Dead Souls Volume Four (Parts 40 to 52)

by Amy Cross

  “It's not -”

  “Then again,” he snapped, “what do I know? I'm just the man who tried to protect his sister, and ended up having to cut into her body and remove her child in a desperate attempt to keep her from losing her mind, and then I sent that child -” He stopped himself, just in time.

  “Sent that child?” she asked. “What do you mean?”

  “To Jacob,” he continued. “To be burned.”

  She stared at him for a moment, convinced that she could see a flicker of doubt in his eyes, almost as if he was lying. “And the child was dead when you took it out?”

  “I'd rather not go into the details,” he said darkly.

  “Or did you kill it?”

  “Do you really think I could do that?” he asked.

  She paused.

  “I see,” he continued. “You think it's at least possible that I would kill my sister's child rather than trying to save it.”

  “I didn't say that -”

  “You didn't need to,” he replied, taking a step back. “I don't know what I did to you in the future, Kate, that would make you believe I'm capable of such evil, but I can assure you, you're wrong. I did not kill the child.”

  “I believe you,” she continued, “but Edgar, please... Don't you understand that I have a chance to save Anna, and that even though the odds are stacked against me, I have to at least try. I know it's going to be dangerous and I know I'd be safer here with you, but I have to find Raven's Briar and then I have to get Anna out of there. You couldn't save Madeleine's child, but I can save Jennifer's.”

  “Do you think I'm a bad man?” he asked.

  “Edgar -”

  “And if you do, do you think I can change? Or do you think a bad man must remain that way forever? Maybe I should just play to my strengths.”

  “I...” She paused. Edgar had asked her that question many times before, but only in the future. This was the first time he'd asked her since she'd arrived in the island's past.

  “There's no need to pretend,” he continued. “You were able to at least entertain the possibility that I killed Madeleine and Benjamin's child, which means you must see me as someone with the potential to commit such a heinous crime. That begs the question, then, of whether you think I can change, or whether you think I am doomed to be like this forever.”

  “I never said that you're a bad man,” she replied. “Please, just -”

  “I will not help you in your attempt to find Anna Kazakos,” he told her, “and I do not condone such recklessness. I might not be able to protect you, Kate, but I think you'll have a much better chance of protecting yourself if you're close to me. You will not go to Raven's Briar.”

  “You can't stop me.”

  “I can,” he said firmly, “and if necessary, I will. Don't test me on this matter, Kate.”

  “So I'm a prisoner here?”

  “I have made my decision.”

  She opened her mouth to argue with him, but he turned and walked away.

  “Edgar!” she called after him. “I know you didn't kill the child! I know you're not that kind of person!”

  Realizing that it was too late, she sighed. She knew she'd handled the situation badly, and she knew that searching for Anna without Edgar's help was going to be nigh-on impossible. At the same time, she also knew she didn't have time to wait for him to change his mind, which meant she was going to have to find a way.

  “I'm coming to get you, Anna,” she whispered. “Just stay safe for a little longer. Wherever you are, I swear to God I'll find you.”

  Part Forty-Two

  I

  “Suzanne!” Kate screamed as she saw the huge stones starting to sink down into the mud. “Lazare! Get out of there! You have to find a -”

  Sitting up suddenly in bed, she looked around the dark room and remembered she was in Edgar's mansion. For a moment, however, the dream felt terrifyingly real, as if she'd been reliving every moment of that night in the storm out at the stone circle. Still a little breathless, she realized there was no way she'd be able to get back to sleep, so she climbed out of bed and limped to the window, leaning heavily on her crutches. Her ankles, which had been damaged in the fall a few nights earlier, were pulsing slightly with pain.

  There was a figure outside, standing by the fountain in a patch of moonlight.

  ***

  “What do you know about a place called Raven's Briar?” she asked a few minutes later, with a dressing gown wrapped tight around her body to keep her warm in the cool night air.

  Turning, Nixon frowned. “Where did you hear that name?”

  She made her way over to the fountain, still struggling with the crutches. “Humor me. I need to know about the place, and Edgar won't tell me anything.” She glanced back at the house, her eyes quickly scanning the dark windows as she checked to see whether they were being watched. “Every time I try to ask,” she continued, turning back to him, “he just shuts the conversation down.”

  “Maybe Edgar's got a good reason for that.”

  “Nixon, please...”

  “Kate -”

  “Nixon,” she said firmly, “I need your help.”

  “I don't make a habit of going against Edgar's wishes,” he replied cautiously. “I value my head too much.”

  “I'll give you something in exchange. I'll...” She paused, trying to think of something, anything, she might be able to offer him. “I'll get Alice Marco back for you. In the future, when I find my way there again, I swear I'll help you. I won't stop until she's back in your arms.”

  “I don't even know who Alice Marco is,” he pointed out.

  “But you will, in about ninety years' time, and trust me, you'll be very glad we made this deal.”

  He stared at her for a moment, before looking over at the house. Now it was his turn to look at the windows, checking that Edgar wasn't around. “Raven's Briar is an orphanage,” he said finally, turning back to her, “a little way from Parios on the mainland. I think it's in the hills outside the town, but I can't be certain. It's not exactly the kind of place you'd ever want a child to end up, but plenty do.”

