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  Vic looked at Hunt, who acknowledged and knelt next to Kat, feeling her neck. “Strong pulse. She’s unconscious. We need to bring her back around.” He felt around in one of the many pockets in his combat jacket, and pulled out a small plastic bottle which he unsealed and waved it under her nose. She immediately stirred.

  “What . . . Where am I?” she said, looking up at brightly colored banners and giant sparkling silver and gold globes.

  Justin and Hunt helped her sit up.

  “You brought us to what looks like a store, I have no idea which one,” said Justin.

  “How the hell did she do that?” said Mills.

  “I don’t know, she just can.”

  “Did she knock us out? Hey what time is it?” The almost complete lack of light around Mills suggested it was evening or later, but she pulled her jacket sleeve back and discovered that only a few minutes had passed from when she last looked at her watch back at the base. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t know where we are, or how we got here, but we, and I mean all of us, need to return to base,” said Vic. “This young girl needs medical assistance, we can give it to her there.” He tried to ignore the emerald green eyes that seemed to be illuminating part of the face of the woman with the gun.

  “Yeah so you can do things to our friend here? And keep us imprisoned? I’ll take my chances with the zombies and snow thanks,” said Darren picking up Chip’s leash.

  “Not zombies,” said Algorine. “But thanks.”

  “It’s not like that! Your ‘friend’ ain’t human. She’s an alien! Why would—” He stopped when she saw Justin, Kat and Darren looking confused. “What?”

  “What is it with you people and aliens?” said Algorine.

  Darren shifted uncomfortably.

  “She’s a Fae, which I admit I don’t quite know what that is, but it’s definitely not someone from er . . . up there . . . at least I don’t think so.” Justin continued looking unsure and glanced at Algorine. “You’re not an alien, are you?”

  Algorine rolled her glowing eyes.

  “What the frig is a Fae?” said Vic.

  Algorine frowned and looked around at the counters and expensive items around her. “I think it’s going to get dark soon, and that’s when the not-zombies like to go for walks. So how about wherever the hell we are, we make it our home for the night and discuss what we’re all going to do next, deal?”

  Vic, Hunt, and Mills looked at each other.

  “We want our guns back,” said Vic.

  Algorine went to say something, but Kat interjected. “Yes, take them, we are no threat to you. I hope the same is true for you.”

  The three soldiers knelt and picked up their weapons. Vic looked at Algorine who still had her gun raised. She slowly lowered it.

  He then looked at his two comrades. “Scout the location. Find out where we are and report back. If you see any of the er . . . well anything strange, don’t engage, just get back here.”

  They both nodded and walked off down one of the nearby aisles.

  Kat got to her feet. “When Sergeant Reynolds—”

  “Call me Vic.”

  “OK . . . When Vic and the other two, moved forward they must have been close enough and got swept up in the teleport. We’re lucky we’re not in the middle of the Thames or something. I wasn’t expecting the extra people.”

  “I think perhaps you and I need to have a good chat.”

  Kat produced a meek smile, her legs were just about holding her up.

  “But right now, we need to find out where we are, and a good defensible position for the night. Do you mind if I contact my base with my radio?”

  Kat looked unsure.

  “I won’t tell them about you, but I need to check in.”

  She nodded.

  He reached for the radio clipped to his jacket, but straightaway realised that the screen was dark. He shook it a few times. “Something’s caused the battery to go flat.”

  Darren suddenly looked like something occurred to him, and he delved into his backpack pulling out his laptop. Pulling the cover open he sighed. “Looks like teleporting zaps the power from electronics. Great . . .”

  “Wait here. I’m going to find the others and then I’ll be back,” said Vic.

  Kat nodded. She was too tired to do anything else, including putting up a fight if he or anything worse wanted one. The sergeant disappeared off in the same direction as the other soldiers.

  Once he was out of eyesight, Darren stepped closer to Kat. “This is our chance, let’s get out of here. We can find another building, they’ll never find us.”

  “I don’t think I can make it ten feet. Unless you want to carry me,” said Kat.

  “If that’s what it takes.”

  “Through the snow?” said Justin.

  They all looked at Algorine, who was looking where the soldiers went. She still had a firm grip of her rifle. She realised all eyes were on her. “Justin’s right, we won’t get far if we try to go now. We stay here. Rest up, then decide our next move.”

  Kat noticed Justin looking forlorn. “We will find a way to your father tomorrow, I promise.”

  He produced a faltering smile and put his hand on her shoulder.

  Twenty or so yards away, Vic, Hunt, and Mills stood at the top of a static escalator.

  “Sir, we’re only a thirty-minute walk back to the base,” said Mills.

  “Even with the light going, we could still leave and get back before it’s completely dark,” said Hunt.

  They both looked at Vic, who was looking back in the direction he left the four strange individuals.

  “If you both want to head back, then I won’t order you to stay, but something tells me, I need to stick with the girl.” He wasn’t sure why he felt that way, but then he supposedly just teleported across a few miles of London, so going on his instincts seemed as good a plan as any.

  Hunt and Mills looked at each other.

  “We should probably find some food then,” said Mills.

