"I... " There was a lump in my throat, making it hard for me to speak. I looked helplessly at Em. "Tell him he can't."
"But he's right. You can't be all on your own.” She turned a glare on Darius "Just make sure you stay out of sight. No heroics before the Named One leads us to the caves."
"Agreed." He took a breath. "But the first chance I get, I'm going to skewer that bitch."
He walked out of the kitchen. Em and I looked at each other.
"So," she said finally. "That's settled. Now to the important stuff. What are you going to wear?"
Chapter 22
I looked at the dresses strewn across the bed. Most had come from the wardrobes in the other bedrooms. When I'd asked the Professor whose they were, he just shrugged.
"People have come and gone over the years," he said. "Sometimes they leave things here. I expect some are quite old."
He wasn't kidding. A couple of the dresses looked like something out of the 1920s, and I found a pair of tatty pointy-toed shoes that the Professor pounced on delightedly.
"My winkle-pickers! I haven't seen these for years! Ah, the fun I had bopping in these." He twinkled at me. "I know you won't think so to look at me, but I was quite the dancer back in the day."
"So when did you, er, get the wheelchair?" I asked curiously.
"Oh, a long time ago. About the time I joined the Guild. All water under the bridge now." He waved his hand dismissively. "No point crying over spilled milk. Or in my case, spilled spinal fluid."
"Henry, that's awful. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You found my winkle-pickers. I'm going to put them on right now."
He wheeled himself out of the bedroom and down to the lift at the end of the hall. I looked at the dresses despondently.
"Found anything?" Em poked her head round the door.
"Yes, if I was going to a fancy dress party. Look at this one!" I picked up a seventies kaftan in psychedelic colours and held it against me. "All I need is a headband and a huge joint."
Em picked up a jacket with massive shoulder pads.
"I'd love to know the story behind these clothes."
"But none of them are any good for prom," I threw the kaftan down again. "Why can't I just wear jeans? I'm only going to be kidnapped by demons."
"Don't joke about it." Em picked up a mink stole that still had its head attached. "If you're going to the prom, you have to look the part."
"Di offered to lend me one of her dresses, but I can just imagine how slutty it'd be."
"Yeah. You'd have to stuff a couple of pairs of socks down the front of it."
"Couple of pillows, more like." We looked at each other and giggled. "Haven't you got anything I could borrow?" I asked.
"I have a better idea." She pulled something out of her pocket and flourished it at me. "Violet gave me this. It's a credit card they use for Guild business." My jaw dropped as I took the black plastic rectangle.
"There's no name on it," I said. "Just an account number."
"It's highly exclusive. Only senior Guild members get them. But Violet is still extremely annoyed with Dark, so she told us to go mad with it."
"But it's pointless, Em, I'm not even going to be inside. I certainly won't be dancing."
"But you have to stand out. You want Nisgath to see you, don't you? So, you need a dress."
I gave in. "Okay. I suppose we could go to that department store in Mallow Bottom."
"Mallow Bottom? Girl, you have got to broaden your horizons."
"Well, where then? Do you mean London? Have we got time?" But Em was shaking her head, her eyes gleaming.
"I was thinking a bit further afield."
"Like where?"
"Like Paris."
◆◆◆
The jump deposited us in the Guild branch on the Champs-Élysées . It turned out to be a beautifully ornate nineteenth century building, but we didn't stay to explore. We were breathless and excited as we walked out of the side door to find ourselves in a wide, busy boulevard.
"Look, that's the Arc de Triomphe," said Em, pointing at the famous monument at one end of the avenue.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to get on a plane again," I said in wonder, as we ambled along. "The Jump wall is amazing."
"I know. I love it. Hey, there's Chanel. And Givenchy."
We walked over to the glittering shop fronts, with cool mannequins in the window and even cooler shop assistants inside.
"I'm not sure about this, Em," I said nervously. "This stuff is really expensive. Look at that coat, it would pay my rent for three months. At least, it would if I still had a place to rent."
"Don't worry. We have the credit card. Come on, I'm going in."
"But we look so scruffy. I bet they won't even serve us!"
"Haven't you seen Pretty Woman?" Em grabbed my arm impatiently. "Stop dithering. Come on."
I walked in behind her reluctantly. As predicted, the assistants looked at us down their noses, as if expecting us to put dirty handprints on the merchandise. But Em charmed them with her schoolgirl French, and they warmed up even more when they saw she'd brought ‘Daddy's’ credit card.
"Et votre père, il est très riche?" one inquired silkily.
"Mais oui. Il est un banquier," she said, lying happily. "Nous avons une grande maison dans la campagne, et..."
"Alright, Marie Antoinette," I interrupted, before she got carried away. "Can we get me a dress now? Something simple, s'il vous plait."
The assistant came back with a handful of dresses, and I consciously didn't look at the price tags dangling discreetly.
Mum and I had never had posh clothes, we couldn't afford them. But we were about the same size. Maybe when she got home, I could give her the dress as a present. The thought cheered me up.
In the end, I only tried on two dresses. The first was a sheer gold lace affair which was clearly made for a six-foot giant. It puddled around my feet, and for some strange reason was embarrassingly transparent from the waist down.
