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

Chapter 7

  The next morning I got a call from Claudette asking if I wanted to go to Nontron. I hesitated for a moment as I had been planning to go and see that stupid ghost down at the lake and ask what the hell she was playing at trying to get me drowned. I had a strong suspicion that’s how she’d ended up a ghost in the first place. In the end, a yearning for normality got the better of me and I told her I’d pick her up in an hour.

  I wondered briefly about Felix as I hadn’t heard from him since the night he'd kissed me. At first I’d been a bit disappointed, but I figured that Felix was that kind of boy. He’d blow hot or cold as the mood took him, I expected he was probably off being Felix with some pretty girl somewhere. The thought depressed me much less than it should have and was quickly replaced by the image of Corvus without his shirt on in the moonlight. I felt myself blushing and tried to push the thought away without a lot of success. I knew it was ridiculous, that kind of thinking would land me in so much hot water I wouldn’t need to worry about drowning, I’d be boiled alive.

  We had a really good morning. I drove the old Renault and we pottered around the shops before going into the Café des Sports for a Chocolat chaud. Claudette bought a new CD, some French singer I’d never heard of and insisted we play it on the way home. Her turquoise eyes sparkled happily as she sang along at full volume and tried to teach me the words but without much success.

  When we got back to her house, she invited me in and we spent an hour chatting about nothing and painting our toenails.

  Claudette confessed she was mad about a boy called Léo who wore a black leather jacket and rode a motorbike. She was upset because she’d thought he really liked her but he’d disappeared and she hadn’t heard from him for weeks. I’d seen him around and personally, I thought he looked like a loser and she was well out of it, but then with my taste in the opposite sex I was in no place to judge. Compared to a vampire and a shape shifter Léo was probably a really good bloke.

  It was getting dark by the time I got home and I wondered with a shiver of anticipation if Corvus would turn up, and then wondered why on earth I would want him to. After all it wasn’t long ago he’d wanted me dead and I wasn’t entirely sure he’d changed his mind. Anyway Gran’s wards would probably keep him away. I decided not to analyse why the thought made me feel so gloomy.

  I let myself into the cottage, wishing I could just flop down and watch TV, but Gran refused to have one. I’d brought a laptop with me but there was no broadband here in the ‘sticks’ and I’d watched the stuff on my hard drive so many times I knew the scripts backwards.

  I’d just got comfy and picked up my book again when I heard a clattering against the door. Nerva had been asleep perched on the back of one of the chairs, but he blearily open one eye and cawed at me. I clutched at the chair nervously.

  “Well don’t look at me, I didn’t invite anyone.”

  I’d already closed the shutters downstairs so ran up to my bedroom to look outside. I peered out into the darkness and saw a figure on the edge of the garden throwing stones at the front door. I opened the window and shouted.

  “Who’s there?”

  “Oh, hello luv, you must be Jéhenne. I’ve tried to get to the door but there’s so many bloody wards up, I’m getting nowhere fast!”

  The figure moved out of the shadows and I was startled to see a punk rocker standing in the middle of Gran’s herb bed. He shouted across the garden cheerfully. “Corvus sent me to check you was alright like. He didn’t want to come ‘imself in case he scared you. I’m a friend of your Gran's, did she mention me?”

  I remembered Gran telling me about a Ghoul from London called Rodney who came to her for a kind of preservative potion. He certainly sounded like he fitted the bill.

  “What’s your name?”

  He performed a theatrical bow and with a great flourish announced, “Rodney Wainwright at your service, m'lady.”

  I giggled. Well he certainly didn’t appear to be threatening and much as I didn’t like the thought of a Ghoul in the house, I didn’t want to be rude.

  “OK, I’ll come down but I don’t know how to cancel the ward.”

  “Oh that’s easy,” he said with a grin. “Just ask me in.”

  I ran downstairs and opened the door.

  “Please come in, Rodney.”

