‘Are you sure we should be doing this?’ said Fadil. I couldn’t work out if he didn’t like walking in the cold evening – which, to be fair, he’d never really done before – or where we were going. Probably both.
‘It’ll be fine. What’s he going to do?’
Fadil flapped his arms in the air. Or at least, he tried to. His quilted coat was so big that he was almost waddling as he walked, but he seemed to be hyper-sensitive to the cold. He was going to hate it when it got to January and was even colder. ‘We don’t know, that’s the point!’
‘He’s ancient. There’s no way he’d be able to chase after us even if he did try to do anything.’
Fadil rolled his eyes. ‘You think he’d need to chase after us? He peeled my skin off. He doesn’t need to be fast to catch us!’
‘Right. Well. In this case, I think he’s going to be helpful and you’re overreacting. Creepy as he may be, he’s never really posed a threat to us.’
That seemed to make Fadil relax a little. Which was good, because we’d reached the edge of the woods where Tobias’s house was. No turning back now.
‘And he might be able to give you answers about why you can see ghosts now, since he’s the one who did the procedure.’
Golden leaves crunched under our boots as we entered the woods. The leaves had fallen off some of the trees, while the other, evergreen trees, continued to stand tall and green.
‘I suppose. Maybe I am being melodramatic. Can you blame me?’
I put my arm around him. Well, as much as I could. It was hard when he had so many layers on. ‘No, I can’t. But the guy’s just taken on someone else’s dog. A crazy person wouldn’t do that. Would he?’
Fadil scoffed, shrugging me off. ‘Yeah. To make him look less crazy.’
‘A crazy person couldn’t plan that well. They’d be too busy acting on impulse.’
‘You…you and your logic!’ Fadil flapped his arms again. It was pretty funny given how gigantic his coat was. I didn’t laugh, even though I wanted to, just in case it made him tetchier.
‘If you need to wait outside, I understand,’ I said.
‘Are you kidding me? I’m not leaving you to go inside there on your own! Why do you think I agreed to this plan in the first place? We need answers and we need them now, and your mum and Ben are busy. They can’t interrupt their routines without looking suspicious, and you and I just happen to be free. And if this guy is old enough to remember the first time Doctor Crazy was around, well, there aren’t going to be many other options, are there!’ More flapping. Was he trying to look like a bird?
A raven cawed nearby, landing on a tree that was lit up by the moon. I glanced up. It was glowing. A ghost raven. Was it the same one from earlier? Were we being watched? It felt like too much of a coincidence after everything else that had happened so far…
I suppressed a shudder. It was better if Fadil didn’t know my suspicions, since he was already panicking. So, even though I hated leaving things out, I kept walking and convincing him that we were doing the right thing. It was dark, but I didn’t think Dr Goodfellow would attack us until it was nighttime. There were still people around, leaving school and work. Although probably not in the middle of a forest. Maybe Fadil was on to something…
Well, it was too late now.
We reached Tobias’s front door and I knocked before I could talk myself out of it. Or Fadil could try to again.
The door flung open, revealing Tobias looking happier than I’d ever seen him. Dave sat at his feet and looked up at us.
‘Well hello, isn’t this an unusual visit? Come in, come in.’
Fadil and I exchanged confused glances, then went inside. He seemed unusually chipper. Even his house seemed brighter, like the yellows and the greens were less faded, and Tobias’s skin seemed less…grey. Had he been leeching? No, he was an alchemist. He couldn’t do that. Could he?
I mean, Thomas had all but told us the guy was almost two hundred years old, so at that point, who knew what was possible?
‘How are you doing since the surgery, Fadil? Your skin appears to be healing well!’ Tobias gestured for us to sit on the sofa. We did so, and Dave jumped up, settling into my lap. It was cute that he remembered me, even though I was trying to block out the time we’d lived together. I stroked his head.
‘Yes, it is, thank you.’
‘Good, that’s good.’ Tobias settled into his yellow armchair, resting one foot on top of the other knee. ‘So, what brings you to my cottage? I assume this isn’t a social call?’
Why would he ever think we wouldn’t visit him socially? It wasn’t like he was seriously creepy or anything…
Fadil shifted in his seat, swallowing, rubbing his hands together. ‘Is it…is it normal that I can see ghosts, now?’
Tobias leaned forwards. ‘Huh. I haven’t heard of that before, but that’s not say it isn’t possible. I mean, it’s highly logical, in fact.’
‘It is?’
Tobias nodded, his shoulder-length grey hair falling into his face. He tucked it behind his ear and continued: ‘Dominic’s powers were a part of him. Every part of him. So when you took a part of him – his skin, in this case – there would’ve been blood cells, hair cells, bacteria, et cetera that had been a part of him for hours or even weeks before the procedure. And now that they’re a part of you, they might take a while to settle in, but they’ll likely merge into your system in the same way that another part of someone’s body would after a non-magical transplant.’
Fadil shuddered. ‘Does that mean I’ll be able to do more over time?’
‘I can’t say for sure. It’s possible, but unlikely. After all, you didn’t inherit his powers, only his skin.’
‘But I got his powers through his skin.’
‘Let’s not forget that being able to see ghosts is a fairly basic skill, albeit one that most families have lost now. It could be tapping into pre-existing powers that were dormant in your system. We simply don’t know.’
Fadil leaned back on the sofa, as if he was processing everything he’d learned. I couldn’t tell how he felt about being able to see ghosts. I wasn’t sure he knew, either. It was a lot to deal with. Although it would make it easier for him to be able to see ghosts since the rest of us could.
