"Go to her and bring her out quickly. I will go down stairs to guard your exit."
I switched on the light and hurried down the hall. I flung GM's bedroom door open. I stumbled across the dim room to my grandmother's bed. I could just make out her sleeping form. Though GM liked to keep late hours, when she did sleep, she slept deeply. I could hear the commotion downstairs, and I marveled incredulously at her ability to sleep through it.
"GM, wake up," I said, panic rising in my voice. "GM, we have to get out of the house."
GM did not stir.
For one brief moment, I feared that somehow the creature below had already gotten to her and that she was dead. I forced my fear away and shook her by the shoulder.
To my relief, GM woke up and blinked, shading her eyes against the light in the hall.
"Katie, what's wrong?"
"GM, you have to get up," I said. "We have to leave the house right now."
I tried to keep the trembling out of my voice.
GM sat up. "What? Why?"
I didn't have time to be diplomatic. "Because if we don't we're going to die."
"Solnyshko," GM said with concern, "what is wrong with you?"
"GM, someone's downstairs trying to get in," I said. "It's the same person who took all the people from school. He's come for us now."
GM's eyes widened with horror. She hastily shoved her feet into a pair of shoes by the bed. "I'm coming. I'm coming. Solnyshko, grab some shoes and a coat to wear."
I hurried to my room to comply.
Soon, GM and I ran out into the hall in coats, shoes, and nightclothes.
As I reached the ground floor, I could hear a horrible splintering noise.
"He's coming in," William cried from the kitchen.
"I'll get your purse, GM," I shouted. "Just run for the front door."
I grabbed the purse and turned to look for GM. Instead of running, she was standing in the hall, staring toward the back of the house.
There was another splintering sound, followed by a crazed gibbering. The gibbering was punctuated by screams.
"What is that?" GM asked, her eyes wide. "What is going on?"
"He's ready to strike," William shouted. "Both of you need to get out of here. Now!"
I looked for William. All I could see was his dark outline in the kitchen.
"We'll go to the police," GM said.
"No!" William shouted sharply.
Anger flickered in GM's eyes.
The gibbering and screaming escalated. There was a loud crash.
"Why not?" GM demanded.
"That's one of the first places he'll look when he finds you're gone. And the police can't stop him. Get out of this town. Go – run! If I survive I'll find the two of you wherever you are."
I felt a sharp stab of terror run through me. "If you survive?"
"Yes, 'if'!" William shouted. "If not, then you'll have to keep running."
An even louder crash shook the house, and I heard a triumphant shriek. Luminous white smoke swirled into the kitchen. Over William's shoulder, I could see a massive, dark shape moving in the kitchen. The shape charged into the hall and I caught sight of a face – ghastly, pale, and bloated – a face from a nightmare.
I was rooted to the spot in horror.
"Come!" GM cried. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out through the broken front door.
I risked one last look back. William turned, and his eyes met mine for just a moment. My own eyes filled with tears as GM dragged me away.
Chapter 11.
We ran to the car, and GM sped off into the night.
"GM, where's your phone?" I asked urgently. "Do you have your phone?"
"It's in my purse, Solnyshko," GM said, turning a corner sharply. "It fell to the floor by your feet."
Of course it was – I was the one who had dropped it. Fear was clouding my thinking. I found the purse and then fumbled with the clasp. I managed to get it open, and I searched frantically for the phone.
"Who are you calling?" GM asked.
"The police," I said. I felt panic rising in me as I continued to look for the phone.
"He told us not to go to the police, Solnyshko."
"I know," I said. "I'm not calling for us. I'm calling for him. The police should go out to the house to help him. Maybe they can scare the creature off."
I found the phone, and I dialed 911 with trembling fingers. A woman with a reassuring voice answered, and I told her that our house was being broken into. Then I gave her the address.
She told me help was on the way.
I considered calling Charisse to tell her we had to leave town and not to worry, but I knew she wouldn't answer. I considered calling Simon, too, but I knew he would answer. And he might try to come after us. I didn't want him getting mixed up in this.
"Who is he, Solnyshko?" GM asked after I put the phone back.
I looked over at her. Though the light was dim, I could see that her face was carefully neutral. It was the face she wore whenever she talked about troubling subjects – like the past.
"Who do you mean?" I asked.
"The young man at our house," GM replied. "Who was he?"
"He broke down the front door," I said. "He came to warn us about the attack. He's the only reason we got out of the house in time."
GM was silent.
I hoped she wouldn't ask me any further questions about William. I didn't want him to become something that would be off limits.
I thought back to the horrible, distorted white face I had seen in the hall back at the house. I felt sick with fear for William.
"Have you heard of a creature called a 'kost'?" I asked.
"Yes," GM said. "Did the young man say that that's what that was?"
"Yes," I replied. "And he gave me this iron cross. He said it would prevent the creature from tracking me."
GM fingered her own silver cross – I knew that she usually slept with it on.
"Is a kost one of those things that you don't believe in?" I asked.
GM simply sighed.
"Will he be okay back at the house?" I asked.
GM looked over at me then. "I hope so, Solnyshko."
