A Shadowlander’s Dream: Book Three - Rules of the Flesh
Written by Kathryn K Williams
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sophia led the group of new arrivals down the front steps of the train station, wanting to get back to the academy posthaste. She did not know what was coming, but the cloud overhead gave her a disconcerting feeling and she needed to make sure all was well with her girls. If her sister, Melissa, was at full health she would not have a care in the world, but with both of them at half strength she had a cause for worry and the increasing size of those thunderclouds overhead was starting to make her think that they maybe in for one hell of a night if she did not return to the school soon.
Her uneasy over the weather caused her to fumble with her keys, dropping them back into her pocket several times and finally fishing them out only to fumble with them as she tried to find the right one, her car seeming to be kilometres away.
Jessica watched the woman as she sifted through the many keys upon the key chain, her eyes always at the skies overhead, “Is something wrong, Head Mistress?” She inquired worriedly, finding her own eyes searching the dark skies for what the teacher could be anxious about.
Sophia’s eyes dropped back to her keys as she found the one to her car, “Its nothing.” She glanced over her shoulder to find the three new arrivals were right behind her. Suddenly her eyes spotted movement above the train station and she squinted at it to get a better view when she spotted an enormous set of shimmering wings spread out on the roof of the building. Not the wings of a Sister of Death, even from this distance she knew that those wings were not made of feather, flesh and blood, no these wings were made of fragments of stained glass and that only meant one thing.
“Run!!” She cried out to the girls and handed her keys to Jessica, “Jessica, unlock the door and get everyone inside.” She urgently commanded.
Jessica stared at the keys in confusion, “Why? What’s going on…?” She followed Sophia’s gaze to see glass wings spread out atop of the train station and suddenly take flight, “Carey…” She breathed and quickly turned on her heels as she did as the Head Mistress had ordered.
Carey flew high upon the storm’s winds and suddenly dove at the Head Mistress. Sophia brought up her hands and spread out her fingers, “Leave here Carey. These girls are not yours!” She called out over the increasing winds that began to howl about her head, causing her hair to whip about ferociously.
“What’s going on?” Amber inquired frightenly, taking a glimpse over her shoulder to see a small child of no more then twelve or thirteen years gliding upon the winds to land atop of a street lamp and perch atop it, “That girl is flying!!” She exclaimed in shock at what she was seeing.
“No time to explain.” Jessica said as she struggled to get the key into the lock, cursing her trembling hands. “Lets just say she is not here to welcome us.”
A sinister grin crossed Carey’s face from her perch, “Who said I was after those girls?” She inquired of the Head Mistress, her wings turned so their sharp feathers pointed towards Sophia, “Maybe it is you I want?” Suddenly the several feathers broke free from their place over the girl’s shoulders and flew at the woman.
Sophia waved her hand and the feathers exploded into tiny fragments that twinkled to the asphalt parking lot, glistening in the light of the streetlights, “Stop it Carey!” Sophia demanded.
“Shit!!” Sarah cursed as she watched the display before her, “What kind of world have we walked into?” She inquired, wrapping an arm protectively around Caitlin as the girl sobbed softly.
Jessica turned the key in the lock and smiled gratefully as she watched the bolt pop up and she quickly opened the door, “Get in everyone.” She commanded, jumping into the car and reaching around to pull the lock on the back door.
Amber quickly opened the door and crawled into the car, “What about that lady?” She inquired nervously.
“Yeah.” Sarah agreed as she helped Caitlin into the car, “Who’s going to drive this thing?”
Jessica put the key into the ignition and turned it, “I can drive.” She stated confidently.
Sarah slid into the car next to Caitlin, their bags cramped upon their legs, “Do you have a licence?”
Jessica shook her head, “Nope.” She glanced around to peer into the rear view mirror to see how the Head Mistress was doing. Last time Jessica had encountered Carey it took all of Kris’s strength to take the girl down. This time it appeared that Sophia would not be so lucky and Jessica prayed that she was wrong.
Sophia glared up at the death angel overhead, “What would you want me for?” She inquired, glancing over her shoulder to see the girls were safely in the car, but unsure how she was going to distract Carey long enough to get to the car herself.
