“All right, then.”
I nodded. With the grimoire clutched in one hand, I began to read.
“Leave me, Ransom Knightley,
Leave the ones I love.
Your evil has no place
in our lives anymore…”
I brought the rolled parchment closer to the candle's flame, keeping it tightly gripped between my fingers. Burning the paper would seal the ritual. Only after seeing it charred into ashes, would I feel relieved, free from Ransom's spell.
Horror pricked me like a thousand needles as my baffled eyes fixed on flame and parchment. I couldn't believe it.
“What's wrong, Kiera?” Mer said with a frown.
“The parchment,” I mumbled, slowly shaking my head. “It won't burn.”
Meredith and I leaned closer to the candle, inches away from the flame, witnessing the extraordinary. Even though the fire enveloped the paper, it failed to rage through, repelling it almost like oil and water.
Suddenly the grimoire sprung off my hand with a will of its own. It then flew across the kitchen and smashed against the window, stuck on the pane of glass as a fluttering insect.
“Holy…” Mer uttered, her mouth agape.
“Prim,” I added, wincing. “I know you’re there.”
I turned to the doorway and there she was, leaning against the jamb, a furry black critter nestled in her arms. The creature's bright yellow eyes scanned me from head to toes with an indolent glare.
“I told you never to meddle with that family!” Prim's face flared.
“I'm sorry,” I said, but I really wasn't. “Ransom... You don't know what he's done!”
“It doesn’t matter, Kiera!” This time, Prim's words sounded like a plea. “We cannot cross the Knightleys, ever!”
“There’s a cat in your hands,” Meredith pointed out.
“Meredith, dear!” My Auntie's face lit up with joy. “So glad to have you here,” caressing the brooding feline’s back. “This is Mr. William Fox. I’m taking care of him until my friend Judy sorts some things out.”
“Mr. William?” I started. A chill dropped down my spine. “As in… Judy’s husband?”
Prim gave me a furtive smile. “Look at the cute collar I gave him,” she said, changing the subject. “It’s a pretty silver jingle bell. Isn’t it lovely?” She tapped the bell and made it ring.
“Oh well,” Prim said, heaving a sigh. “It’s rather late, girls.” Mr. William purred under her gentle strokes as she turned around, heading out of the kitchen.
“Do pack up my stuff, Kiera. There’ll be no more hexing tonight,” Prim added, disappearing into the darkened living room.
“Was that cat a person?” Meredith said, aghast at the thought.
“I think he was,” I mumbled with the same bewilderment. Prim’s powers might have been greater than I’d ever imagined.
Chapter Nine
The following evening, Drayce and I arrived at Wilton Crescent Street, at an exclusive complex of Georgian houses perfectly lined up, expensive lodgings in the City.
The gorgeous building’s interiors displayed an obscenely luxurious style. Pristine marble floors, gold and crystal chandeliers, oriental rugs spread across the hall. No detail had been spared from the exquisite decoration. The place was a palace compared to my Kennington flat, which was not shabby at all.
However beautiful, the atmosphere was far from warm and welcoming. Moving down the manor’s lavish entrance was the same as flipping through the glistening pages of an architecture magazine. It almost gave me the sense of ambling through a museum, which made the house no less beautiful.
“Is this where you live?” I asked, despite the obvious.
Drayce stared at me with shyness. “Sometimes,” he said with a shrug. “Come on, we might still catch them before they head off to…”
To hunt their prey? Probably. Drayce took care not to mention it, and that had been awfully nice of him. Still, that did little to appease my rattled self as I was about to meet a pair of immortal serial killers, and was being escorted to that encounter by a killer himself.
Ugh! Stop those grim thoughts, Kiera!
“Darling, is that you?” a woman’s voice said. The sound came from the parlor.
“She already knows it’s me,” Drayce whispered, giving me an intimate stare.
“I think she means she knows you’re not alone,” I added. “Aren’t they expecting me?”
Drayce gave no answer.
