The Bad Luck Lighthouse

by Nicki Thornton

  He was thinking about magic and knew it could be the most ordinary things being out of place that you needed to pay attention to, so he thought hard. ‘There were quite a lot of dead gulls when I got here,’ he said, knowing how lame it sounded.

  He felt she was fighting an urge to laugh. But all she said was: ‘I’m sure there are dead seabirds on many islands, especially after a storm.’

  ‘This was before the storm,’ he said. ‘Oh, and a couple of times I think I see things moving, scuttling in the corners – but when you look, there’s nothing there.’

  ‘Spiders and dead gulls. Hmm.’ She had started wandering the room, pausing to look into the deep tub in the middle.

  Seth remembered something else. ‘And Brockler has this weird carving he turned into a pendant, as Mina wanted to wear it. She thought it would bring her luck. It’s shaped like a dragon eating the lighthouse. He seemed secretive when he showed it to me.’

  ‘Sinister jewellery. Hmmm.’

  He longed to start tapping the floor. If it wasn’t down to magic, then what? Someone must have got in here. There might be a secret entrance or a trap-door he could find. A way someone could have reached Mina and strangled her. But he feared Angelique would just laugh at him.

  He looked up at the ceiling and, once again, out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a dark shape move, but it was so quick it was easy to believe he’d only imagined it.

  ‘Have you asked yourself why someone from the magical world would even want to kill Mina Mintencress?’ said Angelique. ‘And then there is the question of who here is likely to have that level of magic. Seth, you have much to learn about magic.’

  ‘And whose fault is that?’ He kept his voice to a low grumble, trying to conceal how upset he felt. ‘I want to learn and train to be magic – I thought you were going to help me!’

  ‘I wanted to get in touch,’ said Angelique in a small voice, ‘but things were so complicated.’

  ‘Oh really. What was stopping you – abroad on holiday? Held prisoner? Or just too busy flashing about with your fantastic magic and your great job and your new charming friend McStormface.’

  He opened the window, breathed the sea air. He stared out at the glorious view, blue sea dotted with furls of white and a sky above with clouds scudding across it like they were in a race. ‘This was once the home of a sinister sorcerer. It has to be connected.’

  He looked at how far up they were and found himself remembering how strong Rendleton must be to go for a daily swim, even in those churning waves after a storm. Could he have climbed up? Was that the answer?

  No, that was stupid.

  Angelique came and stood alongside him at the big picture window and seemed equally captivated by the extraordinary view. She stared at him, pushing back her glossy hair with its one dramatic stripe of red. ‘Why don’t you tell me your theories before someone comes and finds us sneaking about?’

  ‘My theory is that someone here knows this was the home of a sorcerer. Somehow the magic has come back and someone has found a way to use it.’

  ‘And she died in this bath?’

  Angelique casually lifted her red cane, flipped the silver top and sent a gentle cascade of soft blue light slowly around the room, peering into the end of the cane to take a reading. Her nose crinkled in concentration, a small frown appearing.

  She unexpectedly sent a fierce jet of blue into the bath, making the white enamel shine with a shimmering cornflower-coloured haze.

  She perched on the edge and took another reading.

  ‘The trouble is, Seth, magic doesn’t just reappear. This place was cleaned. Magic doesn’t turn up again. Magic doesn’t work like that. Someone would have needed to bring that magic back – and the things you are talking about would be powerful magic.’

  It took Seth a second to notice something was happening behind her.

  Black dots were starting to appear on the wall. Not just flitting shadows this time – there was no mistaking that these dark shapes were real, and getting larger.

  Seth found himself staring for a moment, and before he could even lift his hand to point or speak, the dots were multiplying. Suddenly there were hundreds of them. He wanted to shout a warning, but looking at the dark swarming made the warning cry die in his throat.

  Before he could do anything, there was a cloud of them. They lifted from the wall and started swarming like bees, but silently, and they were coming together and forming a thick cloud that was heading straight for Angelique.

