“Sorry to interrupt.” Klaus motioned over his shoulder. “Your cousin wishes to have a word with you.”
“Oh, yes of course.”
Elizabeth joined Catherine out in the hallway, “Come, I want to show you something.” They went down toward the women’s quarters near the end of the carriage. Catherine sat down and patted the mattress next to her for Elizabeth to sit. She then reached underneath the bed and fished out a velvet pouch. Inside she revealed a plain white cloth wrapped around the shape of a spike. Catherine unwrapped the linen to reveal the weapon. Under closer inspection, Elizabeth realized it was made from old bone that had been chipped away to form a shiv.
“Is that bone?”
“It’s from an ancient Collector,” Catherine confirmed as she held it up. “The only thing that is capable of stunning and paralysing other Time Collectors. This is a family heirloom, belonging to Dennis’ family—Lord and Lady Moore. The Moores are part of the three noble families who founded the Guardians centuries ago. Time Collectors can’t even touch this thing without falling under its toxicity. With other pieces of the Collector’s skeleton they had chiselled it down into dust to fill bombs and bullets. This stuff is noxious to them, slows down their reaction speed, their thought processing, sometimes even knocks them out cold. Once they are poisoned, we stab them in the heart with this. It turns them into stone, as a survival technique to protect them from further damage or death.”
“Are they still alive after they have been turned to stone?”
“We’re not sure if there is brain activity or any consciousness.”
“How long are they frozen for?”
“The last Collector to be stabbed was nearly two hundred years ago, and he is still frozen to this day. The Moores have him locked up in their underground prison under their house. That’s the thing with Collectors, despite all their power and strength, they are still creatures who live by a very strict code. They seek the desperate, trying to bargain their life source. They can’t help themselves.”
Elizabeth slumped further into her seat. “And this is how you plan on trapping Nikolas?”
“We used to think this was the only way to stop them, until Klaus informed me about the gun he and Uncle William were making. Made from Chrétien’s gold, the one known substance capable of neutralizing magic.”
“Klaus told you about the gun?”
“He did, thinks we can use it to our advantage against Nikolas. I first thought it was suspicious that a Collector help create a weapon capable of killing himself, but I figured better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. At least he has one hand controlling the wheel.”
“You do not see Klaus as a creature to slay?”
Catherine sighed and looked down thoughtfully. “Though the others would disagree, I do not see Collectors as monsters. I do not blame the gun, but the shooter. That being said, I rather live in a world where guns do not exist.”
#
Klaus found comfort alone, sitting within the public lounge carriage by a window. Calming music played above, accompanied by the gentle chatter of couples and families sitting down for lunch. A voice would cut across the music, explaining the significance of the Carolina Rose fields they passed outside. Klaus didn’t look away from the passing of pink, not acknowledging Dennis approaching and sitting down opposite him.
“I’m not much for plants,” Dennis commented lightly. “Can’t say we have the time for that sort of thing.” Klaus didn’t respond. Dennis slumped comfortably into the chair, drawing a small blade from his pocket. He proceeded to cut up an apple. “So, you’re a doctor’s apprentice, right? Travelled from Germany to work under the guidance of the great and renowned Doctor Wicker?”
Klaus glanced at him. “You’re interested in my life story?”
“Only in those I don’t trust.” Dennis smiled. Klaus took a deep breath, trying not to engage. Dennis continued. “When one hears doctor they must think large lab coats and scary disease. It’s a noble profession, one taking on to save people’s lives except, you’re the type who snaps Bact’s necks and chases Time Collectors.”
“I’m complicated.” Klaus smirked.
“Probably easily bored, too.” Dennis jabbed back and popped another piece of apple into his mouth. “My family has been hunting these things for generations. Time Collectors, Bactes, wild witches, you name it, we kill it. I still remember the first time I ran my blade into a Bact’s belly. She squealed like a farm pig.”
“You take pleasure in killing,” Klaus noted, plainly.
