In that moment, the empty space where the Night Walker had been was suddenly occupied. Astonishingly, Church realised he was looking at Ruth, her face anxious, fearful, but with a rising note of triumph.
The Night Walker turned at speed to rush back to the Wish-Hex. Church didn't even think. He drove his sword into the base of its skull, cleaving the beast's head in two. And then when it hit the floor, he waited for a second before splattering the Caraprix the moment it left the corpse.
A cry rose up from the assembled Tuatha De Danann-not just triumph, but also gratitude, directed at him, and Ruth. Directed at Fragile Creatures.
He threw his steaming sword to one side and rushed over to Ruth, throwing his arm around her waist.
'Well, aren't you Mr. Testosterone.' She held her head back from him, grinning. 'See, even the sensitive ones can't wait to let it out.'
'What was that all about? How did you do that? Where did you come from?'
'I am a woman of many talents and great fortitude and you are very, very lucky to have me.'
While the Tuatha lle Danann tended to Manannan's wounds, feeding him the strange drink Ruth and Church had sampled earlier, the two of them sat next to the window where they could watch the storm.
'It was something the familiar taught me,' she said as she cupped his hand loosely between hers. 'To avoid being seen in plain sight. But you can't keep it up for long, and it doesn't really work if anyone is actively looking for you, but-'
'How much more have you got in your bag of tricks?'
'I don't really know.' She fixed an eye on him. 'What's the matter? Scared?'
'Should I be?'
'I'ni scared.'
'That's understandable-it's powerful stuff. But Cernunnos and his partner wouldn't have invested it in you if they didn't trust you to do a good job with it.'
This comforted her a little. 'We're all becoming something, aren't we?'
'I think we're achieving the potential we always had. I think everybody has great potential, but necessity is the greatest motivator for discovering it.'
'Stop it. You're starting to sound like an optimist.' She smiled shyly. 'I was worried about you.'
He gave her hand a squeeze. 'It's made things worse.'
'What do you mean?'
'Before, I had only myself to worry about, and let's face it, I didn't worry too much. Now I can't stop worrying about you. All the time.'
'You're saying that's too much of a price to pay?'
'No. I'm saying it's given me even more of an impetus to find some way out of this mess so we can get back to our lives.' He felt a deep yearning for the normality he had once taken for granted. 'I want to lie in bed on Sunday morning with you, wander out for a lazy lunch. I want to feel what it's like just to do nothing with someone you love.'
She looked surprised. 'Do you love me?'
'Yes.' And he realised in that moment, for the first time, that he truly did, and that it was a feeling as potent as he had had for Marianne.
'Brother and Sister of Dragons.' The interruption came from Baccharus, who was bowing formally. 'The Master requests your presence.'
'Oh, we're back to requests, are we?' Ruth said under her breath. From the colour of her cheeks and the brightness in her eyes, Church could tell he had touched her deeply.
Baccharus led them to Manannan who rested in a large, high-backed chair. The light no longer broke out of his form, but his face had a weary cast. Even so, he brightened perceptibly when he laid eyes on Church and Ruth. It was strange to see any emotion on that normally impassive face, never mind something as subtle and human as gratitude.
'Brother and Sister of Dragons, you have my thanks for the part you have played this day. Amongst the Golden Ones there is a hard-held belief that we are the pinnacle of creation, a part of the fundament of existence. And with that belief is the certain knowledge that all other creatures lie beneath us. Some would argue this is reason enough to treat all other races with contempt. They are beasts of the field, and we are shepherds. But you have shown this day that Fragile Creatures are not so fragile, that you have the facility to climb the ladder of existence, even to rub shoulders with the Golden Ones. The signs are true. No more the centre path. This is my belief. And I mark it with this.' Manannan beckoned them forward, then gently took their hands in turn. His fingers felt like cold light; insubstantial, ghostly. There were faint sounds of surprise from some of the gathered gods, but when Manannan levelled his heavy gaze slowly around the room, the murmurings died away sharply.
'You will have my support in your undertaking, Brother and Sister of Dragons. My voice carries weight. The Golden Ones shall heed your call. This is the day the seasons have turned once more. This is the time. The Night Walkers shall be cleansed from existence.'
He spoke with such authority, Church almost believed him.
Chapter Thirteen
This is crazy! We can't sit here forever!' Laura hurled the empty baked beans tin across the warehouse.
The Bone Inspector winced at the clattering echoes bouncing around the vast, empty space. 'What do you suggest, then? Going out there and asking them nicely if you can go home?' He snorted contemptuously, wiping the bean juice from his mouth with the back of his hand.
Laura paced around the embers of the fire, her irritation turning to curiosity at the unfamiliar emotions growing inside her. For months she had been arguing with the others about running away from their obligations; now she couldn't do it even if she wanted. 'The responsibility's on us to find a way out,' she said firmly. She realised the Bone Inspector was watching her with a strange expression. 'What?'
'Nothing.' He slurped some more beans. 'I always thought you were the weak link who'd bring everything down.'
'You and me both.' She wandered over to one of the dirty windows. Smearing a patch clear, she watched the Fomorii scurrying along the banks of the Thames as they went about their mysterious tasks. The view was sickening, but strangely hypnotic. In another moment or two, though, another notion began to creep in. She turned to the Bone Inspector with a confident smile and said, 'Okay, here's the plan.'
The river had the dank, sour smell of rotting vegetation. Under the night sky, the water looked almost black as it lapped languidly against the creaking wharves. A hint of frost sparkled all around; it was the coldest night so far. Laura lay on the sodden boards and held out a hand so the Bone Inspector could steady himself. It had taken them three hours to find something they could use. The boat was holed and filled with a couple of inches of water; it looked like it had been abandoned for months. But it was big enough for them to lie in the bottom while it drifted in the strong currents out of the city and towards the sea.
After ten minutes of splashing and cursing, the Bone Inspector finished plugging the hole with the oily rags they had brought from the warehouse.
'Do you think it'll hold? I don't fancy swimming in this weather.'
'How should I know?' he snapped. 'I'm not a shipwright.'
'No. What you are is-'
'Just get in the boat.'
She lowered herself down to the tiny pebbly beach where plastic bottles and old ropes formed a trail along the water line. She was still amazed they had managed to avoid the Fomorii. They had encountered several large groups of them moving silently through the dark streets, but had always had time to find cover. She hoped it was a sign luck was on their side.
Once they had baled out as much as they could, they pushed the boat out into the freezing shallows, then jumped aboard. Water had already started to trickle into the bottom.
