Chapter 8

    In the end I slept through the afternoon and the night, only waking when there was a loud crash from downstairs. I swiftly made myself presentable before heading down to the kitchen where Rosie was picking several pans off the floor. She looked up when I entered and smiled guiltily.

    “I knocked them off, accidently,” she admitted. “They appear to have got away undamaged.” She looked at me again then. “Did I wake you?”

    “Yes,” I told her.

    “Oh I am terribly sorry,” Rosie said as she piled the pans back on their shelf.

    “It is quite alright. It was time for me to be getting up anyway. I find that I am quite hungry.”

    Rosie flung her arms in the air. “Of course! How silly of me. I’ll sort you something out to eat. There has to be something around here.” She opened every cupboard in the kitchen then stood in the centre with her hands on her hips. “He must have something in here. Perhaps in the cellar.”

    My heart leaped at the mention of that place and images flashed through my mind of the darkness of the Master’s cellar. I hadn’t known Silas had one and watched silently as Rosie opened a trap door in the floor. She smiled at me reassuringly before lighting a lantern and descending into the darkness of the cellar.

    I watched the light as it slowly became fainter until the square in the floor that led the cellar was dark again.       

    “Rosie?” I called out uncertainly. There was no reply and I lingered on the edge, looking down into the darkness. I called out again and couldn’t help but notice the slight tremble in my voice.

    Should I follow? I stared at the stone steps before me. I moved one foot forwards onto the top step. Nausea swept over me and my head began to feel light. I couldn’t go down there. No. I couldn’t. Images flashed through my mind - horrible images. Memories bombarded me and I flinched at the sound of a key turning in a lock that filled my mind, followed by the grating of the cage door. I returned to reality and managed to wrench my foot away from the top step as if it had burnt me and backed away.

    “I found something!” A moment later Rosie appeared out of the darkness holding a few items wrapped in cloth. She closed the trap door and turned around. “Are you alright?”

    I stared at the trap door a moment before meeting her eyes. “I’m fine.” I fought to control my shaking body and racing heart.

    She did not look convinced but did not argue and placed the food on the wooden table. “There is some bread and a bit of cheese. Silas really needs to stock up.” She shook her head and began preparing the small meal.

    I stood awkwardly on the other side of the trap door, not knowing what to do. “Do you need any help?” I asked eventually.

    “Oh no, it’s fine really,” Rosie insisted with a smile.

    Just then the front door opened and shut. Rosie’s brow furrowed as Silas emerged in the kitchen doorway. He removed his top hat and coat which was splashed with mud.

    “Silas, what are you doing back so early?” Rosie asked as she handed me some bread and cheese on a chipped plate.

    “The work was done,” was all Silas said before leaving the room.

    Rosie and I exchanged a glance and she shrugged. The chair creaked as I sat down to eat my meal.

*

    Rosie left a couple of hours after Silas returned and it was now early evening. Silas was sat by the fire reading a newspaper with Max curled up on his feet. The fading light made it difficult for me to read the book he had leant me. I looked up as he muttered to himself behind his broadsheet but he was hidden behind the sizeable pages.

    There was a knock at the door and Silas dropped the newspaper on the floor before going to answer it. I did not like to eavesdrop and tried to concentrate on my book but the voices rose a little before the door shut. Silas returned to the room with a man following behind him. I stood when I saw Warren, who gave a small bow. There was a frown plastered on Silas’ face as he sunk back into his chair, body tense.  

    Warren looked like he was about to speak but Silas interrupted. “Well, what have you to say?”

    “I know where to find the answers you seek,” Warren looked directly at me as he spoke.

    My body tensed and my heart gave a small flip. “What do you mean?”

    “There is someone called the Faceless Man, he to escaped from Dr. Eadour. He knows more than I. I think he can help us,” Warren replied. “You want to know who you are? He is your best choice for finding the answers.”

    I glanced over at Silas to see him looking down at the floor, his fingers knotted tightly together. “Where is he?” I asked.

    “Here, in London,” Warren said, his lip twitching into a small smile. “I know where to find him.”

    Silas cleared his throat and shifted in his chair before looking up at Warren. “Is it safe?”

    Warren frowned. “How do you mean?”

