Latitia’s eyes narrowed. “Sacrifice?” she said, setting herself into a boxer’s stance, her fists clenched and ready to pummel the imp, for the sake of having something to hit as much as anything. “You stay away from me.”
Keritel held up his hands in surrender. “Ooh,” he said. “I’m so scared.” He dropped them again and picked up another skull from the pile. “It’s not me you should be afraid of, love,” he said. “There are two bags of marbles between three people in this room and I’ve still got all mine. Where has he got all these skulls etched, that’s what I want to know. It took me two weeks to etch the thirty-one sigils of binding and then he produces another fifteen complete skulls overnight. They’re all perfect, too. How did he do it?”
Latitia, feeling a bit silly about the boxer pose, put her hands down again. “Angels can do anything,” she said.
“What do you mean, an angel?”
“Jim. He’s possessed by an exalted spirit. I thought it was a demon but I was wrong. It might as well be a demon, to judge by the depravity.”
“A friggin’ exalted spirit?” said Keritel. He sank down onto the pile, the skull in his hands dropping to the floor and rolling to the edge of the circle where it stared at Latitia. “I should have spotted a possession. Why didn’t I burn?”
“How should I know? The other demon burned. The one in the church. Perhaps he’s become more saintly now he’s out of Limbo.”
“Huh. That explains it,” said the imp. “He would have been covered in smut.”
“Why are you so peeved, anyway?”
“Because I’ve been had,” Keritel rolled another cigarette, lit it and began pacing the confines of the circle. “I was promised his soul if I helped him to carve these skulls and obviously it’s not going to happen, is it?”
Latitia shrugged. She leaned forward to see what Jim was up to, but he was still busy spraying water over the mold. She glanced around for a weapon but could see nothing. She turned back to Keritel. “You called me ‘Sacrifice’,” she said. “Is he going to kill me then?”
“It stands to reason,” said the imp. “Something’s got to power these homunculi and he seems to favor human spirits. You shouldn’t worry, though, because it’d have to be a voluntary act.” He laughed. “It’s not like you’re going to offer to obey him voluntarily, is it? Not like the last one. He worked for him so he had no choice.”
“Steven Lowry?” said Latitia. “His wife wanted to know what happened to him.”
“Now you know,” said Keritel. “He’s all tied up inside that plastic monstrosity. Probably will be for eternity.”
“Eternity?” said Latitia. “How does that work?”
“It’s a product of using the thirty-one sigils instead of the standard twenty-four,” said the imp. “The spirit will be contained in the skull for as long as the skull is in one piece. They have Mahalaleel in the British Museum, you know. It really annoys him that he’s stuck there talking to deadbeats.”
“Mahahaleel?” Latitia frowned. “The name rings a bell.”
“You’ve read your Bible,” said the imp. “He was the great-grandson of Adam, before the flood. The tales he used to tell…”
“So that thing will live for as long as the skull is intact?” said Latitia, her concentration shifting back to the problem at hand. “Who’s in the one he’s just made?”
“No-one yet,” said Keritel. “He hasn’t done the head. Look! He’s opening the mold so you’ll be able to see the body.”
“Oh, my god.” The blood drained from Latitia’s face as she crossed herself. “It’s me.”
* * * *
“Where’s he going to go?” said Jasfoup from the passenger seat of Winston’s car. “He’s heading toward the Manor.”
“They’ll be going to Magelight.” Valerie frowned. “Let us out at the next corner.”
Jasfoup twisted toward the two women in the back seat. “Do you not want to see it through to the end?” he asked.
“Of course, but I know the way through the tunnels,” said Valerie. “Come on, Meinwen.”
Winston pulled in to the side of the road and the two women climbed out. “Laboratories are on the third sub-level,” Valerie said. “It’s my guess that’s where they’ll go.”
* * * *
“How can you tell?” asked the imp. “It’s got no head yet.”
“Trust me,” said Latitia. “I recognize my own body. He said the plaster cast was for a sculpture.”
“It’s certainly a piece of art.” Keritel whistled. “Don’t worry. Just don’t sign anything.”
“Like a wedding certificate?” Latitia held out her hand, where a white gold band contrasted beautifully with her dark skin.”
Keritel examined it, nodding politely. “I’d start worrying soon, if I were you,” he said.
“Help me, please.”
Keritel sighed. “I’m a sucker for a pretty face,” he said. “I would if I could, but I can’t get out of this circle. Not if I want to be in that room at any rate. I can get out, but as soon as I get anywhere within five hundred yards of this I’m pulled back in.”
“What if I broke the circle?”
“I told you, you can’t. A circle has to be collapsed by its maker and he won’t do that.”
“Tell me the words and I’ll break it,” said Latitia.
“I don’t know them.” Keritel sighed. “It would be seven of the fifty-eight words of power but I don’t know which seven, let alone what order they were in.”
Latitia pulled a pen out of her clutch bag. She’d saved it as a souvenir of signing the marriage register. “Could you show me them and I’ll write them down,” she said. “I have a talent for picking random letters.”
“Sure,” said the imp. “But you need something to write them down on.”
“No problem.” Latitia ripped off a long strip from her white silk wedding dress, using her teeth to start the tear.
“Cool,” said Keritel. “I like an innovative woman.” He picked up one of Steven’s discarded bones and his etching tool. “Right,” he said. “The first sigil is Tchiphameron and it looks likes this…”
* * * *
“I thought you worked here.”
“I do.” Winston stabbed at several buttons. “I never go any further than the security desk though. I’ve never been to the laboratories.”
