The Dying Light (Bloodwitch #1)

‘Tell me again,’ Charlie murmured, his shoulders shaking, ‘how I wasn’t brave enough to save them.’

His breathing fast and unsteady, Charlie rounded on Nikolai Ignatiev, grinding his teeth in his fury. But the Great Protector held up a hand in front of him, halting him in his tracks.

‘I would prefer to tell you a story about your mother,’ he said, light dancing in his eyes.

Charlie felt what little strength he had left draining away. ‘I don’t want to hear it.’

‘You would be welcome to consider it a sort of reward, if you like – you deserve one.’

Charlie curled his hands into fists, flames licking his skin. ’Don’t you talk about her!’

‘I had set my heart on having a son by a witch,’ Nikolai Ignatiev said, his eyes burning into Charlie’s face, his expression ravenous. ‘But when the traditional path brought only failure, I set my sights elsewhere.’

‘What?’ Charlie had gone cold.

‘Seventeen years ago, I brought my full force down on the Darkwood coven. I crushed it, erased its existence entirely, and dragged the last daughter of that ruined clan back to Elysia with me to be my broodmare.’ Nikolai Ignatiev smiled at the look of horror on Charlie’s face. ‘Then I kept her in chains under the ground for the next nine months. Coincidentally, it actually happens that I locked her up in the very same dungeon that you and Vaska spent the night in yourselves …’

‘You don’t mean –’ Numb, Charlie forced the words out, his throat like sandpaper. ‘That was – that was where …’

‘There was little she could do to fight me, although she certainly tried her best. I was never under any illusions that she wanted me.’ Nikolai Ignatiev gave a slight shrug, a lazy smile curving his lips. ’But that was not her choice to make … I wonder, do you think she ever wanted you? Personally, I am having trouble imagining it.’

Faster than Charlie had expected, Nikolai Ignatiev was in front of him. His grip was tight on the iron collar around Charlie’s neck, his mouth a twisted snarl. ‘Look at you. Who could ever want a monster like you?’

‘Why are you telling me this?’ Charlie had sunk to his knees. ’Just shut up about it.’

‘My hands were the first to claim you. I held you when you were pulled from her body.’

‘Stop.’ Charlie covered his ears with his hands, shaking his head, his eyes screwed up. He was certain he was about to be sick. ’Why are you doing this to me? Why won’t you stop?’

‘I gave you a name. You are Zuriel Ignatiev, the rock on which I will build my kingdom. You will lay siege to my enemies – a harbinger of doom to all those who stand in my way.’

‘No …’

‘I had a vision that the sound of your name would strike fear into the hearts of all those who opposed me, all those who would dare challenge my power. I saw your future – how you would make them wail and scream before your storms of fire. You, the true Deathbringer.’

’No.’

‘But Erin escaped my clutches.’ Nikolai Ignatiev let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his hair as the tension sagged from his shoulders. ‘That mercenary witch brought you into the world at my behest and stole you from me the very same day. Ever since then, I have been searching for you. I vowed that I would never cease until I had you under my command.’

‘You never will.’ Charlie glared up at the handsome, mask-like face of the man – the monster – who stood above him. ’I don’t care what you do to me. I will never give in to you.’

‘Oh, my favourite child …’ Shaking his head, Nikolai Ignatiev stroked his fingers through Charlie’s hair, cradling his head in his other hand with a fondness that made Charlie’s skin crawl. ‘Do you still not understand? Soon enough, you will become the greatest weapon in my arsenal.’

’I won’t.’

‘You will be my right hand in the fight against the covens,’ Nikolai Ignatiev said, turning away from Charlie, his arms outstretched as he stared up into the vaulted ceiling. ‘And then, when your purpose has been fulfilled, when the witches have been purged once and for all,’ he added, with a smirk in Charlie’s direction, ‘I will leash you to my throne for the rest of your miserable life, and relish the sight of you kneeling at my feet like the abomination you are.’

’I will never kneel for you. I’ll die first.’ Charlie was trembling. ’You can go to hell!’

‘Lieutenant Dragomir,’ Nikolai Ignatiev said, not taking his eyes from Charlie’s face.

‘S-Sire?’ Dragomir’s voice was unsteady. He was leaning against the marble pillar.

