‘Here, drink this.’ The widow helped to hold her head up and Aelia felt a dull pounding above her eyes. She opened her mouth and sipped at the warm liquid. It tasted bitter, but soothed her throat a little.
‘Thank you.’ She lay back down and her stomach gurgled. ‘Why do I feel so hungry?’
‘You’ve been asleep for two days.’
Two days? Midsummer! She was supposed to meet her family. ‘But … But I should be at the cave today!’
‘It is too late for that.’
‘Maybe if I leave now I’ll be able to make it in time. Surely it won’t matter if I’m a little late.’ Aelia tried to sit up on her own. Her head felt as though it contained a huge, sharp boulder and she thought she might throw up or pass out. Gingerly she lay back down.
‘It would take you all night to get there, by which time it would be too late.’
‘But my family will be so worried. They’ll think I’ve been attacked on the road, or that I’m ill or dead. My mother …’
‘It’s too late for them. But you will be safe here.’
‘Too late for them? No, they’ll be safe underground. We’re the ones in danger. We’ll have to hope the barbarians don’t find us here.’
‘There aren’t any barbarians. How many times do I have to tell you. I know you’re not stupid, even if you sometimes act it.’
‘But …’
‘But, but, but … No buts. Your family and friends are probably all dead by now. And if they’re not, you’d better pray for them, because they will wish they were.’
‘Why are you saying those things? You’re scaring me.’
‘Good. You should be scared. I’ve saved you from a fate far beyond what you can imagine.’
‘You? You’ve saved me?’ Aelia suddenly realised that the widow had never intended to let her go and join her family. She had kept her here intentionally. ‘Why? How could you let me miss my chance at happiness? Are you so twisted and bitter that you’d deny me a chance to make my life right again? Did you drug me to keep me here?’
Widow Maleina scowled and walked off towards the back of the cave, muttering to herself. Aelia felt a wave of helplessness wash over her and a tear rolled down her cheek. She would probably be stuck here forever. A flash of anger overtook her sadness.
‘Why did you do it?’ she called across the echoing cave. ‘Is it so you can keep me here as your servant? Is that it?’
No reply came. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes. Before her father visited the cave, Aelia had been prepared to remain with the widow. It had been her only option. But after his visit, she had allowed herself a glimmer of hope for the future. Of course, she’d also felt a certain amount of fear at the thought of returning to the people who cast her out, but at least she would have the opportunity to start again. But now … Now, she just saw years of the same thing stretching out in front of her. That was if the barbarians didn’t slit her throat first.
A rich smell permeated the air and Aelia’s mouth began to water.
‘Broth,’ the widow said, standing next to her.
Aelia still lay with her back to her and remained silent.
Widow Maleina sighed. ‘I know you are angry now, but in time you will come to see that I am right.’
The smell of the broth was driving Aelia mad. She was so hungry, but didn’t want to give the widow the satisfaction of seeing her drink it.
‘I know the demons are here because I have seen them,’ the widow said. ‘And I remember them from before.’
‘Before?’ Aelia replied, before she could stop herself.
‘They have travelled here from a long way away. From a cold country in the north. The country where I was born.’
‘You mean you’re not from here?’ Aelia turned and sat up, forgetting her anger for a minute. The widow handed her a bowl and Aelia took a sip of the warm clear soup. As she drank, the splinters of pain in her head seemed to melt away.
‘No,’ replied the widow. ‘I was brought here as a slave when I was a girl. In my land, everybody knows about the night demons. And now they are here and they will wreak terror and destruction because you are all unprepared and ignorant.’
Despite the heat of the soup, Aelia felt a chill.
‘We knew all their tricks,’ the widow continued. ‘We endured centuries of their evil ways. But we knew how to deal with their kind. Your people are ignorant. They don’t know what they have done.’
Aelia saw sadness in Widow Maleina’s eyes. ‘So if that’s true, why didn’t you try to warn them? Why didn’t you tell them?’
