The Dying Light (Bloodwitch #1)

’What?’ Charlie and Kovalev both reacted to Alexandra’s revelation in unison.

‘You heard me,’ Alexandra said, addressing Charlie with her face set and her hands on her hips. ‘I want to help my people. I can get you out of the Facility, and I know someone in Penumbra who will be able to help Seren. I’m certain they’ll be able to help mount a real rescue to save everyone else who has been imprisoned here, too.’

Charlie looked at Seren, chewing the corner of his mouth. ‘What’s the catch?’

‘I want to come with you,’ Alexandra said, swallowing hard. ‘That’s all. I think that’s a fair return on your freedom and your lives, how about you?’

‘Alexandra, do you realise what you’re saying?’ Kovalev had gone pale. ’I don’t care how good this friend of yours is. What you’re talking about is impossible. There’s no way you can all make it past Dragomir and get out of here alive, let alone help anyone else escape.’

‘You don’t know my friends,’ Alexandra said at once, dismissing his words with a wave of her hand. ’I know they’ll help us, I know it. Trust me, Charlie – please.’

Charlie shook his head, drawing his nails across his neck. ‘My family are still here …’

’This is the only way,’ Alexandra said, her voice clipped with urgency. ‘Believe me, I’ve had a long time to think about this. You want to see your family again, don’t you?’

’Can’t you just –?’

She shook her head immediately. ‘You think I have any real authority in this place?’ she said, a sour look clouding her face. ‘I can’t risk my father finding out that I’ve been snooping around asking questions or giving orders.’ She tossed her hair over her shoulders, a roguish smile curling her lips. ‘We simply need to make a fast, inconspicuous getaway.’

Kovalev’s jaw had dropped. ‘Alexandra, how long have you been planning this?’

Once again, Alexandra ignored him. Folding her arms, she looked directly at Charlie. ’If we came back here with my friends, we could rescue your family like that.’ She snapped her fingers for emphasis. ‘Without them …’ She trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders.

Charlie groaned. ‘All right,’ he said at last. ‘All right, all right. Let’s do it.’

Alexandra beamed and punched him playfully on the shoulder before extending her hand towards him. ‘It’s a deal? Remember, if you shake on it there’s no backing out.’

Already beginning to wonder whether he was making a mistake, Charlie took her hand in his and shook it, smiling at her eager expression despite himself. ‘Fine. You’ve got a deal.’

‘And you’re planning to walk right out of here, are you?’ Kovalev asked. He was scowling at both of them now. ‘I’d love to hear how you thought that was going to work out.’

Alexandra clasped her hands behind her back. ‘Well, we may need to complete a little extraction mission first,’ she said, her warm eyes sparkling as she twirled a strand of her hair.

Charlie stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. ‘Say that again?’

‘There’s someone who works here in the Facility that I need to speak to before I leave.’ She was racing to get her words out, Charlie thought, as though she was desperate to explain everything as quickly as possible. ’He’s the best! We’ve been meeting in secret for months – and don’t look at me like that, he’s been teaching me about medicine,’ she added, noticing Kovalev’s outraged expression. ‘He’s always been there for me, especially since I started having …’ Alexandra heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘I just need to see him.’

‘How long have you been dealing with this on your own?’ Kovalev asked, his voice much gentler now. ‘Why did you never talk to me about it?’

‘Why did the First Daughter of Matya never tell a Witch Hunter that she’s a witch?’ Charlie let out an incredulous laugh, ignoring the furious look Kovalev threw his way in return. ‘Are you for real?’

‘Besides, I wasn’t alone,’ Alexandra said. ‘He helped me. More importantly,’ she added, turning to Charlie, ’he kept detailed notes of all his observations. If we can bring him with us to the people I know in Penumbra, I know I’ll be able to gain their trust.’

‘Where is he?’ Charlie asked.

‘He’ll be in his lab. It’s a few floors above us. He should be there right now.’

‘That’s awfully convenient, isn’t it?’ Kovalev sneered, still leaning against the bolted door. ‘And how are you planning on getting past Dragomir and his soldiers to reach him?’

Alexandra pulled a grey pistol from underneath her jumper in one sharp movement, making Charlie leap back in surprise. She held it up in front of her, her eyes fixed on Kovalev, who only blinked, looking supremely unmoved.

