by Tamsin Baker
He hated that he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Was the hollow feeling in his gut a sense of loss? Or was it a vestige of some sort of prejudice that he hadn’t known he had?
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. This wasn’t the time or the place for sorting out personal feelings.
The office door opened and Katrine was back, with the guy from the doorway.
‘Alain, Inspector Donet, this is Lucien.’
Alain stood and offered his and. The responding handshake was brief, but strong.
‘Let’s all sit down.’ Katrine dragged over chair and sat, leaving the men to take separate ends of the couch. In the moments it took to settle into his seat, he fleetingly wondered how she felt in a room with two men she’d kissed.
‘Inspector.’ Lucien turned to Alain, taking ownership of the situation. ‘By her own admission, Lisette Mercier killed Katrine’s mother, and the recent women in the cemetery. Last night I found Lisette in the process of turning Katrine against her will, and I killed her.’
Alain sat back and rubbed his eyes. ‘Any more bombshells you’d like to drop on me tonight?’
Katrine was now a vampire. His primary suspect was now dead, and her self-confessed murderer sat calmly next to him.
‘Just delving into the very dark recesses of my very meagre knowledge of vampires. Is there a body?’
Lucien shook his head.
‘Where did it happen?’
Katrine stood and opened a drawer in the desk. ‘We’ll show you,’ she held up a key.
It was hard to reconcile that the woman he’d kissed, who’d lain on the grass with him in the sunshine, was no longer human.
She looked the same. Sounded the same, and was now implicated in … In what exactly?
Their main suspect, for all intents and purposes, had apparently disappeared.
Without a word, he followed her out of the office with Lucien bringing up the rear. At the top of the narrow stairs, she unlocked the door and they stepped out onto the roof.
Unlike any rooftop he’d ever seen. Lush green plants filled the space like a suburban jungle. A subtle but sweet scent mingled with the foliage and the lights of Montmartre shone below.
‘This is amazing.’ But this was no time to get carried away by the scenery. Katrine led the way between the greenery to a small, white timber gazebo.
‘Here.’
She and Lucien stood aside as Alain approached the structure. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he wasn’t seeing anything.
He stepped into the gazebo and walked around the space. Nothing, then light grey dust kicked up as he took a step. Realization dawned and he hurriedly shook the residue off his shoes.
Okay, he had two choices here. Report that Lisette had disappeared with no clue as to her whereabouts and with their prime suspect gone, leave the case unresolved. Like its predecessor. Or record the fanciful story he’d been told and tie up precious time and resources trying to prove it.
Case decisions were usually cut and dried, but there was nothing usual about this.
He looked around at the empty gazebo, the beautiful garden, the stunning city view. A city that was now free of a killer vampire.
‘Nothing to see here. It doesn’t look like there’s anything more to go on than we had before.’
He hadn’t asked how or why Lucien happened to be in the right place, at the right time and it was best he remained ignorant.
He took another look around the gazebo, not wanting to think about what it must have been like for Katrine at the hands of Lisette. Whether it had been painful. How distressed she must have been.
But now, as she stood next to Lucien, he sensed only concern as she took his hand.
‘I appreciate you telling me what happened, Katrine.’ And I appreciate the short time we had together. ‘I’ll see myself out.’
***
From the rooftop, they watched Alain walk to his car and drive away. Katrine slid her arm around Lucien. ‘Thank you for not just leaving me with this mess. This whole thing could have got very complicated.’
He kissed the top of her head. ‘I trusted your judgement about the Inspector. He’s a good man.’
‘He is.’ A good man who, if circumstances hadn’t taken such a dramatic and irrevocable turn, might have brought her to make a change in her life. But fate had taken that choice out of her hands.
‘How are you feeling, ma belle?’ Lucien drew Katrine against him. ‘About everything.’
