The Necromancer Trilogy: Prophecy

Chapter Twenty-Four - Black Magic Screams and the Kiss of Death

The advantage of manifesting from nowhere in the middle of a battle is that everyone else is more surprised than you are. The disadvantage is that you are now in the middle of a battle. As disadvantages go, that one is fairly major.

  As it was, Sophie managed to punch her way straight through three zombies before they had time to attack her.

“How do you do that?” Blue demanded, punching a zombie and having no effect.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Sophie shouted, kicking the next one in the stomach and leaping out of the way, ducking just in time to avoid having her head burnt off.

  It was, strangely, not very scary once you were actually there. Every muscle was being used to duck and dodge and kick and punch and roll and dive. Every thought was focused on keeping you alive. There was no room for fear. There was no room for anything.

  At some point, Sophie thought that she might be screaming. At another time, she could have been laughing. She didn’t remember afterwards and she scarcely noticed at the time. She was focused on keeping alive with no weapons at her disposal and no protection. It wasn’t fun. But it was…liberating.

  Right up until the moment when she felt the barrel of a gun pressed against her head.

“Easy,” Blacktouch said, as she moved to jerk away. “I won’t shoot you in the head, but I hear it still hurts wherever you’re hit.”

He moved the barrel of the gun from her head to her shoulder.

“Not fatal,” he smirked. “Necessarily.”

Sophie looked around desperately. Celia was surrounded, blazing fire from her hands and still being attacked by burning corpses. Blue was useless right now. Even he wasn’t quick enough for this. Chrysanthemum and Zephyr were busy away to her left. Tala was nowhere to be seen. Merry had vanished.

“What do you want?” Sophie asked, hopelessly.

Blacktouch laughed. “I want you to come with me. Nice and slow and gentle.”

“Why?” Sophie growled.

“Why? So you can achieve your destiny! So that you can open the Doors! So that you can free the world!”

Sophie shook her head, frantically.

“No way. No. I’m not doing it!”

“Why not?” Blacktouch whispered. “It’s what you’re made for. It’s your purpose of being alive.”

“What, to die?” Sophie shrieked. “I’m not doing it!”

“Walk!” Blacktouch growled. “Or I’ll pull this trigger!”

Sophie started walking.  She didn’t know what else she could do. Her heart sank down into her boots as she shuffled, not wanting to get any closer to the farm but not daring to stop.