Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside

by P. A. Priddey

  It’s Rho.

  ‘Goodbye, Rho, goodbye, Chi, and hope to see you soon.’

  You will, and thank you for being the one. The wolves turned and moved off.

  Alex made his way through bushes to the fence. He climbed over, his night vision left him, and a sharp pain shot up his leg. ‘Shit,’ he said, the pain almost brought tears to his eyes. He was back to how he was before, only now in agony and exhausted. He grabbed his walking stick and clung to the fence to stop himself from falling over. It was a slow process getting to his flat. Alex felt bitter, was this just some game he was a pawn in? He thought of his girls and how he saved them, which felt sweet, “bittersweet”, for the first time he understood what it meant. He reached his front door and fumbled for the keys. He managed to get inside and to the bedroom.

  His head throbbed and his eyes were burning. It was still dark, he collapsed on the bed as tiredness struck him and fell asleep. He dreamed of the girls, the wolves and of the man about to kill him, but Asima was there and everything was OK. In the dream he picked up the girls and carried them away, the wolf wasn’t happy. He was taking them home, but as he climbed over the fence he fell over. He couldn’t walk properly, his body hurt, and dropped the girls. Something dark came behind the twins and took them away. Alex heard them scream, and he screamed back. It stopped when he sat up in bed shivering.

  It was daylight and he was in pain. Lying back down he felt something else, nausea. Alex had to move fast. He managed to get to the toilet in time, leant over the bowl, and retched. He didn’t know how long he sat by the toilet, but it felt like his entire insides had come out. He crawled back to bed with his whole body aching and a burning sensation in his forehead.

  It was night-time and sleep once again overtook him. The dream this night was similar to the last. He wouldn’t leave the girls, only this time he decided to take one of the cars outside the house. Alex put the girls inside and drove off, the wolf wasn’t happy about this either. Alex, however, couldn’t drive. A truck appeared around the corner at speed and struck the back of the car. It rolled off the road and he was thrown out. He stood up and heard the girls scream. ‘Papa.’ He looked on as the car burst into flames. He woke up staring at the ceiling when he felt the need to get to the bathroom. It was daytime again. He finished being sick, and sat on the floor, his insides felt like they were on fire. There are no girls, he thought, no wolves, just a fever I must have picked up.

  He dragged himself back to his room, his mobile phone rang on the table by his bed where he left it on charge the night he came home from work. He ignored it. Alex wanted to pick it up and see what time it was, as he didn’t even know what day. Once again he fell asleep.

  The dream took him to where the girls were getting in the car and the wolf told him to leave them. Alex did and walked with the wolf but the dream changed. He was walking the girls up to a large house. Something was wrong, and the house wasn’t ready, the people inside were not the right ones. He turned the girls around. ‘Not yet,’ he told them, and woke up.

  For the third day Alex was ill in the bathroom, and had no idea what could be left inside. He hobbled back to bed and lay there with his mind wandering of what had happened, and was anything real any more — he fell asleep. The dream this time was different. He was looking down on an ancient city, and was in the tallest building from what he could see.

  ‘Your highness,’ said a tall, thin, man. ‘The council has found out what your daughters have done and demand punishment.’

  ‘They can demand all they want.’ Alex heard himself say.

  ‘They broke your laws, and the punishment for the crime is banishment.’

  ‘You want me to punish them, Thoun?’ Alex heard his voice get louder. ‘You think I would banish my own daughters?’

  The dream changed. He was flying through space with a large object coming at him fast, and darkness overcame him. Alex woke annoyed at his dreams changing just as he got into them.

  He wasn’t in pain any more, or feel sick. The sun shone through the window, and he felt alive. His phone beeped and he picked it up, checking the date it was nine o’clock on a Monday. He had six missed calls, two voicemails, and one text message all from the same contact — work. Alex listened to the voicemails, and the first one said ‘where are you?’ the second one said ‘you’re fired’, the text message also read, ‘you’re fired’. He didn’t care and sat up before getting out of bed.

