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  “The preparations for the party are in place. All you need to do is stick to your end of the bargain.”

  As Lord Bramble spoke for the first time that evening, his mouth felt dry and his voice cracked. Despite these facts, he attempted to command authority as he spoke, even though he was, at heart, shaking, for that was the effect that this individual had on him.

  “Your offer is most attractive, Dasrus, and I am grateful for it. My conscience is hounding me though. I must ask, is there any way to complete our plan without innocent people getting hurt?”

  He could tell that he had angered his acquaintance as he visibly bristled as Lord Bramble spoke. He turned his back on the lord and slowly walked over to the window.

  “Listen to me, Bramble, and listen well for the sake of your family and yourself. We have a deal, an agreement that you will not back out of. I explained the terms very carefully and you agreed to them wholly. The six offerings are necessary at this stage. Any other casualties will be… unfortunate.”

  Dasrus spoke in a quiet and menacing manner; however, as he was facing the window, looking out over the grounds and not directly at him, Lord Bramble felt a moment of courage.

  “I just don’t like the idea of innocent people getting caught up in our arrangement. And for that matter, you still haven’t told me the significance of Cecily Stalks in all of this. I have many questions left unanswered, yet now we find ourselves on the eve of the event. I cannot move forward without answers.” He spoke with the conviction of a lawyer arguing his case in court.

  “Answers? You want answers?”

  Dasrus was apparently irritated, yet still he spoke in a flat, monotonous tone. He turned from the window and began to sail across the room towards Lord Bramble’s desk, the shadows carrying him on his way. The lord was suddenly very aware of his body and he realised he was standing up, leaning forward over his desk supported by his arms.

  “After all I have offered you. A lifestyle and riches beyond your wildest imagination. Refuge in a place where all your dreams will become reality. And you want answers?”

  Lord Bramble slowly lowered himself back into his chair. A low growl resounded off the study walls.

  “I will give you what you want. I just need a guarantee that no one will be hurt.”

  Like a firework exploding, Dasrus raised himself up and morphed back into his true form. As he did so, the black mass at his feet lurched forward with blood curdling snarls and ear piercing shrieks. Lord Bramble found himself surrounded by gaping jaws on all sides, yellow teeth dripping with saliva, ready to snap him up at Dasrus’s word.

  “You are in no position to make demands!” he roared, all calm and self-control lost in anger. “There will be blood on your hands, but you made that choice when you agreed to what I asked. Your avarice has far surpassed your morality, Bramble. You are nothing. I need your blood, your consent and nothing more. My end of the bargain will be kept and you will be rewarded handsomely for your trouble.”

  As he changed back to the personable shell that was assuming his nephew’s form, a sinister calm fell over the room. Dasrus turned and moved slowly, resuming his place by the window.

  “There is no backing out, Bramble. You have signed the contract. If you question me further or try to sabotage my plans in any way, you will suffer incomprehensible misery for all eternity. Do not test my patience. The sacrifice that you make tomorrow will not be forgotten. It will forge the future of this world and you will go down in history as the person who made it all possible.” A repugnant laugh erupted from trickster’s face. Lord Bramble could take no more. He cradled his weary head in his hands and as he did so, he reluctantly accepted the situation.

  “All right, I will do what you want,” he whimpered.

  As he looked up, Dasrus had gone, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared, the study returning to room temperature.

  If Lord Bramble were a more scrupulous man, he would have cried in exasperation at his pending crime against humanity. However, he selfishly felt sorry for himself. Why had this curse been placed on his family and more importantly, why did this debt have to come to fruition in his time, while he was head of the family? When the lord had referred to the situation as a curse to Dasrus, he had said it was not a curse, but an honour. Human protectors of the gateway; what did that even mean? All Lord Bramble could think was that he had better be recompensed when all of this stress was done with. He returned his face to his hands, inwardly willing tomorrow to hurry up and arrive and be over with equally as fast. At that moment, he did not feel safe anywhere, not even in the sanctity of his own home. He had been invaded.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jedd had not slept well and then from the moment he had opened his eyes, he had been engulfed by a feeling of impending doom. Tonight was the party and to say he was nervous about what the evening would bring was an understatement. As he lay in bed, his head propped up by his powerful arms, he thought about how he had betrayed his lifelong friends, wondering if he had done the right thing or not. Although he was plagued by guilt, he could not help feeling relieved, happy even, that he would finally get an answer to his question. There would be no more pain, no more torment and no more having to bottle it all up inside, putting on a brave face for the world to see. They would all be back, reactivated, and he would not have to feel such incredible bitterness that he was the only one who remembered.

