Blue Dome (The Blue Dome Series)

by Gill, J. G.

  “Thomas!” I screamed. Suddenly, I felt an arm whip around my waist and pull me back from the edge. “Thanks,” I said weakly.

  My legs were still shaking, the muscles freaking out from the shock. I took a deep breath and slowly, very slowly, began to inch my way towards the door. I arrived to find Min wrestling with the brass knob, trying to prise it open.

  “Thomas, it won’t move,” she said.

  They glanced at each other then cupped their hands over the lock. A mix of blue and yellow light trickled into the hole and there was a loud click. As the door swung open onto the deepening blue-black of the night, a cold blast of fresh air hit my face. I gulped it in greedily. We were now standing on a narrow cobblestone street lined with small shops that were covered in white plaster and black criss-crossing wooden beams. The glass in the window panes was so old and rippled that it looked as though it was actually melting. Directly above us, hanging from a wrought iron rail, a sign said Bags since 1509 and I realised that we must be on Sumegmy Street, not far from the river.

  Everything was still, except for the odd fox nosing around a bag of rubbish or drinking from a puddle of oily, black rainwater. I glanced at my watch: 3:03am. No wonder I felt so tired. I was just about to yawn when I suddenly noticed a van grind to a halt outside an all-night deli a few doors away. A man got out and unloaded a stack of newspapers from the back.

  “’ere, Ted,” he called out. “Got your papers, will leave ‘em by the door.” The man dumped the stack down, climbed back into the van and drove away.

  I was still staring distractedly at the deli when the thought suddenly occurred to me that there might be something in the paper about Dad. I ran across to the stack sitting patiently outside the front door, hoping to get a look before the shopkeeper took it inside. The front page chilled my blood.

  “Clare!”

  I could vaguely hear Min’s voice over the confusion in my brain as I stared dumbly at the paper. The entire front page was covered in a photo of Vince, with a headline that read Schoolboy dies in stabbing.

  “That kid’s in my class,” I said. Thomas put his hand on my arm.

  “Are you all right?” he said. I nodded as I began to read out the article.

  Police this morning are searching for the suspected killers of a teenage boy found stabbed to death in a local park near the Old Town Square. Eye witnesses report that Vince Reynolds, a sixteen-year old pupil at Wiltsdown High, was seen with a friend at approximately 10pm on Friday night, before becoming involved in a skirmish with a group of youths. Anyone with information that could help the police with their inquiries should contact Wiltsdown police…”

  “Are you going to buy that?” asked the shopkeeper, bending down to pick up the newspapers.

  “Umm, no,” I said, feeling slightly embarrassed and putting the paper back on the pile.

  He scowled, shook his head, and hauled the papers inside.

  Min took my arm. “We must leave,” she said.

  I followed behind her in a daze. “I can’t believe it,” I said. “One minute he was a guy at my school, the next he’s been murdered. How does that happen? How can somebody so young suddenly have their life cut short like that? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not fair.”

  I was starting to get hysterical when I felt Min’s hand on my arm.

  “No, it’s not fair,” she said quietly. “But fairness seldom has a role to play in matters of life and death. It may not be easy to accept, but accept it we must.”

  I searched Min’s face, not wanting to let the subject drop, but she shook her head.

  “There’s no time Clare, we must get to the Slipworld before sunrise.”

  I sighed and started running alongside her and Thomas, trying to keep up as they glided effortlessly down the pavement. As we approached the seething black ripples of the river I caught Min and Thomas exchanging worried glances.

  “What’s up?” I said. They didn’t answer immediately and, for a second, I wasn’t sure they would.

  “Something’s not right,” said Thomas.

  Min sighed. “I know. I felt it as soon as we got onto the street.”

  “What do you mean?” I said.

  “Demarge is here somewhere,” said Thomas. “We can feel his presence.”

  “You mean he’s following us right now?” I said.

  “I doubt if it’s him personally,” said Min. “The presence isn’t strong enough, but yes, it’s certainly one of his scouts or Archons.”

  “Scouts?” I said. “Are they different from the Archons then?”

  “Yes,” said Thomas. “Demarge’s scouts are mortals. They might be animals, such as Arius, or they could be humans. Either way, they are creatures of this world, not ours.”

  I had a sudden flashback to the night that Bede and I had spent camping under the jetty. Suddenly things were starting to make a bit more sense.

  “Demarge doesn’t happen to use eels as scouts, does he?” I asked.

  Thomas smiled ruefully. “Yes. They lie dormant in the river until he decides to call on them.”

  “Snakes, eels. There’s kind of a pattern,” I said.

  “Demarge is particularly fond of all snake-like creatures,” said Min. “It’s his own private joke on the Aeons.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

  “Snakes didn’t always have the frightening connotations that mortals associate them with today. Rather, they was seen by the Aeons as a symbol of hope and knowledge. The image of the snake eating its tail was a symbol of unity and renewal. That was, until Demarge adopted it as his own personal symbol. He’s laughing in our faces, Clare, driving the point home that in his world he is the one who is ultimately in control.”

  “Oh,” I said. There were still a load more questions that I badly wanted to ask but it was becoming harder and harder to talk and run at the same time.

  “I sense the followers are getting closer,” said Thomas. “Do we have time to throw them off the scent?”

  Min shook her head.

  “The more light we use, the weaker we’ll become. I’m worried that we may risk not getting back to the Slipworld at all.”

  We continued in silence, each of us consumed by our own thoughts. There were so many things that didn’t make sense, so many things I still needed to know. And right now, there was one question in particular that was bothering me.

  “Where exactly are we going?” I said.

  “Not far now. It’s just on the other side of the river,” said Thomas.

  I glanced up to see that we were fast approaching Beare Bridge, the last of the seven bridges connecting the southern embankment to the north. The skyline in this part of the city belonged completely to St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, one of the oldest and largest buildings in the city. Even before we’d set foot on the bridge, I could see the Cathedral’s white marble walls, as luminous as polished bone, rising up out of the earth. Its eggshell-blue dome, patterned in leaf-shaped metal panels, almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. I’d never seen the Cathedral look quite so beautiful before. It was as if we’d been captured in a mirror image of the universe, and the dome was a reflection of the moon. I was so caught up in my thoughts I had no idea just how closely we were being followed.

  ***

  The boy wrapped himself in the shadows of the streets, his eyes fixed on the three figures ahead of him on the bridge. Their outlines were grainy in the misty dark night, but he could see enough to know that they were the same people Demarge had shown him on the ridge. He pulled a box of cigarettes from his back pocket and offered one to Ecoli.

  “I don’t smoke,” he replied, the sharpness of his words stabbing the still night air. It was first time he’d actually acknowledged the boy’s existence since they’d left the warehouse.

  “Suit yourself,” said the boy, pulling a thin, white stick from the packet and lighting it, before sliding the box back into his pocket. He sucked feverishly at the tar, trying to numb the cold that was seeping s
teadily into his bones. It was good to have something to focus on, other than the fact that Ecoli gave him the creeps and that the wolfhound looked big enough to eat him. Every noise and every movement made the boy twitch as if he was wired to an electric circuit board.

  “They’d better not see you,” said Ecoli.

  The boy jumped at the sudden sound of the voice, but recovered quickly.

  “They won’t,” he replied defensively. He couldn’t afford to lose his nerve, not now, not in front of Ecoli.

  “They’re on the bridge, we need to catch up with them,” said Ecoli.

  The boy gave a quick nod, but said nothing. He flicked his cigarette butt in the gutter and quickened his pace to keep up with Ecoli. The three figures up ahead had now stepped off the bridge and were walking down the path to their left. They were heading towards the Cathedral.

  “Let’s get them,” hissed Ecoli.

  The boy shot him a confused glance. “But it’s not our job to get them,” he said. “Demarge just wanted us to follow them and report back.”

