Chapter 24

Ben had been kept well back as Alex and Ashley brewed the anti-vampire potion and Karl had been the one to add the holy water and then set up a bath for the knife to be soaked in. He was having trouble processing everything going on, he was upset over Catlin, but much of it was wrapped up in the anger that this creature had dared to infiltrate his home.

“I do have one positive,” Ashley said as Ben peered at the machete while it steeped. “You can blame everything on the aswang. Not just the stuff she did with Jack, but it would be believable that they acted to try and remove you and put themselves in place as the Dark Countess of Crofton.”

“True,” he said. “Although it means admitting this went on under my nose, actually Charles’s nose, and he might not want to make it public knowledge.”

“I can’t not report aswang activity, even if the threat has been neutralised.” Ben knew Ashley would have to let the Invigilators know. “They’ll want to understand how it happened and make sure there’s no others to be flushed out. Charles will know that.”

“Let’s just get it over with.”

Jack was setting up a witch trap in the main dining room using a series of mirror spells to deflect it through his, Ashley’s and Alex’s magic, so the aswang wouldn’t be able to detect what was going on. Anthony and Charles were on their way from London, Karl had gone to inform them of the situation but they’d left Harry out of it. Now it was a waiting game.

The dial of Ashley’s watch lit up. “That’s Jack’s signal. They’re ready.”

“Shall I ring the gong for dinner?” Karl asked. “If we don’t want to alert her we should stick to our usual schedule.”

“Yes, if we can trap her before Charles and Anthony get here it would be better. I can’t imagine the chaos if they try to interfere.”

He could imagine it and that was why he wanted it done as soon as possible. Charles would be livid if there was an aswang in his house, he’d not be able to keep calm and would derail everything. “Then if you and Ashley make your way to the dining room and join Jack, we can rid the hall of this creature.”

Karl appeared to be taking this far more personally than he should.

“This is not your fault.”

“I appreciate your support, my lord. But it is a little worrying for both myself and Alex they were able to join the household without us noticing.”

“You know yourself, that in order for this creature to have achieved that, she must be extremely gifted. We all missed that it wasn’t the real Catlin, the aswang knew Catlin well enough to mimic her personality and actions so that none of us realised. They’re dangerous, and we’re going to stop them.”

It wasn’t lost on Ben that many people would consider him as dangerous as any aswang, but if a vampire thought a creature was unworthy then it should be a warning to anybody else. He walked back to the house with Ashley.

“You’ll need to be careful, Ben,” Ashley said. “As you’ve seen, many of the things that we will use against her are the same as would be used against vampires. It’s her witchy nature that will allow us to track her using the hex seal charm and the sigil in place will do you no harm, but after that you’re going to need to keep your distance. Let me and Jack deal with the actual disposal.”

He wanted to argue but he’d seen the contents of that potion, and there was still a dangerously large amount of holy water knocking around. “As much as I’d like to be the one to deal with her, I’ll settle for watching.”

“I’ve also spoken to Alex, he’s going to question her once she’s contained, to see if we can get some answers about what happened to Catlin. Although I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

He didn’t think there was much chance Catlin had been kept somewhere, if she’d escaped, the ruse would have been up and aswangs were known for their brutality. “If anyone can make her talk it’ll be Alex.”

“Yes, elves have a rather vicious reputation.”

“Alex can have quite a mean streak in him when he wants to. I’m glad he’s on my side and not an enemy.”

“Will you tell me why that’s the case? What’s the deal with you and Alex?”

Ben would not disclose why Alex had chosen to become his secretary and reside at Crofton Hall. “Suffice to say, I saved his life and gave him somewhere to stay that was safe. I won’t say more than that. It’s his business if he wants to tell you.”

“I thought that would be the answer. But if we don’t get anything out of the aswang, Jack suggests we get your permission to do a deep sweep of the hall after we’ve killed her.”

Ben was surprised at the suggestion. “Does he think she’s still here and hidden?”

“It’s a possibility. Or there might be a trail we can follow if it hasn’t gone cold.”

