“I’ll see if Mr Coleman has a key on him,” Lee said. Ellie nodded and looked fixedly at the ceiling.
Lee walked over to Mr Coleman’s body, trying hard not to look at Charlie’s. Lee got to the ground stiffly; he had almost forgotten the extent of his own injuries from the night before, not to mention those that were still healing from his fight the last full moon. He could not quite remember what Mr Coleman had done to them the night before, but being stabbed with the silver knife four times was not something Lee would soon forget.
He rummaged around in Mr Coleman’s pockets and finally found an ornate-looking key.
He went back to Ellie, grunting in pain as he got up, and undid her manacles. She went to rub her wrists, but after wincing in pain she let them be. As she sat up she took a deep breath and grabbed her stomach. Lee’s hand shot out to help her and she smiled.
“Thanks.” Her gaze slid past him and he knew what she was looking at. She slid off the altar and ran awkwardly to Charlie’s prostrate body, throwing herself down on top of him.
“Oh, Charlie, I am so, so sorry,” she cried through her tears.
Lee didn’t know what else to do but kneel next to her and pat her back. They sat like that for a long time. Just as Lee’s knees fell asleep, Ellie was thrown backwards as Charlie sat up, gasping for air.
Lee gaped at Charlie. There was no way in hell that he’d survived that… He was human for gods’ sake. But, there was Charlie, taking in great gulps of air, holding his hand to his chest as though it his heart would fall out. Charlie looked around the room, looking utterly bewildered.
“What…happened?” he asked.
Lee looked to Ellie for an explanation, but she didn’t seem to have one to offer. She just sat, sprawled on the floor where she’d landed, and stared agape at Charlie, just like Lee was.
“How?” she breathed, slowly getting to her knees.
“How what? What happened? How did you get Ellie off the altar? Where’s Coleman?”
Lee pointed to Mr Coleman’s crumpled body. Charlie opened his mouth a few times, but said nothing.
“How do you feel?” Lee asked.
“Thirsty…really thirsty…” Charlie replied, licking his lips absent-mindedly.
“But…you died…” Ellie knelt forward and touched Charlie’s face. Lee batted her hand away, wondering if he was the only sane one in the room.
Charlie stared at her for a moment. “What do you mean, I died?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he turned to Lee.
“Well, mate…you took the silver knife for me. It went straight into your heart…” Lee said, looking at Charlie carefully, not sure if he was taking it all in.
“How… How am I still here?” he asked, patting his chest. He winced and pulled open his shirt.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lee saw Ellie flinch. But, it was what was on Charlie’s chest that held his attention. Charlie’s chest was covered with scratches and bruises and there was even a rib poking his skin out a bit. But, the really impressive thing was the huge gash, just to the left of the centre of his chest. It was bleeding freshly and Lee grabbed a patch of what looked like used to be his shirt and pressed it against his wound. Charlie winced and grunted, but smiled.
“Thanks, man.” Charlie held the shirt there for a while and then gingerly pulled it away. The gash had stopped bleeding so heavily and looked smaller than it was. Lee blinked to clear his eyes. Charlie pressed the shirt to his wound again. “What are we going to do with the body?”
“I don’t know,” Lee answered. “Where are we? Does anyone remember how we got here?”
Ellie shook her head. “I don’t think we were even together before this happened.”
Lee began to answer that she was right and then remembered something. “No, we were.” The other two looked at him, obviously confused. “Remember? You were helping me with my wolf this full moon. You set up the basement for me to shift in when you decided there were too many breakables in the living room.”
“Where do I come into all that then? I was hardly likely to come and watch you shift?” Charles said, then his face brightened as he remembered something as well. “No, of course, I- Argh!” There was a resounding crack and Charlie jerked.
“What is it?” Ellie cried.
“What happened?” Lee asked, wanting to help his friend but not knowing what to do.
