“I was shocked too.”
“Everyone’s been bit! The wholevillage! I drove around, looking for the family, but I couldn’t find them.”Arthur paused and gulped. “I set off for the Manor and that’s where I found you– in the nick of time by the looks of it.”
The van came out of the woods andArthur hit the brakes, sliding the van to a halt just outside Brimstone Manor.
“Have those dudes followed us?” saidArthur.
Bill looked out of the window and downthe lane, but it was shaded and dark under the trees and he couldn’t see athing in the drizzly rain. A crack of lightening illuminated the sky and therewas a low rumble of thunder.
Ophelia moaned and woke up. She lookedat Bill with sad yellow eyes. Dried blood was smeared across her chin and trickledout of the nasty wound on her forehead.
“I feel like I’ve just woken up from anightmare,” she said, touching her forehead and wincing with pain.
“You’re safe now,” said Bill. “We haveVita Dantis.”
“Bill, thank you, I own youeverything.”
“I helped a little,” said Arthur.
Ophelia smiled, “You two are amazing.”
“What are we going to do now?” saidArthur. “We’ve outside pagan H.Q. They’ll all be heading back here soon.”
Bill checked the Hex Box and could seethat the silver bowl was empty. He carefully pulled the needle out of Ophelia’sneck and noticed her skin was pale and dull and her mouth drooped at thecorners. There were tiny wrinkles around her lips. Her hair, which was full andshiny only a few minutes ago, was now dull, lank and thin. He knew VitaDantis would keep the curse of Arddhu Og at bay, but at what cost? It hadturned Professor Jareth into an old lady.
“I’ve got something I need to tell youboth,” he said. “I’ve got my memory back. Nox’s treatment worked.”
“That’s great!” said Ophelia.
“So who are you then?” said Arthur.
“That's what I've been trying to tellyou. I’m not Bill Blackthorne, the student. I’m really very old apparently.”
“You look about twelve,” said Arthur.
“I was once a middle-aged Victorianscientist, a distinguished Fellow of the Royal Society. I lived around onehundred years ago.”
“Are you sure Nox’s treatment didn’twarp your brain? This all sounds a bit cuckoo,” said Arthur.
“I was cursed, a follower of Og, andwas murdered in the 1870’s. The Apostles resurrected me to cure the curse.”
Ophelia and Arthur looked at eachother in astonishment.
“Cool!” said Arthur.
“So if you’re resurrected but wascursed then why are you not attacking people?” said Ophelia.
“The cure was a cabinet I built. It’shere at the Manor. I tested it on myself but it didn’t quite work. I came outyounger, with no memories but free of the curse.”
“Explains a few of the weirderthings,” said Arthur.
Ophelia clutched Bill’s arm and gavehim a desperate look. “So can you cure me?”
Bill thought he’d worked out what waswrong with his machine, but what if he was mistaken? What if Ophelia came outdeformed, an old crone, or young with no memories, or not at all? “I don’tknow...”
“I’ve attacked people, craved theirblood, I didn’t care if they lived or died. Oh Bill you’re got to help me.”
“But what if it went wrong?”
“You’ve done it already. I don’t carewhat it takes! I could hear that voice in my head, driving me insane!”
“But we have Vita Dantis.”
“How much of it? And where do we getmore? I don’t want to live a life like that.”
“If this cabinet thing cures thenyou’re a little genius!” said Arthur with a happy grin. “We can fix up mum anddad, my brothers and sister.”
“You’ve got to help me,” said Opheliaclutching Bill’s arm tightly.
Bill watched her start to cry. He sawthe tears well up slowly in her gimlet yellow eyes. He wanted her to look likeshe used to look like. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
They got out the van and made theirway over to the Manor. The heavy front door had been left open, so they steppedthrough into the dark hallway. It was very quiet and the many nooks andcrannies under the staircase and behind the heavy furniture were filled withdeep shadows. Bill imagined lurking pagans... There was a sudden flash oflightning followed by a rumble of thunder.
“Let’s get some lights on,” saidArthur, flicking a bakelite switch by the door.
The dusty chandelier above their headsglowed, and the place was bathed in a dim light. They crossed the hallway andfollowed a narrow passageway that led into the Great Hall. It was dark and thehigh vaulted ceiling made the place look like an enormous underground cavernfull of mysterious objects. The fireplace was a dark gaping mouth and armouredknights stood guard in the shadows.
Ophelia moaned and touched the woundon her head, which was still bleeding. “Something wrong. We’re in danger.”
“Danger?” said Bill.
Arthur searched the panelled walls foranother light switch.
“It’s Lilith. She coming to get us.And she’s getting very close.”
There was a sudden bang as the frontdoor was slammed shut.
Arthur found the light switch. As heflicked it on light shone from the chandeliers. Lilith was in the room, loomingover Ophelia.
“Leave her alone!” shouted Arthur,rushing forward and pushing Lilith, who staggered sideways but didn’t fallover.
“Why you still hanging out with theselosers?” said Lilith to Ophelia.
“Don't touch me.”
Lilith shoved Ophelia so hard shestaggered backwards and fall onto the floor.
“Stop it!” said Ophelia. “We’re yourfriends, we can help. You can get away from it. You just need to want to.”
Lilith was crying but very angry. “Youalways were a goody-goody two shoes, such a pathetic wimp. Why aren’t you withme? We were going into the world of evil together!”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you love me, the way I loveyou!”
“Love you? I hate you!”
Lilith grabbed a sword off a rack onthe far wall. It was big and heavy but she had no trouble holding it. “I’mgoing to slice off your pretty little head!”
Lilith screamed as she thrust hersword forward, forcing Ophelia to jump out of the way. Ophelia grabbed anothersword and swung it at Lilith, who parried the blow with a loud metallic clang.
“One thing you
