Phaedra was alone when she found Vanessa with her tarot cards.
They had had an interesting morning so far. Earlier Doctor Frankenstein had come to examine the corpse of the creature which had been stripped of its flesh my carrion beetles. He had been unusually jovial upon arrival, an unexpected mood be put down to the caprices of science. Phaedra and Sir Malcolm had received the Doctor alone, leaving Vanessa to her letter writing. Phaedra had been taking not of the older woman's letter writing for as long as she had been there. She noticed she would spend hours at her desk pouring her soul into lengthy letters, only to seal it once finished and lock it away with a thousand others.
The Doctor had been once again taken aback by the creature, lying dead, stripped of flesh and completely covered in ancient scribing's. As he'd drawn blood from the creature he told Sir Malcolm what little he knew of the ancient Egyptian religions and their quest for eternal life. Whilst he was working, Phaedra noticed in his bag books she recognised from her childhood.
"Romantic poetry Doctor?" she inquired, surprised at this.
"Man does not live only in the empirical world. We must seek the ephemeral, or why live?" as he spoke he looked up and found her bright eyes with his own. He felt his breath catch in his chest and his heartbeat quickened a pace. Her eyes frightened him and he was ashamed and afraid to admit even to himself why.
She smiled an unusually sweet smile and began to recite as he was bent back over the body "If this belief from heaven be sent, if such be nature's holy plan…"
"..Have I not reason to lament." Frankenstein continued, slowly standing and turning to look at her again, almost falling into the forest of her eyes.
"What man has made of man." They finished together.
After he confirmed the blood was for all scientific purposes human the Doctor left, asking to be informed of anything pertinent in the hieroglyphics and sharing another gaze with Phaedra before he did. He had declined to consult with a haematologist on Sir Malcolm's behalf, but he had been insistent. After he had left Sir Malcolm once again asked Phaedra to follow the Doctor.
As she walked into the drawing room Phaedra found Vanessa sitting alone with her tarot cards laid out in front of her as she often did. Phaedra and Vanessa were not close. Phaedra felt something about Vanessa unsettled her and she wanted to know what. She was more involved in this that Phaedra could tell, yet she hadn't figured out how yet.
She felt as though she was in the middle of a game with Sir Malcolm, both of them keeping their cards close to their chests, shielding from the other. She knew more than she had told Sir Malcolm and ever planned to tell him. She knew what they were hunting, she knew their nature and their name, and yet she had told him neither and had feigned ignorance. She could help him find his daughter without revealing all to him, for his own sake. She was entirely sure she could trust him yet, though she was beginning to feel as though she could. But he was hiding something from her, keeping what she suspected were vital details from her, keeping some secret about Vanessa, the very strange woman Phaedra definitely didn't trust or like.
"Phaedra" Vanessa said as she heard the younger woman's soft footsteps behind her "Would you indulge me?" she asked.
Phaedra eyes her warily, but nodded anyway, standing beside her at the table. Vanessa took her hand and held it palm down, then slowly began to move her hand, hovering it an inch over the cards, taking her time, giving her hand a second to linger over each card "Close your eyes" Vanessa said, and she did. They stood in silence for over a minute while Vanessa moved Phaedra's hand over the cards. She didn't believe much in this spiritualism but Vanessa was deeply invested in it and at the request of Sir Malcolm Phaedra had agreed to not to antagonise her and would indulge her in such things.
However as the room quietened around them, silent save for their breathing Phaedra let her mind relax and wander, and eventually she started to feel something. She couldn't tell or even describe what it was, but her body was tingling and her mind buzzing and after what she couldn't tell had been a second or an hour her fingers twitched, and Vanessa halted.
Both women opened their eyes and looked at the card her hand was hovering over. Vanessa let go of her hand and picked up the card, turning it over. On it was a woman sitting in a bed with her face covered and nine knives above her "the nine of swords" Vanessa said, looking up at Phaedra, the smallest hint of a smirk lingering on her lips "generally meaning depression, anxiety, nightmares and despair." She added as their eyes met.
Phaedra frowned and shook her head, then turned to leave "Leave your mocking to the boys Vanessa; they're more susceptible to it." She said.
