Vowed (20 page)

I nod and give him a tight smile. ‘Kyle’s with his friend at the lab today. They’re making headway with the baggie of spittle you gave us. So far it looks acidic and has low
levels of toxin, but we can’t work out if it contains a soporific or not.’

‘You don’t look surprised.’

‘I’ve been wondering about that thing, let’s call it Bob, for now. I’ve been puzzling over how Bob’s been able to get into these kids’ rooms, overpower them
and drag them out. Without a sound.’

‘Magic?’

‘I am rolling my eyes at you, in case you can’t see,’ I tell him, doing just that. ‘I’m thinking there must two people involved. So, we say Bob is the guy who does
the getting into the kids’ rooms because he can somehow get through walls, like a ghost or apparition.’ I look up at Dante where he’s sprawled on the couch and he nods, waving a
hand at me to continue. ‘So Bob then somehow be-spells the kids,
or
–’ I hold up a finger dramatically – ‘he uses his venom on them to make them drowsy and
easy to handle. It stops the kids from raising the alarm.’

‘Okay.’ He does the hand-twirling thing again and I sigh. Obviously I’m doing all the hard work in this partnership.

‘After this, he still has to get the children back out again without any alarm being raised. However, I’ve never come across a creature that can dematerialize a human to drag them
through walls. Bob can’t have taken them out the same way he came.’

‘But we already know none of the CCTV cameras captured anything in the stairwells.’

‘Logic sucks, but you’re right. We have to assume, regardless of first appearances, that we are indeed dealing with a Fae creature of some sort who must be helping the Bob monster
steal the kids once he’s managed to get into their homes.’

Dante frowns at me. ‘Explain.’

‘The Fae do not show up on CCTV or cameras.’

Dante nods thoughtfully. ‘So do we think Bob is Fae? As well as the guy that’s helping him? Also, how do you know this for sure, that they don’t show up on CCTV? They’re
like vampires?’

I twist my head to peer at him to see if he’s joking, as he continues. ‘Vampires don’t show up in mirrors, isn’t that the folklore?’ I sigh and he holds up a
defensive hand but he’s laughing. I don’t know if he’s laughing at his own stupidity or at me. Possibly at me, so I deepen my scowl. Dante presses on, ‘So why doesn’t
Bob – if he’s invisible to CCTV that is – take the kids out of the house too?’

‘I’ve not figured that part out.’

‘Maybe he doesn’t know where the other guy takes them. So, back to our friend Bob, the child stealer. What’s with the face and why does he look like a monster? If I wanted to
steal kids I’d be the nicest-looking granny there ever was.’

‘Maybe he wasn’t going to steal Adam.’ I sit up and stare at Dante. ‘
Maybe
he just wanted to scare him. Hurt him a little. Maybe Bob reacted without thinking.
Also, I think Bob isn’t the stealer. He’s the helper.’

He rolls his eyes at me. ‘So, back to
Bob the helper
.’

‘Thank you. Yes, so Bob the helper then has to sneak through the apartment and pass the unconscious child along to someone else. A Fae could probably cast a glamour over something as small
as a child, to make them invisible too.’

‘And this someone else is?’

‘I have no idea yet.’

‘So you’re thinking there are two creatures working together?’

‘I think so. At least two.’ I give a cracking yawn. ‘And think of Bob’s spittle – we need to work out exactly what’s in it. A small dose of toxin could knock
out a small child and make them easier to carry.’

‘But why? That’s what I don’t understand. Why would they steal kids?’

‘Money? Love? Hate?’ I shrug, which is difficult to do when you’re lying on the floor. ‘Who knows?’

‘Aren’t you interested in finding out?’

‘I am, but it’s difficult to speculate about something you can’t possibly know. Until you know. Especially if we’re talking about supernatural creatures.’ I sit up
and stretch. ‘I need to hit the books,’ I tell him. ‘Let me see if my aunt will allow me access to her library.’

Dante looks a bit confused at the statement and I wonder how to explain Aunt Letitia, with her agoraphobia and paranoia. ‘She’s not keen on visitors, see? So being allowed to visit
her is a big deal. Usually takes weeks for her to agree to see anyone.’

‘We don’t have weeks.’

‘I know.’ I fiddle with my phone. ‘I’m sure she knows what we’re facing, as my uncle will’ve told her about the case. So I’m hoping she’ll know
where to direct me.’

‘Go ahead and call her.’

