Finding rest was something easier said than done for KT and Kai. Fear, worry and doubt forced out any hope of sleep despite the heavy weariness that hung over them both. The rugged landscape raced past beyond the dark windows, the moon and stars lighting up the terrain in a gentle white glow that highlighted the silhouettes of trees and hills in a veil of silver. Normally it would have been a serene scene, but now countless demons seemed to lurk in the half-light.

Unable to find peace, KT turned with the full intention of questioning the mysterious Déaþscúa further. His blue eyes appeared translucent through the gloom, hypnotic almost. They seemed to flash as they rested upon her own, bringing a strange tiredness over her that she couldn’t explain. Before she even realised what was happening, her eyelids drooped closed and conscious thought slid from her head.

Troubled dreams plagued her, making any rest she found superficial at best. She woke up in what looked to be the small hours of the morning. Kai had also drifted into sleep, either by spell or nature but unlike his sister, seemed in a calm and deep sleep. KT looked past him to see Déaþscúa staring absently out of the window.

“We’re nearly in Glasgow now,” he said without moving, his sudden voice startling her. “Ten more minutes and we’ll be entering the suburbs. Another twenty from there to get to where we need to be.”

KT forced the tiredness from her head and tried to place her thoughts in order. It proved to be harder than it should have been. “Where is that?”

“The house of a friend. It was the closest place I could think of to take your mother. Hospitals ask too many questions and don’t have the same skills that come with magic.”

“How is she?” KT asked, lifting herself up to peer into the passenger’s seat. Her mother was as pale as death and sat unmoving.

He shook his head slowly. “Not good. I’ve done all that I can but she is still slowly fading. It’s only a matter of time. We’re just lucky that we got back to the lodge so soon after the attack. An hour later and you’d have returned to find a corpse. Elizabeth is the only chance she has.”

“Is that your friend?”

“Yeah. A witch gifted in the arts of healing. Probably the strongest witch in Scotland who doesn’t work directly for our government. We just have to hope that we reach her in time.”

They both fell silent. Kai snored loudly between them and thin, barely audible breaths rattled from Tara. KT shivered and tried to huddle further into her corner. Nothing in the world made sense anymore. She was in a car with a strange man, fleeing from the scene of a goblin attack, and was now heading to visit a witch. 

“Is this everything that you wanted it to be?” Déaþscúa asked. “Does magic and adventure live up to your expectations?”

KT didn’t answer him. She wasn’t sure that she could. She kept her eyes firmly on the world beyond the window.

Houses began to dot their surroundings more and more until they fully entered into civilisation. Streetlights lit their way and filled KT with a sense of safety. It was hard to feel the same fear of monsters when surrounded by the painfully normal. They drove through the outskirts of the city and the houses seemed to grow increasingly dilapidated. The SUV finally pulled up at a rundown estate that was made up of old, cramped buildings and cracked pavement. 

“We’re here,” Déaþscúa announced before exiting the vehicle. He opened the passenger door and scooped up Tara gently.

KT nudged Kai but he didn’t stir. She shook him awake then watched as confusion worked its way across his face as his mind pieced together the previous day’s events.

“We’re at the witch’s house,” she said, indicating to Déaþscúa who was carrying Tara towards the tired buildings. He looked like he had no intention of waiting for them.

“Witch? What witch? Black Annis?”

“No. Déaþscúa’s friend. She is the one who can heal Mum.”

They both stared out of the window towards their mother’s slumped figure. Kai seemed to deflate as he watched her. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her hurt. She never even stumbles. She always seemed so damn untouchable. I always wanted her to be knocked down a few pegs to be more human. Now it’s terrifying me.” 

KT pulled him into a comforting hug for a few brief seconds until Déaþscúa shouted to them impatiently. The two teens jumped from the behemoth and jogged to catch up with the man. He was at the door when they reached him. He knocked then waited in silence. The door opened and a beautiful woman greeted them. She wore a simple yet elegant dress of green and had a slight curl to her long, ginger hair. She had a shapely figure and a warm smile. Kai gave her his best grin despite what looked to be a ten year age gap.

She took in the group with a single sweeping gaze then ushered them through the door without a word. The house was small with cramped rooms that were filled with all manner of furniture and china pots. She tutted under her breath as she led them upstairs into a room with only a single bed. Déaþscúa laid Tara onto the bed while the woman opened the doors of a large cupboard filled with vials and herbs. 

“I didn’t expect to see you back up here,” she said to Déaþscúa. She fished out a bottle of purple liquid and poured some onto a flannel. “Now you turn up with children and a woman on death’s door. Still causing trouble then?”

“It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” he answered dryly.

“Make yourself useful and fetch me a bucket of hot water and my supply bag,” the woman ordered. Déaþscúa did as she asked without argument.

KT and Kai filled the space that Déaþscúa had occupied beside their mother. “Will she be okay?” KT asked. She tried but was unable to keep the quiver from her voice.

The woman placed a delicate hand onto Tara’s forehead, brushing aside blood-crusted hair in the process. Green light surrounded her hand. She tutted again. “Her wounds are serious and she has been left too long without the proper care. She’s strong though and Déaþscúa has prevented her from bleeding out. She is suffering from blood loss, infection and the physical effects of her injuries. All of which are curable.”

“So she’ll live?” pressed Kai.

“Perhaps,” she answered airily.

Before anyone else could question her further, Déaþscúa returned, carrying a steaming plastic bucket and a large leather bag. He set them down beside the woman then stepped back. 

“Was it Annis?” the woman asked.

Déaþscúa’s face became stone cold instantly. He inched his head slowly in a nod. “I didn’t even step foot inside but she burnt the place to the ground. She was the only one that was left. Elizabeth, I…”

“You have work to do and so do I,” Elizabeth interrupted. “Now go. This woman’s wounds need cleaning and no man should be present for that.”

Déaþscúa nodded then left. Elizabeth poured a green potion between Tara’s lips then turned to KT and Kai. 

“There is nothing you can do for her now. Join Déaþscúa downstairs while I attend your mother. I don’t know how you have gotten yourself wrapped up with that man but you have placed everything you know in great danger. If I was you, I’d try my best to forget it all.” She turned her back on them and began to carefully remove the shredded clothes from Tara.

KT and Kai retraced their steps down the narrow staircase and entered through an open door at the bottom that led to a joint kitchen/living room. Déaþscúa was already seated on a small wooden stool. All of the other seats were over-pillowed and bore flowery patterns. 

Kai glowered at the décor then threw himself down onto an overstuffed settee. KT joined him, her head held in her hands. Kai stared fiercely at Déaþscúa for a long while but the man showed no sign of noticing. The younger man finally snapped.

“What’s the plan then? You said that Dad and Aunt Susan are still alive so how do we get them back?”

The man finally looked up. “We don’t do anything. You are two kids who were thrust into a world you don’t understand. You can’t offer any help in finding the captives or in fighting any threats you would face.”

Kai sprung to his feet and leapt at Déaþscúa, grabbing the man’s coat in his fists. “We’re eighteen! We’re adults damn it! We can go where we want.” The anger faltered and Kai’s grip loosened. Tears brimmed in his eyes. “They’re our family! Damn it.”

“Kai…” KT breathed. She hadn’t seen him like that for years. His carefree mask had taken a long time to construct and now it was crumbling. She reached out her hand and rested it on his shoulder. 

“We need to help,” she said to Déaþscúa. Her voice was quiet but she spoke with a steel determination. “We’ve been drawn into this whether you like it or not. We know the risks. I accept them.”

Déaþscúa didn’t move. “This isn’t your world. Only death awaits you if you continue down this path. Powerless humans may as well be babies to us. If you try to save them, you’ll only place them and yourselves in greater danger. Just leave it to me. You two should stay here and look after your mother. She’ll need your support after what she’s experienced.”

The younger man released Déaþscúa and slumped back into the chair. He clenched his fists so tightly that his entire body shook. “I hate not being able to do anything. I feel so damn useless. It’s funny really. I use uselessness as a shield and now it’s come back to haunt me.”

It was at that moment when Elizabeth entered the room. Both KT and Kai jumped to their feet.

“Is Mum… Will she live?” KT said, struggling to get the words out.

“Yes, yes. She will be fine. She just needs rest and a daily healing session. Minor scars will remain but she should make a full recovery. She will be better off than if she had been in the care of a powerless hospital.” Even as she spoke, Elizabeth made her way past the teens and lowered herself onto an armchair. No sooner had she seated herself her attention turned solely onto Déaþscúa, completely ignoring KT and Kai’s presence.

“Are you really up for this?” she asked in a low, careful voice. Her eyes were locked upon the man but he didn’t raise his head. “I don’t think that you’re prepared to face her again. You-”

Déaþscúa cut her off. “It’s been almost twenty years. I can’t keep hiding any longer. This has to end. Annis will die.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Just as long as you are prepared for the consequences. For someone whose entire life revolves around death, it still affects you.”

The man remained quiet. Without looking up he rose to his feet. “I have some leads to follow up. When I have her location I’ll go there. I’ll kill Annis, save the innocents and protect the world as usual. It’s what I do.”

“I’m coming with you,” Kai told the man. He too stood and tried to face up to the taller man, his young eyes blazing.

“Like hell you are,” Déaþscúa snapped. His face relaxed slightly as he went on, offering both teens a soft smile. “Your mother needs you here. Can you imagine how she’d feel waking up and not knowing where her children are after all that she’s already been through? If you come with me, Annis will kill you. I am responsible for too many bereaved women already. I promise you that I will get your family back.”

