Kerra; his thoughts slapped him to alertness. ‘Do you think Kerra’s inside? She must be somewhere here … I don’t think he’d take her out too much … or maybe she’s in the van … unless he’s disposed of her by now.’ He hated these thoughts. ‘Maybe we should break in?’ he said spontaneously.
‘No. That’s a bad idea.’
She was right. It was. ‘Can you use your ability, then? See if you can sense where her body is?’
‘I can try—’
Cla-clunk, cla-clunk, cla-clunk...
‘Crap,’ hissed Nick. ‘Someone’s coming.’ His body felt as if that half-expected fork of lightening had struck it, an electric fear zapping through, leaving his heart beating fast. Above he heard the blackbird cheep and flap away into the gloomy sky. The sounds reaching him implied only one person crossing the bridge. If it was Austin approaching, then maybe just standing and waiting for him would be okay, seeing as they wanted a civil conversation anyway—well, as civil as it could be. But if someone else was coming … ‘Let’s hide. We don’t want to be seen here by anyone.’
A flash of uncertainty passed over Juliet’s face, but then she said, ‘Quick then.’ She pushed him towards the side of the lodge.
They managed to conceal themselves, Nick in front of Juliet, with his head near a corner he could peak around. What if we’re caught here? What if Kerra’s body is inside the lodge? We’ll look guilty. But then he saw the approacher.
James Rea.
Huh? Fear spread through him while his mind scrambled to make connections. ‘It’s James,’ he whispered, twisting to see Juliet’s reaction. ‘What’s he doing here? He must be working with Austin.’
The apologetic expression on her face told him he was wrong. ‘I’m sorry, Nicolas,’ she said, and stepped out of cover. ‘I texted Tamara before we left. I told her we were coming here … She must have sent him.’
Confusion stunned Nick, slowing his mind. Then he figured it out. That’s why you took so long in the bathroom. The realisation hurt. ‘Why did you text her?’
‘I didn’t feel safe, us coming alone. I’d hoped we would catch Austin before Tamara or James arrived and that we’d have a chance to ask him everything we wanted to … but then what would we have done? He might have attacked us. Or if he agreed to leave us alone and hand over Kerra’s body, then I wasn’t prepared to move a body with you.’ She shrugged, though now she seemed less sorry. As if she’d had no choice, she finished with, ‘We need their help.’
Nick’s anger was almost too much. He struggled to say, ‘So much for telling each other everything.’
Juliet kept a stony face, then walked towards James and said his name in a quiet but clear voice. He headed over. For a moment, Nick closed his eyes and purged his frustration by letting it course through him. Then he joined Juliet and the half-elf.
‘I told you not to confront Austin, you idiot,’ were the first words out of James’s mouth. They were aimed solely at Nick.
James panted, failing to stand up straight, and sweat raced down his gaunt face. His mini afro hair was a mess. His mismatched eyes were clouded with red veins.
‘Are you alright?’ asked Nick. ‘You look like you’re about to drop.’
Juliet added, ‘How did you get here so fast? Where’s Tamara?’
On top of those questions, Nick stacked, ‘And I thought you were with your kind?’ He had considered taking a trip down to forty-eight Maw Street that morning, just to make certain James was away, but figured it a stupid idea. It would look bad if he was seen visiting a house that belonged to someone who fitted the description of the suspect he’d given to the police.
‘Give me a minute, would the pair of you?’ James barked. He placed his hands on his hips, craned his body up straight, and heaved in air. He remained in this Superman pose until his breathing normalised. ‘Don’t worry about my health. It’s just a side effect …’
Side effect of what?
James continued. ‘I finished discussions with my kind this morning and had only just returned when Tamara rang me.’ He glared at Juliet. ‘She’s been trying to call you, you realise?’
‘I turned my phone off after I texted her.’
James shook his head impatiently. ‘You’re both trying to make this difficult for me, aren’t you?’ he asked, but gave no time for answers. ‘You might as well chuck yourself in front of a bus now, Nicolas, and I’ll accept whatever punishment my kind dispense for letting you die.’ He began gesticulating frantically. ‘In the long run it will be a whole lot less painful than trying to protect you, only to have you throw yourself at the enemy and die anyway!’