More likely what was left of Catlin was at Crofton Hall, it would make sense to have hidden her here so her remains wouldn’t be stumbled upon. Once the aswang was dead, she couldn’t continue to top up the concealment charms that would be needed to have kept anything hidden from Karl and Alex.

He heard the gong ring and they quickened their pace, wanting to be in the dining hall before the aswang. He couldn’t bring himself to think of the creature as Catlin, and needed to keep them separate in his mind. Ben felt nothing as he crossed over the threshold of the room and saw Jack already seated at the table. His eyes were slightly glassy and Ben thought that he was drained from placing the hex seal, and might not have been at full strength to start with given his run-in with the lingering dark.

“I hope you’re not still feeling run down from your infection?” Ben asked, taking a seat.

“No, I have overexerted myself a little, but nothing a restorative meal and a couple of glasses of wine won’t solve.”

Karl appeared at Jack’s side, causing Jack to startle. “Apologies.” He set a glass of purple liquid in front of Jack. “Alex thought this might help pep you up. It’s spectral tincture.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Oh, thank you. I haven’t had one of these since my last trip to Austria, in the 1870s.”

“What is it?” Ben asked.

“A magical pick-me-up,” Ashley answered. “They’re a delicacy found in certain parts of Europe. It takes a real expert to get them right.”

Jack downed the contents of the glass and sighed in delight. Ben watched as Jack’s eyes glowed gold and he sat up in his seat, looking better than he had for days. “My word, that is something,” Jack said, grinning.

His excellent hearing picked up the sound of heels hitting tiles. “I do believe we’ll be ready to start in a moment.”

Catlin entered, or rather the aswang did and Ben put on his best smile. “Catlin, I wasn’t sure you were with us tonight.”

“Everything’s been so hectic of late, I needed a few days of quiet time.”

She took three more steps and a circle of green light erupted around her. She squealed and for a second she phased back into her true form, slimy grey skin, toad-like with a pot belly and bandy legs. There’d be no need to check her eyes, it was clear to anyone what she was. The green light crackled and formed a cage, the aswang hissing in anger, now back as Catlin but a long forked tongue snaking out of her mouth.

“Oh, you included a micro-reveal,” Ashley said, impressed.

“Yeah,” Jack said. “Thought it might be a nice touch. It’s why I’m so knackered though, but it did the trick.”

The aswang tried to shoulder-barge the cage, ramming the magical bars repeatedly but there was no escape. Ben went to stand in front of her causing the aswang to bare her teeth.

Karl came to his side, and he carried a soda siphon. “If you’d step away, my lord. I wouldn’t want you to get splashed as I try to calm her so she can be bound and transported.”

Ben took several steps back to put some distance between him and the contents of the siphon, his suspicions proved correct as Karl sprayed a jet of liquid, hitting the aswang in the face. She hissed and screamed as the holy water connected and her skin began to blister.

Alex appeared and fired a stream of magic at the cage, causing it to shrink around her, confining her body but leaving her head free. “I’ve prepared one of the basement rooms for the interrogation,” Alex said, as if he’d announced Ben’s dry cleaning was ready. “If you like to get settled, myself and Karl will bring our guest.”

Crofton Hall had been witness to many strange and dangerous occurrences over the years, although Ben didn’t think this would make the top ten of the worst based on the stories he’d been told, but during his own residence, it was in the top three. He led Ashley and Jack towards the back of the house and down the stairs to the underground levels.

“You didn’t give us a tour of down here when we arrived,” Jack said.

“No, these are the main cellars. All that’s here are wine and a couple of holding rooms.”

“Holding rooms?” Ashley asked.

“I do live feed, Ashley. We look after my dinner beforehand down here, and in most cases afterwards for a little while before they’re released.”

Ashley made a boaking noise. “Live feeding?”

“You know what I am. In the main I don’t drain—it’s counterproductive as missing people cause questions. On the odd occasion, I do… well, I’m not about to apologise or change.” Ashley was going to need to get used to the idea if they were going to continue whatever they were calling their arrangement.