Kai continued to look defiant but then looked away. “You have until mum is better. Once I’ve spoken to her, I’m following after you whether you like it or not.”

“Whatever,” Déaþscúa said with a shrug. He strode out of the room and left the house. There was a few seconds of silence then the sound of the SUV starting up and speeding away.

Kai slumped back into the chair with a defeated look plastered upon his face. KT could tell that he didn’t know what he should do and wasn’t happy with any option. She too wanted to help save their dad but she couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning their mum until she was well. Her hand crept up to Ava’s necklace and clutched it tightly. The cold of the metal was strangely comforting in the stuffy room. Kai was right, feeling useless really sucked.

An agitated tutting came from Elizabeth. “Well, it looks like you two are staying here for a few days.” She stood and went into the kitchen. The sound of pots and cups clattering filled the air. The whistling of a kettle cut through it all until she re-entered the living room carrying a metal tray with three large cups on it. She handed one each to KT and Kai before settling herself back into her chair with the final cup.

The thick scent of the drinks filled the room. KT stared into the brown liquid and inhaled the sweet, almost flowery smell. That alone seemed to relax her. She took a small sip. It scalded her mouth but the taste instantly refreshed her. It was only then that she realised just how long since she had last had a drink. Or food for that matter.

“How long until mum wakes up?” KT asked the woman between warming sips. 

“A few days,” Elizabeth responded absently. “I can heal her wounds quickly but her bod will take a while to regain its strength.” She leaned forward with a tin in her hands, offering the two teens the assortment of biscuits within. They accepted them eagerly, Kai giving both the biscuits and the witch’s cleavage a hungry look. Even anger and grief couldn’t completely smother his spirits.

“In under a week she should be back on her feet and will hopefully remember nothing that happened to her. No one wants that kind of experience in their memories. It’s always better for those without powers to forget the terrors of our world.”

KT wanted to make a comment against her sentiment but another sip of tea made the words fade away on her lips. Instead she found herself asking, “Who is Déaþscúa?” 

“A man with a list of troubles longer than any man has the right to bear,” Elizabeth muttered over the top of her cup. “But enough about him. Tell me about yourselves. You’re my guests so it is only right that I know a little about you.”

Suspicion clouded in KT’s head but dissipated just as fast. She hated talking about herself, and Kai did even more so unless there was a pretty girl involved, but they both told the woman every detail that she asked for. She was constantly telling herself to shut up, but the message never seemed to reach her mouth. It was like she wanted to tell the woman everything. 

They talked for what seemed to be hours, the words only interrupted when Elizabeth would refill their cups with more tea. KT quickly lost count of how many cupfuls she had drained. Then there was suddenly no new questions and Elizabeth abruptly ushered them to a room opposite the living room. The single bed was already made up while a sleeping-bag had been laid-out beside it. The room was small and simple with dull floral wallpaper and a brown carpet.

It was still daytime but Kai gratefully collapsed onto the sleeping-bag and was snoring heavily before KT had even entered the room. She too felt very drowsy. She shuffled to the bed and threw herself into the covers. The sheets smelled slightly bitter but that barely registered in her mind. She too was asleep before Elizabeth had closed the door.

Her dreams were once again filled with nightmares but she took a strange comfort from them. They belonged to her and her subconscious clung to them like a hellish teddy bear. She awoke in a sweat but the usual adrenaline of a nightmare didn’t course through her. Instead she felt groggy and numb as though she had not slept in a week. Her mind felt fuzzy and her thoughts didn’t quite fit into place. 

There was a knock at the door shortly followed by Elizabeth’s head peering into the room.

“Breakfast is almost ready. The bathroom is just over there. Get washed and freshened up before we sit down.” She was gone again before KT could respond.

KT wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep but a deep feeling within her told her that she didn’t want to disobey the woman. She reluctantly slid off the bed, stepping on Kai in the process. He woke with an “Oof” and glared angrily at her. The look quickly became vacant. 

She padded down the corridor to the bathroom. It was cramped but neat like the rest of the house, with white surfaces and blue mats and shower curtain. KT started up the shower and washed with lethargic slowness, the water doing nothing to revive her senses. Once dry and redressed, she walked back into their room and kicked Kai in the gut since he had fallen back asleep. He groaned but finally got up and ventured off to the shower. 

A few minutes later they made their way into the living room together. Kai’s hair still dripped slightly, drawing a disapproving look from Elizabeth as she exited the kitchen holding a tray of yet more tea. The first sign of real emotion appeared on Kai’s face when he noticed that the tray also contained two large English breakfasts.

They all sat down and the twins tucked into the food ravenously. Elizabeth sat and watched them eat over the brim of her cup. The meal quickly vanished and the cups of tea soon followed. KT felt more awake now but her head still didn’t feel right. Her memories were becoming blurry and were merging together. It took all of her concentration just to remember why she was here.

“How is our mum doing?” she asked. Kai’s eyes suddenly sharpened, showing that he too had only just remembered. But why was she hurt?

Elizabeth met their looks with a steady gaze. “Your mother is doing well. Her fever is dying down nicely.”

The words processed through KT’s head slowly. Fever…That made sense. Their mum was sick so they had come here for medicine. But how had they gotten her? Where was their dad? These thoughts brought piercing pain to her brain. She shook her head and warded the thoughts away.

“I have to go out and buy some warm clothes for you both since you forgot to pack properly. I need you two to look after your mother while I’m away. She should be okay for an hour or two without me,” Elizabeth told them. She put on a thick red coat and grabbed her handbag. “Be good,” she commanded as she passed through the front door.

Kai picked up a nearby magazine and began to read. KT couldn’t shake her feeling of unease so she climbed the stairs to see her mum. The woman was tucked tightly into the bed and did have the look of someone suffering through a fever. She had small cuts crisscrossing her face though, something that KT knew wasn’t there before. Why couldn’t she remember them? Now that she thought about it she realised that she couldn’t even remember coming to this house. Her family had been driving to visit their Aunt Susan and then…then she was here with Elizabeth.

She sat on the chair beside the bed and gently moved a strand of blonde hair from her mum’s face. The woman’s breath was shallow and rattled slightly with each rise and fall of her chest. Her skin was sickly, sweat-slick and pale. She was so unlike how KT remembered her.

Several minutes passed as KT watched her. The house was quiet and the only sounds were the faint hum of cars and the occasional shouts from nearby. After a while she returned downstairs. Kai was still in his chair but the magazine was discarded at his side. On his knees was the tin of biscuits.

“Does this all feel wrong to you?” she asked. She remained standing but helped herself to a chocolate biscuit. 

“Maybe. I can’t remember what should feel right,” Kai answered, chewing thoughtfully on a wafer. 

“And that doesn’t strike you as weird?”

He shrugged. “I am pretty weird. My mind might just be confusing itself. It gets like that sometimes if I’m away from girls for too long.”

There was a bang as the front door opened. KT’s response died on her lips. Elizabeth entered the room carrying a shopping bag filled with clothes. 

“I see that you managed not to destroy the place while I was gone. Here,” she said, handing a bundle to each of them. “Try these on while I get the kettle going. They will fit you. I have an excellent eye for measurements.”

They wandered into separate rooms and changed out of the tattered remains of their black jeans and band shirts and into the clothes that Elizabeth had bought. KT couldn’t remember why her clothes were ruined but it did look cool. Perhaps that was just the style. In the bag was a floral dress that drew a sour look from her. She considered putting her old outfit back on but again felt unable to disobey the woman. Who was the woman?

She returned to the living room with a scowl. She had always hated dresses. Kai had beaten her in and now wore black trousers and a long sleeved shirt. He too looked far from pleased. 

“You two are looking wonderful,” Elizabeth stated. She placed the tea down then circled them both, admiring her choice of clothes. “These are so much better than those scruffy rags you had before. Far more age appropriate. Say thank you to your marvellous aunt.”

“Aunt?” breathed KT. They had come to visit their aunt but wasn’t that Susan? Aunty Elizabeth sounded so natural in her head, as though it had always been there. But then who was Susan? A raging migraine flared into existence, stronger than ever. She took a quick sip of tea to ward off the pain and it helped greatly. Both the pain and the confusing thoughts died away.

The rest of the day passed by much the same as it had the day before. This time Elizabeth drilled them on their future rather than their past, pressing them for answers about their dreams and aspirations. KT had always wanted to be a vet but didn’t think that she could cope with the death and suffering while all of Kai’s plans revolved around winning the lottery. Elizabeth didn’t appear impressed by either.

The sky darkened early and KT was grateful when Elizabeth finally told them to get some sleep. They had a final check on their mum then slumped off into their room. The air within was bitterly cold but the teens felt numb to it. They crawled into the covers and were asleep before they’d been in there five minutes.

The nightmares returned to KT again. The images were clear and invoked powerful emotions within her. There was fire and blood everywhere. Goblins and werewolves terrorised her but always there was a blond haired man stood at her side protecting her. He looked familiar but she would have remembered the pistol and sword…and those eyes. Kai was there too. Their mum was crucified on a cross while her dad and an older woman, who KT finally connected the name Susan to, were fading into darkness. 

The dream shifted. They were all in an SUV driving through the countryside. She blinked and the surroundings warped into a city street. The car pulled up in front of a house. As the engine died the front door of the house opened. Elizabeth stood behind the door but her emerald dress was black and she wore a pointed hat atop her ginger head. A wart was visible on the tip of her nose and a black cat circled her feet. In her hand was a cup of tea that bubbled and frothed. 

KT’s eyes snapped open. It was still dark, but then it was Scotland in winter, so that was no indication of time. A fierce rage burned through her body, dispelling the sleep like flames through a wheat-field. She leapt from the bed.

