Two and a half hours later, Morris was driving out into the snowy wilderness at the wheel of a battered jeep. It was perfect for what he had in mind and he had hired it for a very reasonable price as it hadn’t yet been valeted after its previous muddy excursion. Morris had kitted himself out in warm clothes and in the back sat a couple of bags containing essential survival provisions which he’d bought in town. After about twenty minutes, he stopped and turned off the engine. His new phone had a good strong signal and he punched in the number for Marchwood House.
‘Hello.’
‘Esther, love, it’s me. I need to speak to young Ben.’
‘You alright?’
‘Yeah, I will be soon enough.’
Morris waited while Esther fetched the boy.
‘Morris?’ Ben’s voice came nervous and hesitant on the phone.
‘Morning, Ben. Leonora told me about your worries.’
‘Really? Look, Morris, I …’
‘What’s your evidence then?’ Morris said.
‘What? I don’t know what you …’
‘Come on, Ben. You must have found something pretty big to have told Leonora what you did. You think I’ve let you down in some way? ’
‘No … I … Is Leonora okay? You haven’t …’
‘Far as I’m aware, she’s fine.’
‘Look, Morris, you’ve been good to us and I didn’t want to believe …’
‘Ben. It’s fine. Just tell me what you found.’ Morris didn’t have time for the boy’s hesitation. ‘Come on, Ben. Spit it out, lad’
‘I … well. I found some notepaper in the recycling bin. The same paper that the note from the Cappadocian vampires was written on. I did some digging and discovered the notepaper is from The Old Bell. And I know that’s your local pub. I’m sorry, but I had to tell the others.’
‘That’s okay, lad. Put Esther back on.’
‘Morris?’ she said.
‘Esther, we’ve got a problem,’ he said.
‘Another one? Seems to me we’ve been having problems for days.’
‘Well this problem is bigger than the rest. I need you to do something for me. I need you to lock Ben up somewhere secure. Oh, and make sure you take his phone away and his laptop. Don’t let him out under any circumstances. Do you hear me, Esther? Not under any circumstances.’
Chapter Thirty Seven
Cappadocia, 575 AD
*
The people trembled as she asked the question:
‘Do you know the Lascaroi family from Selmea?’
It was the same all over the city. Everywhere she went, they all had the same reply: no, we don’t know who they are. It made her sick to see these people quail before her, looking at her like she was one of Them. She wanted to soothe and reassure the people that she was not a demon, that she was ultimately human with a human heart and a human soul, but the words stuck in her throat as she remembered the poor man whose blood she had drained. Was he still alive? She hadn’t dared ask. The answer to that question was too terrifying to contemplate. Mislav hadn’t mentioned him and for that she was grateful. He had also given her freedom to roam.
‘We have all eternity to ourselves,’ he said. ‘Go and explore our underground empire. Return to me whenever you wish. Just do not leave the caverns. Daylight is your enemy. It will kill you. It is the only thing now that can.’
And so she roamed the city. She did not ever wish to return to Mislav. She didn’t love him or need him. All she wanted was to free her family and to free the other people trapped in this stinking hell. The terrible thing was, the stink of the pit had now changed into something wonderful, like the scent of heaven itself. But Aelia knew why it smelt this way and the thought nauseated her. She prayed for the strength to overcome her physical need. She realised that, given the choice, she would suffer the torments of the plague again, rather than this unnatural existence. If they hadn’t turned her, she would probably be dead by now – a fate she had accepted. This … This demon existence she did not accept. What was she to do?
One day, as she searched in vain for her family, Mislav came to her. She was startled and unnerved to see him again. The other demons still frightened her and she kept out of their way as much as possible.
‘Tell me,’ he said. ‘How do you like your new life? Is it good? Are you happy?’
Aelia didn’t reply. She didn’t want to make him angry, but she couldn’t lie.
‘You must feed or you will grow weak.’ He stroked her cheek.
‘I’ve been trying to find my family. I know they came underground but I can’t find them anywhere. I’m worried. I couldn’t bear it if they were …’
‘You must learn to leave your old life behind. We are your family now. We are your brothers and sisters, your mother and father, your lovers, your children. We can be everything to you if you’ll let us. You were chosen. You are special. Embrace your new life and you will be happier than you ever thought possible.’
‘How can you be happy when all you do is kill and bring misery to thousands?’ She couldn’t help saying the words; they tumbled from her lips.
‘You must let all your mortal preconceptions go. Those rules no longer apply.’
Aelia bit her lip to stop the next angry retort.
‘I can tell it is hard for you, but in time you’ll see I’m right.’
Never, Aelia said to herself.
‘Come,’ Mislav held out his hand. ‘We’ve been summoned.’
‘What? Summoned where?’
‘His Imperial Highness has called us to the great hall.’
‘Why?’
‘Let’s go and we will find out.’
Aelia let herself be led by Mislav, towards the hall where she had been turned. What did this boy emperor want now?
