The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (18 page)

“He does that with dead people?!”

“He’s going to kill Alice and do that to her!! Get him!”

When they surged forward a dozen hands grabbed onto Waldo.

“What is wrong with you people? Didn't you hear me? I'm a Corpselover! A Corpselover!” Too late he tried to grab for his wand. Strong hands were gripping his arms and shoving him about.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” Alice screamed.

“Throw him in!” Someone shouted and there was a roar of approval.

Before he knew what was happening Waldo was tossed over the railing and into the river.

His backpack pulled him down into the water.

Chapter 8

The Real Alice

The sheep do not rule over the wolves.

That was a common saying in Alteroth
, and one Waldo knew well. He’d been taught over and over again, that it was the duty of the strong to rule the weak, and that the weak existed only to serve the strong. His entire life he’d known servants and slaves. Some tried to win his sympathies, while others tried as best they could to go unnoticed. Disobedience was rarely seen in Castle Corpselover.

There was good reason for that.

Slaves were cheap and very easy to replace. Not only his mother, but every member of the family could get rid of a slave for any reason or no reason. Even Enver, who was just his mother’s familiar, could kill a slave and walk away. No slave would dare to so much as speak a defiant word to him, never mind lay a hand on him. Waldo was taught to rule over the sheep; not to fear them. Knights, White Mages, and monsters were dangerous. Ordinary people, mundanes, could never harm someone like him.

So it didn’t occur to him he might be in danger until they actually grabbed him.

“Throw him in!”

There was a roar of approval and before he even knew what was happening he was flung up and over the railing and into the river.

As soon as he splashed in he was caught in the current and sent rushing downstream. The weight of his backpack caused him to sink like a stone. The cold water was a shock. He could feel it pouring down his nose. Instinctively he panicked and began to kick and flail about wildly. This did him no good at all. He sank deeper and deeper towards the river’s bottom.

I’m going to die,
he realized.

He panicked and fought to somehow reach the surface. The part of his mind that was still rational searched for a spell that might save him, but nothing he had memorized would be of any help. Staring up into the watery blue he could feel his lungs aching and the water still flowing down his nose. There was nothing he could do.

I don’t want to die like this. Mother, I’m sorry.

XXX

Alice watched in horror as her husband was tossed by the crowd into the river. She saw the large splash and he was just gone.

The people gave a huge cheer.

Harold was the first to rush to her side. He put an arm around her and tried to pull her into his embrace. “It’s all right Alice. You’re safe now. He wo…”

Her fist smashed into his face with a loud clear ‘crack’ as his jaw bone broke and teeth spilled out of his mouth.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!”

In fear, in rage, in panic, she lost all control and unleashed her power.

XXX

“Never show what you truly are,” Elsa had warned her long ago. “All those people who like you would hate you for it. If they ever knew what you really were they would put you to the flames.”

XXX

All of her life Alice had lived in fear.

Afraid of the day people would find out what she really was. Afraid they would see her as ugly and horrible. Every single moment was spent hiding, even (especially) when surrounded by admirers. All she’d ever truly wanted was to find someone who would love and accept her as she really was; someone who she could feel safe with. She just wanted to stop being afraid.

That was why Waldo was so amazing to her even if he was strange. He’d sought her out knowing what she was. Told her he wanted her despite being what she was. Touched her, kissed her, and made it feel so incredibly right. When his yellow eyes looked at her she didn’t feel strange.

She felt like she was something precious.

Waldo was the one she’d been waiting for her whole life. To Alice he was the answer to every secret prayer. Seeing him murdered right in front of her filled her with an unimaginable fury.

In her rage she finally let her true self come out.

XXX

The crowd turned their attention her way.

The immediate reaction was surprise, both at her outburst and at seeing her hit Harold so viciously.

Some of the men took half a step towards her and then stopped. She was looking at them with such open hate.

“HOW DARE YOU?!!” She shrieked as her body shook. “HOW DARE YOU HURT HIM!”

She tossed aside her sack and twisted about in pain.

There were cries and gasps from the crowd as they heard the sound of clothing, skin, and muscle tearing. As they watched, black leathery wings ripped out of Alice’s back. They spread out and stretched at least twelve feet from tip to tip. A long, slim, lizard like tail appeared and thrashed back and forth furiously. Her fingernails extended into razor sharp talons. Above each ear a short curving horn grew.

