Sorceress' Blood (7 page)

Curiosity took her for a moment and she rummaged through what else
was in there. She pulled out a road map. Now that might have been
useful. There was a torch, half a pack of cigarettes and a phone.

“Ah!” Rebecca said with the first feeling of jubilation
in weeks. She turned it on and began to look through the contacts.
There were very few and Rebecca was starting to wonder why she was
bothering when she came across a name that stood out. Edward Halford.
She recognised the name immediately. Halford was Sebastian’s
last name. She rang the number and put the phone to her ear. The
phone rang long enough that Rebecca didn’t think anyone would
answer. Someone did, however. There was a beeping noise and then a
voice came through the speaker.

“Wei.” A woman was on the other end. Rebecca cleared the
lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

“Hello.” She said and cleared her throat again.

“Hello?” The woman parroted.

“Hello. I’m looking for…” Rebecca paused.
She had become so nervous she had forgotten who she was calling. She
quickly checked the screen on the phone. “Edward!” She
burst. “Edward Halford. Could I please speak to him?”

“Who is this?”

“This is Rebecca.” She answered without thinking.

“The master is unable to come to the phone right now. Thank—”

“I’m calling on behalf of Sebastian!” Rebecca cut
the woman off before she could hang up.

“Sebastian Halford?”

“That’s right. Lord Sebastian asked me to call.”

“What is it concerning?”

“I…I am not at liberty to say… at present.”
She stumbled over her words, trying to sound passable as someone
sophisticated enough to be working for Lord Sebastian.

“Hold, please.” The line went quiet for a while. Rebecca
breathed a heavy sigh of relief; it seemed she was getting somewhere.

“Sebastian!” The man’s voice that now came over the
phone greeted her the way you greet an old and dear friend you
haven’t seen in a long time. That made Rebecca even more
nervous.

“Hello.”

“Who is this?” The voice’s spirit had left it
completely.

“My name is Rebecca. I’ve just come from—”

“I don’t understand. I was informed Sebastian was calling
me.”

“I’ve just come from Lord Sebastian’s castle.
Listen, something has happened.” Rebecca went on to tell her
story in every incredible, frightening and confusing detail. “Now
we’re at a motel, a couple of days from the castle and I have
no idea what to do.” Rebecca explained it all to him exactly as
it happened. Occasionally the man muttered something or made an
unintelligible sound just to show that he was listening. There was a
thoughtful pause on the line and Rebecca waited anxiously for what he
would say next.

“Where are you now?”

“A motel.” She repeated. “A motel outside
Tamworth.”

“Is there an airport?”

“Yeah, I think so. I don’t really know.”

“We’ll assume there is. This is what I want you to do:
Tomorrow morning, you and the girl are to go to the airport. I'll
need to know your last name.”

“Williams.”

“Williams.” The voice confirmed. “I will have
preparations made ahead of you. You will be expected and a private
jet will be waiting for you. Once you are in, look for the the flight
listed as an emergency service. The plane will bring you here to me.
Do you understand my instructions? You must arrive before midday.”

“I understand. But how can you do this?” The reply began
with a reserved chuckle.

“Ms Williams, the Halford family is very wealthy and very well
connected. There isn’t much I cannot do with the resources
available to me.”

“I see.” Rebecca was unsure. The man spoke with the same
refined voice as Lord Sebastian had but there was something else in
it. Something she couldn’t place. Whatever it was made her
uneasy. “Just one more question.”

“What is it?”

“Where exactly are you?”

“China, Ms Williams. I am in China. Very soon, you will be
too.” The line went dead.

Rebecca put the phone in the glove box with robotic movements. China.
The word looped through her head. Every time her thoughts started to
get further, they would always skip back. China. She’d
forgotten about the hunger. Now they were running to China. She could
feel her life spiralling, spiralling out of control like bath water
when the plug is pulled. No doubt it would go on until it made the
same horrible, slurping, gurgling sound until it was gone completely.
Then what? Life with the Halfords. Just like some bad prime time
sitcom: Average, small town, middle class Rebecca Williams is
suddenly a life-long guest of the rich Halford family. She’s
out of her country and out of her depth. What crazy antics will she
get up to? Find out tonight at seven.’

There was a tap on the window.

“You alright?”

