The Key to Erebus (The French Vampire Legend. Book 1)

by Emma V. Leech

Chapter 21

  I woke up several hours later with the strong conviction that I was being squeezed to death in a furnace. I blearily opened my eyes and remembered with a jolt, exactly where I was and who with. The person in question seemed to have decided that I was his personal hot water bottle, and had pulled me tight against him, locking his arms around my waist. I could feel the heat from his bare chest through the thin cotton of my shirt and my heart began to thud heavily. Combined with the blankets and the fact the room was currently about ninety-five degrees, it was cosy to say the least.

  I flung the blankets off and tried to disengage the sleeping vampire. When that proved impossible, I elbowed him in the ribs, but he just sighed and wriggled closer. I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my back.

  Eventually I managed to manoeuvre myself up and out of his arms and had just leaned far enough over the bed to turn down the control on the heater, when there was a low growling noise behind me. Two hands grabbed my hips and hauled me back into the bed. He locked me tight against him, and then I felt the pressure of teeth biting down gently on my neck. I froze in terror. He was still asleep, what if he didn’t realise who I was? Would he kill me … like he’d killed Adrian?

  “Corvus,” I said, willing my voice to be steady. “Let me go please.”

  “No.”

  I jumped at the voice, as he hadn’t spoken out loud and cried out as his teeth cut into my neck. This time it hurt like hell, and I struggled in his grasp as the pain grew, burning through me.

  “Please, Corvus!” I cried out.

  The pain receded only to be replaced by an overwhelming hunger as he began to feed. Images flashed up in my head and I gasped as I worked out exactly what I was seeing. He was dreaming but these were his actual memories and emotions. It was the last day I’d spent with him at the Château. He was holding me tight against him and I was smiling up at him. A surge of pure happiness ran through him and then the scene changed. Gran was there, screaming at him and he was pleading with me - I could feel the panic building in his chest and saw myself shouting at him. My face was twisted with anger. I told him I hated him. How had I told him that? It had never been true. His pain ripped through me as I watched myself turn and slam the door. I was shocked by the strength of his emotions. He had said he loved me, I just hadn’t realised how much.

  “I lied,” I whispered, trying to keep calm with difficulty. Under the blankets I found his hand and covered it with my own. Slowly, I felt him relax beside me and he withdrew his teeth, laying his head back on the pillow beside mine and burying his face in my hair.

  I was trembling with relief. Breathing slowly and deliberately, I lay thinking about the emotions I had felt from him and trying to sort through the jumble of my own. I couldn’t deny how it made me feel, knowing that he had told the truth, he did love me. The thought made me smile, until I wondered if he could have killed me in his sleep without even realising. I shivered. I couldn’t pretend not to realise just how dangerous he was.

  I remembered what Gran had said and how much she hated him. How I should never trust him. Rodney had said she was wrong but I needed to know for sure and as I lay there, an idea formed in my head. If he could show me his thoughts like this…

  “Corvus, wake up.” I shook him a little and he groaned. “Corvus, wake up will you.”

  “Daytime … sleeping.” A muffled voice murmured as he burrowed further under the covers.

  “Wake-up!” I sat up in bed, turned on the bedside light and stripped the blankets off him. His eyes flicked open and he blinked at me reproachfully.

  “Jéhenne, I’m cold.”

  “You promised to tell me what happened to my grandfather. Show me Adrian. I want … I need to see what happened.”

  “Now?” Suddenly he was wide awake and sat up, looking at me cautiously. “What do you mean you want to see?” he asked, pulling the blankets back up.

  “You can show me the pictures in my head.”

  He huddled under the covers looking wary. “How did you know I can do that?”

  I folded my arms and looked back at him steadily, trying to hide the quaver in my voice “Because you just did it when you bit me.”

  He didn't react, but his eyes strayed to my neck. “I … bit you?” Gently, he pulled my hair away to see the wound. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Yes actually.” My voice shook and I realised with horror I was about to cry. “You scared me.” I took a breath, blinking the tears back. “I thought you were going to kill me.”

  He reached out to touch the marks on my neck, but I pushed his hand aside. I didn't trust him as much as I had in the caves. Not now.

  “I'm sorry,” he said, his eyes wary. “I should not have agreed to this when I was so weak.” There was disgust and guilt in his voice and I wondered if I was being too hard on him. Then again I had feared for my life so ... Maybe not.

