‘Daisy!’ Hugo yelled. ‘Duck!’
I didn’t think about it, I simply did as he said and threw myself down, face-planting on the ground and receiving a mouthful of dirt for my efforts. As soon as I did so, a cascade of water appeared and extinguished the ball of fire. I rolled, avoiding the hot splatters of steaming water and twisted my head to look at Rose and Hugo. Lady Rose’s skin was no longer writhing with nasty red swirls; it was clear that both of them had sent the water magic in my direction.
Hugo bowed. ‘You’re welcome! That’s another time I’ve saved your sweet arse, Daisy!’
Yeah, yeah. I yanked myself up and spun. I looked at Baltar’s wet body, registering the large puddle at his feet once more, and inhaled deeply – then I gave the cumbubbling bastard a taste of his own medicine.
The second the lightning bolt left my fingertips, he gaped. Creating electrical magic out of thin air was the sort of magic that only a fiend could manage. A fiend – and me. Baltar recovered quickly enough to leap to his right to avoid it, but I wasn’t aiming at him; I was aiming at the pool of dirty water he was standing in. He might have jumped away from the lightning, but his feet were immersed in water and that was all I needed. The electrical current conducted instantly through the puddle and into his body.
Baltar’s body jerked as his muscles spasmed and he threw back his head, dark veins pulsating beneath his smooth goldenskin. He didn’t make a sound but I knew he had to be enduring colossal pain. Good. I didn’t have a shred of sympathy for him.
I folded my arms and watched until his body gave away entirely and he thudded face first to the ground.
‘Yes, Daisy!’ Hester pumped the air with her fists.
‘You did it,’ Lady Rose breathed. ‘You killed him.’
I shook my head. He wasn’t dead, not in any true sense. Before too long, Baltar would rise again unless I did something about it. I stalked over to Gladys and picked her up, and she hummed happily. Stabbing Baltar in the heart and chopping off his head would do it.
I was more than ready for the grisly task. I lifted my sword – then I froze.Uh-oh.I licked my lips. Actually,uh-ohwould have counted as the understatement of the year.
We’d all been so focused on ourselves and our own predicament that we hadn’t noticed the car. Hugo’s parents had driven the length of the driveway from the main road and none of us had seen them – but they had certainly seen us. Lord and Lady Pemberville were staring white-faced from the front seats. I couldn’t begin to imagine what they thought was happening.
Lady Rose glanced over her shoulder to see what I was looking at. When she caught sight of her neighbours, she went white. Hester and Otis also turned, their bodies going rigid. Finally, Hugo checked to see who was there; as soon as he saw his parents staring at him, he turned such a shade of pale that I was concerned he was about to pass out.
Lord Pemberville wound down his window by three inches. The engine was still running and it was clear he was prepared to make a quick getaway if the situation called for it. ‘We were worried, