City of Halves

by Lucy Inglis

  The other woman hissed, turning to them. ‘There were dozens. Maybe hundreds. We have never seen so many.’

  ‘You should have told me, Delphine.’

  The black woman shifted, and in a second was standing in front of him. ‘Do not presume to tell my sister what to do.’ A gull’s cry knifed the air. She looked up and stepped back slightly.

  The other woman jumped down on to the pavement. ‘We have stopped more than a hundred in the last week. There are other demons too. Larger, more dangerous. Our time has been taken. Our attention diverted. It is the vermin that slip our nets.’

  The two women crowded in on Regan. They were both taller than him, Amazonian.

  Delphine straightened up, folding her arms across her beaded chest. ‘A tanker moored out in the estuary. Hundreds of them came off it. Pouring across the water like locusts. Two days. We scoured it clean. But some got through. Our defences are breached.’ She looked down at Regan. ‘As we hear are yours, warrior.’

  Regan nodded. ‘Yes.’

  ‘They say the dragons are waking. Is it true?’ Misrak’s cat-eyes narrowed.

  ‘Yes.’

  Delphine gave a piercing shriek. Lily winced. The movement drew Misrak’s gaze.

  She moved closer. Her voice softened. ‘This is her?’

  Regan stepped to Lily’s side. ‘Yes.’

  Delphine turned, her gaze also on Lily. The women walked towards her as one, stooping to stare into her face. Lily looked between them. Unconsciously, her fingers reached out and found Regan’s. He locked their hands, his touch reassuring. ‘It’s okay, they just want to meet you, that’s all.’

  ‘Why?’ Lily’s voice wasn’t altogether steady. They still hadn’t looked away. Misrak raised a hand and pulled a curl of Lily’s hair very gently, then watched it bounce back as she released it.

  ‘This is the blood girl?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said.

  Delphine straightened up. ‘She is very . . . small,’ she said finally. ‘I am not sure she will restore the balance.’

  ‘Restore what balance?’ Lily asked, looking up at them.

  Regan put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Remember, what we talked about? That something in the City threw out the equilibrium a long time ago, and started to let in the Chaos?’

  ‘Yes. I remember.’

  ‘Well, there’s kind of this idea that one day someone will come along and find out what it is.’

  ‘Really, sister,’ Delphine said to Misrak, ‘is it possible we could be this wrong?’

  Regan cleared his throat. ‘Either way, first we have to find out exactly why the balance is being upset.’

  ‘And why is that, brother?’ Misrak was still peering at Lily.

  Regan took a breath. ‘I think it’s the Agency.’

  Delphine pulled a face. ‘You speak of the government? Governments come and go. They are not our concern.’

  ‘The Agency is. They’re doing something. Taking Eldritche. Mothwings are missing in droves, and now Mona. They may be experimenting on them. It’s disturbing the balance even more . . . it’s what’s going to cause the war.’

  ‘What are these experiments of which you speak?’ Misrak asked, taking Lily’s other hand and holding it between her own. She looked at the palm, then turned her hand over and examined the back.

  Regan shrugged. ‘I don’t know. To find out what we are, so they can use the information for their own gain, I assume – though I don’t yet know why or how.’

  Both women made a noise of contempt. The traffic was limited to the odd 388 night bus now, and a few taxis zipping by. Lily no longer wondered why no one saw two half-naked seven-foot women on the pavement.

  Delphine’s gaze returned to Lily. ‘So, you are come.’

  ‘I am?’

  ‘So war is coming too,’ Misrak said, looking out over the water.

  ‘Yes,’ said Regan.

  ‘We remember when wars were invaders, distant tribes under distant kings.’ Misrak’s tone was soft, and Lily realised she wasn’t looking out over the Thames, but over thousands of miles, back to the desert. ‘Now some department upsets the world.’ The contempt was plain in her face.

  ‘Perhaps afterwards we should claim her as our tribute? Our payment from the City for all our hard work. This little blood girl.’

  Regan snatched Lily back. She stumbled into him before recovering her balance. Misrak watched them, then laughed at them.

  ‘Fear not. My sister jests. You keep her, brother. For now. We will tell the water and she will be watched over. It is our way.’

