Chapter 21


Ellena wasn't giving up. The paintings had barely scratched the surface and made me question if anyone else had cottoned on to the same details as we had. McNally was the obvious place to point a claw. I hadn't considered it until now, his digging scuba excursions could be instigated by longitude and latitude.

At least the diving aspect of things. If we weren't going to run away, we may as well look at the information we had as if it was another case. No half-measures or second-guessing. We at least had an inkling Ruth had been lying to us. About how much of it, was another story. What I was sure on, we couldn't let Ruth know we suspected anything. For the time being at least. How much of a witch she was could also have the spotlight shone on it, however, my lack of knowledge on those things had us at a disadvantage.

Unless by some miracle Ellena became a quick study of that too. The way she tore a dust-covered pathway through the bookshelves made me think this was a typical slice of heaven for her. I still pictured the towers in Ellena's flat quite vividly. Then I remembered her blood on the staircase. As she danced from one row to the next, I couldn't let her get taken again.

Melanie may have controlled a Kanaima demon at the time but she was human. What we're faced with now, could be a colony of vampires or a few for all we knew. Bloodsuckers. And Ellena was already hearing voices. My vision made me think the guy I'd seen could've been the elder vampire. I still held out hope we'd find a picture of Jean and Frederick to know for sure. Much of what we'd heard so far had become a mess I didn't know what parts were true.

We were In another shitty basement looking for answers, and it felt surreal. Maybe another holiday to get over this one was on the agenda. Looking around at how old everything was, there had to be a detail amongst them to help us. I was drawn to a series of maps on the wall. Each showed the Scottish coast over the centuries. Particularly around the Cruden Bay area. From school, I remembered lessons on coastal erosion.

From the seventeen hundreds through to the present, the cliff face had changed quite a bit. I got to thinking about the two number sequences we had. If they were longitude and latitude. We'd be foolish plotting against how the coast looked now. Ellena caught me staring and came over. I waited to see if she saw what I did.

It took all of two minutes before Ellena grabbed her notebook. She had the line so I let her run with it. After all, we had nothing but time. At least a few more hours before something intriguing was due to go down. Nicholas McNally mentioned 9 pm on the phone. It could be a wasted journey but I wanted to go back. In my mind, it was about whoever had taken a beating on the garage floor.

Whether David McNally was going to get his hands dirty by removing a dead body or the victim had only been taken to where the McNally's got what they wanted.

"You think it's at sea?"

"Well, those scuba divers are looking for something. The how, what and why, are a mystery for now. But something has them down there,"

"But you think they could be in the wrong place?" It was a working theory, the number could've meant something else entirely and we didn't know who left them to be found or who else knew of them.

"Honestly it's a shot in the dark. McNalley is looking for something in particular. Those boxes I saw, seemed old. But check out the year and tear on the coastline over the years," I pointed before stepping aside for Ellena to go closer

I continued looking from behind Ellena's shoulder. At first, my curiosity held up. Soon enough I drifted to the back of Ellena's head. Just taking it in. I had hoped this would be a week where I'd learn more about Ellena's past life. We'd have a nice relaxing time. I wanted to dig a little about ADI Locke, so just how much she knew, in light of his storage shop in Forest Gate. Instead, I'm looking at the back of Ellena's head as she worked out old maps. If anyone could substantiate my thoughts, she could and I wouldn't seem such. An irrational idiot.

Lost in my admiring haze, a shock rippled just below the dip in my neck. One by one the hairs sparked to life. Letting loose a quick shiver to roll down my spine. It came out of nowhere and in a place I least expected danger. Ellena kept looking away, while my head bounced right to left. My hackles were going haywire. The room had fallen silent, heightening the trepidation in my mind. Enough to cause my claws to shoot forward.

Nothing stood out in the red mist, but the rumble through my neck wasn't letting up. I could hear both mine and Ellena's heartbeats like a thunderstorm with every else so quiet. Ellena's had accelerated and I didn't know why, too distracted by the tormenting of my neck hairs.

'Ah, history. If only it ever told the real story. I can show you if you wish,'

Ellena's heart kept spiking. Short bursts but enough to have me worried. Her eyes darted as the wrinkles in her forehead gathered in the middle. Ellena was bothered. I strained my ears to listen, getting a few voices and footsteps in the distance. Nothing to have my body reacting or Ellena concerned about.

'Beauty such as yours deserves to be admired, adored and able to endure eternity. You would be a queen. My queen,'
I caught Ellena shaking her head, Whatever was happening, it was in her head. I was sure Ellena could hear that voice again. What I didn't understand, was why my huckles reacted. Last time there hadn't been so much as a flicker. Perhaps the drink Ruth gave us, affected us it ways nobody anticipated. Unless Ruth had.

