Pure: Ignis Part 22

"No wonder you've been looking ill today, if that's what you've been thinking about," GM murmured.

"What do we do if Joshua shows up here?" I said with a touch of impatience. GM didn't seem to be as concerned as I'd hoped she would be. "I'm serious about this."

GM reached out and touched my cheek. "These last few months have been very difficult for you, haven't they? I confess that I had not considered the possibility that Joshua Martin could come here. I would think that Charisse and her mother would be in far greater danger."

I felt a sinking feeling-GM's reaction was entirely normal. To GM, I had really been a minor, even incidental, partic.i.p.ant in Joshua's attack. She didn't know that he had set the whole thing up to trap me.

GM continued. "But it is true that that horrible man did go after you. I suppose that we should be prepared. I will think on it."

"What if he shows up tonight?" I asked urgently. I could hear the rising panic in my own voice. I wanted GM to be safe. I wanted her to look out for her own welfare. But I was afraid again that I wouldn't be able to convince her of the danger. The proofs I had to offer her she would never believe in.

"Do not distress yourself," GM said soothingly. "I am aware that this is a serious situation. I will call the police tonight and ask them to keep an eye on our house. And I will keep my cell phone next to my bed in case I need to call."

It didn't seem like enough to me, but I supposed it would have to do.

"Thanks, GM. But if you have a strange feeling at any time that tells you that you need to get out of the house right away-I want you to promise me that you'll do it-even if it seems like a silly thing to do."

GM smiled at me then. "You are a good girl, Katie, to worry about your grandmother. I will promise to do what you ask. And I also promise that I won't go without you."

I started to object-I knew that she would actually be safer without me, but GM interrupted me.

"Hush now, and don't protest. I can look after myself and you better than you think. After all, I've kept you alive all these years, haven't I?"

"Yes, you have," I said, and I couldn't help smiling a little myself.

"It is settled then. I will take the precautions I have mentioned, and you will stop worrying. This Joshua Martin is only a man-no, 'man' is not the word I want. He is only a thug. And I am more than a match for any average thug."

I s.h.i.+vered then-I couldn't help it. If only the creatures that stalked our house were ordinary mortals.

GM noticed the tremor that ran through my body and misinterpreted it. "I see you have a chill. No doubt the cares that have lain heavy upon your mind have worn down your body's defenses. And I am still convinced that all that time you spent out in the cold today did you no good. Go back up to your room and rest. I will finish here in the kitchen."

I did as she asked and went up to my room, but I knew that real rest would be out of the question.

I sat on my bed, and my worries welled up within me, threatening to overwhelm me. My mind kept spinning as my fear grew and reached a fever pitch. I was alone now-vulnerable to every monster that stalked the night and wanted to collect the price on my head.

I seemed to fall into a sort of trance-my mind remained busy, working on problems I could not possibly solve, while my body remained still and my breathing slowed.

I waited, watching the clock that sat near my bed.

When it was finally late enough for me to go to sleep, I forced myself to stir. I got ready for bed like I usually did, so that GM would hear all of the usual sounds and wouldn't notice that anything was different. But instead of changing my clothes for the night, I kept my day clothes and my shoes on-that way I could be prepared if it became necessary for me to flee the house with GM.

Then I climbed under the covers-just in case GM should stop in.

I turned out the light and settled in to wait until she went to bed.

Time seemed to crawl by as I waited in the dark, but there was no danger of my falling asleep.

I was far too worried for that.

After what seemed like an eternity, I heard GM come up the stairs and head to her room. She typically went to bed late and slept for only a few hours each night-but when she did sleep, she slept heavily, and it could sometimes be hard to wake her. I knew that once she fell asleep, I would be able to go downstairs and collect my supplies.

GM would be unlikely to hear me moving around in the kitchen.

I realized then that GM's having her cell phone next to her bed probably wouldn't help her very much. Anyone who broke into the house could attack both of us before she ever woke up.