    Silas glanced at me before returning his attention to Warren. “Does Dr. Eadour know where he is?”

    Warren shook his head. “No, it is a secret place.” He turned his attention back to me. “There are others there like us that have managed to escape.”

    After the initial surprise of finding that there were others who had escaped I realised the potential of the proposal. This was my chance. The opportunity to find out who I really was had come, and I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers. I had been thinking long about how to find the answers to my questions and no solution had come to me, for I knew of none other than Warren and I who knew of Dr. Eadour’s activities. Now, here was Warren telling me there were others like us. Why did he not he tell me before?

    I did not voice this question and instead said, “Can you take me there?”

    “Yes.”

    “When?”

    “Tonight.”         

    “Only if I join you,” Silas interrupted, standing as he did so.

    Warren shuffled his feet. “I do not think-”

    “My apologies for lack of trust but I want to make sure Charity is safe,” Silas insisted.

    Tension clung to the room like frost and I waited for Warren to reply. Personally, I did not see a problem with Silas coming. If anything I would be comforted by his presence.

    Warren continued to stare at Silas calculatingly. “As you wish.” He broke the contact and returned to face me. “We will leave in about an hour’s time, if that is fine with you? I advise you to wear dark clothing, if you have any.”

    I nodded. “That should be fine.”

    Warren exchanged one last glance with Silas before sweeping out of the house.

*

    An hour later I was stood outside Silas’ front door wearing a black cloak with the hood pulled up over my head. A chill was in the air that caused my fingers to feel icy and numb. Warren approached us from the end of the street and Silas and I walked to meet him. The street was fairly empty at this time, the gaslights illuminating the cobblestones under our feet and the gloomy windows we passed.

    “Well,” Silas said impatiently when we had breached the gap, “which way?”

    Warren frowned at him and turned. “Follow me.”

    I folded my arms across my chest in an attempt to keep warm and followed Warren, Silas walking beside me. I soon lost track of our route amid the unfamiliar streets and an uncomfortable silence hung over us. The few people we passed kept their heads down and hurried along or stumbled past in a drunken fashion. It was impossible to tell how long we walked for, the thick cloud and fog over the city obscured the stars and moon. Eventually though, Warren slowed his pace and told us it was not far.

    The neighbourhood we were in was away from the industrial areas, the towering chimneys were in the distance behind us. The houses were narrow and mostly three storeys high with chipped paint and crooked brickwork. I cast a nervous glance around me and moved closer to Silas; there was something unsettling about the area.

    The building we approached was on the corner of a street – it looked like it was once a restaurant but it must have been a long time since it accommodated customers. It towered over us, four storeys high with elegant architecture and a faded and crumbling sign for which the majority of the letters were missing. The front double doors where painted green, which was streaked with grime and the handles were laced with rust. The windows were boarded up with planks of wood, but it looked to me like it had been done in haste as there were several gaps between the boards.

    “Is this the place?” Silas asked doubtfully, looking over the broken windows as we passed the front of the building.

    “Yes,” Warren replied in hushed tones, his voice hoarse. “It is out of the way here, less chance of being found.”

    Silas did not respond and we followed Warren down the side of the building into almost complete darkness. My skin scrawled and I longed for a light to guide our way, but Warren seemed not to mind. At the end of the narrow passage there was a small semicircle of light spilling out from the side of the building. Silas moved in front of me slightly as we neared.

    There were two men under the dim gaslight that hung in an alcove which sheltered a rusty door. They had a grim look to them and they pushed away from their slouched positions upon seeing us.

    “What is your business here?” one man asked, his speech was slow and awkward, and a scar ran from the corner of his mouth to his ear.

    Both men wore long coats and worn boots that had seen many years of use. The second was shorter and thinner than the first with slick black hair and translucent skin. There was something unnerving about him and his silver eyes which were trained on me. 

    “Good evening, Bern. We have come to see the Faceless Man,” Warren announced, his voice unwavering.

    The first man, Bern, stepped forward, eyeing Warren suspiciously.  His face relaxed into a crooked grin and he leaned back. “Warren, why, it’s been a long time since you were here.” He looked back at the other man and followed his gaze to me before flicking back to Warren. “You’ve brought outsiders. The Faceless Man won’t appreciate that. How do we know they’re not going to give us away?”