  The two women leapt back up on to their perches. They settled cross-legged, elbows on their knees, and returned to gazing out at the river, dark and silent. The gulls split into two packs and wheeled out east and west, their cries splitting the night air.

  Lily and Regan walked back towards the Temple, both with their hands in their pockets. Regan didn’t speak.

  ‘What was all that about? Blood girl? If this is the moment where you tell me I have some sort of superpower, I want a better name than Blood Girl.’

  He said nothing.

  ‘And the war? The war is definitely coming?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said dully. ‘That’s what they foresaw. Your arrival—’

  ‘Wait, my arrival? I haven’t arrived anywhere, I’ve always been here. And what have I got to do with anything anyway?’

  ‘I don’t know. I didn’t make the prophecy. It’s a war that may destroy the City, if we don’t win it.’ He shrugged, voice flat. ‘Then again, it may destroy it if we do.’

  ‘Should I tell Dad to leave?’

  ‘What would you tell him?’

  ‘That he has to go! Somewhere, anywhere.’

  ‘And he’d go without you?’

  Lily halted. ‘No.’

  ‘Then there’s no point, is there?’ he bellowed, exasperated.

  Lily stood, shocked. No one ever shouted at her. ‘Are you still angry with me?’ she asked slowly.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Please don’t be.’

  He seemed about to walk away, then he rounded on her. ‘I went to get breakfast for us and you left.’

  She stood still, mouth open, trying to form a sentence. ‘I didn’t know. I thought you’d gone back to work. Or something,’ she said finally, awkward.

  ‘So you go to the East End to try and get yourself sold as so much . . . why would you do that?’ He hissed between his teeth in frustration.

  ‘I was trying to help Dad with the case.’ This didn’t appear to make any difference to how angry he was. ‘Look, I get that I made a mistake. I won’t put myself in that sort of danger again.’

  He pulled a face. ‘You don’t understand, do you?’

  ‘Understand what?’

  ‘I live by a set of rules. You’re changing them. I don’t like it. And I don’t want to be involved in human problems. The squalor of that place . . . of what you people do to each other.’ He cursed, disgusted.

  ‘Fine,’ Lily snapped and hurried to get ahead of him. ‘If you can’t stand us so much, then you shouldn’t have bothered getting me out of there.’

  She heard his growl of frustration as he caught her easily. His fingers wound into the strap of her bag and pulled her to a halt, turning her round to face him. ‘I wasn’t going to leave you there, was I?’

  Folding her arms, Lily looked out at the grey churning water, dangerously high against the Embankment wall. The traffic flooded past them on the other side, yellow lights beaming through the icy air. ‘I don’t know. You obviously think I’m a problem.’

  ‘You are!’

  They stood, not looking at each other, neither of them willing to move.

  Lily bit her lip. ‘You’re the one giving me magic marbles.’ She held up her wrist.

  He looked away. ‘It’s a talisman. It’s supposed to keep you safe from any Eldritche that might try to hurt you. But it buys you nothing in your world, and I didn’t realise you liked to put yourself in danger
quite so much.’ He bit out the words.

  ‘I told you I’m sorry!’

  ‘And it’s not a marble,’ he said hotly, ‘it’s rock crystal.’

  Lily looked at it on her wrist. ‘It’s lovely, thank you.’

  ‘It’s not meant to be lovely. It’s meant to save your life.’

  She tutted, batting that away and pushing her hands in her back pockets. ‘When you’ve quite finished sulking, the government offered my mother a job. When she was pregnant. She didn’t take it. Said their ethics weren’t clear. They were setting up some amazing new lab or something.’

  At the sulking comment, he’d straightened up and folded his arms, looming over her, but as she went on he became intrigued. ‘Where?’

  Lily shoved her hair back behind her ears, the talisman sparkling. ‘My father doesn’t know.’

  ‘He needs to think, then.’

  ‘I know! But how can I get it out of him? “Oh, by the way, Dad, I think Mum was abducted by the government, so let me ask you a million questions about things you say you don’t remember.” He’d think I’d lost the plot. And they could have moved ten times since then anyway.’

  ‘Did he say anything else?’

  She shrugged. ‘Only that she’d been abandoned as a baby. At Wood Street police station.’

