Somewhere between me and the road, I picked up a sound. I stopped and listened. They were in the evergreens, probably no more than a stone’s throw away. In the craters of my mind, I could hear the slow thud of their heartbeats.
I whirled around. But I was alone.
Where the hell were they?
And then I heard Marco’s filthy snarl.
This was it.
Out of nowhere, I felt a fist plough into the back of my head. I dropped to the ground, face first.
Behind me, Marco let out a rippling bellow. He grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and hoisted me upright, only to knock me back down again with another iron-knuckled punch. This time I skidded across the mud like a hockey puck.
I spat out a mouthful of blood and flipped over onto my back. Marco was already on top of me, frothing at the mouth.
“Well, this is cosy,” I said with a grin.
Seemed Marco wasn’t in the mood for banter. He raised his fist.
I swiftly rolled out of its path, just in time to see Marco’s punch dent the ground.
I was on my feet. “Come on, brother,” I goaded, “you can do better than that.”
He swung for me again and I jumped back. But, the truth was, I was no match for Marco. I didn’t know how long I could keep this up for. Of course, I wasn’t about to let him catch onto that. To him I planned on being Mr Invincible. Or at least, Mr Put-Up-a-Good-Fight.
“Too slow,” I taunted, dodging left, then right, then left, then back, then right…
Marco was ferocious now, growling and seething and occasionally gnashing his teeth—more animal than human. His eyes bulged and the falling raindrops sprayed off his lips in angry rasps. He swung at me, his stamina only increasing with time.
Huh. Probably shouldn’t have riled him up so much. Damn hindsight.
Thinking fast, I reached up for a low-hanging tree branch and snapped it clean off the trunk. The branch was thick and heavy, and I used it like a bat, swiping it at my opponent.
It backfired.
Marco seized the other end and slammed it against me, forcing me backwards and pinning me against the tree.
I gripped my end of the branch, trying to match Marco’s strength as he attempted to drive the weapon into my stomach. My muscles shook and burnt from the strain. The splintering wood pressed into my body, cutting into the skin. Marco was winning. And just as I was about to accept defeat, he made a fatal error.
“After I’ve finished with you, I’ll move on to the girl,” he sneered.
Well, what do you know? Taunting really could make people angry. I flipped out.
With a second wind, I thrust a gap between me and the branch, ducking aside and letting the bough stab through the tree trunk where I had previously been.
Marco baulked in disappointment.
In an instant I was behind him. I locked my arms around his throat, forcing him to lose his footing and splutter for air.
Ha. Now who’s the boss?
Then a new voice came from behind me.
“Oscar, no!” It was Caicus.
Startled, I lost my concentration. It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Marco to slip free.
Damn. We were on an even footing again. Except this time, he had reinforcements.
Marco struck out and smacked me in the jaw. His punch threw me backwards, and I hit the ground hard.
Dazed, I tried to stagger to my feet, but Marco’s boot met my face. I was down again and choking on my own blood.
“Caicus,” I spluttered.
There was no response.
“Caicus,” I called for my brother again, louder this time. But it seemed as though that ship had sailed.
From the ground I saw Marco’s feet approach. He kicked me full-force in the gut and cackled.
“Ooh,” he mocked. “Looks like that one hurt.”
I squinted through the pain. “Itches a bit.”
“How about this?”
He booted me again.
“Feels nice. Keep going,” I said. Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth and merged with the dark, boggy mud.
So, this was how it would end. Flattened by brother dearest. Eh. Could have been worse. I figured I’d lose consciousness soon, which would be pleasant. I could have used a good sleep.
As Marco carried on, I blocked out the pain and thought only of Rose. It really took the edge off the beating. I pictured her safe in the tree house, away from all of this brutality. She’d come out after midnight, and we’d all be gone. She’d be safe, and she’d go on to have a wonderful life. A normal life. I could finally rest assured that, for once, I had done the right thing. I’d given life to my girl. A life away from demons, and witches, and anything else that threatened to taint her world. I’d done what I’d set out to do. I’d saved her.
