By Midnight

by Mia James

  ‘I don’t think she wants me to,’ replied Milo with a smirk.

  ‘Let her go,’ repeated Gabriel in a lower tone.

  ‘Don’t tell me what to do, Swift,’ spat Milo, getting angry now. ‘What’s this got to do with you? She’s mine.’

  ‘Milo, don’t …’ said April, but he wasn’t listening. He lunged towards Gabriel. All in a rush the boys were fighting, a blur of fists and arms, struggling against each other, sending furniture and plants flying across the floor.

  ‘STOP!’ yelled April. ‘Stop it now!’ Milo landed a sickening punch against Gabriel’s cheek. ‘Just stop!’ shrieked April.

  ‘Get out,’ Gabriel hissed towards her, his dark eyes blazing.

  She fled outside, slamming the door behind her, running down a path, the gravel crunching under her feet. She could feel the rain lashing against her bare shoulders and the wind whipping at her hair, but she didn’t care, she just had to get away from them, away from the party, away from all of it. At the end of the path she turned left, away from the lights of the house and down a flight of stone steps, almost turning her ankle in her heels. The path, enclosed by hedges, led her to a stone structure - a folly or a mock-temple gazebo of some sort? Whatever it was, it had a roof and offered shelter from the weather. Best of all, she was alone. She slumped down on a cold stone bench. Why do boys have to fight all the time? Do they think it impresses girls? And what business did Gabriel have interrupting her kiss with Milo? Was he jealous? For a moment, April hoped very much that he was, then pushed the thought away. She pulled out her phone and thumbed out a message to Caro. ‘Sorry, didn’t find any secrets, kissed a boy, feel miserable. Going home.’ She pressed send, wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her arms, which were icy now. She sat there silently for several minutes wondering how long it would take her to walk home, desperately hoping that the rain would stop. She should call her dad of course, but she didn’t want him to see her like this. Then suddenly she turned towards the temple’s entrance. Somehow she knew that Gabriel would be standing there before he spoke.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said in a soft voice. ‘I know you’ll find it hard to believe this, but I was trying to protect you.’

  ‘Protect me from what?’ she replied, glaring at him. ‘From being kissed? What’s so bad about that?’

  ‘I know it’s difficult to understand, but—’

  ‘Really? Well, why don’t you try me? Come on, blow my mind.’

  ‘April, I can’t—’

  ‘Oh yeah, right. I bet it’s something my tiny brain could hardly grasp. Well, I’m sorry I’m not as academically gifted as some of you at Ravenwood,’ she snarled sarcastically. She moved to push past him, but Gabriel blocked her way. ‘And who the hell made you my protector anyway? What makes you think I can’t look after myself?’

  ‘You don’t know Milo, you don’t know what he wanted to—’

  ‘No, and I’ll never find out now, will I? Anyway, it’s not like you’re any better, is it, going into the bathroom with girls and that other one throwing herself at you on the stairs.’

  ‘April, it’s not what it seems …’

  Gabriel stepped towards her and suddenly she was scared again. She had no idea who this boy was, and no idea why she should trust him.

  ‘Look, if you’re not going to tell me what’s going on, I just want to go home!’ she shouted.

  Gabriel studied her with those strangely piercing eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded.

  ‘Of course, I’ll get you a cab.’

  April hesitated. Why should she trust one complete stranger over another? But there was something about the sadness in Gabriel’s expression that convinced her. She was sure he meant her no harm, even though he’d been behaving oddly. And anyway, right now, she really did want to go home.

  ‘Alright, said April. ‘But no funny business, okay?’

  Gabriel allowed himself a ghost of a smile. ‘I promise. No funny business.’

  It took them ten minutes to walk down the windswept drive and onto the main road, and they walked in silence for most of it. April kept stealing glances at her companion, but he seemed to be staring fixedly ahead, as if he was trying to ignore her. What was his deal anyway? She realised how little she knew about him. Davina had said he was moody, and he was rarely seen at school. Yes, he had been there that night in Swain’s Lane, but she didn’t know any more about what had happened there either. He could be a killer or a knight in shining armour for all she knew. They walked down the deserted roads towards the AI where they should be able to flag down a cab, but when they got there the main road was just as deserted as the side roads. ‘Here,’ said Gabriel, taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

  ‘No, you’ll get cold,’ said April.

  ‘I’m always cold.’ Gabriel smiled.

  April shrugged, glad of the warm fur-lined jacket. ‘So you’re not going to tell me what all that was about?’

  ‘If you can take my word for it, Milo Asprey is bad news. I’m sure he didn’t have any good plans for you.’

  ‘Ever think that maybe I wanted him to do whatever terrible thing he had in mind?’ she asked.

  ‘I really don’t think you did.’

  ‘Maybe I’m not the good girl you think I am.’

  ‘Maybe not.’ He smiled. ‘But I hope you are.’

