‘Dolores enlightened me, and I’m free of Val’s control, unlike my poor brother. Your mother is a remarkable woman, Lilly. She has taught me so much in such a short space of time. It’s such a pity that you despise me.’
Lilly sighed deeply. ‘I should have thought that if my mother had taught you anything it was that I never despised you personally, Rob. It’s just… well, I knew what part you were to play in all this. I wanted to keep you away from this place, and I was working my way up to persuading you to stay away from Dorstville. I knew that if I warned you not to come here, then you would anyway, so I figured that if I made you hate me, and then informed you that I was returning here myself, then you would steer clear.’
‘That might have succeeded, had Gerry not showed up. It was because if him that I came here. He told me Stan had kidnapped you and begged me to help look for you. Of course, I realise now that he was already under Val’s influence.’
‘We should get out of here,’ muttered Jonathan. ‘We’re in the lair of the devil, and we’re chattering like fishwives! Val could appear at any moment.’
‘It’s a good job all three of us can shield our thoughts then,’ whispered Lilly. She faced Rob. ‘What are you doing here anyway?’
‘I figured that since I can shield my thoughts from Val, then I ought to see if I can learn some of the secrets she’s hiding. Like how to free my brother for one thing.’
‘The only way to free your brother is to defeat Val, then her power will be broken and her hold over his mind severed. If we try to free him before that, she will be forewarned that there are subversives at work within the village. We are safe because none of us have been fully under her control. Our only hope of defeating both Val and Stan is to keep our minds shielded whilst we formulate a plan.’
‘Do we stand a chance?’
‘Your father and your half-sister were possessed by evil, but you are not, that is what makes you so special. You were conceived the same night as Virginia, and whilst she inherited the evil spirit, you inherited only good. You are the Chosen One, Rob, and as such, it is to you that we must look for salvation.’
‘I don’t have any answers, Lilly. I only know as much about what’s going on as your mother told me.’
‘Then she clearly hasn’t told you everything. Come on, let’s get out of this place and I’ll tell you some more.’
Rob led them from the tapestry room and down the passage, then out through the side door of the house, all three keeping alert for any sign that they had been detected. They made it back to the relative safety of Naghene Hall without making contact with anyone.
Lilly and Jonathan gratefully washed away the grime of their incarceration whilst Rob prepared some pies and potatoes to cook, and an hour later, the trio sat eating in the dining room.
‘I never thought pie and mash could taste so good,’ mumbled Jonathan through his full mouth.
‘Never mind that, I never thought I’d ever feel clean again,’ mumbled Lilly through her full mouth.
‘Didn’t your mothers ever tell you it’s bad manners to talk with your mouth full?’ mumbled Rob through his own full mouth.
All three chuckled, in spite of their situation.
‘Poor Ralph. That was not a pleasant way to go.’ Jonathan shuddered at the image of Stan’s true form feasting on Ralph’s life force; an image he felt would be imprinted on his brain for the rest of his life.
‘Stan is the most dangerous physically. He will have no compunction about killing again. Once he has the taste for human blood he will not be easily satiated, even though he can go for months without food.’
‘And Val, of course, is the most dangerous mentally!’
Lilly nodded. ‘Yes, Rob. It’s good that Mother has told you so much of what you need to know.’
‘You know, I’ve suddenly realised why the rooms in this house are such odd proportions. It’s a pentagon… inside the centre of the pentacle made from the five tors.’
‘Very astute of you Rob. The house was designed by a former Custodian of the Key to Gehenna to be a safe haven from evil. Whilst within the walls, evil can do no harm… except on the Night of Madness.’
‘The night when I will be sacrificed!’
‘Perhaps.’ Lilly shuddered suddenly, as though someone had stepped over her grave. ‘This house has a very odd feel to it. I never thought I’d ever set foot in it, and I must admit, part of me wishes I hadn’t. I can’t shake the feeling that something is watching us from the shadows.’
