15
Torn
Tainted sometimes
Shines like gold
Sean
When we arrived, Nicholas was standing beside the fire in Sarah’s living room. He’d clearly lit it himself, given it was blue. Those freaky blue flames that spurt from his hands give me the creeps. And Nicholas gives me the creeps even more. How is he in her house already? Has she given him a set of keys? Or does he have ways to open doors, like me?
Or is he living with her now?
His eyes narrow briefly as he sees me following Sarah through the door. For a moment I rejoice in his bewilderment, but he regains his composure almost immediately.
“Sean.” He nods. His eyes are just as black as his ravens’, wide and lucid, with a disturbing hint of slow-burning embers. And he’s huge. I’d almost forgotten. I’m not short myself, but he must be well over six foot five. Broad, too.
Freaky.
“Nicholas Donal,” I say without offering him my hand.
“So. Sarah forgave your lies then,” he replies immediately. What he’s really saying is: she made a mistake.
“Yes. Nicholas. She did. And I realize that I never thanked you for saving her life. Our lives.”
Sarah turns to look at me, incredulous. I know what she’s thinking. Is this really Sean talking? Sean showing Nicholas Donal gratitude? Thing is, it’s the only way. I can hardly assault him, as much as I’d like to. He’d toast me with those finger flames of his, for a start. I’m under no illusions as to how powerful this guy is.
Sarah sits down heavily in one of the chairs. She looks drained all of a sudden, and a strange, hazy expression has fallen on her features. Or is it my imagination? It can’t be. I know it isn’t.
“That’s what we’re meant to do, us Secret heirs. Help each other. But of course, I forgot – you’re not an heir, are you?” Nicholas says, a slight smile playing on his lips.
I will my temper to stay in check. You’re right. I’m not an heir. But who are you, really? You look as if you’ve just walked out of a bloody grave.
“Sean’s a Gamekeeper,” Sarah intervenes, the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice. Trouble in paradise?
“Impressive,” he replies, and I allow myself to fantasize about my sgian-dubh making its way into his throat.
“Nicholas Donal.” Elodie’s silvery voice breaks the tension, but only momentarily.
Nicholas looks at her, and he freezes – just for the millionth part of an instant, but I notice. His eyes grow even blacker, shinier, like a kestrel that’s spotted a mouse.
But Elodie doesn’t waver. “I’m Elodie Midnight,” she says.
“Elodie. Of course. I’m sorry … I’m sorry to hear about Harry.” Nicholas lowers his head.
Elodie frowns and looks away. My eyes dart between them, and it’s like seeing the two halves of the Tao – Elodie, all cream and white, blonde and fair, and Nicholas, dressed in black, raven hair, eyes like coal.
“Thank you,” she whispers, and turns towards Sarah. “Your friend is here.”
“Bryony? At the door? I didn’t hear the bell,” Sarah replies, still unaware of Elodie’s psychic abilities.
“She’s at the gate. She’s walking up the path now.”
I catch Nicholas looking at Elodie again, studying her face – as if she has something he wants.
As if she is something he wants.
16
Full Moon
The letter that came
From the second star to the right
The day of sorrow
That tore us apart
“Just remember, everyone,” said Sarah icily from the doorway, her eyes moving between Elodie, Nicholas and Sean, “Bryony knows Sean as Harry. We must keep up the pretence.”
“Sure, we’ll remember,” replied Nicholas as Sarah left the room. “Harry,” he added, spitting the word out.
The doorbell rang. At the sight of her friend, Sarah had no choice but to smile. Bryony looked so … Bryony. She was like a walking painter’s palette, shining against the night. Her coat was bright yellow, the collar tucked around her ears, and she had pulled a purple beanie over her bright red hair. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold, and her camera hung ready around her neck.
“Hello! I can’t believe I invited myself here like that! Sorry, Sarah, I know it’s super short notice, it’s just that there’ll be no full moon for another month.”
