*
“What’s wrong?” Anathema had been watching me intently. No doubt able to sense my growing frustration.
“Why do you ask?”
She was starting to lose patience with trying to keep me moving, viewing me with a combination of annoyance and contempt.
Pavel had come over for the second time to stress the importance of keeping up but it was a wasted effort: there was nothing that could be done about it, burdened down as I was. They both saw me in the same way: like a badly behaved guest at a children’s birthday party. I was not their responsibility but they would still have to keep an eye me in the short term.
I felt diminished. And it wasn’t just because of the necklace. The image of Silas’ body slipping over the side of the boat kept re-playing in my head.
What if I could have stopped it?
*
It was as we were approaching one of the archways leading to the White Tower that we heard it. I thought at first that it was the sound of fire-crackers but one look at Terence told me I was wrong. He pulled me over to one side. Some of the interior walls were floodlit but under the archway we were in total shadow.
“I want to help you escape.”
I made a dismissive sound. “I don’t need your help.”
He kept glancing back the way we’d come. Part of the security team had hung back at the main entrance. Although we couldn’t see them it was only a matter of time before they caught up with the rest of us. Terence was frightened. I wondered if Anja had been frightened just before he’d killed her.
“Melissa’s wary of you now you know. After what you did with The Iron, she thinks she might be able to use you.”
“She’d better think again”
It was so hard: trying to sound tough when really all I wanted to do was sink to my knees and give up.
The worst kind of opponent is one who never gives up.
He continued. “When you went into that trance, the brand on your back just glowed. It was like the light was coming from inside of you. It really was something to see.”
“I don’t remember any of it.”
“I think that’s why she wants you along. You’re her guarantee that the Iron is the ‘real deal’. One of the reasons why you should try and slip away. I could help you off with that necklace, if you like.”
“Pavel’s got his eye on me.”
“I can handle Pavel.”
But he sounded uncertain.
“I don’t think that we should under-estimate either one of them,” I said.
“One last question,” Terence was looking around, mildly alarmed. “Are you still a virgin?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
At that moment, one of the security team appeared around the side of a building speaking on his walkie-talkie, a hand-gun in his other hand.
Terence went over to talk to him while I went out through the archway.
I smelled the cigarette before I saw him.
Pavel was standing just around the corner next to a floodlit sign which read:
“Caution: ravens may bite.”
When he saw me he held the cigarette out in my direction.
I shook my head even though I was tempted. The body has no allegiance to anyone other than itself. Another one of Ma Birch’s little axioms.
Where was everyone? Apart from our party, the place was deserted. I couldn’t help thinking about the gunfire we’d heard earlier and pictured ageing beef-eaters armed only with halberds being mown down by automatic weapons. I doubted that even Pavel’s men would have seen fit to kill all the guards. There would be enough strong rooms about the place where they could he held until Stahl’s plans had been completed.
It was all so thorough that I was starting to worry that Stahl might actually succeed. As a serving MP she exerted a considerable amount of influence within the capitol which she had used to great effect. She had faced no serious impediment so far; nothing that was likely to stand in the way of her ultimate goal.
The thought of that was enough to make me seriously doubt myself so I kept moving, painfully aware that Pavel was now behind me. Another member of the security team was ahead, indicating for us to stick to the path. We were being channelled around to the left of the White Tower stepping over the carefully maintained cobble-stones.
Cobble stones.
A fragment from my fever dream nudged at my consciousness.
My mind wouldn’t settle. I thought about signalling for help. There was a slim chance that Macrory might still be following. A very slim chance. A starburst spell would do the trick if only I could rid myself of the damned necklace. But I wasn’t sure that it would be worth the risk. In this part of London a starburst might be dismissed as part of some firework display. My phone would have been a better option for contacting someone but that had been removed whilst I’d slept.
I thought back to what Stahl had revealed to Terence about his father. I had no idea what his relationship had been like with him but, just from what little she had revealed, it didn’t sound as if his father had held Terence in any real affection. How could he have if he was willing to sell his son to the highest bidder? What was more chilling was the matter-of-fact way Stahl had broken the news. It gave me another insight into just how calculating she could be.
I wondered what her reaction would have been if she’d have known that Terence could no longer shape-shift. Terence would be dwelling on that thought as well.
*
An awning had been erected in the corner of Tower Green with two parallel rows of chairs leading away from it. The chairs had white covers like you’d find at a wedding. At the opposite end closest to me was a wide stage which was illuminated by two banks of flood lights.
Between the stage and the wall of The White Tower a formation of torches burned brightly. The torches were solidly constructed from wrought iron standing a good deal taller than the average man. They were arranged in a more or less circular lay-out though there were other torches inside the perimeter. I imagined that the effect would look better from over-head.
So that was it. That was where Stahl intended to make her claim for supremacy in the world of witchcraft. It looked like she’d thought of everything.
