Witch Untold by Debbie Cassidy
Chapter Twelve
The wide, icy streets of Barrow were empty. String bulbs hung between the aerial posts that lined the road, giving the place an almost festive feel, and weak amber light spilled out of windows, making patches in the snow.
My sword bumped my hip as I walked, reminding me it was there, even though it was hidden by glamour.
It was early here, maybe ten in the morning, but there wouldn’t be any sun till late January. I didn’t know how they lived like this, in eternal darkness day after day.
I couldn’t do it.
I needed to feel the kiss of the sun’s rays on my face every day. To soak it up. But some outliers, like the Sons of Adam, lived for the dark.
I bet they were pale as fuck.
“You’d think there’d be people out and about,” Sloane said. “Might be dark but the day has begun.”
“Sleepy vibe,” Lauris said, pulling his hood over his head. I guess he didn’t feel the cold like we did, but he needed to look the part. “Feels like the world runs at a different speed here.”
He was right. This place had a different vibe. As if we’d stepped out of time somehow. But we hadn’t, and the coming threat wouldn’t be slowed down by it.
We trudged up the road with no idea where the fuck we were going. “We need to find a police station. Alert the authorities that a threat is coming.”
We should surely see someone soon.
“And say what?” Bramble said. “What’s our story? Monsters are coming?”
I shrugged. “We say whatever we have to. Get the police to issue an alert and spread the word for people to stay indoors.”
Sloane shook her head. “I doubt the things Bramble described are gonna let doors and windows stop them. We need to get everyone to a secure location where we can protect them.”
“There’s no time,” Bramble snapped. “Those things are coming. Cora’s right. The best we can do is warn people to stay indoors. Then we cut them off as they enter town and fight.” Her pupils dilated in fear.
“You want to fight a horde?” Lauris asked. “There are four of us.” He shrugged. “Admittedly, I’m equal to about three of you, but still, I doubt it’ll be enough.”
Bramble pressed her lips together and ducked her head, picking up her pace with angry strides. “We either fight or we run, and I’m not about to let innocent people die if we have even a slight chance of saving them.”
I felt it too, the need to protect these people, but the odds were seriously against us. And if we were going to do this, the decision had to be unanimous, taking into account the huge risk.
I came to a standstill, bringing the group to a halt. “Way I see it, we have no idea what those creatures are, or what their vulnerabilities are. For all we know they could be magic- and bullet-proof. I came here to get our people out and get back to Grimswood. I promised Anna I wouldn’t put the seal under unnecessary risk. Fighting a horde might not be unnecessary, but if we do this, we save a few people but could end up dooming the world. So, we need to decide…are we willing to take this risk. Are we all on board?”
Sloane made a sound of exasperation. “Fuck it. I can’t just walk away.”
“Then we do this,” Lauris said.
A figure appeared up ahead. A woman carrying a box of groceries.
I intercepted her. “Hi, can you tell me where the police station is.”
She frowned. “You’re tourists? Are you all right?”
“No. I mean, yes. We just need to know where the police station is.”
“Just follow the road down and take a right. Big blue building, you can’t miss it.”
“Thank you. Listen, go home and stay indoors. Please.”
“What?” Alarm flashed across her face. “What’s going on? Who are you people?”
Shit. “We work for the government and we’re here to warn the townsfolk that a threat is coming. It’s minutes away. You need to get inside and wait for an official announcement.”
I sounded like a crazy person, but something in my eyes must have convinced her because she nodded quickly and hurried off.
“Shit, Cupcake, that was risky,” Sloane said.
“We don’t have a choice. They’ll see the threat soon enough. I’d rather they do it from behind closed doors.”
“Thank you,” Bramble said softly.
“What for?”
“For believing me.”
I snorted. “If something freaks you out, then it’s a serious threat. Come on. Let’s get to the station and see if we can convince the law enforcement to help.”
* * *
Barrow was wakingup by the time we reached the police station. There was no time to contemplate what to say, to plan, or to worry, because the things Bramble had seen could be here any moment.
I led the charge up the steps and into the building. Anemic light assaulted my eyes, and the smell of coffee tickled my nose. A tired-looking man looked up from behind a reception desk, but his expression grew alert at the sight of us.
“You lost, folks?” he asked.
Best to stick to my government story. “No, Officer. We’re with a covert branch of the government. A dangerous new breed of predator has been sighted on the outskirts of your town. You need to alert the townsfolk to stay indoors while we deal with the threat.”
He stared at me with cool gray eyes.