  There was a quiet fizzing sound and Rodney stepped forward through the garden and into the house. Up close he was quite a picture. His head was shaved at both sides and down the centre was a slightly wonky looking Mohican, dyed in various shades of purple, blue, black and red. He had several nose studs and a whole array of earrings covering both ears; and was wearing a Sex Pistols T-shirt that was cut to ribbons, allowing a black T-shirt beneath to show through the slits. The whole ensemble was topped off with a variety of chains and belts which clanked gently when he moved. He shrugged at me as I took in the vision that was Rodney Wainwright.

  “Well, you’ve got to admit, I'm less scary than Corvus at least,” he said, grinning.

  I grinned back at him.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Right then, first things first, whatcha got to drink?”

  “Oh,” I said, a little taken aback. “Er, well there’s wine of course.”

  Rodney pulled a face,

  “Nah, got anything stronger?”

  “Eau-de-Vie?” I suggested, remembering Gran’s lethal home-made brew.

  “Now yer talkin', just what the doctor ordered! Let’s 'ave at it then.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

  I opened the creepy old cupboard Gran stashed the drinks in and put the bottle on the table with a small glass.

  He sat down at the table and gestured to the bottle. “Not joining me?”

  “Erm, no thanks.”

  I sat down opposite him. He unscrewed the bottle, poured out a small measure and without hesitation, slung it back. His eyes went wide and then he winced.

  “Corr! No one makes this stuff like Inés. That’s properly fierce!” He poured out another measure and looked at me shrewdly.

  “So then, you’re the little girl everyone’s been talking about?”

  My eyebrows went up in surprise. “Have they? Why on earth are they talking about me?”

  Rodney winked at me. “Well, after what happened at the meeting of course,” he said, as though that should have been blatantly obvious.

  “Oh.” I shifted in my seat. “Were you there then?”

  “Yep, late as usual, I arrived just in time to see his Lordship lose the plot. Actually, he asked me to apologise to you.”

  “He did?” I squeaked and then felt annoyed at myself. He damn well ought to apologise for that, and for trying to kill me. I wondered if saving my life cancelled that out and decided it didn't. “Well, why didn’t he do it himself then If he wants to apologise he can ... in person. Not send someone else.” I folded my arms in a huff and tried to reassure myself it wasn't just because I wanted to see him again.

  Rodney laughed. “I told ‘im you’d say that.”

  I frowned, considering the colourful creature in front of me. “Do you know him well then?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. Somehow I couldn’t imagine Corvus hanging out with Rodney.

  “Oh blimey, yeah. It was actually Corvus what brought me over.” He started heavy breathing like Darth Vader and said in a scary voice, “…to the dark side!” I stared in astonishment as he burst out laughing.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Eh?” Rodney frowned and scratched the short sides of his Mohican. “Oh, well I was at this real dodgy party back around 1880 I fink. Can’t remember for the life of me how I got meself there but it was full of Supes. Anyway, Corvus, 'e spots me and tells me to get the hell out before I gets meself killed like. ‘Course, I takes no notice, and before the night was out I was a goner.” He shook his head, looking grave faced. “So then Corvus finds me just as I’m croaking my last - and I was mighty unhappy let me tell you - so he asks me if I want to be brought ove
r. I says yes and before you know it, Bob’s yer Uncle and Rodney’s a ghoul!”

  “Why a ghoul,” I asked, puzzled. “Why not a vampire?”

  “Oh blimey, luv, them vampires they don’t turn just anyone. Like a bloody exclusive club that is. They only usually make a new one if somebody’s been staked, if there’s a vacancy, so to speak. Even then the competition for the place is bloody ridiculous. It can get really nasty.” He grimaced but I was still puzzled, I hadn’t really thought about it before but how did you make a ghoul? I asked Rodney, who promptly turned a rather pronounced shade of green.

  “Actually,” he said, a little stiffly. “I’d rather not talk about it.” He took a large mouthful of eau-de-vie. “Makes me feel a bit ... queasy like.”

  He pulled a face and I thought it best to change the subject so I asked him the question I’d been wanting answered ever since the meeting

  “Why did Corvus act like he did then?”