  She took a moment to observe him. ‘So is that why you’ve been protecting me? Is that what was happening in Swain’s Lane that night?’

  ‘So many questions …’ He shook his head, still smiling.

  She stopped on the street and turned on him furiously. ‘Don’t you dare joke about this!’ she shouted. ‘You go on about protecting me, but I’m the one who’s been protecting you, remember! I could have told the police you were there in the cemetery that night but I didn’t, and the least you can do is tell me what the hell is going on. I think I’ve earned that much.’

  Gabriel didn’t reply and for a moment, she thought he was ignoring her. Then he nodded slowly.

  ‘You’re right,’ he said, taking her hands and looking into her eyes. ‘Okay, listen. I know you have no reason to believe me, but what I’m going to say is true. I can’t tell you everything right now, but I can tell you this: I didn’t kill Isabelle and I don’t know who did, but when you arrived in that cemetery the killer was still there.’ Gabriel kept his gaze locked with hers, his face earnest. ‘I was trying to protect you, April. You were in terrible danger.’

  ‘But so were you, surely?’

  He shook his head ever so slightly. ‘You should know there was nothing you could have done for that girl. She was already dead when you arrived and if you had got there any earlier then you would probably be dead too.’

  April realised she had been holding her breath the whole time he had been speaking and let it out in a rush. She was just about to ask him more when he released her hands and stepped into the road. The glowing orange sign of a black cab appeared around the corner and Gabriel raised an arm in the air. Once inside the taxi, April turned the heater on full and huddled up next to it.

  ‘Remind you of Edinburgh?’ asked Gabriel.

  ‘God yes,’ said April, shivering. ‘It’s like this all year round, but I could never adjust to it. Have you been there, then?’

  Gabriel nodded. ‘A few times, not for a while.’

  ‘Really? Did you go for the Festival?’

  Gabriel shot her a playful half-smile. ‘I don’t think they were doing the Festival when I was there.’

  She was about to ask more, but it seemed stupid to be making light conversation after all Gabriel had said, and they lapsed into silence. He was right, of course - she had no reason to believe him, but the honesty and the emotion with which he had answered her questions - some of them, at least - convinced April he was telling the truth. It was a real leap of faith, considering she had known him for a week, but for some reason she did trust him. Was that silly? And was it anything to do with those dark eyes, that si
lky black hair, those cheekbones? God, am I falling for this boy? she thought with a stab of guilt. What’s wrong with me? Wasn’t I kissing another boy half an hour ago? Like a devil on her shoulder, another voice in her head replied: Yes, but you were thinking of Gabriel, weren’t you?

  She giggled to herself.

  ‘What’s funny?’ asked Gabriel.

  ‘Nothing,’ she said quickly. ‘So where do you live?’

  ‘Close,’ he said.

  Mr Conversation strikes again, she thought, just as he leant forward and banged on the glass divider between them and the driver. ‘Turn left here, please,’ he said, ‘then drop us at the corner.’

  ‘But we’re not home yet,’ said April, frowning.

  ‘I want to show you something,’ said Gabriel, paying the taxi driver and holding the door open for her.

  The rain had stopped and the wind had dropped to nothing more than a murmur. As they walked along the dark street, the thick clouds were already parting and the bright almost-full moon was peeking through, making the wet road glisten.

  Warily, she followed him.

  ‘Through here,’ said Gabriel, shooting her a reassuring glance.

  His fingers brushed her hand as he led her down a dark passage between two houses.

  ‘Isn’t this someone’s garden?’ she whispered.

  ‘No one lives here,’ said Gabriel as they crossed an overgrown lawn. At the back of the garden was a gap in the fence and an old iron gate. Gabriel held it open for her and she stepped through onto a dark path.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ April whispered, getting nervous about being in a deserted spot with a man she barely knew.

  ‘It’s quite safe, don’t worry,’ said Gabriel, taking her hand.

  ‘Where are you taking me?’

  ‘Patience,’ he said. ‘Just a little further.’

  April felt as if she were being led into a dark wood. The snatches of moonlight were unable to pierce the canopy of leaves and they were surrounded by creepy shadows. Gabriel was striding forward confidently as if he were walking through a shopping mall, but April was holding her free hand out in front of her, half-convinced she was going to walk into a tree or stumble over something in her heels.

  ‘Gabriel!’ she hissed. ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘Here.’

  Just then, the trees dropped away behind them and they stepped out into a wide clearing. In front of them was a huge spreading tree surrounded by what looked like an open trench curving away in both directions. It was as if the tree was growing in an enormous plant pot - but what was down in that dark corridor surrounding it? Suddenly she felt a huge rush of déjà vu. I’ve been here before, she thought, a split second before the penny dropped: it was the cemetery. Why’s he brought me back here? she thought with alarm.

  ‘What is this place?’

  ‘The Circle of Lebanon,’ said Gabriel, his smile bright in the moonlight. ‘It’s the jewel in the cemetery’s crown.’

