As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Cedric poked his snowy head in.
“Ah, good morning!” he beamed.
“Morning,” I replied.
“I’m not disturbing you, am I?”
“Not at all.” I found myself straightening up, distancing myself from Elana. I could see her doing the same.
Cedric ventured into the room, wheeling a serving trolley. He parked it at our bedside.
“We have pancakes, fruit, toast,” he began, reeling off items on the cart and pointing to them each in turn, “eggs, bacon, pastries, and cold meats—very European.”
My mouth watered. “You didn’t have to do all this, Cedric.”
“Poppycock! You two are my guests. What kind of host would I be if I sent you on the road without a proper breakfast?”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I dug in, devouring a blueberry pancake in one mouthful.
“My, my, my,” Cedric muttered, planting himself in a rocking chair with a slice of honey-covered toast. “To think, the next Light Keeper is here in my home! What an honor.” He took a bite, showering crumbs onto his dressing gown.
Elana frowned. “You make me sound like a celebrity.”
Cedric and I laughed. Oh, if only she knew.
“You’re a very big deal around here,” Cedric told her.
“You are…” I gazed at the ceiling, deliberating over my words. “It,” I finished at last.
“I’m it?” Elana repeated.
“The pinnacle,” Cedric added.
“The be all and end all.”
We could have gone on all day.
“You’re exaggerating,” Elana insisted, looking markedly uncomfortable. “I’m just a normal girl.”
“You most certainly are not!” Cedric took it upon himself to field this one, and I was happy to oblige him. “You are the key to protecting the world from a demonic overthrow. Without a Light Keeper, there would be no restraints, no restriction…”
My turn. “The world would fall into chaos, and this war—the war I’m fighting—would be unmanageable. It would be over for humankind.” I snapped my fingers. “Like that.”
Elana tentatively picked up a segment of orange. She wouldn’t look at us.
Cedric took another bite of toast and smacked his lips. “You see,” he continued, still chewing, “the Hidden Mountains transcend all documented time. Since there have been humans, there have been demons. And since there have been demons, there has been a cage. And, my dear, we are in it.” He extended his hands, sprinkling sticky toast crumbs onto the carpet.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re saying that demons have been trapped in these mountains for billions of years?”
We nodded emphatically.
“How?”
“The Light Keeper,” Cedric answered. “Think of the Light Keeper’s watchtower as a lighthouse. And think of the beam of light exuding from the lighthouse as a magnetic force field. Your force field. It’s like a magnet that pulls evil in and locks it there. The worse the demon, the stronger the pull of the magnet.”
“That’s why you get werewolves farther afield,” I elaborated. “They’re tame compared to the eastern mountain dwellers.”
“And the demons on the eastern mountain are closer to the watchtower?” Elana asked.
“Exactly,” I replied.
“Without the Light Keeper,” Cedric went on, “there is no light. There is no lock. Demons will spread and breed. And that’s a problem, because out in the world—the real world, like where you’re from—people aren’t accustomed to them. Not like us Black Mountain folk. We’ve grown up here, and we’ve learned how to protect ourselves. It’s a different way of life. You’ll see.”
I could tell from Elana’s expression that we’d frightened her. It was a tough pill to swallow, knowing that the salvation of the world rested entirely on her shoulders.
“Anyway,” I said, drawing the subject to a close, “speaking of the watchtower, we’ll need to be setting off soon. It’s probably getting late.”
“Right.” Cedric took my hint and glanced at his oversized wristwatch. “Ten-thirty.”
Ten-thirty! I could hardly believe I’d slept for so long. Usually an hour sufficed.
Cedric rose leisurely to his feet. “I’ll leave you two to get ready. Take your time, there’s no rush.”
No rush? The man was clearly out of his mind. We should have been there weeks ago. I watched Cedric trundle out of the room before I took Elana’s breakfast plate and stacked it with mine on the serving trolley.
“Time to leave,” I told her firmly.
“But Cedric said there was no rush.”
“Cedric’s insane. We’ve got to get on the road.” I sprung to my feet and switched off the television.
She gasped in protest and a floral cushion soared past my head. Lucky she had bad aim.
I straightened out my clothes. “How do I look?” I pretended to preen over my rumpled hair.
“Evil,” she said.
I smiled a little. “Good.” I retrieved the floral cushion and tossed it back at her. “Get up,” I said as I made for the door.
She rolled out of bed and lumbered after me, muttering under her breath as she padded across the wooden floor.
We surfaced from the guest room and emerged into the corridor. Things seemed different now—brighter, louder, merrier. That was the beauty of a new dawn: all the hope and none of the darkness.
“Cedric!” I called. “Where are you?”
I heard Elana’s shoes clip-clopping along the corridor behind me.
“I’m in the lab!” Cedric’s voice returned to me.
I’d been inside his home enough to be familiar with the layout. I followed the tunnel-like passageway to a set of red velvet curtains. Behind these was what Cedric referred to as his Apothecary Laboratory—a workshop-type room where the shelves were stacked sky-high with tonics, elixirs and ointments. Cedric brewed them himself and packaged them in charming little bottles with his bemused face on the logo.
