She jumped back, pausing to breathe, her sobs subsiding.
“Annora,” I whispered. That name. Once honey to my lips. Now poison to my heart.
She flinched as I held her hands.
“Why are you crying?”
She slipped her hands out of mine and looked out of the window again. I held her arm and forced her to face me.
“Leave me,” she said, her voice rasping.
I knew she could easily vanish if she didn’t want me in her presence. The fact that she didn’t meant that she didn’t really want me to leave.
I stood next to her by the window, sliding an arm around her waist. Tears fell afresh from her eyes.
“Why wouldn’t you answer my questions last night?” I asked. “If you help me become a Channeler, it will bring us closer. I’ll better be able to understand your needs.”
She closed her eyes, her lips trembling.
“Because I don’t want you to become like me.”
“And what is like you?”
She smiled bitterly. “You know what I am.”
“But I’ve never heard it from you. What do you think you are?”
“In pain.”
She backed away until she hit the wall at the opposite side of the chamber. She leaned her head against the stone as she bit her lip until she drew blood.
Even if Annora was back to her usual numb self tomorrow, it didn’t matter. Because I’d just seen all I needed to see. A glimmer of hope that just perhaps, somewhere deep in that black soul, the old Annora was still in there. Trapped. Needing to be rescued. But still alive.
“Caleb,” she said, her voice cracking. “Just leave me. Please… Go back to sleep.”
I finally gave in to her request. I left her alone in the chamber and returned to my apartment. But I didn’t sleep that night. Only one thought kept me awake:
I'm going to find you again, Annora. And, somehow, we’re going to pick up our story where we left off.
Chapter 31: Caleb
I woke with renewed strength. I wasn’t going to let Annora keep avoiding me any more. I was going to get the information I needed from her.
I went up to her apartment first thing. She refused to speak to me, so I followed her around the castle for the rest of the day. I determined to make myself as awkward as possible. Finally she snapped.
I interrupted Annora in the middle of a meeting with Stellan, who’d come to visit our island for the day to speak with her.
Ignoring Stellan, I barged in and made a beeline for Annora. I marched up to her in the center of the room and sat down on the tabletop, blocking her view of Stellan. She looked up at me irritably and tugged on my shoulder, trying to move me. I didn’t budge. Of course she could have used her magic to get rid of me, but she didn’t.
“I’ll leave you alone as soon as you give me what I want.”
“What? I already gave you a name. Stop pestering me, for God’s sake.”
I turned around and eyed Stellan, who glared back at me. Annora took the cue and scowled. “Get out, Stellan. I’ll talk to you after I’m done with Caleb.”
Stellan got up slowly, threw me another dark look, and stalked out of the room.
“Take me to Lilith.”
“I told you, Caleb—”
“I may decide not to turn,” I said.
She looked at me dubiously. “Lilith is not the type of person whose time is available to waste. If you go, she’s going to expect something in return.”
Again I burned to ask what Lilith actually was, but right now it was hard enough getting Annora to agree to take me, let alone entertain more of my questions.
“I’ll deal with Lilith,” I said. “You don’t even need to come in. I’ll speak to her alone.” I squeezed Annora’s arm. “Do this and I won’t bother you again, I swear.”
Annora let out a sigh and slumped back in her chair, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. She cast me a long lingering glance, and I swore I saw worry behind her eyes. “All right. I’ll take you to see her.”
“I want to leave now.”
She rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. “I need to finish speaking to Stellan. Then we’ll decide when to do this.”
I slammed my hand down on the table, making her jump. “We leave the moment you are finished with him. All right?”
She glowered at me but didn’t protest.
I stalked out of the room to see Stellan waiting impatiently outside, shuffling from one foot to the other. He had obviously been eavesdropping. He walked in the room after me. I returned to my quarters upstairs to grab anything I might need. I had no idea what might be on the other side, so I grabbed a wooden stake and a knife and fastened them to my belt.
Then I returned downstairs, and since I couldn’t hear talking, I assumed Stellan had left already. I pushed the door open.
Annora waited at the table for me and stood up when I entered. She grimaced as I fastened a cloak around me.
All traces of worry I’d seen in her eyes were gone now, replaced with resignation—something that was both relieving and off-putting.
“Follow me,” she said.
We left the chamber and crossed the entrance hall until we reached another hall on the opposite side.
She headed straight for the Chinese carpet in the corner and tugged it across the floor to reveal an old trapdoor. It creaked open as she pulled and we descended into the depths of a dungeon. This was not a room that I had frequented many times throughout my time here on the island, for I rarely travelled back to the supernatural realm—I didn’t have permission, for one thing. None of us vampires did. We had to obtain special authority from Annora if we wanted to return for some reason. But now that I was down here again, it looked the same as it always had. I inched over to the edge of the starry crater as Annora bolted the door above us.
I looked at her and she nodded. I dove into the hole, and felt her jump through seconds after me.
We both landed on a stone floor. Another dungeon. We both got to our feet and walked toward the exit that led to a flight of stairs. We climbed them and appeared in a kitchen filled with sharp utensils and black cauldrons.
