Such Wicked Things Read online

  SUCH

  WICKED

  THINGS

  RICHARD CARDENAS

  SUCH WICKED THINGS

  Copyright © 2019 by Richard Cardenas

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

  Printed and bound in the U.S.A.

  Table of Contents

  SUCH WICKED THINGS

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  EPILOGUE

  1

  Mistwood Falls, 1884

  The carriage rocked back and forth, waking Julian Salazar from his slumber. He waited for his vision to adjust to the darkness and then turned to his fiancé, Ezra. He looked so angelic in his sleep, and Julian couldn’t keep himself from kissing his cool cheek. The September wind seeped through the windows of the carriage, sending light chills down Julian’s spine.

  If only he wasn’t wearing such light clothing he’d be more comfortable. But he'd forgotten just how cold it could get back home in Mistwood Falls. In two days, he would be married to Ezra Langston and he had no objections. He was the love of his life and he adored every moment he spent with Ezra.

  He also knew that his parents had no objections to his choice of husband either. Ezra’s family swam in fortune and Julian’s father seemed to be smitten with Ezra when he learned of his family’s wealth. Julian and Ezra had met at Darkmoor Academy and eleven months later they were engaged. Interestingly enough only their mothers objected to them getting married so young, but when they were reminded of themselves getting married at fifteen and sixteen, they instantly changed their tones.

  Julian looked down at Ezra’s beloved pocket watch and clicked it open. The blue fireflies danced around a miniature clock and looked absolutely beautiful in the dark. It was nine in the evening and he was still very tired. He looked out from his window, surveying the woods that surrounded the road. They oozed with darkness and Julian wished that his parents had paid for a more expensive carriage to transport them to Mistwood Falls.

  He couldn’t help but feel odd staring at Ezra as if he were a prized possession. He had dark brown short hair that curled around his ears, lovely blue eyes, and wore gold wired spectacles. Julian didn’t think he was good enough for Ezra, with his mismatched brown and green eyes and the fact that he wanted to become an undertaker after finishing university. He always felt he was too odd for boys to be interested in. But Ezra saw past all of that.

  The carriage driver was singing softly into the night, but Julian couldn’t place the words. He hadn’t heard of such a song and it almost sounded like a prayer. Something loud and heavy began drowning out the driver’s voice. It sounded like a drum. Julian leaned out from his window and saw dark figures with torches in hand. Some were dancing, and Julian couldn’t take his eyes off of the scene.

  It was strangely entrancing. Voices erupted from the figures as they began to dance around a large pit across the road. Julian finally turned and swatted Ezra in the middle of his chest. He woke with a start and rubbed his eyes. Hastily Ezra retrieved his glasses from a long case and sleepily placed them on his face.

  “Look over there,” Julian told his fiancé. With a grunt Ezra leaned out of Julian's window and his eyebrows rose in curiosity. Julian peered from above Ezra’s head. They felt like children at a circus. The people shoveled dirt into the pit that they surrounded. Julian couldn’t tell exactly what they looked like, but from what he could see, they were all wearing black cloaks. A few men had brass shoulder pads on and two women were staring at Julian and Ezra through illuminated goggles.

  “What are they doing?” Ezra’s crackly voice startled the driver. The driver looked over the roof of the carriage and down at the two teenagers.

  “It’s a funeral sir, they are afraid of people who steal dead bodies. They dig the graves on the side of the road to keep the bodies safe and to ward off darkness.” the driver explained. Ezra and Julian exchanged odd looks and turned back to the scene as they rode past.

  They were all chanting in sharp whispers and it reminded Julian of his mother when she'd cast her harmless little spells when he was younger. Finally, with a jolt, the carriage took off down the road, the voices fading. Ezra looked down at his fiancé and kissed him on the forehead.

  “You are too lovely,” he said. Julian blushed and planted a hard kiss on his soft lips.

  He couldn’t wait to show Ezra his family’s manor in Mistwood Falls. Everything would be utterly wonderful after their marriage ceremony. His life was about to change for the good, and he was ready for it.

  The carriage came to a sudden halt. Julian leaned out from the window once again and saw a mysterious figure standing in front of the carriage. The mechanical horses stood still in front of the figure, thin billows of steam spraying out from their nostrils.

  The figure noticed Julian and advanced toward his window. He shot back inside the carriage, hoping the figure wasn’t a robber.

  He had never been robbed and he didn’t want his return home to be ruined by such a senseless act. Ezra made Julian scoot over and he took his spot, ready if the person was going to attack them.

  The figure stopped in front of the window, and took the hood of a blood red cloak down. It was a man, and he was the palest Julian had ever seen. His black eyebrows resembled jagged daggers and his eyes were dark, beady, and menacing.