  22. Expect Something Horrible

  The swarm gathered unbelievably quickly, grew and got darker in seconds. Before Seth could move or cry out the swarm of dots had formed to attack. And the nearest thing was Angelique. She was right in the firing line, but her attention was concentrated on the end of her cane. And it was all happening in silence.

  Angelique’s cane gave a couple of short flashes of blue. She stared at it and her mouth formed a wide ‘oh’ of surprise. Only then did she begin looking wildly about her and Seth guessed that warning flash had told her something was horribly wrong, but not that a swarm of shadow bees were about to strike.

  Then, instead of swarming around their target, the dark dots formed into a long thick rope that whipped and coiled itself around her neck. It was clear that the shadows had become real; no longer just a shade, or darkness, but had turned into something physical, something that was strangling her.

  She put up her hands to try to grab at the thick coil. Her fingers clawed and grappled to free herself from the tightening rope of shadows, her eyes round with terror, while Seth was frozen in horror, wasting valuable seconds. He was desperate to think of something to do, but knew she was fighting with magic. How could he fight against magic?

  Angelique was trying to grope for her divinoscope. She’d dropped it to clutch both hands at the snake-like rope around her throat. Her struggle upended a small wooden table next to the bath and a range of beautiful bottles smashed on to the tiles, filling the room with a gorgeous scent of herbal perfume.

  Seth had to snap out of his paralysis. Do something. Angelique’s face was turning crimson as the rope cut in tighter.

  He looked at the fallen divinoscope. He had no idea how to use it or whether it would even work for him, but he snatched it up anyway, then he felt a beating in his chest and he remembered he had a magical object of his own he always carried with him.

  He dropped the divinoscope and snatched instead his black book from inside his tunic and raced towards the black snake, the book lifted in the air like a club.

  The shadow snake must have sensed an imminent attack, as it shot out a tendril to try to grab him too.

  Seth dodged his head out of the way, took a step backwards and spun around, taking back his arm and swiping at the shadow creature as hard as he could. He sent the black book right into the middle of the loose tendril flying towards him. It felt like it had connected with nothing, but it sent the dark rope of shadow bees flying and splattering like silent rain against the wall.

  There was a pause. The snake momentarily lost its rope-like look and seemed to dissolve back into thousands of dots as it decided what to do. As if it realized things were no longer quite all going its way.

  The loosened hold was enough for Angelique’s hands to successfully wrench the rope from around her neck and she grabbed at the divinoscope that Seth thrust at her.

  Then the shadow bees rushed towards Seth in a terrifying swarm.

  Seth’s instinct was to run. But he stood his ground, even as the swarm grew into a vast black shape. He lifted his arm and swiped at it again and again with his black book. For a moment he thought he’d left it too late and the shape would engulf him, but he battered on, swinging with all his might until the swarm started to back away.

  Angelique was choking and coughing, but still managed to flip open the top of her cane and flash the shadows.

  Seth didn’t let up; he was winning, he was moving forwards. The shadows were backing away. The
shape was beginning to loosen and dissolve from the thick black rope to an unformed misty cloud, but even this Seth clubbed, hitting it again and again and forcing it towards the open window, even though it felt like he was connecting with nothing.

  Angelique joined him, sending piercingly fierce sapphire jets into the creature as the shape got looser and looser.

  Seth kept forcing it towards the window, until he felt all the black shapes had gone through. Then he slammed the window closed, breathing hard and fast. He looked at Angelique. She slumped next to the mess of broken bottles floating in a channel of gooey lather.

  She rubbed around her neck, lifted her divinoscope and looked at the end of cane in deep concentration, breathing in fast gulps.

  They both stared out of the window, but not even the faintest wisp of a shadow could be seen. A sharp, unpleasant citrus tang in the air the only remaining evidence there had ever been one at all.

  23. Closer to Solving the Mystery

  They were crouched, clearing up the evidence, when a voice took them completely by surprise.

  ‘You two have been having fun.’

  They both started guiltily. Dexter Stormforce’s face peered at the sticky, frothy muddle of broken glass and indulgent bath products as Seth and Angelique scooped the mess into the bin.

