count?’ snarled a fierce voice. Edgy looked up to see the other demon leering down at him. ‘There’s more than one of us, remember?’
Edgy bit his lip. He should have realised. Only one had chased him – the others must have been heading him off all the time. He’d been tricked. But he could still only see two of them. Henry barked and snarled, snapping at the demon’s ankles, but the creature ignored him.
‘You ’ave something we want,’ said the first demon, catching up with them.
‘I don’t know what yer mean,’ Edgy gasped. ‘What could I ’ave that you’d be interested in? Why don’t you leave me alone?’
But the demons weren’t looking at him now. Instead they stood to attention, jaws slack, eyes wide. Henry was staring too, body rigid, one paw raised, a low rumbling growl sounding in his throat.
‘Why, if it isn’t Edgy Taylor,’ a voice chirped. ‘I hardly recognised you in those fancy clothes.’
Edgy, still sprawled on the floor, looked up to see the same young lady he’d met yesterday. Black hair tumbling down her shoulders, cheeks dimpled by a crimson-lipped smile.
‘The Royal Society is looking after you, isn’t it?’
‘Salomé,’ gasped one of the demons, falling to one knee. The second demon appeared reluctant but his companion pulled it down as well and it didn’t give too much resistance.
‘Leave us,’ the woman said, snapping her fingers and waving her hand impatiently. ‘Go.’
‘But the boy . . . we have spent many days hunting him. We –’ the first demon began.
‘I said leave.’ Salomé’s perfect smile fell, her lips tightened. ‘Or do I have to tear your hearts out and feed them to this mutt?’
Henry bared his teeth at Salomé and the two demons. They rose and bowed slowly, then backed off into the crowd and vanished.
‘Not the same as it used to be,’ she sniffed, pulling a black lacy glove on to her hand. ‘But they still show some respect.’
Edgy twitched as he clambered to his feet. His heart pounded. Pressing his hand to his pocket, he felt the pouch of salt that Janus had given him still nestled there next to the shard of bone.
Salomé, the Demon Queen. She’s after Moloch’s body but what does she want with me? Edgy pondered for a moment. Whatever it is, it can’t be good .
Salomé spoke again, cutting through his thoughts. ‘Names are valuable currency, young Edgy, I told you that last time we met.’ She giggled, pacing around him. Wherever she stood, the crowds parted like a stream around a rock, staring ahead, oblivious of her. ‘The fools at the Society give their names like loose change. I never give my name freely but you know who I am by now, I suppose.’
Edgy muttered, ‘Well, I could have a good guess’, then pushed the nearest passing gent into Salomé and darted off in the opposite direction. Henry’s claws clattered alongside him. His new boots slapped the cobbles, hobnails sparking as he stumbled round a corner and into a dark alley. He slammed his back against the wall, panting for breath. After his previous chase, Edgy had little energy left.
‘Have we lost her?’ Salomé said, appearing right next to Edgy and imitating his wide eyes and heaving chest. She giggled like a young girl playing kiss chase.
Edgy bolted back into the crowds, rolling through mud, scurrying under barrows. He pitched into another alleyway.
‘This is so exciting,’ she said with a squeal and a skip.
Again he ran, dodging around walkers and street sellers, sending a juggler flying, skittles and balls bouncing into the street and startling horses. Edgy’s body ached. He couldn’t run any more. He dived into a deep porch at the side of a shop.
Salomé appeared behind him once more.
‘You are funny, Edgy Taylor.’ She beamed, slapping her hands to her knees. ‘Much more fun than that other boy. He didn’t last ten seconds.’
So the boy had been running from Salomé. Now Edgy knew what had happened to the other boy and
Edgy bit his lip. He should have realised. Only one had chased him – the others must have been heading him off all the time. He’d been tricked. But he could still only see two of them. Henry barked and snarled, snapping at the demon’s ankles, but the creature ignored him.
‘You ’ave something we want,’ said the first demon, catching up with them.
‘I don’t know what yer mean,’ Edgy gasped. ‘What could I ’ave that you’d be interested in? Why don’t you leave me alone?’
But the demons weren’t looking at him now. Instead they stood to attention, jaws slack, eyes wide. Henry was staring too, body rigid, one paw raised, a low rumbling growl sounding in his throat.
‘Why, if it isn’t Edgy Taylor,’ a voice chirped. ‘I hardly recognised you in those fancy clothes.’
Edgy, still sprawled on the floor, looked up to see the same young lady he’d met yesterday. Black hair tumbling down her shoulders, cheeks dimpled by a crimson-lipped smile.
‘The Royal Society is looking after you, isn’t it?’
‘Salomé,’ gasped one of the demons, falling to one knee. The second demon appeared reluctant but his companion pulled it down as well and it didn’t give too much resistance.
‘Leave us,’ the woman said, snapping her fingers and waving her hand impatiently. ‘Go.’
‘But the boy . . . we have spent many days hunting him. We –’ the first demon began.
‘I said leave.’ Salomé’s perfect smile fell, her lips tightened. ‘Or do I have to tear your hearts out and feed them to this mutt?’
Henry bared his teeth at Salomé and the two demons. They rose and bowed slowly, then backed off into the crowd and vanished.
‘Not the same as it used to be,’ she sniffed, pulling a black lacy glove on to her hand. ‘But they still show some respect.’
Edgy twitched as he clambered to his feet. His heart pounded. Pressing his hand to his pocket, he felt the pouch of salt that Janus had given him still nestled there next to the shard of bone.
Salomé, the Demon Queen. She’s after Moloch’s body but what does she want with me? Edgy pondered for a moment. Whatever it is, it can’t be good .
Salomé spoke again, cutting through his thoughts. ‘Names are valuable currency, young Edgy, I told you that last time we met.’ She giggled, pacing around him. Wherever she stood, the crowds parted like a stream around a rock, staring ahead, oblivious of her. ‘The fools at the Society give their names like loose change. I never give my name freely but you know who I am by now, I suppose.’
Edgy muttered, ‘Well, I could have a good guess’, then pushed the nearest passing gent into Salomé and darted off in the opposite direction. Henry’s claws clattered alongside him. His new boots slapped the cobbles, hobnails sparking as he stumbled round a corner and into a dark alley. He slammed his back against the wall, panting for breath. After his previous chase, Edgy had little energy left.
‘Have we lost her?’ Salomé said, appearing right next to Edgy and imitating his wide eyes and heaving chest. She giggled like a young girl playing kiss chase.
Edgy bolted back into the crowds, rolling through mud, scurrying under barrows. He pitched into another alleyway.
‘This is so exciting,’ she said with a squeal and a skip.
Again he ran, dodging around walkers and street sellers, sending a juggler flying, skittles and balls bouncing into the street and startling horses. Edgy’s body ached. He couldn’t run any more. He dived into a deep porch at the side of a shop.
Salomé appeared behind him once more.
‘You are funny, Edgy Taylor.’ She beamed, slapping her hands to her knees. ‘Much more fun than that other boy. He didn’t last ten seconds.’
So the boy had been running from Salomé. Now Edgy knew what had happened to the other boy and
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