‘A little bewildered. Sad. About Lisette. About what she tried to do and knowing it was probably her plan all along.’ She toyed with the ring on her little finger. ‘She gave me this. To make me part of the family.’ She slid it off and put it in her palm. ‘I’m not sure I can wear it anymore.’
‘All vampires wear the ring of their clan.’
She knew that, and the ring tied her to the others as well, not just Lisette. They were still her family. Her clan.
She moved to put the ring back on, but Lucien stopped her.
‘Keep that safe. It’s part of your history. But you’re mine now, in blood.’ He took his own ring off and took her hand. ‘And in my heart.’ He slid the blue stone, set in gold onto her finger.
Wild Orchid
by
Emily Hussey
Tales from Harrow
Book 1
Chapter 1
The light cast by the headlights punched through the dark as Daniel drove. He should have left earlier. He knew that. Finding this place at night would be a challenge. He glanced at the dashboard clock, fretting at how long the journey was taking. Why hadn’t he planned better than this?
A shape loomed out of the dark, caught in the beam of light. A roo. Daniel braked and swerved. The tyres connected with the loose surface on the side of the road, sending the vehicle careening in a zigzagging trajectory. He tried to pull the car back on the bitumen and realised he had over corrected. Too late. The car spun onto the other side of the road and plunged into a culvert.
The seat belt dug into his chest. His head whipped back, striking the headrest.
“FUCK!”
He hit the steering wheel in anger and frustration. The headlights projected at a weird angle through the bush. He unstrapped the belt and pushed at the door. It didn’t open easily, with the metal groaning in protest. The extent of his dilemma was obvious. It was a full moon, and he could see there was no way he would get the car out by himself. He needed to call road service. At this rate, he would never reach the cottage.
He pulled out his wallet and searched for his membership card and the phone number to call, then dialled the numbers. No response. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he peered at the screen. No coverage. Fuck. He would have to walk until he either found a house where the occupants were still up, or until he had bars on the phone again.
Daniel locked the car and started walking. The road was isolated and traffic non-existent. There would be little chance of flagging down a passing car. A lone mopoke kept up a mournful cry, somehow earie in that environment. In spite of the moon, the canopy from the trees lining the road blocked out much of the light. Something rustled in the undergrowth as he passed it, causing him to take a step closer to the centre of the road and away from the verge. If another vehicle came, he could move out the way quickly enough. If only.
A small animal skittered across the road ahead of him, too fast and distant for him to make out what it was. A rabbit? Fox? He realised he was clenching his teeth and could feel a small pulse in the space above his jawbone and in front of his ear. The whole scenario seemed other-worldly.
He walked for about ten minutes before coming across a track leading off to the left. It looked to be well-used, so perhaps it led to a house. If so, they might have a phone he could use. He checked the screen of his mobile once more. Still no bars. He dithered uncertainly. There weren’t any signs or even a mailbox. Who knows how long he would have to keep walking along the road.
Five min
utes. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll walk along the track for five minutes and if I don’t come across anything, I’ll turn back. He pressed the torch icon on his phone, and shone it ahead down the track. It appeared reasonably straight and that was reassuring. He could pick out the track in the moonlight and turn off the light. He didn’t want to flatten the battery.
Five minutes… okay, just a little further… no, this is going nowhere. Time to turn back. He flicked on the torch again, and there it was. A small sedan sat on a grassed area to one side of the track. He approached it, scanning the surrounds for any indication of the driver. Peering in through the window, he could see the car was empty. There must be someone around. Who would just leave a car here? A house must be nearby.
“Hello? Anybody there?”
Beyond the rustling of the trees, there was no response. This was getting ridiculous. Perhaps it had been stolen and abandoned. It happened. He stood, hands on hips, looking around. Clearly, nobody was within hearing distance. Just as he turned to retrace his steps back to the road, he caught a glimpse of a flickering light, deeper into the scrub. It wasn’t very strong, which was probably why he had missed it when he first peered ahead. It didn’t look like a house light either.
