Then, there’s a jolt and everything freezes. When I blink, my vision clears, and I can see the others standing around me, inspecting their arms and legs. My body feels like it’s in one piece again. All my body parts are connected as they should be, and my arms move at normal speed.
It takes me a second to regain my balance. Colors crawl back to the objects they belong to, and the distorted sounds get clearer and separate into distinguishable noises. Voices shouting, shuffling feet, a breeze making its way through metal objects, coins exchanging hands, the rustling of clothes, the soft crackle of what could be magic.
The earth settles under my feet, and my eyes adjust to the explosions of bright light around me.
D’Maeo spreads his arms. “Welcome to Blackford’s black market.”
As soon as he says it, a shroud lifts from my senses as if someone turns up the volume and brightness of our surroundings. Colors pop like I’ve never seen before, and I can almost hear every sound that’s made.
I step up to D’Maeo. “Are the effects of these mushrooms always this strong?”
“If you’re referring to your heightened senses, that’s not because of the mushroom, but because of the hidden hour. All the effects of the mushrooms have been absorbed during our journey.”
Charlie puts his arm around Gisella, smiling broadly. “I like this hidden hour. It’s so vivid, you know.”
When Vicky joins me, I notice even her black outfit has different shades. Her blue eyes, even prettier than usual, are almost blinding.
I lean over to her and whisper in her ear. “I didn’t think you could get any more attractive, but I was wrong.”
She giggles as I pull her earlobe with my lips.
D’Maeo takes in the rest of the group. “Is everyone ready?”
Maël pulls her cape tighter around her. “Let’s stay close together. We don’t want to get lost here.”
I take in her worried expression. “You’ve been here before?”
“No, but I can sense there’s danger in every corner.”
“Oh, good,” I say, “so it’s not much different from the rest of Blackford then.”
She doesn’t seem to hear me as she lets her gaze move from left to right.
I’m afraid moving as a group will draw attention, but we’re not the only group. Lots of people move around the market en masse, the ones in the middle protected by those surrounding them. Those walking around on their own either look very confident and powerful, or very dark, as if they’re up to no good.
“Keep your eyes open for a pendulum,” D’Maeo says over his shoulder. “And if you see one, let me do the talking.”
We feast our eyeballs as we walk past stall after stall on a road made of large, gray flagstones that turn darker every time someone steps on them. There are things that buzz, things that spark, things that move by themselves, but also ordinary looking objects that make me even more curious. Behind every stall there’s a strange looking venter. It’s as if I’ve stepped into a fairy tale, mostly beautiful, but with dark spots here and there. Dark creatures with horns and eyes full of menace take in every passerby eagerly, looking for who knows what. A soul to take? A power to steal? Some of them really give me the shivers.
Vicky pokes me in the side and points to the sky.
For a moment, I forget about everything else. I don’t hear the noise of the busy market. I don’t see the sparks flying everywhere. I even forget about the danger around us. All I see is the white sky and the light blue clouds floating in it. The spaces between them are dotted with black stars.
“It’s all reversed!” I exclaim.
“That’s because we’re on the other side of eight o’clock,” D’Maeo calls over his shoulder. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Beautiful, but strange,” I agree, hurrying to keep up with the others.
We turn the corner into a cobblestone street. No sparks or color-changing tiles here, all the objects in these stalls look worn and tattered as if the magic has flowed out of them.
To my surprise, D’Maeo beckons us closer. We step aside to avoid bruised toes.
“This is the best place to look for a pendulum.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Really? This stuff doesn’t look magical at all.”
He grins. “Looks can be deceiving. This is the antiques street. And since they don’t make pendulums as powerful as they used to anymore, this is just the place to look.” He strides off, and I’m about to follow him when I notice a familiar face in the crowd.
The others have joined D’Maeo at the first stall, but I’m frozen to the spot. I don’t want to let the red earth elemental in the black suit out of my sight. I know him, and I have a strong feeling that something is terribly wrong with him.
From somewhere to my left, I hear Maël’s voice, “Where is Dante?”
In my head, I see them all spin around, worried looks on their faces. But I don’t turn around, and I don’t call out to them. I just realized who the red, brick man is, and it takes all of my strength to stop myself from dashing over and punching him in the face. He’s rummaging through a crate under the opposite stall, and I try not to stare too hard, keeping my gaze next to him instead of on him in case he can sense me.
“What did you find?” D’Maeo says from right beside me.
Vicky’s hand folds over mine on my other side.
“That’s Trevor,” I say softly.
When the man in the suit straightens up, I’m afraid he’s heard me, but he’s just examining something up close. A second later, he beckons the salesman.
“Who’s Trevor?” D’Maeo asks.
“The guy who’s in love with Dante’s mom,” Vicky remembers. “He and his mom bumped into him when we were looking for our second soul in the bird park.”
I nod. “Yes, and something is very wrong about him. Mom called him ‘an old friend’, but she never told me how she knows him. We should follow him, see what he’s up to.”
Trevor hands the salesman some money and puts a small object in his inside pocket.
“I agree,” D’Maeo says, “but finding a pendulum is just as important.”
