Havermouth, Present Time
Eight men all stood in their cells staring as Aislen turned the trundle bed on it’s side and dragged it around to create a corner that, when she was kneeling, gave her some privacy in which to use the bedpan.
“Now, why didn’t I think of that?” Dr. James commented dryly from her bed.
“I’m peeing,” Aislen replied. “Crouched behind a trundle bed, in a f-king cage surrounded by different types of zombies, and with eight idiots staring at me. I don’t really want to be chatting with you, Dr. James, right now.”
“And yet, here we are,” Dr. James pointed out finger combing her hair. “Life is strange, isn’t it, Aislen? Who would have thought that we’d end up cell mates. It’s sort of funny seeing as we’ve both been trying to put each other into a cell all along.”
“I didn’t kill my daughter in order to get my rocks off,” Aislen grumbled under her breath.
“You’re not peeing.”
“I have f-king stage fright,” Aislen snapped, her eyes going to the row of men who continued to stare at her intensely. “F-king perverts,” she accused them. “At least close your eyes!”
“Think of the beach,” the doctor advised. “That always does it for me.”
“The river,” Aislen closed her eyes and imagined the river as seen from the balcony of the river house. F-k, where were Rhett and Cameron? Were they okay? How was Heath going? Had Talen managed to turn him? “F-k,” she gritted her teeth and concentrated on breathing, and was finally able to go, the relief washing away with the wish that the bedpan wasn’t metal, so that the ring of her piss wasn’t so loud within it.
She repaired her clothing and carried the bedpan over to the door. “This is so wrong,” she muttered as she pushed it through the flap into the hallway. “Just think about the Triquetra,” she told herself. “They’d make it sexy somehow.”
“Aislen,” Toby called softly from his cage, gripping the bars. “We should just get into the car and go.”
“Nothing. There is nothing in the back,” one of the original men agreed.
“Let them go. We will stay here,” the other man added.
“Shit,” Aislen worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She considered the four original men and frowned remembering the Van Helsings that had stopped the car. “F-k,” she tried to remember what she’d thought at them when they’d been there – what they were saying would be right, she decided. She wanted to stop them from searching the car, and the let them go. Bianca had been right, she thought, this power of hers was dangerous. “I’m sorry Toby. I f-ked your head up, I know. I can’t…”
The doors opened, and the still silence that fell told her that it was Sparrow returning. Dr James fell off the bed in her haste to crawl under it, her face terrified. Aislen looked down at the bedpan full of piss and regretted pushing it out of the cage. The next time, she decided, she’d keep it and throw the contents in his f-king face.
Sparrow had a blonde woman with him, and she slid Aislen a sideways glance as she picked up the bedpan and carried it out with her.
“Hello again Aislen,” Sparrow smiled at her pleasantly. “You’ve been renovating your cell?”
“A girl needs some privacy,” Aislen retorted.
“Hmm. Well put it back on the same side, away from your neighbor, hmm? She’s violent.”
“She’s terrified of you,” Aislen commented mildly. “Everyone in here is. Did you torture them too, like you did to Heath?”
“Heath Gale… Cost me some very good people,” Sparrow replied grimly. “Some of my best. Charlotte McKenzie…” He shook his head. “It was a terrible tragedy, and I will find the vampires who were responsible for the destruction and death caused by his escape.”
“Oh diddums,” Aislen snorted.
“But to answer your question, I have nothing to do with the occupants of these cells, other than yourself. You,” he moved closer. “I am very interested in. Very, very interested in. You have quite the knack for finding missing people, don’t you, Aislen Carter? First the girl, and then Heath Gale… Is this your magic?”
“Magic?” Aislen arched an eyebrow. “I don’t have any magic.”
“Don’t,” he sighed heavily shaking his head. “Don’t do this Aislen. Tell me, how do you find people? If I had something, with some of someone’s blood on it, would you be able to locate her by the blood?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Aislen knew that she was playing a dangerous game.
He met her eyes and held them. “Aislen, I don’t want to hurt you,” he said quietly. “But I will if you force me to.” The doors opened again and he turned his head, frowning as the woman who had taken the bedpan hurried down the walkway between the cages to where he stood.
She stood on tiptoe, and he leaned down so that she could cup a hand and whisper into his ear.
“Is that so?” His eyes lifted to where Aislen watched. “Thank you, Dove.”
The woman threw Aislen a nervous glance and hurried back the way that she had come.
Aislen wondered what she’d whispered into Sparrow’s ear, and just managed to stop herself from reaching out to find out past her ward, remembering the cuff on her wrist at the last second with a grimace. Thank f-k for her wards, she thought. As long as she avoided touching anyone, she should be okay…
“Dove had some very interesting news,” Sparrow told her with a smirk. “It’s amazing the things that witches can do with a bit of urine, isn’t it? Dove came to collect some, just in case, but she also performed a more mundane test. Can you guess what she tested for?”