  “I wouldn't have hurt you ... not, not badly at least.” We looked at each other and I knew he knew I was wondering how true that was. How far could I really trust him? “At least, let me get rid of the marks,” he said, moving closer to me.

  His hair was tousled from sleep and the covers had slipped down to his waist. I swallowed and resolutely looked away.

  “No!” I said a little too quickly, the idea of his mouth on my neck and the proximity of the bed were making my heart pound uncomfortably. I couldn't deny that I was afraid of him. I wanted him badly but I wasn't about to sleep with someone if I wasn't totally sure he wouldn't kill me. Call me picky. He looked hurt and dismayed though. I guessed he thought I was really mad at him. I ought to be really mad at him. Unfortunately it was one emotion I was struggling to maintain.

  “I’m sorry, Jéhenne, truly.”

  “I know.” I sighed. I knew he was sorry. He'd probably have been sorry if he'd killed me too. “I saw what you were dreaming.”

  He frowned, his expression guarded.

  “I was dreaming?” he repeated, fiddling with the bed covers and looking more than a little uneasy.

  “Well, more like remembering I guess,” I said, watching him carefully.

  He looked slightly relieved.

  “What did you see?” he asked. He looked curious now.

  “The last day we were together, at the Château.”

  He held my gaze steadily. “The trouble with being a vampire is that you can never forget a single detail, I have perfect recall. Things that happened hundreds of years ago are as fresh as if they happened yesterday. Sometimes that’s a good thing, other times.” He paused and I could see the weight of pain in his eyes. “It hurt … that you wouldn’t give me a chance.”

  “I know.” I bit my lip unable to look him in the eye. I still didn't understand why I had reacted like I had, why I had been so unwilling to hear him out, but I was beginning to suspect Gran could enlighten me. “I should have, I ... I don't know why I was stubborn.” He watched me for a moment, not moving.

  “Do you want to see, then?” he asked.

  I nodded, though my heart had picked up again with trepidation. He frowned and I knew he could hear it, could hear the evidence that I was frightened by him.

  “Lie down and close your eyes,” he said, his voice gentle. I took a breath, watching him, as the bite mark throbbed and pulsed in my neck. He gave me the glimpse of a smile. “You can trust me, Jéhenne, I swear it.”

  Well, now he was awake maybe, but I believe that much at least and did as he asked. He lay down on his side next to me.

  “Can I put my arms around you?” he asked. I nodded again and he leaned over me to turn the light off before settling himself comfortably and pulling me against him. He stroked my hair gently.

  “Close your eyes,” he instructed.

  I was surprised as a familiar picture formed in my head. It was Gran’s cottage and with shock I recognised the young man sitting at the kitchen table as my grandfather. I’d only ever seen photos of him as he’d died long before I was born. To my amazeme
nt I realised that Corvus was sitting with him. I was seeing Adrian through his eyes. There was a bottle of whisky on the table and they were laughing together … they were friends. The kitchen door opened and a young woman walked through. She was gorgeous, curvaceous but with a tiny waist and thick wavy black hair framing a heart shaped face and eyes that were vivid green - Gran! Before I had time to take it all in she was yelling at Adrian. She was angry with him for letting Corvus in the house.

  Adrian was really furious. “If I want to invite my friends into my house then I will, Inés.”

  “Not when they’re filthy vampires,” she said eyes blazing with fury, before turning on Corvus. “Get out! Your invitation is rescinded. This house belongs to me, and the invitation is mine alone!”

  Corvus had sat uncomfortably through this, but now he got up.

  “It’s fine, Adrian. I’m going now. Goodnight, Inés,” he added with a tight smile.

  She followed him out and spat on the ground as he left, slamming the door behind him. I could hear her inside, yelling at Adrian, but suddenly the scene changed. This time we were at the Château and Adrian was older, sixty maybe, with greying hair and wearing glasses. He was talking animatedly to Corvus, pleading with him.

  “Please, Corvus, if you’re my friend you will do this for me.”

  I could feel the anxiety in Corvus, the indecision. He wanted to help Adrian but he was afraid he was making a terrible mistake. “She may never forgive you,” he warned.

  “I will have an eternity to change her mind.” Adrian smiled, supremely confident. “I don’t want to die, Corvus. I don’t want to leave her and why should I? Why shouldn't I live like she does, like you do?”