‘Would you stop whinging already and answer our questions?’ Juliet snapped.
It was as if James’s senses returned to him. He blinked rapidly and relaxed his stance. ‘Yes, okay. Tamara is on her way. I was travelling with her, but feared we were taking too long. So I … moved ahead.’
‘What do you mean?’ said Nick. ‘By private jet? Helicopter?’ he mocked. ‘How did you get here so fast?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ The half-elf trained his eyes firmly on him.
I’m getting tired of this kind of sh— ‘Ughh, fine … But how did you know where we’d be in this park?’
‘In Juliet’s text, she mentioned a cherry blossom tree. There’s a big sign with a map on at the entrance; this lodge and the tree are on it.’
Oh. That would have helped Nick find the lodge more easily himself, rather than relying on blurry memories. ‘Well, whatever. Now we’re all just standing here in the open, looking suspicious, and Austin doesn’t seem to be in the lodge. What’s our plan? I suppose you’re in charge now, James?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘So?’ Juliet contributed.
‘I’ve been ordered to apprehend Austin. He’ll be taken to my kind, both to keep you safe and to interrogate him.’
‘About this enemy of yours?’ asked Nick. ‘The person who wants me dead?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. Well, I have an idea. You said you used magic to break into my guestroom at West Edge Country House. If you can do that to get into Austin’s lodge, then Juliet can use her ability to locate Kerra’s body and force her spirit out of it. Then when we find Austin, he can’t use Kerra against us. Juliet had planned on bribing him to leave us alone, but without Kerra for defence, I think you and I could restrain him … if we can’t convince him to come willingly.’
The atmosphere seemed to shift while Nick waited for a response, a slight pressure playing with his sinuses. James looked torn, and generally sulky. ‘That’s a good idea,’ he finally said. ‘How do you know this lodge is Austin’s?’
‘I had a vision, and Juliet recognises his van.’
The half-elf accepted the answer with a tired nod. ‘It’s about to rain, so let’s get inside.’
When they were at the door, James covered the keyhole with his hands and closed his eyes. There was a short buzz, then Nick heard a few clicks. James pushed down the handle. The door opened. Real magic or a trick? The idea that he’d just witnessed actual magic gave him a frisson … and some nausea, too.
‘You two said you think you can restrain Austin,’ Juliet started to say as they walked inside, ‘but he’s soulless like me, and he might have been that way for years. I’m full of energy because of it, so he might be a lot stronger than he looks.’
‘I might be a lot stronger than I look too,’ James retorted indignantly. He came to a stop and glanced about the lodge’s interior.
The room was massive, but had an unusual layout, like it had been rearranged. Where Nick imagined a lounge area should be, was a king-sized bed, as if Austin had hauled it out here himself. Though surely it would have to have been dismantled and reassembled for that. Nick eyed his diary again. He said nothing of it, not wanting to draw attention to it, and left Tom’s house key by its side.
‘Austin has a weapon …’ Juliet added to her concerns.
‘And I might have a weapo
n too …’ said James.
The thought unnerved Nick, and for a second he thought he saw something on James’s hip—a small scabbard—but then there was nothing. He squinted to inspect, but still … nada. Growing tired, he curtly said, ‘Juliet. We need to hurry.’
A heavy pattering erupted on the ceiling. The rumbling seemed to come from every direction. Nick usually enjoyed the sound of drumming rain, but now was not the time to bask in sensory pleasures. Now was the time to set Kerra free.
Juliet stood statue-like, only moving her head every now and then, as if listening for something. ‘I can sense more spirits than just Kerra’s,’ she said quickly. ‘And they’re all suffering.’ She closed her eyes and covered her face with a hand. ‘I’m blocking them out for a moment. I need to prepare myself and try again in a second.’
Nick’s patience wore thin, but he knew not to force Juliet. Like his, her ability probably had a lot of layers and complications to it, and mental focus seemed to be the key to control. More spirits than just Kerra’s … and they’re all suffering … He peered about, imagining a horde of reanimated corpses pouring out of the doors surrounding them.