  Still in the same clothes from when he saved the girls, Alex stripped off and walked to the bathroom without his leg hurting, but still had a slight limp. He tried walking normally, it took a few minutes before he could, and took a shower. What struck him the most when he stood in the shower was something was missing. He could see no scars on his leg, after the accident he had three, they had vanished. He stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. There were no scars anywhere, they had all vanished. He also noticed, he looked healthy, and his body was fit again. Alex was happy with that, and realised he needed to brush his teeth.

  He dressed as the doorbell rang.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  New Beginnings

  Alex opened the front door, and saw a middle-aged man.

  ‘Mr Alex Aylward,’ said the man, wearing a black suit and a broad smile. He looked about fifty, with neatly trimmed black hair.

  ‘That’s me.’

  ‘I am George Mizar, from Mizar and sons solicitors.’

  Alex gazed at the cheerful looking man. ‘Can I help you? Only I don’t appear to have a need for a solicitor right now, not that I know of anyway.’

  ‘You do now, as I’m here about your inheritance.’

  Alex gasped, with pure dread building up inside. ‘Nothing’s happened to my mother?’

  ‘This has nothing to do with your mother, and I’m sure she’s quite well.’

  ‘You must have made a mistake. The only family I have is my brother and mother, and she’s not happy with me as I’ve not visited her for a while.’

  ‘No mistake, Mr Aylward,’ said George, with an excited look on his face. ‘The money was left to you a while ago, and my family have waited a long time for this day to arrive.’

  ‘Please come in.’ Alex, opened the door for the man. He showed him into the living room and offered him a seat.

  The solicitor accepted and put his briefcase on the table before opening it. ‘Mr Aylward, this might sound strange. Not only have you received a sizable inheritance, but we have also set up bank accounts for you to use straight away.’

  Alex’s eyes widened. ‘How can you set up bank accounts for me without my consent?’

  ‘Quite easy really. Our firm has many friends, as do you now. I’m sorry if I appear excited, but we knew this day was getting close and it was me who got to deliver the news.’

  ‘I’m not sure I like the idea of someone doing that,’ said Alex, knowing he needed money, and the fact his life was getting stranger and stranger.

  ‘I don’t think you’ll mind to be honest. You’ll require my services, Mr Aylward, or at least I hope you will, and like I said my family have waited a long time.’

  ‘How long are we talking?’ he said, as he stepped into the kitchen. ‘Would you like a cup of tea? And please call me Alex.’

  ‘Over a hundred years my family have been handling this, and yes please two sugars if you have any.’

  Alex put the kettle on, took two cups out of a cupboard and put teabags and sugar into both. ‘How could your family have known about this all those years ago?’

  ‘They were told what was going to happen, and when, I’m just following instructions. There are many answers we are all waiting for.’

  ‘Does this have anything to do with Rho?’ Alex remembered what the wolf told him . . . there would be others to help.

  He’s a good friend and said you did extremely well.’

  ‘Yeah, and I was sick for three days and four nights, do you know why?’

  ‘I’m sorry but no, you’ll have to ask
Rho about that side of things.’

  Alex raised an eyebrow as he leant on the frame of the door to the kitchen. ‘That side of things?’

  ‘The stranger side of things I guess, maybe even supernatural, I don’t know much about it. The illness didn’t put you out too much I hope?’

  ‘I’ve been stuck in bed since I saved the girls, apart from when I was throwing up. I lost my job, which is good news, but not as good as my body healing itself somehow.’ Alex heard the kettle switch off and he finished making the tea.

  George took off his glasses and wiped them on his handkerchief. ‘Rho said you had a bad leg, but had no problem saving the girls.’

  ‘I couldn’t walk without a stick, but when I climbed over the fence I couldn’t only walk, I could run faster than I ever have. That was until I climbed back over the fence, and was in agony once again,’ he said, as he passed the solicitor a cup of tea.