    “They’re friends,” Warren replied.

    “Friends?” Bern said, raising one eyebrow and casting another glance over Silas and me. “How do I know that? I can’t let you in. In fact,” he ran a thumb along his stubbly chin, “I probably ought to kill them, just to make sure, now they know where to find us.”

    Warren clenched his fists. “Don’t you dare hurt them Bern, we just want to speak with the Faceless Man.”

    “I can’t let you do that, I’m afraid,” Bern replied, still grinning. “Sol?”

    In a flash the second man had come towards me and grabbed my arm in a tight grip, the blade of the long knife that was pressed to my skin glinting in the lamplight. A small yelp escaped my lips and I tried to move away from the knife but Sol held me still.

    “Let her go, now,” Warren demanded, his voice sharp.

    I squirmed but Sol pressed the blade harder against my skin. Silas met my eyes and I saw fear in them. I tried to keep my breathing even – I had to remain calm. Everything would be alright; Warren would get us out of this.

    “What do you wish to speak to him about?” Bern asked.

    “That is for him to hear, not you, now let us pass!”

    The blade punctured my skin and I screamed as warm blood trickled down my neck.

    Warren lunged forward and swiped at Bern with a clawed hand, an angry growl preceding his attack. Bern swerved out of the way and swung a punch at Warren but he ducked and tackled him. They tumbled to the floor and were locked in combat. Silas was still stood where he was, unmoving.

    “Do something!” I yelled, earning a kick from Sol.

    Silas seemed to unfreeze and leapt into the fight, yanking Bern away from Warren and throwing him to the ground. Warren took the opportunity to roll to his feet and run towards me. In the background I saw Bern deliver a crunching blow to Silas which knocked him off his feet.

    Sol tried backing away from the charging Warren, dragging me with him. Warren swung his clawed hand and Sol was forced to let go of me to avoid being sliced to ribbons. I was in a daze, free but unable to move. Warren and Sol tumbled to the ground; the latter had pulled out a knife and was stabbing at Warren, who was forced to roll each time. It was only a matter of time before he would find his target.

    I grabbed hold of the back of Sol’s coat and yanked him off Warren, throwing him over my shoulder and onto the floor. A grin spread over Warren’s face and I held out a hand to pull him to his feet. Sol had rolled into a crouch and was staring fixatedly at me, frozen in place. It took me a moment to realise he was staring at the pendant around my neck.

    “Bern!” Sol shouted.

    Silas was obviously losing his own fight; blood trickled from his nose as he dived away from a lunging Bern. I glanced between him and Sol who had been tackled by Warren.

    “Stop! Everybody stop,” I yelled as I held up the pendant. They didn’t seem to hear me at all. “Stop!” 

    Bern was preparing for another swing at Silas and paused, panting, to look up at me. His eyes widened at the sight of the pendant and he lumbered forwards, wrenching the pendant out of my hand, forcing me forwards. The chain pressed uncomfortably into the back of my neck. I turned my head away from Bern’s face, which was unnervingly close.

    “Where…did you get…this?” Bern demanded, pulling even tighter on the chain.

    “That is none of your concern,” Warren said sternly as he rose to his feet, meeting Bern’s gaze.

    After a moment, Bern released the chain and I rubbed the back of my neck. He was staring at me intensely, eyes full of suspicion. I was aware of Sol’s presence at my shoulder and resisted the urge to turn around. Silas had climbed to his feet and wiped the blood from his split lip as he limped over to stand next to Warren.

    “She’s one of us,” Warren said.

    Bern raised his eyebrows and moved his gaze to Silas. “What about him?”

    Warren shook his head. “He’s a normal human.”

    Bern frowned but refrained from retorting. “You and the girl can see the Faceless Man. He must wait outside,” he said, indicating Silas. He looked like he was about to protest but Warren silenced him with a meaningful stare.

    “Alright,” Warren relented. “Show us the way.”

    Bern turned back to the door and unlocked it, giving it a shove to set it grating open. I followed Warren, but just as I was about to enter I turned to see Sol hovering at Silas’ shoulder. The pale man grinned, revealing teeth shaped like needles. Bern closed the door behind us.