  Corvus nodded and the scene changed again. He was in a massive room, lit with hundreds of candles. Set up on a dais was a bank of ten thrones, each one occupied by a vampire. The power emitting from the group was staggering. Corvus was kneeling, head bent before them. One of the vampires, dressed ornately in heavy velvet robes, addressed him.

  “Our decision is final. We have refused the human male, Adrian O’Farrell. His association with the witch, Inés Corbeaux, is too convenient. We believe that she has an ulterior motive for wanting this transformation.”

  “That’s not true.” Corvus protested. “She knows nothing of this request. Please, I respectfully beg the senate to reconsider. This man is my friend, I will bear the responsibility for his actions.”

  “Enough! The decision has been made. Do not presume to influence the senate.”

  Suddenly the pictures stopped. I realised I had been holding my breath, and let it out with a gasp. Adrian had wanted Corvus to turn him into a vampire … he had asked Corvus and not been persuaded at all.

  “What happened, Corvus?” I demanded, “Please, show me.”

  He sighed and tightened his hold on me.

  I was looking at the woods surrounding the cottage. It was late autumn, and the floor was carpeted with leaves. Adrian was there and he was angry.

  “Why not? You said you would help me. They don’t have to know about it. I could go away for a while. We could keep it quiet.” He was agitated, walking up and down in the darkness.

  “I can’t do it, Adrian,” Corvus said. From the tone of his voice it was obviously an argument that had been going in circles for some time. “I want to help you, but if I do it without the senate’s permission, we will both be hunted and destroyed. You could never keep it a secret, it's impossible.”

  “I thought you were my friend.” Bitterness twisted his once handsome face as he shouted at Corvus in despair. “You’ve let me down.”

  He turned and walked away and I could feel how much it had hurt Corvus, he’d tried his best to help but he would not move without the senate's approval. It would be suicide for them both.

  Abruptly the scene changed and we were at a council meeting which appeared to have just finished. People were talking in small groups and the huge fire in the middle of the chamber was blazing as usual. Corvus was standing alone when he saw Tacitus approaching. I was hit by a wave of intense hatred. I had not believed it possible to despise someone so vehemently.

  “Well, Corvus, I hear you had a little chat with the senate recently.” His face was hard, just as I remembered and his thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. “What a shame that they weren’t able to help your friend, he said smoothly, such a - disappointment for you.”

  Corvus looked at him with disgust. “What do you want, Tacitus?”

  “Oh, nothing. It’s just so rewarding when one can help one’s friends,” he said, laughing. It was a cruel sound and I felt a tremor of fear lance through Corvus before he grabbed Tacitus by the arm.

  “What have you done you miserable bastard?”

  Tacitus shrugged, and when he spoke the words were full of malice. “You will have to be quick, I think the thirst - along with my blood will soon give him the strength to escape, and then it could get a little … messy.”

  His eyes glinted with malevolence. He wrenched his arm from Corvus’ grip and left the caves with incredible speed. Corvus followed, catching him up in the woods and slammed him into the granite boulders jutting up through the ground.

  “Where is he?” he growled in fury. “Tell me, or I will kill you, no matter what the consequences.”

  Tacitus laughed in amusement.

  “He’s in a cave. He’s been there for almost a week now. I walled him in … oh, don’t worry, I made a good job of it, but I fear even my work might not hold him now.”

  I felt cold rage flowing through Corvus, but he knew he didn’t have time to deal with Tacitus now if he was going to find Adrian in time. He was thinking that if he could find him, Adrian could be taken to the senate and he would plead for them to be merciful.

  “What a shame they will think you are responsible for doing this,” Tacitus said sarcastically. “They may rob me of the pleasure of tormenting you any further.”

  “You will pay dearly for this, Tacitus!”

  The images stopped abruptly.

  I burst into tears and felt Corvus tighten his hold on me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, weeping as I realised how long he had suffered my grandmother's hatred. I wished I had given him the chance to explain sooner. I wished I'd been strong enough. I’d made both of us miserable by being so stubborn … if only I’d listened. Maybe I could have made Gran understand, made her see the truth. She’d almost killed him.

  “It doesn’t matter now,” he said, and I could tell he meant it. “As long as you believe me.”

