Daughters of Fire

When he came back she was still sitting where he had left her but she seemed calmer. ‘Steve, I’m sorry.’ She looked up at him wanly. ‘I shouldn’t have got you involved in all this. You rang at just the wrong moment.’

‘I’m glad I did.’ He put a mug into her hands. ‘Look, you know this is not real, Viv. I don’t have to tell you that. It can’t be. You’re not being haunted. It must be some kind of stream of consciousness creative thing, coming from deep inside you.’

She shook her head. God, he sounded just like Cathy. Rationalising. Always rationalising. Making it sound normal.

‘Viv, it’s –’ He started, then stopped, unable to find the words. ‘It’s amazing, but it’s not true.’

‘It is!’ She was anguished.

He sighed. ‘Whatever it is, you have to stop.’

‘I can’t stop!’ It was a whisper.

There was a long silence as they both contemplated the screen in the corner of the room. With a sigh, Viv climbed to her feet and went over to turn it off, then she threw herself back down on the sofa. ‘I’m going mad.’

‘No.’ He turned to face her. ‘Gifted. Honoured. Blessed. Maybe obsessive, and highly creative and fighting the tight restrictions of the rules of your – our – chosen profession. Mad, no.’

‘Not yet, anyway.’ She gave a wry smile.

‘You are exhausted, Viv.’ He reached for his own coffee thoughtfully. ‘Before anything else, I think you should get some rest.’ He paused. ‘Unless – do you dream about her too?’

She shrugged. Those flashes of firelight. The thunder of hooves. The shouts and clashes of sword-blades. Were those part of her waking dream or part of a nightmare?

‘Would you like me to stay?’ He was watching her anxiously. ‘I can sleep on the sofa. I don’t think you should be alone.’

‘No, Steve.’ She shook her head. ‘That’s sweet of you, but I’ll be fine.’

‘Are you sure?’ He was uncertain. ‘I don’t think you should do this any more. Not if it upsets you so much.’

‘I don’t have a choice. She forces herself into my consciousness. I’m not imagining this.’ She was pleading with him. ‘Besides,’ she hesitated, ‘I want to go on.’

He leaned over and took her hand. ‘I think it could be dangerous.’ He was looking very serious. ‘Honestly. Whether it is coming from inside you, or from some sort of ghostly spirit it’s not good if it’s taken control of you like this. I wish my mother was here. She knows more about this sort of thing than I do. She would believe you.’

Viv gave a wan smile. ‘Then I shall look forward to meeting your mother one day.’

‘You must.’ He paused. ‘Are you sure I can’t stay?’

‘No. I’ll be all right. Don’t worry about me. It was really nice of you to come, Steve.’ She hesitated. ‘This is all secret. You realise that, don’t you? I don’t want anyone to know about it.’

‘They won’t. Not from me.’ A thought struck him. ‘Is this where those extra facts came from in the book?’

‘I didn’t mean to use them. I tried not to listen. I pushed her away. I never wrote it down before!’ She swallowed, looking down at her hands. ‘I think I want you to go now, Steve.’

He stood up unhappily. ‘You’re sure you’ll be all right?’

She nodded. ‘Promise you won’t say anything?’