Start | Chapter Twelve Part Four | Index | Chapter Thirteen Part Two

A couple of hours later as Michael was driving him home it was David who noticed the flashing blue light behind them and looked around.

“There’s a police car behind us.”

Michael glanced in the mirror and nodded. “I see it,” he said as he pulled over. “Luckily I didn’t drink tonight since I knew that I would be driving.”

The police car pulled up behind them and the officers walked up to the window. Michael rolled it down.

“Would you step out of the car please, sir,” the WPC said. “And we’ll need to see your documents.”

“Certainly, officer.” Michael turned to Sarah. “Could you get the documents out the glove compartment, Sarah?” he asked. Then he rolled his eyes and muttered. “Why do I only ever get stopped when it’s pouring with rain?”

“Sure.” She handed them to the police woman as Michael got out. To them credit neither officer commented on Michael’s outfit though the WPC did smile a little as she checked the documents.

“Yes, these all appear to be in order.” She handed them back to Sarah and began to check the tires while her make colleague produced a breathalyser.

“Blow into this, please, sir,” he said.

Michael did as he was asked but held himself ready to make them ignore a positive result just in case the alcohol in the blood wine he had drunk was enough to trip the thing. It didn’t and the light went green. the police did a few coordination tests to check that he was not under the influence of drugs and then went on their way. Michael climbed back into Range Rover and looked around who was staring at him. “What’s wrong.”

“You did something! I felt it.”

“No, I didn’t.” Michael frowned. David really was sensitive to notice his preparations. “I was ready to if I had to but I didn’t. That must be what you picked up.”

“You’re a vampire!” David’s eyes were wide.

“Oddly enough I am aware of that fact,” he agreed.

“But you can’t be!” David seemed utterly confused.

“Why on Earth not?” Michael asked and them remembered. “Oh, this is about the garlic?”

“How did you eat that?” he asked. “I mean is there anything they aren’t wrong about.”

“The garlic for one,” Michael said. “It’s just not quite as powerful as you think. We can tolerate a moderate amount. Revenents avoid it like the plague though and if you eat a lot it’ll make your blood unpalatable. And please don not ask me about garlic flowers.” He shuddered. “Urgh!”

“There was a lot of garlic in that Lasagne,” David said slowly.

“I boosted it up with a spice called asafoetida,” Sarah told him. “It’s a decent garlic substitute.”

“And smearing something with raw garlic is a good way to stop one of touching it, with bare skin anyway. The blisters it raises are painful and take a long to to heal,” Michael added.

“And why are you telling me all this?” David frowned at him. “Wouldn’t it have been wise to let me think it didn’t work at all?”

“Wise? Quite possibly but I decided that you should know.” Michael shrugged. Experience has taught be that if you want to win someone’s trust the truth is the best place to start. Do you want me to drop you at your place?”

David seemed to consider for a while but then nodded. “You already know where I live, so there’s no point in me asking you not to. Anyway I would only get wet if I walked.”

* * *

Ragnar prepared carefully for his foray into Anna’s mind that night. He was determined not to be repelled tonight. He had spent the day dreaming up and even worse nightmare for her and would enjoy watching her reaction.

First he fortified himself with a two glasses of blood wine and then he returned to Caroline’s cell and eyed her critically. She looked much less pale than she had and didn’t flinch when he sat down on the bed beside her and drew her to him.

“You’re hungry, master?” she asked quietly.

“A little, I have some unusual exertions to go through tonight and last night was a strain on my reserves. Don’t worry, pet, I won’t take much. I would have left it a few more days if it weren’t needed.”

“I believe you, Master.” She brushed her hair aside to give him easy access to her neck.

“Good girl,” he whispered and slid his fangs into her neck. Her sweet blood filled his mouth and he savoured it slowly as she gasped slightly and shivered with pleasure. It was only when she passed out that he realised that he had taken more than he meant to. He pulled back reluctantly and checked her pulse. It was still strong so she should recover. He covered her with a blanket and called Andre to revive her and make sure she ate while he went after Anna’s mind again.

He sat back in his chair and reached for Anna’s mind again. He was puzzled to find that she wasn’t at home, but soon discovered her at her superior’s home. So Anna was ill, was she? It served her right for defying him. She would feel a whole lot worse once he got through with her tonight. Even better her illness should weaken her defences and let him through, especially fortified as he was with Caroline’s blood.

He pulled his mind down into a single, sharp point and aimed it solely at her mind, then recoiled as it bounced. He threw it again but once more it bounced. It was impossible, but the barrier had not weakened as it should have, indeed it seemed stronger than ever. There was no way any non-psychic, much less a sick one could hold such a barrier against him. Someone must have put it there, but who? Surely not the psychic boy? And how did it not have anyone’s mental fingerprints on it? His stomach flipped suddenly – could the moon cursed have something to do with this. As soon as the thought entered his mind he was sure it was true. They were trying to claim her for some reason. He had to save her. But to do that he would have to get past this barrier.

He began to look for a weak spot, something that would appear as a flaw or pass in the diamond mountain range that the barrier was in his mind’s eye. Eventually he found one and attacked it methodically until a crack opened up. He slipped through and immersed himself in chaos.

The fever had turned her mind into a maelstrom against which even Ragnar had to brace himself. It had messed up her mind to such a degree that even his last few controls had been swept away. He fought through the storm, searching for a lull. An area of calm where he could start his work again. Eventually he found one but as he was laying his first controls an apparition of Anna appeared before his mental sight.

“You don’t belong here,” she seemed to say. “Leave me be!” Then the storm winds caught him and blew him out through the gap he had made – it sealed behind him.

What the hell had just happened? She shouldn’t have been able to sense and expel him like that. There was only one thing for it. When she recovered she would no doubt head home, as soon as she did he would grab her. This was no longer about a spy or potential child. He had to find out what had happened and he would need to be physically close to get past that barrier.

But what if they took her home during the day? If only he could get inside her house to wait for her. She had a brother didn’t she? Ah, yes. That would work. He would charm his way past the brother and wait for her at home.

Start | Chapter Twelve Part Four | Index | Chapter Thirteen Part Two