Sinners of Magic (7 page)

‘
Please wake
up,’ she begged, checking again for a pulse. ‘Damn you, Matt, I
won’t let you die,’ she hissed.

His eyelids fluttered before he
opened them and took a sudden gasp of air. He shuddered and water
spewed from his mouth, and she turned him over onto his side so
that he didn’t choke. Sheer relief filled her body as she coaxed
him to get as much water out as possible and he coughed and
spluttered beside her for several minutes.

Once his breathing was more
regular, she pulled off his wet T-shirt and shirt and replaced it
with her jacket. Pulling it around him, she hugged him tight.

‘
I saw what
happened out there,’ she said, watching the colour return to his
cheeks, but Matt’s face was blank of expression.

‘
Really?’ he
said, shrugging his shoulders in bewilderment. ‘Well, I can’t
remember much after getting into that boat, except when I close my
eyes, I can see some kind of black phantom trying to suck my face
off,’ he said, shivering. ‘Anyway, enough of me, where’s
Alfie?’

‘
Alfie?’ she
repeated, glancing at the boat and seeing him curled up safely
inside. ‘Yeah, he’s doing just fine.’

Matt pulled the jacket closer
and Crystal thought he still looked dazed.

‘
Don’t worry,
you’re going to be okay,’ she said, trying to reassure him, pulling
the zipper up to his chin.

Glancing back at the lake
Crystal saw Abbadon and the serpent both emerging from under the
water. They were still fighting and the shrill noise they made each
time they made contact made her recoil. The serpent took hold of
Abbadon, trying to shake him senseless, but Abbadon didn’t know
when to call it a day, he was furious at losing the boy and soon
had the serpent in his grasp. He became aware he was being watched
and looked across at Crystal before throwing the serpent down into
the water as though it was nothing more than paper. He knew he had
been cleverly outwitted. Although aware he had lost the battle, he
took comfort in knowing he would always win the war.

He soared high into the sky,
levitating high above Crystal and Matt. His dark shadow flowed like
torn ribbons against the blackened sky, blocking out any light
which dared to peep through the thick cloud. He took one final look
at Matt, who returned his gaze without a glimpse of fear showing in
his eyes. He had stared Death in the face and lived.

A howl escaped the lips of the
demon before he exploded into a thousand bellowing crows and the
cawing of the birds whilst they flew away blew a spear of dread
along the wind. Silence followed before calm swept over the lake;
smooth, like icing smeared on a wedding cake.

‘
I can’t
believe you managed to save me from that thing ...’ Matt said,
unable to express his gratitude.

Crystal looked gravely at her
new friend.

‘
I’m just
thankful you’re alive,’ she replied, glancing over her shoulder.
‘You gave me one hell of a fright out there.’ Matt nodded, still
clearly unsure as to what had actually happened.

The water lapped against the
sides of the grassy bank once more and the newly exposed sun shone
down on their frozen backs.

‘
Look,
Alfie’s drifting closer to shore, I’d better go and get him whilst
I have the chance,’ Crystal said. ‘Will you be alright for a
minute?’

‘
Yeah, sure,’
said Matt, shifting uncomfortably on the grassy bank. ‘I’d rather
you tried to get him to be honest, I’m not sure I can face going
back into the water just yet.’ He tried to force a
smile.

‘
Alright
then,’ she said, poking him in the chest. ‘But don’t you dare move
from this spot until I get back or I’ll crucify you.’ He laughed
then and she got up, noticing her limp had completely vanished. She
checked her ankle for swelling, unable to believe her eyes, but
there was nothing there, so she rolled up her trouser legs and
waded into the lake.

Just as the water reached her
knees and the chill seeped way into her bones, something stirred
around her feet and for a second, she thought perhaps the serpent
had returned and her eyes locked onto the rippling water to see if
she could catch the flicker of a silvery tail.

Crystal took a step forward,
only to retract her steps when she felt a dragging sensation pull
around her toes. Alarmed, she decided to head back to the safety of
the shore; Alfie would just have to get himself back on dry land.
She went to turn, but the strong current wouldn’t allow her to move
as though invisible weights clung onto her legs. She was starting
to feel afraid, unsure what was happening when, a few feet away,
the water became a bracelet of silvery foam, creating a large,
swirling whirlpool.

