Dark Winter (33 page)

“I guess I’m not supposed to cross over.”

“You suppose correctly.”

Troy looked at me. He was a bit dazed, and rather angry, but I sensed it was more about Toril striking him down with such apparent ease. If I had her skills, I’d be using them for some other purpose. She didn’t know how lucky she was, but with her growing telepathic abilities, it would be harder for me to hide just how rotten I felt.

“Boy, Withers, are you in trouble. You cut me pretty deep you know.”

Toril helped me step out of the house. “Come on Milly, we’ll help. It’ll be okay.”

Toril looked non-plussed at Troy. “I can’t see anything.”

“That’s because Beth…you know…healing hands and all that.”

“So quit your whining and help me with Milly.”

Beth ran over to us. “Milly, my God. Are you okay? Is it bad?”

“I’m alright,” I said. “Just shook up a bit, that’s all.”

“You’re bleeding a little. Let me help.”

Beth placed her hands on my cheeks and I felt a real warmth pass through me. Suddenly the pain was gone and I would no longer be able to poke my tongue right through my cheek.

“Alright, Rom?”

“Yes, Troy, I’m okay.”

“I’m going to take care of Romilly,” said Troy. “You three can go on together.”

Beth and Toril looked at Jacinta.

“So. Is she here yet, or just hiding in the bushes, waiting to get us? Jacinta, of all the stupid things you could do, this is the dumbest.”

“It’s not,” said Jacinta confidently. “Dana kills for the person who summoned her, in this case, me. I will get her to kill the zombies.”

“There’s a flaw in that plan,” said Beth. “What about when Dana is the last one standing? She’ll kill you, me, all of us.”

“We can run.”

“Where to?”

Jacinta explained how we could go to her house. Of all of us, Curie, Diabhal, Dana, the Zerythra had come to where we live. All except Jacinta.

“It makes perfect sense. They wouldn’t think to come to my place, you know.”

Toril spoke morbidly. “If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that the enemy is very unpredictable. Your plan to get Dana to face off against the zombies is not cool. We won’t know the outcome of that until it’s too late.”

Beth added, “How do we even know that Dana will win? What’s the cost of her winning? Have you thought about that, Jacinta?”

Jacinta admitted she hadn’t thought it all through, but it had to be a better plan than waiting around to be slaughtered.

The girls could see me and Troy disappearing from view.

“Where do you suppose he’s taking her?” asked Jacinta.

“Somewhere none of us know about. It’s for the best. Romilly and the Mirror must be kept safe,” said Toril.

“How can that work?” asked Beth. “Toril, with your abilities…how can he hide the Mirror’s whereabouts from you?”

“I’m not really sure. But if I’m cornered, don’t worry, I won’t give them up, or any of you,” said Toril. “I suggest we leave. Now.”

             
                            *                            *                            *

Christ. Troy Jackson was strong. Here I was, in what should be dreamland for me. He was running at breakneck speed, carrying me in his arms, through the foliage of Gorswood Forest. I threw my arms around his neck, just for support. In school days long since past, I would have given anything to be in his arms, even if it meant being chased by teachers, my parents, or zombies. Me, Troy and the demon, living happily together.

My dreamy thoughts were broken by a sharp voice.

“Rom! For God’s sake answer me. Are you alright?”

Troy was showing concern. How sweet.

“I’m…I’m fine, just watch where you’re running. Can’t you slow down.”

“Slow down? Slow down?” Troy was going from abrupt to sarcastic. “Sure thing. There’s only three or four zombies after us, and maybe that Dana as well, you want me to slow down. Really, Romilly?”

“Okay, okay.”

He continued to run, and somehow, I managed to stay silent, with my arms around his neck, and the Mirror, bobbing gently in a bag at my side.

We had arrived. I had no idea where we were though. For the moment, we were safe.

Troy had blindfolded me though, so I couldn’t see a thing. When I removed the blindfold, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Well hello Miss Winter,” said Curie. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Toril, Beth and Jacinta watched from a distance as four zombies surrounded a confused looking Dana.

