to match.

It was only a few minutes of walking until Niall stopped beside a circle of mushrooms. KT knew it as a fairy ring. It was about two metres wide and was made up with hand sized white mushrooms. Nothing else visible looked any different than the rest of the forest they had travelled. 

“Take Déaþscúa someplace safe. When he’s back on his feet, tell him that Annis has gone tee far this time. If he doesnae git his arse straight back here then we’ll take her on alone.” Niall told them quietly. His voice dropped even lower. “Some of the bairns are missing. They’ll like as nae taken them te eat. We’ve lost everything except our violent nature. That has grown. Stubbornness and rage is all we have.” He left them, tears threatening to fall from the corners of his eyes.

Elizabeth watched him go sadly before turning to the others. She was already looking better, other than a loss that lingered in her eyes. 

“Everyone into the ring,” she ordered them smoothly, ushering the group forward like a mother hen. “Faegates are easy to use if you know how, deadly if you don’t. I’ll take us as close to my house as we can get. I may not be able to use magic to heal him but I still know my herbs and potions.”

“No,” said Jearl, surprising them all with his firmness of tone. “Your house is compromised. Annis knows where you live. I don’t know much but I do know she is plannin’ somethin’ big. She won’t want any loose ends lyin’ around to trip her up. We should take him to his own house. Nobody knows where that is other than Déaþscúa himself and me.”

“You know how to use the faegate?” At a nod from the scrawny man, Elizabeth stood to the side. “Lead on then.”

Once everyone was inside the ring of fungi, Jearl knelt down and began to tap mushrooms like keys of a giant computer. As he worked he explained his actions to KT and Kai lazily.

“You see, faegates are, like, natural computers that are all kinda connected to each other. Just like the internet. You hit a mushroom that sits in the direction you want to travel, another as an indicator of country, area of said country and so on. Pinpointin’ a rough destination that should match you with the closest faegate to where you want to be. Then it, you know, emails us to our chosen gate. Simple.”

He was drawing worried looks from the two teens. He shrugged dismissively. “Meh. You don’t need to understand. Just be glad we have computers and internet now to compare it to. You try describing faegates to a medieval peasant without simply sayin’ ‘Magic’ and givin’ them a flashy jazz-hands.”

KT opened her mouth to comment when a wave of nausea rippled through her. Her vision blurred and bright colours swam across her eyes in shifting patterns. Her entire body tingled. She bent double, feeling on the verge of throwing up, when suddenly the colours and tingling was gone. When she straightened up she realised that they were no longer standing in the dense forest where they had been but instead were in the centre of a small cluster of plain hills. 

The air was warmer here. By normal standards she would have been frozen, but compared to the Scottish winter on her skin only seconds ago, it felt almost tropical. The mist that formed with her every breath suggested that the cold would get to her again soon enough.

“Where are we?” Kai asked. He was having serious trouble standing now but masked it as best as he could. Déaþscúa’s weight was not helping in the slightest. 

“Good ol’ Blighty,” Jearl answered happily. “The Peak District to be precise. It’s not far to the ol’ gaff.”

They took up a steady walk again in an uphill direction. Kai grumbled at this angrily. The terrain was rugged but beautiful. Mountains formed vast borders on the horizon, framing a picture of woods, green hills, rivers and small villages. Frost hung in the air, but if anything this simply added to the serene effect.

“Couldn’t you have used a faegate uphill of his house?” Kai grunted. “Even if it’s further away, a nice downhill stroll is always better.”

“Déaþscúa understandably didn’t want people to materialise on his doorstep. There’s only one active faegate in this area.” This answer only brought more angry muttering from Kai. 

“Well, if these faegates teleport you instantly from one to another and they’re everywhere, why have we been driving from place to place?”

“‘Cos driving is fun. That and the ‘orrible sickness. Oh, and the fact I wouldn’t trust a fairy to piss on me if I was on fire. They’re basically magical vermin with god complexes. Utter bastards they are.”

Jearl led them up the slope of a large hill until they crested it and looked down upon a small valley filled with evergreen trees. The sound of flowing water drifted to them and birdsong filled the air. None of that registered with the two teens though. Even Elizabeth looked slightly surprised by the building that sat nestled into the valley’s centre.

It was a giant building of light coloured stone with large windows, balconies and carved hedges in the shapes of animals clustered around it. It was so grand, completely different to how KT imagined Déaþscúa to live. She had expected a gloomy shack or cave, or maybe a regular house like Elizabeth, but this building was fit for a lord.

Walking through the wooded valley was almost enough to cleanse the weariness from their bones. The place felt peaceful, like peace had a physical presence that bathed the body inside and out. They followed a thin stream of fish filled water that ran through the valley then entered into the small clearing where the hedge animals stood like leafy guardians.

The closer they got, the more details KT was able to pick out. It was a three story building with a grand arched entrance carved to look like two trees holding the darkwood door in place. To either side of this were tower like sections that bulged out from the flat wall slightly and rose up beyond the main building. It was gothic in design yet somehow looked elegant and fit with its surroundings. KT had never seen anything like it.

They stopped in front of the door and marvelled at the intricate carving of an ancient battle that was cut into the wood. Each slight movement of the head seemed to make the warriors move, giving the illusion of life to the scene. Standing there, KT felt like an ant with the building towering over her like a personal cathedral.

Jearl took an iron key from a chain around his neck and slotted it into the ornate lock. It clicked and the door swung open without a sound. Lights flashed on, lighting up a wide corridor lined with paintings and statues. 

“Welcome to Éadnes,” Jearl proclaimed proudly. “Here Déaþscúa should be up and about in no time. There’s no place like home after all, eh.”

The others just stared in wonder. “How can he afford a place like this? He looks like a homeless man and wanders around the world. Why have a dirty great palace?” Kai asked. His eyes drifted between Déaþscúa and the house.

“People pay a lot for his skills,” Jearl answered noncommittally. “Been payin’ him for a good few years too. The place is off the grid. A little secret between friends that should never be repeated in the presence of a copper: He ain’t exactly payin’ taxes on it. Nobody alive knows of it’s existence, you see.”

KT and Elizabeth followed behind Jearl and Kai as they moved through the house with Déaþscúa slung between them. KT stared at everything like a child. The statues showed great heroes and terrible monsters, the paintings ranged from battles to scenic vistas and everywhere there were stained glass windows and shining lamps. Small tables or cabinets were placed against the walls every so often with strange or beautiful items on display within.

“Some of these objects are categorized as lost or destroyed by the Grand Moot,” Elizabeth said with wide eyes. “Is that a shard of Osiris? And there, that looks like Archlord Tibrill’s famed shadow-eater dagger. If the Moot knew that Déaþscúa had these items they’d be furious. More so than usual.”

Jearl shrugged. “He ain’t much for art but most of these pieces woulda been destroyed without him. In war zones and revolutions, art is often the first casualty.”

The two women lagged behind slightly when Elizabeth stopped to examine a palm sized disc of black and white. When they caught up they found Jearl and Kai lifting Déaþscúa onto a narrow bed in a white room filled with cupboards and cabinets. Jearl unlocked one cupboard with another key and took out a single bottle filled with a thick silver liquid. He stripped the bloody rags from Déaþscúa then unscrewed the lid and began to pour it onto his body. Steam rose from Déaþscúa’s skin as though the liquid burned him. Even unconscious, Déaþscúa thrashed and groaned.

Elizabeth nodded approvingly. “Silver Devil. Clever. It heals fast but leaves the victim dead after the next sunrise. Since Déaþscúa is basically immortal he only gains the benefits. It’s a good job too if Annis truly intends to open Heaven’s Gate. We can’t let that happen.”

Jearl nodded. “Yup. Now if you three don’t mind, I have some business to take care of. Look after him until I get back. There’s plenty of food so help yourselves.”

“Where are you going?” Elizabeth shouted at his back as he left the room. “The rules are you cannot leave Déaþscúa without his permission.” He didn’t respond. There was the dull thud of footsteps, the clicking of a door, and then he was gone. “Arrogant man,” she huffed.

Elizabeth began to search through the cupboards, taking out bottles and boxes that she examined with a knowing eye. She took bits and pieces then moved to a nearby workbench where she set to work grinding herbs and mixing liquids.

“Is that it?” Kai suddenly demanded into the quiet. “We just stand around here waiting while Annis does who knows what? I want to be out there with Niall tracking that bitch down.”

“Watch your language,” Elizabeth told him without looking up from her work. “You’re injured and would only slow down the search. We need to regroup and reassess the situation. I have no magic, you two are injured, Jearl has gone off alone and Déaþscúa is in a weakened state. Maybe if I could use magic to heal him it would be a different story. But I can’t so it isn’t. As soon as we’re all ready we’ll be back out there.” She held out a dish filled with a green paste. “Here. Apply this to your wounds then find where the bedrooms are in this place. KT, stay here a moment.”

Kai took the dish and left the room without a word, a sour expression on his grimy face. KT stepped closer to the older woman nervously. She remembered all too well punching the woman in the face the last time they had been in a quiet room together.

“I’m sorry about hitting you,” KT began but Elizabeth cut her off.

“Forget about that. You saw a threat and dealt with it. It is linked to why I want to talk with you though. You realised that I had been drugging you. You were able to fight against the magical effects of my tea. That’s no easy feat. I thought little of it at the time as some people are less susceptible to such things but when I saw you run straight through a fireball it became clear. I believe that you may be a Resistant.”

KT blinked. “Resistant?”

“Yes. Someone who is immune to the effects of magic. Magical energy touches you and dissipates instead of achieving its intended purpose,” the witch explained. “Your clothes took some of that blast but you should still have been knocked back and burned.”

“Wait, isn’t that the same as what happens with bacon? Déaþscúa told us that bacon is resistant to magic.”

“That is…true,” Elizabeth said slowly. “Bacon is known as a resistant material.”

“So I am bacon? Is that why everyone I meet keeps trying to eat me? Because I will taste like bloody bacon?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No. You have been dealing with some very evil people. People who draw power from the energies of life and death. Annis is so much stronger than I was because she used a far stronger source of power to draw from. Most of us use our own energies to create magic. Druids can draw energy from plants and animals, taking small amounts from nature to increase their power without damaging the providers. Necromancers use the energies of death. When creatures die a burst of energy is released that lingers around the bodies. The younger the life, the more energy is released. As you know, Annis usually consumes young children who’re brimming with life energy. She absorbs that energy directly unlike most necromancers who draw it from the air around them.”

KT turned away, her brain working overtime to process this information. She tried to push Annis from her mind. “Does this mean I’m like you? Magical?”

“Not necessarily,” the woman said with a soft, motherly smile. “Resistants can come from any species. It is more a genetic mutation than a magical ability. Only time will tell for you.”

“Was Ava magical?”

Elizabeth scowled at her. “I told you. I will say no more about her without Déaþscúa’s consent. The wounds in him left by her death still bleed deeply. Worry about yourself for now,” she told the younger woman softly. Her features turned serious. “On that note, don’t think that you are shielded completely from magic. Think of your potential ability like a suit of armour; it will protect you but enough force will break it and it will have weaknesses.” The soft smile returned. “Now, find your brother and get some rest. I’ll keep watch on Déaþscúa.”

With a final lingering look toward Déaþscúa, KT left Elizabeth to her work. Finding Kai in the massive house was easy enough. He stamped around and muttered harshly to himself loud enough to be heard from several rooms away. He had wandered upstairs and was moving from room to room in search of a bedroom that suited him. When KT found him he was prodding a bed to test its softness and studying the room carefully. Finally he shrugged and threw himself onto the bed. 

“Here,” he said, throwing the half empty bowl of paste to her. 

She caught it easily and after a pensive sniff applied it to the larger of her cuts. It burned for a second before leaving the areas numb.

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” she said softly. “Nothing seems to be getting any clearer, does it?”

Kai remained quiet. He was running his fingers along a gash in his arm that the lycan had caused. “We do what we have to do,” he answered after a while. He fell back into silence until he abruptly asked, “Do you think we’ll see Dad again?”

“We have to,” was all she could think to say. 

“She burned the lodge, crucified Mum, turned some of the guests into zombies and massacred women and children. What chance do we have?”

KT clenched her fists and nearly snarled at him. “Don’t you dare start talking like that! We’ll see both Dad and Aunt Susan again and never say otherwise.”

Kai chuckled to himself, drawing a sharp note of anger from his sister. He held up his hands placatingly. “Chill. I’m not seriously wallowing in self pity or anything. Think of it as pre-emptive self-defeatism.”

“What?”

“Bad things are going to happen. We’re going to be worn down and told that we aren’t good enough. We might start believing it when we’re in that worn down state. I’m simply getting it out of my system now while I can still think straight. It’s therapeutic.”

KT smiled. “You always come up with the weirdest sayings and ideas. Are you really okay with everything?”

“Elizabeth was right. We’re hurt and our key players are out of action. Niall and the MacFeelans won’t rush out before their dead are buried and their wounds are healed. We have no option but to wait. We can’t risk running off alone again. I don’t like it but that’s the way it is.”

“I meant are you okay personally. Forget everything else for now. Are you coping? You usually bottle everything up until you explode.”

Kai shrugged. “I don’t know how to do anything else. Mum is hurt, Dad is locked away in God knows what state, the one guy who can help us is a pulpy mess who’s crying for his family, and we’re so far out of our league that we’re insects in a nuclear war. We can’t run, we can’t fight and we can’t sit back and wait. How am I supposed to feel? When I felt trapped by Mum I dyed my hair and got tattoos. When I hated college I dropped out. When I started playing against better teams at rugby I swapped to less competitive hobbies. There isn’t an easy move to make here and now. I hate not knowing what to do. What about you? You were always the calm one.”

“I’m not sure,” KT answered. She searched herself and found fear and anger, but more than anything else, she just felt numb. 

“Maybe I’m just shell-shocked. I feel…terrified. I want things to go back to the way they were before but even if I was given the choice I think I’d still keep fighting. I hate it but it feels somehow right. I want to save Dad and the others but I also want to watch Annis die. I want to save those who can’t defend themselves like those women back in Glasgow.”

Kai nodded. “I think you’re right. The danger. The rush. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’ll all be clearer in the morning. I doubt it but who knows? I’ll keep you safe though. That’s a promise.”

“I know. The same goes for you too.”

KT left and took the room next to Kai’s before collapsed straight onto the bed. The room was a good size and held an expensive looking double bed and several shelves, wardrobes and draws. The design was outdated like what would be in old manor houses and palaces but was filled with modern conveniences like lights, a kettle, a radiator and a handful of spare plug sockets. 

She fell asleep easily and whether it was exhaustion or the comfort of the bed, likely both, she dreamed pleasant dreams at first. Blood gradually filled them though, shattering the peace with faces of the dead. Those that she had killed haunted her, as did the butchered corpses of the MacFeelans. When she finally woke up she was left wondering if she would ever have pleasant dreams again after what she had seen.

It was upon waking that she realised that her body and clothes were sweaty and covered in muck and dried blood. The room had its own en suite bathroom which she gratefully used, washing herself down in the small shower within.

There was a knock at the door followed by Elizabeth’s voice. “I guessed you would want a shower. I scoured the house and couldn’t find anything close to your size but I have something that should make do. I’ll take your other clothes and get them washed and ready for you.”

Elizabeth’s find consisted of a white t-shirt that had the word ‘Relax’ printed across the front and long sport socks. There was nothing else. She slipped them on and was relieved when the t-shirt went down to her knees where it met the socks. Taking a spare belt from a draw she fastened it around her stomach to give the top some form.

She ventured downstairs and followed her nose into a large kitchen. Kai was already in there. He too wore scavenged clothes that were far too big for him. He had jeans and a plain black t-shirt that hung from him in every possible way. KT was glad in hindsight that she hadn’t been given trousers. She was a good bit slimmer than her brother.

Bacon sizzled in a frying pan but to KT’s surprise it was not Elizabeth who stood over it. Déaþscúa offered her a smile. She was taken aback by the fact he was already on his feet again but also with how faded he looked. His skin was pale and his scarred face looked tired and gaunt. His right eye was covered by a simple eyepatch and his left arm was in a sling. He leant against a good quality walking stick and it seemed to be the main thing keeping him up.

“Sorry about yesterday,” he told her as casually as a man might comment on the weather. “I made you breakfast to make up for it. ‘Arvina omnia vulnera sanat’ is my motto after all.

Previous – Chapter 13.

Next – Chapter 15.

Déaþscúa cursed and flung himself at his gun. The men opened fire. KT and Kai dived to the floor as the chamber filled with bullets and a constant roar of echoing gunshots. Bullets tore through Déaþscúa and he screamed out in pain but still managed to grab hold of Aeternum Nox. He rolled back to his feet and opened fire in return even as holes were blown out of his body. His shots blasted through men like paper but there were so many of them. The gun fell from his hand as a bullet shattered his fingers. More and more slammed into him, jerking his body wildly. Blood splashed all around him in a chaotic fountain of crimson. 

The shooting stopped and the room fell into silence. Déaþscúa stood swaying for a moment, his body barely recognisable as human, then fell to the ground in a mound of tattered flesh. Blood pooled around him and bone was visible through clothes and meat. 

Annis’ voice cut across the deathly silence. “And so a legend ends. Pathetic really, that these crude mortal weapons can cut even the strongest of our kind down. You did well, Golman.”

One of the gunmen gave an oily smile to the room at large. “You’re welcome. I always keep my word, witch.”

“As do I,” Annis answered coldly. “You will receive what we agreed upon.”

“And what of the wee kiddies?”

“They have no use without Déaþscúa to taunt but I suppose their energy can be put to use. Take their weapons and wait for me. I’ll be there shortly to finish Déaþscúa once and for all.”

There was a sudden shout then a storm of motion consumed the chamber. From the still open doorway charged the entirety of the MacFeelan clan, their melee weapons held at the ready while their guns already reaped the lives of men. They looked grimy and worn but their spirits weren’t even slightly diminished. Waves of magic flashed, throwing or burning men with contemptuous ease.

Then Elizabeth ran in too, sending jets of air into the gunmen or knocking bullets away from the Scottish warriors, alternating between offence and defence without thought. She rushed to the teens’ side, weaving between fighters without slowing. 

“Come on!” she told them, grabbing each by the arm and dragging them through the battle toward the door forward. “We have to push on. This is our chance to stop Annis once and for all. Stay close to me.”

