Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside

by P. A. Priddey

  ‘We could just sit here poking fun at them,’ said James. ‘And let Rockman do his thing.’

  Asima retrieved her blades. ‘And miss out on all the fun.’

  ‘That was a neat trick you did,’ said Alex. ‘I thought you’d made a mistake for a moment.’

  Asima put the blades back in their case. ‘I wanted to try my knives I had off James.’

  Alex raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m quite sure you’re supposed to throw them from a lot further than that.’

  ‘I don’t think I’m much good to you at the moment,’ said Jodie. ‘I hardly slowed it down.’

  ‘You slowed it enough,’ said Carrie.

  ‘It looks like their skulls have grown thicker,’ said Alex. ‘But you can still hurt them; try the throat like Asima did.’

  ‘Yeah, and I’m going to bring you a chair next time,’ said James.

  ‘And a book so I can read while I’m waiting for you,’ Jodie replied.

  James laughed, and put his arm around her. ‘I still want you training; I don’t want you forgetting how to fight.’

  ‘Let’s go and have a drink,’ said Alex.

  The hall was empty when they returned, but could hear voices coming from the party room.

  ‘They’ve started without us,’ said James, as they entered.

  Alex looked around and four were missing, Blaze, Summer, Daralis and Luella, the children were in bed. Even the cubs were in there, and Alex wondered why they weren’t fully grown yet. He guessed as Chi had waited so long, and carried them longer than she should have, she had been given more time to mother them. Alex was on his second drink when the missing ladies entered the room.

  ‘We got it wrong about the house demons,’ Blaze told them.

  ‘Which part?’ said Alex.

  ‘Why do you think the demons are still in the house?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘They’re waiting.’

  ‘Waiting for what?’

  ‘For the ceremony.’

  Blaze shook her head. ‘We thought so, too, but were wrong.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  Blaze and the other three women sat opposite. ‘We decided to have a look around the house to see if there were any clues, we found nothing but the demons looked edgy. They kept looking out of the windows front and back. The bigger ones were out the back, and guess what I saw when I looked out the front?’

  Alex sipped his drink. ‘I’ve no idea.’

  ‘Television reporters.’

  ‘Of course they would be. James, I thought you would’ve seen it on TV.’

  James switched on the television. ‘We must have the wrong channel on . . . they were still outside the offices last time I looked.’

  The image on the screen wasn’t outside the offices, but now outside a set of gates. There were police in attendance, but only to keep order.

  ‘The only word to have come from the Chamberlain Company is to keep faith,’ the reporter said. ‘The owner will return soon and business will be back to normal. The fact that there will be no company before the end of the week is just idle gossip.’

  ‘What difference does it make if reporters are outside?’ said James.

  ‘They can’t leave while they’re there,’ said Alex. ‘And I believe the ladies have discovered the demons aren’t waiting, but trapped inside the house. They could leave as humans, but there’s every chance they would be followed.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Blaze. ‘They can’t wait to get out . . . you can see it in their faces.’

  ‘OK, what’s your plan?’ said Alex.

  Blaze considered it. ‘Get rid of the other demons so they can escape, and we’ll follow them.’

  ‘I like it, but what if they split up?’

  ‘Leave that to me, I’ll be able to track them all.’

  ‘It’s a sound plan,’ said James. ‘We could do that now.’

  ‘You will not,’ Blaze snapped. ‘Some of you’ve been drinking, it can wait until tomorrow.’

  Alex laughed. ‘You can be scary at times you know.’

  ‘I’ve had practice.’

  ‘Maybe you should tell them to go away,’ said James. ‘Somehow I think they would run a mile.’

  ‘It would make life so much easier if that was true, now are you going to get us ladies a drink.’

  Luella looked across at Alex, and gave him a look he hadn’t seen since she caught him kissing a girl behind the garden shed when he was a young teenager.

  Alex winced at the look. ‘I am sorry you know.’

  ‘Sorry about what, dear?’

  ‘The phone, I really did believe you were still away. I remember our holiday, and we were away for about ten months. It was only last night I thought you were away too long.’