Hysteria floated inside
Crystal’s head and she cast her eyes back to the bank where she had
left Matt only moments ago. Her eyes widened when she realised he
hadn’t done as he’d promised and had wandered off. Panic rose in
her throat. She waved her arms to try to alert his attention and
she shouted both Alfie and Matt’s names over and over again but to
no avail. She got no response from Alfie who lay in the hull as
though he were comatose and Matt, unaware of her dilemma, simply
waved back whilst he searched for his socks and shoes a few hundred
feet away. Crystal lowered her arms in defeat, her gaze drawn to
the centre of the whirlpool, mesmerised as it swirled and bubbled
wildly. She felt herself turn cold and her heart skipped a beat
when a human hand broke through the swirling vortex.

The hand, slim with long,
beautiful fingers, was followed by an equally impressive arm.
Crystal caught her breath. She turned towards Matt once again;
surely he could see this too? Although she had begun to question
her sanity, she watched the image of a woman rise before her. The
figure ascended majestically from the shadowy depths, her long
robes clinging provocatively around her curves and the shimmering
gown she wore was the colour of aquamarine. Long, golden hair waved
in a thick layer down her back, entwined with two herringbone combs
to hold her thick tresses in place. She stared at Crystal, her body
hovering over the water. It was then that Crystal noticed the long,
slithery tail and she drew back, forcing her hand to her mouth
whilst she tried to stifle a scream.

‘
Do not fear
me,’ the creature soothed, ‘I’m not here to harm you.’

When she spoke, her voice
seemed light and sweet, floating towards Crystal like a butterfly
that drifts from flower to flower. The panic died in her throat
when she realised the creature felt no animosity towards her, but
the fear refused to leave her.

‘
Have we met
in a past life?’ asked the beautiful apparition, edging
closer.

Crystal found her mouth was so
dry she thought she might choke and merely shook her head in
answer. The creature smiled, sensing her fear, and with agile grace
pulled one of the herringbone combs from her hair and swept it
through her golden tresses. Shimmering strands fell from the teeth
and dropped into the water and calm swept over the lake and through
Crystal.

Crystal watched her replace the
comb.

‘
Now then,
child, wasn’t it you who called me to save the mortal?’ the
creature asked, flicking her tail unexpectedly. Crystal dropped her
gaze.

‘
I don’t know
if it was me who called you. I mean, I did need help and I believe
I was chanting some kind of incantation, but I didn’t quite know
what I was doing, so I’m not sure if it was actually me who brought
you here.’

The beautiful creature giggled
like a secretive child and a spark of curiosity lit inside her
sea-green eyes.

‘
My name is
Gzhel,’ she said, curtsying daintily. ‘I am a wandering water
spirit, a drifting soul of a time gone by. You called me with the
spell of Egoth, a spell known only to the Elvin Bards who were
destroyed many centuries ago.’

Crystal was dumbstruck. She
stared into Gzhel’s eyes and realised she somehow spoke the truth,
but she didn’t know what to say.

‘
You conjured
a very powerful spell,’ Gzhel continued, ‘and I am not absolutely
certain how a young, inexperienced witch like yourself managed to
awaken me from my unfathomable slumber.’

‘
I’m not a
witch,’ Crystal cried in surprise. She heard her voice rise with
disdain. ‘I desperately needed help, that was all,’ she added. ‘I
just closed my eyes and used my mind, praying someone would come
and save my friend from that terrible ...
creature
.’

‘
You did more
than that,’ said Gzhel, ignoring her outburst. Her beautiful face
looked sad. ‘Because of the powerful magic you used, I was brought
here. Now my mystical strength is very weak. Deep inside my body I
have internal wounds that will take many suns and moons to heal.
These wounds were caused by my fight with the Destroyer. However,
even with the strongest will, I could never physically beat him. He
is filled with such evil and you know him in this life as the
Shadow of Death; and as you are well aware, no one will ever beat
Death. My courage came from a thousand dreams of hope, a bravery
forged by a desperation to be forgiven. My strength is from
centuries of hardship and despair, something you may also taste in
your many lives upon this lonely earth. The Elders, an elite
council of mages, banished me from my own world for things that
cannot be undone. I will be punished for a thousand years or more;
pray the same will never happen to you, sweet child.’

