The Bonehill Curse (24 page)

‘I don’t understand.’ Eliza frowned and ran a finger through Ness’s thick black hair.

‘I was horrible before all this – cruel, a bully.’ Ness’s voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Like Father. Besides, there was someone I didn’t want to forget.’

‘Someone?’ Eliza gave a smile. ‘Come on, you can tell me.’

Ness froze, holding her toast somewhere between mouth and plate, and stared at her mother. ‘The Lashkars,’ she whispered finally. ‘Could it be?’

‘Pardon?’ Eliza said, still smiling. ‘Ness, you aren’t making any sense.’

But Necessity Bonehill jumped out of her bed, sending her breakfast tray clattering across the covers, and ran downstairs to her father’s study.

She who can wait obtains what she wishes.

T
raditional proverb

Epilogue

Ness gripped the front of the carpet, skimming it over the rooftops, veering round chimney pots at the last moment and whooping through arches. The folk below looked up but few were fast enough to see anything and those that did refused to believe their eyes. It was a chill morning but her thick scarf kept her warm.
If Mama hadn’t wished for me to be an ordinary human girl, then I could fly myself
. She grinned.
But I like it better this way
.

One hand kept a firm grip on the carpet, the other clutched the precious object in her palm. She slowed the carpet down, taking in the alleyways and trying to remember the route as she skimmed towards the alcove that held the secret gateway to Arabesque Alley.

What if they’ve moved on?
Ness thought.
There’s no djinn, so there’s no reason for them to stay in London
. Perhaps the Alley wouldn’t be there, just crumbling slums. But Ness soon saw the alcove and found herself gazing down on a familiar busy square.

The weak morning sun shimmered on the water in the fountain at the centre and reflected off the whitewashed buildings, making the whole place appear bright. The blue shutters were closed against the chill mist that persisted from the dawn.

The Lashkars shuffled around from stall to stall, carrying baskets and bales on their backs or heads. A lone figure sat at the fountain’s edge, shoulders slumped.

Azuli!
Ness’s heart leapt. Without thinking, she swept down on the carpet and landed in front of him. The crowd cried out. An old woman screamed and stumbled back into one of the stalls, sending fruit rolling across the cobbles in all directions.

‘What on earth?’ Azuli jumped up, dragging his scimitar from his belt. He swung the blade in a deadly arc, barely giving Ness a chance to throw herself backward.

‘Azuli!’ Ness cried. ‘It’s me, you stupid boy!’

‘You know my name! What enchantment is this?’ Azuli demanded. ‘And who are you calling stupid?’ He thrust again at Ness, who leapt aside easily.

‘It’s no enchantment,’ Ness began. ‘Well, it is, but . . .’

The inhabitants of Arabesque Alley gathered around, eyeing Ness warily.

‘A-ha!’ Azuli snarled. ‘What are you, some kind of djinn? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. I am a Lashkar of Sulayman, skilled in fighting the powers of evil.’

‘I’m not a djinn,’ Ness said, ducking another swipe. ‘Now hear me out or I’ll have to take that sword from you.’

People began to run off. Someone called Hafid’s name.

‘Ha! No man or woman has bested Azuli of the Lashkars of Sulayman yet,’ Azuli said, puffing his chest out.

‘Only because you’ve never actually fought anyone,’ Ness replied, blocking his sword arm and kicking his legs from under him.

‘Stop this at once!’ a voice cried from behind Ness.

She turned to see Jabalah and Taimur pushing through the crowd, followed closely by Hafid.

‘Azuli! What is going on?’ Taimur barked. ‘What are you doing brawling in the square with a . . .’ He stopped and stared open-mouthed at Ness. ‘A girl?’

Azuli scrambled to his feet, glaring at Ness and dusting himself down.

‘I wondered how long it would take you to find us again, Necessity Bonehill,’ Hafid said, smiling.

‘You know me?’ Ness stared at the old man. ‘You . . . you remember?’

‘I have a little ancient wisdom,’ Hafid said. ‘I can still see things that might have been, or have been and have . . . changed.’ Hafid flicked a frown towards Azuli. ‘Is he being difficult?’

