Page 65 of Waste
“Yes, if you wish to call it that.”
There were a few comfortable sofas, two huge leather armchairs, several bookcases and trunks. Tables held statues and ornaments, which looked valuable, and cloth tapestries were hanging under the trough. Shelley spotted many masterpieces displayed between tapestries, and there were heavy velvet drapes and silk draped over sconces.
“I like this. It’s very… medieval? Harry Potterish? It’s nice.”
“Thank you. Would you fancy anything to eat or drink?”
“You have food here?” Shelley asked, surprised.
“Yes, I have two generators that power my electricity. And I stocked the freezer only a week or so ago.”
“Why?” Shelley asked, turning to him as Ghoul headed towards a door. Not willing to be left behind, Shelley chased after him and entered a neat, compact kitchen. There was a larder fridge and chest freezer and all other modern appliances. “Wow.”
“I like my luxuries,” Ghoul replied.
“How did you get all this down here?”
“The catacombs. There is a way out through that wall there, and one in the bedroom. They link to tunnels, which split and lead you to six different exits in the catacombs. Of course, they are blocked at my end so that nobody can break in. Should someone find an exit and follow it back, they will hit a barrier of stone that can only be moved from this side.”
“You’ve covered your bases.”
“Yes. Too many of my brethren have been murdered, and only a handful remain.”
“Tell me everything,” Shelley demanded.
Ghoul regarded her, and Shelley felt hope rise. She knew deep down, Ghoul was going to give her some answers finally!
Drew/Ghoul
He shifted back into his human form and sighed. He busied himself making Shelley a hot chocolate and then waved her towards the living area. Shelley curled up in one of the armchairs and regarded him thoughtfully.
“I’ll tell you everything, how we were Warriors of God, and our titles were Protectors of the Jar. The story of our downfall isn’t pretty, and neither is what happened to us,” Drew finally said.
Shelley nodded but kept silent. Her eyes were focused on him as Drew began explaining The Betrayal. Shelley didn’t interrupt,which Drew appreciated, and she listened carefully, absorbing his words. When he paused, Shelley asked her questions then. Drew explained how they were finding mates and what it involved, as well as how babies were now being born. He told Shelley literally everything.
After an hour of talking, Drew stopped and gazed at Shelley.
“That’s a hell of a story,” Shelley murmured.
“It’s the truth.”
“And Pan…”
“Don’t say her name. When it is spoken, she can hear everything. That is why I spelt her name out,” Drew said quickly.
“Ah, okay, I did wonder,” Shelly replied. “But she is one of you now?”
“She, too, was betrayed. I’m sure she didn’t anticipate becoming what she is.”
“But she doesn’t have a monster form?”
“No. Her shifted form turns her into her former self. A figure who is recognisable to many who hunt us.”
“And these Hunters are the real monsters, it seems. What do they expect is going to happen?”
“From what we’ve gathered, they think if they eradicate us, they’ll stop the Sins we carry. What they don’t realise is that without us, the Sins will run rampant. The first time one of us was killed, they carried the Sin of Anger. In the Nile Valley, on the border between Sudan and Egypt, is an archaeological site.
“It’s called Jebel Sahaba, and it’s a cemetery. It contains the remains of Qadan warriors and people. The area is over thirteen thousand four hundred years old. Wounds from spears and arrows are visible on the skeletons unearthed there. The burials suggest an ongoing period of war. Arrowheads have been discovered among the remains.”
