Page 9 of The Rising Dark
Lavinia.Michelle’s throat constricted slightly at the memory of her.She ignored the feeling, focusing back on Lucretia.“Lavinia mentioned sisters.Are you…her sister?”she asked with hesitation.Besides the fact that Lavinia, Lucretia, and the woman who had led them inside last night were all built like professional athletes, their features shared no resemblance.Lucretia had a strong jaw, and somehow the light made her eyes seem completely black, as if the pupil had swallowed the iris.They were nothing like Lavinia’s green eyes, her high cheekbones.It seemed unlikely all three of the women she had met so far had somehow come from the same parents.
“We are Sword Sisters.”The finality of the statement gave the impression that this explained everything.
For Michelle, it explained exactly nothing.“What does that mean?”
Lucretia tapped short fingernails on the wood of the tabletop.A sign of impatience?“We are sworn by oaths and by blood to protect our kind, to stand with our Sisters, and to give our life if necessary.There are nine of us.”Michelle felt the urge to laugh because it sounded ridiculous, but under the calculating gaze of Lucretia, she found herself believing it.Besides, she had seen what Lavinia could do with a knife.Apparently, she was not the only one.
“I understand you may have a lot of questions.I am not able to answer all of them right now, but I do open my house to you.Please avoid any locked doors.”Her tone implied dismissal.Michelle thanked her and escaped back into the living room.
Nine “Sisters”.Sworn by blood to…what had Lucretia said?Protect their kind.Surely she meant people—humans—right?But there was something about the way she’d said it that made Michelle think that thatwasn’twhat she had meant.There was a truth here, underneath it all, if she could just grasp it…
She was mulling over the conversation, looking out the window with unseeing eyes, when someone called her name.The word was edged with warmth.Before turning, she recognised Lavinia’s voice and found herself smiling.
Lavinia joined her at the window to contemplate the courtyard, the hills in the distance framing the scene.She had finally changed out of the bloody clothing from yesterday, and Michelle’s heart skipped a beat at how beautiful she was.Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and she looked casual in a fitted white shirt and jeans.Her face was bare of make-up, and her skin appeared like it would be wonderfully soft to the touch.
It was almost ridiculous how good she looked, and Michelle caught herself staring.Keen to think about anything except how attractive Lavinia was in the bright light of day, she turned back towards the window.She forced herself to take a calming breath, her heartbeat surprisingly fast in her chest.
She had more important things to worry about than how stunning Lavinia was, as much as her heart wished otherwise.“Why are there shutters in front of my window?In the bedroom upstairs, I mean.”It was a minor mystery compared to the existence of demons and a secret group of women warriors stabbing them willy-nilly.Still, she needed to know, even if it was just a small piece of the puzzle.
“Ah.They serve a dual purpose.They keep out the light and protect the windows, just in case.”
“For storms and things?”Michelle could easily imagine that the weather could be quite severe in such a rural place.She had heard several stories of the Peak District becoming inaccessible because of snowstorms or flooding in the valleys.
Lavinia smiled.“Things like that.If you prefer them to stay open, there is a button beside the window sill.”Her smile faded again.“I came looking for you because I’m afraid I will have to leave you for the day.I won’t be able to show you around like I promised last night.”
“Where are you going?”
“I would like to have another look at the alleyway and perhaps the street where you were attacked.There might still be some evidence that can lead us to the warlock.”
“Warlock?You mean the person who sent that demon thing after me?”Warlock?It made some kind of sense, as a term for someone who sent demons after people.Still, it all felt a little bit too fantasy novel for her to roll with it.
“That’s right.”
They stood in silence for a moment as they watched the clouds pass.“Lavinia, no offense, but none of this makes any sense.Demons aren’t real.”
Lavinia turned towards her.She was standing so close, Michelle had to tilt her head up to be able to look her in the eyes.Her expression was serious, the corner of her mouth conveying a grimness.“Unfortunately, they are real.But when this is over, I promise, you can go back to your life.You can forget any of this ever happened.”
Michelle tried to smile, to acknowledge the kindness in Lavinia’s words.Instead, she drowned in the finality of them.Lavinia, this house, Lucretia in the study behind them… This was all real.It wasn’t a nightmare she would wake up from tomorrow, the memory of fear already fading with the light of a new day.Tears stung her eyes.Someonehadtried to kill her.And demons existed.She was unable to form any words.Everything had been real.A flesh-and-blood woman stood in front of her, in broad daylight, who had killed a demon with a knife.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
“I don’t think I will be able to do that,” she finally said, forcing the words around the lump in her throat.
Lavinia laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“You can and you will.Most people do.People are resilient.”
Michelle didn’t answer.Part of her was having an existential crisis, suddenly questioning everything that she thought was true about her place in the world.Another part of her, a quiet and small part, was enjoying the warmth of Lavinia’s hand seeping through the fabric of her jumper.She looked at Lavinia, tracing the shape of her features, following the line of the thin scar that ran through her eyebrow and into her hairline.If anything, even if Michelle would be able to stuff the idea that demons were real into some box in the back of her mind, even if she would be able to forget that, she didn’t think she would be able to forget Lavinia.The thought surprised her, but then again, you don’t get rescued by a gorgeous woman with a blade every day.
Lavinia made sure that Michelle had everything she needed and then disappeared through the front door with Zachary, who appeared from somewhere in the house in a fresh suit.Michelle watched them go from the window in a front room and felt an unexpected pang.The house suddenly felt impossibly large and empty without Lavinia’s presence in it.
Chapter Six
Not knowing what to do with herself, unable to relax in the unfamiliar environment with thoughts swirling in her mind, Michelle wandered back to the bedroom.She sat down on the bed, which someone (perhaps Mrs.Frost?) had made in her absence.Going over what she had found out so far, which felt incredibly limited, she decided that at the very least she would have to call in sick to work.Her fear of the demon returning was strong enough to keep her right here for now, as mysterious as the inhabitants of this mansion were.
She rang her line manager.The call was brief as Michelle explained she had sprained her ankle on the way home and wouldn’t be able to come into work for the next couple of days.The lie rolled off her tongue with ease—a surprise, as she had never called in sick with a falsehood before.The hospital was always so short-staffed, and the thought of slacking off work was diametrically opposed to her sense of duty towards both her colleagues and patients.After the night she’d just had, though, those concerns seemed increasingly remote.She was no use to her patients dead.And it wasn’t like she could tell her manager that a demon had attacked her.
Michelle knew exactly what that would sound like.No, she would keep the truth to herself.Her manager wished her a speedy recovery and hung up.
She sent some texts to her mum, sent a quick message to Iris to let her know she was still alive, and scrolled through a couple of social media apps.The pictures of happy couples and food-smeared toddlers did nothing to relieve the feeling of estrangement.Frustrated, she stuffed her phone in her back pocket and padded downstairs again.Mrs.Frost was in the kitchen, slicing a mountain of vegetables.At the sight of her grey hair and bright green sundress, Michelle almost turned around to flee.Then she thought the better of it.
