Feast (21 page)

Chapter 81
Evil for Good

Thane:

Evil for good.
I had watched, helpless, when shots cracked through the night sky. When the music of a hundred Darklings had sparked around me, cutting through the incantation like knives. When my own brother, River, had broken free, wings bristling, his body straight as an arrow as he sailed to the ground, trying to steal the lad we both wanted. But then the sky had burned bright and red with his blood.

River on the ground. Dead.

And now the tumultuous, crowded sky began to break up into black splinters. I shot a quick glance to the distant earth, sprinkled with white snow, covered with humans all looking toward heaven. Soon the northern barbarians would swoop down and claim what was supposed to be mine.

Be damned, all of you.

I cast a Veil, stronger than any I’d ever woven; dome-shaped and invisible, it would open only for me. I set the shrine-like structure near the edge of the wood, then I sailed to the ground, toward the man who had just killed my blood brother.

Skin for skin.

I flew so fast that I was nothing but a rushing, screaming wind. All the humans startled as I zipped past.

Evil for good.

This night shall become good for me, though you meant it for evil.

Then, as I drew closer, I flipped end over end and landed feet first on the village sheriff’s back. I kicked that primitive weapon out of the human’s hands. Then I followed with a swift blow, using strength from my recent feeding frenzy, and I tossed the man in a wide arc, over the junkyard and away.

What’s mine is mine and ever shall be.

There was one more thing that I needed to do, before it was too late, before all the other Darklings broke free from the incantation that still frittered through the skies. With a second burst of energy, I swung wide over the junkyard and the surrounding field, all of my attention now focused on Maddie. Like the other humans, she stood staring at the heavens, an expression of horror on her face—perhaps because of what I had just done to the sheriff. With arms outstretched, I flew toward her, my movements still so fast that no one had time to react, not even the dread werebeast that growled at her side. The dog-creature sniffed the air, tried to figure out where I was, but couldn’t. Madeline was the only one who seemed able to sense my presence as I approached. She turned, frightened, and stared as if she recognized me, though I was only a blur of dark color, and in that half second she pushed her son behind her, to shield and protect him.

There, there, my love, no need to hide the child from me.

I seized them both, one under each arm, and then I shot across the field, just an arm’s length above the humans. No one saw us. Only a vague disquiet stirred their gaze in our direction after we passed overhead, as if they each sensed that danger was near enough to touch. Through the sky, toward my lair, until we reached my hidden sanctuary. There, I dropped both Maddie and Tucker inside, where no one could hear or see them.

Then I went out.

Hunting for more.

Chapter 82
Tumult of Black Wings

Elspeth:

A tumult of black wings crashed for space, churning up clouds and blocking out the moon. Pulled by invisible strings, I sailed through low clouds, unable to break away. My wings beat a frantic rhythm as I struggled to stay upright and I glanced down at the crowd of children, so far away. Jake was down there, staring up at me, an expression of fear on his face. Only a few moments ago, the sheriff had shot two Darklings from the sky. Their bodies had littered the ground, alongside the rubbish that filled the area. Then my cousin River had broken free from the spell and now both he and Hunter were dead.

All the villagers had flocked to the junkyard and as one, they now flailed angry fists toward the skies.

Meanwhile, I tumbled straight for a thick knot of Darklings—all of them wild and yellow-eyed, their skin a strange shade of cool gray, like those from the northern provinces.
Barbarians
. These were the ones who often plundered the cities of home and stole what they wanted when their own supplies ran low. One of them turned and snarled, swiped at me with raking claws.

I spun out of his reach.

Down below, Jake was cupping his hands to his mouth and calling something, but I couldn’t hear.

I wished I knew where Father was. He was in charge of this village and its magic, how had he let this happen? Then I saw him, tumbling through the skies just like I was, not that far away. The wound in his side was revealed for all to see now, silver light sparking inside. I flew to his side, wrapped one arm about him to steady his flight.

“Father! What happened?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

He tried to smile, but I could tell that it took great effort. “I let Driscoll escape.”

Then the curse was over. Ticonderoga Falls was without a ruler.

“Sing with me,” I said. The enchantment still wrapped about our limbs like fibrous tendons. Together we began to chant a song of release, each verse of the poem slicing through the spell, layer by layer. Already many of the other Darklings had broken free and they were flying toward the ground, a fury of black wings and hunger.

A few more verses and we would be free.