“How the f-k am I supposed to know?” Aislen rolled her eyes. “If your girlfriend wants to play with pee, you’ll have to bring me some more water.”
“I know a secret,” his smirk grew wider. “I wonder if you know it too?”
F-k, Aislen froze. Had he connected her to the Secret Keeper mirror spell? They hadn’t been able to discriminate what phones got the message, so the Van Helsings would have also had the spell come through onto their phones.
“I think you’re going to be very helpful to me, Aislen Carter,” Sparrow told her. “You’re going to be very, very motivated to help me, aren’t you?”
Aislen frowned at him. “Look, I don’t know what drugs you’re on, but I think you need to adjust the dosage.” Even as she spoke, something else occurred to her, and she remembered what else piss could be tested for. F-k.
He saw it on her face. “Yes,” he said quietly. “I know. But we’re going to keep our little secret, hmm, Aislen? You, me, and Dove. Just the three of us. I like secrets, don’t you?”
“You have no idea how much,” she replied tightly.
“Good girl,” he purred with approval. “If you’ll behave, we’ll move you somewhere more… comfortable very soon. In the meantime, I should warn you,” he tapped his wrist and she saw with surprise that he wore a cuff there. “Don’t use your magic with this on. I’ll take it off you soon, and you can perform that little search for me, hmm?”
“I guess,” she replied. If he took the cuff off… “Why not now?” She asked with a bright smile. “Take the cuff off, and I’ll find who you’re looking for.” She wouldn’t betray who-ever that was, she decided, at least not until she had chopped off the arsehole’s c-ck and was watching him bleed out onto the ground.
He laughed. “You will quickly learn, Aislen, that I’m not stupid. I’ll be back, soon.” He strolled away down the silent and still cages and out the door.
“He’s a monster,” Dr James whispered from beneath the bed. “That’s why everyone is terrified of him.”
“I know he’s a monster,” Aislen agreed.
“No, I mean, he’s… a real monster. I’ve seen it. They wanted samples from him for something, and he went into one of the cages, and transformed into… It was terrifying. Like from a horror movie. A hairy wolf man.”
“A werewolf?” Aislen was stunned. Why would a werewolf be working for the Van Helsings? “He turned into a wolf?” She clarified, not quite believing it.
“No. Not a wolf,” the doctor was irritable at Aislen’s lack of understanding. “A werewolf monster, like from an old movie. Standing on his legs, but with a wolf’s snout, and sort of wiry grey hair all over, and huge muscles. His eyes…”
“Aislen,” Toby was trying to get her attention again. “We should just get into the car and go.”
“Nothing. There is nothing in the back.”
“Let them go. We will stay here.”
“Shh, the lot of you,” Aislen snapped. “I’m having a conversation with the doctor. That’s not a werewolf,” she told the doctor. “Werewolves are men who look just like us and transform into wolves.”
“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation,” Dr James complained.
“Neither can I for that matter,” Aislen agreed. “When is a werewolf not a werewolf?” She asked out loud. “And why would a werewolf that is not a werewolf help the Van Helsings to invade a town of werewolves?”
“What?” Dr James frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know,” Aislen blew out her breath. “But I’m hoping it’s something that I can use to get the f-k out of here.”
“We should just get into the car and go,” Toby agreed.
Havermouth, Present TimeFeeding time was enough to curdle Aislen’s stomach. Hazmat suited nurses pushed a trolley down the aisle, and metal dog bowls of raw meat and bottles of blood were shoved through the flaps into the cages, where the occupants fell upon the food like wild animals.“Yeah, that’s not at all disturbing,” Aislen commented in revulsion as Dr James licked the bowl clean before licking at her fingers and arms. “You’re not precisely a neat eater, you know?” She complained. She had been served a microwave meal that might have come from her father’s freezer. It was only just warm, but after the food in the warehouse, she wasn’t picky.She did however scrutinize every mouthful in case there was anything pill-like hidden within.She was putting a brave face on the situation, she admitted to herself, but it was an egg-shell thin facade. Her anxiety over Heath, Rhett and Cameron made her skin crawl and her eyes prick with tears that she was determined not to shed, and her fea
Havermouth, Present TimeThe Point Crest Triquetra led the way through the main streets of town. In the darkness of night, with no traffic and no lights, the stillness was unnerving. The shop windows reflected their odd little group back at them, seeming to emphasise how vulnerable they were, Cameron thought with a grimace.Harry gleamed in the night with their vivid hair and clothing, as did Connery in his blue coat. The Point Crest Triquetra and Rhett, in their black, were least noticeable, whilst Cameron, Meguitte, Jules, the human woman and her children looked out of place in their casual clothing, caught between the glamour of Harry and Connery and the darkness of the Triquetra and Rhett.Their hasty footsteps and hyper-vigilance reminded Cameron of movies about the end of the world. It was always during scenes like this that someone died, he realized as they reached the street corner and the Point Crest Triquetra began to cross the road. The warehouse was to the right.“Where is