Elizabeth batted away any attackers with great gouts of air until they were safely in the tunnel with the sounds of combat at their backs. She didn’t let them slow though. There was another door ahead made of wood but Elizabeth reduced it to splinters with a wave of her delicate hand. 

They ran into another chamber much like the one that they had left only smaller. There was no other exit visible. Not that KT spent any time assessing the room. Her eyes were drawn instantly to the woman who stood calmly in the centre. She was tall and slim, her body wrapped in a thin black material that looked like a strange cross between a cloak and a clinging shift. Raven black hair descended down her back while brilliant blue eyes stared out from a youthful face. The only real feature that betrayed her identity was the pale blue tinge to her skin like that of a recently dead corpse. She smiled revealing fanged teeth.

Beside the woman was another lycan. This one was bigger than any of the others that KT had seen, its entire body a great mass of muscle. Its fur was a dark red and its teeth and claws looked razor sharp. A constant low growl rumbled from its throat.

Above them was a sphere of darkness that pulsed and writhed with a twisted energy. The air in the room was cold and prickled at the skin. A faint wind pulled upwards in a spiral towards it. A stretched line connected it with Annis.

“And so the cavalry arrives,” the woman observed mockingly. “I expected Déaþscúa to come prepared with more than a few brutish Scots, a woman who thinks herself a witch, and some children who believe themselves to be adults. I suppose the fact that he actually asked for help is miracle enough. I half expected him to stick to his stubbornness and come alone again.”

“Enough,” Elizabeth said, cutting the other woman off sharply. Without waiting, she held out her hand and air began to spiral around it in a maelstrom of crackling power. The air shot out in a roaring beam straight for Annis’ heart. 

Annis held out her own hand as the beam struck. The air hit her hand and split into two halves that sped to either side of her before carving great gashes into the stone behind her. The entire room shook with the impact. The woman in black shook her head almost regretfully.

“See? Nothing but a girl playing at being a true witch.” She clenched her hand and Elizabeth rose from the ground with a choking noise. Elizabeth struggled against invisible bonds and shouted in silence. “Stay there while I have a word with Déaþscúa’s little friends. I’ll deal with you later.”

Annis took a step closer to the teens. Without thought they both took a hasty step back. The line between her and the sphere was thicker now and a similar dark glow surrounded the witch. She smiled at them as her eyes took in their every detail. She was beautiful, completely opposite to how she was described in the stories. Now that she was closer though, KT could see long talons tipping her fingers like the legend said.

“I can see why Déaþscúa has taken an interest in you both. You have a most unusual aura. One I haven’t seen in many years.” She paused and her focus sharpened. “You’re from Aife’s Lodge, correct? I assume that I hold people close to you? You don’t seem overly distressed so they were not one of my thralls. Good. It is always nice to have leverage.”

Kai took a defiant step closer to her, his teeth bared almost as fiercely as the lycan’s. “Damn right you have our family! It was our mum you decided to crucify and leave for dead! I don’t give a shit who you are! All I know is that I’m going to kill you!”

Annis laughed. “How cute. If you killed me though, how would you know where your loved ones are? They clearly aren’t here, are they? Claine, show him why mice shouldn’t pick fights with tigers.”

The lycan made a single short grunt then sprang at Kai before the young man had even registered the movement. He managed to manoeuvre his axe between them at the last second so that the beast’s claws clashed against the weapon instead of his flesh. The force of the blow still knocked him from his feet and sent him sprawling backwards. Kai had to roll and swing the axe instantly when the lycan dived straight after him. 

KT started towards her brother but another step from Annis halted her feet. She locked eyes with the woman, her hands shaking as she readied her weapon. Annis ignored the blade as though it didn’t even exist. 

“You look so alike his last companion. He clearly has a thing for dark haired beauties. She died because of him you know. Now you will too.”

“You killing innocents is not Déaþscúa’s fault,” KT hissed. She wrangled her emotions into control and steadied her hands. “You are nothing. You didn’t dare to even be in the same room as him when you had him murdered!”

“Oh, he isn’t dead. Not yet. It will be my hands that end his life, not hired muscle. They couldn’t kill him even if they tried. I think that I’ll personally kill you too. I do love to kill those that attach themselves to him. You’re so young and full of life as well.”

Kai screamed out, causing KT to turn her head for a split second. Annis used that time to dash at her, the metallic claws flashing out. They lunged for KT’s throat like vipers. KT threw herself onto her back and kicked up with both feet, catching Annis in the gut with her heavy boots. The witch staggered back and KT swept her leg at the other woman with the intention to trip her. Annis jumped her leg and landed gracefully a few feet away. She watched KT stand without moving.

“You appear to be a natural fighter. And your aura shines so brightly. Interesting. Killing you would be such a waste. I could use someone like you. I wonder how far your inherent talent can be pushed.”

Fire sprang up in Annis’ hand. KT jumped to the side as she threw it, narrowly dodging the splash of flames that cracked the ground where she had been standing. More fireballs came at her that she clumsily hurled herself away from. Annis was keeping her on the defensive, keeping her from getting close. KT couldn’t win if she couldn’t get close. She skidded to change directions and with a scream ran straight for Annis. The witch gave her a cruel smirk then sent another wave of flames directly at her.

The flames struck KT and washed over her entire body. The heat was intense but she didn’t feel pain. The silver threads on her clothes glowed crimson then disintegrated. She pushed through the fire and swung the doublesword at Annis’ head. Annis blocked with her talons but a look of mild surprise flittered across her face before she reset her features. 

Behind her, Kai roared a curse as another cut opened up his skin. His left shoulder had already taken a blow from a clawed hand and now blood gushed from a single line that ran down the side of his ribs. The lycan was faster, stronger and more experienced than him in every single way. 

He risked a glance over to KT but was forced to ducked low, almost falling as claws swept above his head. Before he could straighten the lycan kicked out at his chest. All air was knocked from his lungs. He collapsed to the floor. 

KT swung wide and Annis grabbed her arm with both hands, halting the sword completely, just as KT had planned. She drove her fist into the witch’s jaw and felt bone break. It was her fingers that had snapped though. Annis’ skin was hard as stone. Her head had barely moved at the impact.

Annis’ grin was almost animalistic now, her sharp teeth glittering in the weak light. The orb above her was smaller now while the glow that surrounded her was growing in intensity. “I don’t suppose you’d willingly join me?”

“Fuck you,” KT said through laboured breaths. She was trying to keep her cool but her fingers stung painfully and she was beginning to realise that she couldn’t win against this woman. How arrogant had she been to ever think she could have?

The lycan appeared at Annis’ side once again, this time with Kai held up by the throat in one giant hand.

Annis waved her hand and a hammer of air slammed into KT, sending her flying into the wall. It was an effort for her to open her eyes. KT tried but couldn’t move anything. Kai still hung helplessly. KT didn’t even know if he was conscious or not.

“What you don’t understand is that my goal is to save the world. As soon as I have enough power to open the Gate then the world will know peace once more. Lives have to be lost but none of them are wasted. Déaþscúa, and those like him, can never understand this. But that’s okay. He is prophesied to die to the woman of black. His power is the last thing that I need. It’s inevitable. So, I will ask you again. Will you join m-”

A hammer smashed into the side of Annis’ head. Her face distorted horribly in the split second before she was sent flying across the room. KT’s eyes flickered to the side and rested upon Friseal. He gave her a big, goofy grin then offered her a hand. She took it gratefully and was pulled to her feet as though she weighed nothing. 

“Friseal doesnae like seeing pretty lasses get hurt. Annis is pretty outside but very ugly inside. KT pretty everywhere. Friseal protect KT from ugly witch,” Friseal said in that slow, gentle way that he spoke. When his eyes turned back to Annis though, they burned with a fire that was at odds with the rest of his face.

Annis was back on her feet now, a snarl firmly set upon her face. Her pale cheek was red as though she had been slapped. There was no other sign that she had just been hit with a giant chunk of metal with enough force to shatter a human skull.

“You will regret that,” Annis said quietly. “I’ll wipe you and your entire family from this sorry land.”

“Annis talk big but Friseal doesnae think she has strength te back words up. Friseal think Annis should stop eatin’ people and try haggis. It make Annis big ‘n’ strong like Friseal.”

Annis took a deep breath then let loose a barrage of fireballs. Friseal didn’t move. His hammer swung to meet the flames and batted them away like tennis balls. The lycan had thrown Kai to the ground and now charged the Scotsman. Friseal fought him off easily, even the werewolf didn’t want to get acquainted with the fearsome hammer. Then Annis rejoined the fray, her metallic nails and the lycan’s claws moving with lightning speed.

Friseal grunted with effort, his burdensome hammer moving with speed and finesse that should have been impossible. He was holding his own, but only just. The lycan struck high and Annis hit out low. Friseal managed to block both but in the process had his weapon knocked from his hands. He staggered back and clenched his fists, showing no sign of fear or doubt. 

Then there were swords, axes and hammers all around him. Niall placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. His entire body was drenched in blood. None of it looked to be his own. 

“What did màthair tell ye about wanderin’ off alone?” the clan head said with mock sternness. 

Friseal gave him a sheepish grin. “Everyone else was busy. Hadtae keep the young ones safe.”

“Well, we’re all here now. Let’s show this blue-skinned bitch why no one messes with the MacFeelan family.”

Annis swept her gaze over the assembled warriors with weary contempt. The lycan stood ready at her side, dwarfing her. The sphere was almost gone now but the effort of absorbing it seemed to be taking its toll on her. A sheen of sweat was beginning to show.

“It seems,” she began, “that the powerless are still no match for our kind. That is good, I suppose, if inconvenient. I didn’t want to resort to this. Enjoy your tomb.”

She clapped her hands and the walls shook. Energy cracked across her body and spread to the stones around them. Dust rained down and a deep, reverberating rumble filled the air. The MacFeelans ran at Annis and the lycan with a loud battlecry. The witch raised her hands and fallen rocks began to float around her. They shook, shedding chips of stone until all had a sharpened point. She thrust her arm out and the rocks flew forward. Niall and the others went into defensive positions but the spikes went around them, aimed straight for KT. 

Before KT had even registered what was happening blood splashed against her. She cried out. Friseal stood before her, his back to Annis. The points of the spikes jutted out from his chest, gut and limbs. Despite the horrendous injuries, Friseal showed no sign of pain on his face. 

“KT…unharmed?” he asked. Blood dribbled from his mouth with every word and his breathing was a laboured gurgle. KT couldn’t muster her voice so she nodded faintly. 

“Good.”

He swayed then tumbled to the ground. Niall and the other MacFeelans rushed to his side. Niall collected Friseal’s hammer and handed it to his brother reverentially. Friseal took it slowly, using it like a staff to keep himself standing.

“Did ye git her?” Friseal rasped. 

Niall shook his head. “The second we were distracted she teleported away. Had a matterlink. Took the walking carpet with her. Damn cowardly bitch.”

“She got me real good, didnae she? KT safe though so witch lady missed.” Friseal chuckled at that. The room was still shaking, making it all the more difficult to stand. His knees shook then gave out. Niall caught him and lowered him gently to the floor. “I feel tired.”

“Hold on, Fri. We’ll fix ye up, okay,” Niall told him as he grasped his brother’s hand. He rounded on Elizabeth. “Can’t ye do anything, Lizzy?”

Elizabeth shook her head softly. “He’s already lost a lot of blood. To heal him I’d need to remove the spikes which would spill more blood. His internal organs have all been pierced. He shouldn’t even be alive after that.”

Friseal curled up as much as he could, wrapping his free arm around the hammer in a childlike embrace. His eyes were closed but his grip on his brother’s hand tightened. “I don’t want te go, bràthair. I never liked the dark…” 

His voice grew quieter as he spoke until it was barely audible above the shaking of the walls and falling rocks. His hand grew loose and his breathing slowed. With tears in her eyes, KT leaned in and kissed his cheek. A warm grin spread across his face as one final, long breath left his lungs, then he was still.

Niall bent down and picked Friseal up like a father would pick up a sleeping child. Rocks fell around them and the earth shook and crashed but for a few moments, everyone was still. “Màthair would be damn proud of ye. Ye are a true hero, Friseal MacFeelan.”

It was a young MacFeelan who brought everyone back to the danger of the situation.

“This place is goin’ te fall in around our ears real quick. We have te go. Now.”

“Agreed,” Elizabeth said. “Annis has rigged this entire structure with runes. When she clapped she triggered them, starting with those furthest away to block all the exits. She’s drained the magic from the stones, leaving the whole place unstable.”

As if to emphasise their words, louder explosions rocked the ground, threatening to throw them all off of their feet. Giant cracks split the stones on every surface. Kai was slung across one of the warrior’s shoulders and they ran back into the first chamber. Bodies lay thick on the ground and blood drenched everything. They found Déaþscúa’s shredded form and two of the MacFeelans carried him between them. It didn’t matter as the door back into the tunnels was already blocked by a thick layer of rubble.

“We’re trapped!” roared a twin axe wielding MacFeelan. “That murderess built this entire network just te cave in on us.”

More crashes shook their eardrums and the cracks in the walls and roof finally gave way. Fires and explosions flared into the room, firing rock fragments like hail. Everything was crumbling with a noise that became life and death itself. The earth caved in upon their heads.

Previous – Chapter 12.

Next – Chapter 14.

So let me get this straight,” started Kai from the backseat of the SUV. It was daylight now but the trees cast a constant gloom across their view. “We’re going to take down the main entrance alone? I get that you want a distraction, but surely having a few of the giant Scottish blokes with us would help?”

“Nah. It’ll be fine. We can handle the front door no problem,” Déaþscúa nodded.

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I have my ways.” 

Out of the shadows of the forest emerged towering stone. The fort was not overly large but it still loomed. Greening stone blocks rose up from a circular mound to form a bulky rectangular shape with a single curved tower at the back corner. There was a small clearing around the structure but it was obvious that the forest had slowly been reclaiming it until recently. The door was heavy wood with crisscrossing iron beams. 

“So why is this fort so important?” KT asked. It didn’t look particularly impressive. 

“It’s the ancestral home of the MacFeelans and served as their seat of power for centuries. Then Cairan MacFeelan took over as head of the family during the reign of King Henry the Eighth. The powerless were eroding the ancient lands of us magic folk, but we were unable to act because of our laws. Cairan wanted to bring back the glory days so called upon dark magic that drew power to the fort. All residual magic within a hundred miles gathered here. He intended to summon a god to punish the powerless, only, what emerged was something warped with pure hatred. The magic became corrupted and it took a lot of lives to banish the being. Even to this day the dark magic still hangs on the old stones.”

The SUV continued down the overgrown path. Jearl stopped the car and everyone disembarked. They gathered around the driver’s side door as Déaþscúa addressed them. 

“Those doors look pretty sturdy,” he said lightly. “It would take some real force to break through.”

“Indeed it would, boss,” Jearl agreed in an equally jovial tone. “On an unrelated note, have I mentioned that there is a newer model of your SUV? Pretty little thing it is.”

“Oh really? How wonderful.”

“Yeah, it has a bigger cup holder and everything.”

“Such innovation. This car is looking a little bit faded, isn’t it?” Déaþscúa observed in the same overly happy voice as he indicated the lycan created gashes and dents. “I mean, is there even any point keeping this one when bigger cup holders wave at us from the horizon?”

“But it has served you so faithfully, ain’t it guv. To simply leave it here to rot would be a gross disservice.”

“Agreed. We should give it a fitting send off. Being as we’re in Scotland, a Viking funeral seems appropriate.”

KT frowned. “Vikings weren’t Scottish. They were Scandinavian.”

Déaþscúa’s face dropped for a moment. “They were big fellows with axes and beards. They were kin of the heart if nothing else.”

“Too true, boss,” quipped Jearl supportively. 

“So as I was saying,” Déaþscúa continued. “We should give it a Scottish take on a Viking funeral.” He gave a sharp salute to the SUV then turned and saluted Jearl, KT and Kai before climbing into the vehicle. No sooner had the door slammed shut, the engine roared to life and the wheels span. 

The SUV shot down the narrow path toward the fort’s door, gaining speed with every passing second. Déaþscúa showed no sign of slowing or of jumping out. Then there was a spark. Fire suddenly blazed across the metal body, turning the car into a flaming missile. The SUV crashed into the door at full speed. At the second of impact the car exploded, the fire finally having reached the petrol tank. Wood, stone and twisted metal flew through the air in every direction. 

KT and Kai ran through the smoke calling out Déaþscúa’s name desperately. Jearl followed behind at a more sedate pace, his face as cheerful as ever. They reached the car in coughing fits, the smoke filling their lungs as they drew nearer the flaming wreckage. The SUV was little more than a bent frame that still blazed fiercely. It was halfway through a very apparent wound in the fort’s wall where the door had once stood. The site was sheer carnage. Nothing natural could have survived.

There was a loud click that drew both of their eyes. The feeble remains of the driver’s door swung open then clattered to the floor. Déaþscúa stepped out and brushed himself off nonchalantly. The effect was slightly ruined by the fact that he was on fire and was missing quite a lot of skin. He pulled at the tattered remains of his clothes disapprovingly.

“That was fun. I do believe that they heard my polite knocking and have thus allowed us entry into their proud establishment.”

“You’re on fire,” KT pointed out.

“Indeed. It appears that I am.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“Like an absolute bitch,” he answered calmly. As he spoke his skin began to knit itself back together. “Shall we continue?”

“What the hell are you?” Kai asked.

Déaþscúa studied him for a moment before replying. “A very messed up individual who takes pleasure in blowing himself up.” Kai sighed but didn’t press him further.

“Excellent,” the man smiled. “Onwards and upwards. Though in all probability we will be going underground. That doesn’t quite have the same optimistic ring to it though, does it?”

He strode through the flaming rubble without a care. After a simple hand gesture the fires left his clothes and were blown away on the wind. All this achieved was to highlight how little of his clothes remained. He looked at himself with a frown.

“Is this too revealing?” he asked as he turned to face the twins again. 

KT’s blush said all it needed to. He nodded then knelt down. Kai quickly covered KT’s eyes only to receive a swift punch to the gut. Déaþscúa pulled at the sole of his boot to reveal a hidden compartment. He took out a folded length of cloth that he shook out to reveal a full-sized poncho that he quickly slipped into.