“The bitch drugged us!” 

Kai muttered something in his sleep. KT grabbed the zip to his sleeping-bag and pulled it down. He stirred, opening his eyes wearily as the cold hit him.

“Just once, couldn’t you wake me up with gentle words or the smell of breakfast,” he grumbled dryly. He stood up to face her, yawning loudly. 

“Do you remember Déaþscúa?”

“Déa-who-a?”

“The blond haired man with the sword who saved us!” KT pressed desperately. 

Kai scrunched up his face in an effort to remember something but he shook his head slowly. “No. It’s all fuzzy. I…I think you just had a strange dream. Yeah, a dream.”

“That’s what she wants us to think! She’s been drugging us. That’s why the tea smelled funny. Every time we drank it we lost a bit of our mind,” KT hissed. Kai pulled himself up, swaying slightly where he stood. He clutched his head in pain.

The door opened and Elizabeth strode into the room. She wore a flowing white nightdress that clung to her shapely figure. “What’s with all this noise?” she demanded. 

Kai gaped at the faintly transparent material that hinted at flesh beneath. It was as though KT’s revelations had already been forgotten. She rounded on the woman in a fury.

“That noise is the sound of your plans failing, witch. I can remember everything.”

A look of surprise flittered across Elizabeth’s face but she was quick to regain her neutral expression. She stared down KT without emotion. She glanced across at Kai. He was making no move to back his sister up.

“What are you babbling on about, girl?” she said sternly yet not unkindly. “Have you had disturbed dreams?”

“Nice try. You can’t trick me. Nothing you do could erase the memory of my mum crucified on a cross with the lodge burning behind her. Your little trick with the tea won’t work again.”

Kai furrowed his brows. “I remember. It’s all coming back.” He started to shake and his muscles tensed.

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. “I had hoped that we could avoid any unnecessary conflict. The herbs should have worked but there is more than one way to get the job done. I am a witch after all.”

She raised her hands to weave a spell. Blue light snaked around the two teens. KT slammed her fist into the woman’s nose with a powerful right hook. Elizabeth stood for a moment, a bewildered look on her face, then dropped like a rag doll. She smashed her head into the corner of a small table on the way down then lay motionless over the door’s threshold. Blood dribbled from her nose.

Kai looked stunned but shook off the last vestiges of his drug-induced stupor. “We have to leave. Find our old clothes and I’ll get mum.”

KT made no move to go. Her face was set in a grim frown. “We can’t take her with us, Kai.”

Kai whipped around to face her. “What are you talking about? Of course we’re taking her. Is your mind still messed up? We can’t leave her here.”

“Think about it,” she said. “Mum is injured pretty bad. We would have to carry her wherever we decided to go. It is freezing outside so she’d just get ill on top of everything else. She has to stay here to recover.”

“We could call a taxi and take her straight to a hospital. She’d be safe there,” Kai insisted.

“Déaþscúa brought her here. He seemed to trust Elizabeth.” KT paused for a moment in thought. “She never tried to hurt us, just make us forget. Maybe…Maybe she and Déaþscúa are right. Maybe she would be better not to remember. That is her though, not us.” 

Kai weighed their options up. A stirring from Elizabeth below them sped along his thinking. “I suppose you’re right. We don’t have time to wait and she would never last outside. We will come back for her though.”

KT nodded. “We won’t leave her long. We won’t abandon Dad and Aunt Susan either.”

“Agreed.”

With that said, they grabbed their old clothes from a rubbish bag and dressed. After paying their mother a final visit, they left the house, entering into the frozen dark of Glasgow’s streets.

Previous – Chapter 5.

Next – Chapter 7.

Water lapped gently against the prow of the boat as it glided through silver waters. It had been a long journey but it was nearing its intended shore. People crisscrossed the deck agitatedly, anxious to be back on dry land after their long confinement.

One man stood alone against the railing. He stared at the water below as though in a trance. His skin was a dark black and he wore a leather jacket that looked to have been patched many times. He tore his eyes from the sea to look at his phone. A callous finger tapped the screen a few times and he raised it to his ear.

“We’re due to dock within the hour,” he said with a faint African accent. “Do you have confirmation of his location?”

“The bad blood has moved north,” answered the voice through the phone. The accent was thicker in the speaker and the voice was of someone much older. “Be cautious, Arteeru. It would seem that our quarry has joined forces with the black witch. This complicates your mission. I would advise you to coordinate your efforts with local groups.”

Arteeru showed no reaction to the information. “No need. Part of our creed is to not involve others in our redemptions. I have the situation in hand.”

The line was silent for a moment. “I have word that Déaþscúa may be in the area too. There is a good chance that your paths may cross.”

“Understood.”

The phone call ended. Arteeru placed the phone back into his pocket and returned his gaze to the water. His hand idly stroked a long scar across his throat. He had always found the waves peaceful. They reminded him of happier times.

Land was visible on the horizon now. Arteeru grabbed a duffle-bag from the deck beside him. He paused for a moment then took a white rose from the inside pocket of his jacket. The flower was starting to wilt but it was the last of many that he had brought with him. He held it out and dropped it into the water where it floated like a pale face in the dark abyss.

Shouldering the bag, he turned from the railing and made his way down to the cargo hold. His feet were drawn to a large, covered object that stood alone. The object beneath the cover seemed to call to him. He pulled off the sheet to reveal a sleek black motorcycle. He ran a hand along its surface then sat down on the leather seat.

“Come, Darian. We have tainted blood to spill. An arrogant fool who would use our curse to kill others for his own amusement. We must be redeemed.”

The bike roared as the engine came to life. Arteeru smiled grimly at the sound, canine-like teeth glittering in the glow of the headlight.

Previous – Chapter 4.

Next – Chapter 6.

The twins sprinted toward the signpost in a mad stumble, any sense of caution immediately abandoned. In an instant they were at their mother’s side, tears rolling down their faces as the sight before them pierced through the initial shock. 

Tara Redthorn was a strong woman of unbreakable calm who never seemed to have a hair out of place. Now she hung upon a mock crucifix, her shining golden hair matted with clumps of dried blood, her pale skin nearly unrecognisable beneath cuts and bruises and her fine-cut winter clothes were tattered and burned. Long nails that had once held some part of the lodge together were driven through her flesh into the rough wood. Blood ran from the punctures, dripping down into a crimson puddle below her hanging feet. A thick coating of dirt and ash covered every inch of her.

Kai frantically moved around her, seeking out any means to get her down from her torture. KT grabbed a rock and placed it beside the cross. She stepped onto it then placed her ear upon her mother’s bloodsoaked breast and listened. A faint beat was just audible. 

“She’s still alive!” KT cried out, the words coming out as choked sobs. 

Kai jumped up to join her, listening for himself just to be sure. His hand shook maddeningly as he grabbed at the nails that secured her outstretched arms to the wood. The metal was slick with blood and his fingers couldn’t find a secure grip. 

Déaþscúa came up behind them. He still held his pistol at the ready as his eyes scanned their surroundings ceaselessly. 

“Move,” he ordered as he slid the guitar case from his back and clicked it open. All warmth had left his voice. He was now very much the wolf poised to kill.

Inside was a beautiful sword. It was a large blade of shining metal, long and wide with both edges having a deadly sharp edge and a pointed tip that could easily skewer armour. From the ground it reached up to Déaþscúa’s chin. The guard was a white humerus bone with two metal dragons twined around it so that each fanged head rested upon either rounded extremity. The balled tips of the bone had been carved into skulls, the deep eye sockets containing glinting rubies like baleful crimson eyes. The dragons’ tails dropped down, spiralling together to form a firm gripped handle. The tail tips met at the pommel to hold a wicked looking fang.

“Get behind her and brace yourselves,” Déaþscúa told them. KT obeyed him instantly while Kai hesitated for a moment, his eyes never leaving his mother. He bit his lip and followed his sister. In one swift movement, Déaþscúa swung his blade at the base of the cross, the metal slicing cleanly through it. The cross groaned then fell backward into the twins’ waiting arms. 

Déaþscúa placed the sword through a strap on his back, not bothering to pack it away into the guitar case again, and moved to check on the woman. He ran a hand over her, his face never hinting at any emotion as he eased the nails out of her flesh then lifted her slightly to place her beside the cross.

“Can’t you save her? Heal her with that glowing hand magic like you did to me!” KT begged. She wanted to move, to do something to help, but she couldn’t do anything more than stand helplessly by.

The man continued to examine their mother as he spoke. “I’m no healer. I can ease minor injuries but she needs someone devoted to saving lives. She’s badly beaten and is suffering from bloodloss. I can slow her death but can’t prevent it entirely.”

“Then we have to call an ambulance. We will save her!” growled Kai. His hands were white from clenching so tightly. 

From his coat, Déaþscúa fished out a mobile phone and tapped in a number. He held the device to his ear with one hand while the other began to glow over the woman’s chest.

“Jearl, I need a pickup ASAP. I’m at Aife’s Lodge in Abernethy Forest,” he said briskly then put the phone down, sliding it back into a pocket. 

He turned back to the two teens and opened his mouth to speak when his pistol flashed into his hand and fired past them. There was an abrupt scream as KT and Kai whipped around to see another goblin fall to the floor missing most of its chest. 

“Get ready!” Déaþscúa shouted. 

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the forest erupted into a frenzy of activity as dozens of howling goblins spilled out from the trees. Crude knives, axes and clubs swung wildly as the foul creatures barrelled forward, malice glinting in their small, dark eyes.