‘Okay. I’m ready,’ said Juliet. She pursed her lips slightly, breathing audibly through her nose. After a moment she walked to one side of the room, stopping near a shelf. On it was a ceramic jar. It was a mixed yellow-and-green colour, an ugly thing. ‘There are spirits trapped in here,’ she murmured softly. She reached out her hands like she was about to touch it, then recoiled. ‘There are so many … It’s like he collects them.’ When she turned to face Nick, her eyes glistened, but quickly she compressed her lips, looked away, and moved in another direction. ‘Kerra isn’t among them.’
Nick watched her pad across to the king-sized bed. She stopped at the foot of it and looked down. In front of her was a large storage chest. Moving sideways to get a better view, Nick eyed a padlock on the trunk.
‘She’s in there.’ Juliet nodded down at the locked wooden case.
Slowly, an image crept to Nick’s mind. He felt sick. He lurched to one side but swallowed down the acid in his throat. He’s been keeping her in that chest at the end of his bed … like some kind of toy … Dizziness. Headache. Sweating. It took him some time to regain his composure, but thankfully James and Juliet were quiet as he did.
Not able to say anything, he straightened up. He looked James in the eyes and gave a significant nod towards the chest.
‘Okay,’ said James, with an unexpected amount of empathy. ‘I’ll open the lock, and then Juliet can do her thing.’ He still appeared knackered, as if he’d fasted for a week and then run a marathon. He trudged in the direction of the trunk. He knelt down and placed both hands over the padlock. Another strange buzz, and the lock popped open. He removed it from the metal hoops that held it in place, then put a hand on the lid of the chest …
Cla-clunk, cla-clunk, cla-clunk … From inside the lodge, and against the rain, the noise sounded tinnier than before.
‘Crap again!’ cursed Nick. Stealthily he skulked up to a window and squinted out. What he saw gave him a start. ‘It’s Austin, and he’s moving fast to get out of the rain.’ He swung around to see Juliet looking as panicked as he felt. James seemed collected. ‘What-should-we-do?!’ he demanded with ridiculous speed.
‘Hide,’ said James. ‘When he comes far enough inside, I’ll block his exit.’
Nick ran to the back of the lodge, Juliet joining him on the way, and he turned back to see James crouch behind a brown leather sofa near the front door.
He picked the closest room, grabbing Juliet’s hand and guiding her inside with him. Ahh … There was a single bed and everything was plain, the way a kid’s hotel room would be. This is where I was in the vision … The bedroom I stayed in when my family holidayed here. He almost said these things aloud. Thinking of all the doors he could have chosen from, he wondered why Austin had rented what was probably the largest lodge in the park. He decided on, Because he’s a pretentious dick, and was probably paid a fortune to make my life a misery before killing me.
Silently he gestured for Juliet to move back from the door so he could hold it slightly open and peep through the gap. Nick watched through the vertical vantage point. He saw Austin enter the lodge, soaked and holding a carrier bag with the park’s logo on it. He must have been at the shop when we drove in. We’re lucky he didn’t see us. Dripping wet, he appeared more pale than at the factory, his skin heavily contrasted with his glistening black hair. He wore the same jacket he’d concealed his weapon in before.
As if it mattered, Nick compared his own looks to Austin’s, wondering whom Juliet thought more attractive. But then Austin glanced in their direction. Nick instinctively shot back to hide. He made the door rattle in his speed. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap … A thrumming started on his eardrums, joining the rumbling patter from the roof. His heart thumped so hard he was sure the necromancer would hear.
Footsteps, tapping louder, closer. ‘Who’s there?’ Austin’s voice sounded flat against the heavy rain.
Nick flung the door open and stepped out, figuring it would be worse to be found in an enclosed space. Juliet followed close behind. ‘Austin. We just want to talk.’ Nick held up his hands at either side of his head. What is James doing?! Why isn’t he jumping out already? Nick stepped towards the necromancer, slow and steady, trying to move into the roomiest section of the lodge.
‘Oh, right, yeaaahhh …’ said Austin sarcastically. ‘Because talking to me required breaking in here?’ He chucked his carrier bag to the side. It landed on the sofa that hid James. ‘And what are you doing here, Juliet? Have you come to iron out our relationship problems?’ He gave a mocking pout.