‘I’m more than capable of looking after myself if necessary,’ she said, before she returned the gun to her waist. ‘Let me make this perfectly clear. I’m getting out of Elysia today, and before I do, I’m going to get what I need to make sure I never have to come back again.’

‘And were you planning to give me a choice in the matter of whether or not I betrayed my country?’ Kovalev asked. ‘Or did you assume that I would go along with all this simply because you asked me to?’

‘I thought,’ Alexandra said, all the frustration gone from her voice now, ’that you might forget your duty to your country for one moment and help me instead.’

‘Saints, Alya …’ Kovalev groaned, all the tension leaving his shoulders as he exhaled deeply, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. ‘Fine. You win. I’m with you.’ At Alexandra’s huge smile, his lips quirked slightly, and he looked away, clearing his throat. ‘So, what’s your plan?’

Alexandra pulled a scroll from a shelf behind her, eased off the band, and unrolled it. She spread the scroll across the desk, careful to avoid disturbing Seren. ‘What happened to her, exactly?’ she asked, her brow furrowed. ‘Did she get hurt somehow? What should we do?’

‘She’s just resting,’ Charlie said, in what he hoped was a convincing tone.

‘These are blueprints of the Volya Facility,’ Kovalev said, frowning.

‘That’s right.’ Alexandra was smiling proudly. ‘I took them from my father’s study a few days ago. I’ve already marked the lab, two floors above, and this is his office next to it,’ she explained, indicating two rooms on the map, both of which were circled in pencil.

‘We’ll have to stick together, but moving in a larger group will be difficult,’ Kovalev murmured, talking more to himself than to the others.

Alexandra pointed to another circle. ’This is where we are now, and this,’ she tapped another circle at the top of the map, ‘is the roof, which is what I suggest we use as a rendezvous point when the mission is complete. Then we can break out of this place for good.’

‘What’s on the roof?’ Charlie wondered aloud.

Alexandra looked expectantly at Kovalev, who was staring back at her with a mixture of dismay and wonder on his face. ‘The helipad …’ He sounded grudgingly impressed. ‘You want us to fly out of here?’

‘I know you can pilot one,’ Alexandra said, grinning at Kovalev’s stunned expression as she jangled a set of keys in front of him. ‘Don’t tell me you don’t want to see the look on his face.’

‘You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?’ Kovalev said, his eyes softening as he looked at her. His expression soon darkened again, however, as he studied the map. ‘We won’t have long before the soldiers catch up with us.’

‘We’ll be out of here before they even know what’s hit them.’ Alexandra looked smug.

‘We can’t rely on Dragomir overlooking something or making a mistake,’ Kovalev warned. ‘He’s too sharp for that. He knows Penumbra as well as Elysia.’

‘We should stay close,’ Charlie said, thinking back to his childhood. ‘He’ll expect us to run. We should find somewhere quiet and stay hidden until the heat is off us. That way we’ll be safe.’

‘No one’s ever safe around Dragomir.’ Kovalev glanced from Alexandra to Charlie, his jaw clenched, and shook his head. ‘I don’t like it. There’s too much risk in staying put.’

‘You think this is the first time I’ve had to hide from Elysian soldiers?’ Charlie asked.

Kovalev stared back at him with a furious scowl that made Charlie wilt. Alexandra rolled her eyes. Charlie was about to open his mouth to retaliate, when Seren lifted her head from the table. Her face was pale, and her fists were clenched on top of the wooden surface.

‘If we’re going to have any chance of escaping this place,’ she said, ‘we need to start trusting each other. Believe me, I’ve tried getting out of here before. None of us stands a chance alone, but together, it might actually be possible.’

Charlie crouched down beside her. ‘How are you feeling?’

Seren regarded him with a weak smile. ‘I’m a little better now. Thanks.’

‘She’s right,’ Alexandra said, addressing Kovalev with a wary look in her eyes. ‘If you’re coming with us, I need to be able to trust you.’

Kovalev seemed almost to flinch at these words. ‘You can trust me with your life. You know that.’ He crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at Seren. ’I don’t like this plan, and I don’t trust her … but whatever you choose to do, I’ll be right behind you.’

‘If you trust me then there’s no reason not to trust her,’ Alexandra said smartly, rolling up the map and tapping it against her open palm. ‘You only dislike her because she’s a witch.’