  CHAPTER 13

  Goran walked across the grand hall and up the equally royal staircase. Torches burned on the walls, in their proper place. Electricity still ran to the castle but the cyning had forbidden the use of it. At least until he understood how it worked.

  The elderly man struggled to the top of the two flights, using his gnarled walking stick to propel him up each step and entered a lush wide corridor decorated in recreated medieval shields and swords. He had been summoned for his lack of progress and the closer he got to the topmost bedroom the louder the voices shouted in his head to turn around. Eventually he reached an arched oak door. In front of it stood two dark elves, resplendent in ornate armour.

  He looked up at them and without them looking back, they stepped to one side. He knocked and a voice on the other side told him to enter.

  A muscular man, around six feet tall stood bare backed in the large room which had once been a showpiece recreation of a medieval bedroom. The night sky was clear, and the moon was visible through the large open window, bathing the bearded man in a pale blue light. In the man’s hand was a computer tablet which was showing World War two footage.

  “You called, sire,” said Goran.

  The cyning did not respond, instead he just looked down at the German bombers diving and the anti-aircraft guns desperately trying to knock them out of the sky.

  Goran tried not to notice the multiple scars that covered the man’s back.

  “You know. On the other side. Where I was. Where we all were, you would hear rumors of the world of man. I believe you call them ‘nescient’s’ now.”

  “We do, sire.”

  “And the wars they fought amongst themselves. And the toys they used to do so.” He held the computer tablet up high, turning it over. As he did one of the three rings on his finger glowed and the tablet glowed white hot then evaporated into ashes.

  “The nescient magic is called tech—”

  “Technology, yes I kn
ow Goran.” He turned. “And what news do you have for your cyning?”

  The older man’s grip tightened on his stick. “The woman has not given us anything of any use.”

  “And she’s still alive as I ordered?”

  “Yes, sire.”

  “Good. They will be coming for her. She needs to be moved here, to the castle.”

  Goran nodded and went to leave.

  “We are not done.”

  Goran turned back.

  “Sorry, sire.”

  The man walked slowly over to Goran and stood just a foot in front of him. Goran looked down, not wanting to meet the cyning’s eyes with his own.

  “And how are things with the portals?”

  “Work is progressing at most of the sites. Umm . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “The main Wessex portal where you arrived is completely drained and the one on the isle is proving difficult to get to due to the storm. Also work has not been able to start on the one in the Labyrinth due to . . .” He noticed that one of the rings on the man’s hand was glowing. “Due to the unsuccessful attempt to take the sanctuary at Londinium . . . sire.”

  The younger man stood, looking intently at Goran, whose head was lowered.

  “The magic that keeps me here will not last forever, Goran. You know I need all the rings before the solstice, which means all the portals need to be working.”

  “I know sire. You will have the rings and the portals will be functioning.”

  “And the other project?”

  “We have enslaved a number of nescient scientists and things are progressing well, sire.”

  The cyning’s ring started to dim. He smiled then turned and walked back to a pile of electronic items and appliances, some of which were broken with wires and parts hanging from them.

  He briefly looked at the pile of modern goods, then turned back to Goran as if just remembering something. “Even the Gauls invaded my kingdom a mere six-hundred years after I left. I had hoped after the last of those from the empire had returned to their lands, and after we had lost so much uniting the clans that . . .”

  Goran nodded. "Much changed after you were gone, sir."

  The bearded man grimaced. “And you’re sure Merlin is dead? He was a devious—”

  “Quite sure sir, although as you know his bloodline still lives.”

  The cyning nodded. “Knowing that I can end his children’s children and rid the world of his type gives me some solace.” He then paused looking at the room around him. “The Gauls did build impressive fortresses though. Next time I see you, Goran, have better news for me.”

  “I will sire.” Goran then turned and left. Walking with a slight limp along the corridor he realised a bead of sweat was making its way across the deep crevices which crossed his face and he gritted his mostly blunted yellow teeth.

  CHAPTER 14

  Kat shone her torch around the tiles that adorned the walls and marble pillars of the once grand department store. Domed glass cabinets covered pâtés and cheeses that had become something else, but there were still plenty of jars and packets unopened. She picked up a small jar and read its label. “Mrs. Scroggin’s Orange Jelly.” Shrugging her shoulders she pulled the string off, and unsealed the lid. The sweet orange fumes hit her and she was suddenly reminded of home.

  “Shame—”

  Kat jumped and turned around to reveal Vic standing in her lights beam.

  “Sorry, luv, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Kat quickly replaced the lid on the jam. “I’m not stealing.”

  Vic smiled. “I won’t tell if you won’t. But I was saying, shame we don’t have some bread to go with that . . .” He looked around. “I could do with a jam butty, but bread is in short supply.”

  “Yup.”

  “We got a fire going near the bottom of the escalators, it’s the only place that we can safely let the smoke dissipate inside. But we still can’t keep it going for that long.”

  “OK.” she said, picking up some boxes of sweets.

  Vic leaned back on one of the counters. “I won’t try and march you or your friends back to the base tomorrow if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Kat ignored the gesture and kept looking at the shelves around her. “I’m not worried, you have seen what—”

  “What?”

