‘I want to know if we can outrun them,’ he explained, rather too calmly considering the situation. ‘I don’t want to ditch my baby unless I have to.’
‘Right, well …’ I spun in my seat, straining against the belt. ‘They’re black?’
‘Never mind,’ he grunted. ‘Just don’t panic.’
I barely had time to process those words before he had spun around in his seat and was glaring out of the back window, in the opposite direction of what we were speeding towards, hands steering of their own accord.
‘Oh, my f**king—’
The rest of my sentence was drowned out as the engine roared and the car spun out of control around the bend, straight towards the trunk of a gigantic tree.
I screeched as I hit the side of the door again as Kaspar straightened the wheel, thrusting the car up a gear, engine whining. My head throbbed from the impact but I did not dare take my hands off of the seat as I swallowed my guts back down.
‘Alfa Romeo. Two of them,’ Kaspar groaned, flicking his head so his fringe flew out of his eyes.
‘That’s bad?’
‘That’s bad.’
‘How bad?’
‘Very bad. We can’t outrun them. I guess we could keep driving until they broke down though,’ he joked dryly. Just as he spoke there was an almighty roar from right behind us and glancing in the mirror I realized one of the cars was gaining, fast. He pressed down on the throttle and we shot forwards but the car behind only did the same, continuing to close the gap.
‘We’ve only got to get to the border,’ he repeated, slowing down a fraction as we rounded a tight bend and continued to climb. But that fraction was enough; the car behind us sped forward and before I could blink he had drawn level with us. I didn’t dare look in that direction; gut feeling told me that the cruel grin of Giles would face me.
‘No, you don’t!’ Kaspar roared as the slayer’s car drifted towards us. ‘Nobody gets even a single scratch on my baby!’
If I thought we were going fast before, it was nothing compared to the speed we were going now as the roar of engines filled my ears. Screwing my eyes tightly shut I began praying to every deity alive for my life, feeling the car break the peak of a hill and begin soaring downwards.
‘Not much further now … not much further now …’ Kaspar muttered with furious determination, braking hard and taking a sharp left.
‘I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die,’ I whimpered, eyes still shut tight.
‘No, you are not!’ Kaspar grunted and I heard the car change down a gear.
‘I’m gonna die! I don’t want to die!’
‘There, we’re—’
‘I’m going to die, I’m too young to die, I can’t die; I haven’t been to Disneyland yet!’ I cried hysterically, hardly registering the fact that the car had slowed considerably.
‘Vi—’
‘I’m gonna die!’
‘Girly! For the last time, you’re not going to die! We’re back! They’re gone! They can’t get through the border!’ he yelled above my sobs, cutting the engine and slamming his hands down on the steering wheel.
‘Huh?’ I opened my eyes tentatively, beginning to loosen my grip on the leather of the seats. We were indeed back: the floodlights of the garage gleamed off the paintwork of the cars, the comforting howl of the wind as it passed through the hills of Varnley echoing in the distance.
‘They’re gone. It’s okay,’ Kaspar cooed in what he must have thought was a comforting tone.
‘Oh God,’ I muttered, burying my head in my hands, taking deep breaths and attempting not to hyperventilate. ‘Oh God, I think I need a cup of tea.’
FORTY-THREE
Violet
The kettle whistled as I settled gingerly onto a bar stool, letting my head fall into my hands. I was shattered, overwhelmed and the shrill whistling echoed painfully in my head, filling the room with the jingling of the pans hanging on the walls.
Shuddering, but not from the cold, I heard the sound of the gas being killed and felt the steam rising as the water stewed, the vapour tickling the tip of my nose.
Raising myself up onto my elbows I watched as Kaspar ducked down beneath the counter, rummaging in a cupboard for a second, cursing, and then mumbling that he would be back in a minute.
Resting my head back on my arms I listened to the gentle rise of my chest in the unnatural silence, the occasional wisp of smoke escaping from the kettle – the only other sound that my hearing didn’t filter out.