No harm in checking it out. Instinctively, he didn’t call out again and turned the torch off. He would see what or who was creating the light, and if need be, would quietly retrace his steps. Possibly hunters, given the moonlight. He didn’t want to be shot in mistake for a stray kangaroo.
The track narrowed ahead. Now he understood why the car was parked in that location. It couldn’t have been driven any further. Grass brushed against his shoes, sounding incredibly loud in the absence of other noise. Rounding a slight bend in the track, he stopped in surprise, and then ducked behind a low shrub to take stock. Ahead of him was a clearing and in the middle was a woman. She appeared to be alone, unless others were out of sight. A female hunter? She wasn’t dressed like a hunter. She was wearing a long gown of undetermined description. He couldn’t see the detail.
As he watched, she placed numerous items on a flatbed stone in the middle of the clearing. She walked around the stone in a circular motion, scattering something on the ground, forming a circle. Possibly red petals, but he wasn’t close enough to see. The light he had seen came from several candles, each standing in a glass jar providing a wind break. The woman now took the jars, and leaving one on the stone, placed the others at the four quadrants of the circle.
She stood, surveying it for a moment then shucked off her garment, dropping it to the ground. It had been a cloak, and that wasn’t all he saw. She now stood stark naked, bathed in the moonlight. With her long hair flowing around her bare shoulders, he briefly thought of Botticelli’s Venus, except this was in the middle of the bush, not the sea.
Holy shit. What was going on? No way could he call out now. Who knows what he would be accused of? Perving? Stalking? He hardly dared breathe in case she heard. He squatted lower behind the bush, wincing as his knees cracked in response.
A cloud drifted over the moon, and the scene before his eyes dimmed.
She threw back her head, her arms raised to the heavens. He strained to hear what she was saying.
“Mother Gaia, I call upon you in the guise of Aphrodite, always desirous one, sensual lover, to join me here and to witness this sacred rite.”
She slowly turned on the spot, her arms still raised. “I call upon the elements of earth, fire, air and water to watch over me, to guard, guide and protect me during this, my rite. Blessed Be.”
The woman moved to the flat stone and picked something up. She plunged it into a candle flame, until the tip glowed red, releasing an aromatic smoke. She moved slowly and deliberately around the perimeter of the circle, leaving a trail of curling smoke in her path. He couldn’t see what she was holding, but he could faintly smell something pungent. It was vaguely familiar. Eucalyptus. That’s what it was.
Returning to the centre, she focussed on the stone and the items placed there. Her voice faded in and out. It was impossible to hear everything she said. It was more of a low, melodic chant. Occasionally, he heard “hear my prayer” and the goddess featured as well. He caught his breath when she raised a dagger above her head with both hands, blade pointing downwards. Surely she wouldn’t… she wasn’t…?
She stood poised, her head towards the moon, face raised. He caught a glimpse of her features, arresting and commanding. In a swift movement, she brought the dagger down, not into her breast but into something that lay upon the flat stone. Was it some form of sacrifice? What had she just killed? He couldn’t see clearly enough from his hiding place. No way was he creeping closer.
She raised a goblet to her lips and drank, before casting the residue on the ground.
“I offer this gift to Gaia, mother of us all. May she look kindly on this libation and hear my prayers.” She returned the goblet to the stone. “I call upon the Goddess Aphrodite to close this circle. Blessed Be.” She walked the circuit of the circle once more only this time in the opposite direction, stooping to extinguish each candle flame at the quadrants, before stepping outside. The candle flame on the stone still burned, throwing off a soft, flickering light.
Her body bathed in the moonlight had a delicate, pearly sheen. Her long hair curled around her breasts but didn’t hide their ripe fullness. His gaze travelled over the soft mound of her belly, down towards the dark triangle. Unbidden, his cock stirred in response, straining against his tight jeans. He stifled a groan. Was he dreaming? He breathed out in short, sharp bursts, trying to bring the situation under control.
