Ravens Deep (one) (34 page)

             
“Please, Darius, calm down. I haven’t,” I insisted. 

             
“You cannot lie to me. Your thoughts betray you every time,” he snapped coldly.

             
“I am not lying to you,” I insisted, “it is not what you think.” I quickly related brief details of what had occurred earlier in the day.  “He knows nothing of this place or you, he only knows that I am married and I will not see him again,” I concluded breathlessly. 

             
Darius considered my words, figuring out if I had met Charlie because I had really wanted to see him again. He was just angry with me, he would calm down in a minute, when he realised that I had told Charlie it was over for good, at least that’s what I hoped he would do.

             
“At least you have got one thing right today,” he said sarcastically. “You will not see him again.” I didn’t like the way he said those last words, the venom in his voice was obvious and I felt panicked. Darius released me.

             
“Where is he now?” I stared at him in fright. I couldn’t tell him, I was too scared of what he would do, but I couldn’t lie either.  He was right in his observation that my thoughts would betray me in an instant. Darius was staring at me intently now as though trying to pry the information from my mind. 

             
“Why?” I challenged, terrified for Charlie’s safety.

             
“Just tell me, Madeline,” he demanded impatiently.  He was towering over me, threatening me with his presence, he was extremely angry, but if I told him. . . I didn’t want to think about that possibility. I took a deep breath, summoning up some courage.

             
“I won’t tell you Darius. I won’t let you hurt him. He means nothing and he will leave and be gone by tomorrow.  Just let him go.”   

             
“Madeline I am not in the mood to be bargained with.  Do not me make me hurt
you
!”  His vicious words were laced with promise, they were chilling to my ears, and he moved even closer to me, his presence intimidating me completely.  Darius’s eyes narrowed.  “Why are you trying to protect him if he means nothing to you?”  My eyes held his, the fierceness was there in the fathomless depth of green, the rage was consuming him. “Do you wish to be with him again?”  he said sharply, and the intensity of his eyes increased.

             
“No!” I said brusquely, but I was frightened. 

             
“Then make me believe that, tell me where he is,” he demanded, seizing me again which made me gasp. His eyes were boring into mine, weakening my resolve, fear had gripped me and I was unable to tear my gaze from his. The energy from within him forced me to obey his demand as the voices that resonated from him terrified me.

             
I tried hard to resist, but my strength was diminishing, and the name Beaconmayes hotel flew from my lips. I jumped. I felt my mind and eyes released from their captivity. In his eyes I saw the intensity had gone, he was just watching me closely. I was extremely frightened not only for Charlie, but also for myself. Darius’s demeanour was aggressive, he was very capable of hurting me at this moment and I was frozen to the spot, anticipating some action from him, but he only glared angrily at me.

             
“You should be careful Madeline, your thoughts do betray you,” he repeated, “and you can keep nothing from
me.
”  He gave me a bitter smile before moving away soundlessly.  I breathed easier for a moment until I realized he was at the door and about to leave.

             
“Where are you going?” I asked in a tense whisper. Darius turned and looked at me.

             
“Out, I have an appointment to keep.”

             
“Darius please don’t.” I ran to him. “Darius, please, you don’t need to do this,” I said trying desperately to find something to say that would make him remain with me. I brought my hand up to his arm.  “Please Darius. . . please stay here.” He looked down at my hand in contempt.

             
“It is not advisable for you to be this close to me right now,” he remarked coolly and I instantly withdrew my hand, then he shot me a disdainful glance as he left the house slamming the old oak door behind him.

             
I didn’t quite believe what had just happened.  For a long moment, I stood staring at the empty doorway before me, then I panicked.

             
What have I done?

             
I suddenly heard a car start up, my car. I looked at the table, my keys were gone and I knew in an instant exactly where he was going. 

             
I have to warn Charlie. I have to do something. I wouldn’t’t let this happen.

             
In a horrifying hopelessness, I searched for my bag and retrieved my phone.  I quickly dialled the operator to get the number I needed.  After what seemed like endless hours the phone finally connected to the Beaconmayes hotel.

             
Why isn’t’t anyone answering?

             
I desperately hoped Charlie would be there, and at last the receptionist answered and finally put me through to Charlie’s room.  It seemed as though I waited another eternity as I listened to the constant ringing at the other end.  I gave a sigh of relief when the receiver was at last picked up and I heard Charlie’s voice at the other end.

             
“Hello.”

             
“Charlie, it’s Madeline,” I began, my heart racing and my voice trembling.

             
“Madeline? . . are you OK?  You sound. . .”

             
“Shut up Charlie,” I ordered, “just listen to me.  You have to leave the hotel now. . . just get out.”  The silence at the other end was deafening. “Charlie are you there?” I said frantically.

             
“Yes, Madeline, I am, what is it? You sound terrified.”  He sounded shocked.

             
“Charlie please leave now.  You are in terrible danger, please believe me!”  I was crying now.  “Please Charlie, do as I ask, please leave now.”

             
“Danger from whom?” he questioned. 

