Outside, Lahash jumped into the passenger seat and snapped directions at Aninka. Much to her chagrin, she felt excitement begin to fizz up through her mind and limbs. She pressed her foot hard against the accelerator.
‘Steady!’ Lahash said. ‘Don’t get done for speeding on the way there.’
They seemed to reach Black Lion Square too quickly. When Aninka turned into it, she could not remember any details of the journey there. The square was empty, street-lamps shedding inadequate light. Aninka drove right up to the door of the Assembly Rooms and turned off the engine.
Lahash had Daniel’s keys in his hand as he got out of the car. ‘Don’t lock it,’ he said, as Aninka pointed the car keys to activate the locking system.
Aninka realised he was concerned they might need to get away quickly.
The front doors looked as if they hadn’t been opened for years. There was only a large keyhole, which could not be unlocked with any of the small keys they had taken from Daniel. Lahash went to investigate the side alley, Aninka following. When they found the door, Lahash started experimenting with the keys.
‘This place is enormous,’ Aninka said in a whisper. ‘He could be anywhere inside.’
‘Don’t come with me if you’re afraid,’ Lahash answered, and the door clicked open onto darkness. ‘Ladies first?’
Knowing he wanted her to decline, Aninka took her courage in her hands and walked through the door. Lahash made a quiet, approving sound and followed her.
Neither of them perceived the shadowy shapes standing motionless in the alley behind them.
Emma was arguing with Shem again. She had already imparted the information that Daniel and Lily had gone out; a circumstance of which she disapproved. Predictably, Shemyaza appeared to have no interest in the matter. He sat listening to her complaints with a pained expression on his face. ‘Why are you telling me this? What do you expect me to do?’ His hands curved on the air, parting the wreath of smoke from Emma’s cigarette.
‘We must move on soon,’ Emma said. There, she had voiced it, though she would give him no reasons. If she told Shem about how her nerves were jumping, how she was feeling increasingly edgy, he would only smile.
Shem looked up at her. ‘Go where you like.’
She ignored this remark. ‘Perhaps we could go abroad. You must know of other Grigori haunts.’
Shem shrugged, and even opened his mouth to speak, but Emma silenced him with a raised hand. ‘Sssh! What was that?’
He put his head on one side. ‘What was what?’
‘A noise!’
‘This place is crawling with noises. Sit down, Emma. Have some wine.’ He was happy to let her play the role of guardian. All evening, he’d been aware of a sense of approach, and knew that people were coming for him. Since the dream of Ishtahar, it had been inevitable. He had let the future into his life.
Emma ignored his knowing smile and slunk to the door, her body stooped and tense. She felt it would be futile to tell Shem of her suspicions. Ever since leaving Little Moor, she’d been nervous of pursuit, and now her instincts were screaming in her mind. She wanted to get into her car and drive, anywhere, but she could not do it alone. Her promise to Helen Winter bound her to Lily and Owen, and sweet Lily had decided to abscond for the evening. Shem and the others seemed so sluggish, indifferent to the dangers of their position. They should have left this place days ago.
She opened the door as quietly as possible and went out into the dim corridor beyond. All seemed normal, but her spinal cord flexed in its column; an irrefutable warning. She ground out her cigarette beneath the sole of her shoe and, one hand touching the wall, advanced cautiously down the corridor. Meagre light illumined the landing beyond. There was no sound.
She bumped into the stranger on the stairs. He seemed as surprised as she was, for he took a step back. He was dressed in a well-cut suit, fairish hair falling over his shoulders. His long white hand lay upon the banister, his nails long and curved, dark like eagle claws.
Neither spoke. Emma looked into the pale eyes of the stranger and saw only relentless purpose looking back. She knew it was pointless to try and converse with this creature. Now, she did not feel afraid or nervous.
With one expertly aimed kick, she sent the interloper plummeting down the stairs.
