Darkfall: Shadows of the Deep, page 1
SHADOWS OF THE DEEP
Darkfall Book 2
LEE MOUNTFORD
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Darkfall: Crimson Dawn
Free Book
Other Books by Lee Mountford
About the Author
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE
What in God’s name am I looking at?
It was the first time Tom Sullen had been down into the cave system beneath the small hamlet he had been living at for three years now. However, Tom had recently been brought into the company’s inner sanctum—a reward for his loyalty—and was now being shown there was more to the tiny settlement than he’d realised.
The underground tunnel was partly man made; it cut through a rock formation and was connected to an existing tunnel down in the cliff base. The walls and ceiling were jagged and uneven rock, their colours a mix of greys and sickly yellows.
The man Tom was walking with was much taller than he was, though the tunnel was plenty high enough, and the width allowed both men to walk side by side. Tom wasn’t an especially big person—he stood a shade under six feet and was quite an average build—but the other man was about six-and-a-half feet tall. The tunnel was illuminated by wall-mounted torches, fixed at irregular intervals, and the thin air around them was infused with an earthy smell. The early-morning cold penetrated down to the tunnels through the surrounding rock; Tom regretted coming down in just his old cotton shirt, which had a few days’ worth of wear. He had previously rolled up the sleeves to hide how dirty they’d gotten, so he was a bit reluctant to unfurl them.
The other man was named Bull, and Tom had met him only a few days after joining the company—the beast of a man had immediately put the fear of God into Tom due to his size alone. In truth, the nickname Bull came from his actual name, Adam Bulsworth, but it was an apt description, as he had a strong, square face with a squashed-up nose, rolls of fat on the back of his neck, and a wide, powerful frame.
All that’s missing is the ring through his nose.
Bull’s mass was a combination of muscle and fat, and he was a hugely imposing figure. Like Tom, he had a beard, though his was a wild thicket that reached down to his chest. It was much more impressive than Tom’s unkempt and patchy effort.
A few days ago, the head of the company had pulled Tom into a meeting at the large house in the settlement above them. Tom had already had a long day on the trawler, but his boss had told Tom how pleased he was with Tom’s progress, as well as his discretion regarding recent ‘tasks’ he’d carried out. The boss had also told him he needed more good people like Tom, and his loyalty would be rewarded—with both money, and something much more important… knowledge. Then, Bull was instructed to take Tom down into the tunnels to show him something that would ‘expand his mind.’ ‘That, or break it,’ Bull had added with a laugh.
Today was the day Tom would see what they had been talking about.
‘Quite something, ain’t it?’ Bull said as he stood next to Tom. Both men looked towards the thick, iron bars ahead of them. The bars were spaced close together, and there was a gate set within, looking as strong as the barred wall around it. The bars were fixed securely at the base and head of the rock, blocking off a carved-out area and creating a kind of enclosed cell.
Within the space, something paced and let out growls. It was like nothing Tom had ever seen before, and he could think of only one word to describe it.
Monster.
It was so big it had to crouch in the confined space, almost doubled over as it moved left and right; it always kept its eyes on Tom and Bull, looking at them like they were to be its next meal. Which, considering the large, carnivorous mouth filled with long, needle-like teeth, was a distinct possibility. Its face was mostly devoid of skin, just an exposed and misshapen skull. Sharp, multi-pronged horns sprouted from the sides of its head and scraped the rock above as the monster moved.
‘What… what is it?’ Tom asked. He assumed the bars were strong enough to hold it back, but still felt decidedly unsafe standing so close to the creature.
‘I can tell you who it used to be,’ Bull replied with a grin.
Before Tom could say anything, the beast growled again and slammed a clawed hand against the bars. That caused a cacophony of sound from deeper in the tunnels—a mix of nightmarish cries and roars came from other unseen horrors.
‘How many of these things are down here?’ Tom asked.
‘A few. But they aren’t all like this one,’ Bull replied. He then took a confident step forward. ‘I often wonder if it can remember, you know. Remember who he was before the change. These things are clever. I often think they retain some intelligence from their former selves. Not that poor Frankie was a particularly smart fella. He… wouldn’t have ended up like this if he was.’
Tom had so many questions tumbling around inside his head that it was hard to focus on just one.
‘Why are there things like this down here at all?’ he eventually asked.
A grin formed over Bull’s lips. ‘That,’ he said, ‘is a good question. An even better one might be to ask where they all came from. See, the boss only trusts a select few men to know the truth. It’s a bit of an honour, really. Those that step outta line or make their mouth go when they shouldn’t…’ he nodded to the monster, ‘they often end up here, helping the boss with his… experiments. Understand?’
