The girl who chased the moon

Chapter 12

I don't know how long I slept for, but all I was aware of was Lydia shaking me awake, her voice whispering urgently in my ear "Beatrice, wake up, we must leave"

"Uh?" I mumbled drowsily, trying to pries my lids open. 

"We have found Monsieur Valancourte" she said hastily. 

I shot upright, pushing the sheets back and was suddenly alert, "What?"

"We found him" she said proudly, "but we must hurry"

I nodded and leapt out of bed, barely flinching as my feet hit the icy floor and racing across the room, throwing breaches and a shirt out of the cupboard. "You are wearing trousers?" questioned Lydia.

"Easier to ride in, and too fight in"

"Well I should hope it won't come to that" Lydia said.

"Fairies are volatile, and we are about to interrogate one on the whereabouts of an extremely valuable gem, it will probably end in some sort of fight" I said, pulling off my night gown and yanking the shirt down over my head. I quickly tucked it into the tan breeches and pulled on my boots. 

I brushed my hair back into a pony tail, if it had not been for my figure and feminine features, my clothing and hair style could have made me mistakable for a boy. "You look.." Lydia couldn't finish. 

"I know" I said, she didn't need to finish, I knew what she was thinking; the boots, the hair, the scabbard attached to my belt and the stake tucked into one of the loops, I looked so much like a slayer, something she knew about being all too well. I pulled the black cloak around myself, concealing the hidden armory stored on my person. 

Lydia looked at me with a very worried expression but the one I gave her in answering was emotionless, with a hidden fire burning behind my eyes. "Let's go" I said darkly, drawing up my hood and making for the stables. 

Within a matter of minutes, I was galloping along side Carlisle, thundering towards Valancourte. Lydia had wanted to come, but was bound in the chateau until darkness fell. We veered into the forest, the trees and foliage blurring past, my cloak flying out behind me like a cape. Carlisle glanced at me, one filled with worry and doubt. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I just don't know what we're running towards" he said gravely. 

"Then we must be prepared" I said, kicking the horse onward and speeding ever faster towards Valancourte. 

***

Eventually, we arrived at a gothic manor, totally unfitting to continental style. It may as well have been taken out of a grim fairy tale. The brick work was grey, and gargoyles sat on the corners. Ivy clung to the wall, as if the forest was trying to take a grip back on the monstrosity that marred the woodland. 

I got off the horse, patting it as it heaved from the effort and tied it's reins to a nearby tree branch. "This is the place" Carlisle said. The air seemed to hum as we got closer to the manor, it was like someone had electrified the air. 

We climbed the steps and I withdrew Katiana from the scabbard on my belt. The sound was like a cannon in the eerily quiet woodland. I looked back at Carlisle, nodding as I turned the brass handle to open the door. It swung open and creaked on rusted hinges, revealing a darkened interior. Candles lit themselves as we stepped inside, and I automatically raised katiana in response. Carlisle put his hand on the blades edge, "stop" he told me. I lowered the sword slowly, and my eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting.