The Blackwood Curse, page 24
They all nodded excitedly. ‘They were drinking and messing around mainly, but they were doing something with a pair of metal rods.’
‘Divining rods,’ I said, absently. Then I told them what I knew about them. ‘If only we could steal them. Then they couldn’t use them.’
Ollie wasn’t convinced. ‘It would only delay them until they made more. And we can only touch objects in the confines of the spell, remember? The rods are in the real world where we don’t exist. We’re not poltergeists.’
I thought about what he said for a moment. Only Wax seemed to see clearly between the two worlds. ‘None of you can?’
They all shook their heads slowly.
‘Then I need to get down there after dinner to learn what I can.’
* * *
It blew my mind when I tried to get my head around the complexity of the world in which I was thrown. I went from the mirrors to Wax’s IP, then onto Tallulah’s phone. There were three worlds right there. Then there were Ollie and the others, trapped in the dimension or loop of the spell that held the curse. That world lay neatly over the top or alongside the real world, where Wax, his uncle, father and mother and everyone else was. Lila was an anomaly. I suspected she saw through more than she let on.
That evening, while they were all busy eating, we all crept back down to the cellar with me on Tallulah’s phone. She’d managed to rig up her phone case to a lanyard around her neck so I could see straight ahead.
Ollie showed me the two metal rods the shape of a large pair of Ls, nestled in velvet in a case the size that would carry a small instrument, like a flute. ‘I think they have to be made from a certain metal, as a conductor,’ Ollie explained.
‘Of what?’ I asked.
Ollie shrugged. ‘Electric vibes, or something.’
Joe and Josh laughed at the non-sciencey explanation. Nevertheless, I took it all in. It was more than I knew and stealing them to delay what they were trying to do was the best plan I could come up with right then. ‘See if you can pick them up,’ I said to get them sensible again.
Each of their hands passed through. I was probably the only one who could have done it and I was trapped in here. It was useless. ‘So they’re ready?’ I said to Ollie.
He shrugged again. ‘Well, yeah. I think they say a blessing over them or something, then Wax will carry them up there.’
‘It’s so frustrating that Wax is the only one that can go,’ Tallulah said.
I thought about that for a moment. Wax was going to go and there was no way of delaying them. A huge part of not telling everyone about Jed’s tunnel was because I didn’t want to face the fact that Wax would go no matter what. I guess a part of me wanted him to fight for me that way. But Wax’s analytical brain had weighed all best possible outcomes and this was the one that benefited the most people. I was collateral damage.
I decided there and then that Ollie, Tallulah and the others had a much greater shot of getting what they needed from the fountain’s waters if they went as well. So while we waited for Ainsley and Wax’s father to come to the cellar, I admitted what I knew.
‘That’s brilliant! We can all go,’ Tallulah said, throwing her arms around Ollie’s neck.
‘Remember, Wax has to go above ground so they don’t know about the tunnel. Being the only one is what’s keeping him alive at the moment.’
Ollie nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah, and if Jed showed you the way in the Inside Out, I think you’re meant to go in that way with him. Plus, I’m not sure you could even come through on a phone that deep underground.’
It made sense. I needed to follow Jed, but I also needed to stay in touch with the others.
Tallulah rummaged in her bag, eventually pulling out her gold, circular powder compact. ‘Tah-dah!’
It took me a full minute to catch on with what she meant.
‘Oh for God’s sake,’ she said, opening it and holding it out for us all to see. ‘It has a small mirror I can fix onto the shoulder strap of my bag.’
It was brilliant.
‘As long as you can spot it, you should be able to join up with us through this.’
‘Not just an annoying face,’ I said.
She rolled her eyes, but further conversation was cut short with the sound of the door at the top of the stairs. Everyone turned their heads in that direction and Ollie hissed, ‘Shh!’
None of us could be seen, but it felt too open and everyone scurried to the edge of the room. Even I held my breath in my little black box. There was no pentagon on the floor. Just a workbench and tools, where they’d been working on the rods.
The wall slowly opened with the crank of the mechanism. I hated the sound; it filled me with dread. Then the two brothers walked in.
