by Gill, J. G.
“I can see what Demarge means about Aeons – always the hero.” She turned to Justin and Bede. “Well boys,” she said brightly, “at least it will be a spectacular show before you die.” She thrust the knife back inside her jacket and began to walk towards Daden. “I wonder Daden, if you know that your two little Aeon friends are currently buried under a huge amount of heavy tungsten?”
“Not any more they’re not,” said Daden. “Their light’s travelling with me.”
Morana raised her eyebrow inquiringly. “Oh, well done. I imagine finding them used quite a bit of energy, even for a strong body like yours.” She smiled flirtatiously and took a step towards him, her face now so close to Daden’s that he could feel her breath. “I must say, I do feel lucky. There are far less attractive people to have a little ‘arm-to-arm combat’ with,” she said.
A volley of sparks suddenly flew from her fingers, striking Daden in the chest at close range, like bolts from a stun gun. He fell backwards, scattering Bede and Justin to either side of him. Morana laughed.
“Give it up Daden, you’re no match for me,” she said. “Take Min-Isis and Thomas back to the Slipworld, but leave these two where they belong.”
Daden recovered quickly, cupping his hands around an orb of iridescent red light.
“I’ll never give them up,” he said, hurling the missile at her.
Morana jumped back, but not quickly enough. The light hit the side of her head, burning a large chunk of hair from her scalp. It fell to the floor in a fibrous clump.
“You’ll suffer for that,” she snarled, her eyes narrowing to thin slits. A large cluster of coppery sparks sprung from each of her palms, writhing like worms. She threw one, then the other, the two arcs of gold each destined for a human target.
“Get behind me!” Daden shouted.
A curtain of diaphanous red light blossomed under each of his outstretched arms, shielding Bede and Justin. The sparks hissed into oblivion as they struck it, like water against a hot plate. Suddenly there was a yelp of pain.
“I’ve been hit!” Bede cried, instinctively snatching his ankle where a small, black squiggle had burrowed itself in his flesh, just above the bone.
Daden glanced at the wound but there was no time to help – Morana was now running towards him at full pelt, her long black wings unfurling from her shoulders. She rose from the ground, eyeing Daden like an eagle would a rabbit.
“Get down!” Daden screamed, crossing his arms protectively above his head. A canopy of light billowed where his elbows met, spreading like a dome over him, Bede and Justin. Morana recoiled as if an umbrella had just opened in her face. She screamed in fury.
“Grab my arms!” Daden shouted.
Bede snatched his right, and Justin his left, as Daden lunged towards the window.
“You first!” he screamed at Justin, turning him towards the sill as their feet left the ground. “Bede, get ready to jump!”
The force of the momentum was like a spring beneath Bede’s feet. He was seconds from vaulting through the window when suddenly everything jolted to standstill.
“You’re not going anywhere!” Morana screamed.
Her fingers were hooked into the back of Bede’s jumper, anchoring him to the floor.
“Let go!” he screamed.
“But you’re my stepson, what sort of mother would that make me?” Morana gave a cruel, hard laugh, the wind against her face sharpening her cheekbones.
High above, Bede could hear fragments of Daden’s voice, the wind shattering the words before they could reach him. He was now in the middle of a tug-of-war, his shoulder in agony as it strained to stay in its socket. He gritted his teeth to block out the pain, manoeuvring himself to face Morana. As he did, a gust of wind threw her jacket from away her shoulder, revealing the handle of the carving knife like a deadly secret. Bede didn’t have time to think. He grabbed the knife, pulling it free of its sheath in a single movement.
“Give that back,” Morana hissed.
“Sure thing, mother!”
Bede plunged the needle-sharp knife into the fleshy upper part of Morana’s wing, pinning her securely to the wall. Her clenched fingers gasped open in shock as a thick, green liquid oozed down her arm, her howl following Bede out into the cold night air.
