James released Tamsin’s hand and straightaway she reached for her napkin and began twisting it in her fingers.
“Tell her.”
Tamsin looked at James through her hair. “Can’t you do it?”
He shrugged. “She challenged you.”
Tamsin shook her head. “I wish I’d never seconded you, bitch,” she muttered.
“Tamsin.” Pete’s voice contained a warning, but James was grinning.
“That’s my girl.”
After a moment Tamsin stiffened her shoulders and brushed her hair back. “You’re not one of us, Oh. You might be in the club, but you’ll always be a freak.”
“So Justin’s death wasn’t an accident?”
Her fingers still moved, restlessly shredding paper. She glanced around us, checking that the waitress was nowhere near then she leaned forward. “Are you ready for this? Sure you want to hear our dirty little secrets?”
Under the table I slipped my glove from my hand and opened and closed my fist like I was cocking a weapon. “I’m ready.”
“Fine.” She leaned back. “Justin wanted out of the club.” She looked at James and he gave a slight nod so she carried on. “He was worried about how
‘dangerous things were getting’
.” Her voice spiralled up until she imitated a whine: her impression of Justin. He grunted as if she’d sucker punched him and his hand vanished from my shoulder. I checked and saw him slump at the nearest table to ours, still listening.
“Can you believe it?” Tamsin exhaled. “After all you did to get in, can you imagine anyone wanting to leave?”
I shook my head.
“I warned him. I asked if he’d considered how it would affect me?”
“You?” I frowned.
“Hello, suddenly I’d be going out with the biggest loser in school.” She tossed her hair and the peroxide strands caught the light like a fibre optic web.
I glanced at Justin. His own fists were curled on his knees and I couldn’t see his eyes.
“I begged him not to leave the club. He said if I was so worried about my social life he’d tell someone, get the club shut down.”
“He’d never have told.” I leaned forward. “You guys have videos, don’t you, proof of the stuff he’d done? He was going to Cambridge. It would have ruined his chances.”
Tamsin shook her head. “He was so bloody… honourable.”
My eyes went to the “honourable” ghost. He was pressing his fists into his thighs, shaking his head.
“He wouldn’t have told,” I reiterated.
“I couldn’t take that risk. None of us could. You think he was the only one applying to a good university?”
“So you were worried about a future bagging prawn crackers?” I sneered.
Tamsin curled her crimson lips. “Why not? V is our ticket. You’ve already worked out that we’re not the first generation. There’s a whole network. People in V work for people in V. Members get the good jobs, the chances. How do you think Mr Barnes got to be a head in such a short time? He’s useless.”
I looked at James and he nodded slowly.
“So, if you were afraid you'd lose this network and your chance of a good degree, what did you do?”
Tamsin’s fingers moved faster through the paper. “I spoke to James. He said he’d sort it.”
“Sort it?” My words emerged through gritted teeth and my gaze slid to James. He felt my eyes on him and actually winked at me.
Immediately I returned my focus to Tamsin’s drawl. “James told Justin he could leave without penalty on condition that he did a really serious dare. Then if he tried to go to the authorities about the club, we could grass him up.”
Justin didn’t move.
“So it
was
an accident?” I frowned.
Tamsin stared at her hands as if she had only just noticed what she was doing. “James asked me to make sure Justin agreed to his conditions. He had to take on a double dare when James gave him the nod. Harley was the one to find the scaffolding.” She dropped the ragged remains of the napkin on the floor. “Pete had to paint a mark on the highest pole, but James gave him oil.”
“
My God
,” Justin whispered.
My gaze went to Pete.
Petrol Pete
they’d been calling him. His feet were still stretched out under the table and his arms were crossed. But his knuckles strained like tombstones against his skin. “You made me do
what
?” His voice was low and strained, verging on an explosion. Slowly he folded his legs under him and sat straight.
“You knew,” James sneered. “Why would I have wanted a paint stripe on the pole?”
Pete swore low and vicious. Tamsin’s eyes widened.