“Four of them, can you believe this?” said Jacinta. “This is going to be one hell of a show.”

“Toril,” said Beth, nudging her in the ribs, “do you think Troy made it to safety? Are he and Romilly safe?”

“I hope so. He’s faster than us three put together. He’ll make sure no harm comes to Milly, that’s for certain.”

Beth said nothing, but hoped Toril was right in her assertion.

Toril grabbed me and Jacinta by the arm and ushered us to go.

“Can’t we stay?” said Jacinta, pleadingly. “I’d love to see Dana take out some zombies.”

“No Jacinta, it’s not a good idea to stay. If she wins, we’ll know soon enough,” said Beth. “Toril is right. We should go. Let it all play out the way it is meant to. Then we’ll go find Romilly and Troy and bury that damn Mirror as deep as we can in the ground.”

“Sounds a plan,” said Toril. Inwardly, she knew it would be much more complicated than that. Keep the Mirror, it’s a problem. Destroy the Mirror, it’s a different problem.

The three girls ran into the night. The screams of the zombies howled after them in the night air.

             
                            *                            *                            *

“No!” I screamed. I turned to run, but I was yanked back by Troy.

“Get your meathooks off me, damn you. How could you? How
could
you?”

Try as I might, I couldn’t get out of Troy’s vice-like grip. Where was that demon’s strength now?

“Get her inside, Jackson,” said Curie.

“Come on Rom. Don’t fight me now.”

I wanted to kill Troy. I physically wanted to kill him, and a rage I had never felt welled up within me. How could he betray me, Toril, all of us? How did Curie keep cropping up like a bad penny, and why was Troy helping him? None of this made sense.

“Don’t call me Rom,” I screamed. “You don’t have the right.”

The back of my heels banged against the steps as Troy dragged me in. I was in no condition to fight anyone. But if I could lift a hand to slap him with, I would do it.

As my energy left me, I kicked out wildly once more, and it seemed Troy’s grip wasn’t as secure as he thought. Curie grabbed my legs and I foamed at the mouth as his greasy fingers smeared my knees.

“Be still, damn you,” he said coldly.

But I refused. I writhed around like a bag of snakes, and in the end, Curie said to Troy, “This is ridiculous. Everyone will hear this and I’ll have to dig some more holes in ground after this one. Drop her, Jackson.”

The nice boy formerly known as Troy dutifully did as he was told, and I hit the small of my back as I landed awkwardly on the floor.

Not giving me any chance to recover and make a run for it, Curie grabbed me by the throat and pinned me to the ground. He had a curved flick knife placed right in front of my right eye.

“See this? Keep moving, and I will rip your eyes from their sockets. You just try me. Now - are you going to stop your wriggling?”

I flailed about for a bit, but any energy I had soon left me.

I was hurting, physically and emotionally. I simply could not understand Troy’s betrayal. Toril trusted him to deliver me safely. Didn’t she?

Or did she plan for Troy to take me here all along?

Stop it Romilly, the demon’s messing with you, that’s all.

I really wanted to figure it all out, and hatch a plan of escape. It seemed curious to me that so far, neither Curie or Troy had relieved me of the Mirror.

I offered no further resistance as Troy and Curie lifted me onto a table made of marble. I could see restraints, similar to the ones used in America when they would execute some criminal by lethal injection.

“Strap her in,” Curie ordered Troy.

Troy carefully strapped my limbs in one by one. I couldn’t move even a little, and Curie kept a sick smile on his face the entire time. Troy moved like he was in some kind of trance.

“You’ve done well, my boy,” said Curie to Troy. As I lay there, they ignored me completely. “Very well indeed.”

Above me, I could see some writing on the ceiling. It was in a language I did not understand.

Turning back for an instant, Troy said, “She wants to know what the writing means. Shall we tell her?”

Curie was all too happy to recite it.

“You can’t read it, girl, can you? You are trapped, helpless, ugly, and illiterate.”