‘Nothing I can’t handle.’ Ness beamed, taking a step towards Azuli.

‘Hafid,’ Jabalah said, scratching his head, ‘what are you talking about? Do you know this young lady?’

‘You may come to understand in time,’ Hafid said, giving an enigmatic smile. ‘For now, believe me when I say that Miss Necessity Bonehill is our honoured guest and should be treated accordingly.’

Jabalah exchanged glances with Taimur and then bowed low to Ness.

‘Miss Bonehill,’ Jabalah said, taking her hand, ‘it’s an honour to meet you.’

‘Thank you, Jabalah.’ Ness smiled mischievously at the man’s startled face.

‘How does she know my name?’ Jabalah stuttered.

‘Charmed, I am sure.’ Taimur gave a curt nod and folded his arms. ‘Wait a moment. Bonehill? Are you Anthony Bonehill’s daughter?’

‘She is nothing like her late father, Taimur,’ Hafid said, calming the gaunt warrior. ‘Besides, whatever you think of them, we owe the Bonehills a debt of gratitude for destroying the last djinn.’

‘You know about that?’ Ness said, surprised.

‘The last sword melted away soon after Grossford wished Zaakiel dead,’ Hafid said, smiling. ‘It took but a few free drinks to verify the truth from Carlos.’

‘I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt,’ Taimur muttered, glaring at Ness. ‘But I still want to know why you knocked my son over.’

‘She took me by surprise, Father, on that carpet,’ Azuli gabbled. ‘She flew out of the sky!’

Ness rolled the carpet up and hugged it close.

‘Enough of this,’ Hafid said, holding a bony hand up. ‘I am pleased to see you, Necessity, but what brings you to our humble marketplace?’

‘This ring,’ Ness murmured and opened her hand to reveal the bloodstone. ‘I awoke this morning and remembered it.’

‘Remembered?’ Hafid repeated. ‘What did you remember?’

Ness drew Hafid aside. ‘When my father tried to draw me into the bloodstone,’ Ness whispered, ‘I heard voices crying for help from within.’

Hafid’s wizened face paled. ‘Could it be?’ he hissed. ‘Where did your father come by this ring?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Ness admitted. ‘He was very secretive about such matters but he discovered it some ten years ago.’

‘The Lashkars were cursed by the djinn Amoteth ten years ago,’ Hafid said, his voice barely audible. ‘Could they have been trapped in the same stone?’

‘How do we open it?’ Ness stammered, feverishly running a finger over the stone.

‘It just needs breaking,’ Hafid said. ‘A simple sword blow would suffice.’

He took the ring with trembling fingers and placed it on the edge of the fountain.

Jabalah stepped forward. ‘Hafid,’ he said, his face creased with concern, ‘what are you doing?’

‘You’ll see, Jabalah,’ Hafid said, smiling. ‘Strike that ring. Hit the jewel with all your might.’

‘But –’

‘Just humour me,’ Hafid said, raising his hand. ‘Please, strike it with your sword.’

Sensing possible danger, the people of Arabesque Alley shuffled back to the edges of the market square. Jabalah glanced over to Taimur then unsheathed his sword.

Ness could barely watch as Jabalah raised his scimitar above his head and paused for a second. The air whistled as the butcher’s blade sliced down on the ring. Jabalah gave a yell as metal struck stone with a loud
clang
. The sword grated down on the side of the fountain and the ring whirled off across the square with a metallic
ping
.

There was silence. It seemed everyone in the square sensed something was about to happen and was holding their breath.

Thin tendrils of red smoke began to emanate from the cracked jewel. The smoke thickened and became a red mist that filled the square so that Ness couldn’t see more than an arm’s length in front of her. People coughed and spluttered around her, vague phantom shapes in the blood-red fog.

Gradually the red cloud thinned to a pink haze. Ness frowned. The square seemed fuller. There were more Lashkars than before. Her heart leapt.

There in the centre of the square, standing bewildered, dusting themselves down, glancing at one another, stood a huge congregation of young men, women and children dressed in the same style as Hafid and his kin.

