Unbroken (Untouched #2)

Chapter 12

THE fraught silence – shrouded with both uncertainty and tension – hung in the air as the small group loitered around the room.

Hans had taken a step away from the door, leaning against of the wooden mantel; one that was once covered in dozens of bottles, books and regents that Ellen thought existed only in fairytales and fantastical novels. His lips straight and not emitting a single sound, he ran his fingers through his hair and took another slowly, purposeful look around the room. It was as if to confirm that it was nothing but an apparition, but he knew that it was all real just like the threat that loomed over them and threatened to break at any time. As he turned his head, his eyes settled on Claudia. Claudia, in turn, gazed at Ellen.

"How did you know about this?" she asked quietly.

Turning their gaze, Ellen felt their eyes poke holes through her. A sinking weight pushed down on her shoulders and her lungs felt as if they were choking as she struggled to take a breath.

It was a question she didn't know the answer to; one that opened more questions than she could ever hope to have answers for. It was a question that she had found to be asking herself hundreds of times a day and one that she found herself no closer to satisfying the hunger with an answer.

"I honestly don't know." She let her eyes fall on each of them – the patiently-waiting Claudia, the ever-faithful Hans, and the sharp-shooting Dvorak. "I ask that from myself every day and every day, I am back to where I have started. Do you think I wanted this? Of course not. I am over this, I am very much over this. It should have never happened."

Leaving his perch on the mantle, Hans took a few wide strides and wrapped an arm around Ellen's shoulder. Claudia, too, took a step closer and rested a hand gently on the top of her arm.

"I am sorry if it feels as if we are treating you unfairly," she said in a whisper. "We know you didn't want this. You didn't want any of this, and we know that. It's just that we have to get to the bottom of this and we really don't know what we are dealing with just yet. We don't know what he has done to you of if he has done anything to you at a-".

Dvorak coughed and pointed a short, stubby finger towards the door. We have company.

The group turned and stared at the open door, watching. Waiting. The seconds ebbed on, and Ellen drew a deep breath as a long shadow splashed across the doorway. What was a single shadow was joined by another, and then another. The moved closer as she heard something heavy pound on the floor.

"It looks like we have been beaten."

A tall figure stepped across the threshold, accompanied by two others who flanked closely behind. Ellen blinked, staring at the newcomers in the suddenly-crowded room. They were taller than them but not by much, and the longer she gazed at them, the more mesmerised she became. The man that had spoken seemed the oldest of them all for his green-shaded skin wrinkled in folds across his forehead and grizzly grey hair tinged with blue fell behind his shoulders. A gold hoop hung from the middle of his nose, and two long teeth poked upwards from between his teeth. His wrinkled hand, marked with fading, black ink, gripped onto the twist of a gnarled branch which she could only guess was a staff.

Feeling something bump into the small of her back, Ellen pulled her eyes away from their guests and stared at the debris on the floor.

Claudia stepped out from behind Ellen and moved towards the man. "It is unfortunate that we must meet under such terrible circumstances, Chieftain." She closed her eyes and bowed her head as she let a couple of seconds pass.

"I never thought that one of our own Warlocks would be involved in this...," the man shifted his eyes towards Ellen. As Ellen looked up from the floor, she was caught by the depth of the electric blue irises that stared at her, "...mess."

Ellen saw the muscles of the Chieftain's hand tighten as he gripped the staff. He took a couple of steps towards her before leaning his weight on the branch. She diverted her eyes and saw Claudia quietly taking in the moment that had started to unfold in the room.

"You must be the one we heard about. You know, we might be different kinds, but news still spreads between our worlds. One might owe that to our good-standing. One may also hope that nothing will cause that bond to grow ill and wither with poisons and toxicity for that would be hundreds of years – no, thousands of years – of our experiences left to rot. But I shouldn't worry about that. Like everyone else in this room, irrespective of the meeting under terrible circumstances, I expect great things from you."

"Ellen, this is Chieftain X'aargul of the warlocks. And he is accompanied by Ehrn and Drog'miir."

The two figures behind the Chieftain dipped their heads in unison without saying a word. Ellen looked between them both, taking in their unusual features. Whilst the female warlock had bright pink hair that was tied up loosely, the male next to her had dark, forest-green locks that framed his face. Both of them had the same green skin, marked with black symbols which she couldn't recognise.

"But enough of this formal business, my friends," the Chieftain grunted, piercing the silence. "Do you know what has happened here?"

"We've only arrived ourselves. But it does look like your own has had a visit, Chieftain, and not a good one. Everything is empty and, as you can see, appears to be ransacked. They have left nothing." Hans stepped beside the Warlock and looked around at the room. His eyes lingered in the corners and though he remained stoic, the corner of his eyes twitched from an internal battle that appeared to be brewing inside.

The Chieftain shuffled forward and rested a hand on the tall man's shoulder. "My brother, it is unfortunate but mark my words when I say that there is a blood burden to pay. We do not see attacks on our kind kindly just like yourselves, and it is an attack on our honour. No one spills our blood without paying. That is my promise to you and we do not make promises lightly. But I do have one question..."

The old Warlock trained his focus once more on Ellen, shifting his weight on the staff. "There is something about you, young one. Do you have any thoughts on this at all?"

Ellen pushed her weight from one foot on the other and curled her fingers. She could feel the eyes of Claudia, Hans and Dvorak trained on her. Glancing backwards, the stocky man raised a hand and motioned towards her.

Ellen, m'dear. Say exac'ly wha' you feel.

Hans nodded ever so lightly and for what seemed like the first time in years, a reassuring smile tugged at his lips.

"I don't know why or how, but they have been here. I don't know why but they were looking for someone... looking for him. They took him with force."

The Chieftain's eyes shone brightly as they rounded. "And by them, you mean Lucien's scourge, don't you?"

Ellen nodded.

"Hmmm. At least he didn't go willingly. It is always of some comfort that he did not betray his clan. As for you, young Ellen. I can see conflict in you but don't let the feud boil over. You have an extraordinary gift and one that could be used to achieve what we have wanted all along. Embrace the blessing and this connection you may have with the dark world. It will help you on your journey. And whilst it may seem overwhelming and like a curse, it is anything but. Use it to your advantage and embrace this unique gift that has been bestowed on you. I shall keep an eye on you quite closely. Should you ever need assistance, I can be called quite easily. Something tells me we are somewhat competent at alchemy and summoning creatures that you could only dream of."

The Chieftain winked and the female warlock emitted a humoured grunt from behind. Without saying another word, the Chieftain struck the butt of the staff on the ground. A crack thundered through the air and a scroll materialised from flames in his hand. A thick, green ribbon shone brilliantly in the light as he held it out towards Ellen. His hand remained outstretched as he waited.

"I think this may be of some use to you and may give you answers to the questions in your mind."

Ellen took into her hand and felt the heavy weight as the warlock pulled away. It was thick and course against her fingers, and it almost seemed to hum at her touch.

Whilst the Chieftain had said that it may answer her questions, she was left with one more.

What exactly am I holding?