“The car, if you please,” saidMordred.
Bill and Arthur jumped into the backand locked the doors behind them. They looked out of the window and saw the doglapping up the blood from the large bowl. Mordred got in the front of the carand took off the Marigolds, turning them inside out so they wouldn’t drip onthe upholstery. Stoop got to his feet and appeared at the window, still glaredat Bill. He raised both fists, ready to punch the glass, but the car glidedsilently away. The boys sat back in their seats, shocked but very relieved.Bill looked down at his stomach and could see only a bloody mess. He turned toArthur to say something but as his mouth moved to form the words he closed hiseyes and fell unconscious.
*
LordPercy had Lilith in his arms. She was smiling, with her head back, exposing herpale slender neck. The wound was still open and a thin trickle of blood wasrunning down her neck and on to her chest. Ophelia had backed away into acorner, watching with frightened eyes.
“Don’t you dare touch that girl!”exclaimed the Professor, moving forward, tottering slightly on her stick. Sheknew she was weak, no match for this tall powerfully built creature, but shehad to do something.
Lord Percy turned his head and lookeddirectly into the Professor’s eyes. Her heart was pounding and she wastrembling all over as she looked at a face that was shaped more like a goatthan a man – with white skin webbed with veins and fierce yellow eyes.
“You will sleep,” he said.
“Oh no you don’t!” said the Professorgritting her teeth. “You’re not doing the Dormientes incantation on me.”
“You will sleep,” he said again.
The Professor crashed onto to thefloor, face down, banging her head. She was fast asleep.
Lord Percy turned towards Lilith andwas about to taste her blood... but stopped. He looked up into the distance,like he was listening out for something. Then his face changed from embitteredrage to anguish.
“Vita Dantis! Oh gloriousliquid! How it saves my life!” he said, releasing Lilith. “The voice, thatdreadful voice of evil, has been silenced.”
He went and sat down on one of thestone steps leading up to the altar, with the girls watching him closely. Theycould see that the fevered flush had vanished from his cheeks, leaving thempale and glowing. His eyes, which were dark and handsome, now seemed even moreappealing. He looked tired and despondent, and the girls wanted more thananything to comfort him.
He looked up and gave them anapologetic look. “I am most terribly sorry for such egregious behaviour. Youladies have been most gracious and I have acted ignobly.”
The girls smiled at him vacantly, notreally knowing what he was talking about. They knew he’d done something,but couldn’t quite put their finger on what it was. For some strange reasontheir recollection of the last few minutes was very vague.
“You are so polite,” saidLilith. “I’m sure whatever you think you did was nothing really.”
“A mere faux pas,” said Opheliawith a giggle.
“I am grateful to your sleeping ladyfriend.”
“The Vita Dantis worked?” saidOphelia, vaguely remembering what the Professor had done.
Percy cocked his head and lookedpuzzled. “This is a most interesting phenomenon. Ladies, say I am mad but I canfeel my hound’s thoughts. How this is possible I do not comprehend, butI know his actions as surely as if I were the dog myself. He is eating fleshand drinking blood.”
The girls looked at each other.
“You don’t mean Bill?”
“Who else? My faithful hound must havecaught the boy. The Apostles will not have me killed again.”
Ophelia’s stomach sank. She thought ofBill and felt horribly guilty. He was just an innocent kid and they’d trickedhim. She felt awful about bringing him to the church, about Lilith stabbinghim. He didn’t deserve to get his throat ripped out by some stupid dog. Maybehe wouldn’t have come if she’d not led him on. She was starting to have seriousdoubts about being a witch.
Professor Jareth woke up with a suddenand desperate gasp for breath. Her forehead ached terribly and she felt a sorelump above her left eye. It took a few moments to realise where she was, butthen she remembered Lilith being pulled towards that terrible creature’swaiting, eager mouth.
“Don’t touch that girl!” she said toLord Percy.
The beast she’d seen earlier hadvanished. He was back to looking almost human, with only yellow eyes and ashimmering halo to betray his Arddhu state.
“It’s cool prof,” said Ophelia.
The Professor looked suspiciously atthe girls but could see they were unharmed. She breathed a sigh of relief. Thedose of Vita Dantis she gave him must have worked after all. She guessedit may act differently on the resurrected.
The girls helped the Professor to herfeet. She hobbled over to her metal box of wires and pipes and picked it up offthe church floor, examining it closely for damage. She cursed Lord Percy forthrowing it over the altar. After she’s switched it on and off and felt sure itwas still working, she placed it carefully into her black bag. She picked upthe small ebony box and looked inside. The delicate glass phials were stillintact, so she also put this into her black bag and clutched it tightly.
A look of tired desperation showed onthe Professor’s face. “You must have this bag, to keep you sane,” she muttered.It meant she now had to going back to the foul place to get some more VitaDantis and another Hex Box, if she was to remain sane. She turnedand glared at Lord Percy. “What the hell are we going to do with you? Do youeven know where you are?”
“I’m afraid, dear lady, you have me ata disadvantage. I seem to be inside some sort of church.”
She turned to girls and scowled.“He’ll be totally unable to cope in the modern world. He’s homeless, pennilessand without friends or family. You didn’t think of that before bringing himback, did you?”
Ophelia and Lilith stared adoringly atLord Percy. “We’ll take care of him.” Both girls glared at the Professor in