  ‘More fun than me anyway. That Rendleton really is the dullest man I’ve ever come across,’ went on Dex. ‘Talked for a full fifteen minutes about ductwork. Anyone even a clue what ductwork might be? Wow, I must say, when you make a mess you guys really do it properly. Smells like a perfume factory in here.’ He frowned as he sniffed the air.

  Angelique looked up from where she was smearing and scooping something once ultra-expensive across the floor. ‘Not having fun, Dex – investigating. We are closer to solving some of the mystery of how Mina Mintencress was strangled alone in a locked bathroom.’

  ‘And such an imaginative way of going about it. You’ve invented the world’s most expensive cleaning product on the side. Let me guess – killed by perfume fumes?’

  While he was talking, Dex took something out of this pocket. It looked like a small silver letter opener. It had a red hilt encrusted with small sparkling jewels, and a very thin, very lethal blade. Seth wasn’t sure if it was a letter opener, or the thinnest of daggers.

  ‘We know exactly how she died,’ said Seth quietly.

  ‘Er, actually, we don’t.’ Angelique was shaking her head.

  ‘Don’t tell me,’ groaned Seth, ‘magic isn’t as simple as that.’

  With a flick of the wrist, Dex pointed the blade towards the bath, but Angelique quickly grabbed his arm and cried: ‘No! I just used my divinoscope and almost got strangled by a shadow rope. Something magical must have set it off when Mina was in here.’

  Dex took a sly glance at Seth.

  ‘It’s OK, Seth is one of us,’ said Angelique.

  A feeling of warmth rushed through Seth’s body as she said One of us. She meant someone who knew of the existence of magic. The warmth didn’t even subside when Dex looked at him as if he’d be less surprised if she’d been referring to one of the gulls.

  ‘You are telling me you were actually attacked by shadows?’ Dex said, starting to examine the walls. ‘That is incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever . . . what happened exactly? And what did you do with the little fellas?’

  ‘We forced them all out of the window,’ said Seth.

  ‘No!’ cried Dex, his long hair falling into his eyes crossly as he dashed to the window and looked down to the ground far below. ‘What you do that for? You’ve ruined any chance of examining it!’

  ‘It seemed a better alternative than leaving it to choke the life out of Angelique.’

  ‘I think,’ said Angelique calmly, ‘we need to talk to Inspector Pewter.’

  They found Pewter in the dining room. He looked up guiltily and moved quickly, but not before Seth had seen he’d been again studying that same map covered in crosses.

  ‘Ah, just clearing up,’ he said, hurriedly folding away the map, taking a mouthful of toast and dusting his fingers of crumbs.

  ‘Looks like you are stuffing your face with the last of the breakfast,’ said Dex, seizing a slice of bacon. ‘Finally got myself a break. Rendleton’s tied up showing the doctor about the place. She’s not visited since the changes.’

  ‘Perhaps Dr Malinger is enjoying the fresh air and is more impressed than she expected,’ said Pewter. ‘This place really is bracing. Mina Mintencress might have been on to something you know. I think folk might just flock here. Well, I’m pleased to see you three are getting along and having fun,’ he added, helping pile together all the plates and cups.

  ‘I think first they might need to get rid of the shadows,’ said Angelique stiffly. She rubbed at where there was a red welt on her smooth neck. ‘We need to talk.’

  ‘Yes,’ began Dex, ‘because I guess you have probably all been wondering the big question. What brings a totally awesome dude like Dexter Stormforce to a minor death at a remote lighthouse?’

  ‘I was wondering why they didn’t send Copious,’ said Pewter, as they headed for the kitchen.

  Dex took a seat at the kitchen table and put his smartly booted feet up on a chair. He reached to sandwich together two leftover slices of bacon between two thick slices of toast.

  ‘Well, I can tell you exactly why I’m here.’ His green eyes glittered. ‘You will be pleased to know that I am quite possibly the expert in darkwitching. Plus Copious, unfortunately, is away on a walking holiday in the Gascoigne Mountains. But hey – I almost got to see some darkwitching in practice. I envy you two.’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Angelique spluttered, sounding shocked. ‘Why was someone allowed to buy this place if there are darkwitching elements loose? I thought this place was cleaned?’