“Language,” James snorted and he straightened up too, a threat in his posture. “Part of you knew exactly what you were doing, Pete. And remember, if you do anything to me or if you decide to tell. Well, I’ve got the brush with your fingerprints.”
Pete swallowed. His fists shook on the table, but he made no move towards James.
I leaned forward, prompting Tamsin. “What next?”
She inhaled. “Pete challenged James to climb the scaffolding.” She ran trembling fingers through her hair. “James double-dared him to cross the part without a handrail. Pete refused – you can refuse a double if someone else will take it on – I gave Justin the nod and he took it.”
Horror squirmed like scarabs in my chest. “So you were
all
involved.”
She shook her head. “Justin shouldn’t have tried to leave the club. Anyway, it was
James’
idea, his plan.”
I nodded. “Maybe that’ll be enough.” Then I spun in my seat, reached across the table and slapped James hard.
“You bitch.” James lurched to his feet. The black Mark glowed on his cheek for a moment; then settled in, as if something had taken a bite from his face.
Harley blinked as if he’d never seen James take a hit before and Tamsin jumped backwards, knocking her chair to the floor. “What’re you doing, you psycho?”
“
I’m
the psycho?” I cried. “You effing killed your boyfriend so you wouldn’t have to be like me and Hannah, for what, a year? Because you were worried you wouldn’t get a great university place or a top job if the club was closed down?”
Justin was literally
growling
behind her. “Mark her,” he snarled.
I raised my hand to show him that the Mark was gone, transferred to James. “Oh no,” I whispered. The Mark remained, oozing over the tendons of my wrist like treacle. “It wasn’t enough.”
“What wasn’t enough?” Tamsin towered over me, the glare from her eyes like a blowtorch. “What’ve you done to my boyfriend’s face, you skank?”
My stomach felt full of rocks and they jumbled around as I moved towards her, making me feel old and ill. Sure, I'd threatened to Mark Tamsin more than once, but I hadn't really meant it. Justin was going to get his justice, but did she really deserve what was going to happen to her? Did any of them?
Outside the Darkness swelled, reminding me that I had no choice.
“You want to know what I did to James?” I grabbed her arm. I shoved her sleeve up as she jerked back, then pressed my bare hand to the unblemished skin of her forearm. My touch left a Mark.
She shrieked and grabbed my napkin, tried to rub it off.
Briefly I closed my eyes,
please, oh please
, but I knew what I’d see when I looked at my hand.
The Mark wasn’t gone.
I turned to Harley.
“I am actually sorry, Harley.” He wasn't in the same league as his mates. But the Mark wanted him.
He raised his hands, palms up. “Easy, China.” I shook my head and slapped him in a gross mockery of a high five.
Frantically I checked my hand but the Darkness still wasn’t satisfied. I had one more person to Mark. So James was right, on some level Pete must have known what was going on.
My eyes went to my oldest friend. He was sitting upright now, but he hadn’t moved. “What’re you doing, Tay?” he whispered.
Tears choked me. “You always wanted to know why I act the way I do. Why I seem so nuts.”
He nodded. Behind him the Darkness had gathered at the window leaving the rest of the street in grey twilight. “Tay?”
James lunged for me, his face murderous. Pete’s arm shot out and blocked him. “Tay?” he repeated.
If I didn’t Mark Pete, the Darkness would take me. It was me or Pete.
My eyes stung as the tears welled from my throat. “Why did you do it? Why did you get involved in this craziness?” I spat the last word.
He didn’t take his eyes from me. “After you,” he finally said, “it was all I had.”
James grinned horribly. “And don’t forget the videos we’ve got of
you
, mate.”
“Shit.” I punched the table. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“Tay?” Justin grabbed my elbows. “What’re you waiting for? You have to Mark him.”
“You helped kill someone, Pete.” I spun back to him. “You and Harley, James and Tamsin.”
“Keep your voice down, you stupid slut.” James’ brows were so low I couldn’t see the expression in his eyes. “V’s all about what we’ve got on
each other
. You promised you wouldn’t tell, but if you forget and open your mouth, remember we could get you locked up for that little stunt on the underground.”
