The Enchantress (Wicked Book 1) (18 page)

Within
fifteen minutes the group had congregated in the corner of the hotel’s lobby,
ready to take James on, and, ready to win.

Laura was
chilled to the bone. The house was ice cold and empty.
  They cautiously and quietly examined each room, giving the house a thorough
sweep to ensure their anonymity. They met in the kitchen, shying away from an
acidic smell that filled the air.
  ‘What is that?’ Logan hissed.
  Stella glanced at the floor.
  ‘There’s coal remnants here.’
  Logan was drawing closer to the fridge, ‘I think the smells coming from
here.’ He reached for the handle.
  Leo was there in a flash, jumping between Logan and the fridge and placing
his hand firmly on the door.
  ‘Could be a trap,’ he said quietly.
  Grace drew her dagger, poking at the coal, inspecting the mess. ‘What could
this be from?’
  ‘The fire perhaps?’ Gemma suggested, peeking behind the curtain. Drew hid out
the front, ready to give the signal to Gemma if some was coming.
  ‘Why would there be coal here?’ Laura asked, ‘it seems illogical.’
  ‘Maybe they were carting it from somewhere?’ Logan offered, his eyes set
firmly on the fridge.
  ‘But why? Why do they need coal?’ Grace asked, unconvinced.
  ‘Maybe we should be asking where they got it from first. Perhaps if we can
figure that out, then we may be able to understand the why,’ Laura said.
  Gemma released the curtain and turned away from the window, ‘the only place
that has ever held coal on this island are the mines in the Lost City. It was
closed down when the Enchanted took over the island. I think that could be our
best option. No one would think to look there.’
  Stella was nodding, ‘yes! Yes of course! The Lost City it is. Let’s get going.’

The sun was
beginning to set as the group delved deeper into the bush. Stella led the way
to the Mountains of Alast. The Lost City was nestled on the other side, and
they would have to climb the mountains if they wanted to reach it in the
shortest time possible.
  Due to the lack of transport on the island, which Laura had become acutely
aware of, there was no safe way to reach the Lost City without alerting
someone. With their names surely plastered everywhere by now, they would be
found and taken into custody in no time.
  They trailed deeper into the trees, weaving through the bracken and over fallen
limbs. They were careful to only cut or break away a select few branches, ensuring
to keep their trail as clean as possible.
  Following Logan proved to make the trip relatively easier for Laura. She made
a game of hiding or walking off casually whenever he checked behind him.
  For what must have been the tenth time, he spun around. Laura lurched away, pretending
to wipe the sweat from her forehead as she slashed at a bush. He eyed her
wearily but remained quiet. Laura heard a quiet snort from behind her and caught
Drew watching her. She put her finger to her lips, jumping into position.
  Suddenly Logan jumped back yelping and shouting ‘Snake! Snake! Run!’
  Laura screamed. And then she was thrashing wildly through the bush. She
hauled herself onto the lowest tree branch she could find.
  Then she heard the undoubtable sound of laughter. Hugging the tree branch,
she lifted her head and sought out the owner of the laughter.
  Logan was on his knees, weeping with it, Drew and Grace doubled over,
struggling to contain themselves, and Gemma held an amused smile on her face.
But Leo and Stella were both beyond what Laura had expected. Leo was trying to
hold Stella upright as she fell to the ground with laughter, tears glistening
in both of their eyes.
  Slightly embarrassed and somewhat sore from rushing through the bush, she
descended the tree, brushed off her clothes and walked back to the group. She
then continued on through the bush.
  ‘My turn to follow you now,’ Logan mused, regaining his composure as he
hurried to catch her.
  The others fell into a single file line behind Laura. She smiled to herself
as she took the lead for the time being.

