The Dying Light (Bloodwitch #1)

Charlie stalked down the passageway, a furious hunger gnawing at his insides, his skin prickling with scorching heat. It did not take long before he found who he was looking for.

His brother had managed to reach the end of the passage and had dragged Seren back into the throne room. At the sight of Charlie appearing out of the darkness, he raised his gun, aiming it straight at Charlie’s heart.

‘Think carefully about this, Charlie,’ he said. ‘This is your last chance to walk away.’

Coming to a halt, Charlie’s eyes travelled from the gun in his brother’s hand to Seren, struggling under Ivanov’s grip. He was holding her by the wrist, so tightly that his fingers had gone white with effort. She appeared to be fighting him with all the strength she had left. But, from the beads of sweat on her pale face, and her harsh breathing, it was clear that she was exhausted. When she caught sight of Charlie, she went completely still, her face falling as she covered her mouth with her free hand.

‘Charlie …’ Seren whispered, looking as though she might start to cry. ‘Your eyes …’

Ivanov laughed coldly. ‘So, you killed him, did you? I didn’t think you had it in you.’

Charlie, who had raised a hand to his eyes at the sound of the fear in Seren’s voice, ground his teeth at his brother’s words. He clenched his fist, letting his arm fall to his side. ‘I’m done playing games with you,’ he said, pointing his knife at his brother. ‘I’m warning you, you had better let Seren go, right now.’

Ivanov’s eyes narrowed. ‘And what are you going to do about it if I don’t?’

Charlie took a step forward, tightening his grip on the knife, which was trembling in his fingers as he held it out towards his brother. A nauseous feeling swirled in his stomach. His heart racing, Charlie felt his legs buckle beneath him before his knees hit the flagstones. The knife was still in his hand, the tip of the blade aimed at his brother’s heart. But his hand was now shaking so badly that he needed to grip his wrist with his other hand to keep it steady.

‘You can’t do it, can you?’ Ivanov’s voice was soft, holding notes of surprise and pity.

‘Please, Max …’ From his knees, Charlie stared up at his brother. ‘Don’t make me –’

The sound of a single gunshot cut off the rest of Charlie’s words, followed an instant later by Seren’s terrible scream. For a second, he thought she was the one who had been shot.

Then he felt blistering fire somewhere near his chest. Confused, Charlie reached for the source of the pain at his side. He blinked slowly down at his hand, as it came away covered in blood.

His vision blurred as he sank onto his side, whatever strength he had left flowing out of him like a surging torrent. He knew, without a doubt, that he was dying. He had managed to outrun his fate until now, but a part of him had always known that he could never truly be free.

‘H-How could you shoot your own brother?’ he heard Seren whimper through her tears.

‘Some brother he was. My brother abandoned me. He’s been dead to me for years.’

His breathing ragged and laboured, Charlie’s eyes came to rest on his brother’s highly polished shoes as he crouched down beside him. ‘You always were stubborn,’ Ivanov said quietly, resting his chin against his palm as he gazed down at Charlie. ‘Your problem is that you never learned to recognise when you can’t win. Look at where it’s brought you in the end.’

‘He’s your family!’ Charlie heard Seren shriek. ’How could you do this to him?’

‘He is nothing to me,’ Ivanov said, straightening up and turning on his heel. ‘Now –’

‘You killed my friend.’ Seren sounded frighteningly calm. ’I am going to destroy you.’

Charlie felt something tight seize his chest as he forced himself to edge further onto his side, searching for Seren. He clenched his fists, desperately trying to breathe through the fierce pain lancing through his upper body. By now, the slightest movement sent him into convulsions of agony. His brother was sprinting away across the throne room, towards the double doors.

Seren had stepped forward, her hands moving in arcs as she sent gusts of air and beams of light in all directions. At the sight of her waves of fire, Charlie shielded his head with his hands, bracing himself against the oncoming wash of intense heat.

An ominous crack sounded somewhere high above them, followed by the deep groans of wood and metal starting to give way. With a roar of broken glass and splintered beams, the roof began to collapse in on them.

Lying on the floor, Charlie had only a vague awareness of what was going on around him. He was starting to grow deeply, bone-achingly tired. He felt as though he was sinking into a deep sleep. The smell of charred flesh was on the air as particles of ash drifted past him.