Acting as a decorative backdrop in the northwest corner was the chapel of St. Peter’s.
Terence was now talking to Stahl and it didn’t look good for him. She was on the offensive and her agitated gestures made it plain that she was holding Terence to account for something. Their relationship had collapsed completely in the last few hours which was a reflection of the strain they were both under.
I only caught the end of their conversation.
“What good are you to me if I can’t count on you to patrol the perimeter?”
Terence looked flustered. “I have to ration my energies. I’ve not re-gained my full powers since the shooting. What if you need to rely on me later?”
“There will be no later if we’re interrupted.”
“Pavel’s men have got it all in hand,” Terence set off across the lawn.
Someone was standing directly behind me.
“Come along,” Pavel said in his thick accent. “What is it you say? ‘Don’t dawdle.’”
He was enjoying himself.
It was only as I drew closer that I realised my mistake.
The chairs didn’t have their own individual covers. What I was looking at was two rows of chairs all of which were occupied by young women dressed in identical white hooded smocks.
My heart sank. Terence’s earlier question suddenly made complete sense.
Are you still a virgin?
This was it. This was the plan laid out in front of me.
“Who are they?” I asked though I already knew.
Stahl was getting changed in full view of everyone. Her PA had taken her coat and jacket leaving her in a cream blouse and black skirt. Another woman had brought over a carrying case which she started to unzip
�
�Took me ten years to assemble them all,” Stahl said sounding half amused.
There were women from every diverse cultural group. A broad palette of skin tones. It was wonderful and terrible all at the same time.
“Witches from every corner of the globe,” she continued. “Each one of them hand-picked by me.”
“Which would explain your years of globe-trotting.”
“See the girl over there?” she pointed to a black girl with a white beaded headdress, a lion-skin draped over her shoulders. “Kinsella saved her from being burnt to death by her own family, if you can believe it. They thought she was a witch. Turns out they were right. He writes about her in his book. She was one of the easiest to track down.”
The assistant had taken out a blue dress. It had been carefully constructed from different pieces of fabric all with their own distinctive hue. It was designed to mimic the ‘rags’ which so-called wise-women have worn throughout the centuries. Contrasting with the white of these novitiates, this would provide a ready symbol of power.
My mind was working over-time, making connections. Terrible connections.
“They’re all Innocents aren’t they?”
Stahl laughed, unbuttoning her blouse and handing it to her PA.
“Of course they are. Wouldn’t work otherwise. Think of what can be achieved. Fifty of history’s most feared witches suddenly given a new focus. The Establishment wiped out overnight. Church, monarchy, judiciary: all gone.”
At that precise moment a man bustled past wearing the unmistakeable garb of a Church of England vicar. A curly haired cleric who seemed affronted by the sight of Stahl in her bra. He was urged ahead by one of Pavel’s men who was himself careful to keep his eyes averted.
“Who’s that?” I said.
“Oh, Andrew? He’s the chaplain here. Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to him. He’s a witness.”
“Does he know what’s going on?”
“He soon will do, bless him. As will everyone.”
She pulled the dress over her head and then down over her body. She’d already unzipped her skirt so that all she had to do was to work it over her hips. She stepped out of it and handed it to the woman with the carry-all.
Her PA zipped the dress up the back and then helped tease Stahl’s hair back into shape.
Stahl stood in front of me, held out her arms.
“There! What do you think?”
“You’re completely mad, aren’t you?”
“To pay this much for a dress, I’d have to be.”
Nothing was going to deter her at this point. She was totally focussed. I posed no real threat to her.
She started walking towards Anathema who was supervising the arrival of a burning brazier. Two men were endeavouring to carry it the length of the line of chairs, stopping every now and then to take a break from the heat. Just the sight of it made the skin on my back itch.
Pavel stepped behind me, his intentions plain. I pursued Stahl across the grass.
“Can I ask you one question?”
“If you’re quick.”
“The bird attack the day I first met you. Who was responsible for that?”
Stahl stopped abruptly and smiled. “Why, that had your mother’s name written all over it. She was putting a shot across my bows. Warning me to back off.”
“Is that why I’m here? Are you hoping that she’ll stay back if she thinks that I’m in danger. If so, you’ve been mis-informed.”
She gave me an ambiguous gesture. “If your mother was worried about your safety then she wouldn’t have attacked the Bear Garden when she did. No, you’re here because you’re the only one who can guarantee the Iron’s provenance.”
She moved off climbing the few steps up onto the stage. I followed her.
I said, “And you’re here to demonstrate its authenticity on these poor women.”
“That’s right. You can’t blame me for wanting to keep all my options open.”
There was an altar standing centre stage and she went and stood behind it. It was covered with a discoloured blanket which stood out markedly against the white linen crispness of everything else.
The Iron of Fortitude was lying cross-wise on top of it.
“Do you recognise this?” she asked taking the blanket between finger and thumb.