“Wait, you carry backup clothes in your shoes?” Kai asked.

“You don’t?” Déaþscúa answered. “And they call me reckless and insane. Ha!”

He turned his attention back to the fort. Distant sounds of battle floated just on the edge of hearing. As he stepped fully into the structure it was as though a switch had been flicked on his personality. His face became serious and his hand rested on the handle of Aeternum Nox. KT and Kai followed cautiously, both clutching their weapons with nervous hands. Kai opted for the shotgun while KT stuck with her pistols.

Déaþscúa waved his hand and the flames parted enough for them to clamber past the wrecked car. The corridor that they entered was a dark, narrow space of heavy stone blocks. There was no source of light beyond the flames and weak daylight that shone faintly at their backs. Every footstep echoed noisily.

Fear clutched painfully at KT’s chest like a frozen hand. The dark and the tightness brought memories of the butcher’s basement racing back to her head. She spat out a curse and forced herself to move deeper into the gloom. Kai held out his hand but she shook her head furiously. She wasn’t about to let her own stupid psyche get in the way and make her look weak. Forcing every emotion down beneath a suffocating layer of focus she continued through the dark. 

“I don’t know what will be in here,” Déaþscúa told them in a low voice. Even so it filled the length of the corridor and continued for several seconds after the words had left his mouth. “This fort is ancient and its corruption is strong. Annis has been gathering forces here but the place is a danger all by itself. Move slowly, keep your eyes on your surroundings at all times and never lose sight of each other.”

As they walked, Déaþscúa held out his hand with two fingers pointed upwards and had a look of concentration on his face. Whenever there was a branching path he picked his direction without even a cursory glance down the differing passageways.

“What are you doing?” Kai asked.

“The way air moves can tell you a lot about an area. What directions are breezes coming from? Is the air dense or free? Humid or dry? Hot or cold? If you know what to look for you can read a space like a book. By opening my senses I can use the air almost like a sonar to map out the building.”

“And what does it tell you?”

“It tells me that we’re in the original fort’s subterranean level. It is a fairly small cluster of basements, dungeons and tunnels. Around that is a whole warren of newer passageways that were dug over the course of centuries.”

“But how does that tell you where you need to go?” Kai pressed curiously. “We could still be wandering around for ages without any clues.”

Déaþscúa gave a faint laugh. “This place is crawling with creatures. We’d find the way soon enough by finding the largest group of things to kill. As it stands though, I can sense a new chamber that’s been created within the last few weeks. The dust is still fresh and the air full with the stench of sweat. Chances are that is where we need to be.”

This didn’t placate Kai by much. “But how do you know? They could have just built a new set of toilets to cater the sudden influx of inhabitants or something like that.”

“I can assure you that goblins don’t use toilets for a start,” Déaþscúa muttered, annoyance tinging his voice at the constant questioning. He paused for a moment then sighed. “Annis is a very smart, cunning woman. Perhaps the most cunning woman alive, and that’s saying something. She clearly wants me to find her. The fact that a new chamber is completed just before my arrival only cements that in my mind. She has a plan and knows that I’ll follow it.”

“So you’re leading us into a trap then?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Why did you bring us with you? Wouldn’t it make sense for us to fight with the MacFeelans?”

Déaþscúa considered the question for a moment. “I want you to see what you are up against. Anyway, I see some potential in you. Maybe it was fate that led me to you, or maybe not. Either way, I want you both where I can see you. Trust me, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

KT tried to focus in on Déaþscúa and Kai’s discussion but no matter how hard she tried to keep it down, panic bubbled to the surface of her mind with every step further into the fort. Her vision began to go tunneled and cold sweat beaded on her skin.

“H-how far is it?” she asked. It took all of her effort just to keep her breath calm. 

Déaþscúa gave her a concerned look but elected not to mention anything. Instead he simply said “Not far now. It’s just around this next corner.”

Kai tried to keep the conversation going to avoid the heavy silence of the fort. “Do you think Annis is trying to summon that god thing again then?”

“I don’t know, but I doubt it. Something like that can’t be controlled and she knows it. She has something big planned but with the way her mind works it could be absolutely anything.”

They turned the corner with their weapons raised and ready. It was a dead end with no sign of life. The only thing that stood this section out from the others was that the wall before them was of a smooth, single slab of stone while the rest was either dugout rock or the stone blocks of the fort. At chest level of the slab was a single slit that was thin and just long enough for a child to fit their hand into.

“You’re kidding me,” grunted Kai. “Their new construction was a bloody wall?”

Déaþscúa didn’t answer. He moved closer to the wall and inspected the long hole. He looked it up and down then gazed within the slot. Placing his hand over the gap he closed his eyes. Light emitted from his hand like it did when he healed. He made an impressed sound after a moment.

“It’s a door. That gap is the keyhole. There’s no way to open it without the key. Clever.”

Kai slammed his fist into the wall. “Damn it. We wasted all the time coming here just to be stopped so close! We’ll never find the key. What now?”

“Calm yourself,” Déaþscúa told him softly. “Annis wants me to find her. She crafted the lock knowing that I already possessed the key. This door is simply a measure to ensure that no others enter before me.”

KT stepped to Déaþscúa’s side and looked over the slot with a frown. “But the key would have to be huge. You aren’t carrying anything that big unless you have enchanted pockets or something.”

“I do have enchanted pockets but the key isn’t in them,” Déaþscúa said airily. He moved his hand to his sword hilt and drew the weapon. The deadly metal blade shone even in the gloom. “What better a key is there than something I carry at all times?”

He slid the blade into the slot until the guard rested against the stone door then turned it with a sharp twist of his wrist. There was a click, followed by the clunking sounds of turning gears. He tugged at the weapon but it didn’t move at all now. He shrugged and let go with a rueful glance. The stone shuddered then began to raise until the sword hilt hit the ceiling. The gap beneath the wall was narrow but could easily be passed through on bent knees.

“Clever women indeed,” he chuckled dryly. “Ensure I’m the first one to spring the trap while simultaneously removing my primary weapon. Her plan is flawless once again.”

Déaþscúa made to step into the room but KT caught his arm. “You can’t be serious. You know it’s a trap. Why walk into it?”

“Don’t worry. She’s smart but I’m better in every way. I expected something like this, hence why I brought along backup. Annis can sense magic but two powerless individuals might just pass under her radar.” With that he slipped under the door and into the chamber beyond.

KT and Kai followed close behind after a quick glance at each other. Kai simply shrugged and held his shotgun tighter. The room beyond was a circular space with a single shut door opposite the one they had just entered through. Lights were dotted along the stone wall, filling the area with a dim, yellow light. A large television hung above the shut door. It showed another room filled with chained up men and women.

“Dad,” rasped KT as her eyes took in the TV’s footage. “And there’s Aunt Susan.”

A burst of static broke the silence of the room then a harsh female voice thundered from unseen speakers.

“Déaþscúa,” the voice sneered, contempt dripping from the word. “You’re getting sloppy in your old age. I expected you days ago. And you have brought company too. Two children. How lovely.”

Déaþscúa cleared his throat. “Annis, you’re under arrest. Come out now and surrender to avoid any unnecessary harm to yourself.”

Cackling laughter split the air, rising to a crescendo after several seconds. Déaþscúa shook his head sadly. “There has to be another way, damn it, Annis. What you’re doing is unredeemable.”

“Unredeemable, maybe. But unavoidable.” 

“Well, I tried. The hard way it is.”

“You’ve hunted me for more years than either of us would like to remember and have failed every time. What’s different now?” Annis’ disembodied voice snorted. “You’re out of tricks while my arsenal grows by the day. Just give up and let me do that which we both know is necessary.”

“I don’t know your intentions but wanton murder is never necessary.”

“I have watched you kill. Both of us remember the slaughter that you’ve committed in cold blood. Yet here you are claiming the moral high-ground. You who killed in fits of emotion would judge me? They say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions but nobody likes to be reminded that the road to Heaven is paved with corpses.”

There was the creaking of a hatch opening above them and two brown shapes dropped between them and the door forward. Kai cursed loudly. The figures were those of lycan. 

Déaþscúa rolled his shoulders and raised his Aeternum Nox with a small laugh. “I expected more from you, Annis.”

The beasts leapt into blurred movement, their muscles pulsing and straining with unimaginable strength. Déaþscúa pulled the trigger and thunder crashed through the chamber. A giant hole opened in the first lycan’s chest, splashing blood everywhere. Before the blood even hit the ground Déaþscúa had altered his aim and blew away half of the other’s skull in an explosion of brains.

A third werewolf appeared behind them and barrelled through KT and Kai, sending them skidding across the room as the beast jumped at Déaþscúa’s back. He spun and fired, the bullet entering through the monster’s gaping mouth and exiting somewhere just above its tail. Déaþscúa side-stepped and the carcass crashed to the floor where he had been standing. 

“Oh hell the fuck yes!” he grinned, admiration of the gun almost glowing from him. “Bring on your best, Annis.”

In answer to his taunt, black mist began to seep into the room, forming into dark tendrils that snaked through the air to wrap around the dead lycan bodies. The corpses twitched then started to rise, jerking erratically as the dark magic flooded their veins in place of blood.

At the same time the door opened and a swarm of bodies scrambled out. They were human, or had been at least. Now their skin was white and their eyes showed no spark of life. Their limbs moved stiffly but there was a ferocity to their slow steps that struck fear to the heart.

“Zombies!” Kai shouted.

Even as he said this, KT stared beyond the dead appearance of the once-humans. Most had tangles of greying hair and their pale skin was wrinkled. Their ripped clothes and dead faces tugged at KT’s memory. “Oh God. I know them. They were guests at the lodge.”

Kai’s face tightened as he too recognised the lumbering men and women. His hold on the shotgun faltered. 

“Destroy them,” Déaþscúa told them simply, never taking his eyes from the reanimated werewolves. “They aren’t the people you knew anymore. They’re not people any more. Just empty shells, puppets to Annis’ will. Give them peace.”

Tears welled in KT’s eyes but she knew his words were true. She took aim at an old man who she remembered had offered her a sweet from a tin that he always kept in his breast pocket. Judging by the lump on his chest he still had it, even in death. She tried to clear her mind as she fired. Her first bullet clipped the old man’s shoulder, causing him to stagger. There was no spray of blood, only a slight dark red ooze where the life-giving liquid had congealed. She fired again, this time blowing the undead’s jaw off. Still it limped forward undeterred. A final shot took it in the forehead, shattering its skull and sending brains scattering across the floor. 

Kai looked at the zombies then at his sister then back again. He cursed then pumped his shotgun and started forward. The undead swarmed in his direction now that he was the closer prey but Kai set into them with a merciless barrage of rounds. Limbs flew and bones splintered with every shot. KT continued to pepper them from further back.

The shotgun clicked empty. There was no time to reload before the zombies were at him so he slid it back into its strap and drew his axe, setting into the rotting flesh with animalistic brutality. Their flesh parted easily but devastating wounds did little to slow them. They clawed and bit at him but anything that came within his axe’s reach was severed. Tears stained his face.

Unable to shoot now, KT holstered the pistols and swung her doublesword from her back. It felt cumbersome in her hands but she didn’t have time to worry about it before the zombies closed in. Slowly she inched closer to Kai so they could watch each other’s backs.

Meanwhile, the undead lycan had all charged at Déaþscúa. He fired round after round at them, blowing gaping chunks of flesh and bone away with every shot. Unlike their human counterparts, they didn’t stay down after a single shot to the head. Black magic seethed beneath their skin, keeping them moving whatever damage they took. 

One tackled him from behind, its arms and legs wrapping around him while fanged teeth sought to tear at his throat. The other two crashed into him from the front. Déaþscúa beat one down with the butt of his pistol but the other bit into his wrist. His hand opened and the gun skidded away from him. 

“Déaþscúa!” KT shouted as she batted away a slavering old man with peeling skin. She knocked away another and ran at the werewolves. She threw the doublesword ahead of her like a javelin and it hit home, sinking deep into the back of the lycan that held Déaþscúa. Without slowing she slung the mini-launcher into her hands and fired at the monster who Déaþscúa had fought off. The beast exploded in a spray of gore and bloody chunks. 

She continued on, reaching out to reclaim her blade. The lycan whipped around, slamming Déaþscúa into her. She hit the floor and rolled back into the midst of the zombies who swarmed over her until Kai barreled into them. 

Déaþscúa dislocated his own arm, allowing him to fall loose of the lycan’s grip. He span and drove his fist into the monster’s gut. Blood and darkness spilled out from a large stab wound in the creature’s leathery hide. White bone stood out against Déaþscúa’s tanned flesh, rising from the back of his wrist and extending over his hand to end in a vicious looking point that stuck out a few inches past his knuckles. In a heartbeat he was turning again, this time jabbing an elbow into the Lycan’s side. Mid swing a spike of bone tore through his sleeve before burying deep into the lycan. 

The werewolf howled through a shattered jaw and Déaþscúa cut the sound off when more sharpened bones tore through his arms to slice at the beast’s throat. Its head came loose and hit the floor with a thud. Its body quickly followed.

The final lycan sprang into the air to take Déaþscúa from above. Bones erupted from Déaþscúa’s fingers and he stabbed out, his hand smashing through fangs as it entered the beast’s maw before exiting the back of its head in a shower of brains. With a single quick movement, Déaþscúa grabbed the still falling body and threw it to the side like it weighed nothing.

A bellow of rage drew his attention back to KT and Kai just in time to see Kai cave in the head of the final zombie with a mighty swing of his axe. KT stood with slumped shoulders, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Blood covered them both.

“See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?” Déaþscúa said airily. Kai shot him a withering look.

“I see that life hasn’t dulled you too much,” cut in Annis’ voice. “I wanted one final show of your skill before your death. You know the prophecy. ‘Death’s shadow will die at a woman’s touch when black reclaims the grave’. It’s so poetic. Yet you still chase me. I sometimes fear that you seek your death, like a lover seeking a lost embrace.”

Déaþscúa shook his head. “I seek justice for your crimes. I never was one to put faith in prophecy anyway. You can ask your buddy Christie that. Now are you going to open the door or am I going to have to do it?”

Annis barked a laugh. “I’ll almost be sad when you’re no longer in this world. But, like a fool, you rushed into my trap. It’s a shame. I think you would have been happier with this world once Heaven’s Gate is opened. Farewell Déaþscúa.”

There was a sound of grinding all around them. The walls dropped away to reveal a hidden ring of space filled with hundreds of men. Each was armed with a large gun that was aimed dead at Déaþscúa.

Previous – Chapter 11.

Next – Chapter 13.

KT walked through the small settlement alone. It was either very late or very early. Her muscles aches but none of the little pains really registered in her mind. Men and women still moved around her with torches that cut through the heavy darkness. Even with the damage that had been caused during the night’s battle, the camp was already starting to return to normal. 

Teams of men were busy replacing the damaged spikes while a group of women were working to move torn sandbags and shattered wood. It seemed that despite the size of the place, it was designed to be dismantled and rebuilt in a hurry. 

She avoided the workers as she wandered around the buildings without any clear purpose in mind. She had been given a small room in one of the buildings but didn’t feel like resting yet. Kai was still in the main hall drinking with the bulk of the MacFeelans and Déaþscúa had disappeared into another building with Niall and a few others to discuss their plans for the assault. 

At the edge of the camp she stopped to stare out into the forest. It was a cloudy night and she couldn’t see more than a few foot into the trees but her eyes weren’t focussed anyway. Her mind was replaying the battle again and again. She was trying to rationalise her actions, her emotions, but she couldn’t shrug off the little voice that constantly reminded her how exhilarating it had been. 

When it had just been goblins she could compartmentalise it in her mind. They were monsters trying to kill her and she was just defending herself against ugly creatures of evil. It wasn’t so easy to rationalise the killing of fellow humans even if the circumstances were still the same. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine shooting at living humans. 

The battle had been a blur. She couldn’t say for sure that she had killed anyone, but then she couldn’t say she hadn’t. The thought had barely even crossed her mind until after it was all over. She had been prepared to kill goblins again and then the men had just appeared. She hadn’t had time to reevaluate the situation. She had blood on her hands now. How could she ever return to a normal life?

“Ye look troubled, girl,” said a woman’s voice behind her. 

She turned to see Niall’s wife, Maridia, walking towards her. The woman walked with a softness that belied her size. She was not exactly fat but had a stout build and a more masculine frame that stood at odds to her flowing blonde hair. Her face was plain and her hands were coarse. 

“Ye did well last night. Déaþscúa tells me that it was only yer third battle. He has a knack fer finding fighters.”

“I wouldn’t call the first two battles. I didn’t do much any of the times we had to fight.” KT answered absently. “Déaþscúa saved us every single time we’ve been in danger.”

Maridia laughed. It was a rich sound. “If ye were te worry about being no good in a fight because Déaþscúa saved ye then nobody in this world would feel confident in their skills. There are two types of people for the most part; those that owe their lives te Déaþscúa and those whose lives he reaped.”

The words didn’t comfort KT. “How are we supposed to keep fighting when everyone else is so much stronger. I gave it my all but it still felt like I didn’t do anything.”

“That’s because ye didn’t,” Maridia answered bluntly. She only smiled when KT looked up at her. “Ye ken that ye are weak. That is nae why ye wander the camp alone. I saw ye during the battle. Weakness was nae a concern then. Quite the opposite in fact.”

KT looked away from her now. She cast her eyes across the forest for something to distract herself with but found nothing.

“Do nae be afraid of that fire, girl. Do nae let it consume ye either. It is a careful balance te be sure but it is one we all walk. Ye see, the MacFeelans love te fight. It is in their blood. They see it as a big game with the ultimate gamble resting on it. That is what battle means te them.

“Fer myself, my family were slaves. We fought fer our freedom. Fer us, battle is a tool. A tool fer free lives and a tool fer revenge. I like te fight because I choose my battles so that the world is always a better place once the dust settles. 

“Others despise death yet fight because they believe in a cause or want te protect something. It isnae what runs through yer head in the heat of battle that decides yer character but the reasons ye continue te fight in the battles. So girl, why is it that ye continue te fight?”