“There won’t be, no!” laughed Sarah, and stepped aside to let Bryony come in.
“Exactly, I knew you’d understand, and your park is just perfect.”
“It’s a garden! Park sounds a bit grand!” Sarah hugged her friend affectionately, surprising Bryony with her uncharacteristic expansiveness. It didn’t happen often. It hadn’t happened in a long time.
“You’ve lost weight, you lucky person,” said Bryony as she hung up her coat. “Come round to our’s for dinner one evening – Mum would love to fatten you up.”
“Bryony.” Sarah interrupted her friend. “I have a few people over,” she told her in a low voice.
“Oh, I’m sorry, you have guests.” Bryony’s eye’s widened.
“I mean … Nicholas,” Sarah whispered.
Bryony gave a tiny whoop. “Oh, cool! I’m about to meet your new boyfriend!”
Sarah put a hand over Bryony’s mouth, jokingly. “Shhhh! Don’t embarrass me!”
“Promise I won’t!” squealed Bryony.
“Come on.” Sarah led her friend into the living room. “Everyone, this is Bryony.” Her voice was taut with nerves.
Nicholas stepped up first. “Hello. I’m Nicholas.”
Sarah looked from one to the other, holding her breath. Please like each other.
Bryony stared at the tall, dark-haired man for a second. “Hello.” She smiled. Sarah was her best friend. And if she thought that her boyfriend looked scary, she would not be telling her.
“Nice to meet you. You’re just as Sarah described you,” said Nicholas.
“Oh, am I? Hope that’s a compliment!” Bryony could hear herself wittering. Jesus, this guy’s skin. And those eyes! Everything about him unnerved her.
“And …” Sarah began.
Bryony turned, eager to avoid any further conversation with Nicholas for the moment. “And Harry is back!” Bryony anticipated Sarah’s announcement. “You didn’t tell me! Hi!”
“Hi. Yes. Here I am.” Sean smiled broadly, his “everything is normal” smile.
“How was London?”
“Great,” he replied brightly. “It was great. But I missed Scotland. I missed Sarah.”
Sarah blushed, and cursed herself for it. She cleared her throat. “And this is Elodie. A friend of Harry’s.”
Elodie’s expression was mildly reproachful as the two girls shook hands. Thankfully Bryony didn’t notice, but Sarah did, and wished she could give Elodie a piece of her mind.
“It’s freezing outside,” said Bryony, crossing the room to stand beside the fireplace and stooping slightly to warm her hands. “Oh, this fire looks weird. Is it driftwood?” Bryony pointed at the blue flames.
“No, it’s a new kind of briquette thing. They’re much less messy than wood or coal, far less to clear up in the morning. They even burn in different colours,” Sarah replied coolly.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that.” Bryony turned and stood with her back to the warmth, about to continue the conversation. But Sean was not in the mood for small talk.
“Right then,” he cut her short. “It seems we’re all coming with you.”
“Are you?”
He nodded. “We love stargazing, and as you can tell, tonight’s perfect for it. Right, Elodie?” They shared a knowing smile.
“I’ll get the torches.” Sarah led them all into the hall and opened the cupboard under the stairs. She handed a torch to Sean and Nicholas, and kept one for herself. They put on their coats and headed out into the night, followed by Shadow, gliding on silent paws.
A full, pure moon was high in the sky above the Midnight garden by now, delighting Bryony, if not the others.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said, over and over, snapping away.
Elodie and Sean materialized at Sarah’s side. “This is crazy! What were you thinking?” she hissed. “It’s dangerous for her to be here. Who knows what’s out here, waiting?”
“Elodie …” Sean tried to smooth things over, to no avail.
“I didn’t know what else to say, Elodie,” Sarah explained. “She was so insistent.”
“‘No’ would have been a good choice.”
Sarah’s tone was hard. “Well, too late now. She won’t stay long.”
Nicholas had overheard their conversation, in spite of their whispers. “Hey, hey. It’s good for Sarah to invite friends round,” he intervened, wrapping a protective arm around Sarah’s shoulders.
