by Amy Cross
IV
“Have you ever seen so many books?” Madeleine asked, holding Benjamin's hand and half-dragging, half-leading him into Edgar's study. “He hasn't read half of them, of course. My brother's a terrible show-off.”
“Is that what you were doing at the stone circle this morning?” Benjamin asked with a smile. “Helping him to show off?”
“Oh no, I was showing off myself,” she replied, turning to him with a mischievous grin. “I wanted to put bloody Nixon in his place, and I damn well think I managed that. The man can be so full of himself, he's a real asshole.”
Benjamin winced slightly.
“What's wrong?” she asked. “Don't you like me using words like that? I'm sorry, I can stop. It might take a little while for me to remember, but...” She paused, before stepping closer to him. “Do you want me to be more ladylike, Benjamin? I can be, I swear. Growing up around Edgar, I rather had to fight my corner, but I suppose now... If you want me to be more polite and to have better manners, than I'll damn well do it!” She frowned. “Sorry. I suppose I shouldn't say damn, either.”
“It's fine,” he replied, leaning forward and kissing her for a moment. “Don't change,” he whispered once the kiss was over. “Or do change, if you want. I just want you to be you, that's enough. It's more than enough, actually. It's all I could ever want.”
“You know,” she said with a smile, “you're the only person who can say things like that, romantic things, without making me want to vomit. There's just something so very special about you.” Putting her hands on his waist, she pulled him a little closer. “Take me to bed.”
“Now?”
“Right now. What's the most ladylike way for me to tell you I want you to -”
“Where's Edgar?” Estella asked, hurrying into the room but stopping suddenly. “What are you doing in here?”
“Edgar's still at the stone circle with Nixon,” Madeleine told her, “and then I think he said he wanted to go into town for something.”
“To see Kate?”
“He didn't say that specifically,” Madeleine replied, “but... Probably. And as for what we're doing in here, I was just showing Benjamin all the books that Edgar hasn't read.” She turned back to Benjamin. “My brother is a brute in a gentleman's clothing, you know. If you want to understand him, that's the most important thing to remember. He can wear all the suits and ties he wants, but when it comes down to it, he's a monster.”
“Damn him,” Estella hissed, heading over to the window and looking out for a moment. “Why is he never here when I need him?”
“Got your knickers in a twist over something?” Madeleine asked.
Estella turned and scowled at her.
“Sorry,” Madeleine continued, “that's a phrase Kate taught me.”
“Oh, is it?” Estella replied through gritted teeth, with tears in her eyes. “Well, isn't Kate Langley having a wonderful influence on this island? I swear, Madeleine, you're becoming less like a lady with each passing day.”
“Benjamin likes me how I am!”
“Is something wrong?” Benjamin asked, stepping toward Estella. “I'm sorry, I know it's not really my place, but... You seem upset by something.”
“If you must know -” Estella paused, as if she wasn't sure whether or not to say anything. “I should tell Edgar first, but... I suppose news spreads so fast anyway. The truth is, my mother died last night.”
“Are we going to bed or not?” Madeleine asked, tugging on Benjamin's sleeve.
“I'm so sorry,” he said, taking another step toward Estella. “I met Nora a few times, she taught at the school when I was growing up.”
“She was a good woman,” Estella replied, sniffing back tears. “Misguided in some ways and very harsh, but her heart was in the right place.”
“What happened?” Benjamin asked. “If that's not an inopportune question, I mean...”
“She... If you must know, she took her own life.” She sniffed back more tears. “I'm supposed to be the black sheep of the family, but dear old mother's the one who really put a smudge over the Graves name. Father's distraught, of course, and I know he blames...” She paused again. “He doesn't really know the truth, though,” she whispered, as if she was thinking out loud. “He doesn't know what mother saw in my face.”
“I want to go to bed,” Madeleine whispered into Benjamin's ear. “I want to do terribly naughty things to you. Don't worry about Estella, she'll be fine. Edgar'll turn up eventually.”
“Go,” Estella told them, taking a handkerchief from Edgar's desk and drying her eyes. “I don't want to detain you, obviously you have things to be doing.”
“We can't just leave you here alone,” Benjamin told her.
“You heard her,” Madeleine said, keeping hold of his hand as she took a step back. She waited, as if she expected him to follow, but then finally she stepped closer and whispered into his ear again. “Have you ever licked cream off a woman's bare breasts?” she asked him. “Or have you had cream liked off your -”
“We'll wait with you,” Benjamin told Estella, before turning to Madeleine. “Won't we?”
“Will we?” Madeleine replied, clearly horrified by the idea.
“She's going to be part of your family soon,” he reminded her. “She's experienced a terrible shock, we can't just go off and leave her here.”
“Damn it,” Madeleine replied, “this is...” She paused, clearly frustrated, before turning to Estella. “Your old mother really picked a fine moment to top herself, didn't she?” She watched as Estella sat in one of the chairs by the window, and then she grimaced as she realized Estella had started sobbing. “Oh Edgar's going to love this,” she said, turning to Benjamin. “If you think I'm unsympathetic and borderline psychopathic, wait 'til you see my darling brother trying to deal with this mess.” Sighing, she let go of Benjamin's hand and headed to the door. “I'm going to get some popcorn.”