Pausing only to glance down and see him writhing and curling on the next landing, Emma retreated up the corridor. As she did so, she heard the sound of soft footsteps running up the stairs. Many of them. They were upon her before she could draw breath to call for Shem. Blond-haired, all of them. It seemed like there were a dozen of them, pushing her against the wall. They spoke in whispers to one another, in a language she did not know. She knew they would kill her. Claws raked her cheek, her throat. She felt the fabric of her dress tear. She tried to cry out, but one of them stuffed sharp-pointed fingers into her mouth, and the sound came out muffled, gurgling. She tried to kick, but her feet could not make contact with flesh. They were too quick, swarming round her like a multitude of tiny things; grouping and regrouping. Yet the impression of smallness was insane; every one of them was as tall as she was.
Then the night splintered into sound and light: a dull crack, a sulphurous flare. Emma’s assailants made a new noise, high and keening. They dropped to the floor and scurried back along the corridor on all fours, leaving her dazed and stiff with shock against the wall. She looked down and saw that one of them lay just beyond her feet, his angel face streaked with thin trails of blood. He was dead, shot through the brow.
The sound of gunfire came again, and again. Emma ran back up the corridor to Shem’s room. They must get out. Perhaps through the window.
She was surprised to find Shem on his feet, staring at the door. Not as apathetic as he liked to make out, then. She used her moment. ‘We have company. We have to escape. Now.’
It satisfied her to see the expression on his face change. Surely he wouldn’t simply sit there and wait for them? ‘Are you all right?’ he asked her.
She nodded tersely. ‘Yes. The window.’
He followed her across the room. ‘What happened?’
‘Some things came for me. Someone started shooting them. I don’t know who or why. We have to get out.’
They were on the second floor; a sheer wall dropped away from them. No time to gather possessions or even the rest of their party. Shem shook his head and laughed at Emma as she climbed up onto the sill, ducking beneath the looming sash. ‘Shem, I’m not joking. There are monsters out there!’ She experienced a thrill of emotional pain as she thought of Owen, sightless and vulnerable, sitting on his bed. Would they find him? Perhaps they would think he was Shem. That might give them some time. She hated herself for that thought. Lily and Daniel would have to look out for themselves as best they could.
‘Emma, calm down,’ Shem said. ‘They are no more monsters than I am.’
Emma ignored his remark. ‘I’ll probably break my leg,’ she said. ‘We have no choice but to jump.’
The door swung open before she could find the courage.
‘Don’t move!’
Emma looked up in alarm, expecting to see one of the blond things. A tall man stepped into the room, but his hair was very dark. He wore a raincoat, which hung open. He carried a gun. She thought she recognised him, but perhaps that was just because he was Grigori. There was no doubt about that.
Emma looked back at Shem. They could still make it through the window if they were quick, but Shem was standing with folded arms, staring placidly at the interloper. The gun did not appear to worry him.
The stranger moved towards them, his weapon held high. ‘Get back down, woman,’ he said. ‘If you jump, you’ll die, or a bullet might get you first.’
She hesitated, then Shem held out his arm and pulled her back into the room. His voice was calm, silky. ‘And who are you exactly? Might I ask what you want?’
‘We want you,’ said the man.
‘And who am I?’ Shem asked.
Emm
a wanted to laugh. Shem radiated power. It was obvious what he was.
The man did not lower the gun. ‘You are Shemyaza. I’ve been looking for you.’
‘I believe I have a cult following,’ Shem said dryly.
Outside the door, Aninka heard the exchange of words. It would take guts to enter the room. The familiarity of Pev’s voice came at her like a slap across the mouth. She felt afraid and nervous of seeing him, her heart was beating too fast. Her body and mind convulsed with the memories of grief and pointless love. For a moment, she considered running from the building, but even the thought of that was folly. She knew she had to see him again.
When she finally entered the room, everything seemed so still, as if time had slowed down.
He was there, beside the window, a woman standing against him. It was hard to believe she had actually found him now, but his presence was undeniable. He didn’t look that different. She could tell that he recognised her, but also that he wasn’t quite sure from where. The past, which meant so much to her, was clearly only partly remembered by him. Then he said her name, with some wonderment. ‘Aninka?’
