by Suzy Turner
With his nostrils flaring, Patrick looked away for a minute before returning is gaze to the two of them. ‘So you’re not going to drink her blood and try to turn her into one of…you?’
Barber shook his head. ‘She is totally safe with me.’
‘It’s true, Dad. Barber’s not like the vampires you see on TV. He’s a really good guy, and we all trust him implicitly,’ Emma said from her seat.
‘Dad, chill out,’ Lana said with a sad smile. ‘We’ve got much more pressing things to worry about, and Barber’s here to help us with that. Trust him, Dad. He’s a good guy.’ She stepped forward. ‘I know you’re upset, but please stop. You don’t need to worry about me.’
‘I will always worry about you and Emma. You mean the world to me.’
‘I know, Dad,’ she said as she hugged him tight.
As she pulled away, he looked at her and then at Barber before he nodded. ‘Alright, but if you ever do anything to hurt my daughter, I will hunt you down. You understand?’
Barber tried to hide his smile. ‘Yes, sir, absolutely.’
CHAPTER TEN
‘Jeeze, I thought it was gonna be warm,’ Lana said with chattering teeth as Barber laughed, pulling her into him and rubbing her bare shoulders. She grinned, looking up into his dark eyes. ‘I’m so glad you were able to come.’
‘I will always come when you need me,’ he replied as she continued to shiver.
‘Lana, it’s nearly January. Please tell me you brought some winter clothes with you?’ Emma tutted.
‘Yeah, I did. Kind of,’ she sniffed. ‘I thought it would be warmer. I mean, look at this incredible blue sky. It should be hot, not f-f-frreezing cold.’
‘For goodness’ sake, Lana, what is with you? This is Portugal, not the Caribbean. You’ll have to borrow some of mine.’ Emma walked towards her suitcase and rifled about in it for a couple of seconds before pulling out a thick, warm black hoodie and a pair of purple jeans. She handed them to her sister.
‘You’ve got to be joking. I can’t wear that.’
‘What’s wrong with it?’ asked Emma as she looked down at her clothes.
‘It’s just so not me, Em,’ Lana said in disgust.
‘Well, in that case you can just stay freezing cold then, can’t you?’
‘Maybe I could go shopping?’
Emma’s nostrils flared as she tried to stay calm.
‘What?’
‘Lana Beth Morgan, we’re here to rescue our little sister, not go to a freaking fashion show. Now put the damn clothes on and stop being so ridiculous.’
‘She does have a point, hon.’ Barber half laughed where he sat on the kerb.
‘Oh God, you’re so right, Em. I’m sorry.’ Lana took the clothes from Emma and smiled. ‘Thanks. Where can I change?’
‘I think the toilets are through there,’ Emma pointed.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Barber smiled.
Patrick raised his eyebrows at them before Barber added, ‘I’ll wait outside.’
They were standing outside Faro Airport, waiting for their pick-up, and although the sun shone down from a glorious blue sky, it was still pretty cold. Emma was glad she’d dressed sensibly, unlike her sister who had been wearing thin leggings with what looked like a summer dress over the top.
‘Here she is,’ Declan announced as a large black van drove down the road towards them and stopped just a few metres away.
When the driver’s door opened, a beautiful woman in her late twenties with long dark hair hopped out. With a huge grin, she removed her sunglasses and walked towards them. ‘Declan!’ she yelled. ‘It’s so good to see you!’
‘Bella, mate. Long time no see. How you doing?’
‘Awesome, Declan. I’m awesome,’ she winked as she turned to look at the others. When her face stopped on Patrick’s, her expression changed immediately and she took his hand. ‘You must be Patrick Morgan. I’m so sorry about Lucy Jo. But don’t worry, we’re going to find her. Know that, okay?’
Patrick nodded and smiled. ‘Thank you. That means a lot.’
‘I’m Arabella, by the way. Please call me Bella. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
‘It’s good to meet you too, Ara…bella.’
‘And this is Emma Jane, Patrick’s daughter.’
Emma smiled as Arabella leaned forward and kissed her on both cheeks.
‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Emma Jane. It’s lovely to finally meet you.’
‘You have?’
Arabella nodded. ‘Eleanor talks about you and Lana Beth quite a lot, actually. Where is Lana Beth?’ she asked, looking around.
‘Erm, she had to go and change. Lana usually likes to make a bit of a fashion statement but she kind of got it wrong today.’
‘Let me guess, she wore summer clothes, right?’
Chuckling, Emma nodded. ‘She’s having to borrow some of my clothes and she’s not too happy about it.’
Arabella looked Emma up and down and laughed. ‘I take it she’s not much of a goth?’
‘No way.’ Emma smiled as Lana and Barber finally appeared from the airport.
‘There she is.’ Emma pointed to her sister, who was looking pretty disgusted at her outfit. Barber was holding her hand reassuring her that she looked fine.
‘Hey,’ Lana smiled.
‘Hi, Lana, I’m Arabella. It’s great to meet you.’
After introducing Barber, and when all the pleasantries were out of the way, the group climbed into the black van. Declan whistled as he settled in. ‘Nice wheels, Bella.’
‘I know, right? It’s new. We just bought it a couple of months ago. It’s got all the mod cons you could ask for – plus a few special extras.’ She grinned as they pulled away from the airport and headed out into the sparse traffic on the main road.
Lana let out a shriek the moment they did so, causing Arabella to quickly pull over and lean backwards. ‘What? What’s happened?’
‘You’re… you’re…?’
‘What’s wrong, Lana? asked Patrick.
Declan sniggered from the front passenger seat and shook his head as he read her mind.
‘Don’t worry about her, Bella. She’s just never been abroad before. She didn’t realise you drive on the other side of the road.’
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief as Arabella giggled and slowly pulled back out into the traffic. ‘Don’t worry, Lana. I’ll be careful.’ She winked, looking at her via the rear view mirror.
Lana looked embarrassed as she shrank down into her seat and covered her face with her hand, leaning her head on Barber’s shoulder. He gently patted her knee and squeezed her hand.
‘So, Barber. You’re a vampire, right?’ asked Arabella.
Barber nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘That must be weird for you, Patrick.’
‘Weird? That’s one word for it,’ Patrick replied, looking away from them both.
‘We’ve actually got a few vamps living with us in Monchique. It’ll be nice for you guys to meet.’
‘Monchique?’ asked Emma.
Arabella nodded as she focussed on the road. ‘That’s where we live. Well, where our Praxos HQ is located. It’s in the mountains.’
‘Cool. Is that where we’re headed now?’
Arabella nodded. ‘I think we should get settled in and then start work immediately.’
‘Absolutely,’ Declan agreed.
‘The sooner we do that, the sooner we get my little girl back.’ Patrick smiled grimly and fixed his gaze out of the window as they hurried towards their destination.
oOo
The journey from the airport to Monchique was a quiet one. There was very little traffic on the roads and everyone was so curious about their surroundings that they’d mostly just looked out the window silently. When they eventually turned off the motorway, the group had sat up and taken more notice of the winding roads and the pretty old houses dotted on either side of the hills.
‘There are a few entrances t
o HQ, but the main one—the one we like to use the most—is just off Monchique town itself. Plus, it’s well camouflaged. To the general public, they think it’s merely an attractive villa in the hills.’ Arabella grinned. ‘Monchique town is just up there,’ she pointed as they turned right off the roundabout and then right again behind an old building where a number of old men were sitting chatting away.
‘It’s a pretty awesome view up here,’ she said as they followed a winding road round a few bends before they found themselves looking down on the whole of the Algarve beyond.
‘Wow,’ said Lana. ‘It’s breathtaking.’
‘It is, isn’t it? The villa is just around the corner,’ she said as they turned left down a country lane. At the end was a large gate. Opening her window, Arabella inputted a code on a keypad and sat back while she waited for it to open.
As it did, it revealed the most stunning contemporary property the girls had ever seen.
‘Whoa… are we actually staying here?’ Lana shrieked.
‘As a matter of speaking, yes,’ Arabella smiled. ‘When you’re not needed downstairs, you can hang out here, of course.’