They were a similar build and height, except Wax’s uncle was a little taller, skinnier and his hair had more grey. His dad was a little stockier with a much kinder face that always seemed sad. Even when he laughed it was tinged with regret. I guess losing a son would do that to a person.
My mind leapt to my own mum and dad, but there was no time to wallow and I put it from my mind.
‘You think it will work?’ Wax’s dad said, walking up to the bench.
Ainsley reached up and took a dusty bottle from the huge wine rack. Then he took a gadget from his pocket and uncorked it. He found a couple of old glasses in the makeshift altar and passed Wax’s dad a glass. He poured the red liquid with a loud glug. ‘Between us, with what you learned in Tibet, and my grimoire, I see no reason why it shouldn’t.’
Wax’s dad threw back his wine, then pulled up a stool and sat heavily down on it. He seemed so weary of everything. He came across as a man in over his head, who was going along simply because he was all out of options. Although, to be fair, I didn’t know him and couldn’t be sure. ‘I wanted to thank you. For staying put and looking after Bret. You have your own life to live. I’m grateful.’
Ainsley refilled his glass and shook his head. ‘Don’t mention it. They are my nephews too, remember. Without it, we wouldn’t be where we are today.’ He held up his glass. ‘Let’s make a toast. We’re on the brink of something monumental, you and I. A cure for death itself.’ He reached forward and they clinked glasses. ‘Wax has a great gift, Jed. We’ve always known it. Ollie is here with us; we just can’t see him. Once he has drunk from the waters, we’ll have him back. You’ll see. Lila will be cured and we’ll make some real money. Rich beyond our wildest dreams.’
It was hard to tell if Wax’s dad was excited or not. His emotions were very closed. I guess that was where Wax got it from. ‘So they’re ready?’ he asked.
Ainsley nodded with a grin. ‘You just need to bless them with the words from your Shaman, and we’re good to go.’
I watched in wonder as Wax’s dad held out his hands over the open case containing the rods and closed his eyes. I couldn’t hear what he was saying as it was only a mumble. Then Ainsley followed, doing something similar. Some dark magic, I guessed. It was completely weird seeing two grown men act in this way. My whole life had turned into a stoner’s dream. A very dangerous dream.
I shuddered, suddenly cold. I had to trust that Wax was strong enough to see us all through.
‘Another?’ Ainsley said, holding up the bottle of wine.
‘I need to spend tonight with my wife.’
‘Of course,’ Ainsley said, putting an arm around his brother’s shoulder. ‘Big day tomorrow.’ He walked out with him, smacking the button on the wall as he went. The wall slowly closed and he turned and surveyed the room. It left me wondering if he knew we were there.
Everyone eased through the gap before we were trapped. ‘Well, that was no help at all,’ Tallulah said as soon as the door at the top of the steps clicked shut.
I couldn’t help agreeing. It was a good job we had our own plan.
‘We just have to let Wax do his stuff,’ Ollie said, with a lot more optimism than I felt.
We went back to Ollie’s room to wait for Wax to come back and what mood he’d be in.
* * *
While we waited, we went over the plan. ‘I don’t want you to say anything to Wax,’ I said seriously to Ollie and he worked to set me up on his computer screen.
He frowned and shook his head. ‘I dunno. I’m not happy about keeping anything from him.’
‘I thought we’d all agreed.’ My blood pumped in panic. ‘You can’t, Ollie. Promise me. For it to work, he needs to think he’s on his own. They won’t believe him otherwise. You must walk the tunnels and surprise him there so they don’t suspect a thing.
‘How will we find him?’ Tallulah said, looking terrified. ‘You don’t even know the way.’
‘I’ll have to go in the Inside Out.’ I prayed silently that Jed planned on leading me. ‘Just be ready with your mirror,’ I said, pointing at her bag.
She immediately pulled out her compact and tapped it. ‘Got it,’ she said.
‘Just don’t put it down and forget it,’ I said, dying at the thought.
She rolled her eyes.