‘Nick and I are here together, to make a deal with you.’
Austin crossed his arms. He appeared to consider the idea. For one second. ‘Erm, no,’ he said bitchily. ‘I won’t be making a deal with you. I was gonna let you go, Juliet. Figured you weren’t worth the hassle. But now I’ll have to kill you both.’ He reached inside his jacket. At the same time, Juliet dug into her pocket, presumably for her personal alarm.
Nick didn’t know what to do.
Finally, James launched out from his hiding place. He had a short sword in his hand. An actual short sword.
‘Jesus-frickin’-Nora!’ Austin shouted and stumbled back so suddenly, he tripped over a coffee table and crashed onto the floor. Before he could stand back up, the end of James’s sword was pressed to his throat.
‘Reach for a weapon, and you’ll have no time to use it before I spill your blood,’ threatened the half-elf, though he looked like a flamboyant fool, stooped to make his mini sword reach so low.
Do it, a vengeful voice rang in Nick’s mind. Slit his throat. Do to him what he did to Kerra! But the thoughts turned him queasy, and the idea of witnessing it repelled him.
Austin’s upper lip curled into a snarl. He’d somehow dribbled onto his own face and was huffing loudly and repeatedly. ‘What’s your problem, you frickin’ weirdo?!’ he raged at the half-elf. ‘Hiding behind a sofa like that?’
‘Nicolas and Juliet have told me of the things you’ve done,’ said James calmly. ‘I think we all know who the weirdo is here.’
The necromancer continued to huff and puff, his white skin blotching red in places. ‘Are you going to kill me?’ he forced out of his tense mouth.
‘No. I’m going to speak with you.’
‘Let me up then.’
James moved away in no hurry, keeping his weapon trained on the necromancer. When Austin was up, he arched his neck to peer at James’s face. ‘Jeez, you’re tall,’ he said, sounding disgusted. Then his face lit up. ‘Your eyes … one of them is like …’ He moved his head side to side, clearly trying to inspect James’s ears. They were hidden under his curls. ‘I know what you are. You’re a half-elf.’
The expression on James’s face remained the same. He flicked the short sword towards the sofa and said, ‘Sit down and we’ll all talk. Try an
ything and I—’
‘I know.’ Austin made his way to the sofa and sat down. Another couch was set up opposite, and James took a seat on that one, still pointing his weapon at the necromancer. Juliet joined, leaving no room for Nick (unless he wanted to sit side by side with Austin, which he did not). He propped himself on the arm of the couch, next to Juliet.
Before Nick or James could say anything, Juliet asked the necromancer, ‘Why did you get romantically involved with me?’ She said it as if only the two of them were present. ‘I need to know … Did you actually have feelings for me?’
Austin rolled his eyes. ‘No, no feelings, I’m sorry to say, not even a quickening of my oh-so-romantic heart.’ He shrugged, barked a laugh.
Nick peered sideways and slightly down at Juliet without turning his head. She pushed herself forward, bringing her hands together. ‘So you completely used me?’
‘Yes, gorgeous, that’s what I did.’ The necromancer’s arrogance stirred hatred in Nick. His fists clenched as his arms and legs tensed.
‘I got what I could out of you,’ Austin expanded his answer, ‘because, you know, shame for you to go to waste. But really now, none of this is about you.’ With a cruel finality he said, ‘Get over it.’
The silence left was bitter. Unwanted images of Juliet and Austin sexually involved came to Nick’s mind. They saddened him. He tried to comprehend the emotions Juliet had to be feeling at this moment, but found it took too much energy to even try.
Now addressing James, Juliet said, ‘That’s all I wanted to know.’ She made it sound as if nothing else mattered anymore, like she was washing her hands of Austin. ‘The deal I’ve offered still stands if he wants to take it,’ she told the half-elf, ‘and if Nicolas is happy with it.’
James nodded, then looked to Nick. ‘Is there anything you want to ask Austin?’
It was turning into quite the little Q&A session.
After some thought, Nick gave the necromancer his eyes. ‘I want Kerra set free, you to be punished, and I want to know who you’re working for.’
A Body Displaced (Lansin Island 2) Page 29