‘Downstairs?’ asked Patrick.
‘It’s just our term for HQ – because it’s located deep within the mountain. Access is by elevator or stairs inside the villa. And, of course, as I mentioned before, a number of other points throughout Monchique.’
‘You mean there are other villas like this one?’
‘Yes, but some are old buildings too.’
‘Is HQ a number of tunnels, like in London?’ asked Barber.
Arabella nodded. ‘It’s a similar design.’
‘Nice,’ he replied.
As they parked close to the main entrance, Emma and Lana hopped out and ran round the front to check out the view.
‘O-M-G there’s an infinity pool!’ squealed Lana. ‘And look at that view. It’s like being on a plane. It’s just… amazing,’ she sighed.
‘Just remember why we’re here, sis,’ Emma whispered.
‘Yeah, I know. I can’t forget Lucy Jo. But maybe, when we’ve got her back, we can spend some time here? Maybe fly Mum and Greg over for a holiday?’
Emma smiled as Patrick walked up behind them. ‘It’s a nice thought, Lana, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s just concentrate on getting her back. Lucy Jo is all that matters now.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Arabella stood in front of a large map of Portugal, poring over it with Declan, Barber and Patrick, as well as a few other Portuguese Watchers.
Lana and Emma sat quietly, waiting for the time when they could actually do something.
A huge wooden door, with the Praxos Eye carved into it, was pushed open silently and a little teenage girl appeared. When she spotted the sisters, she smiled and walked over.
‘Ola.’
‘Hi.’ Emma grinned. Lana just smiled.
‘Are you Emma and Lana?’
The girls nodded.
‘I heard about you from Arabella. She asked me to come and take you for walk, for fresh air.’ She pointed upwards.
‘That would be great, thanks,’ Emma replied as she pulled Lana up off the sofa.
‘I’m Sonia. Follow me, please.’
Arabella looked up and nodded to the girls with a smile before returning her attention to a tall, dark man who Lana assumed was one of the vampires she’d mentioned earlier. They hadn’t had time to meet them because Patrick had been keen to get straight down to business.
Taking a different route back to the main villa, the girls walked behind Sonia, noting her long dark hair, fashioned into two plaits that reached just below her bottom. They continued walking until they came out into a room with a large indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi.
‘Wow, this place is amazing,’ said Lana.
‘Yes, it is like playground, no?’ Sonia smiled.
‘Do you live here?’
‘No, not really. My main house is towards the bottom of the mountain but I am allowed to come here when I want – along with the other Watchers. We use the pool sometimes.’ She grinned. ‘It’s heated,’ she added.
‘Cool.’
‘Maybe I can show you my house sometime?’
‘That would be nice,’ Emma smiled as they walked up some more stairs that led into a huge open plan kitchen, dining room and living room, with walls of thick glass that looked out onto that stunning view they’d seen earlier, with the outdoor pool just steps away.
‘I could get used to this,’ sighed Lana.
‘Yes, it is very nice,’ Sonia smiled. ‘Come, let’s walk.’
Following the girl, the sisters were forced to stop when she suddenly disappeared right in front of them.
‘Erm, Sonia?’ Lana whispered.
‘Oops, sorry. It happens sometimes without me realising,’ said a voice from thin air before she materialised again.
‘Nowthat is one cool power,’ whistled Lana.
‘Yes but I am still trying to control it. I am not allowed to go anywhere alone until I have control. Anywhere out of Praxos, that is.’
‘That’s a bummer,’ Lana said as they continued walking through the immaculate gardens in front of the house.
‘Yes, a bummer,’ Sonia said.
Emma laughed at her accent, making Sonia smile.
‘I am told you two are sisters? You don’t look like sisters.’
‘Yes, we get that a lot, but we are. We have the same mother – an angel – and different fathers. But, we are actually twins. One of the wonders of having an angel mother, I suppose.’
‘Yes, I have heard lots of interesting stories about Watchers. Yours is most intriguing though. Do you know your real parents?’
Both the girls shook their heads sadly.