“I suppose you’ve got to eat, and this is your home. I’m not about to tell you what you can do in it.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m not about to ask you to join in.”

Ashley leant in close. “Call me sweetheart again, and I’ll rip out your fangs and shove them up your arse.”

Jack snickered. “Oh, kinky. But if you could leave the flirting until we’ve dealt with the unwanted bloodsucker I’d appreciate it.”

Ashley shoved Jack and Ben and sidestepped them both, wondering if warlocks ever left the bickering teenage phase even if they were several centuries old. The room Alex had prepared wasn’t one they used regularly as it was an odd shape tucked away down a passage, waiting for them were Charles and Anthony.

“Karl directed us here. What the hell is going on?” Charles asked.

“Didn’t Karl tell you?”

“Something about an aswang having replaced Catlin, but I wondered if he’s been buffing his horns with a new chemical because it’s bloody bonkers.”

Charles had never had the same level of respect for Karl as Ben. His sire was still a little aggrieved Ben had made Karl butler in all but name, replacing Billins because, as charming as the old ghost was, he spent more time dozing in Mrs Weather’s kitchen than anything else, and being unable to hold anything limited his capabilities somewhat.

“I’m afraid not. Alex is bringing her down now.”

Anthony sneered. “Horrible things. Sebastian hates them—has someone told him?”

Ben hadn’t thought to include Sebastian, at some point he’d need to be informed but he thought their Head of House would have expected them to deal with the problem. “No. Not yet.”

A shadow fell across the doorway. “Told me what?”

Sebastian Hewel was a slightly built man, lithe and of average height. If Ben hadn’t known him to be one of the most dangerous vampires ever to have walked the Earth he might have been fooled by his beauty. He held himself with the grace of a ballet dancer, and an underlying strength that could snap a man in two. His black hair was artfully tousled, and he’d learnt that the application of kohl made his green eyes stand out. Ben was wise enough to be on high alert.

He walked towards Ben. “I thought I would make an unplanned visit to see how things were progressing with the investigation.” His gaze flicked to Ashley. He looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow. “So imagine my surprise to enter the dining room to see your demon valet clutching a siphon of holy water and your pet elf holding a sword dripping with a vampire potion. If it hadn’t been for the caged aswang floating behind them, you’d have needed to restaff your house.”

Before he could answer Anthony hurried over like an excitable puppy. “You’re here. I haven’t seen you for so long.”

Sebastian smiled and cupped Anthony’s cheek. “Later, my darling. We will catch up properly, but for now, there is something that needs my attention.”

Anthony nodded and Ben found it difficult to tally the gentleness Sebastian showed to Anthony with the stories of him ripping someone’s throat out for daring to ruin one of his performances back when he was friends with Shakespeare and trod the boards at the Globe.

Sebastian turned his attention back to Ben. “Right, Pointy-Ears and Twisty-Horns are bringing her downstairs now. I will deal with this, and you should have sent for me immediately. We will be having words later.”

“Yes, Sebastian,” Ben replied, trying but failing not to squeak. He wondered if it were not too late to get hold of the rest of the holy water and down it to avoid the uncomfortable discussion he would be having with Sebastian after everything was sorted.

“Good.” Sebastian turned to Jack and Ashley. “Good evening, Mr Webb and Mr Niven. Please send my regards to your father, Ashley.”

Sebastian had embraced the modern world a lot better than Anthony, and since he didn’t look a day over twenty-two, could pull off the tight black jeans and leather jacket. The latter ended up over a chair and he pushed up the sleeves of his black T-shirt, bangles jangling as he did so. “All of you, to the back of the room. I don’t want any of you lot getting damaged.” He winked at Anthony. “Especially you.”

Ben was sure three vampires and two powerful warlocks had never moved so fast, but none of them were about to argue with Sebastian Hewel. Alex arrived, floating the glowing green cage holding the aswang into the room. Sebastian smirked, Ben had never been so terrified on behalf of another creature in his whole life or afterlife.