Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

TYVAIN WAS at the forefront, her voice booming through the entire inn. ‘Where the bloody hell is he? Gonna tan his bloody hide.'

Silas moved to call to her, but the soothsayer had already found them.

Charlie leapt to his feet, dashing past Silas and Pitch to meet Tyvain halfway across the room. They collided in a messy hug that saw them falling onto a red velvet chaise by the wall just inside the doorway. The soothsayer gave the lad a loud telling off.

‘Scared me half to death. If I had a switch, you'd be getting a beating right now.'

Charlie laughed off the berating with his usual good-nature. ‘Well, I'll be grateful for small mercies then.'

‘Look at the state of ya. Too skinny by half.' Tyvain adjusted the creased smock she wore. Her skirt, a plain navy blue, was equally as creased, and her hair even more haphazard than normal, Silas suspected she'd been sleeping fully clothed.

‘I'm fine, Ty. And not undernourished at all, I assure you.'

‘Well, ya too pale then. Freckles have multiplied.'

Jane swept into the room, her hair in the most delightful braid, with ribbons of white interwoven throughout, contrasting the creamier hue of her morning dress. She nudged the scrutinising soothsayer to one side, dropping a small basket she held, before helping Charlie up from the chaise to deliver her own hug. ‘So very good to see you, my dear. We've all been worried.'

‘How is Edward?' Sybilla was the last to arrive, and Silas could not help but marvel at how easily she moved, the grim suffering of before all but gone; only the scars remained. ‘Is he holding up?'

Charlie's smile faded. ‘He's strong, remarkably so, but I doubt…' She glanced to where Pitch stood at Silas's side. ‘It is best we do not delay too long, that's all.'

‘Fine, but no way in all the hells are we headin' off, without a moment for you ta catch ya breath, and get some food in that tiny belly ‘a yours,' Tyvain declared.

‘I am rather famished, I'll admit.'

The soothsayer clapped her hands, rubbing them together. ‘That's sorted then. I'll see if we can't get some breakfast sorted, maybe there's stew left over from last night. Could smell bread bakin' when I was outside, sure to be a cook about somewhere. We need to be heading off on full stomachs anyways. Now how's about you lot who need washin' do somethin' about that? Charlie, Silas and Astaroth, that means you. I'll sort things with the kitchen.'

The Hag of Beara left the room, hollering her instructions to any poor attendant nearby, and Silas looked to Sybilla. ‘You haven't told her?'

The angel, clad in a light coat of grey, with a darker hue in her trousers, lowered herself onto the settee. ‘She was sleeping when I returned…and I'll admit, I'd decided to wait until we had a proper sign that the journey was to begin.' Sybilla gestured at Charlie. ‘But now we happily have Charlie back with us, I'll let you tell her, Silas.'

He winced. ‘Why me?'

‘What's this about?' Jane frowned, and the curtains behind her fluttered with an impossible breeze.

‘You're not coming with us,' Pitch replied. ‘None of you. We are down to the privileged few, and only myself and Silas–and I presume that loathsome bird –are counted among them. Speaking of which…does the simurgh still remain? Or has it seen fit to fly off and take care of this debacle under its own steam?'

‘I'd like to see it try. The wisp and the ghost make fine guards, and very serious ones at that,' Sybilla said, and lo and behold there was a twitch at her lips. The angel was amused, almost smiling. The Valkyrie was nearer to her old self than he'd known since the dreadful events after Sherwood Forest.

‘Don't glare at me, Jane. I don't make the bloody rules,' declared Pitch. ‘If I did, it would be compulsory that I stay in a suite in the Savoy in London, and be debauched by a deadman until I could not stand, which would necessitate him hand-feeding me cake and jellies. Sadly, I am here with you lot instead.'

Jane ignored his nonsense. ‘I don't understand why we cannot go with you.'

‘And it is not for us to understand,' Sybilla said. ‘The Lady Satine was very short on explanation, but I know beyond anything else, that this is how it must be.'

Silas watched Jane, her complexion the palest he'd ever seen, making her wondrously large brown eyes seem like fathomless pools. ‘It is for the best, Jane. You will all be safe.'

