Worst Curse: A Ghostwalkers Journey, Book II

Chapter 18

     An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air as the moon rose across the sky. The Light Witch sat on her white horse beside Bynan, on his horse, matching the brown hue of his beard. They stood at the base of the steps leading up to their residence. Two flanks of soldiers were in formation before them. Outside the gates, at both entrances, were a battalion armed to protect their leaders. Bynan's secret weapons had been brought out, and revealed for the first time. Two large crossbows, secured to stands, were placed on the hillside leading up to the mansion, loaded with large silver tipped arrows. Outside the gates, the soldiers had, at their disposal, a wagon filled with bombs. Each soldier was equipped with a rifle donned with a wooden, lead tipped, stake on the end.

     The streets were quiet. Trouble was an expected guest. Gutters waited in anticipation for the arriving blood to quench its thirst. Many walls throughout the city held back panic, fear, and anxiety. Through cracks, the city watch for predators. The bold found advantage points to become spectators of the upcoming onslaught. Those left behind hid within the most secure places of their homes with tight grips on their best weapons. The Light Witch and Bynan waited for the dead to awaken.

     A large group of the undead formed within the Mayor's mansion. The Council had filled the connecting hotel, at the bottom of the hill, with those they had changed. There was a strict law, within their ranks, about converting the cursed. For the most part, their guidelines were followed and maintained. On this night they gathered all of their cursed together in preparations for battle. When their ranks were gathered, all of them met Bynan's escort at the gates.

     When the thirst cursed arrived at the Light Witch's gates, they were welcomed inside, and they created a rank in front of Bynan's soldiers. There was a noticeable uneasiness throughout the soldiers. This was the first time the undead ever, knowingly, collaborated with the city. The once hunted, were now allies. Many weren't accepting to the idea, but with the upcoming threat, all help was needed. Most were surprised at the overwhelming numbers their enemy had acquired. To the soldiers it was unknown exactly where these cursed came from, but the higher ranked officials knew exactly how closely their enemies were.

     Bynan had pulled all of his Ghostwalkers from the walls and brought them along the gates. The gates were left unmanned. All of his forces were centralized in one location. He felt it useless to spread his forces out when he knew there were forces undoubtedly attacking. For the arriving traveler, there wasn't any welcome; there were no soldiers available to open the gates. The city was on lockdown. For Demini, she finally found a usefulness for Therion.

     Outside the gates, a little ways off the road, Demini, Therion, and the others sat around a fire, waiting for the moon to break from the clouds. Therion took Yasmina away from the group and talked to her in private, out in the field. Austesh sat in silence around the fire with Demini and her witch assistant. The witch played with the flames and worked toward locating Ladieta's position. Using her dark magic she moved through animal consciousness throughout the city. Demini was astonished to see witches had the power to look through animals eyes. It made her questioned all the times her pets stared at her.

     Moving into the minds of a cats, she came upon one in the location she desired to find. In a basement, she found Ladieta sitting on her throne with people sitting on the ground all around her. Taking control of the cat's actions, the witch found her way out of the basement and figured out what building the cursed queen hid underneath. The knowledge created Demini a destination. They all now waited for Therion to make his transition.

     All of Ladieta's subjects gathered in the streets as the group moved toward the Light Witch. Every street they passed caused the pack to grow in numbers. Their mission was to rescue Jarus and bring him back to Ladieta's side. Ladieta created safe houses throughout the city to hide her cursed, and it was alarming when the entirety of what she created stood at the Light Witch's gates.