Yes, she thought. I have hunted you down.
‘Pev,’ she answered, unable to call him anything else. She could hear the pain in her voice; it sounded small in the room. What could she say to him, this man who had nearly destroyed her?
The woman standing at Shemyaza’s side said, ‘You know her?’
Lahash gestured with his gun. ‘No time for introductions, get moving. They’ll be back soon. I only scattered them.’
At Lahash’s words, Shemyaza seemed to gather himself up. Perhaps it was the instinct to survive. ‘They? I sensed only the two of you!’ He towered like a reed of light in the room, shivering with power.
Aninka felt the hairs on her neck raise. He doesn’t have to go with anyone if he doesn’t want to... ‘They are weird people,’ she said. ‘Dangerous.’ She pointed at Emma’s scratched face and neck. ‘They had your friend.’
‘So?’ Shemyaza said. ‘What are they? The hounds of the Parzupheim? Insects! Why should I go anywhere with you?’
‘It would be best to,’ Aninka answered coolly. ‘At least you’ll be safe with us.’
‘Safe? You have no idea...’
‘I do,’ she said.
‘There’s a car outside,’ Lahash said. ‘Let’s go.’
Shemyaza would not move. ‘Where do you want to take me?’
‘Cornwall,’ Aninka said. ‘High Crag House. You’re expected.’ He won’t come with us, she thought. He’ll put up a fight, and Lahash might kill him.
‘Cornwall,’ Shemyaza echoed and tapped his lips with a forefinger thoughtfully.
He seemed amused, as if he was playing with them. Aninka suspected he was on the verge of complying with their request, but then Lahash decided to take action. Without warning, he leapt across the room and slammed Shemyaza against the wall. It was the kind of thing Aninka had feared might happen. She cried out in warning, yelled at Lahash to stand back.
Shemyaza uttered an indignant roar, and the room filled with a blaze of light. The woman beside him let out a stifled scream. Lahash was tossed backwards, to land in a heap at Aninka’s feet. She feared he was dead, but he uttered a shocked groan and rolled onto his side. It was a miracle the gun hadn’t gone off.
Shemyaza stood against the wall with his arms held high. His face was radiant with infernal power. His whole body emanated a spectral glow. Aninka swallowed reflexively. What stood before her now was more than a man, more than Grigori.
‘Stop this!’ she cried harshly. ‘You must come with us! My guardian, Enniel Prussoe, is a member of the Parzupheim. They only want to help you. They know what you are. So, it seems, does someone else. We want you alive, but others might want you dead. For your own sake, you must come with us!’ She was still unsure whether the creatures outside the room had been sent by Enniel or not, but felt she had to convince Shemyaza the Parzupheim would not harm him.
Shemyaza flexed his hands into fists and hissed. ‘To Cornwall?’ Sparks of light seemed to crackle in his hair.
Aninka nodded. ‘Yes. My guardian has a stronghold there. Nothing will be able to get to you.’
The room seemed to hold its breath, then Shemyaza relaxed a little and the glow faded from his eyes. He smiled affably and said, ‘All right.’
For a few moments, nobody said a word. Then Emma began to laugh, a sound tinged with hysteria.
It can’t be this easy, Aninka thought. Shemyaza now looked tired and thin, drained by the burst of energy he’d directed at his attacker. The light in the room had become dim, as if the bulbs had been sucked of power.
Lahash got gingerly to his feet and rubbed his arms as if they were numb. Shemyaza stared at him scornfully. ‘I said I’ll come with you. What are you waiting for?’
Aninka half expected another attack. ‘Well, let’s go then.’
They began to move towards the door, then Shemyaza hesitated. Here it comes, Aninka thought. He’ll back off again. But she was wrong.
‘Daniel...’ Shemyaza said. ‘The twins...’
‘Don’t worry,’ Aninka told him hurriedly. ‘Daniel’s with us. Once we get to my guardian, we’ll do what we can for your other companions.’ She still expected another excuse to emerge.
