by Amy Cross
For a moment, I thought of Matthias. Was it possible that everything he'd told me had been true? Was it possible that he was in my mind again? I stood in silence for a moment, listening for his presence, but I felt quite sure that he wasn't around.
Grabbing my phone, I tried to distract myself by checking my mail. After a moment, however, I froze when I saw a new message from Belinda's parents. I hesitated to open the message, worried that I wasn't ready to hear from them, but finally I tapped the screen. To my surprise, I found that the message was asking me to help with something very specific: Belinda's body had apparently never made it back to England, and her parents were distraught at the thought that she'd somehow been lost. I read the message a couple of times, trying to make sense of it all, but finally I realized that somehow Belinda had disappeared while she was being transferred. Her parents said the British Embassy was urgently looking into the matter, but that so far the French authorities had been unable to come up with any answers.
In the bathroom, Jackson was singing as he showered.
Hearing a buzzing sound from the chair, I looked over and realized his phone was ringing in his jacket. A couple of seconds after it stopped, it started again. The last thing I wanted was to snoop, but he'd told me he didn't have a phone in Paris, and I had bitter experience of his lies from before.
As he continued to sing in the bathroom, I headed over to the chair and reached into his jacket pocket. Feeling a bundle of notes, I pulled them out and found he had thousands of euros in cash. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized that he was definitely hiding something. Deep down, I knew that Jackson only ever came crawling back to me when he was short of money, so the fact that he'd come back this time, even when he was apparently loaded, made no sense. Reaching into his pocket again, I took out his phone as it began to ring again, and I saw the screen lighting up with an unregistered number.
Someone was very keen to get hold of him, and I knew from experience that he had a habit of getting mixed up with bad people. As much as I hated to snoop, I could tell that something was wrong, and I knew I couldn't risk sleepwalking into another disaster. I'd been burned by Jackson so many times before. Besides, somehow I felt that whoever was on the other end of the line, it was someone I knew.
I hesitated, before accepting the call.
“Hey,” Belinda said on the other end of the line, “it's me. Where the hell have you been, Jackson? We've been trying to reach you for hours!”
I froze, not daring to say a word.
“Jackson?” she continued. “You were supposed to give us regular updates. Is everything okay?”
I swallowed hard.
In the distance, the whistling, whining noise was getting louder.
“Jackson?”
I looked down at the phone.
“Are you there?” Belinda continued. “Jackson, is that you? Jackson, say something.”
Stepping back, I dropped the phone onto his jacket. I could hear her voice still calling out from the speaker, sounding more and more concerned.
“They just want me to keep you safe,” a voice said suddenly.
Turning, I saw Jackson standing in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Hear me out,” he continued, taking a step toward me. “There are some people out there who're very worried about you, Chloe. They got in touch and said they had a deal that could make everyone happy. All I have to do is keep an eye on you, make sure you don't go too far, and be ready for their instructions. When you think about it, I'm actually doing you a massive favor.”
“Who?” I stammered, trying not to panic. “Who's paying you?”
“That doesn't matter right now.”
“It matters to me,” I said firmly, glancing toward the front door.
Immediately, Jackson stepped in front of me, as if he knew what I was planning.
“They're not going to hurt you,” he continued, with that same weaseling tone that he always used when he was trying to change my mind about something. “They just want to not have to worry about you until they're ready for... Well, for whatever they're doing. They didn't really tell me anything I didn't need to know.”
He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, but I flinched and pulled away.
“You're totally overreacting,” he added with a smile. “Look, there's no point talking about it too much. I don't know exactly what's going on, but your mate Belinda seems pretty cool. She just says this Hugo guy wants to have a word with you, but that he can't get here right now.” He stepped toward me. “You're a popular girl, Chloe. Why the hell are all these random people suddenly so interested in you?”
“I have no idea,” I replied, feeling a cold shiver pass through my chest. Trying not to panic, I turned toward the front door. “I have to get -”
“No,” he said suddenly, grabbing my arm.
“Let go!”
“I can't do that,” he continued, holding me firmly. “Don't make this hard, Chloe. They were very clear, I'm supposed to keep you here for the night. There's really nothing to worry about.”
I tried to pull free, but he tightened his grip.
“Don't fight it,” he said with a sigh, as if he was talking to rebellious child. “Why don't you come to bed? I can think of several ways to distract you, but they all involve us wearing fewer clothes.”
I flinched, but I also knew I needed to get out of the apartment.
“Sure,” I said finally, even though the idea made my skin crawl. “I guess we can do that.”
“Excellent,” he replied, letting go of my arm and gently guiding me toward the bedroom door. “I knew you'd see sense. I told them, I know how your mind operates, Chloe. I know how to appeal to your better -”
Before he could say another word, I shoved him through into the bedroom and then pulled the door shut, before turning and rushing to the front door. Finding that the latch had been drawn across, I began to slide it back, just as I heard Jackson stumbling out of the bedroom.
