Chapter 29

Gwil hadn't been in the lounge, and Robin was keen to understand what he might've learnt about the facility. He hadn't wanted to leave Simon, but he also needed to play the role of co-dependent boyfriend so had left Simon in the lounge and ventured upstairs to Gwil's room, where he saw Jack delivering a stack of fresh towels. He couldn't believe the timing wasn't deliberate.

Robin let himself into Gwil's room.

"The wanderer returns," Jack drawled. "I take it you've managed to speak to Simon."

"Yes, we always planned to get him out of here as soon as possible but Mettle is working on a new treatment and Simon thinks Ralph is planning to wipe his memory… no doubt irrecoverably. For now, he's starting to recall things, but until we get those cuffs off we're going to have issues."

"No surprise there, we're going to probably have to extract Simon and keep him in some sort of protective shield until we can remove them," Jack said.

"We have a couple of potential locations where we can set up the portal," Gwil said. "But we'll have minutes before we're caught, Jack might not even have time to cast the protection charms."

Gwil didn't sound happy at that prospect but Robin hadn't experienced any problem when he had travelled using Simon's portals.

"You said they could cause issues, what are we looking at?"

"I felt like I was being boiled alive when I used a fae portal, but Jack thinks his magic might not be as brutal."

"I've been travelling by portal under the casting James and Simon did, so I might have some residual protection."

Jack nodded. "Possibly, but Gwil and Catlin won't have that. We'll have healers and blood stocks on hand based on how Gwil was affected previously. The trouble is, we will just have to take the opportunity as soon as we can. Once the portal is open they'll know and we will have to leave."

"Is there an option for Gwil to leave with Catlin using an alternative exit strategy? I don't think Mettle cares about her in the same way."

"I don't know, it depends on the cuff she's wearing. If I can get a closer look and determine if it's the same as Simon's then we can make a better evaluation. Potentially we could magic bomb the ward long enough for them to step through the barrier if her cuff won't cause an issue."

Gwil shook his head. "It's not worth the risk, the portal will get us away from the facility, stepping outside the wards then means we have to find a way back by road."

"True." Jack huffed. "Portals it is. I'm going to scout out a different area after second dinner service when I have my break."

"Picking up any sense people are getting suspicious?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I gathered they get through lots of orderlies, so as long as I don't do anything too odd I'm pretty much background furniture. The hours are long and the pay's shit. I imagine part of the leaving package is a bit of memory manipulation."

"Is there anything I can do?" Robin asked.

"I've found a couple of areas that would be possible locations. If you can, I suggest getting a look at them properly. We shouldn't waste any time in being able to get there so you knowing the access would be beneficial."

Jack sketched out the back of the house on a piece of paper towel. "Memorise this and then flush it down the toilet. No one can accidentally find it then."

"We can't risk being found skulking about," Gwil said. "Not sure how we'd justify being mooching around down there."

"You two are meant to be boyfriends, you're being kept apart. Me finding Robin in here with you is perfect as I can be seen escorting him away, so now you have an excuse if caught."

"It'll make me feel like I'm useful," Robin said. He felt like a bit player and he didn't like it. "I spoke to Simon and he's insisting we bring Catlin with us, so she needs to be informed of the plan."

"She's aware," Jack said. "The hardest part will be the coordination. I have access to the appointment register with the doctors, if we can be ready the day after tomorrow, Dr Mettle has a clinic and I can see if Simon is one of the four down for a slot."

"We want to act before then, if he's been successful in his research then Mettle could be aiming to administer it to Simon."

Jack scowled. "We'd planned to leave after his next appointment. As far as I can tell he's not scheduled for anything earlier."

"I don't think we can wait." Robin wasn't willing to take the chance.

"Fine. Give me until you wake up tomorrow. I'll have a plan and a timeline… I'll contact the relevant people and see if it's possible."

"It has to be."

Jack squeezed his shoulder. "I can't pretend I know what you're going through, I've never had anyone mean as much to me as he does to you, but if we go too quickly we could ruin everything. Bringing Simon home is one side of the story, we also need to put a stop to what the lich is doing. None of his dealings have been sanctioned, he's effectively been taking people prisoner and experimenting on them for who knows how long. We have to stop it."

Robin didn't give a fuck about the others, but Jack wasn't a vampire. He might give a shit. "If you say so. Do you know how to kill a lich?"

"The plan is when we go through the portal Hyax and Ashley will come the other way, bind him and bring him to Crofton Hall. He should have his phylactery on him, and we need to destroy it. Then we can kill him."

"His what?"