‘There’ll be soldiers everywhere, so watch your backs,’ Kovalev said, scowling at Alexandra. He withdrew a black handgun from a holster underneath his shoulder and placed it firmly in Charlie’s hand. ‘You know how to use one of these, Carroway?’

Charlie’s lip curled as he stuck the gun in the waistband of his jeans. ’What do you think?’

Kovalev looked at Seren, removing another weapon from a holster at the small of his back. ‘How about you? You ever used one of these before?’

Seren regarded him silently for a moment, before shaking her head. ‘I don’t need one.’

A grim smile passed across Kovalev’s face as he returned the gun to its holster. ‘No, I suppose you don’t.’ He glanced at both Charlie and Alexandra in turn. ‘Is she ready to go?’

Seren raised herself shakily to her feet. ‘I can speak for myself, Witchkiller.’

Charlie took in her pale face and trembling hands. ‘Are you sure you’re fine?’

‘I’m going to have to be, aren’t I?’ Seren said, rubbing her palms together and flexing her fingers.

Charlie was considering arguing with her. But, seeing the determination in Seren’s fierce expression, he thought better of it. They went to join the others by the door. Kovalev drew the bolt away before cautiously opening it a few centimetres and peering through the gap, his back flat against the wall. A moment later, he jerked his head to indicate that the others should follow him.

Together, they made their way out of the library, towards the stairwell. When they reached the foot of the stairs, Charlie peered up to the levels above them, straining his ears to catch any sign of movement. The staircase zigzagged back and forth, rising as high as he could see.

‘Just how big is this place?’

‘I’ll go first,’ Kovalev said. ‘It’s only two floors. We’ll be fine. Stay right behind me.’

They began to creep up the stairs. Charlie was trying his hardest to walk both as quickly and as quietly as he could. They had almost reached the top of the first flight when they heard the sound of pounding feet approaching them. Furious voices echoed off the walls, surrounding them, so that it was all but impossible to tell which direction they originated from.

‘Take your team right down to ground level and start a sweep up!’ At the sound of Dragomir’s voice, Charlie froze, horrified. ‘They’re here somewhere! Maintain radio silence.’

‘Charlie …’ Seren’s eyes were wide with fright. ‘I won’t be strong enough …’

‘This way,’ Kovalev said, motioning with his hand to urge them forwards.

Grabbing Seren’s hand, Charlie charged up the last few stairs, outstripping the others as the sound of the oncoming soldiers grew louder and louder from above them. There was a tiny alcove in the corner space before the staircase that led to the next floor. Desperate, Charlie pulled Seren towards it.

‘Get in, and don’t make a sound!’

He shoved her into the alcove first and pushed himself in after her, forcing them both as flat against the wall as they could manage. Alexandra and Kovalev squeezed in behind them. They were packed in so close and tight together that Charlie’s arms were trapped at his sides, leaving him unable to move an inch in any direction.

A hot wave of revulsion washed over him at the memory of bodies smothering him, hands holding him down. He screwed up his eyes, forcing himself not to make a sound. None of it was real. He was not there anymore.

‘Vasco, what if –?’ Alexandra began, before she broke off.

Judging by the pounding footsteps, it sounded as though the soldiers were passing right by them. Charlie could not have turned around to see what was happening even if he had dared to. His chest was horribly tight. He swallowed, desperately trying to resist the urge to start coughing.

He forced one hand up and clamped it over his mouth. Any second now, he was sure he would feel a rough hand gripping his shoulder, certain that they were about to be discovered and dragged back to the prison cells – or worse. It was only when he heard the last of the footsteps fading away that he dared to breathe again.

‘They’re gone,’ Kovalev murmured. ‘Everything looks clear. Ready to keep going?’

Seren and Alexandra nodded, breathing deeply, while Charlie tried to stop shaking.

The next flight of stairs was eerily quiet after the raucous noise of the soldiers searching for them. Once they had reached the top, they edged along the corridor. Charlie glanced left and right at each of the closed doors along the passage, looking for some sign that they were close to the room they were searching for. His fingers found the gun in the waistband of his jeans and encircled the grip. Its touch steadied him.

Alexandra picked up speed. ‘We’re here,’ she called to them. ‘This is his office.’

‘You all go in and take a look around,’ Seren said. ‘I’ll stay here and keep watch.’

