Sarwat Chadda: Devil’s Kiss

Billi caught a look from Kay who rolled his eyes; there was no love lost between him and Gwaine either. Gwaine thought Oracles were only one step away from witches, and the Seneschal had Old Testament views on witches.

Thou shalt not suffer the witch to live.

‘Any news from Pelleas?’ asked Arthur, his eyes still on the screen. Percy sucked up a string of spaghetti before replying.

‘Just a whole lot of dead sheep so far. He and Bors are checking the farms, Berrant and Gareth are on the campsites. Reckon it’s a nomad, passing through, causing trouble.’

The Beast Within. Even a single werewolf was deadly; that’s why her dad had sent half the Order. Half! She glanced around the table. Excluding Balin, who wasn’t part of the fighting Order, that made nine, just nine of them against the Unholy, against all the supernatural evil lurking in the shadows. And once the Knights Templar had numbered in their thousands. All it would take is one bad day and that would be it. Wipeout. It had almost happened ten years ago, during the Nights of Iron.

When her mum had died.

Why couldn’t she remember her? She’d been five, so she should remember something. There were just vague images, distant feelings and an idea that she’d been happy, nothing solid. But Billi knew from the others that the Nights of Iron had been twelve days of horror. The Templars had been hunted down by ghuls, starting with the old Master, then the Oracle Lot, and so many more until only Arthur and a handful were left. Arthur’s leadership had taken him from lowly Sergeant to Templar Master, but at a terrible cost. A few ghuls that had survived Arthur’s purges had found his home and murdered his wife. Maybe it had been so terrible that she’d blanked it out.

‘What have you got, Art?’ asked Percy. Arthur handed over a couple of photos. Billi caught a glimpse as they crossed the table. Bite marks on a person’s neck.

‘Our Hospitaller brothers took this last night. A girl fainted outside the Auto de Fe nightclub last night. Thought it might interest us.’ Arthur and the older knights still referred to their contacts within the St John’s Ambulance service as Hospitallers, even though the Order was no longer active in warfare. But they were useful in gathering information on ‘unusual’ attacks or injuries. Like vampire bites.

A stake and bake, thought Billi. Just as long as she didn’t have to do it. The last thing she wanted was to waste a night hunting the Hungry Dead in some derelict graveyard. This was her last chance to get in her Maths, or else it was detention until Christmas.

Percy inspected the photos. ‘The girl alive?’

‘Yes, just.’ Arthur looked around the table. ‘Let’s nip this one in the bud.’

Percy passed the pictures over to Gwaine.

‘Any idea where he’d be laired, Art?’ Gwaine asked.

Arthur shook his head. ‘No. But I want you and Percival to find him. Tonight.’ Then he turned to Billi.

‘Now Kay’s back, we’ll begin your training in psychic defence.’ He looked over at Kay. ‘How’s tomorrow?’

‘Ideal, sir.’

‘Good. Eight o’clock at Finsbury Park. You know where to take her, Kay.’

Psychic defence? With Kay? Was he really that good now?

‘But, Dad, we agreed I’d have the next three nights down-time after the Ordeal. To catch up on my homework,’ Billi said. It’s not like she was wanting to have time off to enjoy herself. Oh no, having fun was not in the Templar Rules.

‘Not important. You train with Kay.’ Arthur collected the cuttings and slid them into his folder. ‘Any other business?’ Gwaine gave a curt twitch and Balin mouthed a silent ‘no’ but Percy stood up.

‘Just two things, Art.’ He raised his mug high. ‘First, welcome home, young Kay. Life’s been exceedingly boring without you. I’m looking forward to hearing all about Jerusalem.’ Billi didn’t miss the way the others looked at Kay. The wise and mighty Oracle. She was surprised they weren’t all on their knees in adoration. Pathetic. Then Percy grinned at Billi. ‘And I’d like to propose a toast to the newest member of the Order. Only fifteen and, if you’ll excuse the vernacular, totally bad-ass. Won’t be long before we’re calling you Master.’ There was a snort from Gwaine, but Percy ignored it. ‘To Bilqis SanGreal.’

Good old Percy. Always looking out for her. More than once she’d wished he was her dad, instead of just her godfather. The others rose, Gwaine last of all. Even Arthur lifted his tea cup, slightly.

‘To Billi!’

Then Arthur clicked the laptop firmly shut and placed his folder of cuttings on top of it.

‘Well, if that’s all, I’ll leave you to your duties.’ He tucked them both under his arm and walked out. Balin and Gwaine followed moments after, while Percy helped Billi and Kay stack up the plates. He scooped up a pile then paused. He lowered his head down from where it almost touched the ceiling to the two squires’ level.

‘Play nice, kids,’ he said. He eyeballed Billi for a long moment, then left.

Kay began lining up the blue china teacups on a tray. Billi didn’t help.

‘So you’re going to teach me some Jedi mind tricks?’ she asked.

‘You heard what your dad said. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy. I could help you with your homework afterwards, if you like.’

‘Actually, I don’t like.’ She wasn’t going to let him get away with it that easily.

She had missed him.

It was seven the next night when Billi emerged from Finsbury Park station. Cold drizzle fell and the gutters were stuffed with soggy leaves, leaving swollen puddles on either side of the road. She flicked off her hood and spotted Kay by the bus shelter. His black woollen cap was pulled low down to his eyebrows, but his silvery hair seemed to glow under the stark white fluorescents of the shelter.

‘You’re late,’ he said.

‘Detention. Again,’ Billi said. She shrugged. ‘But didn’t you get my message?’ She tapped the side of her head. ‘I thought it really hard, “Kay, I’ll be late. Kay, I’ll be late -”’

‘You think this is some joke?’ He stood and turned up the collar of his coat. ‘Let’s get a move on. I’ve wasted enough time already.’

They walked down the high street, lined with shops hidden behind metal gratings and graffiti-coated roller shutters. The only unit open was the off-licence. A bald man with tattooed arms folded across his hefty stomach stood at the door, a growling pit-bull at his heel. It barked at them as they passed and pulled at the heavy chain round its neck. They turned the corner and Billi saw it ahead – Elaine’s Bazaar – lit by a lone street light.

It was a pawnshop, and had been there since the nineteenth century. The paint on the three golden orbs hanging above the door was flaking off, but they were the originals. Heavy steel bars covered the dusty windows, displaying hi-fi equipment, DVD players, a set of chrome weights and a kid’s bicycle; the flotsam and jetsam of a thousand bankruptcies and repossessions.

It was also the Templar reliquary.

Here lay hidden the last of the treasures of King Solomon. Billi couldn’t believe this old hovel was home to one of the greatest magical artefacts of the ancient world. But that was the point – who would ever suspect it?

The ground floor was dark. There was a single lit window in the flat above. Kay rang the bell and after a few moments the window slid open and an old woman stuck out her head, her grey hair a tangled mess.

‘Piss off!’

Kay stepped backwards into the glow of the street light.