I spotted an old witch in the corner, stirring deep red liquid that I was sure was blood—human blood from the smell of it. She began chopping up what looked suspiciously like a human torso.
“Annora?” She turned and looked at both of us in surprise, her eyebrows raised. She put the blood down and tucked her gray-streaked black hair behind her ears.
“Isolde, I’m sorry for arriving like this unexpectedly. But I need to pay a visit to Lilith.”
Isolde’s eyes widened even further as they travelled from me to Annora. “Whatever for?”
Annora glared at me. “Caleb would like to become one of us.”
Isolde looked incredulous enough to laugh. “He wants to become a Channeler?”
“Yes,” I said, butting in.
“No,” Annora said quickly, “There’s no way he’d be ready for that yet. He just wants to become a warlock, at least at first.”
They were talking about me as though I wasn’t present. Still, I didn’t mind as long as Annora convinced Isolde to allow us to proceed toward wherever Lilith resided in this supernatural realm.
“Don’t waste Lilith’s time,” Isolde said sternly, looking at me. “Her energy is limited, especially these days.”
Annora gripped my arm before Isolde could say another word and led me out of the dark kitchen. We walked through to an entrance hall, very much similar to that of my own castle, and exited the building through a large oak door. We descended a set of steps overlooking an endless ocean. The waves lapped precariously close to the base of the castle.
“So Lilith doesn’t live on this island?” I asked.
“No. She lives a few hundred miles away. There’s a gate linking her island to the human realm I suppose we could have traveled through. But I wanted to warn Isolde what we were doing first. Now, no more question
s. Just follow me.”
I followed Annora forward and as we reached the edge of a rock, she said, “Close your eyes.”
I did as I was told and we both vanished from the spot. We hurtled through air at the speed of light. Our feet hit solid ground a few moments later.
I opened my eyes to find myself standing on a large black boulder. Above us was the entrance to a cave. I looked up and down the pebbly beach we’d appeared on. There wasn’t any sign of life other than a group of vultures that circled overhead. I looked down at Annora who was now looking directly at the cave.
“So this is it? This is where Lilith lives?”
“Just follow,” Annora said through gritted teeth. I noted how much heavier her breathing had suddenly become as we neared the entrance.
I’d expected a more salubrious abode for such a renowned witch. At least a castle of some sorts. I found it hard to believe that she could be living in this damp cave.
Annora led me forward, deeper and deeper, until we reached a door. As soon as she placed her fingers on the handle, it clicked and swung open. The next chamber was dimly lit by lanterns that hung from the walls, unlike the pitch-black chamber we’d just left.
We walked for several minutes hearing nothing but our echoing footsteps. After this winding tunnel we reached another oak door. Annora reached out once again, her hand now shaking. I gripped her shoulders and turned her to face me. Her face was pale and sweaty, her lips tightly pursed.
“Just let me in, you can stay here,” I said.
She shook her head. “I’ll come with you,” she said, her voice hoarse.
Although I didn’t want her in the same room as Lilith and me while we had our conversation, clearly now wasn’t the time to argue. Once I’d come face to face with Lilith, I’d be in more of a position to ask Annora to leave.
She unlocked the door and, as I stepped forward through the door and into an odd circular chamber, I was immediately overwhelmed by the stench. Something dead and rotten, like decaying flesh. The smell was intensified tenfold thanks to the lack of air in this dim room.
The dusty floor sloped downward, leading toward a strange dark pool in the center of the chamber. I scanned the area, but to my disappointment, there was nobody here.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“Shh,” Annora hissed.
She gripped my hand and led me down the slope to the pool of liquid. The closer I got to it, the more unbearable the smell became.
Annora seemed quite unfazed by it. She hurried forward until she was standing right at the edge of the pond.
“It is me,” she said, her voice shaking. “Annora.”
I took a step back as ripples began to form in the dark liquid. Soon enough, it parted to reveal a motionless corpse floating in the water. The corpse of a woman. Until she sat bolt upright. Black eyes shot open, gleaming as they reflected the dim lighting in the chamber. Her skin was thin and rotten. Where it had disintegrated around her forehead, bone was visible. A tuft of hair hung limply from her scalp, which was otherwise shriveled and bald.
“What is this?” I breathed.
“Lilith,” Annora whispered. “The last Ancient among us.”
Chapter 32: Caleb
Chills ran down my spine as I stared at the ghostly form.
Her shriveled lips parted, and ancient witch tongue spilled out.
“Why are you here?” she croaked, her voice rasping against my ears.
I had been around Annora long enough to be able to detect witch tongue, though when I spoke I wasn’t able to express myself well. I wasn’t sure that she would understand me but I had no hope but to try.
I was still in shock. I had believed that all the Ancients had passed from this world centuries ago. I couldn’t understand how one could have survived for so long.
Most of all, looking at her, I felt a crushing feeling in my stomach. I’d come in hopes of finding a solution to Annora’s misery, in hopes of finding a cure for her, a recourse. Looking at this creature of nightmares, I couldn’t imagine she’d do anything but add more darkness to my already pitch-black life.