“My leg…my leg just… It’s unbroken…” Charlie said slowly, staring at his leg and then slowly pulling the wad of bloody shirt away from his chest. Where there was a huge gash only moments ago, there was now only an angry looking sliver that had stopped bleeding altogether.
“Oh no…” Ellie said and backed away. Lee looked at her and then back to Charlie, wondering if it could be true. “When you say you’re thirsty…”
“No…” Charlie breathed quietly, almost disbelieving whatever it was that Ellie implied.
“What is going on?” Lee asked, not sure if he wanted to believe it or not.
“Never mind that now…” Ellie said, looking up. “We have to get out of here. Lee, can you go and see where we are? Charlie should be fine to move soon and we don’t want to be here longer than we have to be.”
Lee nodded, pleased that Ellie was back to her old, commanding self. He loped to the door and pulled it open. He walked up the stairs, leaning heavily on the banister as he went. He came to another door. He took a deep breath, pulled it open and stepped out into Ellie’s front hall.
“What the…” He stumbled to the front door. He heard angry shouting coming from outside.
He looked through the window but it was difficult with only one eye. So, he took another deep breath and pulled open the front door.
“Lee!” Ethel came running up to him and threw her arms around him. He staggered under her weight, and she let go and caught him before he fell. “Oh, my goddess, what happened in there?”
Lee looked behind her and saw the air above the fence was shimmering. Glamours, he thought, smiling.
“Lee... Lee!” Ethel shook him roughly.
He shook his head and looked back at her. “Sorry…” he mumbled. “Mr Coleman is dead in your basement… Charlie was dead in your basement, but he’s fine now.” Lee nodded, feeling very fatigued and sore.
“He, what?” Ethel shook her head. “Al, Al,” she called over her shoulder, “call Wilda and let her know he’s all right. A bit dazed and beaten up, but he’ll be fine.” She turned back to Lee. “Lee…honey, I need you to tell me what happened.”
“Mr Coleman wanted Ellie’s magic. He was going to sacrifice her to Carnaby. I tried to stop him, but got hurt and Charlie took the dagger meant for me and…” Lee stopped.
He felt Ethel steer him inside. When they got to the basement stairs, she took his hand and pulled him down after her. He hobbled after her as fast as he could. When they got through the second door, Ethel dropped his hand and ran forwards.
“Mummy!” Ellie cried and ran into her mother’s arms. “Oh, Mummy.”
“I know, baby; I know,” Ethel crooned. “It’s okay now, mummy’s got you.”
“He wanted…he wanted my power,” Ellie whispered.
“I know, darling, but he didn’t get it, did he?”
“I couldn’t beat him…”
“Shh…it’s okay, Pet.”
“But, magic saved me, Mum. Lee and Charlie, they saved me and they couldn’t have done it without magic.” Ellie stood quietly in her mother’s arms.
Lee thought there was a look of pleasure on Ethel’s face, but it was gone so quickly, he couldn’t have been sure.
“Charles,” Ethel said sternly. She stepped out of her daughter’s embrace and walked over to him. “Charles…” she said more softly and gathered him into her arms. She pushed him at arm’s length and appeared to study him up and down. “You saved my girl.”
“It was Lee really. I saved Lee.” Charlie threw him a smile as he said it. “But, he saved Pet.”<
br />
“He couldn’t have done it without you, and I suspect that sacrifice broke Pet’s curse and brought you back as a vampire,” Ethel said and turned away. She put her arm around Ellie. “Come on boys, let’s get you all cleaned up.”
Lee fell into limping step beside Charlie. “She’s right you know. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Ah, it’s nothing, man.” Charlie was staring at Ellie’s back, but his voice was full of warmth.
“It wasn’t nothing…” Lee grunted as the two of them hauled themselves up the staircase.
“It was nothing special.” Charlie turned to him and smiled and Lee knew that was the best he would get.