Tentatively, Charlie pushed the door open an inch or two, drawing his gun. There was no sound from inside the office, so he moved to open the door fully. Kovalev gripped his wrist, shaking his head, and stepped in front of him.

With a motion towards his eyes, he encouraged Charlie and Alexandra to watch him, then kicked out at the door with such force that it slammed against the wall. He entered the room first, with a sharp turn to the right, trailing his gun around the office from right to left.

‘It’s clear,’ he said, his eyes scanning the ceiling and windows as they followed him in.

The sight that greeted Charlie’s eyes made him do a double take. The first thing he noticed was the blood on the windows and carpeted floor. His mind flooding with questions, Charlie returned the gun to his waistband.

‘Someone got here before us.’

The floor was littered with pieces of paper. Broken glass from a shattered lamp crunched under their feet. Chairs that had been tipped over backwards lay strewn in the middle of the room. A shelving unit had even been pulled down from the wall and lay across the floor on its side, its drawers half-open.

‘They must have been looking for something,’ Seren said, following them inside.

‘But how do we know what they were looking for?’ Kovalev asked, glancing around.

‘More to the point, how do we know if they found it?’ Alexandra added.

Charlie reached the desk first. Papers were scattered haphazardly across it. To occupy his hands, Charlie scanned through them. His eyes were drawn away from the reams of scrawled handwritten notes and blocks of complicated-looking text to the many diagrams and images that accompanied the writing. Most of these were detailed drawings of human bodies, sometimes including close-ups of a head or a torso. Occasionally, a document would have a black and white photograph clipped to it, and these pictures showed things that made Charlie’s stomach turn over.

‘Take a look at this,’ he said, motioning uncertainly for the others to join him.

Kovalev kept his gun trained on the door. Meanwhile, Seren and Alexandra took some of the papers from the pile Charlie had gathered together on the desk and started leafing through them.

’What is all this?’ Alexandra asked, frowning as she returned to Kovalev’s side.

‘I don’t know,’ Charlie murmured. ‘But whatever it is, I don’t like it one bit.’

Seren shivered as her eyes travelled over the papers that included the diagrams of human bodies. ‘These pictures are giving me the creeps,’ she said. ‘We should get out of here.’

‘Something’s not right,’ Charlie said, his gaze drifting across the overturned chairs, the papers littering the floor. ‘We should keep looking while we still have the chance.’

‘But what if –?’

‘Well, well, well.’ Charlie’s eyes snapped towards the door. Arron Dragomir was standing at the threshold, blocking their escape, his rifle trained directly at them. ‘I had a feeling I would find you two here.’

Charlie’s fingers itched for the gun at the small of his back. But at the sight of Dragomir’s expression, he knew better than to reach for it. Dragomir’s eyes seemed to follow his every movement, as though he could read Charlie’s mind. A nasty smile was playing around his mouth. He had not yet noticed Alexandra or Kovalev, who were frozen still, their backs pressed against the wall. Kovalev had flung one arm out in front of Alexandra, his gun trained on Dragomir, his face set.

Dragomir edged further towards Charlie and Seren, staring fixedly at them through the sight of his rifle. ‘I hope you’ve been enjoying yourselves. You’ve certainly led my men on a wild goose chase. You almost succeeded in making me look very foolish.’ His teeth were gritted, his voice dangerously soft. ‘But the fun ends here, I’m afraid.’ In one sharp movement, he swung the barrel of his rifle towards Charlie’s face. ‘You first, gutter punk.’

With a shriek of effort, Charlie saw Seren lash out wildly from beside him, just as he heard the crack of gunfire. The soldier’s rifle was wrenched from his hands and hit the wall. Dragomir himself was thrown into the air and flung to the side. He smashed headfirst into a desk with a sickening crack and lay on the floor without moving. He was bleeding from his head and right arm. Seren had collapsed to her knees with a cry of pain.

‘Seren, what’s wrong?’ Charlie was at her side, shaking her by the shoulders.

Kovalev nudged Dragomir with the toe of his boot. ‘Someone will have heard that.’

‘You need – to run,’ Charlie heard Seren whisper. ‘Get out of here – now.’

Charlie gathered her up into his arms, the papers they had found shoved tightly between his upper arm and his chest. Without a backwards glance, he raced out of the room towards the stairwell, his footsteps echoing through the corridor. Kovalev and Alexandra followed close behind him.