  ‘Well, of course, there aren’t supposed to be any elements of any kind of magic left after a cleaning,’ said Dex soothingly.

  Seth spoke up nervously. ‘Inspector, you mentioned darkwitching yesterday. I still don’t really know anything about it. What exactly is it?

  ‘Shadow sorcery,’ said Pewter. ‘Controlling the darkness, the shadows, the shapes that every object can cast. It’s very rare to find a darkwitch. One of the trickier lines of magic.’

  ‘Soul Snakesmouth was one?’ asked Angelique.

  Seth regarded her curiously. He hadn’t expected her to anticipate his own question. ‘But you’ll know all about the MFE you’re trying to track down,’ he said to her. You’ll have researched this place before taking the job here, no?’

  Angelique rolled her eyes. ‘You are utterly terrible at believing people. I told you – it’s Dex’s case. I asked him to bring me along. I didn’t have time to research anything. I came to see you, Seth. I wanted to apologize.’

  ‘Apologize?’

  She took a deep breath and looked at him with her dark eyes. ‘I wanted to have something good to tell you about Tiffany and the firefly cage. I wanted to wait until all the news I had wasn’t bad. But it’s all dead ends and false alarms and I’m really sorry. I know our best chance of finding her was before she’d had chance to get very far. I couldn’t face being the one to tell you.’

  Seth let this sink in, while Angelique brought Dex up to speed with who Tiffany was.

  ‘You mean she’s completely escaped. She could be anywhere?’ said Seth finally.

  ‘The search continues,’ said Pewter, slathering several slices of toast with butter and marmalade.

  ‘But she—’

  ‘Shall we focus?’ interrupted Dex. ‘I guess, Seth, that if you’ve lived all your life in a former home of a sorcerer before the place was cleaned, you’ll know all about stumbling upon a grimoire. Or discovering someone’s left a nice ramiteb and is using it to light fires or keep flowers in,’ said Dex, helping himself to the top slice of Pewter’s pile of toast. ‘All fun stuff. Until people discover their grandparents have turned into white mice. That’s the sort of accident me
and Angelique try to stop happening.’

  Seth signed. ‘I understand what you and Angelique do. But I don’t know what a grimoire or a ramiteb is. I really don’t know all that much about magic.’

  Dex looked at him curiously over his slice of toast as if trying to work him out. ‘A grimoire is a spellbook.’

  At his words, Seth felt again that beating next to his chest. His black book seemed more alive than ever. It had a special name in the magical world. Was that what it was – a grimoire?

  ‘And a ramiteb is a device some sorcerers use to channel their magic. Sometimes it’s a ring, or – you know about Angelique’s divinoscope? Not everyone has the sheer marvellousness to conjure magic just by using their bare hands.’ Dex nodded deferentially at Pewter.

  ‘Does takes a little more practice,’ said Pewter quietly.

  ‘Hey, explaining magic is fun,’ said Dex. ‘I should consider taking on an apprentice.’

  Seth ignored him. ‘Let me get this right. This place was cleaned – so someone else has brought new darkwitching magic here to the lighthouse?’

  He saw Dex, Pewter and Angelique exchange a glance that, as always, simply shut Seth out. He couldn’t help but let a sigh escape him.

  ‘I don’t think that’s likely,’ said Angelique.

  ‘Darkwitching magic is powerful and rare,’ said Pewter. ‘And a sorcerer who practised it lived here, so that would be too much of a coincidence. Yes. The darkwitching surely must be connected to Soul Snakesmouth.’ He looked thoughtful.

  ‘I do have something else exciting to share that might explain a lot,’ said Dex. ‘It’ll be quicker than me explaining if I can show you.’

  With a flourish, he opened the palm of his hand to reveal a drab-looking stone.

  Seth stared for a moment, feeling underwhelmed. Then he recognized it. ‘It’s a wordstone!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘It’s a way of experiencing a book, like being plunged right into the pages,’ explained Dex to Seth. ‘They are a bit difficult to get used to, you might not get much out of it at first. I can talk you through it.’