Page 56 of Fiendish Delights
Gordon started to circle slowly around the base of the tree, examining every crevice, while the rest of us waited with bated breath. ‘Where is due north?’ he asked finally.
As if he’d been expecting the question, Hugo pulled an elegant gold compass from his pocket and snapped it open. ‘There,’ he said, pointing.
Gordon didn’t look at him but he did move to the correct spot. ‘You should all move back a few metres, just in case.’
We did as he asked. A light, chilly breeze picked up, rustling through the leaves on the tree and ruffling my hair. I turned up the collar of myjacket.
Gordon’s hands started to move. A greenish glow sparked from his fingertips as he sketched out a perfect replica of the rune we’d seen in the library at the Royal Elvish Institute.
I felt the buzz of his power. Regardless of how Hugo felt about him, there was no denying Gordon’s level of magic. What he lacked in confidence, he made up for in magical strength. I’d caught a glimpse of what he was capable of during the hunt for the Loch Arkaig treasure, when he’d opened up the underwater rune that led to a hidden cavern at Smoo Cave, but this was on another level. The ground beneath my feet vibrated with the force of his enchantment while the air hummed with magicked vitality.
‘Forget Hugo,’ Hester said in my ear. ‘This guy is the one you want to get close to. He’s got all the power.’
I hushed her, though my admiration didn’t decrease. Gordon’s frown deepened as he concentrated, and his hands flicked faster and faster. Sparks flew, crackling and vanishing almost as soon as they appeared. The atmosphere thickened and my throat clogged with magic.
A single drop of sweat ran down Gordon’s forehead, then he threw back his head and roared. I jumped, shocked that such a loud noise could come from any man, let alone rail-thin Gordon Mackenzie. I didn’t have long to think about it, though, because a second later the ground in front of the yew tree opened up to expose a tangle of roots.
‘I can’t maintain it for long,’ Gordon wheezed. ‘You have to move fast.’
We didn’t need telling twice. We rushed forward and crouched around the smooth edges of the hole. I caught a glimmer of something – a box perhaps – and thrust my hand downwards before instantly regretting my rash move as pain flashed through me.
I hissed and drew back. I’d thought thatthe salt ward surrounding Mud McAlpine’s flat in Edinburgh was strong but it was nothing compared to the protective magic in place here.
Hugo saw me grimace. ‘We all have to work together. We won’t be able to retrieve it otherwise.’
‘Work quickly.’ Gordon’s voice was strained.
I nodded. ‘On a count of three. One, two,’ I held my breath, ‘three.’
This time we all reached into the hole and grabbed the cold shiny object that lay beneath one of the larger roots. I felt the pain again, but the team effort made it more manageable. Clenching my teeth, I pushed the object away from me to try and free it from the root it was snagged under. Miriam helped me as Slim gently lifted the root to create more space. Hugo, Becky and Rizwan pulled at it, intense concentration etched deep into their faces.
‘Just a bit more,’ Becky gasped. ‘Another inch and we’ll have it.’
I pushed harder. Power juddered through me until my very bones seemed to be scalded by the effort.
‘Almost got it,’ Hugo muttered.
Gordon’s breath caught. ‘Hurry. For God’s sake, hurry.’ He was starting to shake.
It took one final combined effort to quash the magical resistance still afforded by the residual power that was concealing the object. Then it was free, rising up from the earth in Hugo’s hands as if it couldn’t wait to breathe fresh air again.
Miriam snatched at my arm to haul my hand out of the hole. A second later, Gordon’s magic gave way and he collapsed as the earth fought back and reclaimed the space. I barely had time to blink before the magically induced hole vanished.
I sucked cold air into my lungs before I checked the tree to make sure it was unharmed. Then I turned to Hugo and the simple, though quite large, silver box in his hands. His face waspale – he’d found the effort of retrieving the box as difficult as the rest of us – but his eyes glowed with anticipation. I knew my expression matched his.
‘If this turns out to be nothing more than a smelly old cloak,’ Hester said, ‘we will all be disappointed.’
‘It won’t just be a smelly old cloak,’ Otis told her. ‘It’ll be a smelly oldmagiccloak. Or an enchanted wooden cup.’
Hester sniffed. ‘How thrilling,’ she said flatly, though she still flew away from the safe spot on my shoulder to get closer to Hugo.
He dusted off the last of the clinging dirt. The box looked unremarkable; it had no inscription and no decoration. However, when Hugo indicated that I should touch it and I stretched forward to brush my fingertips against its surface, I gasped. It might appear innocent, but there was no denying the buzz of deep magic surrounding it.
‘Here.’ He pushed it into my hands. ‘This is your hunt, Daisy. You started it. You should open it up.’
For reasons I couldn’t explain, a tremor ran through me as I accepted the box. It was much heavier than I’d expected.
‘Open it!’ Hester urged.