I looked out the window. The streets were deserted, and the streetlights flashed across my eyes from time to time, blinding me. William was back at the house with that Gleb creature at this moment. Was it even now tearing him apart? I closed my eyes and felt tears work their way out from under my lids and roll down my cheeks.
GM switched on some music, and I heard the opening strains of Mussoursky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The piece had been my mother's favorite, and I always found it soothing. GM favored the original arrangement for piano.
I listened, and the music worked its usual charm. When we got to The Great Gate Kiev, I couldn't help but smile.
"Behind the great gate at Kiev," I murmured. "That's what mom always answered whenever I asked where anything was. If I lost a toy or wondered where someone had gone, she always said that what I was looking for was 'behind the great gate at Kiev.'"
GM smiled, too. "I remember her saying that. Kiev is actually in the Ukraine, though it was Russia's ancient capital."
I sat up straighter in my seat and peered out into the darkness. "We've been driving for a long time. Where are we going?"
"The airport," GM replied.
"The airport?" I was startled. I could only think of one place that could mean – we only had ties to one other place in the world apart from Elspeth's Grove. "Are we going to Russia?
"Ultimately," GM said. "We will fly to Georgia first. Georgia in Europe, of course. Not the Georgia in the U.S."
"Georgia? Why?"
"We would need a visa to enter Russia from the U.S. We don't have time to obtain one. We do not need a visa to enter Georgia. We'll fly into Georgia and then cross the border."
"Illegally?" I asked.
"Illegally," GM replied.
"Are we going to see Galina and Aleksandr?" I asked.
&nbs
p; "Yes," GM said.
"But you don't believe in their superstitions," I said.
GM gave me an uncharacteristically bleak look. "We need to get answers. Nothing is the way it should be."
We drove on through the night, and eventually I fell into a light sleep.
I was dimly aware of GM calling the airport to inquire about flights to Georgia, but for the most part I passed through troubled dreams that always ended the same way – with a hulking white-faced monster battering down a door to kill me or someone I cared for.
I had just started awake for what felt like the hundredth time, when bright lights passed over my face. I sat up in my seat and looked out the window. GM was pulling into a large, well-lit parking lot.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"We're at a mall not too far from the airport," GM replied.
I was puzzled. "A mall? What time is it?"
Though the lights were bright in the lot, there were no other cars, and the mall was clearly closed.
"It's a little past three in the morning, Solnyshko. The mall will not be open for many hours yet, but luckily our flight does not leave till the afternoon. We were lucky, too, that we will be leaving today. There is only one flight to Georgia from here, and it only leaves every other day."
"But why are we at the mall?"
"We will need clothes, amongst other things, Solnyshko. Otherwise, we will look very suspicious trying to board a plane in our nightclothes with no luggage. Also, you may need to brush your hair."
I couldn't help giggling a little. We probably did look a bit of a fright.
"You should try to get some sleep, Solnyshko. It's been a long night for you. I will keep watch, and you will be safe."
"You're the one who's been doing all the driving," I said. "You should sleep."
"Solnyshko, you know I don't sleep much," GM said firmly. "And I will not sleep at all knowing that you are awake. Go to sleep. Now."
"You're a tough one to argue with," I said.
GM shrugged. "I like to win. Now close your eyes."
I did as she asked, and GM started Pictures at an Exhibition again from the beginning. The car was warm, and I was really tired. Despite the bright lights in the parking lot, I found myself drifting off to sleep. Though the movement hadn't started yet, my mind lingered on The Great Gate of Kiev. Behind it, my mother had said I would find anything. I wondered – if I looked behind it, would I find her there?
I woke up some time later, and for a moment, I wasn't quite sure where I was. I took in GM and the car, and the events of the night came flooding back to me. My first thought was of William. Whatever was going to happen to him back at the house was over by now. I hoped with all my heart that he was safe.
"How did you sleep, Solnyshko?"
I looked over at GM. Despite the relatively cramped conditions, I felt well rested and refreshed. The fact that I had had no dreams this time around had helped, too. "I slept very well, thanks."
"I am glad to hear it. Do you think that you would like some breakfast?"
"Yes, that sounds good," I said.
"Excellent," GM said. "The food court in the mall opens at 8 a.m., and it's a little past that now. We can go in, and maybe find something healthy. I hope our appearance won't cause too much comment."
The two of us got out of the car, and I could see that the parking lot lights were off, and the sky was sunny and cloudless. The morning was pretty chilly, and my bare feet were cold in my shoes. The two of us did look a little strange in our nightclothes and coats – GM was wearing light blue silk pajamas.
We hurried into the mall through the nearest entrance. We had to wander around a bit before we found the food court. We passed a few people in sweats who had come to the mall to walk.
Soon I could smell coffee and eggs, and GM and I walked into an open area with tables and plastic chairs that was ringed by narrow restaurant stalls. Most of the stalls were dark, but a handful were open, and small groups of people were scattered around the tables, having breakfast.
"What are you in the mood for, Solnyshko?"
"I think eggs and orange juice sounds just about perfect," I said. I realized I was really hungry.
