Sorceress' Blood (18 page)

Rebecca looked at the pistol in her hand. It was loaded, it was ready
and somehow it seemed eager to draw blood. Of course it did; what
other purpose did it have? But Rebecca wasn't so sure she was ready
and she knew she wasn't at all eager to draw blood. Her mind drifted
from the plane back to Lord Sebastian's castle. When they escaped she
had run over a Thrall and left him for dead. That was the first time
she ever killed someone. Then the Thralls found them at the motel and
she had to shoot them. More dead Thralls. More bodies that stained
her bloody hands. Now they were going face to face with countless
Thralls. Rebecca was afraid. She didn't want to die but she didn't
want to run away. She'd come too far to run away. Could she even try?
What would the knights say if she told them she couldn't go ahead?
Where would she go? What about Ashley? Rebecca ran a hand along the
side of her weapon. The metal glistened in the setting sun out her
window. There was no running away. Now Ashley and the world were
relying on them, even if they didn't know it. Rebecca thought about
the Thralls she'd killed and a new fear came over her. She didn't
feel guilty any more. She couldn't remember if she ever did, really.
She set the gun on the seat by her and closed her eyes. Maybe they
deserved it. They hadn't given her much choice.
But then,
maybe that was just an excuse. Rebecca sighed. She didn't have an
answer for her questions and so she did all she could ever think of
doing and pushed the questions out of her mind. They weren't
important enough to answer. Morality could wait.
Right or not,
it was done. Now she had to rescue Ashley and no one would stop her.
There was a reassurance in that. She didn't want to kill any more
Thralls but it was a better option compared to just letting them kill
Ashley, summon the Sorceress and let her loose on an unsuspecting
world.

The plane landed at Victoria airport. Rebecca took the time to
breathe fresh air and stretch her legs. Pan Wĕi stood with her
muttering to himself, sometimes in English and sometimes in Chinese,
about how desperately he wanted a cigarette. They sat waiting as the
plane refuelled. Inside the plane, the pilot was trying explain their
sudden arrival to the control tower with any reason except the true
one. Jin had gone into the terminal to call the London order. So much
depended on that call and the news he would bring back with him.
Every noise sounded like his footsteps and every silence sounded like
bad news. When Jin finally did come back he had an expression on his
face that kept everything a secret. He walked past Rebecca and Pan
Wĕi and went up the stairs onto the plane. Rebecca followed him
up quickly, waiting for him to say something. The pilot was shouting
something into his radio.

“Well?” Rebecca asked. “What did they say?”

“I told them the situation. I told them our plan. I told them
when we will be getting to Scotland. They said they will time their
arrival just before us. They are also going to call for the order in
France to land with them.”

“How many are there in France?”

“When the Order retreated from the United Kingdom, the ones
that lived went to France. There a Halford built his castle and
gathered his knights. Some of the greatest knights and sorcerers are
in the French castle.”

“So when we land, do we meet with them?”

“No. While the knights from London and France land in Glasgow
to the south, the Order will also come from Sweden to land at
Inverness. Two landings and separate airports.”

“I thought you said we couldn't land at any of the airports.”

“Right. We can't. When the Order lands, the Thralls will
immediately start fighting no matter where they are. The Order will
engage them but there will be a lot of knights. That means the
Thralls will have to send more to help them.”

“I think I understand. The two attacks at the airport are to
thin the numbers at their castle. They're a distraction from our
attack.”

“Yes. Sweden and France are the closest castles to Scotland.
They'll arrive before us to make it easy for us.”

“And we're still jumping?”

“Yes.”

“Jin, all this sounds like it will get a lot of attention. No
matter how powerful the Order is, this is going to cause you all a
lot of trouble. Especially if anyone gets killed in the fight and I
don't mean Thralls or knights.”

“I know. But this is why their Order is here. We can't worry
about what will happen when the Sorceress is about to return.”