“You should pay more attention to me and less to them.” Carey shouted angrily, “I am your opponent here.” She spread her arms wide and hundreds of feathers responded to her gesture, flying in every direction and circling around towards the Head Mistress.
Sophia quickly glanced around at the many gleaming blades of colourful glass as they came spirally towards her. Abruptly she leapt into the air, several shards colliding into each other, shattering upon impact. Her feet touched the ground again and she felt pain race through her knees, causing her to stagger ever so slightly and lean heavily upon her cane. She struggled to get her legs to respond only it was too late and a chunk of glass struck her in the shoulder with enough force to rip its way out the other side, leaving a gapping wound and splashing blood to the ground.
Jessica jumped up from her place at the driver’s seat, “SOPHIA!!!” She cried out as she watched the woman stagger to the ground and struggle to get to her feet again.
“GET OUT OF HERE!!!” Sophia demanded, waving for the girl to move, “Go on, Ge--" Her word were cut short as three more shards stabbed her in the chest and she slummed to the ground on all fours, panting for breathe.
Carey laughed manically, “Not so tough now are you?” She stated gleefully, “Once you are gone I will take the souls of ever last one of her precious students.
Sophia’s head snapped up and she glared at the Angel, “You… will… do…” She struggled to her feet, resting heavily upon her cane as she rose, “no… such thing.” She snarled at the girl.
Carey was taken back by the Head Mistress’s strength, “What can you do? You’re near your own death bed.”
“Jessie?” She called out to the girl.
“Yes?” Jessica took a step closer to the woman.
“Tell my sister I love her.” Sophia said with that warming smile that she had so frequently gave the girl’s over the years. Quickly she turned and charged at the lamppost on which the Stained Glass Angel perched and hit it with all her strength, causing the metal post to bend and the girl to fall from her seat.
“Hey!!!” Carey cried out, her wings not able to catch flight for having not formed again since her assault, causing her to be at the will of gravity itself. Her hands slipped from their grip on the light and she feel to the ground with a heavy thud, right next to the Head Mistress who turned and grinned down at the girl, not a warm loving smile, no this was the grin of someone who had just won the game.
“What did you say you were going to do to my girls?” The Head Mistress inquired as she stepped over the girl and grabbed her by the throat.
Carey clawed at the woman’s arm in vain, “Let me go you witch.”
“Never.” Sophia declared as electricity started to leap out of the ground at her feet and around her legs, “You will never harm my children again.” She stated as the blue energy bolts enveloped her and the girl, “I’m going to make sure of that.” She assured the girl, a maniacal grin upon her face.
Carey struggled against the woman’s grasp only to have Sophia wrap her other arm around the girl and hold her tight, “Let me go!” Carey screamed out in distress, “I’ll kill you. I’ll KILLL YOUUUU!!!” Several shards of glass began to twitch from their place on the ground and began to slide towards the girl.
Sophia glanced around herself to see an increasing number of glass fragments had encircled her, “You are not getting away from me.” She snarled at the girl. Abruptly several shards leapt to life and stabbed the woman in the back just as the blue energy completely encircled them and there was a huge flash of white light.
Jessica, blinded against the light, rubbed at her eyes in a vain attempt to rid herself of the white spots that appeared. When the spots began to subside she found Sophia and Carey were nowhere in sight.
Sarah was watching the scene with her head stuck out the window and shook her head in disbelief, “What the hell just happened? Are they dead?”
“I hope not…” Jessica slowly sat in the driver seat again and set her head heavily upon the steering wheel.
Amber reached out and touched the girl upon the shoulder causing her to turn around in her seat and look upon the girl’s she once called her sister. Amber gave the girl a weak smile and Jessica returned it. Knowing full well that couldn’t just sit around at the train station Jessica pulled the door shut, put the car in reverse and started out of the parking lot on their way back to the school.
*****
To be Continued . . .
*****
Note: The world of the Shadowlands, Its stories, Characters and ideas are a copyright of Kathryn K Williams.
This story is based upon my manga of the same name. If you wish to view art from this series please visit my deviant arts site at: http://shinigami-shimai.deviantart.com/
For more of my stories visit my deviant hearts site at: http://www.devianthearts.com/viewuser.php?uid=159
Also if you spot any typos or other errors please contact me at katwilliams @ rogers.com
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