by M. J. Hearle
Claudette shook her head and smiled cruelly. ‘Only for them.’
There was an eagerness in her eyes, a hunger that momentarily stunned Madeleine – was this really her daughter? – and then the axe crashed through again, tearing at the wood like the talon of an animal.
Madeleine looked at her daughter and something about her terrified expression gave Claudette all the permission she needed to act. Gripping her daughter’s arm, Madeleine pleaded, ‘Not Antoine.’
Claudette nodded reluctantly, then took a step backwards. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, and there was a faint crackling like that of a fireplace, which slowly rose in pitch. Green light began to shimmer around Claudette, running up and down her body like water. There was a deafening thunderclap and her daughter was gone, leaving Blake and Madeleine alone.
After a moment of tense silence the screaming began in the hallway beyond. The Bane had finally met the monster they’d been hunting.
Chapter 57
They travelled swiftly through the centre of town, Jasmine staying surprisingly true to her word and not pressing Winter further on her mysterious escape from Sam’s house. Jasmine’s personality being what it was, Winter knew how difficult it must be for her, so was all the more grateful for her patience. While Nefertem snored softly in her lap, Winter’s mind whirred with dozens of fears and concerns, each vying for her attention.
They neared the turn-off to Holloway Road and she began to feel some small hope that soon she’d be reunited with Blake. She’d be safe. Together they’d work out a way to elude the Bane, and nullify the threat of the Skivers. Then she saw the smoky orange glow in the distance, and felt her hope drain away. Somewhere in the woods around Holloway Road a fire was burning.
Winter remembered the strange chemical smell that had pricked her nostrils when Sam and his brothers returned to the van earlier in the evening. It was gasoline! If she hadn’t been so upset at the time she would have recognised the smell and guessed what they’d been up to.
‘Drive faster, Jas!’
Jasmine saw the glow for herself. ‘Don’t worry, we’re nearly there.’
The street sign for Holloway Road loomed out of the darkness and Jasmine took the turn at speed, the car’s tyres skidding on the gravel. They accelerated down the road towards the flickering light, Winter frantically praying that her suspicions were wrong.
The air became thicker with smoke the further along Holloway Road they travelled. Jasmine’s headlights reflected off the grey particles, catching flurries of ash and cinders. In Winter’s opinion, the old house up ahead held just as much significance in the town’s history as the lighthouse on Whistler’s Peak, or Pilgrim’s Lament – more so for the children of the town. For decades it had been a source of superstition; a place to talk about in hushed tones; a destination for Halloweeners seeking an illicit thrill. And for the past few hours it had been both a sanctuary and a chamber of horrors for Winter.
Now the Velasco place was no more.
As they slowed at the foot of the driveway, the house was ablaze, its blackened shell barely visible through the inferno. Beyond the silhouetted tree trunks Winter could see a lone fire engine. A handful of firefighters desperately tried to control the flames but, even from this distance, Winter could see that their efforts were futile. Jasmine brought the car to a standstill, and the two girls watched in shock as the structure burned.
Great plumes of smoke billowed forth from the broiling innards of the house, disappearing into the red haze overhead. Tongues of flame darted out of the window and door cavities, licking at the air, spitting embers.
Soon everything Blake owned would be ash. For some reason Winter conjured an image of Blake’s painting in her mind, slowly being consumed by the flames, the paint bubbling and running, the canvas curling, shrinking into itself, the frame darkening, becoming charcoal.
Jasmine turned to Winter, her face pale. ‘Blake wasn’t in there, was he?’
Winter began to shake her head before realising she had no way of knowing whether or not Blake had returned while she was with the Bane. He could be in there now, burning alive! She withdrew the lodestone from her top and held it tightly.
It was time to test its power.
‘Blake,’ she called softly, squeezing her eyes shut.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Shh . . .’ Winter hushed Jasmine, and repeated Blake’s name. After a few tense seconds she opened her eyes and looked through the car windows for any sign that the lodestone had worked. All she could see was a few burning embers floating past the windscreen like fireflies.
‘It didn’t work,’ Winter said helplessly. What was she going to do now?
