Dark Legacies (Book Four in the Brenna Strachan Series) Page 8

  “So, why am I sitting here?” I asked.

  “Because you haven’t slept in six months and you aren’t looking so hot,” Gabriel handed me a mirror. It was a rarity to have a mirror in our house. Anubis couldn’t stand to see his reflection.

  I had skin. Normally, I would consider this as a massive boon, but not today. The warm lilac color had drained, making me a sickly pale purple. Dark circles had appeared under my eyes. The only splashes of color were bruises that hadn’t healed yet and those spots looked black. I had one in the middle of my forehead, which might have been funny on a different day. Today, it made me feel old, older than I had ever felt.

  “I’m not healing very well,” I handed the mirror back to Gabriel to stow away in his secret mirror hidey-hole.

  “It’s a new body, so it’s still adjusting,” Gabriel told me. “Sonnellion said he didn’t have full use of his powers and body for at least three days.”

  “How long have I had it?” I asked.

  “About twenty-seven hours,” Gabriel answered. “Your mom left this for you.”

  He pointed to a bottle on the end table. Inside was a greenish-blue liquid that bubbled like soda. It was doubtful the bubbles were carbonation. There was no note, no instructions, and I had never seen the concoction before. I guessed it was a sleeping potion, but my mother had never given me one in the past.

  “Did she say anything about it?”

  “Drink it,” Gabriel responded.

  “Everyone else is out working and I’m expected to drink a sleeping potion?” I frowned.

  “I’m not,” he pointed out.

  “I’m guessing you’re here to babysit me, so you are working,” I answered.

  “Actually, no, that isn’t why I’m here,” he hiked up his pant leg.

  My instinct to gag took over and I had to force it down. Gabriel’s leg was just bones stuck together with some sort of magic goo. Muscles, flesh, tendons, all seemed to be missing. I turned away and he let his pant leg fall back into place.

  “What happened?”

  “The tank ran over it,” Gabriel said. “It looks much better now than it did. It was pretty mangled when we got back, so Rachel stripped it down to the bones and did some hocus-pocus. At least now, it’s attached to the rest of my body.”

  I didn’t have words for that, so I said nothing. Instead, I got up and had a meal. The sun was shining outside, but I hadn’t seen a clock in a while. I could eat lunch, drink my potion, take a nap, and hope I woke up before the next unnatural disaster occurred.

  Or I could ignore the potion and the obvious orders attached to it. Sometimes my parents forgot I was an adult. This meant that sometimes I forgot I was an adult. I could help someone somewhere with something. I just needed to think about it. I wasn’t sure beefing up the city was in the cards for me. After all, Uther would be there and he’d probably notify my mother.

  That thought brought another to the forefront of my mind. I went back into the living room. Gabriel was lounging in one of the recliners with his eyes closed.

  “Where are the wee ones?” I asked him.

  “The what?” He moved so he could see me.

  “The wee ones,” I repeated.

  “Wee ones?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “That seems like something someone older than you would say.”

  “I picked it up from my dad. So, where are they?” I asked.

  “Your mother has all of them.”

  “Where?” I asked slowly.

  “At one of the daycare centers in the city.”

  “The city has daycare centers?” This tidbit of information surprised me.

  “Of course,” Gabriel moved back to his former reclining position. “Whatever you’re thinking, you should stop, because she won’t be gone long.”

  “I wasn’t thinking, I was plotting,” I admitted. I took the potion to the kitchen and poured it down the sink. The blue, bubbly brew sizzled as it swirled down into the pipes. Small wisps of smoke puffed up from the drain. Without warning, the metal made a squeaking noise and it melted and fell into the pipes. It made me wonder what my mother had put into the potion and what it would do to my insides.

  With Gabriel reclining in the living room and no one else in the house, I took the moment to slip out the backdoor. Outside, the noise was deafening. Buildings were being erected by magic and it was noisy magic. I could even smell strange odors coming from the direction of the construction. The most prevalent was molten metal and something tangy.

