Secrets In The Bones: The Curse of Blood Bay

Forty one

This dangerous, bloodthirsty chess game was driving me crazy, enough to have me hearing many bizarre things. I was about to leave the car and head towards our next quest in our never-ending, sleepless nightmare. Instead, I couldn't stop twisting and searching. This time, not for freshly severed heads being laughed at by us. Those words couldn't be hers; they just couldn't. Could they? We needed Ellena back with us so badly my mind was tormenting me. Still blaming myself, and this was the result. Maybe even cracking up. God knows how I hadn't already, but perhaps all the vampire mind fucking and then holding Duncan's head was the straw that broke the werewolf's back.

'Georgie, Don't be scared, it's me,'

Ellena came again; I could feel my blood draining to my feet as I walked into a misty freezer; that's how cold each word made me feel. Even my hackles didn't know what to do. They didn't jump because of danger; they were shocked with fear. That was the underlying sensation I was grasping. I was bloody afraid.

The elder, Count Diminescu, had done a number on me; now, I couldn't trust my instincts, senses, or sanity. Was this another chess move? Throw us off with the heads, then mess with me by getting in my head like he had to guide me to the coffin. My heart was going to explode; pain began shooting down my arm as I struggled for breath and composure. My erratic behaviour had got attention, but not from the likeliest sources.

Our freed werewolf friend, whom we hadn't even had the time to find out their name, saw me acting weird and jumped to my side. All it took was one hand on my wrist; the one with the symbol glowed, and so did his. He didn't talk, not out loud anyway. My head got crowded quickly.

'It's ok, breathe. Alpha uses this old technique; it's used to bring pack Beta's back from being rabid during a full moon. I saw you spiralling and know the vampire's tricks all too well. How else did you think I was kept at bay for so long? I can now hear what you can for now, at least. Relax and wait,'

'How is this possible? There's so many things I don't know and questions I want to ask; we don't even know your name,'

'All in good time. Seeing as I owe you my life, and I think it's... it's Logan,'

'Georgie, it's Ellena, please don't be scared,' it came again. This time, I didn't get the same chill. I looked at Logan, who nodded to say he could also hear. The hard part was controlling, only talking in my head. Meanwhile, we were getting strange looks from Skip and Michael.

'Ellena, is that you?'

'Yes, what Ruth said seems true. Wherever I am is dark, damp and stony. So I fell asleep thinking of you to see if I could reach you. Georgie, I'm so scared. I need you,'

Logan signalled to keep talking by rolling his hand forward in the air.

'That happened quickly?' it seemed too good to be true; what did I know? Perhaps that stuff worked; imagine your target and Bob's your uncle.

'All I can think about to keep me calm is you and that you're out there ending this.'

Ellena had me thinking, mainly because of our experience with the Golem version on the ground. I wondered if Ellena saw us getting shot; how would she expect me to be still looking if I was dead? Let alone get in my head.

'What do you remember about the beach?'

'I was dragged to a coffin; my hand got cut. Many horrifying happened that I won't forget in a hurry. You know I'm good with creepy, but watching a body form back together little by little until the bastard jumped up and grabbed me by the throat, I passed out.'

Everything Ellena or her voice said sounded truthful. Still, in this awkward moment of another werewolf gripping my symbol, a fallen Alpha to boot, I couldn't wrap my fragile brain around Ellena using telepathy. Assuming that's what it was, I'm a sceptic at the best of times, especially around psychics and holding events in pubs.