I put my hand on his leg to comfort him, feeling bad for encouraging him to try to find answers. He put his hand on top of mine as if to reassure me that it was fine, so I moved the conversation along.
‘We actually had some questions about something else, if you’ve got time?’ I said.
Tobias sat upright with excitement. ‘What is it?’
‘Have you ever heard of a Dr Randolph Goodfellow?’
Tobias’s back tensed. His chipper demeanour vanished. His mouth turned into a tight line. ‘What about him?’
‘We think he’s behind the recent murders. Have you heard of him?’
‘Yes.’
Short, clipped, not really wanting to talk. Not helpful, but I needed to push.
‘Can you tell us anything about him? Anything that might help us stop him?’ I pleaded.
His jaw tightened. Instead of answering my question, he got up and started pacing the small room we were sitting in. ‘We studied medicine together, a long time ago.’ You could say that again. ‘He had an incredible aptitude for it. If I remember correctly, he was at the top of our class.’
I wanted to interrupt and ask questions, but he seemed to be reciting a monologue, so I let him continue, as hard as it was to not interject.
He cleared his throat, tapping his leg. Dave jumped off from the sofa and ran to him, sitting at his feet. Wow, that was the most responsive I’d ever seen him. Tobias picked up the dog and hugged him as he continued talking. ‘While we were studying, we discovered alchemy. I chose to stick to the grey areas, but he was more comfortable doing whatever he could for his own gain. As we were preparing to go our separate ways, he discovered how to channel a different source of power. Some would call it black magic.’ Gulp. ‘After graduation, we lost contact, but both stayed local. He opened a practice on the outskirts of town, treating whatever ailments he could. If you could call them treatments. Any form of treatment back then was dangerous, but anything he did was even more so. For the rich, he took their money and did what he could. If someone couldn’t pay him as much, he’d take something else instead.’
‘Their powers?’
He rubbed behind Dave’s ear, turning to look at us. His expression was blank. Eerie. Haunted. ‘Yes. At first, he took indiscriminately, unsure of what he could actually take, so figuring the more he experimented, the more he could gain.’
So far, he seemed to be confirming and fleshing out what Thomas had told us. That was good. Well, good in that he wasn’t lying to us. Bad in every other way. Very, very bad.
‘Was he a witch? I thought only witches could use magic,’ said Fadil.
Tobias gave him a down-turned smile. ‘Only witches have active powers, but, technically, anyone can cast a spell to manipulate the forces around them. Black magic can sometimes be easier to wield, and lead to more concrete results, which is why it’s more attractive to people who are born without powers.’
Wasn’t that just great?
Tobias continued: ‘As he became more aware of what he was doing and how it affected both him and his so-called patients, he focused more on people who had the types of powers he wanted. I believe his dream target was a vampire.’
‘Did you just say “vampire”?’ said Fadil. ‘They’re real?’
Tobias gave him a small smile. ‘Of course.’
Ghosts, witches, necromancers, why not vampires? Ben had suggested more paranormal creatures existed than we knew about when we’d first met him. Nothing surprised me anymore.
‘Did he ever acquire a vampire’s powers?’ I asked.
‘No,’ said Tobias. ‘Luckily. He was close to unstoppable when he was alive. Can you imagine what he’d have been like with the powers of a vampire?’
Fadil rubbed his hands over his legs. ‘What, exactly, are the powers of a vampire?’
‘That’s a good question,’ said Tobias. He put the dog in his chair, then sat in front of him. Dave curled up at the back of it and went to sleep. ‘As you know, vampires need blood to survive. The type of blood they drink can affect them. More magical blood allows them to heal faster, for example. So does chicken blood. High in protein. The blood of an old person, who’s mentally or physically ill, won’t sustain them for long. The blood of a child may help them look more youthful or give them extra energy.’
‘So they can heal?’ I asked, trying to clarify his ramblings.
‘Yes, very well. Germs don’t impact them at all. If they suffer from any injuries, once they’ve drunk blood, they can heal. There are always exceptions to the rule, but that’s the general consensus.’
A psychopathic murderer who could heal? No wonder he wanted a vampire.
‘Can they do anything else?’ asked Fadil.
‘Most have superior strength. They may be faster, more agile. I guess you could see them as having the abilities of a big cat.’
‘That’s…great. Just great.’ Fadil shook his head.
‘Oh, they’re no threat to us. Contrary to popular belief, most don’t kill their victims. It’s too messy. And most victims don’t remember when they’ve had a little blood taken, they’ll just blame a good night out.’
‘Their memories are removed, too?’ I said, trying to follow an entirely new lore I’d only just discovered. Knowledge was power, and all that.
‘Sometimes, yes. A vampire’s saliva mixes with the victim’s blood, eliciting a chemical which causes them to forget the last few minutes. It also makes them woozy, which is why victims often blame alcohol. Some people also wake up with hangover-like symptoms, reinforcing that belief. Vampires often target anyone who’s drunk for this very reason, since they’re immune to the impact of alcohol.’
‘I’m not sure whether to be fascinated or horrified,’ said Fadil.
I laughed, so did Tobias.
‘Both seem adequate,’ said Tobias.
‘Is there anything else you can tell us that might be helpful when it comes to Dr Goodfellow? Any tips on how to take him down?’ I asked.
‘Alas, that’s all I know. I’m afraid I don’t know who set his house on fire, only that it was quite a pretty blaze.’
Of course he’d say something like that. On that note, it was time for us to leave.
I jumped out of my chair and Fadil followed. ‘Well. Thank you for your help. It’s good to see Dave has settled in so well.’
Tobias nodded. ‘Be careful. Both of you. Goodfellow is not someone to be taken on lightly.’