The Lost Child Read online

  Somehow this was even crueler; to make a parent pick one of three terrible fates for their child.

  “Never,” said Jolie.

  Luce laughed. “People shouldn’t use words like that around me. I can bring her out now and torture her in front of you until you make your choice, if that would help.”

  Tears stained Jolie’s rage-filled face. “Train her.”

  Luce gave a mocking bow. “Your wish is my command.”

  “One day she will kill you,” snarled Jolie.

  “Whatever makes you feel better,” laughed Luce. He was enjoying this immensely; laughing a lot and loving the sound of his own voice. “I knew this would be a good day, but I really didn’t

  think I’d get so carried away chatting with you. We should do this more often. But, alas.” He took a deep breath, then glared at us both. “After I’ve killed you, I’m going to kill all your friends and raze to the ground everything you’ve ever loved.” He shook his head. “So busy at the moment, but I’m glad we did this…

  if you don’t take time for yourself you’re not living.”

  He cast his gaze between us, looking from Sinjin to me to Jolie and back again. “Now what would be the best way to kill you.

  Painful is good but I think anguish is better.” He looked to one of his minions. “Fetch the baby.”

  “Leave her alone!” I shrieked.

  Luce backhanded me across the face again.

  “Do not touch her!” Sinjin roared. He’d been silent a while, controlling his anger but this was too much for him.

  Luce strolled across to kick him hard in the stomach.

  “Coward!” I yelled. “You wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t chained up.”

  Luce shrugged. “You’re damn right I wouldn’t. Vampires are incredibly dangerous. You say ‘coward’; I say ‘prudent’.”

  The sound of crying made me strain at my bonds once more, desperate to get free , as Luce’s minion carried Rowan in and handed her to his master.

  “I think it’s best she sees her parents die,” said Luce, conversationally.

  Trying to collect my thoughts, I reached out to Rowan. Her mind was in darkness again, but this time all I had to do was call her name to bring her out of it and to see the light return. Her crying ceased and Luce smiled.

  “There, you see? She likes me already.”

  That was his first error. Not a big one, but Luce knew I was a sensitive and yet didn’t recognize that I was in touch with my daughter. He was so drunk on his own arrogance by now, he’d ceased to notice anything that wasn’t about him. In his head, he’d already won and this was just a victory lap. Maybe, just maybe, we could use that.

  Luce stuck out a finger at me. “Untie her and bring her over to the vampire. Keep a tight hold of her; she’s more dangerous than she looks. I want them eye to eye when they die and I want the baby to watch the whole thing.”

  “No, no…” Jolie was struggling desperately as I was dragged past her and forced down on my knees in front of Sinjin.

  Our eyes met, and for an instant there was calm in my world.

  Maybe it was foolish, but I always felt that nothing really bad could happen as long as Sinjin and I were together. Even after all we’d been through, even now when the end looked near and all hope was lost, I still found solace in his blue eyes. He was a vampire who had lived a long and bloody existence yet had managed to find some sort of redemption. When you thought about that, then anything seemed possible.

  Luce walked over to stand between us, holding Rowan, whom he bounced in his arms.

  “Happy child, isn’t she? I think she’s enjoying today almost as much as I am.” He knelt. “Now watch this little Rowan. These are your enemies. We hate them. We’re going to kill them, and they will not be the last of your enemies you see die before you.

  Today, dear, sweet little Rowan, is the first day of the rest of your life, and I will baptize you in the blood of these meaningless creatures to welcome you into my family.” He looked up to his soldiers. “Slit her throat first, then stake the vampire. Don’t stake him too fast, I want him to get a good look at her bleeding out, but not too slow either or she won’t get to see him exploding into ash.”

  Again my eyes met Sinjin’s. Our little family hadn’t lasted long, but right now it was together.

  Rowan, whatever you do with your life, always remember this; your Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything else in the world.

  Rowan giggled.

