Pete McGee and the Master of Darkness (14 page)

‘She'll be okay, Pete. I think I got to her in time. The poison has stopped spreading, and if I give her some more potion during the night, she should be okay by the morning.'

Pete nodded. That was all he needed to hear. He couldn't have made the move he wanted to make without knowing Tahnee was going to be okay. Come morning, okay was what she would be. Come morning, he would no longer be part of this team.

Going solo

P
ete was having a wonderful dream. He dreamt he was at home and Tahnee and Molloy had come over to visit. Tahnee walked up and kissed him on the cheek. Then it got weird. She licked his cheek. Then she rubbed her nose against his, and her nose was really wet.

Pete woke up with a start and got an amazing surprise. Standing over him was Lightning! Pete, careful not to wake the others, stood and walked Lightning away from the group. Lightning was all prancy and happy and Pete knew he would make some noise.

‘What are you doing here?' Pete whispered to his horse. ‘I told you to stay and watch the house. How did you find us anyway?'

Lightning snorted, as if to say, ‘Well, watching the house was the most boring thing ever. I wanted to be part of the adventure. As to how I found you, that's for me to know and you to find out!'

Pete smiled at the look on his horse's face.

‘Well,' he said. ‘You know what? I'm really glad you're here.'

Lightning showed all his teeth in what Pete could only assume was a horsey smile. He hugged Lightning tightly around the neck. When he let go, he was ready for action.

‘You wait here. I have to make sure Tahnee's okay. Then we go.'

‘Whinny?'

‘No. Just us. We can't put them through danger any more. It's up to us, boy. We're going on alone.'

‘Neigh.'

Pete walked over to Tahnee. She was sleeping peacefully now. Pete felt her forehead. It was dry and cool. The fever had passed. He checked her lower leg. All that was left were faint black lines, the last traces of poison. She was going to be okay. Pete smiled, wanting to stay and see her wake up healthy, but he knew the only way he could leave the group would be to do it now.

He leant in and kissed Tahnee on the forehead then grabbed his pack and ran over to Lightning. He jumped astride his horse and, with one last look at his best human friends in the world, he kicked Lightning into action and they were off.

Tahnee woke first, feeling refreshed, which she was amazed at. Her last memory of the previous day had been of an intense, burning pain through her leg, and nightmares of spiders the size of houses.

She sat up slowly, still unsure as to how well she actually was. She felt fine though, and her hand went up and touched her forehead as she remembered the dream she had been having just before she woke up.

She glanced around the group and saw Smithers sleeping with his head on his pack, his hand wrapped in bandages. Next to him was Molloy, wriggling and squirming and mumbling as he slept. Tahnee laughed under her breath. Her brother could never sit still and he could never sleep still either. Then her laugh stopped as she realised the only other person there was Ashlyn.

There was no Pete.

He was gone.

Tahnee swore under her breath and stood up. She walked over to Molloy and kicked him in the side. He grunted and sat up in an instant, sword drawn. Tahnee pointed to the space where Pete should have been lying. Molloy also swore, although he did it in rhyming slang. He gathered up his pack while Tahnee woke Smithers and Ashlyn.

Once the group was gathered and their gear collected, Molloy said the thing that none of them wanted to believe.

‘He wouldn't have gone home would he? You know, Billy Pickened out?'

‘Who's Billy Picken?'

‘I dunno, I made it up. It just rhymes with chicken is all.'

Smithers rolled his eyes. Tahnee punched her brother on the arm.

‘There is no way, Molloy, and you know it,' she said. ‘For one thing, Pete doesn't chicken out of anything. Ever. And especially not when his mum's in trouble. I have never met anyone as brave as him; he's amazing. He will be going it alone to protect us, because that is the type of incredible person he is.'

She finished speaking and realised her voice had become quite emotional. She also realised the others were staring at her and, even in this moment of seriousness, Molloy couldn't resist. He danced around his sister.

‘Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh, Tahnee loves Pete, Tahnee loves Pete. Kissy kissy love love—OW!'

He had danced within reach of his sister, who had flicked out a fist and punched him in the stomach. Molloy bent over, winded.

‘Shut up, Molloy,' Tahnee said, embarrassed. She was glad for her brother's actions in a way though, because he had both lightened the mood and taken the attention off what she had said. She knew she loved Pete; it hadn't just been a random thought when she believed she might die with the spiders. She also knew that it scared her that he was out there alone. She also, also knew what she had to do.

‘I'm going after him,' she said.

‘But we don't even know which way he's gone,' Smithers said. ‘I want to find him too, but how do we know where to go?'

Tahnee smiled.

‘Luckily my doofus brother here, you know, the one still crying because I tapped him in the tummy, luckily he's the best tracker I know. He'll be able to pick up Pete's trail.'

Molloy stood up straight, rubbing his stomach. Tahnee stared straight at him, her look showing she wasn't playing around any more. She really believed in him. It made Molloy stand even taller.