That was my prophecy.
I smiled deliriously.
“I’ll wipe that smile off your face,” Marco spat.
I vaguely saw him raise his fist high into the air. His scowl was vengeful, murderous, and satisfied.
Oh well.
I love you, Rose, I thought. See you in the next life.
And I kept smiling.
My Way
MARCO STOOD OVER ME, HIS fist poised above my head.
“You’ve had this coming, Oscar. You’re done,” he spat, salivated at the thought.
I could feel a stream of thick blood spilling from my mouth and nose.
“Get on with it, then,” I said hoarsely, “before I keel over from boredom.”
“Still proud,” Marco scoffed, pressing his foot down on my chest. “Even in your final breath you’re conceited.” He shook his head and laughed bitterly. “I’ve always hated you.”
“I know,” I wheezed. “I’ve always hated you, too.”
He brought his fist down and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
I heard a heavy thud, and the next thing I knew, Marco’s weight had slipped from my chest and landed on my leg. I didn’t dare open my eyes.
Was I dead? For a dead person I was in a lot of pain. What about all that no-more-pain junk? Wasn’t that death’s major selling point? Refund, please.
I opened one eye. I was still in the forest. I glanced down to see Marco slumped over my leg, dazed.
Now someone else stood tall. My saviour and his weapon of choice—the Lamborghini’s exhaust pipe.
“Well, it’s about bloody time!” I said to Caicus.
He grinned quickly at me, then turned to Marco with a scowl.
“You,” he said in his favourite bad-ass voice, as Marco was attempting to sit upright, “I may have let you trash my car, but nobody, and I mean nobody, trashes my best friend.” He clunked the exhaust pipe on Marco’s skull, this time knocking him unconscious.
“Ooh,” I winced for Marco. “He’ll feel that in the morning.” I wriggled my trapped leg free and Caicus helped me to my feet.
“Cutting it fine, weren’t you?” I said, acutely aware of the torrent of blood running down my face.
“Eh,” he shrugged casually, “I wanted my dramatic moment. Everybody else got one.”
Now, I wasn’t really sure where this came from, but I gave him a hug. Patted him on the back a few times too—you know, to man it up a bit. He did the same. It was our way of saying thanks, sorry, forgiven, clean-slate.
I wiped a trickle of blood from my mouth. “Hey, Caicus,” I said, cocking my head to the side. “All these years and I never knew you were left-handed.”
“Huh.” He stared down at his hands in fascination, the left one still gripping the exhaust pipe. “Neither did I.”
“Strange. You know, I’m left-handed, too.”
“Are you? Well, isn’t that something.”
We chuckled pleasantly.
“Oh, wait!” I smacked my brow with the heel of my hand. Our blithe reunion had distracted me from fast-approaching midnight. “Lathiaus. We should do something.”
“Like what??
??
“I don’t know.”
Come on, brainwave, do your stuff...
“Let’s fight him!”
Caicus laughed. “Good one.”
“No, I’m serious. What’s the worst than can happen?”
“Um, we die?”
“We’re going to die anyway,” I reasoned.
He swept the rain-soaked hair from his eyes. “It’s such an effort,” he sighed.
I took that as a yes. “That’s the spirit!”
“What about him?” Caicus nudged Marco with his foot.
“He’ll wake up eventually,” I guessed. “Then it’ll be a case of see who gets us first.”
“Place your bets,” Caicus cheered. “Where’s Rose?”
“I’ve hidden her,” I declared proudly. “In a tree house.”
“Oh,” he said. “That’s nice.”
We began walking. We were surprisingly chipper considering that we were heading to our doom. Again.
Caicus mimed the act of raising a glass. “I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you that it has been an honour working alongside you.” He propped his arm on my shoulder as we walked. “I’ve had a heck of a time being your best friend.”