“You're all that dedicated? Alright. Then we can do this.”
Rebecca looked at Jin and Pan Wĕi. Neither of them had any look
of doubt or fear in their eyes. They were so certain that what they
were doing was not only right but necessary and that no cost was too
high. If their whole lives could have built to this one moment then
Rebecca was sure that she could be just as sure and just as ready as
they were. She felt a calmness all through her when the plane started
moving again. There was one more stop and then there was no turning
back. But the stop in Greenland came and went without notice. Rebecca
never thought of running away again after that. All she had left was
determination to win no matter what it cost. If, indeed, she'd ever
had a chance of running away then it was a long time ago now.
Everything had a sense of being far away. The entire world and fallen
away and left only them in their little plane and the dangers
awaiting them in Scotland. Rebecca's thoughts went to her mother. She
could remember being a little girl. She was face to face with a big,
angry dog with sharp teeth and a mean look on its face. It had got
into their back yard and cornered Rebecca. Her mother heard Rebecca
scream and came running. The dog turned and snapped at Rebecca's
mother but she was determined and fearless – just like always.
With one powerful kick she sent the dog running. Rebecca knew that it
was now her turn to protect Ashley. If only it was only stray dog. If
only it could be that simple. Things weren't as easy but that didn't
change what Rebecca had to do and she knew it. If she had to kick a
dog, she'd do it. If she had to kick a Thrall, she'd do that too. If
it came down to kicking the Sorceress then that's what it came down
to and she'd do it. She managed to sleep one more time on that long
flight but she didn't dream. When she awoke they were over the ocean
but nothing had changed inside her. This was the final battle she
would have to fight and everything from pulling Ashley out of the way
of that car to holding that gun in her hand and to strapping on the
parachute as the plane lowered all came down to one last battle. The
weight of the world was surprisingly light on her shoulders and
perhaps it was because she knew she wasn't bearing it alone any more.

“Hold my hand and do as I say,” Jin told her. Without
saying anything, Pan Wĕi took Rebecca's other hand. She nodded
and then one by one, as a chain, they leapt out of the plane. Then
the pilot flew off into the sky and Rebecca never saw him again. She
saw the ground coming towards her. She saw clouds zip by and then
nothing but the cold, clean air. She saw Jin and Pan Wĕi staring
with her. Then she heard Jin shouting, “Pull!” and her
hands were free. For a moment she was alone in the sky and Jin and
Pan Wĕi were floating gently above her. Then the ripcord was
pulled and everything slowed down. She breathed a sigh of relief and
knew that she would be okay.

She landed on the ground in a run, for no other reason that that's
what she'd seen them do on TV. She slowed until she stopped by
tripping over her feet and landing face first on the grass. Rebecca
was only too happy to be there on solid ground. Then she lifted
herself up and freed herself from her parachute. Jin and Pan Wĕi
landed not far from her but with far more grace. They regrouped and
checked their weaponss were still there.

“Are you ready?” Jin asked. “Once we go, there's no
turning back.”

“I'm ready.” Rebecca didn't need to think about it.

“Good. Let's go.” From where they landed they could see
the castle ruins across the wet, grassy meadows. There was the slight
roll of hills and the sky was dim with grey clouds. The castle,
jagged and old, stuck out of the ground like a tumour. That broken
monument to ancient evil sat and motionlessly beckoned them. There
wasn't even a slight wind to break the still silence on the meadows
that day. A thousand years ago brave knights would have marched over
this grass and the most powerful sorcerers the world had ever seen,
the Halford brothers, would have fought a deciding battle. Blood and
unanswered prayers would have soaked the ground. The smoke of fires
would have lit the sky and the world would have been alive with
screams and battle cries. A thousand years ago these lands would have
been a macabre thing to see but it was the hope of the world's
future. Now that battle was being fought again but, instead of a war,
it felt like a funeral. There was no sound and only three soldiers
marched against the ancient and unstoppable evil that waited in the
walls of that broken beast. Rebecca held her pistol in hand and
walked towards it with single-mindedness. She was not going to let
anything happen to Ashley.

The castle rose up above them as they came closer and what had looked
like a small ruin was now as much a fortress as it ever had been. In
its sorry and broken state it was still colossal and frightening. A
thousand years ago, in the prime of its days, it would have been an
impenetrable stronghold for the Sorceress and her Thralls. Rebecca,
Jin and Pan Wĕi, knights of The Order of The Witch-Hunter, and
the last hope for the world, walked along the stone-walled castle
until they found a gap. A hollow broken into the castle's east wall.
They crept in quietly, each with weapon ready in hand. Everything was
silent and Rebecca felt a sudden doubtfulness come over her. Was this
the right castle? Did they expect them to come here and they’d
taken Ashley somewhere else? She didn't say anything and kept
following Jin through an empty doorway. The hollow had let them into
the bottom of one of the castle's towers. Now they stood in a long
empty room. They listened for the sound of anything but the only
thing with them was dust. The knights moved softly through the room
to the door. They were moving blindly with no idea where, in all that
giant castle, they should look. Jin stepped through the door and was
greeted by the sounds of a Thrall firing at him. He leapt back,
stumbling through his companions.

