Page 70 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“No!” I lunged forward, attacking. My son was being hurt. Avery wailed whilst Allan repeated his action. Angrily, I smacked Allan’s hand away, bending his wrist all the way back, and Allan grabbed me around the throat. Violently, he shook me as I punched and kicked at him, dropping the pan.

Avery attacked again, and Allan threw me into the wall and grabbed Avery.

Avery yowled and screamed as Allan tore at him. I forced myself to my knees and flung myself at Allan. He raked Avery one last time, and Avery faded to nothing, and then Allan dragged me down the trapdoor.

William

Leafpoint trilled an alarm, and I was on my feet as wraiths flowed upwards through the floor, intent on destroying the lantern. I grabbed the nearest and ripped it to pieces, but another took its place. Glass shattered, and I flung a wraith into the light and held it there. It screeched in pain before bursting into dust.

“Too late, human,” one hissed, and then I heard Lyra scream. The remaining five went for the chimney, and I fought them off.

“Protect the light!” I yelled at Leafpoint. A warm white glow sprang up around the chimney, and I stumbled. Leafpoint was drawing power from me. Angered, I tossed two more towards the light, then kicked a third aside. A fourth came at my back as the one I held burst into dust. I staggered forward as finally the other died.

“Avery!” Lyra’s scream sounded from below, and panic surged through me. My family was under attack. Through the floor appeared more wraiths. I clasped my hands to the chimney, unsure of what I was doing, and concentrated. Leafpoint stole my energy and gathered her light. With a massive burst, she flung it outwards and downwards, killing all wraiths nearby. I staggered, becoming translucent.

Lyra screamed again, and Leafpoint sent a surge of power back at me. I vanished and then reappeared in the kitchen. Lyra was grappling with something in the cellar, yet I couldn’t find Avery anywhere. Emotions rushing through me, I didn’t hesitate but raced after her.

Lyra wasn’t making it easy for whatever had kidnapped her, as the sounds of her fighting got louder. Separating the cellar from the cave had been a thick door, which now stood open. I pushed through it and into the pitch-darkness. But as a ghost, I could see the dark.

I became transparent and saw where Lyra and her captor had disturbed the floor. Quickly, I followed footsteps, and a cold feeling settled in my stomach. I knew where we were heading. Minutes later, I approached Devil’s Edge. Aptly named, it was a tiny ledge above a drop that led to a roaring sea and sharp rocks. The Devil’s Edge was big enough for only one person. Moonlight flooded the rock as I neared the cave opening and ledge, and I skidded to a halt. A small fire burned nearby, and two people fought close to the opening.

“Stop!” I yelled.

“William!” Lyra cried out, punching and kicking her captor. Every time she did, there was a squelching sound, and Lyra gagged or made a distressed noise.

The person holding her smashed her on the head; Lyra staggered before dropping to her knees.

“William, I thought I’d get your bitch sister, but the woman you love will do,” Allan Barnaby sneered. The moonlight bathed him in cold light, and I gaped.

“You’re a corpse,” I gasped.

“There are those brains of yours! For killing a child, I was cursed to this form. And then you kept me prisoner!” Allan roared.

“Sounds like justice to me. Let Lyra go, Allan.”

“No. This Jasper’s my ticket. Her death will free me,” he yelled.

“If you want to die, I’m only too happy to end you!” I challenged, and Allan roared with laughter.

“Not death. If I eliminate her, I can suck her soul up and come back. This rotting frame will crumble, and I’ll become a man again. What’s one Jasper whore amongst friends?” Allan insisted, shaking Lyra.

“I thought Lyra’s blood was poisonous to you?” I demanded, completely confused.

“She is! But if I kill her, it’s not.”

I needed to keep Allan talking. “Why did you end my life?” I shuffled a step forward.

“Why not? You were a pious bastard. Take the money, William, that’s all you needed to do. You’d have been richer than your dad,” Allan sneered.

“So you killed me? How?”

“Does any of this look familiar? You’ve been here before,” Allan taunted.

“You shoved me over.”

“Yeah. I lured you down here to kill me,” Allan stated. “William, you didn’t fight. Failed to see the betrayal coming. Fool.” Allan laughed. “Now you’ll watch her die, and you can’t do anything!”

“Allan, you’re not killing Lyra,” I ordered, edging forward.