The rest of her remained as lovely as always, but in just a matter of seconds she had revealed herself for what she truly was.

“Monster!” Someone screamed.

In an instant the crowd that had been so angry and hostile was shoving and trampling each other as every one of them tried to run from her. Those who were too slow to move were pushed down and run over. They were all screaming for help.

She recognized many of them. Men who’d flirted with her and paid her all sorts of unwanted attention. Just one look at the truth set them fleeing in blind panic.

Slapping her wings down she launched herself into the air. This was the first time in her life she’d ever released her true form. She’d never once dared to, not even when she’d run away. The fear of being discovered had always been too strong to overcome. Now though, the only thing she could think of was trying to save Waldo. Everything else was tossed aside.

To her immense relief she discovered that all of her natural instincts made flying as easy as walking. She flew high into the air as swiftly and gracefully as a hawk. The feeling of it, of defying gravity and rising up into the sky, was exhilarating. She didn’t have time to appreciate it though.

Shifting her wings she swung over the river and looked straight down searching for him.

All she could see though was the light shining off the water.

Somehow though she knew where he was. Ever since he’d given her that magical kiss she’d had a sense of him in the back of her head. When she’d been up in her room she had been certain of the exact spot he was downstairs. She didn’t know what this was exactly, but she took it as a gift from him. A way to make sure they were never parted.

Pulling her wings in she dived down towards the water.

XXX

He stopped flailing.

It was useless. He was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. He wondered if when his brothers and sisters had died if it had been like this. Had their deaths also come as such surprises? Had they also thought about the sheer unfairness of it? He had never thought to ask Walter or Gwen.

It didn’t look like he’d get the chance to now.

Well maybe mom will bring him back as a spirit or something.
She wouldn’t get to recover his body so being a zombie was out.

Good,
he thought.
I’d hate to end up like Walter.

His lungs were aching and he was about at his limit. He wondered if drowning would at least be quick.

He was still staring up at a watery blue above him. He thought he saw a winged figure coming. Despite his impending death he wanted to laugh.
An angel coming for me? Figures I managed to screw up even this.

He’d failed to notice the sense of Alice approaching him.

Just before she hit the water Alice pulled her wings in completely and stretched out her arms. She hit the water in an almost perfect dive.

Her eyes spotted him and she kicked her legs and swam over to where he was. She could see him turn his face to her and was relieved that he was still alive. He was almost all the way to the bottom. His robes and his pack were pulling him down.

With her powerful body she was able to swim right down to him.

Waldo got a good clear look at her. He saw the horns and the folded up wings and the whip like tail. He recognized what she was.

Succubus.

Her left hand grabbed tight about his collar and her right rose up, claws ready to strike.

She’s going to kill me? Wouldn’t it have been easier just to let me drown?

Her right hand slashed down. Once, twice, three times in quick succession. Just that quick Waldo felt the weight pulling at him vanish. Both her arms wrapped around him and they were rising to the surface.

He held his breath to the very last second and then opened his mouth when he just couldn’t hold it any longer.

He coughed and choked, and gratefully breathed in the air.

Chapter 9

I Can See You’re Happy

When they broke the river’s surface Alice heard him gasp and choke.

“Darling! Are you all right?”

Waldo needed a minute just to breathe and fill his lungs. “I’m… fine.” He managed between gasps as he coughed up water. Alice was holding onto him tight as they were being swept downriver.

“Hold on to me and I will get us to shore.” Keeping one arm around his chest Alice used her legs and other arm to fight against the current and push them towards land.

Having no idea how to swim, and having just nearly drowned, Waldo wrapped both arms around her waist and held on tightly as she pulled him along. Through their new bond he could sense that she was worried for him. She had rescued him because she genuinely wanted to.

That wasn’t how it normally went.

He knew most familiars would have been happy to just stand by and watch as their master died. A contract prevented a monster from physically harming a master, but if there was no direct order to help they were free to just allow things to happen. With the master’s death the contract was dissolved and they were free.

Alice could have just let him drown and then walked away able to do anything she liked. Instead she had saved him, of her own free will.