***
“So you're certain?” Kate asked. “This cult of Ashalla group is definitely responsible for the chamber?”
“Madeleine was right,” Edgar replied, as they walked across the town square, heading for the water's edge. “It's the only logical explanation. I knew it all along, but I just didn't want to believe it was possible. I allowed my own beliefs to cloud my judgment.”
“So they're connected to some mythical vampire god, right?” Kate continued. “To be honest, with everything you and Nixon have been telling me, I've kind of lost track lately.”
“Ashalla definitely existed,” Edgar told her. “He was part of the great vampire war, albeit only briefly. It's said that anyone who stares into his eyes is immediately driven insane, beyond the point of all salvation. Regardless of the truth, he should have stayed lost in the war. The idea that he might have leaked through to this world...” Stopping at the edge of the water, he looked out for a moment at the calm blue of the sun-kissed Mediterranean. “I want to believe that it's impossible. I want to retreat and deny that this could ever happen...”
Kate waited for him to continue. “But you can't?”
“I can't ignore the truth that has been staring me in the face. The cult of Ashalla clearly escaped from the vampire war and came here, to Thaxos, many hundreds of years ago. Obviously they believed they could raise Ashalla from his grave and bring him back to life.”
“But they failed, right?” Kate continued. “They must have done, or...” She paused. “Wouldn't we know by now?”
“Unless his resurrection is a slower process,” Edgar replied, leading her along the walkway and then onto the pier. “I struggled for a long time to understand what kind of creature might have the power to suck someone back in time.” He turned to her. “A vampire god might just fit the bill.”
“But why?” Kate asked. “And why me in particular?”
“That's the question I need to answer,” he continued. “Were you pulled back in time because of something you did in the future, or did you become important in the future because
of something you did back here? I'm afraid that my limited understanding of time and causality isn't enough to explain all of this. Even Nixon is struggling to work out how it all happened.” He stared at her for a moment. “Kate, I need to ask you a question, and I need you to be completely honest with me. I know you don't want to tell me too much about the future, but this is important. One hundred years from now, did I ever mention Ashalla to you?”
“I don't think so.”
“Why would I not?” he asked. “What reason would I have to keep all of this so close to my chest?”
“I always felt as if you were playing games with me.”
“And yet I never spoke to you truthfully?”
“Things were different,” she continued. “I've been trying to piece it all together, but so far all I can come up with is the idea that for some reason, you were determined to hide the truth from me. When I first met you, from my perspective, you acted as if you'd never seen me before in your life. And then...” She paused. “There was a creature, Edgar. It was hidden in the tomb, in the chamber beneath the stones. According to Nixon, it was once the love of your life, and you kept it alive while you were waiting for a chance to heal its injuries.”
“I have no idea who that could be.”
“It wasn't Estella.”
“Obviously.”
She stared at him. “Do you love her, Edgar?”
“She will make a fine wife.”
“But do you love her?”
“I believe our children will be strong and healthy.”
“That's not what I asked.” She waited for a reply. “When you approached me just now, the first thing I said to you was that Estella was looking for you. Her mother died, Edgar, but you don't seem to be in any hurry to go and comfort her. When she was in danger the other night, when that Tenderling was on the loose, you let Nixon go off to look after her. I swear, I haven't once seen you show any affection toward her at all.”
“I esteem Estella highly.”
“That's not love.”
“And what about the future?” he asked. “One hundred years from now, are Estella and I happily married?”
“Please don't ask me things like that.”
“Are our children strong and proud?”
“Edgar -”
“I sense that you would rather talking about something else,” he continued. “Anything else.”
“You should go to her.”
“I would rather be here.”
“Why?”
“Because -” He stared at her for a moment. “Talking to you, Kate, is not the same as talking to Estella. It's difficult for me to say this to a human, but I almost feel as if you're my...” His voice trailed off, as if he could barely bring himself to say the words. “It's almost as if you're my equal.”
“I'm not a vampire.”
“Which is why I find this so hard to understand.”
“I'm just an ordinary person,” she told him. “I'm nothing, I'm just Kate Langley. Before I came to Thaxos for the first time, I was drifting through life, going from one freelance job to another, always waiting for my big breaks but... Hell, I didn't even want to come here. My friend Annie made me come, she told me I had to take a vacation. If it hadn't been for her, and the fact that I was still coming to terms with my sister's death, I never would have even heard of Thaxos.”
“Yet here you are.”
“I don't want to be part of anything special, Edgar,” she continued. “I want to go back to my normal life.”
“I'm not sure that's possible.”
“I want to go back to my own time.”
“I'm not sure that's possible either.” He stepped toward her and put a hand on her left arm. “Tell me honestly. One hundred years from now, are we...” He paused again. “Are we involved with one another in some way?”
“Please don't ask me that.”
