Scaderstone Pit (The Darkeningstone Series Book 3) Read online

  Chapter 31

  3550 BC

  CLEOFAN PEERED OVER THE LIP OF THE LEDGE, terrified of what he might see there. But nothing had changed; Glowan’s body still lay slumped on the ground, and the eerie noise still crackled and hissed. Slowly, he pulled himself up onto the ledge and stood, glancing nervously from side to side. He walked toward Glowan’s body. A sudden breeze swept across the ledge and caught at Glowan’s hair, whipping it across her face. Cleofan’s hand went to his knife, and for a heartbeat, he pictured Glowan rising up, her body brought back to life by the evil Shade within. But no. That was a foolish fear; Glowan’s body was pale and still, her arms and legs splayed out on the ground awkwardly. She would never move again.

  The striker still lay where Cleofan had dropped it, beside Glowan’s body, and when he bent down and picked it up, he saw that its blunt head was smeared with her blood. The sight turned his stomach, but when he wrapped his fingers around the wooden handle, the weight of the weapon felt good in his hand. Glowan had said that it was sacred, and it seemed as though the striker had a special power all of its own. Perhaps, if there still was an evil Shade to be dealt with, this weapon would be strong enough to defeat it.

  The thought gave him enough courage to carry on, and he turned away from Glowan’s body and crossed the ledge to the mound of rocks. He leaned over the baby and parted the bundle of furs to peer inside. The baby did not move, but when Cleofan placed his hand on the poor child’s chest to see if it was warm, the baby turned his head and let out a piercing wail. Cleofan nodded. This was the noise he’d heard as he’d been climbing down the slope.

  He placed the striker down on the flat rock next to the baby, but as he reached out to scoop up the helpless child, a deafening burst of sound thundered from the stone. Startled, Cleofan backed away, covering his ears with his hands. He stared at the baby. Should he try to save the boy, or would it be better to grab the heavy weapon while he still had the chance? But before he could do anything, the slab of stone split apart with a mighty snap, a web of cracks racing across its surface. A sudden gust of wind sprang up, swirling around the ledge then gathering itself, becoming a gale. It pushed against Cleofan, stinging his eyes, battering his body, forcing him backward. Cleofan struggled against it, shielding his eyes with one hand and with the other, reaching out toward the baby. As he watched, the cracks in the stone widened and spread, like dark fingers reaching out toward the desperate child. Great chunks of the flat stone rumbled and shuddered apart, and Cleofan stared in horror as a thin, ragged crevice opened directly beneath the baby’s bundle of furs. When the crack was wide enough, the child would surely fall inside and be lost forever. He must grab the boy before it was too late. Cleofan planted his feet firmly then leaned into the wind, forcing his legs to move forward. He took a step, grunting with the sheer effort of it. He was almost there. But he wasn’t near enough to reach the baby.

  He bent at the waist and reached out across the stone slab. He could just touch the edge of the baby’s furs, and he plucked at them with his fingers. If he could take hold of the furs, he could slide them across the stone and bring the baby within reach. But the thin, greasy pelts slipped through his fingertips. He couldn’t get a good enough grip to pull the baby toward him. Cleofan bared his teeth and threw himself forward, reaching out as far as he could. And this time, he succeeded. He grasped the bundle of furs with both hands and scooped the baby up, wrapping his arms around the child, and pressing him tightly to his chest.

  But before he could turn away, the wind whirled around him, and now it pressed against his back, pushing him toward the stone slab. “No!” Cleofan roared. “Let me go!”

  He hunched over the baby, holding the child tight, but still he could not turn away. He ground his teeth together and summoned up the last of his strength, but as he strained against the unearthly gale, he saw something that made his eyes go wide and his heart lurch in his chest.

  From the cracks in the stone slab, bright slivers of flickering flame reached out into the air. But these flames were like no other fire Cleofan had ever seen. Their light was as dazzling as the sun and as blue as the sky on the clearest of days.

