Witch's Sorrow, page 29
part #1 of Alice Skye Series
Arms grab her from behind, crushing her against a wide chest she recognized.
A short, sharp pain in her side.
Warmth grew from her abdomen, bubbling through her bloodstream.
Cotton at the back of her throat.
“I’m sorry it has to be this way.” She looked up at Rex, her legs giving out.
Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, unable to form any words. She couldn’t feel herself collapse, her knees hitting the earth with a thump. Her head rolled as she turned to stare into his eyes, blue spheres heavy with regret.
Chapter 31
Head heavy, Alice groaned as she opened her eyes, shutting them quickly when the lights above burned. Squinting until her eyes adjusted to the bright light she looked up, noticing that her wrists were manacled together, linked with a chain attached to the ceiling. Frowning she stared at it for a few seconds, tugging her wrists gently to the sound of the chain rattling.
“Fuck.” She exhaled, keeping her voice low. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The light was coming from a single point in the ceiling, a spotlight aimed at her alone. Beyond the light she saw nothing, darkness being kept at bay from the single bulb.
Panic started to grow as she tried desperately to tug at the chains, testing their strength until the pain became too much. Lead in her stomach she lurched forward, nausea rising to the point bile choked her throat.
“You’ll dislocate your shoulder if you lean anymore,” a voice calmly uttered through the darkness.
Alice froze, straining to hear something other than the rattle of the chain and the blood pumping through her skull.
“Hello?” She tugged more desperately this time. “Rex?” she whispered hesitantly, shrinking back against the brick wall.
“Why would you call for him?” A quiet monotone replied. “He betrayed you.”
Alice strained to hear where the voice was coming from, panic building when she finally saw something at the corner of her eye. Turning she watched as someone walked into the circle of light, her veins turning to ice when she recognised the dark cloaked figure. “You’re not real.”
“You look like her.” Her imaginary phantom replied, voice soft, almost detached.
“You’re not real.” Alice cried once again.
“Real?” The phantom pondered it for a second. “Am I real?”
It slowly glided towards her, almost painfully as the black cloak swished gently. A pale hand emerged from the sleeve, boney with dark veins pulsating underneath paper-thin skin.
“I don’t even know if I am real anymore.” It pulled off its hood, pale skin stretched across a slim face.
The light turned off once again, leaving only the moonlight. Salt on her tongue as tears streamed from her eyes, mixing with the snot against her upper lip.
“Shit. Where are you?” Shoes crunched as the monster moved closer.
“Have you found her?” Another voice joined in, this one familiar.
“Alice,” her brother called “Alice. It’s me. It’s Kyle. Come out from where you are hiding.”
The monster continued to check the bushes and flowerbeds, searching for her.
“She’s not here,” the monster growled. “I was promised the girl.”
“Shut up,” her brother whispered back.
“Alice.” He raised his voice. “You know how mum doesn’t like you playing out here in the dark.”
A click as he turned on a torch, the light landing on his shoes for a moment, dark red stains marking the pristine white trainers.
“Alice,” he called once again, his voice scared.
Blinking suddenly through wet eyes Alice stared at what was once her brother, his features the same as the gangly fourteen-year-old too skinny for his frame, except he had grown into his shoulders. His cheeks were hollow, dark messy stubble speckled across his jaw as emerald eyes, the same as hers, as their mother’s, stared at her blankly.
“Kyle?” Alice choked out, tears pouring down her face.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, confusion swirling in his eyes. His hand raised to touch her face, the skin ice cold.
“Why are you doing this?” She tried to shrink back, her head hitting brick. “I don’t understand.”
“I thought you were dead.”
His other hand came up to hold her face, his breath just as cold as he moved forward.
“Then I saw you, igniting the dragon, saving that woman.” His eyes searched for something, she wasn’t sure what.
“Shut up,” her brother whispered back.
“Alice.” He raised his voice. “You know how mum doesn’t like you playing out here in the dark.”