KT stared at the older woman in silence. She felt strangely stupid beside the woman, like a schoolgirl who hadn’t done her homework standing next to a teacher. “I… don’t know. I thought that it was to save my family but really I am just dead weight on Déaþscúa’s shoulders. I just can’t sit and do nothing. I fight because I am too selfish to sit back and go mad with worry about what is happening. What does that say about my character?”

She could feel tears in her eyes. She tried to calm herself but was finding it hard to under the woman’s soft smile. 

“Tell me,” Maridia began. “Do ye ken why Déaþscúa fights? He fights because it is all he kens. It is his only skill. He doesnae enjoy it and he doesnae fight for any greater cause. He fights because it gives his life purpose. What then does that say about his character?”

KT didn’t have the chance to answer though when there was a crash behind a nearby building. A pile of wood clattered to the ground with Friseal sprawled in the centre of them. 

“Stop ye nosying, Friseal MacFeelan. What would yer poor mum think, eh?” Maridia announced sternly. Despite her firm tone of voice she offered KT an amused look.

“Sorry, Mari.” he rumbled as he tried to recollect the wood. “I wasnae nosying, honest. Niall sent me te find ye. Lizzy has come te visit. She hasnae been in years. Niall thought ye should ken.”

“Thank ye, Friseal. I suppose we’d better go and greet her.” She turned her attention to KT. “Ye are coming too. Nae point ye standing ‘round here moping.”

Meeting yet more people didn’t sound appealing to KT but when compared to standing outside getting frostbite or going to bed to be alone with her thoughts, it didn’t sound quite so bad. She nodded and followed behind them.

News must have spread fast because MacFeelans clustered around the building that Friseal was leading them to. The crowd parted around Maridia without her having to even raise a hand.

They stepped inside but KT froze in the doorway. Déaþscúa and Niall were stood either side of a women who had fixed KT with a frosty glare the moment she had entered. Déaþscúa moved between the two women hastily.

“Now, I know that when you were last together things may have gotten a little…heated, but we’re all friends here, okay?” Déaþscúa said in his best mediator voice.

“Friends?” She tried to drug us and make us forget everything,” KT shouted.

Elizabeth sniffed indignantly. “Sticks and stones. I didn’t raise a hand yet you resorted straight to violence.”

“Sticks and stones? Try drugs and magic! I’d say that warrants self defence.”

“Ladies, ladies, let’s all calm down,” Déaþscúa interjected.

KT glared at him. “You left us with her knowing that she was going to make us forget. Don’t think for a moment that this had slipped my mind.”

“Well, yes…”

“And you left me to deal with them after inviting them into my house. You know how I hate young people,” Elizabeth added. Déaþscúa stepped back with a defeated sigh. She then turned her attention back to KT. 

“You might see it as a betrayal but we were only doing what was in your best interest. I know you know this, but like all Powerless, you are too pigheaded to accept it. Consider yourself a dog being force fed medicine to cure an infection. You may fight and bite but at the end of the day it is the owner who’s in the right.”

KT shook her head. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Your go to explanation is to compare me to a dog? Really?” She took a moment to collect herself. “I know that I’m putting myself in danger here. I’m many things but an idiot isn’t one. It’s my choice to make, not yours.”

“Different world, different opinions,” Elizabeth added. “It is better to be a clued-in idiot than a naive scholar but that doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here and I’ll waste no more of my time trying to protect you from your own stubbornness. Now, Niall, what was it that you wished to discuss?”

At a motion from Niall, the crowd began to disperse. KT left with them, choosing to find Kai rather than spending more time in the woman’s presence. She found him where she had left him, sat in the drinking hall surrounded by drunken Scotsmen and women. He was looking worse for wear now but was flirting with a young MacFeelan woman with his usual charisma. 

A giant of a man beside Kai offered a chair as KT approached. She sat down and was instantly handed a mug of ale. She ignored it then tapped Kai on the shoulder. Gradually he turned to face her.

“Elizabeth is here,” she told him. “Niall apparently wants her for something.”

“Oh,” Kai answered slowly. “Cool. She looked pretty.”

“Pretty? She tried to drug us!”

“True. But compared to everyone else we’ve met, that’s almost a warm welcome. Plus she gave us biscuits. I’d be angry but then I have a lot to be angry about already. You know?”

KT tried to slide the drink from his hand. “I think you’ve had enough for tonight.”

“That’s funny ‘cos judging by the fact I can still think, I haven’t had enough yet.” Despite his worlds he let his sister take the mug. “Do you ever wonder why we are who we are? Why I am a bad person who needs to act like a bad person to hide how bad of a person I am? I killed people and it felt good. Then I tried to feel regret but didn’t. Haha. People don’t like over-competitive sociopaths, but lovable drunks, ha, buy ‘em another round and laugh at their antics.”

 KT hated to see him like this. She stood up and pointed to the hulking MacFeelan beside her. “Could you help me get him to bed? He can’t walk so you’ll have to carry him.”

“Aye. As ye say, miss.” The man unfolded himself smoothly despite the fact that he must have drunk even more than Kai. He hoisted the younger man easily from his chair and led the way out of the room. Kai protested weakly then slumped further.

Without needing direction, the man moved through the camp to a small building near the back where the twins were to spend the night. There were several individual rooms that were set up for guests to sleep. Kai was placed onto his bed then the MacFeelan left them to return to the main hall.

KT was about to relent and head to her own bed when the front door to the building opened. She could hear footsteps then Kai’s door opened. Déaþscúa and Elizabeth stood at the other side. The witch remained stony faced but Déaþscúa offered KT a smile.

“It’s going to be a big day tomorrow. We came to offer you both something to help you sleep, though it would seem that your brother has found his own solution,” Déaþscúa told her. 

Elizabeth held out a vial of thick purple liquid. KT eyed it sceptically. 

“This time it is your choice,” Elizabeth said primly. “You’d be a fool not to take it but I will not try to force you.” She placed it on a small bedside table.

KT looked to Déaþscúa. He shrugged. “It’s only a potion that will put you into a deep sleep for a few hours. It’s what most of us use to stay fully functional when we may only get a brief chance to rest. You have my word on that, for what it’s worth. Either way, we’re calling it a night. I’ll be in the far room if you need me for anything.” He drank a purple potion of his own then left them. Elizabeth followed.

KT gingerly took the bottle then made the short walk to the next room. She changed into the pyjamas that she had bought after fleeing Elizabeth’s house then sat on her bed. She stared into the liquid as though it could impart some kind of answers to her. Despite everything she didn’t feel tired so eventually she made the decision and drank. 

It tasted a lot nicer than it looked, sweet and faintly warm like the hot lemonade and honey that her father had made for them when they had been ill. She made a note to herself that she needed to take the time to learn how to tell what potions did what. Even as she thought this, she could already feel her mind growing foggy. She laid down clumsily and threw the covers over her. Even before the sheets had settled, her vision had grown dark and her consciousness had faded.

*     *     *

Morning came and KT awoke without the slightest sense of grogginess. The same couldn’t be said for Kai. It took all of her effort to get him up and he seemed less than happy about it.

“Just kill me. I’m not a religious man but if I was I’d be cursing the bastards name,” he muttered as they made their way to the hall. The smell of roasted meat filled the air and went some way to perking him back up. KT didn’t bother to point out that he only had himself to blame. 

Inside the hall was already packed. Spirits seemed even higher today at the prospect of taking the battle to Annis. KT wished that she felt the same. Déaþscúa had a plan but in her limited experience with him his plans were never subtle. It was as though he sometimes forgot that others couldn’t instantly heal and fight toe-to-toe with anything. 

A moment of looking showed that Déaþscúa was already sat at one of the tables. Elizabeth sat at one side of him, picking at the meat on her plate with a look that said porridge would have been much more preferable. At his other side was Friseal who spoke enthusiastically with Déaþscúa, his arms swinging around expressively. Two seats were empty next to Elizabeth.

Kai collapsed into the seat closest to Elizabeth with enough clarity of mind to put himself between KT and the woman. KT sat beside him and pulled some food over to herself. She was amazed when Kai didn’t begin to tear into the meat. He slouched with his head on the table groaning faintly and wincing every time a MacFeelan raised their voice.

Elizabeth frowned then reached into her belt pouch. She pulled out a smaller glass filled with black liquid.

“Seeing you last night I assumed that you might want this,” she said, offering the vial to Kai. “It will help clear your system of toxins.”

Kai grabbed it and threw the liquid down his throat without a second thought. His face instantly turned bright red as he began to gag. His body shook and he slammed his head into the table repeatedly. 

“Jesus Christ! What the hell was in that? My tastebuds actually want to throw up!”

Elizabeth smiled sweetly at him. “Well, your raised voice and vigorous movements would suggest that it had the desired effect, yes? Remember that taste, it might make you reconsider drinking so much next time.”

There was a loud clang of metal. Niall had stood up at the head of his table. Every face turned to him.

“Brothers, sisters, cousins and friends! Today will be a grand day. Nae longer will we sit back te fight the dregs that Annis throws at us. Today we take the fight right te her!” Niall shouted. There was a cheer from all of the MacFeelans. “It has been our duty to keep Fel-Achoir clear of life since our forebearer, Ciaran MacFeelan, cursed our ancestral home in his quest fer power. Dark magic hangs over those ancient stones that Annis wishes te tap inte. We willnae let her succeed.”

“We’ll draw out Annis’ forces for a pitched battle while Déaþscúa and his wee helpers seek out the black witch herself. Lizzy will be with us, adding her magic te our own. With her help this will be less of a battle than pest control. So eat well and drink yer fills.”

Over the course of the speech, Kai had seemed to recover most of his appetite. He turned to Elizabeth with a mouthful of beef. “They seem to respect you a lot for a thin woman who makes potions. You really that strong with magic?”

“The strongest in this room,” she said proudly. “Although that isn’t saying much. I was a councilor in the English Moot until I left over a… difference of opinion.”

KT leaned over. “What, even stronger than Déaþscúa?” 

Elizabeth glanced over at Déaþscúa with a frown. “On a technical level, yes. Magic is like an energy that our bodies create. If you exercise heavily your body will run out of energy until it is replenished. Unlike energy though, some people naturally have larger or smaller reserves of it. As a witch I have a larger well of power to draw upon than anyone here. Déaþscúa, well, he doesn’t exactly have a well of power. His entire body is more like a conduit for it. He cannot draw upon a lot of power but he cannot burn himself out either. That is why he can push himself further than most of us would dare to go.”

KT considered this as she chewed on her food. “So that is why Annis is so powerful then? She draws upon other people’s strength as well as her own.”

“Correct.” Elizabeth said. “It is a sacrilegious practice in our society. Annis uses the lives of others to fuel her power rather than her own reserves so can use exponentially more than a regular witch. It also means that if she does not steal other’s powers she cannot use her magic. As such, she just needs to be worn down and starved of victims to be defeated.”

Déaþscúa cut in here. “But believe me, that is easier said than done. Especially when she is currently drawing power from a failed doomsday weapon. So, on that cheery note, finish up your meals. We’ll be setting off within the hour.”

Previous – Chapter 10.

Next – Chapter 12.

It wasn’t long before they left the main roads and delved into the forest paths that crisscrossed the land in every direction. It had started to snow again but the SUV’s heating pumped warm air through the vehicle, leaving its innards cosy in contrast to the icy world beyond the windows.

“Do you think that Dad and the others will be in this fort?” Kai asked. Until that point they had all been seated in silence, everyone gazing absently outside.

“I believe so,” Déaþscúa answered. “Forces connected with Annis captured the fort and attacked your aunt’s lodge within days of each other. If she’s using it as a base then it would make sense to take her captives there. Even if they aren’t, hopefully we can find some clues as to where they actually are.”

Kai snorted. “So all we have to do is fight through a horde of monsters and break inside of an ancient fort to maybe find a clue?”

“Essentially yes. Don’t worry, I do this kind of thing all the time. It only sometimes goes terribly wrong.”

“Yeah!” added Jearl “Like that time you fell into that trap and all the mercenaries you were with were ripped to shreds by zombies. You made it out by the skin of your teeth on that one. Or that time in Russia with the werebear that was in a vodka induced rage. Or-”

“They get the point, Jearl,” Déaþscúa cut in when he noticed KT and Kai’s faces growing pale. “We wouldn’t want to worry them too much.”

“Course, boss. Sorry, boss.” Jearl turned to the backseat, completely taking his eyes off of the twisting path. “Don’t you worry. Déaþscúa here hasn’t let anyone die in at least four months. I suppose he hasn’t actually interacted with anyone in about that time but my point still stands.”

“Jearl, sometimes I want to punch you. I think you became my driver so I cannot indulge in that want without you crashing and killing us all in a huge fireball of death. You’re a cunning man.”

“Cheers,” Jearl said brightly, focussing in on the complement alone. “I pride myself on me brains. I went to Eton after all.”

“Being hired as pest control does not count as an Eton education.”

“I like to think of it as a crash course in douchebaggery.”

“Touché.”

The SUV descended back into silence as the drive continued. Snow was building up outside, the wind stirring the flakes into the start of a blizzard. The sky was dark but the headlights illuminated the snow, turning the world into a ghostly visage. Jearl handled the icy roads with a skill that his bedraggled appearance would never suggest.

“The MacFeelans’ camp is just ahead,” Déaþscúa said after a while. “You’re about to meet some of the strongest folk in all of Scotland. They’re legends in our circles. Or used to be, anyway.”

The trees grew sparser until they entered into a clearing. A circle of log spikes were stuck in the ground at an angle, pointing outwards like old fashioned fortifications. Sandbags and corrugated metal sheets formed a basic wall just behind them. Jearl slowed the car and entered through the single gap into a clustered group of wood and stone huts. A lone sentry tower stood at the camp’s centre which Jearl parked beside.

Men started to emerge from the huts. They were giants with powerful muscles, flaming ginger hair, and kilts. Oversized weapons hung from their backs ranging from double-bladed axes, hammers and claymores. They looked like every picture of a stereotypical Scottish warrior that KT had ever seen before. 

Déaþscúa stepped out from the car to greet them and was instantly taken into the arms of the lead warrior in a crushing bear-hug. He wore his hair and beard in intricate braids and the claymore across his back made even Déaþscúa’s blade look puny.

“Déaþscúa! ‘Tis good te see ye. Ye has nae aged a flamin’ day. Ye come te partake in the skull crackin’?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world and you know it, Niall,” Déaþscúa laughed as he returned the larger man’s greeting. “How’re you holding up?”

Niall beamed down at Déaþscúa. “Things are just gettin’ interestin’. There’s plenty o’ killin’ te be done each day. Annis took the fort and is gatherin’ forces there. We’d launch a full attack but she’s been assailing us each night. We’ve missed this kind of battle. Come, join us fe a few mugs of ale and we’ll fill ye in.”

Déaþscúa nodded then knocked on the SUV’s window. KT and Kai climbed out and became the centre of attention among the group. The MacFeelans crowded around them, talking amongst themselves in low voices, their accents so thick that even the words that the teens heard were unintelligible.

“MacFeelans, these are KT and Kai. They’re searching for family members taken by Annis. KT and Kai, these are the legendary MacFeelan clan. We have the head of the family, Niall and his five brothers Friseal, Garbhan, Sèitheach, Maon and Ailean. Let’s not forget Niall’s wife, Maridia either. There are a good number of cousins too but I’ll not overload you with names.”

One of the men, Friseal, stepped closer to KT and reached out a hand. His hair was more blond than the others. She flinched back and Kai stepped between them. Friseal lowered his arm but continued to stare at her.

“Is she o’ the pure blood?” he asked in a slow voice.

Déaþscúa smiled at him and patted the man’s broad shoulder. “You don’t want to go after her, Friseal. She’d as soon castrate you as kiss you. She has too much fight in her to settle down now.”

“Sounds perfect. Wife need te be strong to keep thick headed man alive and raise strong bairns.”

Niall stepped up to his brother and led him away. “Donae ye worry, Fri. We’ll go te the city after all this is over and we’ll find ye a good strong lass.” His other brothers gathered around Friseal and took him inside the largest of the huts. Niall turned back to the teens and offered his hand to them both.

“Sorry aboot young Friseal. He was bashed in the head by a troll as a toddler. Great fighter but hasnae got the wits of a grown man. He means well though.”

They entered into a large hut beside the watch tower and were hit by a wall of sound. The building was packed with Scottish warriors, both male and female, all drinking heavily. Laughter and raised voices flooded the space. Niall led them to a gap on the longest of the tables and no sooner had they all seated themselves than frothing mugs were placed before them. Niall and Déaþscúa drank deeply before slamming the mugs down. Kai took a mouthful and nearly choked. Just the smell of it was making KT’s head feel light. Kai braced himself and continued to drink. He hated to look like the drink was too strong when the others were chugging it down like water. KT relented too and tried a few sips.

Niall grinned at them both, seemingly enjoying their attempts at stomaching the ale. “That’s the spirit! We don’t bother wi’ any o’ that piss they sell in the shops. This is alcohol as nature intended.”

“Brag about your brewing skills some other time.” Déaþscúa told him lightly. “Catch me up on events first.”

Niall nodded and turned his attention back to the man. “We’ve been attacked nightly fer almost a week now. It isnae nothin’ we cannae handle but it’s wearin’ at our supplies and keeping’ us tied doown.”

“And you’re sure it’s Annis? Gathering an army was never her style.”

“Aye. We took some o’ the buggers captive and they said it was the blue skinned witch. She hasnae been hidin’ the fact. I think she wants us to ken she’s here. I just donae ken why. I fear she is tryin’ te use the curse somehow.”

“You’re right,” said Déaþscúa in a grim tone. “She’s trying to get a lot of power fast. I think she has something big planned.”

KT looked between the two men and the darkening sky outside the window. “What time do the attacks usually happen?”

“Any time now,” Niall shrugged.

“Should you all really be drinking if we’re on the edge of an attack?” Kai spluttered. 

Niall clapped him hard across the back. “O’ course we should. It fires up the blood and numbs us te any pain we may suffer.”

A horn sounded nearby, its deep note cutting through the room’s banter like a knife. Every mug in the building was drained then slammed down as the warriors stood.

“Speak o’ the devils,” Niall said as he drew his sword. “Lads and lasses, get te ye battlelines! Show these wee scunners the might of the MacFeelans!” The warriors cheered as they piled out of the hut in a rush of kilts, orange hair and steel.