  “And what happens to them there?”

  “I...” Another pause, and a flicker of concern in his eyes. “I don't know.”

  “Liar.”

  “Kate, please -”

  “Anna Kazakos has been taken there,” she continued. “Someone named Eversham came and took her, Quill was behind the whole thing. I need to go and get her back, but Edgar won't help.” She waited for him to reply. “Nixon, I don't need you to shield me from anything. Just tell me what I need to know about this place.”

  “There's nothing you can do for the girl,” Nixon replied. “I'm sorry, Kate, but you have to let this one go. Children who end up at Raven's Briar... They change. They become something else, something darker. They might hold out for a short while, but the forces that exist in that place are more powerful than anything you can imagine. Ms. Eversham herself... Well, let's just say she has the scar to prove her resilience.”

  “A v-shaped scar on her face?”

  He nodded.

  “How did she get it?”

  “From...” He paused again, before glancing at the house as if he was still worried about being overheard. “Before she ran the orphanage,” he continued, turning back to Kate, “Ms. Eversham was a nanny. A lovely young lady, by all accounts. Very prim, very proper, very sweet and very, very British. I don't know quite what happened, but she ended up with a very special client, some say one of the most powerful vampires who ever lived. And I don't mean Edgar.”

  “Then who?”

  He shrugged. “It's a legend, a myth, so details are vague and unreliable. Still, whoever she was looking after, she ended up with the front of her face ripped open. After that, her opinion of children changed somewhat. Again, I don't know exactly what happened, but the next time I heard about her, she'd been installed as the new governess of Raven's Briar. Maybe for a women who'd been what she'd been thro
ugh, it was the only job that could really make use of her new perspective and her unique talents. The children at that place...” He paused. “They don't all have pointy little teeth when they go in, but they sure as hell do when they leave. The ones who are able to leave, at least.”

  “They get turned into vampires?” Kate asked, shocked by the idea.

  “Like I said, there are a lot of myths surrounding the place. I'm sure a lot of them aren't true, but -”

  “Anna doesn't become a vampire,” Kate told him. “I met her in the future when she was a little old lady, and she was no vampire!”

  “Did you ever see her teeth?”

  “In a glass of water next to her bed.”

  “Huh.” He paused. “Well, I can't explain that, but -”

  “It must be because I managed to save her. Maybe you were wrong, maybe history can be changed after all.”

  “Hang on -”

  “Where exactly is this orphanage?” she asked.

  “If Edgar doesn't want you to know -”

  “Then you'll have to tell me.”

  “Kate, you can't go charging in there alone, it'd be suicide. Hell, look at you, you can barely even walk across a room. How exactly do you think you're going to get on if you find this place. If you go like this, the Eversham woman will cut you down.”

  “Edgar won't help,” she replied. “You're welcome to tag along.”

  “Me?” He paused again. “Kate, are you serious? Do you think you can assemble a little army and go charging off there, and then break down the door of Raven's Briar and grab Anna Kazakos?”

  “That's more or less the plan so far.”

  “Edgar -”

  “Edgar can't stop me,” she told him. “He's given me his opinion, and I've considered it, but that little girl got taken away and it's partly my fault, and now I'm going to put it right. Edgar can tell me until he's blue in the face that I can't do this, but there's no way I'm going to listen to him. I will find the place, Nixon, but it'd be a lot easier if you'd just tell me everything you know.”

  “It's...” For a moment, he seemed genuinely undecided. “It's not in Parios itself. It's a little way out, I'm not sure of the exact location but I could probably find it. The thing is, if you're really going to do this -”

  “You can't stop me.”

  “Then I guess I've got no choice. I will have to come with you.”

  ***

  “She's sleeping,” Benjamin said as he pulled the door shut and turned to Edgar. “I think she exhausted herself tonight.”

  “She exhausts herself every night,” Edgar replied. “Ever since we were children, she has never known how to bury her thoughts and sleep.”

  “I just don't know how to help her. I want to look after her, to make sure nothing bad happens to her again, but it's hard when she's so... wound up all the time.”

  “Walk with me,” Edgar said, turning and leading him along the dark corridor. “Tell me what she says when the two of you are alone. I know there are things she hides from me.”

  “I don't...” Pausing, Benjamin seemed a little reluctant to reveal too much. “I don't think she's quite herself at the moment.”

  “Has she said much about the child?”

  “Very little. I think it hurts too much for her to talk about it.”

  “She should forget the whole thing.”

  “It's not that easy.”

  “Perhaps something can be arranged.”

  “You don't have children, Edgar, do you?”

  “Not yet, no.”

  “Then maybe you'll understand one day. I don't think either of us will ever forget what happened.”

  “And what if -” Stopping as they reached the top of the stairs, he turned to Benjamin. “I wanted to speak to you tonight,” he continued, “because I have been giving serious consideration to the idea of sending Madeleine away.”

  “Away? To where?”

