What was she going to say? ‘I’m looking for a powerful spell book, which may only exist in legend’? Come to think of it, they probably had that sort of request every day.
She took a deep breath.
It’s now or never. Do you want to save Gabriel or not?
For a moment, she wasn’t entirely sure. Before his terrible confession about Isabelle, April hadn’t really understood the hell Gabriel was going through. All he wanted was to be human again, to live a normal life, to love and marry and have kids: all the mundane things we take for granted. But instead he had spent a hundred years trapped in a cage, forced to do and see terrible things, racked with guilt, struggling with his desires on a daily basis – and then along came April, desperate to push him back into that horrible
prison. Maybe the kindest thing was to let him go. But she couldn’t, not while there was hope. Yes, he would become a vampire again, but if they could just find the Regent and –
one thing at a time
, she reminded herself.
One thing at a time
.
She heard chimes as she pushed open the thickly-painted door.
Of course
, she thought.
Of course they’d have chimes
.
Inside, the shop had a low ceiling and a velvet sofa in the centre of the room, but apart from that it looked like any other small independent bookshop.
What were you expecting? Skulls hanging from the roof?
A pretty woman behind the counter looked up from a book and smiled, but didn’t hassle her, so April walked among the shelves, trying to look natural. There were lots of surprisingly modern books on ghosts and tarot reading and ‘paranormal romance’. April allowed herself a smile.
Pity my love story isn’t working out the way it does in the books
. There was even a chalkboard by the till advertising coffee and cake; it was more like an internet café than a scary witches’ coven. April suddenly realised that this would be exactly the kind of shop which stocked her father’s books. She walked around to the section marked ‘Conspiracy’ and sure enough, there was the whole collection: William Dunne’s name running down the spines. She reached up and pulled out
Beneath the Dark Waves
, her dad’s book about the Loch Ness monster, realising with a flutter that it was the book she had discussed with Gabriel the morning he had told her about the birthmark behind her ear, the one which proved she was a Fury. April heard footsteps and quickly put the book back, turning around and picking up a book about dreams. She didn’t want to get into discussing her dad with the shop-keeper.
‘That’s a pretty good one if you’re looking for the meanings of dreams,’ said the woman as she approached. ‘In fact, I consulted it myself the other day. I had the strangest dream about Robert Pattinson.’
‘I think I’ve had that dream too,’ said April.
The woman laughed.
‘Probably not quite the same,’ she said. ‘In mine he was running a carousel at the fairground, but wouldn’t let me on
the ride.’ She nodded towards the book, ‘Apparently it means I’m scared of rejection.’
‘Ah, I see,’ muttered April, not sure if the woman wanted a chat or was just being helpful. This was exactly why she avoided shops like this. You never had these problems in Asda.
‘I haven’t seen you in here before,’ said the woman.
‘No, my first visit. Do I stand out?’
The woman rolled her eyes. ‘As you might imagine, we have a lot of regular customers. Some very interesting individuals.’ She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘So it’s always nice to see a human being in here. I’m Jessica, by the way. I run the shop.’
‘I’m April. I’m not surprised you get some special customers given the kind of stuff you stock here.’
Jessica frowned and April quickly added, ‘That came out wrong. I mean there’s a lot of stuff on magic. I guess if you wanted more normal customers you’d have to stock golf books or something on knitting.’
‘Yes, but what fun would that be?’
Just then something caught her eye and she crossed to a wall where there was a picture of someone she recognised. It was a photograph of Alix Graves.
‘Ah, you’ve spotted our celebrity customer,’ said the woman. ‘Alix used to come in from time to time. I think he was just looking for titles for his songs.’
April looked at Jessica for a moment. She was pretty, maybe in her early twenties, her long brown hair pulled up into an untidy bun and a sheer cardigan over her dress – one of those boho-chic looks that seem completely thrown together but are really hard to pull off. She was cool and sexy and confident. April wished she could just sit in the corner of her own bookshop sipping lattes and reading. What a wonderful life to lead. No worries about vampires or destiny or anything. Just restock the books about fairies and keep the hobnobs coming. April felt a wave of jealousy.
‘Is there anything you were particularly after?’ asked Jessica. ‘You don’t …’
‘What?’
‘Well you don’t look like my usual customers, put it that way. It takes all sorts, of course, but you don’t look as if you’ve got a natural interest in the occult.’
April chuckled.
‘No, you’re right. But … well, I’ve got a project.’
‘I see. What’s it about?’
April looked about her to check the shop was empty.
‘Vampires.’
Jessica nodded. Clearly not an unusual choice of subject matter in this shop.
‘What sort?’
‘Are there different sorts?’
Jessica smiled ruefully. ‘Step this way,’ she said, leading April to the back of the shop. ‘This is the vampire section.’
‘Wow,’ said April. There were books on Eastern European vampires, Hammer Horror vampires, vampires as representations of addiction or sexuality, psychic vampires, people who believe themselves to be vampires, genuine blood-drinking serial killers and endless fiction – almost all set in American small towns. April could only shake her head and laugh.
‘I went to the library to look for books on vampires and I could only find about three.’
‘That’s why we’ve been here since 1892. There are always people who believe in these things.’
‘Don’t you?’
Jessica paused, holding April’s gaze.
‘I believe in things I’ve seen with my own eyes, which does rule out a lot of what I stock. In here there is inevitably a lot of nonsense and wishful thinking, but there is a lot of truth too. And it’s that truth that keeps me running this shop, otherwise you’re right, I might as well be selling knitting patterns.’
