| |
––––––––
Newton’s sleek BMW sedan raced down the lanes, but despite the fact that they were only minutes behind Reuben, he was already lost to sight. They arrived with a screech of brakes and a splatter of gravel in front of Greenlane Manor and found Reuben’s car abandoned and the front door wide open.
They ran up the steps and into the reception hall, and then hesitated. It was dusk and a couple of lights were on, but the rest of the house was in darkness.
“Where the hell are they?” Newton said, trying to contain his anger. All the way to the house they had debated over what to do, but as Newton said, you can’t legally accuse someone of black magic and be taken seriously. He darted into the adjoining rooms and shouted, “Reuben!”
Silence surrounded them. They fanned out, checking the ground floor, but every room was eerily empty and extremely tidy.
“Where’s her suite of rooms? They must be in there,” Avery reasoned, itching to release some of her pent-up energy, while trying to convince herself that Alicia could be completely innocent and just a grieving widow.
“Let’s try upstairs, the opposite side from Reuben’s rooms,” Alex suggested, running up the stairs.
The first floor was in darkness, so they raced up the next flight, coming to a sudden halt as they saw a sliver of light coming from an open doorway, far down the corridor to their left.
They edged closer, Avery trying hard to catch her breath, and heard shouting. It was a woman’s voice. “Don’t be ridiculous, Reuben. You’re scaring me, stop it!”
“Don’t play the coy woman with me. You’re related to the man who killed Gil, and I want to know what you had to do with it.”
“No one killed Gil, it was an accident.”
“Bullshit. I was there. He was killed by Caspian Faversham, your cousin. Now, tell me what you know, or I will blast you from the face of the Earth.”
They all looked at each other in alarm, and then Newton pushed the door open and stepped in. “Reuben! Calm down.”
Alex followed with Avery close behind, both of them stepping on either side of Newton, ready to attack if necessary.
Reuben and Alicia were standing in front of an unlit fireplace, a few feet between them. Alicia stepped back as they entered, fear etched across her face. Reuben towered over her, emphasising how small she was.
Reuben shouted, “Keep out of this—all of you.”
Alicia looked as if she might retreat further and then thought better of it. She appealed to Newton. “He’s gone mad! He’s ranting about witches and magic. You’re the detective—I demand you arrest him!”
“The thing is,” Newton said, stepping closer, “I know you’re related to the Favershams—a magical family—and I know the whole family has a grudge against White Haven. So, you need to prove to me you had nothing to do with Gil’s death.”
Her face drained of colour. “I may be related, but I have my own life, my own business. I was away when he died!”
“But you’re not denying magic anymore, are you?” Newton countered.
Reuben rounded on her again. “He trusted you, Alicia! I trusted you! He hid his magic for years, and you didn’t even share that with him! Why?”
“It was a part of my life I’ve stepped away from.” Unexpectedly she stepped forward, appealing to Reuben. “You did, too, I know all about it. You know why that happens.”
Avery reeled slightly at her admission. So she did have magical abilities. Avery watched her and wondered how true it was that she had abandoned it. Alicia’s hands were flexing nervously, and Avery was convinced this was still an act. She’d do anything to stay in the house. Maybe she hadn’t found the grimoire yet.
Reuben glared at her. “It would have broken Gil’s heart. He loved you, and you lied to him for years!”
“He would have wanted me to practice, and I didn’t want that.”
Reuben was furious. “Bollocks. You liar. Ever since Avery was gifted that box, you have been betraying us. That bastard Caspian has threatened us, attacked us, and killed Gil. You are the only one who could have told him what we were doing!”
“No!” Alicia was pleading now, stepping back again, away from the fireplace. Reuben followed her, keeping only a couple of paces away, and Avery noticed her glancing towards the fireplace.
What was she doing? She seemed to be waiting for something.
And then a horrible thought struck Avery.
Demons.
As soon as she thought it, Reuben stepped right in front of the fireplace, his back to it as he shouted at Alicia, and instantaneously, with a horrendous snarl and smell of sulphur, a demon appeared, flames whirling around it. A long flame lashed at an unsuspecting Reuben.
Avery, however was prepared, her energy already gathered. It was as if she’d had a sixth sense of what would happen. She sent a powerful, targeted blast of air at Reuben, knocking him clean out of the way, and he flew backwards across the room, crashing into a glass-fronted cabinet.
Avery turned her attention to Alicia and sent a second blast right at her, taking her legs out from under her and throwing her into the path of the demon that had now stepped into the room, flames lashing out in all directions. Alicia screamed as she threw up her hands to protect herself.