Another menacing rumble, like that of oncoming thunder, sounded above his head, as debris began to fall all around him. Somewhere in the distance, Charlie could hear people shouting and screaming. As clouds of thick dust threatened to choke him, he fought to cover his mouth, nose and eyes. By the time they had cleared, his brother was gone.

‘Charlie, can you still hear me? Stay with me, Charlie, all right?’

‘Seren …’ His eyes were blurry, his cheeks wet. ‘Why do you sound … so sad?’

‘Come on, tough guy.’ Seren laughed, then sniffed. ‘You’re not leaving me like this.’

‘I think I … wanted … to do something … worthwhile … just once … before …’

‘It’s not so bad,’ she tried to reassure him. She touched her fingertips to his forehead, and he opened his eyes to see a concerned frown shadowing her face. ‘Hold on. I’ll help you.’

‘No.’ Charlie took a deep, shuddering breath, pulling away. ‘I don’t want you to.’

‘Don’t be an idiot.’ Seren cradled his shoulders and touched him. ‘Let me help you.’

’No, Seren.’ Though he could feel himself growing weaker every moment, he put all his strength into his last words. ‘I don’t want you to get hurt … because of me.’

‘You came back for me. I only found the power to stop being their puppet because of you.’ She spoke slowly, softly, her eyes drinking him in. ‘I can’t leave you like this, Charlie. I won’t do it.’

‘There’s not much time,’ Charlie said, his voice becoming fainter. ‘You – have to get out of here. You have to leave me behind.’ He tried to smile, to mask his fear, but it was there.

’You would never leave me behind,’ she murmured, a small smile crossing her face.

He laughed – then regretted it, because it hurt – and blinked back tears. Remorse for what he had left unsaid pierced him as badly as the pain in his chest. ‘I’ve known this was coming … for a long time. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, but –’

‘Don’t talk like that. I knew when I first came here looking for my sister that there was a good chance I would never make it home again.’ Seren smiled at him as light began to blossom from her fingertips and run along the skin of her arms. ‘I never thought I would make some friends along the way. I’m grateful for that.’ Her face was illuminated in a halo of light. ‘I’m only sad because I failed to rescue Saga. I’m not afraid to die. Not if I can save you.’

‘Seren, you have to let me go.’

‘No,’ she said simply. ‘No, I won’t let you do that.’ Shuffling closer to him on her knees, she placed her hands on his chest, directly over his heart, and closed her eyes. ‘I won’t give up on you. You’re not going anywhere.’

’Please don’t do this.’ He was begging now. With the last of his breath, he was begging. He might once have felt ashamed. Now nothing mattered to him but keeping her alive and safe.

Seren’s eyes snapped open at his words, and she gazed at him imploringly. ’This is my decision. Don’t you understand, Charlie? I want to do this for you – because you’re my friend.’

Tears were trickling steadily down his face. ‘But I – I don’t want you to forget me.’

‘Charlie, I could never forget you.’

’But you will,’ he insisted. ‘If you do this, something bad will happen to you, and I couldn’t live – I couldn’t go on, knowing I survived because you sacrificed yourself for me.’

‘And I couldn’t live with myself if I let you die,’ she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes. ‘I can save you – I can do it. Please … please trust me.’

Her hair brushed his face as she leant in closer towards him. She took one of his hands in hers and squeezed gently, her thumb running along his, her touch warm and comforting.

‘I promise,’ she said, her breath tickling his ear, ‘if we ever meet again, even if I seem different than I am now, even if it seems … Please, never doubt that I … that somewhere deep, deep down inside myself … that I remember you.’

‘Why would you risk your life for me?’ Charlie asked softly. ‘I’m not … I’m not –’

‘You’re my family. I know you have the power to save everyone else. I trust that.’

‘I don’t understand why … why you would –’

‘I need you to promise that you’ll do something for me in return,’ Seren murmured, as she closed her eyes. ‘Promise me that you’ll find a way to forgive yourself. If you don’t, your Gift will be too unstable. I know I said I would help you … but I think I’ll have to –’

‘Seren, please don’t do this …’ She was shimmering in front of him through his tears.

‘I’m going to save you,’ she said quietly. She pushed her weight through her hands and onto his chest, her brow knitted in intense concentration. ’I promise. I will save you, Charlie.’