The sound of another’s breath joined mine and I peered through my curtain of hair in time to see Kaspar returning, a dusty bottle of liquor cradled in his arms.
‘Finest Scotch whisky, 1993, and the last bottle in the cellar, so don’t tell Father, he’s rather fond of his spirits.’
And there was me thinking they keep coffins in the wine cellar.
In one fluid moment he unscrewed the cap and took a swig, gulping a ridiculous amount down that would have a human on the floor in seconds – to a vampire it was about as intoxicating as lemonade.
‘I said tea! Not whisky,’ I said, sounding weaker than I had hoped.
He set the bottle down with a clad, eyeing me the whole time. Not bothering to add milk or sugar he passed me the steaming mug, sliding it across the counter that separated us. In a blink he was by my side, bottle in hand and taking the mug straight back from me.
‘Trust me, after the day you’ve had you need a shot of this,’ he said, pouring a copious amount into my tea whilst I watched dubiously. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost. And it tastes fine, stop looking so disgusted.’
I took it hesitantly. Taking a large mouthful I almost spat it back out it; it was smoky and combined with the herbal taste of the tea, just plain disgusting. It left my mouth dry as I forced myself to swallow and within seconds I felt burning down my throat, which I was sure had nothing to do with the heat of the tea. The room did a somersault and to stop myself from swaying I focused on Kaspar, who was knocking back the remainder of the bottle whilst settling onto a stool and watching me with vague concern.
I set the almost-full mug down, still feeling like I was spinning. ‘I think I’m just going to leave the rest of that.’ Sliding around to face him, our knees brushing, it didn’t feel like the potent stuff had done Kaspar’s intended job. I rested my chin on my hands, closing my eyes and willing tears not to fall as they stung and threatened to leak, almost beyond my control. ‘God.’
I had made my decision and I felt terrible. I had just abandoned my sick and vulnerable little sister as well as my family and friends, not to mention my education and the promise of a normal, burden-free life.
And what had I chosen instead? A Kingdom full of sick, twisted, manipulative creatures that feasted upon humans, and the Varns’ handsome, if egotistical, fourth son; the very pinnacle upon which this secret world would one day revolve. I must be out of my mind.
Yet the thought that I could have left it all behind still made my heart clench; whether in gladness that I had stayed or in protest that I hadn’t gone was unclear.
I groaned inwardly, collapsing onto the counter, all too aware of the figure stifling a snigger beside me; all too aware of the gaze of his striking eyes and the shallow, almost unnecessary rise and fall of his chest that I could just glimpse through the gaps between my strands of hair.
What the hell is happening to me?
I do believe the term applicable here is Stockholm Syndrome, my voice offered, smug, like it knew best. You’ve become indoctrinated. Congratulations.
I’m not a mindless idiot yet, I snapped back and I sensed that if my voice possessed a pair of shoulders, it would be shrugging them.
Not yet.
‘What have I done?’ I asked, not really directing the question at Kaspar, but rather voicing my thoughts aloud. ‘I’ve abandoned Lily. I abandoned her and all for—’
‘For what?’ he cut in sharply. I raised my head from my arms to see that his eyes were grey again. ‘Why didn’t you go? You had a chance to be free but you just came running back!’ With his change of tone, all feelings of confusion fled as something far more sinister crept in, clawing and dragging at my chest.
‘You’re angry,’ I murmured in a perfectly flat tone, sliding off the stool and drawing myself close to him. He got up and folded his arms across his chest, creating space between us as I closed the gap. ‘Why are you angry, Kaspar? You got what you wanted, didn’t you? A human pet for a bit longer. Someone to torment and play with, to muck up and break like you do with everyone else, because you just can’t take the fact that you’re hurting inside. Just like your father.’
Even as the words flowed from my lips I could not believe I was saying them, but I knew that I couldn’t stop now. How dare he be angry? What does he have to be angry about?
Nothing betrayed his emotions but the cool emerald of his eyes, frustratingly unaffected. His gaze followed me as I stopped with my face level to his chest, looking down and perceiving me through a gaze that could be used to scold a naughty child. His voice was slow and measured, like I needed the concept of his anger explained to me as though I was that ill-behaved child.