I pushed that gloomy thought aside and listened to GM as she moved around, getting ready for the night. Eventually, the sounds of her activity stopped, and the house settled into silence.

But no house is truly silent, and soon I began to hear little creaks and other sounds that I couldn't quite put a name to. As I thought about what I had to do, my heart began to beat so hard that I imagined it was audible in the room.

I wondered if that was how human hearts always sounded to vampires.

Once I thought that enough time had pa.s.sed for GM to be fully asleep, I switched on my light and walked quietly to my bedroom door.

I eased it open.

I had a half-formed idea that a vampire might be standing on the other side of the door, but the hallway outside my lighted room was dark and apparently empty.

Somehow, I wasn't relieved.

I stepped out into the hall, and I pulled the door closed until just a narrow sliver of light was visible.

Then, leaving the hall dark so as not to risk any chance of disturbing GM, I crept down the stairs to the bottom. Using the wall as a guide, I walked through the darkness to the kitchen. Only then did I risk turning on the light.

Once again, I half-expected to see a vampire standing in the kitchen waiting for me-but the room was empty. Quickly, I gathered up the matches, the automatic lighter, the broom, and a bunch of kitchen towels for my makes.h.i.+ft torch. I even found GM's oil lamp, and though she was right that there was no oil, I took the lamp anyway, grabbing a bottle of olive oil just in case that would work instead.

Balancing everything carefully, I shut off the light with my elbow. Then I crept down the hall, brus.h.i.+ng my shoulder against the wall to help me find my way in the dark. When I reached the end of the hall, I felt with my foot for the stairs and began to climb gingerly.

I managed to make it to my room, and I set everything on my bed. I remembered something about hairspray being flammable, and I went to the bathroom. I found two cans of hairspray there, and I returned to my room, closing the door.

I got everything ready, and then I lit a small candle that sat on the table by my bed. After that, I shut off the light. I hoped that having the light off would encourage any invaders to come to my room first-with any luck I could keep them away from GM entirely.

Then I settled down to start my lonely vigil.

I sat on my bed next to my supplies and stared at the flame on the candle. I began to listen again to the tiny sounds that the house made in the night, and each sound that my ears caught filled me with fear. I was afraid to look anywhere but at the candle-it seemed somehow like the only safe thing in the room. The tapering arrow of light that rose from the wick seemed fragile and delicate-its light all too easily extinguished by a gust of air or the pressure from two fingertips.

Eventually the light from the candle began to hurt my eyes, and I was forced to look away. I began to adjust to the gloom, and dark shapes, which I knew would appear familiar and innocuous in daylight, seemed to me now suspicious and menacing-every dark ma.s.s seemed to hide a vampire.

Though I knew there was nothing to be afraid of in my room, I couldn't shake off my fear. I told myself repeatedly that none of the shapes could possibly be vampires-if they had been, they certainly wouldn't have waited to attack.

As time pa.s.sed, the sounds in the house seemed to get louder-every noise seemed to be someone breaking in.

I continued to stare around my darkened room, and time seemed to lose all meaning. After what felt like an age, I heard a loud creak. I had fallen into something like a daze, and I snapped into alertness. I heard another loud creak, and I fumbled for my covered broomstick and the lighter. My heart began to hammer painfully, and I waited, listening for yet another creak.

I was sure a vampire was coming up the stairs.

Silence ensued, and I strained to hear, my breathing shallow.

Come on, I thought. Don't make me wait.

I just want this to be over with.

But there were no more creaks, and no one battered down my door.

But maybe that wasn't my stalker's style-Joshua, for example, had said he believed in finesse.

I looked toward my door, which was heavily shrouded in shadow, and I watched it, expecting to see it ease open.

But the silence in the room continued to stretch on uninterrupted, and the door remained closed.

I couldn't have said how much time pa.s.sed, but I began to relax again despite myself, and I loosened my grip on my broomstick. My breathing began to grow deeper and more comfortable.

I was pretty sure that GM and I were still alone in the house.