Sean gaped at him. He’s so condescending! Like he’s pandering to the whim of a small child. Sarah would never take this tone from anyone.
Would she?
But Sarah was not saying anything.
“Even if their lives are in danger?” Sean said in a low voice, and immediately regretted it. Silent memories of what happened to Leigh rose between them.
“Nobody will be killed here tonight,” said Nicholas, looking straight into Sean’s eyes.
“What a chilly night!” exclaimed Bryony, striding across the grass and slipping her arm into Sarah’s. “I think I’m nearly done now. I took some lovely shots. Just a few more … Are you OK? Are you cold? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
Sarah and Bryony walked on under the clear and cloudless sky. A frosted halo shone around the moon like a crown of ice. The moonlight was bright but they used their torches, just in case. Not a whisper of wind moved through the trees and the bushes, not a noise was to be heard except for footsteps on the frosty grass. Sarah tucked her arm into Bryony’s.
“Harry is back! You didn’t tell me!” whispered Bryony. “Oh, hello, Shadow!” she added as the cat darted between them.
“He just … appeared,” answered Sarah, bending to stroke Shadow’s fur before the cat disappeared silently towards the back of the garden. “You know what he’s like.”
“You’re always full of mysteries, Sarah. I can’t keep up.”
Sarah sighed. “Yes, it sort of works out that way.”
“And is that his girlfriend? Elodie?”
Sarah stiffened. “No. No, she isn’t. Just a friend.”
Or is she? She recalled the sight of Sean and Elodie through the cottage window earlier that evening. Everything was so complicated.
“This place is incredible, really.” Bryony looked around. “It’s like a little castle.”
“Yes. It’s beautiful. I love my house.” Sarah’s words were full of meaning.
Bryony understood at once. “With Harry back, you won’t have to leave. Your aunt Juliet can’t argue with that, can she?”
“No. Well, she’s tried, but … no. By the way, we’re going to Islay for Christmas. You know, to my grandparents’ house.”
“House? Mansion, more like! I’ve seen the pictures!”
“Well, yes.”
“Are your aunt and uncle going with you? And your cousins?”
“No. Just us. And Harry.” She decided to forget about Elodie.
“Wow, you and Nicholas spending Christmas together. It’s a big step!” Bryony’s eyes widened.
“Not in our situation. His mum and dad are abroad, mine are dead …” Sarah faltered and shrugged.
“Yes, of course. Sorry. It’s just very grown up, I suppose.”
“It’s OK.”
“He seems …nice. Nicholas, I mean.” She chose her words carefully. “He reminds me a little of your dad, in a way.” Your dad scared me too, Bryony thought.
“He is. He really is. I never thought of that before.” Sarah seemed quite pleased with the idea.
Bryony sighed. “It’s about time you had a boyfriend, Sarah!” She teased her. The sound of the girls’ laughter broke through the perfect silence.
Sean and Elodie were walking behind the girls, keeping an eye on them.
“This is crazy,” Elodie repeated once again.
“I know. It’s the way it is, in Sarah’s world.”
“Doesn’t make it less crazy.”
“You’ve been brought up as a Secret heir. Properly, I mean. Nearly everybody around you knew what you knew. But Sarah has always lived in the real world, hidden from what her family does. It’s not easy, for her, to accept the Secret world.”
“It’s not easy for any of us,” snapped Elodie.
Sean rested a hand on her arm for a second, and a silent understanding passed between them. Elodie’s hair glowed golden in the light of Sean’s torch, and her face was full of shadows.
“I know things are taking a strange turn, but you’ve got to trust me. I’ll keep everyone alive. And we’ll find a way to end all this.”
Elodie nodded. “I know. I know we will. We must.”
Sean squeezed her hand, and Elodie held onto his fingers, reluctant to let go.