  I nodded unhappily. “Forgive me,” I mumbled into his chest, and felt a small rumble of laughter in response.

  “Don’t pretend you think I wouldn’t,” he said and I could hear the smile in his words.

  He put his thumb underneath my chin and made me raise it so that I was closer to him, my mouth barely an inch away from his. Then he pressed his lips gently against mine. My heart stuttered but managed to keep beating, which surprised me, as the poor thing had been put through the mill recently.

  “Show me the rest,” I said when he let me go.

  “No,” he said, his voice hard. “You don’t want to see that.”

  “I need to Corvus,” I persisted. I needed to be able to tell Inés the truth, all of it. I needed to explain what she'd seen. “I need to know what happened.”

  He shook his head. “No, I won’t. It’s not something you need to see,”

  “Yes it is,” I insisted.

  “Jéhenne, please don’t make me.” He ran his hand through hair in agitation. “I will tell you what happened but - I don’t want you that.”

  “You promised me.” I reminded him. I felt him tense in the darkness.

  “You're already afraid of me,” he said and he sounded angry but beneath the anger was fear, fear that I would only see the monster. “This won't reassure you I promise.”

  “You're asking me to trust you, Corvus.” I put my hand on his chest, feeling the cool skin unde
r my palm. “I'm trying to do that, but you can't hide anything. I need to see you, I need to know who you are. All of it.”

  He sighed with frustration but nodded and closed his eyes resting his forehead against mine so I could see again and the pictures started once more.

  He was frantic, tearing down a thick stone wall. There was a full moon and the light lit up the surrounding woodland, throwing ghostly shapes on the leaf-carpeted floor. Suddenly there was an explosion and rocks flew like missiles into the darkness. An inky blur of movement flew through the hole and slammed Corvus into the ground. Gleaming, pointed teeth snapped at his throat as he fought furiously to pull the creature off. I caught a glimpse of wild eyes, a face drawn back into a terrible, feral snarl. Any trace of humanity that would have identified him as my grandfather had vanished. This creature was set on one thing - to kill and feed on whatever it could find.

  Corvus fought back, desperately trying to find a way to injure the creature, badly enough to hold him but not kill him. But Adrian was lost to the insanity of his thirst. He flung both of them against a boulder, trapping Corvus’ arm behind his back. I heard a loud snap and felt searing pain as the bone cracked. The pain didn’t last long, and the bone repaired itself instantly, but Adrian took advantage of the moment and sank his teeth viciously into Corvus’ shoulder, ripping off a large chunk of flesh. He yelled in pain and frustration, smashing Adrian’s face with his fist. His head snapped back and the new-born released his hold, but before Corvus could do more, Adrian darted behind him with impossible speed and bit into the back of his neck.

  Corvus was trying vainly to get a hold on him. He raised his arms and reached behind him to grab Adrian’s neck, before bending and flinging him over the top of his head. Adrian flew through the air and landed with a sickening thud on the ground but was back on his feet in seconds and I felt the terrible realisation hit Corvus that there was nothing he could do. His shoulders tensed as he braced himself for what came next.

  Adrian hit Corvus again with all his might, throwing them both to the floor, but in the struggle Corvus managed to grab Adrian’s head in both hands and twisted it sharply. There was an audible crunch as the neck bone broke like glass. Before Adrian had time to recover, Corvus sank his teeth into his neck, draining him quickly of as much blood as he could. He knew that despite the blood loss he only had seconds before Adrian could renew his attack. He quickly ripped a great overhanging branch from an ancient oak and it split leaving a sharp, splintered point. Corvus didn’t hesitate this time, but thrust the stake into Adrian’s chest. As the fractured wood drove home Adrian’s eyes flew open and he screamed, a terrible ear shattering sound that ripped through the woodland. It was joined by another scream, higher-pitched but equally filled with anger and pain. Corvus turned his head to see Inés watching him. She too had been looking for Adrian, but had arrived too late to see the true situation, but just in time to see him murdered. There was nothing he could do. Adrian’s body sagged and withered, and then burst into flames; leaving nothing but a scorched patch of earth on the forest floor.

  The pictures had stopped but the image of Adrian - eyes wide open with the stake in his chest - seemed to be frozen behind my eyes. I lay there for a moment with Corvus beside me. He didn’t move or speak, but I could feel his eyes on me in the dark.