“Chloe!” he sighed as he came closer. “You're being -”
Grabbing my bag from the chair, I swung it at him, smacking him square in the face. He fell back against the opposite wall, which gave me enough time to get the door open and race out into the hallway. Just as I got to the top of the stairs, however, he caught up to me and grabbed my arm.
“Chloe -”
Without even thinking, I turned and punched him. I'd never punched anyone before in my life, but through pure dumb luck I connected hard, sending him slumping to the ground.
I stepped back, watching as he let out a dazed groan.
For a moment, I could only stare in open-mouthed shock at the sight of him down there on the floor.
Turning, I started making my way down the stairs. My mind was racing and I still wasn't sure what was happening, but knew exactly where I had to go.
***
Hurrying toward the police station, I began to make my way up the steps. When I reached the door, however, I looked through and saw several people waiting in the reception area. A couple of them glanced at me, and I realized I recognized them.
They'd been there earlier, when I'd been reporting my missing bag.
I hesitated, before taking a step back. I knew the idea was crazy, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Jackson wasn't the only person who'd been assigned to keep an eye on me. Finally, realizing that I didn't dare go inside, I turned and made my way back down the steps. For a moment, I stopped on the sidewalk and tried to work out where I could go next. I felt as if the whole city had begun to close in around me. Finally, I realized there was only one place left where I might be safe.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Matthias
I had to stop and rest halfway up the steps. At first I intended to merely catch my breath, but after a moment I had to kneel and rest on my elbows.
At least the morning sun was hidden behind a thick bank of gray clouds, but that was only a temporary reprieve. Soon its rays would burst across t
he city, and the streets would no longer be safe.
Finally, after a few seconds, I got to my feet and staggered onward. When I reached the top of the steps, I saw the main door ahead, and for a moment I found myself thinking back to the days when Zieghoff himself was still around. There had been times when I could have killed that monster, and I bitterly regretted every mistake that had allowed him to slip from my grasp. Had I ended his life sooner, my brother and I might never have become enemies.
The only consolation was that Zieghoff was at least, finally, rotting in Hell.
And now my brother awaited.
Stepping toward the main door, I suddenly became aware of a figure sitting high up on a stone plinth. She was in the same spot as the old statue of Zieghoff, which had been toppled many years ago, but she failed to react as I limped past. Stopping for a moment, I glanced around and began to realize that I needed to cause a brief distraction.
“Where is he?” I asked, looking up at the girl on the plinth.
I waited, but she gave no reply.
“Where's my brother?” I continued. “What do -”
Before I could finish, I spotted movement in the distance. A figure in white hurried from the bushes and quickly slipped into the mansion through another door. Glancing back up at the girl on the plinth, I realized there was no further need to disturb her, so I turned and made my way toward the building's main door. Already, I could sense evil and hatred in the air. I knew that my brother was close.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chloe
Almost slipping in the mud, I made my way down toward the hole in the side of the bridge. I'd half expected to arrive and find that the hole wasn't there at all, but now as cold rain drizzled down from the gray morning sky, I saw the opening that had led down into the strange world of Antoinette.
Stopping for a moment, I looked around.
“Hello?” I called out cautiously, but there was no sign of anyone.
When I'd visited the bridge with Matthias, there had been several homeless people in the area, warming themselves next to small fires. Now there wasn't a soul in sight. I glanced over my shoulder, to make sure that no-one was about to come up behind me, and then I turned and looked again at the gap in the wall. I knew it was crazy to be out there all alone, and the only method of defense at my disposal was an old can of mace spray that my mother had forced me to carry, but I had to know the truth.
Leaning through the gap in the wall, I saw a dark, unlit passageway leading beneath the bridge. The air was cold and no candles were burning, but the mere fact of the passageway's existence seemed to prove that I'd been there during the previous night.
“Hello?” I whispered, dreading the idea of going any further.
I waited, but there was no reply. Finally, sighing, I took my phone from my pocket and used it to light the way as I climbed through into the darkness.
***
“Hello?” I called out again, making my way around another corner just a few minutes later. “Is anyone here?”
With my phone in one hand and the mace spray in the other, I felt like a complete fool. For all I knew, there might have been a bunch of rapists and murderers loitering in the shadows, but I knew I couldn't just turn around and leave. Forcing myself to keep going, I could feel the floor sloping downward a little as I headed further and further beneath the bridge. The air was so cold, I was starting to shiver.
“Antoinette?” I said cautiously, as I reached the next corner. “I don't know if you remember me, but -”
Stopping suddenly, I saw a figure slumped on the floor. I froze, not daring to go closer, but finally I realized the figure was wearing one of the faded old uniforms that I'd seen on Antoinette's attendants. Whoever he was, he was face-down and not moving.
“Hi,” I said, forcing a smile, “are you...”
My voice trailed off.
“Are you okay?” I continued.
Silence.
