A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 93

"Don't be afraid. We'll survive this too." {Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine, pg 366 book 3}

They watched as the glowing mixture of soul and water reached the shallow pool and a column of strong blue light rose all the way to the ceiling. Within the column of light hovering above the pool was a white vapor that had taken on the shape of a man, he had scaly skin and a dorsal fin that jutted from his back.

"I know what this is." Bentham continued, "It's called a spirit pool. An ancient means of summoning and communicating with the dead. But if a living person enters the pool during the summoning -"

"He absorbs the spirit being summoned." Caul finished, "I do believe we've found our answer!" he pointed to another bigger jar, "Boy! Tip that one into the water. Now!"

The jar was too large for Jacob to carry so he carefully tipped the jar so the bright blue liquid poured down the wall and into the channel where it flowed into the pool. This was their last chance to stop Caul, but the guard still had Millard and his gun trained on the three of them while Caul had his own weapon aimed at Jake. They outnumbered them but they still found themselves at the madman's mercy.

The great urn's liquid reached the spirit pool and frothed and heaved like a sea monster was about to rise from it. The Yeth-faru vanished and a new misty figure took its place. It was much larger with clawed hands that were raised palms upward in a way that implied great and terrible power. Caul looked at the image and smiled, then he reached into his suit and pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it.

"I just have a word or two I'd like to say first before I officially change stations in life." Aurora saw Emma roll her eyes at Caul's dramatics then Bentham cleared his throat.

"Brother, I think we'd better not dally any longer. . . "

"Will no one allow me a moment to glory in all this?" Caul shouted.

"Listen!" Bentham hissed and it went silent. For a moment they heard nothing then there came a high sharp sound.

"Is that. . . a dog?" Caul said scowling.

Addison!

"The peculiars had a dog with them." Bentham said, "If it's following our scent, I doubt it's alone."

Aurora felt her heart swell and rise with hope, somehow their friends had overpowered their guards and were coming after them, maybe even with reinforcements! However, Caul was on the cusp of taking all the power the library had to offer and who knew how far their friends echoes were being carried, by the time they got there it could be too late.

"Well then, I suppose my remarks will have to wait."

"Go Jack! Take your spirit and then I'll take mine!" Bentham encouraged.

"About that." Caul sighed, "I've been thinking, I'm not sure you could handle all this power. . you're weak minded, by which I don't mean unintelligent, on the contrary you're more intelligent than I am! But you think like a weak person. Your will is weak. It isn't enough to be smart you know, you've got to be vicious!"

"No brother! Don't do this! I'll be your number two, your loyal confidant. . . anything you need me to be. . ."

"This groveling is precisely what I mean. "

"No, this is about revenge." Bentham said bitterly, "As if breaking my legs and enslaving me for years wasn't enough."

"Oh, it was though. True, I was cross with you for turning us all into hollowgasts, but having an army of monsters at my disposal turned out to be quite useful. But if I'm being honest, it's not even about your weak character. It's just my own failing as a brother I suppose, Alma can speak to this, I don't like to share."