Page 33 of Fiendish Delights
It hadn’t felt quick to me: I’d plodded around that valley for hours before I’d found it.
‘If this works, it could change what we do forever,’ Rizwan said.
An uncomfortable thought occurred to me. ‘Are you lot making fun of me? Or trying to make me feel better by pretending I know something that you don’t?’
‘No!’ Becky looked shocked. ‘Honestly, Daisy, this is new to all of us.’
Weird. I pointed at a bare patch of land beyond the graveyard wall. ‘Try it over there. It’s really not difficult. You feel a bit of pain when something is revealed, but it’s not intense and it doesn’t hurt for long.’
Abandoning the yew tree, we clambered over the wall into the field. They all seemed eager to try this supposedly new-fangled way of using earth magic. Go figure.
‘They’re idiots!’ Hester whispered loudly again to Otis.
‘At least you get to leave the graveyard for a while,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t count,’ she replied. ‘I can stillseethe graveyard. In fact, now it’s worse because all those dead bodies are behindme where I can’t keep an eye on them.’ She whipped around and glared at the silent headstones, as if expecting zombies to crawl out from beneath them.
‘Once you’re dead you’re dead, Hester,’ Otis said patiently. ‘There’s no magic in the world that will change that. You don’t have to worry.’
‘I’m not worried!’ she shrieked.
He shot me a pleading look. I cleared my throat. ‘I need the two of you to stand guard at the car park. This is a public spot and I’ve already been accused of desecrating graves once this week. Some advance notice of anyone else arriving would be useful.’
As Rizwan yelled and jumped six inches into the air, Hester froze in terror. ‘I can feel it!’ he shouted. ‘It’s working!’ He darted across the field and dug into the ploughed earth before plucking out a bent piece of metal.
‘Yes. Let’s guard the car park,’ Hester said. ‘Now.’
The brownies took off at high speed. I watched them go, idly wondering whether zombies could talk – if they actually existed. Surely if they could walk and eat brains, they could hold a conversation too.
‘I can’t wait to learn what else is going on in that brain of yours,’ Hugo said.
I turned around. He was gazing at me with warm approval. It was probably wise not to tell him I was wondering what the walking dead would want to chat about.
‘It’s clear,’ he continued, ‘this training business is going to work both ways.’
I managed a smile. ‘Win win.’
Chapter
Eleven
Istood slightly apart, letting the others try the supposedly new technique on the ground around the old yew tree. Rizwan cracked his knuckles, Becky stretched and Miriam’s mouth puckered in concentration, but it was Slim who started. He tensed his shoulders, pushed out his hands and twisted his wrists. I watched, genuinely interested in his movements.
‘It’s an old affectation,’ Hugo murmured. ‘Slim used to be embarrassed by it, but now it’s his signature move and he’s proud of it.’
‘You bet your arse I am,’ Slim said. He screwed up his face. ‘It feels like something is down there but…’ His grimace deepened. ‘There’s a block of some kind. My magic can’t penetrate the ground properly.’
‘Let me try!’ Becky bounced up.
Unlike Slim, she didn’t throw her hands out but, in the split second before her magic burst out, her nose twitched. My fascination grew. Did every elf have a physical quirk like that? Did I?
She nodded. ‘I see what you mean. There’s some sort ofbarrier.’ Her eyes shone. ‘That means there’s definitely something there, right?’
‘Try that spot,’ Slim said, directing her to the north side of the yew.
Becky shuffled around and focused her powers. Her nose twitched again. ‘It’s clear,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing beneath this spot.’ She pointed to the opposite side. ‘Whatever has created the barrier must be under there.’
Rizwan and Miriam both gave it a shot. Rizwan tapped his foot, matching the beat to the pulse of his magic; Miriam’s tell was less noticeable but it was there all the same. At the moment the power left her body, her breath quickened and hissed from between her teeth. ‘Whatever is creating that barrier is at least a foot deep.’
