Night Terrors (22 page)

I shake my head at Rawlins. ‘Actually, I think she’ll be there. They’re not going to risk moving her around too much. Even with the drugs in her system, if she made a noise while in the boot of that car and a passerby heard her, the game would be up. I’m betting they’re not going to take that chance.’ I jab Dante in the chest. ‘If you don’t send me those photos, I’ll come after you.’

He grins unexpectedly. There’s no mistaking the relief in his eyes. ‘I’ll be counting on it.’

***

It doesn’t take him long. Less than twenty minutes after Rawlins and I wave him off and return to the hotel room to wait, my phone beeps.

There are three photos in total, three slumbering faces in peaceful repose. Three wankers who’ve brutally kidnapped Ashley. I shouldn’t be surprised that the first one is the same bastard who accosted me in the street and grabbed my throat. I glare at his sleeping image for a moment then put the phone down.

I can’t imagine how on earth Dante gained entrance to their lair so quickly. I guess it pays to be a bounty hunter. He follows the photos up with a quick text; he’s not found Ashley but there are a still a few rooms to check. I can’t help feeling that by the time I apparate into the Dreamlands, he’ll already be back here. That was probably his plan.

Rawlins apparently has the same thought. ‘Can you really just fall asleep again so easily?’

I shrug. ‘I’m getting better at it. At least these days I manage it without a dose of valium first.’

She looks shocked. I half smile and lie down. Counting slowly in my head, I close my eyes and get comfortable. As long as I don’t try too hard, I should manage it. I let my counting drift into mental images of ambling sheep. One, two, three, four… My ears prickle. It worked.

It irks me that I’m still apparating in the forest. This time I sprint, making it to the fringes of the town in record time. Dante’s probably found Ashley by now. I imagine him carrying her out of the front door, right under the Department goons’ noses.

I slow to a walk to cross the border from darkness into brilliant sunshine then I make a show of jumping onto the nearest roof. If this is where the Department likes to hang out, then this is where I’ll be. I crane my neck round and spy four of its men almost immediately, although the nearest one is some distance away. I frown at his back, trying to decide whether he’s one of the three abductors. That’s when I hear the soft moan.

I freeze, spinning round and glancing down. When I see who it is, my heart skips a beat. Forgetting about the Department altogether, I throw myself down again.

‘Ashley!’

Her hair is limp and straggly and her eyes are dull. There’s a painful looking bruise across one cheekbone. ‘I’m the dreamweaver,’ she whispers.

Oh God. I grab hold of her arm – just in time, as she almost topples over. It may have only been a few days but she already feels as insubstantial as a ghost. I crouch down and pull her onto my back, holding her legs so that she’s perched piggy-back style. ‘Put your arms round my neck,’ I order.

For a moment she doesn’t respond, then I feel her linking her hands together and holding on. I dart worried looks up and down the street but thankfully we’re too much on the periphery of town to bump into anyone. Taking advantage of the situation, I plunge straight back into the trees.

Ashley moans.

‘Hush, it’s alright. We’re coming for you.’

‘I’m the dreamweaver,’ she whispers again.

Guilt ripples through me. As much as she despises me, she’s been lying through her teeth to the Department to keep their focus on herself instead of me. No wonder they’ve been so keen to believe that she’s the one they want: it’s what she’s been telling them.

‘You stupid girl,’ I murmur. ‘You should have given me up the first chance you got.’

As soon as we’re far enough in, I come to a halt and gently lay her down. ‘Are you hurt?’ I demand.

She looks at me with her large, bruised eyes. There’s a glimmer of recognition. ‘Bitch.’

Relief washes through me. ‘Yes! Yes! I’m the bitch. I’m the one who’s put you in this position. Where are you, Ashley?’

She bites her bottom lip and turns her head. ‘Forest. Dreamlands.’ She starts to cry. ‘Am I sleeping? Am I really sleeping?’

‘You must be.’ I squeeze her arm. ‘Ashley, do you know where you are? Are there three men?’

She doesn’t hear me. Tears continue to roll down her cheeks. I stand up and walk a few paces away, turning my back so she doesn’t see the rage on my face. How dare they do this to her? How dare they take an innocent person and treat her like this? I can only pray that in the real world Dante has found Ashley’s location, bundled her into his car and they’re on their way back to the hotel. Or the nearest hospital.

