She watched helplessly as Marat whacked his fist into the side of Isabella’s head and she went stumbling down. Jake flew at Marat, trying to protect her, but the stocky little man turned with shocking fluidity, ducked and then slammed his fist into Jake’s jaw. The American boy went down like a stone, and Marat smirked. A few metres away Richard was doing his damnedest to lash out at Katerina, but she and her mother, fierce with joy, overwhelmed him with blows.
Ranjit gripped Cassie’s arms, trying to wrench her free from the Eldest’s hold; his hands hissed with green smoke where they touched her skin, and at last he gave a cry of pain and fell back. Cassie’s eyes met his, and he shook his head in despair. Beside him Richard had been struck to the ground, and Ranjit rolled over and sprang up to defend him just as Brigitte moved in for a killing blow.
I … don’t want … to die, Cassandra!
Me either, Estelle.
And she didn’t want her friends to die, either. All the power inside her, and she couldn’t save her friends. All that power …
Not all, my dear!
Estelle …
Oh, my darling Cassandra! You haven’t got a choice any more. We haven’t got a choice! It’s the end if you don’t. For all of us.
Cassie shut her eyes tight, then, gritting her teeth, she blinked back the despair that had threatened to overwhelm her. She knew what she had to do – had to try, it was the only way…
Come on then, Estelle. COME IN!
For … once and for … all, my dear?
YES!
Cassie’s head was flung back with the impact of the spirit entering her. Eyes wide, she stared at the writhing cavern ceiling, feeling the blissful power of the whole spirit slamming into her veins, racing like a fizzing tide.
Yes!
Cassie gave a howl of ecstasy, realising that she was free, able to move again, able to shout. Energy poured back into her limbs, and the pain was gone as if Estelle had turned a switch. Cassie’s mind felt bright and clear and piercing, and power pulsed in her chest. Around and inside her there was a horrible screeching, but she knew it wasn’t coming from her. It was coming from the eldritch green glow, the light of the Eldest.
‘GET AWAY FROM US!’ she screamed.
Then, abruptly, the beam of light snapped, twitching and vanishing from around her. Cassie felt a single piercing explosion of relief and triumph.
And then she crumpled to the floor.
Ranjit saw her fall. With one last savage slash at Katerina, he turned and rushed to Cassie’s side. Despite her feeling of utter strength just moments ago, it was clearly short-lived. Estelle’s spirit-power was hugely drained, and now Cassie’s breath was coming in ragged gasps, her muscles now as weak as a month-old kitten’s, but she managed to croak, ‘No, Ranjit. Stop her—’
Too late. Katerina had darted to Sir Alric and now she gripped his hair and yanked his head back. His eyes were filmy and blurred, and blood trickled thickly from his nostrils.
There was too much blood on Ranjit’s face, too, and though his teeth were bared in fury, the scarlet taint of his eyes was fading with exhaustion. He managed to get his arms around Cassie and help her stumble on to all fours.
‘No,’ she gasped.
The swirling light around the Urn was intensifying again. There was a roaring in her ears now, from the strange pulsating light above them all and from her own brain. Under its intense dazzle, Brigitte kicked the defeated Richard aside and paced to Sir Alric’s chained form. She slammed her fist into his face, and blood spattered her.
‘And now,’ she said with a hiss of contempt, turning to Katerina but still gripping Sir Alric’s hair. ‘Now, my daughter. We’ll finish this.’
‘Don’t do it!’ yelled Ranjit. ‘You don’t know what you’re doing!’
‘Of course we do! You stupid, weak fools!’ Brigitte’s voice seared Cassie’s brain. ‘There’s nothing you can do! The Eldest will feed on you all! Give in to him now and maybe it won’t be such utter torture!’
Her daughter screamed with laughter. ‘Mother! He’ll like it more if it hurts them!’
Brigitte joined in the howls of hilarity, and even Marat behind them was cracking a smile. Viciously, the older woman grinned at Cassie and Ranjit, and grabbed Sir Alric’s hair as Katerina let it go.
‘You haven’t got away with it, Bell. Fear not, once Darke’s spirit is consumed and the Eldest has his body as a host, you will be next. I’m so glad we didn’t kill you at Gedi!’
‘Leave him alone!’ yelled Cassie.
‘Oh? Leave him alone?’ Katerina shrieked, almost hysterical now. ‘He’s the most powerful Few we could get our hands on, you stupid bitch! When he’s fed on Darke’s spirit, the Eldest will be unbeatable! Of course we’re not going to leave him alone!’ The blonde girl doubled over with crazed laughter, then reached up and whipped the Pendant from its place beside the Urn.
It swung from Katerina’s hand, glinting with a brilliance that jade shouldn’t possess. As it steadied and stilled, Katerina brandished the Pendant above Sir Alric’s wrenched-back head. His mouth opened in a scream that never sounded. Cassie watched in horror as a faint white light began to spiral out from between his lips – they were drawing his spirit out using the ancient artefact. It drifted, grew denser, curled up into the dank air towards the intensifying light of the Eldest hovering above the Urn. Sir Alric began to struggle, but Brigitte held firm.