what was happening in Newcastle, glad they were hidden in their perfect isolation.
Dinner was beans and bread, and sausages for all except Laura and Shavi. They ate around the campfire in the balmy summer evening atmosphere, enjoying the fading light as it filtered down through the canopy. The crack and pop of the fire was relaxing as the night drew in. It was the first time in weeks they had been able to eat peacefully without a very real fear of pursuit or some other pervasive threat hanging over their heads; they found it hard to adjust.
After the meal, they sat drinking coffee for a while, listening to the sounds of the owls coming alive in the trees and then they broke up for some time to be alone with their thoughts. They agreed to meet up later in the evening to celebrate with the good supply of beer and whisky they'd brought with them.
Church was the first back to the camp after a quiet stroll among the trees, where he had forced himself not to think about anything too troubling. Ruth was still resting where they had left her, staring into the flames. She looked up and smiled when he approached.
'How are you feeling?' he asked.
'Much better. My stump's stopped aching and I feel quite rested-my energy's coming back. Whatever Tom puts in those foul concoctions he makes up, he should sell it in bulk to the NHS.' She paused thoughtfully. 'If there still is an NHS. Apart from that I've just got a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I've eaten sour apples. That's the least I expected, to be honest. I could be up and about like normal in a couple of days.'
He dropped down next to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. They had grown easy in their friendship since the night they had met under Albert Bridge, drawing comfort from the many similarities between them, enjoying the differences. They both felt that when the situation was at its worst, they could always turn to each other for support.
'I'm glad you're back,' Church said matter-of-factly.
Ruth dropped her head on to his shoulder, remembering a similar scenario on Skye, not so long ago, but a world away in experience. 'There was a time I thought I wasn't going to make it back. I thought they were going to torture me and torture me until I died just because I couldn't take it any more.'
'Ryan's right, Ruth. You came through it. You've shown what huge reserves you've got inside you. It may seem like a nightmare now, but in the long term, that's a good thing.'
One thing still troubled her, but she didn't see any point in telling Church; it seemed so minor after everything else. Since she had left her cell there had been no sign of her owl, or whatever creature it was that took that form. She was surprised at how distressed that made her feel. It wasn't just that it hadn't found her yet; she felt instinctively that some deep bond had been broken.
What could have happened to cause that? The education she had been receiving in her cell still sang in her mind, so powerfully had it been learned. She had been rapidly growing closer to the way the familiar had wanted her to be.
One thought did worry her: that there had been no familiar; it was all a hallucination caused by her suffering, and the owl that had followed her for the last few weeks was simply a bird and nothing more.
Church lounged back on his elbows. 'It feels good to know we've done something right for a change.' He glanced down at her hand and winced. 'Even though we paid a big price for it.'
'What are we going to do now? We can't call ourselves losers any more.' Ruth butted him gently with her head; their easy familiarity soothed her almost as much as Tom's herbal remedies. 'Don't tell me you've finally shaken that mis- erabilist streak.'
'What, and change the habits of a lifetime? It's just taking a few days off.' He laughed quietly. 'And I'm certainly not going to let anything ruin the celebration tonight. After all the shit we've waded through over the last few weeks, this is going to be the party to end all parties.'
Laura had found a boulder near to the river where she could sit and think. The sound of rushing water always calmed her. As a girl she'd dreamed of living near the coast and taken every opportunity to let her parents know how she felt. Her father had even agreed once, and they'd sat together looking at his AA Book of the Road, searching for the perfect home. If she remembered rightly, they'd decided on somewhere in South Devon. But that was before her mother had truly let God move her in mysterious ways-all the way from sanity to the other end of the scale. The failure to uproot, despite her father's promises, was just the first and most minor of a lifetime of disappointments. Since then there had been so many she'd become inured to them; any happiness was an aberration to be questioned.
She'd never really thought her cynical outlook actually brought about her disappointments, but if it was the case, it was too late to change. After she'd met Church, it had seemed her life's route had taken a sudden detour to the sunny side of the street and things really could work out as she hoped. But perhaps that had just been the desperation influencing her. She'd long ago learned wishing and hoping didn't make things real, and now it all seemed to be slipping back to the old ways. Church didn't love her, not the way she loved him. The others, she was sure, secretly hated her; she certainly hadn't done anything to make them think otherwise, however much she secretly admired them. She was always screwing up, dragging them into bad situations.
And now there was the thing with her blood. What was happening to her? It terrified her to the core of her being and she desperately wished there was someone she could talk to about it. But there wasn't, not even Church. Her thoughts and emotions had to stay locked up, same as they always had; it was the only true way to protect herself.
She would have expected a degree of bitterness, but now that she examined her state of mind she realised there was only a damp, grey acceptance. And wasn't that the most pathetic thing?
A vague movement among the trees caused her to turn suddenly. It was only Veitch, his face a curious mask that hinted at emotions but gave nothing away.
'I thought you were supposed to be the big warrior-strategist-whatever,' she sneered. 'You couldn't creep up on a deaf, blind person.'
'I wasn't creeping.'
Now she thought she did see emotions: anger, suspicion, hatred, although that was perhaps too strong. Suddenly, inexplicably, she felt frightened. 'Yeah, well, don't try coming a-wooing. I've already told you where I stand on that front.'
'I wouldn't dirty myself.'
'Ooh, bitchy. Well, you're not exactly the catch of the century, believe me.'
He grabbed her arm so roughly she let out a sharp squeal.
'What the fuck do you think you're doing?' She shook him off angrily.
His eyes blazed coldly and suddenly she was aware of the hardness of his body, the tendons like steel wire. She jumped off the rock and began to march back in the direction of the camp. He made another lunge at her, but she anticipated it and dodged beyond his fingers.
'Don't fucking walk away from me.'
'What's the matter? Can't get laid the normal way so you have to take it like some Neanderthal?' She fought to keep the tremor from her voice.
Her words, though, seemed to shock him. A puzzled expression crossed his features, as if he was struggling to understand her meaning. Then the anger returned harder than ever. 'I'd never do anything like that!' The words hissed between his teeth like steam from a fractured pipe. 'Is that what you think of me?'
'You're not exactly acting like Prince Charming.' She couldn't resist turning to face him, knowing she had a clear path to the camp if she needed to make a run for it.
'You've got a smart mouth.' He took a step forward, but he restrained himself from making another lunge for her.
'Come on then!' Suddenly it was impossible to control herself and all the pent-up rage, all the self-loathing and despair erupted. 'Give it to me! What's rubbing you up the wrong way?'
'You!' He jabbed a finger at her face. 'You wander around throwing out smart comments, acting so cool and aloof like you're better than everybody! But I've got you figured out! I know you had something to do with what happened to Ruth-'
She threw up her arms in amazement. 'You are so off the fucking mark you're on another planet!' She turned and set off through the trees, her head spinning from the rush of emotion.
The roar of breath expelled from Veitch's mouth was animalistic, the sound of someone who couldn't cope. And then she heard the crash of his feet on the ground as he set off after her. She didn't wait any longer. She put