"Not sure your M&S knickers are up to that," said Em doubtfully.
"Nope," I agreed, pulling it off. Thankfully, the second one was beautiful. A simple sheath in red silk that clung in all the right places, yet cunningly disguised the fact that I had no chest or hips to speak of.
"Wow," breathed Em. "You look amazing."
"Elle est très jolie, n'est pas?" beamed the assistant.
"Did she just say I look jolly?"
"Pretty. She thinks you're pretty. So do I. We'll take it."
We watched as the shop assistants wrapped the silk dress in layers of red tissue paper, then placed it in box, then a bag, then tied the whole lot up with a bow.
"Do you think they've ever heard of environmentally friendly packaging?" I asked Em out of the corner of my mouth.
"Shush. Merci, madame. Au revoir."
We walked out of the shop into the Parisian sunshine.
"That was quick," I remarked. "I thought it would take ages. Shall we go back?"
"No. Let's walk a bit. I feel like we haven't spent much time together. And since you might end up dead soon, I thought we could get a coffee or something."
"I can't die now. Not after buying this dress. Violet would go mad."
"Anyway, I've never been to Paris before. It's supposed to be a very romantic city."
"Maybe you should come here with Darius one day." I gave her a sidelong look. "At least he's finally met your Dad."
"Mm."
"Not really the best introduction, was it? Outside my burning house."
"Nope."
"So, what did he say? About Darius?"
"The usual. I'm too young to date, we don't know anything about him, I shouldn't see him anymore, blah blah."
I looked at her in surprise. "You seem very calm about it."
"Well, I didn't expect anything else so it wasn't a shocker. I love my Dad but he's always been a bit over protective. I'll just have to keep him and Darius apart."
"You're going t
o go behind your parents' backs?"
"What else can I do? I'm not giving Darius up. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"What does Darius say?"
"He doesn't know. I told him Dad liked him. I didn't want to hurt his feelings."
"But Em..." I was at a loss. In all the time I'd known her, she'd never defied her parents.
"Look, it's simple, Kaz. I love him. And now I have to face the prospect of losing him, because there are demons trying to take over the world." She gave a bitter laugh. "Not only that, I might lose my best friend too because she's deliberately putting herself in danger. So I can't really get worried about my Dad not getting on with my boyfriend right now." She pointed to a shop ahead of us. "There's a cafe there. Let's try that."
◆◆◆
Di was waiting in my bedroom when we got back. She was frowning at the photo of me and Mum.
"What are you doing in my room?" I asked irritably. She turned in one fluid motion and flicked a dagger at my head. The knife hilt was still quivering in the door as I stared at it, then looked back at her in disbelief. "Did you just throw a knife at me?"
"Relax. If I wanted to hit you, I would have done. The knife is for you, for prom night. I never go on a date without it."
"It's not a date. Anyway, where am I supposed to carry a knife in an evening dress? And no rude answers."
"In this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of black elastic, shaped like a garter. It had a place for a slim blade to go. "On your thigh. Under the dress. You could get Darius to adjust it for you if you like."
My face went hot.
"I can put it on myself, thanks."
"Talking of Darius, these are for him." She put a small box down on the dresser. "Purified bullets. I nicked them from headquarters. There are only six of them, so tell him to make them count."
"Thanks," I said grudgingly. "And thanks for, you know. Helping."
She looked at me expressionlessly.
"You know me. Hate to be bored. Besides, I never turn down a chance to hang out with a bunch of fit guys." She sauntered out of the door. "I left something on the bed for you. Just in case you end up dying. Ciao, sweetie."
I looked at the bed, sure there was something offensive there. But it was a photograph. Dog-eared, faded, but still clear. It showed a young man, maybe in his early twenties, blond and good-looking, with a chiselled jaw and a warm smile. But it was the eyes that looked familiar. Dark blue. The same eyes I'd been looking at a moment before. I turned the photo over. There was one word scrawled on the back.
Sam.
I felt sudden tears pricking at my eyelids as I looked at the face of my father. It wasn't a face I knew, or remembered. But it was the face of the man Mum had loved, someone who was a part of me.
I suddenly wished that I'd known him, or that I knew more about him. I sat down on the edge of the bed, still staring at the photo.
Full moon was in two days. Maybe I'd find Mum. Maybe I'd be dead. If the demons succeeded in their plan, we could all be dead. About the only consolation would be telling Crepuscular Dark "I told you so."
I remembered Darius's face as he promised to kill the Named One. But the only Warrior who had ever killed a Named One was Mum. And that was because she had demon strength.
If Darius tried to take on Nisgath, he would die. But what could I do? I didn't have Mum's strength, or a Warrior's skill. I was just a fifteen year old girl. I had nothing.
And then I remembered the training session with Darius. The way my focus had suddenly changed, the way I instinctively knew all the moves to defeat him. Maybe I could tap into that?
I concentrated hard, trying to waken that strange other self inside me, the one that could control demons and bullies and protect me from mind-magic. The one that made me dangerous.
I tried for hours. It didn't speak to me once.
◆◆◆
"This is for you."
