Chapter 3: Chapter Three

I tried to move, but my whole body ached like I’d just been slammed by a freight train. The throbbing in my head was eclipsed by the aching in every bone I possessed. I felt someone near me and looked up to see Sol extending his hand to me. I reached out and grasped his wrist, wincing in pain as he yanked me to my feet.

“Are you okay?” he said, a look of concern etched on his face.

“What was that?” I said when I was standing.

“Bernard can be a little abrupt.”

“A little abrupt?” I asked, sitting back down in one of the chairs and rubbing my aching calves. “He just laid the smackdown on me!”

“He did have a point though. You’re not trained to deal with supernatural entities.”

“That’s another thing, what is a supernatural entity?”

“Vampires, werewolves, witches.”

Holy crap balls!

“You’re shitting me? Those things are for real? So what, Catherine is a vampire or something? I didn’t see her drinking blood from that guy.”

“No, most vampires are under our control. She’s a lich.”

“Come again?”

“A lich is a powerful necromancer who prolongs their life through feeding from another’s qi.”

“Okay, that sounds like an answer pulled from the ‘encyclopaedia of supernatural entities,’” I said, making bunny ears in the air. “Did you learn that thing by heart? In English please.”

“A powerful sorcerer who can raise the dead and gains immortality by feeding off other’s life energy.”

“Holy shit. She’s immortal?”

“Not yet, but she’s been around since the sixteenth century.”

Recalling school history lessons, all the research I’d done on Catherine growing up, and the array of portraits I’d seen hanging in Catherine’s office, I began to connect the dots. No wonder she had an uncanny resemblance to her ancestor and namesake, they were the same damn woman! I remembered the first time I’d seen Catherine, when her appointment as CEO was announced, and I’d thought it weird her mother hadn’t come out of retirement to personally hand over the company. Now I realised there was no mother, and that Catherine’s studies in Italy tied in perfectly with Camilla’s withdrawal from the public eye. As much as I hated to admit it, I was slightly impressed by the lengths gone to to uphold the ruse.

“Alright, maybe I’m starting to see Bernard’s point, but he didn’t have to be so rough about it. What is up with that guy? He’s gotta be at least as old as my dad, and okay he looks pretty buff for someone his age, but when he had me on the floor it was like wrestling Hercules.”

“Yeah, he works out a lot. We all do.”

“Don’t give me that crap. That was more than a guy who goes to the gym regularly.”

Sol ran a hand through his dark hair and began pacing. “Really it’s nothing. Let’s just focus on getting your tests done.”

Despite still feeling shaky, I pushed off the table and clambered to my feet. “Don’t brush me off. Something weird’s going on, I know that much. Whether I want to be or not, I’m part of this now, so tell me, why is Bernard so strong?”

Sol opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head and let out a long breath. “Alright, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I get the impression you’re not the type to go running your mouth about what you’ve seen today.”

“Yeah, because everyone’d think I’m crazy.”

Sol let out a dry laugh. “Even though that’s true, it’s not a risk I’d take if I didn’t think you could keep this to yourself. But I do, and it’s unfair to keep you in the dark after all you’ve seen today.”

Oh wow. I’d never gotten this level of trust from someone before. It felt good knowing I’d made enough of an impression on Sol that he was willing to answer my questions.

“Now, understand I haven’t got the authority to tell you much yet. But members of our Order have special abilities to help us fight the supernatural.”

 “Okay, I need to sit down for a few minutes. This is getting too weird.”

I fell into the closest chair and tried to get my head around everything Sol had just told me. There was no denying Bernard was stronger than any man his age had a right to be, and something was certainly not normal about Catherine. Then there was Sol himself, and the few other Order members I’d met. There was something uncanny – almost unhuman about all of them. But liches, immortality and an organization with special abilities? It was all a little too much.

A fresh wave of dizziness spread through me, and I took a deep steadying breath.

“I understand you need some time to process everything, but you still need to be looked over by Lettie in the lab.”

The name jerked me back to my senses and I narrowed my eyes. “You mean that woman Bernard was with?” When Sol nodded, I shook my head. “No way. There’s something super weird about her. She gives me the creeps almost as much as Catherine.”

Sol tilted his head to one side. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” I began, heaving out a breath. “There’s something strange about all of you. No offense, Sol, but even you give off this aura. Bernard too, and that women we met by the door. Then there’s Lettie. Something about her feels unnatural. She makes me uneasy, and my skin gets goosebumps the same way it did when I saw Catherine … fe—doing what she did.” I couldn’t bring myself to say feeding. “What is she?”

