‘You can sleep for a little more, if you want,’ he said. ‘We’re not quite there, yet.’
Khalida blinked and looked out the window; they were in the middle of nowhere. The sun was just about to rise, staining the sky with bright oranges and soft pinks against the blue mist, gently rolling in fields lined with hedgerows. She rubbed her eyes, feeling a jolt of pain run through her body, flaring in her broken fingers, and looked at the dashboard clock. It was approaching eight in the morning.
‘Where are we?’ she asked.
‘We’ve just entered Wiltshire,’ Clarence said. ‘It’s a shame that I can’t take you home to Canterbury, but that would be too obvious, and Rebirth would have sent someone round there to spy the moment they realised I was gone. Perhaps we can go there at a later time.’
She reached for the bottle of water and drank, feeling marginally more awake.
‘So, are you abandoning Rebirth?’ she asked.
‘I suppose I am,’ he said. ‘To be honest with you, it’s a sinking boat anyway, but my sister does have a habit of getting fixated on things, which is often fun for a while, but this has gone on for way too long. At least this time I was able to make a considerable amount of money by telling corporate types that I would give them immortality in exchange for funding.’
‘So, what’s the plan?’ she asked. ‘I want to talk to Cain.’
Clarence rolled his eyes. ‘Fine, if he’s still alive. But, for now, we’re going to a safe place to hide for a while, then leave the country while this blows over. I think you’ll like Africa – have you ever been?’
‘Africa?’ she asked.
‘Or South America,’ he said, ‘somewhere out of the reach of everyone. Rainforests are amazing places to visit as a vampire; just mind the sunlight and you’re fine.’
‘So, your plan is just to run away and hope that everything just happens to work out?’ she frowned.
Clarence sighed. ‘I can turn the car around, drive back to London, and we’ll see how long we last there instead. Some things you can’t fight, Khalida. You just have to wait and see what happens. Mostly, things will correct themselves after a while. Personally, I think that the world has passed its prime after the Great War, but I’m still here.’
‘This is worth fighting against, Clarence,’ she said.
‘For what?’ he asked. ‘It doesn’t matter what Cecilia or Feigrey does, the Blood Thieves are going to be involved, then the Shield of Scarlet are going to drag themselves into this, and in the end, the entire thing is going to collapse, and everyone is just going to go back to where they came from.’
‘They’re going to kill people, Clarence, they’ve already killed hundreds.’
‘People who don’t matter,’ he said. ‘Most humans would condone us if they knew; we’re just culling the weakest to make more space for the strong. How many of them really care about the homeless, or the poor, or immigrants? As if anyone is going to cry for the chav on the council estate who goes missing, or the illegal immigrant sleeping under a bridge who just vanishes. For all of Rebirth’s faults, their methods were, at least, honest. Why bother allowing those who don’t contribute to society? What’s the point in keeping alive those who do nothing but take?’
‘That’s barbaric,’ Khalida spat, ‘and disgusting.’
‘That’s life,’ he said. ‘You don’t see animals doing the same. I like civilisation as much as the next man, but as a vampire, I go by the laws of nature.’
‘How could you possibly think we would ever be together?’ she said. ‘That’s the entire reason I began hunting vampires; you’re all rabid animals, hiding behind that bullshit logic.’
‘Even Cain?’ Clarence teased. ‘He’s eaten humans, too.’
Khalida glared at him. ‘Up until a few hours ago, I thought he was human.’
‘Well, you were wrong,’ he said, ‘as you are about a lot of vampire related matters.’
Khalida sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
‘Clarence, you eat people. And we both know damn well that you can survive as a vampire just by drinking their blood, and all you do is make the human a little dizzy afterwards.’
Clarence rolled his eyes. ‘That’s naïve, Khalida, and you’re seeing the matter from a human perspective. It would be like having a cow debate about whether eating beef is morally right or not.’
‘Really?’ she said. ‘Clarence, we’re nearly the same species. We can communicate. We share the same levels of intelligence.’