After they made their way upstairs, Ethel bustled them into the living room and seated them on a couch. Ellie sat in the armchair across from them. Ethel fussed over them with blankets and biscuits and Al rushed in with cups of tea. Neither Ethel nor Al asked the three of them what happened downstairs, but Al snuck off for a while and Lee had the feeling he was disposing of Mr Coleman’s body.
Slowly, Ellie started talking. Lee didn’t really listen. His eyelids were falling and the tea made his tummy all warm and his body all tingly. A sense of peace stole over him and his heartbeat slowed; he hadn’t even noticed it was racing. He smiled, feeling very vague, and watched Ellie’s mouth move. Sometimes Ethel would say something, but mostly, she just let Ellie talk. While Lee wasn’t paying attention to the words, Ellie’s voice still sounded calm to him, but he noticed when she put her teacup down that her hand was shaking.
Soon after, Lee’s mum, dad and brothers came bounding in the door.
Lee’s mum ran to him and threw her arms around him. He grunted but, when she went to let go, he hugged her back.
“Let’s get you cleaned up, Lee.” Dwight held his hand out to his little brother to help him up.
“Use our bathroom,” Ethel said.
Dwight took him upstairs to Ethel and Al’s bathroom. He found a face washer and sat Lee on the side of the bath.
“You know, this is just like the time I had my first big wolf fight,” Dwight said as he soaked the face washer.
“What do you mean?” Lee asked.
“Well, true, the circumstances are a little different…but the outcome is the same. Dad helped patch me up after that one. I figure it’s my job to help patch you up.”
“What about my actual wolf fight?”
“Well, that doesn’t really count; your wolf was still in charge.”
“Thanks.” Lee winced as Dwight cleaned the blood off his face. “I think.”
Dwight laughed his big bass laugh. “It’s not so bad, little brother. You fought and won. That is the best a wolf can ask for.”
****
Ellie watched Lee go and felt a pang of panic. She didn’t know if she was ready to let either of the boys out of her sight after what they’d just been through. They did look an absolute fright. It was awkward, sitting in the lounge room waiting for Lee to finish getting clean. Ellie knew Wilda had questions that she desperately wanted to ask but was managing to hold in. Part of Ellie wanted to comfort her and tell her everything. She just wasn’t ready to go through it again.
She looked up as Charlie standing up caught her attention. He cleared his throat awkwardly. Ellie’s heart fluttered as she looked as him. His cuts and bruises were healing well, but he was still covered in blood and grime. Even under all that, though, she could still see his piercingly green eyes staring out at her.
“I guess I should probably go home…”
Ellie’s mum jumped up. “Nonsense, Charles. You are not going anywhere until you are healed and washed and…fed.” Ellie’s mum looked around rather guiltily.
Ellie saw Wilda smile. “Don’t worry on my account, Ethel. If he’s still welcome under this roof in that condition, and my boy will still sit next to him, then he’s all right by me.”
“Thank you, Wilda,” Charlie said. “But, I’m sure Arthur and Mary are worried about me…” He stopped.
“Dear, why don’t you stay here with us for a while, and we’ll sort out Arthur and Mary?” Ellie’s dad said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll set up the spare room and have you good as new in no time.”
“What about Morganna?” Ellie smiled, knowing why Charlie was asking.
Her mum smiled too. “We’ll sort out Morg.”
****
Charles stood in a sort of nowhere place. He stood on a solid ground, but there was no sort of scenery but for a misty fog hiding some sort of light. He peered into the fog and saw five figures walking towards him.
He put his hand to his chest, feeling an odd sort of fluttering.
Strange for someone with no heartbeat, he thought to himself.
He laughed aloud. Tears formed in his eyes as he recognised the figures as they got closer.
His mother came first, holding Henri’s and Oliver’s hands. Slightly behind them, he saw Cateline, with Piers on her hip and a young Col hanging from her hand.
Henri broke free and ran forward, throwing himself around Charles’ hips. He smiled and hugged the small boy’s head.
“Charlie! We found you!” he cried.
