‘Yes, I’m ready to work,’ I tell Mother Swift, fumbling eagerly with the buttons on my dress.
Mother Swift gives a pleased chuckle, no doubt thinking of the nice lot of coin coming her way since she takes a percentage of my earnings. ‘That’s my girl! Back in the saddle. It’s always the best way. I’ll tell him to come up now.’
She bustles off, and I lie back naked on the bed, licking my lips and smiling to myself.
Oh yes, Sadie Smith is going to give her well-paying customer the best rogering of his life.
Chapter 32
Sadie | Highlands, present day
Please, please don’t let the bad news be that Hester saw Elliott’s dead body when she was doing her cat reconnaissance.
Me (warily):What’s the good news?
Hester:Elliott was definitely in the castle.
Me:How do you know?
Hester:I found a barred window that opened onto a dungeon cell. I detected his scent.
Me:That ties in with what I saw under hypnosis.
Floss:What’s the bad news?
I brace myself.
Hester:He’s not there anymore.
Me (confused):Isn’t that good news?
Hester:There was blood on the ground.
Me:Oh, not so good. I thought he was being attacked by someone. It’s why I bit Damian by mistake.
Hester:I don’t think we should hang around if Floss isdetecting Alexander. And we can’t get into the castle to find out anything further. We have to assume Elliott’s still alive somewhere in there.
Floss:Let’s go and find Damian in the meanwhile and have a think about what to do next.
It’s as good a plan as any, and I can’t come up with a reason why we should stay. Yet I’m reluctant to leave the castle if Elliott’s in there—what if he’s hurt?
There’s nothing for it but to follow Floss as she leads the way back into the forest. We pick up the trail again, keeping our eyes open. Not too far along, the sounds of growling and slurping drift to our ears.
Hester:Alexander?
Floss shakes her head.No, my wayward boyfriend.
We inch forward. Rounding a clump of trees, we stand at the top of a dirt ridge and peer down. In the clearing below us are three people gorging on a large wild boar. Damian’s purple-streaked hair is a giveaway. The thin woman opposite is a stranger. But when the person next to her shifts position, I catch a glimpse of a familiar, albeit blood-smeared, face. His shiny white fangs are clearly visible, and they plunge afresh into the boar’s neck. Oh no no no no! Elliott’s a vampire. This wasn’t meant to happen. I’m the only one who should make that decision!
My body trembles uncontrollably. Somehow, I find my voice.
‘Elliott John Blythe!’ I call out in a deadly tone. ‘What thefuckare you doing?’
Elliott looks around, then up to the ridge. His gaze lands on me standing there with my hands on my hips. A grin spreads across his face as we descend into the clearing. His bright blue eyes, startling against the vermillion blood on his cheeks, are locked on me. My face remains unsmiling.
‘Hey, babe,’ says Damian to Floss.
‘Um, hey,’ she replies, sounding equally shocked at finding her boyfriend feeding from a hairy animal.
