Sons of Angels (34 page)

“No.” Felicia stretched out a hand to clasp her friend’s. “Not dying will keep you safe and bring you back. Jasfoup will take you down and bring you back.”

“A demon taking me to Hell?” Meinwen pulled back from her. “Why am I not reassured?”

“I promise it’ll be all right,”

“What about my shop?” Meinwen glanced around at the bookshelves crammed with pagan artifacts, books and spell components. “Who’s going to look after it?”

“You’re only going to be gone for ten minutes. We’ll do it during your lunch break.”

“Today?” Meinwen paled. “I didn’t realize you meant so soon. I don’t think I can, Fliss.”

“All right.” Felicia squeezed her hand. “We’ll think of something else.”

“Really? Such as?” Meinwen stood and took a quartz pendant from the rack. “I thought this was the only solution you could come up with.”

“So far, yes, but we’ll think of something. Harold offered to try negotiating with them.”

“You can only negotiate if you’ve got something they want. All they seem to desire is your imminent demise.”

“Then I’ll come back as a succubus and have my way with you.”

“No, you won’t.” Meinwen smiled. “You know that I don’t butter my bread that way.”

“An incubus then, or a satyr.”

“Now you’re talking.” Meinwen smiled. “All right. I’ll do it.”

“Really?” Felicia couldn’t stop the relief from flooding her face. “You don’t have to.”

“I know.” Meinwen’s expression hardened. “You just make damned sure I come back again.”

Chapter 39

A combination of her religious upbringing and her art history training had furnished Felicia with an idea of Hell full of every torment known to medieval and Renaissance man. Despite Dante’s trilogy, the very idea of a mortal going there and coming back unharmed seemed highly improbable. “Are you sure this will work?” She paced across the room and back, imagining her friend being skinned alive or eaten by Saturn. “It’s Meinwen’s life and possibly her soul on the line here.”

“Of course, I’m sure.” Julie patted her hand. “Don’t look so worried! Do you doubt my ability?”

“Well yes, to be honest.” Felicia laughed and looked her in the eye. “Some of your spells have unexpected results.”

“I saved your life once, didn’t I?” Julie smiled and edged herself into a new position. “I know what I’m doing, even if I do feel the need to go to the loo every five minutes.”

She held both hands out, her face screwed up as if she was constipated. A double sphere, like a figure eight or a model of a simple molecule grew between her two palms. When they were the size of ping-pong balls, she twisted her hands and broke them apart. “There. Two parts of the same spell. If you break one you’ll be transported to the other.”

“How can we be sure it works? They look inert.”

“Only because they’re inactive.” Julie leaned back. “Look, do you want to test them?”

Felicia nodded. “I’d feel better about risking Meinwen’s life if I was certain they worked.”

“All right.” Julie turned her head. “Wrack?”

“Yes, ma’am?” The imp uncoiled from the bedpost. “You want me to take that somewhere?”

“Please.” Julie dropped one of the balls into his paw. “Somewhere quite far, but stay in the country.”

“Okay.” The imp opened a gate and vanished.

“Now what?”

“We wait until he comes back, then you can break the other one and travel there.”

“Excellent.” Felicia frowned. “Wait! How do I get back again?”

Julie laughed. “Good point. I’ll make another pair you can use for the return journey.”

She began to repeat the process, her face beading with sweat. The spheres formed part way then vanished again. “I can’t.” She fell back to rest against her pillows. “I can’t form another one.”

“Why not?” Felicia looked at the ball in her hand. “You’ve had multiple balls before. You sent me three that night, remember?”

“Three different spells.” She frowned. “That must be the problem. Each spell holds a cord of energy into the land of the dead. Perhaps I can’t have more than one of each cord.”

“Maybe.” Felicia looked doubtful. “How will we try this one then?”

“Done, mistress.” Wrack re-appeared. “You’re going to love where I put it.”

“I doubt that. Go and fetch it back. I can’t have more than one of these in operation at any one time.”

“Get it back?” Wrack stared at her. “I threw it into the wolf pen at London Zoo.”

Felicia frowned. “Why?”

“I thought it would be funny.”

“Best you go and get it back before Fliss loses her temper.” Julie wore a small smile. “Or gets hungry.”

“But.” Wrack backed away. “Wolves can see imps.”

Julie raised an eyebrow. “I hope you can run fast.”

Wrack opened his gate and vanished.

“Right.” Felicia picked up the paired fetiche. “I’ll take this one and go somewhere then. When Wrack gets back, I’ll crush it and, hopefully, come back here.”

“But how will you know when Wrack comes back? If you crush it too soon then you could end up in an imp tunnel.” She pulled her book of spells toward her. “Perhaps there’s a spell for audible communication.”

“There is.” Felicia picked up her coat. “I’ll phone you.”

Chapter 40

Felicia took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Goddess Provides. Meinwen gave the impression she carried the weight of the world. Felicia had never seen her look so terrified.

Meinwen put on what was obviously a brave face. “Is it lunchtime already? I almost closed up and went back to Aberdovey to escape the whole idea.”

“Sorry.” Felicia held up a paper bag. “I’ve brought a feta salad and raw steak in a bread bun. Which would you like?”

“Very funny.” Meinwen only managed a slight smile. “I don’t think I could eat anything.”

