The Enchantress (Wicked Book 1) (21 page)

Laura could
feel the colour draining from her face. Her blood turned to ice. She had
assumed there was a war approaching, but she didn’t realise that their plan
would be to wipe out the Enchanted,
and then
take over the human world.
  ‘What will you do to the humans?’ she whispered.
  ‘They’d become our slaves.’
  ‘There is no way I’m allowing him to use my power to do that!’ Laura shouted.
  James was so close now that she could smell his bloody scent. She gaged.
  ‘Well missy, I don’t think you really have much of a say in the matter. I
doubt you could take us on all by your little self.’
  ‘I hate you.’
  Her words appeared to have no effect on him. He was nothing but a cold
blooded murderer.
  ‘Feisty little one, aren’t you.’
  ‘Was it you who killed Delilah?’
  He laughed dryly, ‘devil, no. Although, I do wish it had been me. I did
however injure that little Flyer friend you sent after us. But, no, that was my
partner.’
  ‘Your partner?’
  Laura had to keep him talking.
  ‘You didn’t believe it was just me raising my leader’s army did you?’
  ‘I- I guess not. You’re not all that talented.’
  ‘Oh but I am. My partner is the brawn, I am the brains. He chose us for a
reason. He summoned us and gave us the strength and power required to raise his
army. Now that we have you, and his soul, our leader can finally be one. We can
finally take what’s rightfully ours.’
 Laura snorted, ‘
yours
?! This world isn’t
yours
! You are evil.
Pure evil. It is in your heart. It consumes you. It makes you do sick and
twisted things. And you all
deserve
to burn in hell.’
  James launched himself at Laura, forcing his hands around her neck, pinning
her against the stone wall. The wind was knocked from her lungs and her windpipes
screamed with pain. He was suffocating her. She gasped for air, clawing at his
hands, but the pain was horrific and her vision began to blur.
  ‘You!’ He breathed and she choked further against his grip. She could taste
blood as she begged for breath. ‘All you Enchanted who don’t swear allegiance
to the Wicked, will be the ones who burn in hell.’
  Suddenly an explosion rocked the tower. James’ loosened his grip. Bile rose
in her throat as she coughed and spluttered, trying to suck air into her aching
lungs.
  ‘Damn it!’
  He let go of her neck, clasped his hands over her shoulders and slammed her into
the wall with a sickening crack.
  Laura slumped to the ground. The last thing she saw was the door swinging shut
before she fell into a world of blackness.

Stella and
Leo had met up on the other side of the tower. The moment they caught sight of
one another, they knew they couldn’t split up again. They had been through so
much together and they weren’t going to risk losing one another. Not now; not
ever.
  Witches and Wizards had always said that they were a perfect pairing. They
worked in harmony. Not only in battle, but in life. They always knew what the
other was thinking, what the other needed, how to calm the other down. So now
that they were fighting for not only their lives, but the lives of the
Enchanted, they worked together exceptionally well.
  Leo paused to regroup, ‘we need to distract them long enough for us to get
inside.’
  Estella nodded, ‘how do we do that?’
  ‘Remember Drew and Laura’s distraction?’ he said with a mischievous grin.
  She eyed him, ‘where could we possibly find explosives?’
 ‘This place used to be a mining town. I know the perfect place.’
  It took them less than 5 minutes to locate the old weapons building. There
were plenty of rotting wood crates full of old dynamite sticks.
  ‘This’ll do the trick.’ Stella said, filling her pockets
  They made their way back to the tower, setting up their explosives in the
cracks of an old stone building.
Leo struck a match, pressing it to a fuse, and the two took off.
  They dove for cover behind the stone wall of a cottage as an enormous
explosion erupted behind them.
  They didn’t stay to watch the aftermath. They took off at a run, edging
closer to the tower. They stuck to the shadows, ducking out of sight each time
Wicked Soldiers hurried passed.
  Shouts and cries rung out across the land as they moved swiftly through the
streets. The tower came into view and the fire around it disappeared. A furious
figure slammed the back door open, shouting inaudibly.