After a
while, Logan came to walk by Laura.
  ‘I still can’t believe you,’ Laura said with a chuckle.
  Logan flashed her a grin, ‘hey, you were the one slacking off!’
  She pushed him lightly, ‘all right I deserved it.’
  He laugh quietly, ‘it was a nice change to have everyone smiling. It’s not
exactly been the brightest few days.’
  Laura nodded in agreement.
  ‘It’s not exactly been the brightest few years really. We all struggle.’
  Laura’s eyes darted to his, and she could see sadness hidden within. She
didn’t say anything, allowing him to continue at his own pace.
  ‘Everyone at the Manor is still effected. Even those of us that have had a
longer time to come to terms with what we have been through. I still have
nightmares. Nightmares of the things I’ve seen. I know the others do too. I’m
pretty sure Caspian never sleeps. Or Gemma.’
  Laura could hear the pain in his voice, the memories imprinted in his mind
forever. She reached out a hand, resting it gently on his arm, ‘you don’t have
to tell me.’
  He gave her a weak smile, ‘you are my friend. I want you to know about my
past.’
  Laura was touched by the gesture. She felt tears sting the back of her throat
but swallowed them down.
  Logan had been nothing but kind to her. He was a gentle person, and it was
hard to believe such terrible things could have befallen him.
  ‘It happened when I was twelve. I was an only child, living in Pral, a few
hours from Corin. My father was on the Lastrala Minor Council.
  ‘They are in charge of the law within Lastrala, and punishing those who break
it.
  ‘One day there was a trial held for a Wizard. He had killed his wife,
claiming that she had been practicing black magic and was talking about joining
the Wicked. He didn’t want that. So he killed her.
  ‘The Courts didn’t see it that way. Half voted for him to be banished to
hell, while the other half voted jail for life. Murder within the Enchanted is
not taken lightly.
  ‘That was why it was such a worry for your mother being taken overseas,
especially with the laws she has broken.
  ‘The deciding vote came down to my father. He chose to banish the man to
hell. The Wizard, Marcus, had a son. His son did not take his father’s
banishment well, and one night, when my mother and I were waiting up for dad,
he broke in.’
  Logan’s voice cracked, ‘he put a knife to mums throat. I was crying
hysterically, and I remember him drawing blood as he pressed the knife harder,
yelling at me to shut up. I remember being so afraid. I remember trembling as I
bit down on my cries and forced myself to stop for my mother’s sake.
  ‘Dad came home then. The moment he walked in, he fired his lightening at
Marcus’s son. He dove for my dad and slashed his Identity Mark, draining his
power instantly.
  ‘I remember him collapsing to the ground crying out in utter agony, and I cried
out for him. The effect was instantaneous. His skin paled, growing leathery
with wrinkles. Then, the man slashed at mum’s throat.’
  Logan stopped speaking, choking on the last word, and Laura couldn’t stop the
single tear that slid down her cheek.
  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She reached for him, about to tell
him he didn’t have to continue, but he was already speaking again.
  ‘The blood, god, the amount of blood is something I won’t ever forget. The
way she fell to the ground, completely gone. Lifeless. That was just… it.
  ‘I managed to pull my eyes away, just in time to see him lunging for me. He
was going to stab me, but in a last effort to save me, dad managed to get to
his feet. He dove on top of the killer. He shouted at me to run, and then his
eyes locked with mine. I knew that his final look was one of goodbye. I turned
and ran as fast as I could,’ he stopped again and Laura wiped the tears from
her cheeks.
  ‘The forces found him and The Courts banished him to hell alongside his
father and I was sent to the Manor. Stella and Leo took me in with open arms. I
wouldn’t have been able to make it through without them. I will be forever
grateful.’
  Laura cleared the tears from her face. How could someone witness something so
awful, feel so much pain yet endeavour to be so kind?
  ‘Logan, there are no words to express just how sorry I am for you. But I am.
And I want you to know that if
you
ever need to talk, I am here for you.
Same as what you offered to me. Okay?’
  He gave her a smile, a genuine one, ‘we can help each other.’