  ‘I know you are, and I was upset because I thought something had happened, as you always had your phone in your hand. When I couldn’t get through to you, and couldn’t sense you, I started to panic.’

  Claire sat on a sofa, one of the old ones from the hall. ‘Can I add something to that?’

  ‘Of course you can, dear,’ said Luella.

  ‘Well, when I heard Alex say he hadn’t been near his phone in a while I realised I hadn’t used mine in ages, so I went around asking everyone if they’d used theirs. Only George and Joseph who both had businesses still used theirs, and Michelle and James who took their phones while out driving, but no one else has in weeks.’

  ‘That’s strange,’ said Luella. ‘You young people are always on your phones.’

  ‘I used to be, but everyone lives here now so I’ve no need to call them.’

  Luella smiled at Alex. ‘To think you were mean to Claire, and she done that for you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ he said dryly.

  ‘You don’t sound too happy about it.’

  ‘They’re contract phones and I’m paying for them.’

  ‘You can’t blame others if you don’t turn your own phone on.’

  ‘I know, but tomorrow they’re going to turn theirs on, and call each other . . . using up their free minutes . . . even if everyone’s in the same room.’

  Alex of course wasn’t serious.

  * * *

  It was only natural Alex woke the following morning rather sleepily to a phone call.

  ‘Hey,’ he grumbled.

  ‘Good morning, this is your free wake up call,’ said a familiar voice.

  ‘Claire, is that you?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m letting you know breakfast is being served.’

  ‘That’s kind of you,’ he said, yawning.

  ‘You’re welcome,’ said Claire, and ended the call.

  Alex noticed he had six text messages. He turned his phone on the previous day, and the only messages were telling him he had voicemails which were off his upset mother. His phone rang again before he could open the new messages. ‘Hey, Summer.’

  ‘Good morning, I was wondering if you were just having cereal, as Claire says you’re on a diet.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll have cereal with orange juice, followed by the Monster and a mug of tea to wash it down,’ he said, and ended the call. Alex checked the messages, three was off his girls all saying, “love you, Papa”. He sent them a message back. The other three were all the same joke he guessed had been sent to everyone, his phone rang again.

  ‘Hello, James,’ he sighed.

  ‘You get out the wrong side of bed or something?’ said James.

  ‘Are you downstairs?

  ‘No, I’m in town. George needed to sort out a few papers at his office. I’m just wasting some time waiting for him, so what’s happening downstairs?’

  ‘Not a lot I imagine, but my phone’s popular this morning.’

  ‘Ah, I see everyone’s using up their free minutes. Well, I’m calling because I just saw a pale looking guy in a black suit go into an office.’

  ‘I’d have thought there were many men in black suits.’

  ‘Yeah, but this was one of our friends.’

  Alex sat up. ‘Blaze would
have found any other demons with the crystal ball.’

  ‘I could go in and have a look.’

  ‘No, if you’re right there could be more of them. I’ll get Blaze to have to use the ball.’

  Alex ambled downstairs and most the women were on their phones. He took a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice, and sat by Luella, Daralis and Paige. ‘I was joking about the phones, you didn’t have to turn them on,’ he said, aloud.

  ‘We know, but the children have us playing a game now,’ said Paige, with a phone next to her ear.

  Alex swallowed a mouthful of cereal. ‘Is that why I’ve not seen them?’

  ‘Yeah, they have to hide until we’re all talking to someone, then they have to guess who we’re talking to. If they guess correctly the call’s ended, if they’re wrong the next one has to choose, and the one who guesses the most wins.’

  ‘That sounds confusing.’

  ‘It’s like a picture puzzle, where you have to find matching pairs.’

  ‘I’m really sorry I left my phone upstairs now.’

  ‘Lucky bugger, because we wanted to play a trick on you, we were all caught with our phones,’ said Paige, as she stood up and walked away.

  Alex grinned. ‘I do love my daughters.’

  ‘Don’t gloat, dear,’ said Luella.

  ‘I won’t, well not too much. Have you seen Blaze?’

  ‘No, not this morning, is it important?’