The others stood right in front of him now and he could not stop the tears of joy from falling down his cheeks.
“You always were far too serious, dear Charles.” Cateline smiled, urging Col forward.
“Da!” Col laughed and hugged him.
“Dearest Col.” He looked around at his family. “Henri, Oliver, Ma... Cateline. And, little Piers.” He hugged them all in turn, holding onto them tightly.
“All right, son,” a gruff voice said. He turned around and saw his father.
“I am so sorry, Papa,” he said, hugging his father fiercely.
“You did what you could, son. That’s all that matters,” his father said, coughing in the way that meant he was holding back tears of his own.
“You got your strength from a good place.” His mother smiled.
He looked around at his family, not understanding why there were here, and why they came now.
“Why...”
“We wanted to tell you how proud we are, Charles,” Cateline said, handing him Piers. He took his son gently; he had never had a chance to hold him in life.
“What do you mean? I have made a right mess of things!”
Piers gurgled and smiled happily.
“Don’t be daft, son,” his father said.
“You have done the best you could with what you had.”
“Sure, you screwed up plenty,” Henri piped up and Oliver thumped him.
“But, you got through it and made amends,” his mother finished.
“We want you to know that we are proud of what you have become,” Cateline said.
“And that we will always be with you,” his mother said.
“That we’ll always love you,” his father coughed.
“Always,” Henri, Oliver and Col said.
Charles cleared his eyes and saw that they were leaving him again.
“Wait, don’t go!”
“We’ll always be here, Daddy,” Col said, reaching up to touch his chest.
He turned and saw Cateline. She held out the necklace with the key, the one she had always worn. “Give it to her, dear one. It was time it and your heart had a new home.”
He took it from her, choking on a sob, and watched as they faded back into the fog.
He felt the necklace, warm in his hand, and felt his spirits lift. He may not have been able to see his family anymore, but he felt them with him. This time, he would not forget them.
Epilogue
C
harles woke up, smiling. He never imagined he would feel as good as he had during his last weeks as a human, but here he was, happy.
He looked around the Coopers’ spare bedroom and noticed his keepsakes chest sitting in the corner with a not on top of it.
Charlie,
>
Talked with Mary and Arthur. Everything’s okay. Will talk to you about it all later. Rest up for now.
Ethel
P.S. I thought you might like this back.
Charles grinned and opened the chest.
Sitting on the top, as though it was waiting for him, was the necklace. He picked it up carefully.
He opened the door and listened. There were some sounds of people wandering around downstairs, but he did not listen hard enough to work out who they were. He padded softly to Pet’s door and knocked quietly; if she was not awake yet, he did not want to wake her.
Pet opened the door, accompanied by a strong wave of warm berries – Charles had missed not being able to smell her so clearly. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were half closed and her mouth was wide open in a yawn. She smiled when she saw him.
“Morning, Charlie.”
Her face was still bruised and cut and her wrists were bandaged.
“Good morning, Pet.” He felt a pressure on his foot, “good morning, Archibald.” He smiled, not having to look down.
Archibald had informed the elders at the Academy of the events at the Coopers’ after Ethel found them, but he had returned before they were ready to go to their own beds last night.
“I, uh... I have something I would like you to have...” Charles said.
“What is it, Charlie?”
He cleared his throat and held his hand out, the necklace sitting snugly in the palm of his hand. Ellie looked down and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
“Oh, Charlie, it’s…” She waved her hands in the air. “I mean, it’s beautiful! Huge, but beautiful.”
“I... It was Cateline’s... My wife’s... Her mother came from an impoverished well-to-do family. She gave it to me to give Cateline on our wedding day. Cateline gave it back to me on her deathbed. I... She...wants you to have it now.”
He chanced looking up at her. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, but she was smiling hugely.
“Charlie... Are you sure?” He nodded and moved his hand closer to her. “That’s beautiful,” she said as she pulled her hair up and turned around.
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