Cadence of truth, p.41
Cadence of Truth, page 41
“One’s a dead end,” Kite says. “Take the left one.”
Behind us, the devikappa hit the tracks.
“The water’s knocking them down.” I glare at Archer. “We do not want that.”
“I can’t focus on the water and teleporting.”
“Well, since the teleporting isn’t working, can you stop it raining devikappa,” Kite yells, eyes still squeezed shut.
“There’s light,” I say on a gasp. “Actual light at the end of the tunnel.”
“There shouldn’t be light.” Kite yanks us to a stop. “That means trains.”
“No trains.” I tug her forward. “It’s not headlights. It’s something else… silvery like a moon.”
The air expands behind us, lengthening the gap between us and them. The devikappa don’t like the light. As we run, the light shifts, a shadowy mist morphing the underground moon into a screaming skull. That is not what the light at the end of the tunnel is supposed to do.
A figure swaggers through the mist, dispersing it with an undisciplined wave of his hand. Lucifer.
“They’re gone.” I glance back. “Kite, your dad’s here.”
She untangles herself from us and throws herself at Lucifer. “Where were you? Asha said you were in danger.”
“Kernyx,” Lucifer says, like it explains anything at all. “Seems they’re vulnerable to hellfire.”
Archer shudders. “What a shame.”
“Zach was with me anyway. His blowtorch can fire a nest in ten seconds flat.”
“Can you get us out?” I ask him. “Jed’s obviously not down here, and Archer’s having trouble teleporting.”
“The devikappa can ground angels in such enclosed spaces,” Lucifer explains.
“But not you?” Archer asks.
“Not me.” Lucifer grins. “I’m the donkey bollocks.”
“It’s dog’s bollocks, Dad.”
Lucifer laughs and waves a hand. “Whichever.”
Kite laughs. “Whatever. Christ.” She turns to me. “This is it. The beginning.” She pulls her coat off her shoulder, revealing the tattoo of the small child forming the nose of a human skull, a wave curving over their crouching body, a domino tipping from its lip. “In my dream, this was the beginning. Errol said the domino is a figurative thing… that the events of this dream signal Newton’s third law. The world will turn itself inside out, bleed at the strike of crossed swords. Rivers will rise and mountains will fall. Every cage will lose its lock, and never mind the key. This is the domino that will topple the rest. Nothing will stop it now.” She mimes flicking a domino over, her mouth making a puttering sound over and over, getting faster and louder. “This is it,” she says again. “The start of a new war.”
For a moment, we’re silent.
Then Archer says, “Epic speech.”
36
Château & Shit Heap
When we get back to Uriel’s, Kite spends hours bursting into laughter at the drawings I sent to her phone—that cat though. She does it for days, but the ghost of Jed’s disappearance is picking at her, making her complain about everything—my room looks like a tart’s boudoir—which isn’t like her at all.
Milo puts me and Albert in one of the frilly French rooms just to annoy me. Even though it’s clean and dust-free, the insipid, chalky colours make everything look like it’s coated in powder. The furniture is curly, but the bed is divine. I pity the poor soul who painted the gold concentric circles on the midnight blue ceiling, which is so high you’d need to fly up there just to change the bulbs in the chandelier.
My belongings have been dumped in boxes in the corner next to Albert’s feeding equipment, which he’s stroking like it’s a teapot. This means someone rummaged through my things while they were still at the priory. I hope it wasn’t Gabriel.
I’m not too worried about anyone seeing what I keep in the false bottom of my wardrobe, but there’s an embarrassing artistic shrine to Albert under my bed. Then there’s all the magical contraband from Errol’s warehouse which I locked in my bedside drawer.
I rip the tape off the boxes, rifling through until I find what I’m looking for. The lurid orange bum-bag sits untouched among the other treasures from my drawer. Hanging from the bridge of the binoculars I commandeered from the stolen shipment is a label with a message in Uriel’s handwriting: Naughty, naughty.
