The Key (33 page)

Without opening her eyes, Anna-Karin’s mind returns to her room. Clutches the china dog with the broken ear a little more firmly. She has rescued it from a rubbish sack, but only because Minoo had looked so shocked when she was about to throw it away. In fact, the jolly barking Dalmatian with a red velvet ribbon round the neck does not represent a memory she wants to keep.

Mum hadn’t even tried to look pleased when she opened her Christmas gift. Grandpa had gone on about how nice the dog was, even though he was with Anna-Karin when she’d bought it in Ingrid’s Hidey-hole. Mum placed it dutifully with some other china ornaments. Just a few days later, she managed to knock it over. Anna-Karin had thought Mum had thrown it away.

But Mum always had this block against getting rid of things, she thinks. At least in that, I’m not like her.

Her fingers are sliding over the smooth china surface. She thinks about what Grandpa had said and tries to make his words her own.

My new power is a fantastic gift.

I mustn’t be afraid of what is inside me.

I shall learn to control it and, when I can, I’ll not be afraid any more.

But the fear is stronger. It tells her she shouldn’t have been given her new power, that it is a mistake. Minoo or Vanessa should have received it instead. Even Linnéa would have handled it better, even if she is the one who gets angry the most often. All three of them are mentally stronger than Anna-Karin, and would be much better able to cope with having great physical strength.

But she has no choice. It will become truly dangerous unless she learns to control it.

Anna-Karin clenches her fist around the Dalmatian, trying to imagine how it will break with a cracking sound, how white china dust will fall from the cracks. But nothing happens and her head immediately begins to throb.

She opens her eyes and puts the dog away. The headache is like a pounding inside her skull.

Suddenly she sees a red spot on the floor and another spot on the Dalmatian. She rubs the skin under her nose with a finger. It becomes sticky with blood. She remembers that Vanessa had a nosebleed in the beginning when they tried to use their magic. It was never like that for Anna-Karin. Her power was just there without any coaxing. Stopping herself from using it was the hard bit.

Anna-Karin gets up and finds a packet of paper hankies in her desk drawer. Minoo had given them to her for the funeral, but Anna-Karin never needed to use them. She presses a tissue against her nose while she cleans up the blood on the floor with another one.

Her phone starts vibrating. Number withheld. The worry about Minoo returns.

‘Hi, it’s Viktor.’

He sounds different now.

‘She did it!’ His tone tells Anna-Karin how relieved he is. ‘Clara is well again.’

‘What about Minoo?’ Anna-Karin asks, pressing the tissue against her nose. ‘How is she?’

A little blood dribbles down her throat and she almost chokes.

‘She’s fine,’ he says.

‘Why doesn’t she phone herself?’

‘She’s asleep,’ Viktor replies. ‘But don’t worry. I’ve seen witches exhaust themselves before. It’s not at all dangerous but she must rest. I think it’s better if she stays here overnight.’

Anna-Karin fumbles about for something to say. She sits down on the bed. From the garden she hears Farnaz laugh. Of course, Minoo’s parents think that their daughter has gone to be with Linnéa and presumably will also think it is fine for her to stay the night.

‘Why don’t you come over here tonight?’ Viktor says. ‘Then you can see for yourself that she’s OK. But, Anna-Karin, there is something you have to understand. Minoo saved my sister’s life. I will
never
allow anyone to harm her.’

And for the first time, Anna-Karin feels she can trust Viktor. All the same, she is going to make the fox stay in the vicinity of the manor house until Minoo has left.

‘I believe you,’ she says quietly. ‘Please ask her to phone me as soon as she wakes up.’

‘I promise. And when you talk to Linnéa, tell her that I will be questioned by the police tomorrow. I am going to tell them that I saw the entire Canal Bridge attack.’

‘But … did you?’

‘No, Clara did. But the police don’t need to know that.’

* * *

Linnéa reads Anna-Karin’s text for the second time as she and Vanessa walk down Olsson’s Hill.

Minoo is safe. She has cured Viktor’s sister from whatever it was that was wrong with her. And Viktor is going to lie to the police and say that he saw much more than he actually had.

‘I wish I knew whose side Viktor is on.’ Vanessa has been reading over Linnéa’s shoulder.

‘I’m not sure he knows that himself,’ Linnéa says, deleting the message and putting the mobile away. ‘Not that it matters. Not for as long as you’re on my side.’