I spoke only to Pete. “Justin was your friend.”
Pete nodded, his face miserable. “It didn’t seem so bad doing little things. It was surreal, like I wasn’t involved at all.” He shook his head. “If I could tell him how sorry I am…” He looked at me. “I didn’t want you involved in this, Tay. I tried to tell you to stay out.”
“I-I know. I couldn’t.” I showed him my hand. “I’m supposed to touch you with this.”
“Do it.” Justin pushed me and I lurched forward, just missing Pete’s elbow.
“Stop it,” I hissed. “Just stop it.” I was finally crying. “It’s Pete, I’m not going to
Mark
Pete.”
I ran out of the restaurant. Behind me I heard James shout. “After her.”
Chairs clattered and a waitress yelled as they sprinted after me. Where did they think I was going?
I crashed through the double doors, out into the street and a bubble of silence.
It’s here
.
I spun to find the Darkness rising in front of me like a pillar. I stared into its black heart and my shoulders drooped. I’d chosen this when I’d let Pete go clean.
Around me the street was silent. At the edge of my vision people walked on the other side of the road, eyes turned from me. They didn’t see the Darkness, but they instinctively chose to avoid its presence.
My lip trembled but I raised my hand, showing the Mark almost defiantly.
The world seemed to draw breath and I knew the pillar was about to crash over me.
“Don’t just stand there.” Justin barrelled into me, grabbed my arm before I could hit the ground and pulled me into a stumbling run.
“Justin, it’s over,” I gasped.
“No.” He shoved me in front of him. I saw him look back then he pushed me harder. “You aren’t going with that thing.”
Behind me there was a muffled thud. I dug my heels in and turned. The bar door had slammed into the wall. Harley, James and Tamsin were lined up on the pavement. Pete was hanging back.
“There she is.” James pointed. “Get her.”
I had time only to blink before the Darkness struck. Tamsin didn’t even have time to scream. I met Pete’s horror-filled eyes as his friends vanished, swallowed as if they had never been.
“It’ll come for you now.” Justin shoved me again. “Run.”
Sure enough the Darkness, like a beast unsated, seemed to be seeking a scent. I hesitated one more second and it spread out on the pavement like it had turned to liquid, then started to flow towards me.
I caught my breath, looked briefly at Justin and ran.
I’d never seen anyone outrace the Darkness before, but it was worth a try.
29
THERE HAS TO BE A CURE
“It’s gaining.” Terror bleached Justin’s voice and even though he was right at my side, his words sounded like a distant cry.
Fireworks flashed in my vision. I dug my fist into my aching side as we sprinted through a silent world and ahead, people parted like a biblical sea, unknowingly moving for the Darkness.
As we turned the corner a Routemaster pulled away from the bus stop.
Justin propelled me forward. “Get on.” He literally threw me toward the back of the bus. With my last ounce of strength I grabbed the bar; then moved out of Justin’s way. He leaped on after me and gripped my hand as we turned to see if the bus was going to be able to outpace the spreading tide of black.
Shadowy fingers reached for the wheels and crept up the sides of the vehicle.
I retreated into the glowing interior.
The bus was full but the noise inside was muffled. A couple of kids pressed their fists against their ears as if they had just popped.
“It’s here,” I whispered.
“I know.” Justin pushed me ahead of him to the stairs and I ran up two at a time. The top floor was empty, but we’d trapped ourselves; there was nowhere else to go.
For a couple of seconds, at the top of the bus, sound rushed back into the world and my ears pounded with the roar of the engine, horns from outside, a lone siren and a bus of chatting Londoners.
I allowed myself to inhale, then the void came crashing back down and everything was muffled once more. I wheeled. The steps behind me were black; as I watched, the last one vanished under a dark blanket.
I looked at Justin, focusing on his chocolate eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
He squeezed my hand and I had to strain to hear his reply. “I wasn’t sure about this moving on thing anyway.” He fingers crushed mine. “We need more
time
.”
I trained my eyes back on the Darkness, clinging onto a childish feeling that the thing in the dark couldn’t get you if you watched it.