“It doesn’t make me feel much better.”
“Carry on with translating those rubbings, we need to know as much as we can about that first expedition. I’ll settle Erin at home then come over. Won’t be more than a couple of hours.”
“Call me if you need me,” said Faustus.
“Likewise.” She hung up and walked over to Erin. “How are you feeling?”
The look in Erin’s eyes was both angry and frightened. “Like shit, Billi. Like total and utter shit. All these years I thought I was going mad. I thought I was mad. And they’re real? These things in the cemetery?”
“The world’s not what you know, Erin. There’s a war going on. We call it the Bataille Tenebreuse. We’ve been fighting it for centuries.”
“We? You mean the Knights Templar? You expect me to believe that? This is all stuff of internet conspiracy theories. Do you know how insane you sound?”
“You want the world to make sense, Erin. Nice as that would be, and as comforting as that would be, it just doesn’t. There are things out there worse than what we came across in the cemetery. But I can help you beat them. And the man behind it all. Reginald FitzRoy.”
Erin’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
Billi put her arm around her. “Let’s get you home. Then I’ll explain everything.”
CHAPTER 21
Erin was calmer by the time they entered the kitchen. Familiar, safe surroundings had that effect, and Erin was tough. She’d been fighting battles for years, battles within her mind, and they’d given her a powerful resilience to bounce back from shock. Billi had to hand it to her. She was struggling, she was tense and twitchy, but she was keeping it together and that was more than most. Billi had seen plenty break down into hysterics, even catatonic fear, when the bad things had been revealed to them.
Billi filled up the kettle. Tea was always a good start to these conversations. “Where are the tea bags?”
“Tea bags? We don’t… let me,” Erin headed for the cabinets.
“No. You take it easy. I can make the tea.”
But Erin was already at work with the tea leaves, real proper imported from Darjeeling tea leaves, and the silver diffuser. “I can make the tea, Billi. You sit down.”
There was no arguing with her, so Billi did as she was told and sat herself on the sofa by the French doors. She needed to get her head in order. If she was going to tell Erin everything, she needed to make sure she had the story straight, even though the story itself sounded so insane. Especially since it was so insane.
Erin arranged the sugar bowl, saucers and delicate China teacups onto a silver tray. “The Knights Templar? Seriously? How long have you been with them?”
“A long time. My dad’s the grandmaster. The order was officially destroyed by the Inquisition in 1312, but a few of the brotherhood escaped to England. Been here ever since, fighting the good fight.”
Erin shook her head. “It all sounds totally crazy, but with what just happened, I have to believe it, don’t I?”
“I wanted to keep you out of it, Erin. I’m sorry.”
Erin’s shoulders sank and she leaned over the worktop, the kettle steaming. “Tell me the truth. Am I just some errand, some mission of yours?”
“You’re more than that, Erin.” It was the truth, just not the whole truth.
And Erin knew. The accusation was in her gaze, the sense of betrayal and the disappointment. She’d let Billi into her damaged life and this was her reward. Neither of them wanted to admit it, they both wanted the lie to remain, that she and Billi were close, that they could depend on each other and, maybe, there was more.
But there wasn’t. Billi didn’t know when she’d decided it, perhaps only now with Erin’s accusatory gaze, but after she’d dealt with Reggie that was it. She would be out of Erin’s life for good. Erin didn’t deserve to have her life tainted by her. Billi was damaged goods and Erin needed healing. She didn’t need friends like Billi.
She should stick to her own. Templars with Templars. The other squires were good enough company, weren’t they? So what if the only thing in their lives was the order, sometimes you didn’t get a choice in these things. Mixing with outsiders risked bringing harm to those outsiders and what real friend did that? The best show of friendship, of love even, was to leave Erin alone, for good.
Erin finished making the tea and put the tray down on the low coffee table. She pulled up a stool and sat opposite, despite the sofa being big enough for four. Billi got it. Erin didn’t want to be close to her. Fair enough, she couldn’t blame Erin for that. Billi picked up the cup. The aroma was light and peaceful. She sipped and her tastebuds tingled. It was time to come clean. “Your great-grandfather, Reginald FitzRoy, dabbled in the occult. He found out things during his time in Mesopotamia during the First World War that gave him, for the want of better words, magical powers. He joined a secret society called the Ouroboros. Like-minded men who were interested in finding the secrets of immortality.”
Erin’s eyes widened. “Immortality? For real? Is that even possible?”
“Yeah, and a lot more besides. But each path has its own unique dangers, and there is a high toll to travel it.” Billi refilled her cup from the teapot. “We believe that Reggie has found a way to cheat death, but he’s missing something. Something called the Vessel of the Anunnaki. We thought —”
“Hold on, hold on. We? You and the Templars? How many of you are there? Am I expecting an army to smash down my door in an hour?”
“Nine knights, a bunch of squires and we get help from… outside specialists,” said Billi. She’d