When they reached the hall, moments later, it was already thronged with demons. For some reason Aelia had wrongly assumed that it was only her and Mislav the Emperor wanted to see and she was relieved that it was not, that she could remain in an anonymous crowd in the background. The hall was packed, but there was no chattering, just the odd murmur or whisper and the swish of cloaks and gowns as the creatures entered the hall. The glittering throne on the raised dais stood empty. They were all awaiting the arrival of the Emperor.
The last time she was here, she had been weak and near death, but now she really had a chance to take in her surroundings. The space was huge, the ceiling carved into smooth arches, painted with figures and animals, oceans and countryside. They were all night scenes with the moon and stars glowing as though they were the real thing. As Aelia studied the paintings more closely, she saw that most were scenes of slaughter, of mortals meeting their end at the hand of a demon. She shifted her gaze from the paintings to the real creatures around her. They were so beautiful … until they fed and showed their true ugly selves. Those teeth changing their heavenly faces into the countenances of beasts. Was that what she had looked like when she’d fed from that man? Aelia shuddered.
On the outer edges of the hall, Aelia noted massive arched recesses with pillars, again lavishly ornamented with carvings and frescoes. Standing in these arches were humans. She caught their delicious scent and tried to block it out. These were the humans who had been spared the pit – the village leaders, the people of note, the praetors and judges and their families. These humans were now slaves to their demon masters. Aelia noted their clean, well-fed appearances. They still dressed as befitted their human rank and most seemed settled. Her demon senses could identify fear, and these people did not seem all that afraid. Perhaps they had not witnessed the horrors she had seen down here.
And then Aelia’s eyes alighted on a face which transported her back to a different time. A face which made her catch her breath in her throat. Anger followed shock and she felt herself hiss like a snake, attracting the attention of several demons around her. Mislav took her arm and looked questioningly at her, but she paid him no mind, for she had seen someone who demanded all of her attention. Stand
ing to her far right, in one of the recessed arches, next to his plump mother and stern father, stood Lysus. He was older now – no longer a boy, but a grown man. Still handsome, still confident.
Before she had a chance to react further, she realised everyone was sinking to their knees. Aelia tore her eyes away from her faithless lover and did the same as Mislav pulled her down next to him. The hall fell deadly silent and she peered up to see the boy Emperor now seated on his throne, his eyes resting on his subjects, demanding their full attention with a penetrating gaze.
At that moment, Aelia didn’t care about the boy ruler. All she wanted to do was leap across the hall and sink her teeth into Lysus’ throat. Her demon-self wanted to terrify him, to have him at her mercy and make him pay for ruining her life. She wanted to taste his sweet cowardly blood, to drain every drop in his body before flinging his used body to the ground. The feelings rising up in her were like nothing she had experienced before.
Mislav’s hand was still on her arm and he gripped it as if he could sense her intentions. She was possessed. She was enraged. She was ready to kill.
Chapter Thirty Eight
Present Day
*
Esther had locked Ben securely in an attic storeroom. She’d got him up there on the pretence of helping her to lift down some boxes. Once he’d realised what she’d done, he’d made a bit of a fuss, hurling himself at the door and carrying on; much good that would do him. Those old doors were solid, not like the modern bits of cardboard that passed for doors these days. He’d quietened down a bit now, thank goodness. She wasn’t generally a nervy person, but it had put her quite out of sorts to hear him like that. Shouting and swearing. Not at all like the Ben she knew.
She put on her woollen coat and picked up her keys from the hook in the utility room. Gloves … she’d need gloves. It looked a bit nippy out there but at least the rain had stopped. Esther let herself out of the back door and walked around the side to where she’d parked her Renault Clio.
Settling herself in, she started up the engine and swung the car around. Maybe a bit of Radio 4 would calm her down a bit. She switched on the radio but it was some unfunny comedy thing, so she turned it off again. Silence was better anyway. That way, she could get her thoughts straight and concentrate on the job in hand, on sorting things out once and for all. This was a minor setback that was all, but luckily she knew the people who could supply her with what she needed.
The road into Tetbury was busier than usual. But then it was only a few days till Christmas. They’d all be getting their last minute shopping, which is what she should be doing, but she hadn’t had a moment, what with all this carry on, with Morris up to his neck in it. He’d be alright. He could take care of himself. No, she didn’t have any worries on that score. Her Morris was ex-army, hard as nails when it counted. But it was disconcerting nonetheless and she’d be glad when it was all over.
The last time Esther had been to The Old Bell was months ago, on her birthday. Morris had taken her for a half pint of bitter and they’d even stretched to a spot of lunch. Not as good as home cooked, but nice for a change. Today, there would be no nice lunch. Today, she had more important matters to attend to.
Parking was going to be a problem. Long Street was bumper to bumper and the car parks would be chocka. She’d try round the back of The Bell although she didn’t hold out much hope. As luck would have it, a white Mercedes was driving out of the hotel car park just as she was driving in. Esther pulled straight into the gaping space and turned off the engine. She got out of the car, smoothed down her coat, patted her bobbed hair and marched briskly across the car park and into the back entrance of the hotel. She had a lot to get on with today. No time for dawdling.
*
Alexandre and Zoe reached the hotel just before dawn. Everyone jumped up as they walked into the hotel suite. Isobel threw her arms around her older brother and Jacques clasped his arm. Everyone eyed Zoe with suspicion.