  James.
  Stella whimpered at the sight of him. They hid behind an old fruit store as
he took off, disappearing into the smoke and chaos.
  Stella still couldn’t believe he had betrayed them. One of her own. Someone
she had come to love as family. Someone she had trained, looked after, taught.
She blinked back tears, pushing aside the hurt she felt, and focused on the
task at hand.
  Wicked were everywhere, too frantic to notice as they pulled the tower door
open.
  They were in.

The tower
was heavily guarded, but the explosion had steered the guards away from the
front entrance, and somehow dulled the fire enough to allow Drew to slip
through the door, unseen and unhurt.
  The inside was much the same as the out; stone walls and dirty floors. Quietly,
he assessed his surroundings.
  There was a sound of footsteps descending the stairs on his right and he
ducked into a nook below the stairwell, pressing himself as far as he could
into the shadows. He watched James rush past in a whirl of fury, storming
through the back door.
  Drew scurried out from his hiding place and charged up the stairs. He had reached
the second floor in seconds only to find a corridor filled with closed doors.
He cursed angrily. He didn’t have time for this.
  Then, he heard whispers echoing up the stairwell behind him. He ducked up the
next staircase, pausing to listening. They sounded familiar.
  Moving back down, he caught sight of two silhouettes slowly jogging up the
stairs.
Darting back down the steps, he met Estella and Leo on the landing.
  ‘You guys check this floor. I’ll go up to the next.’
  They didn’t even flinch at his sudden appearance. Just drew him into a hug before
scurrying off down the corridor.
  Drew was off, arriving at the next landing to find Grace and Logan already
checking the third floor. He didn’t stop, just gave them a look to say
be
careful
before taking the stairs up to the fourth and final floor.
  In the pit of his stomach, he knew she was here. He could feel it in his
heart.
  The final hallway was much smaller than the others. Only one door stood at
the end, waiting to be opened.
He edged closer, resting his hand on the knob. It was locked.
  Impatiently, he shoved his shoulder into the door, hoping to weaken the lock.
With one last almighty heave, the door swung off its hinges and smacked into
the wall.
  His eyes swept across the room, from the messy bed, to the barred window, to
the cracked basin. Then, they came to rest on the limp body sprawled across the
ground.
  She wasn’t moving, and horror filled him. His stomach churned as he cautiously
approached the young girl. Sweat prickled the back of his neck and his heart
pounded with fear.
  It was Laura.

The world
slowed. His vision narrowed. He could hear nothing.
  ‘Laura?’ Drew whispered, falling to his knees by her side. Checking her
pulse, he found, with relief, that she was alive.
  He shook her gently, ‘Laura, come on, wake up.’
  Dark bruises could be seen forming around her neck and rage bubbled within
him at the prospect of James’ hands having touched her.
  He rolled her onto her side, tilting her head back to ensure she could breathe
properly.
  His hands trembled as he whispered her name.
What do I do?
He brushed
her hair away from her face, grasping her limp hand. Warmth radiated around
him, yet he had never felt so cold.
  ‘Come on, please,’ he choked.
  He moved closer to her, shaking her harder this time.
  ‘Damn it Laura, wake up!’
  She stirred, mumbling something.
  ‘I’m here, I’m right here, wake up, come on.’
  Her eyelids fluttered, a cough escaped her lips, and she rolled to her back.
Then, her familiar golden-hazel eyes became visible, and his heart leapt with
both appreciation and adoration.
  She took a moment to focus her gaze, and then finally, her eyes settled on
him.
  ‘Where- what-‘ She struggled to sit.
  ‘Hey, lie back, give yourself a moment.’
  The memories of what she had been through must have then arrived in the
forefront of her mind, for she forcefully pushed herself upwards and flung her
arms around him.
  Drew was flooded with what he could only identify as gratitude. She was all
right. She was here, in front of him, awake, and alive. He hugged her tightly.
  She pulled back after a moment, tears staining her cheeks, and met his gaze.
  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered so quietly, Drew nearly missed it. She took a
ragged breath and croaked, ‘thank you for coming.’
  His heart softened further and he gave her a light smile, gently brushing a
tear from her cheek. ‘I wasn’t going to let them take you, Ace.’
  His eyes closed and he rested his forehead against hers, drawing strength
from knowing he had finally found her. He allowed himself a moment’s peace,
basking in her embrace, before pulling back. He wished he could remain like
that, however James could return at any moment. It was time to leave.
  Drew help Laura to her feet, holding her close to him to support her weight while
she regained her balance.
  ‘What happened?’ Drew asked softly.
  ‘James got a bit out of control. He tried to choke me.’ Her voice was hoarse,
her neck swollen.
  Drew’s nostrils flared, his fists clenched and he pressed his lips tightly
together. It took every ounce of his being to keep his feet firmly planted where
they were.
  ‘I’ll kill him. I swear I will.’
  ‘It won’t help anyone if you go off on a killing rampage.’
  ‘It’ll help me calm down,’ He muttered.
  She rested a hand lightly on his arm, and even that seemed to settle him a
little.
  ‘I have some things I need to tell you all. Where are the others?’
  ‘They’re searching for Caspian and your mum. Come on, I’ll take you to them.’
  Laura, insisting she could walk by herself, followed Drew down the stairs.
  Drew could hear hushed voices coming from the third floor as they approached.
Pausing to turn to Laura, he raised a finger to his lips. Then he carefully
crouched, peeking down the stairwell.
  He caught sight of three Enchanted; Grace, Logan, and another woman. He waved
Laura forward.
  When they hit the landing, Laura gasped.
  ‘Mum?’

Laura’s heart
was pounding in her chest as she pushed past Drew and flung herself into her
mother’s arms. She couldn’t
believe
her mother was here, in front of
her. She was thinner, more fragile, but she was alive. Laura held back the shouts
of joy that she sincerely wished she could cry, and stepped away from the
warmth of her mother’s arms.
  ‘Oh mum, are you okay? Did they hurt you?’
  Her mother took her face in her hands and Laura could see the restrained
tears behind her expression.
  ‘I’m fine Laura. I’m fine,’ she whispered, ‘oh my darling.’ She pulled Laura
back into a hug, holding her so tightly that it hurt. Laura didn’t care one
bit. She
finally
had her mother back. After so long, she was here with
her, and
alive
.
  ‘Oliver?’ her mother asked.
  Laura didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her mother whimpered and hugged Laura again,
sobbing lightly into her shoulder.
  ‘Mum,’ Laura murmured as they parted. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about all
this?’
  Her mother’s kind, red and puffy eyes weakened, and she exhaled, most likely
out of habit rather than needing the air.
  ‘I guess I was trying to protect you. I assume Stella and Leo have told you
everything.’
  ‘But I want to hear
your
side of the story.’
  ‘Laura, there is so much to tell, I honestly don’t know where I could
possibly begin. We haven’t got enough time to talk right now.’
  ‘Just tell me why. Tell me that and I’ll be satisfied.’
  Cara sighed, ‘no one but Oliver knew what I really did to protect you, to be
able to even have you. I knew of only one way that would help us to both
survive. As bad as it was, I went to the Black Market and asked for my Identity
Mark back. I also asked to speak with the Gods. I was lucky to have something
to serve as payment for it all.’
  ‘What?’ Laura asked, searching her mother’s eyes.
  ‘I had the Westmill necklace, with the ruby William Westmill found. I traded
that for a conversation with the Gods, my Identity Mark, a possession mark, and
the one thing that allowed us to survive your birth. An angel.’
  Laura was taken aback. She flickered her eyes to Logan, Grace and Drew. They
stood alert, however at her mother’s words, they turned to them, shock
reflecting in their faces.