“Tell me the truth.”
She stared at him.
“Kate, are we -”
“No,” she said firmly, taking a step back. “We just know each other, Edgar. We're just two people who got mixed up in each other's lives, and right now I feel as if we're desperately trying to untie that knot.”
“Just as I'm about to tie another knot with Estella.”
“Don't ask me to tell you what to do,” she replied.
“I'm not asking you that at all. However, given that you have seen ahead, I would very much like to know if there are any mistakes you think I should avoid.”
“Don't ask me that either.” She waited for him to answer, but he seemed content to simply stare at her for a moment. “What?” she asked finally. “What are you thinking?”
“I'm thinking that I really don't understand you at all,” he replied, “but that if I am going to face some kind of danger on this island, I would rather do it with you by my side than without you. Perhaps your arrival here is going to make a key difference.” He reached out to touch her arm again, but she pulled away. “Kate -”
“Go to Estella,” she told him, even though she hated to think of him with someone else. “You're engaged to her. You're going to marry her. She's in pain, you have to help ease that pain.”
“And if I don't?”
“Then I will think a lot less of you.”
He paused, before glancing up at the mansion on the hill. “Fine,” he said with a sigh, “then I suppose I have no choice.”
V
“No, stay!” Joshua said, grabbing Evangeline's arm as she tried to get up from their corner booth in the cantina. “One more drink!”
“I really don't -”
“Stay until midnight, at least!” he continued, pulling on her arm until she had no option but to retake her seat. “You wouldn't leave a friend alone in a place like this, would you? The night's still young, and we still have so much to talk about! Memories of that old bitch Mrs. Grave and all the terrible classes we had to endure!”
Smiling politely, she looked over her shoulder, hoping against hope that she might spot someone who could rescue her. The only person she could think of, however, was Benjamin, and she knew deep in her heart that he was probably off somewhere with Madeleine. After a moment, glancing back down at the beer that Joshua had bought for her, she realized that alcohol might be the only way to shut such painful thoughts out of her mind.
“My brother's an idiot, you know,” Joshua continued, moving his hand down onto her knee. “He's got the prettiest girl in all of Thaxos hanging on his every word, and he just ignores her.”
“It's not like that,” she replied, blushing slightly.
“It is,” he told her. “Everyone knows you're the best-looking girl around, and everyone also knows that you've been pining after Benjamin since we were all in school. And what does he do? He goes and sets his sight on that monster Madeleine Le Compte. He's gonna realize one day that he's made a terrible mistake, but...” He paused, seeing the sadness in her eyes. “Promise me something, Evangeline. Promise me that you won't waste your whole life pining away. You need to move on, find someone else.”
She forced a smile, before taking a sip of beer.
“The best way to move on is just to clear the decks,” he continued with a sniff, watching her every move with great attention. “Remind yourself that there's more to the world than Benjamin bloody Wood. While he's up there at that mansion, getting his end away with -”
“Let's talk about something else,” she said, wiping away a tear.
“You can't ignore the heartbreak,” he continued, moving across the bench until he was sitting right next to her. His hand was still on her knee, poised to move a little further up. “You've gotta push on through it, and I happen to know a good way to do that.”
“You do?”
He waited for the perfect moment. “Why don't we take a little walk, eh? Just you and me, out to the lighthouse and then maybe around to the next cove? You've always been the kind of girl who over-thinks everything, and look where it's got you. Maybe it's time to
stop thinking and just do whatever your body tells you to do.” He began to move his hand along her leg, moving toward her crotch. “You're twenty-two years old, Evangeline. Have you ever been with a man?”
“Joshua, I think -”
“It'll change the way you see the world,” he whispered, leaning closer. “You'll stop being scared and timid, and you'll find out who you really are.”
“I don't think this is right.”
“Trust me.” He moved his hand up her body and began to squeeze her right breast through the fabric of her dress. “I'll make you -”
“No!” she shouted, pulling away and getting to her feet, almost knocking the table over in the process.
“Evangeline -”
“I have to go,” she replied, turning and hurrying to the door.
“Bloody -” Looking around, Joshua saw that none of the other patrons in the cantina had taken any notice of their little quarrel. Grabbing his beer, he finished the last drops before taking a sizable swig of Evangeline's, and then he got to his feet and hurried after her.
***
“He's back,” Madeleine said, looking across the study as she heard the front door slamming shut in the distance. “Hallelujah!”
“I'm absolutely fine,” Estella said, turning to Benjamin. “Really, you two have made such an awful fuss of me. I just had a moment of weakness, that's all.”
“Nonsense,” Benjamin told her, “you've been through something terrible.”
“Everyone must lose their parents eventually,” she pointed out.
“That doesn't mean -” Hearing footsteps, he turned just in time to see Edgar entering the room, with Jacob following close behind.
“You should eat, Sir,” Jacob was saying, clearly worried. “If you really intend to spend the night out working -”
“I'm not hungry,” Edgar snapped back at him as he took a couple of books from one of the shelves. “I'll eat when I return in the morning.”