‘Fetch the Casimir witch.’ Nikolai Ignatiev’s smile broadened as he caught sight of the look of horrified understanding on Charlie’s face. ‘It is time for me to teach this wayward son of mine a lesson in obedience.’

Sliding down onto the cold flagstones, Charlie curled up on his side, breathing through the pain. His t-shirt was sticky with his own blood. The scent of himself was overpowering.

For a while, his father amused himself by throwing the knife at him like a dart, but he seemed to tire of this quickly. Charlie allowed his mind to drift, a high-pitched ringing in his ears. A familiar, numb sensation had already begun stealing its way through his bones.

‘Luckily for these three kids, though,’ Charlie heard himself saying, as, in his mind, he watched the children squealing happily on the floor, ‘there was a brave knight who lived nearby called Charlie, and he saw how frightened they were by the monsters, and it made him sad.’

‘Charlie is my favourite.’ He remembered Ruby’s gap-toothed smile as she said that.

‘He knew he wanted to help the three children somehow.’ Charlie smiled as he told himself the story, staring into the middle distance with unseeing eyes. ‘So, one day, he went out with his sword and he fought for them. He fought off all the witch covens and the gangs and the bad men. Then they were gone, forever, and the three kids were happy.’

‘What happened to Charlie?’ he heard the echo of Dima’s voice ask. ‘You never tell us.’

‘He was happy too,’ Charlie whispered, his eyes burning, ‘because he knew he had saved the children.’

‘What happens at the end?’ Ruby’s voice was asking. ‘You never tell us that part either.’

‘Yeah, you never tell us!’ Leo had always wanted to know how it ended. ‘You never tell us how he kills everyone!’

Charlie went to a quiet, empty place, where nothing could hurt him, and where he could forget. But when he saw a pair of jackbooted feet approaching him, he wrenched himself up onto his knees again. He was not about to go down without a fight.

With a flash of fury, Charlie saw that Seren lay at Dragomir’s feet. Like him, she had a chain fastened to a collar around her neck. She was sprawled on the flagstones of the throne room floor, apparently unconscious. Charlie forced the image of his family – lying motionless in the dying light – out of his mind, as he was assaulted by memories.

But no, the red waves pooling around her were not her blood, only her hair. He yelled her name and saw her stir at the sound of his voice. He strained against the chain, and it was only Nikolai Ignatiev holding him back that prevented Charlie from racing over to Seren and killing Dragomir with his bare hands.

‘What have you done to Seren?’ he shouted, his words choked off. ‘Let her go – now!’

Dragomir laughed nastily and shoved Seren’s body forward with the toe of his boot. Charlie saw her cringe as the soldier’s foot made impact with her spine in the gap between her shoulder blades. He heard her whimper in pain. Something snapped inside of him, and he managed to force himself an inch or two forwards. Nikolai Ignatiev reacted immediately, cuffing Charlie around the back of the head and sending him sprawling to the floor.

‘Naughty boy,’ he murmured. ‘Don’t you know how to behave yourself? Lieutenant.’

Charlie flinched as Dragomir pulled hard on the length of chain in his hands. Seren let out a strangled cry as she was wrenched back with him and dragged into an upright position. Then she was resting on her knees, her eyes lowered.

‘Let’s get this over with. He won’t be able to resist. I imagine you are hungry by now?’

Ignoring the pressure against his throat as Nikolai Ignatiev shook his chain, Charlie fixed his eyes on Seren, willing her to look up at him. She was shivering, her thin arms bare. Someone had taken her green jumper from her, and she was barefoot again.

The chain in Dragomir’s hands was connected to a shorter one that kept her hands manacled together. She was wearing the same kind of restraints on her wrists and ankles as when they had first met in the prison cells at the Volya Facility. He had helped free her from those once before.

No matter what it cost him, he had to try again.

‘Seren, look at me,’ Charlie said softly. ‘Don’t worry. You’re not alone. I’m here.’

At the sound of his voice, Seren raised her eyes to his. A crust of dried blood had already set across her forehead. Dark red smudges were smeared across her face, now ghostly pale. Her eyes were shining, and her lips trembled as she stared into his face. She seemed to be trying to communicate something to him without using words. Growing desperate, Charlie glanced from Dragomir’s openly mocking expression to Nikolai Ignatiev’s look of mild amusement.