  ‘Thank you,’ said George. ‘You look fine now, and don’t appear to have any limp.’

  Alex sat down. ‘As I said, my body somehow healed itself since I saved the twins.’

  George sipped his tea. ‘That’s strange, but what I don’t understand is why you could run to save the girls then your leg went bad again.’

  ‘I’m not sure myself. I believe it was something inside me which helped save the girls, but I’m only guessing.

  ‘That’s spooky,’ said the solicitor, as he wiped his glasses again from the steam of his tea.

  ‘And someone leaving me money from a long time ago isn’t spooky?’

  George took some papers out of his case. ‘Maybe, but I just look at the figures and how much you get.’

  Alex held his cup in both hands as he took a sip. ‘How much is that?’

  ‘Two policies have matured, one is for two hundred and twenty-four, and the other is for one hundred and ninety-five.’

  Alex totalled it up in his mind. ‘Four hundred and nineteen pounds isn’t a lot of money, don’t get me wrong I just didn’t expect to see a solicitor for such an amount.’

  ‘No, I meant in millions . . . four hundred and nineteen million,’ said George, with a big smile.

  Alex almost choked on his tea. ‘Bloody hell . . . and that’s mine?’

  ‘Indeed it is, and in your bank accounts. The ones you weren’t sure if you liked someone setting up for you.’

  Alex grinned. ‘I’m very fond of the idea now. Who’s left me all the money?’

  ‘Most of it was left a long time ago, and over the years many people have left you money and other valuable items. Most of the valuables were sold off, and the money added to the inheritances. Properties were also sold.’

  ‘Properties?’ said Alex, now excited. ‘I need a house.’

  ‘There’s still one, but I’m not sure if it’s the house you need. I have visited the place but it doesn’t feel right.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘Hard to say really, you’ll have to go there and find out for yourself. The strange thing is I do like the place and have been there many times.’

  ‘How big is it?’

  George smiled. ‘Very big, in fact, it’s more than a house.’

  Alex looked at the paperwork showing him the inheritance. ‘I don’t understand, what’s more than a house?’

  ‘It’s called Vesta Mansion.’

  ‘A mansion? I definitely need to visit it.’

  ‘I have the key here, and the address.’

  ‘Please let me have both.’

  The solicitor passed them to him. ‘You know, I thought you might have been more excited about the money,’ he said, sounding disappointed.

  ‘I’m excited about it, believe me, but for some reason there’s something about this mansion I have to check out.’

  ‘You’ve enough money to buy any house I would imagine.’

  Alex rubbed his chin. ‘Yes, George, but why wasn’t the mansion sold like the other properties?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I do see your point. I like the place, but something there makes me feel uneasy.’

  ‘Haunted you mean?’

  ‘More like you’re being watched.’

  ‘Watched or watched over?’ said Alex, with some interest.

  ‘That’s a strange thing to say, what makes you think that?’

  ‘I’m not sure, but it might be just what I need for the girls.’

  ‘Yes, and from what I understand you need to find them a home soon, and one that is safe.’

  ‘How safe are they now?’

  ‘Quite safe, they’re with a woman I know who used to run a refuge. Her home still offers help to women in need. I’ve sent her a few clients over the years including younger ones who found themselves homeless. There’s also a woman you already know, her name is Asima.’

  ‘Good, I like her. It worried me they might be in some children’s care home.’

  ‘Alex, no! Any place like that and they would be in danger.’

  ‘What danger are we talking about?’

  ‘That we do not know . . . the only thing any of us do know is the girls need protecting.’

  ‘I don’t understand how this place they’re at is any safer.’

  ‘The fewer people who know about them, the safer the twins are. We don’t know what they’re in danger from, so we have to keep them hidden.’

  ‘Have you any paperwork on them?’

  ‘Only the birth certificates which names you as their father, but no mention of the mother.’