‘This is Zoe,’ Alexandre said. ‘She helped Maddy to escape … And she also helped me to escape.’
‘Helped you to escape?’ Isobel said. ‘Escape from where? And you’re absolutely covered in dirt! What happened to you?’
Alexandre told them a watered down version of events, leaving out the part where he had been beaten up. The others looked at Zoe again – this time with gratitude. Zoe stared at her feet.
‘But, Alex, I cannot believe you went there on your own,’ Jacques said. ‘Don’t you trust us?’
‘It’s nothing to do with trust. I thought it would look less threatening if I went on my own. I thought I could reason with them.’
‘It’s everything to do with trust. And to make that decision without us was extremely thoughtless, not to mention arrogant,’ Jacques said.
‘I just did what I thought was right,’ Alex replied. ‘I feel responsible for Maddy and I didn’t want to drag you all into it.’
‘Arrogant!’ Isobel echoed her twin.
The room fell silent and Zoe looked down at her boots again, embarrassed to be witnessing this family argument.
‘Well, at least he’s back now,’ said Leonora.
Alexandre threw her a grateful glance. It was odd for Leonora to be the one to stick up for him.
‘I apologise,’ said Alex. ‘I was wrong.’
Jacques smirked. ‘Can we have that in writing?’
Alexandre gave him a look. ‘So is Maddy on her way here? Have you spoken to her? Is Morris out looking for her?’
Everyone fell silent.
‘What?’ Alexandre stared at them. ‘What is it? Is Maddy alright?’
‘As far as we know she’s still on her way here,’ Isobel said.
‘Someone give me a phone. Do you have a number for her?’
‘We’ve all been trying, but it goes straight to answerphone,’ Freddie said.
‘She probably can’t get a good signal, that’s all,’ said Isobel.
Alexandre was swamped with feelings of helplessness again.
‘She was on a motorbike, yes?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ Zoe replied. ‘A dirt bike.’
‘So she should have been here by now, right?’
No one answered.
‘Right?’ He shouted this time.
‘Don’t shout at us, Alex. We’re on your side.’
‘I’m sorry, Belle. You’re right.’
‘So is Morris searching the route between here and Akarsuli? To see if he can find out what’s happened?’
‘The thing is, Alex …’ Freddie began.
‘The thing is, Morris has been deceiving us,’ Leonora said.
‘What are you talking about?’
Leonora told him what Ben had discovered.
‘So where is Morris now?’ Alex asked, not quite able to believe what he was hearing. Of all the people to betray them, Morris was the last person he would’ve predicted.
‘I locked him up in the van,’ said Leonora.
Alex slumped into an armchair and ran his fingers through his dark hair, still matted with mud from when he’d tunnelled into the city.
‘I need to take a shower,’ he said, making no move to get up.
‘Maddy will probably walk through that door at any moment, brother,’ Jacques said.
Alex stared up at his younger brother, willing him to be right, because if he wasn’t there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Once again, he was stuck here until nightfall.
*
Esther walked out of the hotel, back to the car. She unlocked it and got in. The hotel car park was still full and a couple of cars hovered, waiting to see if her space was about to become free. They’d just have to wait a bit longer; she had an important call to make.
Morris answered on the first ring.
‘Well?’ he said.
‘I got it, love, but it’ll probably take me a few hours. Maybe even days.’
‘We haven’t got days.’
‘I’ll do my best, love.’
‘An
d what about the lad?’
‘Oh, you know - he made a bit of a fuss at first, but he quietened down eventually.’
‘Good. Call me when you get something.’
‘You be careful, Morris.’
‘Don’t worry about me. Just get what we need and I’ll be home soon.’
*
It was quiet. How strange to not hear a thing. No wind or roaring fire. No motorcycle engine or crunching snow underfoot. Just silence. And she wasn’t cold anymore. She remembered falling asleep in the snow. Her eyes were still closed and she felt afraid to open them. Was she dead?
‘Hello, Madison.’
Maddy blinked her eyes open and sat up. In the dim light, an old woman stared back at her.
‘Who are you?’ Maddy asked brusquely.
The woman had a wrinkled face and surprising bright blue eyes. Her hair was greyish blonde, loosely tied back in a low bun at the nape of her neck. She wasn’t smiling, but still managed to seem friendly somehow.
‘How are you feeling?’ The woman had a strange accent.
‘Umm …’ Maddy thought about it. How was she feeling? Still tired, but pretty comfortable. ‘Where am I? Who are you?’
‘You’re safe. My name is Sofia.’
‘Yes, but where am I?’
‘I found you asleep in the snow. Not the best place for a nap.’ The woman gave a short laugh. ‘I brought you here, to my home.’
Maddy stared around. It looked like she was in a cave of some sort. She was lying on a mattress on the floor – a rock floor. The woman was sitting on a big boulder next to Maddy’s mattress.
‘I’m not back in that place am I?’ Maddy asked, suddenly panicked. ‘Is this the underground city? Are you a vampire?’ She didn’t look like one, but Maddy couldn’t be sure.