  Of course, he could have confided in Kaden, but Kaden would have come up with a solution to his problem, a solution that he probably would not have wanted and so he had decided to keep his secret to himself. He would get the answer his way, although his own solution was far from straightforward. His betrayal had come at a price. If he received the answer to his question he desired, then he would have a lot to make up for and a lot of trust to regain, as he was about to do a lot of damage. He would also have a deal to break, which was going to be a very difficult arrangement to get out of and he would need the help of his friends. And with that thought, Jedd’s guilt quickly subsided and turned to anger, accompanied by a gut-wrenching pain.

  No longer able to contain his feelings, he shot out of bed and stalked to his bathroom. Why doesn’t she just remember? He loved her – loves her still. He should not have to go to such extremes. It was her fault he had become so selfish. In a fierce rage, he cleared the items that constituted his bathroom shelf with one swoop of his large hand. As the bottles, jars and tins crashed to the floor, he thought about the ultimate prize offered to him by Dasrus should he not get what he wants. No more memory equalled no more pain. Tonight it would all be over, no more secrets. They would know he is a traitor and the sacrifice would be complete, for now. This evening was about self-preservation and there was no room for feelings of guilt. Which side he gave his loyalty to would depend on her.

  With that thought, he picked up the goods he had knocked to his bathroom floor and carefully placed them back on the shelf. While doing so, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and realised that he did not recognise the person staring back. He then wondered if he truly ever had.

  ***

  Jedd was not the only one who awoke with a heavy heart that morning. Instead of looking forward to that evening’s party, Kaden was feeling quite the opposite. He was filled with a sense of dread and yet he did not know why. As he had promised Cecily, he went to visit Elisabeth to invite her to the ball. They had chatted and he had quizzed her the best he could without being too obvious. Kaden was convinced that she did not remember anything, although his gut told him all was not well with her. There was something in her behaviour and the way she kept avoiding his eye. Whether Elisabeth was telling the truth or not, or for that matter, whether he liked it or not, all of the pieces were in place. He had no evidence to back up his suspicions and this only brought him full circle again, back to the fact that he was dreading this evening and he did not know why. It was only a feeling and yet he knew something was about to happen. He just could not see it yet. His logic was clouded.
He would have to wait and see what tonight would bring. As Kaden churned the information over and over in his head, he absent-mindedly showered and dressed as he still needed to get a costume. However, this seemed the least of his problems.

  ***

  It was lunchtime on her first day at her new job and Elisabeth Stone’s tummy was rumbling. She was sat in the gift shop at Bramble Hall, waiting for someone to come and cover her for her thirty-minute lunch break. Elisabeth, probably like most of the other inhabitants of Bramblegate, was thinking about the ball that night. Her costume was ready. As soon as she finished work at four, she would race home and begin her preparations for getting ready. She had been pleased when the rather handsome Kaden Quinn had turned up on her doorstep to invite her to the party. She was a little bit embarrassed at how attractive she found him, so much so, she could not look him in the eye. She had really wanted to go to the party, although she had not wanted to go alone. This evening would give her the opportunity to become reacquainted with her old friends.

