This hadonly happened once before – when the vampires of the Russian royalfamily attempted to trap Sir Percival and myself. But this wasKatherine! Why would some danger-sense within me need to warn abouther?
In thecage, Katherine’s mouth slowly turned into a smile, the purplelight seeming to make her teeth glow. Then I knew why I’d receivedthe warning. This wasn’t Katherine’s normal smile, this was thesmile of a predator that knew it had its prey where it wantedthem.
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Nine
Slowly Katherine stood up, the plain white dress outliningthe body I’d loved many times before, but now? What…thing was withinher?
Sheglanced around the cage as if wondering what puny protection itafforded us from her.
I turnedback to Mistress Velda and hissed, “What is it?”
Heralmost joyful face turned to smile at me. “Isn’t shebeautiful?”
Ialready knew she was beautiful. Well, at least the Katherine I knewand loved. But this?
“The ancient Egyptians spoke of them – aether conduits –people who naturally attract aether into this world.”
“What?”
“Many things are unknown about where aethercomes from. The ancient Egyptians used aether-conduits to aid themin pyramid construction. Apparently some can bevery strong.”
I lookedat her like she’d suddenly gone stupid.
Catchingmy look she smiled as if she just didn’t care what I thought. “Theydo get hungry though.”
What?
“The ancient texts say the aether spirits much preferrelatives or people known to the container they’reinhabiting.”
She wassaying that Katherine was going to eat me?
“I’m so glad Micawber managed to spot you at the station andget the bait to you.”
I lookedat her wondering what she was going on about.
“The note he left,” she clarified. “You’rehere because Katherine means something to you, which means thatyour soul will be so much tastier.”
Movement from the cage made me look back at Katherine. Shereached out with a questioning finger and touched one of thevertical floor to domed-top bars. Seeming to have learnt something from the touch as she smilinglylooked over to us, grabbed two adjoining bars and slowly moved themapart.
A gaspof surprise came from Micawber behind me.
“Is she able to get out?” I whispered to MistressVelda.
Thepuzzled look on her face didn’t inspire me withconfidence.
“What is she?” I urgently hissed. “How do we get it back whereit came from?”
As if inresponse Mistress Velda’s face went even paler thannormal.
“The bars should stop her,” she whispered toherself.
“Do a damned exorcism!” I cried.
Thebars, at this moment, were being slowly pulled apart, the stressedmetal squealing its annoyance. An evil smile found its way ontoKatherine’s face as the gap widened.
The purple warning in me made me jerk my heels down againstthe ground pushing my chair backwards. I felt it hit something anda woof! ofsurprise came from Micawber. I rebounded off him forwards andknocked against the table, making the birdcage fall over and thecrystal ball fall off its pedestal and roll towards mistressVelda.
I foundmyself on my feet leaning over the table, the chair like a snail’sshell on my back. Luckily my legs weren’t securely bound like mytorso and I shuffled to my right and made for the door, just asMistress Velda rescued the crystal ball and righted thecage.
Someone grabbed the chair and I jerked it to the side tobreak their hold. I overbalanced and fell backwards to the ground.The chair hit the floor at an angle with a loud crack! and I felt at least onewooden leg break, as well as the seat.
Micawber’s angry face look down at me, the open razor in hisright hand. I kicked out at him and connected with his alreadyinjured ankle. With a cry he fell to the floor. Fear made me kickagain and I connected with his hand, the razor flying into thedarkness. With my other foot I stamped at his face, feeling a solidblow as I connected, and he fell backwards.
QuicklyI rolled over onto my front and heard another chair leg splinter.Jerking my torso back and upwards I managed to get my left footunderneath me and used it to lift myself up onto to both feet.Micawber lay senseless on the floor to my left.
Iglanced back to see what was going on and saw the cage bars wideopen and Katherine holding Mistress Velda up in the air by herneck. Her feet dancing beneath her black dress, her mouth was wideopen in a silent scream, her eyes open in terror. With a shock ofhorror I saw her head slowly decrease in size like the monstrousspirit within Katherine was sucking some sort of essence from her.I remembered the many shrunken heads around the room, they wereactually the girls that had disappeared?
Towarning screams inside of me to ‘GET OUT!’ my eyes met Katherine’sand she began raising her right hand towards me. I felt a desire tomove towards her, to be one with her. But suddenly the muscles inher arm went into spasm and the craving inside me disappeared. Shelooked at me with a confused expression on her face.
I heededmy inner warning and quickly turned towards the bead-curtaineddoor. I was still unsteady on my feet from being knocked out, andbashed into a few tables on my way. The last one knocked againstsomething holding the skeletons up and then against the gas light,smashing the glass. A flare of naked flame licked against thewall.
Shouldering my way through the beads and the door I foundmyself in an unlit corridor. Thankfully my purple sight helped meand I hurried along to where I saw another door. I made sure tobash my chair against the walls to try and further break itapart.
Was itmy imagination of did I feel raw heat against my back? I didn’tknow, all I knew was the constant shout of ‘GET OUT!’ in myhead.
Ismacked the chair against the door to open it and felt the ropesbinding me to it loosen. Two more bashes and the door splinteredopen and the chair broke further. Deep, dark night welcomed me withcold, fresh air, I filled my lungs and looked at which direction totake. Gas lights led in a straight line away to my left towards thetown of Southend-on-Sea. I ran towards it wriggling the ropes upand over my head, while pieces