There was an explosion of sound as Déaþscúa fired his revolver, hammering the trigger with such speed that multiple shots merged into one peal of thunder. Six twisted figures fell like rag dolls but the others didn’t even flinch. 

Well practiced movements saw the gun reloaded from a pouch across Déaþscúa’s chest. “Grab a weapon and brace yourselves! You keep standing there gawping and you will die!”

Kai nodded shakily, picking up a ruined table leg out from the rubble. As he was bending down, a yellow glint from the darkness of the forest caught his eye. He stared for a moment as the baleful glow doubled then resolved themselves as a pair of savage eyes on a bestial face.

“Déaþscúa! Behind you!” he called out.

Déaþscúa span on the ball of his foot just as a giant wolf with ragged grey fur leapt out from the trees, blood slick claws and razor sharp fangs reaching out for the man’s throat. His opponent was larger than any canine, with features that could be attributed to a humanoid more readily than a beast. Clawed hands flexed with powerful muscles instead of paws, bulky arms filled with strength connected to broad shoulders, and impressive abdominal muscles suggested a weightlifter rather than an animal. It stood on two legs but its angular face and fang filled snout were all too animalistic. 

He shot it once but the bullet achieved nothing before its hand slammed into Déaþscúa’s face. Déaþscúa flew backward but flipped easily back to his feet. Claw marks oozed blood upon his cheek and exposed white bone, but even as the two teens watched, the wounds began to seal themselves.

The first of the goblins dived at Kai and he quickly lashed out with the table leg, splattering the creature’s brains across the dirt. Bile rose up in his throat and he would’ve thrown up if he’d had the chance before more of the grey skinned horrors were upon them.

“Catch!” grunted Déaþscúa as he threw his revolver and the ammo pouch at Kai. Dropping his club, Kai plucked them clumsily from the air and instantly fired at a goblin that had just jumped to reach his head. The gun kicked back, almost smashing into Kai’s face with the recoil but the monster exploded, coating him in a shower of blood.

KT was crouched beside her mother, hurling rocks at any goblin that advanced too close. There were too many to hold at bay any longer. She grabbed her mother’s arms and frantically pulled her through the slurry towards the wall of the lodge. 

Leaning her mother against the wall she scrambled for a weapon. Nothing nearby presented itself as a valid choice. A hiss from her side made her turn to see a goblin with a dagger scrambling toward her. She only had a second to act. Her hand sped to her belt buckle and she clicked it open. In one flourishing movement she whipped out the entire length, smashing the far end into the goblin’s nose with a satisfying crack. 

Swapping ends she brandished the belt like a whip, striking one goblin in the face with the heavy metal buckle that depicted roses growing from a skull, then swept away another’s legs. Like a snake it lashed out again and again, spinning through the air to form a safety zone around KT and her mother. Against humans it would have been pointless but the small size and thin bones of the goblins made each strike count.

Closer to the forest the werewolf howled angrily as Déaþscúa drew his sword. It glinted threateningly in the light of the rising moon. 

“Lycan,” he observed calmly. His eyes took in every detail, analysed them and provided conclusions in the brief second before the werewolf charged at him. Déaþscúa sidestepped and brought his sword down to slash at the beast’s flank but the lycan sprang into the air with unnatural grace and landed upon his back. Fangs snapped to tear at the back of his neck but Déaþscúa threw back his head, smashing it repeatedly into the wolf’s snout.

Déaþscúa repositioned his sword into a reverse grip then thrust it at the werewolf’s side. The beast jumped away again only to bounce straight back at its prey. Claws and blade met in a death-lock.

Meanwhile Kai had given up trying to follow KT and was now focussed only on keeping the goblins at bay. He emptied the revolver and was fumbling to reload the weapon. The goblins’ numbers hadn’t seemed to decrease at all. 

Kai was forced to abandon reloading when a crude axe swept toward his chest. He parried with the revolver then kicked at the goblin’s bony chest. He felt bones shatter beneath his sole. 

“I can’t hold them off with a gun!” he shouted to Déaþscúa. “They’re too close!”

Déaþscúa ducked under a swing then span away from an incoming attack from the other side. His sword flashed out, forcing the lycan to back away a few steps.

“What, you want the sword instead? Let me fight the giant wolf in close combat with a pistol? You wouldn’t even be able to lift this!” he snapped. As he said this, the lycan knocked his sword to one side and slashed at Déaþscúa’s chest. Ragged cuts pierced flesh and sprayed blood. “Bloody brilliant!” he spat before punching the werewolf in the kidney.

The wound knit itself back together but Kai noticed that it was taking longer than that first injury had taken to heal. A goblin then jumped onto Kai’s head and started clawing at his face with dirty fingernails. He couldn’t see a thing. He stumbled around blindly until he felt the wall of the lodge then smashed his head into it, squishing the creature between his skull and the wall. 

Behind him the lycan launched into a flurry of attacks that tore at skin and jarred every bone. Déaþscúa cursed as blood blurred his vision. He stepped forward into the lycan’s defence and slammed his pommel into the beast’s maw. Fangs flew from its mouth to litter the floor. Dazed, it swung at him but Déaþscúa stepped to the side then severed the hand with a decisive flick of his wrist. The wolf screamed, the sound a terrifying mixture of man and beast that seemed to shake the heavens. The lycan thrashed its remaining hand at Déaþscúa who, despite blocking, was thrown back into a tree with a sharp thud.

A soul rending howl issued forth as the lycan made ready to finish the job. Its battle cry was cut short when music suddenly began to blare through the trees. ‘I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic. You can brush my hair-’ Déaþscúa fumbled angrily through his pocket for his phone. The lycan cocked its head at the sound then ran at him but Déaþscúa batted it away with the flat of his blade.

“Damn it Ailia! That is the last time I let you use my damn phone!” he hissed mid swing, quickly silencing the song. He glanced over to the lycan then bounded to his feet, breaking into an instant sprint. 

The sound of an engine rose up quickly, growing from a whisper to a roar in the space of a few seconds. From the narrow lane that led through the forest to Aife’s Lodge burst a shadowy shape. Flames reflected across a matte black SUV that looked more suited to battlefields than British roads. It was huge and bore armoured plates. Black tinted windows blocked any view of the interior. It mowed down any goblin that could not dive to the side in time then skidded to a halt beside Déaþscúa.

KT and Kai were still beside the lodge, their position almost overrun as the goblins ignored Déaþscúa to swarm the easier prey. He could see them crawling over the building, clambering down the walls like spiders to take the teens from above.

“Shit,” he said through gritted teeth. The lycan was charging him again but he didn’t have time to waste on it. He ran towards KT and Kai with the lycan chasing behind. It was rapidly gaining on him. He threw his sword, spearing one of the goblins to the wall just above KT’s head. The lycan swung at him and he leapt up, landing on the beast’s back as he grabbed its arms and forced them backwards into a tight lock. 

Kai dove aside as the lycan crashed past him into the wall. Déaþscúa sprang up, grabbing his sword from the wood and landing beside Tara. 

“Get in the car!” Déaþscúa ordered. He snatched the revolver from Kai and slid home another six bullets before passing it back to the young man. He effortlessly picked up Tara with one arm and began the run back towards the SUV. KT and Kai followed closely behind him. Few of the goblins dared to get close now that Déaþscúa was so near. The lycan had no such issue and was storming across the mud after them.

Déaþscúa made it to the car first and put Tara into the passenger seat. KT whipped one more goblin across the knuckles with the belt buckle then threw herself into the back seat. Déaþscúa and Kai barrelled in after her, Kai emptying the pistol’s chambers before shutting the door. Even as the door slammed shut, the car’s wheels screeched and it shot off back down the lane.

There was a howl of rage then the entire vehicle shook as something thudded into the roof. Metal screeched as claws punctured the roof and began to work jagged grooves into its surface. Déaþscúa muttered angrily then grabbed the gun from Kai. He reloaded then began firing up, wincing at every hole he made. The gunshots rang out like thunder within the confines of the car.

Through the messy gaps above they could see the lycan, wounded but undiminished in its movements. It snarled, baring glistening fangs at its intended prey below. Its good arm struck out again, tearing another set of lines into the roof.

“Open the door!” yelled Déaþscúa. 

KT looked at him unbelievingly. “Open the door? we’re driving at max speed down a forest lane with tightly packed trees on either side and a pissed off werewolf on the roof wanting nothing more than to get inside with us. Why the hell would I open that door?”

Déaþscúa growled angrily. He leaned over KT against her complaints and yanked at the handle. The door opened and Déaþscúa scrambled across KT to swing himself out, deftly pulling himself up onto the roof beside the lycan.

Déaþscúa and the lycan stared each other down, both braced against the car’s movements, their muscles tensed to leap into action at a moment’s notice.

“Care to stop smashing up my car?” Déaþscúa asked. The wolf snarled and sprang at him. Déaþscúa ran to meet it and jumped with unnatural power. He landed upon its shoulders and shot at its head, blowing a large section of skull away. Another flip saw him back onto the vehicle’s roof. 

Despite the horrendous injury, the lycan only staggered around the roof howling, struggling against the pain to get a focus on the man before it. It shook its head, flecking blood everywhere, then bared its teeth ready for one final attack. Déaþscúa simply waved goodbye and stepped to the side. 

A stout tree branch smashed into the lycan’s ribs. The sound of breaking bones was all too apparent. As the SUV drove on, the lycan slid from the branch and hit the ground limply. Déaþscúa watched silently as the great mass of muscle and fur shrivelled and shrunk, receding and rotting until only a battered human body remained. His naked skin was ragged and blood soaked and his overgrown brown hair was tangled. Scrubbed up and healthy, the man would have been considered handsome.