Jasmine cried out as someone knocked loudly on the passenger window.
Heart in her mouth, Winter whipped around and felt relief flood through her.
It was Blake! Her beautiful Blake was still alive!
She scrambled out of the car and threw her arms around him. ‘Blake! I was so worried!’ Burying her face in his chest, the grainy black-and-white photograph of Carol Oates flashed in her mind. Winter banished it easily. Pressed against Blake like this, feeling his warmth, it was impossible to believe he was a monster.
Blake stroked the back of her head. ‘I’m fine,’ he said in calm, reassuring tones. ‘What happened to you?’
Winter raised her head and looked up at him, blinking back her tears. ‘They took me – the Bane. We have to go, they could be on their way back here!’
Blake frowned, though he didn’t seem as surprised by the information as she might have expected. He sighed, his gaze drifting past her to the burning house. After a moment’s silent contemplation, he cradled Winter’s face gently in his hands.
‘Everything’s going to be okay. I’ve —’ He was distracted by a frightening shriek echoing in the woods nearby. It might have been a loon or some other night bird, but Winter had never heard such a cry and hoped she never would again. Grimacing, Blake’s attention shifted to the smoky woods on either side of them.
‘What is it?’ She thought she saw a shadow flitting between the trees, but couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just her eyes playing tricks on her. ‘The Skivers?’
‘No. Something else,’ Blake said, and the dread she heard in his voice did nothing to still her fears. He took Winter firmly by the shoulders. ‘You have to get away from here, Winter. Now.’
‘But where will I be safe? The Skivers are still hunting —’
‘I’ve taken care of that.’ His face tightened as though trying to hide some deeper emotion from registering on his face.
‘You have?’ Winter couldn’t quite believe it. She’d all but convinced herself that she was doomed to be taken by the creatures.
‘Yes. You need to go back to the church on the mountain. Back to where your path should have ended.’ He added, somewhat hesitantly, ‘Then it will be over.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Blake exhaled in frustration. ‘You will. Go to the mountain. It has to be tonight, otherwise they won’t honour the agreement. I’ll meet you there.’ What agreement? What was he talking about?
‘Blake —’
‘Please, no questions, Winter. There’s no time. Just go.’ Blake leaned past her and opened the car door. She reluctantly stepped back inside. There never seemed to be enough time for him to explain the situation to her. Nefertem was sitting on Jasmine’s lap, both of them staring at her with bright-eyed expressions of curiosity.
‘Is everything okay?’ Jasmine asked. Winter genuinely didn’t know how to answer her.
She wound down the window. ‘You’ll be there? At the church?’
‘I’ll be there.’ Blake managed a barely convincing smile before turning and walking towards the woods.
Still feeling bewildered and scared, Winter watched his figure disappear between the trees, then turned to Jasmine.
‘Yeah, yeah, I heard him.’ Jasmine had already started the engine. ‘The church on the mountain. I guess it’d be to
o much to hope for a reason as to why we’re going there?’
Winter admitted, ‘I really don’t know myself, Jas.’ Jasmine spun the car around and they tore off down Holloway Road, leaving the Velasco place smouldering behind them.
Chapter 58
As they drove towards the mountain, Winter checked once again that they weren’t being followed. There was no sign of the Bane’s van behind them, just an empty stretch of road receding into the night.
‘Why do you keep doing that?’ Jasmine asked, observing Winter’s restlessness. ‘Is there something I need to know?’
‘Everything’s fine,’ Winter answered, and hoped it wasn’t a lie. Of course there was no way the Bane could suspect they were headed to Pilgrim’s Lament. She hadn’t known herself until Blake had given her the direction. Still, her mind flashed back uneasily to the conversation she’d witnessed between Damien and Caleb. Something had been said about a ‘locator’ being keyed in to the lodestone dangling around her neck. Her fingers went to the crystal shard, nervously rolling it back and forth, feeling its peculiar warmth. Deliberating over whether or not she should just throw it out the window – an appalling option, how could she throw away Blake’s gift? – Winter saw Owl Mountain looming in the distance, a shadow against the blackness of the night. Soon they’d be taking the road to its peak; soon she’d be with Blake and surely closer to putting this whole situation behind her.