“So do you. I can see it in your eyes, the way you snapped that Bact’s neck. Can’t be playing doctor forever, no, you need to get your hands dirty. Don’t worry, I agree with you. These parasites on humanity, they give off a certain, err, well, a certain scent. I’ve learnt to pick a Bact out of a crowd of hundreds. Witches too, but Collectors are trickier. They blend in with everyone else. Evolution designed them to become invisible. But there’s a trick to catching them out. It’s just six simple words and they can’t help themselves. ‘I want to make a contract’.”
The moment the words slipped free, Klaus’ entire body clenched up. Pressure intensified, speeding up his heart. His tongue swelled fat, the sudden rise in his temperature dampening his hairline with sweat. Dennis glanced down and ran his blade along the apple core, prying himself another slice.
“With that alone, they are in my control. These suppose godlike immortals of mass destruction and chaos, are in fact, no different than a puppet with a hand up their arse. The others are ignorant. They believe Collectors are these superior beings to cower from.”
Klaus couldn’t concentrate, he could barely breathe as if his internal nervous system was being set on fire, filling up his lungs with smoke. Klaus subtly gulped and turned his gaze away. “Hmm.”
“That’s what they are, isn’t it? Dogs obeying their masters! They are humanity’s slaves. Mindless ‘yes’ men.”
“I can see the humour in their irony. Creatures given unequal power but with no willpower to control it. I’m not surprised you mock them.” His body language shifted, turning his attention unnervingly onto Dennis’ face. “And yet, it is mortal men who sell their souls for momentary gain. Humanity is as much enslaved to their desires as Collectors are to their codes. One by choice, the other by nature.”
“Guess you have a point. Like men trailing behind pretty girls, you and Miss Wicker are fine examples.”
“What are you implying?”
Dennis smiled. “I’m not implying anything. You just don’t seem too fond of people.”
“I wouldn’t take offence, I’m not fond of anything. I would complain about heaven if I ever saw it.”
“Excuse me, Klaus?” Klaus turned quickly at Elizabeth’s approached. She paused beside him, leaving him question just how much of the conversation she had heard. “Am I interrupting?”
“Nein, I believe Mr. Moore was just leaving.”
Dennis quickly stood. “It’s no problem, we weren’t speaking of anything important.” He gave her a brisk nod. Klaus watched him go, unable to drop the frustrated snarl off his face.
“Is something wrong?” Elizabeth asked as she took Dennis’ seat.
“I hate banter. Especially with idiots.” Elizabeth sucked her breath in, suddenly hesitant to speak. “What is it that you need?” Klaus asked, releasing a pent-up sigh.
Embarrassed, Elizabeth quickly stood. “No, nothing but further banter I’m afraid.”
“Wait, please sit.” Klaus reached out. “Don’t place yourself at their level. You may be the only person here I can tolerate.”
“Comforting. I wanted to talk to you about my conversation with Catherine. You told her about the gun?”
“Ja, and in return, she told me about the old Collector bone shiv. It is…unique.”
“I wasn’t sure if it worried you, but she does not see you as a threat.”
“That doesn’t worry me.”
“But something does?”
/>
Klaus didn’t move. He could hear the sympathy in Elizabeth’s voice, but didn’t know how he was meant to react to it. He gulped uncomfortably. Elizabeth could see more than she gave on. He was letting his mask slip, and that was dangerous.
Instead, Klaus changed the topic. “Will you stay with them?”
“With who?”
“Catherine Rose-Wicker. Once we have stopped Nikolas, will you stay with them?”
She looked away in thought. “I haven’t exactly thought that far ahead.”
“They are your family, the only ones you have left,” he added as if the words had a bitter taste.
Elizabeth bit into her smile. “Why do I get the impression you don’t want me to?”
“You know too much,” he chuckled.
“I doubt they would want my company. After all, it is yours they need.”
Klaus shifted, suddenly angered. “Looks like we are both guilty.”
“Of what?”
“Of not giving you enough appreciation and respect.” He reached forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “In the face of danger, I do not protect people. I’m sure you’re seen enough evidence to agree. They do not need a selfish man, but a selfless woman. You carry far more value in just your presence than I do in the entirely of my being.”