Felicia went through to the tiny kitchen and put the kettle on again. “That’s probably wise. I’ve never been to Hell but I can imagine going there on a full stomach might be a bad idea.”

“Sunglasses.” Meinwen picked up a pair from the desk and put them in her pocket.

“What for?” Felicia came to the beaded curtain that served as the door to the kitchenette.

“I’ve been trying to think of things to take that might help. I wouldn’t want to go snowblind.”

“Good call. What else are you taking?”

“My ceremonial cloak, my copper circlet, a quartz pendant and a hazel staff. I want to have a connection to the earth.”

“Take something that connects you to the sun as well. How about daisies? There are some in the back yard, growing against the wall.”

“Good idea.”

Felicia carried out a cup of herbal tea. “Here. Drink this and calm down. You’ll be in good hands. Jasfoup won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I hope not.” Meinwen forced out a tight smile. “Go on then, I’m ready. Summon him, or whatever you do to make him appear.”

“I’ll give him a ring.” Felicia pulled out her mobile phone. “He’s across the road at the book shop.”

“Your supernatural powers never cease to amaze.” Meinwen shook her head. “What will you think of next?”

She sipped her tea until the demon arrived. Jasfoup eschewed the traditional demonic guise in favor a tall, well spoken businessman, his chocolate skin contrasting with the eggshell gray of his Italian suit. Only his eyes, covered with his trademark dark glasses, would have given away his inhumanity.

“All set?” He rubbed his hands together. “It’s a shame you don’t want the extended tour. I could have shown you my little cottage overlooking the river.” He grinned. “It’s out in the Styx, mind.”

Meinwen didn’t laugh. “I’m ready. How long will this take?”

“Eternity, but we’ll be back in ten minutes.”

Only Felicia noticed him touching the wood of the shelf behind him. “You’ll need this.” She handed Meinwen a ring box with the fetiche inside. “It’s half of the transportation device. I’ve got the other one here.” She held it up. “Just throw the fetiche onto the ice. That should do the trick.”

Meinwen looked at the swirling marble appearance of the spell and nodded. “Will do. Then I’m coming straight back.” This was directed at the demon.

“Scout’s honor.” The demon held up three fingers. “I’d put a jumper on, though. It can get a bit chilly down there.”

“Is it down?” Meinwen asked, donning her cloak. “I know that’s the accepted direction, but Hell must be a big place. It surely can’t fit inside the earth.”

“I assure you, it does,” said Jasfoup. “It’s just in a different metaphysical reality.” He held out his hand to her. “I like your hat. Very witchy.”

“It’s a circlet.” Meinwen took his hand and stood next to him. “I took the bit about having stars around my head literally.”

“Good idea.” Jasfoup sketched a design in the air.

“Just a minute.” Felicia dashed out and picked some daisies. She thrust them into Meinwen’s hand. “Here. Remember the sunlight.”

“Off we go.” Jasfoup drew a circle in the air. “Hold onto your stomach.”

Felicia watched them vanish, her heart in her mouth.

* * * *

Though the journey took only a few heartbeats, those beats felt as if they lasted a week. Meinwen had never been so disoriented and sick in her life. She felt as if she were on a roller-coaster that never stopped going down. She wondered if she’d ever see her friends again. Or her brother. Her brother would never know what had happened to her if she died in Hell.

“Here we are.” Jasfoup bowed, one hand outstretched. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Oh God!” Meinwen fell to her knees. “I’d hate to experience something you thought really was bad.”

“Tut-tut-tut.” Jasfoup waved a finger. “We don’t say the G-word down here. It could cause offense.”

“Wasn’t there an easier way of getting here? Something less vertical?”

“We could have gone the long way round. We could have flown to Florence, opened up the Demeter’s Oracle and followed the Styx down, then worked our way past Minos and through all the other circles to get here. That would have taken months, though, and you wanted to be back in ten minutes.”

“Point taken.” Meinwen stood bent at the waist, her head down as far as she could to encourage it to stop spinning. “Where are we exactly?”

“We’re at the edge of Cocytus. I’m sorry about the Latin, but the last mortal here was Dante Alighieri, so it’s his names we use.”

“The circle of traitors?” Meinwen looked out over a vast sea of ice so smooth that it had the appearance of glass. She pulled her cloak tight. “It’s cold. I always had the impression Hell was hot.”

“It is for the most part, but ice burns just as cleanly.”

“We have to get to the middle, I suppose?” Meinwen looked out over the sea of ice. “What’s that mountain in the center? Not Satan, surely.”

“Yes and yes.” Jasfoup helped her onto the ice. “Mind the sinners.”

“I thought Satan ran the place?”

“Satan is a collective noun. Most people think it’s Lucifer in the middle, but it’s actually Shejaza.”

“I’ve never heard of him.” She took Jasfoup’s arm to steady herself.

“I’m not really surprised. He’s been here a long time. He was Azazel’s second in command and defied Azazel by sacking the city of Enoch and eating most of the inhabitants. As long as there’s a fallen angel in that position, the fellow upstairs doesn’t worry about who it is.”

“Which bit of Cocytus is this?” Meinwen stepped over a man frozen face-up in the ice. “I’m a bit rusty on theology.”

“This is Caina, the traitors to kindred. Named after Cain, of course, though he hasn’t arrived here yet.”

“Why? Does he have to complete the punishment for murder first?”