Thicker Than Blood (Marchwood Vampire Series #2) (16 page)

‘
That was Sergell. And
yes, he is scary. You do not want to mess with Sergell
Elioreg.’

‘
Did you get into trouble?
For talking to me?’ Maddy asked.

‘
What? No. They tell me
not to talk to you, but they’re too busy to worry about stuff like
that. They’re not bothered. As long as I do my job and make sure
you stay put and don’t die.’

‘
Oh.’ Maddy hadn’t
expected that. She’d thought they would be … stricter or something.
Although, you couldn’t get much stricter than abducting someone and
locking them up. She let out a snort of laughter.

‘
What’s funny?’ Zoe
asked.

‘
Oh, I don’t know,’ Maddy said.
‘Just
all
this
.’ She spread out her hands. ‘In a weird and twisted way,
it kind of reminds me of being at school. You and me slagging off
the ‘teachers’.’

Zoe smiled wistfully. ‘Yeah, I s’pose.’

‘
Where are you from
anyway? You’re English right?’

‘
Yeah. I’m from
Newcastle.’

‘
Up north?’

‘
Mm hm.’

‘
You haven’t got much of
an accent.’

‘
My accent always comes back
when I’m visiting family. Not that I can do
that
anymore. They think I’m
dead.’

‘
I’m sorry,’ Maddy
said.

‘
Nothing’s normal
anymore,’ Zoe replied. ‘Everything is dark and serious and scary
all the time. My life’s changed beyond anything I could’ve ever
imagined.’

Maddy reached across and took Zoe’s cold
hand in hers. She gave it a squeeze.

‘
I know you probably don’t
think it, but I do know what you mean. I haven’t always had it
good. My life was pretty bleak and hopeless a couple of years ago,
but it’s turned right around. I never thought it would be possible
but I’m so happy right now.’

Zoe suddenly grinned at her.
‘You
are
joking?’

The ridiculousness of her words hit them
both, and they dissolved into hysterical laughter. Maddy held onto
her stomach.

‘
Oh, oh I can’t breathe …
laughing so hard.’

‘
Yeah, like I need a pep
talk from the girl I’m holding prisoner in a locked cell,’ Zoe
snorted and squealed. ‘Too funny.’

‘
I’m so happy right
now
,’ Maddy
mocked herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

When they’d calmed down a bit, Zoe gave a
sigh.

‘
I meant it though,’ Maddy
said. ‘I might not be delirious with joy at this precise moment in
time, but it is possible for your life to get better.’

‘
I seriously doubt it,’
Zoe said, getting to her feet.

Maddy sensed that their temporary closeness
had disappeared for now.

‘
I’ll be back tomorrow
with your breakfast,’ Zoe said.

‘
Great. Thanks.
Night.’

‘
Goodnight.’

Maddy felt the loneliness wrap
itself around her again. God, she missed Alexandre. It was like a
physical ache in her chest and throat. He had become her whole
life. How had she coped before he’d come along? She couldn’t even
remember how she’d
been
. She knew she used to be constantly angry, always fighting
against some injustice in hers and Ben’s lives. But now with Alex,
she had an ally, a best friend and she loved him so much she didn’t
know what she’d do if she never saw him again. Her new life was
perfect and she wouldn’t let it be stolen from her. She had to get
back to him.

*

The sick feeling in Ben’s guts
intensified, his appetite still dulled by worry. Only one more day
until Alexandre and the others had to be at the underground city.
If they hadn’t managed to rescue Maddy by tomorrow night, what
would happen? Would they turn up on the 21
^st
as arranged and then would the
Cappadocians let Maddy go? Would they hurt his friends? Kill them
even?

As he lay on top of his bed, a thin winter
light coming in through the window, he turned the blank notepaper
in his hands. Over and over, feeling the ridges where it had been
crumpled, staring at its mottled surface, listening to the rustle
of it. There was something crucial he was overlooking, he was sure
of it. This paper was similar to the letters he’d opened this
morning, but it was a nicer quality, thicker. And it was a slightly
different shape. No, it was no good; he couldn’t think what it was
he might be missing.

