In The End: Gargoyle Saga

Chapter 9: A Vessel For Evil

Chapter 9: A Vessel For Evil

Back at the castle, Rowan was being treated by Offo while the rest of us were in the sitting room, watching Hadriana chain smoke and down two bottles of 18th-century wine.

'Getting drunk isn't going to help you, you know,' Dean frowned as the immortal passed him a fourth time as she continued to pace.

Hadriana barked out a laugh. 'I can't really get drunk. I'd need a fecking gallon of wine for it to properly affect me. Pissing immortal drink!'

'Remind me not to have a drinking game with her,' Alina whispered in my ear. The Swiss and the former demon, Justin, were sitting on the settee beside me. While Alina was watching Hadriana stress out, Justin was sitting back, staring at me. I was already feeling out of place like a dark presence was still around me. I wondered if I had brought some evil essence with me from hell.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Justin. 'Justin, if you have something to say, please say it.' He reached out and took hold of my hand. A flood of sadness and anger hit me, and I recoiled. 'What's wrong?'

'You wouldn't let me go with you,' he spat. 'Look what happened! I could have helped you.'

Hadriana tutted and rolled her eyes. 'You know, I'm sick and tired of telling you children the goings on in this world. If you won't listen to me, then fine. Don't. But don't come crawling back to me asking for my help or apologising, because I don't care anymore.' She just downed the last bit of her wine and sighed. 'Another trip into the past to get more wine,' she shot daggers at me. 'You wasted my drink!'

'Me? What the hell did I do? You've been sitting there pissing the night away. I should be angry at you for nearly killing my mate!' I felt a flush of embarrassment as Dean, Alina and Justin all glanced at me in shock. Rowan and I hadn't officially declared it as such, but it was the truth. Rowan was who I was meant to be with.

Alina inched forward in her seat, trying to attract attention off me. 'Hadriana, what do you mean a trip into the past?'

'I-' she began but shook her head. 'No, no, no! I'm not taking you lot with me. Besides, there's no need to go. I've had enough of taking people into the past.'

'I'm with you on that,' Tyr groaned. 'It gave me a headache.'

'You went into the past?' Dean asked him.

He nodded. 'Yes. We had to a few years ago. It was for the Mother of Water Nymphs. Anyway, it was a pain, and we had to be sure we weren't seen and asked too many questions.' He frowned at Dean and asked, 'Why? What's in the past that you want to see?'

'Not to see,' Dean muttered while flicking his eyes at me.

'No!' Hadriana shrieked. 'No one is going into the past, so you lot can forget it! Besides, if Tara knew I was going back into the past, she would find the only way to kill me, and I'm not joking.'

'How do you kill an immortal?' Alina asked curiously.

'Getting off the topic,' gritting her teeth, Hadriana slumped into a chair beside the crackling fire and said, 'we need to get into Avalon, but...' she paused and bit her lip, 'I have to go to one particular person who... I don't like.'

Tyr caught Hadriana's eyes, and she nodded slightly. He groaned. 'No, really? Why him?'

'You know why,' she snapped. 'Besides, I need you to go back and report to Tara if you don't mind.'

He frowned, 'Why me?'

She gestured to all of us. 'None of us can go into the magical plane for a start. But also she'll listen to you. She's too angry to deal with me, and it's because of her,' she nodded to me.