Shemyaza directed a single, penetrating glance at her. ‘You have been busy,’ he said coolly. ‘Lead on.’
Chapter Twelve
The Lord of Terrors
In a high room, opposite the Moses Assembly Rooms, Sofia awaited developments. She held a pair of night-sight binoculars to her face and behind her, two women in black stood like caryatids of stone. They were Serafim; Grigori warriors. The room was empty, an attic smelling of must. Spiritual presences, long enchained within the wood and stone of the building, clustered towards the light of Sofia’s soul, but she burned them away with her indifference. All her attention was focused on the building in front of her. Nearby, at strategic points, other Serafim waited in vehicles or on foot. The etheric Kerubim, savage Grigori predators, awaited Sofia’s summons, although she hoped she would not need them. All was prepared.
Half an hour before, Sofia had been ready to send in her people and use whatever method possible to entrap Shemyaza. Then, Lahash Murkaster’s car had drawn up on the road outside, and she’d recognised Enniel’s ward, Aninka. Had Enniel sent her? That was possible. Within the inner cabals of the Grigori, trust was virtually unknown. Enniel might suspect Sofia’s motives. She smiled. No, he wasn’t that clever. Othman had once been Aninka Prussoe’s lover. It seemed most likely that she had her own agenda. The scorned huntress. Her search for Othman, which had culminated in Little Moor, had ended in failure. Perhaps now, she aimed for success. Sofia sighed. Love and desire: what fatal arrows they were. She watched Aninka and Murkaster sniffing round the building opposite, and decided to observe what happened. She had no fear for Shemyaza’s life, confident that his power would protect him. Anyone else was expendable.
It was possible that Aninka and Murkaster might jeopardise her own plans, but she doubted it. Let them do the work for her. She could intercept them afterwards. Also, it seemed most likely Aninka’s involvement meant only that they intended to take the Anakim to Enniel.
Then Sofia’s skin had prickled a warning.
Across the road in the Assembly Rooms, something alien had manifested in the echoing, empty rooms and the bare, neglected stair-cases. Intruders. Sofia sensed them as chaotic forms. They were Grigori, but transformed, like Kerubim, into beings that were monstrous. They did not have the psychic feel of creatures that had been sent by the Parzupheim. Was some other faction acting without her sanction? Then, as more information poured into her mind, her teeth peeled back from her teeth in a grin. So, another of her protégés was making their presence felt. She recognised the intruders as Emim, and knew of only one person in this country who had recourse to such demons. She herself had helped him shape them. Fool! she thought. You think you can get
to him before I do?
She summoned one of the Serafim women. ‘Semili, please go and position yourself upon the roof of the Assembly Rooms. Await a message from me.’
The Seraf inclined her head and melted from the room like a half-seen shadow.
Sofia turned to the remaining aide. ‘Agnestis, go and start the car.’
Left alone, Sofia extended her finely tuned senses towards the building opposite. She could sense the black flame of Shemyaza, and the other bright points of light, which indicated the positions of living souls. He eclipsed them all. Her hands curled into fists. Murkaster, get him out now! Alien presences were slithering over the stairs, hanging from the rafters, dropping down like spores. They possessed a doorway of some kind, a portal that enabled them to travel between space and time. If Murkaster didn’t move quickly, he would be engulfed, and Sofia didn’t trust that the owner of the Emim could control them completely. Shemyaza might get damaged.
Movement alerted her. She saw Semili’s fluid shape flowing over the rooftops. The Seraf would gaze down chimneys, hang from eaves to peer into attic rooms. Sofia directed a message to her. What do you feel? What do you see?
I feel the presence of chaos, Mother, but I see nothing.
Wait, then. Sofia put down the binoculars, closed her eyes, and concentrated entirely with her mind on what was happening in the Assembly Rooms. She could sense argument and confusion, all enwrapped by the sinister presence of the others. Perhaps she should act overtly, call in the Kerubim, flood the building with them. Then, a spear of thought pierced her mind. Semili.