“Déaþscúa, we have a breech at the south o’ the camp we havenae patched yet. Take ye apprentices and keep it clear.”

“Will do, so long as you help me,” Déaþscúa answered with a sly grin. 

“Yer a tough man te deal with, Déaþscúa. A fair man too though. Ye have me word. Now git oot there and spill some blood.”

They stepped out of the building, Niall rushing to join his brothers while Déaþscúa motioned for KT and Kai to follow him south. The air was thick with snow, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. KT’s breath misted in her face, decreasing her vision yet further. Her eyes scanned the shadows but couldn’t make out any details. 

“Ready your pistols,” Déaþscúa ordered them as they took their position among a gaping hole in the wall littered with broken wood. “You won’t have the vision to utilise longer ranged weapons and against goblins you don’t want to waste your heavier guns. Individually they’re weak but don’t let them gang up on you. If I tell you to shoot something, combine your fire and take it down. Stay together no matter what.”

KT held a single pistol in hands that she tried to stop from shaking. She peered through the darkness, flinching at every movement. She had seen what the goblins were capable of. She looked over at Kai. He too stood stiff with his larger pistol in a double grip.

“Here they come,” Déaþscúa said softly.

KT looked but couldn’t see anything. Then black shadows leapt from the snow veil and materialised into snarling gray creatures who ran with a loping gait on all fours. Déaþscúa shot. He was using his old revolver. A goblin crashed into the snow missing half of its face. KT fired and missed where she was aiming but clipped the beast behind in the knee. It fell and was trampled by those that followed. There were so many of them. 

All three of them had opened fire now, bullets slamming into flesh in a barrage of thunderous death. KT’s pistol clicked weakly. It was out of ammo. The goblins were close now. She fumbled with her second pistol, dropping the first in the process. Kai was reloading, his face set in a snarl to match any of the goblins.

The next thing KT knew she was on her back in a silent world. Pain flared through her then sound returned to her in a tidal wave of pure noise. She rolled over to see a new hole in the wall. Fire burned everywhere. She blinked. Were there men emerging from the smoke? Men with guns and a rocket launcher?

She scrambled away as the rocket launcher fired again, blowing up one of the huts in an explosion of dagger-like splinters. The goblins used this distraction to swarm the defenders. KT could see the MacFeelans taking what cover there was to exchange fire with the men while trying to hold back the goblins. They had hunting rifles to complement their brutish melee weapons and used them with deadly expertise. Glowing lights flashed bright through the night as magic joined the blades and bullets.

The ground was churned up around her in sprays of dirt as bullets flew. Kai charged at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind the closest hut. He holstered the pistol and drew the shotgun. There was a fire in his eyes that KT hadn’t seen for a long time. All of his fear, nerves and anger were just fuel to him now. It was as though he belonged here.

He dashed out into the open. KT cursed but followed him without hesitation. The mini-launcher was in her hands and her eyes were searching out the men in the snow. She hammered the trigger and explosions blazed a trail of destruction. Bullets slammed all around her. She dove behind a pile of debris an instant before it was pitted by dozens of singed holes. She raised the weapon and continued to fire, rolling from her cover to get a better shot at the men on her other side. She could see Kai still running through the snow and smoke. The men were more occupied by her and the hellfire she was raining upon them. 

A strange exhilaration coursed through her. She felt sickened by the blood and death, but deeper down a different sickness was filling her. A sickness that she was enjoying it. Her heart pounded and adrenaline flooded her system in a way that she had never experienced before that night at the lodge. She could die at any second but at this very moment she was gloriously alive.

Something slammed into her shoulder and threw off her aim. A group of goblins flew through the air where her rocket exploded. Another impact stabbed into her calf, jolting her leg back, then more pain jolted through her chest. She hit the ground with no breath in her lungs. She struggled to gain a gasp of air but little more than a thin wheeze made it through. 

From where she lay she could see Kai close with the gunmen. With KT down they now turned their attention back to him. The first swung his gun around to face Kai but was too late to react as the teen slammed his gun’s butt into the man’s face. He stumbled to the side then sprinted at the rocketeer. The man panicked and fired. Kai skidded below the projectile, sliding through the snow between the man’s legs where he lifted the shotgun and fired. The man collapsed, dropping the launcher with a hellish scream. 

Kai pushed himself to his feet only for a spray of bullets to mow him down. Before KT even registered what she had seen, goblins began to jump onto him, engulfing him in a writhing pile of beasts. KT roared a guttural cry and scrambled towards her brother, taking shaky potshots at the creatures with her remaining pistol. She half rammed, half fell into the goblin swarm, swinging the double-sword from her back clumsily to hack at anything that threatened Kai.

He was still breathing. His shotgun was clenched in his arms tightly. KT collapsed beside him as he blasted a goblin that tried to lunge at her with a crude knife. He passed her his axe then clubbed another goblin away with the butt of his gun. KT took it and swung in wide arcs to keep the creatures away.

Then Déaþscúa was there, his sword drawn and glowing in the silvery moonlight and amber flames. His movements were a constant blur; his every swing brought death in arcs of crimson. One attack became another then another in a constant fatal dance, limbs flying away and blood soaking the snowflakes mid descent. Men and goblins fell to his blade with equal ease. His eyes showed no hint of emotion. They shone with the same chaotic light as his sword.

There was a series of battle-cries and the MacFeelans ran at the breaking enemies, their voices howling and their steel flashing. They fired a final round from their rifles then slung them aside, barrelling into the enemy ranks like missiles. The goblins and remaining men shattered before their might, hammers and blades reducing them to slithers of flesh and crushed bone. 

Hands grabbed KT’s shoulders and her blurry eyes flickered to look into Déaþscúa’s face. Blue light bathed her skin while warmth pooled through her cold limbs but the world was still growing dark.

*     *     *

KT’s eyes shot open and she lurched to sit up. Pain tore through her body. She looked around with jittery eyes. She remembered being shot. Remembered Kai falling…

“Kai!” she called out frantically. She turned her head and saw him lying in a bed beside her. They were in a long wooden room filled with beds, several of which were occupied by ginger haired men and a few women and even children. A single women stood in the room. She was tall with curly ginger hair and freckles and looked to be only a few years older than KT.

“Hush, child,” she said softly to KT. “He’s as well as anyone has a right te be. That coat of his protected him from the worst o’ the damage. Ye took more of a beating than he.”

It was then that KT finally took note of the numbness in her left leg. She slid the cover that was draped over her away and looked down to a small frayed patch of her jeans. There was no hole. She checked her shoulder and chest too. The crop-top showed no sign of damage while her jacket bore little more than a faded circle. 

“H-how?” she gasped. No clothing could be that strong.

“Ye had ye a good tailor. Ye’d ha been dead withoot them fancy threads. All the fighting folk have similar. Bullets are nae so good against them but a good blade’ll still do the trick. Cuts an’ bruises are yer lot for the time.”

KT groaned, stretched out tentatively, then forced herself out of the bed. A fire burned nearby that filled the room with warmth. She double checked on Kai and was relieved to find the woman’s words to be true. Glancing over the room’s other occupants she could see that nobody looked to be badly hurt. 

“Was anybody…”

The woman shook her head. “Luckily nae. A few came close but the lady luck was with us. Some will nae be walkin’ for a good while all the same.”

“Where’s Déaþscúa?”

“The hunter meets with the family council. Ye’ll find them in the hut flying the bear banner. Ye had an invite should ye be up in time.”

KT left the building and stepped out into the predawn twilight. Only a few hours must have passed since the battle. The fires had all been doused but wood was strewn everywhere and great gouges of earth were missing. Goblin bodies lay everywhere. The inhabitants of the camp were already dotted around, gathering the bodies into a pile and rebuilding the defences.

Finding the right hut was easy as the banner was visible from anywhere in the camp. She knocked and the door instantly opened. She stepped in and several men and women sat around a circular wooden table. She recognised Déaþscúa, Niall and a few other MacFeelans but there were many new faces. The one that drew her attention was a powerful looking grey haired man who was seated beside Niall. Déaþscúa nodded to her and she moved to lean against the wall to his side.

It was Niall who was speaking. “What ye are askin’ is damn near suicide. We cannae storm the place as things stand. We’re bein’ worn thin.”

“Keeping that fort free of evil is your family’s ancient task. Would you wait out here as more forces gather there, suffering attack after attack until you truly are worn too thin to strike back?” Déaþscúa stated blandly. “The longer we wait then the harder the fight will be.”

“He’s right,” put in the older man. His voice was deep and coarse but he spoke with a slow certainty. “It is our task te cleanse the taint upon those stones and te keep the land safe of its corruption. Our task, our responsibility, our punishment. If we can kill the witch Annis in the process then it is a job well done.”

“Athair, we do nae have the forces te take the offensive. We cannae remove the taint yet so we risk everythin’ for nae lastin’ effect,” Niall countered. “Our current job is te keep threats contained. We can kill more by staying here than attacking their stronghold. With Annis in charge we cannae ken what traps will be waitin’ for us.”

The grey haired man ran a gnarled but powerful hand through his thick beard. His eyes stared intently into Niall’s. They were not angry but almost sad.

“We have waited fer te long already. How many years has our family defended this place? Fer countless generations we have sat here with the intention of rightin’ the wrongs of Ciaran MacFeelan. Where has that got us? We still have nae idea how to stop it. I fear we have grown complacent over the years. Maybe a bit of risk will git our arses in gear te finally fix things.”

Maridia placed a hand on Niall’s arm. “I ken better than most how heavily this burden has weighed on ye. Ye try to balance MacFeelan honour wi’ MacFeelan lives. MacFeelan ancestors wi’ MacFeelan descendants. We’re fading. I ken ye ken this. It is nae in our blood te be conservative. Every last one of us stands behind ye whatever ye decide.”

Niall’s eyes softened as he stared into his wife’s face. He nodded then cocked his head back and laughed. “Ye could convince the most stubborn of bastards te yer cause, Déaþscúa. I always wonder if persuasion is one of yer many abilities.”

The old man raised his hand before Déaþscúa could respond. “I approached Déaþscúa with this plan. It has plagued my thoughts these past few years. I am old and have achieved nothin’. If I am te die, it will be in a blaze of glory in the heart of battle like me forefathers before me.”

“Aye!” Friseal exclaimed enthusiastically. “We act like rocks in a river standing against the water’s flow when we should be the rocks o’ an avalanche rushin’ te crush our foes beneath our might.” There was a few cheers at that statement. 

Niall looked around at the faces of his family. He nodded slowly. “I will nae be known as a coward or have it be said that the MacFeelans were held back under my leadership. Déaþscúa, ye will have yer way. We will live upte the MacFeelan legend and fight until the fort is free or we all lay dead on its floor!”

This time the cheer was deafening. Mugs and weapons were raised in excited celebration. KT had never seen anyone so overjoyed with the prospect of dying. Bloody crazy, the lot of them, she thought to herself. She’d be happy if she never had to fight again in her life. 

It was during that thought that Déaþscúa turned to her. “Are you in?”

“Always,” she answered instantly. She laughed bitterly at herself within the confines of her own head. She wanted to save her family but had seen enough blood to last a lifetime. She was sure that Déaþscúa could free them without her help, probably easier, but something about the man made it impossible to say no to. Niall was right, persuasion came as naturally as breathing to Déaþscúa.

But then, maybe there was something more than that. Ever since her confrontation with Christie she had felt different. Back there she had suffered true helplessness and it was something she never wanted to experience again. The thought of it made her sick. She couldn’t rely on Déaþscúa always being there to save her and those she loved. She wanted to be strong so that maybe, just maybe, she could make a difference in the world.

“The fort’s main door is sturdy. Swords and axes will have a hard time gettin’ through,” Niall told them, bringing KT’s attention back to the here and now.

“Don’t you worry about the front door. Me and the runts will deal with that. I have other plans for you wonderful people.” Déaþscúa said jovially.

“Oh aye. And how do ye plan to get in that way, pray tell?”

Déaþscúa splayed his hands and shrugged. “Approach the door and knock politely. How else?”

A feral grin spread across Niall’s face. It was mirrored by many of the other MacFeelans. “Ye crazy bastard are gonna give us a show. I’ve missed fighting beside ye.”

The crazed smile found its way to Déaþscúa’s face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Previous – Chapter 9.

Next – Chapter 11.

Gunshots created a rhythm that rattled through the rainslick trees of a dense jungle. This was punctured with a bassline of monstrous screeches and cracking chitin. It was music to the ears. At least, music for the slightly unhinged type of people who spent a lot of time detached from reality.

Row after row of chitinous horrors the size of bears scrambled forward with mandibles gnashing. Scythe-like claws sliced through the foliage and stingers glinted in the sun. Opposite the horde stood two dozen men and women, their guns cutting down the insects as quickly as they moved forward.

“I wish we were getting PPK for this,” said a young woman at the front of the group. She threw a grenade into the chittering mass and reloaded her machinegun as the ensuing explosion splashed blood and chitin fragments across the trees.

“No kidding,” responded the man beside her. “I could retire on a pay per kill contract of this size.”

“Who’re you kidding? You have no intention of retiring. What would you do with yourself without my company?”

“Sure, peace is overrated, but being knee deep in acidic viscera is hardly my idea of a good time. Maybe I’d start an agency where I can send young idiots off to do the hard work while I reap the awards.”

The woman laughed. Only the smallest fragment of her mind was focused on the conversation though. Several tallies ran through her head, counting down her own bullets, and those of the soldiers around her, with every flash of a gun muzzle. The number of visible terropods occupied another section, as did the distance between them and her team. Then there was the constant knowledge that, less than a mile beyond them, was a defenceless town just waiting to be overwhelmed by the ever-hungry insectoids.

“Birdy, Six, maintain current rate of fire. Esten, you’re on support. The rest of you, initiate melee in three, two, one!”

The majority of the gunfire fell silent in unison. The woman slung her gun onto her back then grabbed a staff that had been stabbed into the earth beside her. She counted to two then swung. The staff connected with an armoured head then flowed in a smooth arc to intercept an incoming attack. All around her, metal met chitin in a vicious clash.

“DD, you in position?” she said into her headset as she ducked beneath a wide swipe.

There was a crackle of static in her ear. “You bet. Target in sight.”

“Good. Tanto, is your squad ready?”

“Hell yeah we are,” answered a woman’s voice. 

“Okay. DD, take the shot. Tanto, give ‘em hell.”

A single shot rang out louder than the others. Seconds passed then a ripple ran through the terropods, slowing their relentless assault. Then a fresh peal of machine gun fire sounded off from behind the creatures.

The woman smiled and pressed her attack. Terropods were a hivemind controlled by a queen. The queen never fought near the front, but for a sniper, that was hardly an issue. Take out their leader and the rest lost their purpose and organisation. Throw in a sudden flanking attack and the battle was as good as won.

“Hey Glory, you about done?” asked a new voice in her ear. She batted away a stinger before replying.

“More or less. What’s up? Bit late to try and make yourself useful now, Ace.”

“Jungles are not the best environment for large helicopters. The local government weren’t too happy with your original plan of napalming a mile wide area of rainforest either. I think that I worked hard offering you guys moral support. But anyway, a call came for you during the battle. It’s something you should probably take a look at.”

Glory scanned the battlefield, her eyes darting through the carnage. “Sure. I’m done here. Six, take over for me. Finish things up quick.”

Her staff flashed an angry red colour and started to make a low whining noise. She stuck her tongue out at it. “Quit your moaning. You’ve had your fun. Surely you want something more challenging than squashing bugs?”

The staff beeped forlornly but the glow faded. It constricted in on itself until it was a quarter of its full size. The woman slid it into a strap on her back then disengaged from the combat and jogged through the thick undergrowth. Up ahead was a large helicopter that sat between the site of the battle and the town as a last wall of defence. A short man with boyish looks stepped out to meet her.

“Ace, how are the sensors?”

“All clear. No more terropods detected.”

“Looks like it’s a job well done then. What’s the message?”

Ace led her into the helicopter. It was a beast of a machine, big enough to carry two squads of soldiers and their equipment. Glory lounged across the co-pilot’s seat while Ace sat at the controls.

“The call was from the English Moot. They have a job for us.”

Glory frowned. “The English Moot? It’s not like them to come to us. They have their own army. Why hire mercenaries unless the job is not strictly legal?”

“Oh, it gets better. You see, they want us to hunt down a bounty. We’re talking crack covered hooker sort of money too.”

“Yet you don’t sound happy about it.”

“Ace started to chew thoughtfully on a pen. “No. The job is for us to hunt down and execute the man known as Déaþscúa.”

“Déaþscúa? I didn’t even know he was back in the UK. Last I heard he had wandered off into the Himalayas. Well fuck me. Are they crazy?”

“It seems he killed one of the prophesied ones. News is spreading fast. Moots around the globe are in a panic.”

Glory closed her eyes. A thousand calculations sped across her brain. She didn’t like any of the answers that she was reaching.

“I don’t like this. If Déaþscúa has done something so reckless then he must be on the warpath. He’ll be expecting repercussions and won’t go down without a fight.”

“You want to skip the job then? There’s a cushy job taking out some rogue mages in China we could do.”

Glory shook her head. “Bollocks to that. We need to get back to England and see what’s going down. I know Déaþscúa and I know the people he’ll rely on. He is dangerous. On the other hand though, I know the English Moot too. There are more cloak and dagger politics going on behind closed doors than I’m comfortable with. I don’t trust them. I need to know which way the wind is blowing.”

Ace nodded. “Understood. We’ll hit the skies as soon as we finish up here.” He paused uncertainly. “Glory, I sure hope we don’t have to fight Déaþscúa. He scares the shit outta me.”

“So he should. Let’s just pray to whichever gods might give a shit that it won’t come to that.”

Previous – Chapter 8.

Next – Chapter 10.

It was Déaþscúa who woke them. Darkness clung to the windows outside but the fire still burned with a steady flame that the man prodded with a chair leg. KT felt completely drained and Kai looked no better. Both were pale and moved with a lethargic stiffness. Déaþscúa wasn’t very sympathetic.

“Come on,” he urged them. “We have work to do. You’re involved now despite my wishes so you’d better pull your own weight.”

Kai pulled himself up then stood face to face with the older man. “We want answers before anything. All of this is just too convenient. We just happen to walk into one shop owned by a mythological cannibal and before we’re killed you swoop in and save us. For all that I know, this could all be a setup. You’ve already betrayed us once by leaving us with that witch.”