  “Can we help you, sir?” the carriage driver asked. The man turned to the driver and smiled. It was an uneasy smile, almost sinister. Julian swallowed hard and grabbed Ezra by his arm.

  The man just stared at the driver as if he were thinking of something to do to him. The man’s face was thin. Dark circles surrounded his hollow eyes, and he was willowy and tall.

  In the moonlight Julian caught sight of something. A group of raggedy dressed people were clambering down a hill near the carriage. They looked heavily drunk and strange. He had never passed through these parts on his way in or out of Mistwood Falls. And he would never do it again.

  The man looked through the window and winked at Julian. He gave him a smile which made Julian's throat suddenly tighten.

  “Who are they?” Ezra asked when he noticed the group of people heading their way. The man burst into laughter, his raspy voice igniting goose bumps on both Ezra and Julian’s skin.

  The man reached through the window and snatched the blue silk scarf that was wrapped around Julian’s neck. He felt as if he were being strangled. The scarf gave way and left his neck.

  “Zombies!” the driver hollered into the night. Before Ezra or Julian could say a word, the carriage tore down the road. Julian grew nauseated from the thumping and bumping of the carriage.

  “Are you okay?” Ezra asked.

  “It felt like hands . . . touching me.” Julian rubbed at his neck.

  After a few minutes of rampaging down the dark road, the carriage slowed down. Ezra kicked the door in fury, and the carriage stopped. He opened the door and jumped out onto the road, dusting off his coat and fixing his hair.

  “Are you mad? You could have gotten us killed!” Ezra snapped at the driver. Julian held his stomach as he attempted to calm down.

  “Do you know what a zombie is?” the driver asked.
Ezra fixed his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest. He had never heard of such a thing.

  “Yes, of course. But those aren't around anymore. The regime eradicated the virus years ago, before I was even born.” Ezra explained.

  “These are different, sir. They are dead bodies brought back and controlled by dark sorcerers, and they kill for the hell of it. There are plenty around these parts and if you would get back in the carriage, I will see to it that we get to Mistwood Falls in peace.” Ezra turned and watched a cloud of purple fog hovering near a bundle of trees. A chill tickled the back of his neck.

  Ezra saw Julian, biting at his nails and shivering. It was time to go. He ignored the driver and got back into the carriage. The whole ride to Mistwood Falls was mostly silent. Julian slept and woke from time to time to ask if they were any closer. Ezra couldn’t get his mind off of the zombies, especially the man who stopped the carriage in the first place. Was he their leader? If so, he would prefer to never see that man ever again.

  2

  Alistair Graves leaned over the railing of his station in the abandoned factory. He watched his zombies as they worked for their meal. The zombies carried boxes of white candles into the old factory, drooling over the scent of human flesh that waited for them.

  He was devising a plan to take over the entire town of Mistwood Falls. It would take him time, but he would make dolls out of the candles. Each doll would represent a citizen, and soon he would have his own army of zombies and take control. All they had to do was die first. He turned away from the scene and ran his hand through his thinning dark hair.

  The girl in the chair cried for her life, a red scarf was stuffed into her mouth and she was squirming in her seat. Below her a puddle of fresh urine pooled around the legs of the chair. She'd been there for a few days. Alistair smiled at her and plucked his black gloves off of his hands. He strode over to the girl and caressed her cheeks with his cool hands. She was deliciously warm and she would make a wonderful meal for his zombies.

  Her name was Katherine, and it was her blonde hair and blue eyes that drew him to her. He'd been after a young boy that evening with blonde hair and tempting lips, but he'd left the saloon before Alistair could work his magic on him. So the girl would do, for now. He walked back over to the railing and smiled down at his work. He had been conjuring zombies ever since his grandfather showed him how. It was dark magic and it ran through him like the blood in his veins. He’d take over the world one day. That, he knew for certain. But for right now, this stupid little town would have to do.

  The back door flew open and a tall, muscular boy hurried past some zombies. Luke Travis was an eighteen-year-old gardener’s son. His father worked for a wealthy family in Mistwood Falls, and they lived in a cottage just behind the family’s manor. Luke had been in love with the family’s son, Julian Salazar, for as long as he could remember. But things never seemed to progress beyond friendship.

  So, to cease the pain in his heart, he cut their friendship short when they were younger and only saw Julian when he came home from school. But something happened. His love for Julian reignited in his heart, and when he heard he was coming back home with a fiancé, he knew he had to take desperate measures to get what he couldn’t live without. So there he was, in the presence of a sorcerer. He clamped his hand over his mouth and nose, attempting to avoid the hideous scent of the dead. He made his way up the metal spiral staircase where Alistair was located. He felt wrong for being there, but he needed to be with Julian.

