Page 81 of The Dagger and the Flame
‘What happened to Cloaks not stealing from each other?’ said Theo.
‘Dire circumstances.’ Bibi set down four glasses. ‘Sera almost died tonight. Like, alot.’
‘Drink up,’ said Val, pouring the brandy. ‘I assume you’ve filled Theo in.’ She looked between them. ‘So, what do we know for sure?’
‘That Lightfire kills monsters,’ said Sera, drinking deeply. Though she had a sinking feeling that her mother’s original intention had been to free them. After she used them against Dufort, presumably. But things had gone horribly wrong. By the time Sera had freed the monster in the fountain, his human body was too weak to survive. They had figured it out too late; the poison had burrowed too deep.
‘And it also controls them,’ said Theo uneasily.
‘Why would anyonewantto control them?’ said Bibi, wincing as she sipped. ‘Ugh. I feel like I’m drinking poison.’
‘That means it’s working,’ said Val.
While the others talked among themselves, trying to unpick the mystery of Lightfire and its hold over the monsters of Fantome, Sera stared into her drink, tracing the whorls of amber.
Tonight had been a maelstrom of terror and confusion, but those parting words from Mama rang in her head now, and she knew at last, and for certain, what Sylvie Marchant wanted. It was what she had always wanted. To destroy Dufort’s hold over her family, over this whole damn city.
Become the flame and destroy the dark.
Sylvie hadn’t just made an army of monsters. She had found a way to control them, todirectthem. She wanted Sera to take that army and use it to kill Dufort. Lorenzo had said it already:Sometimes, it takes a monster to destroy a monster. And Sylvie Marchant had made a whole lot of them, just to be sure.
Bibi waved her hand in front of Sera’s face. ‘What are you thinking about? The monster or the Dagger?’
‘I’ve never heard of a Dagger this bad at his job,’ muttered Theo.
‘Maybe he doesn’t want to kill her,’ reasoned Bibi.
‘No shit,’ said Val, taking another swig of brandy. ‘He wants to screw her.’
Sera nearly spat her drink out.
‘You’re drunk, Val,’ said Theo flatly.
‘Look at her,’ said Val, smirking. ‘Damp as a river rat and still drop-dead distracting. You know I’m right.’
Bibi giggled. Theo returned to his drink.
Val jabbed her finger at Sera. ‘Andyou’reblushing.’
‘It’s the brandy.’
‘Which is nearly gone,’ said Bibi, pouting at the dwindling bottle. ‘Just like the Lightfire.’
‘Cheers, everyone.’ Val raised her glass. ‘Looks like we’ll soon be monster-fodder. See you all in hell.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ said Theo, clinking her glass. ‘I’ll be dancing with the saints.’
Sera drained her glass, coming to an uneasy realization. These monsters were Mama’s responsibility. And now Mama was gone, they were Sera’s problem. She hadn’t just inherited a necklace, she had inherited a swarm of monsters. ‘Nobody’s going to hell. We’ll make more Lightfire.’
‘How?’ said Bibi. ‘We couldn’t find a single word about it in the library.’
‘That’s because Lucille’s journal isn’t in the library,’ said Sera slowly. ‘The Dagger told me it was buried with her.’
There was a sobering silence.
‘You mean it’s in the catacombs?’ said Val warily.
Theo snorted. ‘It might as well be in hell itself.’