  Rodney raised his eyebrows.

  “You mean to say you don’t know?”

  I shook my head. “No, not a clue.”

  He whistled. “Blimey, I can’t believe you ain't heard. I thought everybody knew that story. OK, so obviously you know the story about Corvus though, when he was still mortal?”

  “No, what story?” I tried to sound nonchalant, though the chance to find out more about Corvus was not something I was about to pass up.

  “Oh, you don’t know nuthin' do you girl?” he huffed. “Okey dokey, Uncle Rodney is going to tell you a story. Are you sittin’ comfortably?”

  I laughed and nodded. 

  “Then I’ll begin … right. So once upon a time there was this amazing Roman General known as the Black Raven due to his jet black hair, black eyes and dark skin. He was feared and respected by all his men and was apparently one of the greatest warriors in ancient Rome. He was married to a beautiful woman called Sabina, who as it turned out, was a right cow. She was off havin’ affairs the minute 'is back was turned. So one day, this Sabina bird, she gets all lovey-dovey with a young soldier and ends up getting ‘erself up the duff! The lad runs off in fear of his life and was never seen again, so Sabina tries to pass the kid off as her husband’s.” He paused. ”Are you wiv me so far?”

  I nodded, flapping my hands, impatient for him to carry on.

  “Right, so the kid’s born and it’s obvious he’s in no way related to her husband as he’s blond and blue eyed with pale white skin.”

  “Corvus? Corvus was around during the Roman Empire?” I whispered in awe.

  “Oh yes.” He nodded. “So the Black Raven goes off in a fury and gets himself killed heroically in battle. There’s a terrible scandal and Sabina is disgraced. She - being a right nasty piece - blames young Corvus for ruining her life and so makes his an absolute misery. She even named him Corvus Albinus, the White Crow, implying of course, that he’d never be the man her husband had been.”

  Nerva, who had been sitting quietly through all this, cawed loudly and flew over to perch beside Rodney.

  “Allo me old mate, how’s you then?”

  Rodney ruffled the crow’s feathers with his fingers.

  “Poor Corvus,” I whispered.

  I couldn’t believe the words had just passed my lips, but it was impossible not to feel for him.

  He nodded. “You’re not wrong, luv. By all accounts he had a dreadful time of it, but what don't kill yer makes yer stronger, or so me old mum used to say. Well, the story goes that 'e was bullied by the other kids, so 'e learned to fight at an early age. He was determined to make somethin’ of himself, so he joined the army and rose through the ranks to become a great leader.

  So anyway, to cut a long story short. He’s fightin’ in Gaul, that’s France to you, meets a pretty young girl and they fall in love. He asks her to get hitched and she says yes, but there is a problem. The Roman Emperor, Constantine, has outlawed the pagan beliefs and is bringing Christianity to the world. His army is moving through Gaul, confiscating and destroying all the pagan icons and places of worship. So this girl is in fact a Gaul, but worse than that she's a witch and rumours are beginning to spread about her and what she can do. Corvus knows this, but what 'e doesn’t know, is that she’s caught the eye of a Senator, Quintas Flavius Medallini. He wants her for his mistress so he’s been hanging about, trying to chat her up and give her presents, but she’s havin’ none of it.

  He thinks she’s just playin’ hard to get, until he hears that she’s going to marry Corvus. Quintas he’s mad as hell ‘cause he’s already jealous of Corvus. So this eats away at him until he comes up with a plan and sends Corvus off on some mission. The girl 'asn’t told him that Quintas has been hassling her and though Corvus is suspicious, Quintas is his boss, so he’s duty bound to go.

  As soon as Corvus is away, Quintas sends his friend and next in command, a calculating bastard called Tacitus, to bring him the girl.

  Tacitus goes to Corvus' place, where he's left her all alone, thinking she'd be safer in his home than in the village. Tacitus abducts the girl and no one tries to help her 'cause she's a witch. So she's taken to Quintas and dumped in his quarters. Quintas thanks Tacitus and asks him to stay and watch the fun. He gives her an ultimatum, either she gives herself to them ... or she dies.”