‘Just leave me,’ Seren moaned, her eyes clenched tightly shut, ‘or they’ll catch you.’

‘Don’t talk,’ Charlie snapped. ‘You just rest. We’ll be fine.’

He flew up the stairs, losing track of how far he had climbed, Seren cradled in his arms. Then a blinding stab shot through his ribs. He staggered towards the wall, biting back an agonised scream as the papers scattered to the ground.

Somehow, he managed to keep hold of Seren. But he was in too much pain to move. His knees were trembling beneath him as Alexandra and Kovalev caught up with them. Charlie was aware of Alexandra beside him, gathering up the documents.

‘What’s wrong?’ Kovalev demanded, easing Seren out of his arms as Charlie slid down the wall and lay on the ground, his arms wrapped around his sides. ‘Hey, come on, talk to me!’

Charlie heard Alexandra saying his name, her eyes wide with fear, but he could not speak. ‘Vasco, what do we do now?’ she asked, her voice shaking. ‘They’re coming!’

Kovalev was silent for a few moments. Peering up, Charlie realised that he was looking at each of them in turn. ‘I’ll take her up to the roof with you first, then come back for him,’ he said finally, before crouching down beside Charlie. ‘Stay here, all right? I’ll be back for you.’

Bracing himself against the shards tearing through his chest, Charlie curled up on the floor. Sweat dripped from a sheen across his forehead as he kept his eyes screwed up tight, weathering the pain. He was vaguely aware of the sound of racing footsteps fading away above him, as well as of those approaching him.

‘Oh, dear. What sort of trouble have you got yourself into this time, then, Charlie?’

Charlie’s eyes shot open at the sound of Faulkner’s sweetly mocking voice. He was standing so close to Charlie that the toes of his boots were almost touching Charlie’s face. Jerking back, Charlie reached out behind him, his hand finding the rough brickwork of the wall. With great effort, he managed to drag himself into a hunched sitting position, his legs sprawled out to one side. Breathing hard, he glared up at Faulkner’s smug face, his teeth gritted.

‘You don’t look so good, kid,’ Faulkner said, scuffing Charlie’s leg with his boot.

One hand clenching his ribs, Charlie fought to keep his voice level. ‘Where are they?’

‘I’m not entirely sure who you’re referring to …’

’Those three kids, you bastard – my kids! What – the hell – have you done with them?’

Faulkner bent down beside Charlie, his eyes lingering on his face. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, little one? You don’t have any ideas? Go on, take a guess …’

Charlie forced himself as far against the wall as he could, his body stiffening, as Faulkner lowered his face to Charlie’s and brushed his lips against his forehead.

‘I missed you,’ Faulkner whispered against his skin.

‘Don’t touch me.’ Frozen, Charlie ground the words out.

‘You look like you want to sink your claws into me,’ Faulkner murmured, his fingers tracing his scarred cheek. He paused, and Charlie heard the sound of footsteps hurrying towards them from above. Faulkner gazed at him, smirking. ‘Catch me if you can, Charlie …’

Charlie attempted to force himself onto his feet, but his legs collapsed beneath him. A feral howl escaped him as Faulkner retreated down the corridor and out of sight. A moment later, Kovalev had appeared, his hair wild and his eyes alive with concern.

‘Be careful, don’t push yourself,’ he said, supporting Charlie’s weight as he helped him get to his feet. ‘You’re a real fighter, aren’t you, kid?’ he added, studying Charlie’s face as though for the first time. ‘You don’t know when to give up.’

’Don’t call me that,’ Charlie snarled, pushing Kovalev away and leaning against the wall to prevent himself from falling again. ‘Listen, you need to take the others and get out of this place. I came here to find my family. I can’t leave without them.’

‘That’s suicidal,’ Kovalev said, shaking his head as he reached for Charlie’s arm. ‘We’re running out of time, and I can’t protect you in this state.’

‘I never asked you to,’ Charlie said, wrenching himself out of Kovalev’s grip. ‘I’m fine on my own.’

Charlie turned to follow Faulkner, but Kovalev’s hand on his left shoulder stopped him.

‘What are you –?’

‘If you care about them so much, you wouldn’t throw your life away like it’s nothing,’ Kovalev said, his voice even. When Charlie looked at him, he saw that the soldier’s dark eyes were blazing. ‘You’re worth more than that, Charlie.’