Chapter 30 #2
There was a blur of movement. I pulled myself to my feet in time to see the monster grab Eric’s throat and begin to squeeze. The thrall was gripping a sharp knife with which he tried to slash the monster, but the metal tip did little more than scratch its skin.
Eric’s arm slackened and his eyes bulged as, still holding him by the throat, the monster threw him at the wall next to me. There was a sickening thud. I hissed while the monster laughed and turned to me again.
And that was when I saw Thane, with Thomas right behind him.
My stomach lurched with fear but I quashed my panic as quickly as I could. It wouldn’t help me now. I readjusted my grip on the stake.
‘Hey!’ Thane yelled.
The monster spun towards him – and then She Without An Ear got in on the act. She screeched a bone-chilling sound that I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard from a cat. As the monster turned to her, Thomas shouted and it switched its attention again.
I smiled grimly. Now it was my turn. I screamed until the sound of my voice filled the small space and the monster stumbled as it whirled towards me.
Finally I had what I needed. I sprang into the gap between its body and mine and, with as much precision and power as I could, thrust the stake into its chest.
Where metal had done no damage, wood worked. The stake pierced the monster’s leathery skin and I pushed more of my weight against it. I felt the moment the wood reached the heart; the difference was subtle but it was there.
The monster’s eyes widened. It blinked several times and staggered backwards, falling against the bed where Penelope still lay. I gazed into its eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.
Where only madness had glittered before, now I saw a flicker of intelligence – and something else. Gratitude. That was definitely gratitude. The monster was pleased.
Its hands went to its chest, and for a moment I thought it would try to yank the stake out with its gnarled fingers but it didn’t. Instead it seemed to push the stake further into its own heart.
There was a miaow from the doorway and I turned my head to see that there, by Thane’s feet, was the Maine Coon. He wasn’t looking at me. His attention was wholly on the monster and his whiskers were quivering.
The monster nodded once in the cat’s direction then its eyes rolled back into its head.
A moment later its flesh started to cave in as it disintegrated before my very eyes.
Then the ground started to shake and a deep rumble filled the air.
It wasn’t only the monster that was collapsing: the entire maze was falling in on itself.
Thomas gave a strangled yell, launched himself at Penelope and gathered her body in his arms. She With An Ear sprang at me and I grabbed her, while Thane darted for Eric. ‘He’s barely breathing,’ he said. ‘If we don’t get him out of here soon, he won’t make it.’
‘None of us will make it if we don’t get out of here soon. This place is about to fall down about our ears.’
We exchanged grim glances then turned to the doorway but none of us reached it. The walls were already crumbling. I reached for Thane and he wrapped his arms around me. Thomas backed into us.
‘Down!’ I yelled, shielding She Without An Ear as best as I could. ‘Get down!’ Whether anyone heard me, I didn’t know because dust and noise and tremors enveloped us.
I squeezed my eyes shut. There was no time for anything else.
It took four minutes for the maze to disintegrate entirely and several minutes more for the air to clear enough for me to open my eyes.
As I coughed and spluttered, She Without An Ear squirmed in my arms to be released. I moved away from Thane and lowered her gently to the ground. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve but still all I could see was darkness.
I hoisted up my shirt, felt for the tiny bag strapped to my skin and, for the final time, extracted a pinch of Wicker powder. ‘Cover your eyes again,’ I advised before I tossed the powder upwards.
There was an explosion of light. Thane was pale but otherwise alright. Thomas was visibly shaking but similarly unharmed. In his arms, Penelope stirred. ‘Wh – wh – what’s happening?’
Thomas choked back a sob. ‘You’re alive.’
‘No, I am not.’
His smile was wobbly. ‘You’re undead.’
She reached up and patted his cheek. ‘That is my boy.’
I glanced down for She Without An Ear. My brave tabby was sniffing at a patch on the ground and it took me a second to realise it was the last spot where the Maine Coon had been. Of the handsome silver bastard himself, there was no sign.
I turned in a circle. If any of the monster’s bones had survived its death, there was no evidence of them now. They might have been buried underneath what remained of the maze walls or consigned to dust.