Déaþscúa threw the chair leg into the fire with a sigh. “I don’t understand people sometimes. You hunt me down against my will, and your better judgement, then complain and question everything I do. Either follow me and trust in my decisions or leave me be. You can’t have it both ways. If you’re to be near me, your only chance of survival is to place all of your trust on my shoulders. Even that may not be enough but it’s too late now. Annis has eyes everywhere. You’ve made yourselves prime targets.”

KT looked to Kai. She trusted Déaþscúa in a strange way but Kai had always been cautious of the man. She couldn’t even explain why she had such faith in him. She supposed that he was like an anchor throughout these turbulent events, an unmoving pillar that prevented them from being washed away in the tide of chaos that they had witnessed. On the other hand, maybe the unquestioning trust came from some kind of magic. How could she know? All she knew for sure was that they were in a dangerous position and he was the only thing that stood between them and death. The butcher had taught her that much.

Kai clenched his fists. His eyes were closed. KT thought that he was going to lash out. He had always had a bad temper. That was why he had put so much effort into crafting his laidback persona. He lowered his head. “I want to be stronger. These past few days have shown me that I can’t even protect myself, let alone my family. I…I need your help to train me. You have my word.”

“Mine too,” added KT. “I’ve seen the things that you fight against now. I’ve seen the pain and fear they cause. I want to fight them too. If I can stop one monster from killing then that has to be worth something.”

The man nodded. “Good. The SUV is out front. I’ll fill you in on the road.” 

KT held out his coat for him to take back but Déaþscúa motioned for her to keep it. “You need it more than me at the moment. Now go to the SUV. I just want to check something before I leave. Don’t worry, this isn’t another trick. Jearl isn’t waiting out there with a tranquilizer gun.”

Reluctantly, KT followed her brother. They left the hellish butchers and were greeted by Jearl. He gave both teens thermal flasks filled with hot chocolate then hopped into the imposing vehicle’s driver seat. 

*     *     *

Déaþscúa watched them from the window. As soon as they were safely seated in the back of the car he turned back with a face of stone. He looked over the room then wandered through the house. All of the cupboard doors and desk drawers in each room opened as he entered. The room where KT had fallen had an old phone on a table. He pressed the button for voicemails and a smooth female voice started to speak.

“Christie, Déaþscúa is back in Scotland. I have to act fast. I am close to gaining the powers that I need. I require your contacts. Gather up any useful pawns and send them to the village. I am heading to the old MacFeelan fort to draw upon the curse. Join me once I return. The final pieces are soon to be in place. Oh, and Christie, delete this message. I know I have been gone for a long time but you will hear my voice in person soon enough. I don’t want to find any more shrines this time either.”

The message ended. Beside the phone was a dogeared picture of Annis. Déaþscúa could almost have felt sympathy for the man had he not been a homicidal psychopath. His eyes lingered on the picture for a moment before he turned it over. It looked as though Christie had written a poem across the back but the writing was too bad to even try to read. 

He continued through the house. In what looked to be a seedy living room he found a cabinet filled with spirits. They rose up and floated around him before drifting away in different directions. Several seconds later there was a series of crashing sounds throughout the house followed by the shattering of glass. He thumbed his lighter and a tiny flame sparked to life. He knelt down and held it to the carpet.

“You deserved a lot worse, Christy. I hope your soul burns longer than your body will.”

Déaþscúa emerged from the shop and climbed straight into the passenger seat. He nodded to Jearl who immediately started up the engine and pulled away. In the rearview mirror the sky was already darkening with smoke. 

Déaþscúa cast aside his own dark clouds and tried to put on a friendly face as he answered Kai’s previous questions. “Despite what you think, my finding you was as close to a coincidence as fate would allow. I’d only just learned that Christie was back in Glasgow and thought that I’d pay him a visit to see if he had any information on his former lover. When I entered his shop I could feel your auras, which was a shock since I thought you were still under Elizabeth’s care. The strongest aura was Christie’s so I followed that. That was also how I found you in the freezer.”

“Did you find out anything about Annis? About where our dad is?” asked KT.

“I always find what I need,” Déaþscúa smiled. “It seems that some old friends of mine have either just been attacked by Annis or are going to be soon. We’ll be heading up there as soon as I’m confident that you two won’t die the second I blink. For that to be the case you’ll need protection and weapons.”

“Are you sure you want to visit Delonne, Guv?” piped in Jearl. “He ain’t exactly friendly and you know how he is with you and the Grand Moot.”

Déaþscúa shrugged. “I have money so he’ll accept. It just means that I’ll have to listen to his constant preaching.” He opened up the glove compartment and took out a leather-bound book which he threw into the back. “Here, read this. It’s a good drive so you may as well learn what you can in that time.”

KT opened the book to see that it was a series of handwritten notes outlining threats that they were likely to encounter and how best to overcome them. The way that it was written led her to believe that Déaþscúa had written them as a manual, a prima into the dangers of his world. The pages were slightly faded, giving it an aged look. Clearly he had written it a while ago for someone else’s use. She held it between herself and Kai, allowing them both to read as the car barrelled east out of the city.

*     *     *

They drove through the early morning, rushing to meet the rising sun as it arced through the cloud laden sky. The SUV thundered across a motorway, the different signs indicating that they were heading straight to the capital city of Edinburgh. It didn’t seem long since they had left behind the suburbs of Glasgow when they entered into those of Edinburgh.

Jearl slowed to a less erratic pace as they entered the city and the traffic increased. KT closed the book to instead admire the architecture of the buildings around them. Déaþscúa seemed impatient to be wherever it was that he wanted to be. He signalled for Jearl to pull over and let them out.

“We’ll walk from here. Pick us up from Delonne’s at five.”

“Aye aye, boss,” the scruffy man saluted. 

They left the car and Déaþscúa led them through the clusters of stone structures for another ten minutes until he stopped outside of a tailor’s shop. He entered and strode straight to the counter. It was a small store with clothes and materials hanging from every wall. Spools of thread, measuring tapes and scissors littered the room yet everything felt orderly and carefully arranged. 

The man behind the counter was a black haired man in his middle years. He was dressed in a well cut suit and didn’t have a hair out of place or a single wrinkle in his clothing. His face was pinched and dark skinned. As his eyes fell upon Déaþscúa, a look soured his features as though he had just tasted something foul.

“Déaþscúa. What do you want?” The man said bluntly. He spoke in a cold, well educated voice that held almost no hint of an accent. His eyes flickered over KT and Kai, causing his sour expression to grow.

“Well Delonne, you own a tailors. I’m certainly not here for your company so take a guess.”

Delonne frowned. “You know my clothes don’t hold a candle te Zehra’s. I can offer you nothing near the quality of what you’re wearing now.”

“It’s not for me. It’s for them.”

The tailor shook his head firmly. “No. I will not help you lead more innocent souls te a gruesome death. You’ve done that enough over the years.”

“They have already tangled themselves up in our world and have nearly died repeatedly because of it. They’re going to be in danger whatever I do so I want them to stand the best chance they can. Are you going to help me keep them alive?” Déaþscúa slammed down a bag as he finished. Inside were several wads of twenty pound notes. “That should more than pay for your best.”

Delonne still looked hesitant but finally took the money. “Fine. What do you require?”

“Something that will stop claws and teeth. Lightweight and warm. I’m thinking La’carta spider silk or something similar. Whatever you can manage in the space of seven hours.”

“Seven hours!” spluttered Delonne. “I cannot create two well crafted outfits in only seven hours.”

“Improvise,” Déaþscúa offered dryly. “Take a stock product and change it. Just say you’ll have it done or I’ll take my money back.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll just about manage. Anything te help preserve young lives,” the tailor relented. Déaþscúa turned and left the shop with nothing more than a nod of his head.

Kai followed Déaþscúa straight out. KT paused. “Don’t you need our measurements?”

Delonne gave her a soft smile. “I got your measurements the second that you walked inte my shop. Not every unusual skill has te have a use for battle. Now listen, girl. Déaþscúa might seem a decent man but he is dangerous. Please be careful. I’d hate te see more innocent blood on his hands.”

KT wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She nodded then quickly left the shop to catch up with Déaþscúa and Kai outside. They were taking a brisk walk down the street, moving away from the city centre. The wind had picked up now, driving cold through KT’s torn clothes and filling her bones with a fierce chill until she wrapped Déaþscúa’s coat tighter around her. The clouds above looked brooding, threatening either rain or a fresh torrent of snow.

“Ailia lives nearby,” Déaþscúa told them as they walked. “Hopefully we can get everything sorted and return to Delonne before news reaches him from Glasgow. He won’t be happy when he finds out.”

“Why?” Kai almost spat. “Jearl mentioned this ‘Grand Moot’ thing wouldn’t be happy either. Why the hell is everyone angry at you for taking care of a sadistic cannibal? He was a monster and it’s your job to kill monsters. Where’s the problem?”

“Prophecy,” Déaþscúa said simply. Seeing the twins’ frowning faces he sighed and continued. “The Grand Moot is our equivalent of your government. I won’t bore you with the details but suffice it to say that their word is law. One of the founding Moot members is a near comatose Aevumancer named Protellious Avus. He is known as the Prophet and only regains consciousness to reveal new insights into the future. He predicted that your butcher friend would play a role in the protection of Earth during some kind of apocalyptic event. As such, the Moot gave Christie their protection.”

“So you broke their law?” 

“In a nutshell. They don’t like me very much and now that I’ve potentially destabilised the pattern of the universe they’ll probably be a bit pissed.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s a problem for the future. Ailia is trouble enough for now.”

They walked on through a tangle of streets until they came to a long driveway with a sign above it that depicted a teddy bear wearing a princess dress and another in a camouflage uniform. At the end of the driveway was a small building with dozens of teddies filling every window. ‘Teddy Kingdom’ was printed in large, colourful letters above the door.

“Don’t ask,” Déaþscúa muttered in response to KT and Kai’s questioning looks.

They entered the building and were greeted by hundreds of beady eyes that stared at them from overly cute fluffy faces. Shelves upon shelves of teddy bears lined the walls and seemed to fill every space. Everything was bright and colourful beyond common decency. Asleep in the back corner was a kindly looking old man and at his side, playing with a teddy, was a young blonde haired girl of about twelve. She looked up as they stepped inside and a huge smile split her face.

“Bram!” she shouted as she leapt up and jumped at Déaþscúa, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around him. “You’re back. I thought you might never visit again after you left me waiting for so long but now you’ve visited me twice in one month. Did you miss me? Couldn’t bear to be without me? Eh? Get it. Bear?” 

“Well I certainly didn’t come back for your sense of humour,” Déaþscúa said as he pried the girl from him then placed her firmly back on the ground. He took his phone from his pocket and held it up to her. “What’s this?” he said sternly.

The girl tilted her head to the side as she stared at it. “That’s your phone, silly,” she giggled. He hit a button and ‘Barbie Girl’ was once again blaring from the device. She offered him a mischievous smile. “Your music was boring so I changed it.”

Déaþscúa’s face became stony cold. “Tell me, what part of mind melting guitar solos and pulse racing drum beats are boring?”

“I couldn’t sing along to them.”

“I hate you sometimes,” Déaþscúa sighed.

The girl’s smile widened further. She turned away from him to look at KT and Kai. “You even brought me friends. You’re the greatest, Bram. You’re usually so broody and alone.”

Déaþscúa gave the two teens a long suffering look. “KT, Kai, this is Ailia Vihart. Ailia, this is KT and Kai Redthorn. We’re here to stock up.”

“On what?” Kai murmured under his breath. “Stuffed toys.”

Ailia clicked her fingers. Suddenly the room erupted into movement. Every shelf flipped or turned to be replaced by an identical arrangement but for the replacement of the teddy bears with an army’s worth of guns and weaponry. Kai stared around the room in awe, his mouth open. Even KT couldn’t help but be amazed by the vast array of shining death. There were all manner of guns, some long since outdated while others were modern in appearance and unlike anything they had ever seen before. Swords, axes and other blades were intermingled with the firearms along with shelf after shelf of ammunition. 

“What takes your fancy?” Ailia grinned, giggling at their wonder. 

“Nothing flashy today. A primary and secondary for each and I’ll collect my special order.”

“So no lasers or explosions?” Ailia asked, her smile dropping. Déaþscúa shook his head. “You’re no fun, Bram. Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” She started to crisscross the room checking weapons, all the while humming under her breath. 

Déaþscúa stood fiddling with his phone. KT and Kai wandered the store, taking in the wealth of weapons until KT made her way back to the man. He had put his phone away and was now toying idly with his pistol. 

“Who is that girl? She looks too young to run a gun store.”

Déaþscúa considered his answer carefully. “Ailia is special, I guess you could say. She is an expert on weaponry and is known across the world as a master weaponsmith.”

KT eyed the girl doubtfully. She was the picture of childhood innocence. “Okay. So why does she call you Bram? How many names do you have?”

Déaþscúa opened his mouth but Ailia appeared at their side. Her arms filled with weapons that were stacked up to just below her eye level. The weight would have been more than a fully grown man could have managed. She answered the question for him. “It’s short for Brambles. I had a cat once called Brambles and he was scruffy, bad tempered and got into a lot of fights too.”

“Enough about your pets,” Déaþscúa interrupted. “We need those weapons quickly. The MacFeelans are under attack and need a helping hand quick.”

“I know,” the girl answered. “I got the message a few days back to send them extra weapons. It sounds like there’s been daily skirmishes for almost a week now.” 

She turned to KT, her smile returning at full force. “Here. This is the Wrath Mark II sub-rocket launcher. It has a twelve shot cylinder with each rocket capable of stopping anything in its tracks,” she explained as she handed KT a large gun with twelve small pods circling the central barrel. It was heavy but still managed to be lighter than it appeared. She was then handed two slim pistols and a double-ended sword.

“The pistols are simple lightweight Cobra Renegades with extended magazines while the doublesword is a fast melee weapon with a good range and area of attack. Your body looks like it can handle the flowing movements required to use it effectively. With a bit of practice anyway.”

Ailia skipped away towards Kai, the weight of the weapons not seeming to affect her in the slightest. KT was feeling the strain in her arms already. Déaþscúa threw her a duffle-bag from the corner of the room and she gratefully began to load the weapons into it.

Kai jumped as Ailia sidled up next to him with a sleek shotgun aimed at his chest. She held the gun steadily with one arm while her other hand held an axe. “These are for you. They’re heavy but you look big and strong,” she said with a sly smile. It was only then that Kai realised that she had fangs. He took a hasty step back.

“You’re a monster too.”

“A vampire,” Déaþscúa told him from nearby. “She might look young but she’s actually in her third century of existence. Watch her, she takes a sick pleasure in trying to get people arrested.”

Ailia pouted at Déaþscúa. “You shouldn’t give away a girl’s age, Bram. Even you must know that. And it’s not like I do that just for fun. My body is stuck at this age but my mind is fully developed.”

“No, you do it only for fun. Vampires have no emotions and only take up relationships to amuse themselves.” The girl stuck her tongue out at Déaþscúa before handing Kai the armful of weapons. 

“Here we have a pump action shotgun, a 45mm Magnum and a carbon fibre axe with a silver-alloy cutting edge. Three heavy hitters that are still quick and efficient. There is a firing range downstairs. You two should go and get a feel for your new weapons.”

She took a rifle from the wall then fired it an inch above the head of the sleeping old man. He spluttered awake and looked around blearily. 

“Ah, Déaþscúa. ‘tis good te see ye ag’n,” he said in a thick, drawling accent. 

“Take these two down to the range and show them how to shoot.” Ailia ordered him.

“Aye, Miss Ailia. As ye say,” he answered hurriedly.

Déaþscúa nodded at the teens as they looked to him for consent. After all that had happened, they were reluctant to leave his side, especially to go underground with a stranger. Seeing his assent, they followed the old man into the back. 

*     *     *

Now that they were alone, Ailia motioned for Déaþscúa to join her. She stood before one of the gun cabinets and slid it to one side to reveal the metal door of a safe. She entered a password and fiddled with the dial until the door clicked open. Inside was a single pistol which she reverently removed and placed into Déaþscúa’s hands.

It was a monstrous construct of metal in the design of a revolver. Rather than the single revolving cylinder, this pistol had three. The metal was a shining silver colour while the grip and décor panels were made from dark wood that was a near black in colour. The bullet chambers were long and wide.

Ailia took a deep breath. “Custom 50cal tri-cylinder revolver made from a tungsten super-alloy and African Blackwood. The bullets are armour piercing and the cartridges are filled with multiple rapid detonating charges of ‘lightning powder’ that allow the bullets to easily surpass the speed of sound. The bullets explode on impact and flood the wound with filings from a dozen materials to take down any foe, whatever their weakness. That’s eighteen shots per reload, a single one of which will leave a T-Rex dead before it even hears a sound.”

“The schematics worked then?”

“I had to make a few alterations, but between the ancient designs and your own workings, most of it was up to scratch. The materials were the biggest problem. That gun and its bullets cost a small fortune.”

Déaþscúa fastened a new holster to his hip then slid the pistol into it, slowing only to admire the engraved script down the side of the barrel. “‘Aeternum Nox’. Eternal Night. How poetic of you, Ailia.”

“You’re known as the everlasting darkness,” she said quietly. “And coming from a vampire, that’s quite the title.” Déaþscúa grunted and made his way to join KT and Kai.

He found them in a long, narrow room with multiple rows that led down to targets. They were stood with the old man between them, showing them how to hold the guns properly and how to load them. So far they hadn’t made it past the pistols. Déaþscúa stood at the back and watched as the man directed them how to shoot. They both fired several rounds at the targets, or at least around the targets, then received feedback from the man and were given tips to adjust their technique. KT had the steadier aim on single shots but Kai was able to better manage the recoil when firing multiple rounds back to back.

As they moved onto the bigger weapons, Déaþscúa stepped up to an empty alley and drew his new gun. It was heavy; too heavy for a normal man to use with a single hand. He fired, the recoil thumping up his arm, but it barely moved. Most men would have been left with a numb arm and a good chance of a broken nose from the gun’s buck. He rapidly hammered the trigger three times, the peels of thunder merging together into a single roar. The central circle of the target no longer existed. Neither did the wall behind it.