‘Forever yours.’ Vanessa smiles drunkenly.

Linnéa kisses her. Vanessa’s mouth tastes of chewing gum, cider and lip gloss. Linnéa hopes that hers doesn’t taste like an ashtray.

They walk along, arm-in-arm, and leave the drunken voices on Olsson’s Hill behind.

Linnéa is surprised at how much fun the evening has been. It was lovely to be reminded that there is a life without guardians and demons. She looks forward to spending long summer nights with Vanessa.

Last summer was her worst ever. The first summer without Elias. The summer she and Vanessa didn’t speak. She almost longed for school to begin. To be surrounded by people she didn’t much care for seemed a better option than being so terribly lonely.

‘Did you have a good time tonight?’ Vanessa asks as she slaps at a hungry mosquito.

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Didn’t you think Michelle was a bit of a pain?’

‘Of course she was,’ Linnéa says with a laugh. ‘But she’s a good person.’

Vanessa smiles. And everything feels so simple just now.

‘It feels really weird to think that just a few hours ago I was utterly miserable.’ Linnéa pulls Vanessa closer and puts her arm around her waist. ‘I couldn’t have got through the questioning without you. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you were there.’

‘I’m glad that you let me be there for you,’ Vanessa says, and kisses her.

The kiss deepens and Vanessa’s small sigh spreads throughout Linnéa’s body.

Do you know what?
Linnéa thinks.
At this moment, it feels like everything might turn out all right
.

‘I know exactly what you mean,’ Vanessa agrees, kissing Linnéa again.

Minoo opens her eyes and sees wallpaper with a pattern of red clover flowers. She is lying on top of a made-up double bed. She has slept in her clothes. Her mouth is dry.

Where is this? She can’t think clearly, her head seems full of a thick, gooey mass. The only thing that really matters now is finding a toilet.

She sits up and looks around the strange room. Daylight comes through the thin curtains. There is a white-painted desk and a wardrobe, both in a rustic style. Her light canvas sneakers are neatly placed on the floor by the bedside table. She puts them on.

There are two doors in the room; she tries one of them and turns the light-switch on its other side. Pleasant, toned-down light shows her a small but very clean, newly tiled bathroom. She pees, washes, drinks a little water from the tap and dries her face on a luxuriously fluffy towel.

Then she steps back into the bedroom. Stands still. Her brain is clearing.

She is in the manor house.

Suddenly, it feels as if the room is shrinking. From every direction, the red clover flowers are dancing in on her. She leaps at the other door and pushes the handle down, expecting it to be locked. It isn’t.

Minoo stops in her tracks and looks around. The corridor is lit by old-fashioned windows looking out over the tops of trees. It has a dark brown carpet. On the opposite long wall is a row of white doors with painted-over marks of small signs. It looks like the corridor that leads to Clara’s room. But it might not be, of course – only another, identical-looking one.

She takes her mobile from the pocket of her dress. It is 05.17. She shuts the door behind her quietly and tiptoes along the corridor, hoping that she will find her way out.

A door somewhere behind her opens and she turns round. Viktor.

He looks tired. Exhausted. But he smiles at her and, before Minoo has time to respond, he hugs her.

‘Thank you,’ he says. ‘Thank you.’

Minoo goes as stiff as a post but Viktor doesn’t seem to notice. She picks up a faint smell of sweat and at first thinks it must come from her. Then she realises that it’s from Viktor. Perfect Victor, who is always abnormally odourless.

‘She wants to meet you,’ he tells her.

And Minoo realises that she also wants to meet Clara.

Viktor holds the door open for her and she steps into the room, which is still in semi-darkness.

Clara sits up in bed, supported by a pile of pillows. Her eyes are closed and her face is pale but it’s a healthy pallor that no longer shades into grey. Her hair cascades over the pillows. The paintings in Minoo’s book about the Pre-Raphaelites suddenly come back to her. She rejects the thought at once because it reminds her of Max.

‘Clara, Minoo is here,’ Viktor says in a gentle voice that is new to Minoo.

Clara opens her eyes. The irises are a clear, dark blue, just like Viktor’s. She glances at Minoo and then looks away and tugs at her duvet as if she wants to hide under it.

‘Clara, you can say it yourself now,’ Viktor says. ‘She will hear you.’

‘Please, forgive me,’ Clara says. ‘I’m so unused to people hearing me speak.’