‘Our real fathers died and our mother had to return up there, apparently. You know the drill?’ said Lana.
Sonia looked confused. ‘The drill?’
‘Oh, that’s just a funny phrase. You know the truth about the angels?’
‘Oh, yes, of course. My mother also had to return. But my father is still here and he is a Watcher too. He lives in the house down the mountain.’
‘Oh right, that’s cool.’
Sonia nodded. ‘He is a very good man. He looks after me and my sister very well.’
‘Your sister?’
‘A young sister. She is only three. She is not a full Watcher though. She has a different mother.’
‘So your father re-married?’
‘My step-mother is a little… strange,’ she said, with a weird expression on her face.
‘Strange?’
Sonia shrugged and sped up a little.
Emma shook her head. ‘I don’t think she wants to talk about her,’ she whispered, just as Lana was about to ask.
‘I think you’re right. Maybe she’ll elaborate when she’s a bit more comfortable with us,’ Lana whispered back.
Suddenly, Sonia disappeared right in front of their eyes again and Emma found herself bumping into something solid.
‘Ooh,’ Sonia said before they heard the sounds of something falling.
‘Huh? What’s going on?’ Lana said from behind her sister.
‘Erm, I don’t know. Sonia disappeared and then, erm, I really don’t know.
‘Sonia?’ they both asked together.
Suddenly she re-appeared further down the steep garden, curled up on the ground, holding her leg. Her face was draining of colour.
‘What happened? Are you alright?’ Emma asked as she leaned forward to help the girl up. ‘You disappeared.’
‘I stumbled and fell down through the bushes, my leg… it hurts,’ she said rubbing her ankle.
‘Ewww, Sonia I think you’ve broken it,’ Lana said, pulling a face at the oddly-positioned leg. ‘I’ll go and get help.’
Sonia nodded and a couple of heavy tears slowly fell from the corners of her eyes as she tried to stand up.
‘No, Sonia,’ Emma almost yelled at the poo
r girl. ‘Don’t stand up. You’ll make it worse. Just stay sitting down until the others get here to help. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’ll stay with you.’
‘I…I’ve never broken a bone before,’ Sonia cried.
‘Me neither. It looks pretty bad, though.’
‘It hurts so much, the pain is… is… getting… worse…’
And with that, Sonia slumped sideways, passing out amongst the sticky bushes behind her.
‘Oh, shoot,’ Emma muttered under her breath as she carefully tried to hold onto the other girl. She had absolutely no idea what to do. It was only then that she realised in all the classes they took at Praxos, first aid hadn’t been amongst them.
Eleanor… I think we need to add a new class, she thought to herself.
‘Exactly what I was just thinking,’ said a voice behind her.
Startled, Emma breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Declan, followed by a few others close behind him.
‘She passed out. I didn’t know what to do.’
‘It’s okay, we’ve got her. She’ll be fine,’ he said as he very gently hoisted her up into his arms. He winced when she saw the state of her ankle.
‘It’s definitely broken,’ Arabella said as she carefully held the injured leg up.
‘Oh God, I think I might throw up,’ Lana said as they approached her by the pool.
Suddenly, Sonia began to groan and slowly her body began to disappear.
‘Oh!’
‘It’s okay, Declan. She has the power of invisibility, as I’m sure you were already aware. The problem is she’s only just discovered it and she can’t control it,’ Arabella said as they both kept a firm hold of the invisible girl.
‘Oh God, this must be my fault. She disappeared and I bumped into something. It must have been her,’ Emma cried.
‘No, it’s not your fault at all. Don’t blame yourself,’ Arabella whispered.
‘Don’t worry, my love’, you’re going be just fine,’ Declan reassured Sonia.
‘Se doi… Doi tanto. Sinto-me tonta Arabella.’
‘Não te preocupes minha linda. Tu vais sobreviver.’ Arabella smiled as she led them indoors. Sonia reappeared again as they laid her down on the large leather sofa in the living room.
Arabella immediately pulled out a mobile phone and seconds later, began speaking incredibly fast in a language the girls didn’t understand.