It occurs to me that I didn’t have to explain to Dante who my aunt is and how vast her library is, or the fact that she might only have an inkling of an idea of how to help.

‘Right,’ I say to him, pressing Aunt Letitia’s number. ‘Here goes.’

It takes a few long seconds for the call to connect, then it’s ringing and I imagine her in the library with its soft golden light, muttering at the call’s interference.

‘Yes?’ Her voice is reminiscent of a Hollywood siren, lush and deep. I suspect that once upon a time she sounded young and girlish, but after smoking all her life and drinking whisky
the way I drink coffee, her voice has gone all Lauren Bacall. ‘I was wondering when you’d call, girl. What do you need?’

‘We’ve got kids disappearing, Aunt Letty. I need access to the library so I can do research.’

‘Will you be coming on your own?’

‘Would you allow Dante in the library?’ And obviously she would know who I’m talking about because my family and me working with a Spook would be Big News.

‘Don’t be absurd, child. Of course not. I’d have to fumigate the place and possibly have to redo all my alarm systems if he came here.’

‘Then I’ll be coming alone.’

‘I’ll send my driver. Be at home by three this afternoon.’

She hangs up before I can even say another word and I fling the phone onto the couch behind me.

‘Dammit, she is so annoying.’

‘Your family really don’t like us, do they?’

‘You are despised,’ I say, not worrying about sugarcoating it. ‘They utterly dislike you,
utterly.
She’s sending her driver.’

‘Nice guy?’

‘Creepy.’

‘Creepy, how?’

‘Oh, you know. Friendly. Chatty.’

‘And that’s creepy?’

‘I don’t do friendly or chatty.’

His chuckle makes me want to smack him but I restrain myself, especially when he says in a kindly voice, ‘You’re not that bad.’

‘I am. I struggle with people.’

‘We all struggle with people. I’ve seen you be really cool with the little kids.’

‘Little kids are easy. They’re cool. They believe.’

‘You only treated me like I have the plague for a day. Now you actually talk to me. As if I’m a real person.’

I hold up my finger. ‘That is yet to be determined. If you’re a real person, that is.’

He pulls a face at me and laughs and I do the same.

‘I’ve got to go.’ I stand up and stretch again, fighting the fatigue dragging at me. ‘I’ll call you when I’m done at the library.’

I don’t enjoy travelling by Tube, but when it works it works fast, and I’m back at the house by lunch time. Enough time to change and check my emails. Kyle is still
out but he’s emailed me a list of books to check out at Aunt Letitia’s. I print that off and fold it into my messenger bag.

I check the kitchen cupboards and come up with a packet of cookies. Unopened. I definitely miss our brownie, Mrs Evans, and her constant supply of baked goods and sweets. Occasionally she sends
stuff back with Marc, if he visits the building site that’s now Blackhart Manor, but she’s so busy looking after the builders that I think we’ve been sort of forgotten.

I’ve been to the site a few times – once was when the foundations were dug and the crucial cornerstone was laid. I spent one sleepless weekend working a heavy protection spell into
the foundation of the house. Uncle Andrew had to drive me home to London as I was so high from the pure earth magic I’d accessed from the leyline that runs through our land. I was basically
vibrating and unable to sleep for a further two days, followed by three days of deep rejuvenating unconsciousness. The other visits were similar but not as exhausting because I basically just had
to bind together the magic I’d already released. It was something like mending a jersey – I had to pick up the stitches and join all the magic together so that it covered what had been
built since I’d been there last.

I have no idea how Uncle Andrew or Marc even explained what I did to those builders, but they’re from Norway, and don’t they believe in faeries there as a matter of course?

Thinking about Marc, who’s at Exeter University, feels odd now he isn’t here to look out for me any more after nearly two years. My other cousins are studying too, preparing to take
on more mature roles within the family. Marc is learning a mix of subjects that probably won’t mean much to him in the real world (unless he becomes a farmer by day and a demon-exorcizing
mathematician-psychologist by night). Soon, that will be me at uni, if I’m lucky, but I have no idea where I’ll go or what on earth I’ll study.

I need to get on with the research, so I sit down with my file and read through the info collected so far. I make notes on scraps of paper from what I remember Professor Thorpe telling us and
shove them into the file to take along to Aunt Letitia’s.

My phone rings; it’s Kyle.

‘We think we’ve tracked down the stuff in the spittle,’ he says. ‘It is venom. Jilly is busy sorting out what snake it belongs to but really, what you need to know is
that the venom paralyses the victim.’

