A Darker Shade of Sorcery (Sample of now published novel.)

Chapter One

You should never have let her die.

Evan Umbra tried to ignore his thoughts as he walked back from school.

Water bled from a bruised sky, soaking the streets as gusts of wind shoved him with cold hands. Cars groaned along the roads and a church bell pealed, but the heavy rainfall smothered most of the city sounds. It beat down mercilessly, turning his brown hair black as the strands stuck to his face like leeches.

Evan looked behind him on instinct. Paranoia had been a constant ghost at his shoulder since the first attack. He didn't see them, but they could be near. Evan tensed, ready to run at the first sign.

You should never have let her die.

Stop it! You couldn't have done anything. It was always going to happen one day, but why so soon?

Last night had been bad. He'd distracted himself all day with school, but now the nightmare wouldn't stop replaying in his head. Maggots had taken up residence in one of her eye sockets. The other eye stared at Evan in accusation.

In the dream he was back in the front room, staring at Gran in her beloved armchair. The cloying stench of death made him gag.

"Why," his grandmother had croaked, "why did you let me die, Evander?"

"Gran," he'd cried. "Gran, I'm so sorry."

The carcass cackled, its black tongue lolling. "You were never good enough, boy. I'm glad I'm free of you now. You're pathetic, worthless. Your own parents didn't want you."

"Please Gran, I..."

She'd risen to her feet, stretching out one rotting hand.

Evan had screamed as talons clawed out chunks of his chest, and he woke up trembling.

He wished he could seize the recurring nightmares and rip them into pieces. If he'd just been there, he could've called an ambulance, he could've...

It had been over five months since she'd died and yet he still missed Gran terribly. She was the only person he'd ever loved and the only person who'd ever loved him.

Evan took a deep breath and composed himself as he crossed the road, leaving one grey street and entering another. He missed the countryside, but being dumped in some obscure part of London was the least of his problems.

Evan thought his dreams might've been getting worse ever since the murder.
Death follows me like a hunter, he mused, picking off everyone around me until I'm the only one left.

The children's home was still reeling from Pete's murder one week ago. No body, but a huge amount of blood had been found in Pete's bedroom, the room right next to Evan's, but that was all anyone knew.

The orphanage staff refused to tell the kids anything. They'd surmised that Pete was killed and his body deposited somewhere. Police were still looking for a missing person, but everyone said there'd been too much blood for someone to survive. No one was allowed in the room, of course. But two days ago Evan knew he'd glimpsed claw marks on the wall through a gap in the door.

He hadn't known Pete well, he didn't really know any of the kids he shared the orphanage with, but it was still horrific. It didn't feel real that someone could be murdered. Evan was terrified; he'd hardly slept since, fearing he'd be killed in his bed too. He didn't know who or why anyone would murder Pete, and his paranoia made him think he could be next.

Could one of the other kids be the killer? One of the staff? He couldn't stop the horrible thoughts boiling in his head.

Stranger still was his dream that night. But he dismissed it for the hundredth time.

You're way too old to be dreaming of monsters, Evan.

Cruel laughter cut through the air.

He recognised it straight away. His body went cold. He was about to run when he saw them. Ollie and his mates had a small boy cornered. As Ollie shoved his victim against the wall, Evan saw it was Tommy.

Evan barely knew him, but Tommy was much smaller than him, and right now he was crying in fear.

Ollie and his gang had beaten Evan up weekly since he'd moved to London. He didn't know they had a more vulnerable target too. He couldn't stand here and watch them do it.

Ollie hadn't seen him yet, he could turn back round and scarper. Part of him wanted to. But Evan knew his conscience would never forgive him. He had to help, or at least try. Anger surged through him, burning out the fear.
"Oi!"

Ollie and his two mates turned as Evan shouted. He needed to lure them away from Tommy, even if that meant getting his own ass kicked.

"C'mon then Ollie, you fat pig, I'm right here."

No one had ever spoken to the bully like that before, but Ollie's surprise quickly turned to rage.
"Get 'im," Ollie roared.

As soon as he saw Tommy escape, Evan sprinted the other way, hounded by the laughter of his pursuers. He veered into the nearest alley, hoping to lose them.

He soon realised his mistake.

Alone. Cornered. Trapped.

At the alley's end loomed a metal fence, blocking his escape. Evan knew his chance was slim, but he threw himself at the gate anyway. He scrambled up like a demented monkey. He was almost there. He was going to make i—

Hands seized him.

One moment Evan clung to the cold metal, the next he was yanked down, and thrown back against the unforgiving steel. Just let it be over quick. His body trembled and he tasted bile in his throat. The thugs laughed in his face.

"What's the rush, Ev?" Ollie snarled.

Evan opened his mouth to speak. Ollie slapped it hard.

"What you gonna do, mate?"

Before Evan could reply, the wind rushed out of him as Ollie's fist slammed into his stomach. He fell to his knees, gasping for air. They were double his size. Evan knew fighting back would make the beating worse. He just hoped that after him, they wouldn't feel the need to hurt anyone else.
He closed his eyes and braced himself. It would be over quickly. Maybe the pain could distract him from thinking about Gran for a while.

His head snapped back as Ollie's fist smashed into his jaw and he slumped to the ground.

All three bullies shouted incoherently.

Evan was silent.

Ollie stamped on his hand, a sharp flash of pain. Another punch. Evan saw a faint trail of black smoke snake across the ground. The mist appeared to be coming from Evan's fingertips. This happened once before, he thought. The punches in his last beating had made him see mist too.

He thought he saw the mist morph into a clawed hand that crawled across the ground, but just as it looked ready to seize Ollie's ankle, the mist dissipated.

Finally Evan's torture came to an end.

"Try that again and we'll kill you. That's a promise."

Ollie punctuated his threat with a last kick to the stomach.

Evan covered his face, gritting his teeth and trying not to cry out at the pain.

Their laughter haunted him as they sauntered out of the alley, leaving him curled up in a ball against the cold metal fence.