Tom turned to face the larger man, who was glowering back at him. ‘I… I understand,’ Tom replied in a shaky voice.
‘Make sure you do,’ Bull told him. His voice was cold, though his stare burned hot with aggression. However, Bull’s face quickly softened, and the man gave a forced smile that sat uneasily on his face. ‘Now, follow me. There’s more I need to show you.’
Tom received a hard pat on the arm as Bull started to walk away. Tom wanted to follow, but his feet were rooted to the spot. He could only stare into the piercing eyes of the nightmarish thing standing before him. How long has it been here in confinement? Not that he cared about that—much better it was restrained and locked away than out on the loose.
In truth, Tom couldn’t help feeling like it would have been better off dead. Knowing creatures like this hulking beast were caged beneath the hamlet he lived in caused him to shudder.
Tom suddenly wanted to get away from its gaze as quickly as possible. He turned and attempted to run after Bull, who had turned a corner out of sight up ahead. However, as Tom did, he slipped on the uneven ground. He rolled his ankle and stumbled to his side… towards the barred wall. Unable to stop his fall, Tom raised a hand and braced himself on one of the thick iron bars—and his forearm slipped through the gap. Time seemed to slow down in that instant. Tom knew he’d fucked up. The creature immediately brought its head down.
Its speed was frightening, and Tom reacted instinctively and used the bar to push himself backwards—but not before the clamping jaws of the monster grabbed a chunk of his flesh between its needle-like teeth, ripping a small section of it clean off. Tom stumbled backwards and cradled his arm. The wound wasn’t particularly deep, but it was enough to expose some of the meat beneath the skin. Blood ran free.
The monster, still with his flesh stuck in its teeth, stood motionless again and continued to stare. It growled.
Holy fuck. Fuck. Fuck that was a lucky escape, Tom thought in panic. His heart was pounding.
‘You coming?’ Bull shouted from up ahead. Tom quickly rolled down his dirty sleeve. Some of the blood quickly soaked through, but he hoped not enough to be noticed against the filth on his shirt. He tried to calm his rapid breathing.
Tom gave one last look at the beast, then turned and jogged after Bull, trying to ignore his arm throbbing with pain.
CHAPTER TWO
Seeing Maxwell White waiting outside of Assandra’s home upon their return was a surprise. It had only been around twenty-four hours since Jack Bennett had last seen the Shadowhand, yet so much had happened in that time it seemed much longer.
The trek back from Dalby Forest had been long and tiring, though they’d spent it mostly in silence, with only Jack, Assandra Freyer, Theodore Edwards, and Edwin Keene having survived the mission. There was Gus Tulson as well, of course, though he still lay catatonic in the back of the cart Edwin was towing. Boxes of the remaining spawn and some weapons lay around him, and he was partly covered by a hessian blanket.
Max was sitting on the low stone wall that ran o
‘Surprised to see you here, Max,’ Theodore said as he led the others back to the house.
‘I’m glad you’re back,’ he replied. ‘Though is this everyone?’
‘It is,’ Theodore said. ‘What did you find at Whitby?’
‘Well, that’s why I’m here. I need you to come with me and help,’ he said, pointing to Assandra.
The wytch frowned. ‘What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere. I’ve done my job for you people. I’ve killed my own sister for you. I owe you nothing more.’
‘Perhaps we should go inside,’ Max said. He then looked over to Theodore. ‘How did the mission go?’
‘It was successful,’ Theodore replied as he climbed down from his horse. ‘That’s all that matters.’
Max’s eyes then fell onto the cart, noticing Gus. ‘Dead?’ he asked.
Theodore shook his head. ‘No. Not quite. A lot happened out there that you need to be briefed on, but I think the Irishman made contact with something. That is what put him in this state.’
Max raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t even know how to unpack that.’
‘That isn’t the half of it,’ Theodore told Max as he secured his horse to a nearby tree stump. The knight then started to walk towards the house.
‘Am I invisible to you people?!’ Assandra suddenly shouted. ‘I’m done with you! We had an agreement. Now go back to where you came from and leave me alone!’
Theodore spun on the spot. ‘I warned you before,’ he said with a snarl. ‘We will never be done with you, because you are a danger, just like your sister was. You helped us, granted, but that’s why you’re allowed to live. However, you’re going to be watched closely from now on. Every time we demand your help, you will answer that call without hesitation. Those are the conditions for your continued existence. Now, Maxwell has told you he needs your help, so you’re going to give it.’