She glanced across at Jasmine hunched over the steering wheel, her face set in a determined expression. Wondering how crazy all this must seem to her friend, Winter couldn’t help but love her a little.
‘Thank you, Jas. If it wasn’t for you . . .’
‘You’d be screwed. I know. Just so long as eventually you’re going to tell me what went on tonight. ’Cause I gotta tell you, Win, I’m about to chew my arm off with curiosity.’
‘I’ll tell you when I can. I promise.’ When (if!) this nightmare had passed, Winter looked forward to being able to talk to Jasmine about all the amazing things that had happened to her. It might help her accept what she’d learned from Blake about the invisible world that hovered just beyond normal perception. Otherwise, Winter was worried she’d spend the rest of her life as a complete basket case, seeing Occuluma and Skivers everywhere she looked.
‘You’re sure we’re not being followed?’ Jasmine suddenly asked apprehensively.
Winter swivelled her head and saw two headlights shining in the distance. The lights were too far to make out whether it was a car or a van.
‘It’s probably nothing,’ Winter she said hesitantly.
‘I hope so, because once we start up the mountain it’s a one-way road. If they follow us, we won’t have anywhere to go. Do I make the turn-off?’ Jasmine nodded to the road ahead at the sign pointing to Archimedes Drive.
Winter was too flustered to answer straight away. If it was the Bane behind them, she mustn’t lead them to Blake.
‘Win?’
‘Yes,’ Winter blurted, hoping it was the right decision.
Jasmine swung the car and they began to wind their way up Owl Mountain. Winter waited anxiously for the headlights to cut the darkness behind them, positive that the Bane was on their tail. Seconds passed and the view through the car’s back window remained clear. Winter let out a sigh of relief. Nobody was following. Even so, she couldn’t shake the growing sensation that something was coming. Something was coming for her.
Winter glanced out the window, trying to calm her agitation, and watched the shadowy woods flash by. The higher they got, the more clearly Winter could see the lights of Hagan’s Bluff, twinkling through the trees like a small carpet of stars. Somewhere down there Lucy was finishing up dinner, and searching the TV channels for one of her excruciating reality programs. She was grateful for her sister’s ignorance. If Lucy had the slightest inkling of the ordeal Winter was suffering through, she would probably have a worry-induced seizure. Nefertem suddenly tensed in her lap. A low growl issued from the back of his throat.
‘What’s got into him?’ Jasmine asked, glancing at the cat from the corner of her eye.
‘Beats me. Maybe —’ Winter’s voice was lost in the startling roar of an engine behind them. Bright headlights flooded the interior of the Mini Cooper, growing brighter as the van slammed into the back of them. Screeching in shock, Nefertem went flying from her grasp into the dark cavity beneath the dashboard. The steering wheel leapt from beneath Jasmine’s hands and she lost control of the car, sending them over the gutter and into the woods. Bouncing along the uneven ground, they struck a ridge at speed, and the Cooper launched into the air.
Caught in this moment of suspended animation, Winter saw Jasmine gripping the steering wheel, her mouth opened in shock, and then they hit the ground again on a steep angle, both thrown backwards and forwards in their seats like rag dolls. The car ploughed through the undergrowth, smashing through some of the smaller tree trunks and bushes, before coming to an awkward rest.
Winter shook her head, trying to clear the fuzziness from her vision. She felt as though she’d been thrown into a washing machine and tumble-dried. Thick white steam billowed from the sides of the crumpled car bonnet and there was an erratic ticking sound somewhere in the engine. The windscreen had been completely smashed. There was no sign of Nefertem at her feet or anywhere else. Looking across at Jasmine, she noticed with alarm that her friend’s head was hanging limply down to her chest. By the pale glow of the interior light she could see a thin trickle of blood running down Jasmine’s temple.
Winter undid her seatbelt and shook Jasmine gently.