I tried to force myself to remain alert to all sounds, but my mind began to wander despite my best efforts. And even though I told myself that I didn't need distractions, my thoughts began to dwell on William.

I was suddenly hit by a wave of loss, and unwelcome tears sprang to my eyes. I scrubbed them away fiercely and ordered myself not to cry-I couldn't allow myself to give in to tears when I had to protect the house and my grandmother.

I closed my eyes tightly and concentrated on the tiny sounds in the house, but William crowded into my thoughts again so easily that I didn't have any chance of keeping him out.

William, where are you? I thought. I want to see you. It hurts me to be apart from you.

William, why did you leave me?

And that was really the important point. William had left me-had vanished completely. He had abandoned me, and he had never said a word to me before he'd disappeared.

According to Anton, William had gone back to Russia with Innokenti. It was clear I meant nothing to him.

And yet, I still missed him. I knew I still loved him.

Suddenly there was loud creak out in the hallway, and I looked around, startled. I fumbled once more for my broomstick and lighter, berating myself for my inattention. There was a second loud creak, and I flicked the lighter on, watching its tongue of flame flicker to life. My heart began to hammer.

This is it, I thought. Get ready.

But as before, the house settled back into silence, and my bedroom door remained closed. Soon, all I could hear was the crackle from my lighter.

I allowed my finger to ease off the lighter's trigger, and the bright flame at the end was extinguished. My room was plunged back into its greater gloom, and I felt the dark to be oppressive-I longed suddenly for daylight.

I wondered if it was possible for this night and this darkness to go on forever-could some supernatural element slow time so that dawn would never come?

I told myself I was just being paranoid, and I worked to slow my breathing and my pounding heart.

Once I was calm again, my thoughts began to wander-and they wandered right back to William.

This time I began to berate myself over him.

William knew you were in danger when he disappeared, said a fierce voice in my head. He left you to this. He left you to darkness. He left you to danger. And you still love him?

I closed my eyes, completing the darkness.

I thought only of William.

Even though I knew it probably shouldn't, thinking of him made me feel calmer.

I gave into the feeling and allowed myself to picture his face in every particular-the shade of his eyes, the slope of his brow, the line of his jaw. I pictured his odd half-smile. I felt peace grow within me, and my fear began to subside. I knew that I would give up just about anything to see him one last time-even if he hated me.

I answered my own question.

Yes, I still love him. Even if he left me to this.

I tried to banish William then, to concentrate solely on the sounds in the house again-and the danger around me, but his image was persistent.

I decided to let him stay with me.

I imagined that he was in the dark beside me-and my fear that the house was going to be attacked began to fade. I was still alone-I knew that, but somehow I felt different. I could find strength in my love for William.

The night wore on. There were more creaks, more alarms. At one point I seemed to see GM in my bedroom. She stared at me without saying anything, but there was reproach in her eyes. Behind her stretched a forest of pure white trees.

GM turned and walked away.

I followed her, but she moved so quickly that I couldn't catch up with her. I ran after her through the trees and soon found myself in a clearing.

GM had disappeared, but before me loomed a castle keep-a round stone tower of a building.

I felt a presence behind me, and I turned quickly.

A tall figure walked toward me, and for just a moment, I thought the figure was William.

I soon saw to my horror that it was Anton.

I ran toward the keep.

A door on the far side of the building stood open, and I plunged inside quickly.

I ran up a spiraling stone staircase until I found myself standing at the very top of the keep in the open air.

Anton soon appeared on the roof along with me.

I tried to run, but my feet suddenly refused to move.

The floor beneath me gave way, and I felt myself falling.

My eyes flew open, and I gasped for breath. I was lying back against my pillows, clutching my broomstick, with all my other supplies scattered around me. Sunlight was streaming into my room. I glanced over at the candle on my nightstand.

It had gone out.

I sat up, alarmed. I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to fall asleep.

I wondered in a panic if my sleep had been a.s.sisted-I knew that vampires had power over the human mind.