The Warriors Read online

  Wicked

  • Book Three •

  The Warriors

  Blaire Hammond

  The Warriors

  By Blaire Hammond

  Text Copyright © 2018 Blaire Hammond

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in fan works, critical articles and reviews. For more information please contact the author.

  ASIN: B079W6TKRW

  Contents

  Wicked• Book Three •

  The Warriors

  Prologue August 30th 2013

  Part One:

  The Invasion

  Chapter OneThe Second Goodbye

  Chapter Two A New World

  Chapter ThreeThe Grand Courts

  Chapter FourTruth And Clarity

  Chapter Five The Growing Darkness

  Chapter SixPuzzle Pieces

  Chapter SevenWitches and Wizards

  Chapter Eight Navigating the Truth

  Chapter Nine The Invasion

  Part Two:The Escape

  Chapter TenHide and Seek

  Chapter Eleven Hostage

  Chapter TwelveDay of Reckoning

  Chapter Thirteen The Underground

  Chapter FourteenClose Call

  Chapter Fifteen Set In Motion

  Chapter Sixteen Moments Of Hope

  Chapter Seventeen Sabotage

  Chapter Eighteen A Time For Fear

  Chapter NineteenTaking Action

  Chapter Twenty The Wind Changes

  Chapter Twenty-OneFreedom Comes At A Price

  Part Three:

  The Warriors

  Chapter Twenty-Two Hope for Survival

  Chapter Twenty-Three Own Way

  Chapter Twenty-FourDestination Of Danger

  Chapter Twenty-Five Journey For Answers

  Chapter Twenty-SixHeartbreaking Truths

  Chapter Twenty-Seven The Final Moments

  Chapter Twenty-Eight Means To An End

  EpilogueOctober 18th 2013

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  • Book Four •

  The Angel

  Prologue

  August 30th 2013

  Megan Beretude stood atop the mountain, gazing down into the dark gully below. Small tendrils of smoke were visible, rising above the green treetops, but besides that the village was essentially invisible; just as they’d always wanted.

  The cool breeze kissed Megan’s cheeks as she swivelled away from her home and peered out at the shimmering sea, a perfect shade of blue under the early morning sun.

  In the distance, she could just make out the shapes of neighbouring islands; all deserted and feared by the Humans.

  Those islands had once been home to many. Humans would live in peace upon their surfaces, keeping to themselves. They were happy. But as the centuries went by and the surrounding continents became inhabited by voyagers, creatures like no one had ever seen before began to seek shelter elsewhere. They stumbled upon the safe and secluded islands, and thus drove the Humans away.

  Megan’s people came many decades later on a quest to find a home of their own; a home away from those who could and would cause their race harm. They befriended the creatures, realising them for the innocent lifeforms that they were, and together, they all worked hard to establish safety among the islands for their individual races.

  Eventually, after years of hard labour, they had created a place of peace and happiness. A place where they would never be found, unless someone knew to look.

  The Humans who had inhabited the land had long fled, passing on the tales of the monstrous creatures living upon the land, striking fear into anyone who dared to venture near. And thus, no one did.

  Megan had made an oath long ago, just as her Mother had, and her Mother before that, to the Gods, her people, and most importantly, herself, that she would keep the islands safe. Their islands. Their home. And yet it appeared that after so many years, after so many generations, danger was fast approaching, and she was the first to admit that she was truly afraid.

  Would her people survive? She couldn’t be sure. She did know one thing though. The Enchanted would come. They would need her people’s help, whether they knew it or not.

  Megan sighed with the wind, taking a moment to cleanse her body of the dark thoughts that were slowly but surely taking over her mind. Then, she turned back to her village and began the long decent down the mountain, taking care to avoid the underground entrances to the homes of the Steelie Creatures.

  ‘Pree tel malie Megan?’

  Megan pivoted calmly at the scratchy squeak emitted from the throat of the leader of the Malati Creatures.

  ‘All is well, Obverse. How are your people?’

  It took Megan a moment to make out the outline of Obverse. His people, the Malati, were known for their ability to camouflage themselves. Rarely did they allow themselves to be visible, however Obverse revealed himself for Megan, and at long last her eyes focused on him.

  She smiled up at the creature hanging from the trees, its six eyes watching her kindly. His body was that of what Megan could only describe as a snake, yet it was covered in the shaggy grey hair of a dog. Its face could have undoubtedly been mistaken for a dragons, but at closer inspection, it was clear that it looked more like a pig crossed with a lizard.

  ‘We are quite well, young one,’ Obverse responded, switching from his own language to English.

  Megan’s people and the many creatures of the islands made an effort to learn all the languages spoken so to be able to communicate with ease.

  ‘Oh, you flatter me Obverse, but I am no longer young. What brings you out here at this hour?’ Megan inquired, continuing her walk down the mountain as Obverse swung through the trees beside her.

  ‘Much the same as you, I suspect. Word of warfare has reached us.’

  Megan’s heart leapt into her throat at the mention of war. She’d heard the whispers from the Gods, the secretive conversations between the Angels, and yet, she still couldn’t help but pray that it was a mere mistake.

