The Lies Behind That Smile

Chapter Thirty-Two

The come down after such a momentous high hit Nikki hard. Bundled in the back of the car she lay across the seats convulsing violently. Her head ached, protesting every time the car hit a bump or turned sharply, and her body throbbed. She had stopped moaning though, the sound of even the gentlest complaint sent colours exploding behind her lids, crushing her head in an invisible vise like grip.

With her skin slick from the cold sweat it was fair to say that Nikki felt like death. And yet she couldn't ignore the craving, which was silently eating away in the back of her shattered head. The Hunter had been right she was cursed. She wanted to experience that high again, even now only hours after draining the creatures, she was beginning to thirst for more. In the front of the vehicle, Sam and Josh kept their voices low, but even then Nikki heard every word. She bit back a snarky comment as the two men muttered. It wouldn't help any if she antagonised her companions. So instead, she accepted the comedown with agitated compliance.

"Only another hundred miles or so. We'll be there by nightfall."

Nikki didn't know if Sam was speaking directly to her but she nodded anyway. She had agreed that once in the safety of her new accommodation she would study the book in greater detail, but given her current distracted frame of mind, she was unsure she'd be able to manage anything other than self-indulgent pity.

Things had become so tangled and here she was, alone in her thoughts. It was an alien experience and only served to add to her aggressive shudders. She missed his dry observations and sarcastic comebacks. She longed to hear his unpleasant rasp berate her for her many misdemeanors. She ached to feel his stone like arms cradling her against his cold chest. But nothing would bring him back. She had to plough on, keep forging forward the way he expected her to. Ignoring the solitary tear that ghosted down her face, Nikki grit her teeth and cursed the worlds she knew of. She was nothing more than a hapless rowing boat set adrift on their tide of destruction and she burned with the anger of that knowledge.

The miles went by at speed and thankfully uneventful, the light outside changing subtly as the day prepared to come to a close. Allowing herself to drift in and out of consciousness, Nikki passed the time in thought and dreams.

"We're here."

A voice broke through her slumber. With effort, Nikki righted herself and glared out of the windscreen at the looming building. Set in the middle of nowhere it looked imposing, rising out of the vast bareness of yet another deplorable moor.

How she hated the moors.

The house was huge. Towering three stories high it overshadowed the few small trees daring to defy the unforgiving winds. Ivy grew up one side of the front of the house, smothering the light coloured façade. To the side a long tendril like wall led away from the structure, acting as a barricade and Nikki couldn't help wondering what monstrous secrets it hid.

"What is this place?"

"It was once a manor house but the heritage line was lost long ago. Now it belongs to a friend."

Sam's curt words warned her not to press so she let the matter go. Staring back at the building her gaze snapped to the top left window. She scowled, peering up, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. There had been a face at the glass moments ago but now, now there was nothing. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Positive."

Even though Sam's answer was layered with assurances, Nikki couldn't shake the doubt crawling through her mind. She felt uneasy in the shadow of the intimidating building.

"C'mon, let's get inside and you can meet her." Josh smiled tentatively as he opened her door and stepped to one side.

"Who?"