  ‘The angel was then able to possess my body, giving me the strength to give
birth to you. And, you lived. We both did. You were my miracle. The second you
were born Oliver and I decided to take you away from the Spirit World. To keep
you safe.’
  ‘Oh, mum,’ Laura whispered as it dawned on her just how much her mother had
endured for her sake. She had put herself in terrible danger, risked so much, to
protect the only daughter she would ever have.
  ‘People came for you many times so again and again I returned to the Black
Market for more protection charms. I was desperate. And then Kane, the Marketer
I often dealt with, showed me a way I could protect you forever.’
  Laura recalled her dream.
  ‘It meant sacrificing myself. In return, the Gods would protect you from harm.
Oliver and I were prepared for the ceremony, but the Wicked arrived before we
had a chance to perform it. They knew of the sacrifice and found me in time to
stop me from putting the protection over you forever. They needed you too
badly.’
  ‘
Why
mum?
Why
do I need so much protecting? What is it
I can
do
?’ pleaded Laura.
  She was so close. So unbelievably close to finding out what she was. What she
could do. What power she possessed. Her mother’s eyes softened with sympathy.
  Her heart fell.
  ‘Laura, we have been searching for answers since the day you were born. Kane is
so much closer to finding those answers, but he still knows so little. You have
been given the gift of life when you never should have. Only the Wicked’s
leader must know what power you possess, he wouldn’t be coming after you with
such force if he didn’t. That is why we must protect you. That is why we need to
leave,
now.
’
  It was then that Leo stumbled up the steps, Stella behind him.
  ‘Cara! I can’t believe we found you! And Laura, are you okay? They didn’t
touch you? They didn’t hurt you?’ They stammered, rushing to Cara and Laura and
drawing them into warm hugs. Laura was momentarily overwhelmed by their kind
words; that they all seemed to care for her so much. How could she ever have
left them? What had she been thinking?
  ‘Guys there are some pretty serious things going on. I think we need to get
out of here. Fast,’ Laura said desperately. She gave them a quick rundown of
everything James had told her.
  Leo agreed, ‘okay let’s find Caspian and Gemma, and then get out of here.’
  All of a sudden a deafening scream echoed up the staircase. A shiver shot
down Laura’s spine.
  Grace reacted first, ‘that was Gemma!’

They took
off down the stairs, spilling out into the room below. They then realised that
they were trapped.
  Wicked lined the walls. Each one held a sword resting point down, their hands
folded over the hilt. Their eyes watched the centre of the room, where Gemma
lay in a pool of blood.
  A gaping cut ran along her cheek, and blood spilled from her stomach. She was
begging with hoarse whispers for James to stop.
  Laura’s eyes moved to James, his face and clothes splattered with blood. He
held a sword above his head, ready to slam down into Gemma’s chest. Laura would
never, in her life, forget the expression on his face as he stood over her and
rejoiced at her pain, laughed at her cries, grinned at the sight of her blood.
He was torturing her.
  The world around Laura blurred and fury coursed through her veins. She didn’t
hear Stella and Grace’s desperate cries as two Wicked secured their hands
behind their back. She didn’t see Logan draw his sword and attempt to fight
through the Wicked as they closed in on him. She didn’t notice Leo being
dragged to his knees beside Cara. And she didn’t feel as Drew tried to grab
her, before he was tugged away.
  Her legs were moving at their own accord, her thoughts taking over as they
once had before.
  It was only her and James.
  In that moment, nothing else existed.
  He did not see Laura advancing on him. He was too busy pretending to bring
the sword down into Gemma, before thrusting it back and grinning at her
whimpers as she awaited her death.
  The more he amused himself with his sick, twisted game, the fiercer, the
angrier, Laura grew. If Wicked were endeavouring to stop her, she didn’t know.
No one held her back.
  And then she was only a meter from James.
  ‘Let her
go
,’ Laura hissed.
  A single voice pulsed in her head, its whispers repeating s
ave
Gemma
over and over. She was consumed by the voice, the words, attempting to obey
it’s order. No other thought entered her mind as she undertook the plea.