Something was happening beneath his skin. It felt like needles were working their way inside his body, pricking at him, tingling throughout his whole being. Their touch was light but insistent. The air around him was becoming warmer. When he opened his eyes, Seren was surrounded by light. Her hair fanned out in waves of red, orange and gold, like it was on fire.

‘I’m going to tell you something important now, Charlie.’ Her words held a vague echo, despite how calmly she spoke them. ‘Don’t ever forget … I have the power to heal the damage to your body, but only you have the power to heal the pain in your heart. Don’t give up …’

Charlie thought she looked peaceful, deep in concentration. Her eyes were gently closed, with only the merest trace of a frown on her face. The light seemed to be coming from inside her, yet somehow shining down upon her at the same time. It was growing more and more intense with every passing moment.

Charlie attempted to shield his eyes, but he no longer had any strength left to lift his hand. He squinted against the bright light, seeking her face. He could feel himself fading, his eyes gradually closing, as Seren’s slowly opened. Eventually, all he could see of Seren was her deep brown eyes, and the small smile that held so much unspoken sadness, as she looked down upon him.

‘Will you promise me one more thing?’ she asked, her voice soft. ‘If you don’t mind?’

‘Anything.’ He was too exhausted to open his eyes, but the pain was leaving him.

‘Please don’t leave me behind.’ She sniffed, heaved a sigh, and squeezed his hand. ‘When they capture me again … please try to rescue me. Don’t leave me here all on my own.’

Charlie held her hand tightly, a single tear falling from his lashes. ‘I won’t leave you.’

‘Don’t blame yourself anymore. No matter what anyone says, it wasn’t your fault.’

*

‘Find Experimental Subject 1740904.’

‘Sir, we should leave – the building is unstable. It’s a miracle the roof hasn’t caved in.’

‘Find her, or all my research will have come to nothing.’

‘She’s over here, Doctor Ivanov. She’s still alive – just.’

‘Then we have everything we need.’

‘What do you want us to do with the Bloodwitch? The Great Protector will want –’

‘Leave him to bleed out. He’s as good as dead already. Bring the girl. We still need to find Kovalev and the witches he escaped with.’

Charlie felt Seren’s fingers slip from his own. He had no strength left to resist. He did not know how long he lay there, motionless, as his life gradually returned to him. When at last he found the strength to sit up, his head was clear. The lightness that came with the absence of pain in his heart and his chest was palpable.

He staggered to his feet, leaning against a marble pillar for support, hardly daring to believe that he was still alive. Seren, Doctor Ivanov, and his father’s soldiers were gone. He was alone.

He was reborn.

‘Charlie!’ Vasco was racing towards him. ‘You’re safe? All saints, I thought you –’

‘You came back for me.’ Charlie rubbed his eyes frantically. ‘You really came back.’

‘I told you I would, didn’t I?’ With a gentle touch, Vasco rested his hand against the small of Charlie’s back, frowning with concern as he peered into his face. ‘Your eyes are red. Did you get smoke in them? Where’s Seren, by the way? I’ve got a present for her.’

‘Huh?’ Glancing down, Charlie saw a small, red-headed figure nestled in the crook of Vasco’s arm. Her face was buried against his chest, a fistful of his t-shirt balled in her hand. It was Saga. ‘You rescued her … you really did it. You saved her, and you’re … you’re alive.’

‘It must be a blue moon,’ Vasco said, with a glint in his eye that made Charlie’s heart skip a beat. ‘That’s the only explanation. But seriously, where’s Seren?’ His eyes downcast, Vasco rocked slowly from foot to foot, humming a soft tune that Charlie did not recognise. ‘This little one needs her sister.’

‘She sacrificed herself to protect me,’ Charlie said at last, gripping his arms tightly.

Vasco went still. He resettled Saga in his arms before meeting Charlie’s eyes. ‘Then we need to get out of here, right now,’ he said. ‘This whole place could collapse at any moment.’

Lowering his gaze to the floor, Charlie nodded. ‘Vasco …’ he began. ‘I think I’m –’

‘Whatever you want to say, I’ll listen to you later.’ Vasco was arming himself with the weapons the soldiers had left scattered around the throne room during Seren’s attack. ‘Let’s take it one step at a time. For now, we’ll head to the roof and just hope to all the saints that they haven’t left yet.’