  “That’s what Demarge told you to do,” said Ecoli. “He told me to bring the girl to him, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “When did he say that?” The boy’s eyes narrowed sceptically.

  Ecoli, snorted derisively. “You weren’t there.”

  The boy gritted his teeth, determined not to let his face betray the fact that he was now way out of his depth.

  “Do what you like then,” he said, pulling another cigarette from his pocket and lighting it quickly. “I’m out of here.”

  The wolfhound growled threateningly.

  “Not so fast,” said Ecoli, grabbing the boy’s shoulder and holding him fast. He could feel the boy’s flesh flinch between his fingers. “Remember, you and I are a team and Demarge made me the leader. That means I say when you go home.”

  “I don’t take orders from you,” said the boy.

  “Yes you do, if you know what’s good for you,” said Ecoli, tightening his grip and steering the boy down the path. It was only once they’d passed through the gates and into the overgrown cemetery that he loosened his hold slightly. “Now we wait,” he said, dragging the boy down among the gravestones of St Bartholomew’s.

  ***

  We stood outside the gates at the back of the Cathedral, the windows bulging out of the apse like glittery teeth. I could see a huge pair of double doors to the side of the building, each was at least the width of my outstretched arms and the height of our family house. The dark, honey-coloured wood had an oak tree and a shepherd standing with a flock of sheep carved into it. Linking the two doors was a thick, black chain, joined by a padlock the size of my fist. Whoever looked after the Cathedral was obviously serious about no one breaking in.

  I was still staring at the door when I noticed how cold it had suddenly become. I pulled my coat around me, but it was impossible to stop shivering. Glancing across at Min, I noticed that she too had wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She was swapping anxious looks with Thomas.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  There was an awkward pause as Min and Thomas debated whether or not to tell me.

  “Demarge’s presence is much stronger now than it was before,” said Min.

  “What does that mean?” I said, suddenly feeling horribly conspicuous.

  “That Demarge hasn’t just sent a scout this time, but an Archon. A powerful one.”

  I was still trying to absorb what Min had said when a security guard came around the corner of the Cathedral, the sweep of his flashlight catching us at the gate. He began striding down the path towards us.

  “Quick, Thomas we have to get Clare inside,” said Min.

  I looked at her uncertainly. The guard was right there. Min seemed oblivious though. She clasped the wrought-iron bars and shook it as hard as she could, but it wouldn’t budge – it was locked fast.

  “Allow me,” said Thomas.

  He stepped forward and cupped his hands around the lock. A thin rod of yellow light shot into the keyhole, breaking it instantly. The gate snapped open and the three of ran up the path towards the Cathedral’s huge wooden doors. The guard was waiting for us at the top.

  “You have broken into the Cathedral grounds and are now trespassing.” He spoke directly to Min, obviously thinking that Thomas and I were just kids. “You have five minutes to leave before I call the police.”

  “Sorry,” said Min quickly. “You’re quite right. We didn’t mean any harm. We were just passing and the grounds look so beautiful in the moonlight. The lock on the gate was already broken. I just thought I’d show my children.” She shot me and Thomas a sidelong glance.

  The security guard shook his head, looking at Min as if she was from another planet. I was beginning to wonder if he might have a point.

  “Lady, how you bring up your kids is obviously your business, but it’s after three in the morning. I suggest you leave and come back later, when the Cathedral is open. Otherwise, I’m going to have to call the police.” He removed his walkie-talkie from its holster.

  “Okay, I understand,” said Min quickly.

  The guard rolled his eyes and shook his head again, muttering something under his breath that I didn’t catch. Min nodded at the path.

  “Come on kids, let’s go.”

  I hesitated, trying to catch her eye, but she was walking too fast. Thomas followed closely behind and I figured that we weren’t going into the Cathedral after all. Fine by me. If I’d had it my way I’d have been running around Wiltsdown trying to find Bede.