  “What…?” A look of incomprehensio n crossed Luce’s face, as if he’d heard something.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  BRYN

  In the next instant, a brilliant flash of light, chased by a void of darkness seemed to burst from Rowan, washing out around her like ripples from a thrown stone in a pond. Whether she was acting consciously or instinctively, whether it was some inbuilt defense mechanism or an automatic reaction, I had no clue, but whatever it was, there was no doubt about who it was aimed at.

  The surge of power had no effect on me , but it knocked Luce on his ass and took the minions holding me completely by surprise. I felt the iron grip on my arms loosen. It was only for a split second but that was all I needed to tug free from my captors.

  There were too many of them for me to take on, and if I just tried to snatch Rowan back, then I would soon be captured again.

  Fortunately, however much my maternal instincts told me to go to my daughter, I was playing it cleverer than that. The metal

  collar that held Sinjin down was locked with a simple bolt on the back of his neck, and it was the work of a moment to flick it open, followed by those that secured his wrists.

  Like a raging bull released from its pen, Sinjin reared up. The guards were recovering after whatever Rowan had done, but Sinjin was ready for them. He was a like a whirlwind, moving swiftly from soldier to soldier, knocking them aside, making sure none came near me as I made for my baby, and for Luce.

  Rowan’s sudden and unexpected defense had hit my old leader hardest, and he was still stunned, blinking back his disorientation as I rushed towards him. He’d dropped Rowan, but she had floated to the ground, as lightly as a leaf, and was lying there, smiling again, as I scooped her up.

  But Luce was not to be denied so easily.

  “What a creature.” His eyes focused greedily on my baby, nestled in my arms. “Clearly she needs to be taught to direct her powers, but I think that can be accomplished.”

  “Don’t you come near her!” I snapped. The balance of power had shifted. The stunned guards had been easy prey for Sinjin. We were still outnumbered, but that was changing even as we spoke; the guards were still in a state of shock and some had even fled after seeing their master taken to the ground by a baby. Luce couldn’t just overwhelm me with his soldiers this time.

  But of course, he didn’t need to.

  I heard the words of the spell rising in Luce’s throat and automatically turned from him, hugging Rowan to my chest to shield her. The magic sprang forth, winding around me like the tendrils of a creeping plant, twisting around my arms and tugging, trying to loosen my grip on Rowan. I strained against the power, muscle versus magic, but Luce had always been more powerful than me and had only grown more so.

  “Let her go!”

  In the next instant, the magic recoiled away from me, releasing me, and I gasped in sharp relief.

  The voice had been Jolie’s. Sinjin had untied her and as I spun around, I found her and Luce locked in magical combat, their arms extended and between them a shimmering aura of power, one pressing against the other. When attacking me, Luce had had to be careful, for fear of harming Rowan, but with Jolie he had no such qualms.

  Concerned as I was for my sister, I suddenly had another thought; what about Emma ?

  #

  SINJIN

  The blade sliced through my arm as I tried to fight three guards at once. Careless. Exhaustion was making me sloppy.

  When Bryn had freed me (with a little help from my mir
aculous daughter!) I had come out all guns blazing, a riot of anger and adrenalin that I had vented on every one of Luce’s men I could get my hands on. But that was a potent mixture that burned fast and left a wreck behind. I had expended much energy and it had been worth it to keep Bryn safe while she got Rowan back, and then to free Jolie so she could help with Luce.

  Luce would use magic, and I knew there was little I could do to help thwart it. My job was to keep the guards away so Bryn and Jolie could fight uninterrupted. I did the job well, those I did not fight were scared enough to run away; finally, I was scarier than their evil master.

  But there were still enough of Luce’s minions left to put up a fight, and several of them were guarding Emma. And by this time, I was starting to feel it.

  I pulled back, breathing heavily and touched my arm to feel the blood flowing freely from it.

  “So that is the way it is.” I eyed my opponents, who glared me down, spears held ready. “Very well. If you insist on drawing my blood, I shall be forced to replace it from one of you.”