  I felt myself go cold. I could picture the scene far too vividly. Rodney’s voice was quiet and insistent and I wanted to tell him to stop, to get rid of the awful images which I knew were to come, but he kept telling the story and the pictures formed unwillingly in my head.

  She was standing in his room, the walls painted with scenes of feasting and celebration, candle light flickered giving the images life in the moving shadows. She stood alone, hands bound and trembling. Despite her fear, she stood proudly with her head up, she wouldn’t beg and crawl for these snakes. She knew she had the power to kill them in a heartbeat. But if she did she risked Corvus being blamed and she couldn’t take the chance. He had to be protected at all costs. She would find another way out of this, another way back to Corvus. She swore to the gods that she would come back to him, no matter what.

  Quintas was standing in front of her, waiting for her answer, certain he had won, certain that she would give herself to him, but she looked him in the eye, smiled, and spat at his feet.

  His hand appeared from nowhere, hitting her hard across the face and she fell to the floor with a cry. He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently and hitting her again. He pulled her to her feet and struck her a third time, causing her head to snap back. Before his hand could make contact again he cried out in fear and pain as flames suddenly erupted from the floor, encircling her and catching his robes alight as her magic flared to life now she was no longer conscious and able to stop it. His cries brought the guards running into the room.

  “She’s a witch,” he screamed. “Kill her, before she kills us all.”

  The girl lay motionless, bleeding on the floor. The flames flickered around her, not allowing the guards to get close to her. But then Tacitus appeared from the shadows, a jewelled dagger in his hand. He smiled and flung it deftly through the flames, piercing her heart.

  The flames died with her and her body was carried outside, tied to a post and burnt in front of a jeering army.

  Rodney’s voice cracked and I looked up at him, my eyes blurred with tears. He wiped his own eyes with his sleeve and poured another drink, pushing the glass towards me.

  “Here you go, lovely, make you feel better.”

  I took a sip and felt the familiar burning sensation light up the back of my throat.

  “She was a witch?” I whispered, a weird feeling crawling over my skin.

  “Yes, luv.”

  “Oh.”

  I felt nausea roil in my stomach and swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on the story.

  “What happened next, what did he do?”

  Rodney fiddled with the bottle, turning it round and round, not meeting my eyes.

  “Ahhh now.” He s
ighed. “Corvus had a bad feelin about leavin’ the girl alone, but like I said, he was a soldier, if he disobeyed a direct order he would have been killed for insubordination. Despite that he became afraid that she was in danger and so he returned to the village, but it was too late.

  When he found her charred body, he went mad with grief. He knew who was responsible and he wanted them dead, but Quintas was a senator and well protected. He cut down everyone who stood in his way until he got to Tacitus, who had been goading him with every detail of her death. They fought a desperate battle until Corvus slit his throat. Corvus turned to go after Quintas, but as he did so, he found himself surrounded and was cut down where he stood.”

  I took a gulp of the eau-de-vie, my heart was thumping in my chest and I welcomed the fierce warmth as it slid to my stomach. Rodney got up and fetched himself another glass. He poured a drink and continued his story.

  “Unbeknown to the people involved there had been witnesses to the evening’s terrible events,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper now. “Two vampires. They were enthralled by the drama, so much so that one stole Corvus' body, thinking that such a fine warrior would make a great vampire, and he turned him. The second vamp though, well he had a pretty nasty sense of humour, and 'e thought it would be amusing to turn Tacitus as well.”

  I gasped. “Oh no, surely not.”

  Rodney nodded his mouth set in a tight line. “Afraid so, luv. So when Corvus comes to, like all new vampires, he’s mad with thirst. So his new Master explains he turned Corvus so that he could take his revenge on Quintas and his men. So that’s exactly what he did.  The stories say that not a man survived that night.”

  “And Tacitus?”

