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

  Chapter 6

  The drive home was even worse than the drive there. Gran tried to make small talk after obviously reconciling herself to the shock of not getting the ring, but I still felt hurt and let down by her reaction and overwhelmed by my confrontation with Corvus, so the conversation was stilted and eventually she gave up.

  I put the radio on which seemed to be jammed on ‘Nostalgie’ and tried to concentrate on the music and the burbling of the DJ’s rather than the questions that circled incessantly around in my head. Why did Corvus refuse to believe me? He had seemed so sure of himself, but then when I’d got the ring, he'd looked so shaken. I wished for a moment he hadn’t disappeared like that so I could have asked him, and then I wondered if I was suicidal or just stupid? I needed to ask Gran more about it. I was certain there was a lot she wasn’t telling me, but something held me back. I had a deep conviction that I probably didn’t want to know the truth. I’d had a fair bit of the truth lately and not only was it scary as hell but it seemed to have a habit of nearly getting me killed.

  The rest of the journey was never ending but mercifully uneventful.

  It was almost dark when we got back and I was relieved to see Gran’s little cottage. I felt surprised, in fact, at just how much it felt like home. That was mostly due to Gran. She had welcomed me with open arms and done everything she could to make me feel at home. I stopped the car outside the cottage and sighed.

  “Home sweet home,” I said, smiling at her and she smiled back in relief giving my hand a squeeze.

  “Oui, it certainly is.” She paused for a moment but kept hold of my hand. “I’m sorry Jéhenne.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “I was shocked and … well, disappointed, but if the stone has chosen you, it must believe in you, and your destiny.”

  I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach, destiny seemed like a big word. This time last year my destiny had been university and after that … I had no idea. The feeling that the pretty blue stone on my finger had some inside information was creeping me out.

  “That means though,” she said with an intensity that began ringing alarm bells.” “That we have much to do, I must train you, starting first thing tomorrow.”

  I groaned, I had a feeling being taught by Gran was going to be far harder than any university course.

  The next couple of weeks became something of a blur as Gran began instructing me in what you might call, ‘Witchcraft for Beginners.’ She was thrilled by my summoning of the fire in the woods and every day she asked me to try and do it again but without success. I couldn’t so much as light a match, let alone produce the towering inferno I’d managed that night. The gnawing suspicion grew that it had just been the power of the ring and nothing to do with me, until any confidence I might have had evaporated. The closest I got was a strong burning smell that clung to me all day to such an extent I had to go and take a shower.

  I seemed to have a knack for dowsing though. I had thought before our trip to find the ring that this was just walking about in a field with metal sticks to find water, but it seemed you could find all sorts of things, including Ley lines and even people.

  Gran would go out in the car and hide something, sometimes a book, or a crystal or anything I was familiar with and I had to find it. The furthest I managed was just outside Perigueux which was almost an hour away

  A lot of the time was spent teaching me about plants and herbs and their properties. I found, surprisingly, that I already knew a lot. I guessed that this must be from when I was little, as I had spent ages with Gran in her herb room. She was always telling stories about various plants and how they had been used to cure or cast spells or even poison. Some of it just seemed like home remedy type stuff, a lotion for aching joints or syrup for sore throats. Others were somewhat stranger.

  Drops to be used in necromancy or raising the dead were something I definitely didn’t expect to be finding a use for. Though I did enjoy making up little bundles to be used with magical wards. These were spells that were usually used to protect or defend a person or a place.

  We had the chance to put these into action at the beginning of April, when Gran announced she had to go away for a few days to visit an old friend who was very ill. She was going with Remé, the neat little French man who had been speaker at the council meeting. He was apparently a powerful wizard, which seemed at odds somehow with his slight frame, but I guess you should never judge by appearances.

  I had to admit to feeling somewhat apprehensive about being left on my own. Since the meeting in the woods with Corvus, I didn’t like being out at night, even though I'd seen nothing of him since.

  Gran had made me promise that I would stay in after dark, something I had no problem whatsoever agreeing with. She had set so many wards around the house that it was unlikely the postman would even make it up the driveway without being spooked. She assured me though, that even if Corvus did turn up and got past the wards, he could not enter the house without being invited. If he was waiting for an embossed invitation with gold edging I hope he wasn’t holding his breath. Then again as vampires don’t really breathe that probably wouldn’t be a problem.

  The morning Gran left, the weather finally decided to make a change for the better. The sky was blue and the sun was so warm I sat outside and ate my breakfast.

