by Kelly Goode
It was then that Carter noticed my neck.
‘Shit, you’re hurt. Why didn’t you say anything? Did I make it worse when I grabbed you?’
‘No. Please check Sophia first,’ I replied. ‘She’s in pain.’
Carter’s eyes swept over the old woman. ‘She looks in better shape than you do. Stop talking and sit down.’
I let him guide me to a chair. He gently removed the gauzy veil and examined my neck.
‘Fuck, it’s deeper than I thought. You need this treated.’
He pulled one of the agents to one-side.
‘Get the paramedics in here.’
‘That’s not necessary,’ I said, trying to get to my feet, but the movement made me sway back and forth. ’It’s just a cut.’
‘There could be damage to your muscle, nerves, or even your voice box. You’re lucky it didn’t sever the artery.’
Carter swiped his hand over his face.
‘What a mess this assignment has turned out to be,’ he continued. ‘I’m sorry I dragged you into it.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ I said. ‘Nothing that happened this week has been your fault. I knew what I was signing-up to. I did it for my mother. Myles owes me now. I finished the assignment. Ava summoned the demon. She’s the one we need to find.’
‘Why did she do it?’
‘Short version – revenge. Long version will have to wait, as I’m not feeling so good all of a sudden.’
My vision blurred, as my head lolled to one side. I was only vaguely aware of Carter scooping me up and carrying me outside, as the temptation to sleep proved far greater than I could resist.
71
The sun was just starting to edge through the window when I awoke the following morning. I opened one eye cautiously, knowing that if the impending footsteps belonged to the attending nurse then I was going to pretend to be asleep again, rather than take any more drugs.
I’d stayed in the supernatural hospital overnight more as a precaution than on Carter’s orders. The emergency doctor had used a special glue to seal the cut around my neck, and prescribed sleep and painkillers. The nurses regularly checked on me through the night, and fed me enough pills that I was sure I’d rattle when I walked.
I was facing away from the doorway, so didn’t see when my visitor stepped inside my room, only the ominous shadow it cast across my bed. The shape and stature was too large to belong to the nurse so I remained motionless in bed, trying to breathe like someone who was asleep, but the more I thought about regulating my inhales and exhales, the more erratic they became.
My visitor stood there for a few minutes, not moving and not saying anything.
What did they want?
I could see the emergency call button, but couldn’t reach it without alerting them that I was awake. The shadow moved and I breathed a sigh of relief as I thought they were leaving.
‘Told you I’d find you easily enough, bitch.’
The words were whispered into my ear as a sharp pain radiated from between my shoulder blades.
‘Scream and my claws will slice through your skin like butter.’
I knew the voice all too well, and my fear quickly turned to anger.
‘Perry, you stupid son of a bitch. What are you doing here?’
‘I told you I’d track you. I told you it would be easy.’
‘Are you really willing to jeopardise your chance at freedom just to hurt me?’
‘You need to be taught a lesson.’
‘And like the coward that you are, you chose to attack me in my sleep. It’s not hard to see why you never made Alpha.’
Perry pressed his claws deeper, forcing a reluctant groan from me.
‘You have such a big mouth, Ember. I can’t wait to see it put to good use around my cock.
He licked the side of my face and the repulsion I felt made my stomach undulate.
‘I could kill you right now but I like my prey to run, so I’ll give you time to heal and then I’ll find you again. You won’t see me coming, but you’ll know I’m there. I’ll stalk you. Day and night. You’ll never be free from me.’
I believed him. Perry was relentless. Hunting was in his nature. I’d be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, waiting for him to strike.
Unless I attacked first.
He underestimated me. I would heal, but I wouldn’t sit around waiting for him to strike. The hunter would become the hunted.
‘You picked the wrong girl to piss off, Perry.’
Perry removed his claws from my back and laughed.
‘Well see about that, bitch.’
His laughter faded and his shadow retreated as he left the room.
72
Darkness had fallen by the time the doctor discharged me and I’d collected my prescription. Carter had told me to call him when I left the hospital, but I was stubborn so decided to make my own way home.
A sleek, black limousine parked outside the hospital exit caught my attention, and I wondered what celebrity was in residence. As I walked towards the bus stop, it followed me like an obedient puppy. I stopped and it stopped. I walked and it walked. I stopped again and tried to look inside, but could only see my reflection in the blacked-out glass.
The electric whirr of the window opening startled me, and nothing could have prepared me for who I saw sitting inside.
‘Hello, Ember.’
Bright blue eyes, inside a deathly pale face, met mine and my hands automatically burst into flames.
‘Don’t do that.’
Darrick’s voice washed over me, taking control of my body, and the fire died as quickly as it had started.
‘Get in.’
My feet were already complying before he’d even finished his last syllable.
‘Damn you,’ I hissed, as an invisible force compelled me to open the door to the limousine. I took the seat opposite the handsome vampire and waited for him to speak.
‘Drink?’ he asked, as the car started moving.
‘No, thank you.’