  Rodney shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  “That’s a whole ‘nother story that is. To begin with, neither knew of the other’s existence but basically once they discovered it, they spent the next five hundred years trying to kill each other. The thing is, they were equally matched to begin with and with each year that passes they both get more powerful. In the end the vamp senate, they’re the law in the vamp world, they said either they stopped or they would both be destroyed.”

  I sat quietly for a moment, trying to absorb everything that Rodney had said. The idea that Corvus had been a Roman soldier was incredible in itself, but the story about the girl had left a terrible ache in my heart and deep in my bones. I shivered.

  Rodney got up and put some more wood on the fire, raking around the embers to bring the flames up, but the sight of them only made me feel worse. The picture of her tied to the stake while the fire raged around her seemed to be etched on my mind. I was gripped by a terrible feeling of foreboding and downed the last of the eau-de-vie.

  “Rodney.”

  “Yes, luv,” he said, returning to his seat at the table.

  “Who was she?”

  Rodney didn’t meet my eyes but went back to twisting the bottle back and forth between his hands.

  “She was a Corbeaux like you - the same blood.” He paused and the silence seemed to hang in the air between us as I tried to take in what he was saying. “Her name was… Jéhnina.”

  I gasped and stared at Rodney wide eyed, I could feel my stomach churning and cold crawled down my back.

  “That’s not possible… surely?” I heard my voice waver. “What…” I took a breath to steady myself, though my voice still trembled. ”What did she look like?”

  Rodney looked me straight in the eyes this time,

  “Well, luv. That's the thing ain't it. I never saw ‘er, meself like … well before my time, but apparently, well ... she looked just like you.”

  I was finding it hard to breathe. The room was too small and suffocating. I had to get out, to get some fresh air. I leapt to my feet knocking the chair sideways and ran to the door, nearly yanking it off its hinges. I ran blindly into the cold night, until I felt strong hands grip my arm from behind.

  “Jéhenne! Jéhenne, luv, stop. Come back inside.”

  I whirled around to see Rodney, his face full of concern.

  “I’m sorry, Jéhenne. I should never ‘ave told you. I just didn’t like you to be in danger and not know why.” He looked around, his eyes scanning the darkness as he pulled at my arm. “Come on. Come back in the house, OK?”

  “What do you mean in danger?” I pulled my arm from his grasp. “Tell me!”

  “I’ll tell you, if you come back inside, OK?” he pleaded grabbing hold of my hand. “Please.”

  I nodded mutely and walked back to the cottage with him. We’d just got to the door when I felt a change in the atmosphere, the same kind of tingling feeling that I’d felt when Corvus was near, but this was undoubtedly malevolent. I stopped in the doorway, frozen, searching the darkness.

  “Rodney?” I whispered.

  “Get inside!”

  He shoved me through the door and I fell in a heap beside the kitchen table. Rodney slammed the door shut and slid the bolt across. He was breathing heavily and backing away from the door. He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, I could feel him trembling.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head and put his finger to his lips. I heard laughter. It was a man’s laugh, but there was no joy in it, the sound echoed through my head even though there had been no audible sound in the room. I held Rodney’s hand tighter and looked at him and knew he had heard it too. His eyes were squeezed shut.

  “He can’t get in the house, but he can get in your mind,” he whispered. “Keep him out, Jéhenne, or he’ll make us let him in!”

  “I don’t know how!”

  He opened his eyes and looked at me steadily. “Yes you do.”

  I could feel the power swirling around outside the cottage and suddenly we were plunged into darkness as the lights went out. I clapped my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream and heard the laugh again, cold and soft, rolling through my mind.

  I tried to fight the panic that was numbing my brain, I had to think, to concentrate. I closed my eyes and tried to hear the voice of the stone that had called to me in the forest. I called out to it with my mind. I heard the laughter again, stronger and louder now and I reached further with my mind, searching for the call of the stone.

  “Hello Jéhnina,” said the voice.

