Martin grabbed her hand as she pulled on her jacket. ‘Scarlet, stop, what’s going on?’
‘They’re going after Lara.’
‘Lara?’
‘My gir— the girl who brought us the book, remember?’
Martin nodded, frowning. ‘That seems a little strange. Why do they believe that will make the difference?’
Scarlet let out a long breath. ‘She’s my girlfriend.’
‘Your girlfriend? Oh.’
He sat back on the couch, nodding slowly. ‘Okay, well, that was unexpected.’ He paused another second, watching her drag her jacket on. He stood, straightened his trousers, and reached for the book. ‘Well, we better go and find her then.’
Scarlet wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened for a moment, before awkwardly returning the embrace. When she pulled away, he gave her an sheepish smile and she laughed. Then she remembered the voice and ran for the door.
He emerged seconds later, running to catch up. ‘Do you know where she lives?’
‘Not a clue.’
Everything in the last few days had been a reaction, chasing things some mysterious person had dangled before her, or running away. This was different. It was like the moment in the council when she’d realised how she was going to beat the apprentices.
They’d taken her computer and that was something she could never forgive, but if they hurt her girlfriend she’d help them end the world, and laugh at them whilst they burned.
Martin put a hand on her shoulder as she stomped, slowing her. ‘Do you have a plan?’
She shook her head, realised her jaw was clenched so tight her gums ached, and opened it, stretching it wide. She had no plan at all, no idea whatsoever. She stopped, swearing, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.
God, what had possessed her to walk that fast? Martin came around and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked at him, blinking away the tears, and he nodded.
‘We have to plan, we have to approach this properly. It’s the twenty fourth of December, and in less than twenty four hours, they will be attempting the raising. We have to stop it. There’s no point in saving Lara if we all die a few hours later.’
She shoved his hands away, setting off again across the windblown concrete path that ran down between the tower blocks. ‘Scarlet, stop, listen to me. You know I’m right.’
She wouldn’t stop though, not a chance. It took him standing in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and holding on as she slammed her fists into his chest, for her to finally subside, arms aching and heart racing. ‘Yeah, alright, yeah, I’m okay, let go, LET GO.’
He let go, but he didn’t back away, not like when she shouted at mum. He didn’t scream at her either, so it was better in all ways. He put his hands back on her shoulders, gently this time. ‘We have to find her, I know, but we need to make sure we’re prepared as well.’
‘So why don’t you go get prepared and I’ll find her.’
Martin sighed. ‘Because I want to find her as well and with the best will in the world, I think you have a better chance of doing it with me here.’
She wasn’t sure whether to hug him or hit him again, so she just nodded and out stuck her lower lip. ‘So what do we do?’
‘I’m wary of doing a finding spell. If they’ve already got her, we could walk straight into a trap. If we could find out where she lives, even somewhere close, we could begin there and trace any aura they leave behind when they take her.’
‘Harrow, on the hill, she said, I think.’
They found a taxi a few minutes later and half an hour after that, they clambered out into Harrow, the taxi meter showing 00.00, despite the journey. The high street was busy, people rushing home after a morning at work, or grabbing last minute things from the shop.
Martin led her to the church that sat just back from the high street and they walked through the wet grass amongst the gravestones. The Christmas tree that dominated the front of the church was switched off, the clear blue skies colliding with both her mood and the season.
She hated Christmas, but at least this year she had something to do. Although, boredom? Not such a bad thing anymore.
Martin perched on a gravestone and closed his eyes, muttering in a thick voice. She recognised his casting and stayed quiet, listening. Everyone who did magic sounded different, and he had a wonderful, flowing way to his casting, like he was singing.
He opened his eyes and she gasped. They were covered in a golden film, like really fancy contacts. He spun slowly in a circle and stopped about two thirds of the way around, staring, eyes widening.
‘They’ve been here already and whoever they are, they carry serious power with them. Goodness, it’s quite something.’
He walked stiffly from the graveyard, Scarlet following close behind. They ambled down narrow streets, between old white houses, and stopped before one, three stories with flowers hanging at the windows.
Martin stared at it for a moment, before stepping away and continuing down the street. Lara lived there and Scarlet stayed, peeking in through the window for a minute, before following him.
Martin stopped on the corner, brow furrowed. ‘They got in a car here. The energy is there, but it heads off down the road. My guess is they’re going to the grave.’
‘So we follow, right?’
He blinked, and the gold film disappeared. He was staring into the distance, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.
‘What, what is it? What possible reason can there be now?’
He blinked, focusing on her and nodding. ‘No, you’re right, we need to go. I was just wondering, where is the unicorn?’
The gold film returned and he stared around again, seeing something that made him smile. ‘There we are. I thought so.’
He took her hand and pulled her up the road, until they stopped before the entrance to a park. They passed under the wrought iron gate and paced between oaks until a huge green expanse opened up before them.
Scarlet stepped away from Martin, shouting. ‘Elt, where are you, are you here?’
He emerged from between some trees, mane flicking in the wind as he galloped over. ‘Joanna. Who’s this?’
Martin stepped forward, holding out a hand which the unicorn sniffed. ‘I am Martin, and despite what Joanna has told me about her search for you, it is good to see you. You are to be our conduit?’
‘Yeah, s’pose.’
He paused, rubbing his nose against Scarlet’s chest, and she shoved him, stepping back. ‘Easy Fido, we ain’t friends, not yet.’
He stamped, but remained silent.
‘They took her, they took Lara.’
He looked up, one huge eye staring into hers. She bit her lip as her eyes became wet again. The unicorn nodded. ‘I felt them. They’re powerful, way better than you.’
‘That’s why we’ve got you, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, I s’pose so. I’d rather not, though, that lot are never good news.’
Martin leapt forward, hand on Elt’s flank. ‘You know who they are?’
‘Of course. You don’t?’
‘Okay, that sort of smugness wins you no points, none at all.’
He whickered. ‘They’re the Coven of Azgarlirend. He’s a particularly nasty demon, prays on gullible women like a sort of bad genie.’
Next Installment Monday 17th March