Ooh – attacking my reading skills. Who knows what this garbage is anyway? Who cares?

I remained mute. Curie began to recite it anyway, and I could not understand a word, until the translation started to play in my head. What the hell was happening? The translation played out like this:

“I am the One who invades your sleep in the night

I shroud you darkness, and keep you from light

I drink every drop of blood you have bled

I won’t be content until you lay dead

And when you are dead, with all good things denied

Your soul is damned, and forever, is mine.

Finally, Curie turned to me. “Your answer, girl.”

I elected to speak. Whether or not that was a good idea, I couldn’t say for certain. Perhaps, facing my oblivion, I didn’t care at this point.

“I’d say it was some kind of Satanic script. Then again, it could all be a load of crap.”

Curie smiled the strangest of half-smiles whilst Troy looked on, horrified. Troy looked as if he was going to say something, but Curie dismissed him with a wave.

“Either you know what it means, and you aren’t telling me, or you don’t know what it means. I don’t care. You’ve got spirit, I’ll say that for you. But that Mirror does not belong to you. Tell me how you came by it, and I’ll make sure your death – finally – isn’t so painful.”

As I lay there, I began to understand why Curie was so tormented. Here, in the house of Diabhal, everyone Curie had murdered, followed him around the house. Was the demon showing me this, or was I in a higher state of consciousness?

I refused to say anything. I mean, it was over. I had failed. I was strapped down on some makeshift altar, like I was going to be sacrificed or something. That seemed to be the general idea.

Curie probed my chin with his knife. A little blood trickled.

“Look over my left shoulder. You see that axe?” Oh, I did see it. It was huge. Curie continued. “I’ll bring it down in one smooth swing, down on your pretty neck, and then, it will be over.

I feel for you, I really do. You really shouldn’t have been burdened with something like that Mirror. Whoever gave you it must have been very, very bad. Tell me, and I will make it easy for you. There’s no reprieve this time. You will be dead. Dead.
Dead.
”

“What do you say, girl? Speak!”

I looked straight into his cold eyes. “You can go to hell, hell,
hell
.”

Curie looked at Troy. “How you ever found
this
attractive is beyond me, boy. Where’s the witch or the Jesus lover?”

“It didn’t quite work out the way I hoped,” said Troy. “There were other things at play. Zombies. Long dead ghosts that can’t be killed.”

“Dana?” said Curie excitedly.

“Yeah. Dana,” said Troy. “Either she is gone, for real this time, or the zombie gals all won. Who knows? I’ve been here all this time.”

“You should have brought one of the others with you. We can’t use the Mirror.”

“Why not?”

“Stupid boy. Only females can handle it. Men can’t touch it, I don’t know why. It’s just the way it is, and has always been. Before you say anything – not her. She’s too powerful for this. Anyone but her.”

Curie actually seemed depressed as he said it.

“How can I help?” asked Troy.

“You can do it.”

“I can do what? You already said the Mirror can’t be used by men. Give it to
her
.”

“Forget about her for now. This is much more important. You can kill Dana for me.”

“I may be a bit dense,” said Troy, “but everyone knows that Dana can’t be killed.”

“Look around you, boy. Do you think this place is a museum? These weapons are tools for killing that which cannot be killed.”

He picked up a crossbow and threw it at Troy, who caught it with ease.

“A bow and arrow? Do I look like Robin Hood to you?”

“You forget your place, boy. Just aim, pull back, and let the arrow fly. You’ll get only one chance. Take this axe as well, just in case. Don’t miss, or she’ll break your body in half.”

Troy turned out into the blistering snow, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Curie decided he had no more use for Troy. He was sending him to his death.

             
              *                            *                            *

The girls had reached the edge of the Forest. Ahead, lay their town, their homes, and relative safety.

Toril and Beth were fitter than Jacinta. They had been running so hard that they had momentarily forgotten where each of them were.

Looking behind, Toril wanted to shout out Jacinta’s name, but did not want to alert the demons in the forest that pursued them, of their whereabouts.