  I’d opened all the windows in the little cottage to let in some fresh air and Nerva thought this was wonderful. I’d tried on several occasions to let the crow have his freedom but he never left my side when I was home. If I went out in the car without him he would try and follow me, so I had to shut him inside. Now he was happily hopping around the garden, eating bugs and flying in and out of the various open windows.

  After breakfast I decided to give the cottage a good clean as a thank you to Gran. I didn’t have any money but I could at least be useful. I dusted and poked at cobwebs tucked in dark corners and swept the floors. I even took up the rugs and hung them outside, bashing them forcefully with the flat side of the broom. I remembered that scene from Snow White where all the animals come to help and smiled at Nerva whose sole contribution was to eat the giant spiders that kept scurrying out of corners whenever I moved the furniture about.

  By late afternoon the whole place was sparkling and I looked around admiring my handiwork. I’d picked some daffodils from the garden and they looked bright and cheery on the old oak table. I decided to go out and get some fresh air before I made dinner. It had been a glorious day, so warm I’d changed my top and put on a T-shirt instead.

  I wandered about in the orchard for a bit admiring the blossom that was blooming all around me and headed off down an overgrown track that led away down a slight slope. The narrow path was edged with cowslips and primroses and I felt my spirits lift. Nerva was obviously enjoying himself too as he flew from tree to tree, cawing at me if he felt I was dawdling too much.

  I had been walking for ten minutes or so when the track opened out into a clearing. It was edged with trees that led back into tangled woodland, but the clearing was lush and green and filled with birdsong.

  To the back of the clearing was an étang, or small lake. There were some big granite boulders around the edges and I sat on one and looked at the calm surface of the water, thinking it would be a lovely place to swim in the summer. I couldn’t remember ever coming here before and wondered why Gran didn’t come down here herself.

  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back enjoying the sun on my face. I must have sat like that for several minutes before I heard the sound of crying nearby. I looked around and thought I must have drifted off as I couldn’t see anyone. I went back to enjoying the sunshine and was just about to doze off again when someone began to cry right behind me. My eyes flew open and I swung around to see a girl, a little younger than me, sitting on one of the rocks sobbing. She was wearing a long dress and a pinafore with her hair piled up on top of her head. With a familiar sinking feeling I realised that she was a ghost. I was just wondering if I could snea
k away before she noticed me when she looked up, sniffing, and wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

  “Oh please can you help me? I’m in so much trouble,” she said, sniffing.

  Well, basically she was dead, how much more trouble could she get into?

  “Erm, what sort of trouble?” I asked, even though all my instincts were screaming at me to stay well away.

  “My necklace, I dropped it in the water and I can’t go home until I get it back.” She started to wail this time, fat tears streaming down her cheeks and her nose was all snotty.

  “OK, calm down,” I said in a rush. “Haven’t you got a tissue?” I added, grimacing and, trying not to look at her.

  “A what?”

  “Oh, I mean a handkerchief.”

  “No.”

  She shook her head miserably and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Ugh.

  “Where did you drop it?” I asked with a sigh, resigning myself to the inevitable.

  “Just over there.” She pointed about three feet into the water. I peered over the edge of the pond and saw something gold glinting in the sunlight. It didn’t look very deep.

  I looked at her miserable face.

  “Oh alright, I’ll get it for you.”

  The water may not be deep but I bet it was bloody freezing. Still, judging by her dress she’d been waiting to get the necklace back since about the turn of the century. I wondered briefly why Gran hadn’t done it for her, but thought how pleased she’d be if I helped one of her lost souls.

  “Right, you wait here and I’ll go back to the cottage and get a towel so I can dry off OK?”

  She nodded. “But you will come back, won’t you?” She stood up, wringing her hands together anxiously.

  “Yes, don’t worry, I’ll come back.”

  I set off back to the house at a run, it was getting late now and I didn’t want to be walking back in the dark.

  I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and was just about to leave the house when I remembered the ring, Gran would be mad as hell if I lost it in the pond so I popped it into one of her herb jars and tore back down the lane. The ghost was pacing up and down looking miserable.

  “Oh you came back!” She clapped her hands together and beamed at me.

  “I said I would, didn’t I?” I snapped, feeling irritable now. I was beginning to think this was a really bad idea as the light was fading fast and the moon was already visible behind the tree line.

  I slipped off my boots and socks and took off my jeans as they were too tight to roll over my knees. The water looked like it would come up to about my thighs and I couldn’t afford to ruin them. The grass was cold and damp and I felt goose bumps spring up all over me.

  Suddenly, there was a loud cawing noise. Nerva had gone off exploring but had now come back and was going mad, squawking at me and flapping his wings.

  “Nerva, pack it in.” I shooed him away with my hands. “It’s not deep, I’ll be fine.”

