by Basia Pike
I pulled my hand away from her. “Mary’s death hit me pretty hard,” I said, trying to push thoughts of the spy out of my mind.
She nodded, a sad look on her face. “About before you left … I’m really sorry.”
I looked at her and could see the tears brimming in her eyes. With everything that had happened I’d almost forgotten the last time we spoke.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s water under the bridge.”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve felt bad about it ever since. Friends?” She held out her hand.
I chuckled lightly. “Friends.” I pulled her into a warm hug. We sat together in silence for a while.
“I’d better head back, as everyone will think I’m still in bed.” I stood.
“I’m going to stay here,” she said. “I’ll see you around?”
I smiled. “Yeah, see you around.” I headed off the beach and left her to the peaceful water lapping against the shore. I grabbed some lunch on my way back and took a long stroll by the lake.
When I returned everyone was gathered in the hall. Tom was standing alone to one side. I walked towards him. “Have you seen Jamie and Dakota?” I asked, noticing their absence.
“I saw Jamie earlier,” Tom said, “He got some food from the kitchen for Dakota because she’s resting up.”
“I know it’s not the perfect time, but should we go over the files together? Perhaps it’ll keep our minds off everything?”
“Sure,” Tom said, looking dazed. I approached Helen and asked her for the files before heading to my room to review them together. Tom flopped down on my sofa, and I poured him a glass of bourbon.
“Not having one?” he asked.
“I don’t feel like it.” It wasn’t often that I declined a drink, but I honestly didn’t feel like it. My stomach was in knots.
“I would like you to meet all the potential recruits. It’ll take a while, but you can hop between times. You need to ensure that the person you pick is right. We don’t want a repeat of what happened to Mary.”
Tom nodded and looked down at his glass at the mention of her name.
“However, you’ll start with the strongest candidates, and then move on to the weaker ones on paper. Once you’ve met everyone, you’ll make your decision.”
“Why me?” Tom asked.
“Well, I’ve got to go with Jamie and Dakota, and because I trust your judgment. Tom, you’re my deputy. If anything were to happen to me, you would be in charge. I want you to learn how to take on tasks by yourself.”
Tom knocked back the rest of the bourbon. “I won’t let ya down.” He placed the empty glass down on the coffee table, a determined look in his eye.
I laughed, and stood up to get the bottle of bourbon, passing it to him. We sorted through the candidates. In total, there were ten possible candidates. I read each one out loud to Tom, because he couldn’t read.
“Who’s the best in ya opinion?” he asked.
“Jason Rodriguez. He’s tough and has been in the Army. I honestly think, on paper, he seems perfect.”
Tom nodded.
“But, I think it’s without saying that Isabella Benedict isn’t an option. In fact, I would leave her out.” She was a woman from regency England, similar to Mary, and therefore not suitable for the Verndarar.
Tom’s brow furrowed. “How do ya know she aint different to Mary?”
“Because of the way women of that time were brought up.”
Tom shook his head, unconvinced. “I will still visit her. I think it’s unfair to rule her out without even meeting her.”
I felt irritated, and hoped he wouldn’t end up bringing her back. I glanced at the clock. It was half-past six, not long until dinner. Tom followed my gaze to the clock.
“I’d best have a shower,” he said, standing.
“Me too. I’ll see you down in the dining room.”
“Okay, see ya there.” He left me clearing up the files.
My hand lingered on Isabella Benedict’s file and dread filled my stomach. I was sure once Tom met her he wouldn’t choose her over a more suitable candidate.
∞
The time we were going back to was unknown. We knew it would be brutal and dangerous. A witch and two werewolves wandering around a time where vampires had a firm grip on power wasn’t the wisest idea, but it was our only choice.
Dakota suggested I should consider embracing my magic and reverting the spell Andre had put on me. I wasn’t sure I could. I wasn’t sure exactly how powerful Andre was, or who he really was. It would take an entire coven to bind or unbind a witches magic.
It had been playing on my mind that although we were trying to stop an evil group or people, I didn’t know who I was working for. Ever since Andre had taken my power away from me, I’d been searching for an answer as to what creature he could be in the library. Nothing fitted.
I sat in my room staring at an ornate wooden box adorned with gold leaf. I couldn’t bring myself to open the box. I just stared at it. I wasn’t sure I could reverse Andre’s spell, but if I were to carry the ring with me in the event it was needed, I could channel the power.
I opened the box and peered in at the solid gold signet ring with my father’s crest on it. The ring was full of painful memories. I hated the sigil.
The past few months I’d grown used to not having my magic but, I’d longed to use it again. But, I couldn’t help the feeling that being detached from it and therefore when I didn’t tell my fellow Verndarar members it wasn’t really lying.
Also I remembered the last magic I’d used. I almost killed a woman. I shut the box as I remembered the woman’s lifeless body in that alley. I’d been out of control and consumed by rage.
Revenge for my wife was still at the forefront of my mind. Every day I spent here I longed to finish the task and find her killers.