‘We’re coming to get you, Ashley. Just hang on a bit longer.’

I turn back towards her. The pale shape of Lilith is hovering over her huddled body. ‘Leave her alone!’

Lilith’s white face stares at her. ‘She’s in pain,’ the succubus murmurs.

‘Lilith,’ I say through gritted teeth, ‘so help me God…’

She raises her chin in my direction. ‘They’re coming,’ she says without a trace of emotion. ‘You have to hide.’

My stomach drops. ‘Who’s coming? The Department?’

Lilith murmurs non-committally and floats away, swallowed up in an instant by the dark trees. I open my mouth to call after her then think better of it and rush back to Ashley. ‘We have to get out of here.’

Ashley barely reacts. I curse and lift her up again. In my hurry, however, I botch it. I manage to keep hold of Ashley but my back screams in agony. Goddamnit. I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek; it doesn’t lessen the pain across my spine but it gives me something else to focus on. A moment later, I’m moving away as quickly as I can. Ashley, thankfully, doesn’t make a sound.

We’re barely twenty metres away when I hear voices, followed by the sound of twigs snapping underfoot. I freeze, trying to pinpoint the sound. If I get this wrong, then we’re all screwed. Deciding that the noises are coming from my left, I crouch behind a nearby tree, still hanging on to Ashley. The one thing in our favour is that it’s so dark here, they’re unlikely to see us. As long as we keep quiet, we have a chance.

‘Ashley,’ I say urgently. ‘Don’t make a sound.’

She moans. I cup her face and stare into her eyes, pressing my finger against her mouth and shaking my head in warning. A glimmer of understanding appears and I sigh in relief.

‘I don’t like it here,’ complains one guttural voice.

‘Quit complaining. It’s the one place the others won’t come.’

There’s a snort. ‘I can see why. It’s fucking cold and creepy. Besides, isn’t this where the night mares hang out? The last thing I want to do is run into one of them.’

This would indeed be a bloody excellent time for Pegasus or one of his mates to show up. Unfortunately for me, I’ve barely seen or heard any of them since the Mayor’s violent demise. In fact, the only time was when Lilith pulled me out of one of the mare’s path.

‘We can’t stay here.’

‘Damn right, we can’t. Nature isn’t my thing.’

There’s an irritated hiss. ‘Marek spotted some activity towards the far end of the town.’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘It’s not going to be long now. Serves the lot of them right.’

A deep sense of foreboding fills me. I’m not sure what they’re referring to but whatever it is doesn’t sound good.

‘This zone will be unusable for decades. Bring on the Badlands.’

I stiffen. They know what’s going on with the sleep paralysis and they don’t care. They really are monsters.

‘Like you care,’ the second voice continues.

‘I’m just saying that maybe we don’t need to burn it. The Travellers here are as gullible as the ones everywhere else.’

There’s a sharp laugh. ‘I’ll give you that. Two teenagers came up to me a few hours ago wanting to know if killing the dreamweaver would stop the sleep paralysis. We have them eating out of our hands.’

‘She’s more dangerous than you think. Don’t forget we were told that the Travellers rose up against the Mayor because of her.’

‘They’re easily manipulated. In either direction.’

‘We already have her. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to bring her here so she can stop the Badlands. We could use this zone.’

‘It’s already been decided, you know that. The people here deserve it; they shouldn’t have gone against us. As long as we have the weaver, nothing else matters.’

‘I have family in London.’

‘They’re not Travellers?’

‘No.’

‘Well, tell them to get the hell out if they ever want a decent night’s sleep again. Big deal. It’s a tiny country with a huge ego. There are far better places to settle down.’

‘So if I suggest to the others that we try to save this place, you’ll go against me?’

There’s a huge sigh. ‘The only way we can save it is by risking the weaver. We can’t afford to do that.’

‘Another one will come along.’

‘In a few decades perhaps. You know we got lucky when we found this one so easily. That might not happen with the next one. Don’t you want that contract?’

‘Yes, but…’

‘Then forget that guilty conscience. We haven’t needed this zone up till now so why give a shit about them?’

Ashley jerks and some dried leaves on the ground rustle. Both voices stop abruptly. I reach towards her in a panic but her body is already becoming insubstantial. She’s waking up. I hear footsteps move in our direction and panic threatens to consume me. As Ashley disappears completely, I tell myself to calm down. All I need to do is disapparate as well and the thugs will be none the wiser.

