How could this have happened?
It was a question Alastair had not stopped asking himself. Sitting safely in his coach, he clenched and unclenched his fists, staring off into space with an angry and almost fearful expression on his face.
How could she have found out?
The coach shuddered across the bumpy road and inwardly, Alastair was glad he had his coachman on standby for the night. The man had been waiting a short distance away from the Amaki base and, fortunately for Alastair, he had managed to get onto it. He still couldn't believe how close he was to having his soul ripped away from his body.
He assured himself he was safe now, although that did nothing to end his paranoia. If Joan Hale really was obsessed with tracking down every last one of the murderers, Alastair knew that, sooner or later, she would find out he had escaped. If she had managed to survive chanting the soul stealing incantation, he doubted there was any other force in this world or beyond that would stop her from coming after him.
And this thought only made him even more anxious. He had just been in a near death situation, and it had only been keen observation that had saved him. Joan Hale's scheme had been a bold and unexpected one. She had managed to cast a powerful spell known as The Dead Slave, which made the victims of the spell do everything the caster wanted. The spell needed to be chanted continuously, and in such a way that one's victim should not be forewarned. It was obvious now that the girl had made her demon imitate her voice and speak on her behalf, allowing her to mouth the spell without alerting the Elders. Furthermore, Joan's illusion of the younger girl had drawn their attention away from her. Alastair therefore had been fortunate enough to notice how her mouthing did not match her words. Acting quickly, he had cast a protective spell upon himself then pretended as though he had been affected by the spell. When the other Elder's were being consumed by the demon, he had taken the chance and slipped away through a trap door he had purposely positioned himself above. He had then resurfaced a short distance away from the church and fled.
That girl. Alastair thought hatefully, lurching along with the coach as the coachman made haste. How did she cast such a powerful spell? Even the most experienced of magicians do not have enough energy for a spell such as this. Could it be possible that her abilities have been awoken?
But he quickly dismissed the thought, knowing well enough that the Devil had taken measures to prevent that. Had that truly been the case, Joan Hale would not have survived the soul stealing incantation.
That Hale is more trouble than her damned father. Alastair thought bitterly. I may have escaped from her, but how will I face the Master?
The thought had just crossed his mind when there was a shout and the coach came to an abrupt halt, throwing Alastair forward. As the man picked himself up, the coach door was ripped off its hinges. Alastair looked up to see Javier standing before him.
"You!" Alastair held up an accusatory finger at the demon. "Where have you been? You dare not to answer my summons!"
Javier shrugged nonchalantly, a grin on his face. "Do not blame me, I had been strictly ordered by Satan to remain in Hell. Do you think I would ignore a direct order from the Devil himself?"
"What! Why?" Alastair demanded, but the demon simply grabbed him roughly by the front of his robes and hauled him out of the coach. Alastair caught a glimpse of the coachman lying motionlessly on the road. They were right in the middle of the city, yet all the noise did not seem to penetrate the walls of the silent houses.
"Where are you taking me?" Alastair said loudly, trying to free himself from the demon's grip. "I order you Javier, let me go! You are my demon."
"Shut up mortal, before I decide to rip your mouth right off your face." Javier said with a sinister gleam in his yellow, cat like eyes. "You are coming with me. Satan wants to see you."
Alastair felt his throat go dry, fear consuming him as smoke curled around both him and the demon. The houses grew obscure, fading away into blackness as Alastair felt himself hurtling through what he could only describe as nothingness. There was a pause, a short spell of silence before he opened his eyes, finding himself no longer in the cobbled London streets.
Around him, instead of huddled buildings and shops was a metal stair case spiraling upwards, grey support structures towering above him. Rows of windows set into the brickwork showed the dark sky outside, as well as the sprawling city of London with the Thames snaking down one side.
Turning around, Alastair looked past rails and platforms to see large bells hanging below him with crisscrossing metal grids above. It took him a minute to realize that he was in St Stephen's Tower, otherwise known as Big Ben.
Javier unceremoniously pushed Alastair forward, just a cold voice whispered from nearby.
"Alastair, how nice of you to drop by."
The man's blood ran cold as from the shadows of the belfry, Satan stepped out. He was dressed in blood red robes with his dark hair cascading down his back, smiling in an almost friendly manner at Alastair. But his eyes showed clearly the evil that lurked beneath the surface.