  He took April’s hand and drew her towards a flight of steps that led downwards into the dark passageway surrounding the tree.

  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said, as if sensing her growing disquiet. ‘It’s a good place. Not even the foxes come here.’

  It wasn’t logical, but April had a strange feeling that she would be safe with Gabriel. She allowed him to lead her to the bottom.

  ‘Oh, wow,’ she whispered. April had expected it to be dark and spooky down here, but it wasn’t like that at all. The strong moonlight lit the gently curving walls as if it were daylight. Set into the walls at intervals were a series of wide black doors, some with names carved into the stone above.

  ‘They’re tombs? But it’s beautiful,’ said April. To her surprise, she felt warm and secure down here.

  ‘They built these tombs in eighteen thirty-nine when the cemetery opened. They made them so grand because they wanted to encourage people to come out here to lay their loved ones to rest. This was their shop window, if you like.’

  They walked slowly around the circle, peering at the doorways. They were tall and made of black iron; they should have been cold and scary, but April found she was drawn to them by a strange curiosity. What was inside? Who was inside? What kind of lives had they lived - had they been happy?

  ‘There’s nothing much to see in there,’ said Gabriel, as if reading her thoughts. ‘They interred the remains in lead-lined coffins, but whatever was left will have crumbled to dust by now. Despite that, I think you can still feel the love down here. After all, they went to a lot of effort to make sure their relatives were remembered. You don’t do that for people you don’t love.’

  They stopped in the shadows and April closed her eyes, seeing if she could feel what he felt.

  ‘I know it sounds weird,’ he said in a hushed voice, ‘but I think certain objects and places can absorb emotions. That’s why churches work.’

  April looked about her. He was certainly right that it didn’t feel creepy or sinister down here. For some reason, she felt as if she had been here before. The grey curved walls, the carved stonework, even the way the moonlight fell in patterns across the path, it all seemed familiar somehow.

  ‘I think you might be right,’ she said. ‘No one laughs when you say Stonehenge has a certain feel to it, or even that a wedding ring does.’

  Wedding ring, April? she scolded herself. What the hell are you doing talking about wedding rings? You don’t want to scare him off!

  But Gabriel had moved closer and April almost gasped as he touched her shoulder, steering her towards a doorway closed off by a heavy gate.

  ‘This is the Columbarium, the only place in the cemetery where ashes can be laid to rest - if you look inside you can see the urns.’

  She held on to the cold metal bars and pressed her face in close. She could feel him right behind her, his hands still on her shoulders. April knew she should have felt frightened, standing outside a tomb with someone she knew so little about, but all she felt was a tingling sense of longing. She wanted him to turn her around and kiss her here in the moonlight; nothing she had ever done had ever felt so romantic.

  ‘Can you feel it?’ he whispered, his mouth close to her ear. ‘All that love?’

  April couldn’t help herself. She giggled and Gabriel immediately stepped back, breaking the romantic mood.

  ‘You’re making fun of me.’

  ‘I’m not. You just reminded me of my dad,’ she said, turning around. ‘He’s always writing these books about the unexplained, like UFOs and Bigfoot and all that.’

  Gabriel looked at her strangely. ‘Has he ever written about Highgate Cemetery?’ he asked.

  ‘No, I don’t think so. But I’m sure he’d love it.’ She looked back at the stone circle behind them. ‘And I think you might be right about this place too. It just has something about it. You know, our family has a tomb here.’

  Gabriel’s face moved into shadow. ‘Where?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know, I only just heard about it yesterday from my grandfather. He’s from Romania, so they’re really into all this family stuff. Sorry, I’m babbling.’

  ‘I think maybe we should go,’ said Gabriel, stepping away from her. What did I say? she wondered; it was as if someone had thrown a blanket over a fire. Only seconds before she had been sure he was going to kiss her, now suddenly he was striding off up some wide stone stairs and she was having to trot to keep up. She barely had time to think about it; beyond the steps he led her along another path, then he was helping her over a gap in the wall where some stones had crumbled.

  ‘Oh, I know where we are,’ said April as they emerged on a little residential street. They were coming up to the south side of her square.

  ‘I’ll walk you back to your house,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘Is Milo really bad news?’ she asked suddenly.

  Gabriel nodded slowly.

  ‘In that case, thank you for rescuing me and for making the rest of the night magical,’ she said, not wanting to f
orget that moment in the circle, even if he did.

  ‘My pleasure,’ he said slightly stiffly. ‘It’s one of my favourite places.’

  ‘I hope I can return the favour.’

  ‘You’re going to rescue me?’ His humour was returning a little.

  ‘No.’ She laughed. ‘I mean showing you one of my favourite places,’ she said, immediately regretting it.

  Gabriel was silent as they walked across the square.

  ‘Sorry, I’m a bit drunk,’ she said, feeling her cheeks flush pink.

  They were at April’s gate now and she looked up at him, waiting for him to say something, anything.