There are shouts from the outskirts of the forest.

‘Can you hear that?’ Guttural-Voice asks.

‘It’ll be another stupid monster. Or fire. Someone’s out there listening to us. We need to…’

‘Wait. Something’s wrong.’

‘Didn’t you just hear that?’

‘I don’t give a fuck. Listen to what they’re shouting. It’s the weaver. I think she’s gone.’

I gulp in air. Thank goodness. It’s high time I left.

Chapter Sixteen

It is best to act with confidence no matter how little right you have to it.

Lillian Hellman

Rawlins and I race out of the room and down to the hotel lobby just as Dante pulls up outside. We dash out, much to the night watchman’s bemusement, almost shattering the glass door at the front in our haste. Why so many buildings use glass, I have no idea; any aesthetic properties are far outweighed by its drawbacks.

I can just make out Ashley through the dark windows of Dante’s car. She’s still awake but her eyes are glazed.

Dante flings open the door. ‘We should get her to a hospital.’

I shake my head vehemently. ‘We can’t. The Department will find her there and take her again. They’re desperate to have the dreamweaver, Dante.’

He gives me a long, unfathomable look. I grimace. I know, I know.

Rawlins curses and interrupts. ‘You’re not vigilantes in the Wild West. The Manchester police are looking for her, remember? They’ll protect her.’

‘And how do we explain how we found her?’ I demand. ‘With a ouija board? My sixth sense?’

‘The police don’t know who I am,’ Dante answers.

‘They’re not stupid either,’ Rawlins points out. ‘The first thing they’ll do is check you out. They’ll trace you back to us and the hotel. You’ll be under suspicion before you can say rock-a-bye-baby.’

‘Get in. I have an idea,’ Dante orders.

My feet refuse to move; they feel as if they’re made of cement. Rawlins jogs round the car and dives into the front seat while I try to force myself to move. It’s not any safer in the hotel than it is out here, I remind myself.

‘You can do this, Zoe.’ Dante’s voice is calm.

I close my eyes. Breathe. Just breathe. I curl my fingernails into the palms of my hands and squeeze. The sharp pain helps and I jolt into action. I join Ashley in the back of the car, the wheels spin and Dante takes off.

‘Where are we going?’

‘Back to where I found her.’

‘What?’ I shriek.

‘Trust me. Just make sure she’s alright.’

I suck in a breath and I nod. At this point I don’t have much choice.

‘Zoe?’

‘Mmm.’

‘You’re going to have to keep her awake. We can’t risk her falling asleep and wandering through the square. You know what they’ll do if they see her.’

Most likely torture her into giving up her location. I murmur a grim assent and focus on Ashley. I avoid looking out of the window and worrying about where we are. This isn’t the time for an agoraphobic freak-out.

Ashley’s eyelids are starting to droop. Although she looks no more pale or ill than she did in the Dreamlands, the fact that her physical form is in front of me makes the situation seem worse. I shake her as gently as I can. ‘Stay with me, Ashley. Not much longer.’

She moans and clutches at my arm. ‘Bitch,’ she whispers.

I smooth back her hair. ‘That’s right.’

Dante screeches to a halt. ‘This one is close enough.’

I look out, see a phone box and suddenly understand. She can call the police on her own from here and make it appear as if she escaped. It’s far from a perfect plan but right now it’s all we’ve got.

‘There’s a camera across the road,’ Rawlins says grimly. ‘She needs to get to the phone box on her own.’

‘And if they’re searching the streets for her and happen to show up here?’

‘Then,’ Dante says, ‘we’ll deal with them.’ He turns round. ‘Ashley, you need to walk over there on your own. There’s a phone box. Call 999 and tell the police your name and that you’ve escaped. Can you do that?’

Judging from the terror on her face, I’m not sure she can but she nods. I reach across and open her door to help her out.

‘Zoe,’ Rawlins warns, ‘if you go any further, the CCTV will pick you up.’

‘I know.’ I look at Ashley. ‘Can you do this?’

‘Yes.’ Her voice might be faint but her tone is firm. She meets my eyes. ‘Don’t let them find you. They want to do terrible things. If they have a real dreamweaver, then we’re all screwed.’