  A worm of pure fear squirmed in Cleofan’s stomach, winding itself tighter and tighter in his guts, but he could not look away. The blue flames danced in the air, tangling together, darting across the stone slab and creeping along the cracks. The flames flitted backward and forward, weaving around each other, growing ever brighter.

  And in that moment, as the writhing flames crackled and span in the air, Cleofan saw. He saw everything.

  Chapter 32

  2021

  WHEN CALLY AND I ARRIVED BACK at the museum, we weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms. It’s fair to say that Audrey was extremely offended by our erratic behaviour. She took it as a deliberate disregard for her professional status; the insult deepened by the fact that she’d gone out on a limb for Cally. It turned out that Audrey had been instructed to allow no visitors to see the amulets, but she’d looked up Cally’s credentials and been over-awed by her reputation as a serious scholar. She’d made an exception for someone she respected and we’d thrown it back in her face.

  Cally was acutely embarrassed and she insisted that we couldn’t leave the museum until she’d straightened the situation out with Audrey. It took all Cally’s powers of persuasion and a decent lunch in a nearby restaurant before Audrey began to calm down. Then, just when I thought we’d be on our way, Gerard smiled and delivered a bombshell of his own. He waited until Cally had handed him the car keys, then he claimed that the TV company had told him to leave us behind; Cally had been suspended and I had no business being there in the first place.

  So Cally was forced to endure a series of protracted and angry calls from her employer before Gerard finally agreed to drive us back. The cameraman clearly enjoyed every minute of Cally’s discomfort. It seemed that, as soon as we’d left him behind, Gerard had wasted no time in stirring up as much trouble for Cally as he possibly could, and I was sorely tempted to punch his lights out. But I kept quiet; I’d caused enough trouble for Cally already.

  ***

  We didn’t get back to Saint Victor until the evening. Gerard parked outside Cally’s hotel without a word then, as soon as Cally and I had climbed out and shut the car doors, he drove off as fast as the narrow street would allow.

  “A shame he had to go,” I said. “We were getting along so well.”

  Cally gave me a look. “You can’t blame him for being angry. We had no business taking the car. Not really.”

  I shrugged. “We had good reason. It wasn’t like we went on a joyride.”

  “Even so, he must have been furious when he found out I’d been sacked.”

  I suppressed the urge to smile. Gerard was a bully, and I wasn’t going to waste any sympathy on him. But I’d never intended for Cally to be in trouble. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things more difficult for you.”

  “You didn’t force me to go along,” Cally said. “I could easily have said no.”

  “But I should’ve thought it through. I should’ve been smarter.”

  Cally shook her head. “Let’s just forget about it, shall we?” She hesitated. “I’d better go and get packing. I’m going home tomorrow. I guess you’ll be heading back too.”

  “I should. They’ll be expecting me back at work.”

  Cally nodded thoughtfully then looked down at the ground.

  “Sorry,” I said. “That wasn’t very tactful. I didn’t mean…”

  Cally looked up. “It doesn’t matter. I’d better go. Take care, Jake. I hope everything…you know…I hope you’re OK.”

  I forced a smile. “Yeah. You too.” I hesitated. “But, what about the black stone? What do we do?”

  “I don’t know, Jake. I think, maybe it’s time we admitted defeat. The odds seem stacked against us. And every time we try…” she let her voice trail away.

  “But we haven’t really found anything out yet. We’
ve hardly begun.”

  Cally held out her hands, her palms outward. “We’re only making things harder for ourselves. I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

  “It is for me,” I said, my voice sounding harsher than I intended. “That bloody stone! It messed up my whole life. I’ve got to understand what happened to me.”

  She shook her head sadly. “I understand, Jake. I really do.”

  We stood and looked at each other in silence for a moment. She looked tired, and the light had gone from her eyes. I’ve caused her so many problems, I thought. I can’t ask her to do anything more. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to sound so…”

  Cally sighed. “It’s all right. It’s been a weird day for both of us.” She gave me a small smile. “Maybe all this will be easier to deal with once we’re back in England.”