‘What other things are likely to be in the tunnels with us?’ Sam said, looking really scared. She was the one of my friends I knew the least. I guessed she’d been through a lot too, not knowing how she died. If we got through this, I vowed to help her find out.
My mind went to the scary black entity that came from the Dark Web, but I didn’t mention that. ‘Just Jed and Lucinda.’ I hoped. ‘Jed’s the unpredictable one and he will be with me.’
She nodded, still looking uneasy. Ollie pulled her into a hug. ‘We’ll all be together to face whatever it is, OK?’ he said, kissing the top of her head. It struck me what a lovely guy he was.
‘You need to join up with Wax as soon as you can. Once he has the water from the fountain, Lila can’t be trusted.’
‘Who can’t be trusted?’ came from directly behind them. Wax.
Everyone jumped and turned to face the door. I wished I could see, but they formed a wall in front of me. It didn’t matter, I’d know that pissed voice anywhere. Whether he was pissed drunk or pissed angry remained to be seen. Probably both. ‘Clear off, all of you,’ he said loudly.
‘It’s my bloody room, mate,’ Ollie said, raising his voice to match his brother. I’d never heard Ollie angry. I quite admired him for it, but I couldn’t help thinking he was a little crazy to antagonise him in his current mood.
‘Well, send her to me then.’
Josh and Joe parted and I had a clear view of Wax pointing at me on Ollie’s laptop screen.
Ollie looked at me, unsure.
‘It’s OK,’ I said quietly. ‘I’ll be safe in there.’ It struck me then how absurd that was coming from the dead girl who was just static in a computer server. Ollie seemed to accept it though and began to click his fingers over the keyboard.
Wax slammed the door on his way out.
‘He’s good with you, but don’t bait him, OK?’ He held my eyes until I nodded. ‘You think you know him, but you don’t. Not properly.’
I nodded again. He was right. The next thing I knew, I was lightheaded in a heap in the black room of Wax’s IP. As my eyes came back into focus, Wax’s program of pixelated furniture loaded and built around me. I got up on my feet and went and sat at the desk where Wax sat brooding in front of me. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the words ‘Craic Whore’ written in the italic coke lettering. His leather jacket had been thrown down on the bed.
We glared at each other, both waiting for the other to speak. I was determined not to give in first. Instead, I took in the redness of his eyes and the stiffness in his jaw.
‘You’re impossible,’ he said, eventually.
‘You’re drunk,’ I said, trying to rein it in and remember Ollie’s warning. The last thing we needed was Wax tranquilised and asleep.
I considered that for a moment. If he was unconscious, then he couldn’t go. What would Lila do about that? Then I shuddered. There was no telling what Lila would do out of spite. She knew what she was doing to hurt me with Wax. Plus, we needed to bring this to a close. We’d all been dancing to Lila’s tune for long enough.
So, despite how annoying he was being, I didn’t trust her not to hurt him or my friends. Even when he smirked. ‘How else would I deal with all the nagging voices?’ He widened his eyes and opened and closed his fingers next to his ears like a pair of beaks. It was clearly meant as a barb, but it made me laugh. I couldn’t help it.
He scowled in confusion; it wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.
‘Shouldn’t you be busy trashing the place or something?’ I said casually, looking at my nails. ‘Bad boy rep and all.’
He narrowed his eyes, knowing I was mocking him and I did shift uncomfortably at that. He was intimidating when you were on the receiving end of that look. He pointed a reproving finger at me. ‘Be very careful, otherwise I’ll have to code you back into the ridiculous maid’s outfit again.’
My eyes widened at his sudden change of mood to playful and then our faces dropped at exactly the same time. It was the moment when we both remembered that I was never going to get out of this place to wear any silly outfit. To save his brother he would have to get close to Lila and sacrifice me to this place.
It was very telling. It meant that, deep down, I knew he was using her as much as she was using him. It still hurt, though. In our whirlwind couple of days, I’d fallen for the arrogant, grumpy, antisocial boy sitting in front of me. Dead or alive, he’d made me feel more of anything than I had in a very long time. It was devastating that it had to end.
He looked down at his hands sadly, as if he’d gone through a similar thought process in his head.
