Winter's Shadow (41 page)

Madeleine looked at her daughter and something about her terrified expression gave Claudette all the permission she needed to act. Gripping her daughter’s arm, Madeleine pleaded, ‘Not Antoine.’

Claudette nodded reluctantly, then took a step backwards. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, and there was a faint crackling like that of a fireplace, which slowly rose in pitch. Green light began to shimmer around Claudette, running up and down her body like water. There was a deafening thunderclap and her daughter was gone, leaving Blake and Madeleine alone.

After a moment of tense silence the screaming began in the hallway beyond. The Bane had finally met the monster they’d been hunting.

They travelled swiftly through the centre of town, Jasmine staying surprisingly true to her word and not pressing Winter further on her mysterious escape from Sam’s house. Jasmine’s personality being what it was, Winter knew how difficult it must be for her, so was all the more grateful for her patience. While Nefertem snored softly in her lap, Winter’s mind whirred with dozens of fears and concerns, each vying for her attention.

They neared the turn-off to Holloway Road and she began to feel some small hope that soon she’d be reunited with Blake. She’d be safe. Together they’d work out a way to elude the Bane, and nullify the threat of the Skivers. Then she saw the smoky orange glow in the distance, and felt her hope drain away. Somewhere in the woods around Holloway Road a fire was burning.

Winter remembered the strange chemical smell that had pricked her nostrils when Sam and his brothers returned to the van earlier in the evening.
It was gasoline!
If she hadn’t been so upset at the time she would have recognised the smell and guessed what they’d been up to.

‘Drive faster, Jas!’

Jasmine saw the glow for herself. ‘Don’t worry, we’re nearly there.’

The street sign for Holloway Road loomed out of the darkness and Jasmine took the turn at speed, the car’s tyres skidding on the gravel. They accelerated down the road towards the flickering light, Winter frantically praying that her suspicions were wrong.

The air became thicker with smoke the further along Holloway Road they travelled. Jasmine’s headlights reflected off the grey particles, catching flurries of ash and cinders. In Winter’s opinion, the old house up ahead held just as much significance in the town’s history as the lighthouse on Whistler’s Peak, or Pilgrim’s Lament – more so for the children of the town. For decades it had been a source of superstition; a place to talk about in hushed tones; a destination for Halloweeners seeking an illicit thrill. And for the past few hours it had been both a sanctuary and a chamber of horrors for Winter.

Now the Velasco place was no more.

As they slowed at the foot of the driveway, the house was ablaze, its blackened shell barely visible through the inferno. Beyond the silhouetted tree trunks Winter could see a lone fire engine. A handful of firefighters
desperately tried to control the flames but, even from this distance, Winter could see that their efforts were futile. Jasmine brought the car to a standstill, and the two girls watched in shock as the structure burned.

Great plumes of smoke billowed forth from the broiling innards of the house, disappearing into the red haze overhead. Tongues of flame darted out of the window and door cavities, licking at the air, spitting embers.

Soon everything Blake owned would be ash. For some reason Winter conjured an image of Blake’s painting in her mind, slowly being consumed by the flames, the paint bubbling and running, the canvas curling, shrinking into itself, the frame darkening, becoming charcoal.

Jasmine turned to Winter, her face pale. ‘Blake wasn’t in there, was he?’

Winter began to shake her head before realising she had no way of knowing whether or not Blake had returned while she was with the Bane. He could be in there now, burning alive! She withdrew the lodestone from her top and held it tightly.

It was time to test its power.

‘Blake,’ she called softly, squeezing her eyes shut.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Shh . . .’ Winter hushed Jasmine, and repeated Blake’s name. After a few tense seconds she opened her eyes and looked through the car windows for any sign that the lodestone had worked. All she could see was a few burning embers floating past the windscreen like fireflies.

‘It didn’t work,’ Winter said helplessly.
What was she going to do now?

Jasmine cried out as someone knocked loudly on the passenger window.

Heart in her mouth, Winter whipped around and felt relief flood through her.

It was Blake! Her beautiful Blake was still alive!

She scrambled out of the car and threw her arms around him. ‘Blake! I was so worried!’ Burying her face in his chest, the grainy black-and-white photograph of Carol Oates flashed in her mind. Winter banished it easily. Pressed against Blake like this, feeling his warmth, it was impossible to believe he was a monster.

Blake stroked the back of her head. ‘I’m fine,’ he said in calm, reassuring tones. ‘What happened to you?’

Winter raised her head and looked up at him, blinking back her tears. ‘They took me – the Bane. We have to go, they could be on their way back here!’

