by Angela Nock
I swayed on the spot, my knees almost giving way as the heaviness of my loss threatened to overwhelm me. I didn't want to face it. I didn't want to remember everything I'd lost that day. I had been alone, despite all the people in the church. Alone despite Cassie and gran being there. Alone, despite the supposed presence of God.
The moonlight faded, and darkness fell over me again.
'Josh.' I spoke his name into the dark. My voice echoed through the church. I needed him. I needed him now more than ever. I wasn't strong enough to do this.
A hand clasped around my mouth, another around my waist. I was pulled backwards. I couldn't breathe.
'It's okay, sssh.' It was Josh. Of course! Who else would it be? He let his hand drop from my mouth. My fear subsided.
I gasped, and turned around, clutching my chest. 'What are you doing?' I hissed, trying to steady my nerves.
He stepped forward and kissed me. 'Sorry,' he said, moving a stray hair from my face, 'Hyperion's around, he's -'
'Trapped you in here, I know.'
'How? You okay?' He took my face in his hands and studied me with his crystal eyes.
I wanted to get lost in the depths of those eyes, to be anywhere other than in that church, facing the ghosts of the past.
I looked away from him and caught sight of a book on the end of a wooden pew.
'He's outside. He's sent me to get the Book of Solomon from you. He's got Cassie.'
'What? Is she okay?'
I shrugged. 'Yeah. I think,' I said, looking up and connecting with his eyes again. They dazzled me, and I felt like I wanted to cry. 'But I don't know for sure. He attacked her.' I couldn't tell him what had happened back at the house, when she'd tried to attack me. I had to keep that locked inside me, for now at least.
'I can't get out. I think he may have used some sort of magic, something that will bind me to this place.'
'Magic?'
'I think it might be something like the magic Circe used -'
'Who?'
He turned to me, 'Just someone I knew. A witch who used that type of magic. She was working with Hyperion. Did you see anything when you came in here? Did he have anything on him?'
'Like what?'
'A stick figure, probably with one of my feathers on it. He had some of my feathers he'd found at Obadiah's.'
'I didn't see anything.'
'Nothing that might have been used to represent me? Circe used stick men to represent her victims.'
'Like a voodoo doll?'
'Yeah.'
'Evie, darling,' Hyperion shouted through the open crack in the doorway, 'time's a tickin'. Bring me the book, or St. John's will be a burnin'.'
'What's he talking about, Evie?'
'I need to give him the Book of Solomon -'
'No.'
'Yes. If I don't he will set the church on fire with you still inside it. He threatened to light it with Cassie's body.'
'If we can find the thing, the effigy, he's using to bind me here, we can destroy it, then…Evie?'
I was looking at the book on the wooden pew. 'Is that the Book of Solomon?'
'Yes, why?'
'I need to take it to him.'
'No. Evie. You can't.'
'I have to.'
'No.'
'If I don't he will set this place on fire and he will use Cassie to light it. He's not bluffing.'
He looked at me with pleading eyes. My heart broke.
'Evie,' shouted Hyperion, 'look what I've got!'
I spun on my heels to the direction of his voice. I could see him through the gap in the door. He'd got his right hand entwined in Cassie's hair. When he saw me looking he hoisted her limp body off the floor and held a flaming lighter close to her head.
I felt sick.
'I've got to do this,' I said, scooping the book up from the pew. It vibrated slightly under my touch and felt warm as if it were alive.
Josh looked from me to the door. 'Hyperion?' he shouted.
'Yes, Joshy?'
'Don't do this!'
'Oh darling, it's so nice to hear your voice again. I have missed you.' Hyperion giggled. 'I thought you would know by now that I can do whatever I like.'
Josh looked at me with pleading eyes. 'We'll find a way out of this. Please don't give him the book.'
'Have you changed your mind, Josh? Do you want to join me? There's still time,' sang Hyperion. His voice was becoming more maniacal. I had this growing feeling of dread inside me.
'Never!'
'Do you trust me?' I asked Josh.
'What?'