There’s a note on the bed, also in Uriel’s handwriting.
Silas packed up your studio by himself. He said you’d prefer that. It’s all in the room next to my study, which is locked (not that a lock will necessarily stop anyone in this house) and is only accessible through my study. Let me know if you want it moved.
P.S. I hope you like the room. The ceiling is magnificent in the dark.
I glance up at it, wondering what the hell he’s talking about. There’s a knock at the door, but it opens before either of us speak.
Eden pokes her head round. “I hope it’s alright putting you both in here. Even Uriel’s running out of room with us lot descending. Half of Cascade is on the other side of the house, and Seth and Boxer are due back tomorrow. They don’t know they’re staying here yet, but I’m not risking leaving them behind, even at Boxer’s place.” She takes a deep breath. “I’ve set them up in the room next to yours.”
Albert groans, blushing when Eden looks at him.
She laughs. “Uriel wants to talk to you both. He’s in his study.”
She leaves before either of us has a chance to speak.
“What’s with the groaning?” I ask him.
“Seth and Boxer are… obnoxiously loud. We’ll never get any sleep.”
I wrap my arms around him. “Maybe we’ll keep them awake.”
I ignore his sharp breath and the way he stiffens in my arms, and the way he tries to smooth it over a moment later.
He nods at the binoculars on the bed. “Are those what I think they are?”
I hold them to my chest. “What do you think they are?”
“Well, they look like sight-seers.”
I laugh. “Really? That’s what they’re called? I can’t believe you know about these.”
“Where did you get them? I’ve been trying to find a pair ever since Tabby died. They see more or less everything a seer can.” He holds his hand out until I give them to him, then loops them over his head, slowly adjusting the dial. “This shows you’re an angel with vampire blood, and if you look at me, it’ll show that I’m a bloodborn with angel blood. They even show potentiality.”
“Wait, so if I’d had these before Oskar took you, I’d have been able to tell that you’d become a bloodborn?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I knew roughly what they did, but I haven’t tested them enough, and I couldn’t figure out what the different colour dots mean.”
Inside my head, the plague speaks. You do not need these. We can see for you.
When we get to Uriel’s study, Lucifer is perched on the edge of the desk.
I struggle to push the door closed over the thick carpet. “How’s Hazy?”
Uriel waves us closer from his chair behind the desk, and gestures at the violently green sofa. “She’s fine thanks to Leia. Albert, I assume Violet told you what’s going on with Hazy?”
Albert frowns and looks at me.
“You told me to keep it between us.” I fall back onto the sofa. “So, I did.”
Uriel smiles. “Ah, so if I tell you to do something, you always do it? Good to know.”
“Yeah, don’t be silly.”
“If this is delicate, I can leave.” Albert thumbs over his shoulder towards the door.
“That won’t be necessary.” Uriel nods at the sofa and waits for Albert to sit. “Hazy confessed to stealing weapons from Cascade’s library. Fane told her he already used the triblade on Maggie, and if she didn’t agree to do his bidding, he could and would hurt her at any time.”
“That’s why Daniel came here with the triblade?”
Uriel’s eyebrow curves in a perfect arch. “Let me guess. Bat ears?”
I shake my head. “Eagle eyes. Not mine. Amethyst saw him leaving and acting cagey about it.”
“Needless to say, there is no dormant curse on Maggie. Fane didn’t use the triblade on her. It was at the priory when Maggie was kidnapped.”
“Dad says the triblade knows what work needs to be done,” I say. “It guides him.”
“Thank you for your discretion in this,” Uriel says. “You have good instincts, Violet.”
“I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Uriel chuckles. “Silver said you had trouble accepting your dues.”
I snort. “Since when is she dishing out my dues?”
“I gather it was from her initial meeting with you. She said you don’t acknowledge your gifts when they’re pointed out to you.”
“Namika said the same thing to you,” Lucifer says. “For somebody so self-aware, you are woefully ignorant of your own charms.”