Kneeling, Déaþscúa leant down and knocked on the window. It opened and he hopped down through it almost casually.

No sooner had he seated himself Kai grabbed him by the shirt. “What the hell is going on? Monsters burn down the lodge and kill everyone just when you’re coincidently strolling through the area! Why did this happen? Who the hell are you?”

“They aren’t dead,” replied Déaþscúa calmly. “Think logically, boy. Did you see any bodies? Any blood? We didn’t get there before they had a chance to hide so many bodies.”

“But mum-“

“Is still alive as well,” Déaþscúa interrupted. “I suppose you could see it as a message.” 

“Will she survive?” KT asked in a weak voice. “I mean, you said you couldn’t heal her.”

Déaþscúa nodded. “I can’t. I do know someone who can though,” he said before tapping on the black glass that separated the back of the car from the front like a limousine divider.

The window slid down to reveal the cluttered area beyond. Their mother was still unconscious in the passenger’s seat but around her was a mixture of gadgets and fast-food wrappers divided messily along with a wealth of other miscellaneous crap. Magazines were arranged across the dashboard that varied from nude women, comic books and cheap gossip prints.

Leaning from the driver’s seat to see his passengers was a lanky man with messy brown hair and a long, blemished face. He wore a black chauffeur’s suit that was too baggy on him. It was creased and the jackets buttons were all undone. Its collar was up and the whole outfit had a very lived in look. KT could almost believe that the messy style could be attributed to some strange, niche fashion circle.

The man took a look at the destroyed roof and tisked to himself. His gaze slid over to Déaþscúa after they had rested several moments upon KT. Kai was completely ignored.

“Where to, boss?” he said in a cockney accent. 

“Get us to Glasgow as quickly as you can,” Déaþscúa told him as he pushed himself forward to check on Tara. “We need this woman healed or she’ll likely die. These kids don’t want to lose their mother and I don’t want to lose a possible source of information.”

“Got it,” nodded the other man assuredly. He turned back and the divide began to rise again.

“What do you mean by ‘source of information’? Doesn’t a human life mean anything to you?” Kai snarled. 

Déaþscúa watched him passively. “I saved both of you didn’t I? You serve no purpose to me but I still protected you and have brought you along with me. I also have enough information to not need whatever your mother could tell me. I helped her because she needs it and not because I need her. If she can even think logically when she wakes, the most that she could tell me would only confirm my suspicions.”

“And what are those suspicions?” KT asked. She looked into Déaþscúa’s bottomless eyes, determined not to look away until he answered. He had skirted too many of their questions for her liking. “Why did the goblins attack the lodge? Where is our dad? And Aunt Susan and all of the others? Why was everyone taken alive if you’re right? None of it makes any sense.”

He stared right back for a few seconds, the ice blue of his pupils seemingly slicing into her brain like a cold wind. “Exactly,” replied Déaþscúa with a frown. “The goblins should have kept well away from any human settlement. They only ever fight humans if they’re starving or have been rallied to war. Neither really fits here. Added to that, the lycan hate goblins and will hunt them as readily as any human. The lycan are hunters and will go after single targets. Only frenzied werewolves or those who still control their own actions would ever attack a group of people. Our fur-brain was neither. No goblin or lycan would take a captive, especially a whole host of them.”

“That doesn’t answer anything then!” Kai said, clipping each word out angrily. Now that the adrenaline was fading, his emotions had started to tear through his numbness.

Déaþscúa shook his head. “You have to look around the answers you know to see the shape of what you don’t know. If you open up a hundred piece jigsaw and only count ninety nine, which is easier, looking through each piece individually to try and guess what isn’t there or assemble what you do have in order to see the gap? I know that a building that I’ve recently been around was attacked by unlikely allies in circumstances that do not fit with their natural behaviour. This suggests they were attacking because of me and that a higher authority was guiding their actions. Running through the list of people that want me to suffer who’re near enough to know my movements and has the power to pull the strings of these creatures leaves only one name. Black Annis.”

Silence descended within the car as it raced over the dark roads. Kai clearly had no idea who that was but recognition sparked in KT’s eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Wasn’t Black Annis a mythological witch who lived in Leicester? Why would she be hunting you in Scotland?”

Déaþscúa removed a leather wallet from the back pocket of his trousers and routed through it for a moment before removing a folded piece of paper. He showed it to the twins. It was a pencil drawing depicting a twisted woman in black with blades for fingers. Water colour paint had been used to give the woman a bluish tinge to her skin.

“It is me who’s hunting her,” he told them slowly. “As I have been for longer than I care to remember. She did have a den in Leicester but I hunted her from there long ago, with the aid of urban expansion anyway. You have to consider, when your diet consists mostly of human children, you can’t stay in one place for too long. She was known up and down the British Isles by one name or another. Scotland is still wild so provides a good place for her to hide. She fled here and I followed.”

“Why burn down the lodge?” asked Kai. “You never went inside. We were the only ones you had spoken to and there were no children for her to take, just a load of gristly old folk who probably taste of bitterness and disappointment.”

“Annis enjoys suffering. Or at least the strong emotions that come from it. She knows that in an open fight against me she can’t win. Instead she wages mental war on me. For years anyone I was ever close to was killed by her. Then when I stopped making bonds she murdered anybody who I even spoke to. She made me pick between social isolation or the death of innocents. That is why I warned you not to go near me.” Déaþscúa sighed. His eyes held a distant look to them as he spoke.

Kai raised his voice. “You said they were all still alive. Dad, Aunt Susan, everyone.”

“And they probably are,” Déaþscúa replied simply. “Annis is a smart, treacherous woman. She’ll use them as bait to lure me into her trap. She thinks that the second innocents are in danger then I’ll just recklessly rush in and save them.”

“You have to save them!” yelled Kai. Tears brimmed in his eyes.

“First we save this one.” Déaþscúa said, indicating their mother beyond the divide.

“Then what?” asked KT, nervous of the answer.

“Then I’ll just recklessly rush in and save them,” he smiled. “Now get some rest. Even with Jearl’s gung-ho driving it’s a long way to Glasgow.”

Previous – Chapter 3.

Next – Chapter 5.

“Look, we aren’t going to find anything. We’ve searched the whole area,” Kai said as the twins plodded through the frozen forest. The light of day was only just beginning to dilute the darkness of night and the air was still bitterly cold. They’d found no further clues to the man’s whereabouts.

“Stop moaning!” KT snapped. “You were attacked in this very spot by a mythological monster. Surely you want to know what’s going on?”

“Of course I do! It’s just that it all felt so…surreal.” Kai sighed as he suppressed another yawn. “If it wasn’t for you I’d have not given it a second thought. I just don’t know what you’re expecting to find. You think we’ll just stumble across a ring of power or a magic stone that will suddenly make all of your dreams come true?”

KT kicked at the snow. “I don’t know. I just… I just want there to be something more. What we saw was real so who’s to say what else could exist too? I have to at least try to find out more.”

“So what do you propose then? You said that dude told us not to go into the forest alone yet that is exactly the first thing that we’ve done.”

“We aren’t alone. We have each other. Anyway, that thing took us by surprise. We’ll be ready if there is a next time. We can finally put those karate lessons to use. Not that I expect trouble during the day.”

“You quit those lessons after three months.”

“I was the only girl and everyone was scared to face me. They all either didn’t want to hurt a girl or didn’t want to be hurt by a girl. How was I supposed to improve in that environment? Anyway, you quit the week after me.”

“Yeah. I didn’t like the couch. Old Barry, wasn’t it? He thought he was better than me.”

“He was a blackbelt.”

“That’s hardly the point. Aren’t kung-fu masters supposed to be all humble and shit? Not rub it in our face how high and mighty he is.”

KT rubbed the back of her neck absently as she thought. Her mind wasn’t really on the conversation. Her eyes drifted across the trees and noticed the broken branches that marked where the succubus had fled into the sky. Thinking back she knew that the beast had flown south, deeper into the vast forest.

She pointed in the direction that the succubus had gone. “We go that way.”

“Yes, brilliant idea! Let’s go deeper into an ancient forest after finding out that monsters exist. What could possibly go wrong?” Kai mocked as he waved his arms around dramatically. Despite his sarcasm, it was the first time he had shown any sign of energy.

“Think about it,” reasoned his sister. “That man appeared after you were attacked by the succubus. He wounded it but then had to help us. We can assume that he was some kind of monster hunter as he knew all about them and carried around that pistol. He helped us so he is probably an okay guy. He wouldn’t risk the succubus attacking someone else. It makes sense that he would finish off the job.”

Kai shook his head. “South covers a big area you realise.”

“You’re such a pessimist. We won’t know if we never try,” KT persisted.

“I’m not a pessimist, I’m an optimist with a negative disposition. There is a difference,” said Kai, resolved to the fact that he knew his sister had already won.

Knowing that she had won as well, KT wasted no time in venturing off into the forest. Kai followed behind miserably. He struggled to keep his tired eyes open but KT’s eyes constantly flickered back and forth in search for any signs of the quarry. Drops of blood, a footprint, some kind of trail, anything. 

“I’d probably avoid mum when we get back. She saw you last night and assumes you were drunk,” KT commented as they plodded around the trees without anything supernatural occurring.

Kai made a snorting sound somewhere between anger and frustration. “Great. I get attacked and still end up having her breathing down my neck. I wish she’d just give up already.”

“You know she just wants you to succeed.”