Rage blazed within him, smouldering away inside of his bones.

‘Get on with it, monster,’ Dragomir hissed. His eyes fixed on Charlie, he brought the blade of his hunting knife to Seren’s neck and made a cut directly above her collarbone. Paying no attention to her distress, he kicked her forwards, onto her hands and knees. ‘Feed.’

‘What the hell?’ Charlie whirled around to face Nikolai Ignatiev. ‘I won’t do this.’

‘What a stubborn troublemaker my son has turned out to be.’ Nikolai Ignatiev stared down at him, his head tilted to one side as he scratched the back of his head. ‘I suppose I should have expected this. No doubt it is all thanks to the manner in which you were raised …’

‘I won’t hurt her,’ Charlie whispered, an acrid taste in the back of his throat.

‘You are determined to defy me, aren’t you?’ As something in his face changed, Nikolai Ignatiev released a sigh. ’Very well. Know that you brought this on her yourself. Surrender.’

Confused, Charlie stared up into his father’s gleaming eyes. Then he caught sight of movement beside him. Turning his head, he saw Seren crawling towards him. Her eyes glazed, she shuffled across the flagstones, tugging the front of her dress down with one hand as she went. She had turned her face away from her open wound as the blood dripped down her chest.

‘No.’ Charlie backed off, horrified, but was dragged closer by his father.

‘For you,’ Seren said, leaning closer to him, her voice flat and empty, ‘I give my life.’

‘Feast on her.’ A feverish whisper from above. ‘Become what you were born to be.’

‘Come on, Seren,’ Charlie urged, hearing the fear in his own voice as he edged away from her. The smell of her blood was cloying in his nostrils. His stomach growled violently. ‘I know you’re scared, but – but we can fight this – together – you and me, right? I know you don’t want to do this …’

‘How long do you intend to keep up this delusional farce, you miserable wretch?’ Nikolai Ignatiev hissed. ’Do you still not see? I have broken her mind. She belongs to me.’

‘I don’t,’ Seren blinked, something flickering in her misty eyes, ‘want …’

‘You’re my friend.’ Charlie’s voice cracked. ‘I don’t ever want to hurt you.’

‘My friend …’ With great effort, Seren turned her face to his, frowning. ‘Charlie …’

Charlie heard his father whisper something that sounded like ’Impossible,’ but he refused to break eye contact with Seren. He watched as she blinked her long-lashed eyes, sending a single tear falling down her pale cheek. Something in his heart broke at the sight of it.

‘Seren, come with me,’ Charlie said, extending his hand slowly towards her. ‘We need to find Saga, right? You remember Saga? Your little sister is waiting for us to rescue her.’

‘Saga.’ Seren released her sister’s name like a purifying breath. ‘I need to … save her.’

‘That’s right,’ Charlie whispered, as Seren touched his fingers. ’We’re going to get her back – together. The two of us, we’re going to save her, so don’t you dare give in now!’ He drew the back of his other hand roughly across his eyes, his arm shaking. ‘Don’t ever stop fighting!’

Seren looked at him for a long time, a frown creasing her forehead, before the fog seemed to clear from her eyes. Recognition dawned on her face. ‘Charlie … you’re here …’ She gazed around her as though in shock, completely ignoring the two men beside them. ‘Where did you go? I thought you were –’

‘I’m here, Seren. I’ll always be here.’ Charlie was so close to her now that their foreheads were touching. Exhausted, he felt relief wash over him. She was safe. ‘No matter what happens,’ he told her, ‘I’ll always be right here with you.’

‘So …’ His heart sinking, Charlie’s eyes snapped to Nikolai Ignatiev. He was looming above them, his face thunderous. ‘You think you can make a fool out of me, do you, you worthless guttersnipe? I’ll show you what happens to slaves who step out of line.’

‘Seren …’ Charlie breathed, reading the look on his father’s face, ‘help me.’

With vicious speed, Nikolai Ignatiev wrenched the chain backwards, dragging Charlie to his feet and pulling him forward by the collar around his throat. ‘You have sealed your fate,’ he hissed, spittle flecking his lips. ‘I will crawl inside your mind,’ he said, his fingernails digging into Charlie’s ears, ‘and once I am there, you will never be able to escape me again.’