We crossed through the curtains and found him busy at his work counter.
“Here,” he said, thrusting a medicine bottle into Elana’s hands. “If you feel weak later, take one spoonful of this and you’ll be as good as new in no time.”
“Thank you,” she said, holding the bottle protectively.
He clasped his hands around hers, securing the bottle tightly in her grasp. “You’ll be fine,” he whispered. I got the feeling he was hinting at something more profound than her fever.
I did a lap of the room, reading the labels on his potions. “You’ve got some new stuff in.”
“Oh, yes,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “I’ve come up with some wonderful new products lately. Tell me, are you likely to come across vampires any time soon?”
Elana flinched. Obviously she was not yet used to the eastern mountain talk.
“It’s probable,” I replied.
“Ah! Then I might have something you’d be interested in.” He toddled behind the mahogany counter and selected a tray of small glass bottles. They clinked together as he brought them to the worktop. “There,” he said, setting the tray down for our inspection. He lifted one of the corked medicine bottles to eye level. “Brand new to the market,” he declared proudly. “It’s the most innovative vampire repellent to date.”
“Fascinating.” I lifted one of the bottles for closer examination. “How does it work?”
“If you ingest a small amount of the solution, it’ll give you…oh, I’d say an hour’s protection from vampires. Effectively it creates a simulation, altering the scent of your blood to make you undesirable. I’ve prepared a pamphlet to accompany it, outlining the best time to take it, the side effects, and so on and so forth.”
I was impressed. “Handy. I’ll take one bottle.”
Elana made a noise and pulled a face.
I dug through my pockets for my wallet and placed a few notes on the counter. Cedric never allocated a s
et price to his products, but it was considered polite to leave him something for his service.
He boxed the bottle and slipped a leaflet inside the packaging. “A pleasure doing business with you,” he said with a jolly smile.
“Thank you.” I took the palm-sized purple box embossed with Cedric’s miniature face mirroring his smile in front of us, and we bid him farewell.
Cedric walked us to the door and waved until we were safely at the El Camino.
My shoulders sagged. I’d almost forgotten about the shattered passenger window.
Elana opened the car door and went to get in.
“Wait,” I said with a sigh. I skirted around the car and used my jacket sleeve to brush the glass from her seat.
She gave me a grateful smile as she slid into her old spot. “Where are we?” she asked, gingerly reacquainting herself with the car and scanning the expanse of woodland surrounding us.
“We’re on the eastern mountain,” I replied as I clambered into the driver’s seat. “At the very base.”
“We were on the western side last night, right?”
“Yes.”
“So is this the mountain with the High Peak?”
“No.”
“Oh. Will we be heading back to the west?”
Good question. Last night I’d been dead set against taking the eastern route. But that was mostly due to the darkness. Now that it was daylight all the nocturnal beings would be in hiding. And from here, we were only half a day’s traveling from the bridge that connected the eastern mountain to the High Peak. It would take us double that to retrace our steps and get back on the western route. The notion seemed ridiculous in the light of day.
I checked the dashboard clock. 11:09. Jeeze.
“I think we should stay on this route,” I answered. “It would be pointless to turn back now.”
She frowned. “But I thought you said that this way would be too dangerous?”
“At night, sure,” I agreed. “But it’s daytime now.” We both looked up at the low sun trying its best to pierce through the haze of mist. “It’ll be a cinch.”
I turned the key in the ignition and the El Camino rumbled to life. I began to pilot a course through the tangle of trees as I headed for the main road.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Elana playing with the purple box. She opened the lid and peered inside at the glass bottle.
“Elixir de repel le vampyr,” she read aloud from the label. “I suppose that’s a fancy way of saying Vampire Repellent.” I sensed she wanted to laugh—nervously, at least.
I glanced at her. “You wanna try it?”
“No,” she said, too quickly. “Not really.”
I smirked. “Alright, then pass it to me. I’ll give it a go.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“Shouldn’t you save it for an emergency?”
“We’ve got the entire bottle,” I reminded her. “I’ll just take a sip. Don’t worry,” I added with a grin, “there’ll be plenty left for you.”
Elana’s lips pursed into a frown as she began slowly unsealing the packaging. “We should read the patient information leaflet first.”
“The first couple of sentences will do,” I said. “These guidelines are just a formality.”
She unfolded the pamphlet and began reading. “Warning. Possible side effects. May cause drowsiness—”
“Drowsiness?” I echoed. “I doubt it. I slept for the better part of five hours already. That’ll keep me buzzing for a week.”
“May cause headaches,” she continued.
I looked purposely at her. “I think I’ve proved I can handle headaches.”
She narrowed her eyes and glared back at me.
“Pass the elixir,” I said.
Elana handed me the small bottle. I popped the cork and took a swig of the formula. It was okay—bitter, like lime juice.
“Well?” she pressed. “Are you repelling vampires yet?”
“I don’t know. Shall we go find some and test it out?”
“No!”
“Relax, Witch. I’m kidding.” She was too easy to mess with.
