Witch's Sorrow, page 28
part #1 of Alice Skye Series
He walked out without looking back, leaving the cold to swarm into the space he just stood.
Chapter 30
"Fucking stain," Alice scolded the blood that seemed to have permanently ingrained itself into the laminate flooring. “He had to bleed all over the place didn't he?” She pushed the cloth through the red liquid, squeezing the excess into the bucket next to her. Sighing she went back to scrubbing the floor, the supposedly 'magic' bleach doing little.
After what felt like hours Alice finally sat back, staring at the doomed flooring. It wasn't budging. "Well, I guess this place needed a new rug anyway." She threw the destroyed rag into the bucket when a loud knock rocked her door.
"Errr." She looked around the room for something to hide the stain. "JUST A MINUTE!" she shouted through the wood.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"For fuck sake." She cringed at the blood, she did not want to explain this to Mr Tucker or her landlord. “I SAID,” she shouted even louder through the door. “JUST A MIN...."
The door swung open, two men dressed head to toe in black swarmed in, their faces covered by oversized black sunglasses.
Without thinking she kicked the bucket, letting the mixture of water, bleach and bloody mucus shower the men. Their shocked faces were all she needed as she lifted her elbow up to meet the first man’s nose, causing his head to flick back into the wall with a crack. The second one snarled as his arms encircled her, lifting her off her feet as he growled something in her ear. Chest constricting she threw her head back, catching his face and kicking out at the same time. The momentum threw them both back, hitting the wall with a thump his arms loosened around her. Turning with a snarl she called to her power, lighting up her palms…
"ENOUGH!"
Attention shifted to the older gentleman who closed the door gently behind him. His suit was clearly pricey, ironed to perfection with a silver clip holding his blood red tie in place. His face was aged, but in a way rich people age, someone who has never had to worry about where their next meal would come from. Fashionable laugh lines. His eyes were cruelly pinched, annoyed as he looked her up and down, and from the scowl she knew he was disappointed.
"Bruno. Marco. Please wait outside," he instructed the two men who had taken to stand beside him.
Sunglasses number one held his nose, blood pouring down his face, while sunglasses number two frowned at the broken glasses clenched in his big fist, intricate runes were tattooed around his left eye, pulsating in irritation before he followed his friend out the door. The bleach had already started to eat away at their black tops, leaving weirdly patterned white marks.
“I don’t think we have been properly introduced,” the older man started. “I am…”
“Mason Storm. You’re Riley’s father.” She could clearly see it after she looked past his severe expression. He had the same high cheekbones as Riley, ones that seem to be chiselled from stone with a strong forehead and jaw. His skin was clean-shaven, hair the same dark tone as his sons but peppered with grey.
His eyes the same unusual shade, eyes of a predator.
“I see you have no manners,” Riley’s father tutted to himself. He folded his arms across his chest, bringing her attention to his expensive watch. “You may call me Councilman Storm.”
Councilman? That was something she didn’t know. Dread had taught her to always be wary of The Council, of the people who believed they ruled everything.
“Why are you here?” Alice breathed heavily as her chest ached, her ribs protesting with every inhale. “Why did your bodyguards attack me?”
“Firstly they didn’t attack you, they defended themselves.” His eyes narrowed as he took in the bloodstains across the floor. “Secondly, I am here because my son seems to be fascinated with you, Miss Skye.”
He appraised her once again, his face turning into a grimace as he noticed her black t-shirt. It just happened to be the one that said ‘CLASSY AS FUCK!’ written in white across her breasts. She folded her arms to cover it.
“I like to take an interest in anything my son does. I personally don’t see his fascination.”
Okay, rude. “Can I help you?” She tried to keep her voice civil.
“Your manners are atrocious, your father would be disappointed.”
“Excuse me?” She dropped her arms. “You knew my father?” Alice fought for her voice not to break.
“Of course, he was my advisor, a high-ranking Vector. He left it all for your mother, the fool he was. Right until the very end.” He tilted his nose up slightly. “He was corrupted by that woman. I will not let it happen to my son.”
Alice narrowed her eyes. “So you are the Archdruid?”
“Well, of course, who else would it be?” he smirked, full of himself. It’s nothing like the smirk Riley can do, a smile full of tease and laughter. This smile made her want to run for her blade.
“Now tell me, how did you survive when your family did not?”
Alice remained silent.
“You seem surprised I know that?” He chuckled as he tugged the ends of his black suit jacket. “I’m a man who knows secrets. So, are you going to tell me? No? I’m sure it is an amazing tale. But one for another time then?”
A blue flame burst across her fingertips, her irritation manifesting itself as she swallowed down the excess power. I need to get myself together.
His eyes watched the flame in fascination. “So much like your mother. I wonder if you will learn to control it? Or allow it to consume you.”
She frowned. “Consume me?”
He checked his watch. “Now this has been lovely but I really do need to be getting off. Important people and so on...”
He turned to the door, opening it slightly before looking back over his shoulder.
“Stay away from my son Alice, or else people close to you could get hurt.” He tugged something from his inner pocket, unfolding it before flinging it towards her.