  ‘I’ve only heard snippets of conversations. I cannot be sure. But a darkness is rolling across the seas, and even the Gods appear to be in a frenzy.’

  Obverse dropped down from the tree and slithered around Megan, halting her in her tracks. His eyes watched her for a long moment, most likely both sensing and seeing the fear that she was struggling to hide within herself.

  ‘Will you go?’ He asked her.

  Megan’s shoulders sagged ever so slightly and she opened her mouth as if to answer before closing it in a tight lipped smile.

  ‘Ah,’ Obverse responded, understanding sweeping over his features. ‘And your people?’

  Megan glanced up at the trees, taking in the thick, long trunks, the deep, rough bark, the dark, feathery leaves. She peered about at the forest around her, committing it to memory, admiring her home. She wasn’t sure she could leave it, for she knew that once she did there would be very little chance of her return.

  Finally, she allowed her eyes to come to rest on Obverse. ‘Long ago, a God relayed to me a single prophesy. That one day, someone would come for me. They would seek my people out. When that time came, we would know what to do.’

  Obverse observed her closely, slowly piecing her words together. Clarity appeared to have reached him for his eyes widened, all six of them, and he slithered up the trunk of a tree so he could be at head height.

  ‘You cannot risk exposure,’ he
insisted desperately. ‘If you do, it will be the end of your people!’

  Megan gave him a grim faced smile. ‘I know,’ she whispered, her eyes dropping to the grassy ground underfoot. ‘But we must protect this world. And our lives are a small price to pay if it means Elixir can go on, safe and free.’

  Obverse bowed his head, and Megan could feel the sadness emanating from him. ‘If you must fight, then my people will be by your side.’

  ‘And mine,’ came the high pitched voice of Alimbre, the leader of the Pereke Creatures.

  ‘And mine,’ chimed in the gravelly squeak of Lena the head of the Terme Creatures.

  ‘And I’m positive every other living creature upon our islands agree too,’ Obverse finished.

  Megan peered around with teary eyes at her friends, unable to still her shaking legs. Lena, the spider, mouse and serpent cross. Alimbre, the wolf faced and fish bodied creature. And Obverse, her closest companion since the moment she was born.

  ‘When do we leave?’ Alimbre asked quietly.

  Megan straightened, found her feet, and locked eyes with Alimbre first, then Lena, and at last, Obverse.

  ‘When my seeker comes.’

  Part One:

  The Invasion

  Sometimes, fate is unavoidable despite one’s attempts to alter destiny’s course.

  And it’s those desperate efforts that lead one down the inevitable path.

  Chapter One

  The Second Goodbye

  F ive days. It had been five days since Laura lost her Mother - the woman who had raised her, had nursed her back to health whenever she were sick, had been there for her through thick and thin. The pain was still raw in Laura’s heart. To lose both a Father and a Mother in a few short months had rocked her world completely, upending her secure life and scattering the truths of everything she had once known. All was different, and she wasn’t sure she even knew who she was anymore without the two people who had always been her pillars of strength. Laura’s mind was a never ending spiral of ‘what if’s’ and ‘why’s’, plunging her into hour long bouts of depression and sorrow.

  However, while the suffering held a very prominent role in Laura’s life, she still could not ignore the fact that she was in danger; that the whole Human and Enchanted race was in danger. With war ever present in their minds, the time to act had come, and as much as Laura wanted to spend time analysing her parent’s deaths and crying over what had been taken from her, she knew she could not allow herself the luxury of time to grieve. Not yet. Not when there was still so much to do, and so little time to do it in.

  A lot had changed in the span of just five days. The Spirit World was a mess, and no one knew how to clean it up. The Enchanted were preparing for a battle despite not knowing when exactly it would be arriving. What feared many was the fact that not a whisper had been heard from the Wicked. It appeared as if they had disappeared off the face of the planet, but Laura knew better. Erebus had called them underground, she was sure of that much. They were biding their time, just waiting for the right moment to strike, and that scared Laura. With the Enchanted so unprepared, and still somewhat in a state of shock and disbelief, they were all vulnerable. If Erebus struck them while they were still trying to pull their people together, there was a very real chance that he may succeed in defeating them.

  With a sigh that dragged her back to the present, Laura found herself staring down at a black dress laid out on her hotel bed. She’d been in that position for the past ten minutes, and still she was unable to muster up the courage to put the outfit on. She’d already experienced the pain of saying goodbye only weeks before to her Father. How could she possibly be doing it again? She had been so sure, so, so sure, that she was going to rescue her Mother. That everything was going to be all right, and yet she found herself faced with another funeral. Another goodbye.

  Spinning away from the dress to face the window overlooking the town of Alast, Laura couldn’t haul her mind away from her memories of the previous few days. Her life had turned to utter chaos since the night in Tera when everything had gone so horribly wrong. The Force had stepped up immensely, preparing themselves, their weapons, and the Spirit World for the fight ahead. They’d been gathering Enchanted across the world to inform them of the news, readying them for what was to come.