Rob nodded. ‘I’ve had that weird sensation a time or two since being here.’
Lilly looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘We must hope that we can find some way of averting the awakening of Apollyon without the need for your sacrifice now you are a believer.’
‘Where abouts would the sacrifice be made?’
‘Somewhere in this house is a hidden entrance to a cellar, and beneath that cellar, in another secret chamber, is the gateway to Gehenna.’
‘The gateway is a sacrificial altar?’
Lilly nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘How do you know all this?’
‘I know all that there is to know because I am the current Custodian!’
Nine
Custodian
The days and nights that followed dragged by for Jonathan, who wished he possessed the ability to speed up time so the nightmare would be over as quickly as possible. Every rational thought in his mind repeatedly informed him that the events he had witnessed, and those he had been told about, could not really be happening. Circumstances he could not comprehend defied those logical thoughts, and he settled into a daily routine of waking, wishing it was all over, and then moving on with the day.
In Rob’s eyes, time flew by at an astonishing rate, speeding along frantically, propelling him onwards towards an inevitable confrontation from his very deepest, darkest worst nightmare. The looming conflict would bring him face to face with an evil that, whatever the outcome, he was not expected to survive.
Rob had other ideas on that score though. He was not willing to die without a fight. He was not yet ready to relinquish his life to an all consuming maleficence, and both Dolores and Lilly, it seemed, agreed.
Not wishing to alert Val and the other Apollyonites to Dolores’s presence, he had visited her cottage only once since his first visit to Exeter.
Dolores and her daughter conspired closely to uncover facts and secrets available only to the Custodian. The cottage, it appeared, was far more of a reference library than the library itself.
Most of the books that lined the shelves, and those that were stacked ten deep on the floor in various parts of the cottage, looked innocuous enough, but they were filled with secrets written in a language that only the Custodian was empowered to read.
During her tenure as Custodian, Dolores had perused the ancient texts only periodically, having realised the awakening would not occur until after she passed the mantle to her daughter. Lilly, on the other hand, had started to read them from an early age, but had made little headway. She might have been able to read the obscure language, but the meaning of the words was lost on her.
It was only now, as the Night of Madness rapidly approached, that their significance began to shine through the muddle in her mind, and with clarity of thought, she realised that somewhere in the archaic texts lay hidden secrets that might yet allow victory without the necessity for the death of the Chosen One.
Having left Dolores to carry on reading the books and manuscripts and parchments at the cottage, Lilly spent most of her time at Naghene Hall with Jonathan and Rob. Although there was little doubt that Val knew of their presence in the house, it was to all intents and purposes the safest place for them to be.
Val had said the house was owned by her father, but by its very nature, having been built by a previous Custodian, no evil could force its way into the house, nor could evil be perpetrated within its walls.
Not until the Night of Madness.
B
ut now that night was only two nights away, and Lilly and Rob were worried about Dolores, who had not been in contact for almost four days. She had promised to use the mobile and report in every evening, but made her daughter promise to stay away from the cottage no matter what happened. Too much was at stake to risk something happening to them both, and although the lack of contact alarmed her, Lilly had thus far kept her word.
Rob was also worried about Dolores, more so since he had on several occasions recently witnessed Everard deep in conversation with Val in the village. Each time he had seen the pair, they hastily finished their conversation and Everard disappeared, leaving Rob with the distinct impression that his thoughts had betrayed him. He fought hard to keep them shielded, but if they gave away his presence, what else did they reveal to Val’s intrusive mind?
After four days with no contact from her mother, and with the Night of Madness imminent, Lilly could take no more. ‘I must return to Exeter. I fear for Mother’s life.’
Rob thought this a most unwise course of action, offering to make the journey himself. ‘You can’t defy your mother’s request. If the Custodian is so important in the scheme of things then you must stay here at Naghene Hall for your own safety. If your presence is vital in defeating Apollyon, then surely we should do everything within our power to ensure nothing happens to you. I, on the other hand, should be able to come and go freely from this house and make a visit to Exeter without drawing too much attention to myself.’
