Demon Heart (The Darkworld Series Book 3) (22 page)

“If you help us, I will of course grant you an audience with Madame Persephone.”

No way.
Was she blackmailing me?

I wished someone else was here to support me. Alone―David just stood there, looking uncomfortable―I had no clue how to negotiate with these people. I wasn’t about to risk my life if there was no need.

But if the demon did come here, we could all be in danger.

“I will give you some time to consider, if that is what you wish.”

I found myself nodding. “Okay.”

“We will be meeting outside in the cemetery at sundown to prepare. If you join us, I and my colleagues will be most grateful.”

“They must be mad,” said Claudia. “We aren’t their warriors. It’s ridiculous.”

“But what if Jude really does attack?” I said. “He won’t stop here. The university’ll be next.”

“You’re talking like he has an army. For all we know, he’s just planning to break in to steal something again.”

“We can’t be sure,” I said. We’d called an emergency meeting in the Games Room, and so far, the group’s reaction had been exactly as I’d predicted.

“That’s exactly the problem,” said Cyrus, who’d brought his laptop with him and was typing away on his essay. “We don’t know what we’re up against, and it’s not much of a reassurance that the Venantium don’t either.”

“Well,
I’m
having nothing to do with it,” said Berenice. “What’re they planning to do if we get killed? What the hell do they plan to tell our families?”

“Good point,” said Claudia. “My parents would never let me go into a fight on their behalf.”

“No one to stop me,” said Howard. “I’ve been itching for a fight.”

“Howard, you nearly got
killed
last week,” said Claudia, shaking her head.

“All the more reason to kick some ass.”

“This is more than we normally deal with,” said Cyrus. “Ash, what would your parents think if the Venantium had to tell them you’d gotten yourself killed? They don’t even know about your connection to the Darkworld, do they?”

“I…” There it was again. That strange headachy feeling, like someone had slammed a blunt instrument into the back of my head. I tried to imagine my… parents’… reaction, and the image slipped away before I could grasp it.

Cyrus must have interpreted my expression as shock at his words. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but you have to know what you’re getting into. Howard, Leo, and I haven’t got any family ties, but you―”

“My parents are still alive, thank you very much,” Howard snapped. “Why wouldn’t the
venators
let me fight for them in exchange for getting to see
my parents
again?”

Sensing the danger, Claudia said, “I don’t know―none of us know how their minds work. They just wanted to get Ash on their side.”

“It’s always her,” said Berenice. “Again. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Berenice, give it a rest,” said Claudia. “Ash, you’re going to say no, aren’t you?”

“I… I guess so.” But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I’d overlooked something crucial. It was a familiar feeling, but I couldn’t put my finger on the source. She was right, though.
It’s not our fight.

ended up agreeing to Claudia’s suggestion that we go for a drink at the Coach and Horses in town that evening―that way we’d be in a position to help if anything
did
happen. But judging by the way the others kept glancing uneasily at the door every time someone came in, I could tell they wondered if Jude would come in and order a beer.

Leo stared absently into his pint glass. Howard perched restlessly on the edge of his seat, tapping his feet against the table and making it shudder. Even Cyrus looked nervous, and Claudia’s feverish texting betrayed her anxiety. I had no idea who she texted, since we were all here. Except for Berenice, who’d stalked off, back to campus, refusing to be involved in this.

“He can’t break past the barrier,” said Cyrus, reasonably. “He won’t come here.”

“I wouldn’t put anything past him,” said Leo. “He was a murderer and a monster even before he was possessed.”

Suddenly, Claudia jumped to her feet and squeezed past Howard to the door.

“Claudia, where are you going?”

“To find Berenice. She isn’t answering her phone.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, not now,” said Cyrus, half rising from his seat.

Howard said nothing but continued to tap his foot on the table, over and over again.

“I’ll go with you,” I said. Anything was better than sitting still and waiting. I joined her by the door. “What’s up with Berenice, then? Apart from the obvious.”

“Howard, of course,” said Claudia, with a glance back through the pub door. “She was really ticked off that he ignored her at the last meeting. He’s been dodging her all week. They’re like a couple of kids who’ve fallen out.”

“So where’s she wandered off to?”

“She’s just being melodramatic. We’ll probably find her in the pub across the street.”

“This is stupid. Is now really the time for her selfishness?”

“You know what she’s like―shit.”

We narrowly dodged aside as a motorbike roared past, leaving a trail of oil. Under his safety helmet, I recognised the rider as David.

