Refuge (23 page)

***

Guy could see the refuge looming out of the waves, dirty white against the dark sky. The door was banging open and Guy fixed his gaze on it. His keen senses picked up two people inside the building. He saw two shapes, one tall with slightly rounded shoulders – a young man in an attitude of dejection, and a young woman - small and slim - carefully blocking the entrance. He saw her arm reach out and carefully pull the door shut. A rowing boat bobbed around the base of the refuge, moored inexpertly to one of the legs.

                Guy reached the bottom of the refuge and pulled himself up onto the few stairs that remained out of the water. He listened carefully; he could still hear them moving around inside.

                ‘Oh, I’m really sorry you had to come all the way out here to get me. Take your jacket off, it must be damp.’ That was the girl speaking. ‘At least we’re quite safe in here for the time being. It’s not too bad, anyway, is it?’ A pause – he could imagine her looking around the interior of the building. ‘At least Jenny didn’t try to come. I would have worried about her rowing out here.’ A sigh. ‘I hope she’s all right. Anyway,’ the girl laughed, ‘it gives us some time together, doesn’t it?’

                ‘I suppose so.’ That was the boy.

                ‘What? You don’t sound that sure. What’s up?’ That was the girl again. ‘Oh. Oh no. She didn’t, did she? Did she kiss you? She’s always doing that. She’s always trying to take men off me. Tell me you didn’t fall for it...’ Silence. ‘You did. Oh Lucas.’ She sounded sad. ‘You fell for it. You’ve messed up again haven’t you? Just like how you messed up with Laura. That’s really upset me...’

                Guy had, by now, reached the top step and the doorway. He pulled hard on the handle and the door swung open. He was greeted by the sight of two people, the girl with her back to him, and the boy facing him. The boy looked up as Guy entered, his face registering shock. The girl spun around, and then she too looked astonished. Her mood suddenly altered.

‘Who are you?’ she snapped.

                ‘Well clearly I’m not Jenny,’ growled Guy. ‘Sorry to disappoint you.’

***

Lucas stared at the man who had just burst into the refuge. He was dripping wet and appeared outraged. He glared at Cass with such accusation in his eyes that even Lucas felt uncomfortable.

                ‘Woah!’ Lucas said. He put a protective hand out. ‘Leave her alone, whoever you are.’

The man ignored him and continued staring at Cass. ‘She told me everything,’ he said. ‘I know what you’re planning.’

                To Lucas’ surprise, Cass started to laugh. ‘Oh, you’re funny,’ she said, ‘but I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure?’ She moved towards him. ‘I’m sure if you were to introduce yourself, I might remember if I had ever heard of you?’

                ‘Guy Montgomery,’ said the man. ‘I knew Genevieve a very long time ago. Has that jogged your memory?’

                ‘Guy Montgomery?
You!
’ said Cass. ‘You’re the one? Well, in that case, I have much to thank you for, Sir Guy.’ She curtsied prettily. ‘If Jenny had never met you, we’d all have gone to our graves happy by now.’ Her face suddenly changed. She glared at him and narrowed her eyes. ‘But I digress. Where is she?’

                ‘In Hell, I hope,’ said the man. Suddenly, he lunged at Cass and she darted out of his way. Lucas saw a faint gleam of silver in the man’s waistband as he moved, and so, it seemed, did Cass.

                ‘You used that?’ she cried. It was the first time Lucas had seen fear in her face. ‘How did you get that? It’s a myth!’

                ‘It’s not a myth,’ said Guy. Lucas recognised him now as the man from his B&B – the one who had spoken to him that morning. ‘I have proved that with Veva tonight, and I shall prove it to you as well. Lucas - get out of here now!’

                Lucas started – how the hell did he know his name? ‘What’s going on?’ he cried. He ran at the man, intending to push him out of the way, but this Guy or whatever his name was, stretched out a hand and literally stopped Lucas in his tracks. Lucas caught his breath as the man held him at arm’s length, his fingers splayed across his chest.

‘Go!’ the man shouted. It was clear, now the man’s waist was exposed, that the silver object was a dagger of some sort. ‘This isn’t a woman, it’s a vampire,’ he said. ‘Get away, let me deal with her...’

Cass howled and she threw herself at Guy. Guy grappled with her, and they both fell to the floor. A small bottle rolled out of Guy’s pocket and bounced towards Lucas.

 ‘Lucas! For God’s sake, get out of here,’ yelled the man again. He rolled over and tried to grab the bottle, but as he did so, the girl flung herself on top of him, pinning him down.

She laughed, a vile, evil laugh that went on and on. ‘At the end, she did what I told her. She created me, but she couldn’t tame me. It was me who decided what we did. Me. She made me hate her, you know; all the men loved her more. All of them, except you. Thank you, Sir Guy. That was the only good thing about you.’ Then, to Lucas’ horror, he saw a flash of silver as Cass ripped the dagger from Guy’s belt and plunged it into his body. There was a whoosh-ing noise and the girl rolled onto her back, still laughing as the man crumbled into dust.

Lucas felt sick. He turned and seized the door handle, his heart banging in his chest. He tried to pull the door open – he would jump into the sea rather than stay here another minute. The girl laughed and sprang to her feet. She grabbed Lucas by the arm and pulled him away from the door as if he were thistledown. He landed with a crash at the other side of the room.

Cass threw the dagger into the opposite corner where it landed with a clatter. ‘You won’t be needing that!’ she hissed. She crouched down, ready to attack him.

Lucas gasped as Cass leapt forward. The dagger lay in the corner taunting him. He knew that however fast he moved, she would move faster. She seized him by the shoulder as he lay there and pulled him close to her. Her grip was like a vice. He struggled and writhed as she held him effortlessly, digging her fingers into his shoulder blade.