We followed the voice.
The female vampire was breathless in a burgundy brocade short dress, nude stockings, and high heels. The gown’s flared sleeves were reminiscent of eighteen century coats, fringed with pearls and crystals pending from the wrists. Her sleek straight hair gave her an edgy dark look, and her eyes were glittering jewels of striking blue; an overall imposing presence as she rose from the armchair by the lighted hearth.
Her powerful gaze pierced me through and through the minute we appeared beneath the door’s lintel.
“Is this a joke?” the vampire woman scoffed, careless to remain heard by me. “Drayce, please tell me you’re not serious about this.”
She moved towards us like a lioness, keeping her distance, ready to strike if the occasion called for it. The air thickened as resentment streamed from her in silence.
Drayce stayed by my side. “Don’t be like this,” he whispered a plea, but the female blood drinker remained impassible in her judgment. Who was she anyway that her opinion would be so darn important?
“Do you know what you’ve brought into this house?” she all but hissed. “Witches have no place in our world, you know that!” she added, moving closer. Drayce held my arm and gently moved me behind him as he stepped back to the center of the room, calm and collected.
Fuck. He’s afraid for my life.
The spiteful vampire trudged back into the hallway. Only then, Drayce went after her, closing the door behind him.
The argument began, their voices loud enough that I could hear them despite the distance.
“I do not understand you…” the female vampire said. “Are you determined to cross me at every instance? I swear, each year you grow more into my brother’s likeness!”
I clasped my hands over my skirt and plummeted back on the couch, huddling against its arm for reassurance. This was getting more awkward by the second.
There was an open window to my right. Taking the leap and fleeing from this manor crossed my mind. But I wouldn’t. The sole thing keeping me here was the conviction that had it been the opposite situation, and Drayce had been the one meeting Prim and our coven of witches, this would have been their response. So, uncomfortable as it was, I had to stand by Drayce, and I would, no matter what.
The door slowly opened.
My pulse throbbed hard in my throat, and my mouth went dry in an instant. This was not the safest place for me.
A male vampire entered the parlor. I’d seen him before, that night at the London Bridge Cellar. He carried a glass of whiskey on the rocks, which he casually left on the table next to me. Quietly, he suggested with a quick glance that I take a sip.
We witches have our teas, and vampires have their spirits… Amen to our blessed differences!
I took the drink in a single swig. God, it burned.
The vampire's beauty betrayed his nature. He was tall and graced with a sculptural body that reminded me of an ancient Greek effigy; his presence, strong yet subtle in its darkness.
He drifted into the armchair next to me, exuding a sudden sense of peace that filled the room. And once he sat and fixed his eyes on mine, his serene stare allayed my nervousness.
“I am Phillip Alexander Blackwell,” the vampire said with a soft American accent. He was charming, burying the side of his face into his palm as he studied me with a warm stare, his glimmering eyes so full of fascination.
“Nice to meet you, Phil—”
“Please,” he interrupted. “Call me Alexander.”
“All rig
ht then, Alexander. I’m afraid I’ve upset her, your vampire friend.”
“Ah,” he uttered, looking back at the doorway. “You must forgive her, Kiera. Alisa hasn’t had the best experience with witches.” His lips stretched in a forgiving smile. “Please. Do not judge her harshly.”
“How can I? My people’s enmity with your kin is legendary…” I shrugged. There was something warm about this vampire. He seemed kind and awfully human, which was odd for any blood drinker. They were said to be rather cool and detached creatures. However, this one defied all those preconceptions… just like Drayce.
“It’s not my place to say this,” he began, leaning forward as he sought confidence. Alexander licked his lower lip in a flash of sensuality. “But I like you, so I will anyway.” A brief smile. “There’s another reason why Alisa might disapprove of your presence here.”
“I’m listening,” I said, intrigued.
“She sired Drayce into the Blood,” he said openly. “You must understand, Drayce is still a Child by vampire standards…” He relaxed into the chair once more. The moment of confidence had ended.