‘I’m angry because I gave you that chance, Violet. I gave you what you had longed for. But you didn’t take it. Now you’re stuck here and you’ll come to regret it—’
‘I won’t—’
‘You will. But you’ve blown it now; you know that, don’t you? That was your purpose: to remain human. But you’ve lost that now, so it’s when not if.’ He shook his head. ‘I just don’t know what to think of you now.’
I stood on my tip toes, drawing myself up to my full height and refusing to be intimidated by the eyes that were now flashing red.
‘That is not true! At least I’m not as cruel as you. I’ve never known what to think of you. One minute you care and the next you hate me. Make your bloody mind up like I did!’
I turned away but he caught me, grabbing my shoulders and whipping me back around.
‘At least I have good reason to be like I am. You don’t. Why did you choose to stay?’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘Why do you care?’
‘Why shouldn’t I care?’
‘Fine, I don’t know why I stayed. I had a moment to decide and I didn’t trust those slayers,’ I snapped with my eyes to the floor, still trying to ignore the burn that his gaze caused, cursing my heart for faltering when he implied that he had some sort of regard for my welfare.
‘You’re not telling me the whole truth, are you?’ I closed my eyes, knowing I could not lie on that front. He sighed, pulling me closer into his waiting arms as I watched his eyes fade to emerald. ‘What are you running from, Girly?’
‘It’s more what I’m running to,’ I mumbled into his chest, his cold arms wrapped tightly around my back, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up.
I felt him freeze against me. ‘What?’
‘This place isn’t so bad. I guess I’m kind of attached to it.’
Knowing he could read my mind and discover the truth, I fortified my conscious, hiding everything he should not and could not know. He laughed softly at my ruffled and slightly indignant tone and I silently breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I’ll tell you a truth.’ He held me tightly to him and it seemed stupid that we had been arguing just seconds before – yet Kaspar was one big argument. ‘I’m glad you stayed, Violet. I need someone to torment.’
‘Thanks. Your sadism is appreciated.’
He chuckled quietly, leaning his head gently on mine so I could feel his breath. His hand gently played with my hair and I lost count of the minutes as he held me there, both of us it seemed just glad that the nightmare of London was over.
After a while I could stand it no longer and pulled back, settling onto a stool. I felt my cheeks go warm. Intimate was not a term usually applied to Kaspar.
‘Will the others be angry with you about the cars?’
‘No, they’ll find something to amuse themselves with.’ I shuddered, feeling the hairs on my neck stand up. ‘They’ll be back tomorrow morning with sappy grins on their faces.’ He chuckled wryly and I was taken aback by his change in emotion; but not surprised by it.
‘And you’re stuck with me.’
I expected him to respond, at least with some witty comeback or snide remark, but instead he just stared into space.
‘Kaspar?’ He didn’t answer. Resigning myself to wait I simply sat as the minutes fell away, sipping on the lethal remainder of my tea.
‘Violet, I have something to tell you.’
My heart stopped. I knew the tone he used; it was the tone the consultant used when she called Lily and my parents to her blank room, or the tone the policeman used when I answered the door to find him with his hat in hand, asking to speak to my parents about Greg.
‘I’m so very sorry,’ they said; as if sorry, lots of sorry, and sitting down and cups of tea would undo what was already done.
I raised my eyes to meet his, fear and dread clutching at my mind, heart and liver, tears welling in my eyes because I knew this was not going to be anything good.
His eyes fell through to grey. ‘I did something really stupid.’ He looked down at the floor, slowly, ever so slowly, backing away. ‘The inter-dimensional council heard how much I told you of this world on the way to London. They said I told you too much and I got angry and told them to f**k off.’ My eyes went wide and I did not bother hiding a gasp. He carried on, not able to look me in the eye as I slid off the stool and began inching towards him. ‘I humiliated the Kingdom and now you pay the price for my actions.’