“Look, there are always going to be people who’re smarter, stronger, faster and more talented than me. Practice makes perfect but perfection is unattainable so why practice? Dear ol’ Mum always said to play to our strengths and my strength just happens to be being a smartass bastard with a fondness for pretty girls. I am the best at what I do and nobody can take that away from me.”

KT had no answer to that argument that she hadn’t used a hundred times before.

They walked in silence for another half an hour without finding anything of note. Even KT was beginning to show signs of doubt. Kai had succumbed to his weariness and was basically asleep on his feet, his legs propelled by their own rhythm more than by conscious thought. 

“Can we go back now?” he asked through a yawn. “I think I’m starting to dream again. I can smell bacon.”

KT was about to offer a scathing reply when the scent of bacon caught in her nostrils too. The smell caught her by surprise and caused her to miss her step. She tripped and fell to the floor. “You’re not imagining it,” she said, holding up her hand for Kai to help her up.

Kai ignored her and ploughed forward through the trees, sniffing heavily like a dog following a scent. KT pulled herself up and followed behind him. After a few seconds he came to a sudden halt in a small clearing. 

“My bacon senses are tingling. It was cooked here,” he stated confidently. He stood there wetting his lips hungrily since KT had dragged him from the lodge before he could eat breakfast. 

KT caught up to him and it only took her a moment to find scattered ashes that indicated a fire had been lit there. Judging by the way that the ashes were positioned, she guessed that someone had sloppily tried kicking snow over the fire’s remains. A passer-by would likely not have spotted them but for someone who was even remotely aware of the ground it was obvious.

“It had to have been him,” she said matter-of-factly. Placing her hand over the ashes she felt a slight resonance of warmth.

“Why does it? Anyone can eat bacon. Hell, it should be law that everyone has to eat bacon at least once a week,” muttered Kai. He was still savouring the smell. His stomach growled in agreement.

“Who else would be out in the middle of a Scottish forest on New Year’s day? It is the only logical answer. If only I knew which way he went.”

“West,” grunted Kai. 

“Why west?”

Kai shrugged offhandedly. “He is a man who has just filled up on bacon. He won’t be wanting to walk uphill. The ground slopes down to the west.

“Damn it. Kai, you can’t base all of life’s decisions on bacon.”

Kai shrugged, his face a mask of innocence. “Why not? It’s never let me down before.”

KT sighed in defeat. “Fine. We’ll head west,” she agreed, before setting off down the slope. 

They walked for another twenty minutes without seeing any signs of anything unusual. Kai stumbled along, his tiredness rapidly reducing his ability to function. More than once he tripped on a root or a section of uneven ground and staggered into a tree. He yawned, swallowed his own saliva, and began to choke noisily. 

“You’re right. This is pointless. We’d never find a man like that if he didn’t want to be found,” KT said frustratedly. She took a deep breath then visibly sagged. “What the hell are we doing?” 

“Choking,” wheezed Kai.

KT moved to help him but came to a sudden halt. Her entire body was alert as her eyes darted to a nearby bush. It shook slightly then became still again. She took a cautious step toward it then dived away as the bush exploded into motion.

A greyish-green blur erupted from the undergrowth and shot past her, smashing straight into Kai’s back. He screamed out and spun around with his arms swinging. Whatever had hit him jumped back and dashed around to the side ready to strike again at his blindspot. 

It was a creature about half Kai’s height with a scrawny build and tight, dirty grey skin that stretched over a knobbly skeleton. Jackal-like teeth gnashed hungrily while pale yellow eyes with slit pupils jittered across the two teens seeking weak spots to exploit. Its nose and ears were sharp like blades, almost as lethal looking as the chipped fingernails. It had no hair whatsoever.

A feral screech tore from the monster’s cracked lips as it leapt at Kai’s back. It flew through the air quicker than Kai could move. KT dashed to intercept the attack and slammed into the creature’s side. It hit the ground hard but bounced back up quickly. It looked half-panicked but wasted no time in grabbing a stone that it hurled at KT. She blocked it with her arm but the blow still came keen. While she was distracted the creature charged at Kai. He was ready for it this time and punched it in the face. The thing’s entire body shook with the blow but before Kai could withdraw his hand it clamped its teeth down upon his fist.

There was an echoing crack and the monster exploded like a bloody firework. Dark blood splattered everywhere while bone fragments and tattered skin filled the air like grisly rain. Both teens whipped around to stare through the blood haze at the man beyond.

Déaþscúa stood with his pistol pointed toward them, a frown on his rugged face. That strange look of confusion that he had shown the night before passed across his features once again. He stood like that for a few seconds then sighed as he holstered the revolver. 

“I hate teenagers. You specifically tell them not to do something and they go out of their way to do it,” His voice was more reserved than angry. He walked toward them. “How did you find me anyway? I can’t decide whether to be annoyed or impressed that you followed me.”

Kai’s skin was ashen and he trembled where he stood. KT watched him stare at the creature’s corpse then at Déaþscúa. Anger flared in his eyes just for a moment but then his entire disposition changed, his body relaxing and a blank look settling across his face. His pride had always been stronger than his fear. KT both respected and hated how quickly he could switch off his emotions. 

He shook off the remains of the creature’s jaw from his wrist then wiped a coating of gore from his face before speaking. “What the hell was that?” 

Déaþscúa looked at the viscera as though seeing it for the first time. “Oh yeah. That. I’d forget my own head if Jearl didn’t occasionally reattach it. That charming little creature was a goblin. Nasty little buggers. Just like you two. Now go away. Go home and forget everything you’ve seen or I’ll be forced to wipe your minds,” Déaþscúa informed them offhandedly.

“Can you do that?” KT asked with a raised eyebrow. She was genuinely curious as to the extent of his abilities.

Déaþscúa was silent for a moment. “Well no… I do know people who can.”

“And where are they?” Kai asked sarcastically. Sarcasm was his default response when it came to people in authority.

“Not here,” the man admitted slowly.

For how imposing the man was he had the quality of a large dog. He seemed endearing and friendly until threatened when the snarling wolf would rise from the mists of ancestral DNA. KT felt safe around him despite his dangerous presence and her own better judgement. “What is going on? Tell us. Please.”

Déaþscúa rubbed his stubbly chin with a scarred hand. “Fine. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know on the condition you return to the lodge and don’t seek me out again. Danger follows me like a shadow and it won’t take much to consume you both. You have to understand that. This might all seem magical to you but in reality it is a series of gruesome deaths just waiting to happen.”

The two teens looked at each other then turned back and nodded. 

He sighed again. “What is your first question then?”

Kai raised a hand. “Err, I seem to be bleeding. Do you have any disinfectant or bandages?” He turned so that Déaþscúa could see the claw marks that cut furrows into his skin. The wounds weren’t deep but they still bled, soaking into his black shirt and working down to his jeans.

“Do I look like a doctor to you?” Déaþscúa said. He placed a hand on the injury causing Kai to wince slightly. The same light bluish glow emanated from his hand as when he had healed KT’s stomach. “I’ve stemmed the bleeding. It’s just a scratch so don’t worry.”

Kai shuddered under the man’s touch. The glow seemed to make him nervous and he kept trying to look around to cast distrustful glances back at Déaþscúa. 

The second Déaþscúa was satisfied with the injury he turned and started a brisk walk into the forest in the direction of the lodge. After a slight pause, KT and Kai set off after him.

KT tried her luck with the first question. “Can anyone use magic?”

“No,” was Déaþscúa’s simple reply. “It isn’t a regular occurrence. It’s all down to blood, existing magic or cosmic events. Many gifted humans don’t even know why they can do what they do. There are very few of us left in the world. Once there were a lot more.”

KT looked disappointed but quickly recovered and pressed on. “Well, why are you here? Did you come for the succubus, or the goblin?”

“Goblins and succubi are everywhere. I wouldn’t come out to Scotland for something so small,” Déaþscúa said as though the monsters were nothing more than annoying insects. Despite his tone, his features settled into a frown. “I’ll admit though, that goblin’s behaviour was far from normal.”

“Why? It was ugly, smelled bad and tried to kill us. Seems pretty goblin-like to me,” Kai observed. 

“Three reasons. Firstly, goblins are nocturnal creatures. For them to wander out in the sunlight is pretty unusual in itself. Secondly, goblins will never attack unless they’re confident they’ll win. That means attacking the weak or outnumbering their prey. After all, they’re creatures that hunt in a pack. A lone goblin attacking two healthy humans makes no sense. Finally, the goblins know that I am in the area. Usually, most creatures will hide away if I’m within a ten mile radius of their territory. It isn’t just that one goblin ignoring me. I can sense that the whole pack is on the hunt. That’s very strange indeed.”

Déaþscúa continued through the forest as though the rough terrain didn’t exist. His movements were easy yet confident, taking him past the trees, branches, roots and bushes like he knew every inch of his surroundings. Kai and KT were basically jogging just to keep up with him.

“Why are you here then? You think there is something worse out here?” asked KT, fearing the answer already.

Déaþscúa laughed bitterly. “There is much worse out in these woods. I seek the worst. You don’t need to know any more than that.” His tone lightened slightly. “Anyway, you never answered my question. How did you track me?”

“We followed the scent of bacon.” Kai answered, happy to be back on a topic that he knew.”

“Curses! Foiled again by my one weakness!” Déaþscúa said overdramatically. Lowering his voice slightly but keeping with the dramatic tone he continued. “But it was worth it. Oh how it was worth it.”

Kai examined the man sceptically. “You don’t carry any supply bags. You don’t have enough pockets to carry food and water for an extended trip. That means that you must have a base around here, right?”

Déaþscúa smirked as he opened up his coat and lifted up his shirt. Underneath it was a vest made from individually wrapped bacon strips.