  “Yeah. You’re probably right. I’m just a bit…disappointed, that’s all.”

  “I know. But listen, I’ve got your number now. We can keep in touch.”

  “That would be good,” I said, and somehow I managed to return her smile. “Thanks. For everything.”

  “Bye,” Cally said then she turned away and headed for the hotel door.

  I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what to say or what to do, but I couldn’t let her walk away. “Cally, wait,” I called out.

  She turned around and gave me a quizzical look. But before she could speak, I blurted out the first thing that came into my head: “I think I should come inside and make sure you’re all right. After the break in and everything, it’ll be upsetting to go back to that room. You shouldn’t have to face it on your own.”

  “That’s very thoughtful, but I’ll be fine,” Cally said. “Burglars don’t hang around. And the police should’ve been by now.”

  I took a step toward her. “Cally, I know I’m probably worrying over nothing, but I’d like to make sure you’re OK. I won’t stay. I just want to make sure you get back to your room.”

  She gave me another smile, and this time it was warm and natural. “All right. But just for a minute—I’ve got a lot to do.”

  We walked in through the door together, but as soon as we entered the lobby, the smartly dressed young woman behind the reception desk waved at Cally to attract her attention. “Excuse me, Doctor Freeman. Your luggage is here. It’s all ready for you.”

  Cally stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean? I haven’t even packed yet.”

  The receptionist tilted her head on one side. “Your bags have been packed. They are ready for you to take.”

  “No, there must have been some mistake. I haven’t been back up to my room yet. I need to check everything.”

  “Regrettably, that is not possible,” the receptionist said. “The police have sealed your room, but we have arranged for your belongings to be packed. The police left a document for you to sign.” She sorted through the papers on her desk then extracted a large brown envelope. “Here we are. I was told to give this to you.”

  Cally walked slowly toward the reception desk and took the envelope.

  “Also, there is this message from Monsieur Russell,” the receptionist said, holding out a sheet of paper.

  Cally took the sheet of paper and read it in silence, her brow furrowed.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  She looked at me in disbelief. “It’s from Simon. He says it’s better if I stay somewhere else tonight. But what he means is, he wants me out the way.” She waved the piece of paper angrily. “They’re so worried about their precious reputation that they’re washing their hands of me.” She raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t believe this. It’s such bullshit!”

  Gently, I laid my hand on her arm. “It’s all right, Cally. I’ll help with your bags. And we’ll find you somewhere. I’ll give you a hand.”

  She looked at me. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

  “Sure. No problem.” I hesitated. “They probably have a room at my hotel. I’m sure it isn’t full.”

  Cally brightened a little. “Is it a nice place?”

  “No. Not really. But since it’s just for one night, you could stay in my room if you like.”

  Cally took a breath. “Listen, Jake, I hope I haven’t given you the wrong idea. I didn’t mean—”

  “No, no,” I said hurriedly. “I’d sleep on the floor. I just meant we could keep an eye out for each other.”

  “Oh. That’s very kind of you, but it might be simpler if I find somewhere by myself.”

  “Sure, it’s up to you,” I said, and though I spoke slowly, my mind was suddenly racing. “But I don’t like this, Cally. I don’t like it at all.”

  Cally crumpled the letter in her hand. “Tell me about it. It’s no way to treat anybody. When I get back to England, I’ve a good mind to—”

  But I didn’t let her finish. “I don’t mean your TV crew, though they’re bastards for hanging you out to dry. I mean the people who are trying to stop us. This is all part of their plan.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “They’re flushing you out, Cally—separating you from your TV friends and leaving you out in the open. They’re making you vulnerable.”

  Cally stared at me, her face pale, but she didn’t say a word.