Alexander pursed his lips. “I’m sure you can see why I cannot tell you how many years he’s been kindred to us,” he added. “Suffice it to say, Alisa’s concerns are legitimate.”
“I see.” I widened my eyes. “She’s going through a lot of trouble over a simple fling.”
Alexander’s blue eyes fixed on me. “Is it, though?” raising his brow with an air of naivete. He bit his lower lip. A dimple pierced his cheek as he drew half a smile.
By the corner of my eye, I saw Drayce step into the room, alone.
Alexander placed his rugged hand over the chair’s arm and pushed the seat back, taunting me with a wicked glance as he stepped away.
“I’m sorry about that,” Drayce said, sitting next to me. He sighed. “Alisa, she…” looking back, making sure Alexander had left. “She can be quite protective sometimes.”
“I understand.” I mumbled the words, but my mind still raveled around Alexander’s last remark. Was this more than a fling? How could it, when centuries of sworn enmity stood between our kith and kin? I couldn’t shake those questions off my mind.
“Kiera?” he asked. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, sorry…” I said. “It’s Sunday… I have to get back to the shop and do some inventory.” I harrumphed. “I should get going.”
Gliding my hands over my skirt, I got on my feet.
“Should I walk you there?” Drayce asked, standing, the gentleman he was.
“No, that’s fine.” I forced a smile.
The walk to the manor’s entrance was silent, each of us burdened with our own demons.
“I’m sorry things didn’t turn out the way I wanted…” He pursed his lips, holding the door open for me to pass.
“We are what we are,” I said dryly.
“Shall I call you a cab?” Eager to please, his voice shaded with apprehension.
“I’ll take the tube, thanks.” I walked down the front steps and reached the gates. Drayce followed.
“Kiera,” he said.
I looked back. His gleaming eyes danced with uncertainty as he bit his lower lip. In a flash, he grabbed my arm and dashed closer, pressing his lips on mine in a voracious kiss. I welcomed it and returned his kiss with burning intensity, waves of desire crashing inside me, making it harder to separate from him.
He cupped the sides of my face and mildly parted, now pressing his cheek against mine. Drayce then whispered: “I’ll see you soon.” It was a promise, a vow not rendered to the hands of lady fate.
Moments away from swooning on the pavement, I nodded. My face felt so warm. Drayce’s kiss filled my heart with hope and made the walk to the underground station a little less painful.
By the time I reached Knightsbridge Street, my thoughts turned darker still. I trudged on the sidewalk towards Hyde Park Corner, arms hugging myself, pondering whether pursuing a relationship with Drayce was worth the effort. Even if Alexander’s suspicions had been true, our people’s hate for each other would be an undeniable hindrance.
Standing on the platform, I heaved a heavy sigh. Burying my mind in the shop’s books had seemed like a good idea at the time, but all I wanted was to go home, crawl into bed, and close my eyes to stop the world from turning, even if cheating it by sleeping.
The tube arrived fast. I hopped inside and found a seat despite the rush hour. It seemed like the perfect time to slip on my EarPods, open my reading app, and catch up with my books on sorcery.
“What do you want with him?” a woman’s voice spoke in my ear. I startled and pulled off the EarPods. I swept the subway car with a quick glance but saw no one suspicious.
“I won’t let you hurt him,” the voice insisted. Still, I could not trace its owner.
The train made a hard stop. The lights flickered and went off.
Goosebumps rippled up my arms. Bad omen.
Through the crowd, in the twilight of the cart, I saw flaming blue eyes staring at me.
“Stay away from Drayce!” the voice hissed in my ear. The woman’s pale face flashed inches away from me and disappeared so fast it made me question if I had imagined it all. But deep inside, I knew it to be real.
The blood chilled in my veins, and I shuddered like a frightened child as I acknowledged the woman to be Drayce’s maker… the vampire Alisa.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the driver spoke through the overhead speakers. “We’ve experienced a technical issue that will be solved in a few minutes. Please stand by for further information. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Chapter Ten
Flashing red lights flooded St. George’s Street as I walked home, wary since stepping out of the tube.