"M-master!" Alastair choked, falling onto his knees. "Master, please forgive me! I failed you,I failed to capture the Godling. Please my Lord--"
"Silence mortal." Satan's voice was like the crack of a whip. Alastair felt silent at once.
"Do not attribute your failure to my own. Your flimsy plan may have failed, but my plan is still running smoothly.
Alastair looked up at his master, confusion mingling with fear. "But my Lord, Joanne Hale- She has found out the truth! She will never join your side now. We have not fully corrupted her soul yet."
Satan laughed, while Javier shook his head as though Alastair has asked a very stupid question. The man's confused expression grew more prominent.
"Everything has happened as I wished it to." Satan said. "I wanted Joanne Hale to find out the truth, for it would only drive her further down the path of darkness. As for her soul, well, the seed I planted has already begun to sprout. Once she kills you, she shall be all mine."
"You planned this?" Alastair asked, mortified. "You wanted her to kill me? My Lord,I have served you faithfully for all these years. I have done everything you asked of me! I have been painstakingly trying to capture both the Guide and the Godling for you!"
The Devil laughed again, the cold sound reminding him greatly of Joan Hale. Satan looked down at Alastair almost sympathetically.
"You always were a fool Alastair." He drawled. "You only served me to gain wealth and power, not out of loyalty. But I shall be honest; I have been using you and the Amaki as well."
"My Lord-"
"Joanne Hale's soul can not belong to me until she completes her mission." Satan cut across. "And for that to happen, she has to kill her family all those who had a hand in her parents' murders. You are the last one left now. So that means you will have to die."
A horrified expression appeared on the man;s face,eyes practically bulging out of their sockets as he clutched his heart. Finally,regaining his ability to speak,he finally choked. "What about him?" Alastair pointed an accusatory finger at Javier, who had so far been observing the exchange with an amused expression. He did not react as Alastair continued pointing at him. "He should die too! After all, he is the one who killed the Hales!"
"Otherworldly creatures are excluded from the deal I made with the girl." Satan said coolly. "Javier has been a loyal demon. I do not wish to dispose of him."
"I have been loyal!" Alastair exclaimed, clearly wounded. "I have been most faithful, most obedient-"
"Your loyalty is no longer of any value to me." Satan replied with a sneer, dark humor lacing his every word. "You did your job by leading her to the Amaki. That's all the use I have for you. Just think, the Guide herself, compared with an insignificant human like you. It's obvious who I want working for me."
Alastair's shoulders slumped ,his whole body trembling violently as this news sunk in. "You-you gave her the power to cast the spell?"
"Yes." The Devil confirmed. "It's a shame you managed to escape. I had even made sure none of my demons intervened in the night's events. Unfortunately Kavera choose the wrong time to answer her mortal's summons."
"Master, please, I beg you, save me!" Alastair wailed, grabbing the hem of Satan's robe as he did. "Please My Lord, I promise I shall be of great use to you in the future."
Satan smiled down at the wretched man, although his eyes remained cold and indifferent. He signaled to Javier, who pulled the now weeping man away roughly from his master.
"Oh, you need not make any promises Alastair." He said, eyes flashing evilly. "You most certainly will be of great use to me. Why else do you think I shielded you from Avander and allowed you to escape? I intend to tease Joanne a little by keeping you out of her reach. Her restlessness will only make the darkness in her grow."
"Master-Please! I beg you-"
"Do not worry Alastair; you will die knowing you have been of use to your master." With that, Satan turned his back on the still pleading and shouting man. Javier conjured up a window of pulsating light and shoved the man through before plunging into it himself. The man's screams instantly died.
Smiling triumphantly, The Devil stood there alone in the belfry as the whole place came to life, chains and machinery clanking, wheels and gears grinding laboriously. Large hammers swung out, striking against the bells. Midnight crept up on London, the resonating sounds of the Tower bells carrying all over the city. The continued for a few minutes before the dings and dongs finally faded, the eerie silence returning to reign once more.
***
Avander's dark wings made no sound as he landed with a low scrape on a roof, looking back over his shoulder for any sign of Heidi. The girl was nowhere in sight, but he could sense her nearby. He still couldn't believe she was here, or that she had finally revealed herself to him.
There was a low moan and Avander looked down at Joan. She has still not regained consciousness, however she stirred occasionally. At that moment she had her head buried in his chest, curled up in his arms and breathing slowly.