‘Well, the truth is what I’m looking for,’ said April. ‘Actually I need to find a specific book, called the
Albus Libre
.’
Jessica’s expression hardened.
‘You’ve heard of it, then?’
‘Of course I’ve heard of it,’ said Jessica, all her initial
friendliness gone. ‘Now if you’re just going to waste my time, I think I’d better ask you to leave.’ She pointed towards the door. ‘It’s that way.’
April frowned. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, but I assure you I’m serious about finding this book and this shop is the only lead I have.’
The woman shook her head in irritation, taking April’s arm and leading her towards the exit.
‘There are plenty of other bookshops in London, you know. Why don’t you go and play your silly schoolgirl pranks on them?’ She opened the door and gestured towards the street. April could see she had angered this woman but had no idea why.
‘Please,’ she said desperately, ‘this isn’t a joke. I don’t know what I’ve said, but really, it’s so important to me to find that book.’
The woman crossed her arms.
‘Oh yes? And why is that?’ she said sceptically.
‘Because my friend is going to die if I don’t.’
Jessica looked at April for a long moment, then closed the door again.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘Tell me why you really want that book.’
April hesitated. She needed information badly and here was a woman who knew this world inside out, but she was confronted with the same dilemma which had dogged her search all along: could she trust her?
The truth was she had to start taking chances otherwise she was going to get nowhere. And more than anything she needed allies.
‘I need the book because … sorry, it all sounds insane.’
Jessica gave a half smile. ‘Look at where you are. I can’t imagine it’s going to be any crazier than half the things I’ve heard within these walls.’
‘Okay, how about this?’ said April. ‘My father has been murdered, my school is overrun by real-life vampires and my boyfriend is going to die of a supernatural virus unless I find this book.’
April could feel her eyes filling with tears again.
God, I’ve got to stop doing this, s
he thought,
some bloody Fury I am
.
‘Come on,’ said Jessica, putting a hand on April’s shoulder and leading her to the velvet sofa. ‘Come and sit down.’
She handed April a tissue.
‘So this is about Highgate? The murdered journalist was your father?’
‘You know about that?’
‘Please – some of my customers spend half their lives wandering around that cemetery. It’s all anyone has been talking about for months. I’m sorry about your dad,’ she added softly. ‘It can’t have been easy to lose him.’
April shook her head. She hesitated for a moment, but for some reason had an intuition that Jessica was the sort of woman who would understand.
‘It’s almost as if he hasn’t gone, you know? Like he’s still just sitting in the next room. Maybe it’s because I want that to be the case, but he still feels real to me.’
Jessica tilted her head sympathetically.
‘I know a bit about that. Love is a powerful thing. Sometimes when you lose someone, they stay with you. Sometimes it can feel real, physical. Sometimes it might be.’
‘What do you mean?’
She smiled. ‘Most religions believe in some form of life after death and I think that’s because the power of the human spirit to endure is much, much stronger than anyone really understands. Maybe the poets and the swamis are right, and you do live on after death.’
April didn’t know what to make of Jessica, but she liked the way she spoke, the way she put things. It was reassuring, somehow. Or maybe this was how everyone who came into the shop spoke.
‘And what about the vampires?’
‘Doesn’t this sound mad to you? Someone coming in and saying their school is full of vampires?’
‘Well you’re clearly not a natural believer in anything
supernatural – to be honest, I doubt you even recycle. So if someone like you comes in and tells me their neighbourhood is full of vampires, I’m inclined to take it seriously. You don’t strike me as the hysterical type. And you say your boyfriend is in danger? The same way your father was?’
‘No. Yes … Sort of. I think it’s related. But I know that book is the only thing which will save him.’
Jessica looked at April for a long moment.
‘He must be someone very special.’
‘He is,’ said April, looking at the floor.
‘Then I should find a way to help you, shouldn’t I?’
She went over to her desk and unlocked it. She held up a card.
‘This will get you where you need to go.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a library card. To the best library of its kind in the world. You’ll see what I mean.’ She wrote down a name and address on a pad and tore the sheet of paper off.
‘In the Victoria and Albert museum?’
Jessica nodded.
‘Queen Victoria had a particular interest in this subject, from the moment Albert died. The museum houses her library, and this card will get you in. Ask for the special collection, everything you need should be there.’
‘Thank you, thank you so much,’ said April, looking at the card. ‘But … are you sure? I mean, you have no idea who I am – why would you trust me?’
Jessica smiled.
‘When you’ve been around as long as me, you get a sense for these things.’ The smile faded from her lips. ‘But be aware, April, this isn’t something you can take lightly. This is deadly serious. If that book exists and if it has the knowledge you need, then it isn’t information you want to be sharing with anyone else, do you understand me?’
April nodded. ‘Of course, I just want to find this spell called the Drag—’
Jessica held up a hand.
‘I don’t want to know, it’s better that way. It’s your business and the risks are yours.’
April looked at her.
‘Risks?’
‘If what you’re telling me is true and the information is life or death to you, then there’s a very good chance there are others who will feel the same way.’
‘So if the book is there, why haven’t the vampires broken in and grabbed it before now?’
‘Vampires cannot enter the library,’ said Jessica.
‘What, do they have garlic hanging from the roof?’
Jessica smiled and shook her head. ‘More straightforward than that. You’ll see. But be careful, okay? And promise me you’ll get what you need and only that? The last thing we need is real spells flying around the internet.’