A louder explosion sounded and he turned to see KT’s target, or what was left of it, in flames. Kai’s target was missing chunks too and a final blast from his shotgun cut it in half. Happy that they wouldn’t somehow shoot themselves, the old man signalled them toward a cluster of straw poles.

The man grinned in Déaþscúa’s direction. “Déaþscúa, why donae ye show them the basics. Ye ken more than I ev’r will aboot blades.”

“You know I’m no teacher, Cathal,” Déaþscúa told the man. It didn’t stop him from approaching the teens and appraising them and their awkwardly held weapons. He tutted under his breath, moving their hands and feet with a series of small nudges. “Loosen your grip. Move your hands further apart. Keep your knees bent. You need to be constantly ready to spring into action while always being relaxed. A split second is all that separates life and death in a fight. You need-”

A screeching siren suddenly blared throughout the building. KT and Kai froze. Déaþscúa showed no sign of worry, merely motioning for the teens to follow him as he moved to the stairs. Ailia and Cathal joined them.

“My sensors have been triggered. Hostile forces are coming down the driveway,” Ailia told them as they mounted the stairs. She took the lead and stood at the front as they gathered together in the centre of the store. Through the windows they could see dozens of men sauntering toward the shop. The door opened and the men entered, each one armed with an automatic rifle. 

“Sorry te barge in on ye but I’m ‘fraid ye have displeased the wrong folk,” announced one of the men. By the way he held himself it was obvious that he was the leader. 

The other men sniggered at this. All of them had their guns levelled at the small group and looked eager for the bloodshed to begin. They were just waiting for the order. 

“You wouldn’t kill a little girl in cold blood would you?” Ailia asked in her most innocent voice.

The men laughed in her face. “We know what ye are, lass. We’re Golman’s new monster huntin’ division, ye see? Gots UV lights on our guns so they’ll be none of yer fancy tricks.” 

Déaþscúa snorted at this. The leader turned to him. “I donae ken who ye be but yer a dead man now.”

“Close your eyes,” Déaþscúa whispered back to KT and Kai. 

*     *     *

KT wanted to listen to him, to close her eyes and block out the world, but she just couldn’t tear her eyes from the situation. She kept expecting to see Déaþscúa leap into action, avoiding the spray of bullets to slaughter the men, but he made no move. He simply stood, his arms at his side, his eyes watching the men carefully.

Ailia stepped forward. “Boys, boys, boys. I’m afraid you’ve brought assault rifles to a finger fight.”

The men looked at her in confusion. She smiled at them and raised her hand. All of the guns jerked in her direction, the men on edge now. Déaþscúa still showed no sign of moving. Ailia clicked her fingers. Every single gun in the shop rose up and swivelled toward the men. Hundreds of barrels stared them down from every direction. The men swung their own guns around erratically, unsure what to shoot at first. Ailia clicked again and hell descended upon the store.

KT saw red. Bullets flew, ripping the thugs to pieces in a heartbeat until every surface of the shop was drenched and dripping with blood. Nothing was left of the men except for a ragged, pulpy mess on the floor where they had stood.

“Such a waste of perfectly good blood,” sighed Ailia. 

KT listened to her vaguely as she threw up. She could hear Kai doing the same beside her. Her clothes and skin were thoroughly splashed with warm gore. 

“Cathal, fetch the mop.”

“Aye, Miss Ailia,” he nodded then rushed off.

Déaþscúa wiped his face clear of blood with an uncaring hand. “Who is this Golman?”

“A mortal who thinks he can carve out a stake in our world. He’s no threat; simply an annoyance. I think I’ll pay him a visit tonight,” Ailia answered with a small, fang filled smile. She licked her lips hungrily, clearing a circle of her face from blood. 

KT had closed her eyes now as every direction she looked in made her want to retch. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see Déaþscúa stood beside her. He took her and Kai’s arms and led them out of the shop. Around the back was a makeshift shower that they stood under as the cold water washed them clean. A few minutes later they stepped out, freezing and soaked, but free of any blood. 

Ailia came out to them, still covered in blood, with the two duffel-bags. “Good luck, all of you. I’ve packed extra ammo for the MacFeelans. I hope you finally catch her this time, Bram.”

“I will.”

They left and headed back toward Delonne’s shop, KT and Kai stumbling along behind under the weight of their new equipment and their wet clothes. Déaþscúa urged them on but their pale faces and shambling walks told him that this was the best speed he was going to get out of them. 

“I told you to close your eyes,” he commented dryly. The looks he received in response were sour at best. 

When they did arrive at Delonne’s tailor shop, the atmosphere had drastically changed since that morning. When they entered, Delonne was red-faced with fury and looked on the verge of throwing them out instantly. He stormed up to Déaþscúa with a pair of scissors gripped in his hands and grabbed his shirt.

“You damn idiot! You may have doomed us all! The Moot contacted me just after you left. You had orders on pain of death not to touch him!” the usually prim man roared at his face, or would have if his head didn’t stop at Déaþscúa’s chest.

Déaþscúa’s voice was low and dangerous. “He was a deranged killer. How many lives has he ruined over the centuries? He was a monster, more so than the beasts I’m usually tasked with killing. He chose to be what he was.”

“That’s not the point! Some sacrifices need to be made! He was key to ensuring the survival of every creature on this planet and you killed him knowing this! How many lives have you ruined? Even if you haven’t just signed this planet’s death sentence, your body count eclipses anything that Christie could have managed. You are the monster.”

Déaþscúa’s mouth rose in a snarl. His words were like razor blades. “He had these two kids in his hands. He was on the verge of killing them. For all your talk of wanting to keep them protected, you’d ask me to let them die? Could you stand there and watch that sick bastard murder a child? Could you? Do your rules and ideals make you feel better about leaving innocents to die?”

Delonne let go of Déaþscúa and took a step back. His eyes flickered to KT and Kai then looked away guiltily. “Sometimes we have to do things that we don’t like for the greater good. You never did understand that though, did you?”

“Do you have the clothes? That’s all I want to hear from you.”

“Yes, I have them. If it was for you I’d have thrown your money back at you,” Delonne almost growled. “Wait here.”

He left and returned a few moments later with two large suit-bags. He handed them over to KT and Kai then directed them to small changing cubicle. KT closed the door behind her and hung the bag up, unzipping it to reveal black cloth. Taking out the individual articles, she laid out a pair of tight looking black jeans with a pattern of skulls and flowers sprawled across the legs in silver thread. Next to that was a plain looking white vest and a dark red leather crop-top with a deep neckline that she eyed sceptically. The last piece in the bag was a black jacket that was form fitting and had several spacious pockets. It too had the silver thread patterns scrolling across it.

As she began to change, she was amazed at how well everything fit. The trousers were tight yet seemed to stretch in all the right places to provide unhindered movement and the crop-top wasn’t too revealing when worn over the vest. She did a few trial stretches and exercises and the freedom of movement was equal to if she were wearing nothing.

She stepped out to find Kai already waiting for her. He had black cargo trousers on with more pockets than he could ever fill. His shirt was also black and bore the yin yang symbol surrounded by strange looking runes. His coat was black leather and ended at the back of his knees. There was a series of straps across each arm and a large collar that led to a cloth hood of the same colour. Across its back was a large skull wrapped in chains. Both he and KT retained their heavy boots.

Delonne nodded approvingly. “Yes, yes. A bit coarse for my usual tastes but I knew that a quality suit would not be appealing for you. They fit wonderfully. 

Déaþscúa threw the weapon straps and holders at the other man. “Fit these onto the clothes. I don’t want them coming loose in combat.”

The tailor looked on the verge of snapping again at Déaþscúa but instead released his breath and set to work on Kai’s clothes. He explained what the clothes were as he worked.

“The fabric in both of your clothes is super lightweight but very durable. Think of it as silk with the properties of Kevlar. They’re all infused with a gel that leaves the fabric impervious to water and they have enough give in them to cope with any movement that the human body is capable of. It won’t save you from life endangering wounds but it will prevent smaller cuts and impacts. Your coat and your top are both leather from a Nemeanling lion and as such is better than most metals for protection.”

“You mean the lion that Hercules killed?” KT asked in wonder.

“Not exactly. Its descendants. The Nemean Lion was a single beast blessed by the gods but its offspring retained many of its powers, the near impenetrable skin being one,” Delonne answered distractedly. He had finished with Kai and now moved onto KT. “But as I was saying, that leather will stop a mortal blow. Miss, you have less of that armour but if you’ve noted that silver thread work, it is a special metal that draws in the energy of any magical attack. That small amount won’t leave you immune to magic but weaker blasts will be defused and more powerful spells at least weakened. There we go. Finished.”

He stepped back and Déaþscúa instantly moved in, passing the teens their weapons. They slid them into place then moved on the spot uneasily as they got used to the feel of the weapons.

“Come on. Jearl is outside.”

Delonne called to them as they approached the door. “Déaþscúa, you realise that I have to inform the Grand Moot about you? They will come for you.”

“They’re welcome to try.”

“They’ll send an army for you. Can you really kill that many men and women who are just doing their job? Does death mean nothing to you?”

Déaþscúa paused, his hand on the door handle. “I am death. It’s my nature. Can a man really go against his nature?”

“You know that’s not true. You’re so much more than that. If only you would accept it.”

“Maybe,” Déaþscúa said then opened the door and left. The three climbed into the SUV, Déaþscúa leaning into the back as they buckled in.

“We’re heading for battle. I hope you two are ready to embrace death too. Be ready to give and receive it.”

KT and Kai gulped nervously but still nodded.

“Good. Jearl, drive on.”

“Rodger dodger,” Jearl agreed in his best radio voice then floored the car.

Previous – Chapter 7.

Next – Chapter 9.

The two teens walked briskly through the early morning streets toward the city centre. They had no real destination in mind but the shops seemed like a sensible start. Their breath misted in the air and their footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the near silence of the sleeping city. The occasional car drove past while a few windows were lit but on the whole the place felt deserted.

They walked without speaking for what felt like hours. Their pace was brisk to ward off the cold and they lost track of the amount of times they had to backtrack. The sky slowly began to brighten and signs of humanity started to appear more frequently. The shadows around them resolved themselves into brown and grey stone buildings. By the time they reached the city centre, dawn had broken and people were increasingly populating the streets.

It was still a wait until shops opened but before too long had passed they were seated in a small café over a cup of coffee and a bacon butty. Neither were overly fond of the bitter drink but the idea of more tea was off-putting. It was just lucky that both of them still had their wallets on them.

“What’s the plan then?” Kai asked. “We can’t exactly just wander the city and hope that we find out something useful.”

KT chewed thoughtfully at a string of rubbery fat. “We’ll buy some supplies then get a ride as close to the lodge as we can. From there we can see if we can track where dad and the others were taken. Moving that many unwilling people must have left a mark. Even with the snow there has to be something.”

“You think we could buy weapons anywhere?” His tone told that he was sceptical of that. 

“I doubt it. We’ll need warmer clothes, some extra food and water, some camping gear and as much information as we can gather.” She finished off the butty and washed it down with the still steaming coffee. Kai had already finished. “Come on.”

They left the café and it wasn’t long until they found a store selling thick winter clothing. Thermals and coats were heaped into Kai’s arms along with two sets of sturdy boots. KT paid, wincing as the man behind the till told her the total price. They changed into these new clothes in a nearby pub’s toilets then ventured back out to find a place to buy camping equipment. After another hour, both teens were laden down with bags strapped to their backs containing a tent, sleeping bags and a small stove.

Next they asked around the locals, their questions varying from transport north, the wilds and local myths. Most brushed them off but they did manage to learn of a man who taxied people across Scotland for a cheap price. They followed the directions they were given and found themselves in a shady looking estate. The streets were almost empty except for smoking youths and dark figures in huddled conversations who fell silent as they passed.

The building in question was in sight now, a small, single story structure with an attached garage. Kai came to a halt sniffing the air. He looked around then pointed out a different building across the street. It had a grubby looking exterior but a glass counter decorated with cuts of meat was visible through the window. A sign above the door read ‘The Bean and Crook Butcher’.

“You said we need food, right?” Kai began.

“Food that will last and can be easily stored,” KT countered. 

Kai grinned. “Yes, but think about what Déaþscúa told us. Bacon is resistant to magic. We’re heading into dangerous territory and might be facing off against all manner of magical foes. A shield against their powers would be pretty damn useful. Imagine it: marching into Annis’ lair without fear as she hurls fire at us. We hold out our arms and it burns our sleeves away revealing bacon wrapped around our arms like bandages in an anime. It would be badass as hell.”

“I seriously doubt that it would ever play out like that. It’s not like we can trust what Déaþscúa tells us. I’m not sure when he was being honest, openly lying or just screwing with us for his own amusement.”

“But bacon…”

KT relented under Kai’s puppy eyed look. “Fine. Just don’t go crazy. I don’t have much money left and I doubt you have anything.”

“I actually earn more than you,” he commented airily as they veered toward the butcher’s shop. “I’m a private tutor. All the girls who need some help with their studies come to me. My brains, looks and charm are a winning combination.”

“You disgust me at times, you know that?”

They stepped into the shop and were met by the thick scent of fresh meat. Carcases hung from hooks around the walls. Kai eyed the meat like a child would with sweets. The decor was simple and dull, all of the room’s focus being diverted to the brightly lit cuts of animal. The main room was devoid of life other than them but a bell had rung above the door upon their entry and now footsteps could be heard from the room beyond.

The door opened and a man stepped into the shop from a gloomy corridor. He was a strange looking man with a small head and tall, gangly body. His eyes were beady and dark while his nose was tiny and pointed. A matted mane of long black hair draped down his hollow cheeks and across his shoulders. His mouth was wide and his lips a vivid red, its size looking unnatural on such a small head. Despite the spindly body and legs, his arms were thick and powerful. He watched them wearily as he made his way behind the counter. Once there he simply stood staring at them as they examined the cuts of meat available.

The KT and Kai continued their conversation, trying their best to ignore the man. “Should we really go looking for him?” Kai asked with a frown. He cast a glance at the man then lowered his voice. “He did give us to the witch and told us not to follow. I mean, we don’t actually know anything about the man. Maybe we should look for Dad ourselves.”

“We don’t actually know anything about everything at the moment. All we can work from is that we’re in a completely different world that is alien to us and that Déaþscúa is our key to understanding and fighting against it. He saved us and taught us what bits we know. He may not want us to be involved in all of this but I don’t think he wants us to come to harm either. We just need to prove to him that we can help.”

“Did ye say Déaþscúa?” A thick highland voice cut in. It was the butcher. “As in the hunter?”

Both teens turned their full attention upon the man. He looked nervous but also now paid the two more notice than the near annoyance that had shown on his face before. 

“You know him?” KT asked the man.

“Aye. I ken ‘im,” the man answered. He licked his lips constantly between speaking. “I’d heard rumblings he wa back in the area. What do two runts like ye have to do wi’ him?”

KT and Kai gave each other a quick look. Kai gave the slightest shake of his head. He addressed the man.

“What does a back-alley butcher have to do with him either?”

The man offered them a toothy grin. His teeth were sharp and yellow. “The world is a small place for men like ‘im. Everybody who is nae…normal kens Déaþscúa the death bringer. Ye are nae one of us are ye?”

Kai still looked suspicious. Anyone who knew of Déaþscúa could easily be a threat to them as Elizabeth had proven.

“We have business with him,” Kai told him simply. 

The butcher nodded knowingly. “A hard man to keep track of,” he said quietly. “Ye two are nae the first to want to find ‘im. I may be able to help ye.”

“Go on.”

“The hunter always has his wee phone on ‘im, ye see. He has to be easy to contact or he’d never get jobs, would he? I have his number in a book somewhere in the back. Come on through and I’ll see if I can find it.”

He moved to usher them into the corridor that he had come from but neither of the twins complied. He looked at them sourly. 

“The offer is there if ye want it. If nae then ye can buy me goods and be gone. I do nae care which so long as ye no wasting me time.”

Kai frowned but nodded. “Fine. Lead the way.”

The butcher stepped into the corridor and the twins followed. The narrow passageway was poorly lit and the wallpaper was shabby and worn. There was no ornamentation at all, the faded yellow walls only broken by plain wooden doors and a staircase leading up. He opened one door which revealed a small room with an armchair, a few shelves and a table with an old fashioned telephone on it. Beside it was a leather cased book. 

“The hunter’s number should be in that book,” the man told them as he held the door open. He offered them a toothy smile as they passed him.

KT entered the room first. There was a sharp click sound then she was gone. Kai jolted to a halt and stared dumbstruck at the black square that had opened up in the ground where his sister had been a second ago.

He span, fists clenched. “You bastard! I’ll-”

The butcher slammed a wooden bat into Kai’s face and the room flashed white then spiralled into darkness. 

*     *     *

KT hit the ground hard. All of the air was driven from her body and her every muscle felt jarred. She groaned and tried to open her eyes. It was dark but faint light spilled down from above through the hole that she had fallen through. She struggled to her feet and stared up at the square of light. A shadow fell across the gap, outlining the figure of a man.

“Kai?” she shouted.

Laughter met her words, high and unhinged in tone. Then a voice spoke, his words echoing through the darkness. “Your brother cannae hear ye. The poor wee bonny lass fell intae the dark wi’ no one near to hear her scream. I wouldnae want to be ye right now, girl. I am however very glad to be me. I do so love it when they scream.” More laughter followed but it was abruptly cut off when the trapdoor was slammed shut once more.

KT was in complete darkness now. Even her own hands were hidden from her as though she had been fully robbed of her sight. The only sound was that of her own panic tinged breathing. She started forward slowly, her arms out before her searching through the darkness for objects and walls. After a few moments she was already disoriented beyond recovery. From what she could tell, she was in a small room that had several passageways that led off in every direction. Her mind instantly crafted the place as an underground labyrinth that could span for miles of total dark.

She crouched in a corner, her body shaking too much for her to control. She desperately tried shouting again but got no reply beyond the repeated echoes of her own voice. That sound alone filled her heart with dread. The place had to be big to throw back her voice in such a way.

There was a sudden sharp metallic clang somewhere in the distance that filled the tunnels with its unnaturally loud noise. Cold laughter chased the clang. The laughter subsided then changed into a guttural singing that sounded as though it came from every direction at once.