  My body convulsed with the shock of the name and Rodney grabbed my other hand. I could feel him willing me to hold on and I shook away my fear and called again. This time I heard it and my mind seemed to connect with the sound. My eyes flew open to see the room had been bathed in deep blue light. We were cocooned by a thick, swirling mist that moved and danced like the surface of the moonstone. It was like we were standing within the stone looking out. Rodney looked at me with stunned admiration.

  “Bugger me!” he said in awe.

  I swallowed a giggle which was in danger of escaping and sending me into a fit of hysteria. I closed my eyes and searched with my mind for the source of the danger, but it had vanished.

  “He’s gone,” I said, and the world tilted.

  I awoke to find myself laying on my bed with a cold flannel on my forehead and Rodney pacing up and down, talking urgently into a mobile phone. I tried to sit up and groaned as the room started to spin again.

  “She’s awake,” he said to the phone. ”Yes, yes, right, will do, bye.” He slipped the phone back in his jeans pocket and grinned at me.

  “Bloody hell, you little beauty, that was friggin amazin’. I thought we was done for.”

  I rubbed my head in confusion, trying to clear the fog that seemed to be blowing through it.

  “But you said you knew I could do it?”

  He shrugged off the accusation.. “Well ... would it 'ave made you feel better if I'd screamed and said we’re both going to die 'orribly?”

  I shivered and sat up. “No I guess not.”

  “Well there you go then,” he said with a grin. “Anyway Corvus is on his way.”

  “What?” I squeaked in alarm, jumping off the bed a
nd then sitting down again with a thud as the room slipped sideways.

  “Well we can’t stay here, it’s not safe. He’ll look after you 'til Inés gets back, but I ain't takin' you to him by me lonesome. I don’t know what you did but I’d say it wiped you out. I don’t fancy the chances of you giving an encore.”

  There at least, we were in agreement, I felt like I’d been hit on the head with a brick.

  I looked up at him. “It was Tacitus.”

  It wasn’t a question. I’d known who it was, outside the house, as soon as he called me by the girl’s name. Rodney sat down on the bed beside me and nodded.

  “Corvus killed him by cutting his throat and for some reason it never healed when he became a vamp, so he’s got no vocal cords, but he’s got a real talent has Tacitus.”

  “Mind control.”

  “Yep, all the really old vampires can do it but he’s got it down to a fine art. That’s how he communicates now, straight to your brain. It’s bloody scary.”

  “Tacitus wants to kill me because I look like her doesn't he? Because I remind Corvus of Jéhnina?”

  Rodney nodded, looking grim. “He can’t touch Corvus anymore because the Senate would execute him, but killing you would bring the past back, it would cause Corvus pain. Tacitus would do it just for the fun of it.”

  I swallowed, I had a psychopathic vampire after me and I had to go and stay with Corvus as my only protection. As he'd only just decided not to kill me himself it wasn't a reassuring thought. At least I hoped he'd decided. “Rodney, I don’t want to see Corvus, it obviously upsets him to be around me.” His reaction that first night made only too much sense now. The shock of it, of seeing the woman he'd loved after all that time. I swallowed down the grief that I felt for him.

  “Don’t you worry, luv. Corvus has got it under control now. It was just the shock of seeing you, for the first time like.” He scowled. ”Inés should have warned him.”

  I gasped in horror. “She knew? Why didn’t she tell me?”

  Rodney took my hand and patted it affectionately.

  “I’ve told enough stories for one night, lovely. I think you need to ask your Gran about that one.”

  I leaned my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me and gave me a squeeze, I felt utterly drained, both physically and emotionally and the fact that my new best friend seemed to be a ghoul simply didn’t matter. I knew, with a certainty I didn’t feel about anything else in my life, that I could trust him, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel safe again. And yet despite everything, I didn’t regret coming here. I somehow knew I belonged here, that I wasn't actually crazy after all, and maybe even had a role to play. I sat up with a groan and smiled wearily at Rodney. 

  “That’s my girl!” he grinned back.

  “I guess I’d better get some things together then?”

  “Yep, best had, you might have to stay for a while, until Inés gets back at least.”