“Fine.” Rebecca said and shot a smile at the bald man
outside her window.

“You sure? You were looking a little out of it. Like you’d
seen a ghost.”

“Fine. I guess I just got a bit lost in thought.” She
said, still beaming her smile. She wished the guy would just walk
away and let her go back to spiralling.

“Well, alright.” He walked off towards the motel rooms
and Rebecca sighed. Where had she been? She couldn’t recall.
Somewhere deep in the wilds of thought, treading through thick, murky
swamps of frustration and despair. Maybe. She couldn’t really
remember. She sighed and got out of the car.

“Food.” She told herself. At the end of the row of motel
rooms was the lobby and next to that was a little restaurant. Rebecca
locked the car and took a walk to the restaurant to see if she could
take some food back to her room.

The restaurant was all but empty when she walked in. Two waiters and
a chef were playing cards at one of the tables. An old man sat
reading the paper, his head occasionally dropping as if he was about
to sleep. He had lost all interest in the half eaten risotto in front
of him. A man and a woman were sharing a pizza at a lone table near
the restrooms. A bald man sat with his coat collar turned up and his
head resting on his arms at the table. The second shaved head she'd
seen in as many minutes. She shrugged off the coincidence and quickly
forgot about it. The floor boards beneath her creaked, getting the
attention of one of the waiters. He said something to his companions
and set down his cards. The other waiter and the chef immediately
take a look at his cards while his back was turned.

“A table for one?” The waiter asked Rebecca.

“Uh, no. I was wondering if you delivered food to the rooms.”

“Sure.” He reached over the cashier counter and handed
Rebecca a menu. “Just take your pick and we’ll send the
food over to you.” Rebecca scanned the menu, wondering what
Ashley might like to eat. The thought made her realise that she’d
been gone from the room a long time and Ashley had been alone that
whole time. She quickly chose the first two meals that sounded
edible.

“Room seventeen.” Rebecca practically threw the money for
her order at the cashier and then rushed out of the restaurant and
back to the room.

Ashley was safe in the room, sitting on the edge of the bed where she
was when Rebecca left. Her eyes were fixed on the TV now.

“Sorry that took so long.” Rebecca said.

“Did you get dinner?” Ashley asked her.

“They’ll bring it to us when it’s cooked. I wasn’t
sure what you wanted so I hope you like what I picked.” There
was no reply. Rebecca stood watching her a moment. An overweight
woman was on the TV, her hands locked together tensely. She was
biting her lip and looking like the struggle to think was going to
make her head explode. A slick game show presenter in a suit was
tapping his cue cards in his hand, waiting for her answer and
grinning at the camera.

“What are you watching?” Rebecca asked.

“Don’t know.” Ashley responded bluntly. She didn’t
seem to be enjoying the show so much as just watching it
thoughtlessly, like the way some people bite their nails without
realising.

There was a knock at the door.

“That must be the food.” Rebecca said. “That sure
was quick.” She turned and started towards the door. Something
caught her eye and she hesitated. A shadow was cast against the
curtains. Whoever he was, he was awfully big for a delivery boy.
Someone knocked on the door again. Rebecca felt a new emptiness in
her stomach. A pit had formed and drained all the strength from her
legs. Something in the back of her mind or in the depths of that pit
was telling her not to take another step forward. Something inside
her screamed for her to turn off the lights and pretend no one was
there. But they’d already seen the lights. Who the hell was it?
But as much as she wanted to think it was somebody else, somehow she
knew exactly who it was and she knew what the Thralls outside her
door wanted. Ashley turned off the TV and looked over at Rebecca,
wondering why she wasn’t moving; why there was sweat glistening
on the skin of her arm. Now that the TV was off, Rebecca could hear
voices.

“You sure this is the room?” she thought she heard.

“Yeah.” This one was through the window. She could hear
it better. “Room seventeen. Definitely her, too.”

“I know it’s her. I spoke to her, got a good look right
in her face.”

“Then she probably knows and they took off.”

“Their car is still there. Trust me, she’s in there.”

