Skinned (9 page)

Callum raised his hands and reached towards her with a wordless cry of anger and loathing.

The palm of his hand suddenly crackled with energy. He felt the force radiating from deep within him and out through his hands as raw power. A glowing ball of light flickered in his palms, rippling in waves like heat from a bonfire.

Callum aimed towards Black Annis and released the bolt of energy at her. The crackling ray hit her arm and she screamed in pain once again. One of her clawed hands lost its grip, but she'd already reached the top of the wall. She pulled herself up, but a row of barbed wire blocked her way. She paused. Seizing the moment, Callum re-directed the beam of energy that was still radiating from his outstretched hand back towards the crone. He missed, but the energy struck the taut, spiked wire, which broke and sprang free, whipping out across the hag's face. Thick, blue-black blood oozed from the wound, and Black Annis let out a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream. Then she hauled herself over the wall through the gap that had been created and disappeared out of sight.

Callum stared at his outstretched hand, stunned. The air around it still crackled with power.

‘What the . . .?' he breathed.

Then, through the shimmering air, Callum saw Melissa, still lying in agony on the ground at the entrance to the alleyway.

He rushed to her side. Her wrist was bleeding badly
– she'd managed to cross her arm over her neck when the monster had attacked her, and it was her wrist that had been savaged by the hag's pointed teeth, not her shoulder. Blood soaked her sleeve and mitten. Her face was drained white as chalk. She looked down at her hand and gave a grunt of distress.

‘Are you OK?' Callum gasped. ‘Did she get you anywhere else? Let's get out to the street, we should take you to a hospital –'

He clasped above her injured wrist gently, hoping to stem the bleeding, his own hands still tingling with residual energy.

‘Callum!' Melissa gasped, more in surprise than pain. ‘Wh-what are you doing?'

Callum looked at her, confused, but Melissa was staring down at her wrist. Tentatively, she lifted back her blood-soaked sleeve and stared down at the wound. Where Callum held her, prickling energy flowed over and around both their hands. Callum could feel the electric warmth radiate from his palms. The power wasn't as strong as it had been, but the air was still rippling. The force flowed around the gaping
slashes in Melissa's wrist – which slowly, before their eyes, began to seal themselves closed. After a few moments, the ripples stopped and Callum took his hand away.

‘What
was
that?' Melissa asked. The strength had come back into her voice.

‘I'm not sure . . .' Callum didn't know what to tell her. ‘I – I think it's done something though . . .'

He broke off into silence and they both stared down at her arm again in amazement. Where the savage teeth had torn the flesh, it was now smooth and unbroken. The fading energy of Callum's power had somehow repaired the damaged skin without even leaving a scar.

‘Wow,' Melissa breathed, then paused for a moment and stared at Callum. ‘You
healed
it! That's another one of your powers! And Callum, what you did with that beam of energy. That was amazing! You're really starting to get the hang of this.' Her voice was shaking and incredulous.

Callum swallowed hard and looked down the alleyway at the crumpled corpse of the blonde-haired
girl. His stomach turned over and he had to look away.

‘Fat lot of difference it made,' he muttered, and then turned to look at Melissa, whose face was serious again.

‘Maybe we should go and tell those police officers . . .'

Callum frowned and took a deep breath.

‘We can't. I mean, if we go to the police, they'll ask questions, you have blood on your sleeve . . .' He trailed off, shaking his head. His stomach was in knots. Melissa nodded.

‘You're right. Someone will find her soon enough,' she said, her eyes glazing over. Callum squeezed her shoulder briefly.

‘Let's get out of here.'

‘Don't you just want to get home?' Melissa asked as Callum walked her to her front door from Marlock station.

He shook his head grimly. ‘I've got to go to the churchyard. I want to know what the hell all that was. Maybe Jacob can shed some light on it.'

Melissa sighed. ‘I'd come with you, but I know my parents are going to be wondering where I am by now. Listen, thanks for everything today. I'm just sorry that we . . .' She trailed off, her eyes welling up at the memory. A tear spilled over and she wiped it away quickly. ‘I'm sorry we didn't get there in time.'