“Klaus…” Elizabeth whispered.
The curl of her voice, the way her eyes softened with emotion, touched by what he now understood must’ve sounded like a declaration of his feelings, melted her in front of him. Klaus could taste the words on his tongue, unbearably sweet and unfamiliar. Word of advice, little brother…keep falling. Nikolas’ echoing words pulled his smile away. Reality snapped him back like an unforgiving force. “Don’t misunderstand. I compliment birds for singing, this doesn’t mean anything.”
Elizabeth smirked. “You never compliment anything.”
His heart started to beat a little faster. “And you know me well.”
Elizabeth crossed her arms, forcing authority into her voice. “What about you? What will you do after we catch Nikolas?”
“I will mourn him.”
“And then what will you do?”
“Then, I will just continue to exist.”
Chapter Thirty-One:
Sunset drew closer, and with it Westicher’s fog thickened over the horizon. Dinner gathered everyone into the lounge area. The hours rolled over, and soon the lounge emptied, leaving Catherine and her group as the only occupants. Klaus and Elizabeth joined the others around the table. Conversation shifted between politics, the destruction of the Beaumont’s manor, hunting Bactes, and the limits of magic. Except for Dennis and Elizabeth who sat secluded on the other side of the table. They spoke in whispers. Laughter. Giggles hidden behind cupped palms. Dennis was quick to refill their glasses of wine.
“Have you been back to Germany since you started your apprenticeship with Doctor Wicker?” Leah asked Klaus casually.
“Nein.”
“Don’t you miss your family?”
“Nein.” Klaus picked up his wine glass and tentatively took a sip. Leah’s voice sounded distant as he strained to catch the conversation between Elizabeth and Dennis. He cleared his throat to get rid of a tickle.
“I’ve never been to Germany before. What is it like?” Benjamin asked.
Klaus barely glanced over at him. “It’s quiet.”
“I’ve heard there’s a bit of unrest there.”
“Oh, yes there was news about the movement of the rebels,” Leah added.
“Has your family been affected? I had assumed that’s why you travelled to London to work.”
“Nein.”
“I had a friend travel to Turkey to cover the crisis over there. Terrible circumstances for the locals, but a great job opportunity for a journalist.”
Their voices sounded muffled. Unable to resist, Klaus shifted his attention back to Elizabeth. Something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. His earlier confrontation with Dennis played in the back of his mind. Can’t be playing doctor forever, no, you need to get your hands dirty. An unfamiliar unease tightened his stomach. Being a Time Collector meant many things. Danger. Temptation. Destruction. A life of being chased and used. He lived at the calling of others’ desires, often forgetting about his own. Elizabeth glanced up, as if she felt Klaus’ eyes on her face. You carry far more value in just your presence than I do in the entirely of my being.
“I don’t know about you, but this wine isn’t sitting right with me.” Catherine’s voice broke through Klaus’ concentration. He abruptly turned his attention away from Elizabeth.
Hudson leaned over the counter to address the whole table. “We will be arriving at Westicher within the hour. The reservation I booked is at the Und Hänsel Gretel hotel a street away from the Palace. Will be a good stake-out.”
“Security is going to be tight. We won’t be able to bring in our equipment,” Catherine pointed out.
Dennis leaned back on his chair. “I know what we can do. We should summon the stone protector.” A moment of silence filled the room.
“Don’t be absurd!” Catherine said, quickly dismissing the notion.
“A little overdramatic, don’t you think?” Hudson added.
“Many thought it was only a fable.” Leah said.
“And Collectors are only fables too, Leah?” Dennis countered. “We have the capabilities of summoning it, and this is Nikolas Vorx, a Collector who has haunted us through generations of Guardian protection. If we have a chance to stop him, then we shouldn’t take it lightly.”
Hudson shook his head. “So your solution is to release a lion and hope it goes back into its den?”
“Lions can be controlled.”
“By larger men with whips, not mortals.”
“Who’s the stone protector?” Elizabeth asked.
“Mortalem.” Dennis answered, “The gargoyle.”