  “Somewhere she can get help. I'm not convinced that it's healthy for her to still be rattling around in this house. As much as it pains me to say so, I feel that there are people who might be better equipped to help her deal with her problems, people who have experience when it comes to dealing with insanity.”

  “No,” Benjamin said firmly.

  “No?”

  “She needs to be here, with us.”

  “A noble sentiment, but -”

  “You can't just send her away when she gets difficult,” he continued. “Edgar, she needs her family around her, she needs people she trusts, people who know her. You can't just send her away to be looked after by a bunch of strangers, she'd never agree. Anyway, I won't allow it.”

  “You won't allow it?” Edgar replied, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

  “You'll have to get past me first.”

  “That would not be difficult.”

  “You know what I mean. I'm not going to let you ship her off and put her out of sight and mind, just because she's in a difficult situation. You said that anyone who looks into the eyes of Ashalla ends up losing their mind, but Madeleine hasn't lost her mind, not really. She's struggling, she's not herself at the moment, but I'm certain I can get her back to normal. I just need time. She's stronger than you think.”

  “Or weaker than you think.”

  “What if the roles were reversed?” Benjamin asked. “If you were the one who'd looked into Ashalla's eyes, would you want Madeleine to send you off somewhere?”

  “Of course not,” Edgar replied, as if the idea was preposterous, “but we're not talking about me, we're talking about -”

  “She's just as strong as you. Stronger even. She'll get through this.”

  “Do you really believe that to be true?”

  “With all my heart.”

  Edgar paused for a moment. “Then I shall reluctantly give you that chance. I must warn you, though, that if there comes a time when I decide she must be given professional help, I will have to insist. In such circumstances, I will not seek your opinion. I will simply do as I think is best for my sister. If that time comes, you are of course free to stand in my way, and I will try not to damage you permanently when I sweep you aside. On that, you have my word.”

  “Trust me,” Benjamin replied, “and trust Madeleine. She'll recover from all of this.”

  “I hope you're right,” Edgar told him. “I'm not convinced, but I will give you the chance to prove me wrong. That is not an offer that I extend to many people.”

  “I guess I should be flattered.”

  “You should.”

  A few minutes later, once Benjamin had made his way back to Madeleine's room, Edgar headed to his study. After fixing himself a glass of brandy, he headed to the desk and picked up the phone's receiver, before waiting to be put through to an exchange.

  “TC 1800,” he told the operator, and then he waited again, taking a sip of brandy as he looked over at the dark window.

  For a moment, all he could think about was the possibility that he was making a terrible mistake, that he was delaying the inevitable. A hundred possibilities rushed through his mind.

  “It's me,” he said finally, as soon as someone picked up the other end of the line. “There has been a change of plan. I will not need you to come and collect my sister, at least not yet. However, I will wire some more funds to you and I want a place to be kept available for her at all times. There might yet come a day when her madness becomes so extreme, I shall have no choice but to lock her away.”

  “Very good,” a voice replied on the other end of the line. “I'll tell Nurse Fletcher to prepare a room in case it's needed. And don't worry, Baron Le Compte. If Madeleine ever needs to come and spend some time with us at Tor Cliff, we'll take the best possible care of her.”

  II

  “It's perfect,” Estella said as she picked up the wooden sign that she'd commissioned. “It's even more wonderful than I could have imagined.”

  “Seems a little strange to me,” Mr. Polper replied. “If Doctor Lassiter needed a n
ew sign, why didn't he come down and order it himself?”

  “Because he doesn't realize he needs a new one,” she continued. “The sign above his door is old and faded. This one will endure for as long as he needs it, he simply doesn't give much thought to such things. He needs someone to make his home and office nicer, someone who loves him and -”

  She paused, feeling a flush of pride in her chest, followed by a hint of sorrow.

  “He's a good man,” she added finally. “I'm merely buying him this sign as a wedding gift.”

  “Suit yourself,” Polper muttered, clearly not bothered about the pain in her voice. “I don't give discounts for gifts, though. You'll be paying full price.”

  Opening her purse, Estella saw the meager collection of coins and realized that she barely had enough to cover the cost. Forcing a smile, she tipped the money into the palm of her hand and began to count it out.

  ***

  “I know it might seem a little much,” Estella said a few minutes later, as she handed the new sign to Doctor Lassiter, “but... Well, with your wedding come up so soon, my father and I thought we should offer something as a token of our appreciation.”

  “It's wonderful,” he replied, smiling as he turned the sign around to get a better look. “I'm not sure I can accept, though. This must have been expensive!”

  “Please,” Estella continued, holding back the tears that threatened to run from her eyes, “think nothing of it. A good doctor deserves a good sign, and I'm quite certain this is the finest sign that money can buy on the whole of Thaxos. Why, when people see it hanging out there in the sun, they'll be absolutely certain that they're coming to the right man.”

  “Isn't it wonderful?” Lassiter asked, turning to Emma and holding the sign up for her to see. “The people of this island are so generous!”

  “Indeed,” Emma replied sourly, with an expression that made it look as if she was chewing a wasp. “Lovely.”