Nicholas walked alone. His face was a mask, expressionless. He was quietly seething. Sean wasn’t supposed to be there. And that other heir. The girls were supposed to be alone. Alone with him. So that he could be Sarah’s saviour. So that Bryony would die. His plans had been spoiled. But it wasn’t too late. There was still a chance of success.
“Look!” called Bryony dreamily. From where she stood the moon was reflected in the still waters of the pond, a perfectly white, round twin to the one in the sky. She took hold of her camera. “I’ve just got to get that …”
Sarah took advantage of Bryony’s distraction to reach Sean. “Everything OK, it seems,” she murmured.
Elodie crossed her arms. Her face was stern. “Hopefully it’ll stay that way.”
“Stop this, Elodie. What else could I do?” hissed Sarah. She’d had enough.
“Find friends of your own kind,” replied Elodie, her delicate face set hard.
Sarah breathed deeply. I’ve only known her five minutes and I already want to slap her.
Bryony kept taking pictures around the pond, from different angles. The torchlight made a circle of yellow around each of them. The moon, the pond, the circle of torches, the people inside it; circles within circles, in the centre of the Midnight garden. A cold breeze began to rise all of a sudden, twirling around them.
And then the breeze seemed to whisper, a ripple of sound that swept everything – the tops of the trees, the black bushes, breaking the glassy surface of the pond into ripples – imperceptible movements, imperceptible sounds that Bryony didn’t notice, but the Secret people did. A shiver took them all.
“Sean … Harry,” whispered Elodie.
“Ready. Sarah?”
“What’s happening?” Sarah looked left and right.
“I don’t know yet.” Sean took a step towards her, ready to shield her.
Taking picture after picture, Bryony was oblivious to the sudden tension and to the whispers passing between the others. She kept snapping, dotting the snap-snap-snap with little comments. “That’s beautiful – another one. Can you just move that torch a little bit, Harry?”
“Sarah!” Nicholas called.
“I’m ready,” she murmured, flexing her hands.
Instinctively, they had all gathered around Bryony in a circle, looking outwards. The wind was even stronger now, twirling and whirling around them. The sky? The soil? The water? Where will it come from? Sarah’s heart was pounding, her hands scalding hot already.
Sean jerked his head towards the house. “We need to go.”
“Bryony. We need to get inside, now.” Sarah’s voice sounded strong, controlled, in spite of her terror.
“What? But I haven’t finished.”
“Now, Bryony.” Sean walked over and grabbed her arm.
“Hey!” Bryony looked shocked.
“I saw someone on the wall, there,” Sarah explained quickly. “Somebody tried to burgle me last week – didn’t I tell you? We need to get inside.”
“I don’t understand …”
A sudden noise, a thud, a growl. Then nothing. The torchlight started moving frantically, illuminating sections of the pond, of the trees, of the ground around them.
“Everyone! See to Bryony!” Sean commanded.
In a second Bryony found herself surrounded – Sarah, the man she knew as Harry, Nicholas and Elodie crowding her, shielding her. Harry and Elodie each carried a torch in one hand, and, to her horror, what looked like a knife in the other.
A knife?
“What are you doing?” Bryony whispered. The camera in her hands was trembling.
“Be quiet!” Sean said.
The torches continued their dance.
“Nothing,” said Sarah.
“Then what was that noise?” Elodie retorted.
Sarah swung round to glare at her. But Elodie spoke before Sarah could snap at her. The French girl’s voice was small now, all anger gone. “Sarah.”
Elodie’s torch was pointing at the ground. In its beam, a furry shape, still and crumpled.
A black cat with a white paw, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
17
Goodbye
Had I known the days were numbered
I would have said goodbye
“Shadow!”
Sarah threw herself on the ground. She lifted the cat’s bloodied little body, cradling her. It was soft and limp, every bone broken. She felt the heat of the Blackwater leave her hands and flow away. A lump of tears formed in her throat, but there was no time to cry.