I slipped my phone from my pocket and switched the volume off.
'What are you doing?' he hissed.
'Do you trust me?'
'I...Evie, if he gets that book -'
'I know,' I said, trying to convey meaning with the tone of my voice rather than words, 'do you trust me?'
His eyes searched mine. He was silent for a few moments before he nodded. 'Yes.'
I ignored his hesitation. 'Hyperion?' I shouted, whilst stepping just out of his sight.
'If I bring you the Book of Solomon, will you do something for me?' I asked, shoving my phone down the gap between the spine of the book and the bound pages. I pushed it down as far as I could using an unlit candle, hoping I hadn't managed to switch it off accidentally.
'Maybe. Maybe not. You're not really in a position to negotiate, darling.'
I know,' I said, turning the book in my hand, checking it over to make sure the phone was well hidden, 'but surely bringing you the book is worth a little something in return?' I stepped into Hyperion's line of sight and held the book up the air so that he could see it.
Hyperion smacked his lips, his eyes lit up with hunger. 'Oh Evie,' he purred. I flinched as he let Cassie's hair go and she slumped to the floor like a corpse. He closed the lighter and slipped it into his jeans pocket. He stepped forward, to the bottom of the steps, gesturing at me with flapping hands. 'Come on, come on!'
I stepped forwards then stopped. 'Can you tell me why Josh and I are connected?'
'You'd give him the book to find that out?' asked Josh.
I glanced at Josh then added, 'And will you let him go?'
Hyperion chuckled. The noise clawed at my nerves. He stopped, then said, 'Of course. I think I can give you that. The book first.'
'Tell me. Then let him go.'
'The book.'
'Evie, don't do it. He won't tell you anything….'
I moved forward, through the porch. I stopped at the threshold and safety, aware that he couldn't enter sacred spaces.
'Give it to me,' he gestured hungrily with his hand.
'Evie,' warned Josh.
'Tell me.'
'It's called Samsara,' he said, 'it's –'
'Duck!' shouted Josh, from behind me.
I turned. The wooden font was hurtling towards me. I managed to duck as it soared over my head. It crashed into the wooden door, bounced and flew outside. The font tumbled down the steps and landed with a thud at the side of Hyperion, narrowly missing Cassie's head. I fell forwards, and hit my hand on the door. The Book of Solomon flew from my hands. It tumbled down, hit the top step and spiralled down the stairs with a clatter. It came to rest just in front of Hyperion's feet.
I should have at least tried to reclaim it. I should have tried to stop him. Instead, I stopped and stared, as, in one fluid movement, he'd snatched the book up, then turned and was gone. He was as quick as a fire ripping through dry bushland.
I had no words. I slumped against the wall.
'Why? Why did you do that?' I asked, tilting my head towards Josh. I was so tired. I had no energy to hide my disappointment. What if the phone had been dislodged? What if we couldn't find Hyperion again?
'I couldn't let you give it to him.'
'And yet, now he has it.'
'But you were going to -'
'You said you trusted me.'
'I do, but….'
'But what?'
'
I….'
'You saw me stuff my phone into its spine.'
'Yes, but -'
'But nothing, Josh! I was this close,' I said, holding up my fingers in the air, 'to finding out about our connection. To buying us some time to get you out of here.'
He edged towards me and put his hand on my shoulder. 'I know, but I had to protect the book.'
'But you haven't have you?'
'No,' he said.
'A few more seconds…that's all I needed….'
'But we'd have still lost the book.'
'We haven't lost it, we can track it, that's why I slipped my phone in there. But now….'
'I didn't know…Sorry.'
'Well, I couldn't tell you, not with Hyperion listening in.' I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. I couldn't help but feel that, even after everything we'd been through, he still didn't think I was capable of working things out. I held my hand out. 'Give me your phone.'
Josh pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me. I flicked it on and tried to download the app, but there was no signal. 'Okay, we'll find a signal outside. And we need to break you out of here, and get Cassie to the hospital.'
'We can't take her to the hospital,' said Josh, holding my arm.