She turned on him. ‘You won't be, though, will you? I hate this, Silas.'

‘I know.' He moved to the air elemental who tried to shrink away from him, pressing herself up against a bookshelf.

‘Don't try to placate me.' She scowled up at him. ‘Don't tell me you shall be fine.'

‘I shall do no such thing, for I have no idea. I truly hope so. I hope we shall deliver the simurgh to the Sanctuary and that it shall do what the angel intended, and end the travesty of Blood Lake, without any great disaster or violence.' He held her gaze, knowing that she thought as he did; such a tidy outcome was unlikely.

‘Oh Silas,' she whispered. ‘I am so sorry such a sweet man has been given such a bitter task. You come back to us. You hear me, Mr Mercer? You too, Tobias. Both of you had bloody well better drag your arses back to us, or there shall be hell to pay. Look after each other as you have done so well, and get back to Holly Village as soon as you can, for it shall be dreadfully quiet without you. And dull. Gods, so dull.'

‘I doubt all in the village shall think so. Gilmore will savour knowing the drunken dandy who tossed him in the air has died a foul and final death,' Pitch's nonchalance made Silas sick to his very stomach. ‘And I doubt he'll be the only one.'

Anger spilled beneath Silas's skin. ‘Don't speak like that. Did you not hear Jane, and Tyvain, and Charlie? They are concerned for you. None of them shall farewell you with a happy heart.'

He would not, simply would not , listen to Pitch discount his own worth so easily.

The soothsayer had returned, and stood in the doorway glowering. Isaac was with her, adorned in his numerous layers. ‘When was anybody gonna bother tellin' me that you're goin' on alone, then?'

Silas darted a glance at Sybilla. She lifted her shoulders in a subtle shrug, and a look that said this situation was his to bear.

But it was Pitch who did the talking. ‘Fine. You're done with, hag, and your services are no longer required. There, happy now?'

Tyvain surprised Silas by laughing, a genuine belly laugh, her temper vanishing in an instant.

‘Saints, you're a prick. And it's kinda a relief to see you're still the cunt we all know and despise, Astaroth. But I wish me cards ‘adn't been so right. Don't much like the idea of stayin' behind.'

‘What did your cards tell you, Tyvain?' Silas asked.

‘That she's lousy at shuffling a pack,' Pitch said.

Tyvain sucked at her teeth. ‘That she spent last night thinkin' she was just pissed, and readin' ‘em wrong, when they kept sayin' this here town was the end ‘a the road for most of us.'

Sybilla made a small sound. ‘Truly? You said nothing of it.'

‘The angel thought you'd throw an almighty tantrum to hear it,' Pitch declared. ‘Left it up to Silas to tell you.'

Tyvain snorted, tugging at the generous folds of her smock. ‘Oh I threw me tantrum alright. In the privacy of me own room. Then had to spend half an hour trying to find where all me feckin' cards had flown to. The floorboards in this place aren't close enough together for my liking.'

‘I'll admit, I'm shocked at how well you've hidden it,' Jane said, gently. ‘Did the cards have anything else important to say?'

‘I'd ‘ave told ya, wouldn't I?' There was a notable pause. ‘Now ‘ow's about ya go get yourselves sorted for breakfast then? Charlie, there's a room for ya, down the way here. Proprietor gave me the key, amenable bloke he is, said he'll get onto some food for us soon as ya like.' She turned to Isaac who'd not said a word, where he waited in the corridor. ‘Got that key that bloke gave us?'

The coachman grunted, handing her a tarnished key. ‘You gonna get out of the way if I give it to ya? Didn't follow you to stand here like a shag on a fucking rock.'

The key was handed over, Tyvain stood aside, and Isaac moved like a dark cloud across the room, ignoring Silas and Pitch entirely, to warm his hands at the fire.

‘Right then,' Tyvain said. ‘Let's meet back here in a half hour, shall we? Charlie, you come with me, and don't you boys be doin' any fuckin' around up there. And I mean that as it sounds. Ain't no time for that.'

‘There is always time for –' Pitch began.

‘We will see you back here on the half hour, Tyvain.' Silas planted his hands on Pitch's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. ‘You have my word.'