  ‘Not sure, James told me something and I want to check it out.’

  ‘Can we help?’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘Well, are you going to tell us?’

  Alex noticed only a couple of them in the kitchen as the others were playing the game. ‘After I get my breakfast.’

  Luella raised both eyebrows. ‘You just had it.’

  ‘That was a starter,’ he said, and stood up. ‘Can I get you two ladies anything?’

  ‘Tea please,’ said Daralis.

  ‘You really need to ask me?’ said Luella.

  Blaze walked into the room looking tired. ‘A strong coffee for me, please.’

  ‘And some breakfast,’ said Alex.

  ‘Do I have too?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ll get Summer to do one of her specials for you.’ A special was a mushroom and cheese omelette, and some other ingredient which Summer kept secret, but it always worked wonders after a bad night. Alex returned with a tray, it contained his large full English breakfast with bread, fried and toasted, along with pots of tea and coffee.

  ‘You’re not going to eat all that as well,’ said a shocked looking Luella.

  ‘Yeah, of course, why?’

  ‘You’d never eat that much when you lived with me.’

  ‘I know, but I’m a lot more active now.’ Alex looked at Blaze. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Just a little tired, but I’ll be fine.’

  ‘You didn’t stay in here long last night.’

  ‘No, I was checking up on the pregnant woman through the crystal ball.’

  Alex cut up some toast and dipped it in an egg. ‘Is that wise?’

  Blaze, accepted breakfast from Sammy. ‘I don’t know . . . I just hate what’s happening to her.’

  ‘The demons will pay for it, but I don’t know what we’ll be able to do for the woman. Her mind has gone, and she’s carrying one of them.’

  ‘You're not going to give up on her?’ said Blaze, as Joseph joined them.

  Alex shook his head. ‘No, of course not, we’ll do all we can for her.’

  ‘Didn’t you want to see Blaze about something?’ said Luella.

  Alex nodded. ‘James believes he saw a demon in town.’

  ‘You think one of them left the house?’ said Blaze.

  ‘I hope that’s the reason.’

  ‘What other reason could there be? Unless I’ve missed some.’

  ‘I’m more worried that you can’t find them.’

  Joseph leant on the table. ‘You believe they have some way of hiding themselves?’

  Alex nodded. ‘Do you still think someone or something is protecting his soul?’

  ‘I don’t believe he would have left it unattended.’

  ‘Blaze can’t see where it is, and the wolves couldn’t sense it either.’

  ‘I don’t understand,’ said a tired and confused Blaze.

  ‘When I came back from my holiday I couldn’t sense Alex or Daralis,’ said Luella. ‘I thought something had happened to them until I found out they were here, protected by House.’

  Blaze found it easier to eat the omelette. ‘Another force field?’

  ‘Maybe,’ said Alex. ‘House has one, as does Daralis around her cottage. It only makes sense his soul or whatever we are looking for has one. If James is right then the office will have one, too.’

  ‘What you want me to do?’ said Blaze.

  ‘I want you to take a look inside the building when James comes back.’

  ‘Will I be able to do that?’

  ‘It all depends,’ said Daralis. ‘If it’s like the field here or at my cottage then no, but at least you’ll know it has one if you can’t see inside. It could be an illusion spell which will confuse the crystal ball, but you’ll be able to see inside.’

  They took their drinks into the main hall, and Alex noticed no one was using their phones. He sat down on the sofa Claire was sitting on, but at the other end, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ‘I didn’t want to squash you as I just had breakfast.’

  ‘I thought you were having cereal,’ Claire grumbled.

  ‘I did for a starter,’ said Alex, as Kaeya jumped on his shoulder.

  ‘Hello, what’s happening?’ she asked.

  ‘Hey you, not much at the moment, just that Claire said I’m fat.’

  The pixie looked at her. ‘You’re not fat, Claire.’

  ‘No, she said I’m fat,’ Alex said again.

  ‘But she’s not fat.’

  ‘Who’s fat?’ said James, as he walked into the mansion with George.

  Alex sighed. ‘Not Claire by all accounts.’