‘Do you think your councils would listen to a half-mad crone? Don’t look at me like that. I know what everybody thinks of me. Because I am old and live alone, they think I am some kind of demented witch. They are happy to take my medicines, but that is all.’
‘If there are demons, where are they?’
‘Right now, they are leading your people into the underground city. The demons have fabricated this invasion. They cannot stand the light of day. They need darkness and blood to survive. Below ground, in the newly constructed city, they will have both.’
Aelia didn’t know what to think. The widow sounded convincing, but she could just as easily be the mad old crone people thought she was. Either way, Aelia knew she would have to find her family and make sure they were safe. Demons or no demons, Aelia was going to travel back home to see for herself.
Chapter Eighteen
Present Day
*
Ben awoke to the bleep of a text message. With his eyes still shut, he reached across to the bedside table and bashed about trying to feel for his phone. After a few seconds of no success, he remembered it was on the floor. He groaned and sat up, sleep still clinging to his body.
Gathering his quilt around his shoulders, he slid off the bed and onto the floor. His mobile lay face down on the rug. There were two texts – one from Alexandre and one from Freddie. Suddenly, he was wide awake. Please let them have found her. Please.
Alexandre’s message was short and unenlightening:
Hi Ben, Checked out the area but no sign of Maddy yet. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.
Ben got that sick feeling back. They had been there for a whole night and had found nothing. If Ben was honest with himself, he had been convinced they would have rescued her by now. After hearing all about their amazing escape from the underground facility in London earlier this year, he’d let himself believe there wasn’t anything Alex couldn’t do.
Freddie’s message was a little more honest but a lot more worrying:
Confrontation with 4 scary vamps last night. Too powerful for us to do anything. We’re working out a strategy. Will get back 2 u as soon as we have a plan.
So if the Cappadocian vampires were too strong for even Alexandre and the others, what were they going do? How would they rescue Maddy? Ben felt so useless. He texted Freddie back:
Be careful. Is there anything I can do from here?
But Ben knew they wouldn’t ask him to do anything. His stomach growled and he remembered he hadn’t had anything to eat last night. He did still feel slightly sick, but his stomach also felt like it had a massive hole in it. He needed food. Quickly, he pulled on yesterday’s socks, some jogging bottoms and an inside-out sweatshirt before going downstairs to get some breakfast.
Esther was in the hall, picking the mail up off the doormat.
‘Hi, Esther,’ he said, heading into the toasty warmth of the kitchen.
‘Morning.’ She followed him into the room.
Ben grabbed a box of cereal from the larder and a bowl from the cupboard. Esther passed him a spoon.
‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘I had a text from them. They haven’t got her back yet.’
‘I know, love. Morris called me first thing. It might take some time, but they’ll do it, don’t you worry.’ She passed him a bundle of letters. ‘It’s Maddy’s post. Maybe you should open it while she’s away. In case there’s something important.’
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‘Really?’ He felt a bit uncomfortable about opening his sister’s mail. And wasn’t it illegal to open someone else’s letters?
‘Well I wouldn’t normally tell you to open someone else’s post, but these are exceptional circumstances.’
‘Okay then.’ Ben put the letters on the table and shook out some cereal. It was some horrible muesli crap, but he couldn’t be bothered to change the box. Anyway, he figured he was hungry enough to eat just about anything. He sploshed on some milk and started eating. Hmm, not as bad as he’d thought it would be.
As he chewed cereal, he sliced open the first letter with his finger. It was from the garage to say Maddy’s Land Rover was due a service. That could wait. Next letter was a dental check-up for both of them and the third was a confirmation letter from the Cappadocian hotel where the vampires were staying. He opened the rest which were either junk mail or boring appointments.
‘Nothing interesting,’ he said.
‘Good,’ replied Esther. ‘Things have been a bit too interesting around here lately. We could do with a bit less of it, if you know what I mean.’