GM smiled. "Eggs and orange juice it is."
Before long, GM and I were seated in plastic chairs of our own, with scrambled eggs and juice. GM had also insisted on oatmeal.
Even though it was food-court food, I found everything to be delicious, and eating made me feel more optimistic than I had felt in many hours.
As we were eating, I though about the trip ahead of us.
"When we get to Russia, will I get to see my cousin again?" Over the years, I had wondered what had become of my laughing, red-haired cousin. She had been a few years older than I was, and I had admired her in that innocent, worshipful way that a small child admires an older one.
"Odette?" GM said. "Yes, I believe we will see her."
"I thought she was really wonderful – beautiful like a princess."
GM smiled. "I remember."
"I don't have very clear memories of my aunt and uncle, though. Odette did have parents, right? My father's brother and his wife?"
"You are being facetious, Solnyshko. Yes, Odette did have parents. But there's a reason you don't remember them well – a good reason."
I waited for GM to continue, but she simply sipped at her juice. She seemed to think the subject was closed.
"So, there's a good reason why I don't remember them," I said, "but you aren't going to tell me what it is?"
"No. It doesn't affect our situation. It has nothing to do with visions, superstitions, or mysterious dead men."
"More secrets," I said quietly.
"Sometimes secrets are good, Solnyshko."
After breakfast, we walked around the mall until the shops opened at 10. We went to buy clothes first, and I was happy to have some socks again. GM bought more things than I thought were really necessary, and I wondered how long she thought we would be gone.
"We have to be prepared for everything," she said.
We bought toiletries, and in the mall bathroom, I brushed my hair and brushed my teeth. Then I changed my clothes. Though our situation was unusual to say the least – we were on the run from an undead monster – doing simple things like brushing my teeth made me feel more normal.
Finally, GM and I went to buy luggage. GM went straight for a set of designer luggage for me, but all I really wanted was a backpack. I figured I could fit everything into it, even if I had to squish things a little – and then I could just have a carry-on.
GM allowed me to have the backpack, but insisted that I have a rolling suitcase with a handle as well. GM purchased two larger suitcases for herself, and she also bought flashlights, batteries, blankets, travel pillows, a thermos, and a first-aid kit.
"Just in case, Solnyshko."
At last we were done shopping, and we took all our stuff out to the car.
"Let us do our packing now, Solnyshko. That way we can walk into the airport like normal people."
I had to laugh at that. We placed all our things on the hood of the car.
I stopped suddenly. "You're not worried about our scratching the paint on your car, are you? I know who much it means you."
GM waved a hand airily. "No, no, Solnyshko. Looking normal is more important than a few scratches at this point."
We got to work packing. It took us about twenty minutes, but we got everything in. We put our bags in the trunk.
"It looks like we're normal now, GM," I said.
We got into the car and drove to the airport. GM had purchased our tickets over the phone, so we went in and checked in. We still had several hours to wait till our flight, so we had a leisurely lunch in a restaurant at the airport.
Our table was right next to a window, and we could see planes arriving and taking off. As I started on my ravioli, I began to feel a bit nervous. I hadn't been on a plane since I was five – and that was when I was coming to the U.S. from Russi
a with GM. We had no relatives in the U.S. to visit, and GM certainly never wanted to go back to Russia. GM also seldom went on vacation or took breaks from her work.
"What's being on a plane like?" I asked. I watched as a huge passenger jet taxied down a runway and took off.
"It is not such a big deal," GM said. She gave me a sharp look. "Are you worried about the flight, Solnyshko?"
"A little."
"Do not fear. You will be fine. I know that you are brave."
"What about your work?" I asked. "Didn't you just start a new project?"
"The project will be fine, too," GM said. "That's the last thing you need to worry about. What's most important is finding out what's going on."
I watched a few more planes take off. Soon GM and I would be on one of them. We were really flying into the unknown.
Before I knew it, it was time for us to board our flight. We walked down a long tunnel into the plane where a cheerful blond woman greeted us. As we passed her, I looked around sharply. I had just had that strange feeling again that I was being watched. But behind me all I saw were restless passengers waiting to get down the narrow aisle to their seats. Surely, none of them was interested in me.
GM and I found our seats, and I stashed my backpack under the seat in front of me. The cabin seemed kind of small and cramped to me. I felt a fluttering in my stomach. Now that the flight was becoming real, my nerves were on me in a rush.
All too soon it was time for takeoff, and the force of the plane's acceleration was startling. My fingers dug deeply into my armrests. Mercifully, it was over quickly. We were climbing steadily, impossibly in the air, and it was not long before we had leveled off and were flying smoothly.
I had a feeling that the worst was behind me. I breathed out in relief. We had a long flight ahead of us, and I regretted not bringing something to read. For the most part, I dozed, but I had plenty of time to think, too, and in a rambling, haphazard way, I sifted through my memories, trying to come up with something that might help GM and me in our current predicament. What did you do when you were being chased by a man who was already dead? And if he had killed my mother as Galina believed, what did he want with me? Surely, when he had taken her life, he had taken everything she'd had.
Pure (Book 1, Pure Series) Page 14
