‘I want the Mirror, Kay. Tell me or you’ll be soaking Billi up with a bucket and mop.’
She felt so helpless! She was so helpless. She thrashed out with her foot, but it just shot wildly in the air, striking nothing. How could she have fallen for it? Fallen for Michael? It had been a con from the beginning.
‘All right, all right,’ said Kay. He was at the edge of the ledge. ‘I’ll show you where it is.’
Mike swung Billi towards the ledge and let go. Her stomach flipped as she tumbled through the air. Then she smashed into Kay and the two of them rolled, banging heads, elbows and knees, over and over on the floor.
Billi couldn’t move her left arm. Ten thousand pins and needles stabbed and poked her muscles and it felt like it was on fire. The sky spun overhead and she was gasping for air. But she had to get up. She wasn’t going to be beaten by the man that had killed her mother. She rolled over and Kay was beside her, groaning.
‘Jesus, Kay. How stupid are you?’
‘But I thought you texted me. You wanted to meet me.’
‘Here? Like under the big sign saying “TRAP”?’
‘I wasn’t the one dangling off the side of a skyscraper.’
Billi spotted a toolbox pushed up against the wall. ‘Listen,’ she whispered. ‘When I move I want you to dummy left. Leave Michael to me.’
‘I can fight.’
‘Trust me, you can’t. Just dummy left, OK?’ But Kay’s face was rigid. He wanted to fight. Billi wanted to slap some sense into him. ‘Dummy left.’
‘OK,’ he said finally.
Billi crossed over to the toolbox and pulled out a large spanner. Her left arm dangled uselessly by her side, but she raised the tool high with her right. Somehow she had to stop him. Michael paused, watched her grit her teeth and stride forward. Kay darted in, on the left, but Michael didn’t respond. Billi brought the spanner down with all her strength. Michael still didn’t respond. The spanner head, a square chunk of steel, shattered the side of his skull.
Michael stumbled backwards. Billi gaped at the deep crevasse, oozing thick blood. Sticky clots hung to his hair and the top shoulder of his coat was sprinkled with red droplets.
But then the bleeding stopped. The gap of broken bone began to reform and the deep dent bulged back out into shape. Within seconds the bone had repaired itself and the skin began to seal, leaving only a thin pink scar. That too vanished within seconds.
‘Is this how you dump all your boyfriends?’ said Michael. Then he struck. Billi tried to block, but her left arm wouldn’t respond. She ducked under the hammer-like fist, but it caught her dead centre in the forehead. Sparks exploded around her and she felt herself falling. She collapsed and edges of darkness crept into her vision, gently turning everything black.
Arms half lifted, half dragged her and she felt soft, warm fabric against her face. Billi’s mind drifted in and out of consciousness and deep down a small part of her screamed that she should wake up, but she couldn’t. She was trapped in this nightmare and couldn’t get herself out. She moaned in despair.
‘Oi, your girlfriend’s not going to puke in my taxi, is she?’ A voice filtered through, someone she didn’t recognize. A door slammed and an engine rumbled to life.
‘Don’t worry, sir. She’s just had one too many shandies,’ said Michael. ‘Isn’t that right, Kay?’
There was a strained murmur. At least Kay was with her. She let the blackness take her again.
Billi…
15
Billi stumbled as she exited the taxi. Kay grabbed her before she fell. She tried to stand, but the ground pitched and rolled and her sense of balance was precarious.
‘This is it?’ asked Michael. He didn’t sound impressed. ‘The Templar reliquary?’
Billi glanced up. Oh no. Elaine’s Bazaar. Kay really had brought them here. Her fingers dug into his shoulder. What was he doing? The lights were out on the first floor flat. Was Elaine in? Maybe she could shout a warning?
No, it was too late now anyway.
The three of them stood by the shop door. Michael took the handle and with a sharp pull ripped it, the lock and the surrounding wood out.
‘After you,’ he said.
Kay went first, Billi next. Michael kept his hand on her neck, prompting her with a squeeze as she tripped in the dark.
‘The door to the basement’s at the back,’ said Kay.
What was wrong with him? Didn’t he realize what would happen if Michael got the Mirror? Oh God. Was he doing this for her? She shot a glance at Kay. He just stared ahead, devoid of emotion. If only she could think of something. Billi’s fingers wound themselves into fists. But Michael just pushed her along.
Michael smashed the lock of the small door. Kay switched on the light and descended.
Michael’s fingers tightened round her throat. ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ he whispered. But his voice was tense, excited. The Mirror was almost in his grasp.
The reliquary was as cluttered as before, but there were fresh changes. The wards on the walls were cleaned, re-carved and reinforced with long rows of painted calligraphy and reams of parchment. There was barely a square of wall without some symbol painted on to it or sheet of prayers stuck there. It was like her dad had said. The magical protections had been improved.
A lot.
Michael’s attention wasn’t on the walls; it was on the large black lacquered cabinet. He peered closely at the broken Seal of Solomon on the doors. His eyes, those brilliant amber eyes, now burned with demonic hunger. He tossed Billi aside and she collapsed against the wall.
She’d been so wrong. So wrong. She’d been conned all along. He’d charmed her and tempted her and she had given in to that temptation. And now they were here. A Watcher brought right into the Templar’s reliquary.
Michael ran his fingertips lightly over the bronze circle, as though he’d expected it to be red hot. But the cool metal didn’t reject him, and he smiled.
‘Solomon, you old fool,’ he said to himself. Then he took the two bronze handles and pulled the doors open. ‘At last.’
Then he reached into the cabinet. When he turned back he held the dark-blue velvet box and his eyes were on that alone. He raised it towards the light. ‘Soon, my brothers, my sisters.’ He flicked open the latch and gazed in. He stared and stared, and Billi saw his face transform. The confident beauty faded and instead his visage became grotesque, monstrous.
‘I don’t like games, SanGreal,’ he said. He spun the box round.
It was empty.
Michael grabbed an old sword off the wall, strode over and pressed the tip against her throat. ‘Where’s the Mirror?’
‘Far from here, Harbinger.’ A shadow formed on the steps and slid into the dimly lit chamber. Arthur walked in. ‘I moved it the minute I knew your pitiful siblings’ cries had been heard.’ He glanced over at Kay. ‘We thought you’d come looking for it sooner or later.’
Billi stared at Kay. He knew?
Arthur had the Templar Sword in his right hand, and dangling from his left fist was a small silver crucifix. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, but he was in easy striking distance. Mike tossed the empty box away.
‘No closer, Templar.’ He pressed the tip against Billi’s neck until it drew a blood drop. ‘Arthur SanGreal. D’you know, Billi, they say Satan himself only fears two things in all of existence? The Judgement of God and Arthur SanGreal. Tell me, Arthur -’ he stepped back from Billi, moving away to keep a wary distance between him and the Templar Master – ‘what did you do to make even the Devil afraid?’
‘Come here and I’ll show you,’ said Arthur, edging forward.
Billi took Kay’s hand and held him against the wall.
She’d fouled up beyond measure in trusting Michael. Maybe Kay had been right not to tell her.