“Forgot about that thing,” said Claudia. “Is something kicking off?”

“No, he’s just roaring around and being a nuisance,” said a voice.

Claudia jumped. “Berenice! There you are.”

Berenice glared at her with red-rimmed eyes. “Yeah, here I am. What?”

“We were worried about you.”

“I’ll bet she was.” Berenice looked at me like I was some disgusting insect she’d caught in her room. “Looking for a chance to rub it in, more like.”

“Rub what in?” I said blankly.

“You always have to have the last word, don’t you? You aren’t content with parading your love affair with Leo around, you have to have answers to everything. I know who the fortune-teller is! I know who Lucifer is! I can run circles around freaking
Mephistopheles.
”

“Honestly, Berenice, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” I said. “Leo’s my boyfriend, and we’ve not been rubbing it in anyone’s face. Just
talk
to Howard if that’s what your problem is.”

“He’s not the talking type. And it’s none of your business.”

To my astonishment, I saw tears hovering on the edge of her mascara-lined eyes. She blinked furiously.

“Berenice, you should talk to him,” said Claudia. “There’s absolutely no reason to get mad at Ash. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Yeah, she’s the pure and innocent one, I get it.”

“Pure and innocent?” I said. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“Berenice, you’re talking crap,” said Claudia, shaking her head. “Talk to Howard. Tell him how you feel. Save me from having to make this lame speech.”

“Same here,” I said. “My life is
not
perfect. We’re facing the same enemy here―”

“You think,” said Berenice. “You don’t have a fucking clue.”

Ice shot up my arms, like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. The chill of the Darkworld crept along my skin.

“What’s happening?” said Claudia, rubbing her arms.

“Trouble,” said Cyrus, who’d just come up behind us with Leo and Howard.

Leo inched closer to me, looking about. The street appeared normal. A student bar crawl―by the looks of things, a movie character-themed one―walked past, singing loudly. Groups of locals and students congregated around the pubs, whose doors lay open, welcoming. I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but with every second that passed, it became colder. The others wore expressions ranging from confused to―in Berenice’s case―terrified.

Then the howling started. It made the hairs rise on my arms, sounding like a cross between the keening of an injured animal and the cry of a wild dog. I looked around, meeting the others’ panicked eyes. But the other people on the streets carried on as normal. Only we could hear it.

What the hell is that?

“Town square,” muttered Cyrus. “C’mon.”

We walked swiftly across the square and down the alleyway beside the Art Gallery. If I hadn’t known something was wrong the instant I felt the Darkworld close around us, I’d definitely know it now. The Venantium no longer guarded the cemetery. Which meant…

A motorbike roared past, kicking up dust.

“What the hell’s going on?” Claudia shouted after it.

The bike halted, engine shuddering, and David lifted his helmet. “They’re―there are shadow-beasts loose in Redthorne. It was a false alarm.”

Dread sank its claws into me.

“Then what’re you still doing here?” Claudia demanded.

“No one told me what was happening. I was guarding―I was guarding
her.
Madame Persephone. She told us about the attack.”

“And you’re leaving her there?” I said.

“I don’t have a choice!” David cast one last desperate look around and drove away.

“Shit,” said Claudia. “Must be bad if they left their Headquarters like that. Is it even still guarded?”

“Course it will be,” said Leo. “Their defences still work. Jude can’t get into the town again now he’s possessed.”

“They fell for his trick pretty easily,” said Claudia. “Makes me suspicious.”

“I agree,” said Cyrus.

“What the hell’s that
noise
?” I said, as the howling struck up again.

“Shadow-beasts,” said Leo. “Must be an army. Most people can’t see them, but… shit, he’s really set shadow-beasts loose on Redthorne?”

“That noise isn’t coming from Redthorne,” I said. “It’s too close.”

Leo looked at me. “Huh? Sounds pretty distant to me. Maybe the Darkworld’s amplified it.”

“No…” I said, wincing as another howl assailed my ears. “Sounds more like it’s coming from that direction…”

I pointed at the dark mass of trees that marked the forest behind the cemetery.

“Want to check it out?” said Claudia. “I don’t think we’d get to Redthorne on time to be any use.”

“You’re fucking kidding, right?” said Berenice, whose face had gone the colour of off milk. “You want us to go into the forest? Forget it. You think you’re invincible, you go right ahead. Leave the rest of us mere mortals back here.”

“Stop that,” I snapped. “I’m not forcing anyone to do anything.”