When Trevor turns to walk away, I take a step back, hiding behind Vicky. He might not have seen me when I was at the bird park with Mom, but I have a feeling he knows what I look like.
For one second, I take my eyes off him and meet D’Maeo’s. “Let’s split up.”
CHAPTER 17
D’Maeo nods reluctantly, and I head off after Trevor, pulling Vicky along.
Thankfully, Trevor isn’t in a hurry. He strolls leisurely past the stalls, greets someone now and then and studies the merchandise here and there. As he reaches the end of the row of stalls, he checks his watch and looks around to see if anyone is watching him.
I crouch down at a cage full of bright purple birds that make the sound of crickets. From the corner of my eye, I watch Trevor’s brick ankles, just visible above his black leather shoes.
“Don’t stare,” I tell Vicky, Jeep and Taylar, who are having a fake conversation above my head.
The brick feet walk away from us, and I get back up. After a quick nod to the vendor, we hurry after Trevor. He is suddenly walking much faster, already disappearing around another corner.
When we reach it, I peek into an unnaturally dark alley. Trevor blends into the shadows, but when I tilt my head a bit and squint, I can make out his silhouette. The eerie silence in the alley gives me the jitters.
The earth elemental stands still in the middle of the street and seems to peer into the darkness.
“Show yourself,” he grumbles, and for a moment, I freeze.
But he’s not talking to us. From the gloomy corner of the alley, a flame comes to life. It spreads over the body of a large, two-headed wolf, and I clench my fists. I knew it. He is working with the Devil. This is the head demon again.
The fire on the demon’s body isn’t as bright as it was when we saw it in the mine.
It’s obvious that they don’t want to draw attention to themselves.
With his head held high, Trevor waits for the fire demon to approach. There’s no mistaking who’s in charge.
“Tell me about the progress you’ve made,” he orders in a cold voice.
The wolf lifts the chins of both of its heads, and Trevor steps closer. He licks his index finger and moves it over the demon’s throat. “Speak.”
“The boy,” the wolf growls. The sound it produces is raw and hoarse. Unnatural. I get the urge to clear my throat just by listening to it. But its next words make my hands go clammy. “He has something to close the portal.”
Trevor punches his fist into his hand. “I knew it. His father must have left him something. Did you find out what it is?”
The demon shakes its head, and Trevor raises his brick fist. “I can’t wait for your explanation.” He brings his head closer to one of the demon’s. “Why didn’t you just crush the boy when you had the chance?”
The wolf takes a step back and tries to look unimpressed. “We didn’t see him.”
Humming to himself, the earth elemental straightens up and rubs his chin, and the demon relaxes a little. “Does he have another way to get into the mine?” He jabs his finger forward. “Did you leave someone behind to guard the hole?”
The nervous swallow of the demon says it all. Before it can duck, Trevor lashes out and hits it square on the head with his brick fist. It howls in pain, and the fire on its back flares up.
“Make sure no one but us can get near that hole,” Trevor hisses. “Understood?”
Anger tinges the demon’s voice when it answers. “Of course. We already put up a spell to take their powers.”
Trevor’s fists crunch as he grinds them together. “Well done. We’ve lost two souls already, Zang. I don’t want to lose another.”
“What about the woman? We could press her, use her to get to the boy.”
My whole body grows cold. Woman? Are they talking about Mom?
Vicky seems to have the same thought as she squeezes my hand hard.
Trevor raises his fists threateningly, and the wolf demon pulls in its heads. “The woman is to be left alone. Do you understand? I will handle her.”
When the demon doesn’t respond, Trevor folds his fist around its neck and pulls it closer. “Nobody touches Susan, is that clear.”
It’s not a question, and the demon knows it as well as I do.
“Of course,” the other head says and when Trevor lets go, the demon turns so the second head faces the earth elemental while one paw rubs the nose of the first head. “It was just a suggestion. This chosen one has caused enough trouble already, don’t you think?”
For a moment, it looks as if Trevor is about to crush the demon altogether. A sound like splitting rock comes from his hands as he opens and closes them over and over. The wolf demon eyes them wearily but holds its ground. I’m starting to think that Trevor isn’t in charge here as much as he wants to be. He might be stronger than the demon, but he doesn’t outrank it. Otherwise, the demon wouldn’t have spoken up.
I wouldn’t mind him crushing the heads of that demon, but eventually, Trevor just roars angrily and relaxes his hands. He looks over his shoulder when the sound echoes through the alley, and we duck behind the building on the corner.
I curse under my breath, positive that he saw us.
“Don’t move,” Vicky whispers. “I’ll go invisible and see if he’s coming.”
She sticks her head around the corner and after a couple of agonizing seconds, she beckons us.
Trevor and the demon have moved further into the alley. They’re still talking, but I can’t hear them anymore.
“Can you get closer and eavesdrop?” I ask Vicky under my breath.
“Sure.” She’s already moving, and I nod to Taylar to follow her. “Be careful.”
Who knows if Trevor will be able to sense them, or see them even. We don’t know the extent of his powers yet.
“Can all earth elementals make demons speak?” I whisper to Jeep.
