Arcane Inc.: Books 1-4 (Arcane Inc. Box Set), page 69
30
We returned to the Sheridans’ house the following night. Aldric had already returned with the other ingredients and everybody was waiting eagerly to get on with finishing off Sebastian.
“So, let’s go and do this ritual then,” he said eagerly, already heading for the door.
“Hold on, big guy, let me get through the door first,” I said, as I slid my jacket off and slipped into an armchair.
“We don’t have time to hold on, Edward. Sebastian has likely already devised a plan to get through your defences,” he said irritably. “His silence so far is making me uneasy.”
“We’ve got no choice but to hold on. I need the sun for the next part of the ritual. The diamond needs to absorb the power of the sun and melt. We can’t do that in the middle of the night,” I explained.
“You can’t do that at all,” he said.
“Shit,” I said under my breath as I realised my oversight.
“You can’t go out in the sun,” Ashley said. She turned away running her fingers through her hair.
“So all this was for nothing?” said Emma.
“No,” I said and everyone looked at me hopefully. “I’m not the only person who can do the ritual. Ashley you know how to do it.”
“I’m not strong enough, though. Only you have enough magic to do it,” she protested.
“I can lend you my power for the ritual,” I said. I didn’t relish in the idea of giving up my magic but I trusted Ashley to return it to me. Plus, we didn’t have any other plan.
“Eddie, no. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to control it,” she said. She was nervous, afraid.
“Yeah, you would. We both know you’re strong enough to control my magic. What’s really troubling you?” I looked in to her eyes and saw the answer for myself. “I see. You’re worried you’ll get a taste for it and turn into a power-hungry monster? Ash, there is no risk of that happening. The only people who end up like that are people that are already like that. You’re one of the kindest people I know. Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
“Listen to him, darling,” Margie said. “You need to do this, and I’ll be there with you.”
This seemed to give Ashley the confidence she needed and she agreed to go along with the plan. I spent the rest of the night coaching her on the ritual and I wrote down the steps for her just in case she forgot. There were a couple of changes to the ritual which I had to explain a few times. I needed her to absorb some of the power from the river in the formula she was creating. Last time we finished the ritual by having Killian absorb the power from the river directly, but this time the ritual would be done in two separate stages — the sun stage and the moon stage — so adjustments needed to be made.
Just before dawn I did something I’d never done before, I gave my magic to another. I didn’t transfer everything, just the main bulk. I retained enough magic to protect myself, although it didn’t feel like I had any left. I felt weak and pathetic in comparison to how I’d felt moments before. Not that it would matter because I’d be asleep. Ashley would be back before I woke and I’d be filled with delicious magic again.
After Ashley and Margie had gone I went upstairs to get some rest but I couldn’t sleep. I was too jittery. I felt like a heroin addict whose supply was dry. The ritual would only take an hour tops. All I had to do was sit and wait until then. I could find something to occupy myself with surely. Besides, it wasn’t like I was powerless; I still had vampiric power. It just wasn’t the same, though.
The bedroom door opened slowly and Annabelle poked her head in.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked tentatively.
“Sure, what’s up?” I asked. I sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned her in. She entered the room but remained right by the door.
“I’ve had a vision,” she said with foreboding.
“Great. More visions of my death? I thought that dying and becoming a vampire was enough,” I muttered.
“That wasn’t the death I saw. You said you was turned into a vampire in a dark room. I saw you die on a sunny street and it wasn’t from a vampire attack,” she said matter-of-factly. “Sorry,” she quickly added. Her bedside manner was somewhat lacking.
I exhaled loudly. “I’m probably going to die from sun exposure then,” I grumbled. I wasn’t sure I was completely convinced of her prophecy. Her own sister seemed to ridicule her ability and so far, I hadn’t seen any real predications. She’d only claimed to have known things after they’d already happened.
“I don’t think that’s the case either. You didn’t look like you were burning in my vision. It was more like… Well nothing I’ve seen before.”
“Sorry, did you say you’d had a new vision. One that wasn’t my death?” I prompted, tired of her trying to guess what was going to kill me.
“Oh, yes. Something far more immediate.” She nodded keenly. I raised my eyebrows in expectation but before she could answer there was a massive crash that shook the house. Plaster fell from the ceiling and a few bits of furniture jolted. The magical shields on the house had been destroyed. I leapt to my feet.
“There’s someone coming,” she said, once again failing to deliver a prediction before it happened.
“You think?” I roared and pushed past her. I practically flew down the stairs and reached the hallway just in time to see Rachel burst through the front door. She was grinning broadly, hair bouncing and wand pointing right at me.
“Eddie!” she exclaimed and then fired a spell at me. I whipped up a shield but her spell smashed straight through it and sent me crashing backwards. My back whacked into the thinly carpeted stairs and then I went tumbling down to land in a heap on the floor. The sunlight shining through the open front door was falling over my arm, scolding it. My skin started to sizzle and I shot to the edge of the room where the sun was not reaching.
“Oh, this will be fun,” Rachel smirked. “I killed a few more sorcerers. No-one you know this time. Got myself enough magic to break into this house.”