She brought her other arm around as if she was going to embrace him and suddenly she was in front of him, laughing at the fear in his face. ‘I’d make it quick,’ she hissed, ‘but really, it’s more fun to do it slowly. You should have thought about Laura, shouldn’t you? Before you did
that
. And thought about
me
before you kissed
her
.’ She brought her face close to his shoulder and punctured his skin with her fangs.

***

Lucas screamed out in pain. He had never been so terrified in his entire life. He felt venom pumping into his bloodstream, enough to make his veins burn, but then, like a gunshot, a voice shouted in his ear.

                ‘
The Holy Water! Use the Holy Water
!’ Lucas opened his eyes wide, catching his breath as the burning subsided. A white mist was forming behind Cass – the shape grew until it filled the corner of the room and Lucas could identify the outline of a man. Cass appeared to be oblivious to the voice and the figure behind her. Instead, she took pleasure in ripping open Lucas’s shirt and came down to sink her teeth into the top of his chest.

                Lucas screamed again as more venom pumped into his system. She was moving closer to his heart, he realised. He wasn’t going to survive many more of these. His legs were going weak and his vision was blacking out. Cass appeared to be delighted. She let go of him and he collapsed onto the floor. He rolled into a ball, his breath coming in jagged gasps. He forced open his eyes and his gaze settled on the small bottle which had fallen out of the man’s pocket.

                ‘
Use it!
’ said the voice again, more urgently. ‘
Quickly. You don’t have much time. It’s Holy Water. I blessed it. Use it, for God’s sake!
’ The curl of Lucas’ body hid the bottle from the vampire’s line of vision and he continued to stare at it.

                ‘How?’ croaked Lucas. The bottle was just within his grasp, if he could only stretch his arm out...

                ‘
Break it, throw it at her, anything!
’ came the voice. ‘
For the love of God, just do it.
’ Lucas painfully moved his arm and reached out, groping for the bottle. Anything was worth a try. He was dying, he was going mad, or something. But he had to try. Please God this was just a bad dream and he’d wake up at any moment. Lucas edged his fingers out. Just a little more, he thought, just a little more. She was coming back for him one last time; he could hear the boards creaking as she moved towards him. She was in no hurry, it seemed. Lucas assumed she was enjoying herself, spinning it out a little longer, the way a cat toys with a mouse before moving in for the kill.

                The shadow moved swiftly to the entrance, and the door of the hut swung open, clashing against the door frame; it was enough to distract Cass. She spun around and Lucas managed to grab the bottle. He raised himself up on one elbow and tried to uncork it. The stopper was stuck fast. He fell back with a groan. It was impossible – he would have to resign himself to dying. Cass turned back to him and moved towards him. She bent down and dragged him to his feet. He swayed, and she smiled at him, affectionately, almost.

                ‘One more kiss, Lucas?’ she purred. ‘You’ve been fun. I’ll miss you. And, truthfully, I
did
like you.’ She leaned in towards him, grabbing him. Lucas had one chance – he took it. He raised his hand in front of his chest as she pulled him sharply towards her, the glass bottle between them.

                There was an almighty crack as the old bottle shattered against the inflexibility of Cass’s chest, splashing up into her face and soaking her front.

Her eyes widened and she stared at Lucas. ‘You bastard!’ she hissed. Lucas managed to jump back and crouch down, taking cover as a white flame engulfed Cass’s body:  then the flame evaporated, taking the vampire with it.

***

Lucas stood breathing heavily, oblivious to the fact that the Holy Water was, similarly, soaking down his bare torso. He looked down and saw the water run over the half-moon bite mark on his chest. Shards of glass were now embedded in his palm, but he cared nothing for the pain; he rubbed at the water with his injured hand, smearing the blood and water together. He became aware of a warmth beginning at the centre of his chest and pumping into the cuts on his hand as the water seeped into the wounds and ran over his skin. Gradually, he felt the strength returning to him and the burning sensation of the venom calm. He saw the dagger lying in the corner of the room, and stumbled over to it. Bending down, he picked it up and weighed it in his hands.

‘You will never have cause to use that,’ came the voice again. ‘Have faith. The Holy Water will protect you now.’ Lucas jumped and turned. The white mist was back, but this time a young man seemed to step out of it and fill the refuge with a sense of peace and spirituality.

He smiled at Lucas. ‘Well done,’ he said. ‘I am proud of you.’

‘I don’t understand...’ began Lucas. ‘Who are you?’

‘That dagger was mine,’ said the man. ‘My name is Kester Lawson. I had the dagger made to prevent creatures like that from walking the earth. It worked for a time, but I realise now that I still had much to learn. You, my friend, have divine protection. You will not need my dagger to save you.’ Lucas stared at the man dumbstruck. The man smiled. ‘Do not worry, they won’t harm you again.’

‘I...I...’ stammered Lucas.

The man raised a hand. ‘Please. You are safe. But, just for your own peace of mind, you must do two things. You need to go to the Priory with two containers of Holy Water and bury them by the
piscina
.’

‘But I don’t know what a
piscina
is...’ began Lucas. ‘And I don’t know where to get Holy Water.’ It felt surreal answering him – it was like he was talking to someone who wasn’t really there. Was he a ghost or something? Lucas shivered. He’d always imagined he’d be scared rigid if he saw a ghost. Christ, this fellow was nothing compared to Cass.

‘No “buts”,’ said Kester Lawson. ‘You will find it. We need to replace what the Lord provided for us. And you also need to discard the dagger. Throw it into the sea. It will find its place, I have trust. The Lord will send it on a journey with the tides, and the ocean will take it where it needs to be. I can wait – He has taught me patience. And then I will be able to help the next owner.’