A cold wind blew across the
water, causing Crystal to shiver.

‘
What did you
do that was so terrible?’ asked Crystal, feeling a stab of
intrigue. The words fell easily from her lips. She hadn’t meant to
pry, but she couldn’t help being inquisitive. What possible sins
could this fascinatingly beautiful creature be guilty
of?

‘
It is not
for me to tell,’ said Gzhel with a heavy sigh. Huge tears ran down
her soft cheeks, shining like diamonds against her peachy skin. ‘I
am merely here at your request and nothing more.’

Crystal was struck with guilt.
Her eyebrows arched as she contemplated what she’d actually done by
awakening this supernatural being.

She opened her mouth to
apologise, but before she could speak, Gzhel was pointing a slender
finger towards the necklace; a fleeting smile crossed her lips and
her bright eyes danced with mischief.

‘
Aah, I see
how you roused me from my slumber,’ she said, her gaze fixed upon
the stone. ‘The amulet you wear has a name, it’s called the Spirit
of Eternity and it’s
this
amulet that helped stir me from my deathly sleep.
Tell me, from where did you get it?’

‘
My mother
found it in my crib when I was a child,’ Crystal said, placing her
hand protectively over the orbs. ‘It isn’t worth anything to anyone
but me.’

‘
I find
that
hard to believe,’ said Gzhel, giving
her an odd look. ‘It’s plain to me that you are a child of the
extraordinary world. These two worlds are often linked together for
one reason or another, but I’m curious as to why you’re here in the
world of mortals. Still, that is none of my business and as for the
amulet I feel it could very easily be your birthright to have
it.’

Crystal shuddered again;
confusion splintered her mind into thousands of unanswered
questions, her hunger for knowledge dripping like oil onto a
burning flame, fanning a need so intense she felt her head was
about to explode.

‘
That’s just
impossible,’ she heard herself saying, ‘really it is.’

Gzhel
pondered for a time. ‘Do not fret over your origin,’ she said, at
last. ‘I have a strong suspicion you will know the truth soon
enough, but believe me when I say you are
not
from this world but from
another. You need to put your unanswered questions to the council
of Elders. My foresight tells me they will have the answers you
seek.’

‘
But how can
I get to these people?’ asked Crystal, becoming caught up with the
excitement of what the spirit told her. ‘I don’t know how to find
them.’

‘
Your
question is simple to answer; you hold the key to all knowledge in
your hands.’

Crystal felt frustrated and her
mind raced ahead, searching for clues. She didn’t have any key,
only a weird necklace.

‘
I have said
enough,’ said Gzhel, her eyes focused beyond, as though sensing
something that made her feel ill at ease. ‘I cannot help you any
more, my task here is done, I must leave you now.’

‘
Thank you
for saving my friend,’ Crystal blurted, when she realised the
creature was preparing to plunge back into the icy water. ‘Please
believe me, I never meant to hurt you.’

Gzhel watched Crystal closely,
before giving her an important piece of advice.

‘
Beware,
daughter of magic. Death has been cheated here today and he won’t
look kindly on that. Mark my words, he will be back, if not for
your friend then for you. You have certain bearings of the
supernatural, which a mere mortal can never obtain. Hear my
warning: you have not seen the last of him, for he will not forget
today and
will
seek you out in the future.’

Before Crystal could protest,
Gzhel whipped her silver-grey tail around her body. In a flash, the
lake withdrew the water, revealing the moist sand beneath.
Frightened fish jumped in the air, quivering, their own silvery
tails flashing in the sunlight whilst they used them as an
emergency rudder, wishing only to penetrate the surface and return
to the safety of their silent world. The dark water surged forward,
erupting into an enormous fountain. The torrent towered high above
the spirit’s head for what seemed like an eternity until she turned
and dived inside. The cascading flow ultimately subsided and then
eased into a fine mist of delicate silver droplets, each melting
away until any trace of her was gone. The lake, always respectful,
settled back into a picturesque setting.