  The crow continued throwing a fit but I ignored him, I couldn’t afford to hang around any longer, it was dusk now and I could only just see the necklace through the gloom. I braced myself against the cold water and stepped into the glassy surface. I gasped, it was icy, even more so than I’d expected. I waded slowly out into the water, grimacing as my toes sunk into the silt and mud. I was just reaching over to pick up the necklace when I felt a sharp tug on my ankle and I fell over backwards with a scream.

  Before I could think, whatever had got hold of me pulled hard again and I shot under the surface. It happened so suddenly I hadn’t been able to catch a breath and I gulped down water by mistake. Panicking, I tried to twist around and see what had hooked on to my ankle. It felt scaly and disgusting but the water had turned murky and green from all the disturbed silt kicked up by my thrashing legs. I couldn’t see anything. Desperately I reached out again and pulled at the thing keeping me down but it just held on tighter still while I began to struggle harder as panic took hold. My vision was getting hazy and there was an intense pain in the top of my skull along with a burning pressure in my chest that was building with each second. My feet scraped the bottom of the pond and something moved in front of me. My eyes were already open, but they widened with shock and terror as I found myself face to face with a mouth full of teeth and a pair of gleaming red eyes. Black hair floated in a shroud around the creature's white face. My lips parted instinctively to scream and more water poured in. Suddenly, I felt a disturbance in the water that wasn’t me and a lithe shape dived past my struggling body and powered into the creature, knocking it away. The water boiled and frothed with violent movements coming from where the two forms had collided with each other. By now my lungs were on fire and I simply couldn’t think straight as exhaustion smothered me. I let myself be pulled gently downwards again, and felt a soft bump as I hit the sandy floor of the lake.

  I wondered what Gran would say, what if I was never found?

  Just as my eyes started to close, an iron grip caught hold of my waist and hauled me towards the surface. Water sluiced off me as I was lifted out of the pool and thrown down on to the grass. Something hit me hard in the stomach and as I was turned on my side I retched and opened my mouth to spew out a flood of water and vomit. I spluttered desperately and a hand came into view, reaching round and rubbing my back. Once all of the water was gone, I lay on my back like a landed fish, sucking in air.

  Slowly my breathing began to steady and my heartbeat returned to normal. The evening seemed tranquil once more. I could hear the sound of the trees nearby and the cool breeze pushing at the leaves making them rustle and chatter between branches. I tried to close my eyes but the hand that had saved me before now seemed to want to kill me. It was pulling me roughly into a sitting position. I groaned and tried to swipe it away but my efforts were pretty pathetic.

  A face came into view, which forced me to focus and I tried to scream.

  “Corvus?” I croaked in shock, as screaming was just too painful on my poor throat and my limbs were aching as though they were on fire. I tried to scurry away but strong hands were grasping my shoulders and I was going nowhere.

  “You bloody little fool!” he roared, sounding utterly furious. “What in the name of the gods were you doing?”

  He gave me a hard shake and I squealed in alarm. My brain stumbled through fog, trying to remember exactly what I had been doing.

  “I--I was getting her necklace,” I stammered, pointing at the rock where the ghost had been.

  His fingers dug harder into my shoulders.

  “In a Korrigan's lair! Do you want to die?”

  “No,” I shook my head, shivering with fear and shock and cold. “No, I didn't know, I would never have come.”

  I clenched my mouth shut, praying I wouldn't cry and tried to stop my teeth chattering.

  “Whose necklace anyway?” he demanded, frowning at me.

  “The g--ghost.” I gestured once more to the rock. “Over there.”

  The unhappy spirit had resumed her violent sobbing and Corvus glanced over and back at me uneasily. “There's a ghost there?”

  “Can't you see it?”

  He scowled and shook his head, staring at me intently. “Where's the ring, why aren't you wearing it?” His fingers bit into the tender flesh of my arms and I yelped..

  “I didn't want to lose it in the water,” I said in a rush and immediately realised this was the wrong answer.

  He cursed violently. “You should never have taken it off! It would have helped to protect you, you little fool. Are you really that stupid?” I couldn't figure out why he was so bloody angry with me but I was beginning to feel more than a little aggrieved myself. I struggled to sit up, angrily shrugging off his big hands, but he grabbed my face and pulled it closer to his, examining me like I was a specimen in a jar.

  “What are you?” he asked, his voice a growl.

  “Let go of me, you're hurting!” I tried to jerk my head from his hand and only succeeding in straining my neck, his grip was like a vic
e. He continued to study me coldly and anger overwhelmed the panic that was building in my chest.

  “I'm not a bloody science project!”