“Oh my God,” whispered Bryony. “Shadow. What’s going—”
Before she could finish the sentence, she was thrown flat on her face with bone-shattering force. Some kind of beast had jumped over the protective circle around Bryony and landed straight on her.
“Bryony!” yelled Sarah.
The torches swung down to illuminate the terrible scene. Bryony was smothered by something between a tiger and a hyena, with an enormous muscular body and clawed paws. Already the creature’s fur had started turning yellow, the same yellow as Bryony’s coat.
Camouflage, thought Sean. “Nobody move!” he commanded, and began tracing deadly runes with his sgian-dubh. The Surari was hit at once, but barely shuddered. It growled in rage, leapt off Bryony and turned towards Sean. Finally he could see its muzzle – an impossibly wide mouth, full of row after row of yellow teeth, and black slits for eyes. Its fur was changing colour again, turning black when standing on dark ground.
Sarah grabbed Elodie’s torch and shone it against her own face. “Look at me. Look at me,” she called to the beast, calmly, coldly. Her eyes were greener than ever, shining in the bright light. “Look at me!” She repeated. Will it work? Will the Midnight gaze work this time? But she had no chance to find out. The beast turned its eyes away, as if it knew what Sarah was trying to do. It shook its head, growling again, and looked at the others, one by one, everyone but Sarah – Sean, Elodie … Bryony.
And it chose.
Bryony wasn’t moving, lying prone on the ground. The Surari raised a clawed paw, ready to slash the back of her neck – but Sean was faster, and he threw himself against the beast, rolling on the grass with it. The sgian-dubh fell from Sean’s hand, and the creature’s claws dug into his chest. As soon as it touched Sean’s jacket, its fur turned blue. It was ripping and slashing the fabric, and through it, to Sean’s skin.
Elodie jumped on the demon’s back with a scream, stabbing it repeatedly with her knife – but to no avail.
Sarah stood by with her arms raised and the torch at her feet, calling the Blackwater, praying for her hands to heat up again, having gone cold from the shock of Shadow’s death. Sean screamed helplessly under the beast’s claws, blood seeping through his jacket, and Sarah shuddered, losing concentration.
“Nicholas!” she called desperately. “Where are you!”
“There are two of them!” Nicholas called back from somewhere in the darkness.
Sarah grabbed the torch and pointed it towards Nicholas’s voice. He was standing in front of another demon-tiger, camouflaged black against the dark backdrop of the bushes. She was horrified to see that Nicholas’s face was red with blood. Whose blood? The beast’s, or Nicholas’s?
Sarah’s face changed all of a sudden, setting in a hard, furious expression. She let the torch fall and closed her eyes, then raised her hands to her chest and lowered her head.
Concentrate, concentrate.
Shadow. Shadow is gone.
Fury rose within her, and it happened – the Blackwater flew into her hands, at last. They burned, ready to strike. Sarah had to choose quickly – Nicholas was bloodied but still standing, while Sean was about to get his head bitten off. She threw herself on the Surari that had Sean in its grasp and dug her hands into its fur with a growl that nearly matched the beast’s. Sarah felt the demon tremble under her touch – it started shuddering violently in an attempt to shake her off, but Sarah’s hands were holding on to its black, hard fur, and she wouldn’t let go. The Surari growled in pain and brought its bloody paws over its head, freeing Sean from its grasp. Blackwater had started to sprout from the beast’s ears and nostrils. Sarah kept digging her hands into the demon, mercilessly, until she felt its skin moistening. At last it was beginning to weep and melt away.
Released, Sean lifted himself up from where he’d fallen, supporting himself with one bleeding hand, the other feeling around the ground for his sgian-dubh. By now, the Surari was contorting in agony, black blood and the black liquid from its weeping skin mixing and soaking the ground.
It seemed to take an eternity, but eventually, with one last convulsion, one last growl, the Surari dissolved in a foul-smelling gush under Sarah’s deadly touch. She rolled away, soaked and spent.