I didn’t need to look for them. The creature was gone.
Its bed, shelves and their contents couldn’t be seen, and none of the maze walls appeared to be standing.
All that remained was the single witchlight bottle that had been there before we arrived, though no light emanated from it.
The magic that imbued it had sputtered out when the maze collapsed.
I picked it up and turned it over. As I gazed at the etched mark on its underside, my mouth tightened a fraction. ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Let’s get out of here. It’s time to go home.’
Thane hoisted up Eric’s body. The thrall’s breathing was ragged but he was alive for now. Frankly, it was more than the idiot deserved.
She Without An Ear purred, licked her paws, gracefully stood up and took the lead, padding through the piles of crumbled stone and dust while the rest of us followed. The night maze was no more – and neither was the monster that had haunted it.
I didn’t see the figure until we were close to the cavern’s exit. They were standing between the two sacrificial poles, their head bowed. My feet slowed to a halt and I gazed at them. I murmured to Thane and he stopped, too.
I marched forward with my shoulders pulled back and a demand on my lips.
When Trilby raised their head and I saw their expression, the words died on my tongue as a tear tracked unchecked down their cheek.
I swallowed hard then held up the witchlight that I’d carried out of the remains of the maze. ‘I believe this is yours.’
Trilby took it from me wordlessly. I waited, but when it became clear that they wouldn’t say anything unless I prompted them, I drew in a breath to speak. ‘You gave the monster that witchlight.’
I didn’t mean to sound accusatory but from Trilby’s flinch it was obvious that I did.
‘He. Not it.’ They met my eyes. ‘He.’ Trilby sniffed. ‘And I only left the witchlight there – I didn’t hand it over gift-wrapped with a kiss and a handshake. I thought it might be useful for you.’
I couldn’t deny that. ‘Trilby,’ I started more softly.
‘He was my friend.’
Oh.
‘I’ve known him for a long time.’
I shifted my weight. ‘How long?’
‘Long.’
Hundreds of years? Thousands? Whatever the answer, Trilby wouldn’t expand on it.
‘His name was Cian.’
I stared at them.
‘He was a good man,’ they continued. ‘Until he wasn’t.’
I found my voice. ‘He was the first, wasn’t he? He was the first vampire.’ Trilby didn’t deny it. I crossed my arms. ‘Did you create the maze to hold him, Trilby?’
On this occasion, their answer was swift. ‘No, Cian did. He knew what was coming. He could feel the darkness encroaching on the corners of his mind so he built the maze then keyed it to his own blood. He built it so that he couldn’t escape no matter how warped his mind became with bloodlust.’
The ever-shifting walls: no wonder the entire maze collapsed when the monster – Cian – had died. ‘It didn’t work. He learned how to beat his own creation.’
Trilby nodded. ‘He did.’ They linked their fingers together and bowed their head. ‘It was inevitable, although he did what he could to prevent anyone from getting hurt as a result of his madness.’
‘He failed,’ I growled.
‘Yes.’
‘So did you.’
‘Yes.’
I didn’t intend to sound antagonistic but I couldn’t help it. ‘You knew what was here. You knew the dangers, yet when the killing started you did nothing to stop it.’
‘I am not omnipotent, Kit.’ Trilby dropped their head. ‘But you are correct. I grew complacent where Cian was concerned. He was asleep for a long time and when he awoke once again, I could have – I should have – done more. I tried, but in the end I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill my friend.’
‘So I did your dirty work for you.’
They looked up and met my eyes. ‘It was not your first time, Kit.’
No.
‘And there were other reasons that it had to be you,’ they said.
I stiffened. ‘What other reasons?’
‘Now is not the time to explain,’ Trilby said softly.
Hmmm. I lowered my arms to my sides. ‘Are you one of the good guys, Trilby?’
‘Are you?’ they responded.
Good question. ‘I try to be,’ I said.
Trilby smiled faintly. ‘That is all any of us can do.’ Then, to my surprise, they gripped my arm. ‘Thank you,’ they said.
I hesitated then I nodded. ‘You’re welcome.’