  Unfortunately, the change in attitude didn’t mean they were suddenly prepared. Everyone was looking to the Grand Courts for answers, but the Grand Courts had none. The best they could do was send out an alert to all Minor Courts and Force Leaders to meet in Alast for an official assembly. Laura and her friends, being the only witnesses to Erebus’ rise, had been asked to attend the meeting also so they could give an account of the past months happenings.

  Laura exhaled, resigning to the fact that she would have to get ready soon. She sat down on the bed, her mind returning to the moments after she’d lost her beloved mum. Waking Caspian had been a shock, and after concealing what she’d done from the Enchanted, convincing them that Caspian hadn’t been dead after all, the group had been whisked back to Alast.

  They’d carefully moved Cara’s body, and Laura had stuck by her mother’s side while they carried her from the underground tunnel and out into the night. As they’d waited for a portal, Laura had sat down beside her mother, taking her hand and gripping it tightly. Her skin had been cold, and she was thin and worn after the torture Laura was sure Erebus’ had inflicted. But she was still the same woman Laura had known and loved. She was still her mum.

  As Laura had stared down into her mother’s pallid face, focusing on her closed eyes, she could have sworn Cara was only sleeping. Despite her pale skin, hollow cheeks and dark under eyes, she still looked peaceful, and Laura had bent down, placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, the portal had opened, and they had returned to Alast.

  The Grand Courts of Alast chose to hold a service for both Cara and Robin to honour the sacrifice the two made for their people. Laura had begged the Enchanted to bring the blond boy who had tried to save them and whose name she would never know back to Alast as well, but they’d told her he was a Wicked and could not rest with the Enchanted, no matter what he’d done. Laura, with Stella and Leo’s help, had argued that he was only a boy who may have been Enchanted after the ceremony, but there was no swaying the Force.

  There was a soft, slow knock at the door, and Laura was jarred from her thoughts.

  ‘Come in,’ she said hoarsely, then cleared her throat.

  She stood up as Grace and Gemma stepped inside, already clothed in long black dresses similar to her own.

  ‘You’re not ready,’ Grace said gently, and Laura glanced back down at the dress.

  The service was only an hour away.

  ‘I don’t think I can do it,’ she replied after a moment’s pause.

  Then Laura felt hot, fat tears begin to slide down her cheeks, and both Gemma and Grace were by her side in an instant, wrapping their arms tightly around her. They held onto one another for a long while, each of them coming to terms with their own inner battles.

  Finally Grace and Gemma pulled back, and Grace reached up, wiping Laura’s face dry.

  ‘Everything’s going to change now, isn’t it?’ Grace whispered.

  Gemma’s eyes dropped to the ground. ‘I believe so.’

  ‘I’m not ready.’

  Laura sucked in a shaky breath. ‘None of us are,’ she closed her mouth, thinking through her next words and allowing her voice to become steady. ‘But Erebus doesn’t care about that. They’re going to come at us with everything they’ve got now, and we have to be ready. We can’t let them win.’

  Laura locked eyes with the two girls who had become her best friends. ‘We aren’t ready, but when the time comes, we will be,’ she said firmly, then reached past them for her dress and ducked into the bathroom to change.

  ~

  Cara and Robin’s funeral was nice. Nice, because there were a lot of people who came out to show their respects, and to honour them for the things t
hey’d done. Nice, because everyone who spoke about them had said such kind things. But no one there had really known them.

  Every time someone announced how heroic they were, how brave, Laura couldn’t help but wonder if it was all just talk. Her mother was heroic and brave, but she was also gentle, kind and loving. She’d do, scratch that, she had done anything for the people she loved. She had risked her life, and eventually lost it, to protect her daughter. She was braver than the Enchanted could ever know. She was more heroic than any of them understood.

  When Laura was younger, her Mother had been so full of life. So bubbly, happy, and grateful for the little things. She would sing and dance around the kitchen as she cooked, grinning at Laura every time she jumped down from her chair to join in. She would make music out of any surface, often unknowingly tapping out a tune with her fingers. She would jump at the opportunity for an adventure, begging Oliver to take them out to go rock climbing or hiking or, even once, skydiving. Then, all of a sudden, she was gone, and Laura hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye. She didn’t get to catch her Mum’s eye before she died. It had all happened so fast, and Laura didn’t think to shout out that she loved her. Cara had been there one moment, gone the next.

  Laura had immediately made the decision to return to Corin with her Mother’s body and have it buried with her Fathers, but she still appreciated the service, regardless of her feelings.

  Her friends had stood by her and Mitch’s side the entire time, refusing to leave them. Drew had gripped her hand throughout her speech, and she knew he was the only thing that had kept her from breaking down as she struggled through it.

  Upon returning to Alast from Tera, Laura had asked about retrieving Cara’s soul from the heavens above. She’d been sure that a simple discussion with the Gods would have her Mum back in no time. But she’d been informed by one of the Force Members that once a soul has risen to the heavens, there is no bringing it back down to earth. It evolves, emerging into an angel and remaining one forevermore.