Stepping closer, I tilted the phone's screen and saw that the man's eyes were wide open, and that there was a thick, bloody gash on the side of his neck. I immediately stepped back, and my heart was pounding as I realized the man was dead. I looked over my shoulder, but I told myself that running would just leave me back where I started with no ideas and nowhere else to go.
I turned and looked down at the body again.
“Are you dead?” I asked. “I mean, are you really, really dead?”
Swallowing hard, I stepped over the body and made my way further along the corridor. I was poised to run if I heard even the slightest noise up ahead, but after a moment I spotted the archway that led into Antoinette's throne room. I hurried forward until I reached the opening, at which point I looked through and shone my phone's light into the large, open space.
There were more bodies scattered on the floor. As I turned my phone slightly, I saw even more, and I had no doubt that the dark patches were blood.
“This isn't happening,” I whispered, trying to calm my growing sense of panic. “It's all in my head. I'm having a breakdown and -”
Stopping suddenly, I realized I could see Antoinette on the floor, next to her throne. I stood completely still for a moment, before hearing a faint groaning sound as her body twitched.
“Hello?” I said finally. “Are you... Can you hear me?”
Picking my way around the other bodies, I crouched next to Antoinette as she turned and looked up at me. I gasped as soon as I saw that one side of her face had been torn away, exposing scraps of bloody meat that still clung to sections of bare bone.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling with fear.
Turning, I shone the light from my phone across the room, but there was no sign of anyone else.
“They came,” Antoinette gasped.
I looked back down at her.
“They heard you'd been here,” she continued. “They came to... punish us...”
“Punish you?” I asked. “For what?”
“For helping you. For helping him.”
“Who?” I waited for an answer, but slowly I began to realize what she meant. “Matthias? Is he here? Did he come back?”
“He's out there still,” she whispered. “I hear his pain. His screams. Don't you hear them too?”
I shook my head, before realizing that the distant buzzing sound was still ringing in my ears.
“I don't know,” I told her, “but right now I have to call an ambulance. I have to get you out of here!”
“You can't help us now,” she gasped. “I knew the risks when I allowed my court to be used by... factions... I always knew that siding with one brother would... bring the rage of the other.” She flinched, as if her pain was worsening. “I made the right choice, though,” she added. “Hugo sent his followers to do this. I knew I might face retribution, but I never thought he'd have my entire court destroyed. This place was supposed to be sacred. It was supposed to be off-limits to his petty violence. He must have truly lost his mind.”
“This can't be real,” I whispered. “Maybe I'm still... Maybe I'm imagining it all, or -”
Suddenly Antoinette grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight, and I felt her cold flesh.
“You have to keep away from them,” she said firmly. “Don't trust anyone else, don't let yourself get trapped. Run, Chloe, and keep running forever. Ignore everything they say about destiny and fate. It was my destiny to rule again, and now look at me. You can break the cycle!”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “I don't understand any of this. Even if it's all true, why do they give a damn about me? I'm no-one!”
“You'll see,” she whispered. “I don't know how, not yet, but...” She paused, and then slowly she managed a pained smile. “I won't see you again,” she added, “but... the next time you see me, I shall be... so beautiful.”
“Where's Matthias?” I asked. “If this is real, I have to find him.”
She shook her head.
“Please,” I continued, “you have to exp
lain it to me! I don't know what's happening, I don't know where to go...”
“Matthias is lost,” she replied. “Soon, anyway. I hear his screams starting to become faint. Perhaps his plan didn't work, but you must leave him to win or lose on his own. This day has been a long time coming. I only wish that I had lived to see how it all ended, but...”
She paused, before suddenly starting to get to her feet.
“Careful!” I told her, grabbing her arm to support her.
“Throne,” she gasped. “I must be on my throne...”
Fresh blood dribbled down her ravaged body as I helped her onto the throne. She let out a gasp as she slumped down onto the seat, and then she tilted her head back.
“They were wrong,” she said after a moment, between deep, slow breaths. “While they were attacking us, they taunted me. They told me I would never see my family restored to its rightful place, but...” She paused, as if she was losing consciousness. “We never needed to be restored,” she whispered. “We were never rightfully deposed in the first place. I am, even to my dying breath, the queen of...”
She paused, and then suddenly she turned to me with fresh fear in her eyes.
“You must leave!” she said firmly. “Get out of here! They didn't just kill us! They turned us into them!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Go!” she hissed, trying to push me away. “It won't be long now! I can't help you, Chloe, not now! I did everything that was in my power, I kept every promise I ever made to Matthias, but Hugo was too powerful, and his mind has become too damaged. Chloe, you must listen to me... Run! Break the cycle and run!”
Gasping, she leaned back and fell still.
I waited, but slowly I began to realize that her glassy eyes were simply staring up at the ceiling.
“Antoinette?” I said cautiously, as I nudged her arm. “Antoinette, can you hear me? What about that paste you used on me? Couldn't that help? Would it be strong enough to...”