  “Aren't you?” He said the words quietly, but with such venom that I felt my heart stop beating. With a stab of fear, I noticed that his fangs were bared, but why would he save me if he was going to kill me - unless he wanted the pleasure himself.

  I knew he could hear my heart pounding in my chest. Tears swelled and gathered in the corners of my eyes, overflowing and tracing lines down my face. I couldn't stop them.

  Despite my fear my eyes were suddenly drawn to a large tattoo emerging from his collar, on the side of his neck. I hadn't noticed it before but could see now the head of a large crow, just like Nerva except it was black.

  Suddenly, the head moved and opened its beak as if it was cawing at me. I gave a shriek and struggled again to move away. The tattoo regarded me with one beady eye, head cocked to the side. I'd seen Nerva listening for worms underground using the exact same pose.

  He held my head immobile. “Look at me.”

  “N--no.”

  He stilled and for a moment I thought he was surprised that I hadn't done as he asked, then I heard a low growl and felt a thrill of terror chill my blood as I tried desperately to hold my ground and not look at him.

  “Look at me,” he repeated and though I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't resist the command a second time and looked directly into his eyes.

  I felt his power wash over me, trying to overwhelm me. He was trying to get into my mind and I began to panic. Every time he tried to find away in I fought against him, trying to put up walls to protect my thoughts.

  He frowned in annoyance. “You're strong. Stronger than I imagined.”

  But I was weakening. I knew that it was futile, that if he really wanted to he would soon know everything about me.

  Without warning, he dropped his hand and fleetingly a look of surprise flashed across his face and he was gone. Literally a fraction of a second later, I caught a glimmer of movement on the other side of the clearing. He was standing watching me, pushing his hair back from his face, the water dripping from his hands.

  “See anything you liked?” I was furious and embarrassed.

  He didn’t move, just continued to watch me.

  “I didn't see anything, you know that.”

  I did know he hadn't got past my defences, though how was beyond me, but I knew he'd seen, or felt, something.

  “You have no right to treat people like that,” I yelled at him across the open ground between us. “It's… it's inhuman!”

  He laughed, a dark sound that made me shiver with more force. “I see you have inherited your Grandmother's good opinion of me.”

  I gritted my teeth as annoyance warred with abject terror. “I don't inherit opinions, I form them on the basis of what I see ... and how I'm treated.”

  I made this grand statement with as much dignity as I could muster, which considering the state I was in wasn’t a great deal. He smiled, seemingly pleased by my defiance.

  “I wonder if that's really true?” He seemed to address the question to himself but I was so indignant I answered him anyway.

  “Of course it is.”

  His brow furrowed slightly. “Then if your grandmother was wrong about me, you would change your mind?”

  “If she's wrong? You were going to kill me that night in the woods,” I exclaimed in fury. “You've not exactly given me any evidence to the contrary.”

  He raised an eyebrow, “I just saved your life!” He pointed out, with an irritated expression. “If I had truly intended to kill you, I can assure you that we would not be having this conversation.” He paused, and then let out a breath. “I believed you were created by black magic,” he said, frowning at me. “I needed to be sure - I still do.”

  “I keep telling you I'm not!” I yelled in exasperation, smacking my hand on the ground in frustration. “What are you, a bloody moron or something?”

  From the expression on his face I realised this was probably not the way to speak to a Master vampire, especially not one who'd just saved your life, but I was beyond being reasonable. I'd nearly died for the second time in a month and I'd just about had enough.

  I grabbed the towel from where I had left it on the rock and then I remembered to my eternal embarrassment, that I was wearing only knickers and a T-shirt, both of which were sopping wet. I hurriedly rubbed myself dry and with difficulty pulled my jeans over my still damp skin and then dried off my hair, wrapping the towel over my shoulders.

  I glanced across at Corvus to see he had discretely turned his back and was unbuttoning his shirt, peeling it off, still soaking wet, and draping it over a low hanging branch. My mouth was suddenly dry and I fought not to, but I wasn’t as polite as he was, it was impossible not to stare.

  The tendons in his arms strained beneath his skin and moved fluidly as he reached up to wring out his shirt while beads of water raced each other down his broad chest. His hair framed his face with blond tendrils that seemed to burn under the light from the rising moon like white fire. His stomach was flat and defined with the sort of toned muscle that reminded me of the white marble sculptures of Greek gods I’d seen on a school trip to Florence in Italy. He really was incredibly beautiful.

  As he turned I saw the perfectly drawn crow tattoo, moving as though it had a life of its own, its wings opened up across his back and shoulders and then neatly refolded themselves. One eye still regarded me passively from below his hair line. Corvus turned to look at me and I quickly averted my gaze.