  Kaeya scratched her head. ‘I’m confused.’

  ‘Alex meant Claire called him fat,’ Blaze told her.

  Kaeya folded her tiny arms. ‘He’s not fat, he’s very muscly.’

  ‘And how do you know that?’ said Claire. ‘We’ve never seen him with his top off.’

  ‘I’ve watched him undress and get changed,’ said Kaeya, and Alex turned red as he could see everyone looking at him, which didn’t help matters.

  Claire raised both eyebrows. ‘Do you watch everyone get undressed?’

  ‘Oh no, that would be rude, just Alex,’ said Kaeya innocently.

  Lark jumped on a table. ‘My sister isn’t telling you as it should be. We all saw Alex get undressed, but only because we were trapped in his bedroom when we crossed over, and we did cover our eyes.’

  ‘I didn’t,’ said Kaeya, and almost everyone laughed.

  ‘Kaeya!’ Lark snapped.

  ‘Just his top half of course,’ she said.

  ‘I saw that, too,’ said Lark. ‘And he’s most definitely not fat.’

  Alex smiled at Claire, and looked at the book she was reading. It was a medical book on men’s health. ‘Are you worried about my health?’

  Claire pursed her lips. ‘I’m worried about everyone.’

  ‘Why? We’re safe from illness here.’

  ‘So you say, but you go fighting demons, and Carrie got hurt.’

  ‘That didn’t happen here, House will know if anyone has a health problem and will fix it for them. You must have noticed how many stopped smoking not long after being here. You don’t need to read those books, we’re all quite healthy.’

  Claire slammed the book shut. ‘Then I wasted the last two weeks reading stuff I don’t need to know about.’

  ‘Knowledge is never wasted, you may need it one day, but I’d stick to the fiction section of the library.’

  Carrie sat next to him. ‘Did you enjoy
your phone calls this morning?’

  ‘Yeah, it was wonderful,’ said Alex sarcastically. ‘You didn’t ring me though.’

  ‘No, but I did take a photo of me in my new undies, and was going to send you that instead,’ said Carrie, quite innocently.

  Alex almost choked, he was never into porn but that picture would be something else.

  ‘Send it him now, Cas,’ Claire teased.

  Carrie smiled. ‘Should I really?’

  Alex felt his cheeks burn. ‘Mother, have a word with them.’

  Luella looked across from the opposite sofa. ‘I’m staying out of it. Carrie is a beautiful woman and would look stunning in her underwear.’

  Alex sighed. ‘You’re as bad as them.’

  ‘Sent,’ said Carrie.

  ‘I’m going to have to change rooms now as my phone is in mine,’ Alex grumbled, with a sudden urge to run upstairs.

  Carrie giggled. ‘You can share mine, and I’ll do some modelling for you.’

  Alex groaned, and put his hands over his face, more to cover his own embarrassment. If I believed you meant it, I’d be dragging you upstairs, he thought.

  Claire grinned. ‘You want me to get your phone for you.’

  ‘No, it’s safe where it is,’ said Alex, trying to think of an excuse to go upstairs, but his mind was blank. He knew deep down it was just a joke, and he was the butt of it.

  Carrie put her chin on his shoulder. ‘You’ve got to send one back.’

  ‘You’re mad, you know that?’ Alex grunted.

  ‘If I could pick up the phone I’d take a picture for you,’ said Kaeya, and they all smiled, except Alex.

  ‘Have you all got it in for me?’

  ‘Does she sleep with you every night?’ said Claire.

  ‘No, she’s never there when I go to bed, but I wake up a few times to find her on my pillow,’ said Alex, who smiled at the little pixie who was on his other shoulder to the one which Carrie’s chin was still on.

  ‘It’s not what you think,’ said Kaeya. ‘Of course I love Alex, but I’m a bit small, unless anyone knows a spell to make me five foot taller.’

  Alex’s face turned red again.

  ‘No, we can’t do that,’ said Luella, and burst out laughing as did a few others.

  ‘Well, I go into his room for three reasons, one is because I like being by him,’ said Kaeya smiling.