  Kat suddenly realised that she regarded him as a ‘nescient’ and herself as something different. She wasn’t sure she liked that distinction. “Nothing.”

  “What were you and your friends doing out here? It looked like you were following me and my team?”

  Kat sighed. She wasn’t sure anymore how much she wanted to divulge to someone on the outside of the new world of magic she had been plunged into. “I thought you could help us get somewhere.”

  Vic smiled. “The British Army is not a taxi service. Where did you want to go?”

  “First to Tunbridge Wells. My friend’s father will be there and we wanted to rescue him.”

  “There’s a large camp in Rochester which a lot of people from east Kent were evacuated too. He could be there.”

  Kat’s face grew sad. “Just a few weeks ago I was sitting having Christmas dinner with my mother, and now—”

  “Where’s your mum?”

  Kat sighed and looked at the sergeant. “I guess you need to know . . .”

  “Know what?”

  “Everything that has happened. The storm, the strange creatures you have seen. The things I’ve done. It’s not aliens, it’s magic.”

  Vic smiled and snorted at the same time. “Oh like wizards and troll’s and—” He stopped talking when he didn’t get a smile in return. “Right . . .”

  “You think beings in flying saucers is more plausible?”

  “Well . . . yeah.”

  Her limbs felt as heavy as the marble blocks around her, but she looked about herself for something equally heavy. Everything looked fixed to the floor, she then stopped looking and looked back at Vic. “I’m going to do something. Don’t panic and don’t shoot me.”

  Taking a step back, she lifted her ring hand towards him and in her mind pictured the soldier being lifted off the floor by two strings attached to his shoulders.

  “What are . . . why do I feel . . . hey . . . what the hell!” Vic looked down at the three-foot gap between his boots and the smooth stone floor. He then started to wave his hands and feet like he was under water. “Whatever you’re doing, I’d appreciate being put back down.”

  Kat pictured the strings being cut and he fell with a clump back to earth.

  She walked up to him and pushed the jar of orange jelly into his hands. “Magic.” She then walked away towards the escalators.

  He wiped his hand over his face then turned and followed her.

  Justin watched the female soldier across the fire. In some ways she reminded him of Sparrow. “How long you been in the army?”

  “Around three years. What about you? What you do before all of this?”

  “Not much really. Did some work for my dad. Travelled. I’m . . . well I was going to go to Oxford.”

  “Ah look at you, rich kid, eh?”

  He hated that moniker, but smiled nonetheless. “We aren’t really rich, but I guess that’s all over now.”

  “Whatever caused all of this. One day it will be done and then I’m sure you can reapply and carry on with your life.”

  He smiled again, not really believing any of that.

  There was a sound behind him and Darren and Hunt appeared.

  “Found what you were looking for?”

  Darren looked out of breath. “Sure did.” He put a large satchel on the floor and pulled it open. It was full of laptops. “Just need to use any of the batteries in these computers, in mine and I’m back in business.”

  Hunt also had a bag, but his had square bulges, hinting that it contained smaller boxes. “I raided their pharmacy, found some good medical supplies to bring back to base.”

  “Hope you l
eft a receipt!” said Mills. Hunt smiled.

  As Darren set about getting new power into his own computer, Hunt sat next to the fire, which was making short work of the wooden pieces of furniture they had broken up. Chip lay nearby.

  “Justin here’s going to go to Oxford.”

  “Well, I—”

  “What’s your degree going to be in?” said Hunt.

  “Politics.”

  Mills shook her head. “That’s all we need, another politician!”

  Justin smiled and looked awkward. The idea of now going to Oxford, seemed absurd. He realised he was describing a person that wasn’t who he was anymore.

  “Leave the young guy alone, Mills.” He threw her a small red box. “For your toe. Apply that before you sleep.”

  She looked impressed. “Cheers!”

  A noise made them all look up. Kat and Vic appeared, walking down the motionless escalator.

  “I got sweets,” said Kat.

  “Oh no, hide them from Mills!” said Hunt. The blonde-haired woman threw him a dirty look, then looked at Kat all innocently. “What might you have there?”

  Over the next hour, each of them forgot the world outside had turned upside down, and eventually the fire had become just orange embers. At some point Algorine joined them, but kept her distance and found a spot some feet away to rest.

  “I’ll take first watch. Then in three hours, Hunt, then you.” Vic looked at Mills, who nodded. He then looked at the others. Darren was still trying to bring his laptop to life, while Justin was asleep and Kat looked to be struggling to stay awake. “Get some rest,” he said to her. “We’ll talk again in the morning.” She nodded then pushed one of the fancy pillows that they had found in the store’s homeware department under her head, then zipped up the sleeping bag they had also salvaged.

  Hunt and Mills disappeared into their own bags.

  Vic turned on a flashlight then pulled out some still partially bits of burning wood so they wouldn’t set any others alight. Sitting on a small garden chair they had found, he leaned back and rested his rifle on his lap. His night-vision goggles rested on his head and as the last of the light of the fire took with it any remaining natural light, he looked at his watch then switched his goggles on and pulled them down over his eyes.