  The guard had now put his walkie-talkie back in its holster and was trailing behind us. I glanced across at Thomas but he was looking straight ahead, as if walking out of the Cathedral grounds at three in the morning was the most normal thing in the world to be doing. Then suddenly, without warning, someone shouted. It took me a couple of seconds to register that it was actually Min.

  “Now!”

  She tore past me, grabbing my arm and pulling me up the path. The security guard stepped back, completely taken by surprise. By the time he’d clocked what was going on, it was too late. We were long gone.

  “Hey! Come back here, you can’t…”

  The guard’s voice trailed away, as the largest dog I had ever seen in my life bounded up behind him and knocked him to the ground. Drool was dripping from its jaws, its yellow eyes boggling wildly in its head. I screamed before I could stop myself.

  “I’ll hold it back!” Min shouted, letting go of my jacket. “Just keep going!”

  Thomas pulled me forward as the dog continued to race up the path towards Min, its eyes deranged with hunger. A flash of light bounded from her hands, narrowly missing the dog’s chest and striking it in the leg. It yelped with pain and faltered, but only for a second. As I glanced behind me I could see Min taking aim with a further ball of light. I didn’t get to see whether she hit the dog though, because all of a sudden Thomas let me go and I slammed into the wooden doors, jarring my wrists. He was now wrestling with the padlock, clawing at it to break it open.

  “Hurry Thomas!” Min screamed.

  I turned around again to see her racing towards us, the dog just a few paces behind. Thomas clasped the padlock and closed his eyes. As the colour drained from his face, the padlock began to glow with yellow light, becoming so bright that I had to squint. After a few seconds there was a loud cracking noise, followed by the sound of metal raining down on concrete. Thomas tore at the chains, ripping them from the door, before pushing hard against the solid wood panels. They creaked, then gave way. Thomas shoved me inside.

  I was now standing in the middle of a large atrium with a mosaic star that covered the whole marble floor. If it was cold outside, it was freezing inside.

  “Keep running!” Min shouted behind me.

  She was now trying to shut the door of the Cathedral on the dog, but it was too strong. I turned and was about to go back and help him when Thomas stopped me.

  “T
here’s no time,” he said. “We’ve got to get to the stairs.”

  “Stairs? What stairs?” I scanned the room for likely suspects.

  “This way,” said Thomas, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the staircase diagonally opposite. I knew it led to the Murmuring Gallery, the mezzanine floor that circled the base of the Cathedral’s dome.

  “Hurry!” Min shouted.

  I turned to see the dog snapping at her chest, saliva glistening on its teeth. Its amber eye caught mine, staring at me like I was rump steak. I shuddered and gripped hold of Thomas’s arm.

  “Keep running,” he said. “Min can take care of herself.”

  I wasn’t so sure. I paused to check he was okay, trying to ignore the fact that Thomas was now pulling so hard on my clothing that I was in danger of losing my coat. This time, as I looked back, there was also a tall, thin man standing in the middle of the room. Next to him was a boy.

  “No, it can’t be,” I whispered. I did a double take but there was no mistaking it. Justin? What was he doing here?”

  Justin stared at me with the same mixture of recognition and shock. There was no time for either of us to speak. Thomas had already plunged through the archway at the foot of the stairs and was hauling me up the steps so fast that I almost tripped. I glanced back one more time to see the mosaic star slip out of sight.

  ***

  “I might have guessed he’d send you,” said Min, glaring at Ecoli with disgust.

  “Of course,” said Ecoli. “Demarge always sends his best man when he wants a job done properly.” He turned to the wolfhound. “Eredus, find the girl and bring her back.”

  Eredus’s claws shone like knives as he turned towards the stairwell.

  “No!” said Min, throwing herself in the path of the dog. Eredus growled, a deep, guttural, throatful of gravel. Thomas held his ground. “You’ll need to get through me first.”

  “Fine,” said Ecoli. “Eredus, attack.”

  The wolfhound drew back on its haunches instantly

  “No!” shouted Justin. “The dog’ll kill her!”

  “She’s in our way,” said Ecoli.

  “You’re sick,” said Justin.