Callum watched as she went inside, then set off at a determined pace for the churchyard. Jacob and Doom were waiting beneath the yew tree. Jacob's pale skin seemed to glisten a little in the dusky light of the afternoon.

‘Callum,' Jacob said as he strode over. ‘I did not expect you for some hours yet.'

Callum quickly explained what had happened in Leicester, the ghost listening intently with his arms folded. When Callum finished, Jacob shook his head, his pale brow furrowed.

‘Black Annis? How did you even know she had crossed over?'

Callum sighed – he hadn't mentioned his initial vision.

‘I . . . I saw something – it was like a premonition almost. It wasn't clear at first, everything was in darkness and shadows, but there was a group of humans, and they seemed to be performing a ritual . . . a sacrifice maybe, on this hag-like demon. Then Melissa looked up the thing I described, and it was obvious it was Black Annis.'

Jacob's face was grim. ‘It would seem that your visions are becoming more prescient with the onset of the Shadowing. That you are seeing further into the future. This is to be expected.' He paused. ‘Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you saw.'

When Callum explained his vision in more detail, Jacob seemed even more unhappy. He paced away from Callum and kept his back turned. Doom followed, as though awaiting some instruction. Finally Jacob turned and spoke, fixing Callum with a hard stare.

‘Callum, I do not think I need to tell you how severe this situation is. Firstly, you should not have gone off in the hope of attacking a Netherworld being about which you knew nothing.'

‘Hang on,' Callum interjected. ‘That's not true, we
did
know something about her, and that's why we were so anxious to find out more. We were looking for clues. And once we ran into her, I had no choice, I had to do something!'

‘Regardless, you should have spoken with me before embarking on that journey. Black Annis may have passed over at this early stage in the Shadowing, but
she will grow increasingly strong – and increasingly
dangerous
– with each feeding.' The ghost paused. ‘Nevertheless,' he said, ‘you showed great courage in your actions. And we know you have discovered and used new powers. You showed strength and focus when it mattered most. That is good.'

Callum shrugged. ‘It didn't help that girl.'

‘No,' Jacob said. ‘But you saved Melissa's life.'

‘Yeah,' Callum said, but he couldn't help feeling depressed. He had already allowed people to die at the hands of this demon. And she was just the first to cross over.

He
had
to do better, or . . . He didn't know if he even wanted to think about the other option. ‘What if I can't actually do what I'm going to need to do?' he murmured.

Jacob walked over to Callum and looked him dead in the eye. ‘Would you rather hide? Leave the world to these monsters – and these humans who wish to do their own kind harm?'

Callum held Jacob's gaze for a moment, and then shook his head. He folded his arms and frowned,
recalling again how his mother said that attitude makes all the difference.

‘No.'

Jacob nodded, and kept his eyes on Callum a moment longer before speaking. ‘Good. Good. Now, you say that this group of humans seemed united?'

Callum went over the vision once again. Jacob's figure seemed to be melding into the growing darkness, but Callum could see the look of concern on his face.

‘I fear they are a coven,' Jacob said finally. ‘And I fear you may be correct, that they were making a sacrifice of Black Annis. The consequences could be severe.'

‘Like . . . like what exactly?' Callum wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

‘As I said, Black Annis is a dangerous crone – particularly if she is feeding regularly.' Jacob stopped for a moment, and seemed to be considering something. After a moment, he continued. ‘There is usually only one reason for sacrificing a Netherworld demon . . . To widen a gap in the Boundary.'

‘Widen?' Callum repeated. ‘So they might be trying
to bring something bigger over?'

‘Something bigger or more powerful. Or perhaps even a greater quantity of demons sooner,' Jacob replied. ‘Either way, an increase in demonic activity before you are fully prepared is very bad news.'

Callum let out a wry laugh – he hardly needed telling.

‘We need to get to Black Annis before they do, then,' he said determinedly.