“This is for you. I found it pinned to your front door. I’m sure you don’t need any more enemies Miss Skye.” With that he left, slamming the door shut behind him.
Alice clenched her hand, crinkling the paper he had handed her before she calmed herself, flipping it over. Her temper instantly cooled, acid coating her tongue as she studied the photograph. It was Sam, unconscious with his wrists and ankles painfully bound by silver, bruises pattered across his face and chest.
Below it was an address.
Sam’s phone went to voicemail. Again.
Swallowing her dread she parked up the dirt road, a short walk away from the long driveway of a compound. The address was just out of the city, surrounded by land for miles on all sides.
There was an old manor house built at the end of the drive, surrounded by smaller, similarly designed buildings. Alice surveyed the area, noticing the house backed up to a dense forest. Several cars were parked along the drive, a mixture of cheap run-arounds and expensive 4X4s.
Crouching behind a black truck she analysed the house, squinting to see into any of the windows. There was clearly something happening, shadows moving erratically behind the curtains. She heard a howl, followed quickly by a loud growl.
The front door crashed open, a shirtless man stormed out, heading straight towards where Alice was hiding. Blinking she stood up from her crouch, arms folded across her chest as she made her way around the truck.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Rex snarled. “Why are you here?” He halted a few feet away, close enough for Alice to see a slight sheen of sweat across his skin, glistening next to the blood that had already started to clot from the deep abrasions.
“How did you know I was there?” she asked, confused. What the hell?
“Alice, I don’t have time for this.” He turned back to the house, expecting her to follow.
“Where’s Sam?” She ran after him, her voice strained as panic began to rise. “Is he here?”
“Sam? What are you on about?”
She followed him down the hallway, her boots making no noise on the wooden floor.
“I got a photo and it had this address on it.” She pulled out the photograph, showing it to him when he finally stopped walking.
“Where is he?”
Rex looked at it carefully, his lashes low when he handed it back. “I have no idea, he isn’t here.”
“But he has to be...”
“Oh look who it is,” a voice mocked from an open doorway. “How is little Alice?”
She turned to the voice, her hand automatically drawing her sword when she noticed Cole. “What are you doing here?” She asked through clenched teeth, hand tightening on the hilt.
“Helping out my friend,” he replied with a curl of amusement on his lips. “Has the little witch come to play?”
“Cole, enough.” Rex held out his hand. “Alice, give me your sword. There are no weapons in the Den. This is a safe place, I will not have you walking around armed.”
“No.”
“Then we won’t help you find Sam.” Rex growled.
Panic still building Alice took a moment to decide, calming herself as she surveyed the room. The calmer she got the clearer she saw. Cole stood behind Rex, leaning casually against the door jamb, his body language seemingly uninterested in the situation. His eyes, however, were burning, emotion intense.
Rex crossed his arms as he waited, his face grimacing as he opened one of the deep cuts across his chest. Blood trickled down his abdomen to drip on the floor, each drop slowing as his blood clotted once again.
Seemingly out of options she licked her dry lips.
“What happened here?”
Cole answered before Rex could. “Pack matters. We don’t need assistance from a witch.”
“You aren’t pack,” she bit back.
“Alice I haven’t got all day…” A howl interrupted him, tightening his jaw he waited for the noise to finish before continuing. “Give me your sword, so we can help.” She hesitated, not wanting to be without her weapon. Blade hot against her palm she handed it over.
“Thank you.” Rex nodded as he handed it to someone behind him.
She remained silent, not sure about the situation.
A shadow leapt through a doorway, smashing itself against the opposite wall.
Howls of pain erupted as the large man-wolf clawed at its own chest, deep enough to see bone. Alice moved out of the way, never seeing a shift so violent. The beast’s snout elongated as razor-sharp teeth erupted from newly formed flesh. Black liquid oozed from open wounds across the creatures bare chest, the fluid thick and stringy. Bones cracked, skin stretched, growing, shrinking and rearranging as the body morphed. The fur looked to be absorbed back into the body, pink muscles and ligaments appearing underneath before hardening like leather, a burst of colour compared to the darkness of the fur.
This shifter’s transformation was a violent metamorphosis of one form to another. The strange black liquid continued to pour out of the wounds that didn’t seem to heal, the thick substance sticking to the floor.
She had seen enough shifts to know that it wasn’t normal.
“Cole,” Rex grabbed the scruff of the wolf. “Take Alice outside.” He wrestled the wolf as it tried frantically to bite him, his claws digging into Rex’s chest.
“What’s happening?” She really wished she had never given up her sword. A hand came down to clutch her shoulder, instinct kicking in she turned at the same time she raised her elbow, making the bone hit Cole’s throat.
Cole snarled as he clutched his neck, choking as he struggled to breathe through the damaged windpipe. Stepping away she walked out the front door, stopping at the end of the row of cars. Crouching down she held her knees, her own breath coming in pants as she tried to control her emotions.
Sam wasn’t here.
Then where was he? Why would the paper show this address?
“That was mean.” Cole coughed as he walked up beside her, his voice slightly strained.
“You shouldn’t have touched me.” She straightened, her gaze taking in the grassy areas around the house and forest.
