Reality Bites by Nicola Rhodes Read Free Book Online Page B

what’s really going on with you.’
    ‘And where do you live?’
    ‘It’s about two weeks on foot, but we’ll hitch or take a train.  Got any money?’
    Stiles checked his pockets. ‘No.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter; there’s ways and means. If you don’t mind bending the law.’  She grinned slyly at him.
    He looked out at miles and miles of nowhere.  ‘Got to get back to civilisation first.’
    ‘Yes it’s about three or four days on foot. I’m afraid I can’t fly?’
    Stiles groaned.  ‘I could use a drink.’
    Kitty looked uncomfortable.  She made a decision.  ‘I have a confession,’ she said.  ‘It was me who put that whisky in your desk drawer and I spiked your orange juice.’
    Stiles looked at her impassively.
    ‘I had to,’ she carried on hastily.  ‘I didn’t want to; in fact I’ve rarely been more ashamed of myself; the thing is, vampires use mind control, but they find it much harder to work the mojo on a person who’s drunk. For some reason, they can’t get a grip on a mind that’s all over the place.  I was trying to keep you safe; I couldn’t be there all the time, and I knew about your problem, I hated myself for doing it.  I’m so – so sorry.’
    ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I understand.  You did the right thing.  On balance, I’d rather be a recovering drunk than dead.  I’d like a cigarette though.’
    ‘You’re not angry?’
    ‘No, it’s okay, I’m glad you were honest. – About that at least,’ he added quietly.
     
     ‘So, who’s this guy we’re going to see?’
    They had been going for about two hours now.  Trudging through the snow which stretched on featurelessly in all directions.  If Kitty knew where they were going, Stiles did not have a clue; he had decided to just go along with it; there did not seem to be much else he could do.
    ‘Just a friend of mine,’ she said.  ‘He’s been looking into it for me.  I hope he’s found something out by the time we get back.  Maybe if we knew why they were after you, we could stop it.’
    ‘That’s what I don’t get. I mean why me?  I mean surely I’m no kind of threat, I didn’t even know they existed until today. I’m not sure I believe it even now.’
    ‘I know what you mean.  And I’ve seen some strange stuff.’
    ‘What about you?  What’s your story?  After all, you seem to know a lot about me.’
    ‘No story, I’m just me. I help people.’
    ‘Okay, be like that.’  Stiles was not giving up though, but he had time and he was an expert at getting people to spill their guts. Rule one, don’t push.  He would get it out of her, he was sure.
    They had passed a few lonely farms and one solitary inn, but Kitty refused to stop. ‘We travel until nightfall. Then we have to be indoors, that’s when they come out.’
    ‘What if we don’t find anywhere?’
    ‘Don’t worry; I know where I’m going.’
    Stiles gazed around him.  ‘How is that possible?  It all looks the same, or do you have some special spider-sense that lets you know where to go?’
    ‘Nope.’  She reached into her back pocket.  ‘I brought a map.’
     A map? –  Of nowhere? ‘Christ I need a cigarette, takes my mind off wanting a drink.’
    Kitty looked away.  ‘Sorry.’
    ‘Oh it’s not your fault; I took up smoking the first time I gave up drinking. Now I just need to give up smoking.’
    ‘It’s not a good idea out here anyway.  It alerts the wildlife.’
    ‘So? We’re in Scotland not Africa.  What could be so dangerous out here?’
    ‘You’d be surprised.  Not everything has to make sense.  Besides where there are vampires, there are wolves – take it from me.’
    ‘Wolves?  I haven’t seen any wolves.  Anyway wolves don’t attack humans.’
    ‘They do if vampires are controlling them.’
    ‘You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?’
    ‘I’m not trying to scare you, you’ll be fine with me; I can handle wolves.  But it’d slow us down.  Do you carry a