continued in a low voice. ‘We should strike at the heart of your brother’s power base. We should show him what we are capable of, and that we are not cowed by this new ability of his!’
‘London?’
‘Why not? It will be the last thing he’d expect. Can you think of a suitable event that the humans might attend in great numbers?’
A terrible smile crept on to Caliban’s face. His eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, I think I know just the thing.’
8
Lucien closed his eyes behind his sunglasses and tipped his head back to let the sun bathe his face with its warmth and light. He was still unable to relax fully, his hands tightly gripping the balcony rail as he waited for the searing pain to begin, but it did not. It would not. The old witch was right. After Hag had pulled her little stunt he had come out on to the balcony alone to reflect. Though he realized he should probably be careful this first time, after so many centuries, he was finding it hard to tear himself away and return indoors. He looked down at the back of his hand. His skin had changed colour even in this short period – not exactly a tan, but not the pale coloration he was used to seeing either. In truth, he was probably a little burned – but his skin would rejuvenate at vampire speed once he was inside. Reluctantly, he headed for the door to let it do just that.
‘I can’t go back there,’ Trey said to Lucien.
They were sitting in the vampire’s office, Lucien behind his desk and Trey in a chair opposite him, having come at the vampire’s request. Despite having been warned by Tom about Lucien’s experience in the sun earlier, Trey had not been prepared for the slight tan that the vampire sported on his face and hands. The teenager had never seen Lucien looking anything but deathly pale. He couldn’t imagine what Alexa, his own daughter, would make of it. There was something else about the vampire too, Trey thought – an air of contentment almost. But the topic of conversation had soon put such lighter thoughts far from his mind.
‘I understand the turmoil you must feel at the prospect of returning to Leroth, but—’
‘No, Lucien, you don’t understand.’ Trey looked across at his guardian. ‘Charles was killed in that place. I carried him out on my shoulders.’
Lucien met the teenager’s look with his own, as if waiting for Trey to go on. When he didn’t, Lucien aired what he thought was the real reason behind Trey’s reluctance to revisit the place.
‘You were almost killed in that place too.’
Trey shrugged. ‘That’s becoming a bit of an occupational hazard.’
‘And in defending yourself,’ the vampire went on as if he hadn’t heard this last comment, ‘you killed Gwendolin.’ He raised a hand to stop his ward interrupting again. ‘Let’s not pretend the memory of that isn’t bothering you every bit as much as what happened to your friend. I saw how you refused to meet Alexa’s eyes when I revealed where my brother was.’
‘Her mother’s dead because of me.’
‘No.’ The vampire shook his head. ‘The creature you defended both yourself and Charles from was no longer Alexa’s mother, any more than you are the boy I first met at the care home. You forget I once loved Gwendolin, and I can tell you that that woman ceased to exist a long, long time ago.’ He sighed and raised an eyebrow at Trey. ‘Alexa no more holds you responsible for her mother’s death than I do. Besides, if you had not done what you did, I would not be here speaking to you today. Your stealing of Mynor’s Globe from Leroth revived me.’ He frowned, as if considering what he’d just said. He looked up at his young ward, a sad smile on his face. ‘I wish there was some way that I could turn back the clock for you, Trey. To return you to a time when your world was not full of danger as it is now.’
Trey snorted. ‘And how far would you turn the clock back?’ He felt beneath his T-shirt for the amulet that hung there,
‘London?’
‘Why not? It will be the last thing he’d expect. Can you think of a suitable event that the humans might attend in great numbers?’
A terrible smile crept on to Caliban’s face. His eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, I think I know just the thing.’
8
Lucien closed his eyes behind his sunglasses and tipped his head back to let the sun bathe his face with its warmth and light. He was still unable to relax fully, his hands tightly gripping the balcony rail as he waited for the searing pain to begin, but it did not. It would not. The old witch was right. After Hag had pulled her little stunt he had come out on to the balcony alone to reflect. Though he realized he should probably be careful this first time, after so many centuries, he was finding it hard to tear himself away and return indoors. He looked down at the back of his hand. His skin had changed colour even in this short period – not exactly a tan, but not the pale coloration he was used to seeing either. In truth, he was probably a little burned – but his skin would rejuvenate at vampire speed once he was inside. Reluctantly, he headed for the door to let it do just that.
‘I can’t go back there,’ Trey said to Lucien.
They were sitting in the vampire’s office, Lucien behind his desk and Trey in a chair opposite him, having come at the vampire’s request. Despite having been warned by Tom about Lucien’s experience in the sun earlier, Trey had not been prepared for the slight tan that the vampire sported on his face and hands. The teenager had never seen Lucien looking anything but deathly pale. He couldn’t imagine what Alexa, his own daughter, would make of it. There was something else about the vampire too, Trey thought – an air of contentment almost. But the topic of conversation had soon put such lighter thoughts far from his mind.
‘I understand the turmoil you must feel at the prospect of returning to Leroth, but—’
‘No, Lucien, you don’t understand.’ Trey looked across at his guardian. ‘Charles was killed in that place. I carried him out on my shoulders.’
Lucien met the teenager’s look with his own, as if waiting for Trey to go on. When he didn’t, Lucien aired what he thought was the real reason behind Trey’s reluctance to revisit the place.
‘You were almost killed in that place too.’
Trey shrugged. ‘That’s becoming a bit of an occupational hazard.’
‘And in defending yourself,’ the vampire went on as if he hadn’t heard this last comment, ‘you killed Gwendolin.’ He raised a hand to stop his ward interrupting again. ‘Let’s not pretend the memory of that isn’t bothering you every bit as much as what happened to your friend. I saw how you refused to meet Alexa’s eyes when I revealed where my brother was.’
‘Her mother’s dead because of me.’
‘No.’ The vampire shook his head. ‘The creature you defended both yourself and Charles from was no longer Alexa’s mother, any more than you are the boy I first met at the care home. You forget I once loved Gwendolin, and I can tell you that that woman ceased to exist a long, long time ago.’ He sighed and raised an eyebrow at Trey. ‘Alexa no more holds you responsible for her mother’s death than I do. Besides, if you had not done what you did, I would not be here speaking to you today. Your stealing of Mynor’s Globe from Leroth revived me.’ He frowned, as if considering what he’d just said. He looked up at his young ward, a sad smile on his face. ‘I wish there was some way that I could turn back the clock for you, Trey. To return you to a time when your world was not full of danger as it is now.’
Trey snorted. ‘And how far would you turn the clock back?’ He felt beneath his T-shirt for the amulet that hung there,
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