As he watched, he realised she was packing up. She plucked her cloak off the ground and flung it around her shoulders, fastening it at her neck. Time to go. He had no idea what would happen if she found him watching her but wasn’t going to hang around to find out. Perhaps turn him into a frog, or maybe a pillar of stone.
Backing away as quietly as he could, he walked back along the track, past the parked car and headed for the road. It was a blue Mazda. A perfectly normal sedan. He half expected a pumpkin pulled by mythical beasts. When he hit the road, he kept walking, keeping well to the side. It was only another ten minutes before he came upon a driveway—a proper well-formed driveway. This must surely lead to a house. He had taken a few steps into the drive when a car swept past along the road. It was a blue Mazda. The figure behind the wheel was only a silhouette.
Turning back to the driveway, he could see the lights from a house in the distance. Approaching the dwelling, he was startled when a dog started to bark and outside lights were flicked on. A man emerged from the door, shielding his eyes as he peered into the darkness. Daniel hoped the dog was tied up.
“Hi, there,” he called. “Sorry to bother you at this time of night. I had a slight accident back along the road and need to organise a tow. There was no connection on my phone. I wondered if I might use a landline to call road service?” He moved into the light so that the man could see him. He didn’t want the dog unleashed.
There was a moment’s silence while the man sized him up. “You just passing through?”
“No, I’m renting Lanes End Cottage for three months. I thought I’d be there by now.”
“That would be Bob Russell’s place. He said he had a short term tenant. Come in.” He held the door open, inviting Daniel to enter. The bright light of the interior was welcome in its normality. What he had so recently seen was anything but normal. He was about to mention turning off the road on the rough track but then decided against it. What would he say, anyway? He would be living in this community for the next few months. Best to keep some things to himself.
Michael Fielding, for that was the man’s name, had offered him the phone, and then a cup of tea while they waited for the tow truck. The biscuit he’d also provided did little to fill the ravenous hole in Daniel’s stomach. He had planned to pick up a pub meal in the town and be at the cottage long before this. All the pub kitchens would probably now be
closed.
The mechanic rang back on Michael’s phone to say he would be at the car in ten minutes.
“Great. I’d better get walking. It will take me a while to get back to where I left it.”
“I’ll drive you there, mate,” Michael said. “You don’t want to be walking on a night like this. When there’s a full moon, anything could happen.”
“Are you going to tell me there are werewolves in the bush? Bunyips perhaps?” His mirth was barely concealed.
“Don’t laugh. Never assume the country’s safe on a night like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” Michael picked up his car keys and inclined his head towards the front door. “Just keep your wits about you, that’s all.”
Daniel pondered those words but followed Michael outside. He was pleased to have a ride back to the car. The tow truck driver introduced himself as Raff. He surveyed the Saab and turned back to Daniel with a wry grin. “Got yourself a spot of trouble, mate.”
“My fault entirely,” Daniel said. “Got distracted by a roo and I was probably driving too fast.” He looked with relief at the solid build of the man standing alongside him. “Can you get the car out of there?”
“Easy. It won’t be the first car I’ve pulled out of a ditch.” He connected the winch beneath the chassis and set about the business of elevating the front end, and then slowly pulling it back onto the road surface.
The three men inspected the panels for damage. “Lucky there’s plenty of moonlight,” Raff said. “Looks like the fender’s bent and a few bits will need replacing, but it should still be driveable. If not, I’ll tow it back to town.” He took a lever from his truck and prized the bent metal away from the tyre. “Bring it into the workshop tomorrow and I’ll see what I can do with it.”
Daniel turned the ignition and drove a few metres up the road and then reversed back again. “You’re right. It handles fine. What do I owe you?”
“Fix me up when you come in. Michael said you’re staying at Lanes End, so I’ll know where to find you. Don’t drive further than the town. You don’t want to push your luck in a damaged vehicle.”