"It's a protective amulet that links him back to this realm. We can in theory kill him, but if we don't destroy the amulet that encases his anchoring spells, then he can come back, and start again, and we won't know where."

If the lich was to return, Simon would be in danger, and he wouldn't let that happen or make him live hidden away. "Do we know what it looks like?"

Jack shook his head. "Not exactly, it's likely to be some sort of jewellery that he can keep on him at all times. I haven't seen anything obvious, so I suspect it's on a chain under his clothes."

"Should I tell Simon? I haven't said anything about Mettle being a lich, just that he's the one who is behind him being here."

"I don't think it would help. Simon's memory is already fragmented, it might be better to explain it as an after-effect rather than tell him something else he's supposed to be keeping secret," Jack said.

"But he might have seen the amulet," Gwil said. "If we know where it is, surely that's an advantage?"

"Mettle would have used the amulet for certain spells, so Simon might have seen it, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Robin didn't remember seeing anything that could have been described as an amulet during their meeting, and thought Jack was right for them not to put more onto Simon. "I don't think I should ask him. Let's assume Mettle has it on him."

"Agreed." Jack headed to the door. "Now, get out of here. And I'll try and find a way for us to talk tomorrow."

Simon couldn't sleep, he'd only been able to see Robin once more since their walk. He'd been with the guy he'd referred to as Will and they'd been playing being a happy couple, although he wouldn't have called it love's young dream. He'd been on high alert ever since, and he was paying close attention to any of the staff he'd spoken to, and the patients apart from Catlin. He couldn't risk letting his guard down.

It was still dark, he checked his clock—it was 4 a.m. He punched his pillow several times but it did nothing to make it more comfortable. The door to his room opened. He peered into the grey light, his night vision excellent and saw Nurse Teller. She made no attempt to sneak in, and Simon remained quiet, not wanting her to know he wasn't asleep.

She came to stand at the side of his bed and shook him by the shoulder. "Wake up, Nomis. Dr Mettle needs to see you immediately."

He pretended to be groggy. "What?"

"He's made a breakthrough in your treatment. But needs to act fast. Get up."

He tried to turn over and pull the blanket up, as if to ignore her, but she shook him again. Her grip painful, and she was far stronger than she looked. "I told you to get up."

"I'm tired."

"We're doing this for your own good, don't be ungrateful."

They weren't doing anything for his benefit, and he had a terrible feeling that if Ralph treated him, he might never know who he really was again. "Please, can't it wait until morning?"

"No, you must come now. Get dressed. I've sent for an orderly to help."

Maybe he might be lucky and Jack would be the one who'd been sent for. He got out of bed and dressed, using his dozy state as an excuse to take his time. Nurse Teller was getting frustrated and tried to manhandle him into his clothes faster.

An orderly arrived with a wheelchair, but his hopes were dashed, it wasn't Jack. She dragged him over to the wheelchair and shoved him so he fell into the seat. He tried to struggle but he found himself held in place by some sort of force field.

"Why are you using magic to restrain me?"

"I don't want you hurting yourself."

He was wheeled out of his room. He couldn't move and there was no one to call for help. The corridors were deserted, and he realised they weren't heading towards the main clinical area but to a part of the house he'd not been allowed before. "Where are we going?"

"The private research area. I told you Dr Mettle has made a significant breakthrough. You're being given preferential treatment, Nomis. I've never seen another patient be allowed into the research area."

He didn't like the idea of being somewhere no one else would know where he was. At least if he'd been in the main area someone would have seen him, if it was other staff. They'd given him no chance to leave any kind of clue, he had to hope that one of the nocturnal residents might see him. He tried to rock in his wheelchair. He could barely move and he saw Nurse Teller's smirk, he wouldn't give up, maybe once he was free he could rush her and escape.

A hand descended on his shoulder. "You would do well to behave."

"I don't want to go. Let me out."

"You're being hysterical," she said and turned to the orderly. "Stop for a moment. I'm going to sedate him."

She removed what looked like a glasses case from her pocket. "I had suggested we do this from the offset, but Dr Mettle insisted it would be best to see if you'd come in without argument. It appears you're beginning to remember, and we can't have that."

He tried to avoid the point of her hypodermic needle but to no avail and she pressed the tip into his neck. Within seconds the world began to blur. "I'm afraid, Simon, once you wake up there will be only Nomis."

Simon tried to push away the darkness, now they had revealed the truth and they'd admitted they knew who he was, he needed to fight and get to Robin. But there was nothing he could do, the strength drained from him and he succumbed to the darkness.