  It was big talk— I did not have the time to stop and feed now—but there is something about the idea of being bitten by a vampire that scares people in a very useful way. I saw the little nervous glances exchanged between the soldiers, then I attacked again.

  “Yay! Go on Unca Sinbin!”

  I have been in many fights in my six centuries but I do not think in any previous encounters did I have a cheer squad comprised of an enthusiastic toddler. Emma cheered me on as I fought, apparently quite unconcerned about the violence she was witnessing. I could not say if it had a demoralizing effect on my adversaries, but it gave me a much needed shot in the arm.

  “Yay!” Emma cheered again as I sent the last guard flying, smacking into a tree with a terminal thump.

  “Are you alright, Emma?” I asked, taking a moment to recuperate.

  “Again! Again!” cheered Emma.

  “Not bloody likely,” I replied. That had been a tough workout.

  Emma looked around. “Where’s my mummy?”

  I knew exactly where her mummy was, but I was not sure I should let Emma see her. Luce was a tough adversary and there was no guarantee that Jolie and Bryn would win. Fervently I wished I could help, but this was their fight.

  Emma looked up sharply. “Auntie Bin wants you.”

  #

  BRYN

  I wanted to help Jolie, to use our magic together against Luce.

  But I couldn’t put Rowan in danger by making myself a target.

  Clearly my kid had some power—frankly, it seemed she had power that put mine to shame. But I didn’t think it was power she knew how to use, it came out instinctively, and I couldn’t guarantee she would be able to protect herself against Luce’s magic.

  If Sinjin were here, he could take her and keep her safe.

  Emma!

  If Jolie could make telepathic contact with her daughter , I guessed I could too. I reached out to her mind and instantly knew she was with Sinjin.

  Emma, tell Sinjin I need him. It’s very important .

  Sinjin would come quickly, but would it be fast enough? Luce was winning, his power slowly pressing Jolie back, draining her energy. If this was a battle of stamina, the old magician was going to win.

  As he ran out from behind a stand of trees towards me, Sinjin was moving so fast , I could barely even see him. The sight of him made my heart leap. It was like seeing a phoenix rising from the flames. If he was here, then everything would be alright.

  It was only as he skidded to a halt beside me that I saw he was carrying Emma in the crook of one arm.

  “That was fast,” little Emma announced.

  I didn’t wait to explain things to Sinjin but just shoved Rowan into his free hand. He understood what I needed and retreated with the kids, keeping them safe from whatever was about to occur. As he backed away I saw him mouth the words ‘ I love you

  ’, and I replied telepathically.

  I love you too .

  I don’t know if he heard it, but I was sure he felt it.

  “ Mu mmy…” Emma had now seen her mother, locked in magical combat, and clearly in trouble.

  Well, she was about to get help.

  Now I needed to try to rely on the Flame. Hopefully where it had failed before, it would ignite now.

  With Rowan safe, I rushed to Jolie’s side and placed my hand on her shoulder, lending her my strength. As I did so, my knees almost buckled as I shared in the tremendous effort Jolie was suffering just to hold Luce at bay. I pulled myself up and directed my energy into Jolie, relieving her and taking some of the pressure on myself.

  And I felt The Flame suddenly igniting within me. Whatever power Luce had placed on me to block my abilities earlier, that block was gone now. Probably because he was using all his power to defend himself against my sister.

  Jolie clasped my shoulder with one hand, so we were standing locked together, power flowing between us. I raised my free hand and with a rush, felt the magic of The Flame surge forth. Up ahead of us, I saw Luce flinch and redouble his efforts as he now had both of us to fight off. But the wily old magician was not so easily beaten.

  In a sudden flash, he was gone and Jolie and I pitched forward.

  “Where’d he go?” asked Jolie.

  “Not far. Stay together. This ends now.”

  One way or the other, this was it, the final fight.

  I clapped my hands together and felt the fire burning within me.

  I let it take over, let it fill me with anger and the need for revenge. I felt the fire as it popped up on my skin.

