Chapter 50
NOW
Jake made his way past the temple, the stones and walls topped with white, as the snow kept on falling, and he crossed the Burn beside it.
The water was relentless, sloshing over the banks of the stream and racing down towards Newbrough.
He shuddered, remembering the reason why Violet had come here originally – to find out more about the witch they’d burned before someone had tossed her ashes in the stream.
But now the witch and the legend and the temple were the least of his concerns. He ran as best he could through the thick, white blanket towards Violet and whatever that thing was next to her.
‘Get away from her!’ he yelled as he ran, knowing that his words would be lost in that soundless valley, thrown back at him uselessly. But it made him feel better.
‘Emory, help me. Please come…’
The desperate words were loud in his mind, and they galvanised him to run faster. ‘Get away from her!’ he yelled again as he almost jumped over the rushing Burn.
Where her ashes had been thrown…
The black, formless thing was hovering over the man who was beside Violet and Jake let out a roar as he approached him.
It was enough to distract the man, the entity or whatever it was attached to him, as he turned to see who was shouting, and that, thank God, gave Violet time to grab a big pole thing from nearby and whack the fellow around the shoulders.
No – whack fucking Ollie around the shoulders.
The man cried out in anger as he wobbled and slipped in the snow, but he didn’t fall to the ground.
He seemed to stagger upright and fixed his eyes on Jake.
An indescribable chill shuddered up Jake’s spine; it was clear even to him that this was not Ollie.
His eyes were black and cold – soulless, Jake might even say – not to mention, of course, the fact that there was an unnatural fog that was swirling around the man.
And those eyes sparked with a hideous recognition when Ollie spotted Jake.
And then Ollie, or whoever it was, laughed and turned his attention fully to Jake.
At least Violet was safe – whatever happened here to him, Jake, he had saved her.
‘Run away, Vi!’ shouted Jake, not breaking eye contact with Ollie. ‘Run away, and get back to the car. I can deal with this.’
He’d dealt with him before, he’d finished off Charles before, and he could do it again. Jake’s mind was a maelstrom of images, and he knew how it had played out before. If he could force him closer to the Well, he could…
But dear God. This was Ollie. It wasn’t Charles. If he pushed him in the Well, he would drown—
Then Ollie spoke. ‘Aah, my so-called brother. I have waited a long time for this,’ he said, in a voice that was so unlike the one Ollie had greeted them with in Hexham that Jake felt the world tilt on its axis and real fear and hatred creep inside him.
‘Jake! Oh God, be careful. It’s not Ollie.’ cried Violet, her desperate shout interrupting his thoughts. ‘It’s Charles Milburn – he’s come back. For us both.’
Jake swore. Yep, Violet was right – even he had sensed that. But what on earth—
Jake suddenly felt it grow colder and darker around him; something was wrapping him up and enveloping him in what could only be classed as a sense of pure evil. Then he felt ghostly fingers close around his neck.