The Awakened Pt. 03

Aldred's aura lit up the area around him as he moved to the doorway of his study looking around for Kane's human form. He looked puzzled as he began to turn away, looking for whichever one of his staff must be asleep on the job nearby.

As he turned his back, in sheer panic Kane threw his arm out in the same way that he'd seen Aldred do, stabbing towards his spirit body, his cloak falling away as he struck.

But his hand bounced off some form of shield, the impact causing corruscating sparks to cascade off it and showing the almost imperceptible globe surrounding his target.

Aldred bellowed, whether in shock or pain Kane didn't know. He whirled around rapidly to face the attack, his arms out in front of him.

[You! How dare you attack me! You are mine, all mine!]

In shock, Kane backed away from him, with no idea what to do. The idea that Aldred might have some sort of shield hadn't even occurred to him.

[Come here you Devonian piece of shit!]

He backed further into the study away from Aldred. He seemed to be slightly faster and was desperately trying to figure out what to do. He looked at the henchmen, two of whom were checking the body of their captive. A handgun was sticking out of the belt of one of the guards who was bending over.

Kane swooped down and pulled the gun from the guards belt.

"What the..?" said the guard, feeling his gun being taken only to turn and see it floating in the air behind him.

He backed away from Aldred, the gun floating in the real world, pointing at the guards and at Aldred's physical body.

[Stop right there or I'll kill you where you stand.]

Aldred stared at him in shock, still moving towards him though a little more slowly.

[How are you..?]

Kane freed the safety and pulled the trigger. Petersen shrieked as he was shot in the shoulder. The other three reacted instantly and ran for the door.

[I said stop right there.]

[I've stopped. Not moving one inch.] Aldred held his hands up in a gesture of submission as he looked nervously at Kane and then to his body and the groaning Petersen crawling away towards the door.

[Why did you kill that man?]

[That peon? Power. Nothing more nothing less. How else do you keep the brain claws at bay? They only respect power.]

[But power draws them to you.]

[Of course. But would you rather live a life shivering away, hoping not to be noticed? Surely not. A man with your power! Think what we could do together? Think what we could teach each other! What do you want Kane Daniels? Money? A safe haven? Power?]

As Aldred spoke he was moving imperceptibly closer. Kane wavered. What did he want? What could he learn to help him survive?

But only for a moment.

[Why would I prostitute myself with you? Knowing that you would kill me in my sleep.]

[And waste all that wonderful power? Good heavens no! We can come to an agreement, you and I. A partnership.]

Kane didn't trust the man an inch but unsure what to do next he stayed silent.

[Well, Kane? How about it? You show me the gun trick and I'll tell you everything that you need to know to stay alive in the shadows.]

Kane was about to speak when he caught movement behind Aldred. He instantly dropped the gun and cloaked himself.

[Bloody coward! Now I've...AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!]

Three brain claws swarmed through the hole in Aldred's shield where Kane had pierced it, latching on to his spine, his neck and his liver.

[What have you done? How did you get here?]

Kane looked on in horror.

[Through the window...]

[You forced through the house ward! You fool you've broken the ward!]

And then he screamed in agony as Kane watched the brain claws almost double in size. There was an eerie sucking sound as they gorged themselves on the essence of Donovan Aldred.

[Take my life Kane. Kill me. Save me from this agony!]

[How?]

[Force your hand into me and pull as hard as you can. Just do it quickly for God's sake.]

[I don't believe in god.]

[Then do it for my sake but please, please stop this!]

Kane saw his aura dimming and his physical body thumped to the floor. The guards were peering back into the room, guns in hand looking for whatever had ambushed them.

He quickly made up his mind. Throwing off his cloak he jabbed his hand into Aldred's heart and pulled for all he was worth.

Aldred gasped and seemed to shrink in on himself. His brilliant aura flickered and flared. Motes of his lifeforce flowed to Kane like a river. Sparkling, glittering will o'the wisps flowed over and around him coating his arm like a swarm of bees.

The ululating howls of the brain claws rose into the aether as they were deprived of their host's very being.

Aldred's spirit body started to break apart and the brain claw's tendrils came free. Their appalling filaments swirled around searching for another for them to leech from. Sensing the raw power in front of them, they hurtled towards Kane.

All he could think of was to get as far away from these things as possible. He reached for the wards around his body and was suddenly back in his physical form inside the sleeping bag, his body warm and surging with adrenaline. He was about to sit up when three black hissing things slammed into the trunk of the tree just above him.

The shrieks must have been heard across Windsor Great Park. Wailing screams like unearthly nails on a chalkboard. Streams of steam and a spattering of liquids dropped to the ground, hissing as they burned the pine straw beneath the trees.

Kane rolled away in panic, cloaking himself once more and scrambling out of the sleeping bag. Black poison was spreading up the trunks of the trees beside him, instant rot and decay leeching the life from the trees. Ganoderma and other growths that Kane didn't recognise erupted from the trunks as he backed out into the night dragging his supplies behind him desperate not to leave any trace that he had been there.

The tree creaked loudly and there was a massive crack as the trunk split in two.

Kane forced his way out from under the tree canopy and ran as fast as he could towards his car and away from the horrors that he'd just seen. He ran through the darkness down one of the footpaths, gasping as he reached his car. He fumbled for the keys, desperate to be anywhere other than here.

He didn't remember his drive down the motorway. He thanked his lucky stars that it was a Sunday night and most of the traffic must have been heading towards London because he was entirely on autopilot.

He began to recognise his surroundings somewhere near Swindon and pulled off at the nearest motorway exit. He had a brief, awkward conversation with the hotel receptionist and ignored her concerned enquiries as he found his way to the sanctuary of his Premier Inn room.

He didn't stop trembling until he had safely locked the door, his heart pounding and he fell, exhausted, onto the bed.

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