His mind empty of thought, Charlie followed Vasco through the Castle, into the Facility, and up to the rooftop. There were no dead bodies to greet him this time – no soldiers, or injections, or chains, or prison cells, or knives. He was safe.

He tried to see if he could find some kind of emotion connected with that realisation. But when he went looking for how he was supposed to feel, he found that there was only a deep, aching emptiness inside of himself. Something told him that it would be with him for a long time to come.

‘Charlie! Vasco!’ Alya was waving at them from the helicopter. ‘Over here – hurry!’

They raced towards her, and had almost reached the helicopter, when Eva Brightheart stepped in front of them. She placed herself firmly between them and the witches of her coven.

‘What are you doing?’ Charlie asked coldly, his skin burning. ‘Get out of our way.’

‘Give me the Casimir girl,’ she said, her hand outstretched, her face impassive.

‘Saga is frightened.’ Charlie could tell Vasco was trying hard to maintain a respectful tone as he glanced uncertainly between him and the High Witch. ‘I don’t think she wants to let go of me …’

’Then make her let go.’ Eva Brightheart’s lip curled. ‘The child is confused. She needs to be with her own people.’ She stepped forward, reaching for Saga. ‘Give her to me, Witchkiller.’

Charlie planted himself in front of Vasco, forcing the High Witch to pause. ‘Why can’t she stay with Vasco until she’s ready to let go?’ he demanded. ’He’s the one who rescued her.’

Eva Brightheart’s cold eyes narrowed. ‘He is not welcome here. He is not our kind.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘Then we’re done talking. If he’s not going then neither are we.’

‘You are risking all of our lives with this ridiculous behaviour!’ she hissed furiously.

‘If you want me or Saga on that helicopter with you, then Vasco comes too.’

Eva Brightheart turned on her heel, her cloak flying out behind her. ‘Get us in the air.’

‘But, Mother,’ Alya said, looking stricken, ‘we can’t possibly leave them behind!’

‘What about the little girl?’ another witch asked, to troubled murmurs of assent from the other witches.

Jasmine had risen to her feet and come to stand at Alya’s side. ‘Commander,’ she began, in a carefully level voice, ‘what was the point of waiting here all this time if we’re just going to fly off without them?’

Charlie watched with mild interest as Eva Brightheart stared into the eyes of his sister and his cousin, wondering what she would do next. Her eyes scanned the faces of the witches in her coven. When her shoulders sagged, he knew that she saw she was beaten. He felt a smile of triumphant satisfaction spread across his face as warmth flickered and curled under his skin.

‘Very well,’ she said, turning back to them. Fury burnt in her chalk-white face as she stared directly at Charlie. ‘I want you all on board at once – before I change my mind.’

Smirking, Charlie saw Vasco and Saga onto the helicopter first. With a last look behind him at the Volya Facility and the Elysian Castle, Charlie followed Vasco’s footsteps. No sooner had he pulled the door closed behind him than the helicopter started to rise off the concrete roof. As he and Vasco made their way to the end of a row of benches, Charlie sensed every pair of eyes in the helicopter on them. They sat together in the corner, side by side, in silence.

The helicopter was large enough to fit all the escaped prisoners, although they had to squash close together to ensure everyone had a space to sit down. Vasco had propped the rifle he had taken from the throne room up beside him. He was looking suitably uncomfortable at the venomous stares the witches closest to them were throwing his way. With a small smile, Charlie noticed Vasco shift his body slightly, as though attempting to hide the weapon from view. He decided to say nothing about it, as they began to fly higher into the air.

‘You two have made quite the impression already,’ Jasmine said, taking a seat opposite them. ‘So, what’s your game, Witchkiller?’ she asked, her eyes snapping towards Vasco. ‘You thought you’d rescue Seren’s kid sister and lull us all into a false sense of security?’

‘Take that back!’ Charlie warned her, leaping to his feet, his anger blazing like fire.

‘Try to keep your voices down,’ Vasco said gently, squeezing Charlie’s hand. ‘I think Saga’s fallen asleep. Oh, and also,’ he added, meeting Jasmine’s fierce gaze, ‘please don’t call me by that name anymore. Whatever it takes, I’m going to find a way to leave who I was behind me.’

Jasmine snorted and stood up. ‘You think it’s going to be as easy as that, do you?’

‘Where are we going?’ Charlie called after her, as she strode down to the front of the helicopter.