“Did I hit you?” They heard a Thrall call from the next
room. “No? Well, why don't you let me try again?” Jin
moved up to the door and waited a second. Then he leaned out the door
and fired towards the Thrall then ducked back into the room.

“Did you hit him?” Pan Wĕi asked. Jin shook his
head.

“No. But I think I hit one of the other four standing with
him.”

“You stay here and try to fight through them. We'll find
another way around.” Pan Wĕi and Rebecca made for the door
at the other end of the room. Jin tightened his grip on his sword and
went at the Thralls again.

Rebecca and Pan Wĕi found a gap in the wall and moved through
it. The gap opened directly into the courtyard. There they saw Ashley
standing in the centre by an open, stone coffin. A Thrall stood
quietly beside her. Rebecca raised her handgun and aimed at him. Then
there was a blast so sudden and frightening that she dropped her gun.
It landed right beside the motionless corpse of Pan Wei. Struck with
horror, Rebecca looked up just in time to see a Thrall punch her
across the jaw. She fell backwards. For a moment the world spun, and
darkened. She heard Ashley scream out for her and then the girl was
silenced by a Thrall. Rebecca crashed against the wall. The world
came back into focus.

“We were wondering how long it would take you to get here,”
someone said. She thought it was the Thrall by Ashley. Rebecca didn't
say anything but went for her gun. The Thrall kicked her. Rebecca
grabbed his leg and pulled him down with her. Within seconds she was
on top of him, beating her fists against him. Seemingly from nowhere,
another Thrall grabbed Rebecca. She was pulled off him and thrown
against a wall. Rebecca looked around and counted at least six
Thralls that she hadn't seen before. Somewhere in the castle she
could hear Jin still fighting.

“You're strong. That's to be expected. Now hold still and we'll
finish this.” The Thrall Rebecca had been fighting stood up and
drew a knife from his belt. Rebecca tried to get away but two Thralls
pinned her against the wall. The knife came close to her. Rebecca
braced for the end. The knife struck her across the cheek.

“What? You're not killing me?” She asked, so surprised
she forgot the danger she was in.

“No. We want you to see what happens next.” The knife
changed hands to the Thrall who was standing by Ashley. Rebecca saw
his face for the first time and recognised the traitorous bastard.
Edward held the knife up and smiled.

“You need more than Thralls to bring back the Sorceress. You
need an actual Sorcerer. A powerful one. You also need her corpse.
Finally, you need the blood of her heir.”

“Don't touch her!”

“But we already have. You mean you don't know? Didn't you think
it was strange that I told you what I'd done with Ashley? That I
didn't stop you from leaving? That I let you use the Order to get
here. The Thralls tried so many times to bring you here. But you're
unnaturally strong, fast, and tenacious. Of course that's to be
expected, given your blood line. But, as fortune would have it, you
walked right into my hands.”

“What are you talking about?”

“For a while I thought it was Ashley. No one had told me it was
you. All I had to go on was your word that it was Ashley. So I
separated you and put Ashley alone in the Tower where the Thralls
could get her. Then I found out that I had given them the wrong one.
Meanwhile you were wandering around making friends with all those
damned knights. I'd foolishly ruined every chance of capturing just
you. So I decided the only way we could get you to do anything was
with the girl. I was right. So we took her, knowing you would deliver
the blood to us personally.” Rebecca's eyes widened and her
body felt weak all of a sudden. Everything became clear in that
instant and she realised that in her desperate attempts to save
Ashley, she had doomed her and the whole world. For the first time in
her life things were becoming clear and she knew who she was and
everything that had happened. Everything the Thralls had said to her.
She had been lied to and manipulated and now they had the blood of
the Sorceress dripping slowly from her cheek and from one small
blade.