  Regan looked at her sharply. ‘Wood Street? You’re sure? The one with the old St Alban church tower outside?’

  ‘Yes. That one.’ Lily looked up at him, anxious. ‘Why?’

  ‘That’s right by where Cripplegate used to stand. It was the oldest and strongest of the gates.’ He swore. ‘Perhaps she wasn’t left at the police station – perhaps she was left at the gate itself, for protection.

  She pushed her hands through her hair again. ‘What does it mean?’

  He shook his head. ‘I don’t know. Yet. Let me think. I’m missing something.’

  They turned into the Temple by the south gate and passed under the gatehouse. Lily pushed her hands into her pockets. ‘So Misrak and Delphine guard the water?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Like you guard the Wall?’

  ‘Sort of. Though they weren’t born to it like I was. But, like me, they’re in limbo. They’re desert legends, obviously, born to guard the tombs of the dead from grave-robbers, yet they’ve ended up on the bank of the Thames. So now they’re not of the earth, and not of the water, just like I’m a halfbreed.’

  They passed the porter’s box and walked up towards the flat.

  ‘I can go from here,’ Lily said.

  He shook his head.

  ‘You don’t trust me?’

  ‘No.’ Regan saw her to the door. ‘I want you to stay here. Stay safe. I’ll have enough trouble keeping myself alive tonight.’

  She fiddled with her keys. ‘Are you going out again? To the Wall?’

  Watching her, he nodded. Then he turned and walked to the stairs, making it down the first couple.

  ‘Wait!’

  He stopped and turned, just as the door to the flat opened. Her father stood in the doorway.

  ‘Dad, I just need a second.’

  Her father looked between her and Regan, but didn’t move.

  ‘Dad, just a second, please.’

  He left the door open and walked away into the flat.

  Lily crossed to the stairs and put her hand out, tugging the button on Regan’s coat. She ducked her head. ‘I really am sorry. Please don’t stay angry with me.’

  ‘Lily!’ her father shouted. ‘In here. Now.’

  She looked over her shoulder for a second. When she turned back, for the second time that day, Regan was gone.

  Lily closed the flat door and leant against it for a second. Then she came into the sitting room and put her bag down.

  ‘So. I’m hoping Regan didn’t have anything to do with you chasing to east London to take on a bunch of men who traffic young girls,’ her father said. He was sitting at the counter with a glass of wine, which was not standard behaviour.

  ‘No,’ said Lily meekly. ‘The opposite. He’s furious with me. And he came and brought me home, if you want to know.’

  Her father sighed, turning the base of his glass. ‘I’m not sure I do, to be honest. I don’t think I’m ready for you to rely on someone else before me yet. Or this quickly.’

  ‘I wasn’t relying on him!’ Lily protested. ‘He . . . I can’t explain. It’s stupid.’

  ‘The stupid thing, Lily, is you walking into the dragon’s lair on your own.’

  ‘It’s not a dragon’s lair. I wouldn’t walk into one of those on my own,’ she said, imagining a smoking drain off Bishopsgate.

  Her father looked at her sternly. ‘But you did. Detective Evans said you were there alone. You know what these men are. You know . . .’ He put a hand over his face.

  Lily took a breath, but didn’t answer.

  He got up. ‘Look, well done for finding him. But never do it again. Ever. Do you understand?’

  She nodded.

  He rubbed her hair, then the side of her face, with the back of his hand. ‘You’re too precious. And obviously not just to me.’

  She pushed his hand away. ‘Don’t overreact, Dad. And he’s just mad at me for being an idiot.’

  ‘Lily, I may be out of the loop with relationships, but I know what people look like when they’ve been worried sick about someone they care about.’ He shook his head. ‘I have to work.’

  He went into his office. Lily pulled off her jacket and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs, letting her head drop on to the back. Her thoughts skipped back over the day and her skin crawled again. Feeling filthy, she got up and took a shower.

  Back in the kitchen she worked through the hard copies of the medic’s emails. He had been thorough in his observations, and it was clear that he thought Mona was an important find. Lily opened her computer and searched for as much detail as she could about Mona’s father. Most of it had to be translated, and came out fairly mangled on the other side, so that it just seemed like rubbish. There was a lot of stuff about regeneration, or maybe reincarnation. It was hard to tell. Lily pursed her lips, then remembered something. Snakeskin. His hand – the agent’s hand. And the bruise.