He stepped forward as the elevator doors opened. Jasfoup’s grab saved him from falling down the empty shaft.
“I think you pressed the wrong combination of buttons,” the demon said.
“How are we going to get down? My sister’s down there somewhere.”
“Hold me close,” said Jasfoup.
Winston stepped back a pace. “I’m grateful and all,” he said, “but I’m definitely a lady’s man.”
“Good to know,” said Jasfoup. “But irrelevant. Hurry up.”
Reluctantly, Winston did as he was asked.
Jasfoup folded his arms around him and stepped into the void. Winston only shrieked for a moment, until the demon’s great wings unfolded.
* * * *
“Latitia, darling, I’m ready for you now.” Jim’s voice whispered across her ears as Latitia finished tearing the sigils into individual scraps and stuffing them in her clutch bag. “Come spend eternity with me.”
“Coming, darling,” Latitia called. She looked at Keritel as she pulled the first scrap of cloth. “This had better work.” She looked down, panicked, and showed Keritel.
“Sdaji,” he said.
“Sdaji.” She repeated the work in the same intonation as the imp and pulled another. “rioeq… wiel… ashlak… inwehl… galedsh…”
“There you are!” Steve reached down and caught her wrist.
Frantically, Latitia drew the last scrap and showed it to Keritel.
“Uhekla,” he said.
“Uhekla,” she repeated and the hum stopped.
She hadn’t notice the humming until it stopped. Now that it was gone, she recognized the absence of the noise in her head, like the sound a bee doesn’t make when it’s left a room.
“What have you done?” Jim’s voice was a hoarse whisper. “That isn’t possible.”
“It is for her.” Keritel opened a gate in front of his face and punched him in the eye. Jim fell to the floor, releasing his grip on Latitia and Keritel screamed. “I’m burning!”
“Quick,” said the familiar voice of Jasfoup. “Who’s got the i-pod?”
“Felicia.” Winston rushed to his sister. “Are you all right?”
“So far,” she said. “How’s the imp?”
“Who cares?” Jasfoup gave the prone form of Jim a kick. “How come Felicia’s got the i-pod? Doesn’t she know we need it?”
“It was her i-pod.” Valerie strode through the door, closely followed by Meinwen.
“We need a way of ejecting Pelagia from Jim’s body,” said Jasfoup. He put a hand on Valerie as she stepped forward. “I’d prefer it not to be permanent,” he said.
“Spoil sport.” Valerie knelt by the side of the prone man. “If I get him out,” she said, “he’s going to be looking for another host.”
“We need a circle,” said Jasfoup. “Er…”
“Allow me.” Latitia picked up the seven sigils she already knew. “Put him in here,” she said, indicating the area Keritel had spent much of the last fortnight. “I can cast in around him.”
“Wait a moment then.” Valerie, with Winston’s help, dragged Jim into the circle. She leaned over him and pressed her fingers over his heart, clavicle and temple. “You have three minutes before I can’t revive him,” she said.
Valerie cast the circle with a random order of sigils, wincing as it drew some of her energy as she uttered the last syllable.
“That’s stupid,” said Winston. “If Pelagia comes out he’s got nowhere to go.”
“Yes he has,” the small voice held the timbre of confidence. They looked down to see Keritel in Meinwen’s lap, his burned hand wrapped in a comfrey poultice. “He’s got the skulls.”
Sure enough, Pelagia’s skulls were still stacked exactly where the imp had left them, but for the one that had rolled out of his fingers. That one had been sliced cleanly in two as the circle was activated.
“One minute.” Winston’s voice echoed what they all feared, but Jim’s form seemed to grow and collapse as Pelagia left it.
“You hypocrite,” the spirit of the monk railed against the edge of the circle. “You said you never killed mortals.”
“I don’t.” Jasfoup shrugged and nodded toward Valerie. “She did.”
“If he dies I’ll have nowhere to go.” Pelagia shrieked. “His heart has stopped. Will you now condemn a spirit to oblivion?”
“Not at all,” Jasfoup smiled. “You have your pick of skulls to inhabit.”
“Voluntarily bind myself?” Pelagia laughed. “I really don’t think so. You can’t tell me what to do, demon.”
“But I can.” Latitia stood up, a half smile gracing her lips. She held out her left hand, the wedding ring shining brightly in the flickering light. “Love, honour and obey, I think you said. Get into the skull, darling.”
“No!” Pelagia shrieked as he was sucked into the pile of skulls. All went silent for a moment until Winston laughed and banged his sister on the back. “Way to go Lattie!” he said.
“Never mind that!” Latitia all but spat out the circle counter spell. “Save Jim, please!”
Valerie darted into the circle and with deft strikes to three of Jim’s atemi points, started his heart again. It was two or three minutes before his eyelids fluttered open.
“Wotcha mate,” he said on seeing Winston. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your life, mate.” Winston couldn’t help grinning.
“Where’s…” Jim didn’t get to finish the sentence and didn’t need to, since Latitia’s lips were pressed against his own.
Keritel shuffled over to the pile of skulls. His wounds were almost healed but he was loathe to give up the tenderness he was receiving from Meinwen. “Which one did he choose?” he asked the demon.
“I don’t know,” said Jasfoup. “There are fourteen skulls here, only one of which holds a silent Pelagia.” He picked up a skull and contemplated the empty eye sockets. “Is it this one?” He closed his grip, crushing the bone to powder.
“If it was he’s been destroyed now,” said Keritel.
“Best he speaks up before I crush the rest,” said Jasfoup. “Thirteen to go…”