Havermouth, Present TimeThe Point Crest Triquetra led them through a narrow stairway, and down another flight of stairs, where they were stopped by a second set of code-locked doors. As these doors were opened, a wave of noise rolled out over them. After walking through the almost totally black hall and stairs, the glare of artificial light had Cameron’s eyes throwing haloes as they adjusted.“I’ve seen this carpet before,” Rhett sneered. He was right, the whole arrangement of the room was identical to many of the offices and official buildings that Cameron had been in during his life, from the functional laminated particle board furniture, through to the sensible wheeled chairs, and the heavy duty, zigzag designed carpet on the floor.“I think it’s called ‘office bland’,” Harry agreed, and Rhett laughed under his breath.Cameron recognized many of the people manning the desks and computers from the pack. There was not a single human to be seen, he thought, and that was disturbing in
Havermouth, Present Time “I’m sorry,” Heath was jolted from erotic fantasy into the real world with a jarring abruptness. “What did you say?” “I said that you should get dressed, my mate,” Talen held out a pair of jeans. “Cameron and Rhett were at the high school, but there have been explosions there tonight, and we need to find out if they are okay. And Morgana has gone. I think that she has gone after them.” “Wha…?” Heath pulled back his thoughts. Everything was blurred and confused but sifted back into focus as he concentrated. He remembered being separated from Cameron, and then his torture, waking in Talen’s arms, their vows, the sex… How long had it been? And Cameron had still been trapped… Not alone though, Rhett had gone. “Shit. They are okay though?” He asked, his voice hoarse. “The explosions tonight… I don’t know,” Talen admitted heavily, his composure dropping to reveal the anxiety below it. “I do not know. We would know, I feel, if Cameron and Rhett were…?” He trailed
Havermouth, Present Time“It was necessary to destroy the facilities,” August said grimly. “We fought a battle with the Van Helsings for control of the power station and lines of communication, and it became evident that we were both determined and evenly positioned to win. It was necessary to destroy them in order to prevent the Van Helsings from gaining control.”“You fought a battle…” Rhett repeated slowly. “A battle. One battle with the Van Helsings, and because of that battle, you decided to deprive this entire area of power, internet and reliable phones?”“You do not understand,” August snapped. “Someone who has never fought, who has no strategic training, cannot imagine the decisions being made, and the pressure under which they are being made.”“Well,” Rhett drew in a breath, his continued obstinance in the face of the lead alpha’s irritation a display of his rogue nature. “I might not have fought in a battle against the Van Helsings, but I’m pretty sure I would have thought t
Havermouth, Present Time Escaping captivity had not resolved her problems, Meguitte admitted to herself as Harry and Connery consulted in hissed whispers over her head. If the werewolves discovered that she was Logan’s mate, they would take her prisoner in order to use her against him. If the nice young red-haired man, his father and his lover discovered that she had created the cuffs that had been used to imprison them and their pack members, they would kill her. Then, there was the problem of Connery. She was just… so confused. So very, very confused, and guilty. She had always known, she would have been a fool not, that Connery had always wanted more from her than their friendship. His desire for more and her knowledge of it, had always kept her guarded in their interactions. She had taken care not to see him too frequently, and not to be with him, alone, for too long, not wanting to encourage him to believe that she was open to romance. It was not fair, to him or to her, she tho
Havermouth, Present TimeHeath pushed through the witches undressing in the warehouse’s reception, following the vampires out into the night. The vampires… Of which he was one, he realized as his stomach rumbled again.There was a strong smell of burnt wood, and the night air was thick, the sky clouded. The smoke did not hide the scent of the vampires around him, metallic blood from their last meals and the body odours and mustiness of clothing from people living in crowded rooms without access to washing machines. He could smell the cooling concrete and tarmac, the petrichor of the earth warning that it was going to rain before morning, and the distant scent of a bin left to moulder too long in all the drama of the flood and the Van Helsing take-over of the town.The sudden movement of the vampires, scattering into the night, their motions so fast that although he could track it with his hybrid vision, they seemed to drag a tail of color behind them before vanishing into the night as
Havermouth, Present Time“I’m going to shift,” Heath began to undress. “My senses are heightened in human form, they might be even more so in wolf form.”Talen reached out to take Heath’s clothing from him knowing that they were both avoiding the fear that Heath would no longer be able to shift. There was only one way in which to discover whether the ability remained.“As you wish, my mate,” Talen agreed watching as the moonlight that filtered through the high-placed windows shifted over Heath’s skin as he stripped off his jeans. The scars across Heath’s chest were a stark reminder of the trauma that he had seen in Heath’s eyes at the warehouse.Talen was so relieved that despite his injuries and the cuff, not only had Heath turned as a strong vampire he was stronger and faster than any vampire that Talen had ever known, including himself. And he was immensely proud of Heath. His mate had taken to his transformation remarkably well, and his first feed had been magnificent.However, he