The Tower of Souls

By G. Wakeling

The thrilling sequel to Inside Evil is here.

Roberta has battled ancient and evil forces before, but after conquering her latest demon, she believed that life could finally get back to normal. However, after surviving the terror lurking in Ridgewood's forest, she comes to discover that her troubles have only just begun.

Removed from the friends who aided her quest before, Roberta is now alone in a foreign world with no idea how to escape.

Roberta's had a year of hell. From fighting an ancient curse, to discovering a parallel realm hiding in the shadows of her own world, she's narrowly missed death on many occasions. As both friends and foe have fallen, she's miraculously survived. Though, with giant wolves, doppelgängers and her greatest nemesis's minions around every corner, she's not sure how.

Now, torn from her loved ones and trying to survive in an alien land, she's tasked with her most difficult challenge to date; destroy an the evil and save two worlds whilst she's at it.

In the world of Gathin, Roberta's had to rely on those once considered the enemy, and their relationships are strained even further in her last attempt to find vengeance for those she's lost. Meanwhile, with Susan and Sam battling to protect Ridgewood from it's greatest ever threat, the burden to survive and conquer until the bitter end is once again placed upon Roberta's shoulders.

Book 1: Inside Evil
Book 2: The Tower of Souls
Book 3: Spirits of the Middlelands
Book 4: New Alliances
Book 5 and Finale: To Kill A Curse

• Language: English
• Publisher: G. Wakeling
• Release date: Aug 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476013084

G. Wakeling

Geoff Wakeling lives in London and escapes the smog of the city through his writing. Having released his debut novel, Inside Evil, on the tales of a mysterious world shadowing our own, Wakeling is now working on a science fiction saga in addition to possible follow-ups to his debut book. With a degree in Zoology, Wakeling is animal mad and has three cats, fish and five chickens in his London home. He is a keen gardener and conservationist.

Book preview

The Tower of Souls

By

G. Wakeling

Published by G. Wakeling at Smashwords

Copyright © 2012 by G. Wakeling

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews and critiques.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For Saad and his constant support

and

Elise, who never fails to make me smile

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

About the Author

Chapter 1

Roberta gasped as cold air rushed into her mouth and stung her lungs. A hand gripped her arm tightly, pulling her along through the gloom as fast as her feet would carry her, the hold of strong fingers encircling her wrist. Whilst there was an impenetrable mist all about them, Roberta’s companion seemed to know where he was going, and though she stumbled several times, he continued in his plight, unaltered in his pace as Roberta stumbled, her arm twisting tighter in his grip. As they weaved their way through the towering trunks of fir trees, the moonlight from above hit and bounced through the mist. It created a white sheet that surrounded them, that obscured objects which loomed into sight giving Roberta only mere seconds to avoid them. Far from feeling like a safety blanket, the mist only blinded Roberta’s path and she awaited fingers to appear out of the gloom at every ducked branch and hurdled stump.

The night was perfectly still, and apart from the sounds of the duo’s footsteps, Roberta’s heavy gasps for fresh air and the dull drone of the ever tolling bell in the tower which she knew rose above the misty layer, the night was quiet. No shouts, or screams or roars carried through the air to Roberta’s side, just the methodical toll of the giant bronze bell.

Watch out, Barry said ahead of her as he leapt over a gnarled root that curled like a writhing snake out of the forest floor. Roberta had little time to comprehend the upcoming hurdle due to the speed at which she was being dragged along. Within seconds, her foot caught underneath the living noose and Roberta was thrown to the floor, her face landing with a thud against the pine needled carpet. There was a wriggling in her pocket, alongside a pitiful mew and Roberta quickly remembered that she and Barry weren’t the only ones careering through the dark woodland.

Taking a moment to adjust herself and realise that though bruised and battered, she was fully functional, Roberta pushed back onto her knees and gazed blearily around. She opened the flap to her pocket carefully, and saw the tiny blue eyes of Faithful; the white kitten who was stowed in her pocket. As soon as he had he looked at her and felt the chilling cold snap of the winter air, he pulled his head deep down into her jacket pocket again, and through the quietness of the night Roberta heard the faint sound of rumbling purring.

Roberta, come on, Barry urged, his gruff voice showing a lack of compassion as he thrust his arm down to grab her. We haven’t got time to linger, we must be away.

Roberta pushed his hand from her arm, noting that his dirty and chapped fingers were also cracked and blistered. She didn’t need the help of a man she’d met only minutes earlier, a man who she’d thought probably to be dead just half an hour before.

