And my brother.
My hands were trembling as the doctor stopped us and gestured towards the glass unit. Scarlett held back so that I could look by myself. From inside I could hear classical music playing. It was ‘Gabriel’s Obo’ from The Mission, a song that Mum loved and had played since Mikey and I were young. As I heard the haunting music, I felt the emotions stirring. Childhood memories of tearing around the house playing catch and stealing each other’s toys came pouring back. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes.
Mikey was sitting on the chair in the centre of the glass room. He had his head down and fingers knotted together. A long tube linked his neck to a metal hole in the wall. I glanced uneasily at the doctor, who gave an urging gesture. I pressed both trembling hands flat against the cool glass.
“Mikey?” I said tentatively. Slowly the head raised up until a set of eyes met mine. The tears I’d been trying to hold back poured down my face. His skin was so pale, and his eyes were covered in stringy strands, like a spider had been leaving its mark all over them.
A knife twisted in the pit of my stomach. My breath came out in wracked bursts as I tried to speak. “That’s my little brother,” I sobbed. “No...my little brother.” I pressed my forehead against the glass. “Oh god, what have they done to you?”
Mikey unwound into a standing position and stalked up to the glass. He cocked his head to the side and studied me. What hurt the most – what pushed the knife deeper into my gut – was that he barely seemed to recognise me.
When I spoke, my voice came out in a whisper. “I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you. I let you down.”
The vampire who had once been my brother pushed his face closer to the glass. He stared right into my eyes and for a moment there seemed to be a flash of recognition. For a split second he was Mikey again.
And then he tried to bite me.
In a flash his fangs slid from his gums and he pounced, slamming his face so hard into the glass that it shuddered. I jumped, almost hitting the doctor next to me. Mikey continued to smash his face against the barrier, his teeth making grating sounds on the glass and creating seeping pools of venom. I turned away, tears of heartache spilling down my face. Scarlett collected me into her arms, and together we supported each other.
Through blurry vision, I watched the doctor move to the unit and turn a dial on the side. A rush of red seeped through the tube, and almost instantly Mikey stopped trying to attack the window, slumping back down into the seat. His eyes took on a faraway glaze, and his jaw bobbed up and down as if he were gathering the blood himself.
“He will recover, I promise you,” Doctor Hudson consoled in his most placating voice. “This is Michael at his most feral.”
“Why did you make me come here?” I accused.
“Because seeing people he loves will help him. Even if the effects are not evident right now.” The doctor gestured towards the common room. “Those people out there. They were all once like him. But now they are almost what they were before. And they had less family to help them through their change than Mikey does. I promise you, Alexander, we will bring your brother back to you.”
Something about the sincerity of the doctor’s words pierced through my emotional armour and gave me the belief I needed. I nodded as tears of relief washed away those of misery. “Thank you.”
He smiled.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Just talk to him. Make him understand that you are there for him.”
I moved back over to the glass and stared in at brother. He swayed gently, subdued by the restorative blood running into his new body.
I don’t know how to do this. What words are the right ones? I had no clue, so I just spoke.
“Mikey, I know we’ve had our differences over the years, but I never stopped caring about you. Not for one second. I-I am your older brother, and it was my job to protect you. You’re so confident that I let myself forget that.”
I swallowed as a lump appeared in my throat. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most, and I will never forgive myself for that.” A stream of tears rolled down my cheeks, and I wiped at them with the back of my hand. “But if you can forgive me, then I promise I will never let you down again. When you need me, I’ll be right there at your side.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, struggling to hold it together. “Please pull through this. I…I need you to get better. And don’t worry about anything; we are all here for you. Mum, John, Scarlett, me and you….we’ll all get through this together. All you need to do is get yourself better and not forget who you are.”
My face broke into a sad smile. “The cheeky smartass who hates being wrong.” Scarlett gave a tearful laugh behind me. “Mikey, you are my brother, and I will never stop loving you. None of us will. Please find your way back to us.”
I stopped speaking, choking back tears and staring at my brother in his little glass cage. For a moment there was nothing, and then slowly he lifted his head. And for the briefest second, his face broke into a smile.
*
“They’re not giving anything up,” said Gabriella with a sigh. She pulled two beers from my fridge, threw me one, and sat down on my couch. Popping the cap, she took a long swig and then wedged the bottle between her crossed legs. “Not yet anyway.”
Gabriella had not long been back from the Interrogation Cluster. She’d looked stressed and tired when I’d answered the door, but being the wonderful person she was, her immediate response had been to comfort me. Seeing Mikey had hit me harder than I could possibly have imagined, and it showed. But now I was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of things. And the interrogations were the best way to start digging.
“They’re not saying anything?” I pressed.
“Well that’s not strictly true. One of them did say something. Over and over actually.”
“What was it?”
“That they aren’t the ones we should be worried about.”
I frowned. “Who, the SOS?”
She tapped a hand against her bottle. “I have no idea. The guy was half out of his mind.”
“But they didn’t give up any actual information? Like who planned the attacks?”
“No.”