I stand up. “So, we’re done, then?”
“Caleb had your record collection brought here, Albert. We’d have taken them to your unit, but…” Uriel shrugs.
“Has War found a new site yet?” Albert asks, letting me pull him up.
“Yes. There’s a team out there shifting everything over as we speak.”
“Thank you for bringing my records. It’s very thoughtful of you. And…” Albert stares at the wall above Uriel’s head. “Thanks for accommodating us all.”
“You’re more than welcome.”
Lucifer clicks his fingers at me. “I need to borrow your amulet.”
“Which one?”
“The one they know about.”
I hold the grey stone in my fist. “What do you want it for?”
“It’s best you don’t know.”
“If you’re not—”
“It’s best you don’t know,” he repeats.
I hand it over, and Lucifer shakes all the trinkets off the chain, scoops them into his fist and holds them out to me. “Put this lot somewhere safe. Do not put them back on the chain when I return the amulet to you.”
I nod as he threads the amulet onto the empty chain.
“Now we’re done,” Uriel says. “If you see Kite before I do, can you tell her I want a word. Oh, and find Archer. He was looking for you.”
Lucifer shoos us away, swinging my amulet from side to side. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll bring it back to you.”
We’re halfway across the drawing room when Michael starts shouting, his voice echoing off the walls. “Enough! I’m sick to death of your snide comments.” Michael glares at Errol who’s pinned to his chair, hands scrunched into fists. “Either take the damn thing or win it back.”
“No point now,” Errol says, eventually finding his voice. “You locked up Ethel.”
“If you win the head back, I will personally go to Raguel and beg him to let that deer out of the lockup and carry it here on my back. And you can keep them both in your room.”
Isla huffs. “The right side of the bed is free.”
“Carry it?” Errol squawks, ignoring Isla’s comment while his eyebrows creep up his forehead. “You mean you’ll hold her for the second it takes you to translocate from there to here?”
“I’ll carry it along the M40 and rent it a room at the Banbury Premier Inn when it needs a rest, if it’ll get you to shut the hell up.”
Errol huffs. “Like I can trust a word coming out of your mouth.”
“I’ll film it,” Michael says. “I’ll film myself walking along the M40 covered in deer for your viewing pleasure. How about that?”
Errol narrows his eyes. “Choose your game.”
“Oh no.” Michael wags his finger. “You choose. I don’t want you claiming I had an advantage.”
A sly grin overtakes Errol’s face. “Halo.”
Behind me, Albert chokes. “Michael will cry if he loses a game called Halo.”
Michael’s head swivels, and he gives Albert a gut-withering look. Albert tucks himself closer to me.
Archer’s staring blankly out the window when we reach him. “I need to move Goldie. Thought you might be up for a ride. You can both come if you want.”
“Yeah, alright. I need to wait for Lucifer though. He’s got my amulet. Should only be ten minutes.”
“I’ve been thinking… we should bring Leia here,” Archer says. “Her whole family is clueless about the danger she’s in, and you know what she’s like, flouncing about without a care in the world. Thing is, I don’t think she’ll listen to me. She’ll think I’m being overprotective.”
“Maybe Michael could talk to her. Or Magnus.”
“Or you?” he asks hopefully. “I mean I’d rather she just listened to me, but I’ll take you over Dad or Grandad. That just stings.”
“I’ll do my best,” I say. “Why don’t you give her a call, tell her we’re coming to see her.”
He reaches for his back pocket but comes up empty. “Must’ve left it in my room.”
“Did you leave it unattended anywhere near Caleb, Silas, or Cedar, or any combination thereof?” I ask him. “They’re worse than the twins.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he says.
I nod just as the door rattles faintly. “Zach’s here,” I announce to the room, immediately wishing I could take it back. “I’m gonna stop noticing that,” I tell Albert.