  ‘That’s strange, but then so much has happened over the last couple of days that strange is normal to me.’

  ‘I understand your doubts, but I can only assure you of what I know. The money and mansion are real, the girls are obviously real and they asked me when you are coming for them.’

  It tugged at his heart. ‘Why me?’ He realised as he said it, it was becoming a habit.

  ‘It has always been you, just as it has always been me to be your solicitor.’

  ‘I didn’t mean it as a complaint, but more out of curiosity.’

  George finished his cup of tea. ‘I wonder about it too, and we believe you’ll be the one who will find all the answers.’

  ‘How much do you know about me? If you knew all this, didn’t you have me watched?’

  ‘We knew certain things, but had to stay away until the time was right.’

  ‘We? Are you that old?’

  ‘No, I meant it metaphorically.’

  ‘Was there a reason you couldn’t approach me any earlier?’

  ‘Your safety, we would have put you in danger.’

  Alex didn’t question it as he guessed the solicitor didn’t know. ‘I best get started, although I’m not sure where.’

  ‘The mansion would be best, and if you decide it’s the right place we can get started on it.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘It will need a great deal of work . . . it’s been left empty for many years.’

  Alex sighed. ‘Is it a ruin?’

  George shook his head. ‘It’s structurally sound, but all the windows are broken and the place is in the need of some repair.’

  ‘Then it’ll be the first thing I do.’

  ‘I have a bank card ready to use.’

  Alex took the card and piece of paper with the pin number on. ‘All the money isn’t in this account is it?’

  ‘No, you have others, this one’s just a pocket-money account.’

  Alex smiled. ‘A pocket-money account sounds fun.’

  ‘I guess it is really, I set this one up for you in case you need some spending money. I will get it topped up as you spend, and if you need to buy anything expensive it would be best if you let me purchase it from one of the other accounts.’

  ‘You have it all planned.’

  ‘We’ve had a long time to prepare. It was the house we couldn’t organise for you. We did look at many but knew it would be your decision in the end.’

  ‘Then I best go and look at the mansion,’ said
Alex, quite looking forward to the day ahead.

  The solicitor closed his brief case, and they swapped phone numbers before saying their goodbyes.

  Alex put on his jacket and left the flat. He thought about what just happened and wondered why he believed it, but he did. He wondered why he never asked George why the money was left to him, as it should have been one of his first questions. Not sure where to go he headed to the field where the wolf appeared. The last time he walked down here he needed his stick, but not anymore. He approached the field where he first saw the two red dots which belonged to the wolf. It looked different in the daylight, mostly green with a touch of yellow, with the bushes wild and overgrown. He put his hand in his pocket and found his cigarettes. He felt no urge for him to smoke one, but out of habit he lit one up. He inhaled, and felt a sensation in his throat, which made him choke. After a coughing fit he put the cigarette out, and heard a familiar voice.

  I told you those are bad for you, said Rho, coming into view. Didn’t you suffer enough over the last few nights? Why would you want to put it back in your body?

  ‘What happened to me? I know all my injuries have gone,’ said Alex. He had seen the wolf with the night-sight, but looked different in the daylight. He was still big, and had a mixture of light and dark grey fur.

  Your body has been cleansed of all the bad things you put in. The injuries you have received over the years have been healed, as if they were never there.

  ‘How do you know all this? Do you have other powers?’

  Rho shook his head. Like I said, we were given certain information. I didn’t know you would come here today, it was just a feeling I had.

  Alex climbed over the fence. ‘You know I’m going to say why me, and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful — in fact, I’m extremely grateful.’

  Did George tell you anything?

  ‘He said it had always been me, as it was decided a long time ago, and I own a mansion which I need to visit.’

  Yes, like I said before it has started, you have been given a fresh start. You will have many decisions ahead of you — the choices you make — the deeds you will have to do. I can help, but ultimately the lives of those girls are in your hands.