***
Hours later I awoke alone in my room. I grabbed some jeans and a top and ran barefoot downstairs, yelling for Corvus but the Château was deserted. Unusually I could see the human guards standing around the perimeter of the Château. I felt the fear spike through me as I knew Corvus had gone after Tacitus.
I sat down heavily on the cold stone of the front step, looking out into the night and shivered. The Château had been heavily warded and I felt the magic spark against my skin. Gran’s work I guessed, to protect me while they were off fighting my battles.
All of a sudden I noticed the colour of the trees and felt the chill in the air, I must have lost longer than I realised after I drank the waters, as it felt like late October.
I shivered again miserably, this time from anxiety as well as the cold. I had to find Corvus and the others. It was me Tacitus wanted. I wasn’t going to let them risk themselves while I sat here out of harm’s way. The problem was I had no idea where they were.
Astro appeared beside me and wound his way backwards and forwards around my legs. I picked him up and clung to him tightly, the soft purring soothing in spite of the dilemma I faced.
I racked my brains, trying to think of a way to follow them, when it occurred to me that Gran had said the spirits were disturbed and fleeing from the necromancer. So a spirit should be able to tell me where to find them.
I closed my eyes and concentrated, and was rewarded a few moments later by a blast of cool air that raised the hairs on my arms. I opened my eyes to find Phil standing in front of me.
“Jéhenne,” he looked wide eyed with alarm. “There’s something weird going on.”
“I know, Phil and I’m going to sort it out,” I said, with as much conviction as I could muster. “I need to know where the spirits are being taken, can you show me?”
For a moment he looked horrified and I thought he was going to refuse, but he seemed to steel himself and stood up straight.
“I can take you there,” he said bravely, though I could see the fear lingering in his eyes. “But Jéhenne, are you sure you should go? It’s bad. Really bad, whatever it is … It’s cold and dead and … evil.”
For a moment I doubted myself, I wanted to turn and run as far and as fast as I could, but I nodded resolutely.
“My friends are there because of me,” I said, clutching my arms around myself. “I have to help them. Just show me the way, OK?”
I ran and found shoes, a jumper and a torch, then grabbed my car keys. Moments later I was driving through the darkness with Phil directing me. He said it was easy to follow, like a great magnet pulling the dead towards it.
“How come you’ve resisted it, then?” I asked, glancing to look at him.
He shook his head, frowning. “I’m not really sure.” He shrugged. “I think maybe because I have an anchor.”
“In what way?”
He was quiet for a moment, obviously trying to find a way to explain. “When you agreed to be my guardian it kind of, I don’t know, rooted me, gave me a point of reference that I could always return to if I needed,” he said. “I know I can always come back to you and so I’m not drifting. Most of these spirits are recently dead and they don’t have that yet. The others are really old and they’re tied to a place not a living person. I don’t think it holds them as tightly as my tie to you.”
I nodded, looking at him in surprise. “That makes sense.” I was impressed that he’d worked all this out for himself, but he just shrugged again.
“Well, it’s just what I think,” he mumbled. “Turn here. We’re getting close now.”
I turned down a narrow dirt track and followed it up across a field and up a winding hill before it eventually ran out as we entered some woodland. A thin sliver of moon was winking brightly through the trees, like the Cheshire cat’s forgotten grin. As we got out of the car, I could hear the dead leaves rustle anxiously in the breeze and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a small blur of movement run from the car into the darkness, but it was too quick to be sure.
“Through there.” Phil pointed ahead of us, diverting my attention. “There’s the entrance to a cave,” he said. “That’s where it’s coming from.”
In fact I hadn’t needed him to tell me. I could feel the dark power emanating from the cave as it roiled around me, brushing my skin like thick, cold oil.
My stomach lurched with fear but I took a deep breath and plastered a smile to my face. “Thanks Phil. You’d better get as far away from here as you can.”
To my surprise he shook his head, his expression resolute. “Where you go, I go. Ça va?”
I raised my eyebrows, touched and appalled that he would want to stay. “Phil, there’s a necromancer in there and you’re a spirit … remember? I can’t let you take the risk.”
“Jéhenne, it’s my choice and … I believe in you.” He looked almost fierce in the torch light and I smiled despite myself.
“I wish I felt as confident.”
Phil rubbed his face with his hand wearily, such a human gesture that I felt my heart constrict with sadness.
“When you are dead you see things differently, Jéhenne, and I can see something great in you … I want to follow you. I can’t explain it, but if I see it, the others will too.”
I shook my head, needing him to understand he'd misunderstood. “You’re wrong Phil. It’s not me you want to follow, it’s the key to the Underworld. It’s hidden within me and it’s what Tacitus wants. I can’t let him have it and I need to protect my friends.”
“No, Jéhenne, you're wrong. There's more to you than the key and besides, I’m tied to you whatever happens.” He winked. “I told you I wanted some adventure didn't I?” he said, grinning at me. “It looks like you’re about to give it to me.”
That much I felt I could guarantee.