“You have a bacon vest? That’s awesome!” exclaimed Kai as though it was the greatest invention of humanity.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Bacon is resistant to magic. Someone throws a fireball at me and all that happens is that I end up with ready cooked bacon. It shields me and is a conveniently portable food supply.”

“What about the actual heat from melted plastic and cooked bacon against your skin? Surely that still burns-”

“Enough about bacon!” interrupted KT. “We stand at the doorway to a world of wonders and you want to waste time talking about meat.”

They were nearing the lodge now. KT wanted to get as much knowledge as she could before Déaþscúa tried to leave them again. She was about to ask another question when Déaþscúa suddenly tensed. It was like seeing a vicious predator suddenly realising that it wasn’t the nastiest beast on the prowl. Without a single word he burst into motion, leaving the two teens behind.

“I smell smoke,” hissed Kai. “Not the good kind either.”

KT sniffed heavily. Kai’s sense of smell had always been better than hers. It took her a moment but as soon as she looked for the smell it was there. Faint but foul in the pure forest air. A dark smudge was rising through the sky above the treetops ahead of them.

“What could be burning around here?” she began. “The only thing for miles is…”

“The lodge!” roared Kai as realisation hit him like a hammer blow.

Without heed of the branches that lashed at their skin, KT and Kai barrelled through the forest in the direction that Déaþscúa had vanished. The smell of smoke grew stronger and the sky started to grow dull as black clouds rose up to choke the blue heavens. The path between the trees quickly became obscured and their panting breaths turned into chokes as the smoke filled their lungs.

Then they were out in the open. Smoke covered the area like a blanket but the ruined shell that had once been Aife’s Lodge was all too clear. The aged wood had turned black as fire consumed every surface. The glass from the windows was shattered everywhere and stone lay as debris wherever the eyes looked. What remained of the once ornate furniture was now littered across the clearing. One of the walls had completely collapsed, leaving a gaping wound into the building’s gutted remains. Flames had melted the snow, reducing the grassy glen to a churned field of mud.

“Oh god!” KT choked as she took in the devastation.

Déaþscúa stood nearby, pistol drawn. He was advancing towards the signpost that had once borne the lodge’s name. Now it had been converted into a crude crucifix where a human body had been nailed. A human whose blood stained face was all too familiar.

“Mum!”

Previous – Chapter 2.

Next – Chapter 4.

KT barely made it through the front doors before her stomach began to protest the strain of lugging Kai’s unconscious body. She struggled to take a few laboured steps forward then almost doubled over as she felt her muscles cramp.

She scanned the room with teary eyes. Most of the people left in the hall were beyond the point of being useful. Some were slumped in chairs while others swayed where they stood while speaking overly loud. Most were too old to do any heavy lifting anyway.

One woman stood apart from the others though with a book held open in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other. She had neat blonde hair that rested atop her shoulders and wore a smart yet stylish skirt and blouse. Slender glasses covered icy blue eyes. She was tall for a woman, even when wearing sensible shoes as she did now.

KT waved at her until she caught the woman’s attention. Her gaze passed over KT’s dirty clothes then settled on Kai. She closed her eyes as though to compose herself then made her way over to the twins.

“What has he done this time?” the woman asked. 

“Mum, it isn’t what it looks like,” KT began. The woman cut her off. 

“Really? Because it looks like Kai has got blackout drunk again. Just once I would like to spend time as a family without him showing us up.”

KT hesitated. This argument had been going on for a long time now, and for once, Kai didn’t deserve the blame. At the same time though, telling her mother the truth was a fruitless venture. She would never believe that Kai had almost been killed by a mythical demon. She still wasn’t sure if she believed it herself.

“Maybe his drink was spiked,” she tried.

“Or maybe his sense of moderation is hidden in the same part of his head as his responsibility and respect.” She closed her eyes again and when they opened she spoke with a softer voice. “Let’s get him into his room. There’s no point berating deaf ears.”

Between them the two women managed to drag Kai up the stairs. KT did her best to cover up how much pain she was in, all the while looking at the remaining guests for any signs that they were not what they appeared. Nobody seemed out of place.

They managed to reach Kai’s room and dumped him on the bed. His breathing was shallow and his skin looked pale. The strange man had said that he should wake up fine but KT had no idea if she could trust his word.

Their mother was already at the door. She turned back to KT, her face shrouded in shadows so that the younger woman couldn’t quite make out her expression.

“Try to talk some sense into him. You’re the only person who he listens to anymore. He could do so much but he chooses to waste his potential. Being here should put that into perspective for him. Poor Ava was a rising star and was taken far too early. She died with so much left to give while Mordekai lives just to get drunk and womanise. Try to make him understand that life is too short to squander.” She was gone before KT could answer.

She stayed at Kai’s side for a while. Her head span but curiosity played on her mind more than fear. She had seen something that potentially shattered her very perception of the world. She wanted to know more. Her heart screamed out that life must be more than growing old, getting a job, having a family and then dying. She needed more. She had always been the type of child who had questioned everything. It had been people telling her that curiosity killed the cat that made her take on the nickname KT rather than her childhood name of Kat.

The scene in the forest was on loop in her head. What could she have done differently? Just how bad could things have gone? Before she knew it she was running through a nightmare forest being chased by the succubus. Being chased yet also chasing after a sphere of light that whispered promises of purpose and power across the void between them. Whenever she closed the gap it was a reflection of her own face that stared back at her from the orb.

She awoke with a jerk. The room was still dark. She stretched and winced as her stomach tightened. It didn’t feel as bad anymore.

Kai looked much the same as before but it seemed that his breathing had steadied. Finally feeling content that he was safe, KT stood and left his room. She wandered through the now empty corridors, her feet guiding her towards the room where she had spent most of her time on their previous visits to the lodge.

Her aunt, Susan Peterson, was an old-fashioned woman and her lodge reflected this. Aife’s Lodge had a large room that was packed tight with all manner of old books. It felt more like a symbol of status than a love of knowledge but KT didn’t care.

The smell of dust and old paper washed over her as she opened the door to the library. Clustered shelves lined every wall while free-standing shelves formed a labyrinth of pathways through the books. Most were cheap volumes that bore titles dull enough to put off any potential reader but KT remembered finding a few novels tucked away amongst the history books and manuals. 

It took her a while but she finally found what she was looking for. It was a tatty book in a faux leather cover with the word ‘Myth’ embossed in gold upon the front. She opened it up and was greeted by a roughly sketched dragon that looked too much like a cow to be as fearsome as the description implied.

She flicked through the pages until she found a small section titled ‘Succubi’. This time there was a cramped image of a beautiful, long haired woman with a lithe, small breasted body dressed in medieval style clothing. She wore it in an alluring manner that revealed hints of pale flesh. The only thing that set the image apart from a normal woman was the pure black eyes and leathery, batlike wings. It looked startlingly similar to the monster they had fought. The conflicting body images also fit with what Déaþscúa had told her. She read the scrawled writing that accompanied the image.

The Succubi are a form of demon that prey off of the sexual energies of mortal males. Like their male counterpart, the Incubi, they drain this energy through engaging in intercourse with their victims as they sleep. They take the form of attractive women but elements of their demonic nature are usually visible such as dark eyes, fangs, wings or serpentine tails. While usually non-violent, they are known to attack when threatened. The Succubi are in possession of increased strength and can withstand great amounts of damage. Reports of the creatures have diminished in recent decades but changes in society could easily cover up their dark activities.

She sat down on an overstuffed reading chair and read through the entry a few more times. It all seemed to fit with what Déaþscúa had told her. KT wanted to believe what she thought she had seen but every bit of logic in her screamed that she had to be wrong. There was only one way to know for sure if it had all been real.

KT left the library and traversed the corridors as she made her way toward the front door. Her stomach was starting to settle now but gave off a pang at the thought of leaving the safety of the lodge. There was a very real threat of danger out there now but she was not about to let fear stand in the way of magic. Magic! 

Other girls had wanted to be princesses while boys had aspired to be footballers. KT had always found inspiration in the adventures of Alice in her Wonderland, Eowyn fighting orcs amongst the men of the Rohirrim army and Sigourney Weaver battling against terrifying Xenomorphs. All of her life she had been the oddball. The weirdo who believed in fairies and had spent countless hours reading books on myths and witchcraft in the hopes that she could be special. On reflection, perhaps watching Alien every night at bedtime when she was six had not been the best for her mental state. Remembering her mother’s explosion when she had found out was one of KT’s earliest memories.

But then she had matured, grown out of idle fantasies to make her way through the real world, only for that to fail just as spectacularly. This was her chance. It didn’t stop her from approaching the fireplace first to arm herself with a poker. With the iron rod in one hand and her phone in the other she opened the main door. 

She stepped out into the frozen forest, thickening snowfall obscuring her view, and retraced her steps until she found the spot where the battle had taken place. The dirt was scuffed and the tree she had hit was missing some bark but little else seemed out of place. A growing layer of fresh snow made seeing anything difficult, especially in the early morning dark. A harsh chill was in the air that she could not shake as she moved around the area, searching for any sign of the blood that had been spilt. It was as if it had all simply dissolved into nothing.

After minutes of searching without success, KT was close to giving up until the sun rose. Maybe she really had dreamt it all. As she moved to return to the lodge empty handed, something glimmered in her peripheral vision as the light of her phone patrolled the treeline, causing her to turn back to the tree where the man had first appeared. If she held her head at just the right angle she could glimpse a sparkle of metal amongst the undergrowth. She rushed over to investigate the ground, fishing out a bullet cartridge from underneath an arced root.