A click as he turned on a torch, the light landing on his shoes for a moment, dark red stains marking the pristine white trainers.
“Alice,” he called once again, his voice scared.
“Fuck this,” the monster stormed into the kitchen, returning moments later with her mum screaming, dragged her by her hair as she flailed wildly.
“Mummy,” Alice squealed, covering the noise at the last minute, as if she could stop the sound carrying. Light landed just a foot from where she was crouched, huddled by the bark.
“What are you doing?” Kyle shouted as the monster grabbed their mother’s hair, wrapping it around his fist as she fought the bonds holding her.
“Please. Please,” she begged. “Why?”
“NO, STOP!” Kyle grabbed the monster’s arm.
“I knew this was a mistake.” The monster pushed Kyle back effortlessly, turning to lift him by the throat with one arm. “Fucking kid.” He flung Kyle away as if he were nothing.
Alice closed her eyes, hands shaking as she hid behind the tree. Screams echoed until they suddenly stopped.
Controlling her tears she peeked, seeing very little in the night.
“Alice…”
She felt her heart beat in her chest, the sobs coming stronger as she struggled to control them.
“Alice…”
The monster slowly approached the tree, whispering over and over.
“Alice…Alice, come here little girl” Heavy legs beside the fern. “There you are.” He reached down to grab her.
Picking up a rock she threw with as much force as she could, the sharp edge hitting the monster with a squishy noise. He shrieked, grabbing his face as a pale liquid dripped down his skin.
“Mummy?” she cried, running across the garden to the curses of the monster.
“Mum? Kyle?” Her nightdress danced in the cold wind, trying to trip her up as she knelt beside her mum, Kyle nowhere in sight.
“Mum?” she whispered, her knees warm in the dirt. She patted her mother’s hair, her face hidden beneath it.
“Mummy, it’s okay, I got him. Look… Mummy?” She lifted up her mother’s long blonde hair, confused by the sea of red decorating the front of her mother’s nightgown.
A sharp pain along her scalp. “Alice,” Kyle wrapped more hair around his fingers. “Don’t go away again.”
Go away? Alice felt the nausea growing.
“KYLE!” A smoky voice growled, hidden behind the light. “Control yourself.”
Kyle’s eyes swam with black, pupils dilating as his mouth turned into a grimace.
“If you ignore him,” he spoke against her cheek. “He will go away.”
“KYLE!”
Kyle ripped away, nails clawing at his face.
“WHAT?” he shouted towards the voice.
“Walk her down, the preparation has been finished.”
Kyle turned back, eyes completely encased in black.
“This way.”
“What? Kyle STOP!” Her chains went taunt as he started to drag her from the room. “PLEASE.” He didn’t respond, pulling her chain with agitation.
“You don’t have to do this.”
A heinous putrid smell polluted the air and left her gagging as she struggled against the chains. Steel cells lined the hallway beyond the light, groans and whimpers leaking through the bars. One cell held a group of people, their clothes ripped, soaked in blood and their own urine. Scars decorated their skin in a disorganised pattern, white lines along their arms, legs and backs. They all scattered as Kyle dragged Alice through the hallway, their black eyes all rimmed with red, all open, terrified as their tongue-less mouths were agape in fear.
“Where’s Sam?” she cried, her neck stretching as she searched into every cell.
“Who?”
The next cell held a naked man, his head sunk into his chest as his arms were locked into the wall, almost embedded into the brick. Black veins pulsated under his pale skin, matching the beat of his sluggish heart.
“That isn’t Sam,” she whispered to herself in relief. Then where was he?
Tiles ran along the floor and partially up the wall, what once could have been white was a dirty brown, flaking like rust from the blood moulded into the surface.
“Why him?” Kyle growled, the softness of his voice edged with anger.
“What?” Alice snarled back, feeling her chi fill with her fire as she continued to fight the chains dragging her across the tile.
“The Alpha.” He watched her from the corner of his eye. “He’s wrong. Too weak.” He said disapprovingly. “He betrayed you.”