The stars
had appeared by the time Stella suggested they stop and set up camp. Their
camp, however, consisted of a fire and everyone’s clothes rolled up to form
pillows.
  While Leo went about lighting the fire, Stella saw to Grace’s wound.
  ‘Completely healed,’ Stella grinned.
  Laura skittered over to Grace, ‘there’s not even a scar!’
  ‘Stella’s good with medicine. She was a nurse here before we moved to Corin,’
Leo said proudly as he struck a match, lighting the kindling he had collected.
  ‘Did you ever notice how well your own cuts had healed?’ Grace asked, taking
Laura’s arm and turning it over.
  There was indeed no scar left behind on Laura’s arm. She had been much too
busy to even give her injuries a second thought once they had healed.
  Using the firelight, Stella and Grace went to work sorting out the ration
packs.
  As Laura sat eating her dinner, her gaze settled on the fire, and her
thoughts shifted to Caspian.
  Where was he? Had he caught up with James? Was he… alive?
  She scratched that last thought.
  Of course he is.
  She missed his soft voice, his grace, his wisdom, his kindness.
  Please be okay.
  Now that she had arrived on the path of over thinking things, her thoughts
switched to Drew.
  Drew, his emerald eyes, sparkling with amusement.
  Drew, the boy she was indebted to, for he had saved her more than once.
  Drew, the witty, stubborn boy who cared so deeply that it seemed to frighten
him into secrecy.
  Her heart pace quickened at the thought of him.
  What did it mean? Surely she couldn’t feel for someone she barely knew.
Surely things like this didn’t develop so quickly.
  Yet, as she glanced up and caught sight of his bright eyes, she thought that
perhaps it was indeed possible. Perhaps…
  Shaking her head, she scolded herself for worrying about a boy at a time like
this. Her mother was
being held prisoner.
Her father was
de-
  She cut herself off. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t even think it.
  In the hopes of a distraction, Laura observed her friends.
  Opposite her, Gemma and Grace were murmuring quietly to one another. Normally
they would be giggling, but after the loss of Caspian, everyone’s spirits
appeared to be dampened, despite their earlier batch of laughter.
  Stella and Leo were sitting a short distance from the fire, torches scrolling
over papers.
  Logan and Drew were to the left of Laura, talking. Drew, stick in hand, was
poking and prodding the fire. She had caught enough of their words to know they
were conversing about the Wicked.
  Her eyes returned to the fire. The next big question on her mind was what was
going on? This question sparked a whirlwind of others. Where was her mother?
Was she all right? What was James and the Wicked up to? Why did he need her to
complete his plan? What exactly
was
the plan? What did they want with
the soul? What could she
supposedly
do? Who was
he?
  She could only piece together the answers she had.
  What she knew was that there was a Wizard who had enslaved the trust of
Wicked and James. She had an ability to do something that this Wizard needed.
He was trying to raise an army, however, he required her power to do so. This
led to the kidnapping of her mother in order to use her Black Magic to find a
soul, and then use her again to lure Laura to them, which was working. But what
was she supposed to do? Not seek out her mother? She had to go after them, even
if it’s exactly what they want.
  There was so much more to it, Laura knew that much. It was just a matter of
figuring it out. She hated being in the dark, though. She needed answers. She
needed clarity.
  Laura rose and wandered over to Leo and Estella, eyes scanning their papers.
  ‘What’s all this?’ She asked, sitting down beside them on the log.
  ‘Did Drew ever tell you why he had been sent out to retrieve you?’ Stella
inquired.
  ‘Only that he had a letter to deliver.’
  Leo cleared his throat, ‘before this happened there had been a huge rise in
the deaths of women and children of the Enchanted and Humans in the past
seventeen years. We sent off many letters of concern to the forces in Corin but
we were continually brushed off.’
  Stella continued, ‘we think the Wicked were behind it. They were working
under orders of their leader, or James. We think they were trying to re-create
you. But after seventeen years of no success, we think that they then decided
to come for you instead, especially now that you are close to your ceremony. James
knew where you lived so that was easy enough. We sent Drew out to try and
convince you to come back to the Manor, but we were too late.’
  Laura was too startled to respond. Stella took her hand in hers.
  ‘We will find these people and we will banish them to hell. Okay? I promise,
we won’t stop until they are gone.’

Drew
wandered off after a while, needing some time to himself. As he pushed through
the bush, his thoughts turned to Caspian. His hope for his best friend’s safety
was fierce.
  If he is hurt, or worse, I don’t know what I’ll do.
  Caspian’s words from the previous night surfaced.
  You have to live for the now.
  He couldn’t keep pushing people away. Not anymore. He had promised Grace he
would be better, and he would. If she had died thinking Drew hated her, he
would never have been able to forgive himself.
  Even Caspian, of all people, he had held at a distance, and now he was gone.
Possibly forever.
  The people at the manor, his friends, his family, he loved them. And if he
kept going down this path of death and destruction, he wouldn’t have this
family to fall back on. He wouldn’t have anyone.
  He had to change.
  Drew broke through the trees and into a clearing, just as Laura entered his
thoughts.
  He had held back from her, too, but his guard was failing him. He knew that
he wouldn’t be able to ever forget her. Caspian was right. He had to talk to
her.
  As he looked out over the sight before him, he smiled.