Her limited knowledge on guns told her that this was not from any traditional hunting rounds. The strange, flowing patterns that were engraved upon it were too intricate to be used by any sort of hunter she knew of. Its location couldn’t be a mere coincidence. It had to belong to the man, Déaþscúa.

KT fought down waves of excitement as she made her way back to the lodge. As quietly as possible, she re-entered the building, the cartridge clenched in her hand as though if she were to let it go then it too would disappear. 

She rushed back into the library, almost throwing herself into the chair as she grabbed the book. The cartridge proved that Déaþscúa really had been there and did have a gun that he fired at something. That man was the key to understanding what had happened. He looked human but could heal wounds and moved with unnatural speed. The book had entries for all manner of wizards, mages and gifted humans but without more information there was no chance of narrowing down exactly what he could have been.

KT closed the book and was about to stand when a hand touched her shoulder. She jumped and tried to turn around at the same time, resulting in an undignified tumble from the chair.

“I’m sorry, Catherine. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

KT looked up to see the face of her Aunt Susan looming above her. Susan Peterson was a decade older than KT’s parents and those years showed on her hard face and in her grey hair. She was tall and had the same imposing presence as KT’s mother despite being her father’s sister. Her clothes were prim and faint lines marked her boney face. Tired eyes stared down at KT. They always looked close to tears when KT saw her. 

“Hi, Aunt Susan,” KT said as she picked herself up from the floor. “I didn’t expect anyone to be up yet.”

“I am usually up early,” her aunt said absently. “Though it is later than you might think. Winters here are dark well into the morning. You get used to it. Couldn’t you sleep?”

KT shook her head. She had never been sure how to talk to the woman. How did you speak to a rich relative who had lost her husband and only child and now lived alone in the middle of nowhere? Especially when it was constantly pointed out how similar KT looked to that dead child? It always left her feeling uncomfortable.

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment until Susan spoke again. “Do you know why I asked you to come here?”

KT shook her head again. She tried desperately to think of an excuse to leave the woman but couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t be rude. The discovery of supernatural demons was slightly more important than a lonely old woman. KT instantly felt a pang of guilt for the thought.

“No, I didn’t think that your parents would tell you. Tara likes to keep her cards close to her chest. You may as well know now. I intend to move away from here to downsize somewhere a little warmer. I tried to keep myself occupied by turning the house into a hotel but it never really filled the void. Too many memories you see. Did you know that it was Ava who named the lodge?”

KT made what she hoped came across as a soothing smile. She knew next to nothing about her cousin beyond what she looked like and that she had been in the police. Unsurprisingly, nobody really wanted to talk about the dead woman. It reminded people how fragile life really was.

Susan continued. “I am leaving the lodge to your father. It’s up to him, or more likely your mother, if he wants to keep it or sell it on.” She paused to steady her breath. “I could never bring myself to clear out Ava’s things. I still don’t think that I can. I can’t take them with me so I want to leave them to you. She wasn’t much older than you when she died so maybe you will find a use for some of it.”

She hesitated for a moment. Reaching some kind of resolution, she took a fine silver chain that ended in a beautiful pendant of curved silver and emerald from around her neck. Its shape was indescribable, a complicated mesh of numerous patterns and designs. On every fine strip of silver were very small, golden inscriptions that were unreadable.

“It’s beautiful…” breathed KT as she took in the object’s splendour. Jewelry had never really appealed to her but this was a work of art.

Her aunt smiled. “It belonged to Ava. I’m still not exactly sure where she got it from. I believe it was from a suitor but she was always a very private girl, even to me. She’d intended to pass it onto her first daughter,” she faltered a moment, fighting against a sudden wave of emotions. “I want you to have it now. It is too beautiful to be worn by a tired old woman like me. It will look perfect on you, just like it did her. You both look so alike you know,” the woman finished, tenderly passing the chain to her niece. 

KT hesitated but Susan’s hand didn’t waver as she held it out to her niece. She took it slowly, admiring it for several seconds before sliding it over her head. She had seen pictures of Ava wearing it and wasn’t sure how to feel about having something else that tied her to the woman.

She searched for words but couldn’t find anything that felt fitting. “Er, thanks,” she answered lamely. 

“Ah, but enough about all of that. There will be plenty of time to talk when I speak with you all tomorrow. No need to bring the tone down now. Were you reading anything interesting before I interrupted you?”

KT assessed how much she should say before answering. “It’s a book about myths and legends. I’ve always found that kind of thing interesting. Have you ever seen anything unexplainable out here in the forest?” she asked as innocently as she could.

Susan smiled at her. “Oh yes. I remember you reading about King Arthur the last time I saw you. Hmm. Around here? I’m afraid not. The forest only hides wild animals, snow and more trees. Scotland has a rich collection of myths but I’m afraid I am no expert.”

KT hadn’t expected much but she still felt a sense of disappointment. She was about to try her luck and press the older woman further when the library door opened and KT’s father entered. 

Bob Redthorn was a tall man of slender build, healthy but not fit due to living behind a desk in an office job for fifteen years. His black hair was short and scruffy while his green eyes were shielded by a pair of sleek glasses. He looked relieved when he saw his daughter standing beside Susan.

“KT!” he breathed in relief. “Kai started to shout the place down. Looks like nightmares but I couldn’t wake him up. He looks rough. I went to fetch you but you weren’t in your room. I came here since I remember you being fond of the place. It appears that you were in safe hands.”

“I’m fine, dad,” she answered, somewhat annoyed that her parents were still making such a fuss about her. “I was just catching up with Aunt Susan,” she explained, her tone a little softer now.

“That’s wonderful!” he said. “I’m so glad that everyone is getting on. I just hope that Kai won’t miss getting to spend time with us. He looks pretty ill. How was he when you last saw him?”

KT tried to reassure her father. “He drank too much. Just kept throwing them back until he passed out. Me and mum dragged his sorry backside to bed then left him. I saw him pigging out on cheese at the buffet table too so that probably explains the nightmares.” Her dad was more likely to believe the truth than her mother but it would still have been a long shot, especially with Aunt Susan there.

“But he doesn’t even like cheese,” began her father.

“Alcohol makes you do strange things, wouldn’t you agree?” she replied accusingly.

“I was forced into that dress!” he snapped defensively.

“And the crude pictures that you painted on the car?”

Her dad turned away. “Fine. Point taken. I’ll leave you to it then. See you both at breakfast,” he said before beating a hasty retreat.

“He never changes,” said Susan with a faint smile, old memories glazing her eyes for a moment. 

Seeing her chance to escape, KT grabbed it with both hands. “I had better go and check on Kai. Where would they be without older sisters?” The fact that Susan was eleven years her brother’s elder while KT beat Kai out by minutes was irrelevant. Older was still older and she never let Kai forget it.

“Agreed,” Susan said then laughed softly. “I will see you both later. Hopefully we can catch up some more.”

“Of course. I’m sure Kai would love to get to know you,” KT lied sweetly. “See you later.”

The second the library door clicked shut KT made her way down the corridor and entered Kai’s room. He was still unconscious and his skin and sheets were drenched in sweat. His skin was still paler than normal and his breathing looked slightly erratic. It was still an improvement from when she had left him.

“Kai! Wake up!” she said firmly, shaking his shoulders, anxious to talk about the night’s events. He didn’t stir. Weighing up her options she chose the direct approach and punched him hard in the gut. 

“Gah!” he choked as he sat up violently. His eyes were now wide open. “What the hell!”

“How do you feel?” KT asked, the seriousness of her tone instantly grabbed his attention. 

“Well I feel kinda tired and my stomach hurts but other than that I’ll be fine. I’m just a bit shook up by a weird nightmare I had. I was making out with this hot Swedish chick when she turned into a monster and tried to rape and kill me. It was sexy in that ‘I’m going to hell for this’ kind of way,” Kai said with a yawn.

“What about the blond haired man with the gun?”

Kai looked up suddenly. “Wait! How did you-”

“It wasn’t a dream. You really were attacked by a succubus and saved by a blond haired man with a pistol,” KT explained, passing him the bullet cartridge as evidence.

“But that can’t be real,” Kai murmured, clutching his head with his hands. “It makes no sense.”

“You’re right,” she smiled, throwing him his coat. “That’s why we are going to find this Déaþscúa and learn what’s going on.”

Kai staggered out of bed and eyed his sister sceptically. “Wait up. Even if all of this madness was real, how do you plan on finding him? A man like that could be anywhere. It’s a bloody big forest that we don’t really know, we have limited equipment for hiking through snow and there are apparently dirty great demons out there. Did that impact with the tree knock the sense out of you?”

“See, you do remember! You know it was real. Look, Kai, what do we have going for us here? I failed on the first step towards getting the job of my dreams and you… well you’re you. There is a whole other world out there. I can’t let that opportunity just fly past me without even trying to take it.”

“Damn it, KT. If all of that is true it just means we shouldn’t do anything. People die in real life when scary shit starts happening. This isn’t a story where we just saunter into a magical war and become saviors of the damn universe. Chances are we’d just die painfully, never to be found.”

KT bit her lip. “I know. But that could happen in a backstreet of any city. Every time we step out the front door could be our last but we don’t let that knowledge rule us. This could be the biggest decision of our lives. I have to try. Whether you come with me or stay, I’m going out to find him.”

She turned from Kai and strode towards the door. Kai sat for a moment then growled angrily. “God damn it, KT. You know I can’t let you wander around alone.”

She smiled innocently at him. “He won’t get far,” she said, her eyes sparkling in the dim light.

Previous – Chapter 1.

Next – Chapter 3.