Ben did know what she meant. He’d give anything to go back to boring routine if it meant having Maddy back home.
*
Maddy was jolted awake by the jingling of the lock and now the door swung open. She remembered the male vampire, the way he had stared at her, and fear crept up her spine. Her mouth was dry and her neck stiff where she’d fallen asleep leaning against the wall. Her body and mind were sluggish with sleep, unable to cope with any kind of confrontation. But she needn’t have worried, as the person walking through the door, was Zoe.
‘God, he’s a pain in the ass,’ Zoe said, sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed.
‘I was worried I wouldn’t see you again,’ Maddy said, relief sweeping through her body. ‘Who was he? He was scary.’
‘That was Sergell. And yes, he is scary. You do not want to mess with Sergell Elioreg.’
‘Did you get into trouble? For talking to me?’ Maddy asked.
‘What? No. They tell me not to talk to you, but they’re too busy to worry about stuff like that. They’re not bothered. As long as I do my job and make sure you stay put and don’t die.’
‘Oh.’ Maddy hadn’t expected that. She’d thought they would be … stricter or something. Although, you couldn’t get much stricter than abducting someone and locking them up. She let out a snort of laughter.
‘What’s funny?’ Zoe asked.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Maddy said. ‘Just all this.’ She spread out her hands. ‘In a weird and twisted way, it kind of reminds me of being at school. You and me slagging off the ‘teachers’.’
Zoe smiled wistfully. ‘Yeah, I s’pose.’
‘Where are you from anyway? You’re English right?’
‘Yeah. I’m from Newcastle.’
‘Up north?’
‘Mm hm.’
‘You haven’t got much of an accent.’
‘My accent always comes back when I’m visiting family. Not that I can do that anymore. They think I’m dead.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Maddy said.
‘Nothing’s normal anymore,’ Zoe replied. ‘Everything is dark and serious and scary all the time. My life’s changed beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined.’
Maddy reached across and took Zoe’s cold hand in hers. She gave it a squeeze.
‘I know you probably don’t think it, but I do know what you mean. I haven’t always had it good. My life was pretty bleak and hopeless a couple of years ago, but it’s turned right around. I never thought it would be possible but I’m so happy right now.’
Zoe suddenly grinned at her. ‘You are joking?’
The ridiculousness of her words hit them both, and they dissolved into hysterical laughter. Maddy held onto her stomach.
‘Oh, oh I can’t breathe … laughing so hard.’
‘Yeah, like I need a pep talk from the girl I’m holding prisoner in a locked cell,’ Zoe snorted and squealed. ‘Too funny.’
‘I’m so happy right now,’ Maddy mocked herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
When they’d calmed down a bit, Zoe gave a sigh.
‘I meant it though,’ Maddy said. ‘I might not be delirious with joy at this precise moment in time, but it is possible for your life to get better.’
‘I seriously doubt it,’ Zoe said, getting to her feet.
Maddy sensed that their temporary closeness had disappeared for now.
‘I’ll be back tomorrow with your breakfast,’ Zoe said.
‘Great. Thanks. Night.’
‘Goodnight.’
Maddy felt the loneliness wrap itself around her again. God, she missed Alexandre. It was like a physical ache in her chest and throat. He had become her whole life. How had she coped before he’d come along? She couldn’t even remember how she’d been. She knew she used to be constantly angry, always fighting against some injustice in hers and Ben’s lives. But now with Alex, she had an ally, a best friend and she loved him so much she didn’t know what she’d do if she never saw him again. Her new life was perfect and she wouldn’t let it be stolen from her. She had to get back to him.
*
The sick feeling in Ben’s guts intensified, his appetite still dulled by worry. Only one more day until Alexandre and the others had to be at the underground city. If they hadn’t managed to rescue Maddy by tomorrow night, what would happen? Would they turn up on the 21st as arranged and then would the Cappadocians let Maddy go? Would they hurt his friends? Kill them even?