A second demon appeared behind the first, and Avery glanced at Alex. He sent a powerful flash of energy, which seemed neither flame nor air, straight at the creature that’d just arrived, trying to unbalance it before it could attack. Newton ran to the far side of the room, pulling a dazed Reuben out of the broken glass.
Both demons stepped forward together, advancing on the room. Alicia was back on her feet, shouting something in a language Avery didn’t understand, but she appeared to be trying to control the demons.
There was a spell Avery knew that she had never tried before, but it should work perfectly—if she understood the relationship between a witch and their demon correctly. As she uttered it, she felt mean, but it was either Alicia or them. She had tried to kill Reuben, and if she had her way, they’d all be dead. This was no time for sentiment.
It was a spell to bind the tongue.
It was done in seconds. Alicia choked and gagged, and then turned with fury towards Alex and Avery, and then fury turned to fear and then terror as she clutched at her throat, trying to speak the words of command.
Alicia was far closer to the demons than anyone else, but Avery could feel their heat from across the room. Their lashing flames scorched everything they touched. But as Alicia fell silent, the demons stopped their advance and turned on her.
Alicia backed away, but Avery uttered another spell, and Alicia collapsed on the floor. The demons pounced.
They smothered Alicia in their burning grasp. Their voices—if that’s what they even were—blood curdling in pitch. Gaping jaws revealed hundreds of tiny teeth, and Alicia disappeared within the dark folds of their nebulous bodies. She couldn’t even scream.
Alex stepped forward and started an incantation. Avery recognised the spell they had used in the witch museum, or something similar. He was trying to banish them.
Avery joined him, holding his outstretched hand, adding her strength to his, and Reuben, who had now staggered to his feet, joined in on the other side. Newton, unable to help at all, moved behind them.
They repeated the spell after Alex, their voices growing in power, and the demons retreated, their forms becoming insubstantial. They stepped back into the fireplace, and with a thunderous clap, they disappeared, taking Alicia with them.
Soot poured down the chimney and billowed into the room.
The silence that followed seemed profound. The room was covered in long, black burn marks, parts of the rug smouldered, objects were broken, and the glass cabinet was smashed.
“Is everyone okay?” Alex asked, partially covering his face from the soot.
“I’ve got a massive burn on my arm and chest, but I think I’ll survive,” Newton said from behind them.
Avery whirled around and found Newton collapsed on the floor. His shirt was smoking, and parts of it had disintegrated where the flames had caught, burning his chest. She dropped to her knees, examining him. “We’ll get you to Briar.”
“I’m okay, really.” His grey eyes were filled with pain, but he nodded towards Reuben.
Avery turned and found Reuben on his knees, too, crying shamelessly, tears pouring down his face. Alex crouched next to him, his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Reuben. This just sucks.”
Reuben looked past Alex to Avery, and the look in his eyes almost broke her heart. “Thank you for that, Avery. You saved me—I’ll never forget it.”
She started to well up, too. “I wasn’t about to lose you too, Reuben.” She looked back at Newton. “What have I done? I’ve killed Alicia! Will you arrest me?”
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t. Her own demons killed her.”
Panic flooded through her. “But I made her powerless. I caused it.”
“You were a bloody genius,” Alex said, looking at her admiringly. “You saved us all.”
“Let’s just agree it was a group effort. You banished the demons.” She wiped away a tear. “How are we going to explain Alicia’s death?”
“There’s no body,” Newton said, wincing with pain.
“But she’s gone. Forever.”
Newton shook his head, “Leave it with me. I’m here as a friend, not a policeman. I don’t have to write any reports. Easiest thing is to say that she’s disappeared. But pain is interfering with my reason right now, so if we could go...”
“Of course!” Avery leapt to her feet, and helped pull Newton up. “Are we all going back to Briar’s?”
Alex looked at Reuben. “Are we?”
Reuben shook his head, and gestured to the smouldering rug. “No. I’ll stay here. I need to make sure the place doesn’t burn down and check on my grimoire—and I just want to be alone right now.”
“I disagree. I think El should be with you,” Alex said, clearly worried about leaving Reuben alone.
Reuben wiped his face with his hand. “I think we both know I’ve completely messed that up.”
Alex looked at Avery and Newton. “I’ll stay here for a while. Is there a car I can borrow later, Reuben?”
“Sure. You can use Gil’s. It’s still in the garage. But, honestly, go now.”
Alex stood firm. “No. I’m staying here. I want to make sure those demons don’t come back.”
Reuben looked relieved, despite his protestations. “Cheers, mate.”
Alex had a quiet word with them outside the room. “Speak to El, will you? He needs her.”
“Of course,” Avery said, and she kissed him on the cheek, thinking how adorable he was sometimes.