Shit. Was he buying this? He was impossible to read. “Is there a way for you to do that?”
“Predators, eh?”
“Yes. Very dangerous. And lots of them.”
“Uh-huh, and what do these predators look like?”
Fuck. I turned to Bramble.
She stepped forward and placed her hands on the counter. “Humanoid, pale, furless skin, talons, wide mouths filled with teeth.”
His brows flicked up. “Leo, get over here!” he called over his shoulder.
A stocky old man came ambling out from the room behind the counter, hiking up his trousers with one hand and smoothing back his wispy silver hair with the other.
“What is it, Richie?”
“Have you been telling your stories to the tourists again?”
Leo looked at us, brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t do that anymore. You know that, Richie.”
“Well, these folks seem to have plucked the description of the ice walkers straight out of your head, then.”
Ice walkers?
“There’s an exhibition at the library,” Leo said.
Richie pressed his lips together and inhaled through his nose. “Uh-huh. Makes sense. Look, I get it. The stories are pretty freaky, but that’s all they are, stories passed down around campfires for generations. Stories to keep the youth in line.” His expression hardened. “But they are part of our heritage, and I don’t appreciate you folk wasting precious police time by making fun of them.”
Fuck. “We’re not making this up. The creatures are real, and they’re headed this way because this is the only source of food for miles.” I locked gazes with him. “I don’t have time to convince you. But I can tell you if you don’t act now, we’ll be holding you personally accountable for the resulting deaths.”
Doubt flashed in his eyes, but then his jaw tensed. “You say you’re with the government?”
“That’s right.”
He exchanged looks with his partner. “Let’s see some ID.”
Fucking hell. Think, Cora. “I said we were covert. We don’t carry ID.” He opened his mouth to respond but I cut him off. “There is no time for this, Officer. Those stories that are part of your heritage are real. This predator is real. It might have been dormant for a while. It might have moved away and circled back, who knows. But it’s here and it’s hungry.”
“Send out the alert,” Leo said suddenly.
“What?” Richie stared at him in surprise.
“Send it out and I’ll go with them and verify their story. If they’re lying, then they’ll be spending the night in a cell for wasting police time.”
“Leo, this is ridiculous. You really gonna humor these kids?”
Kids? Who the fuck was he calling kids?
Leo ducked back into the room and returned with a gun belt, which he clipped around his waist. “I won’t be long. Pop the kettle on.” And then to us, “Lead the way.”
* * *
We took the police car.Leo didn’t speak as he drove us back the way we’d come, toward the horde. The interior of the vehicle smelled of coffee and something sweet, like vanilla. It was pristine, though, no wrappers or empty disposable coffee cups. Leo kept his house in order.
The closer we got to the main road, the harder my pulse pounded. What if Bramble was wrong? What if those things weren’t coming? What if they hadn’t fully woken up yet? We’d assumed they were going to attack immediately, but if that wasn’t the case, we’d look like liars and lose the department’s trust, which meant when the creatures did attack, we’d be at a disadvantage.
It sucked that I needed us to be right. That I needed the ice walkers to attack now for us to have a chance to deal with them.
The open road came into view, the houses on either side petering out, giving way to the vast emptiness of the landscape beyond, shrouded in darkness. The northern lights were far away, like a cloud of color in an otherwise dismal landscape.
Leo brought the police car to a halt and unlocked the doors.
We spilled out and trudged up the road, bodies angled toward the emptiness.
Leo stood, gloved hands on hips, breath misting in front of his face. “Well…looks calm on the horizon.” He sighed and turned to face us. “Look, I get it. You’re young, you read some folklore, you think you’ll have some fun.”
“If you thought we were lying, why did you agree to drive out here?” Bramble asked.
“Because I was young once too. I know what it’s like, and trust me, Richie would have happily locked you all up.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Government agents. Unless the government’s recruiting from the cradle.”
Did we honestly look so young? I mean maybe Bramble, but not the rest of us. “Leo, this isn’t a joke.”
His smile fell. “Enough. Now get out of here. Get back to your hotel and we’ll say no more about it.”
I caught movement over his shoulder. A dark mass against the northern lights. “Oh, fuck!” I pushed past him. “They’re here.”
“Twenty minutes out, if that,” Sloane assessed.
Figures were moving fast, a line of black against the horizon getting closer and closer.
Leo turned to follow our gazes and his mouth popped open. “What the—”
I grabbed his arm, forcing him to face me. “Get back to the station, issue that alert, get as many people away from the edge of town as you can. Do it. Now.”
This time he didn’t argue.