I kept my gaze focused on Jake, hoping that he would be safe until I got there. Then I noticed that he was standing near Maddie and Tucker and the werebeast. But as soon as I had fixed my eyes upon them, they vanished. Maddie and Tucker were gone. Only the dog-beast was left behind.

“No!” Father cried.

Then we sang one final chant, the spell fell away like broken chains and together we sailed toward the ground.

Chapter 83
Gone

Ash:

Madeline disappeared. Like a ghost in a nightmare, she just vanished, and in her place, the air simmered with the odor of mushrooms and cobwebs. I thumped to the ground, knees buckling slightly as I landed. With a sweeping glance, I knew what had happened. Thane hadn’t left Ticonderoga Falls. He was still here. Overhead the enchantment broke, causing an unnatural silence to fall upon the field. No birds, no wind, no sound of rushing water. Only the flutter of wings could be heard as the great cloud of Darklings descended and each began to cast his own spell, as all the children and a number of the adults sank to their knees in unison, then all collapsed supine on the snow-covered earth.

Maddie and her boy were gone.

Her dog whined and howled and he ran in circles, yipping and hunting for them. He pawed the ground and he sniffed the air. Relentless.

Meanwhile, my strength returned, borne of anger. My skin darkened, turned blacker than the sky, my wings thundered, and with a wild cry I lifted above the crowd, leaving Elspeth and the others behind. I circled the field and the junkyard, then headed toward the forest. There the wind whistled, the trees bent to the side to let me pass. All the other Darklings watched me with a cautious gaze, almost all of them feeding. Within a few minutes, the grassy meadow had been transformed. Now it resembled a vision from centuries past, like the wars that had continually ravaged Europe; the earth trodden by horses; the bodies left scattered and twisted over an unknown battlefield.

She would
not
be a casualty of this.

“Maddie!” I cried. “Tucker!”

But all I heard was a whispering in the midnight wind, a throaty song tangled in the willow branches, rolling over me like a silver river. Broken. Sad. Bits and pieces of the Legend were teasing me now, taunting my impotence.

I had lost her. Before she had ever truly been mine.

Chapter 84
The Rules of Harvest

Elspeth:

Almost as soon as our feet touched the ground, my father flew off in search of Maddie. Now I sailed over the field of harvest on a mission of my own. I needed to find Jake and make sure that he was safe. I didn’t know if these wild barbarians knew the laws, whether they would even consider abiding by the rules of harvest. Just then, a child moaned as I passed overhead. Already the girl had grown pale and weak. I dropped from the sky, then delivered a swift kick to the feeding Darkling’s jaw, knocking the beast aside.

“Let the girl go,” I cried.

He whirled about to face me, assuming the stance of attack, his back hunched and his claws extended, a low growl in his throat.

I returned his growl and kicked him again, harder this time, knocking him on his backside. It was a gesture intended to humiliate him in front of his clan. A twitter of laughter and harsh jests circled around us.

“Life and limb,” I said. “ ’Tis the law here, same as anywhere else.”

“You’re not in charge, child,” he said through clenched teeth.

“This here is my rightful inheritance,” I answered with a sweeping gesture. “ ’Twas the curse of my father that claimed this land in the first place.”

The Darkling clambered to his feet, stood two hands taller than me and twice as wide. With a hastily whispered enchantment, I matched his size in an instant.

“And what if I were to claim it for myself, right now?” he asked, a challenge in his tone. The others around us had stopped feeding and were watching the banter, yellow eyes glowing in the dark.

“Then you’d have to fight me for it.” Hands on my hips, I grew even taller, stronger. The moon was shining favor on me, adding muscle to my flesh, sturdy weight to my bones. This was no mere skin I had taken on, this was magic of the strongest kind.

Moon magic.

“And if you happen to defeat me—though your chances be slim at best,” I said with a confident laugh, “then you’ll have to fight our werebeast as well.”

Samwise towered over both of us then, snarling, leaning toward the Darkling, drool dripping from his glittering teeth. In an instant, he had transformed himself from a dog that meandered through the field to a massive monster with claw-studded paws and glowing silver eyes. A low growl was building in his throat; it reverberated down into his chest and shook the ground beneath us all.

My adversary lowered his head with reluctance. “So be it, then. Take the girl. And the land. ’Tis not mine and I never wanted it.” With a dramatic gesture, he unfurled his wings and gave a sturdy flap that lifted him off the ground. Then he flew away, over the trees and into the black distance.

