The creak of the wardrobe door made her start. Ruth turned to see the door opening of its own accord.
Ruth was gripped by a terrible dread. As the eerie movement of the door halted, she looked inside the wardrobe and saw not her clothes, but a deep, sucking darkness. Within the folds of the impenetrable gloom, something lurked. Ruth felt the inescapable gravity of the presence, the weight of its malign intent. It hungered for her.
The darkness bulged from the doorway, gaining shape and form. Ruth just had time to turn back to the giant before whatever was behind caught hold of her. Fear came down like night. She gripped onto the curtains, but was dragged back inexorably. Her eyes locked onto the giant’s, and she saw fear in them, too: for her.
The darkness pulled her back, and back, until she was sucked into the depths of the wardrobe. She felt the presence close behind her, its breath on the back of her neck.
Ruth had time for one final scream and then the wardrobe door slammed shut.
7
‘She’s not there. I’ve got an address for her flat.’ Laura marched down the path from the care home, Shavi and the Bone Inspector hurrying in her wake.
‘They gave out her address?’ Shavi said.
‘Not exactly.’
Laura paused as she neared the van. Someone leaned jauntily against it: long, dark hair, a grinning, charismatic face.
‘Who the fuck are you?’ Laura said.
‘Ryan Veitch,’ he replied. ‘Ring any bells?’
‘We were about to search for you,’ Shavi said.
‘And I’ve been searching for you.’
Veitch held out his hand. When Shavi took it he was surprised by the coldness of the grip.
‘Yeah,’ Veitch said. ‘I’m not all there.’ He held up his silver claw.
Shavi felt he should be remembering something, but it failed to surface.
‘See?’ Laura said bitterly. ‘I told you – he’s already lost a hand. Well, I’m too beautiful and sexy to give up any body parts.’
‘You’re right there, darlin’.’ Veitch held his arms wide and Laura gave him a tentative hug.
‘You don’t get any more until you get me drunk. I’m not a cheap date.’
‘How’d you find us?’ The Bone Inspector watched Veitch suspiciously.
Veitch tapped his nose. It’s a Brothers and Sisters of Dragons thing.’
‘We were looking for another of our group,’ Shavi said. ‘Ruth Gallagher?’
‘I know exactly where she is,’ Veitch said. ‘Come on – I’ll take you right to her.’
8
‘You don’t really expect me to get in there?’ Church stared with disgust into the ruby-red waters flowing out from under the Court of the Final Word.
‘I think you’re insane even to consider venturing inside. Given that, this is just a baby step.’ Tom smoked to make himself forget. He wouldn’t look in the direction of the court, which lay further along the valley floor.
‘It’s disgusting. I think I just saw some clots.’ The river gurgled and spat.
The sky was also the colour of an opened artery. The bloated red sun sinking behind the distant mountains cast the featureless landscape in hellish tones.
‘You’ve got time to turn back.’ Tom’s voice cracked, and Church glimpsed tears in his eyes.
‘You know I don’t have a choice—’
‘You always have a choice!’
‘Tom, this needs to be done. I have to reclaim the lamp. I need the strength it will give me to deal with what lies ahead. And if the gods in there are as bad as you say, we can’t leave the Pendragon Spirit in their hands.’
Tom finished his smoke and stamped the butt underfoot. ‘Don’t forget, the one you need to watch out for is Dian Cecht. It’s his court.’
‘In the old stories he was the god of healing, right?’
Tom laughed bitterly.
‘I thought he was in charge of some kind of spring that restored dying gods to life.’
‘A metaphor,’ Tom said. ‘But you’ll find all that out when you’re in there. Just watch your back. Never relax your guard, not even for a moment. The court is vast, but sparsely populated. With any luck you stand a … reasonable chance …’ His voice faltered at the lie in his words. ‘Just take care.’
Tom walked away before Church could respond. Church called goodbye, but Tom did not turn or even acknowledge Church’s presence.
Church looked one last time at the gleaming white marble of the Court of the Final Word caught between the bloody landscape and the bloody sky and then he stepped into the red river.
It was warmer than he had anticipated and had the sickening consistency of oil. The butcher’s shop smell made him gag. Keeping as close to the bank as he could, he waded towards the court.