I looked at him, with questioning eyes. 'Look what he's done to her, I can't just –'
'What are you going to tell them?'
He was right. 'Well, we need to take her home at the very least. I can't just leave her here.'
'Okay,' said Josh, running his hands through his black hair, 'so we need to find -'
There was a strange smell in the air that reminded me of wet cigars.
'Can you smell smoke?' I asked, my nose wrinkled up as I sniffed.
'What?'
'Smoke, I can smell smoke.' I scanned the area.
Josh sniffed the air. 'You're right. We need to get out of here.' He grabbed me by the top of my arms. 'Go outside, find my feather and the figure he's made of me, then burn it.'
There was a crash. The stained glass window behind the altar fractured into tiny pieces as a flaming branch was tossed inside. Within seconds fire had consumed the altar, and the flames were licking at Jesus' feet hanging from the cross.
'What will this figure look like?'
'Like a stick man, about the size of one of those hymn books. It will probably have runes tied on to it.'
'Okay.'
'And Evie….'
'What?'
'Be quick.' He stepped forward and kissed me on the lips.
Outside, the rain had eased, but there was a cold wind whipping across the cemetery. I could hear the roar of the fire as it ripped through the church and the crackle of wood. The church spire was also on fire, the flames reaching up into the sky like giant fiery fingers. As I looked up, I caught sight of Melusine slithering across the darkness, Hyperion straddled across her back.
Time was against me. How on earth was I going to find whatever it was that I needed to find to free Josh before the fire consumed him?
And then there was Cassie, lying where Hyperion had dumped her, her hands and feet still tied together. Her red hair was now brown with mud and was stuck to her face. Her clothes were torn and dirty. As much as she drove me mad, my heart was pulling me towards her. I couldn't go to her. I needed to save Josh.
Where on earth did I start looking? St John's was such a huge church and Hyperion had had a long time to hide, what was it, a voodoo doll? Or a charm? Or what?
'Evelyn.'
Shit. It was Cassie. I couldn't do this now.
I ignored her.
'Evelyn,' she said, 'help me.'
'Mom, I will in a minute, I just need to….' I turned to face her, my words drifting off as I caught sight of what looked like a pile of sticks and feathers stuffed in between Cassie's hands and the plastic ties bounding them together.
I swept over to her. I stooped down and gently pulled the sticks from where I presumed Hyperion had placed them for me to find. But why? Why would he trap Josh, set the church on fire and then help us to escape? Cassie cried out as I carefully dislodged the sticks. The rough wood left red scratches on the pale, delicate skin of her wrists.
'What's happening?' she cried, 'Evelyn, what's going on? Where's Damien? Why am I here?'
'I'll explain everything in a minute.' I placed my hand on her wet forehead, 'I'll get you out of here but first I need to do something, okay?'
I stood up, the stick and feather man in my hand.
'Evelyn!' she shouted. Her voice was like gravel.
'Evie,' hissed Josh, 'quick, pass it here!'
'But what if this is a trap?' I asked him. Something wasn't right. It was all too easy.
'We haven't got time to think about it. Throw it to me!'
I tossed the stick man to Josh. He caught it, turned, and disappeared into the darkness of the church.
The sound of sirens cut through the night. We had to get out of there, and fast.
Josh exploded from the church. I could see the flames behind him, consuming St. John's, swallowing up the history as it ripped through the wooden and brick structure. There would be nothing left, it was too ferocious. I could feel the heat burning the surface of my skin. It reminded me of bonfire night in the local park when I was little, the intense heat and the crackle and spit of the fire.
He grabbed me, wrenching me from my memories of candy floss, the explosion of fireworks and the bright lights of the fairground.
'Come on,' he said, 'we need to get out of here.'
'What about Cassie?'
He stooped down to her, cradling her face in his hands.
'Josh? What's happened? Where am I?'
'It's okay,' he said, his voice smooth and hypnotic, 'go back to sleep. It's all a bad dream. That's it, close your eyes.'
Her eyes slowly closed, her breathing deepened.