A sense of disquiet came over me. I was having trouble breathing. The small of my back burned.
“I think so, yes.”
“We re-claimed it from Brodsky’s house after the murder. I think that you might have come across it while you were there.”
She was playing with me now.
I’d mistaken the cloth for a piece of carpet because it had been lying on the floor. I remembered it all too well. Or rather, I remembered its effect on me.
“I still don’t understand its significance.”
Stahl busied herself adjusting the piece of material so that it was lay perfectly.
“Lindqvist used this to wrap the Iron in but it has a huge significance of its own,” her eyes blazed. “It’s called a sampler. A simple piece of embroidery needle workers used to demonstrate their skill. Only the women who worked on this were special. They were the ones accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. So it really does have a unique quality all its own, don’t you think.”
That’s when my world started to tilt. I was being tipped into a nightmare and it was going to take all my resolve just to hang on. Was there nothing Stahl hadn’t thought of? I looked at the brazier being placed over in one corner and then at the faces of the women in front of me. So full of hope.
I wanted to weep. They were so relaxed, so excited about what was about to happen to them. Yet, they could have no idea of the horror that was to come. How they were gambling everything - up to and including the sanctity of their eternal souls - on the word of one woman. And there was nothing I could do to convince them otherwise.
But then I saw someone I recognised sitting amongst the others and, suddenly, I had fresh hope.
Chapter 24
For the ceremony, I stood on Stahl’s right flank, directly across from Anathema on the left. One of the witches from last night’s dinner party, a woman in her forties her hair streaked with grey, stood at the alter making a special preparation by grinding up a combination of herbs in a mortar and pestle. The whole process reminded me of Ma Birch. She had grown wild hemlock in her garden along with yellow jasmine and foxglove which flourished amongst her other herbs. The mortar and pestle were well worn items in her kitchen.
The idea of conscripting Terence’s help against Stahl had come to nothing. After his argument with Stahl he had skulked away like a naughty puppy. Stahl must have known that he was hiding something from her; she just didn’t have enough time to investigate what it was. But a shape-shifter who was either unable or unwilling to change would hold no attraction for her and Stahl had proven herself to be nothing if not pragmatic.
She must have said something to one of her aides because the attitude of her security team towards him had subtly changed. He might not have noticed it but I had. They were keeping a constant check on his whereabouts, exchanging covert glances as if in anticipation of some pre-arranged signal.
Whilst that might play into my hands eventually, there was nothing I could do at the moment as he had taken up position at the far end of the gathering. He couldn’t have been further away from me if he’d tried.
My position was no less perilous, however. Stahl was keen for me to be involved in the ceremony leaving me with no real options. Either I went along with her plans or I ended up sharing the fate of the beefeaters. Nonetheless, I was constantly aware of Anathema’s eyes burning a hole in me. She had changed into a purple silk dress with a bare back and criss-crossing straps which showed off her other tattoos. She had enjoyed watching me suffer over Silas’ murder and was eager to twist the knife even further.
My nerves were shot to pieces by this point and I nearly jumped when the two rows of novitiates all ros
e to their feet.
Was this it? Was the ritual about to begin?
Melissa Stahl stepped to the front of the stage and made the sign of the harp. All of the women responded in kind. It was strangely poignant moment for me. I’d stayed away from such gatherings in the past, through choice, but it still affected me when I saw so many of my sisters gathered together.
They all looked so desperately keen. So eager to please. It was the real reason I’d decided not to ally myself with The Coven in the first place. I was incapable of achieving their state of blind faith. The Coven had adopted a fairly aggressive mentality over the years, turning their minority status into one of moral expediency.
Seeing Stahl now pursuing her goals with that same kind of relentless, grim logic was unnerving. Doubtless, that was why The Coven didn’t want to directly challenge her themselves. They were just too curious about what she might do next. She was so like my mother in that respect: always looking to exploit a situation from the sidelines.
Nonetheless, the intentions of these other women were pure – I had no doubt about that. It was Stahl who would take that purity and pervert it. I’d thought of little else since we’d entered the grounds and, now that I had a good idea of what her intentions were, I realised that it only needed a handful of people to upset her plans.
I just hoped that I was up to the task.
Melissa Stahl began to speak.
“We are gathered here on this momentous day for our movement in a very holy place. It was on this spot in 1536 that one of our most revered sisters suffered a cruel fate which we hope to re-dress here, today. She may not have been the first to suffer in such a fashion and she is destined not to be the last but, hopefully, this morning we can, in some small way, atone for what was done to her and countless others.
“I speak, of course, of Anne Boleyn one of our most gifted sisters who helped a king cement his reputation only for him to turn against her and sentence her to death. Although those events are common knowledge what is less well known is that, before sentence of death could be carried out, she had been branded by a Bishop of Rome with the Iron which you see over on your left.”
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