Page 70 of Shadow & Stars
More giddiness flushed out some of the sorrow.
It did wonders for my hope.
We reached London without incident.I heard about other incidents across the world on the radio, and on Michelle’s phone. So many headlines, demon attacks on the rise, many witch kings and queens declaring war.
King Basile’s big speech had just finished. Flanking the French witch king were Queen Sophie and his demon lover, Phillipe. He tried to stress that war was not the way forward, making the case for humans and demons living together.
A nice dream, but not in the current context.
Michelle made a call as we pulled up outside a closed ice cream shop in Mill Hill. “We’re here. Yes. No. I had no choice. Don’t say that to me. What do you—” She groaned at the phone. “Idiot hung up on me. Says the deal is off.”
“Why?” Eric questioned.
“Says we ran like a pair of cowards. Anyway, the queen isn’t in the city anymore. Too dangerous.”
I sat forward. “Call back.”
She tried. No answer.
Michelle put her phone away, giving up. “She’s right. We never should’ve run.”
Fine. Whatever. With no patience to sit here, I got out of the car.
Michelle flung her door open. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll find the queen myself.” I stretched, my chest aching a little. “Even if I have to search every corner of this planet, I’ll find her.”
“Really?”
“I don’t give up easily. There’s too much at stake.”
An ADU helicopter flew overhead in the direction of central London.
Keep on keeping on!I thought up at the agents.
“I’ll do the same,” I muttered, walking away from the car with my followers in tow.
“Wait!” Eric called. “Don’t go alone.”
“I’m not.” I carried on, picking up my pace until movement stopped me in my tracks.
Fuck. Here came the next piece of poop.
Its white eyes burned in the dark, the rest of its body wreathed in shadows beyond the light of a lamppost.
The two agents joined me, guns drawn.
“Freeze!” Eric barked.
The demon held something in its right hand. Something bright. A small storm in a jar.
“Roman. I…” Xavier’s voice knocked me for six.
“What the hell?”
Xavier stepped into the light, holding the jar of time.
I lost my balance, falling to my knees. The shock reached the device, sparks battering my ribcage.