“Then she must know.” Rebecca’s breathing had
become shallow. Her stomach was doing cartwheels in the pit of her
gut. Idiot! She cursed herself. The signs had been there and somehow
she'd missed them! Now it was too late to escape. Idiot! They were
only one cheap, flimsy window away. She had been feeling uneasy since
her conversation with Edward Halford and that man had knocked on her
window. It was the bald man with the long coat, just like the one
sleeping in the restaurant, just like the one that had started all
this. Everything was crystal clear now: They had caught up. She and
Ashley had stopped running and now they’d caught up. Now they
had nothing to protect them but a locked door and that single,
fragile window.

“Let’s just go through the window then.”

“Don’t be an idiot.” Both voices were behind the
door now. “Someone would hear the glass shatter and come look.”

“Then what? This is taking too long. Look, get out of the way.”
There was a scuffle. Then there was a loud snapping noise. Horror
flooded Rebecca’s veins as the door knob fell onto the floor in
front of the door.

“What was that?” asked Ashley.
Ashley! Protect Ashley
.
The thought didn’t come as a voice but as a flashing neon sign
in the dark. There was nothing else but that command and when the
door was opening, she acted without any thought at all. A primal
instinct took over. She flung her whole body against the opening
door, slamming it shut again, right on their faces.
Protect
Ashley!
Rebecca glanced back at Ashley. She was backed up against
one of the beds. Her feet tried to push her through it. She wasn't
thinking. Her whole body quivered.

Rebecca held herself against the door, keeping it closed. She needed
to think of something. She couldn’t. There was a scuffle
outside. Then, for a second, silence. Rebecca braced herself. No
good. They hit the door hard. It swung open and crashed against the
wall. Rebecca fell back on the ground. They entered. Rebecca tried to
get up. A Thrall put his foot down on her ankle.

“You get the girl,” he told the bleeding Thrall. “This
time our sister won't get away.” The Thrall moved towards
Ashley.

“Get away from her!” Rebecca shouted. Her voice was shaky
and weak with fear.

“Shut up! You're coming with us now. Try anything and we'll
kill you both.” The Thrall kicked her. Rebecca screamed. She
gripped her ribs, where she had been kicked. She tried to roll off
it. Her ankle surged with pain when she moved. She was pinned. On her
side, she could feel something pressing into her hip.
The gun
.
The realisation sparked to life that neon sign in her mind.
Protect
Ashley!
Rebecca reached into her pocket. She drew her gun.
Rebecca aimed at the Thrall standing over her.

“Get back!” she shouted. Whatever confidence she may have
felt was smothered beneath her fear. The Thrall laughed.

“Don’t be an idiot. Are you going to shoot me? You don’t
think someone would hear?” Rebecca held her weapon tight. She
knew the Thrall was right. She didn’t care. She fired.

“I’ve got your f—" The delivery boy stopped.
His mouth hung open. The Thrall screamed. Rebecca fired again. The
Thrall stumbled against the wall. Rebecca scrambled to her feet. She
swung around and levelled her handgun at the other Thrall. She fired.
It missed and put a hole in the wall. Ashley dropped to the ground,
huddling in fright. The Thrall was confused. Everything had suddenly
gone to hell. She fired. This time the bullet hit. The Thrall
dropped. She fired. He wasn’t moving any more.

“Get in the car.” Ashley ran from the room.

Rebecca tucked the small gun into her pocket. She could feel its heat
against her leg. She noticed the delivery boy for the first time. She
took the plastic bag hanging loosely in his fingers. She waited a
second, wondering how to explain what was going on.

“Smells good,” she said and then ran to the car. Suddenly
she was running again. Now they had somewhere to run to. As the fear
began to subside, Rebecca felt the warmth of hope creeping up inside
her.
China
. This time the word sounded good. The word sounded
safe. The word was a long way away from dead Thralls in motel rooms.

Rebecca and Ashley spent the night parked outside the Tamworth
airport. The car smelt of spaghetti Bolognese and baked potato. It
was a warm, friendly smell and it helped Ashley to relax. Ashley fell
asleep easily with her head resting on her seatbelt. She had fallen
asleep before they even reached the airport. Ashley found the
movement of the car soothing. The passing street lights formed a
hypnotic pattern. Light, dark, light, dark, light, dark. The radio
played a sad song like a lullaby. She wasn’t awake for long
once she’d finished eating. Peaceful sleep came easy to her in
the comfortable protection of the car. It was her blanket and her
shell. She was feeling safe and sound as only a child can when it’s
warm and her loving parents were no further than a room away.