Jacob shook his head. ‘I fear it will not be so easy, Callum. Black Annis is not like the Fetch. She is more intelligent. Now that she is aware you are seeking her out, she will lie low – so low we may not be able to find her again. You cannot search the whole of Leicester in the hopes of stumbling across her.'

Callum's heart sank.

‘OK,' he sighed. ‘Well then for now we'll just have to concentrate on getting my powers up to scratch.'

‘Certainly. However, I think you have had the best possible practice for today.'

‘Come on, Jacob, I need to do this,' Callum pressed, but Jacob held up his hands.

‘I think you must go home, have some time to
digest what has happened. We shall return to our tutorials tomorrow.'

Callum was a little irritated, but he had a feeling Jacob was right. There was a tumult of emotions swirling around his mind, and he wasn't sure how much more he'd be able to handle today. ‘Fine. I'll see you tomorrow then.'

Callum turned to leave, but he stopped as Jacob called his name.

‘One more thing,' the Born Dead said. ‘Something you must be alert for, now that we have more evidence of a mortal conspiracy within the Shadowing.'

Callum turned, waiting.

‘They may try to enlist you,' Jacob said at last. Callum raised an eyebrow.

‘To join the Dark Side?' he said sarcastically.

‘It is no joking matter,' Jacob said, his face solemn. ‘Callum, you would make a powerful tool for the coven, and indeed for Netherworld forces themselves, if you allied yourself with them willingly. As you are now aware, some mortals do so without hesitation.'

Callum smiled – for the first time that day, it
seemed. ‘Jacob, that's one thing I don't think we have to worry about.'

But the Born Dead's black eyes were deadly serious. ‘Do not underestimate the power you wield, Callum. Do not underestimate the temptations that the coven may lay in front of you.'

Callum paused for a moment, then nodded silently and made his way out of the graveyard. Jacob's words were still turning over in his mind as he walked back to the cottage.

He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. All he knew was that he needed to do
something
now. With Black Annis still on the loose, the humans from his vision were a step closer to doing whatever it was they planned to do, and that was his fault. Callum vowed not to make the same mistake again.

Next time, he'd be ready.

Black Annis feels the weight of this strange, changed world on her shoulders. She has been feeding steadily, and she grows stronger. But things are not as simple as they used to be. The children are more plentiful in this modern mortal world, but they are also more carefully guarded. They sleep behind bars and sheets of glass and locked doors. The very effort of getting to her prey makes her hunger more intense. Yes, things used to be easier.

And the chime child.

Black Annis sighs and looks around at the walls of her lair with her glowing eyes. Already she feels the need to tear flesh from bone once more – as her strength grows,
she feels an increasing compulsion to feed. She would never have resorted to snatching a child from the streets in broad daylight otherwise. And now she has been detected by a chime child. Annis shakes her head. She cannot afford such risks any longer. This local guardian is certainly a threat – the boy cannot have faced a great number of adversaries so soon in the dark time, and yet he was fearless and strong. He had even managed to inflict an injury . . . Black Annis reaches up to her cheek, where the wound still gapes. Yes, she cannot underestimate this boy.

Black Annis reaches down to her skirts, unties the fresh pelt and unfurls it slowly. Studying the skin carefully, she holds it up to her mouth and gnaws at the last pieces of flesh. Licking her blue-black lips, Black Annis stretches out the pelt, now stripped clean, and hangs it out to dry next to the others.

It could well be her last meal for a while.

Callum stood in the cramped kitchen of the cottage and winced at the ear splitting noise of the food processor whirring into life. He could kind of relate to the carrots and onions that were being pulverised into soup. It was the day after his encounter with Black Annis in the alleyway, and he'd arrived home from his training session with Jacob feeling as though he'd been put through a blender himself.

Every muscle in his body ached, and he'd been concentrating so hard that he could almost feel his brain throbbing.

Jacob seemed pleased with his progress, but try as
he might, Callum hadn't been able to recreate the burst of energy he'd produced the previous day. Without perfecting that, he couldn't believe he'd have a chance at stopping Black Annis, or the coven.