The tattooed ghost shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of it. This looked like a power that a Mage could have.”
I narrow my eyes, taking the dark brick figure in once more. “How did he get it then?”
Jeep shrugs. “We can try to find out later.”
I swallow the rest of my questions and focus on Vicky and Taylar, who are slowly approaching Trevor and his accomplice. Jeep takes off his hat, ready to swing it if needed.
Vicky and Taylar stay close to the wall and halt about four steps away from the two Devil worshippers, who don’t react to them at all.
We keep a close eye on them, ready to jump to action if anything happens. Trevor looks a little calmer. He’s still gesticulating, but not as wild anymore, and his hands are no longer balled into fists.
I’m trying to read his lips when suddenly the air behind us seems to change. Instinctively, I pull in my head, take out my athame and turn around.
Jeep follows my example without hesitation. “What is it?”
“Something’s wrong.”
My eyes scan the crowd and within two seconds, it hits me. “The others are in trouble.”
Jeep frowns. “How do you know?”
I point my weapon at the people standing around the last stall in sight. “Look at them.”
Realization hits Jeep’s face, and he’s on the move before I can say anything more.
I move a bit further away from the alley and call out to Vicky. “Where are you? We’re leaving!” I can only hope that Trevor and the demon don’t know what I sound like. And that they don’t know Vicky either. What if they come after us? Or attack us right here? We won’t stand a chance with our powers switched.
A relieved smile creeps around my lips when Vicky and Taylar round the corner, looking worried. “What is it?”
I gesture at the frozen people behind us. “I think the others need our help.”
Between all the stationery people, Jeep’s bobbing hat sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s easy to follow him while he searches for our friends, and we hurry after him.
Halfway through, I bump into a frozen woman who tumbles over and crashes into a stall full of antiques.
“I’ll fix her. You go on,” Taylar says as he kneels down to pick up the woman.
But it feels wrong to leave him, so I grab one frozen arm and pull while Vicky throws some silver stuff back onto the stall.
We’re about to continue when something catches my eye. “Did you see that?”
Vicky turns back, and I point at a glow that is barely visible between all the shiny objects that are for sale. We bend over it while Taylar stands guard.
“Hurry up,” he whispers. “If Trevor comes back, he’ll see us for sure.”
“I know, I know,” I mumble, sliding necklaces, brooches, spoons, doorknobs and other small things aside until I find what I’m looking for. “Here it is.”
It’s a pendant shaped like an athame that looks a lot like mine. When I pick it up, the glow grows stronger for a second before fading. Now, I see that it doesn’t just look like my weapon, it’s exactly the same, only smaller. It has the same dark hilt, although this one isn’t made of wood, with a pentacle carved into it, and the blade is formed like a bolt of lightning.
Vicky’s gaze shoots from the dagger in my one hand to the pendant in the other.
“Take it with you,” she orders. “We’ll pay later.”
When I turn back around to follow Jeep, everyone starts moving again.
The woman who toppled over rubs her elbow with a confused look on her face, and a couple of stalls further along the street a man is shouting, “You said you’d take it, now you have to pay the…”
His sentence is cut short when everything stands still once more.
After a quick look over my shoulder, I set off towards the shouting man. Trevor is sure to have not
iced the strange shift from silence to noise too. He’ll come running around the corner any minute, and I want to be out of sight before he does.
We reach the stall where Charlie, Gisella, D’Maeo and Maël are facing what looks like the statue of a very angry dragon man.
“I’m sorry!” Charlie exclaims. “I didn’t mean to freeze everyone. This guy is just freaking me out!”
“What happened?” I ask as we join them.
Charlie holds up a pendulum in the shape of a triangle. “We were trying to buy this, but this dragon guy is asking way too much for it.”
I frown. “So? Don’t buy it then. I’ve got a pendulum anyway. The only right one by the looks of it.” I dangle it in front of them, and D’Maeo nods approvingly.
“What did you pay for it?”
“Nothing yet, we’re going back as soon as this is sorted out.”
The gray-haired ghost shakes his head. “No, no, you can’t do that here. If they even think for a second that you’re stealing something, you’ll be stuck here.”
I don’t like the ominous sound of that at all. “What do you mean stuck here? At the market?”
D’Maeo waves his hand at the air. “In the hidden hour.”
“How can you get stuck here? I thought it only existed between eight and nine pm?”
“Exactly, so imagine what would happen if you got stuck.”
I just stare at him blankly. “What? What would happen?”
“You disappear, Dante. That’s what happens,” Jeep says, twirling his hat around on his finger, his eyes fixed on a spot at the other end of the street. “Now can we please move this along? Trevor is coming our way.”
CHAPTER 18
While we were discussing the dangers of taking something without paying, Maël has been teaching Charlie how to unfreeze time.
“Try again,” she urges him, “and use my staff, it’ll help.” She hands it over and steps back to give him some breathing room.
My gaze falls onto Gisella, who’s raising her blades, ready to jump the dragon salesman as soon as he unfreezes. I hold out my hand and push her back gently. “Don’t. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. Let me handle it.”
The Fourth Soul: (Cards of Death book 4) Page 8