  My stomach gave a sudden lurch of protest. I leapt out of the bed and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I just made it to the toilet before I was violently sick. I slumped down on the cold tiled floor, retching and panting, until I could control my breathing again. Flushing the toilet I staggered over to the sink and leaned against it, willing the room to stop spinning. I turned on the cold tap, washed my face and hands and rinsed my mouth out over and over until I felt clean again.

  The girl in the mirror looked pretty crap, even by my standards. Big, dark circles stood out starkly against my naturally pale skin which currently looked whiter than any vampire. My hair was stuck in sweaty curls around my forehead and there was an angry bruise visible on my neck, along with the two little puncture marks. I took a deep breath and walked a little unsteadily back to the bedroom. Corvus was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands - he looked up as I walked in.

  “Jéhenne?”

  I stood, unmoving at the side of the bed. I was trembling but I didn’t seem to be able to summon the energy to move or speak. Corvus got up awkwardly and stood in front of me.

  “Jéhenne, please - do you hate me?”

  I looked up into his face, blue eyes filled with anxiety. I shook my head and burst into tears. Suddenly his arms were around me and I was swept up in a fierce embrace. I clung to him, feeling the cool skin beneath my hands as they glided over his back. I rested my head on his shoulder and relaxed into him. I felt safe here. It felt right despite my fears. I could feel the power flowing from him wash over me, heating my skin. He looked down at me, such a tender smile on his face that I felt my heart skip.

  “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to forgive me,” he said, and I could hear the honesty in his words. He'd been afraid to tell me the truth.

  I didn’t bother to answer him but let my hands run over him, tracing paths down his neck and over his chest. I wished things were different. That we weren't trapped in this ugly little room, that I hadn't just thrown up in the crappy bathroom. It was hardly romantic. He sighed and his hands dropped to my hips, pulling me against him. I pressed my lips gently against his neck, pausing to bite gently over the pulse in the same way he had bitten me.

  His breathing hitched and suddenly his body was full of tension. “Jéhenne,” he whispered. “If you don’t stop, I won’t be able to.”

  I gave a heavy sigh. We still had a lot to talk about, I knew that, but I’d nearly lost him, once through my stubbornness, and yet again through Gran’s hatred. I didn’t want to wait anymore but we both knew this wasn't the time or the place. He picked me up, an abrupt movement that made me squeal with surprise as he sat on the edge of the bed arranging me on his lap with little effort.

  I looked up, finding those cool blue eyes full of heat and frustration.

  “Don't tease me,” he said, sounding severe though there was amusement there too.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, looking at his mouth with longing.

  He sighed. “You're doing it now.”

  I dragged my eyes from his mouth back to his eyes with a sheepish grin. He reached out and touched my mouth. “I will have you, Jéhenne Corbeaux.” There was no doubt in his words, his voice fierce. “You and I were meant to be.”

  Something flickered in my stomach, fear and foreboding uncoiling like a serpent at his words. I wanted that to be true so badly but ... but something told me it would never be that easy. I felt he knew it too.

  “I have thought of nothing but you since the night I first saw you in the caves. You fill my thoughts, my every waking moment and I am with you in my dreams.” His hand dropped from my mouth, sliding down my neck to rest over my heart “You cannot escape me, do you understand?”

  I looked back at him and felt afraid. I didn't want to escape him but I felt a weight pressing down on me. There was so much in his eyes that I didn't understand.

  “Gods, Jéhenne, I want you so badly.”

  I sucked in a breath, there was a raw quality to his words that made heat prickle under my skin and I knew I returned everything he felt. The intensity of it frightened me. I barely knew him and what I did know told me he was dangerous.

  “I have thought about it so many times,” he whispered. “Thought about taking you to my bed, about loving you.” He paused, smiling at the blush in my cheeks. “I remember the night you found the ring. You were so afraid, and so defiant. You looked magnificent, did you know that? Glaring back at me through the flames - like a goddess. I knew then that I was lost. That I would do anything to be with you.” He ran his fingers lightly across my lips and I shivered with heat and desire. “I have planned many ways to seduce you,” he murmured and
my breathing picked up. “But not one of them involved me nearly dying or you being sick to your stomach. And it most certainly isn’t going to happen in a nasty little hotel with a creaky bed where I can hear mice running in the walls and the snores of the other residents.”