Esther had tried to get him involved in the
housework again today. He knew she was only trying to help, but he
really couldn’t face it. What was the point? But doing nothing was
turning out to be just as bad. His bedroom felt oppressive; in fact
the whole house felt as though it might suffocate him. He needed to
get out. Maybe a ride would clear his head a bit. It was funny,
even though Maddy had bought him that amazing trail bike last
Christmas, he still preferred his mountain bike. He liked the
silence around him and the resistance of the pedals as he
pushed.

Ben stretched,
yawned, sat up and put the notepaper on his bedside table. He’d
been lying next to this morning’s mail and, as he slid off the bed,
he accidentally knocked all the letters onto the floor. He swore
and crouched down to gather them up, straightening them out as he
did so. Then he dumped the blank notepaper on top of the pile,
returning the whole lot to his bedside table.

It would be
cold out, but he didn’t care - the ride would warm him up. He
clattered down the stairs, grabbed his coat from the peg in the
hall, took his gloves out of his pocket and left the house. As he
walked over to the bike shed, the cold air blasted his face and
shook him out of his lethargy. He was looking forward to a hard
cycle through the woods. He unlocked the shed and saw his Trek in
front of all the other bikes. Maddy and the others hardly ever used
theirs, so Ben’s was always right by the door where he left it. His
beanie hat was hanging off one of the handle bars.

‘
There it is,’ he said. He’d been looking for his hat for a
few days. He pulled it down over his ears, wheeled his bike outside
and locked up the shed.

Seconds later Ben was pedalling
hard across the front lawn, his fears
behind him for a brief moment as his muscles worked and fresh
oxygen flowed through his body. He wished his mind would stay blank
for longer, but the worries soon jostled and fought their way back
in, coming at him like stabs of a knife or twists to the
gut.

He suddenly skidded to a halt, his back
wheel spinning out in a muddy arc. Something important had just
occurred to him. Ben pointed his bike back towards the house. He
needed to look at the piece of paper again to double check his
theory.

Once he reached the house, he left his bike
outside the utility room door, kicked off his trainers and ran up
the stairs. The notepaper was where he’d left it, on his bedside
table, on top of this morning’s mail. He pulled off his gloves and
picked up the pile of letters.

The notepaper was exactly the
same size as the other letters,
except
it was shorter in length. Every single
piece of mail he had opened this morning had been written on headed
paper, but the blank notepaper had no header. Maybe that was
because originally it
had
been headed paper and someone had cut the header
off. That would certainly explain why the top of the paper was
uneven. But why? And who would’ve done it? And headed paper from
where? What did it mean? Did it even mean anything?

The letter lying immediately behind the
notepaper was the reservation confirmation from the Cappadocian
hotel. The paper was similar to the blank note – thick and
expensive looking; a heavier weight than the other letters. So
maybe the note came from a hotel … Maybe. In fact, that would make
a lot of sense. Blythe had said that Maddy was taken by the
Cappadocian vampire. If that was true, he would’ve had to come over
to England and he must have stayed in a hotel. Well, not
necessarily him, but his vampire followers or staff or whatever. So
maybe they had used the hotel’s paper to write the note, but had
cut the top off. It would be a local hotel, he was sure of it.
Somewhere posh probably.

Ben began to get excited. This could be the
first proper lead he had. This could really be something. He knew
he was making a lot of leaps. Maybe he was way off the mark, but he
didn’t think so. And anyway, he didn’t have any other leads to
follow. This might be a wild goose chase, but then again it might
not. It could be a breakthrough. But it still didn’t explain what
the paper was doing in the recycling. Anyway, Ben realised his
appetite had suddenly come roaring back. He would eat and then he
would go into Tetbury and check out the local hotels.