She looks quickly at Minoo, then turns away again.

‘Or seeing me,’ she continues, and a smile lights her face for just a moment. ‘It feels so … unusual.’

‘I understand,’ is all Minoo can think of saying.

Clara fixes her eyes on her again and Minoo can see that it takes a lot of willpower. ‘I am very grateful.’

‘I’m glad I could help you.’

Ought she to admit that she has seen Clara’s memories? Minoo recoils at the thought. She doesn’t want to upset Clara now. On the other hand, there is so much Minoo would like to know. How often has Clara been following the Chosen Ones? How much has she seen? And what has she been telling Viktor? And how much have they told Alexander?

Then it dawns on her that it wouldn’t matter. The guardians have already told Walter everything.

Another circle can take the place of the Chosen Ones. If you are part of it
.

Footsteps are approaching in the corridor. Minoo turns round as Adriana comes in.

Her glossy black hair is styled in a pageboy cut. Her cream-coloured blouse is buttoned all the way up and her dark suit fits so perfectly it must be tailor-made. Her face is without expression, just as it used to look before Minoo got to know the real Adriana.

‘Good to meet you,’ she says, looking at Minoo. ‘Adriana Lopez.’

They shake hands. Adriana doesn’t show a glimmer of recognition. Maybe she has suppressed the memory of when she woke up in her bedroom and saw Minoo and Alexander there.

I feel so peculiar … Have I been asleep?

‘Minoo Falk Karimi.’

Adriana lets go of her hand and looks inquisitively at Minoo.

‘Such a remarkable change,’ she observes. ‘How did you do it?’

Minoo casts around for something to say.

‘Minoo is in a hurry,’ Viktor says. ‘I’ll drive her home.’

Adriana turns to him. ‘Alexander will expect a complete report when he comes back.’

‘Of course,’ Viktor replies coldly.

Minoo looks at Clara, who turns away as soon as their eyes meet.

‘Take care,’ Minoo says. ‘And maybe you shouldn’t … you know …’

Clara smiles. ‘Not to worry. I’m not going to use magic again for a long time.’

Minoo nods, then mumbles ‘Bye’ to Adriana, whose eyes seem to scorch her back as she follows Viktor from the room.

He leads the way back through the manor house.

So far, Minoo has tried to avoid thinking about Adriana, but now the questions are flooding in. How has the Council explained her partial amnesia to her? What if Minoo has left any forbidden memories behind? Is there something still lodged in the back of her mind that she doesn’t understand?

Viktor opens the front door for her. They walk together across the gravelled yard.

‘Viktor, you must tell me about Adriana,’ she says in a low voice. ‘How is she?’

Viktor doesn’t answer, just keeps walking towards the car, which he opens with the remote key. The car bleeps softly and the headlights blink. Minoo hurries to catch up with him.

‘Viktor …’

In a sudden movement, he turns to her, puts his arms around her and whispers with his lips close to her ear.

‘Not here,’ he mumbles in a barely audible voice.

He lets her go. As she opens the passenger-side door, she glimpses Anna-Karin’s fox in the bushes on the other side of the yard.

They drive away. Viktor’s fingers drum lightly on the steering wheel.

Once they hit tarmac, Minoo becomes aware of how quiet the engine is. The car glides noiselessly along the streets of Engelsfors. They pass the turning that leads to Minoo’s home and drive on eastwards. When Viktor suddenly leaves the main road, Minoo realises that he is driving towards the abandoned industrial area.

‘What are we doing here?’

They swing around a corner and drive past old brick-built factories.

‘We’ll talk,’ Viktor replies. ‘By the way, Anna-Karin wanted you to get in touch when you woke up.’

Minoo sends a text to Anna-Karin. When she looks up again, the old steel plant towers rise above them. The pride of Engelsfors’ past.

Viktor drives around the huge building and pulls up on the parking lot. He turns the engine off and takes the key from the ignition.

‘Come with me,’ he tells her.

Avoiding the puddles, which glitter in the sun, they cross the old lot. Here, it feels as if they are alone in the world. The steel plant’s chimney casts a long shadow.

Viktor follows the old, overgrown rail track, unused since the plant closed. Probably, though, it will be remembered in Lage’s model railway. The grass tickles Minoo’s ankles. She steps more carefully when she notices the litter scattered everywhere. Plastic bags. A glint of sunlight on a vodka bottle. Used condoms.