‘I –’ Charlie’s words died on his lips at the murderous smile on Nikolai Ignatiev’s face.

‘The Shadow Cells have been pining for you,’ he whispered, ‘and thanks to all those memories you so generously divulged during your last stay with us, I know exactly where I should begin with your punishment.’

Charlie flinched as his father brought his lips to his ear.

‘Do you see the truth of your existence now? Anyone who might ever have loved you – they have abandoned you. You were born from hate, and will die in the darkness, alone.’

‘No …’

Trembling, Seren had got to her feet, golden light rippling from her hands. Behind her, Dragomir was white-faced. Though he was tugging at the chain connected to her collar with all his might, it had no effect whatsoever.

‘I will never let anyone …’ Striding forward, Seren’s voice rose to a deafening roar. ’Nobody treats my family like that!’

His eyes fixed on Seren, his mouth hanging open, Nikolai Ignatiev released his grip on Charlie’s collar. Collapsing to the flagstones, Charlie had just enough time to shield his eyes before a brilliant glare erupted from Seren’s body. Bracing himself against a wave of heat, Charlie looked up to see her standing before him, engulfed in a white-hot light that pulsated like flames.

A furious wind was picking up around her. Dragomir was knocked backwards towards Vasco, his head hitting a marble pillar. Squinting through the fierce light, Charlie watched as Seren ripped through the manacles that bound her hands as easily as tearing through a sheet of paper. She ripped the collar from her throat, then threw her arm out towards him. His collar was broken into pieces, which were sent scattering to the stone floor beside the discarded knife.

Fighting not to be engulfed in the whirlwind of heat and light that Seren had created, Charlie crawled behind a pillar. He wrapped his arms around the smooth marble, watching as terrified soldiers raced out into the passageway while Seren wreaked havoc on the throne room.

When at last the wind and the heat had died down, Charlie braved a glance around the pillar. There was a huge crack in the wall behind the empty throne, running all the way up to the cavernous roof. Seren was standing by the throne, gazing up at the arched ceiling, her hair cascading down her back as the light uncoiled itself from her arms. His father was nowhere to be seen.

‘You sure can fight,’ Charlie said, grinning at Seren as the glow began to fade.

‘Vasco is awake,’ she said, staring calmly at the throne. ‘Free him. You have the strength to do it now. We’re going to find my sister – and this time, no one is getting left behind.’

‘You got it.’ Charlie raced over to the pillar where Vasco had been chained up.

‘Charlie …’ Vasco blinked slowly, his voice low and tired. ‘Charlie … did … did he hurt you?’

‘Hey,’ Charlie said gently, pushing Vasco’s hair out of his eyes and examining the deep wound on his head with some apprehension. ‘I’m here. I’m going to get you out of these chains, all right? So stay with me and just take it easy.’

‘I knew you wouldn’t give up.’ A weak smile passed across Vasco’s pale face as Charlie ripped the collar from his neck, before tearing through the chains that bound him to the marble pillar with his bare hands. ‘You never stop fighting.’ Placing one hand on Charlie’s left shoulder to steady himself, Vasco met his eyes, adding, in a clear voice, ‘That’s what I love about you.’

Charlie let out a soft laugh, scratching his face as he felt warmth bloom under his skin. ‘You took a pretty bad knock to the head, huh? How many fingers am I holding up right now?’

‘I’m serious. If we somehow manage to get out of here alive, I want to be with you.’

‘I sure hope you haven’t set your heart on a quiet life. I tend to attract a lot of trouble.’

Vasco smiled at him, a playful light in his dark eyes. ‘I’m looking forward to it already.’

‘You’re such an idiot,’ Charlie said, grinning despite himself as he covered his face with one hand. Looking at Vasco, he said, seriously, ‘I’m really glad I have you on my side.’

Vasco nodded. ‘You always will,’ he said, before his eyes darted to Dragomir, who was beginning to stir on the floor behind them. ‘You and Seren need to get out of here – fast.’

‘Come with us,’ Charlie urged him. The idea of leaving Vasco behind was intolerable.

‘Help Seren rescue the other prisoners,’ Vasco said. ‘I’ll hold him off until then.’