‘You can try and be rational about this as much as you like, Khalida, but the simple matter is that we need to eat humans, and so, we do. We’re the true apex species. It’s just that you, as a human, cannot accept that you’re the prey for once. Why aren’t you equally as angry at human militaries for killing people? A death is a death; it’s the same thing. Stop being so sentimental about it.’
‘How many other people hunt vampires?’ she said. ‘I can kill vampires. I can’t do much to stop all world wars.’
‘And your point is, what?’ Clarence asked. ‘Rebirth have defended you; you’ve only really killed a small handful of vampires, and look how much trouble that’s got you in.’
‘At least I tried,’ she said.
‘Heroic,’ he said dryly. ‘Look, you’re probably irritable, since you’re tired and hungry. Just hold on for a little while now until I can get some food for you.’
She sat back in silence. The sun rose higher, the sky shifting to a brilliant white blue.
‘Where are we going, Clarence?’ she asked.
‘Somewhere safe.’
‘Yes, but what place are we actually going to?’
‘A safe house,’ Clarence said. ‘It’s a former stately home. It’s now an empty shell of a building, not pretty in the slightest, but it’s safe.’
‘So, how far anyway is it from here?’
‘About an hour and a half,’ Clarence said, ‘a little over, perhaps.’
‘And are we going to stop off somewhere before?’
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘Because I’m really hungry, and you don’t have any food. And also, I need to use a toilet,’ she said.
‘We can’t use a service station; there are too many cameras,’ Clarence said.
‘A supermarket,’ Khalida said, ‘or a coffee shop.’
‘It’s too dangerous,’ he said.
‘Clarence; we’re in the middle of nowhere,’ she said, ‘and you can either find somewhere with food and a bathroom, or I can piss in your car and then collapse from hunger.’
Clarence scowled at her. ‘Fine,’ he said, ‘I’ll find somewhere.’
Khalida looked out the window, her skin prickling as Clarence glowered out at the road in front of them. A heavy silence fell on them as they drove. After a while, Clarence pulled off the country road and up into a small town. They passed the High Street, a row of quaint, brick shop fronts, covered in flower boxes and hanging baskets, until they reached a large supermarket on the opposite side of the town. Clarence parked as close as he could to the front of the building; the car park was nearly empty.
‘We will be back here in ten minutes,’ he said, as he shut off the engine, ‘and not any later.’
He helped Khalida out of the car, the morning sun pleasantly fresh on her skin. The supermarket was mostly occupied by mums shopping after the school rush. Khalida walked straight over to the women’s toilets, with Clarence straight behind her.
‘You don’t have to follow me in,’ she said.
‘I’ll be waiting outside,’ he said. ‘Don’t take too long.’
Khalida suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as she stepped inside. The moment the door shut behind her, she took a deep breath and looked around. There were windows in the bathroom, but they were up high, and there was no way that she could climb out of them.
She sighed, went into the stalls, and with some effort pushed down her jeans with her damaged fingers. This would be her only chance away from Clarence. The
toilet flushed, and she stepped out of the stall. She stood in front of the mirror; she looked ragged, her clothes creased from sleeping in the car, her hair lank and greasy, and her skin pallid with dark circles under her eyes. She ran the tap and splashed water on her face. There were minutes before Clarence would wonder where she was.
There was a bang and the door shot open. Khalida jumped as three loud, young, children entered, followed by a woman with a baby strapped to her chest.
‘Okay, quickly now, guys,’ the woman said, casting a glance at Khalida, who was still standing by the sink.
‘Oh, excuse me,’ Khalida said, ‘would it be possible for me to borrow your phone? I need to make a call.’
The woman gave her a look, as the kids banged the stall doors shut behind them.
‘Well, surely there’s one at the help desk?’ the woman said.
‘I can’t use that one,’ she said, watching the woman’s face crease into a questioning frown. ‘Look – did you notice a man standing outside? Tall, blonde, wearing sunglasses?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I need to make this call in here,’ Khalida said. ‘Please.’