Curiosity rose the closer I moved to the house.
A police car, its bright turrets alight with incandescent red and blue, was standing guard at the front. Yellow tape encircled our front lawn. The pool of blood on the entrance later came to my attention, paralyzing me with dread.
A tight knot built inside my throat as I stood on the sidewalk. Everything happened in a blur. I could hear the policemen’s muffled voices asking me myriad questions, but I could not focus on a word they said.
“Where’s Prim?” I mumbled, shocked to the core as I pulled away the yellow tape and climbed the front steps. The door stood wide open. The house, darkened and sullen.
“You cannot be here!” someone said close to my ear.
Out of the hallway, Mr. William appeared, strolling towards the entrance. There he stood, observing the scene, scrutinizing me. His sharp yellow eyes then locked on mine and he uttered a low, disturbing meow.
“I live here,” I said, picking up Mr. William and holding him in my arms. “What happened?” turning back in search of the policeman.
A man in a grey suit stood in front of me. Short, sturdy, with salt and pepper hair and a white beard. “Are you related to Miss Primrose Stone?” he asked, nicking his brow. Was he a detective?
“I’m her niece,” I uttered with a shaky voice, warm tears looming in my eyes.
“Your aunt suffered an attack,” he said. “Judging by the conditions inside, we believe she was the victim of a robbery gone bad.”
I remained silent. My soul dropped and spiraled into unfathomable darkness.
“Dear God!” a voice said in the distance. “Kiera! Kiera, are you all right?”
Someone held my shoulders, then wrapped me and Mr. William in a firm embrace.
“We must ask you a few questions, Miss...” the detective said.
“I’m afraid that’ll have to wait, old man.” I knew that voice. I recognized the expensive cologne. “Look at her. She’s clearly in shock!” Ransom pushed me back and stepped between me and the detective.
Both men started to quarrel. I couldn’t think, couldn’t see clearly, couldn’t understand the depth of the pain waiting to knock me down.
“Is she dead?” Ransom demande
d to know. The coolness of his tone made my heart shrivel.
“Miss Stone was taken to the hospital,” the detective said, slipping a notepad inside his jacket’s pocket. “Her condition is critical.”
“Darling…” Ransom held my shoulders with firmness. He bent his knees to meet me at eye level. “You cannot stay here. I’m taking you home.”
“Prim's alive,” I mumbled. “She will recover, right?”
“I wish I could tell you that, my dear…” Ransom said under his breath. “But the odds seem rather low.”
And then it happened. The vacuum swallowed me whole. It filled me with absolute pain and a darkness I’d not experimented since my parent’s demise.
I burst into tears, shivering inside and out.
“Come on, darling.” Ransom held me close to his chest. “Let’s get out of here. You're in dire need of a sedative.”
“But… I have to see her!” I cried.
“And you will,” he assured me, taking Mr. William away. “But not now, love. You’re not ready. Let me take care of you, okay?”
I nodded and allowed him to take me to his car.
I walked to the vehicle in a daze. Bits and pieces of the moment escaped me. All I knew was that Ransom closed the door and turned on the ignition, and we set on the road to his flat as I silently wept.
Chapter Eleven
My eyes opened to soundless darkness. Little by little, my sight adapted to the lack of light. A stray beam of twilight filtered through blackout drapes. The faint light ricocheted off a crystal chandelier pending from the ceiling.
I was lying on a four-poster bed. A heavy goose down comforter pressed down against my body as a cool satin nightgown slithered on my bare legs.
This wasn’t my bedroom.
This wasn’t my house.
Painful memories trickled down my mind, and what had seemed a terrible nightmare soon reshaped into the most unbearable reality. Hollowness ate chunks of my soul, one lethal bite at a time. Tears warmed my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.
A Cursed All Hallows' Eve Page 100