  “But you’ll be there too, right?” A cold sweat prickled over my skin and I wiped my palms on my jeans. Rodney frowned in concern, noticing my visible freak out but the thought of being left alone with Corvus was utterly terrifying - and far more appealing than it should have been.

  “Well, I’ll be around sure,” he said and then hesitated. “But ... I don’t live there like.”

  I decided to go for self-preservation. “Look, Rodney, perhaps I could stay with you?” I wasn't sure if I sounded hopeful or not. Wasn't sure if I was really hoping he'd agree, or turn me down.

  Rodney shook his head. “Jéhenne I’d love you to stay with me, but I can’t protect you from someone like Tacitus. The only person who can, who you can trust, is Corvus.”

  “How do I know I can trust him?” I demanded, as the cold sweat turned into a flush of heat at the idea of being alone with the image that had imprinted itself on my memories of an alabaster white, marble god. “Gran doesn’t trust him. She told me to stay away from vampires and now I’m about to move in with one. How do I know he won’t have me for a midnight snack?” I was sounding slightly hysterical now and was unsurprised when Rodney scowled.

  “Now listen ‘ere Jéhenne, I know we’ve only just met, but I really like you and I hope you know you can trust me?”

  I nodded and he carried on.

  “I’ve known your Gran a long time and I wouldn’t want to say a bad thing about her, but she ‘as a problem with vampires and wiv Corvus in particular. I’ve tried talkin' to her about it, so has Remé, but she don’t listen.” He stuck his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched. “She thinks Corvus is responsible for something terrible, but the truth is he did what he had to do.” He sighed.

  “I can’t say anymore than that Jéhenne, I’ve already said too much, but as for being a midnight snack, that’s just rubbish. Vampires don’t have to kill to live, although there are those that do, but they go against the law, the senate and the council. The vampires don’t want to go back to the bad old days when people believed in them, and they were hunted nearly to extinction. Nowadays they’re just a fairy story and that’s how they like it.” He sounded defensive, angry even, like he was protecting a friend. Perhaps he was. “Besides, the old ones, like Corvus, don’t need much to keep ‘em going.”

  “How much?” I persisted. “And how do they do it, why don’t people tell?”

  “You’ve seen them, Jéhenne. How difficult do you think it is for them to get close to people? Then they just make them forget they were ever there, no harm done.”

  I shivered. I could well believe that Corvus had no problems getting close to anyone he chose and the thought made me nauseous.

  “You really don’t know much about them do you?” He asked with a frown.

  “No, it’s not something Gran will tell me about and it's not like I can ask anyone else is it?”

  “Well, I can tell you, you’ll be safe, OK? Do you believe me?”

  I nodded. “Yes I believe you, but Gran’s going to be really pissed off.”

  He shrugged that off. “She’ll understand. Come on, they’ll be here any minute get yourself ready.”

  I scurried about throwing stuff in a bag and sent Rodney down to get Nerva.

  A few minutes later I heard a car pull up and voices downstairs, so I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and went down.

  Corvus didn’t even acknowledge my presence but went on talking to Rodney.

  “She wasn’t affected at all?”

  “Nah, I told you, cool as a cucumber, she was amazin',” Rodney said, winking at me. I tried to smile back but I was way too tense for pleasantries.

  “Is she ready to go?” Corvus continued, ignoring me as if I was mentally defective and my skin prickled the closer I got to him.

  “Yes we’re ready ain't we, luv?” Rodney turned to me, grinning cheerfully and clearly trying to diffuse the tension.

  “Very well then.” Corvus turned without looking at me and walked outside.

  Rodney and I followed him out, with Nerva sitting on Rodney’s shoulder making him look like some kind of mad punk pirate. I locked the cottage door and turned to see a huge black limo parked on the gravel. It looked completely out of place in front of the tiny cottage and I prayed no one had seen it in the village. It was also practically vibrating with ... what? Whatever it was, it blazed with enough energy to power a small country. It was that strange prickly feeling I'd felt before but stronger and I knew it was coming from Corvus. Was he angry, was that why it was stronger? He was probably furious that I was causing him all this hassle. He must hate looking at me and remembering ... I swallowed as a lump formed in my throat and I stared at the car door. I didn't want to get in.