Mortalem. Hearing the name made Klaus rise from his chair in a sudden rage. “Are you insane?”
“What’s the problem?” Dennis laughed, pleased by Klaus’ outburst. “She’s no threat to us.”
“Who’s Mortalem?” Elizabeth asked.
“Mortalem is a gargoyle, an ultimate weapon against all those of supernatural blood. It was concealed within the spirit world by the greater supernatural gods,” Catherine explained quickly. “There are stories of people summoning it in great peril. A creature so powerful its skin can burn Bactes to the bone.”
Klaus’ voice lifted with uncharacteristic panic. “That is no lion but a dragon you tamper with.”
“Dragons to some, a knight to others,” Dennis said.
“This argument is pointless,” Benjamin said. “Mortalem is in the spirit world now, a place we cannot fetch it. For that, you’ll need someone with magic. A powerful witch, probably. Not that you’ll be able to find one willing to help.”
Dennis crossed his arms smugly. “We don’t need a witch when we have a Time Collector.” Klaus froze. His mask, that mask of calm control, suddenly fell.
“You can’t be talking about Nikolas,” Benjamin scoffed.
Dennis looked toward Klaus, as if making a final confirmation. “No, as a matter of fact, I’m not. How does the wine suit you, Collector?”
Klaus’ eyes trailed down, linking the bubble of unease in his stomach to his clouded drink. Poisoned, but with what?
“Dennis, are you out of your mind?” Catherine scolded. “Klaus is a friend of my uncle’s!”
“Not a friend. A fraud.” From beneath the table, Dennis revealed the bone shiv and a pistol. Seeing it, Elizabeth stood up, but Klaus didn’t move. He instead prepared himself by straightening his posture, knowing where this conversation was going. His identity as a Time Collector has been found out before, and usually it cost the other person their life. Temptation was too sweet, too great, to allow a creature such as him to walk away. They were often greedy. Short-sighted, they were not aware of the true costs behind their conversation. But this time
, it seemed his life was under threat.
“Collector, I wish you would finish your wine!”
His skeleton feeling as heavy as concrete, he picked up his drink unwillingly. His control and dignity felt ripped out of his grasp. Stunned, the group watched as he finished the wine. A fever spiked across his forehead.
“Enough! Klaus, don’t play along with his games.” Elizabeth said, trying to discredit Dennis, but the look on the others’ faces proved it wasn’t working. Leah’s eyes darted back and forth. Benjamin’s fists tensed, as if to challenge Klaus. Catherine and Hudson shared quick glances, but they too knew enough about the situation to stay quiet. The secret was out. Klaus’ identity was confirmed the moment the last droplet hit his tongue.
Dennis lifted the pistol, but Catherine stepped forward. “Dennis, don’t,” she said softly, trying to calm the intensity of the room. “He’s willing to help us.”
“You knew?” Benjamin gasped. “You knew, and you still brought him here? You let him stay with us?”
“He’s not going to hurt you!” Elizabeth said.
“No he won’t.” Dennis stood and aimed the gun. “I won’t give him the chance.”
Klaus stared down the barrel of the pistol, feeling the poison twist at his insides. He felt weak and gripped the table for balance. The poison swirled his vision, blurring the details of the room. Tingles climbed up his neck, deadening his senses. Sound faded into murmurs as smells dulled. Even his thoughts disintegrated, darkness pillowing into the corner of his eyes. Unconsciousness would come soon.
Klaus moved the same moment Elizabeth did. He turned for the corridor as she stepped across, using her body as a shield. Dennis fired. The gunshot sounded off across the room, hitting the wall with a crackling echo. Klaus swung around and hit Elizabeth across the chest, throwing her to the side. The bullet skewered his bicep. The wound sharply stung and hotness quickly spread into his shoulder and neck. The pain circled around the puncture point as it travelled with his blood through the rest of his body. The sickness unbalanced him. There was no doubt in his mind that they had filled the bullets with poison. His eyes clouded. The train rocked them sideways, but to him it felt as though the world was about to tip off its axis.
Time Weaver Page 19