CHAPTER XXIX
Morris was the heaviest breather I’d ever heard. Seriously, the guy sounded like a freight truck lumbering alongside me. Len wasn’t much better, but he was on the other side of Calix so I couldn’t hear him as much. Now and then the pair of them would swap goofy smiles, as if they’d just won the lottery.
“The big boss is going to be pleased,” said Len.
“Yeah, I reckon he’ll give us a pay rise, big time.” Morris glanced hopefully at Stanley, his face falling slightly when Stanley just shrugged.
“Maybe. It’s hard to tell with him sometimes.”
I sneaked a sidelong glance in Calix’s direction, smiling as she rolled her eyes – it seemed like even Demarge’s own henchmen couldn’t work him out.
“What’s that, down there, at the end of tunnel?” said Len.
I swivelled my eyes to where Len was pointing. Frayed ends of light were penetrating the darkness in silvery, misty swirls.
“Can’t wait to see the big boss’s face,” Morris said, trying to bring the conversation back to the subject of the pay rise.
But the moment had passed. Stanley was now staring at the light spreading like smoke along the ceiling of the tunnel.
“That’s strange.” He glanced at Len, then Morris, then back to Len. “Don’t you think? That light. It’s strange.”
“Yeah, dunno boss,” said Morris, trying to pretend he was interested. He was a useless actor. I figured he was probably still thinking about the money and how he’d spend it – either a sports car or a motorbike, whatever would impress his girlfriend more. Yeech, now there was a gruesome thought, that someone like Morris would actually have a girlfriend. I made a mental note to gross Calix out with that one later.
“I don’t reckon it’s anything to worry about boss,” said Len, looking up at the ceiling. “Probably just one of those things.”
“Just one of those things? What does that even mean?” said Stanley irritably. “Do you actually think before you open that big gob of yours?” Morris scowled as Stanley continued to frown at the light. “Something’s definitely not right,” he said.
Calix and I exchanged glances. Stanley had a point. The smoky light had seemed strange enough when it had been creeping along the ceiling like a fast-moving moss, but now it was starting to droop down into the tunnel. It looked as if it was deliberately aiming for the middle of the train tracks.
“C’mon, let’s hurry,” said Stanley. “This place is giving me the creeps.”
Morris jerked my arm and I stumbled forward, just managing to catch myself before I fell over the railway struts. The strange light had now settled on the tracks just ahead. I watched it, waiting for the beam to spread, but for some reason it seemed intent on staying put. Weirder still, it seemed to be solidifying. The light was now such a deep, silvery colour that it was hard to see through it to the blackness on the other side.
Len rubbed his eyes with his spare fist.
“Man, this darkness is doing something to my eyes,” he said. “That light looks like it’s got a face!”
“Well if your eyes are playing tricks then so are mine, ’cos I can see it too,” said Morris.
“It looks like an Aeon,” I muttered under my breath, not realising that Stanley could hear me.
“Don’t you dare mention that word, girlie!”
His face was now just centimetres from mine, and so red and sweaty that he looked like he was either going to explode or melt. He drew a deep breath and was about to shout at me again when something suddenly interrupted him.
“Let them go,” said a voice.
Standing in the middle of the tracks was a woman dressed in a long gold satin dress that shimmered like liquid meta
l. She had perfectly straight, white-gold hair that hung to her waist, and green hazel-flecked eyes. I recognised her instantly as the woman I had seen in the Valley, who’d stopped Daden following me after I’d left the Slipworld. She stepped towards us.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” said Stanley.
“It depends what you mean,” she replied. “If you’re referring to the Aeons, then yes, I am.”
Len and Morris shuffled on their feet, looking anxiously to Stanley for guidance.
“What’s going on boss?” said Morris.
“Do you want us to get her?” asked Len.
“No, it’s okay, I’ve got it covered,” said Stanley. I could hear the nervousness in his voice. He turned to the woman with a patronising smile.
“Look, I’d really like to help you love, honestly, I would, but you’ve got to understand, I can’t let you have them. My boss would make my life a nightmare.”