The thought of my magic flowing through my veins again was one I relished. It was like I’d been a half of myself these past months. If I had had it with me at the castle in Kent Mary would still be alive.
I pulled the ring out of the box and placed it in the pocket of my cloak.
A knock at my door made me jump. I opened it to find Dakota and Jamie ready in their dark robes.
“Ready?” Jamie asked.
“Let’s go.” I shut my door and followed them down into the hallway. Everyone was gathered, ready to see us off.
Tom approached me first, giving me a hug. “Good luck. I’ll be going after ya to Japan to meet the first recruit.” He was dressed in an oriental robe. I would rather be going to Japan than where I was going.
“You’ll do great. Are you taking anyone with you?” I asked. We had discussed it the day before and Tom had been unsure.
“No, it’s best I go alone.”
“Well, good luck. You may be gone a while.”
“I guess ya will be gone a while too?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’ll see you soon,” I said, giving him a pat on the shoulder and heading to join Jamie and Dakota, who were waiting to one side.
“Let’s get going,” Dakota said. I followed them to the back room. Helen was getting the portal ready. She had a concerned look on her face.
“Helen, are you alright?” I asked.
She jumped. “Yes … I’ve never sent anyone this far back.”
“Never?” She shook her head. Everything about our assignment seemed dangerous, but I knew it was the only way to find out what the map led to.
The rest of the group gathered to one side to see us off. I felt I should say something to them even though they were all annoyed they were being left behind.
“As you know, Helen is in charge while Tom and I are gone. I don’t know how long we’ll be away, but train hard in the meantime.” A couple of hushed murmurs were muttered. I could tell morale was low, but I knew a week back to training and spending time in Undir Trenu would raise their spirits.
“I’ll see you when I get back.” I turned back to the por
tal.
“Elijah, wait!” Casey said, rushing towards me. “I know everyone’s upset with you at the moment,” she said, “but I want to say good luck!” She pulled me into a quick hug, which made me smile.
“Thanks, Case.” She nodded, and returned to Josh’s side.
“Come on!” Dakota said, tapping her foot.
“After you,” Jamie said, and I stepped forward taking a deep breath. Here goes nothing. I jumped through the magical portal.
27
It was the worst time-travel yet. It was a longer falling sensation, and before I knew it I blacked out.
When I came to I was lying on grass. I pushed myself up, aching a little from the exertion, and vomited off to the side.
I noticed Dakota and Jamie lying a little way from me, also unconscious. I dragged myself to my feet, feeling nauseous, and shook Jamie. His eyes flickered open and he let out a pained sound.
“Are you injured?” I asked. He replied with a groan. I turned my attention to Dakota, who was lifeless. I shook her lightly too, and her eyes shot open, and she made a similarly horrible sound. The look on her face warned me. I jumped out of the way as she bent to one side and threw up.
“That was awful!” Jamie exclaimed.
“Well, it could have been worse. At least we’re all alive.”
“I’m not so sure,” Dakota groaned. I held out a hand to help her up. Jamie got up himself and shook his head.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be so bad,” she said.
“Well, we’ve traveled back almost to the start of time,” I pointed out. She gave me an irritated look.
“How come you don’t seem as bad as us?” Jamie asked.
“Witch blood?” I suggested.
Jamie nodded. “Most likely.” He looked around. “This way,”
“You know where we are?” I asked.
“Yes, the nearest town is down the hill.”
“Wait, a town full of vampires, right?”
“Yes.”
“If we walk in there it’ll be a death wish!”
Jamie’s brow furrowed.
“How many vampires have you come across in your life?” Dakota asked.
“One. My father.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Vampires don’t bite wolves or witches. They are not drawn to our blood. We will be able to walk in there undetected. It may be hard to believe, but there are vampires that don’t agree with the Kugarar’s intentions. One couple agreed to help.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Dominic and Genevieve Carden. They live in the nearby town,” Jamie said.
We started our descent down the hill towards a small town with lots of straw huts on one side and immaculate-looking wooden houses on the other.
They looked like dollhouses from a distance. Jamie and Dakota pulled their hoods up as we neared the village. I did the same. I felt on edge. There was a heaviness in the air.
Jamie stopped in front of the third wooden house in the row and walked up the steps to the front door. He knocked and the door opened to reveal a worried looking woman with bright red eyes. She hurried us in and slammed the door.
“Did anyone see you?” she asked, turning to us. Jamie shook his head.
“Your timing isn’t the best.”
“Why, what’s going on?” Jamie asked.
“You’ll see any minute now.” The room was dark. Thick curtains were drawn over every window, but the lady, who I assumed was Genevieve, was peering through a crack. A deafening bell rang out, followed by a deathly silence.
All of us gathered by the window, trying to see what she was looking at. On the last ring of the bell, the air filled with screams and shouts as hundreds of vampires descended on the people who were getting on with their day by the huts.
The chaos was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Throats being torn out of every child, man, and woman. Blood splattered the streets and the little huts.