I smirked. “Never a dull moment.”
“I feel good about this, you know,” he mused. “This was how it was meant to be. This was always our destiny.”
I was sure he didn’t truly believe that, but I nodded my head. “Thanks for sticking by me.”
“Get real, Oscar. What else was I going to do?”
I smiled.
“You look like hell, by the way.” He prodded at my bruised face.
I smiled again.
“So,” he went on, “let’s think up some last words.”
I cleared my throat. “I regret not the things I’ve done, but those I did not do—”
“Snooze.”
I tried again. “Et tu, Brute?”
He rolled his hand for me to continue.
“Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough?”
Caicus sniggered. “How about, ‘Either that wallpaper goes, or I do!’ ”
I laughed. “Yeah, that about sums up my life.”
“Hey,” his eyes lit up playfully, “I bet you go first.”
I snorted. “Bet you do.”
We trundled along, humming the tune to that Sinatra song, My Way.
Hmm. I think I just found my last words.
I did it my way.
BY THE TIME WE REACHED the manor, I felt like I’d done ten rounds in the ring. I’d taken a hammering from Marco, and now my body was more-or-less running on pure adrenaline.
Caicus and I stepped onto the gravel and I let out a slow whistle at the sight of Mary’s overturned minivan.
“Brother spat his dummy out,” Caicus commented.
“Yup.”
I looked around. The house was dark and vacant. Across the waterlogged lawn, I could see Mary’s flower garden. The quaint rose bushes suddenly seemed sinister, as though the gale had bent them into distorted, hideous figures.
“Now what?” Caicus asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
I feigned confidence. “We wait for Lathiaus to show up.”
Caicus groaned impatiently. “Any idea when that’ll be?”
I rolled my eyes. “How should I know? I’m not his PA.”
He huffed. “Well, it’s almost midnight. Shouldn’t he be here by now?”
I listened to the secret sounds of the night. “He’ll be here,” I muttered. “You summoned him. He’ll be here.”
Across the yard, the manor door flew open. Caicus and I jumped, caught unawares.
I was even more shocked when I saw who came pelting through the door.
Rose!
“What are you doing out here?” I yelled at her, gripping my head in dismay.
She raced over to me and flung her arms around me.
I returned her embrace. “What are you doing out here?” I asked again, tenderly now. “I told you to go to the tree house.”
“Oh, I didn’t go,” she replied simply.
Figures. Nobody listens to me.
“Go now,” I implored her. “There’s still time.”
She drew away from me and gasped at the sight of my face.
“What happened to you?” she cried. “You’re bleeding—everywhere!” She glanced at Caicus, who kind of waved at her.
“Marco,” I answered. “Sibling rivalry.”
“Where is he?” Rose pressed.
I shared a look with Caicus. “Taking a nap.”
“Bashed him with the exhaust!” Caicus hooted.
Rose furrowed her brow, confused and probably shaken.
“It’s okay,” I assured her, twining my fingers through her hair.
I wouldn’t have expected her to kiss me with a face like that, so I was pleasantly surprised when she did. It hurt a little—but in a good way.
“I’m so happy to see you,” she breathed.
“I’m happy to see you, too. You have to go, though.”
“Too late,” I heard Caicus murmur.
A tearing sound came from the forest, and before our eyes, one of the trees uprooted and soared through the air like a javelin. It crashed into the house, shattering the windows.
Rose shrank back, and I angled myself in front of her.
“Lathiaus?” she choked.
“No,” I muttered, shaking my head. I raised my voice. “Marco!” I shouted into the shadowy evergreens. “Fight with us on this. We’re not the enemy. Lathiaus is.”
“Oscar,” Caicus whispered, edging closer to me, “I can’t see him.”
I kept my eyes fixed to the trees, watching for any sign of movement. I saw a flash of blond hair, and the next thing I knew, Marco stood before us.