  Rodney opened the door and winked at me. “Chin up, girl,” he whispered. I swallowed, though my throat was dry and ducked into the car. I didn’t feel any better once I’d got in.

  Amelia, the blond vamp who’d attacked Reina at the meeting was sitting in the far corner scowling at me. She flicked her hair in disgust and tu
rned to look out of the window. Next to her was a man who looked like he was going to audition for James Bond. He was wearing a very sharp suit which looked like it probably cost as much as the car. He gave me a lazy smile.

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  The woman next to him dug him with her elbow.

  “Corvus said to behave remember,” she hissed.

  The man looked at her wide eyed, the picture of innocence.

  “I was just being polite.”

  She scowled at him and leaned forward offering her hand and looking at me appraisingly. She was very attractive - was there such a thing as a ugly vampire - in a masculine kind of way. Her hair was died red and cut in a short spiky style that, whilst looking effortlessly messy, probably took her at least an hour in the mirror every night. I shook her hand and she smiled at me.

  “I’m Cyd, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  I seemed to have lost the ability to speak so I just smiled at her and nodded, hoping she didn’t think me a complete moron.

  “Shuv up, Jéhenne,” said Rodney from outside.

  I slid, unwillingly, towards Amelia’s side of the car.

  “Oh, what a stench! Someone open a window pleeease!” She pulled a disgusted face, “Does the corpse have to ride with us?” She was glaring at Rodney.

  Rodney looked uncomfortable and I was immediately furious, on his behalf. He’d been kinder to me than just about anyone I’d met from this weird other world and I wasn’t about to let the bimbo insult him, besides, who was she to be calling him a corpse?

  I narrowed my eyes at her, whilst addressing Rodney, “Hey, Rodney, what’s the difference between a blonde and a shopping trolley?”

  He chuckled. ”I don’t know, Jéhenne, what is the difference between a blonde and a shopping trolley?”

  “A shopping trolley’s got a mind of its own.”

  Rodney roared appreciatively while 007 and Cyd smothered their laughter, though I could see their shoulders moving up and down. Amelia narrowed her eyes at me and smiled showing a lot of fang.

  “You on the other hand, smell delicious.” She growled.

  “Amelia!” boomed a voice from the front of the car. “Do you wish to walk?”

  Amelia jumped guiltily.

  “No, Corvus,” she replied, still glaring at me.

  She folded her arms and turned to look out of the window, seething with anger. Well, if I was looking for some girly company, I wouldn’t be searching out Amelia. No surprises there.

  The journey to Corvus’ house took about twenty minutes. It felt much, much longer. Amelia sat sulking, while 007 and Cyd watched me in amusement. Rodney tried to make conversation but Amelia just huffed and nobody else joined in. I would have, but after my little show of bravado, my tongue seemed to have glued itself to the roof of my mouth.

  Eventually the car stopped and Amelia got out so fast I didn’t see her go, leaving 007 and Cyd alongside me and Rodney. I didn’t see Corvus anywhere and had no idea who had been driving. I clambered out of the limo and my jaw hit the gravel when I saw Corvus’ house, which wasn’t a house at all but a bloody big Château.

  I guess being around for thousands of years gives you plenty of time to save but whatever Corvus had been doing for the past millennium or two, it wasn’t twiddling his thumbs.

  “Wow.”

  “Pretty cool, huh?” Rodney grinned at me.

  I looked up at the massive structure. There was a great, round tower jutting out on the right and a hexagonal tower set back slightly behind it. It was a beautiful building with lots of dressed stone, fancy chimneys and mullioned windows. It was also pretty scary-looking in the dark.

  The thought that I would be staying here alone with Corvus was frankly terrifying.

  Rodney must have realised I was quietly freaking out as he took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “Come on, lovely.” He smiled. “I’ll show you your room.”

  I sighed, accepting the inevitable, and followed him inside.