  “I'm not sure I care,” I whispered, as I reached out and traced the outline of his nipple.

  He growled with frustration. “Behave,” he said catching my hand before I could push him any further. “I am hungry, Jéhenne, and my control is not at its best when I am hungry.” He gave me a fierce look that made my heart skip in my chest. “Do you understand?”

  I nodded. The warning was clear enough. He took my hand and kissed it looking at me intently. “The silver made me weak and I need to feed more to replenish my strength. I am not at my best right now.” His eyes were almost black now, the gleam of fangs visible beneath the curve of his mouth. “…and I have every intention of being at my very best for you,” he murmured. My heart felt like it did a somersault in my chest and I was breathless. He chuckled, listening to my heart beat faster and faster.

  “Such a pretty sound,” he murmured.

  “Now who's teasing,” I grumbled.

  “Come, Jéhenne.” There was laughter in his voice now and I watched the smile curve over that delicious mouth with a warm feeling. I would do pretty much anything for that smile. “It is time to sleep,” he said, his voice soft and intimate. “When the night comes, I will take you home and show you all the things I have been dreaming of, I promise.”

  My skin ached at his words, my body alive with anticipation. “Well I don’t see how I’m going to get any sleep now,” I muttered crossly.

  He chuckled, and it was a very male sound of satisfaction though not without sympathy. “I can help you there if you want me to,” he said. We lay back on the bed and he arranged our bodies so that I was encircled in his arms, as close to me as he could get. “Look at me, Jéhenne.” It wasn’t hard to do. I could look into his eyes forever. Cobalt blue with tiny flecks of violet and gold, they seemed to glow in the dim light from the bedside lamp. “You are safe with me, my heart - go to sleep,” he commanded, his voice and his eyes hypnotic. My breathing seemed to slow of its own accord and my eyelids felt heavy. I murmured sleepily to him as I fell through a haze and drifted into the dark.

  I woke much later, to find those same blue eyes smiling down at me.

  “Good evening, Sleeping Beauty. I thought you were never going to wake up.”

  I stretched, feeling luxurious as a cat in the warmth of the bed with his big body beside me. “What time is it?”

  “Nearly nine O’clock,” he said with a grin.

  I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You’re better than any sleeping pill.” I couldn’t believe I’d slept all day.

  He leaned down to kiss my forehead and grinned at me, blue eyes flashing with laughter. “You were tired and I wanted you to rest, because I’ll be even better at keeping you awake.” He gave a wicked chuckle and my stomach did a little somersault. I scurried away from him and headed for the bathroom. I may feel great after such a long sleep but I was absolutely certain I didn’t look it. Not to mention the fact I desperately needed to clean my teeth.

  My worst fears were confirmed in the bathroom mirror. My hair was a mass of tangles and the bruise on my neck was a glorious shade of blue. I got dressed and tidied up the disaster that was my hair as best I could without my comb, which I’d left in the bedroom. It wasn’t a good look so I went to find it.

  Corvus was sitting on the bed with a faraway look on his face. He looked up when I came in.

  “Cyd and Rodney are here.”

  “Did you call them?” I asked in surprise.

  “No, they have all been looking for me for the past few nights.” He frowned. “Inés must have found a way to mask my scent and the ward hid my position.” He stopped again like he was listening to something far away. “They have been very worried.”

  “They’re talking to you now?”

  He nodded.”With Cyd. Older vampires can communicate over great distances, but even the young ones can do it to a lesser extent.”

  He got up and went to the door. “You are ready to go?”

  “Er, almost,” I said, searching around for the comb.

  “I will wait for you outside.”

  “OK.” I grimaced, I’d found the comb and was trying to yank it through the tangles. I headed back to the mirror and sighed. Sadly, that was as good as it was going to get. I shoved the comb back in my bag and hurried out into the corridor and walked straight into the man I’d paid for the room.

  “Oh, going so soon, chérie?” He smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. “Your friend, he is feeling better non?” He leered at me and his smile widened as his gaze fell on the bruise on my neck. “It sounded as though you enjoyed your stay?” he said, taking a step closer.

  I realised, with a flush of embarrassment, that he must have heard me cry out when Corvus had bitten me. I took a hasty step away from him and tried to go past, but the corridor was narrow and he put out his arm to stop me. He was a thick, heavy set man with a florid complexion and smelt of alcohol and cigarettes, and like he hadn’t washed in a long time. I started to feel anxious.