She looks far more innocent than she actually is. Avander thought with a smirk, stretching his wings and taking off again. The wind picked up and his hair flew behind him and he glided over the sleepy settlements.
As he continued on his way, the thought over all that had occurred. He tried piecing the puzzle of event together, but the more he tried to do so, the more questions sprang up. Had Joan shared the contents of her father's journal with him, he was sure everything would make sense to him. However, Joan had left the library that day without a word. Whatever secrets the diary held, she had discovered them and they certainly had their affect upon her. The only time she had spoke to him after that was to reveal to him her decision to eliminate the Amaki, and what role he would play in the scheme. It was struck him as rather odd at first when she ordered him to imitate her voice and speak on her behalf during the meeting, but now that he had seen her whole scheme play out in front of him, things made sense.
One thing Avander was sure of however was the fact that his theory surrounding the girl's contract with the Devil was proving to be true. It explained why the girl hadn't worried about her own soul being devoured when she had been chanting the incantation. His theory also explained where she had acquired such immense power too.
His musing were interrupted when Joan stirred again. Glancing down he saw her eyes flicker open, confusion evident on her face. She blinked and looked up at him.
"Avander?" She asked, as though unsure it was really him.
"Yes, it's me."
"What happened?" She questioned blearily, brow frowned.
"I should ask you the same question."
Joan looked around, taking in her surroundings. "We were at the church. I killed the Amaki, and then Thomas Colton. After that, well, I'm not quite sure what happened. Everything became so unfocused. I think I remember someone speaking..."
Avander's ears pricked up at this, although Joan did not notice his sudden interest. "It could have been Heidi." He said carefully. "She was the one who found you unconscious."
Joan's face whipped around. "Heidi is here?" She said sharply.
"Yes, she's right behind us. She said she wanted to make sure the coast was clear. Apparently, she suspects danger." He paused. "She has wings." He added, just to see the girl's reaction.
"So it's true then." Joan murmured, more to herself than to him. She nodded almost understandingly, leaning against him as she frowned, deep in thought. Then, suddenly, she remembered where she was and recoiled, scowling at him.
"I am fully capable of walking on my own, thank you very much." She said coldly. "So you can put me down now."
Avander smirked at this. "Are you sure you want me to put you down?" he said, looking in the direction of the ground pointedly. Joan's glare grew more severe.
"You know what I mean." She hissed. "Put me down this instant! This is highly inappropriate."
"You did not seem to think so a few minutes ago when you were nuzzling against me."
Even in the dark, Avander could tell Joan's face turned an angry shade of red. "I was unconscious you fool!" She said indignantly, trying to hit him, but the awkwardness of her position prevented her from doing so. "Put me down demon!"
"We're almost at the manor." Avander stated plainly. "Do you really want to walk all the way on foot at this hour?"
Joan huffed, turning her face away from him with an irritated look. Avander continued to smirk.
A few minutes later, the Hale mansion came in sight. Avander soared over the walls and grounds, landing on the balcony that stretched outside Joan's study folding his wings and allowing them to withdraw into the material of his coat.
"It's about time." Joan said testily. As Avander set her down, for a split second their faces were only centimeters away. There was pause before Joan shoved him away with a disgusted click of her tongue. Avander only chuckled in amusement.
As she turned around, there was the soft swishing of wings. Looking up, Avander say Heidi perched upon the edge of the roof. Her wings were still poised for flight, showing the streaks of black feathers amongst the white. Two horns curled ram like on either sides of her head. Her mismatched eyes, one blue and the other red, were trained on the two people before her, an unreadable expression on her face, which was far more mature than her seven years. In fact, it wasn't just her face. As she straightened up, it was clear her body too had aged. She was taller, her figure more defined. She was a young woman now.
There was a flash of light and Heidi morphed back into a young girl, the strange tattoo under her right red eye glowing faintly before disappearing. She slid down the roof gracefully, walking up to Joan. Even though she was seven again, the expression in her face was still severe.
"Heidi." Joan murmured , looking mildly surprised. "So you have revealed yourself at last."
"Joan." Heidi spoke softly, something close to pain flashing in her eyes. "It's time you and I spoke openly with one another. There is much we have to discuss."
------------------------------
Have you guys figured out what Heidi is now?
Answer with a yes or no (Don't want to spoil the fun now do we? XD)
One more chapter to go and we'll be reaching the end of phase one.