‘She’s my mother. The risk is great, but I must make certain no harm has come to her.’
‘Lilly, I think it’s safe to assume that Kinelm and Everard are up to no good, and I’ve noticed a distinct lack of the former. I think it’s a fair bet to assume he’s keeping Dolores prisoner. I get the impression that they know about her being the Custodian, but not that it’s been passed on to you.’
Lilly nodded. ‘It’s a safety measure. There are always two Custodians; two bodies but one common mind. The one with the real power is the one nobody knows about, though. Mother has the knowledge, but I have the power!’ She noted Rob’s look of alarm, and smiled. ‘Don’t fret, Rob, a Custodian can endure any amount of torture and withstand even the strongest forms of hypnotism. It’s all about willpower, and the overriding desire to maintain the balance.’
‘I hope Kinelm won’t torture her!’
‘When the mantle of Custodian passed down to her from grandmother, she pledged unswerving loyalty to the forces of Good. Now the power has been passed on to me, it’s up to me to guard the secrets. We will protect each other and ourselves, and the secrets we share.’
‘What are these secrets of which you speak?’ asked Jonathan, unsure that anyone could withstand the sort of pain Stan had inflicted upon poor Ralph.
‘Why, the secrets to which I am Custodian of course, which in time will include the Key to Gehenna. I feel certain there may yet be further secrets that perhaps Mother and I should have uncovered years ago. I fear we have been most remiss in our task.’
‘What happens if you both should die? Who then will take your place as Custodian? Who will have the ability to use the secrets to defeat Apollyon? Do you understand now why it’s so vital that you stay here, where you will be safe?’
Lilly was appalled that her death before passing on the mantle of Custodian was something she had not actually foreseen. The consequences of such a situation arising were truly horrific.
She was about to tell Rob that Dolores would still possess the knowledge, but remained silent when she realised her mother’s silence could well mean she was already dead. She did not think it entirely likely; she was certain she would have felt her mother’s death. But then, perhaps too much distance separated them, and maybe with the powers of Apollyon’s children increasing daily there was too much interference for her to channel in to her mother’s thoughts.
‘Perhaps I should tell someone some of the secrets… one of you?’
Jonathan gasped, his eyes wide with excitement. ‘Yes!’
His eyes shone hazily, dazzling Lilly with a subtle crimson luminescence. She reached out with her mind, probing his thoughts, struggling to decide whether it was safe to divulge the secrets to him.
The shine to his eyes diminished, but Lilly could not tell whether the forces of Good controlled him, or whether the forces of evil were manipulating him. Whichever was the case, it was evident that Jonathan was no longer in control of his body.
The forces of Good, Lilly finally concluded after a fraction of a second’s thought, would already know the secret of which she spoke, so the power controlling Jonathan had to be malignant in nature. Perhaps it was even Apollyon Himself, reaching out from within the prison dimension of Gehenna.
If that were the case then His powers had already achieved phenomenal proportions.
And I’ve told Him that I’m the new Custodian. Dear God, I’ve been a fool!
If she remained at Naghene Hall she would be safe enough, but Jonathan could easily drag her outside to the waiting minions of Apollyon. If he went with Rob to check on Dolores, Rob himself would be in danger.
Therefore, whether Rob liked it or not, the only solution was for her to accompany him to Exeter and leave Jonathan alone here at Naghene Hall. At least within the four walls the evil would not be able to harm him.
‘I will tell you, Rob, if we find Mother dead when we get to Exeter.’ Lilly turned to face Jonathan solemnly. ‘You will remain here and await our return!’
‘But I want to come with you!’ whined Jonathan.