‘I’ll be OK,’ I said, a huge lump forming in my throat; big enough for both of us. ‘I get it, I do. Just don’t fall under her spell, OK? Don’t trust her. Whatever she promises you, she’s in it for herself.’
His look was black and scary when his bloodshot eyes went back to mine. The muscles tensed in his jaw and all signs of drunkenness were gone. Then he just looked lost and alone. ‘I swear, if there was any other way.’
‘I know.’ I smiled sadly, knowing he meant every word. ‘I guess I’ll always be here when you visit.’
By his frown I could tell the implications of his freedom were just hitting him. He’d be out of here so fast all anyone would see was dust. He’d been trapped for so long, I couldn’t blame him. ‘I’m not giving up on you,’ he said, suddenly. His look hardened with new resolve.
I appreciated the thought, but it was useless and I didn’t have any emotion left in the tank to waste on false hope. ‘You need to get in her good books … go,’ I said, with a flick of my hand. I was already turning away and didn’t want to see the look on his face. As I hit the shutdown button, I could hear him calling. ‘Becks, wait! … Becks!’ Then the screen cut off to a small dot.
Everything in my world was quiet, except for the electronic hum of the server that I realised was permanently on in here. My sobs came thick and fast; going on and on, racking my whole body. I wanted to isolate and feel sorry for myself as I’d done so many times over the last months. There was no point in spending time with anyone, because they’d all soon be gone. I dragged myself to the pixelated bed, flopped face down onto it and spent a lonely night, where crying was the drug that sent me off to sleep.
It was Ollie who shook me awake. ‘We’re setting off, Becks.’ He was peering in, too close to the phone screen.
They must have moved me while I slept. I hated it when they did that without my knowledge. ‘OK,’ I said, groggily.
‘I want to chuck you out so you’re in the Inside Out, ready to go.’
It made sense. ‘Can you take me down with you first? I want to make sure Wax’s head’s in the right place before he sets off.’
Ollie nodded. ‘As soon as he leaves, you go to your tunnel and we’ll go to ours.’
I agreed and we went together down into the hallway. It seemed full of people, when in fact there were really only four. Wax’s mom was fussing over him and his father, handing him a torch and telling him to be careful.
Wax looked awful. I guessed his hangover had hit without him having slept. His hair was pushed flat under his beanie, his skin pale and his eyes dark. Lila hooked her arm through his and pulled him down to whisper something in his ear. He nodded and their interaction made my stomach churn.
Ainsley came forward and passed him the long, flat case that I knew contained the dousing rods. ‘Use them just like I showed you,’ his dad was saying. ‘Loose, letting the rods do the work.’
Wax nodded, looking like he was battling not to be sick.
‘Follow where they point until they cross.’
Ainsley took out another black flat device, turned a knob and passed it to him. A walkie-talkie. ‘Keep in touch. Channel two.’
Wax put it into an old black rucksack, along with the rods, and pulled on a black bomber jacket. He reminded me of a Special Ops guy. Then, while his dad was given the same drill and pulled on a similar jacket, Wax looked over at us. We were all congregated on the stairs. My heart leapt as he was obviously searching, until he found me on Ollie’s phone. ‘Bye, then,’ he said, sounding like he was saying it to no one in particular, but I knew he was saying to me.
I mouthed the words be careful.
‘Come on, I’ll drive. ‘I’ve got the ropes, shovels and everything, already loaded in my car.’
Wax took one last look and strode out the front doors with his father.
We stood directly behind Olivia, Lila and Ainsley, seeing them off. The shiny black Range Rover crunched away on the shingle. Olivia dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. She turned and ran back up the stairs, not realising she’d run right through her other son.
Ollie went to move away, but I called, ‘Wait!’
Ainsley swung the doors shut and pulled Lila into his arms. Right after her being all over Wax. He kissed her passionately and she responded. It made me feel sick. He seemed old enough to be her dad. ‘The day has finally come,’ he said, breathlessly, releasing her mouth and pulling her into his body. He pulled apart to look her in the eyes. ‘As soon as the boy comes back, we’re away from here. Have you packed?’