Blake frowned, though he didn’t seem as surprised by the information as she might have expected. He sighed, his gaze drifting past her to the burning house. After a moment’s silent contemplation, he cradled Winter’s face gently in his hands.

‘Everything’s going to be okay. I’ve —’ He was distracted by a frightening shriek echoing in the woods nearby. It might have been a loon or some other night bird, but Winter had never heard such a cry and hoped she never would again. Grimacing, Blake’s attention shifted to the smoky woods on either side of them.

‘What is it?’ She thought she saw a shadow flitting between the trees, but couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just her eyes playing tricks on her. ‘The Skivers?’

‘No. Something else,’ Blake said, and the dread she heard in his voice did nothing to still her fears. He took Winter firmly by the shoulders. ‘You have to get away from here, Winter. Now.’

‘But where will I be safe? The Skivers are still hunting —’

‘I’ve taken care of that.’ His face tightened as though trying to hide some deeper emotion from registering on his face.

‘You have?’ Winter couldn’t quite believe it. She’d all but convinced herself that she was doomed to be taken by the creatures.

‘Yes. You need to go back to the church on the mountain. Back to where your path should have ended.’ He added, somewhat hesitantly, ‘Then it will be over.’

‘I don’t understand.’

Blake exhaled in frustration. ‘You will. Go to the mountain. It has to be tonight, otherwise they won’t honour the agreement. I’ll meet you there.’
What agreement? What was he talking about?

‘Blake —’

‘Please, no questions, Winter. There’s no time. Just go.’ Blake leaned past her and opened the car door. She reluctantly stepped back inside. There never seemed to be enough time for him to explain the situation to her. Nefertem was sitting on Jasmine’s lap, both of
them staring at her with bright-eyed expressions of curiosity.

‘Is everything okay?’ Jasmine asked. Winter genuinely didn’t know how to answer her.

She wound down the window. ‘You’ll be there? At the church?’

‘I’ll be there.’ Blake managed a barely convincing smile before turning and walking towards the woods.

Still feeling bewildered and scared, Winter watched his figure disappear between the trees, then turned to Jasmine.

‘Yeah, yeah, I heard him.’ Jasmine had already started the engine. ‘The church on the mountain. I guess it’d be too much to hope for a reason as to why we’re going there?’

Winter admitted, ‘I really don’t know myself, Jas.’ Jasmine spun the car around and they tore off down Holloway Road, leaving the Velasco place smouldering behind them.

As they drove towards the mountain, Winter checked once again that they weren’t being followed. There was no sign of the Bane’s van behind them, just an empty stretch of road receding into the night.

‘Why do you keep doing that?’ Jasmine asked, observing Winter’s restlessness. ‘Is there something I need to know?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ Winter answered, and hoped it wasn’t a lie. Of course there was no way the Bane could suspect they were headed to Pilgrim’s Lament. She hadn’t known herself until Blake had given her the direction. Still, her mind flashed back uneasily to the conversation she’d witnessed between Damien and Caleb. Something had been said about a ‘locator’ being keyed in to the lodestone dangling around her neck. Her fingers
went to the crystal shard, nervously rolling it back and forth, feeling its peculiar warmth. Deliberating over whether or not she should just throw it out the window – an appalling option, how could she throw away Blake’s gift? – Winter saw Owl Mountain looming in the distance, a shadow against the blackness of the night. Soon they’d be taking the road to its peak; soon she’d be with Blake and surely closer to putting this whole situation behind her.

She glanced across at Jasmine hunched over the steering wheel, her face set in a determined expression. Wondering how crazy all this must seem to her friend, Winter couldn’t help but love her a little.

‘Thank you, Jas. If it wasn’t for you . . .’

‘You’d be screwed. I know. Just so long as eventually you’re going to tell me what went on tonight. ’Cause I gotta tell you, Win, I’m about to chew my arm off with curiosity.’

‘I’ll tell you when I can. I promise.’ When (if!) this nightmare had passed, Winter looked forward to being able to talk to Jasmine about all the amazing things that had happened to her. It might help her accept what she’d learned from Blake about the invisible world that hovered just beyond normal perception. Otherwise, Winter was worried she’d spend the rest of her life as a complete basket case, seeing Occuluma and Skivers everywhere she looked.

‘You’re sure we’re not being followed?’ Jasmine suddenly asked apprehensively.

Winter swivelled her head and saw two headlights shining in the distance. The lights were too far to make out whether it was a car or a van.

‘It’s probably nothing,’ Winter she said hesitantly.