  As she sat there daydreaming about the forthcoming evening, she experienced the familiar feeling of déjà vu. These experiences seemed to be getting worse since she had returned to Bramblegate. There was something niggling at the back of her mind. That niggling feeling was telling her that something had been forgotten, that something needed to be remembered. As she tried to access those elusive memories, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. This startled her as the gift shop had been dead that morning. She had barely seen a soul. This was not the first time that she had been sure she was not alone since returning to Bramblegate and starting work at Bramble Hall. In those moments when she was by herself, she felt uncomfortable, like she was being watched from the shadows. Not just at work, but at home too. She needed to get out more. Maybe some fun with friends would do her good and make her less paranoid. She had too much time on her hands to think. A cold shiver passed down Elisabeth’s spine and as it did so, she heard the trotting of court shoes coming towards her.

  “Elisabeth, dear!” Acantha’s shrill voice rang out, reverberating off the ancient walls. “I will cover you for your break today! Everyone else is busy with preparations for this evening. Now run along and get something to eat. It will be quite busy in here this afternoon as they will be setting up for tonight. How exciting! There certainly hasn’t been a shindig of this proportion in many years! I can’t wait for everyone to see my costume…”

  As Acantha waffled on to herself, seemingly talking to no one, Elisabeth slipped out of the door and into the grounds of Bramble Hall.

  ***

  Cecily Stalks was beside herself with excitement. She had spent the whole day relaxing and pampering herself in preparation for the ball. Cian had treated her to a manicure and she had saved some of her tips to get her hair put up by the hairdresser. As Cian was busy with the ball, Cecily got the bus into the city on her own. She had returned a couple of hours later, feeling like a million dollars with her newly-styled hair and bright pink nails. She could not believe how happy and lucky she felt. Her life was unrecognisable compared to a couple of months ago. She was now adding the final touches to her outfit. As she applied her pink lip gloss, she tried to put out of her mind the creeping thought that Cian would eventually be leaving Bramblegate. She wanted this happiness to last forever. She took a step back from the mirror and admired herself. This Cecily was a far cry from everyday Cecily. The hairdresser had managed to pin back her short red bob and the style complimented her lovely heart-shaped face and emphasised the long line of her neck. The black dress she’d had made fitted her perfectly. It slightly skimmed her hips, giving her curves she never knew she had. Combined with subtle make-up that made her skin glow, she looked positively elegant. The tomboy would be staying at home tonight whilst sophisticated Cec would take the stage. She liked the idea of this. As she smoothed her dress down, there was a knock at the door. Cian! Tonight, everything

  would be perfect.

  ***

  Lord Bramble stood on the balcony of the grand staircase looking down on the Great Hall. He looked every bit the aristocrat in his smart, black tuxedo. He was carefully observing the arrival of his guests. His emotions were mixed, although none of them were good. What was going to happen this evening? The past couple of months had brought him up to this point. It had all been about this night and now he had never been so terrified in his whole life. From what he could see, the six who were about to lose their lives had not arrived yet. Six deaths were bad enough, but what if there were more? What if he had placed his family in danger? And for what? For the promise of more riches? Now, in the reality of what was about to happen, it hardly seemed worth it. Lady Bramble joined him on the balcony.

  “Darling! What a tremendous party!” she cooed. “That nephew of yours has certainly done you proud! I don’t ever remember a summer party as wonderful as this! And it’s barely begun yet!”

  He turned to look at her, beautiful and elegant in blue chiffon, and he felt a powerful surge of love for his wife. Lord Bramble may have been a bit unethical in his business affairs, such was the legacy of the Bramble family; however, he was a loyal family man. No one could deny that. He would do anything for the love of his life and his children. He kissed his wife on the cheek and turned his attention back to the guests. Amongst the gathering crowd, he saw his two young children, Oscar and Delilah, tearing about. He was only half-listening to Lady Bramble, who was gushing about how wonderful the children looked and about how excited they were, for through the door walked three of his young victims, shortly followed by another two. He gazed upon them, marvelling at how they were not that many years older than his own children. Finally, the last of the sacrifices arrived with him. She was positively glowing. Could she really not recognise the evil that lay beneath the handsome exterior of the man she was clutching tightly hold of? Surely, she should be able to smell it at such close quarters? The lord reflected that his business partner looked, well, normal.