'Don't be afraid Ellena. You have nothing to fear from me. You never did. It's taken a lifetime but you've finally returned. They may call u Ellena, but to me, you'll always be Anna,'

It was clearly getting worse, Ellena shook her head harder. While her body rocked on her heels. Even though I couldn't hear anything or sense an immediate threat, my body still felt in danger. Unless it wasn't me in danger...

'*Come to me. Find me. Help me restore balance and embrace immortality. By setting me free, you'd help break the shackles that have plagued this town. Let's rewrite history,'*

Ellena's heart suddenly slowed and the rocking stopped. She stood still, looking up at the coastal ridge of Scotland, particularly Cruden Bay, the port and Peterhead in the 1700s.

❧

'Count Elias Diminescu - the discovery 1725,'

Dirt and rough stones were our pathways for what seemed an eternity. When you've been wrongly imprisoned, waiting and hoping that one day somebody sets you free. Anything other than that place was euphoria.

Entombed behind mud and rock, in the hope I would be forgotten. The gap in my prison was wide enough for the world to be my tormentor. Unable to move, I got to watch everything grow, wither, die and then grow again. Time didn't exist. Overgrown and vibrant green trees created a shadow across my tomb. With each change of colour, I was able to tell what season it was. Small pleasures in hell. My body had been abused, tortured and drained to the brink of death. All in the knowledge that I was unable to die.

I had been royalty, serving my country with distinction. Overseeing the fall of tyrants as they came and went. Romania flourished. Markets blossomed and the people thrived on their freedom and newfound wealth from the sale of flourishing produce. Unfortunately, I was born differently. Cursed with a virus I was told, destined to live an eternity but at the cost of watching everyone I loved and held dear, due. I couldn't stomach normal food like everyone else. Even pretended at lavish dinners and sources. Only to spend hours in my bathroom being sick.

My hunger was for something different. Blood. When that lust gripped me, my teeth would grow along with my nails. My thirst was insurmountable and had to be placated before it became a need to tear through flesh. At first, I used loyal, castle staff to bring livestock if I furnished local farmers with gold. I learnt quickly that if I asked someone nicely, whilst looking directly into their eyes. My sincerity would penetrate their sole and they'd do anything I asked. All because they knew I was being sincere.

They'd act a little hypnotized, a small drawback that would eventually wear off. I would get to eat and the remaining meat would be put to good use by my kitchen or handed out to town people. Then it got noticed I wasn't ageing.. Eyes would be focused on me anywhere I went, which made life uncomfortable for me. Until I became a self-imposed recluse. A fact that was hard while in love. Catalin Albescu was her name. Not quite royalty but did important work. A teacher. In the beginning, it was fun and we were I separable.

When the I wanted attention came, Catalin would sneak through the servant's entrance. Then one day Catalin got sick. Nobody knew what had caused it. In my absent-mindedness, I'd left it longer than normal without animal blood. In a crazed frenzy, I didn't wait to slice a cow's throat, I sunk my teeth in. Realising I could drink easier. What I hadn't realised, I would also change the cow.

It had dropped dead as expected. Only to reserect later and different. Life had gone, but left behind a demonic beast. Red eyes and sharp teeth. My mind was wlsewh, my heart longed for Catalin to get better. Instead, she got worse. I couldn't be without Catalin, so I thought, if my bite could do that to a cow, what would it do to Catalin? With the expectation that she'd live. I travelled by night to her hospital fifty miles away. Just in time to see Catalin's body giving up. I had to try, so I bit her neck.

In that moment, two things happens that would go on to shape my life forever. The taste of Catalin's blood was euphoric. No matter how sick she was, the taste had my body come alive. She was a drug to me. I could suddenly hear far greater, move faster and smell the smallest of things outside of the hospital. I could also hear Catalin's heartbeat grow stronger. The atrium walls rebuilt themselves as her arteries were on fire. Her body seemed far more vibrant and fuller. When that was an improvement on my vision or just Catalin? I didn't know. Only that I had to leave somebody came back.

I left that night with my eyes opened and the world changed. Human blood made me feel different down to the molecular level. It was intoxicating. The virus I'd been born with, made me different. Human blood made me better and I needed more. I had saved Catalin's life. Unfortunately, everything has a cost.

❧

'Cruden Bay Library 6th November 1987,'

Those footsteps moved slower as they came closer. The stench of death was quite weak and a little different. Ellena remained steady and still. Her head was a little tilted to her left but seemed to be making up the map's detail. I crept to my right and towards the stairs so I could peer up to the top and catch sight of any feet.

Each step was old, thick timber and creaked enough when we came down without really thinking about it. Now, I was being hyper-vigilant and every move stood out. First came a heavy creak... A scuff of a chair across the floor. Then suddenly... The lights flashed off...