             
“I cannot say.  Please Charlie, you’re wasting time, just get out. I have to go.” I turned the phone off, praying silently that he would think my tone dramatic enough and sense the urgency in my voice to just get out of there. 

             
I was distraught, if Darius found him what would he do?  Just frighten him or worse?  It was the worse I couldn’t’t bear. I hoped with every ounce of my being Darius would miss him and think he had just left.  Then I would be able to calm him down and make him see reason before he thought about going after him in London.

             
I could do nothing more, I sat and waited for Darius to return.

A
n Evil Interlude - Part 2

                Charlie stared at the receiver in his hand. Madeline had sounded terrified and there had been an urgency in her voice that he could not dismiss. Making up his mind quickly, he threw his few belongings into a bag, and after taking one final look around at the room he walked downstairs to the hotel foyer.  The receptionist seemed startled by his sudden announcement that he had urgent business in the city and needed to leave straight away, and he stood patiently while the girl behind the desk searched for a pen, in order to make out his invoice.

             
Charlie was aware of a sudden chill. A premonition, he wondered, or was it just

Madeline
’s words making him jumpy and on edge?  He hoped that she was all right, but he still did not know where she was and he could not go to her, but her words had undoubtedly disturbed him.  Although he reasoned to himself that perhaps she was just being over dramatic, even so, there had been something in the tone of her voice that had unnerved him. He was sure that she had been crying and that alone had made him feel that he should obey her wishes, but he was mystified to know the reasons behind them. 

             
Charlie tapped his fingers impatiently on the countertop and wished the girl would hurry up with his bill.  He wondered if she were intentionally being so slow to annoy him and tried not to allow her unhurriedness bother him. Instead, he wondered what situation Madeline had got herself caught up in, but she had said she was happy and she had looked good.  It hadn’t appeared that anything awful was happening to her.

             
He knew he should forget her, especially now that she was married, but there was that constant hope that she might have wanted to come back to him.  They could have salvaged what remained of their relationship and made a new start. He would have taken her back too, even now he knew that he still would. But deep down he knew he was being foolish, he should resign himself to the fact that it was over between them once and for all.  And maybe she was still suffering from effects of the breakdown, in reality who would want to harm him here?  No one knew him.

             
Charlie took the receipt from the receptionist and walked outside to the car park, located to the side of the hotel. It was very dimly lit and he could barely make out his car parked next to the hedge at the very back. He thought that Exmoor seemed exceptionally dark tonight, and observation which was helped by the moon being hidden behind the heavy cloud cover.  In the distance Charlie could hear a slight wailing that moaned soulfully from across the moors as the winds gusted up from the coast and he shivered. 

             
Suddenly he thought he heard a noise, a footstep perhaps, he turned, but the car park was empty. He shivered again as the wind blew right through the thin material of his shirt, making him quicken his pace. He unlocked the car door and threw his bag across to the empty passenger seat, before he attempted to climb into the driver’s seat.

             
All at once something gripped him firmly, and he was thrown back with vicious force against the cold metal. Initially Charlie had gasped from the pain and shock of the impact, now he caught his breath and felt anger build as he clenched his hand into a fist.  He tried to swing his arm upwards with force, but it was instantly trapped in a vice like grip. In a mixture of shock and fear he looked up. Charlie stared with disbelieving eyes, into the face of his aggressive attacker.

             
A thought raced through his mind:

             
Was this what Madeline had meant by that phone call? 

             
His aggressor leant closer and as Charlie’s eyes adjusted to the shadows, he felt a terror like no other. He was certain that it was a man, but it was not, it was altogether more sinister and more demon-like.  The skin was pale and through the thin fabric of his clothes Charlie could feel the coldness of that flesh creeping over his skin. But it was the eyes, so intense and fierce, burning into him that frightened him beyond all measure. He tried to tear his gaze away, but he could not, their effect was so powerful and hypnotizing that he was aware of all the strength he possessed slowly ebbing away.  He could only stand motionless like some puppet waiting to be manipulated.

             
Charlie struggled to make sense of what was happening, as the demon loomed closer.  He was certain he could sense extreme animosity and utter hatred from this being before him.  Its shadow was slowly enveloping him, then he heard a voice as cold as ice.

             
“She is mine.”

              As the chilling words penetrated his head, Charlie’s thoughts flew to Madeline, just as he was aware of an intense pain on his neck. He could feel the venom flowing through his veins before he felt himself falling, his own life force ebbing slowly away as he faded into darkness. . . 

An Evil Interlude -
Part 3
                                                                                                                                           

             
I felt very afraid as I waited for Darius to return, I listened to the constant reassuring tick of the clock on the mantle. It seemed as though endless hours had passed before I heard another sound in the distance.  A noise that got steadily louder as it approached and I recognised the familiar resonance of my car’s engine. I remained seated, trying to keep calm.

             
I can handle this, Darius will be angry that he has missed Charlie. He will know it’s my fault, but he will calm down after a while.

             
I shivered, waiting with trepidation for the door to open.  I did not have to wait long. Darius entered moments later, throwing my keys on the sideboard with unnecessary forcefulness and slammed the door behind him. His eyes were wild and my heart was full of dread as he crossed the room to where I sat.