The woman blinked. ‘Okay then,’ she said, fishing out a phone from her pocket. ‘Are you okay, though? Perhaps I could call someone if he’s bothering you.’
‘I’m sorting it out,’ Khalida said, entering the number of Poppy’s burner phone with shaking hands. She pressed the phone against her ear as it rang, her heartbeat stretching out with every ring.
‘Hello?’
‘Poppy!’ Khalida said. ‘Thank God. It’s me.’
‘Khalida?!’ Poppy said. ‘Oh, thank God, we thought that Rebirth had killed you.’
‘They nearly did,’ Khalida said, ignoring the woman obviously eavesdropping. ‘Are you safe? Is Cain okay?’
‘Yes, he’s with us – we’re all fine,’ Poppy said.
‘Great – look, I’m with Clarence at the moment, he’s taking me to a former stately home. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s about an hour and a half away from a town called Woolthwaite, Wiltshire.’
‘Okay,’ Poppy said, ‘we’ll try to find you. Where are you right now?’
‘In a Sainsburys toilets,’ Khalida said. ‘I can’t talk for very long.’
‘Okay,’ Poppy said, ‘we’ll get there as soon as possible.’
‘Okay,’ Khalida said. ‘I have to go now.’
‘Stay safe.’
‘You, too.’
Khalida sighed and hung up, passing the phone back to the woman, who saw her fingers.
‘Are you sure that you’re okay?’ she asked. ‘Sweetie, I can get the police if you’re in danger.’
‘I’m fine,’ Khalida said. ‘They look like that, anyway; it’s a bone structure problem. Thank you so much for your help.’
She slipped out of the toilets to find Clarence stood outside the doors.
‘Right,’ he said, ‘supplies.’
He picked up a shopping basket and began pacing around the shop, quickly filling it up with food, bottles of water, toiletries, and what little outdoor camping equipment was available from the seasonal goods aisle. Khalida trailed behind him, her heart pounding.
‘This wasn’t a terrible idea,’ Clarence said, as he paid. ‘I should fill the car up with petrol while I have the chance.’
Khalida sat back in the car as he drove into the petrol station, wiped her face and armpits with the wet wipes he had bought, and put some deodorant on while he filled up the car. She was onto her second BLT sandwich when Clarence got back into the car and drove off.
‘Feeling better?’ he asked.
She nodded. ‘More human – thank you.’
‘You’re welcome,’ he said, as the car turned back off along the country roads. ‘I’m not as heartless as you think I am.’
‘Yes, you begrudgingly bought me food and let me go to a bathroom,’ Khalida said.
‘Enough of that,’ Clarence said as the car drove out away from the village. ‘I’m putting my neck on the line for you.’
Outside, the landscape began to shift to rolling hills. She saw a road sign, which told her that they were travelling towards Bath. They drove past a farm, then the hedgerows surrounding the roadside thickened and grew so that she could barely see anything beyond the wall of green, which receded as they approached a village. She saw the thatched roofs of a few picturesque cottages, and a glimpse of the perfect village square as Clarence drove through the village and up towards a hill, which seemed to lead back into empty countryside, until, after a quarter of a mile, he turned off the road and into a partly hidden driveway overshadowed by trees.
‘Finally, we’re here,’ he said, as the car rumbled up the driveway.
It had once been a grand manor house; a handsome, sandstone building, which sat overlooking the fields and the village below, with pillars lining the wide front, however, there was no avoiding the ruin. Much of the house was covered in twisted ivy, and the tall windows were completely frameless and looked as though someone had simply cut large, rectangular holes out of the wall. As they approached, Khalida could see large gaps in the roof and exposed, rotting wood beams.
‘Easterhome House; it was once quite a stunning property,’ Clarence said, as he pulled the car up. ‘To be honest, it’s a shame that no-one wants it now, but it would cost more to resort than it would do to buy at this point.’
‘What is this place?’ Khalida asked as she pushed the door open.