I’d never seen anything so horrific. The sounds were even worse as the screams subsided and were replaced with sucking.
Dakota and Jamie’s faces had gone white. Jamie’s hands were balled into fists.
The vampires cleared everything up at lightning speed. I’d read about the legends and the way the vampires had fed on humans, but they fell short of the truth. Within a few minutes, the entire place was as it had been before.
Another group of humans walked into the town, led by vampires, and I watched as they showed them into the houses. Like cows being herded into a slaughter house.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes from the scene. I wasn’t sure whether I’d witnessed it or whether it was a terrible nightmare.
Our hosts were shaking their heads, looking ashamed. “It’s Elaric. There’s no reasoning with him,” Dominic replied.
“Elaric Cureliva?” I asked.
Dominic nodded and I returned my attention to the new humans. I could tell from their faces they were scared and unsure what was happening. But they did as they were told and took up the previous humans’ positions.
For how long?
“It’s a human farm,” Genevieve said.
“We have nothing to do with it,” Dominic added. “We have lived off of animals for millennia and do not intend to change.”
“It’s a total disgrace what the vampires in this town believe is correct.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “I don’t think it’s only happening in this town,” I said, and she looked at me, puzzled. I’d forgotten how early an era this was.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carden, thank you for agreeing to help us,” Jamie said.
She ran a hand through her long dark hair. “Please call me Genevieve, and my husband Dominic.” An awkward silence fell over the room as the scenes of horror outside lay heavy on our minds.
I knew vampires were evil. My father had shown me that when I was only eleven years old. But what I’d witnessed was beyond anything I expected.
Dakota rummaged around in her cloak pocket. “We are here because we have a map we’re unable to read. We wondered if you could help us.” She pulled the map out and flattened it out on the table. Dominic and Genevieve gathered around it.
“Do you understand any of it?” Jamie asked.
“This is an old language, even for us,” said Genevieve. “It’s one my father spoke well, but I never learned.” She turned to her husband and placed a hand on his arm. “How about you, dear?”
“I can read it. What does this map lead to?” Dominic asked as he scowled at it.
“We don’t know. That’s the problem.”
“How did you come across it?” Genevieve asked.
“It’s been passed down in my family,” Dakota said.
Genevieve nodded, placing a hand across the map and pointing at something. “Is this where I think it is?” she asked, looking at her husband.
He gave a small nod, staring at the map.
“Where is it?” Jamie asked.
Dominic sighed. “It’s a cave nearby here. One that no one is supposed to enter. They say it’s cursed.”
Jamie snorted and then caught himself, as he noticed the serious look on Dominic’s face.
“It’s no joke. There is no person alive today that has survived going into that cave.”
“When you say alive today, what do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean that only one person survived, and she’s long been dead.”
I nodded and surveyed the room. It was bare, with only a few pieces of furniture. There were rabbits hanging in the corner, blood being drained into barrels. I’d heard of vampires that lived off animal blood. Even in my era it was common. Genevieve noticed me staring at them.
“Sorry, I know it’s off-putting, but it’s how we survive.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You think that’s off-putting after what we witnessed outside?” I asked, wondering how vampires could differ so much.
Dominic and Jamie laughed. Dominic took his wife’s hand. “Our way o
f living is much more preferential to how most vampires feed nowadays.”
“Have you tried human blood?” I asked.
“No, and we never intend to. Apparently it has addictive qualities,” she said.
“How do we get to the cave?” Dakota asked, still staring at the map.
Genevieve and Dominic exchanged nervous glances. “It’s not something I would recommend,” Dominic answered, “but if you’re set on going there, then it’s about a two-mile trek from here over the hill and down towards the sea.”
“Can you show us the way?” Jamie asked.
Genevieve shook her head, but her husband nodded. “I can take you halfway and then give you directions for the rest. I won’t go closer though.”
Jamie nodded. “Let’s go, then. We need to find out what this map leads to.”
I peered out of the window, on edge after what I had seen.
“Dominic, please don’t go,” his wife pleaded.
“It’ll be fine. I’m not going all the way.”
She seemed scared, and I wondered what was in that cave. He tore his wife’s hand off his arm and gave her a reassuring kiss. All of us lifted the hoods of our cloaks before stepping out.
I walked past the unsuspecting humans and felt a twinge of sadness, knowing before long they’d be dead.
We walked together out of the town and headed the opposite direction to the way we’d come, heading up a steep hill. Once we reached the top, the view was breathtaking. For miles you could see the coastline, long sandy white beaches, and the beautiful crystal clear, blue sea.
Dominic halted and turned to Jamie. “This is where I leave you. The cave is down there at the bottom of this hill before the beach starts.”
I looked at where he was pointing. It was a dangerous climb, there was no doubt of that. Jagged rocks lined the cliff side, but that was the least of my worries.
“Good luck,” he said, turning to head back down the way we had come. I watched Dominic as he disappeared out of view, in a rush to get away.
“What could be in that cave that has them so scared?” I asked.
Jamie shrugged and Dakota shook her head.