  Curiosity got the better of me and I wandered into the city. The tangy smell got stronger, becoming acrid, making my eyes water and my nose burn. My brain suddenly recognized the smell as barbecue sauce.

  Another block and I found myself in the thick of it. All around me, Elders and Witches were doing massive amounts of magic. Building materials danced, flew, and hovered in the air above us before moving into their designated places.

  Beside the magic workers, was a large open spit with something roughly the size of a dragon roasting. Pendragon noticed me and motioned me forward. I walked carefully, trying not to interrupt the concentration of any of the Witches or Elders with materials in their magical grasp.

  “How do you feel?” Uther Pendragon asked when I was a few feet away.

  “Okay,” I told him.

  “Good, can you share magic?”

  “With who?” I asked, trying not to sound suspicious.

  “Me,” Pendragon answered, “I’m not quite my old self yet. The extra magic could come in handy. Sonnellion was trying to help, but he was having his own issues.”

  Chapter Eleven

  I felt liberated as I meandered home. Sure, I was an adult and I’d made a few adult decisions in the past year, but I hadn’t felt like an adult. Even as a hunter, Gabriel had been there to look after me.

  I had ignored the expectations of my parents to stay home, safe, and had gone out and helped the rest of the world. It might not have been earth-shattering, reality-bending, help, but my parents had not directed it. Pendragon had seemed grateful for my presence, not the presence of my family or overlords, but me.

  The stars were twinkling above me. Night had descended upon us while we worked. The city was aglow with warm lights that shined out windows and pooled on the street around old-fashioned gas lamps.

  The city itself was beautiful. Eons of building styles were hodge-podged together. Some buildings seemed older than time itself and others seemed modern and new. Most of them were built with stone and had elaborate carvings on the exteriors.

  Heavy wooden or metal doors gave them a mysterious air, hiding the contents and occupants of the city. Many of the doors had small windows set high up on them. A few even had light shining through them.

  Like most large cities, the bottom floor of most of the buildings was shops. Well hidden staircases led to the residences above. The streets in front were all a mix of red and grey brick with small sidewalks. Not a single car was visible, so while the streets were wide, they were meant for pedestrian traffic.

  My meanderings took a couple of hours. I crisscrossed the entire city. It was roughly six miles by six miles. There weren’t any individual family homes. Every building was built upwards, as if they had taken all the skyscrapers of the world and combined them into the small walled area.

  By the time I turned for home, my head was as clear as the sky. My thoughts were mellow, and my brain no longer raced. This island was my home and I felt it. Not only had I poured my magic into it, but it had poured magic back into me. I wondered if Pendragon felt this way when he was on the island.

  Something rustled a bush in the darkness before skipping out in front of my path. A small fur covered animal of unknown origins chewed on a flower that it had plucked from the bush. It didn’t seem to notice my presence, but I found its presence peculiar. It was the first animal I had seen, other than pets, inside the city walls. As I thought about this, a second appeared.

  This one was slightly smaller. They had bluish-gre
en fur, large ears, and tiny bodies that looked even smaller when compared to their ears. Their eyes were large, like an Aye-Aye. If I had to guess, I’d have categorized it as a marsupial, even though I didn’t see a pouch for babies.

  A third appeared, scampering down a tree. It held a nut. The second creature reached for the nut and a skirmish broke out between them. They rolled each other over, trying to grab hold of the nut. After a few moments, the first critter grabbed hold of the fallen prize and held it at arm’s length. The other two immediately stopped fighting.

  The first gave the flower to the third and chattered at the second. The second slunk off into the bush. It returned a few moments later with a flower. They had intelligence and a form of communication between them. They might even have a hierarchy. It made me more curious about them.

  I skirted the threesome and walked towards the edge of the city. There was much to see and learn on the island and I felt I hadn’t even touched the tip of the flora and fauna.