As he lay on top of his bed, a thin winter light coming in through the window, he turned the blank notepaper in his hands. Over and over, feeling the ridges where it had been crumpled, staring at its mottled surface, listening to the rustle of it. There was something crucial he was overlooking, he was sure of it. This paper was similar to the letters he’d opened this morning, but it was a nicer quality, thicker. And it was a slightly different shape. No, it was no good; he couldn’t think what it was he might be missing.
Esther had tried to get him involved in the housework again today. He knew she was only trying to help, but he really couldn’t face it. What was the point? But doing nothing was turning out to be just as bad. His bedroom felt oppressive; in fact the whole house felt as though it might suffocate him. He needed to get out. Maybe a ride would clear his head a bit. It was funny, even though Maddy had bought him that amazing trail bike last Christmas, he still preferred his mountain bike. He liked the silence around him and the resistance of the pedals as he pushed.
Ben stretched, yawned, sat up and put the notepaper on his bedside table. He’d been lying next to this morning’s mail and, as he slid off the bed, he accidentally knocked all the letters onto the floor. He swore and crouched down to gather them up, straightening them out as he did so. Then he dumped the blank notepaper on top of the pile, returning the whole lot to his bedside table.
It would be cold out, but he didn’t care - the ride would warm him up. He clattered down the stairs, grabbed his coat from the peg in the hall, took his gloves out of his pocket and left the house. As he walked over to the bike shed, the cold air blasted his face and shook him out of his lethargy. He was looking forward to a hard cycle through the woods. He unlocked the shed and saw his Trek in front of all the other bikes. Maddy and the others hardly ever used theirs, so Ben’s was always right by the door where he left it. His beanie hat was hanging off one of the handle bars.
‘There it is,’ he said. He’d been looking for his hat for a few days. He pulled it down over his ears, wheeled his bike outside and locked up the shed.
Seconds later Ben was pedalling hard across the front lawn, his fears behind him for a brief moment as his muscles worked and fresh oxygen flowed through his body. He wished his mind would stay blank for longer, but the worries soon jostled and fought their way back in, coming at him like stabs of a knife or twists to the gut.
He suddenly skidded to a halt,
his back wheel spinning out in a muddy arc. Something important had just occurred to him. Ben pointed his bike back towards the house. He needed to look at the piece of paper again to double check his theory.
Once he reached the house, he left his bike outside the utility room door, kicked off his trainers and ran up the stairs. The notepaper was where he’d left it, on his bedside table, on top of this morning’s mail. He pulled off his gloves and picked up the pile of letters.
The notepaper was exactly the same size as the other letters, except it was shorter in length. Every single piece of mail he had opened this morning had been written on headed paper, but the blank notepaper had no header. Maybe that was because originally it had been headed paper and someone had cut the header off. That would certainly explain why the top of the paper was uneven. But why? And who would’ve done it? And headed paper from where? What did it mean? Did it even mean anything?
The letter lying immediately behind the notepaper was the reservation confirmation from the Cappadocian hotel. The paper was similar to the blank note – thick and expensive looking; a heavier weight than the other letters. So maybe the note came from a hotel … Maybe. In fact, that would make a lot of sense. Blythe had said that Maddy was taken by the Cappadocian vampire. If that was true, he would’ve had to come over to England and he must have stayed in a hotel. Well, not necessarily him, but his vampire followers or staff or whatever. So maybe they had used the hotel’s paper to write the note, but had cut the top off. It would be a local hotel, he was sure of it. Somewhere posh probably.
Ben began to get excited. This could be the first proper lead he had. This could really be something. He knew he was making a lot of leaps. Maybe he was way off the mark, but he didn’t think so. And anyway, he didn’t have any other leads to follow. This might be a wild goose chase, but then again it might not. It could be a breakthrough. But it still didn’t explain what the paper was doing in the recycling. Anyway, Ben realised his appetite had suddenly come roaring back. He would eat and then he would go into Tetbury and check out the local hotels.