Phantom Shadows

Chapter 8

Although Dex and I were good, and the others now had backup, we were still struggling to keep the Phantoms at bay. One knocked Moxie and Alec into a tree, knocking them unconscious. Another struck at Niko's leg, making a snapping noise, and he fell to the ground, holding in the screams of pain. As I looked around to observe our current battlefield, a Phantom barreled into me and knocked me over. Dex tried to stop it from getting past but it bit his shoulder. He let out a scream of agonizing pain and dropped to the ground, clutching the bite wound. Maybe that scream was what set the next few minutes into action because just as the Phantoms were about to break the tree line, two adult silhouettes burst out from the bushes, slashing and cutting until all the Phantoms lay dead. The two then split up, one running to Dexter and the other coming to me. They held out their hand, giving me a chance to see their face, the face of... my mother.

"See part of me is mad you broke out of the house when you were grounded but the other, possibly larger, part is quite proud that you're taking on the family business." She pulled me up and into a hug.

"Why the hell didn't you guys tell us about this?" I asked her as we walked over to dad who was giving Dex some kind of tonic for the Phantom bite.

"We were trying to protect you, but I guess we knew that moving back here would somehow pull you in." She smiled. I looked around and saw Nikolas leaning against a tree, holding his leg and wincing.

"Oh my god, Niko!" I ran over and dropped to my knees next to him.

"I'm alright, Ace." He half smiled before wincing again. I turned to my mother, who was now standing behind me.

"Is there something you can do to help?" I asked her, a pleading look in my eyes.

"Young Mr Bellemore I suppose." She smiled and bobbed down next to him, pulling a vile from her sash and handing it to him. "I knew your mother when we were your age."

"I know." He laughed. "Lailah Rose, household legend." He downed the liquid and his pain seemingly disappeared. "Help me up?" He asked me. I nodded and let him lean against me as I pulled him up. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Dex, dad and Esme were tending to Alec and Moxie.

"Well it's nice to know I'm remembered in this town." My mum stuck out her hand.

"Don't think you'll ever be forgotten." Niko used the hand that wasn't holding onto my shoulder to shake it.

"We should get you all home. You've had a big night." She lifted Nikolas's other arm over her shoulder and helped me take him back to the house while Dex, Esme and dad helped Moxie and Alec. Well tonight was one hell of an adventure.