Am I dead? Roberta said, making a point of pushing herself to her feet and taking a stance to indicate that she wasn’t about to go anywhere without an answer.

Barry kept his hood up, the dark cloth covering his face so that Roberta could only see glimpses of his chiselled jaw as he turned and scanned their surroundings.

Answer me, Roberta demanded as her companion failed to say anything. He put his finger to his lips and looked sideways into the mist.

You’re not dead Roberta. His voice was quieter and softer than before, but we both will be if we don’t move, now.

But, my body? Roberta thought back to where she’d fallen lifelessly from the cliff edge, her body shattering as the impact with the boulders below splintered her bones. She’d awoken only to realise, to her horror, that she was standing over her corpse. Her arms and legs twisted in contorted angles, a trickle of blood running from her mouth and nose. The eyes, wide open and blank. There was no way that she couldn’t be dead.

Barry leaned into Roberta so that she could see each individual bristle around his weathered face.

They’ll collect your body and keep it safe. If there’s one thing not to worry about in Gathin, it’s whether your body’s OK.

Who’s they? Roberta questioned, shifting on the spot as she saw her breath curl in the air.

We haven’t got time for this, if they catch you, then the Ridgewood you know and love will be gone forever.

Instead of gripping Roberta’s wrist as he had done before, Barry offered his elbow to her. We mustn’t get separated, stay close. Do you trust me?

Do I have any other choice? Roberta questioned, suddenly aware that the bell toll had become louder and that its sound had been joined by a throng of howls. The eerie, whining sounds caught in the white mist and echoed from tree trunks, surrounding the duo as if a noose was quickly closing on them.

Barry didn’t need a seconds notice to once again turn on his heel and flee but this time, rather than being dragged along, Roberta held the nook of his elbow so as not to lose her way. Though their fast paced journey had initially been on flat ground, Roberta felt the forest floor beneath her feet start to incline, and the pair were soon staggering up a steep cliff side. Little rocky outcroppings jutted out of the ground, leaping out from the mist and causing Roberta to constantly fear tripping and slicing her legs apart. The stones looked sharp and menacing, and Roberta feared that if she fell, the man leading her through the forest would disappear and leave her to fend the howls from her soul. Whilst being on a steep hill, trees still littered her surroundings and their needles carpeted the cliff side in bronze, the rough and chipped trunks disappearing towards the skies. They gave Roberta momentary relief as she wrapped her fingers around the bark and hauled herself upwards, reaching out for the next column as if they were rungs on a ladder.

The pair came upon a particularly steep incline, where soil turned to solid grey rock, and Roberta’s previous climbing frame became instantly absent.

Where do we go? Roberta said anxiously as she realised that though the bell toll had quietened, the howling had become even closer than before.

Here.. Barry beckoned Roberta forwards and lifted her towards the small cliff. It was only about 10 metres high, but was enough of a challenge for Roberta’s small frame so that she could never scale it on her own. She managed to find a ledge for her fingers to cling to whilst her feet scrabbled for a foothold below. The cold bit into her extremities, worrying Roberta that her fingers would slip and she’d fall, but her pink and numb hands clutched at the rock like claws, ensuring that she was steadfastly stuck to the rock. Once she was sure of herself, Barry removed his grip on her waist and hauled himself up onto the first ledge, appearing swiftly by her side as if he’d done it a thousand times before.

Climb.

Roberta caught Barry’s face glance behind them, his brown eyes momentarily caught in the moonlight. His face was old and lined, but his strength on their race through the woods countered all thoughts that he wasn’t fit.

Climb, he said again with added urgency, looking into Roberta’s own eyes and showing the intensity of his words. Roberta glanced into the woods behind them and peered through the sheet of white. On the cliff side it seemed diminished slightly, though the soft curls of vapour still caught about the rocks and tree trunks. A ferocious howl that sounded within mere metres filled her ears, and out of the mist lunged a huge and snarling wolf.

With renewed vigour, Roberta hastened up the cliff wall as if she’d been rock climbing all her life. The wolf growled and spat at the base of the rocky retreat, and when Roberta looked back once before she’d reached the top, she saw that the lone creature had been joined by several others. They were immense, not the size of an average wolf, but more the size of a large bear. All bar one were a dull grey colour, their eyes a pale blue in hue. The beast directly beneath Roberta’s feet was as dark as a starless sky, its fiery golden eyes glinting up at her with intelligence and causing her stomach to flip.

