The Necromancer Trilogy: Prophecy

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Traveller Is Afraid

Sophie did the only thing she could think of doing. She screamed.

  Sophie was a talented screamer and the sound tore through the air like an air-raid siren. She raised the pitch and the volume as much as she could and was gratified to see Blacktouch clap his hands over his ears.

  She stopped for breath, leaping to her feet and backing away from him as much as possible. Her company landed on the ground with light thuds, hands up or weapons drawn.

“Leave her alone, Blacktouch,” Celia warned, “or this time I won’t miss.”

Blacktouch laughed delightedly. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a game, princess! You and your little friends against me and my little army of zombies! Should be fun!”

Sophie turned quickly and saw the zombies standing in a line.

“That’s not how it works,” Chrysanthemum murmured. “They’re puppets. They can’t react on their own. No one could sustain that many.”

Blacktouch laughed again. “Our little scholar has studied so much. No, no one could sustain that many. Except my master. That’s a different story. He’s not quite like the rest of us, you see.”

Sophie hissed between her teeth. “The usurper.”

Blacktouch looked startled. “No, my dear. It was his throne first.”

“The throne moves on with death,” Sophie said, angrily. “The throne is mine!”

“Sophie,” Celia said, warningly.

“He’s just some ghost messing with minds! He’s nothing! Not the Shadow, he’s just a shadow! He’s dead!”

Blacktouch smiled slowly. “You want to meet him, little princess? You want to meet the Shadow who Returned? Hmmm?”

Sophie’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Returned.”

Blacktouch’s smile broadened. “So they didn’t explain it to you, did they? The thing about Necromancers, my little girl, is that you can never trust them to stay dead. The ultimate certainty is a little less…certain.”

“He was fully dead,” Sophie said, quietly. “And now he’s back and wants to kill me.”

“Yes,” Blacktouch said, with false sorrow. “It’s such a shame, of course, and so cruel to kill a little innocent like you. However…rules are rules. The Master will control this world, once he has used you. I like to pick the winning side.”

He clicked his fingers and launched himself aside as the zombies began to advance.

Everyone apart from Sophie immediately went into battle-mode. Celia had fire burning across her palm and Merry beside her, with a completely unexpected sword and an uncharacteristically grim expression. Tala had vanished completely; Blue had a pistol and a knife ready in his hands.