I sat down on the coffee table opposite her. “Then you need to push those bastards harder.”
Gabriella leaned back in the seat and narrowed her eyes. I braced myself. She only pulled that expression when I was about to get a lecture.
“Do you honestly think we just sat there letting them run rings around us? Hell no, Alex. Vidar and his cronies did things to make the prisoners talk that made me feel like we were the bad guys.” She tapped on her chest, emphasising her words.
“Beating them, injecting them with god-knows-what. They actually force-fed a Bloodling wood-shavings. Wood shavings! I seriously thought he was going to vomit up his insides.” She shuddered. “It was horrible, the things those interrogators did to them. It made me feel dirty watching them do it. The only reason I didn’t stop it is because I remembered what they did today…and what they did to Mikey.”
She shook her head. “But merda, I don’t think Faru knows how rough they play it down there. And I don’t think he would condone much of it if he did. But anyway, the point is all three of them held strong. The dedication they have to their cause would almost be admirable, if they weren’t all such sick bastards.” She took another long pull of her beer and hid a tiny burp, which made me smile despite what she was telling me. “It’s just a matter of time, though, I’m sure of it. They are going to starve them of sleep and start again tomorrow. I think they’ll be a lot more talkative then.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and nodded. “I hope to god you’re right. I think I’ve reached the end of my rope.”
Gabriella held out a hand. “Hun, I know all this is beyond difficult, but we need to stay strong and stick together.”
“I know; you’re right.”
I encircled my hand arou
nd hers, and she pulled me onto the sofa. We shared a tender kiss and then she leaned her head against my shoulder, the sweet scent of her hair playing on the air. For a few minutes I let everything else go and just allowed myself to enjoy the moment. We both drank our beers in silence, staring at the full moon through the window. The milky light poured into the lounge, mixing with the subtle glow coming from the lamps.
“So, any other news?” I asked after a while.
I could feel her chest expand as she took a deep breath. “Where to start? Delagio went to see Grey at the Recovery Centre, but he’d discharged himself.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, crazy. He was back in his apartment. Looks like he is making a fantastic recovery. Doctors reckon we did heal him; it just had a delayed effect. Either way he’s well and truly back on two feet.”
“That’s fantastic news,” I said. “But I’m not sure what that means for my ability.”
Gabriella shrugged. “I guess only time will tell.”
“Anything else?”
“Ivy has quit.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, she took what happened hard. No one could convince her it wasn’t her fault. Not to mention what happened to Sam.” She gave a long sigh. “I don’t blame her.”
“Me either.” I wasn’t surprised. After what she had gone through, it was harder to imagine her staying.
Sam would still be alive if it wasn’t for you. So would all of those other Guardians. They came here for you. It was your fault.
The sharp words ripped through my mind like razor wire. Wincing, I stealthily slipped the elixir from my pocket and tapped a few drops into my beer. Swirling the bottle around, I let the two mix together and then took a large gulp.
“Don’t overdose on that stuff,” Gabriella said.
“Can’t get anything by you can I?” I observed, swallowing.
“Nope.” She gave my arm a squeeze. “Oh there was one more thing, and I’m not sure what it means, but Claudine says that as soon as we gave the all clear, Sophia went out to Midnight’s grave. Spent the whole of this afternoon and evening there. Just curled up by his tombstone reading those books.” She let out a long sigh. “I am really worried about her.”
“Don’t be. It makes sense that she’d be there. Midnight was her protector, wasn’t he? So if she felt scared after the attack, it’s only natural that she would want to be close to him. Plus we lost him in a similar attack. It probably struck a nerve.”
Gabriella nodded. “I guess. I just wish I could do something to help her.”
I pulled my soulmate around to face me, placing a hand on the side of her cheek. “You will, Ella, when she needs you to. If anyone could make things better it’s you. But right now you just have to be there for her.”
Gabriella kissed my hand. “You’re right. The same goes for you with Mikey.
Hearing his name made my stomach tense up. “Exactly. We just have to be strong.” I just don’t know how much strength I have left in me.
My phone rang, and I jumped. Gabriella shuffled away from me, and I fished it out of my pocket. My chest tightened when I saw ‘Home’ flashing on the call screen. I knew exactly what the call was going to be about. Gabriella placed a comforting hand on my wrist. Clearing a suddenly dry throat, I pressed the answer button.
“Alex?”
“Hi, Mum.”
“Alex, have you spoken to Michael? He hasn’t been home for a few days. I thought he might be with Scarlett, but I haven’t been able to get through to her either.” The tension in her voice was clear. “I’m probably just being overprotective here, but I’m starting to get really worried.” In the background I could hear John murmuring things to say, and Mum shushed him.
I closed my eyes. What do I say?
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen him.” I paused. “He is with Scarlett.”
Even though I did my best to hide it, Mum must have picked up something in my voice because she didn’t sound relieved. “Alex, what’s going on? Is Mikey safe?”
I can’t lie to her.