‘Euch.’

‘Exactly, so watch out for this thing if you come face to face with it, okay?’

‘I’ll do my utmost not to come face to face with it. I’m more than happy to clobber it over its head, I’ll be honest.’

‘Good girl.’ Kyle laughs at me. ‘Have fun at Aunt Letty’s.’

‘Are you sure you can’t come?’

‘No. I’m here, you know, assisting Jilly.’

‘When I get back we’re doing unarmed combat training and I’m going to kick your ass.’

‘Oh great.’ He groans. ‘I want my brother and sister back. They never used to torture me.’

‘Lies. They left you to the mercy of the dryads in the woods.’

‘That wasn’t so bad.’ His voice goes a bit dreamy. ‘They were really nice to me.’

‘Inappropriate, Kyle.’ I pretend distaste but he just laughs again.

‘I can tell you’re nervous visiting Aunt Letty, but you’ll be fine, really. She’s just very focused. None of the digital records I could find held much info about things
that enjoyed stealing kids.’

‘That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll find a host of exciting creatures that can eat my face off while I’m doing the research.’

‘Yay!’ he laughs. ‘That’s our favourite.’

‘Shut up, weirdo, I’ll call you later.’

I don’t have all that long to wait before I hear Aunt Letitia’s car outside. Even if I hadn’t heard it, I would be able to feel the vibration of its engine. I
heft my bag up over my shoulder and open the front door just as her driver, Isak, touches the front gate. His face breaks into a smile when he sees me. I’m struck by how he embodies the
picture of what a chauffeur should look like. Tall, slender, handsome, if slightly effete features, and a great smile that makes you feel that you’re the most special person in the world.

As I said: he’s just a bit creepy.

‘Little Kit Blackhart. A pleasure, as always. Are you ready?’

‘Hey, Isak. I’m ready, thanks.’

He holds the gate open and I walk past him towards the giant car that sits idling in the middle of our very suburban road. I can tell from the curtains twitching that our neighbours are getting
an eyeful of me, of Isak and of the huge car the size of a steamliner. He opens the door for me and I slide into the luxurious leather interior and lean back with a soft sigh of contentment.
There’s something about Aunt Letty’s car that just makes me feel safe, as if we can drive through anything in our path.

Isak gets in behind the wheel and pulls away smoothly. His dark gaze meets mine in the rear-view mirror.

‘I hope you don’t mind that I’m a bit early. I was concerned about the traffic.’

‘No, not at all.’

He nods and smiles a happy smile.

‘Ms Blackhart is very excited that you’re coming to visit.’

‘She is?’ I remember Aunt Letty’s voice and she sounded anything but excited, more resigned and possibly a bit annoyed.

‘She really does like you, Kit. Your mother was her favourite. She mourned for months after her death.’

This, I did not know. He must see the surprise on my face because he continues talking.

‘When you and your grandmother disappeared she urged Andrew to do everything in his power to find you. But of course if Mirabelle didn’t want you found, no one would.’

‘There’s so much I don’t know,’ I admit. ‘Uncle Andrew said we’d talk about it at Christmas.’

Isak’s glance towards me is brief. ‘I understand why Mirabelle did what she did. I would have done it too.’

I don’t know what to say to that, to this unexpected conversation with Isak. I don’t know how old he is. He looks maybe twenty-five but is clearly far older. I wonder if he’s
even human.

‘Anyway, just sit back and relax. The heli is waiting for us.’

I do sit back and let my eyes drift shut in the back of the giant Bentley. My thoughts are a tumble. Isak mentioning my nan has made me realize how much I’m missing her. I’ve not
been to the grave for a month and I wonder if Jamie’s had the chance to visit, to leave her flowers.

It’s a strange situation to be in, knowing that my nan had stolen me from my family in an attempt to keep me safe, away from the world of the Blackharts. There, violence and death was an
everyday occurrence, and the strange was not strange at all, but again, an everyday thing. She wanted a different life for me, when she saw her only daughter brought home in a casket, so she
resolved to keep me safe for as long as she could. That lasted until I was fifteen and an Unseelie knight recognized her at a country fete where she was selling tinctures and tisanes from her
garden. He despised the Blackharts so much, that when he realized she was apart from her family, that the home she lived in had no protection against his kind, he brought a troop of his redcaps
with him that night and burned down our home. A neighbour scaled the wall outside my window and got me to safety, but my nan never made it out alive.