Chapter Nineteen

Cappadocia, 575 AD

*

Aelia recovered quickly and by
the following morning she felt almost completely well again. Widow
Maleina’s attitude seemed to have changed and softened. She wasn’t
what you would call
friendly
, but at least her tongue had lost some of its serrated
edge. She didn’t care how pleasant the woman was being, all Aelia
could think about was trying to find her family.

‘
If you go, you will be
inviting death in one form or another,’ the widow said. ‘I know you
don’t entirely believe me, my dear. But I am speaking the
truth.’

‘
I need some fresh air,’
Aelia said. The cave felt oppressive and warm.

‘
Come. Let’s go outside.’
The widow picked up her walking cane and hobbled to the cave
entrance. Aelia stood and followed her. She would rather have been
alone with her thoughts, but it seemed there was no chance of that
happening. The air outside was heating up, the sun already high in
the sky, almost bleaching out the rocks below. It was hotter out
here than in the cave and Aelia instantly wished she had stayed
inside.

The widow was already a few steps ahead so
Aelia sighed and followed on behind. They threaded their way
through the parched shrubs and junipers, occasionally receiving
some much needed shade from the tall stone outcrops that punctuated
the landscape.

After about ten minutes of walking in
silence, the widow stopped and thrust her cane into the dusty
earth. Aelia sat on a low rock and picked up a handful of fine
brown gravel. She let it run through her fingers and watched as it
bounced and slid off the rock. The widow handed her a pouch of
water and she took a grateful gulp.

‘
I’m going back to my
village,’ Aelia said quietly, defiantly.

‘
Yes,’ the widow
replied.

‘
What? You’re letting me
go?’ Aelia was surprised. She had expected the usual mocking
resistance. As long as she didn’t plan on drugging her
again.

‘
Yes, you can go. I think
you may have a part to play in this,’ the widow said.

Aelia didn’t know what the widow was talking
about, but she wasn’t going to argue. She felt nervous and excited
that she was finally going to be reunited with her family.

‘
I’ll rest today and
travel tomorrow,’ Aelia said, a small smile curling at her lips.
Will you come with me?’

‘
No,’ the widow replied.
‘But I’ll help you. We must go back and prepare. There is much to
do and much you need to know about the risk you are
taking.’

Aelia still didn’t know if she believed
Widow Maleina’s warnings, but at least the woman wasn’t going to
stand in her way anymore. Aelia decided she would humour her and
take whatever precautions the widow thought necessary.

Back home, Widow Maleina began working on
her medicines. She called to Aelia to pass her the various powders
and herbs she needed.

‘
I’m preparing this for
you, my dear.’

‘
What is it?’

‘
I have been experimenting
for a number of years and I am sure it will work. But it may also
end up killing you.’

‘
What do you mean?’ Aelia
asked, alarmed.

‘
These demons drink human
blood. Pass me that cup.’

Aelia handed her the vessel and noticed her
hand was shaking. She made a fist to stop the tremble.

‘
If you enter that cave,’ the
widow continued, ‘they will want to drink
your
blood. Of that, there is no
doubt.’

‘
So you’re saying they
will kill me and drink my blood?’

‘
No. I am saying they will
drink your blood. It is not certain they will kill you. They may
keep you human, they may kill you or they may turn you. Make up a
fire. I need to reduce this mixture.’

‘
Turn
me?’

‘…
into one of them,’ the
widow replied.

Aelia felt numb. The widow was speaking so
certainly and surely. In all the months Aelia had been here, Widow
Maleina had never lied. So why should she make these horrific
things up now? She set to work making a small cooking fire, trying
to decide what to believe. The wood was so dry that the fire caught
instantly with a whoosh, making Aelia start and jump back. The
widow’s voice rose above the crackle and roar of the flames:

‘
Now I must ask you if you
are certain this is the path you wish to take? Once we embark on
this journey, there is no going back. And you must understand there
is a very strong likelihood you will die a slow and agonising
death.’