The sirens were drawing nearer. Josh scooped Cassie up off the ground and slung her over his shoulder. He held out his other arm to me.
I walked over to him. 'Will she be okay?' I asked as he placed his arm around my waist. He smelled of smoke.
'Of course, she will, she won't remember a thing. I've made sure of it.'
'We need to go after him, we need to stop him, Josh. He can't get away with this.'
'He won't…but….'
'But?'
'But it might be easier if you stayed at home, looked after your mother.'
'No.'
'No?'
'That's what I said. I'm coming. I'm part of this now whether you like it or not.'
Josh looked like he wanted to say something but he was interrupted by the blare of sirens and the flashing blue light of the fire engines. He grabbed me tightly and we took to the sky, hidden by Death's invisibility.
Chapter Fourteen
After putting Cassie safely to bed, I'd taken Josh's phone and turned on the tracker to locate mine. Inside I was shaking. Part of me, although I don't know why, wanted to stay by her side, to make sure she was okay, but I pushed those feelings away. I had to concentrate on helping to find Hyperion. I had to be strong. I had to stop acting like a child.
A red dot flashed up on the small screen. It was moving south, slowly out of Oakwood and the Midlands.
'He's on the move,' I said.
'Are you sure you want to do this? Because you can back out….'
No. No, I wasn't sure. 'Yes, I'm sure,' I snapped back, 'I wish you'd stop asking me. Let's go.'
We flew out of Oakwood in silence, cloaked in the mystical pink-gold light of dawn. I was so tired, so utterly exhausted and yet, completely wired. I didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know who I was anymore. Or what I wanted. What did I want? I was so confused.
Why was I thinking about all this now? Hadn't I got bigger things to worry about?
We'd passed over the sprawling suburbs of Oakwood and the farms skirting the borough, then over to Raven's Hill with its industrial buildings and terraced houses, and out onto the surrounding coun
tryside. Josh's phone began to pulsate in my hand as it locked onto my phone; it was close, and somewhere just below us. I motioned to Josh to tell him we were there.
He circled around the area a couple of times, looking for Hyperion, but there was no physical sign of him or Melusine lurking on the wasteland underneath us. As we began to descend, the air seemed abnormal; there was a visual disturbance, like a heat haze, and a stickiness that had nothing to do with the early morning sun. The atmosphere shifted as we neared the derelict building that sprawled across the ground below us; it was excited and nervous like it was anticipating an oncoming storm. But the thing that un-nerved me most was the lack of sound; there was no birdsong, no rustling of trees or background noise. The sound had simply disappeared, and all that was left was a noiseless void.
The phone in my hand stopped bleeping.
'We've lost the signal,' I said, as we landed in front of the red-bricked building. There was a sign across the huge wooden doors saying “Welcome to St. Bartholomew's Mental Asylum.” I felt sick.
Was it too late to turn back?
I looked at Josh; he seemed on edge like he was expecting trouble. I died inside a little bit more.
'Maybe he's gone,' I said, with futile hope. I sounded like a child.
'He's gone,' said Josh.
'Really?' My heart lightened a little.
He spun on his heels, a pained look on his face. 'Can you hear that?'
'What? I can't hear anything. At all. Don't you think that's a bit strange?'
'Something's wrong. There's a sound, like angelic music but not. And it's coming from in there,' he said, pointing at a smaller Victorian annexe opposite us. The sign above it read: Mortuary.
My heart seemed to fall from my chest and crashed to the floor.
'Let's just go, find Hyperion some other way.'
Josh shook his head. 'I…' He whistled through his teeth. 'I need to check this out first. There's something not right. I can feel it.'
I noticed how his body had tensed, his hands pumping into fists at the side of his body.
Ivy smothered the single-storey building in deep green hues, giving the appearance of it being knitted together by the vines. Large oak trees hemmed the asylum in on either side, and several washing machines and a dirty double mattress were piled up near the entrance; a gaping hole with no door, that looked like a wide-open mouth waiting to gobble people up.