‘Jas! Jas – wake up!’ Jasmine didn’t respond, but her chest continued to rise and fall regularly, giving Winter the hope that she was only unconscious and not seriously injured.
Winter pushed open her door and stumbled out of the car. In the distance she could hear male voices. Though they were still far away, Winter was sure she recognised one of the voices as belonging to Damien. It was the Bane! The car lights she’d seen on the road behind them must have belonged to the black van. The Bane must have turned off their headlights and approached them under the cover of darkness. It wouldn’t be long before they tracked the path of destruction the Mini Cooper had left through the forest and were upon them. Winter quickly circled around to Jasmine’s side and opened the door. She gingerly shook Jasmine’s shoulders. ‘Jas! We have to go! Please, wake up!’
Jasmine moaned softly but her eyes remained firmly shut.
‘I think I see the van!’
Winter jerked her head towards where she’d heard the voices shouting. She could see torch beams arcing through the trees not far away, and hear leaves being crunched underfoot. The Bane were coming!
‘Jas!’ Winter said more urgently, but feared there was no use. Even if Jasmine’s eyes fluttered open, her friend was in no condition to make a quick getaway. The sound of bodies crashing through the underbrush nearby forced Winter to make a difficult decision. Blake had emphatically stated that she needed to get to the church, or risk her salvation. If she stayed here a moment longer she would jeopardise that chance, and in the process endanger not only her life but Blake’s as well. She had to go.
‘I’m sorry, Jas!’ Winter said miserably and ran into the woods. Feeling like a coward, Winter pushed through the thick undergrowth, away from the crashed Mini. What was she doing? How could she leave Jasmine behind? Especially after everything she’d done for Winter tonight. It was the worst kind of betrayal. Winter began to turn back – maybe there was still time to reach Jasmine before the Bane did?
The sudden excited shouts of Damien and Marcus as they stumbled across the crash site stopped Winter in her tracks. She was too late. Crestfallen, she retreated from the noise, trying to comfort herself with the knowledge that Caleb had no motivation to hurt Jasmine. The Bane might have been fanatical but they weren’t sadists. Surely they wouldn’t harm an injured girl. As soon as Winter was reunited with Blake, the two of them would come back and rescue her. S
he continued to hold onto this thought like a talisman, warding off the guilt that threatened to engulf her.
The sound of voices weakened as she drew closer to the road, becoming lost in the deeper hush of the woods. If Caleb and his sons were following Winter, they were doing it as silently as wildcats stalking their prey through the undergrowth. The image made Winter shiver and she quickened her pace.
Chapter 59
Winter trudged up the mountain, making sure she kept out of sight. She stuck to the woods just beside the road – it was all too easy to imagine the Bane careening around the corner in their hellish black van, catching her in the headlights like a frightened rabbit. Occasionally the clouds parted overhead, allowing a few rays of moonlight to seep through, though generally Winter was forced to navigate in darkness. Her eyes found alarming shapes in the gloom. Once or twice she was convinced she saw a tall black shadow threading between the trees ahead of her. Of course it was just her imagination.
It had to be.
Winter reached the Heritage Centre faster than she expected to, and soon found herself wandering along the path towards the church. The woods stirred as a strong wind began to blow from the south. The wind whipped Winter’s jacket, carrying with it the scent of the ocean, and something else . . . something electric. Another storm, perhaps, gathering strength. Winter could hear the leaves whispering in the wind, the sound calling to mind images of snakes sliding through the undergrowth.
Winter froze at the sound of a branch snapping somewhere behind the trees to her left. It’s just an animal, she told herself in entirely unconvincing tones. Nothing to be afraid of. Keep walking.
She continued along the path, her ears straining for any other sounds that might suggest she wasn’t alone. The Bane had found her once; it was entirely possible they’d find her again. Her only hope was that they wouldn’t know the location of the church.
Winter felt another stab of guilt as her worried thoughts returned to Jasmine; the sooner she reached Blake the sooner she could help her. Blake would be able to rescue Jasmine much more ably than Winter could. After all, he was a Demori, capable of winking in and out of existence at will. He could just swoop in, grab Jas and drop her off somewhere safe.