When Zach comes in with Nina, Michael drags him to the corner, whispering in frantic pleading tones. Nina waves at us, then sits with Isla for a chat. Kite appears next to Michael from nowhere and offers something small to Zach. He sighs, rolls his eyes, then finally nods as Kite presses the small something into his palm. Zach sits next to Isla, whispering nonsense that makes her smile and nod, then he hands her what Kite gave him—a brooch.
I’ve seen it before on Kite’s rucksack. In the centre is a thistle with green and purple stones, the rest of the brooch expanding symmetrically outwards and studded with pearls, opals, and diamonds. It’s both gold and silver with studded dangly bits at the bottom. I can’t imagine bland Asha wearing anything so ostentatious, but it’s definitely the brooch Kite was talking about—the one she thinks gave Asha powers over the mind.
Errol folds his arms. “You know it’s his dirty work, don’t you?”
Isla glares at him. “I’d rather do his dirty work than pander to criminals.” When Errol’s gaze drops to the hands in his lap, she continues. “And so you should be bloody ashamed. You’re lucky anyone here will still talk to you.”
“It was years ago,” he mutters.
“You lied,” she says. “Now, you might want to carry on with this ridiculous feud, but I have a job to do, and it’s more important than that bloody stag’s head.”
Lucifer brings my amulet back, and I sling it around my neck. It feels wrong. Too light. Too ordinary.
Archer’s eyes are wide with panic when he comes back in, his phone and charger in his hand. He plugs it into the adaptor because this place has weird plug sockets. “I can’t see Leia.”
“What?”
“My phone was off, so I figured I’d just find her and turn up, but I can’t see her.” Tears fill his golden-brown eyes. “What do I do? She could’ve been kidnapped or… anything.”
Albert grabs his shoulder. “Let’s think about this, okay? Did you try calling her yet?”
He shakes his head. “My phone’s dead.”
I hand him mine and hear it go to voicemail, just as Archer’s phone chirps. “You see what that is, and I’ll try Leia again.”
“It’s a voice message.” He presses the phone to his ear, but I can still her Leia’s voice.
“Hey babe, I wanted to surprise you since it’s been three whole days and I miss you. So, I got Luke to drive me down from Dad’s, but nobody’s here. Where are you guys? Call me back, but don’t leave it too long. Luke’s ancient shit heap doesn’t have a phone charger. Love you.”
“How long ago did she call?” Albert asks.
“Ten minutes,” Archer says.
“If she was at the priory ten minutes ago, and she’s waiting for your call, that’s where she’ll be,” Albert says.
“Right, her phone probably just died,” I tell him.
“Then why can’t I see her?”
Where’s Leia? I ask my head. Where’s Luke?
The wet whispers return a couple of minutes later. The priory.
Who else is there? Demons? Vaes?
Four humans. No demons. No vaes.
“They’re still at the priory. Four other people are there. Just humans.” I say just humans like Magnus says mortals.
“I can manage four,” Albert says.
“Fine. Archer, get us onto the roof.”
Luke’s car is on the drive next to Goldie. It is undoubtedly a shit heap. A black van sits on the opposite side of the gravel. From above, we see four men in black surrounding Archer’s car, massive guns trained on her. They creep towards her like she might bite. It’s Goldie we’re talking about though, so she might. One man touches the boot, leaping back like she really did bite him. Good girl.
A crack bites at the air. Below us, a bullet ricochets off glass, and the men grumble about the bulletproof car.
“Can you get us all inside the car?” I ask.
“If the pair of you want to land on my lap.”
“To the front door, then,” I say. “How long do you need to hypnotise them?”
Albert shrugs slightly. “They’re human, so… seconds.”
“Time enough to raise their guns?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll have them by then.”
When we land on the gravel, the four men turn in unison with matching surprised faces for a full second before all expression falls away. Three pairs of arms relax; three huge black guns hit the gravel.
A fourth gun is raised.
“He’s already asleep,” Albert whispers.
Archer grabs us, teleporting to the other side of Goldie where we duck, then he disappears, landing in front of the still armed but bewildered sleeper, who he punches in the face.