Roberta and Barry crawled over the edge of the small cliff and lay gasping upon the ground. There were howls from beneath them, and Roberta turned on her stomach and peered over the edge. The pack of wolves were pacing back and forth below her, their eyes shining, their lips curled and wet with saliva. The larger, black individual growled angrily before launching a penetrating bite into one of the other wolves’ flanks, causing it to whimper in pain. Then, the black beast circled backwards, looked up at where Roberta lay and launched itself towards the rock face. It scrabbled momentarily as its claws caught upon a small ledge and Roberta pushed herself away from the precipice for fear that the creature might be upon her.

Come, Barry said from behind her. Luguolo and his troop can’t scale the wall but they can go around. It won’t take them long to find our tracks again.

What were they? Roberta asked as the pair once again took off through the woods. They weren’t like any wolves I’ve ever seen.

They’re bigger, stronger, better in Gathin, Barry replied, his voice showing no indication of breathlessness. They’ve been bred over thousands of years to be the largest and most dangerous hunters in these woods. They just haven’t figured out how to climb yet.

Roberta was sure that she saw a small smile on the edge of Barry’s lips, but he turned away from her so quickly that she wasn’t sure whether it was a smile or a grimace.

How much further? Roberta asked, the brief respite on the cliff top not having managed to stop her chest pounding.

I must have thirty years on you, yet still you complain, Barry said, avoiding her question. Less speaking, more speed. He offered Roberta his elbow briefly, before taking off again, though not as fast as he had initially done. Roberta was sure that he’d reduced the pace for her needs over his.

Though Roberta was thankful to move at a slower pace, she still found it difficult to catch her breath. Whilst the winter night was freezing, her body radiated heat from her exertion. It caused a burning sensation to radiate across her fingertips and face as the pumping energy from her body was stripped away by the icy air. Whilst the sounds of the wolves had faded into the background of the night, the bell continued to toll heavily, reminding Roberta with every brassy thud that she was running for her life.

After a short while Roberta saw that the trees were thinning ahead, and the pair emerged onto a dirt track road. Barry turned left onto the path and followed the descending track which was lit up by the clear sky above. Now that they had passed from beneath the protective canopy of the trees, Roberta could once again see the moon shining amongst the heavens. A moon which momentarily caused her to forget that she was no longer in her own realm but somewhere entirely different. Ridgewood was so far away, yet here, standing and staring towards the familiar night sky, Roberta could easily have placed herself only minutes from her own warm bed. She looked back to the path as Barry slowed ahead of her, peering cautiously into the dark as he did so.

We need to go around, he said, before pulling Roberta into the trees on the other side of the track from where they had emerged. They continued running downhill until Roberta heard the rushing of water in the distance, and soon the pair stood on the banks of a river. It looked familiar to Roberta, and she realised that the swirling waters were reminiscent of the muddy ditch that she’d stumbled across in Ridgewood. On closer inspection, it seemed exactly the same in direction and locality, though the ditch was a mere puddle compared with the strait of water that she was now stood beside. It meandered into to the night, drawing her gaze with it, until the darkness cut off her vision and shrouded the water’s true direction.

Without hesitation, Barry plunged into the water, wading out until the river lapped at his thighs. He turned and beckoned to Roberta, and she realised with horror that he expected her to join him in the torrent. With her panting breath still catching in the air like spiralling clouds, Roberta was far from ready to throw herself into a freezing forest river.

Is there no way around? Roberta asked, pulling her icy pink fingers into the sleeves of her jacket in an attempt to retain some warmth.

Would I be in here if there was? Barry looked irritated, his beard bristling as he clenched his jaw.

But, we’ll freeze!

Barry looked downstream and sighed, before turning to Roberta and starting to wade back to the river bank. The muddy shore was frozen in the winter temperatures and where water met shore, brown and icy shrapnel splintered. Barry was easily able to heave himself out of the water, droplets spraying off his soaked trousers as he lifted his first leg. Roberta leant Barry her hand, feeling guilty that he seemed to have put himself in danger to come to her aid after she’d fallen from the precipice and through the gateway into Gathin. However, the guilt subsided instantly as Barry’s fingers gripped her own and pulled her close.

I’m not about to spend another decade in here on my own. You’re coming whether you like it or not. He snarled angrily, before he dragged Roberta off the shore and into the watery depths.