  “I still don't understand why you were in the water,” he said, his voice inquisitive now rather than the annoyed or furious tone I'd been getting used to.

  I swallowed and tried to get my thoughts back on track.

  “I told you, I didn't know it was dangerous. I was trying to help the ghost, she can't move on until she's got the necklace back.”

  I looked around for her but she seemed to have disappeared.

  “Couldn't you feel the power of the place,” he asked, his blond brows drawn together like he didn't believe a word I was saying. “Couldn't you sense the magic?” He walked towards me, looking at me as though I was a puzzle with a piece missing. I pulled the damp towel tightly around myself.

  “No. I didn't.” I replied with a sniff. Though now he mentioned it, there was a strange feeling to the place. I simply hadn’t picked up on it before.

  He sighed, sounding frustrated. “How can you expect me to believe you're Inés’ granddaughter and not the result of her meddling with magic when you don't know the slightest thing about this world?” I found he was staring at me with those intense blue eyes again and looked away. I stared at the ground for a bit but he didn’t move. Finally I glanced up and Corvus and the crow stared back.

  “Can you please put your shirt back on?” I said with a huff.

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise, a curious light flickering in those blue eyes. “Why?”

  “Because between you and the bloody crow I feel like an insect under a magnifying glass. I'm just wondering when you're going to pull my wings off!” I grumbled.

  This was entirely true but not the only reason for my distraction. He laughed suddenly, which surprised me and seemed to upset the crow which flapped its wings in protest. I swallowed and looked away from him. The sound of his laughter made me smile despite myself, it was genuine and warm, a good sound I thought. I wanted to hear him laugh again.

  “It's not real you know,” he said, his voice low now, though he made no move to put his shirt on. I tried not to be glad about that and failed.

  “Well, it looks real enough,” I said, as my eyes fell once more to the crow, and then lower. I forced them back up to his face with difficulty. “How did you get it anyway?” I asked in a rush to distract myself.

  “All vampires get them if they survive the first five hundred years. They get more intricate with each century,” he explained, sitting down cross legged
on the grass, a few feet away from me.

  I wondered just how old that made him as the crow was perfect in every detail, but figured it would be rude to ask. I didn't know what to say next so we sat in silence for a moment.

  “Why are you here now?” he asked. “If what your Grandmother said is true, why have you come back now?”

  I opened my mouth to say I didn't know why, but it wasn't true.

  “I had to come back,” I said. “My mother took me away because she was afraid for me, and she lied about what I was. I didn’t know I was a witch.” There was defiance in my voice now, as though I was daring him to call me a liar. “I came back because I was afraid not to. There was so much I couldn't explain, so much I needed to know.” I swallowed, uneasy, the truth of my words making me feel vulnerable and exposed. “I knew I had no choice in the end,” I said pulling at the tufts of grass, still unwilling to catch his eye. Suddenly there was a loud flapping as Nerva flew down and landed on his shoulder. The crow tattoo flapped and seemed to dislike the fact that Nerva was there and tried to peck at his feet. Nerva ignored it with an imperious attitude.

  “Hello Nerva.” Corvus rubbed the crow's chest with affection. I felt my mouth drop open.

  “How do you know his name?”

  Corvus chuckled. “Well, as I named him, I'm unlikely to forget.”

  The truth dawned on me. “He's yours.”

  Corvus nodded. “I sent him to watch you.” He looked back at me, totally unapologetic for spying on me, his gaze steady. “I was getting worried though, as he never came back. It seems he prefers your company to mine.”

  I frowned and wondered if I should be annoyed in the circumstances. “He told you I was in trouble?”

  “He did.” He frowned as I shivered harder, my hair dripping freezing water down my back. “You'd better get home. You'll get sick sitting there like that.”

  It was my imagination of course, but I thought I heard a note of concern and possibly even regret in his voice. I agreed with him anyway and got up to go, feeling strangely reluctant to leave his company.

  “Well ... thank you anyway,” I said, feeling awkward.

  “What for?” He looked up at me, looking a little surprised.

  I snorted and shook my head at him. “For not letting me drown, obviously.” He didn't answer but watched me unblinking and I had no idea what was going through his mind. Sometimes he was so still it was unnerving, it was impossible to forget he was a predator. I hesitated but couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Well ... goodbye then.”

  I turned and ran back up the path to the cottage feeling his eyes on me as I went. By the time I got to the door I had warmed up a bit but as I reached out for the handle the cold returned. He was there in the darkness, I couldn't see him but I could feel his presence wash over me. He was watching. I pushed open the door as hard as I could and slammed it shut, locking it behind me.