Jack saw Assandra clench her teeth together and ball up her fists. ‘You ungrateful worms,’ she seethed. ‘I’ll scorch the flesh from your fucking bones.’ Her hands began to glow, and her eyes whitened. Theodore quickly drew his sword.
‘Enough!’ Max shouted. He quickly turned to the wytch. ‘I don’t know what happened out there, Assandra, but I know it can’t have been easy if your sister is now dead. I’m truly sorry about that. However, the help I need from you isn’t difficult, I promise.’
‘I don’t care,’ she snapped back. ‘You’ll not have it. I’m tired of his threats.’ She jabbed a finger towards Theodore. ‘If it weren’t for me, Cora would have killed them all back in the forest. What makes you think I can’t just finish the rest of you off now?’
Theodore sneered and raised his blade. ‘You think you can put down every man here before one of us runs you through?’
Assandra gave a slow nod. ‘I do.’
Jack couldn’t help but side with Assandra. After everything she’d just been through—after helping stop Cora—Theodore still acted like she was nothing more to them than a mere object to be used as needed. He looked at Edwin, but the man just stared back and shrugged his shoulders. Jack knew he shouldn’t say anything or get involved—it wasn’t his place. But he couldn’t hold back.
‘Hasn’t she proven herself already?’ he asked as he slowly moved to stand next to Assandra. Theodore paused, his eyes wide in shock. In his periphery, Jack saw Max visibly grimace. Even Assandra looked over to him in surprise.
A silence descended over them as Theodore glared back at Jack with a look of absolute fury.
I’m definitely going to lose my head, Jack thought to himself. Balls to it. In for a penny, in for a pound.
‘Assandra isn’t her sister,’ he went on. ‘She also isn’t a danger, nor something that needs to be caged and guarded. Surely you can see that?’
Theodore began to pace forward. His jaw was set and his face was red. ‘Grab yourself a weapon,’ the knight demanded. ‘Then come at me. You’re going to pay for this disrespect.’
Jack’s stomach sank. The response was no less than he’d expected. Still, enough was enough.
‘I don’t need you to protect me,’ Assandra told him.
‘I know you don’t,’ Jack whispered back. ‘I just don’t want you burning us all to a crisp. But honestly, I’m kind of regretting saying anything right now.’ He let a nervous smile play over his lips.
Just as Theodore reached Jack, Max jumped in between them both. ‘I said enough,’ he shouted again and turned to the knight. ‘I have need of Jack as well. Whatever issue you have with him will have to wait until I’m finished.’
‘You need one of the Deathborn?’ Theodore asked, his voice laced with scepticism.
‘I do.’
‘Nonsense,’ Theodore shot back, then took another step forward. However, Max raised his hand.
‘You can’t interfere with my mission, Theodore, you know that. Just as I can’t interfere with yours. However, yours is finished, and your use of the Deathborn is done. I need him now, along with the wytch. So, whatever issues you have with them will have to wait a little while. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is. The mission must always come first.’
Theodore held his ground while his angry stare flicked between Max and Jack. ‘The Deathborn cannot speak to me like that,’ Theodore insisted. ‘I won’t allow it. And I certainly won’t let it go unpunished.’
‘Theodore!’ Max snapped. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to let it go for now. I take it the boxes over there contain the spawn?’ he asked, pointing over towards the cart. ‘They need to get to the Thales for study. On top of that, the unconscious fellow in the back needs to get to Durham, quickly. And I need to get to work. There will be time for you to settle your differences with Jack later, but right now there is simply too much to be done. Something is happening in Whitby and I need to act on it. It’s our sworn duty to put the mission above all else.’
Jack could see the conflict in the knight, who was practically shaking with anger. However, eventually Theodore sheathed his sword. ‘This isn’t over, Deathborn,’ he said to Jack, letting disdain drip free from his words. ‘Expect me to pay you a visit soon.’
Jack didn’t say anything, but he didn’t break eye contact either.
Theodore looked over at Max and took a calming breath. ‘Before I go, you need to be updated with what happened at Dalby. I think it may be of use to you.’
Max nodded. ‘Thank you.’
Theodore turned to Jack, Assandra, and Edwin. ‘You three, go inside, so I can speak to Maxwell. You,’ he pointed at Edwin, ‘be ready to leave as soon as I shout for you. I want to be back in Durham as quickly as possible so I can update your Warden and leave. After that, I want to forget I ever served beside such miserable excuses for soldiers.’
