Kay screamed and in that moment the smoke was sucked into him. His eyes stared out in horror and their blueness faded as the dark filled his body. He shook as the smokey, thick mists funnelled into his mouth, choking him.
‘You can do it, boy,’ whispered Arthur. He gripped Billi’s wrist, guessing, rightly, she wanted to jump in and help Kay.
Elaine began reciting in Hebrew, ‘Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad…’
Kay’s body pulsed and gross swellings bubbled and rippled under his white skin. Shapes, things, seemed to swim along his veins and black tears dribbled from his ebony eyes.
The roof tiles creaked and cracked, tiny ceramic slivers sheared off in the intense cold. The wooden joists were brittle with icicles and the floorboards moaned as they twisted under the terrible chill.
‘No,’ murmured Arthur. He looked around at the growing ice. Billi’s chest shook. What did he mean? Something was wrong. This wasn’t the multitude of colours she’d seen when Kay had inadvertently opened the portal to Limbo, and this certainly didn’t feel like a path into Heaven…
Oh no. They were trying to come through.
From Hell.
Kay’s eyes rolled sightlessly – they were black marbles – and oily tears streaked his face. A face, twisted and grinning, pushed against his chest from the inside, then sank away, leaving red welts where its teeth had pressed against his flesh. Large tumours rose over his body and Kay arched his back, unable to scream. He was battling spirits of the ether and losing. Any second now they would tear his soul apart.
Billi leapt across the Seal. It was like she’d jumped naked into the freezer; the coldness seized her lungs and made her gasp. The black smoke, now a solid, tentacled mass, sensed her presence and twisted towards her. Billi pushed her silver crucifix into her mouth and bit hard, then grabbed Kay. She tried to lift him, but invisible forces held him down. The tentacles began to crawl up her legs, and she felt their freezing touch sink through her skin into her bones.
Oh God, I can’t -
Arthur grabbed the Mirror and tossed it out of the Seal. The voices screamed, but only for an instant.
Billi collapsed in the dark. She felt Kay’s body go limp beneath her. He was ice cold. She wrapped her arms round him, pressing her body against his back, shivering but gripping him tightly.
C’mon.
Kay coughed and jerked. He let out a long, aching groan. Billi felt his hands squeeze hers.
‘Billi,’ he whispered. His voice was dry and cracked.
There was a gentle humming in the air. The bulb came back to life.
Arthur knelt beside her. His face was white with fear.
Elaine turned Kay over and stared into his eyes. She touched the silver plaque against his forehead. Then she rocked back on to her haunches and let out a long sigh of relief.
‘Well, bollocks to that idea,’ she said.
25
‘Put him in my bed,’ said Elaine. Kay hung slumped between Billi and Arthur. He was heavier than he looked and Billi grunted as she finally dropped him on to the mattress. Arthur was sweating heavily, and favoured his left side.
‘How are those stitches holding up?’ asked Elaine. Arthur waved her off, but it was clear he was in pain. So she checked Kay again instead, inspecting his eyes, his mouth and ears. She’d removed most of the talismans off his body, and arranged them round the bed instead.
‘Is he OK?’ asked Billi. ‘He’s not, y’know, possessed or anything?’
‘If you’re wondering if his head’s going to rotate all round his neck…’ Elaine stepped away from the bed. ‘No, he’s not. Some rest and he’ll be fine. Have bad dreams, though, I wouldn’t wonder.’
They retreated into the lounge. Billi collapsed on to the sofa, sick and exhausted. Kay’d failed. She’d been so sure he’d do it. They all had been. But it had been too soon – it was the wrong time to have done it. She knew he’d feel that he’d failed the Order when he woke – she knew how that guilt felt. But it wasn’t Kay’s guilt to bear alone. They’d all blown it – big-time. And would he be strong enough to try again, in seven days’ time? She didn’t know. That’s assuming they had seven days.
What were they going to do? Spend the rest of their lives running? Hiding in different holes every night? Always looking over their shoulders for the Angel of Death? They only had their lives. Michael had all of eternity.
‘That’s it, then,’ said Arthur. ‘My own stupid fault.’
‘It’s not, Dad. You were right; we were wrong. We forced you into it.’
He laughed, not for long because he went pale and bent over, cramped. He hissed through gritted teeth as he straightened.
‘Forced me, did you? I just… hoped.’ He almost laughed again and Billi watched his face brighten. Arthur finding something funny – now that was a first. ‘Foolish. To have hope.’
Elaine put her hand on Arthur’s arm. Billi caught her look, one of deep concern.
At least it can’t get any worse, thought Billi.
Elaine pointed at Arthur’s chest. ‘Don’t be shy. Let’s have a look, then.’
‘It’s nothing,’ he said. He grinned, but it wasn’t pleasant. ‘Had worse.’
Elaine wasn’t having any of it. She got him to take off the dressing gown and lift off his sweatshirt.
Blood caked his stomach. The bandages were brown with encrusted blood and fresh scarlet wept through them, thin trails dribbling along his abdomen.
‘You stupid, stupid idiot,’ Elaine said. She jerked her thumb towards the cupboard. ‘Billi, get my kit. It’s at the bottom.’
The first-aid kit was military issue: full of bandages, morphine and needles. Elaine began cutting off the useless old bandages.
Billi winced as Elaine tore off the dressing.
Arthur scowled at her as she then popped the plastic sheath off the syringe needle. ‘No drugs.’
‘Martyr till the last,’ replied Elaine. ‘Shut up and lie down.’
Arthur ignored her and lifted himself up on to his elbows and summoned Billi nearer. ‘The others will be waiting. They’ve got to know the Binding’s failed. Don’t want them going off half-cocked thinking we’ve taken care of Michael.’
‘Leave her be, Art. The girl’s done enough.’
That’s right, I have. What right did he have ordering her about? Not her problem. Hadn’t she made that clear? She tried to get Kay to quit, and look what had happened to him. Billi checked the bedroom door. Maybe after this Kay would see sense and realize the Templars were just bad news all round.
But was there any ‘after’? Michael was slaying throughout the city. Arthur looked up at her, face feverish. He demanded her obedience and she wouldn’t give it. She wasn’t a Templar any more. He couldn’t order her around. But…
If this wasn’t her problem whose was it? She’d do it for herself, not them.
‘Waiting where, Dad?’
‘Southwark. At the cathedral.’ His voice urgent. ‘They’ll be there for matins.’
Then the needle went into his leg and he sank back into the sofa. Elaine spared a moment’s glance at Billi. She wanted to say something, Billi was sure of it. Instead Elaine bit her lip and set to work.
Five in the morning. It was five in the morning and matins was in an hour. The world was asleep, and here she was, again. Billi stared empty-eyed at the fog outside the window, willing herself to get up, get her coat on and get out.
She found an old racing bike in the back of the garage. The rust on the chain wasn’t too bad, and she dug up some spare batteries for the lights out of a toolbox on the shelf. Billi zipped up her jacket and pulled the hood down so only her eyes peered out.
The icy fog broke over her in ghostly waves and the night was silent but for the creaking pedals. Billi fell into a semi-conscious, mechanical daze, just letting her legs turn the wheels, focusing on the spot of hazy lamplight ahead of her. The black tarmac ran under her wheels as she made her way into the City of London.