  James stopped, noticing her for the first time. Laura was blind to his
reaction, but she noticed the way he slowly lowered his sword.
  ‘Drop it,’ she snarled.
  Her voice swept over James like a gust of wind and he stumbled backwards, the
blade clattering to the ground.
  ‘What are you?’ he murmured.
  He was backing away, so distracted that he didn’t notice the uneven stone beneath
him. He tripped, slamming into the ground.
  Don’t escape.
The voice hissed.
James tried to stumble to his feet as she advanced on him, but for some reason
he couldn’t rise. He scrambled backwards as fast as he could.
  Stop moving.
  His legs lost strength, and he could no longer push himself further away. He
was screaming inaudibly.
  His torso went next, and he wasn’t able to hold himself upright. He fell
backwards and tried without success to roll over.
  His eyes dulled, engulfed by a black abyss.
  James needs to die.
  James finally managed to roll onto his stomach, searching with bent knuckles
for something to drag himself along with.
  His arms fell limp, fingers sprawled out in front of him, chin resting on the
floor. He couldn’t move.
  ‘Laura!’
  His voice broke through the barrier.
  She resurfaced, her mind quickly transporting back to reality. The whispered
orders disappeared, the blurring subsided, and she realised that Wicked were
beating at an invisible wall that surrounded herself, James, Gemma and her
friends. As her surroundings began to further reappear, she noticed more Wicked
cowering by the towers walls, shielding their eyes or staring at James with
disbelief.
  She wasn’t sure how her friends had broken free, but they were all by Gemma’s
side. All but Drew, who was staring at her, his hand outstretched.
  It had been his voice that broke the spell. That had awoken her from the
strange trance she’d fallen into, commanding her to do unthinkable things.
Things she felt sick about.
  Thankful that her legs were again within her own control, she walked slowly
towards him, drawing in a number of shaky breaths.
  ‘What happened?’ He whispered, taking her arm.
  ‘I don’t know,’ was all she could say.
  She glanced around. The barrier was still up. Was she doing that?
  Despite the protection, the Wicked were backing away, set on keeping their
distance. They looked too frightened to act, startled by what they had seen.
  Laura rushed to Gemma, kneeling down beside the others.
  ‘You need to get her out of here,’ she said firmly.
Grace turned her eyes to Laura, ‘the Wicked?’
  ‘We’ll take care of them. Logan, Grace, you need to go. Now. Get her to a
hospital.’
  Leo spoke quietly, ‘she needs immediate help. She won’t survive if she
doesn’t get it.’
  Laura saw then that Leo held his hands to Gemma’s torso. She could see much
more than she should.
  ‘But what about you?’ Logan asked quietly.
  Stella’s eyes flickered to Logan’s, ‘we will be fine, just get her out of
here.’
  Laura stood, moving towards the exit. The Wicked guarding the door realised
she was nearing them, and straightened.
  ‘Let them take her to a hospital. Please. We will stay. We will talk with
your leader. But please let them save Gemma. Or your fate will be much the same
as James’.’ Laura didn’t know if she could do it again; hurt someone like she
had James. She only hoped that the threat carried some weight after what they
just witnessed her do.
  The Wicked regarded her for a moment, before stepping away quickly.
  She watched Logan and Grace cross the room, not peering back once as they
hurried through the door.
  The Wicked stepped back into place, and in unison, took up their original
stance, swords pressed to stone. The other Wicked in the room were quick to
follow suit.
  Then the invisible barrier faltered. Laura could feel it, feel the
electricity of the barrier disintegrating around her.
  No, please don’t disappear!
  But there was a zap, and their only protection became visible in a bright
white light, before fading into nothing.
  That was when she noticed the echo of footsteps.
  ‘Nice to see you’re finally here.’
  A figure appeared by the staircase, hidden in the shadows. He stepped forward
and the Wicked dropped to one knee, bowing their heads over their swords in
sync.
  There was a collective gasp.
  The figure that emerged from the shadows was Caspian.