Meanwhile the rest of his clan studied me with narrowed eyes, murmuring as I hefted the sleeping child over a shoulder and carried her a safe distance away, then awakened her. I could feel the tension all around us, sensed the helplessness of the few adults still awake who cowered and watched from the edges of the field, unable to enter or to help any of their children, knowing that they could easily become the next meal.

If this wild flock wasn’t satiated soon, it might never be.

Chapter 85
Whispered Enchantment

Maddie:

I crouched on the ground, weary, limbs aching, fighting the brief whispered enchantment that continued to circle throughout the enclosure. Tucker and I were at the edge of the wood, trapped inside a transparent, smoky blue dome—some sort of magic. Already he had slipped to the snow-crusted grass, eyes closed, his breathing deep and steady. Meanwhile, I fought the compelling urge to sleep, forced myself back onto my feet, pretended that I had a deadline, that I had to finish one more thing before I could succumb.

With every step the ground called, sweet and melodious. Like a feather bed lined with velvet pillows, it beckoned. One knee gave in and I sank to a kneeling position.

No.

I glanced back at Tucker, tucked between fronds and ferns, the moon causing his skin to glitter like diamonds in the snow. So beautiful. Like he was carved out of ice—a flesh-and-blood sculpture brought to decorate this Darkling garden.

It would be so easy to give in. To curl beside him, wrap him in my arms and float away into ever-sweet dreams. Instead, I pulled myself back up, studied our surroundings, tried to remember what had happened and how we got here. I rubbed my eyes. Ignored Thane’s ever-present chant that tickled and teased.

Sleep, my love. Just close your eyes.

Help. Somebody, somewhere, please help.

I could feel myself drifting into a strange land, somewhere between sleep and something much darker. The spell surrounded me, a fragrance like a meadow of wildflowers. I stared through to the outside, but it was like looking through a murky haze. In the distance, dark winged creatures swooped down from the heavens like fallen angels, grabbing people and dragging them off.

Feasting.

Chapter 86
A Black Shadow

Maddie:

Woven as delicate as strands of invisible hair, the barrier glittered and sparked whenever new captives tumbled inside. The wall curved in a wide arc around us; it almost glistened in the moonlight, taller than the trees. I studied the enclosure, ran a finger over the strange material.

It was a cage.

I slammed my fists against the wall, sent a percussive shower of sparks bouncing all around me.

“Help! We can’t get out!”

But no one on the other side could hear or see me.

That was when a black shadow flew closer.

Thane.

I cringed when he stared in at me, when he grinned. Then, with a rough toss and another flurry of poetic words, two more children tumbled through the wall to join the crowd of sleeping captives that now littered the ground. As soon as they were inside, they collapsed on the snow-covered grass, asleep. Thane flew off, disappearing in the distance, nothing more than a blur of dark wings.

I couldn’t let Tucker sleep, wasn’t about to let that monster harvest him.

“Wake up.” I jostled my son. “Don’t sleep, not now!” His eyes fluttered open reluctantly and he moaned. I grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed it in his face.

“Mom! Stop it,” he mumbled.

I glanced outside and saw Samwise far away. The dog’s ears perked up when Tucker complained. I took another handful of snow and poured it down my son’s collar.

“What’s wrong with you?” He grimaced and pulled away. “That’s not funny.”

I was filling my hands with snow now, scooping it up and tossing it at him.

Tucker frowned. “You better not do that again, or I’ll—”

Samwise was running toward us then, like a flash of black lightning, speeding across the field faster than any dog had ever run.

“Or you’ll what?” I asked, teasing. I grabbed his shirt and dumped another handful of snow inside.

“That’s it! I’m telling you—” But now Tucker was fully awake and he started to laugh, he began to chase me around the inside of the enclosure, his hands filled with snow. I stopped and let him throw a handful in my face, glad for the brisk cold.

And then like magic, Samwise appeared, bolting to a stop on the other side of the invisible fence, barking, trying to see us, sniffing, trying to smell us. He scratched at the ground but couldn’t figure out how to get through.

“Dig boy, dig a hole right here,” I called to the dog.

“Dig, Sam!” Tucker echoed, his fists still clenching snow.

The dog stared at us, unseeing. But he understood the command, nonetheless.

With a fury, paws and chest growing, he started to burrow, paws moving in a blur of speed. He began digging a tunnel that would go beneath the barrier. He was going to set us free.

I fought the enchantment that continued to circle overhead; I gently shook my son to keep him awake, I draped my coat around his shoulders and I called to the dog on the other side of the Veil.

But all of my attention was focused on escaping, and because of it, I didn’t notice what was happening a few feet beyond, back in the junkyard.