“Yeah well, people betraying me seems to be a habit.” She kicked out at his legs in frustration.
He stopped walking, impatient.
“You need to stop that.” He angrily yanked the chains. The wolf in the corner snarled, making Kyle’s head whip around with a sneer.
“SHUT UP!” He stormed to the cell, smacking the metal with his palm.
Alice froze, realising he dropped the chain in his distraction.
Quietly she started to pull it toward her, hesitating when a voice behind whispered in a weak voice.
“Ple…ase…” a woman’s voice quivered. “Please, help me.”
Alice turned to face a naked woman with dirty brown hair, her skin a sickly grey patterned with yellow bruises. One eye was swollen shut, blood stained down her face like tears. A pile of cloth lay to her right, a makeshift bed made from the scraps. A tray rested by the bars with a grey lumpy substance in a wooden bowl, green mould fluffy on top, flies buzzing around it greedily. Red smears decorate the walls, a series of parallel lines covering most of the wall space.
“Get the keys.” She licked her lips nervously, the skin cracking open painfully.
Alice quickly checked Kyle, who was still distracted by the aggressive wolf. “Where?” Alice gently whispered back.
“Over there.” The woman stretched her arm through the bars of her cell, the skin stretched tight to the bone. “He has it.” She waved a hand toward Kyle frantically.
“HE HAS IT!” she wailed.
“Shhhhh.” Alice grabbed the woman’s outstretched hand, “shhh.” She tried to calm her.
“He has it. He has it.” Delirium took hold as the woman continued to chant. “He has it. He has it.” She started to giggle hysterically. “HE HAS IT!”
“Alice come here, she’s dangerous.” Kyle grabbed Alice’s shoulders, pulling her away from the woman who was now rocking, clawed hands trying to strike out.
Alice screamed as she’s pulled against him, rocking her elbow back and hitting him in the stomach before twisting out of his grasp.
“Oomfff.” He bent at the waist.
Breathing heavily, she gathered her chi, holding her flame in both hands. About to throw the fire she stopped, watching his eyes fight to become green.
“Kyle?” her voice tremored. “What happened to you?”
“Run.” He dry heaved before screaming in pain, nails clawing at his own eyes. He bolted forward, grabbing the chain in his hand and yanking her off her feet.
“Bad Alice.” He pulled the chain with force, his eyes once again black.
“CORUSCARE!” she shouted, throwing her hand out towards his face, igniting the cloak.
A growl, the smoke clearing quickly as Kyle calmly shook off the robe as it turned to ash in his hands, his skin showing a history of abuse, pale scars crisscrossing almost every part of exposed skin.
Silver cuffs encircle his wrists, patterns engraved into the metal that seemed to pulsate along with the matching choker surrounding his neck.
Clicking his fingers she flinched, gasping when he held a ball of flame in his hand, green tinged with black.
“Don’t do that,” his voice was soft once again, black eyes fighting against the green as the flame danced between his fingertips.
“What are those cuffs?” she asked, stomach churning. “I can help.”
He tilted his head, pain radiating across his face as he retched.
“NO!” He started to shake, throwing his head around as the cuffs glowed brightly.
Alice gathered the chain around her wrist, waiting for his next move when he turned to face her, eyes unfocused.
“They’re coming,” he whispered, leaning forward. “Run.” He started to convulse, his eyes rolling in the back of his head before he fought back control. Groaning he dragged himself to the exit, leaving the same way he had forced her in.
Alice stared after him, unable to move from the floor as exhaustion beat heavy on her, dropping the chain with a rattle she calmed her pulse, ignoring the manic crying from the woman and howling from the wolf. Looking down at her raw wrists she tried to squeeze her hands through, desperation taking hold when she felt someone watching her.
“He’s coming,” the delirious woman cackled. “60. 59. 58...”
“Shut up,” Alice hissed, cursing as her fingers failed to fit. The manacles were heavy, locked tight.
