Dervish snorts. "Eat her, more probably!"
We laugh softly, painfully-the first step back towards something that might one day pass for a normal life. And then, holding one another, we close our eyes, listen to the sounds of the mansion and the world outside, and slowly drift off into a nightmare-laced but nonetheless welcome sleep.
It's dark when I wake. Dervish is snoring lightly. I lie still for a few minutes, enjoying the nearness of my uncle, remembering Bill-E and Loch, my lost brother and friend, trying not to cry, just about managing to hold back the tears.
I ease myself off the bed, careful not to disturb Dervish. My suit of leaves has disintegrated entirely. I brush the last of the flaky patches off, then pad to my bedroom, shower and kit myself out in more regular clothes. Thinking about all that's happened while I dress, the night when I almost became a werewolf, the plane, Beranabus, fighting the demons, travelling back through time, killing Bill-E.
Is it just me or does all that seem a bit much for a teenager to have to deal with? Most of my friends have nothing more catastrophic than acne or bad breath to overcome. Wouldn't it have been fairer to spread the craziness around? Couldn't Charlie have been stuck with the werewolf curse, and Frank with being a magician? Couldn't Leon have been betrayed by Juni, and Robbie recruited by Beranabus? And let's not leave the girls out. Reni did her bit, losing Loch, but Mary could easily have had to kill one of her brothers, and Shannon could have done the whole trip through time stuff.
I chuckle (nice to see I still can). I'm being ridiculous, but there's a nugget of truth there. It's been a heavy burden for a single person to bear, especially one as young, inexperienced and... hell, let's say it... cowardly as me. It isn't fair.
But the universe isn't fair. Things don't work out neatly, pain, hardship and challenges divided equally among those best equipped to deal with them. Sometimes individuals have to be Atlases and carry the weight of the world alone. It shouldn't happen that way, but it does.
At least I have the crumb of comfort of not having fallen. I stumbled and wished all the time that I could bail out. But I kept going. I did what I had to. I came through. It would have been sweet to do it unscathed, Bill-E and Loch alive and well. But in the grand scheme of things, I don't have too much to complain about. That's how Beranabus would see it. And he's right. But that doesn't make me feel any better. The devastation of having killed Bill-E is all-consuming. I don't think any amount of reasoning will ever ease that pain.
Dressed, I go looking for Beranabus, Kernel and Bec. Trying to focus on their needs, since it helps me not brood about Bill-E. Beranabus was badly wounded in the fight and might need help. Kernel will be in a lot of pain. He said he'd have to go to a hospital. I can arrange that. And Bec...
I'm not sure what I can do for a girl who's been dead for sixteen hundred years, only to find herself slap-bang in the middle of the modern world. Guide her round the house for a start, I guess. Teach her how to open and close doors and windows, explain what TVs, computers and CD players are. No... they can come later. First teach her how to run a bath and use the shower. Give her some clothes to keep her ticking over until she can go shopping in the Vale. Explain where everything is in the kitchen, what a fridge is, how to open a tin, that water comes from a tap and not a well.
I'm padding down the stairs when I hear her. No... not hear, exactly. I sense her. In the hall of portraits. Changing direction, I go to check that she's OK. I find her studying the faces of dead Gradys and our various relations, slowly moving from one painting or photo to the next, eyes steady, head cocked slightly to one side.
"These are not drawings," she says without looking around, sensing my presence the same way I sensed hers.
"They're photographs."
"Are they magic? Are people alive within them, their souls trapped like mine was in the cave?"
"No. It's just their image. We use machines to take them."
"Machines?"
"Special tools."
She turns. "I've seen nothing of this new world. I was limited to the cave. I could peer into the universe of the Demonata, but this world was a blank. I don't know what has changed and what hasn't."
"Most of it's different to what you knew. Probably everything. It'll take a while to get used to, but you'll be OK. Look at it like an adventure-you'll be exploring a brand new planet."
"Yes. I'm excited. Scared but excited." She sighs and looks at the photos again. "Your family?"
"Some of them." I move up beside her. "They all caught the disease, or died trying to help others who were infected. You know that some of us change into wolf-like beasts, don't you?"
"I saw them in my own time," she answers. "I didn't think the curse would last this long. But I'm not surprised. The blood of the Demonata is strong." She looks at me shyly. "We are family. Separated by many generations, but family nevertheless."
"I know."
"The evil priestess-Juni Swan, Nadia Moore, whatever you want to call her-was one like us. Bran told me she could see into the future. Perhaps our demonic heritage was the source of her strange power."
I grunt. I don't want to talk about Juni right now.
"The boy... Bill-E... he was family too."
"Yes," I mutter. "My brother."
"I'm sorry..." she starts to say.
"Don't worry about it," I interrupt. "It wasn't your fault. Bill-E wouldn't mind. He was always keen on recycling."
"'Recycling'?" Bec frowns.
"I'll explain later. Where are Beranabus and Kernel?"
"Outside. They..." She casts a look at me and I instantly know what they're doing, what they want of me.
"Already?" I ask stiffly. "They can't wait a while?"
"No." She looks back at the faces. "I'm not going. Bran told me to stay. He said I would be company for Dervish, that he could look after me and I could look after him. He said we would be good for one another."
"I'll be looking after Dervish," I snap.
Bec shrugs. "I'm only repeating what Bran said. He also said Dervish could teach me about the new world, while he could teach you more about magic. In his opinion that arrangement will work best for everyone."