The Child Thief

at the dusty dirt.

Peter snatched him by the arm and yanked him up to his knees. “LIES! I’m sick to death of your lies. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Leroy brought his hands together as though praying. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—”

“SHUT UP!” Peter cried and struck him hard across the face. “The heads of all those boys are on your shoulders! You brought ruin to Deviltree!” Peter shoved the knife into Leroy’s chest.

Leroy’s eyes went wide, locked on Nick as though begging him to help, then rolled upward and glazed over.

“You don’t deserve this mercy,” Peter spat. He yanked the blade free and let Leroy drop to the dirt.

“Oh, God,” Nick whispered as he watched the blood pool beneath the dead boy.

Peter walked past Nick. “Let’s go.”

“You’re insane!” Nick yelled.

Peter kept walking.

“Madness,” Nick called. “That’s all I’ve found here. Does Avalon breed insanity? Is that the nature of magic, to drive everyone out of their minds?”

Peter stopped, turned, his eyes flared. “What would you have me do? You think I didn’t know about Abraham? Leroy brought this upon himself with his treachery, his lies. Now he’s destroyed everything!” Peter slammed his fist into his palm. “I’d kill him again if I could.”

“You’re blaming him?” Nick scoffed. “I saw the heads back there. How many boys have you brought here? How many have died trying to save your precious Lady?”

Peter’s face clouded. “Everything comes at a price. Or have you not learned that yet?”

“How many lives is she worth?”

“I’d give a thousand lives to save her.”

“You mean you’d give the lives of a thousand children to save her. Don’t you?”

Peter leaped at Nick, grabbed him, and shoved his knife beneath his throat.

“GO ON!” Nick cried. “Fuck, what’s one more to you? What’s one more head sitting out there on those stakes? You’re a monster, the worst kind of monster. You deceive these kids with your promises and lies, get them to believe in you, to love you—to fucking worship you. Then what? Then what do you do? You lead them to their deaths. How many, Peter? How many have died for your goddamn Lady?”

Peter’s face twisted into a knot of pain. A low sound somewhere between a moan and a growl escaped his pierced lips. He pulled the knife back and shoved Nick away.

“She owns your soul,” Nick said. “Can’t you see? The Lady has bewitched you.”

“And what is love if not bewitchment?” Peter cried. “Nick, I’d hoped her love would find you. Open your eyes to the magic around you. Hoped you’d learn that there are some things worth fighting for—worth dying for. I thought I saw something special in you. But what a fool I was to trust a boy who’d abandon his own mother. You’re blind. Blind as any of those men—to magic, to love, to loyalty. Nick, will you always be a runaway?”

Nick shook his head. “You never stop, do you? You’re still trying to play me, trying to manipulate me. It’s all a big game to you. Well save your breath, Peter. Because I’m done playing.” Nick pointed toward the coast. “The Mist is there. Take me back. Now.”

Peter laughed. “You’re the one that’s lost his mind.”

Nick glared at him.

“You’re not serious?” Peter asked. “No, forget it. I have to get to the Lady. Everything is at stake.”

“I don’t want to die for your Lady. My mother needs me.”

“Not now, Nick.”

“If it weren’t for me you’d still be hanging on that cross.”

Peter shrugged.

“You swore to me. Does your word mean nothing?”

Peter smiled wickedly, like someone who has just called checkmate. “I had my fingers crossed.”

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“That’s the rules. You forgot to check.”

Nick realized that Peter was serious. “That’s bullshit! This isn’t a fucking game, Peter!”

Peter shrugged again and began walking away.

Nick watched Peter go, watched until he was almost out of sight. He looked at Leroy, at the boy’s dead eyes staring up at him as though still begging him to help. He glanced back to the burning fort, to the Mist beyond, took a deep breath, and followed Peter.

SMOKE AND THE smell of burned leaves filled the canyon. Even cut from their stalks, the vines still twitched and coiled, but were capable of little more. The Captain stood in front of the circular mark in the stone. “Heave!” he called and the men pushed against the stone. There came a grinding and the boulder swung inward, revealing a dark passage.

The men stepped quickly back to avoid any traps, but also, the Captain knew, to avoid being chosen to enter first.

The Captain caught the Reverend still glaring at him. He feared today he might’ve overstepped, finally pressed his luck too far. He guessed there was a good chance the Reverend would have him flogged if they made it back to camp, but the Captain had no intention of allowing that to happen. It’ll all be over soon, he thought. And when it is, I intend to see you hung like a common criminal.

The Captain held his torch before him and peered into the dark tunnel, then back at his men. “Any takers?” The men studied their feet and examined their belts and harnesses. The Captain let out a sigh and drew his sword. “Then follow me.” He ducked into the dark passage and sprinted toward the dim light ahead. This is where they will take us, he thought and steeled himself for an attack. He found no ambush, no traps, only a soft, mossy trail leading up to a steep, rushing creek.

The men filed out behind him, their torchlight setting the thick mist aglow. They marched two abreast up the path, weapons drawn, ready for whatever might challenge their right of way. But the forest was quiet, the only life the Captain caught sight of were the tiny lights darting about in the greenery.

This is too easy, the Captain thought. He didn’t like it. Where’s the resistance? What are they waiting for?

Ahead, dozens of waterfalls cascaded down the sheer mountain face, the stones so white as to almost glow, bright enough that they hardly even needed their torches. He would’ve considered it beautiful if he’d not been so aware of its bewitchment.

“Daniel, we’re here, aren’t we? This is her place?”

Danny nodded.

“Which one? Where does she hide?”

The boy hesitated.

“Daniel,” the Captain whispered. “It is the right thing to do. So many have died because of her. Free yourself of her bewitchment.”

Daniel slowly raised a hand and pointed to the smaller falls, the one farthest in.

The Captain led the men up to the falls. He could see that there was indeed an opening behind the cascading water. He looked back into the faces of his men, men who had served him well, both at sea and here, among the horrors of this demon land, men that still held on to their sanity after being plagued, twisted, and tormented, and for no other crime than landing on the wrong shore. The Captain was ready to end this nightmare, hungry to finally be able to strike back at the demon that had plagued him for an age. He could see his men were hungry too.

The Captain mounted the steps. His heart drummed in his chest. He had no idea what sorcery awaited beyond these falls, only knew it didn’t matter, because it was time for a reckoning. One way or another, they would end it here and now.

“Steady men,” he called. “On my order.”