  A large dog padded out in front of me. It didn’t look like a stray or a magical creature, it was just a dog. It wagged its golden brown tail at me and jumped, knocking me to the ground. It bathed my face with its large tongue. I petted it behind the ears.

  “Daisy!” A woman’s voice shouted. The golden retriever moved away from me. It gave me one last nuzzle and took off towards the sound of the woman. Despite the late hour, there appeared still to be life in the city. Although, I didn’t see anyone, I could feel them moving around me.

  A Djinn I didn’t know sat above the gate. She eyed me as I walked towards her.

  “Out late tonight, Brenna Strachan,” she said to me. The gates had no key, no way of opening when you first looked at them. The large wooden doors appeared to be buried in the soil and attached to stones in the wall. It could only be opened or closed by someone with telekinesis. Since only the Djinn and a few witches had that power, it was constantly manned. Even the best spells were repelled by the magical wooden barricade.

  The wall was only three stories tall. Above it was a magical barrier created by Pendragon that kept the flying beasties from going over the wall. I had been told that decades of practice had taught them that it was a bad idea to fly into the barrier. I had also been told that all magical creatures on the island could see it. I didn’t know exactly how that was possible, since those of us that possessed magic couldn’t, but I could probably fill an ocean with all the stuff I still didn’t know.

  “I was helping to build the new apartments, and then I decided to walk around.” I shrugged. “I guess I lost track of time. What are the little creatures that live in the city? Kind of bluish-green in color?”

  “Hollybears,” she answered. “They eat nuts and dying flowers. It helps keep the streets clean and the unwanted spread of flowers and trees.”

  “Are they really bears? Like of the ursa family?” I was surprised.

  “Yes, they really are bears.” Like most Djinn, the woman operating the gates had purplish-black skin, long shiny black hair and pointy ears. Her face was illuminated with a lantern that hung next to her, emphasizing her striking beauty. Pale green eyes with thick, dark lashes made her look exotic.

  “Interesting,” the word caught on the wind and trailed off. Magic was about, but I didn’t know what magic.

  “Once I open these gates, you hurry home, because there are dark things prowling around tonight,” the Djinn said to me.

  “Dark things as in unnatural?” I pried.

  “No, as natural as it ever gets, but still dark things. The night time stalkers of the island are far more dangerous than the day time stalkers.”

  “Like Cerebus?”

  “Cerebus never stalks, he just comes, but he avoids the city.” She opened the gates and I passed through them. They shut loudly behind me. The wind blew more magic my way. It wasn’t something I had ever felt before and it came from the woods that seemed to beckon down the road.

  My curiosity did not overcome me. Instead, I began the short march to my home. The house glowed with light, warmth, and safety. Part of me was convinced my parents would run out onto the porch and scold me for being out. If they did, I would ignore them. I loved them, but I could no longer live under their thumb or in their shadow. I would always need their help, since magic and blood bound us together for eternity. However, I was my own being and I needed to live my life.

  Less than one hundred feet from my front door, the magic became stronger. It prickled the hair on the back of my neck. If I’d had arm hair, it would have stood up, as well. Whatever it was, it was right behind me.

  I turned and the scream became lodged in my throat, resulting in a gurgling noise issuing from my mouth.

  The creature before me was at least ten feet tall. A large, long, muzzle-like mouth protruded from a mostly human skull. Its skin seemed as though it had been stretched over its skeletal frame. Large teeth were set in the muzzle and it constantly chomped them together with enough force that I thought they would shatter. If it had been wearing a black hood and carrying a scythe, it would have looked like Death.

  Fingers with talons grabbed hold of my arms. Blood red eyes that glowed, stared at me. It moved in close, its breath was hot and smelled of decay. Aside from the chomping, it made no noise. It moved closer, brushing my hair back with its muzzle. A large, demon-like horn brushed my face.