“That’s unfortunate, but it’s not really my concern,” said the woman. “Now please, I’m asking you one last time, let them go.”
“This chick ain’t getting the message,” Morris muttered. Stanley ignored him, continuing to focus his attention on the woman.
“Surely we can come to some arrangement?” he said obsequiously.
“This isn’t negotiable, Stanley.”
“Hang on, how do you know my name?”
The woman ignored the question. “I don’t want to hurt you or your friends. I just want the girls.”
“You’ll have to get them off me first,” Stanley snarled.
Before Calix or I could swerve out the way he grabbed each of us by our arms and began dragging us backwards into the tunnel. Len and Morris stood dumbfounded, their mouths gaping open and shut like fish. After a few seconds the penny finally dropped.
“Whoa, hang on!” shouted Morris.
Len started lumbering after us, followed closely behind by Morris, as Calix did her best to kick and bite Stanley anywhere she could. I joined in with my elbows, landing a satisfying blow to his ribs. He grunted, then tightened his grip.
“Nice try, girls, but you’ll have to do better than that.”
“Is that an invitation?” said Calix, snapping at his wrist.
“Rabid bitch!” Stanley pulled his hand away just in time to avoid Calix’s teeth.
Then, all of a sudden, a blinding flash of white light filled the tunnel and I felt something dragging me down like a dead weight. It took me a couple of seconds to realise that it was actually Stanley – he’d gone completely limp and had slumped to the ground. As the mist cleared and I glanced around and saw that Len and Morris were also lying flat out on the track. The woman in the gold dress was now standing directly in front of me and Calix.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Freya. I’m a friend of Min and Thomas’s. Now quickly, we must leave immediately. Those men will not remain stunned forever.”
“Hang on a minute,” said Calix, shaking her head and crossing her arms defiantly. “Some woman just sort of drops out of the ceiling, gets into a beat up with a bunch of guys, then expects me to follow her off to hell knows where? I don’t think so.”
“Calix, I know this is all really, really weird, but trust me, we do need to follow her,” I said.
“Are you completely insane?” she said.
I sighed. “Yeah, maybe, but the only way we’re going to get out of this is by doing what Freya says.”
Calix glared at me as she tried to make up her mind what to do. Finally, she came to a decision. “Fine, but you’d better be right,” she said. “And I’m not going without Troy.”
“Who’s Troy?” said Freya.
“He’s our friend,” I said, pointing to the far wall. “Stanley and the others beat him up.”
“I see,” said Freya solemnly. “That complicates things. I’m not strong enough to carry all three of you.”
“You won’t need to then. Like I said, I’m not going without him,” said Calix.
“It won’t come to that, I’ll find a way,” said Freya, glancing at the three men lying on the track. “We have half an hour at the most. If I carry your friend back to the Cathedral, do you think you two can run there ahead of me? That way I can protect you if these three wake up.”
Calix and I looked at each other before both nodding.
“Yeah, we can do it,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I was pretty sure that Calix could do it, but I was a lot less sure about me. Now wasn’t a great time to worry about my sporting ability though.
“Just so long as you make sure that Troy is safe,” said Calix.
“I will,” said Freya, “now start running. We’ll meet you again soon.”
Calix hesitated. I could tell she still wasn’t sure whether or not to trust Freya. I put my hand on her sleeve.
“I don’t think we’ve got a lot of choice right now,” I said, trying to keep my voice as level as possible.
As we ran past the men lying on the track and plunged ourselves back into the darkness, I just hoped with all my heart that my judgment was right.
CHAPTER XXX
Daden’s wings thrashed at the clouds, his arms aching under the weight of the two boys. He could feel himself slipping steadily closer to the roofs of the buildings below, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was wilting fast. Daden fixed his eyes on the bluish-grey dome, looming like a precious egg in the dark nest of the horizon. He knew he had to get to the Cathedral, regardless of the voice in his head that was begging him to stop. He had no choice.