“Help us,” I appealed quickly. “Fight alongside us.”
Marco glowered at me. His chalky eyes were rabid, bloodthirsty. He was past the point of reason.
However, if there was one thing I knew about Marco, it was that he was painfully predictable. And it didn’t take a genius to suss out his next move. He’d go for Rose. And he’d be going for a quick kill.
As he lunged forward, I turned my shoulder on him, using my body like a shield. I managed to knock Marco backwards. But he was by no means beaten.
I held my ground as he charged again. This time he went for me. He gripped me by the throat and effortlessly tossed me aside.
I hit the gravel with an excruciating smack.
As I clambered to my feet, I was surprised—and grateful—to see that Caicus had thrown himself in front of Rose. Alas, his gallant gesture didn’t last long. Marco batted him away with the flick of a wrist. Caicus was hurled through the air, landing on the grass and sliding along with the momentum until he crashed into a tree trunk.
“I’ll get to you next,” Marco threatened him.
While Caicus staggered to his feet, I pulled Rose out of the way.
Marco growled and thundered towards me.
Again he clamped his hand around my throat and lifted me off the ground. I scrambled to get my footing, but Marco held me high.
Rose pounded her fists on Marco’s back, but to him she was nothing more than a pesky fly.
As I rasped for air, I scanned the yard for Caicus. He stood motionless, his face ashen. But he wasn’t looking at us. Something else held his attention. And I was willing to bet it was something big.
All of a sudden, the ground began to shudder. At first it came in short, sharp bursts, but it swiftly progressed into a low, continuous ripple.
Earthquake? No such luck.
I didn’t waste time asking questions. Instead I took the opening to clout Marco around the head. Startled, he released his grip and dropped me to the gravel.
Rose was immediately at my side. I drew her closer. I needed her closer. Something immense was about to go down.
Understatement.
Actually, it was surreal the way it happen
ed; it was as though the world stood still for a moment. The war between our little group took intermission and all eyes gravitated towards Mary’s flower garden. It was as if there was a magnetic pull beyond our control. As witches, when we sensed true evil, we found it very hard not to stare.
I set my focus on one of the rose bushes. The long-stemmed flowers swayed, crooked and arched, almost as though they were trying to take human form.
“That’s him,” Rose murmured.
I didn’t reply. There was no need to. Instead, I watched as what had once been an innocent rose bush began to warp and grow into a giant skeleton swathed in a long, black robe. Its beady black eyes peered out at us, visible even in the dark of night.
Rose clung to my arm and I linked my fingers over hers.
Lathiaus was there. In the flesh. Or lack of flesh, as the case may be.
He lurched across the lawn with a stride that appeared rusted and stilted. The closer he got, the clearer I could see his rotten, ivory bones and his claw-like, hooked fingers. What repulsed me most of all, though, was that his jagged teeth remained perfectly intact, despite the rest of his body having long succumbed to decay.
Rose looked at me, and I looked back at her.
I saw her through the rain, incomparably beautiful and eternally etched on my mind.
“I’m not afraid,” she said. “Tell me I’m not afraid.” She kind of smiled, shivering at the same time.
I smiled back in a similar, jittery way. “You’re not afraid,” I reassured her. “And neither am I.”
With my gaze so absorbed in Rose, I barely noticed Marco swooping in on us. And that was something I’d never forgive myself for.
He took Rose and flung her across the yard.
My heart stopped.
“No!” I cried as she collided against the minivan. In an instant I was beside her, stooped over her protectively. She was unconscious, but breathing.
Marco darted towards us again.
“Oscar, look out!” Caicus shouted.
I held my arm up and, using the last of my dwindling strength, I struck our attacker away.
He tumbled backwards onto the gravel. But it didn’t keep him down for long. In seconds, he was on his feet and blind with rage. He was feral now—and clearly couldn’t see sanity from lunacy, because, to my surprise, he went for Lathiaus.