‘It’s good to see you again.’
‘Is it?’
Darrick nodded as his lip curled into a smile.
‘You don’t seem to feel the same, Ember. I thought we shared a connection, but then you tried to set my office on fire before running out on me.’
‘I think the connection was rather one-sided,’ I replied, wishing I could just open the door and jump out of the car, but the vampire’s control kept me pinned to the seat.
Darrick’s blue eyes narrowed at my snub.
‘I didn’t force you to do anything you didn’t want to do.’
I levelled him with a hard stare.
‘I did not want to dance half-naked on a podium inside your nightclub.’
The vampire had the sense to look apologetic.
‘That was just a test. I didn’t force you to kiss me.’
He was right about that. I’d kissed him, but I hadn’t felt anything. It had been for the sake of the mission.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘The last time we met, I was in a bad place-’
‘The supernatural detainment unit, you mean? Yes, I know all about that.’
‘You do?’
Darrick nodded. ‘JC and Harvey happily gave up information on you in return for the demon’s location.’
‘Sons-of-bitches,’ I cursed, realising that Harvey’s betrayal hurt far greater than JC’s did.
‘I could force you to tell me why you were working at my nightclub, but I won’t. Some secrets should remain as such. I could also demand your blood, which I have thought about non-stop for weeks, but I see you’re injured, so I will refrain – for now.’
The temperature in the limousine dropped, and I shivered.
‘You are a unique woman, Ember. I could bring you under my protection. I have friends in high places. I could help you.’
‘And you would do this out of the kindness of your heart, would you?’
Darrick smiled. ‘I don’t ha
ve a heart. Don’t confuse my attention for affection. Of course there will be something in the arrangement for me.’
I didn’t like the idea of being indebted to a vampire, especially not one as controlling as Darrick, but before I could answer, the screen between the driver and us, opened.
‘We’re here, sir.’
‘Thank you, Carl. Give us a few minutes.’
‘Yes, sir.’
The screen closed again.
‘Where have you taken me?’ I asked, a sudden bout of fear causing my voice to wobble.
‘Home,’ he answered.
‘I don’t have a home.’
‘JC said you were staying at your mother’s house.’
My eyes narrowed.
‘How do you know where my mother lives?’
‘I made it my business to know everything about your mother.’
‘If you go anywhere near her, I’ll kill you,’ I threatened, and Darrick must have sensed the conviction in my voice, as he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
He pressed a button and the window beside me opened.
‘Look outside, Ember. Tell me what’s changed.’
I did as commanded, but my mother’s house looked just the same. Darrick held my chin and turned my head in the direction that he wanted it.
‘Really look this time.’
‘You planted flowers?’ I asked, as I noticed the sprawling array of flowers spilling from the boxes beneath the window ledge.
My brain was connecting dots but not coming up with an answer, until the front door opened and a figure stepped outside.
73
My mother’s long, red hair whipped in the breeze as she stood on the doorstep, dressed in a yellow cotton dress.
‘Mum,’ I gasped, which must have been loud enough for her to hear as she smiled and waved. I expected her to fade away, as I was convinced Darrick was somehow controlling my mind and forcing me to see what I wanted to see.
‘She’s real, Ember,’ Darrick said, ‘but know this, the man you worked for - the man you trusted - was never going to release her. He lied about having evidence to overthrow her detainment so I called in a favour instead. I told you I have friends in high places.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I knew it would make you happy.’
I wiped a tear from my cheek.
‘Thank you,’ I said hoarsely.
‘And I will collect that thank you later.’
I nodded. I’d said I didn’t want to be in this vampire’s debt, but I was. My mother was free. The price to pay would never be too high for that.
‘When I call, you will come,’ Darrick added, his words settling like a heavy weight on my shoulders.
‘Yes,’ I replied.
‘Promise.’
‘I promise.’
Darrick nodded, and the driver opened the door and tipped his hat at me.
‘Allow me,’ he said, offering me his hand, so I could get out of the limousine.
‘I’ll be in touch, Ember,’ Darrick said, before the door slammed shut and the driver took his rightful position behind the wheel.
The car pulled away, leaving me standing on the pavement in a daze. I willed my feet forward, each step taking me closer to my mother. She looked healthy and there was plenty of colour in her cheeks.
‘Mum,’ I said, and she descended the steps and pulled me into her embrace, which had me crying like a baby. Her small hands rubbed my back as she had when I was a child, but then she noticed the bandage on my neck.
‘Are you ok? What happened?’
‘I was attacked by a demon yesterday, but I’m ok. A supernatural doctor fixed my injury and released me.’
Too many emotions flooded my body. I couldn’t believe I was hugging my mother with no handcuffs restricting us, and no prying security cameras monitoring us.
‘Let’s go inside,’ she said, pulling away and wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘I’ll make us both a cup of tea.’
As I stepped into the hallway, the potent scent of bleach hit me like a smack in the face.
‘You don’t know how great it felt to clean this place,’ my mother said.
