Scarlet’s heart sank and she laughed. ‘Let me guess, does he live in a big castle in hell, really pale guy, bad taste in clothes?’
Elt gave her a look, which would have been enigmatic even had he not been a unicorn. ‘Yeah, maybe, not been all that bothered ‘bout visiting him, if I’m honest. Sneaky bastard traps people, offers them their wildest dreams.’
She’d have to ask Mum what he offered her. Or maybe not, it could quite easily be something completely gross. Scarlet turned to Martin, hands held up. ‘What are the chances, I mean, really?’
‘This is no coincidence. He is forbidden to become directly involved, but dreams and visions are fair game. I have no doubt the coven had this particular idea following our little visit. Dammit.’
He slammed his fist into an open palm. ‘They have power, and he will be providing them with more all the time. This will not be easy.’
‘Like it was ever gonna be easy. At least we know who we’re fighting, and I won’t mind the chance to stick my finger up at him again.’
Martin and Elt exchanged glances and Martin shrugged. ‘She’s my apprentice. I couldn’t be prouder.’
He was answered with that strange laughter from Elt and she folded her arms, waiting for them to finish having their little chum-in.
God, Lara was being held by those guys. Why hadn’t they expected something like this? He’d even warned them, told them they’d made an enemy, of course he was gonna get even. She turned on Martin. ‘Why weren’t you ready for this?’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘The guy’s a demon, of course he was gonna do something to us. Why weren’t you ready, why didn’t you warn me?’
‘Joanna, I’m sorry, it didn’t occur to me the two things could be linked.’
‘Didn’t occur to you? How bloody convenient, now Lara’s in their… clutches or whatever, god.’
Martin’s brow creased and his voice dropped so Elt couldn’t hear. ‘You’ve only known her a day or so, you seem very attached.’
‘She’s my girlfriend, of course I’m attached.’
‘But after only a few days?’
She punched him as hard as she could on the arm, to which he responded with a raised eyebrow. Had he ever been in love? Yes, he had, so surely he understood? ‘How do you not get it?’
‘I do, really, it just seems very sudden, that’s all.’
‘And what’s wrong with that? What, did you and your wife spend a year umming and ahhing before deciding you loved one another.’
She winced as soon as she said it and sure enough, his face clouded over, eyes looking past her at something she couldn’t see. She could imagine it though. ‘Stuff it, I’m sorry, really, I didn’t mean—’
‘It’s fine. Come on, we need to go.’
‘Didn’t you want to prepare and stuff?’
He looked at her and she turned away, not willing to meet the pain in his eyes. ‘I’ve got the spells, I’ve got the ingredients, there’s nothing left to prepare. Come on.’
He stomped past her toward the park entrance and she followed, head down, feet dragging through the damp grass. Elt trotted beside her, speaking quietly. ‘I might be imagining it, but did the two of you just had a tiff?’
‘Well aren’t you just bloody perceptive. Sod off.’
He raised his head, snorting, but moved away. The three of them made their separate ways to the exit and stood on the street outside. She didn’t want to ask him anything, but she didn’t have any choice.
‘So where’s the grave then?’
He was silent, and she thought for a minute he wasn’t going to talk to her. Mum did that sometimes, the silent treatment. It was great when she did it, but with Martin it really wasn’t.
‘Look, I’m sor—’
‘There is a graveyard, in Acton, just behind the main road. Apparently, the grave is there, unmarked and unnoticed.’
This was even worse, this lack of communication about stuff. She bit her lip, thought about punching him again, but opted not to. There was the chance he’d retaliate and she was just beginning to like her face. Well, Lara was, which was almost as good.
Just thinking about Lara made her stomach turn. What were they doing to her? She walked away from the others and pulled the necklace on. The voices started up straight away. It was like they were waiting for her to put it on, though she was getting the sense that the charm was just saving the bits about her.
‘We have her girlfriend.’
‘And you’re sure that will stop her?’
‘Either that, or she will search, pointlessly, for her. What it will do is keep her busy when she should be trying to stop us.’
‘Bring the girlfriend here. Brother Lost is struggling to find us another blood sacrifice, and she should do just perfectly.’
She yanked it off, wondering why she’d put it on in the first place. So now Lara was going to be sacrificed. She clenched her fists together, staring at Martin who was, she realised, watching her. He nodded at the necklace clutched in her hand.
‘Anything useful?’
She shook her head, biting her lip. They already knew what they had to do. He nodded and looked past her at the unicorn. That was communication, of a sort. At least he wasn’t trying to protect her, like he had in the market. At least he still had some respec—
‘I don’t think you should come, Joanna. This is dangerous, far more dangerous than—’
‘Than what, going to hell? Facing the Council? Really? Stop it. You can’t protect me all the time and I need to learn, so just shut up.’
The slightest of smiles slipped across his face before he nodded, and turned to Elt. ‘Can you carry us?’
The unicorn lowered himself and they climbed on, Scarlet sitting behind and wrapping her arms around his waist. He broke into a trot, hooves loud on the cobbles of Harrow, but as he sped up the sound faded and the buildings blurred.
Moments later they slowed, and she blinked at the massive graveyard that lay the other side of a high, black, wrought-iron fence. How did he do that? Could he travel over water? She could be in New York before she knew it, meeting famous people and riding in yellow cabs. She had to check once this was over.
It was a huge place. A path of uneven stone, broken where grass had forced its way up through the gaps, ran straight from the entrance, until it reached a small wooden hut. The hut sat within a circle of stone, and bore a thatched roof. The path continued behind it to an ancient church, clinging to the ground like an alkie on his last legs, ready to collapse at any moment.
The graves were packed in tight and ran around both sides of the church. The cult people had to be behind it, or maybe not here yet. She checked her watch and did a double take. Time had passed whilst Elt was traveling, either that or they’d spent much longer in the park than she thought.
It was three in the afternoon and the sun would be gone soon. The thought of being in there, in the dark, made her shiver, which was plain stupid. It wasn’t like the dark was going to be worse than the creepy guys with knives.
Martin swung down, then offered her his hand. She tried to make eye contact, but he was still avoiding her gaze and she sniffed as she scrambled down. Elt went ahead, cramming himself through the gate, whilst she stared at the long rows of fir trees that ran down both sides of the graveyard.
She shivered again as she stepped in. It felt old, and where graveyards normally felt lonely, this one was busy, the sighs of the dead rising to greet her. God, it was like hell all over again. She needed to just write a horror story and get the cheesy crap out of her system. She couldn’t help shivering though. And she kept to the middle of the path.
They had nearly reached the wooden hut when three men, clad in black and bearing knives, stepped out from behind it. The nearest gave her a grin she recognised all too well, before turning to Martin.
‘I thought putting my knife in your back would have been warning enough, old man. Apparently not. Still, I’m happy to do it again.’
Next Installment Wednesday 19th March