  Alistair watched the boy as he came up the stairs. The boy had made himself known to Alistair months before, when the man came to town. He helped him rob graves in exchange for gold and gathered undesirable humans for the zombies. All together, there were fifty-seven zombies that were under the spell of the dark sorcerer. Alistair liked the boy, but he also hated the boy’s heart. Alistair did not have sympathy for anyone; his soul was black and full of tar. He wished the boy was more like him.

  Luke stopped at the top of the stairs. His mouth fell open in shock and his heart shot into his throat. Katherine Short was bound to a chair right before him. He had known the girl since childhood and he couldn’t help but feel anger toward Alistair. It was his job to bring the humans. And he would have never brought anyone he knew.

  “What is she doing here?” Luke snapped at Alistair. The man simply smiled and leaned back over the railing.

  “You were late, four days late to be exact. So I picked one myself,” Alistair said. His voice was harsh and raspy. He had an accent, a French one. But it had faded over time.

  “I know this girl; she’s a friend of mine.”

  “Am I supposed to care? What did I tell you when you first began working for me? I have sympathy for no one, boy. Unless you want to volunteer as her replacement, you will close that hole in your face and obey me.” Saliva caressed the corners of Alistair’s mouth. He was furious and now he’d be in a terrible mood for the rest of the night.

  Luke didn’t respond. What could he do now? He needed something from Alistair and now he’d angered him. Katherine was staring at Luke with fear. But he couldn’t look at her. So he turned away from his friend and walked over to Alistair. Behind them, Katherine’s muffled screams begged for Luke to look at her. But Luke forced himself to keep his face toward the zombies below. They obeyed Alistair. That is why they never touched Luke. And he wondered if Alistair would ever set them loose on him. He shook the grotesque thought from his head and turned to his master.

  “I’ve come to ask you for a favor,” Luke said. It took a moment before Alistair turned to the boy. He scoffed at his words and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the boy would ask something of him. But he couldn’t help that he was intrigued.

  “What is it that you desire?”

  “A boy that I’ve been in love with all my life, he’s coming home to get married and he belongs with me. Is there a spell? I’ll work extra hard for you if you decide to help me.” Alistair looked into the boy’s eyes. He sensed something, something hidden in the depths of his young soul. Could he be hiding a dark side? If so, Alistair wanted to find out. Maybe he could be like Alistair after all.

  “A love spell? I cannot do those kinds of things, Luke. I dwell in dark magic. I can make him do whatever you want, but it comes at a hefty price.” Luke’s eyes beamed. He had been wrong about Alistair. The man was going to help him.

  “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.” Luke said. Alistair put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and gestured to the zombies below. The smile faded from Luke’s face.

  “No!” Luke grew sick staring at the enslaved creatures. “Anything but that!” Luke shook the man’s hand off of his shoulder and looked back over the railing. He couldn’t do such a thing to Julian.

  “Oh, come off it, boy. He won't be like them, he'll be like my Madeline and Harper. But take it or leave it, I don't do things like this for just anyone,” Alistair snapped at the boy. Madeline and Harper were Alistair's personal collection, so they were technically still alive . . . they were just controlled by Alistair's magic. Luke contemplated for a moment, a voice in his head telling him to call it off. It was not worth it.

  “I couldn’t do that to him, I’m sorry.”

  “Well, then take the elixir, just in case you change your mind.” Alistair retrieved a miniature dark blue bottle from the inside of his cloak. “Put this in a drink or bask a flower in it, it will take effect several minutes afterward. He will fall into a deathlike state, and I will use my powers to bring him back. Then you will have him forever.” Luke gingerly took the bottle from the man and pocketed it with hesitance. He would more than likely never use it. Or would he?

  “Now, it is feeding time.” Alistair walked over to Katherine and placed his palm over her forehead. Just then, her eyes opened wide, and just like that she was in one of Alistair’s trances. Luke untied her and she stood, swaying from side to side. Katherine made her way down the stairs in a dreamlike state. Luke had the urge to stop her, b
ut he didn’t know what Alistair would do to him if he had done so.

  Katherine walked into the middle of the area below and began undressing. Soon she stood nude, her eyes directed to the ground. Alistair closed his eyes and chanted something eerie under his breath. When he opened them, the zombies were already heading toward Katherine. Luke turned away when the girl began screaming. He could hear her bones breaking and the zombies moaning. He could not watch. Luke hurried down the stairs and out into the night.

  He stood near the cliff the factory stood on, below a raging river rested. It was a long way down and he took a few steps back, frightened he might lose his balance. The door creaked open and Alistair exited the factory. He stopped next to the boy, staring at his face.

  “If you continue to work for me, you’ll have to stomach my lifestyle. I feed them because even though they are under my spell, the body will go into rigor mortis if I don’t maintain its health in a way. They must feed, you have to understand this.” Luke did understand and he had seen many eaten by the zombies, but he knew Katherine, and somehow he felt hideous for letting Alistair take her.