Will roused at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. It took him a minute to get his bearings, and then he realised that he’d fallen asleep in Rose’s room. The tread was heavy, which meant it wasn’t Jena; she was lighter on her feet, less certain. Either it was Cade, or someone had broken into the house.
He stood up fast, ignoring the pins and needles that shot through his leg, and rushed across to the door, flicking the lock. A moment later he felt pressure on the handle. He held his breath as the doorknob turned so slowly that it didn’t make a sound. And then weight leaned into the door. The door didn’t budge, though. There was a soft exhalation on the other side and then it sounded like something metallic was inserted into the keyhole.
Will’s chest felt like it might explode, and then a loud cough burst from Rose and he whirled, rushing across the room to her side.
‘There, there, it’s okay, Rose. Come on, have some water.’ Will spoke loud enough that anyone outside could hear him, and then as he held the glass for Rose, the footsteps retreated down the hall.
The tension left his body and he slumped back into the chair.
‘I wasn’t done with the water,’ Rose said. ‘Pass it here. Some days you’re a terrible carer.’
‘But good company, right?’
She laughed. ‘Good enough. Was that him?’
Will passed the glass back. ‘Cade? Yeah.’
‘Or not Cade. He found it, didn’t he?’ She sounded resigned. ‘I would have been fine. I get by, you know that. Is that why you fell asleep here?’
‘No, that was accidental. And as far as I know he hasn’t found the watch. Why would you say that?’
Rose tapped her nose. ‘I have a sense of these things, boy. Mark my words. He’s just the type to be drawn to it.’
‘Hang on, you said that I might be in danger from it.’ Will sat up straight again, frowning. ‘We’re nothing alike.’
Rose sighed. ‘You, for different reasons,’ she said. ‘You’re a danger to him; you can’t trust him. None of us can. It’s more important than ever that you get out now, while you can. Take Jena, leave this place. He only wants me.’
‘Hold up, Rose. You’re getting ahead of yourself,’ Will said, trying to assure her – trying to assure himself. ‘Cade is just a dick, he’s not possessed by some evil spirit. He was unpleasant when he got here, and nothing has changed.’
‘Then why was he at my door in the middle of the night?’ Rose arched an eyebrow, and Will had to admit she had a point. That was strange. Cade had shown little to no interest in Rose, only in Jena, and in making a quick buck.
What if Rose was right?
‘You watch him. Over the next few days. It doesn’t really take that long, and this is what, the fourth time? It seems to happen a little quicker each time.’
‘I’ll keep an eye on him, as long as you promise to contact me if he finds a way in.’
‘If he does, he does. He only wants me, anyway. It’s always been me. And when he comes, it’ll be me or him.’ She coughed, but it wasn’t so coarse this time. ‘I’m not letting go without a fight.’
‘Rose, you have to let us help. You’re too—’
‘Sick, I know. I’m practically on my deathbed. But this is my fight, it always has been.’
‘Why? Why you?’
Rose sighed, sinking deeply into her pillows as if the heaviness of the past was weighing on her. ‘We were young, and so foolish, and whatever we called down – whatever took him over … I had no idea what he was capable of, but he had no idea how interested I was in saving my own hide, or the lengths I’d go to. I killed him, and now he wants to return the favour. He has a hunger for the power inside me, and a thirst for revenge.’
Will had a thought, suddenly recalling one of the things he’d read. ‘What’s his name?’ In some myths, knowing a thing’s name gave you power, and if by some chance she was right, they needed any advantage they could get.
‘Ronaldo was my lover. But that won’t help, because I have no idea what the creature’s name is.’
‘I wish you’d just tell Jena. It would make it so much easier.’
‘Oh yes, telling my last living grandchild that it’s my fault, all of it? That I did a bad thing when I was young and that one wrong set off a course of tragedy for the rest of my life? That it’s not bad enough that I burned her father alive, but it’s also my fault he got possessed in the first place? That her boyfriend got possessed?’
Will couldn’t help but smile. ‘You two are more alike than you know. If you’d just spend some proper time with her, I bet you’d see that. I bet you’d be able to work through this.’
She closed her eyes. Done with the conversation. ‘I’m tired, Will. I think you should go and get some sleep, and lock the door behind you. He’s not going to bust his way through tonight, it’s still too early for that kind of thing.’
Will froze. ‘How long?’
‘I’d say days, if it’s true.’
He nodded and got up from his seat. ‘Okay then.’
Somehow, he had a feeling she wasn’t really tired, but he went out and locked the door behind him before heading to the stairs. He started up them, and it was only when he got to the top that he wondered whether Rose was telling him the truth, or whether it was just the truth as she saw it. Her health was deteriorating, and it was possible she was losing her grasp on what was real and what wasn’t.
And yet, it all made sense to him. It all gelled with the way he saw the world – the way he wanted to see the world.
But was that enough to make him buy into her story?
He dragged his hand through his hair with a sigh and headed for his room. It was too complicated, too messy, and until he could find a way to get Rose and Jena talking, there was not much that he could do.
Other than hope that Cade didn’t have the watch.