Under A Blue Moon | #ONC2022

Chapter 18

My back was stiff as I aimed the gun at its head. With fingers ready to pull the trigger I took a deep breath. But I paused at the cock of its head.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Shoot the bloody thing!" Logan said. His eyes glowed as he scanned our surroundings. We were out in the middle of the street where anyone could see.

The creature lifted its hand and curled its index finger. Then it turned and slowly walked back the way it came. It was a trap, obviously. But time was not on our side, and this was faster than doing a locator spell. I met Logan's eyes across the car. He knew it as well as I did. With a loud sigh from him, we followed the creature.

We moved through the darkened streets further and further from the town centre. Thankfully we hadn't encountered anyone. But at any moment that could change. As the apartments turned to houses and more trees sprouted from the ground I realised where we were heading. Before long we reached the iron gates of St. Patrick's Cemetery. The sea of gravestones visible beyond the bars.

"A cemetery. Who could've guessed?" Logan said drily.

I reached for the lock on the gate when a whistle above sounded. Logan pulled me backwards just as Coco swooped down aiming for my hands.

"What the hell is wrong with that bird?" I asked angrily.

She landed on the brick wall and flapped her wings at me. I was going to punt the little vermin. Lucky for her, she took off before I could attempt the attack.

I made a second attempt at the lock. My fingers were inches from wrapping around the metal when a shout sounded, "Don't!" We turned just as Penny ran up to us. She pushed me out of the way and splashed a clear liquid over the lock. Smoke billowed from it and then it disintegrated into nothingness.

"It was spelled. If you had grabbed it your insides would have melted and you would have died in mere minutes." Great. That was just great.

Penny pushed the gate open with ease. Above, Coco flew ahead, her reddish tail glowing slightly under the moonlight. I was probably going to have to apologise for wanting to kill her given she did save my life.

We followed the path winding through gravestones. Eyes alert. But despite being in a prime location for an army of the dead not a single creature had been spotted. Not even the creature we followed could be sighted anywhere. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

Further along the path, something pulled on my insides. A gentle tug. I turned in place and the pull got stronger leading towards a small white panelled church poking up behind a large tree.

"Based on how creative this witch seems to be, I'm guessing the church is where we should go," Logan said.

We moved forward quietly. The church was surrounded by well-kept grass that was littered with dry leaves and sticks. Just off the back was the caretaker's quarters, empty by the look of it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Robin once told me that witches could create illusions. The closer we moved to the church the more chills that brushed over my skin raising goosebumps.

"She's here," Penny whispered. "I can sense her magic in the air." Nerves racked my body. We were so close. My hands clenched and unclenched by my side as the adrenaline coursed in my veins.

"We need to get inside without her finding out we're here," Penny said.

Logan scoffed. "We followed a corpse that purposely led us here. She knows we're here. We may as well just go through the front."

I looked over the church and a slight semblance of a plan formed. "There are multiple entry points - the front, the back and a side one. We'll separate and take an entry point each. Logan, you'll go through the back, Penny you'll go through the side, and I'll take the front." There were no arguments from either.