It was the agonising coldness of the water which actually caused Roberta to cry out. The tight hold on her wrist meant that Roberta stumbled into the water far less elegantly than she would have done if wading in on her own, and icy water splashed over her thighs and above her hips. The forest behind them was full of howls again as the wolves in chase reacted to Roberta’s scream and began hunting her down in earnest.

Run, Barry said quietly to Roberta who gasped as the pain of the water failed to subside. Don’t look back, just run.

Where? Roberta managed to stutter through chattering lips.

There! Barry barked at her, pointing downstream with his hand. His eyes were almost furious, and he had to push Roberta away to initiate any form of movement.

The moment that Roberta turned and started to wade downstream, she understood the urgency. The distant howls of the wolves were gone, replaced with snarling and snapping as the great beasts tore between the trees towards the duo in the river. Their cunning had prevailed, and the wolves certainly had managed to make up a lot of distance in circumnavigating the small wall that Roberta and Barry had climbed to initially escape the fangs.

From the river bank the current hadn’t looked fast, but Roberta could feel the speed of the water between her legs, threatening to pull her off balance if she placed a foot wrongly on the stony riverbed below. Behind her, she heard that Barry too was wading quickly downstream, attempting to put as much distance between himself and the growling wolves as possible. With every step Roberta felt a new surge of icy pain as water increasingly seeped into her clothes and inched its way higher up her chest.

Ahead of her, the river began to widen, allowing Roberta to put more distance between herself and the riverbank. Whilst the place where they had entered the river had been thin, and the great muscle of wolf could have probably leapt the width easily, the distancing banks offered a small degree of comfort. That was until Roberta caught movement in the corner of her eye and looked around to see the pack come hurtling through the trees. Fronted by their huge black leader, the wolves arrived upon the bank of the river and jostled for position, the smaller creatures in danger of being thrown into the waters by their large and fiercer pack members. Snarls and snorts came as spit frothed on the curled lips of the predators, revealing large fangs ideal for ripping muscle and crunching bone.

Roberta saw one of the large grey wolves move forward and gently paw the water, testing its iciness. Her pounding heart gave Roberta the energy that she needed to push forwards through her watery realm, and she made her way towards the centre of the river where, though deeper, she felt safer from the creatures that were now racing up the riverbank on her and Barry’s left. The anticipation between the wolves was increasing now, and they were now lost in their bloodlust, all pack conformation gone as they tried to close in on their prey, to sink their teeth into their juicy quarry.

Without prior warning, one of the grey wolves bounded towards the bank and leapt into the air. Roberta let out a yell as she waded away, struggling as the water around her kept her from moving swiftly as the kitchen knife sized claws flew towards her. She dashed forward, not caring for the icy water which sprayed up to her face, her only thought being to not allow the creature to land within easy reach. Stepping out, Roberta gasped as her foot found no contact with the bottom and she toppled forward into the icy depths of the river. She managed, just, to hold her breath as her face submerged and she felt the water close above her head. The current was strong, and with both feet having lost their foothold, she soon found herself being dragged along. Roberta’s hands snagged on stones caught in the riverbed, and she felt her knuckles being skinned as the rocks previously beneath her feet shared no compassion for her tender flesh. Managing to gasp as she came up for air, Roberta was horrified to see that the moonlit water about her seemed to be flooded with red. It flowed around her body in a thick red slick, before being diluted into the icy waters, leaving just a small stream of scarlet coming from upstream. The second time the current bounced her to the surface she looked frantically around for Barry before once again being dragged under. Barry, her companion, the man who had come to her aid, was nowhere to be seen.

Roberta’s flailing body was swept downstream, and between panicked gulps of air, her eyes strained into the night for a glimpse of the man. There was no sight of him above or below the murky waters, and in the limited light of the night it was hard to place herself, let alone search for a companion. Water splashed into her mouth and nose resulting in coughs and splutters, and there was not enough air in Roberta’s lungs to scream or cry out. Though, even if she had had the energy, Roberta may have thought twice for fear of attracting unwanted attention from the beasts that chased her. As this thought crossed her mind, she realised that the snarling of the great wolves from the riverbank had stopped. The wolves had gone, vanishing back into the night from where they’d come.

Ahead of her, Roberta noticed that there seemed to be a hairpin bend in the river and as the current tumbled her ever forwards, she reached out and grabbed a fallen branch which jutted out from the edge of the bank. It was just thick enough to give