It was the next morning, and I was trying to eat some cereal. I say 'trying', but I had very little appetite. Em held out a gold locket.
"What is it?"
"It belongs to Violet, she lent it to me. Check out the pictures inside."
I took the delicate chain and opened the tiny clasp on the locket. Two black and white photos looked out at me. One was unmistakably Violet as a young woman. The high cheekbones were the same, but she had long brown hair and was wearing a floppy hat. She looked beautiful. Opposite her was a patrician-looking man in a naval uniform. Mr Peters? I closed the locket.
"So?"
"So I've fitted a tracker in it. One that works everywhere, even underground. If for any reason the Warriors can't follow you, we'll still be able to find you."
I felt a flush of gratitude. Em always looked out for me.
"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Nor do I." She took the necklace and went behind me, fastening it around my neck. "It's such a shame though."
"What is?"
"That Rebecca won't get to see your dress. She'd die of jealousy."
"I'd have thought if anyone was going to be jealous, it would be you, Em." Em stifled a sigh as Di slid into the kitchen and poured herself a coffee. "After all, Kaz here will be dressed up to the nines and alone in the dark with your boyfriend."
"Hardly alone," I pointed out. "You and the others will be nearby."
"Yes, but he'll be the closest. Watching you. Being all heroic." She took a sip from her mug. "I know that turns me on."
"Anything with a pulse turns you on," said Em flatly. "Thankfully Darius isn't like you."
"Well, that's obvious. I'm still trying to work out what it is he sees in you."
Em's face darkened in anger.
"That's enough, Di," I said. "We're all in this together. Be nice."
She shrugged dismissively, and I couldn't resist a small dig.
"By the way, thanks for the photo." I paused. "Auntie. " She stiffened.
"Don't call me that."
"Oh. Okay. Do you prefer Aunt?" I asked innocently.
"I'm warning you..."
"Only Auntie Di sounds pretty good. Makes you sound all tweedy, with support-stockings and sensible shoes."
Di slammed her mug down.
"That's the last time I do anything nice for you, brat." She stalked out, pushing past Darius who was walking in.
"What's up with her?" He raised an eyebrow at Em.
"Kaz threw their family ties in her face. I'm glad you're here, I've got something for you."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small metal canister. She set it down on the table.
"What is it?" He picked it up. It looked familiar.
"Narakagni. Hellfire. But I've modified it. I've added a locater spell to it, keyed to Kaz's DNA. If you deploy this, it will head straight for her no matter where she is. If there are demons around her, they'll be incinerated." She looked at me. "I made five of them, enough for all the Warriors."
"You keyed it to my DNA?"
"I used your hairbrush. I hope you don't mind."
"Em, you're astonishing." Darius was seriously impressed. "You've really got this techno-magic stuff down, haven't you?"
"Most of it's just logic," she said, modestly. "I work out which bits go together, that's all. It doesn't always work. You should see the ones that go wrong."
"You have to come work for the Guild. They'd snap you up in a heartbeat. You could finish your studies there, do your degree."
Em looked flustered. "What? No, I couldn't do that. How would I explain to Dad?"
"The Guild could offer you a scholarship. As far as your parents are concerned, it would be a place at an elite school. They'd be none the wiser and we could see each other all the time."
I watched Em's face as she struggled to find an answer. Darius had no idea what he was asking.
Em was a fundamentally honest person. It was one thing keeping her Dad and her boyfriend apart. It was another to lie about whole tranches of h
er life.
"Why don't you talk about this another time," I cut in. "We need to go over the plan again. The prom's tomorrow."
"Kaz's right," agreed Em with relief. She flashed me a grateful look. "Let's find Mari first. Everything else can wait."
◆◆◆
I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep, but I must have done. Because Kali was there again, watching me, idly swinging the decapitated head. I wondered who it had once been.
"This part is almost over," she said gravely. "Are you afraid?"
"No."
"Liar."
I jumped guiltily.
"Can I ask you something?"
Kali bowed her head graciously. "You may."
"The voice in my head, the 'other' voice I hear, the one that has power. Why can’t I control it?"
“Why do you expect me to know?”
“Isn’t it something to do with you? I mean, I thought with these dreams…”
“It is not of my doing.”
“Then where does this ‘other’ voice come from?”
Kali stared at me, and her eyes reflected stars and moons and galaxies.
"There is no 'other'. There is only you."
◆◆◆
"My dear, you look exquisite," beamed Henry as I walked gingerly down the stairs in my new dress. "You are the absolute image of your mother."
"Really?" I said disbelievingly. "She wore red designer dresses a lot?"
"He means you look beautiful," said Violet. She glanced at the gold locket hung round my neck. "It suits you."
"I still think you should have gone for the heels," said Em critically. I had absolutely refused to wear the strappy sandals she'd left out for me, choosing my flats instead.
"There's no way I'm facing Nisgath in heels," I said. "The dress should be enough to stop the school's security from wondering what I'm doing there, but that's as far as it goes."
"Here, put this in." Violet handed me the moulded ear plug I would use to communicate with the Warriors.
Daughter of Kali- Awakening Page 21