“Where’s your wife?”
“She’s not allowed to leave our house.” He coughed again, spitting onto the dirt floor.
“What’s happening?” She nodded towards the house before she turned to him, noting that his beard was shorter than last time.
“Rex is being punished. He never was good at taking my advice.”
“Punished?”
“He’s a fool, one that will eventually learn.”
Alice watched his eyes. “What is he being punished for?”
“That is for him to tell, for him to decide.” Cole looked towards the house as a wolf howled. “He just needed a little push.”
Stupid lion, speaking in riddles. “I need to speak to Rex, we need to get out a search party for Sam.”
“Well isn’t it your lucky day, he’s walking over.” With a sarcastic bow, Cole moved towards the house, passing Rex as he stormed towards her.
“You don’t understand what’s happening.” He shot the words like bullets. “You have no idea what’s going on.”
“Rex I need help with Sam, he’s been taken...”
“You just don’t get it do you?” he shouted, eyes ablaze and angry. She had never seen him so angry. “You were supposed to help me, supposed to keep them away. My mate, this supposedly powerful witch...”
“Mate? Rex, what are you on about?”
Rex continued, almost in delirium. “They were wrong. You can’t help.” His voice broke, pain radiating from every word. “I didn’t know what to do. They’re my pack, my family.”
“Rex, I…”
“You smell like them.” His voice dropped, his wolf close to the surface.
Reaching across the small space between them he closed his hand delicately on her throat, his thumb stroking gently across her skin.
“I’m sorry for everything.” His hand tightened, wrapping his other hand around her hair.
“REX?” She pulled away, her skull screaming as she felt the hair pulled straight from her scalp. Stepping back she stared at the blonde strands clutched in his closed fist.
“I have no choice. They’re giving me no choice.”
“Choice? Rex, what are you talking about?” She eyed him carefully, her heart in her throat. He was a shifter, stronger and faster than her, an Alpha even more so. She was trained to track down his kind, yet she felt a slow terror ache her bones. She had never gone against someone with eyes just holding the edge of sanity. She needed to calm him down.
“Rex. REX, look at me.” She kept eye contact, the beast within him unable to look away. “We can get through this, I can help if we talk about it.” She slowly edged away, stopping when she noticed him tense.
“You can’t help.” His voice was no longer his own.
“Of course I can, I’m the big bad witch remember? You said so yourself.” She swallowed to help her dry throat. “What was Cole talking about?”
“They’re coming for them, for everybody.”
“Who is?”
“I...” The wind erupted around her, throwing her hair into her face and breaking the eye contact. Scrambling back she felt the wind get knocked out of her as she was crushed to the ground, Rex straddling her hips. “Oomph.” The air was forced from her lungs.
“Rex,” she croaked. Pinned to the earth.
“I’m sorry.” With one hand he held her down, with the other he reached into his back pocket.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Lifting up her knee she kicked up, connecting to his groin with enough impact for him to be thrown back. With all her anger she released an arcane blast, a wall of flame against Rex’s unprotected face. With a shout he covered his skin, protecting his eyes from the sudden heat. Pushing against her he rolled onto his back, patting the small flames from his hair.
Scrambling to get up Alice half crawled away, gaining her feet she ran straight into the protection of the wooded area surrounding the pack’s land.
A chorus of howls erupted around her, a discord of noise from behind. Not daring to look back she continued running, dodging trees and jumping over roots and debris, trusting her instincts to stop her falling. Alice reached for her back, searching for her blade that wasn’t there, having given it to Rex earlier.
“Fuck.” She stopped, her lungs burning. Reaching into her back pocket she grabbed her phone, careful of the broken glass. “Fuck.” She leant against a moss-covered tree, the howls getting closer. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
She scrolled through her phone, the screen flickering before going black. “Great, just great.” A crunch from her left, turning she saw a woman standing at the edge of the trees, her nails darkening, elongating and becoming razor sharp as she watched.
“There you are,” the woman whispered, her eyes glittering with excitement.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Without another word she launched herself across the clearing, her shifter speed carrying her almost effortlessly over the ground.
“ARMA!” Alice shouted as the woman got close, the aegis of aura popping into existence just as the woman launched herself at Alice. Bouncing off the circle she crashed into a tree, on her feet a second later. The aegis flickered, disappearing then reforming.
“Shit.” Alice grabbed at her throat, the crystal pendant no longer there. Having fallen off when she fought with Rex. The dome flickered again, taking all of her concentration to keep it formed without its anchor point.
The woman circled the dome, her skin darkening with her anger, her teeth growing in her mouth.
Wiping the sweat from her face she ignored the pain shooting through her skull, taking everything to keep the shield formed. The aegis shimmered, the woman launching herself across the space as it went down.
A scream filled the woods.
Looking up Alice saw her arms completely covered in blue flames licked with emerald. The woman rolled around the ground, trying to put the fire out from her clothes, patting them with her bare hands, skin blistering as it started to consume her.
Alice blinked, blood rushing in her ears, something warm dripping down her face as copper coated her tongue. Wiping her face with her sleeve she saw red, blood dripping from her nose.
