Jacob's War: A Fae Defence Society Novella

By Mark Hood

Meet Jacob Williams.

A survivor of the First World War, forever changed by his experience.
Now he’s facing down the terrors that conflict unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

Weak spots have always existed between our world and that of the Fae; stone circles help to keep the most dangerous sealed shut. B

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unseelie Press
• Release date: Nov 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781913442057

Mark Hood

I have always been a voracious reader, the first thing I always did after moving to a new town was get a library card and fill my arms with new books.I am now turning my hand to writing, living and working in the gorgeous English county of Shropshire which allows me plenty of opportunity to stare out of the window at gorgeous scenery when I should be writing.I bring a life-long fascination with mythical creatures and ancient legends to my writing, starting with the 'Fae Defence Society' series of novels.

Book preview

JACOB'S WAR

Mark Hood

UNSEELIE PRESS

unseeliepress.com

Mark Hood

thefairieswantmedead.com

Copyright © 2020 Mark Hood

Cover by Sanaga Designs

All rights reserved. Mark Hood asserts the moral right to be identified as the Author of the work in relation to all such rights as are granted by the Author to the Publisher under the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 1-913442-05-5

ISBN-13: 978-1-913442-05-7

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From the same author

Fae Defence Society Series

Jacob’s War

The Fairies Want Me Dead - Coming soon!

A sneak peek at the next book

This book is a prequel of sorts to the main series of ‘Fae Defence Society’ novels. It tells the story of Jacob Williams, a First World War veteran who has to face a threat even greater than he did in the trenches.

The rest of the series is set in the present day and follows his great-grandson Richard as he joins the Society to counter a very dangerous adversary.

The first chapter of this next novel is included at the end of this book.

For Martyne.

Extract from Jacob's Diary

SEPTEMBER 1ST 1915

MY DARLING GRACE, I have elected to keep this journal of my time fighting for King & Country, which I hope shall be short. Although they tell me it’s against regulations, I believe most of the lads are doing something similar. At least they cannot censor this record as they do our letters home.

My love, my heart aches to be away from you but I know you understand I could not in good conscience stay out of this War any longer. I can use my talents to greater purpose in France than I ever could at home. They need men to dig trenches to protect ourselves and our comrades, and tunnels and mines toward the enemy.

We are still in Wiltshire, digging practice trenches in glorious sunshine and rising out to charge at the enemy arrayed before us. For the time being we are making do with broom handles as our rifles and bayonets have not yet arrived. The sacks of flour we are treating as our foes are getting a veritable beating.

The men appear decent and are of one mind to doing our duty. I shall be proud to fight alongside them when that time comes. Our battalion commander Captain Dean looks a good chap too, a regular in the Army with much experience. He’s taken us new bugs under his wing and is preparing us for the front.

They say we will ship out soon, rumours say before the end of the month. I hope this is true, otherwise it might be over before we even arrive!

CHAPTER ONE

September 1st 1919

JACOB LONGED FOR his trusty service revolver, or better yet a Vickers machine gun; crystals tied to a three-foot stick felt hopelessly ineffective.

The snapping of the beast’s jaws mere inches from his nose reminded him to focus.

You got him yet? Harry shouted.

No! Jacob replied. The strength of the creature they faced was overwhelming, only with the pair of them working together could they hope to subdue it. He resisted the temptation to turn and run, wielded his staff (don’t call it a magic wand, the trainer had repeated) and summoned the energies latent within it. With a glance at Harry he drove this power forward into the monster’s chest.

It staggered, its roars halted, and it regarded him with a quizzical look for a second before Harry’s own blast knocked it lifeless to the ground.

Great show, lads, Christopher Grey shouted from his position on the sidelines. He checked the stopwatch in his hand, made a few notes on a clipboard and nodded his approval. And a new record. He shook the hands of the other men around him, but made no move towards the men now getting their breath back. Harry and Jacob exchanged a handshake of their own and walked over to inspect the defeated beast.

Seven feet long and barrel-shaped, matted black hair hid its powerful muscles and made it appear even larger than it was. As he poked at its head with his staff, Jacob saw the once jet-black eyes beneath its thick fringe had faded to a milky-grey colour.

Mr Grey gestured to a small man beside him who separated from the group of observers and strode over to the beast. With a quiet scuse me, gents, he reached under the creature’s fur and unclipped a thick metal collar.

In the field they won’t have one of those, so there’s no chance of us restraining it if it gets too much for you, Grey said. Harry gave Jacob a glare that said we know that already, mate, but didn’t say it. Training drills were getting more intense by the day; tempers ran short at the best of times and they didn’t want to antagonise the brass any more than they already had.

With the collar removed the creature was fading back to its normal state of invisibility. Before it vanished the small man acting as the creature’s keeper wielded his staff and immolated the corpse with a word. Harry compared his own stick to the other’s ancient oak staff with deep inset jewels; Jacob willed him not to speak up, in vain.

Here, boss, when do we get the proper kit then? I think my amethyst almost came off on that one! The faces of the observers bore stony replies to Harry’s grin.

You remember we’re pressed for resources, Mr White, a man carrying a cane snapped. What you have now is fine for training, but you’ll get what you need before you’re sent out in the field. He turned on his heel and stalked away to watch another small group of men battling a large creature a few hundred yards away.

Mr Grey walked over to them and gave them a watery smile. Mr Black is right, he said in a conciliatory tone, but I understand your concerns. The lads in the workshops are working flat out to prepare the essentials. With that he hurried off to rejoin the rest of the group.

I wish you wouldn’t joke around, Jacob sighed when they were out of earshot. Mr Black doesn’t like us much as it is.

Harry scoffed. Yeah well, if Mr so-high-and-mighty ‘Black’ had fought in the war he might have a better idea why I’m so worried. We can’t train with this rubbish, he shook his staff, and the gemstones rattled. If we’re not ready when they send us to Stonehenge it’ll be a massacre. You remember what happened at the Somme, don’t you?

You know I do, Jacob shuddered.

Right, yeah, I didn’t mean… Harry stared at his shoes in embarrassment for a moment. These flipping magic wands are a joke. If we don’t get time to train with the real thing you’ll have blokes popping spells off in all directions when they get too excited. Then again perhaps you’d like to spend a few days as a frog? I can just see you sitting under a rock, eating flies…

Jacob smiled at that despite himself. I’m not saying you’re wrong, just… try to be more professional, won’t you? You remember their type, all certain they’re better than us because they attended the right school, or mixed with the right people.

Ah, Grey’s all right - he understands. It’s just that hoity-toity Mr Taylor. Black. Whatever, I can’t keep these damn names straight. Don’t think we need them, eh Mr ‘Brown’?

Jacob groaned. You know damn well it’s for our own protection. Names have power, so we keep our true names a secret and use the colour system.

Yeah, I’ll just have to remember. Black like his heart, Grey cos he’s only half as bad. I’m White like fresh snow, and you’re Brown like your trousers. He laughed at his own joke, until he saw Jacob’s expression. Wait, I didn’t mean… he started.

Stop pissing about, for God’s sake, Jacob snapped, I’ve had it up to here. You’ll get us both kicked out at this rate.

Harry raised his hands. Look, I know you’re no coward and so do they, he said gesturing at the distant figures. You’ve nothing to prove, and you seem to work wonders even with the lousy equipment. Jacob unclenched his fists, and his jaw lost its tension. "Here, no-one will miss us now if we slope off for a pint, so what do you say?