She was still breathing heavily, but had enough energy to gesture Beth to be silent when she started to say ‘Where’s Jac-”

“We made it,” said Toril. “But she didn’t.”

“You’re not suggesting we stay here, are you?” said Beth.

“Not exactly. But going back in, isn’t an option. We stay here until we can stay no longer. I’m not abandoning our friends.”

“What about Rom- I mean, you know who?”

“She’s in grave danger, and my boyfriend….is working for
them
.  I’m working on a spell for her.”

“I don’t like any of this, Toril.”

Toril glared at Beth as the forest howled her name. “For my sake, be quiet will you?!”

Beth was rather chatty, but Toril knew she didn’t mean any harm. Beth chastised herself for not understanding the gravity of the situation, or felt the pressure Toril was under.

“I’m trying to save them, don’t you see? Mistakes like the one you just made, costs lives, you must know that.”

“I’m really sorry.”

Beth was sorry, but it was more about feeling helpless. Just why had she been sent back from the dead? To heal? Pathetic. Toril could read minds, cast spells, even keep the likes of Curie at bay.

Beth, on the other hand, felt she could do nothing.

“I’m a real motormouth I know, just I want to-”

Toril waved in front of Beth and she felt her lips go dry, and then, fuse together. Toril had sealed her mouth shut.

Beth jumped up and down frantically but Toril turned away from her. She needed to think about how to save me. She kept getting an image in her head that I was strapped down to something, or restrained in some way. She was correct, of course, but even if she could free me, Curie was in the room next door. I was dead, whichever way you cut it.

Toril hadn’t succeeded in keeping Beth subdued, so she reluctantly sent a Freeze Spell in her direction.

Beth stood motionless, whilst Toril tried to formulate a plan.

Whilst a plan started to hatch in her mind, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Jacinta had returned, but was not alone.

             
                            *                            *                            *

Spinning round, Toril could only see blackness in front of her.

“You’re there, I know you are. Where ever have you been?”

Toril got an instant answer as Dana swooped into view.

“With
her,
” gasped Jacinta.

Dana didn’t look the same as before. Her face looked rather drawn. “I was delayed. Fighting zombies. Because of you,” Dana said accusingly.

“Well,” said Toril, “I hope you won at least.”

“Won? Lost? What matter. You’ll all be dead soon anyway.”

“That remains to be seen,” said Toril.

“I could kill you as easily as I killed them,” said Dana.

“That’s if you actually did kill them,” said Toril. “You know I can get rid of you just as easily. Do you want to play that game? Really?”

Toril was half-bluffing. Dana stayed or went in a manner of her own choosing, and everyone knew that. Still, Toril wasn’t about to back down until Dana released her hands from Jacinta’s throat.

“You know the rules,” said Dana. “I’ve been summonsed to kill. Now your friend tells me there’s no one to kill after all.”

As soon as Dana finished speaking Toril received a vision in her head. Dana was there, saying that all she wanted was to rest, have peace, and not kill any more.

Toril struggled to process this new information. She could not believe that Dana would give up her killing ways, just like that.

“Why shouldn’t I kill her? Huh? Answer me!” snapped Dana. Toril was back in reality once more.

“Because….because, you won’t,” said Toril. “After you do a kill, you’re vulnerable until you get back to the chasm where you rest. Kill my friend, and you know you will never get back there again. I’ll see to it that you don’t.”

Dana shrugged and relaxed her grip. Jacinta spluttered and retched on the ground.

Toril helped Jacinta up, who looked at her and said “I knew you’d save me. Holmes always looks after Watson, right?”

Toril wanted to say something back in kind, but there was no time.

Dana screamed as the axe, one she recognised all too well, flew towards her. Troy had found his quarry, and hurled it quite some distance. As the school javelin champion, he wasn’t likely to miss.

Dana moved quickly, but not quick enough, and sreamed in pain as the blade caught her shoulder.

The axe continued onwards, and before Toril could do anything, the spinning blade buried itself in Jacinta’s back.