The sound of the car door closing sounded impossibly loud in such a quiet place; there was nothing to hear except the birds singing and the faint rustle of a breeze. The air was soft, and sweetened with the earthy smells of early summer.
‘It used to belong to a friend of mine,’ Clarence said, staring up at the house, ‘but before him, it used to belong to the Easterhome family. The original owners were all killed in the Eighteenth century – the vampire who did that is in Rebirth now – then it passed to increasingly obscure relatives. Times changed, and they fell into heavy debt,’ Clarence said, guiding her over to the front door. There was a sign over it which read that the structure was too unsafe to enter. ‘In the end, they sold it to my friend, who turned it into a reform school for a few years before he lost interest with it.’
He unlocked the door, and Khalida stepped inside. The smell of dust and damp filled the air. It was cold; Khalida wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped inside, Clarence locking the door behind them. Everything had been stripped bare; paint was peeling from the walls, forming a mottled pattern of greenish-brown mould, faded reddish brick, and discoloured white paint, stained yellow and grey. There was wiring that had been ripped from the walls, and the floor was littered with greyish-white dust, shattered glass, empty cans, and splinters of wooden beams, with plants and weeds growing from the cracks.
She could see through from the entrance hall to what would have once been the grand staircase, though its steps were rotten through in places, and an entire section was missing. She looked up, and could see the sky through various missing chunks of floors and ceilings. In her mind, she could imagine what the house would have once looked like; the size and shape of the interior suggested grandeur, but everything the house had ever been was decaying.
‘Is it safe to be in here?’ she asked, as there was a noise from above them and several pigeons few out past them.
‘Yes,’ Clarence said. ‘My senses are more finely tuned than your own. If something bad was about to happen, then I would know.’
He led her towards the back of the house. The further they walked, the more ‘V’ symbols appeared, carved into the walls. They came to a shadowy room, which Khalida supposed was once the kitchen, judging by the enormous alcove, which would have once held a stove, and metal pipes where a sink once was. There was a pile of charred sticks in the alcove, and several ragged blankets a few feet away from it, with more ‘V’s scratched into the floor and walls.
‘Oh yes, and Zhu Ling also used to liv
e here,’ Clarence said. ‘I think you killed her.’
‘You were friends, weren’t you?’ Khalida said. ‘You called her just after I killed her, that’s what tipped us of to Rebirth.’
‘Great,’ Clarence muttered. ‘Yes, we were friends and I suppose here is as good a base as any, for now,’ he said, looking around. ‘I suppose that you want to rest, given that you’ve probably had two hours of sleep in the past twenty hours.’
‘Where, though?’ Khalida asked. ‘To be honest, I’d rather sleep in the car.’
He left the room, leaving Khalida alone. She noticed that the boards blocking out the windows had been knocked down, though bushes were growing in through the empty panes. There was a metal door at the other side of the kitchen; she moved over towards it and tried to open it, the pain flaring in her fingers as she tried. She strained, feeling her muscles pull, and there was a slightly, barely detectable give. As she heard Clarence’s footsteps approaching, she dropped her grasp from it. He was carrying a large, metal frame of a bed, and placed it down in the room.
‘One moment again, please,’ he said, as he vanished back into the house.
She sighed, rubbing the palms of her hands against the fabric of her trousers. Even if she opened the door, she knew that Clarence could catch up to her instantly.
‘This isn’t great,’ Clarence said, carrying an old, leather gym mat under one arm, and placing it down on the frame. It was thin, limp and dappled with brown stains. ‘Sorry. It’s not what you deserve. You can rest here for now,’ he said, as he carefully spread his coat over the mat, ‘even though you might not want to sleep.’
‘Where did you get that from?’ she asked.
‘It’s left over from the school,’ he said, ‘This was the best one remaining.’
‘What are you going to do?’ she asked.
‘Rest, and think,’ he said. ‘I need to figure out where we’re going to go next, and how we’re going to leave the country.’
‘Can we discuss that idea?’ Khalida said.
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