  She tugged up her sleeve. The bruise was clearer and more vivid than ever. It’s snakeskin.

  Not for the first time, Lily cursed the fact that Regan didn’t have a phone. Then a thought struck her. Her fingers hovered over the keys . . . Halfbreed. London. London Wall. Guardian. She scowled at the fruitless search results, then tried a few Boolean strings. Yes! Wait, no way . . . The Guardian, bringer of punishment, protector of the weak.

  The telephone in her father’s office rang. She glanced at the time on her computer. It was almost ten. She frowned.

  ‘I’ll be there,’ Lily heard her father say. She looked up as he came out of the study. ‘I’ve got to go to Heathrow. Border Control want me.’

  ‘Again?’ Lily sighed. ‘Isn’t there someone else who can do it? You look tired.’

  ‘I am tired. Worn out from worrying about you today,’ he said, pulling on his coat and putting things in his briefcase.

  Lily got up. ‘Sorry,’ she said again.

  ‘Hmn.’ He nodded.

  She handed him the tie that was discarded on the back of the sofa.

  ‘Thank you. Don’t stay up late. I’ll see you in the morning.’

  ‘Dad?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Mum—’

  He looked at her, sad. ‘Don’t dig through this, Lily. I want to save you the years of unhappiness I’ve had.’

  She summoned a smile. ‘Night, then, Dad.’

  ‘Night.’ The door closed behind him.

  Lily turned the television on and checked her emails. There was one from her best friend, Sam, asking if she wanted to meet up the following day. Sam was also bringing half the year with her on a trip to St Paul’s. Lily bit her cheek, fingers hovering over the keys, then hit ‘reply’.

  I’ve kind of got
something on.

  It only took another second for Sam to email back.

  What? Chat. Now.

  Lily signed in, regretting having not made something up. Sam was already online.

  lilyh: Hi.

  Samsays: Hi. Tell me u’ve met someone . . .

  lilyh: Sort of.

  Samsays: OMG. Sum1 finally meets Lily Hilyard’s standards?

  lilyh: V funny.

  Samsays: :) Go on then!

  lilyh: Not much 2 tell.

  Samsays: Where? When? How old? Guy? Girl?

  Lily laughed as she typed a reply: Guy.

  Samsays: Just checking. ;-) Has Ed met him?

  lilyh: Yes. Embarrassing much? He wants him 2 come 4 dinner.

  Samsays: Excellent. Name?

  lilyh: Regan.

  Samsays: Cool! Photo?

  lilyh: No.

  Samsays: Take 1 and SEND IT. Sleeping with him?

  lilyh: Stop it or I’m going!!! Dad’s bad enough.

  Samsays: I’m ur best friend, U R spsd to be able to talk 2 me about EVERYTHING, u idiot.

  lilyh: We r NOT talking about that.

  Samsays: I’ll take THAT as a YES then. :)

  lilyh: Can we change the subject?

  Samsays: Can I meet him?

  lilyh: He’s kind of private.

  Samsays: Just like u then. Mum wants me to help her downstairs. Got 2 go. SO EXCITED. LOVE U. XOX

  Sam disconnected without waiting for a reply. Lily breathed a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. Perhaps I should have just dropped it into the conversation that he’s not human. But then again . . .

  Her phone chimed, informing her of a voicemail. Reception was often hopeless in the flat. She tugged it from her jacket and looked at it; it wasn’t a number she recognised. She touched the screen.

  ‘It’s me. Meet me on Blackfriars Bridge when you get this.’

  Regan? But he hates phones. Lily listened to the message again. It was awkward and stilted. She got to her feet and grabbed her keys. He doesn’t have a telephone. She listened to the message again. Maybe he’s sorry he was angry. Maybe he’s not okay, like last night.

  She let herself out of the flat. It only took ten minutes to reach Blackfriars Bridge, but when she got there it was empty. A truck grumbled past, heading towards Smithfield Market. Lily checked her watch. Almost eleven.