Far below, the Wiltsdown River coiled its way through a patchwork of lights, the water thick and black like a frozen oil slick. Daden traced along it, watching as a barge moved sluggishly under a bridge. The bow of the boat was just inching back into view as he tilted right to change course, his shocked bundles squirming and digging their fingernails deeper into his arms.
Daden began slowly circumnavigating the Cathedral in huge, sweeping loops, spiralling closer and closer to the dome’s pale blue skin. He knew that Demarge could be anywhere, a dark phantom lurking in the shadows. At least at this stage, the balcony beneath the dome was encouragingly still. Daden landed noiselessly, gently setting Justin and Bede on their feet, as his wings melted seamlessly into his body.
“So far, so good,” he said.
Bede looked at him with a mix of squeamishness and indignation.
“For you, maybe. My stomach’s all over the place.”
Justin was speechless and a pale shade of green. He clung to the railing, swaying slightly.
“Are you all right?” said Daden.
“I’ve been better,” said Justin, his voice heavy with impending vomit.
“I know it is not ideal but we have to hurry,” said Daden.
“Just give me five seconds,” Justin pleaded.
“No, we can’t delay. Once Demarge realises we’re here, our chances of returning to the Slipworld will evaporate.”
Justin scowled and edged away from the railing, his legs wobbling as if he’d just walked off a boat. He reached the door and clung to the frame, before following Bede inside. Daden slid through behind them.
“We need to get to the door on the other side of the Gallery,” he said.
Bede and Justin began inching their way around the mezzanine floor of the Murmuring Gallery, rolling the balls of their feet quietly over the marble. They had soon reached the top of the creamy coloured steps, leading down to the main atrium.
“Careful,” said Daden. “You need to count to the four hundredth and seventy- ninth step, then wait for me there.”
Bede disappeared around the first spiral, counting the steps to himself in his head.
“Now you,” Daden said to Justin. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Justin stepped cautiously towards the step, before pausing to glance back at Daden.
“I don’t want to do this,” he said.
“Demarge can’t hurt you this ti
me. Not with me here,” Daden replied.
Justin smiled weakly and began to descend the stairs.
***
Calix was just ahead of me as we burst out of the tunnel and into the alleyway. It took me a couple of seconds to work out exactly where we were. I scanned the skyline for the clock tower, finding it to my distant left. The river had to be just beyond it, and the Cathedral, just beyond that again, on the other side of Beare Bridge. Calix and I glanced at each other, nodded, and began running in the direction of the Old Town Square. I smiled to myself; we were getting pretty good at this mental telepathy stuff.
We’d been running for about ten minutes when it struck me, we had no idea where Freya was. I glanced up, half expecting to see a large, fast moving object above us, but the mauve-black sky was completely unruffled.
“Hey, wait up a minute,” I said.
Calix wheeled around. “What’s up?”
“It’s Freya. Have you seen her?”
Calix shook her head.
“Nah, I was just wondering that myself. If anything happens to Troy…” she trailed off, her face growing hard.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” I said quickly. Truth was, I had no idea. For the umpteenth time, I just hoped I was right. “I guess all we can do is keep running.”
The full tide churned beneath our feet as we pelted across the bridge. It made me shiver just looking at it.
“I guess that’s the way into to the church?” said Calix, pointing to the small pathway that Min, Thomas and I had used when we’d first gone to the Cathedral.
I nodded.
“So how do we know that Demarge isn’t there waiting for us?” said Calix.
“We don’t,” I said. “But what else can we do? Freya’s told us to get to the Cathedral as fast as we can.” I paused, remembering our other option. “There is another way in, but it’s through an underground tunnel and up through the crypt. It’s more discreet but it’ll take twice as long. Besides, Demarge already knows about it.” The memory of almost becoming part of a sarcophagus explosion was still fresh in my mind.
“I guess we don’t have a lot of options then,” said Calix.