‘All this sentimentality …’ Dragomir had forced himself to his feet, his mouth twisted as he looked from Charlie to Vasco. ‘It makes me sick. You won’t get away from me this time.’

Charlie stumbled backwards. ‘But, Vasco …’ he said, his chest tight. ‘What if –?’

‘Take Seren and get out of here,’ Vasco ordered, pushing him away. ‘Now, Charlie!’

Turning on his heel, Charlie fled towards Seren, Dragomir’s warning to Vasco pounding in his ears. ‘You had better kill me while you have the chance, you traitorous coward. Because I swear to you now, if you don’t, I’m going to make sure you live to regret being so weak.’

‘Don’t die,’ Charlie chanted the words under his breath as he ran, hoping that if he said them enough, it might make a difference. ‘Please, don’t let him die. Don’t take him away from me, too …’

‘Charlie, hurry up!’ Seren stood at the threshold of the throne room, the doors wide open before her, beckoning to him. ‘Our friends are all still waiting for us to rescue them.’

Pulling the cloth tie from around his neck, Charlie handed it to her to staunch the bleeding along her collarbone. He had to fight to clear his vision. There was a gnawing hunger deep inside his bones.

‘I’m right behind you.’

Forcing himself not to look back, Charlie followed Seren out of the throne room. She led the way with such speed and confidence that he guessed she was retracing a familiar route back to the prison cells where she had been held. The Castle was not heavily guarded, and the sound of their footsteps as they ran thundered along the corridors. It seemed as though much of the force that had been stationed there had fled during Seren’s attack. Whenever they did happen to come across a soldier, Seren simply blasted them out of the way as if it were nothing.

‘Why did you never tell me,’ she asked, as they raced towards the cells, ‘that your mother was a Darkwood clan witch?’

‘I never knew. She and my –’ Charlie broke off. ‘She died when I was still a kid. The war.’

‘Did I ever tell you that my mother disappeared a couple of years ago?’

It took him a moment to respond. ‘No, you didn’t.’

‘One day, she just vanished,’ Seren said, her eyes fixed ahead as she ran. ‘I searched everywhere for her, but she was gone. I went to my grandfather and begged him to let me keep looking for her beyond the borders of our land, but he refused. I never understood how he could just abandon her without a fight. It was only when the Witch Hunters returned for my sister and I that I finally understood what had happened to my mother.’

‘I swear to you, Seren,’ Charlie said, his jaw clenched, ‘I’m going to make sure he pays with his life for everything he’s done to us. I’ll make him feel what we’ve felt, and much worse.’

Seren came to a halt, whirled around, and took Charlie’s head in her hands. It was so unexpected that he did not attempt to resist.

‘I know you’re in pain, Charlie,’ she said, pressing her forehead to his, as memories he thought he had sealed up forever came spilling back into his mind. ‘I know how badly you’ve been hurt. But I need you to understand something.’

‘I didn’t say you could look there,’ he whispered. ‘Those things are – they’re private.’

‘You’ve inherited a treacherous, brutal legacy,’ Seren said, as she stared into his eyes. ‘The power of the Bloodwitch is a double-edged sword. It’s not a bad thing to be afraid of it.’

‘I’m not afraid of this power … I finally have a way to fight back. I can beat them now.’

Seren bit her lip, her forehead creased with concern. ‘Pain like this needs to be held in gentle hands, Charlie,’ she said. ‘Think of saving an animal from a trap. If you treat it kindly, it has a chance to heal. But if you try to corner it or push it too hard, it’ll turn on you, and you’ll only end up hurting yourself more. Either way, you won’t be the same. It will transform you.’

‘If it means I have the chance to wield strength like yours, I’ll do whatever it takes.’

‘It’s not going to be easy,’ she said. ‘But I promise, I’ll be there to support you … through it all.’

They had reached the cells. Seren led them purposefully towards a heavy iron door that stood locked and bolted. With a curt nod to one another, they lashed out at the door, Charlie with a vicious kick, and Seren with a ferocious blast of air.

The door burst open and they entered the dark cell. A huge cage took up most of the room, looming out of the shadows.

‘Charlie, Seren, is that you?’ Alya’s face, wan and frightened, appeared between the bars. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Charlie said, grinning at her. ‘We’ve come to rescue you.’