‘We can’t return to the hideout. We’re flying north, to the Casimir coven.’

Charlie and Vasco watched Jasmine go. Beyond her, they could just make out Eva Brightheart and a small circle of older witches moving their hands above their heads in wide circles. They were using their powers to keep the helicopter airborne, steady, and moving at speed.

Charlie grinned at Vasco, intrigued to discover what he would make of all this. But his smile quickly faded when he noticed how wide Vasco’s eyes had become. His pale face had taken on a distinctly greenish tinge.

‘Why don’t you look out of the window?’ Charlie suggested, but Vasco shook his head.

Charlie said nothing, as Vasco closed his eyes and tilted his head back, breathing fast. He did, however, give Vasco’s knee a brief pat, before looking around them. Jasmine was walking to and fro among the former prisoners, counting on her fingers. Charlie saw that she would smile occasionally when she noticed the children looking up at her with curious glances.

Alya was handing out blankets and food parcels. Charlie supposed he should have guessed that his sister would have thought to stop for supplies before they made their escape. She appeared to be trying to speak to as many people as she could.

When she caught sight of Charlie watching her, she inclined her head towards him in a little nod of acknowledgement. He turned away to stare out of the window as the Volya Facility, the Elysian Castle, and the city of Penumbra all grew smaller and smaller below them. Someone important was missing.

She was down there, somewhere.

‘I’ll come back for you, Seren.’

He spoke the words under his breath, his eyes lingering on the castle in the mountains with its caved-in roof. Drawing his knife from his pocket, he saw that it was still stained with blood – although whose blood it was, he could no longer be sure.

‘I won’t leave you behind.’

Without flinching, he sliced the blade along his palm, clenching his fist to his face.

‘I promise, no matter what it takes, I’ll find you again.’

Vasco shifted beside him, as Saga stirred in his arms and gave a wide yawn. ‘I guess I’m going to have to learn how to be a big brother now,’ he said, an expression of mingled apprehension and wonder on his face as she blinked up at them both. ‘You’ve got two of us now, Saga,’ he added, putting an arm around Charlie’s shoulders and smiling at her. ‘What d’you think of that? Two big brothers – me and Charlie. But you know Charlie already, don’t you?’

Charlie watched as Saga turned her large eyes on him, her thumb in her mouth. She blinked silently up at him. He stared back at her, seeing the ghost of her sister in every aspect of her face. He clenched his fists tighter to stop his hands from shaking, his jaw set. Blood dripped from his open wound, and Charlie gritted his teeth.

He was starving.

Saga’s eyes grew wary, and she clung tighter to Vasco, burying her face in his t-shirt again without making a sound. Rubbing his hand in soothing circles against her back, Vasco cast Charlie an anxious look.

‘Charlie?’

‘What d’you want?’

‘Oh, um …’ Vasco said, running his hand through his hair and tapping his feet. ‘I guess I was just wondering … but it doesn’t matter at the moment. Don’t worry about it, all right?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Forget it, it’s not important.’ Vasco sighed. ‘I wonder what’s going to happen to us now?’

‘I have to go back.’ His hand was throbbing painfully. ‘I have to rescue Seren.’

Vasco nodded, giving no indication that Charlie’s words came as a surprise to him.

‘You can’t stop me.’

‘I don’t plan to. In fact, you can count me in.’

‘Huh.’ He frowned, watching Vasco closely as the blood spread under his fingers. ‘I thought you’d call me crazy – or say it’s too dangerous. I didn’t expect you to be on my side.’

Vasco smiled. ‘I’ll always be on your side, no matter what happens. I promise, Charlie.’

’Don’t call me that,’ he snapped.

He heard the anger in his own voice but found himself unable and unwilling to restrain it. It was his fault. But that weak, cowardly part of himself was gone. He would burn any last remnants of it out, until those memories were nothing more than smouldering ash.

‘I never want to hear that name again, you understand me?’

‘But …’ A frown of concern had darkened Vasco’s features. ‘But, Charlie –’

‘No. He died in the Shadow Cells. From now on, I will live with the name I should have been given from the start.’

The blood had reached his wrist. He was so desperately hungry.

‘My name is Zuriel Ignatiev.’

The Bloodwitch will return in

We Become Shadows

Read on to discover how Charlie made his escape …

THE SWALLOW’S FLIGHT

a prequel

Emily Rooke