…
"WHAT AREN'T YOU TELLING ME?!" Phaedra slammed her hands onto the table, shaking with fury. She had to fight every urge in her body not to put a knife into Sir Malcolm's heart as he stood looking at her, dripping with rain and apathetic as usual.
"Nothing!" he insisted, holding his hands up to prove his innocence "I have told you everything I know; tonight was as unexpected for me as it was for you."
Sir Malcolm had returned from a part at the home of Ferdinand Lyle, an expert on Egyptology who was translating the hieroglyphics for them. During the party the guests had taken part in a séance and Sir Malcolm had described how spirits had possessed Vanessa and taunted him. Phaedra was furious, she had declined the offer to attend with them as she had no patience for these sorts of affairs, but now she was beginning to regret that decision.
"I told you…" Phaedra said as she began to pace back and forth across the room, still shaking "I told you there was something about her Sir Malcolm, something unnatural and you wouldn't listen and now look… something evil got inside her and taunted you! And if it was as easy as you tell it to be then I fear for us all." She said. She stopped and turned to look at him, trying to read him. There was something wrong about Vanessa and Phaedra knew he knew and had yet to admit to her what it was. "Unless…" she said, after catching the faintest flicker of doubt in his eye "It is only Vanessa who need fear, and not yet all of us." She said.
"I've had enough of these games and secrets Sir Malcolm, I have told you everything I know of these monsters" she lied "and I risk my life daily for your cause, I want to know the truth, all of it… or I leave your employment and the American can defend you alone." She said, finally taking a seat.
Sir Malcolm stood looking at her for a long time, contemplating. He needed her help, he knew that, but he feared to tell her the truth. He had only know her a few short months and she had never proven herself worthy of anything less than complete trust, but he was so used to keeping his secrets that it was hard to divulge to anyone, even Vanessa. But he knew it was getting out of his control faster than he could anticipate or control, and he knew she was smart, she would figure it out then forever resent him for not telling her himself.
Slowly, he crossed the room and pulled a chair to sit opposite her. She looked tired, he knew he asked much of her, perhaps too much for a girl of only 24.
"Vanessa and Mina, as you know, where incredibly close as children" Phaedra nodded and listened in silent "They were closer than sisters and I also considered Vanessa family, but as you know they fall apart after Vanessa broke Mina's trust in the most despicable way. I know little of what happened to Vanessa afterwards from first had experience but I have discussed it at length with her. It seems a terrible evil befell Vanessa in her loneliness and her mind slipped deeper and deeper into despair. She fell into hysteria and depression and spent some time in an institution, but against all hope of those that loved her she began to recover, though she was greatly changed" Sir Malcolm stopped for a moment to compose himself, the memories of what he and his family had gone through were hard for him to recall "She came to me after the death of her mother. The day her mother was lay to rest Vanessa had walked along the beach when she said Mina came to her and professed forgiveness for what Vanessa had done to her. She told Vanessa of the danger she was in, begged for her help and then just… disappeared" Sir Malcolm sighed deeply and his eyes clouded over with the memory of his lost daughter.
"And you believed her?" Phaedra asked, her anger now gone and replaced with intrigue.
Sir Malcolm nodded "I had no reason to doubt her. She recounted details of Mina's life to me that she couldn't have possibly known. I knew she spoke the truth."
"How? How did Mina come to her?"
Sir Malcolm stood and walked towards the fire place, then leant on the mantelpiece, admiring a picture of Mina as he spoke "During her deepest, darkest moments I believe something burrowed itself within Vanessa, it burrowed itself so deep I fear it has become a part of her and now binds her to this world of horrors we have uncovered. She hovers I believe, in some way at least, between the two worlds as a messenger, able to bring word from one side to the other." He said.
Phaedra said nothing, this was grave news. She had heard nothing of this type before, and she had no idea how it could affect them. Perhaps this would benefit them, an extra gift then could use. Or perhaps this could make Vanessa a beacon, attracting all kinds of ungodly creatures to them. Phaedra wasn't sure she wanted to find out which it was.
Eventually she nodded and got to her feet "Thank you Sir Malcolm." She said, before retiring from the room.