  “Don’t let go,” I said to my sister and she continued to hold onto me, unaffected by the flames that lapped and danced on my skin. I faced Luce and took a deep breath, then I thrust my arms out, palms facing him. He was instantly illuminated in yellow light.

  He cursed and tried to run but Jolie cast out a binding spell, yanking him back.

  Twisting in mid-air, he raised his hands and tongues of fire burst from his fingers towards us. But as Jolie held the binding spell in place, I raised a shield and the fire dissipated harmlessly across it.

  Resigned to being dragged back to us, Luce changed tack and charged, power crackling from his skin, his eyes white with heat.

  Barely in time, Jolie and I held him back. We were barely a few feet apart now and where the magic met between us, sparks of raw power were thrown off, hissing and sizzling with energy.

  I could see the strain in Luce’s face, he couldn’t keep this going much longer but n either could I. And if I was exhausted, then Jolie had to be worse. Still, we held our ground, not giving an inch and then, finally, seeming to push him back, the searing blast of magical energy edging closer to Luce, threatening him.

  For the first time, I saw fear in those cold, cruel eyes. I won’t say it gave me pleasure, but I was glad to see it, and I thought of how many times he’d seen fear in the eyes of his victims and shown them no mercy.

  We were winning, but clearly Luce knew it. And he knew our weakness.

  Redirecting his power on a knife edge, Luce hurled himself up over us, and vanished, reappearing behind Sinjin.

  “Sinjin!” I yelled, but I was too late.

  A burst of magic knocked Sinjin aside and left Luce holding Emma as a human shield.

  “Right. Everyone keep their heads and we can all walk away from this.”

  “Put her down.” I had never heard such hatred in my sister’s voice.

  “I’ll let her go once I’ve gone,” snarled Luce. “We’re getting nowhere here. I can’t beat the two of you together and the two of you together are still only just a match for me.”

  “There’s more than two of us,” I said. It seemed important; what separated us from him was that we were a team, a family.

  Luce scoffed. “What’s your vampire going to do?”

  When I asked him about it later, Sinjin shrugged and said, ‘ It seemed the thing to do ’. I don’t think he could have plan
ned for what happened when he picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at Luce’s head. Luce had never seen vampires as a genuine threat, even after Sinjin had torn his arm off—they were animals to Luce. They had no magic so they were no threat. And I suppose hurling a rock at someone is a pretty Neanderthal act.

  But it distracted Luce for just long enough. Emma wrenched from his grip and ran towards Sinjin.

  Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion. I saw Luce make a frustrated grab for Emma and then saw the realization cross his

  face. He was defenseless. His hands started to raise to shield himself. But Jolie’s and mine were already up.

  And with the last of our energy, we threw it at him and I heard myself scream as the heat of the flame exited me and entered Luce.

  I don’t think of myself as a killer, but I lost no sleep over Luce. The magic of two angry mothers seared him from existence.

  Gone in a pop and fizz of energy, Luce was no more.

  TWENTY- SIX

  SINJIN

  I awoke, and for a moment tried to think what quest I was currently embarked upon.

  It was still strange to think that, after all that had happened in the passing months and years, it was now over. And we had won.

  Luce had paid the righteous penalty for his actions, and especially for using a child as a hostage. Though I had done some questionable things in my life, I had never been that kind of a monster.

  Perhaps that was why my bad dreams had abated. Or perhaps it was just that I was happy. Or perhaps that I had found some reconciliation with my own past; the past was the past. It had happened, but it need not define me.

  With Luce dead, his army evaporated seemingly overnight. All that had held them there was fear and I sincerely hoped they all found happy occupations and could live for long enough to find peace with what they had almost done.

  And the Underworld?

  Rolling over, I found my tempest sleeping soundly beside me. She was perhaps less of a tempest now that she was a mum. It remained to be seen if our daughter would grow into a hellion to match her mother. I hoped so. It was good for a child to have some fire.