Sol sighed. “Well, there’s no point in lying to you if you’ve sensed this much. Lettie is a vampire.”

My eyes almost bulged out of my head. “Is she dangerous?”

Sol laughed and shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t be here if she was. Actually, Lettie is one of the Order’ most important members. Due to how long she’s been alive she’s seen and learned much more than most of us. She’s studied the DNA of many supernatural beings. She’s an expert in paranormal blood.”

I rolled my eyes. “Right, of course the vampire is a blood expert. What about you? You’re not some werewolf or something, right?”

“No, my powers are similar to Bernard’s. I have super-human strength, stamina and endurance, I can also wield weapons made of Reverard—” Before I could even ask what that was, Sol explained. “It’s a special metal imbued with magic. I’m sure you’ve heard the old stories that werewolves are weak to silver. Well, there’s some truth to that, all paranormal being as weak to Reverard, which to non-magical mortals, looks very much like silver.”

“Non-magical mortals … you mean like me?” I asked, still trying to piece together how this world worked.

Once more Sol tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing me closely. Finally, he said, “Actually the fact you’re able to sense something different about all of us makes me wonder if you’re actually got magical blood too. That’s another reason I want you to get checked over by Lettie.”

He stood, and started to make his way to the door, and even though I still wasn’t sure about Lettie herself, I trusted Sol and followed him.

“How is that even possible? Wouldn’t I know if I was magical?”

“Not if you had an ancestor who was supernatural many generations ago,” Sol said, leading me into the laboratory.

Lettie was still studying the thick black substance she had been showing Bernard when we arrived, but she looked up as we approached.

I instantly noticed her deep purple eyes, with vertical slits and took a small step backwards.

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“It’s okay, I don’t bite,” Lettie said, with a soft, reassuring smile.

I forced myself to walk forward. “I’m sorry, it’s just … Sol told me what you were, and before that I saw a lich feeding, and—”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Lettie said softly. “I know the reputation my species has, and all this must be a huge shock to a mortal like you.” She turned her gaze to Sol. “So, what’s this about a lich?”

“You’re aware of the lich I’ve been tracking?” When Lettie nodded, Sol went on. “Well Roxie here was in close proximity to it when it was feeding. Not only that, but she’s been unwell for a number of weeks, since her first meeting with the lich. And well, you saw her reaction to you. Roxie also sensed there was something different about all of us.”

Lettie raised a thin, dark eyebrow, set aside the test-tube she’d been dropping liquid into with a pipette, and crossed the room to us.

“Please, come with me.”

I looked to Sol and he nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”

Lettie led us to a sectioned off corner of the laboratory, where an examination table and various medical equipment were set up.

I slipped into one of the two available chairs, leaving the other for Lettie, and Sol stood beside me. I’d never been scared of needles before, or the sight of my own blood, but when Lettie pulled away from me I felt light headed, and couldn’t focus clearly on her face.

“Are you alright?” Sol asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” The look Sol gave me stilled my mouth. “Alright, I’m feeling a little faint, but I’m okay.”

“We’ll get it sorted, don’t worry,” he said squeezing my shoulder, then turned to Lettie. “I’ve got to find Bernard, could you keep an eye on Roxie for me?”

“Of course. He should be here when I’ve analysed Roxie’s blood to hear my findings,” Lettie said, and Sol dashed out of the door, leaving me alone with the vampire.

Despite her cold hands, Lettie’s touch was gentle, and she had the best bedside manner of any medical professional I’d ever seen. “I’ll just be a few moments. I’ve got to get your sample analysed, and pop into the storeroom. I won’t be long. I’ll make you a drink before I go, and you can … erm…” She reached around, browsing through the bookcase nearby, “Read this,” she said, pulling out a thick well-worn book. She placed it on the table next to me, before using the portable kettle to make me a cup of coffee.

Taking my vials of blood, Lettie slipped them into an analysis machine, then left the laboratory.

I took a moment to look around. On first glance, the medical area was like any other doctor’s office, but when I looked more closely, I noticed all the subtle differences; like the extra-long, thick needle that was sharp enough to sew leather with. The books in the case next to me all had strange titles, and many of them were written in languages I didn’t recognise. On the wall above the case was a chart detailing the phases of the moon. The lab was something else though; there were samples everywhere, and strange vials or slides under microscopes. Along the back wall were several specimen jars – some contained everyday animals, but one held the severed foot of a scaled creature I knew wasn’t normal.

Curious to know exactly what I was dealing with, I picked up the book Lettie had left for me. It was titled ‘Edmond Beecham’s Order of the Ancile Definitive A-Z of Supernatural Entities’.

