Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
L uke couldn’t understand why Hammer and Winter were in Esme’s house. A bolt of jealousy helped to further clear his mind, and he bowed his head. He had let Esme down. He tasted bitterness on his tongue as the unpleasant truth fell into place. He had failed her.
‘Are you all right?’
Luke lifted his head in surprise. It wasn’t like Hammer to ask after his wellbeing. He wanted to ask how Hammer had managed to hold on to his priorities, how he was resisting Lewis. He wanted to demand where he had been sleeping and what, exactly, protecting Esme had involved. But he knew that was stupid. He was the one at fault. He still couldn’t believe he had been tired enough to fall asleep in his reading chair, that he had been out cold for over twelve hours.
The sound of the gate made them both look out of the kitchen window.
Esme was returning, looking exhausted and carrying the rucksack she used when she renewed the island wards.
Luke opened the door, not wanting her to be shocked when she stepped inside. Wanting her to feel safe, but knowing he had forfeited his right to provide that safety.
Her wary smile cut him through his chest. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. He wanted to step forward, to take her in his arms, but he felt unsure. Something that had seemed as natural as breathing just a few days ago now seemed impossible.
‘Are you alone?’
‘He’s not here,’ Hammer said. ‘It’s just us.’
Esme nodded. ‘Good.’ She looked at Luke.
‘I know it’s not just Lewis. It can’t just be him. Something really weird is… I was so tired after spending time with him, like all my energy had been drained. I’ve left my phone at the shop so he can’t call me. I’m going to stay clear. We’ve got to do something.’
‘Oh thank Goddess,’ Esme said.
At Coire Bay, Fiona made it back to the shore before Euan. He was younger and needed a longer swim, and she was glad he was taking the time. He had been working flat-out in the pub helping Seren and the rest of the time he was either playing video games or spending time with Hamish. She knew that he needed the time and space to stretch his muscles and to be in his other skin.
Her thoughts were jumbled as she readjusted to human language, her mind switching along with her physical form. As she did, she felt the strange pull to visit The Book Keeper’s brother. It was a small impulse, an itch on her skin and nothing more, and she pushed it easily to one side.
Seren had agreed to watch Hamish so that she and Euan could swim, and now Fiona was excited to see her baby boy. She had left Seren and Hamish playing on the carpet, and when she opened the door to her cottage, she expected to be greeted by his adorable smile and happy babble. The house was silent.
At Strand House, Esme was swinging between hope and despair. The flicker of hope had been ignited the moment she had seen Luke in her kitchen, but it wasn’t enough to light the darkness of the broken wards. She knew she had to tell both men that she had failed, but the words were stuck in her throat.
‘Have you spoken to Bee about Lewis?’ Luke asked. ‘Is he going to be okay?’
‘He’s fine,’ Hammer said. ‘It’s the rest of humanity we need to worry about.’
Luke let out a shocked sound that was halfway to a laugh. ‘Bit dramatic, don’t you think? He’s not that bad.’
‘I don’t think he’s himself,’ Esme said, putting a hand onto his forearm. ‘I think there’s something on board. Riding the Lewis train.’
Luke looked stricken. He didn’t speak for a moment and, when he did, his voice was strained. ‘That makes sense.’
‘You looked at him?’ Hammer asked.
‘I did,’ Esme said. She swallowed hard and avoided Luke’s eye. ‘I looked into his eyes and something else looked back at me.’
‘Whatever it is, it’s hungry.’ Hammer said. ‘Seren has barely been able to keep up with his demands for food. She’s exhausted.’
‘It’s the thing inside him. You must have seen him change? Since he came back from àite Marbh, he’s been different. And people started responding differently to him. Doing what he wants. Wanting to be near him. The visitors that don’t want to leave his side. Seren feeding him.’ Esme thought about seeing Seren in the crowd. Had she been taking yet more food to Lewis?
‘Seren feeds everyone,’ Luke said, a touch defensively.
‘None of us can help it. There is something inside Lewis and it is calling to us. Making us think things, do things, feel things.’
‘You’ve been feeling things for Lewis?’ Luke asked.
‘Not me,’ Esme said quickly. ‘But look at the people gathered around him. They are infatuated.’
‘I’m not,’ Hammer said.
‘No,’ Esme said, a frown creasing her forehead. ‘And you’re human. You should be.’
‘I haven’t thrown him off the island, though,’ Hammer said thoughtfully, as if it had only just occurred to him. ‘Or punched him.’
‘For you, that probably counts as infatuation,’ Esme said, smiling.
Hammer growled. ‘Not bloody infatuated. Never liked him.’
Esme patted his arm.
Fiona walked into The Rising Moon, calling for Seren. Her voice sounded higher pitched than usual and was rough with worry. She didn’t understand why Seren would have taken Hamish back to the pub rather than staying at Fiona’s, where all his toys and equipment lived. Perhaps she had realised she had to take something out of the freezer or do some prep work for the dinner rush. But she shouldn’t be multitasking. Fiona expected babysitters to do one thing only – look after her son.
Once she had walked through the rooms of the pub and gone upstairs to the accommodation above, confirming that neither Seren nor Hamish were anywhere to be found, Fiona felt the edges of her fear expanding. She let go of the mild ticking off she had been preparing for Seren, accepting that this was more serious. And that realisation made her weak with panic. Something was seriously wrong.