“45. 44. 43...”
“Please, let me think.” Water dripped from the ceiling in the corner, hitting a shallow puddle on the cracked tile. The partial stonewalls were shiny, damp with a light green tinge with metal industrial supports that looked warped. A dirty orange cabinet was broken in the corner, the door hanging on one hinge with dust gathered on the empty shelves. Nothing that could help.
“Maybe something’s in the cells,” she whispered to herself as she crawled across the floor towards the third cell. The wolf paced, huffing and growling as she got closer.
“30. 29. 28...”
The inside of the cell was identical to the woman’s, stonewalls with deep gouges and bloody marks. A tray that had been destroyed littered the floor, mixed in with sawdust, tufts of fur and bone. The wolf leapt at the bars with a snarl, part of his snout reaching out from a gap as he tried to bite his way through the metal.
“The bone.” She cautiously watched the wolf. “I can pick the lock with a bone.” But how will I get it?
Unexpectedly the bone skidded across the floor. Startled she glanced at the wolf, the beast calmly staring back as it pushed another bone underneath the small gap between the bars.
“23. 22. 21...”
“You can understand me?” She wasn’t confident how much of the person the wolf had retained. When shifters stayed in their animal form too long, it became hard to come back.
“Are you from White Dawn?” The wolf gave a sharp yip, pawing at the ground. Alice sucked in a breath, “Roman?” The wolf turned, growling at something as pain struck the back of her head.
Chapter 32
In igne comburetis. Cinis in nos exsurgent.
“Brothers!”
A voice boomed as the room erupted into applause.
“It is time.”
In igne comburetis. Cinis in nos exsurgent.
Alice’s headache matched the rhythm of the chant, a tattoo dancing against the inside of her head.
Squinting her eyes she watched the series of cloaked men, surrounding her in a partial circle. Each acolyte held a single candle, the wax dripping onto their grey palms without a flinch. Swallowing bile she flexed her swollen fingers, the surface cold beneath her. Moving slowly she pulled at her wrists, shocked to feel no resistance.
Hiding her eyes beneath lashes she tried to take in the room, noticing how she was lying on a stone slab in the centre of what looked like an old storage facility. Steel beams held up the high ceiling, surrounded by large cabinets that were mostly closed. Hooks were planted into the walls, some broken, leaving dangerous spikes while others held old high-vis jackets.
Alice tried to keep her breathing steady as a sudden intense cold prickled across her skin.
“Brothers,” the smoky voice called. “How long we have waited.”
Alice recognised the voice. Where was Kyle? He wasn’t there, wasn’t one of the acolytes. She was sure of it.
“Are we all prepared?”
In igne comburetis. Cinis in nos exsurgent.
Alice tried not to groan, the combined voices of the men rattling against her skull. The intense cold increased as she felt something glide slowly towards the pedestal, followed by a scraping sound across the concrete and tile.
Shit. Shit. Shit. She couldn’t see clearly enough in the candlelit room, she had no weapons, no known exits and the intense feeling of panic was getting greater with every passing second.
She was running out of time.
“You promised me Roman.” Alice‘s eyes opened wide at the voice. “A deal is a deal.”
Alice strained to turn her head, barely catching a glimpse of Rex as he intercepted her captor. How could she not have seen his deception? Was she that stupid?
“Did you hear that brothers?” The smokey voice called. “This Alpha is asking for his pup.” A laugh as the cloaked men twitch in agitation.
“You said...”
“I told you to retrieve the dragon...”
“You implied that if I did this, you would release Roman.” Rex’s voice dropped, anger coming from his wolf.
“ENOUGH.” Alice flinched at the shout. “Do not overstep.” Rex was pushed against the wall, his eyes arctic.
“No, this...” Rex snarled as a hand grabbed his throat, stopping his words.
“Go back to your pack. Before they replace the weak Alpha that you are,” the larger man threatened, releasing his clenched hand as Rex gasped.