I drove onwards through the maze of trees while Elana busied herself tuning the radio to stations I spent my life trying to avoid. Maudlin ballads and upbeat pop songs came and went, and several minutes later I was still waiting for the elixir to take effect. I seemed to have bypassed the headaches and drowsiness. Either that, or else the elixir wasn’t effective on me. Maybe a sip hadn’t been enough.
I was suddenly hungry, in spite of Cedric’s full breakfast buffet. And I could smell something good nearby. Come to think of it, I was really hungry. I wondered if that was one of the side effects.
“Did that leaflet say anything about increased appetite?” I asked.
The pamphlet rustled as Elana unfolded it again.
“What is that?” I asked, inhaling the woodland air. “Can you smell that? It’s like…food, or something.”
Elana breathed in the air that flowed freely through the gap in the shattered window. “No. I can only smell trees.”
How could she not smell that? It was making my mouth water. My stomach began to ache with urgency. I had to have it. Whatever it was, I had to find it and eat it.
“Where’s it coming from?” I murmured.
“I can’t smell any food,” Elana said again. “It must be your imagination.”
“It’s not,” I insisted. The smell was getting stronger by the second. It was incredible. I couldn’t go another second without devouring it. The ache in my stomach began to grip my every thought. I was so hollow. I had to eat.
I slammed on the brakes, almost colliding with a tree in my rush. I looked down at my hands on the steering wheel; they were trembling beyond my control.
“Jake?” Elana’s voice sounded tinny in my ears.
“I’ve got to eat,” I wheezed, half choking the words out. I turned to face her and was hit by a pure, undiluted rush of that scent. That exquisite, coppery scent that I yearned for.
I ground my teeth. “It’s you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What’s me?”
“The food. You’re the food.” I leaned closer and licked her face.
She swatted me away. “Gross!”
“Witch,” I said, as calmly as I possibly could. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill you.” I hesitated. “And then eat you.”
ELANA
Chapter Eight
One Hour, No Biting
Jake writhed in the driver’s seat, groaning melodramatically.
“How long’s it been?”
I checked the clock. “About a minute.”
He groaned again, looking utterly sorry for himself. “I can’t go on. You’ll have to kill me.” He paused hopefully. “Or let me kill you.”
“No,” I said for the umpteenth time. I’d permitted him to nibble on my finger, on the condition that absolutely no blood was drawn. Now I offered him my other hand and he gummed my thumb pathetically.
“Kill me, then,” he garbled, his mouth full of thumb. “I’ve got wooden stakes in a box in the trunk. Put one through my heart. Do it quick.”
I patted him on the head as he slumped over the gearstick. “You need to calm down, Jake. You’re not actually a vampire. This is just phantom feelings, remember? It’ll wear off in…” I checked the clock again. Yeesh, had it really only been another minute? Time certainly dragged when trying to pacify a pretend vampire. “Forty-two minutes,” I finished.
“Forty-two minutes! I can’t last that long.” He dropped my thumb from his jaws and looked up at me, a spark of optimism coloring his tortured brown eyes. “Please, let me have a little blood. Just a drop? I swear I won’t get greedy.”
I wiped the saliva from my hand. “No,” I said, cringing at the thought. “No blood.”
He groaned and snatched my hand back, nibbling on the index finger now. “I despise Cedric,” he said in a garbled v
oice “Vehemently.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not Cedric’s fault. The side effects are listed right here in the leaflet. I told you we should have read it.” I used my free hand to shake the paper at him. “The elixir simulates a vampire so as to trick the demon into sensing you as one of their own,” I read. “Effects will wear off after approximately one hour.”
“How much longer?”
“Still forty-two minutes.”
He banged his head against my seat.
“Jake,” I patted his arm, “you’ll hurt yourself. You need to suck it up and put on a brave face for the next…forty-one minutes.”
“Suck it up?”
“Okay,” I accepted, “those were the wrong words to use around a fake vampire. What I should have said was, stop being so dramatic.”
“You think I’m being dramatic? Why don’t you try some and see how you like it?”
“Oh, that would be great, wouldn’t it,” I scoffed. “I can see it now—two idiots thinking they’re vampires, sitting in a car and chewing on each other’s hands.”
“Kill me,” Jake muttered piteously. “Kill me or I’ll kill you. Or take me back to Cedric and I’ll kill him.”
“No one is killing anyone.”
He nuzzled into me—edging closer to the scrumptious beat of my heart. I allowed him to rest his head on my shoulder, and he breathed into my neck, his eyes transfixed on my jugular.
“You’re so pretty,” he whispered to the artery in my throat. “You’re perfect.”
I craned my neck away from him. “Stop being so creepy, Jake. Maybe I should leave you alone for the next…thirty-nine minutes.”
“No,” he mumbled. “You can’t be alone on the eastern mountain. I have to protect you. And also, I have to be near you. I can’t be away from you.” He was still talking to my jugular.
I tried unsuccessfully to inch away. “Staring at my neck is not helping the situation, Jake.”
“Don’t leave me.” He was talking to me now, but he didn’t break the loving gaze from my throat. With his head still resting on my shoulder, his breath hit my neck in quick rasps.
“Okay fine,” I conceded. “I won’t. But you need to stop being so creepy.”
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