“I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is that you and probably your aunt are endangering our empire by hiding an illegal ghost. And an exiled invert. Ladybless, girl. What sort of people are you, out here?”
“The ghost is all sorted. He’s already on his way to Elayison. If you interfere, you will only create a scandal.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, I don’t believe you. I know about the crystal smuggling.”
“You are extraordinarily insolent for a mundane,” said Chatoyant. She waved a hand and her crystal glowed. Her power plucked me off my feet and yanked me onto the ground, face-down before her.
She put her foot on my back. “Hasn’t it occurred to you that I could hurt you? That I wouldn’t mind a bit, hurting you?”
“I can’t tell you where the ghost is, because he left here last night,” I said through gritted teeth. I hated Toy. I was not going to tell her anything. Part of me knew I should be scared, but I was too furious.
“What if I offer you money?”
“Have you got any money?”
“Of course I’ve got money. I’m not like my brothers.” She rolled me over with her power and her foot and bent over me. “Think of it. You could go to University. Everyone knows that’s what you want to do.”
This remark made me even madder.
“What are you going to do with the ghost when you get him?” I hissed. “Kill him?”
I was going to add like you killed Blazeann but some instinct for self-preservation stopped me.
Chatoyant’s face lost its hopeful look. She let out a sigh.
“You children of Eff. You’re both crazy. Such mad gallantry. Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.”
She pulled me upright, her power lifting me like a rag doll, till I stood before her with my back to her. I could see Bright from here, lying unconscious, eyes closed, limbs straight and arms crossed on his breast as if he was in his tomb. Stefan crouched beside him one hand on Bright’s chest, looking up at us with wide, apprehensive eyes.
“Is the ghost your lover, that you protect him so?” Chatoyant whispered against my neck. “Did you inherit your mother’s tastes?”
“No!” I retorted.
“They use us, the ghosts. They are dangerous. And greedy. Greedy for our crystal. Let’s see how much this one cares about you.” She picked up my hand in hers. I struggled, but it was no use.
“Ghost,” she shouted. “I know you’re out there hiding. If you value Shine’s life, it’s about time you showed yourself. I’m going to break her fingers, and if that doesn’t bring you out of hiding, I will strangle her. Slowly. To death, if necessary.”
“No! He’s not here,” I protested. “Aaargh!”
She’d chosen well. Having your little finger broken hurts like hell. You always hope you’ll be bravely stoical at these moments, but I yelled. It helped with the pain.
“I’m here,” said the ghost standing up in the ferns. He was holding his talisman up, pointed at us. Just like Scintillant had held the gun at Bright.
Suddenly Chatoyant screamed and let me fall on the ground, then seemed to collapse in a mass of green draperies and fur. A Mooncat was on top of her, growling and tearing. They struggled, its teeth sunk into her shoulder. As I gaped, another Mooncat leapt over me and onto them, blocking my view.
Something nipped me on the shoulder. Katti.
Come, come, stupid cub. She tugged at me. I staggered to my feet and ran up the hill after her. The ghost was already there; he took my hand. A long way in front of us, I could see Stefan running, and in front of him, a man carrying Bright in his arms. They were heading towards the mine. I started running too.
A cat screamed, a terrible sharp sound, and foliage crashed. A moment later I felt a pressure wave of power in my chest and saw the flash of crystal. I glanced behind me as another cat scream echoed though the clearing, and saw a glowing furry shape flying through the air.
Hide! They are defeated, wailed Katti. I threw myself face down into the tree ferns beside the path, and Shadow followed.
We hunkered down as still as we could be. I prayed that the ferns would stop swaying in time to not give away our position.
I could see the ghost’s pale face shining in the dimness before me.
“You hurt?” he whispered.
I shook my head. My hand was stuffed in my shirt. It throbbed and felt twice its size, but there was no point fussing about it now. Katti crawled up next to me.
They are safe in the mine, her thoughts said to me. Lucky Bright and Stefan! I whispered the information to the ghost.
“Wish we were!” he murmured.
Down the hill foliage crashed like thunder. A cat squeaked and there was an explosion. Then the rush of foliage slowly dying away.
Chatoyant’s voice rang out loud and clear. “Rogues. Hell bound rogues. Inverts, illegal ghosts and now rogues. Your family are the end, Shine!”
She gave a grunt: she was hurt. But not enough to close her down. Curse it! And now we had no weapons.
“Why do you have to make this so hard, Shine? Just stand up and give up that ghost. He’s a spy, can’t you see that? They’re a danger to us all. You don’t know their power. But I do. We need to kill him.”
She sounded closer. She must be in the air. I peered up though the fern fronds.
Uncle Batty, or more probably the Mooncats, must have liked tree ferns, because the forest around the hut seemed to be full of them. Who wouldn’t like them? They were perfect cover. They grew to waist-and shoulder-height. We were hidden from the air as long as we didn’t knock against their dark trunks and make them shake.
Unfortunately there were still things Chatoyant could do.
Suddenly the fern field just behind us exploded, showering us with hot bits of trunk and branch. I curled tight hands over my head, knees against my chest, trying to be as small as possible.
“I know you’re in there somewhere,” called Chatoyant from above us. My back ached with fear. My spine felt like a big soft vulnerable worm.
I put my face against Katti’s fur. Crawl away, I willed her. She could get between the fern trunks without showing herself. We were too big and clumsy. The only answer I got from her was a soft hiss of disapproval.
Branches crunched away over to my right and, turning my head, I could see through the fern fronds to where Chatoyant had come to rest perched in a nearby tree. Her robe was torn at the shoulder and dripping blood, and she had claw marks down her cheek, but her smile was huge. She was safe in the tree. No Mooncat could jump her up there and she’d see any arrow before it hit her. She could destroy the fern field at her leisure. She was a woman. Her magical power would assuredly go the distance.
“Come on, Ghostie girl!” she called. “Come on out before I burn you out. I bear you no ill will, but I’ll hurt you if I have to.”
She threw out her hand and sent a blast of fire to a part of the fern meadow in front of us. Another rain of hot wood crushed the ferns close to Katti’s side. I put my body over hers.
The ghost eased back towards me.
“How long can she keep this up?” he whispered in my ear.
“Long enough,” I mouthed. “She’s a woman. Their power, it’s strongest.”