Nice one, Eddie.
I thought so.
And while we were busy congratulating ourselves, Hollis sat up abruptly and spoke a single powerful Word. The wooden floor exploded before us, solid floorboards flowing like water as they took on new shape and purpose under his augmented will. They formed themselves into two huge wooden hands that wrapped themselves around Molly and me in a moment, crushing us so tightly neither of us could move. It was all I could do to get my breath, even inside my armour s protection, and with my arms pinned to my sides I had no leverage to use against the unnatural strength of the wooden fingers. The hands rose, holding Molly and me off the floor, our legs dangling helplessly, utterly helpless. Molly hung limply, eyes closed, in the hand. Either through shock or unconsciousness. I struggled fiercely to get to her, but couldn t budge the wooden fingers in the least. Hollis got to his feet, took a moment to brush himself off and then smiled mockingly at me.
High and mighty Drood with his cheating armour, never underestimate the value of planning and preparation. Of checking out the scene in advance and setting a few booby traps before the enemy shows his face. I knew you were coming here. Crow Lee told me. And unlike those stuck-up devil boys of his, I think ahead. I ve spent a lot of time thinking on how best to take down a Drood. Now, I m sure that impressive armour of yours will break free eventually, but by then, it ll be far too late. I ve got something special here just for you. Supernatural Can Opener, Part Two. Try not to take what happens next personally, Drood. It s just what I do.
He walked unhurriedly up to me, the wooden hand lowering me slowly until I was face-to-face with him. I still couldn t move. He lifted his hands and placed them on either side of my face mask. The bones within his hands glowed fiercely, blazing right through the flesh, and then the glow seemed to seep slowly through the flesh to encase both his hands in the same brightly glowing light. Hollis set both hands carefully on either side of my head, and up close the glare almost blinded me.
The shining fingers clamped onto the golden metal. It didn t even occur to me to flinch. I trusted my armour to protect me, as it always had. The fingertips dug deep into my armour. I couldn t move; paralysed, helpless. The glowing fingers sank in deep and then pulled back, stretching and distorting the face armour. I screamed despite myself as an agonising pain swept through me. I was bonded to the rogue armour as a living thing, and its pain was my pain. Hollis pulled his glowing hands this way and that, tugging at the face mask, and the armour stretched and deformed but wouldn t break. I screamed again as the armour screamed, as Hollis struggled to pull the mask off me.
I could hear Molly screaming at Hollis. Leave him alone, you bastard! Stop it! I ll kill you for this!
Shut it, girlie, said Hollis, not even looking at her. I ll get to you when I m finished with him.
He moved in close, concentrating on me as he fought to break the face mask. I was screaming so hard now, it hurt my throat. And while Hollis was concentrating on me, Molly pulled her wits together and concentrated on a simple teleport spell. She jumped herself out of the wooden hand and reappeared right behind Hollis. He started to turn, but Molly had already picked up one of the heavy potted plants and broke it over his head. The sheer weight of the thing clubbed Hollis to the floor and tore his glowing hands away from my mask. I cried out one last time and hung limply in the wooden hand, while the golden metal of my face mask slowly reformed itself. I watched numbly as Molly kicked Hollis good and hard in the ribs, to make sure he was unconscious, and then she hurried over to stand before me. She grabbed hold of the Twilight Teardrop hanging from her throat and spat out a single powerful Word. The wooden fingers holding me rotted and fell apart, and I fell through them to collapse on the floor. I forced myself up onto my knees. Molly was quickly there beside me.
Eddie, are you all right? I never heard you scream like that before.
I m fine, I said. I had to say it again before it sounded like I meant it. I m fine, Molly. It was the armour that was hurt, not me.
I armoured down, and the golden metal retreated into my torc with something like relief. I think both of us were surprised to discover just how close a relationship we d entered into. I stayed on my knees for a while, Molly crouching beside me, until I was sure I was back in control, and then I got to my feet. Molly got up with me, hovering at my side, but didn t try to help me. I moved across to stand over Hollis. There was blood on his face from where the plant pot had cracked his scalp as it shattered, but he was breathing easily enough. His hands weren t glowing anymore.
Why a potted plant? I said to Molly.
She shrugged. Because it was there. What do we do with him now?
I kicked Hollis in the ribs, hard enough to pick him up and send his body skidding across the floor and slam into the opposite wall. I went after him again, but immediately Molly was blocking my way, staring intently into my face.
Don t, Eddie.
He tried to kill me. He would have killed you. He doesn t deserve to live.
You can t just kill him in cold blood.
Why not? You didn t have any problems exploding the Eton Irregulars while they were running away.
That s different, and you know it. They weren t human anymore.
I m not leaving this dangerous an enemy at our back. He dies.
Eddie, this isn t like you.
Get out of my way!
No!
I raised a hand to hit her, and then stopped it in midair. Molly didn t move, still staring intently into my eyes. The golden gauntlet hung on the air between us, shining brightly. One blow would have been enough to crush her skull. I hadn t called the armour. I hadn t. I glared at it, willing it back into my torc. It didn t want to go. The rogue armour had unfinished business with Hollis. I could feel it. The armour wasn t talking to me, but I could feel its presence at the back of my mind. I overrode it through sheer force of will, and the golden gauntlet disappeared. I lowered my hand, my whole arm shaking with the effort. Molly moved in close, laying her hands on my chest, looking into my face, making sure it was just me.
It s all right, I said. I m back.
Eddie
You do know I would never hurt you, right? I said. That I would die before I ever let anyone hurt you.
Yes, Eddie. I know. That wasn t you, was it? That was the rogue armour.
Yes. It appears we re more closely linked than I anticipated. More than I ever intended.
You promised me you could control it.
I can!
You could still get rid of it, said Molly.
Force it back out of your torc.
And leave Moxton s Mistake running loose in London with no one inside to control it? I said. I can t risk that. And besides, I still need it.
I looked across at Hollis. There was fresh blood at his mouth from where I d kicked him into the wall.
Did I do that? I said.