The old Lashkars stared in mute disbelief at their returned children. And then pandemonium broke out as both sides ran to greet each other. Father met son, mother ran to daughter. Tears flowed freely as children were raised up and hugged for dear life. Ness saw Jabalah and Suha with their arms wrapped around a young man she recognised from the portrait in their house. Hafid moved among the riot, grinning and shaking hands.

Tears stained Ness’s cheeks as she watched the reunion. Only Azuli stood unmoved, arms folded, watching the joyous reunion apart. He watched Taimur as he steered a young girl towards him.

‘His real daughter,’ Azuli murmured to Ness. ‘He won’t have any time for me now.’

But Taimur gathered Azuli and his daughter in his arms and hugged them together.

‘This is your brother,’ he said to the little girl.

The girl beamed up at Azuli.

‘Just remember, I’m the eldest so I’m in charge!’ Azuli said, narrowing his eyes at the girl but squeezing out a smile too.

The celebrations seemed to last all day. Tables appeared from within houses and goods on the market stalls found their way on to the tables, given with a free heart. Ness sat watching as music played and people danced. Braziers were lit as the evening closed in and still the Lashkars sat and talked and drank and ate together.

Ness watched as the years of separation within the families seemed to melt away. Children played in the passages and across the square, and Arabesque Alley was full of life. She watched as Hafid hobbled his way through the crowd towards her and sat down with a sigh.

‘We can never thank you enough, Necessity,’ the old man said with a smile.

‘I’m glad I could help,’ Ness muttered, blushing.

Hafid’s smile dropped for a moment. ‘You will always be counted as one of our number, Necessity Bonehill,’ he said, his voice shaking with emotion. ‘If you ever need our help or food or shelter you only have to ask and it will be yours.’

Ness swallowed back a tear. ‘Thank you, Hafid,’ she stammered. ‘That’s a great honour. And what will you do now the last of the djinns has gone?’

Hafid shook his head. ‘Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll move away from this cold country and return to the land of our forefathers. For now we seek other means of employment here.’

‘What do you mean?’ Ness said, frowning.

‘The Lashkars are skilled warriors,’ Hafid said, ‘experienced in fighting threats that are more, shall we say, unnatural.’

‘Is there a need for such services?’ Ness asked.

‘What do you think?’ Hafid stared blindly into the shadows.

Ness thought of all she had experienced: the djinn, the bloodsuckers, the Pestilents, not to mention her father. She nodded.

Azuli appeared, his eyes wide. Not far behind him, his sister, giggling, waved a broom over her head. ‘Help me,’ he cried. ‘The girl is a demon. She will kill me before the night is through!’

‘I think he needs rescuing.’ Hafid grinned.

‘I do too,’ Ness said, smiling back.

She unrolled the carpet and climbed on. Bidding Hafid goodnight, she swooped after Azuli, flitting over his sister’s head and scooping him up on to the carpet. It bucked and flickered against the new weight but kept level.

‘What are you doing?’ Azuli yelled. ‘I should have pinned you down when I had the chance.’

‘You never had the chance. I should have knocked you out,’ Ness said. ‘Arrogance is a terrible quality in a person. Believe me, I know.’

‘Me, arrogant?’ Azuli said. ‘Hafid, help! This mad girl is kidnapping me!’

Ness grinned and steered the carpet up towards the full moon. All she had to do was teach this boy a few lessons in humility. And time was on her side now.

Turn the page for a spine-tingling bonus story!

Mr Grimhurst's Treasure London, 1855

 

 

 

Josie stood glowering at Alfie, her arms folded. The moonlight shone brightly through the embalming room window, making everything stark and tinging it blue. The body had been brought in earlier that day. An old man, well-dressed. Fallen down the stairs, apparently.

‘I don't know what yer worryin' about,' Alfie muttered, scratching his short-cropped blond hair. ‘I'm just goin' to ask 'im a few questions.'

‘I thought you weren't going to do this again,' Josie replied, flicking her hair over her shoulder indignantly. ‘It seems to me that ever since the incident with Lord Corvis, you've been resurrecting more things, not fewer.'