Annora stepped in front of me and curtsied.
“Your Grace, I have come here with this vampire because he wishes to turn into one of us.” She looked conflicted even as she spoke the words, but she knew she had no choice in the matter if she ever wanted to regain a semblance of peace in her life again. Annora knew how stubborn I could be.
Lilith’s black eyes settled on me as she clucked her tongue, looking me over from head to foot. She retched suddenly. Black fluid dripped from her mouth into her cesspool. She looked back up at me, wiping her mouth with the back of her sharp bony hand.
“He’s not ready,” she said, looking back at Annora.
Annora and I exchanged glances. I saw relief in her eyes more than anything.
It was now time to take matters into my own hands.
“Leave, Annora,” I said, “I want to speak alone with Lilith.”
Annora glared at me. “Only if Lilith wants. She may not want to waste any more of her precious time with you.”
I scowled and turned back to look down at the disgusting creature. In the best witch tongue I could manage, I looked her directly in the eye and said, “I wish to speak with you alone, if you’ll let me. There is more to me than you perhaps realize.”
Lilith gargled. I wasn’t sure whether that was supposed to be a snort or a chuckle. Whatever it was, she was shaking her head. Not a good sign.
“Please,” I said.
Annora gripped my arm. “She doesn’t want to speak with you, Caleb.” She began to tug on me and pull me back toward the door.
I broke free from Annora and glowered down at Lilith. I didn’t know what possessed me—I could only assume desperation—but with one leap I dropped into the pool with the odious creature.
I thought the pool was shallow, but I found myself falling, the weight of my body sucking me down into the grime. It took all my strength to not be sucked under completely. I managed to keep my head above water. It was so heavy the substance felt almost like quicksand and it was a constant struggle to remain above the surface. Luckily I had the strength of a vampire. Any mere human would have been sucked right under, probably never to be seen again.
I could have sworn a glint of red flickered in Lilith’s eyes and now her face was contorted enough for me to read an unmistakable expression of fury.
Annora gasped and rushed to the side of the pool.
“Caleb!” she screamed. “Get out.”
Ignoring Annora’s pleas, I waded closer to the witch. And stopped about three feet away from her. I glared into her eyes.
I’d gone to all this trouble getting here. I wasn’t about to be brushed away so easily by this old hag. But mostly my desperation was brought about because I knew if I didn’t get answers from Lilith, my trail would be completely cold.
Damn it, I wasn’t going to leave without putting up a fight.
“Annora and I have been your loyal servants for years,” I said softly. I winced at my broken witch tongue, but lumbered forward all the same. “I have come here requesting to simply talk with you for a few minutes. Is that so much to ask now?”
The Ancient inhaled sharply and stared at me. Without warning, she jolted forward and gripped my forehead, her freakishly long fingers closing around my skull. I remained still, expecting to feel pain. But I didn’t. I didn’t know what she was doing, what she was feeling for, but after several moments, she let go, leaving a handprint of grime on my head and likely on my face. But grime was the least of my worries right now.
“What do you want?” Her voice creaked like a rusting door joint.
“Firstly,” I said, “I want to speak with you in private. I want you to order Annora to leave this chamber while we talk and to not enter until you give permission again.”
“Why do you want to talk in private?” Annora blurted out from behind me.
I ignored her, keeping my eyes level wit
h the Ancient’s.
The grime was beginning to give me a headache. I had to fight to fend off the nausea.
She knew what I wanted now and she was either going to bend to my will or banish us both from the room again.
I breathed out as she slowly broke eye contact with me and looked at Annora.
“Leave,” she muttered.
I didn’t bother to turn round to look at Annora’s reaction. I knew she’d be seething. I kept my eyes on Lilith all the while as Annora’s footsteps disappeared and the door to the chamber locked.
I waded further away from the witch, placing more distance between us, and gripped hold of the edge of the pond. I hauled myself out and leaned against a wall. The Ancient too made her way to the edge of the pond and, placing her hands against the edge of the wall, she hauled herself up. I did a double-take as her decrepit body emerged from the liquid. She folded like a tray, then straightened up. She was almost twice my height as she stood up, her knees thin as rods, and so shaky I found it a wonder that she could even support her own weight.
I stood up, uncomfortable about her standing while I remained seated. She walked around the pond and headed toward a flight of stairs in a far corner of the chamber. She beckoned to me with a flick of her hand. I followed, keeping a few feet between us.
What is she? Is she even living? Or is she a ghost inhabiting a corpse?
To my surprise, we arrived on a landing with four chairs and a table.
She grunted, pointing to one of the chairs. Her lanky legs folded as she perched on one of the chairs opposite me.
I cleared my parched throat. “Do you remember what you did to Annora?”
I doubted that I could express all that I needed to, especially since Lilith seemed to speak in some kind of antiquated dialect, but I had no choice but to stumble forward regardless.
“Annora,” Lilith murmured.
“She came to you. She gave up her form as a vampire and became a witch. She wanted to become a Channeler.”
Her lip twitched and she shook her head. “She was not strong enough to become a Channeler.”