“The meat is fresh, the blood is warm, the flesh is sweet, the bones I’ll gnaw, the tender skin I’ll peel away and revel in the screams galore. She’ll cry, she’ll shout, she’ll scream, I’ll sing, the rape and death fresh joy will bring, until her body fades away, forgotten underground.”

Terror rolled over KT unlike anything she’d ever known. For the first time in her life her senses had become useless to her. She couldn’t see anything while sound was deceptive and unreliable. Everything smelt stale, musty and slightly rotten, and the air was still and undisturbed by breeze. Only her touch was intact but that would be useless in detecting her psychotic hunter until it was too late.

Knowing that she couldn’t stay where the man knew her to be, KT made the snap decision to pick a path and run. She stood and staggered through one of the passages, bouncing off of walls constantly as she tried to walk straight. Her left hand brushed against the rough stone of the wall with the logic that any maze was conquerable by simply picking a direction and following a single wall. 

She stumbled blindly along, following the seemingly random twists and turns of the wall, all the time hearing nothing but her own echoed footsteps and laboured breathing. Time seemed to loop, losing all meaning beyond an overwhelming sense of fear-laced urgency.

A slight stirring of the air behind her made KT spin. All was dark. She felt it again, a stroke of cold across her back that caused all of her already tense muscles to go into overdrive. She turned again, lashing her arms out but they didn’t connect with anything.

“Do ye fear the dark?” came a whispered voice in her ear. 

KT yelped and tried to run but barrelled straight into a wall. She staggered back only to feel icy fingers brush across her face. She struck out again but still failed to hit anything. Her arms whipped around in every direction seeking her pursuer.

“So yer a fighter, are ye? I love it when they struggle.”

The voice seemed to come from directly beneath KT. She kicked out frantically as her arms flailed around her. 

“I’m going to enjoy ye. Slowly…”

The voice was above her now. Panic overtook her senses. She ran, slamming and sliding from wall to wall, no longer paying attention to which directions she took. All the while harsh laughter surrounded her and seemed to fill the entire tunnel network. Tears streamed down her face.

Her foot clipped the corner of a wall and she fell. What little breath she had left was torn from her lungs, leaving her gasping for air. Silence hung heavily once again. After the maniacal laughter it seemed even more surreal and empty. Slowly she stood and tried to regain her bearings. It was a hopeless task.

As though in a dream she wandered through the dark. Her stomach rumbled and her body ached. She needed to find a way out of there soon or her hope would fail and the heavy weight of despair would sink through her system. She stopped, leaning her head against the cold stone as she tried to think.

“Giving up already?”

The voice was right beside her. KT expected to feel a fresh wave of terror but anger rose up within her instead. She was no helpless little girl. She wouldn’t let herself die like this.

“Get the hell away from me!” she screamed. “You sick basta…” Her insult became a stifled cry of pain as something slid across her arm. Pain flared through the limb. She grabbed it with her other arm and felt her skin was slick with blood.

She lurched forward, her teeth gritted. She was jerked back by a hand that clutched at her coat’s collar. She struggled then felt another sharp pain at the base of her neck. There was the sound of ripping fabric and more pain bloomed the entire length of her spine. 

Suddenly she was able to pull away and fell flat on her face. Her back was exposed, her coat and shirt having been sliced open. Blood ran freely across the pale flesh from a shallow wound that followed the path of the knife.

A weight lowered onto KT. With every ounce of her strength she thrashed and bucked until she was able to break free. She stood there panting. Waiting.

“The wee lass still has some energy. Good.”

There was the faintest of rustles before a cut opened up upon KT’s cheek. She held her breath. There was the rustling again. In a blur of movement she reached out and managed to grab hold of the man’s thick arm, the knife opening a deep gash across her forearm in the process. With the man locked momentarily in place, KT kicked out and scored a hit in his gut. He groaned and loosened his grip on the weapon. KT lunged blindly for it, grabbing it by the blade. She hissed with pain but didn’t slow as her other hand tore at the man’s fingers. She managed to pry the knife free then stabbed forward with it but the man was already gone.

KT clutched the knife firmly. She peered through the darkness, ready to strike at the slightest of noises. She felt a pressure on her shoulder and span, the blade slashing through the abyss. Instantly a fist drove into her stomach, lifting her from the floor. She dropped the knife and flopped to the ground like a rag doll. 

“We’ve had the hunt and now it’s time for the feast. It would be rude to eat without some pre-meal entertainment.”

Fingers closed around the ragged coat and tugged at it. KT slid out of the coat and fled on her hands and knees. The butcher kicked at her, his toes smashing into her ribs. Her hand brushed against the knife. He kicked again and she drove the blade into his calf. He swore savagely and jolted away, the knife still embedded in his leg. KT took the opportunity to scurry away again.

She couldn’t breathe but she didn’t slow her frantic pace. Her sobs weren’t silent any longer. She couldn’t keep control of her emotions. The darkness pulled her down, seeping at her will. Frantic desperation and loss of hope warred violently inside of her head.

She was becoming delusional too. She could swear that there was a slight crimson glow to the darkness ahead. Maybe the red tint was due to fatigue or blood-loss, she thought wearily. Despite these thoughts, she started toward it almost mechanically.

The light grew as KT shambled closer. Fresh hope sparked in her heart and her walk changed into an unsteady half-run. Her eyes stung after spending so much time in complete darkness but she didn’t care. The glow was all around her now. She could see the rough hewn walls for the first time, noting that they seemed to be carved from solid rock. The source of the light seemed to be around the next turn.

KT turned the corner with a half-laugh that died on her lips. She stood swaying on the spot, her blue eyes glassy.

She stood at the entrance of a large chamber. The light was emanating from red flamed candles that dotted the room, giving everything within a hellish sheen. No other passageways led away. Inside were several stone tables. On the tables were corpses. Mostly those of women. They were all in differing states of carnage ranging from whole bodies to severed limbs or completely flayed carcasses. Other bodies hung from hooks in the ceiling. The entire room smelt of blood and death. Organs and cuts of meat were littered everywhere.

“Ye found me sanctuary then, lass? Is nae it a place of beauty?”

The voice was directly behind her. She turned and staggered into the room. The butcher stood facing her, visible for the first time since she had fallen. Blood stained his clothes from the few wounds KT had dealt him but they didn’t seem to bother him at all. His small eyes gleamed with joyous malice. The features that she had at first viewed as strange now took on a sinister edge that painted him as a monster more than a man. 

“What are you?” she shouted. KT tried to make her voice sound strong and demanding but the words fell out as a cracked whimper. 

The butcher flashed her his pointed teeth. “I am but a man gifted by the gods,” he answered as he licked his lips hungrily. “I’ve had many names over the years. Bean and Christie were the most known. For what time of ye life remains, ye can call me whatever pleases ye.”

His oversized arm shot out and grabbed KT by the throat. Without showing any sign of strain he lifted her a foot from the ground. The pressure on her windpipe cut off her breath and strained the muscles to near breaking point. He leaned in, sniffing deeply with a warped smile. His free hand reached over to pull at her shirt.

“This’ll be such fun. I hope yer a fighter ‘til the end.”

The last of her strength was fading as KT struggled for breath. She tried in vain to punch out at him to no effect. Her arm slumped to her side, her fingers brushing against something solid. She grabbed it and swung at the butcher’s head. Whatever she had picked up shattered on impact, causing the man to stagger back, dropping KT in the process. 

The spots started to clear from her vision. She glanced down at her weapon and dropped it. It hit the floor and rolled slightly so that half rotted eye sockets stared up at her. One side drooped in on itself where the skull beneath had been smashed. 

A sudden anger flared up inside of KT. It was as though her fear changed into rage with every beat of her heart. How many scared young women had been in this same position only to lay dead in this chamber? It was as though their anger flowed through her too.

The butcher was still smiling. He lumbered towards her without any sense of urgency. His grin faltered when KT lunged at him rather than trying to run. He blocked the punch easily only to receive a boot to his gut a moment later. He grabbed her arm firmly so she kicked out again, this time slamming her foot into his knife wound. He grunted, his leg almost buckling beneath him.

A sense of clarity washed over KT. The butcher’s arms were massive but his legs were a weakness. She couldn’t overpower him but he could be beaten. She ducked under a swing of his arms and punched the side of his knee. Pain flared in her hand but she ignored it as she dodged around another blow. 

She jumped back, almost tripping on the skull. It spun slightly until it faced the man. KT kicked it straight at his face then leapt up onto the slab. Jumping up to catch the pipes above where several bodies were hung from, she used the momentum to swing forward, launching herself towards the man. In midair she kicked out as hard as she could, catching him hard across the temple. His head jerked around with a snap.

KT hit the floor on her side hard enough for the breath to be knocked out of her. She scrambled to her feet and spun to face him again. He still stood there, his body rigid and his head looking almost behind himself back into the labyrinth. Silent seconds ticked past as neither moved. 

Slowly, KT edged away from him. She scanned the room but couldn’t see any other exits. There was a butcher’s knife buried into a table beside a half-carved corpse that she wrestled free. The last place that she wanted to be was closer to the man but there seemed no other choice. She wanted to be sure that he wouldn’t hurt anyone again. He blocked the exit so she had no option other than to go through him.

She readied the knife and swung at his throat. His arm twitched and he caught her by the wrist before she could react. His other hand drove into her gut, doubling her over. Before she could recover he had both of her arms locked against her chest. He shoved her into the wall. KT had to look up to stare at his head as it jerked its way back around to face her. His smile hadn’t faded.

“Well, that was fun, wasnae it? An’ they say that foreplay is a dying art.”

He had her pinned. Even her legs couldn’t reach beyond the full length of his arm. He had taken the knife from her and now held it against her ear.

“If it makes ye feel any better, just ken that yer life’ll live on within me. The circle of life and all that crap. The strong eat the weak te become even stronger. That’s how life evolves after all. Through blood and death we transcend the chains of our own meagre mortality. Tis a cruel world but it’s all that we’ve got. Do try and enjoy. It is a once in a lifetime experience.”

There was a flash of light as thunder tore through the tunnels. The butcher staggered as blood erupted from his back. More crashes filled the air, each causing a new explosion of blood. He dropped KT as blood bloomed from his shoulder, spinning him around with the force of the impact.

KT hit the floor like a rag-doll. She couldn’t muster the strength to move but from where she lay she could see the entrance to the chamber. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway with its arm pointed at the butcher. The flash and crash happened again, fully lighting up the figure for a heartbeat. It was Déaþscúa.

The butcher was staring at him too. Amazingly, he was still standing. Without a flicker of emotion, Déaþscúa put two more bullets into his chest then waved his left arm at the man. A wave of fire shot from his hand and slammed into the butcher, knocking him back where the bullets had failed. He staggered and fell back onto one of the stone tables behind him.

“Ye bastard!” the butcher screamed, blood dribbling from his mouth with each word. His body was riddled with bullet holes that gushed blood and his clothes and flesh were badly burned. He still didn’t appear to be in pain though. “Ye cannae hurt me! I have the Grand Moot’s protection and ye know it, hunter! I am essential to the threads of fate! They’ll have ye head just for comin’ here. Ye’ve been warned by them before!”

“I’m shaking in my boots,” Déaþscúa said dryly. His eyes were locked on the butcher with a flaming intensity but his hands worked slowly at taking a single bullet from a pouch and loading it into the gun’s chamber. 

The butcher seemed to be panicking now. “Ye work for them! Ye cannae disobey their orders! They are the law. Without the law we’re the same, ye see, me and you. Both monsters in men’s clothing. Ye cannae kill me.”

Déaþscúa raised his gun. “Can’t I? Tell me where Annis is.”

“Stay away from my Annis ye bastard! Ye need to move on from her so she can do what needs te be done. Cannae ye see that? She is so close te achieving her dreams. I’ll kill ye if ye lay a finger on her!”

“You’ll find it hard to kill me from the grave.” 

“I AM PROTECTED!” 

“Not very well.” Déaþscúa’s finger clenched on the trigger. The crack of the gunshot was followed by a second bang as the bullet pierced the butcher’s skull then exploded. Brains, blood and fragments of skull splattered across the walls and floor. The man fell limp to the ground.

Silence descended on the room. Neither Déaþscúa or KT moved for several moments. Déaþscúa finally holstered his gun and sighed before entering the room. He walked straight up to KT and knelt down beside her.

“You sure got yourself into a mess this time. You’re reckless and will wind up dead without me. You should have damn well listened to me and done as I said.” Despite his words, his tone was gentle and his eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

KT just lay staring at him with tears building in her eyes. Another few seconds and she could no longer contain herself. She broke down into great heaving sobs as all of the tension and fear drained from her body. Déaþscúa sat her up and rested her head on his broad shoulder. When the initial wave of emotion had faded he helped her to her feet.

“We still need to find your brother. Chances are he won’t be in a good state either.” 

He took a few steps toward the darkness of the tunnel but stopped when KT didn’t follow. He turned back to see her staring into the thick, black air, her eyes wild. Déaþscúa shook his head then held out his hand. It seemed to shake slightly and there was a reluctance in his stance.

“Take my hand so you don’t get lost. The exit isn’t far.”

KT hesitated a moment then grabbed onto his hand. It was huge compared to hers, his skin rough to the touch. Déaþscúa started out again, pulling her reluctantly along behind. At the cusp of the darkness, Déaþscúa took one last look at the girl then pulled a silver lighter out from a pocket and sparked it. The flame was tiny but provided enough light to dimly see the sides of the passageway. 

Déaþscúa walked with confidence, knowing each and every turn without taking a moment to think. He kept his eyes forward, their piercing stare never straying. KT had thought that he had only told her it was a short distance to comfort her but after a few minutes they had stopped beside a set of rusty metal bars that led up to a wooden hatch. Déaþscúa handed her the lighter then climbed the short distance to the roof. He opened the hatch then disappeared beyond leaving KT alone in the vile maze. She quickly followed.

“Tell me what happened,” Déaþscúa said once KT had rejoined him.

“We came here for supplies on the way to find you. He said he knew how to contact you. I fell through a hole into that hell. I…I don’t know what happened to Kai.”

Déaþscúa nodded. “Show me the room where you fell.”

The room they were in looked to be a cramped basement filled with all manner of general clutter. They climbed a narrow staircase into the main building and KT recognised the corridor that the butcher had walked them down. She started down it but stumbled, her head suddenly feeling very light. It took her a moment to recover herself.

“Blood-loss,” commented Déaþscúa. “We should stop and patch you up.”

“No,” KT said resiliently. “We have to find Kai first. That monster could have done anything to him.”

“I think Christie will have stowed him away somewhere while he amused himself with you first. He likes his meat as fresh as possible and would keep his victims alive for as long as his previous stores lasted.”

“What was he?” KT asked with a cold shiver. 

“A human. At least at the start of his life. He has plagued this land for hundreds of years. I suspect that he was living off of the lifeforce of those that he killed. He is the face to almost any Scottish cannibal you could ever think of. He was also the lover of Black Annis for a time, or Black Agnes as she was known then. I would have killed him long ago but a prophecy ties him to the end of the world. Or did anyway.”

They came to the room and pointed to a small rug. “That’s where I fell.” She felt a wave of nerves fill her just by being near to the hole again. 

Déaþscúa looked around the room slowly, his eyes taking in every inch, drinking in the room’s details. He moved his hand slowly as though feeling for something that he couldn’t see. “This way,” he said seconds later.

He left the room and continued to scrutinise everything. To KT, it was almost like he was looking past what was actually there to something deeper. He entered a storage room filled with boxes and tools with a large metal door at the back. He opened it and freezing air spilled out. Inside was a freezer room filled with all manner of meat. Tied up in the corner, his skin a pale blue, was Kai. 

KT rushed to him. He was icy cold to the touch and was barely breathing. Blood matted his hair. She tried to move him but his limbs were stiff. 

“Kai! Wake up!” 

“Move,” Déaþscúa ordered. He cut the teen’s bonds with a knife then lifted him easily over his shoulder. He strode out into a spartan living room with a single table and chair and placed Kai against the back wall. He then turned and began to smash up the table, creating a pile of wood in the middle of the floor. His sword made short work of the larger pieces. Once satisfied, he held the lighter to the wood and waited until the flame had taken hold of the kindling. Warmth quickly spread through the room.

Déaþscúa only checked over Kai briefly before nodding to himself. “His only injury is a nasty lump on the head. Once he has warmed up his biggest problem will be a concussion. You on the other hand need healing now.”

Kai stirred before KT could answer, slowly opening his eyes. It took him a moment to make out any details through his blurred vision but when his eyes focussed in on his sister they suddenly became wide and alert. He struggled to stand but only made it to a sitting position. 

“What the hell happened? You’re hurt.” He stopped as his memories fell back into place. “It was that damn butcher. What did he do to you?”

KT wrapped her arms around Kai in a hug. He was still cold but the contact gave her great comfort. “I’m okay now. It’s just a few scratches.”

This didn’t placate Kai. Fury set into his features. “Where is he? I’ll kill the bastard for hurting you!”

“Then you will have to train as a necromancer. Killing a man already in the grave is redundant,” Déaþscúa told him passively. 

This news did nothing to improve Kai’s mood. “I should have been there. I’m supposed to protect you but didn’t do a damn thing.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” KT said to him as comfortingly as she could. “I can look after myself. I am the older sibling, right. See, I’m totally fi…” Her head drooped and her body slid to the floor.

“KT!” Kai roared.

“Relax,” said Déaþscúa calmly. He moved the younger man to the side then knelt over KT, the blue light appearing around his hands. “She lost too much blood by wasting time talking. She just needs rest. As do you.

Kai glared at him but visibly loosened his muscles. “Why are you even here? There’s no way you could have found where we were so quickly.”

“I just am. It’s a good job I am too. Now let me ease that concussion then you need to get some rest and I’ll fill you both in on details when you wake.”

Kai grumbled something but still let Déaþscúa place a hand on his head. Once the man had finished, Kai laid down and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long until Déaþscúa was the only one in the house still awake. He looked at the twins, his rough face sombre. KT’s shirt was wet with blood and hung from her were Christy had cut it while Kai still shivered. Sighing to himself he quietly took off his coat and draped it across them both.

“What have I gotten you into? The cycle repeats, no matter how hard I try to break it. May the gods guard your souls.”

Previous – Chapter 6.

Next – Chapter 8.