  “My friend is waiting for me outside,” I said, trying to sound authoritative. “I need to go now.”

  “Why don’t you let your friend go and stay with me a little longer?” He took another step closer and then stopped and his eyes seemed to glaze over. His mouth fell open and he made a weird kind of choking noise and fell to his knees clutching at his throat. I thought he must be having some kind of heart attack, until I saw Corvus standing behind him. His eyes were full of fury. In horror, I turned back to the man who had turned an awful puce colour.

  “Corvus, stop it!” I yelled. His eyes flicked to me but the man kept choking.

  “Did he touch you?” he growled.

  “No, No! I’m fine, let him go... Please!”

  The man collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath. He tried to stagger to his feet but Corvus stood over him and he cowered in a ball, looking up in terror.

  “Apologise.”

  The man began whimpering in a flurry of incomprehensible French as Corvus watched him grovel with cold eyes.

  “I want to go now.” I turned, hurrying away from the sobbing wretch, only pausing to be sure that Corvus was coming with me. “Leave him,” I shouted, afraid of what that look meant. He glanced up at me and back at the man with such venom in his eyes that I caught my breath. It was only too obvious he wanted nothing more than to kill him and I remembered his warning last night. “Corvus!”

  He turned away and followed me out but I knew he didn't want to.

  Cyd and Rodney were waiting for us. Rodney threw his arms around me and pulled me into a bear hug.

  “Hail the conquering hero!” He grinned at me. “You’re a bloody marvel, you are.”

  “Huh?” I looked at him perplexed and then at Cyd, who had obviously been crying. Her normally perfect hair looked dishevelled and I suspected she’d slept in her clothes. She sniffed and her bottom lip trembled.

  “Cyd, I said that’s enough - you can see I’m fine.” Corvus reprimanded her, though not unkindly. “Jéhenne, will you come back with me?” he asked, opening the car door.

  I hesitated and then gestured to my car. “Er… no I’ll follow.”

  Corvus looked at the rusting heap with distaste. “I’m sure Rodney can handle it,” he said mildly.

  “Yes, I’m sure he could,” I said, smiling at him. “But I’ll follow you, OK?” I felt I needed a bit of time away from Corvus to gather my thoughts. I found it impossible to think straight whenever I was around him, like I was on a course that had been mapped out for me and I couldn't leave the path. It was intense and frightening and I needed a moment to breath.

  “Alright if I come along?” Rodney asked.

  “Sure,” I smiled, though I could really have done with some time alone. I wa
s feeling overwhelmed. Everything was happening so quickly and I was still shocked by the incident with the landlord. Rodney had been so pleased to see me though. I didn’t want to upset him.

  I watched Corvus and Cyd get into the car in front. Cyd had managed to pick out one of the flashiest from Corvus’ collection. I had no clue what it was, but it was expensive looking and red and I’d seen it on Top Gear being thrown about by Jeremy Clarkson while he went all poetical and dewy eyed.

  “What’s wrong with Cyd?” I asked as soon as Rodney was installed. “She's in a right state.”

  “What’s wrong?” he looked at me in amazement. “She thought Corvus was dead! I mean finally like,” he corrected himself. “It’s been a bloody nightmare. If you hadn’t gone to him …” He sniffed vigorously and wiped his eyes. “The whole family has been fallin’ to pieces. Everyone was terrified what would happen if we didn’t find him.”

  Cyd had explained to me before what could happen to Masterless vampires and I suddenly realised what had been at stake. Gran had put the whole family at risk.

  “You’re a bloody hero, you are.” He punched me playfully on the arm.

  I smiled and shook my head. “Don’t be daft, Rodney. I’m just so glad I found him in time.” I paused, swallowing as I remembered how close it had been. “I was so afraid.”

  He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “You an’ him then … you made up like?”

  I bit my lip, remembering the last time I'd seen him. “I got it all wrong, didn’t I?”

  “I tried to tell you, lovely,” he said, though there was no anger in his eyes, no reproach.

  I reached over and squeezed his arm. “Yes, I know … I’m so sorry.”

  Now it was my turn to start sniffing. Rodney handed me a tissue and I blew my nose and grinned at him ruefully. He chuckled and squeezed my hand.

  “Come on then, luv. Take me ‘ome.”