‘I’m sorry it was a little grubby. I haven’t been in here much over the years. This never really felt like home to me. Not after what happened to Roger…’
My voice faded at the memory of finding Roger’s blood all over the hallway.
‘How did you get out?’ I asked.
My mother smiled. ‘It was that new psychiatrist I was telling you about. He put together a report, detailing the benefits of rehabilitation at home. The judge ruled that I posed no danger to anyone and let me go. I still need to report to a caseworker each week, but to all intense purposes, I’m free.’
Darrick must have used his influence on the judge.
‘I can’t believe you’re actually here, mum. I’ve been trying to get you out of that place for years. The last time I saw you, you were angry. You told me you didn’t want to leave. What changed?’
She contemplated my question, and I got the feeling that what she told me was only an edited version.
‘I always thought it would be safer for both of us if I remained locked up, but I realise that’s not the case anymore. We need to stick together. Fight together.’
Her face suddenly went from serious to jovial.
‘Oh, I almost forgot. Just before you arrived, someone left a parcel on the doorstep. It was addressed to you so I took it up to your bedroom. It was heavy. Go take a look.’
I nodded and kissed her on the cheek.
‘I changed the bedding,’ she continued. ‘If you want to lie down, that’s fine. I have lots more cleaning to do.’
‘Ok, mum.’
I squeezed her hand and flames danced up and down our arms.
‘I’ve wanted to do that for ages,’ she said with a grin that made her look so much younger than her fifty years. ‘I was worried that my powers wouldn’t work after all this time of not using them.’
I released her hand and climbed the stairs to my old childhood bedroom. It was the room where I’d spent most of my time hiding from Roger. I’d not been in here for almost a decade, preferring to sleep in the spare bedroom whenever necessity forced me back to the house.
I opened the door and the familiar pink rose wallpaper that greeted me made my stomach constrict. For a split second, I was pulled back to that night.
The night of Roger’s murder.
I was seventeen, but painfully thin from anxiety and malnourished from a general refusal to eat. I clearly remembered Roger forcing his way into my bedroom and shoving me down onto the bed. His breath had been hot and rancid against my neck. He’d groped my breasts and called me names. When he’d forced opened my legs, I’d started counting the roses on the wallpaper, trying to disconnect from what was happening to me.
Roger unzipped his trousers and rubbed his hardness against the inside of my thigh. I remembered counting fifteen flowers. Fifteen seconds of innocence stolen by a man supposed to love and protect me.
On the sixteenth flower, a flash of light had illuminated my bedroom and Roger had been wrenched off me, and that was where the memory ended.
What had happened next?
One thing was for sure, I’d been right about my mother not being home that night. She’d been working, but someone had rescued me. Just as someone had killed Roger.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, and focused on the box on my bed. It was a non-descript, brown cardboard box with my name neatly printed on the side. I lifted the lid, suspicious of a pungent smell coming from inside. Almost like gone-off meat.
Inside was a sphere like shape wrapped in plastic. Pulling apart the layers revealed the contents and a scream bubbled up from somewhere deep inside, and seemed to stick in my throat as a severed head stared up at me.
Not just any head – Perry’s head – and he had his heart stuffed inside his open mouth.
74
My stomach clenched as I sank to
one knee. I kept my breathing shallow, and only through my mouth, in order not to gag. The girl had been pretty once, but like the other victims, death had devoured her features. Her eyes jutted from their sockets and her tongue bulged between her cracked lips. Her elaborate white dress stood out against the patch of muddy grass where she lay. Her veil was wrapped around her throat several times, and a bouquet of thorny, red roses rested on her chest.
A corpse-bride.
Another corpse-bride.
A familiar corpse-bride - Ava.
‘This time it’s definitely déjà vu, Ember.’
My eyes locked with Doctor Alvis as he once again crouched opposite me, mirroring my posture. It had been a week since the demon attack at Sophia’s house, a week since the unexplained delivery of Perry’s severed head, a week since my pact with Darrick, and I was back at Hampstead Heath.
‘She’ll be the last one,’ I replied. ‘The triangle is complete.’
‘Carter has been working day and night trying to track the demon that did this. The one that hurt you.’
I automatically touched the thin, scabby line on my neck. It was all that remained of my wound, and the doctor had assured me it wouldn’t scar.
‘Carter is wasting his time. The demon has claimed his three souls. He won’t stay in this dimension. Ava summoned him and she paid the ultimate price.’
Alvis nodded.
‘She never made the flight to Scotland that she was booked onto. From the rate of decomposition on the body, it looks as if she survived for a few days before the demon caught up with her. I sent a blood sample earlier to Doctor Porter at the lab. She confirmed that her DNA matches what we found under Colleen’s fingernails. She killed her.’
‘I know. Ava’s fiancé was the father of Colleen’s unborn baby. She felt betrayed and she lashed out. So much death. So much loss. I don’t know where to go from here…’
‘You should go home, Ember. I heard about your mother. You must have lots of catching up to do. I’m glad you’re finally reunited.