  The final feeling among the mix of emotions the aristocrat was experiencing was anger. In fact, anger would be to put it too lightly. He was feeling rage. He had a responsibility to his family, guests and employees. He would not allow this ruthless mad man, or whatever he was, to puppeteer him any longer. Greed had got the better of him, but he was quickly starting to realise that some things were simply more important. He had to do something before it was too late, for deep down, he knew he would not be able to live with the aftermath of his decision.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cian and Cecily arrived at the party in style. As they pulled up outside the main entrance of Bramble Hall, a smartly dressed valet opened the door for Cecily and helped her out of the car. Cian walked around to meet her and as he did, he dropped the keys of the classic Rolls Royce he had borrowed from his uncle, into the hands of the eagerly awaiting valet.

  “Be careful with her!” he joked as he took Cecily’s arm in his. This was the moment that Cecily had been waiting for. She was about to enter the most important party on Bramblegate’s sparse calendar. As there were not that many social events in Bramblegate to look forward to each year, she knew that a lot of the villagers would be here and she was about to enter with the man of the moment, who had made all of this excitement possible. Not only that, he was, without a doubt, the most handsome man in the village by far. And he was with her. She would never forget the look on his face as she had opened the door to the cottage just a short time ago. He had told her how beautiful she looked, which had made her blush to her very core. At the entrance to the Great Hall, a photographer was on hand to take pictures of arriving guests, with a reporter from the local paper, who was now busy scribbling away. Cecily smiled brightly for the photograph, clinging tightly to her boyfriend’s arm. She was thinking all the while that life could not get much better than this. Her feelings for Cian were stronger than ever. She knew that she loved him – with all of her heart.

  As they entered the Great Hall, Cecily felt overwhelmed. She did no
t know where to look first. As she spun around, she noticed that a stage had been erected just behind her in the large bay window area of the Great Hall, with microphones, speakers and lots of instruments on stands, waiting patiently to be brought to life by their maestros. Through the crowd to her right, she could make out a bar area, where bar tenders dressed in white tuxedos and black bow ties were serving elaborate looking cocktails over ice, with sparklers illuminating brilliantly beside brightly coloured cocktail umbrellas. A large Art Deco mirror had been hung behind the bar and in its reflection, she saw that the opposite side of the Great Hall boasted another bar with a matching Art Deco mirror. However, this bar was being dressed by waiters and waitresses with large silver cake stands and vintage china tea sets. Cecily knew, because Cian had told her, that this was the dessert bar. Through the huge double door, behind the dessert bar, was the dining room. She caught a glimpse of large circular tables dressed with white linen and extravagant, yet elegant, floral displays. As her eyes wandered back into the Great Hall, she noticed that the guests had turned to look at her and Cian as they entered. Cecily suddenly felt very self-conscious. As she looked down to check her dress, she saw that the lights emulated by the crystal chandeliers above her head, were dancing like fairies all over the black silk of her dress.

  The couple made their way through the building crowd, Cecily clinging tightly to Cian’s arm. Across the room, stood just beneath the balcony, Cecily spotted her friends and she forgot that she felt self-conscious and instead she was feeling instant excitement. She did not realise how much she had missed them. She was now in front of Cian, pulling him by the arm in a hurry to get to her friends. However, when she bounded over, only Kaden and Elisabeth seemed pleased to see her. Kaden was as kind and generous as always and was really warm and welcoming to Cian. Elisabeth was very complimentary about Cecily’s dress. She thought how nice it was to see Kaden and Elisabeth together. Cecily pushed her way over to Fen and Sol and gathered Fen up in a big hug, wishing her, “Happy birthday,” as she did so. Fen and Sol were pleasant enough, but Cecily felt that the atmosphere was a bit strained and so the longer she stood with them, the more awkward it became. Jedd simply nodded in her direction, although as he did, his eyes caught Cian’s and Jedd quickly looked away. Cecily thought how strange this was. Did they already know one another? She was about to ask Cian this very question when there was an announcement from up above them on the balcony.