But she had no time to rest. She turned towards Nicholas at once. The second Surari’s tail was twitching in a menacing rhythm. It hadn’t attacked yet. Why? What is it waiting for?
“Sean!” Sarah implored as she staggered to her feet. Sean heard her call and followed her gaze. He saw Nicholas and the beast face to face and raised his sgian-dubh again, his face a mask of anger.
Nicholas turned to him, wide-eyed. He’s barely standing, and he wants to come to my rescue?
“Hey! Beast!” shouted Sean.
The Surari turned its monstrous head, its mouth open wide, its teeth yellow in the moonlight.
“Yes, you!”
Once again, Sean began tracing his runes, his hands moving impossibly quickly, sweat and blood pouring down his face. The demon roared and sat back, preparing to pounce – but this time Sean’s runes were too strong to resist. It stopped and tried to snarl, a snarl that turned into a yelp. Black blood started pouring from its throat, the flow becoming greater and greater the longer Sean’s hands kept weaving his deadly spell.
“Nicholas!” called Sarah. “Help him! Help Sean!”
Nicholas was standing, paralyzed. Then, as if waking himself from a trance, he raised his hands, commanding the blue flames from his fingers.
“Nicholas.” A dark, strong voice. Sean. “It’s … not … necessary.” Each word was accompanied by a stab of his sgian-dubh, each stab drawing more blood from the Surari’s throat. The demon staggered then fell. One last shiver, a deep, painful howl, and it was still.
Sean fell to his knees, holding his wounded chest, and Elodie was at his side at once.
“I’m OK. I’m OK. See to Bryony.” But Elodie wouldn’t leave his side.
Bryony was lying face down on the ground, very still. Beside her, Sarah placed two fingers against her friend’s neck. “She’s breathing. She’s alive. Thank God. Thank God.”
“Sarah,” Bryony mewed, shifting slightly, painfully, and Sarah gently helped her turn until she could cradle her friend’s head on her lap. A blue bruise was slowly appearing above Bryony’s left eye and she had a split lip. She was shaking from the shock.
“What …?”
“Shhhh. It’s OK. It was the burglar. He jumped on you,” Sarah began.
“It wasn’t a burglar. Sarah, I promise you, it wasn’t.” Bryony pushed herself up slowly until she was sitting. She turned from Sarah to Sean, and back. “That wasn’t a human being. It was like a … tiger. Or a panther.”
Sean laughed a hollow laugh. “A panther? In an Edinburgh garden?”
Sarah turned away.
Bryony shook her head. “I could have sworn …” She stopped suddenly at the sight of her friend gathering the cat’s lifeless body against her chest, kissing her fur softly, inhaling the scent she knew so well, tears finally flowing down her cheeks.
“Oh no, Sarah.” Bryony stood up and threw her arms around Sarah, Shadow’s little body between them. The others stood awkwardly.
After a few moments, Elodie took Sean’s arm. “Sean. Listen,” she said, and whispered something into his ear.
“Sean? Who’s Sean?” Bryony murmured to Sarah. But Sarah’s mind was too clouded with grief to make up an excuse.
A rustling of leaves, a sudden noise.
“Shhhh!” Sean lifted a finger towards Bryony. She gasped as she noticed the knife in Sean’s hand.
“Quiet!” Sean grabbed her arm, harder than he’d meant to. Bryony whimpered softly.
More rustling.
So it wasn’t over. Sarah glanced at her friend, wondering how much she had seen. Elodie stood alert, her lips blue. Everyone was poised, ready to fight.
A gust of wind, a low bark.
And then, a pair of shiny little eyes appeared among the leaves, followed by a red head with two pointy ears, and a magnificent tail. A fox, looking at the strange gathering in alarm before vanishing again into the undergrowth.
They all let out a deep breath, hunching in relief.
“It’s over,” whispered Sean, and offered his hand to Bryony.
She didn’t take it. “I don’t know what it was that attacked me, but it was not a man,” she repeated, looking around her with bewildered eyes.