  “I know it sounds paranoid, but I really feel like we’re being watched. Think about it—every way we turn, there’s someone standing in our way. And it’s getting worse. That guy on the hill had a gun for god’s sake!” I paused, suddenly aware that I’d been raising my voice. I moved a little closer to Cally and spoke quietly. “They’re trying to stop us, Cally. We know about the stones and they don’t like that. I’m worried. I don’t know what they’ll do next, but I don’t think it’s safe for either of us to be on our own.”

  Cally looked away for a moment, and her expression clouded as though she was reliving an unpleasant memory. “I don’t know, Jake. Maybe you’re right. But I’m just not sure.” She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I hardly know what to think right now.”

  I looked at Cally, taking in the fear in her eyes, and with a sudden rush of cold certainty, I realised she was holding something back. “What happened in Exeter, Cally? You said that you got away, but you never told me what happened. Was it like this? Were they watching you?”

  Slowly, she nodded. “I think so. It feels like it’s happening again. And I can’t bear it, Jake. I can’t go through all that again. I just can’t.”

  There was a catch in her voice, and in that moment I knew that I’d do anything to protect her, anything to keep her safe. “It’s all right. Here’s what we’ll do—we’ll find somewhere new for both of us to stay tonight. That way, no one will know where we are. We’ll have separate rooms, but if you need me, I’ll be right there.”

  Cally forced a smile. “Thank you, Jake. That’s a good idea. There are a few places in town. We should be able to find somewhere.”

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s get your bags and get out of here.”

  ***

  Cally knew the town and we walked straight to the Ace Hotel, a modest little place on the edge of town. We booked adjoining rooms and I helped Cally upstairs with her bags. Her room was small but comfortable, and once we’d dropped her bags, Cally seemed a little more relaxed.

  “I’ve got to go back and collect my things,” I said. “Will you be all right?”

  Cally nodded. “I’ll be fine, but shouldn’t we stick together? Don’t you need some help?”

  “It’s all right. I won’t be long, and I’ve only got one bag.” I gave her a smile. “I left home in kind of a hurry.”

  “If you’re sure,” Cally said. “I’d quite like to check through my stuff. I want to make sure there’s nothing missing.”

  “Good idea. I won’t be long anyway.” I headed for the door then hesitated and turned around. “As soon as I’ve gone, lock your door. When I come back, I’ll call out. Don’t open it for anyone else, OK?”

  “Don’t worry, I’
ll be careful.” She paused and looked me in the eye. “It was a good idea to come here, Jake. I feel safer already.”

  She returned my smile, and I stood by the door for a moment, fighting the urge to run to her, to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. “See you soon,” I said then I let myself out and walked hurriedly away.

  ***

  The receptionist at the Tours Nord Hotel, a man I’d never seen before, gave me a resigned shrug when I said I was checking out. By now, it was well into the evening so I had to pay for the night even though I wasn’t staying. But I didn’t care about that. I told him I’d be down to pay the bill in a moment then I climbed the stairs to my room as quickly as I could; I was anxious to grab my things and get back to Cally.

  When I let myself into my room, the place seemed bleak and soulless. The air was stifling and tainted with the stench of stale sweat. I shut the door behind me and headed straight for the small bathroom. I desperately needed to freshen up before I returned to Cally.

  I leaned over the sink and let the water run hot, splashing my face over and over again, washing the dust from my skin. It was good, and it felt even better when I buried my face in the warm fluffy towel. But when I looked up, what I saw made me stagger backward, clutching at the towel rail for support.

  The man standing in the bathroom doorway was holding a knife at shoulder height. He was tall and slim-built, and bizarrely, he was dressed in a business suit. He was beyond middle age: his brow was wrinkled, and his grey hair was combed back from his temples. But his eyes were clear and bright, and they burned with the steely glint of malice.

  “Jesus Christ!” I hissed. I scanned the room, looking for a weapon, or something I could use to protect myself. But there was nothing. And there was no window in the bathroom. There was nothing I could do. I was cornered. Trapped.

  “There’s no need for alarm,” the man said, and his voice was pure, crystal-cut English upper class. “You won’t be hurt if you do as I say.”