I looked at her without bothering to mask my fear.
“Oh, don’t worry about Sebastian,” she said, reading my expression. “I’m not with him any more. Our interests didn’t align the way he hoped they would. I want you dead. He wants you alive. You get the point.”
I conjured a ball of pure magic and tossed it at her but she batted to aside and it tore a hole in the wall instead.
“What’s happened to you? Did you send all your magic to the river with little orphan Ashley?” Rachel mocked. “Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt her. Like I could with all the magic inside her. No, I’ll deal with her and that irritating mother of her’s later. How many times will I have to kill her before she finally gets the message?”
I lost my temper and flew at Rachel. She was expecting it. A casual flick of her wand had me pinned up against the wall. “I really fucking hate you!” I yelled.
“I know. I know. I am glad you don’t have all that magic in you, Eddie. It means that when I kill you it won’t all be wasted. Ashley doesn’t know how to fight. Once I get a bit more power from the girls upstairs I will best her and I’ll be able to sacrifice her and have all that power back. Once I have it I can lift the curse you put on me and… Well I don’t suppose it matters since you’ll be dead. Tell me something—” She never got to finished her question because Boris the cat came flying through the air, six inch claws extended like Wolverine. Taking that cat was honestly one of the best decisions of my life. Sadly, it didn’t pay off. Rachel was fast and blasted Boris out of the air. The cat squealed and fell with a thud. He lay twitching on the floor. For some reason that pissed me off more than her threatening to kill me.
“Right, then,” said Rachel. Let’s shut this door shall we? Have a little privacy for the big finale.” She flicked her wand at the door and it swung shut, blocking out the sunlight and darkening the hallway.
“Mistake,” I said in a sing-song voice.
“What?” she asked as she realised she’d just blocked out the sun in a house full of vampires. Aldric appeared behind her and smashed her head into the wooden bannister. Blood splatted over the varnish and she collapsed. I fell to my feet and whipped her wand from the floor in an instant.
“Eddie—” She started but I kicked her in the face. Her head swung around and she lost consciousness. I don’t normally like to hit women but that felt fucking amazing. I was tempted to wait until she came to so I could do it again. Matt and Emma descended the stairs to see what the commotion was about. Annabelle was just behind them and I could hear Clarabelle whispering to her.
“What shall we do with her?” Aldric asked, his expression bored.
“Tie her up and lock her in the cellar,” I said and that was exactly what we did. I sealed the cellar with magic and then went to the living room. Once Ashley and Margie were back with the finished formula, I had my magic safely inside me and the defences were back on the house, I could finally get some sleep.
31
As soon as night fell we left. Sebastian had been suspiciously quiet since I made that house fall on him and that could only mean that he was up to something. Planning some surprise attack. We all knew it and we were all a bit edgy about it. The only ones not coming were Annie and Clarabelle who were safe in the house. Margie was in the house too, guarding Rachel. There was no way I was taking any chances with her again. We climbed into Aldric’s Range Rover and Boris leapt up onto my lap just before I closed the door. He’d healed pretty quickly after Rachel’s attack, no doubt one of his abilities. I needed to return to that horrid sorcerer and ask him exactly what enhancements he’d given the cat.
“Should we really bring the cat?” Emma asked.
“This cat has saved me a few times now. If he wants to come I’m bloody well going to let him,” I said.
“A car full of vampires and magic and you rely on a cat to protect you,” muttered Aldric as he pulled away from the house.
“Boris is a super cat,” said Ashley in his defence.
“Why do we need to go to the river? I thought Ashley got the power of the river in the formula or whatever?” said Matt who was squeezed uncomfortably in between Ashley and Emma in the back seat.
“True. That was just the sun phase. Because we’re doing the ritual on a vampire who can only come out at night I figured it was a good idea to harness some moon energy too,” I explained.
“So why the river?” Matt asked again.
“We still need the power from the river to bind the formula to Aldric. Without it there’s a chance the formula might pass through his system without taking effect.”
“Pass through his system?”
“He’s worried I might piss it out,” said Aldric.
“Charming,” said Matt.
“Which is a highly unlikely scenario I must say,” Aldric added.
“Given the circumstances I think we ought to take the precaution.”
“Agreed,” said Ashley.
We went to the same place I’d performed the ritual on Killian Myers, right by Broadway Bridge. I’d called Richards and got him to clear the area for us which he begrudgingly did. The wall which I’d partially destroyed in the fight with Killian had now been repaired. The blood stains were gone too. Ashley looked at the same spot as me and then looked away grimacing. Seeing what I’d done to Killian back then had scared her off me for a little while. Thankfully, she got through it. After all, I’d only killed him to save her. And myself. But mainly her.
“So…” Aldric said, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.
I pulled the super-vampire formula out of my pocket. “If I give you this I’m going to need something from you after the ritual is complete,” I said.
“I promise to kill Sebastian and deliver his heart to you,” Aldric said with a sly smile.
“Something else. I need your blood.”
“My blood? For what?” He was immediately suspicious. I would be too in his position.