  Whatever spell I was under broke. The scream finally exited my throat, creating a shrill, panicked noise like a dying rabbit in the dark. I shoved magic into the thing and it backed away. Blood was dripping from its arms. It hadn’t been my doing. The wounds didn’t look fresh. As I stared, it bit into its arm, tearing out a chunk of meat and swallowing it whole.

  It lunged at me again. Gnashing its teeth as it sunk its claws into my flesh again. The magic flowed from it, pushing against me as if it were trying to possess my soul. My natural defenses lashed out. I kicked with one foot, catching the gaunt figure with claws and tearing away the skin at the knee. It felt leathery and dry.

  Dark, thick blood seeped from the wound and the air filled with the smell of decaying flesh. I shoved magic at it again and felt it push its own back. The feeling was overwhelming. I was struck by panic and horror. As I turned to run, I felt it sink its teeth into my shoulder and hit my collarbone, snapping it. We tumbled to the ground with it on top. It flipped me over as if I was as light as a feather. Sharp teeth struck my throat and tore it out. On instinct, my lungs stopped working. Blood gushed from the wound, spilling onto the ground, creating a huge pool of shimmering darkness.

  The earth accepted it and as I bled, the soil soaked up the precious liquid. My ability to speak was gone. I felt the wound trying to grow closed, but the creature was working at it, chewing on the flesh.

  I flung out more magic. It slammed into the creature, knocking it backwards off me.

  “Brenna!” Anubis shouted. “Don’t kill it!”

  Chapter Twelve

  I gurgled at him, trying to get to my feet. Anubis grabbed the creature and tossed it away from us. Ba’al jumped on it, sinking claws into its shoulders and he took to the sky, the creature dangling from his feet. Soon they were both out of sight.

  Without the thing ripping at my throat, the wound began to close. My lungs drew breath as soon as my larynx was reformed. The air hissed as it moved in and out.

  Anubis helped me to the house. I felt better in the light, but that thing had touched my soul. My soul felt like it needed a shower. I would be sleeping with the lights on tonight. Few things scared me as that creature had.

  “What was it?” I asked after I had sat for a long time. Gabriel handed me a glass of scotch.

  “A wendigo,” Anubis answered.

  “That doesn’t really answer my question,” I told him.

  “It’s a creature that has magic enough to possess the bodies of man. We don’t know how they came into existence, just that they appeared about the time of the First Elder War. There are possibly thirty of them on the island. Occasiona
lly, a new one crops up in the human world and we have to go get it and bring it here. They are cannibalistic. Once they possess the body of a human, the human begins to crave human flesh. Eventually, the craving becomes unbearable and they turn on their fellow man. Most humans possessed by wendigos can be exorcised by witches or Djinn, but not all of them. When it can’t be exorcised, the human eventually dies of whatever and the wendigo is released to find a new victim. They can’t possess elders unless an elder kills it, releasing its soul. Then it can attach to the elder like a parasite. Eventually, it drives the elder insane and they become a guest of Pendragon, which isn’t without its problems,” Anubis said the last as if he had personal experience with it. “They tend to eat at themselves.”

  The idea of an Elder chewing on itself for eons made me shudder. They would never die. They would never stop. The thought was chilling.

  “Any other beasties I should be aware of?” I asked, pulling my knees up to my chin on the couch.

  “For now, just don’t go wandering around after dark. The magic is still fresh and new, it will attract all sorts of creatures. As the magic ages, they’ll stop finding it as interesting. We’ll get a walled corridor built between the city and the house; we just need to figure out the logistics of it. We may need our own gatekeepers.” Anubis stood up and walked towards the window. He stood there, staring out into the darkness for a long time.

  “Why didn’t we just put the house within the city?” I asked.

  “Too much magic,” Gabriel answered, he too seemed to have a faraway look. “I’m going to bed. I recommend you do the same.”

  Gabriel was out of sorts for some reason. Anubis also seemed distant, more distant than normal. Fenrir was nowhere to be found. Ba’al still hadn’t returned. My family was in their own houses and apartments. I went to my room.