| |
I WAS ON the fifth floor as Jimmy searched the floor above. I peered out of the window and Sophie had been right, there was the eerie mist again. It didn’t matter that Edwina had explained the moors retained heat from the day so the cold night air hit it and caused the thickness. It didn’t matter that she’d said because the lawn was sunken, it tended to be thicker there. It didn’t matter that it was normal and had happened countless times, I thought of swords and intruders and creepy suits of armour clunking around—call me a baby but I didn’t care.
“Jimmy, anything?” I asked, again. We were the only two alone so I wasn’t taking chances after the wall had tried to throttle him.
“Nothing. Clear.” He sighed. “I’ll take the seventh floor.”
“No need, I did those two. She’s not up there.” I hurried back onto the stairs. “Let’s just keep together.”
I met him on the staircase and we headed back down.
“Morgan,” Edwina said, scurrying up to us. “Malcom and Mick are not answering.”
Jimmy and I exchanged a look. Not good.
“Have you tried their mobiles?” I hurried down the stairs with them in tow and darted along to the gym. Kate was off the runner and glugging water. “Could you ring Malcom’s mobile?”
“Sure.” Kate flicked out her phone.
It rang.
And rang.
And rang.
She frowned. “He always answers.”
“Ring . . .” I glanced at Jimmy and Edwina. “Um . . . your mum. Tell her that you need to check if she’ll let you stay longer. I don’t want you going out in the mist.”
“Sure.” Kate rolled her eyes and strode out. “She’d meet me by the gate normally.”
Nice she caught on quick.
“Jimmy, go with Edwina. You’re the only other person who knows this place inside and out. If there’s . . . an issue . . . Kate really needs to get to a safe space.”
Now they were both trying to get what I wasn’t saying.
“Sophie doesn’t need heirs and graces being dropped. She likes her staff to be safe.” Edwina might catch on but Jimmy just nodded.
“Yeah, she was really nice after I got injured.” He smiled and nodded to Edwina who was staring after Kate with a wide-eyed panic/wonder in her eyes.
“Then why is she a security guard?” Edwina snapped and tottered off at speed. Jimmy followed without argument. He’d worked here far too long.
I stood in the gym and closed my eyes. Where would Raquel be? Where would someone take Raquel that no one had noticed? I rechecked the office but then stopped . . . mist . . . ruins . . . the attacker had used Arthur’s—Michela’s—sword . . . I ducked into the armoury. Yup, it was missing. Fuck. I took John De Breton’s very shiny sword with a big handle and then sighed. I hurried to Michela’s armour, nicked her breastplate—like wearing a girder on my shoulders, her leg protectors, arm protector, shield, and her helmet.
And now I was officially a creepy moving suit of armour. Hopefully it would help me fend off her sword.