Page 15 of Chillingham Castle

A foul stench crept towards us, making us gag.

“Betrayal,” the Ovilus boomed and made a high-pitched noise.

“Whose?” I called out.

“Mine.”

“Are you one of John Sage’s victims?” I had a flash of inspiration. A burning sensation crossed my shoulders, and I yelped in shock.

“Murderer.”

“John Sage was, everyone knows that,” I replied as my shoulders continued to burn. I was shoved roughly and stumbled against the wall. The smell washed over us, and we all heaved.

“Move now, it’s amping up,” I ordered.

We staggered away as the corridor darkened.

“Faster,” I gasped as panic welled through me. This was hopeless; I couldn’t save them, and I couldn’t even save myself. My skin became clammy, and my breathing came in pants. I was so cold and terrified. Everything was out of control, and I couldn’t protect anyone.

Fear clouded my vision as my hands shook and I stumbled on my way to death.

“Prez!” someone shouted from a distance as I sobbed; I’d killed my brothers. This was on me, my mistake, my ego and arrogance, thinking we were able to change things. Their deaths were on me; that would haunt me for eternity.

“Prez!” A blow hit my chin, and I staggered.

What? A second one landed, and I shook my head. What was happening? For a moment I thought I was in the courtyard with my brothers, but then grief swept over me. My eyes blinded again, and I fell to my knees. If God had the power to forgive me for my efforts and take my brothers’ souls, I’d cheerfully burn. I clawed at the ground, grief striking deep as I wailed out my anger and bitterness. I’d betrayed them, and for what? This cruel death.

A searing pain knocked me backwards onto my ass, and I curled up, trying to escape it. “Leave me alone!” I cried, fighting against the hands on me. “I killed them!”

“Haunt!” Someone above me held something to my head and prayed.

“Begone in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” Lucky roared, and everything paused.

My breath froze in my body as clarity rushed in. I blinked tears away and stared at Lucky in front of me.

“What the fuck just happened?” I asked.

“Damn good question. Were you possessed?” Lich demanded. Around me stood my brothers. All of them and Jack.

“Someone tell me what went down?” I insisted, pushing up into a sitting position. We were in the courtyard, and I had no idea how I’d gotten here.

“What do you remember?” Reaver said as he crouched beside me, taking my pulse. I shrugged him off.

“The dark entity approaching, a darkness moving down the corridor, and then all these weird emotions. I was convinced I’d killed you all,” I replied.

“We got halfway down, and you shoved Lucky out of the way, and the darkness swamped you. Then you began crying and…basically shrieking, boss, and babbling all this shit,” Lich said.

“What did I say? I feel that’s important,” I interrupted.

“That you hadn’t meant to be so arrogant, you thought you were capable of helping, you’d killed us and shit like that,” Lucky replied.

“The darkness disappeared, and we dragged you out, but you were gone. The lights were on, but you weren’t fuckin home,” Lich ground out.

“Whatever this is, it recognised you as the one in charge. It didn’t even go for any of us; just straight for you,” Trunk added.

I slowly explained everything I had been experiencing.

“This has gotta be one of John Sage’s victims,” Suga said.