I burst out laughing. Oh my God. I was kidding when I teased Sol that his description of a lich sounded like it came from the encyclopaedia of supernatural entities; I didn’t think there actually was one.

I flicked through the alphabetical listing until I got to L, and then searched for lich. The standard definition was exactly what Sol had recited to me earlier. Another wave of laughter crashed over me. He did learn it by heart! I felt oddly reassured knowing one of the people who’d be fighting Catherine took their work seriously enough to learn textbook descriptions by heart. It’s what I would have done.

I thumbed through the book, amazed by all the things that were supposedly real – banshees, daemons, faeries.

I shook my head, unable to take in what I was reading. I could accept that something wasn’t right about Catherine Farley, but banshees, daemons, faeries? I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea these things weren’t fictitious. Words in a book meant nothing to me; I needed solid, physical proof that what I’d read was real.

Hoping Lettie would be a while longer yet, I walked from the medical bay through to the laboratory and started studying the various specimen jars. Looking closely at the scaled severed foot, a chill went down my spine. Was this the remains of a daemon?

Continuing down the row of jars and bottles, I came to a large rectangular glass box. Pulling the lid back carefully, I took out a small, winged figure from inside. Is this a faerie? I wondered, cupping the tiny humanoid creature in my hand. Hearing footsteps behind me, I whipped round to see Lettie had returned.

“Please be gentle, it’s extremely fragile,” she said.

“What is it?” I looked down at its iridescent insect-like wings. It otherwise seemed human – with baby smooth skin, and silky soft hair – the exception being it fit in the palm of my hand.

“It’s a pixie. Their bodies decompose slower than humans’ do, but it’s still delicate.”

“Oh,” I said sadly. “What happened to it?”

“I still haven’t been able to work that out, despite it being one of the first specimens I acquired when I joined the Order.”

“Sorry I snooped.” I lowered my gaze from hers.

“It’s alright. I understand. I was overwhelmed by it all at first too. Those first few decades after I was turned, and I’d learned how to control the blood lust – Sorry, you don’t need to hear all that.”

Hearing Lettie speak of blood lust was unnerving, but I wanted to know more about this … it seemed wrong to call her a creature. For the most part, she looked and acted human. I wondered if everyone else sensed something weird about her, or if it was just me?

I handed the pixie back to Lettie and she returned it to the glass box. “Please, tell me more.”

Lettie smiled and I caught a brief glimpse of her fangs. I pushed away the cold feeling that creeped over me. If she had wanted to drink my blood, she’d had plenty of opportunity to do so.

 “Well, after I realized what I was, I needed to learn more. I’d always been curious, even as a child. I discovered others of my kind, and through them I eventually learned that my species weren’t the only paranormal beings that existed.”

As Lettie went back to the blood machine, I was left with my thoughts. There was no way the pixie could be fake – the skin was too life-like for starters, but more than that, it felt real. It felt like a being that had once been alive, and knowing it was no longer alive made me oddly sad. It seemed like such a waste.

 “So, how much of a threat is Catherine?” I asked, leaving the specimens behind, and joining Lettie where she was taking my samples out of the analysis machine.

“Perhaps we should discuss this question with everyone,” Sol said, announcing his return to the lab.

Lettie and I followed Sol back to the main area, where he’d been joined by Bernard. The older man watched me closely through narrowed eyes, a slight sneer on his face. But he didn’t say anything and made no move towards me. I just knew that the peace in the room was being held together by a thin thread.

 “I’ve analysed the blood samples taken from Roxie. The results were inconclusive,” Lettie said once we were all seated.

“What do you mean, inconclusive?” Bernard beat me to the question.

“It’s obvious the lich is having an adverse effect on Roxie, we found her antigens in Roxie’s blood. She’s certainly the cause of the illness, though how deeply this will affect, I’m not sure yet. We’d need to carry out more tests. And that’s not all I found when I analysed Roxie’s blood. Because I wasn’t looking for it directly, I can’t be sure of what it was, but it wasn’t human.”

Sol turned to Bernard. “I told you she sensed something was different about us. That shouldn’t be possible for a normal mortal. I believe Roxie has supernatural ancestry and it’s best if Lettie runs more tests.”

“If that’s the case, it would explain why the lich has affect her so much, and depending on her exact ancestry, she could be of use to the order,” Lettie added.

Bernard snorted out a breath, his eyes moving to me, and he once again studied me closely. “Fine. Run more tests. But until we know exactly what we’re dealing with, Miss Whitmore is your responsibility, Sol. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you personally accountable.”

Without another word, Bernard stalked from the laboratory.

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