Rob frowned. Jonathan was not the type to whine about anything. Something was wrong. He guessed Lilly would tell him on the way to Exeter. ‘Lilly’s right. It might be more dangerous for me to go without her, and there’s not enough room in the car for three. Stay here, Jonno. Make yourself useful. See if you can find the entrance to the secret cellar. You might have better luck without us around distracting you with all our chatter!’
Jonathan looked as though he was about to argue, but then appeared to think better of it and capitulated gracefully.
‘Right, come on then, Lilly, let’s go.’ Rob strode purposefully from the room, and as though reading his thoughts, Lilly followed, slamming the door behind her.
Left alone in the study, Jonathan heard the unmistakable sound of the front door being locked, and with bars at every window on the ground floor, he knew he had no chance of leaving the house. He could not understand why Rob and Lilly had behaved in such an appallingly ill-mannered way. ‘Was it something I said?’
When he heard a distant voice echoing a response from within his mind Jonathan shivered, convinced madness had beset him. He could not hear what the voice said, but it was there all the same, a distant booming voice, uttering words in a foreign tongue.
Just ignore it. It’s all in your imagination.
But I am not!
The voice echoed around him, both in the room and in his head.
Jonathan whirled around, but he was alone in the room. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as not for the first time he felt eyes watching him. Lilly had said that evil could do no harm within the walls of Naghene Hall, but still he felt an unaccountable fear.
Ignore it… it’ll go away!
But I will not go away.
‘Who are you?’ gasped Jonathan as the booming voice threatened to rupture his eardrums and rip apart his sanity. ‘Where are you? What do you want of me?’
The doorway into the hall dissolved into a pool of bright white light, through which, hazy and distant, Jonathan could see a shadowy figure beginning to coalesce into some sort of physical substance.
He backed away, not taking his eyes from the tableau before him, until he found himself pressed against the window. Tears of absolute fear punctured the corners of his eyes, blurring his vision. He turned, feverishly wrestling with the window through which he knew he could not hope to escape because of the damn bars.
Through the window, he could see Lilly and Rob speeding dow
n the driveway. He hammered on the glass, screaming for help, but they disappeared through the gate, oblivious to his plight.
Hearing a sizzling, rustling noise from behind, Jonathan slowly turned. He faltered, certain he would not like what he found.
He took one look at the apparition in the doorway and screamed loud and hard until his lungs felt as though they would burst, splitting, rupturing, ending his life. He struggled for breath, straining against the pressure that threatened to crush him.
Jonathan closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him, praying the end would be swift.
* * *
Val stood close to Stan, who had relinquished Ralph’s form and resumed his bestial nature. The moment it became clear that Rob was wise to the situation then the necessity for deception had disappeared.
The first seeds of doubt crept into Val’s mind the night Rob returned from his first trip to Exeter. She had sought out his thoughts, and found them muddled and confused. There was much in his mind that she could no longer read, which had not unduly alarmed her at the time. When she felt his presence within her domain, she allowed him the freedom to roam. He had not stayed long, and when she found out the reason, her fury bubbled deep within her, festering away like the remaining corpse in the cellar.
How had the other prisoners managed to escape without her knowledge? One of them was able to shield their thoughts with consummate care. Oh yes, Lilly had been clever indeed. It had often crossed Val’s mind to wonder why Lilly’s mother had never set foot in the village during the brief marriage between Lilly and Stan. The thoughts of the man, Jonathan, though shielded, were easier to decipher, and Val now knew that Lilly was the daughter of the librarian whom Rob had befriended in Exeter.
As she stood contemplating the vast tapestry, watching as the image shifted perceptibly and more of the poor unfortunate forces of Good were slaughtered before her eyes, Val knew for certain that it was Lilly who had helped the others shield their thoughts, and she knew how.
In the vastness of the tapestry, one of the figures fighting the children of Apollyon had always looked vaguely familiar to Val, and having read the few thoughts available to her within the turmoil of Rob’s mind, she saw an image of Lilly’s mother.
The Five Tors Page 20