‘Damn straight!' he said. ‘Damn straight I'll find Sweet's tail. Let's groove!'

With that he grabbed his pack and started tracking his best friend, the rest of the crew hot on his heels.

‘So then,' Syra Tanooth said sarcastically from the sky. ‘The great Pete McGee does not need anyone. Do you really think you can defeat the two most evil, brilliant, evil villains in the entire world on your own? Your friends are at my mercy, and they will never be married. I will dispose of them before you can save them. They will be like garbage and I will be the garbage man.'

Pete stopped Lightning and looked up at the sky.

‘Married? What are you …? It matters not. They shall not die, evil one. I shall save them.'

Lightning snorted. Pete nodded.

‘I mean,
we
shall save them. My mother shall not suffer at the hands of thee.'

‘Mother? What? Ohhhh, that explains a lot. Bob, you dolt, you took the wrong person. It seems our young captive does not have a penchant for old ladies after all. But that is beside the point, and it is even better than I thought. McGee, you must get here soon to challenge me or your mother, yes, your beloved mother, shall be tortured and killed!'

‘NO!' Pete screamed, losing his composure even though he knew Syra was trying to bait him. ‘Don't you touch her. Don't you dare.'

Syra's well-rehearsed evil laugh boomed down at Pete.

‘I shall touch who I want. Oh, that sounded really bad. Just be here soon, Pete McGee. Your tests are almost over. Only one remains. You must face me and Bob. Bob and I? I don't know, but you have to defeat us both to save your mother and friend.'

‘I don't even know where you are,' Pete said.

‘Oh yes, of course, sorry. 12 Evil Lane, Evilville. You know, take a left at the mountains, follow the river, you'll be here in half a day. It's the house surrounded by dark trees and bats.'

‘I'll be there, and you will regret the day you started this,' Pete replied. He had almost lapsed into talking like a knight, with the thees and thous and all that, however something had stopped him. He wanted to act like a knight, he always would. He wanted to uphold a knight's values and integrity, but he wanted to do it as Pete McGee. He wanted to speak and act like Pete McGee in the manner he believed was right, not just because other knights had done things a certain way in the past. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it his way.

‘YAH!' he cried, spurring Lightning on. Pete McGee's noble steed whinnied in response and was off, galloping at top speed. Pete leant in low against the horse's back, as determined as he had ever been. It was time, once again, to show the world how great a man with one arm could be.

Poisonous spikes and all things nice

S
yra Tanooth stood staring at Marloynne and Mrs McGee. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There
had
to be a better way to use them. Syra wanted to defeat Pete McGee and become known as a great evil person thingy, but at the same time he wasn't averse to turning things to his advantage a little. Some might call it emotional blackmail. Some may call it being sneaky. Some may call it dirty rotten cheating. Whatever, Syra thought; those people can think what they like. I just want to win.

He had some ideas of how he could weaken Pete physically, but how to do it emotionally?

Bob sluffed his way over with some ideas
(sluffed may not have been a word before, but let me tell you, when Bob moved, he sluffed. If you watch the movie you'll get it).

‘Perhaps you could pretend they're dead. Or perhaps you could string them up over a poisonous pool of acid with poisonous creatures in it and spikes.'

‘Poisonous spikes?'

‘By gum, yes!'

Syra nodded.

‘I like that, Bob. You truly are getting more and more evil every day.'

Bob blushed and looked like a red beanbag.

‘Gosh, Syra, you do say the kindest things.'

‘Well it's true, Bob. It's almost beautiful to see how evil you are becoming.'

Bob blushed again and waved Syra away.

‘Oh you.'

‘Okay,' Syra said, ‘enough with the We Love Bob Admiration Society. Let's get to setting up the poison and the spikes.'

He turned back to Mrs McGee and Marloynne.

‘Yes. You will be hung up over poison and spikes and you will be very, very scared. Your little boy will not save you this time.'

Mrs McGee stood, Marloynne beside her.

‘You do not know my son,' she said. ‘He is a great man and a powerful knight. He acts out of love and you will not defeat that.'

‘Oh, but I might. I have poison and spikes.'

With that Syra turned and walked away. Behind him, Marloynne pointed two of his fingers at the roof … for some mysterious reason. Mrs McGee slapped his hand and looked at him, her brave facade fading.

‘I am not sure what will happen, Marloynne. I do not know if Pete will be able to save us this time.'

Marloynne shook his head, his voice strong.

‘Don't say that. Don't you doubt Pete. He is incredible, and don't ever tell him I said this, but when we chose him to be our best man, it's because that's what he is: he is the best. He'll save us, don't you worry about that. Besides,' he said, trying to lighten the mood a little, ‘I have to see Ashlyn again. We have to get some use out of that wedding dress we paid a fortune for.'

Mrs McGee smiled despite herself. She was glad for Marloynne's company; it helped her stay strong. Not for the first time though, she wondered where Pete was and if she would see him soon, if she would see him again at all.