“You are going to be the most powerful vampire in the world. Probably. Your blood could have properties I can’t even imagine. I want a sample or ten to play around with,” I lied. He didn’t know about my insurance plan against Clara.
“Play. Around. With,” he spoke each word slowly and with contempt.
“I won’t do anything to harm you.”
“You don’t exactly inspire me with confidence.”
“That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“I suppose I don’t really have a choice,” he said grimly.
“Say the words.”
“I agree to your terms, Edward Lancaster.” Only time would tell if he stuck to his word. He held out his hand and I passed him the formula. Without hesitation he unscrewed the lid and downed the contents. He immediately let out an anguished hiss. “That was abhorrent,” he said and shivered.
“Yeah it’s not the best,” I said.
“Now, Edward. I have a concern. I looked into the Killian Myers incident and I discovered that after preforming this ritual on him you were able to siphon the power right out of him,” Aldric began.
“And you’re worried I’ll be able do the same to you.”
“Precisely.”
“I’m not just giving you powers, I’m turning you into the first of a whole new species of vampire. I’ve tried to siphon out vampiric powers before and it just doesn’t work. Chances are it won’t work with you either.”
“Chances are?”
“We can always test it afterwards if you like?” He did not smile. “You shouldn’t worry about that. My magic will create the new you, that means that there are several ways I’ll be able to undo it. But I won’t. You’ve agreed that me, my friends and Maidstone are off limits.”
“Plus, I will kill Sebastian, deliver you his heart as well as samples of my blood.”
“Exactly. If you stick to your word, I’ll stick to mine.”
“Very well.”
“Now get in the river,” I said and he obeyed. “Alright, take cover everyone. It’s about to get messy,” I said, speaking from experience.
Once Adrian was in the centre of the river I began the incantation. The major spells require actual words and not just force of will. Almost at once the wind around me picked up and the water began to rock back and forth. As the whistling of the wind turned into a full blown howl and the water crashed around all over the place, the others backed away. Ashley summoned up a shield that deflected most of the water. Sadly, I was out of the radius and got soaked. I didn’t remember it being this messy with Killian, although this was a much larger ritual. I could only just see Aldric through the waves which were flying all around him but I was pretty sure he was smiling. There was a roll of thunder overhead and suddenly the entire river flew up into the sky. A massive wall of water that completely obstructed my view of Aldric. I stopped chanting. This was the sign that the ritual was complete. I could just about hear Aldric screaming from behind the water. His body was transforming into something stronger, it was bound to hurt a little.
The wind stopped abruptly and the water crashed back down sending a massive wave over us all. This time I was able to project my own shield and avoid getting hit. My shield didn’t last long, though. The ritual had drained my power almost to none. It shouldn’t take long to replenish but until then I was spent.
Emma’s small cry alerted me that something was wrong. I look at her but she was pointing at the river, a horrified expression on her face. Aldric was standing, his face torn with anguish, a wooden spear protruding from his chest. It had torn right through his heart. With a small groan he fell forward. The spears point hit the base of the river and left his body propped up above the water for us all to see.
“So very close,” said Sebastian. I looked up and saw him standing above the river on the bridge. Either side of him were his minions. More than a hundred vampires. I turned and saw another hundred approaching from behind me. Across the river there were even more. This time we really were fucked. Sebastian leapt over the side of the bridge and landed neatly on the concrete a few feet from me. Ashley looked at me but all I could do was shrug.
“I would ask for you to perform the ritual on me but I get the impression you wouldn’t cooperate,” he said. He stood alone before us all. His minions remained where they were giving us a wide berth. We could try to escape via the river but they’d just catch us if we tried and I barely had the power to fight. Ashley wasn’t strong enough to take them all on her own and, of course, Sebastian was immune to magic anyway.
“So what now? You torture my friends until I give you the serum and agree to work for you?” I asked.
“Almost. I will begin killing your friends until you give me the serum. Once I have the serum I’m going to kill you. That is inevitable, but you can at least save them from the same fate,” he said pleasantly.
“Don’t do it, Ed,” Matt said.
“As your sire, I command you to remain silent,” Sebastian said, looking at him coldly.
“Well as your… sireling, I command you to fuck off!” he said indignantly. Not the greatest comeback but at least he was trying.
“Very witty,” muttered Sebastian. “Eddie, the formula please,” he said. Boris, once again came flying to my rescue. Only Sebastian caught him by the scruff of the neck and held him up to examine. Boris’ furious green eyes stared hard at Sebastian and he let out a low hiss. “What a brave little kitty-cat. I admire that. He must be rather attached to you.” Sebastian eyed me menacingly. “I’ll kill him first.”
Boris screamed and twisted in Sebastian’s hand. His claws flew out and with one slash Sebastian’s hand was severed at the wrist. Sebastian screamed in agony and rage. Boris hit the floor at the same time as Sebastian’s hand and then the cat vanished into the shadows. Nobody moved, we were all in too much shock. Then I noticed that the finger holding the magical ring was now on the floor. Sebastian seemed to notice too. He held up his still attached hand and screamed “No!” as my spell smacked him right in the chest. He flew into the wall behind him which cracked and crumbled.