“I…he…”
John must have grabbed the phone, because suddenly his voice came booming through the receiver. “Alexander, you tell us where my son is right now. I’m coming to collect him.”
My heart was beating triple time. I didn’t know what to say. I can’t do this now. I need more time.
“Alexander, answer me!” he bellowed.
Out the corner of my eye, I saw Gabriella offer out a hand. I turned to see her wearing a solemn expression. With a million reservations, I placed the phone into her hand. She gave me a look, and after a few seconds I nodded. She placed the phone to her ear.
“John, its Gabriella. Hi. No wait, just calm down. Listen, I need you to put the phone on speaker so that Elaine can hear as well.”
Through the receiver I heard John swearing as he tried to activate the speaker. There was a clicking sound and then the sounds of clothes and hands as Mum and John gathered around the phone. Gabriella took a large breath and when she spoke, her voice had taken on the high-pitched frequency of Charm.
“Neither of you need to worry about Michael. As far as you are concerned, he is with Alex and Scarlett. Everything is fine. You are going to remain calm and content. Nothing is wrong. Michael is fine.”
There was a long pause and then I heard John confirm that everything was fine. Instead, Mum simply gave a low whimper. I glanced at Gabriella who frowned at me. “Elaine, everything is fine. Michael is fine.”
There was a pause that lasted a beat too long. And then Mum spoke.
“Everything….is fine?” The way she said it sounded like a question.
“Everything is fine,” Gabriella repeated.
“Everything is fine.”
I took the receiver from Gabriella. “Mum, John you there?”
“Yes, we’re here sweetie.” Mum’s voice was dazed, like her mind was wandering.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course, Alex, I’m just trying to remember why we called you.”
I tried to sound as normal as possible. “You wanted to check up on me, see how I was doing, remember?”
“Oh…right okay. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Mum, everything is fine.”
“Oh that’s good. Okay well, I guess we’ll speak to you later, then. Have a good evening and give our love to Gabriella.”
“I will.”
Mum hung up and I set the phone down on the table, staring at it. Gabriella placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I took a few moments to compose myself. “No, not really, but that needed to be done…I wasn’t ready yet. Thank you.”
She rubbed my back. “Of course.”
I shook my head. “Let’s just let it go for now. I have so many things going around my head, I can’t fit another worry in right now.”
Gabriella nodded. “Sure.”
The clock on the wall hit eleven. Gabriella saw me looking and stood up. Once again she offered her hand to me. “We’ve both had a long day. Come on, let’s get to bed.”
I took her hand and stood up. Following her to the bedroom, I paused at the door as a rush of emotions ran through me.
“I think it’s time.”
She turned on the spot. “Time for what?”
“It’s time to start gathering people to go across the Veil. Before all this,” I gestured at the tattoo, “before this, before Mikey, the attack. Before everything, I had one thing I needed to do – find my father. It’s been six months, Gabriella. That phone call just reminded me how important family is. Whatever happens to me, I need to have tried to save him.” I pressed a hand against the doorframe. “Plus Lafelei said that the way to get rid of this thing is on the other side of the Veil. The longer I stay here, there worse it’s going to get. It’s a fact we all have to face. It’s time to step up and take control.” I could feel the determination in my voice, the unwavering dedication and duty I’d felt before things h
ad got so messy. Gabriella seemed to feel it too. She stood frozen in the doorway, listening intently to every word I spoke.
“And another thing – I don’t know how I know it, but I know for a fact that the key to stopping Hades winning this war is in Pandemonia.” I pressed a hand against my chest. “I can feel it. So we need to stop dragging our heels. Finding my father, getting rid of this thing that has attached to me, and stopping this war. That’s how we repair the damage that has been done.”
Gabriella was stony silent for several beats, then she gave a single nod. “I told you I would go to the corners of the world to help you, and I stand by that promise. If you think it’s time to start gathering people to head across the Veil, then that’s what we do. And if you think we can find your father and stop this war, then let’s go and do it.”
She walked into the bedroom. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath, as if everything I’d wanted to say had finally come out. Nine. I only need nine willing Guardians before I can go. I can start fixing problems instead of creating them. I opened my eyes. Gabriella was already in bed. She patted the covers next to her.
“Come get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
22
Gabriella
First on the list the next day was Delagio.
I’d left Alex sleeping. For once he’d actually looked peaceful, as if making the decision had given him some respite from the darkness. I’d got up early to get a head start on recruiting Guardians to his cause. Apart from Alex and me, Iralia was definitely in. Scarlett was a question mark now, at best. Which meant we still needed to get together six more recruits who would be willing to swear to our cause in front of Sage Faru.
After searching most of the base, I found Delagio at the underground target range, practicing his telekinesis skills. A machine had been set up in the centre of the room. It had a glass tube connected to the side. Hundreds of apatrope marbles had been loaded into it. Every single ball that fired towards him was sent hurtling into the centre of the bright targets dotted around the room. He did it with such ease; it looked like the range was rigged. After I watched the ball orbit his waist a few times and then slam into a target, I tapped him on the shoulder.
The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2) Page 32
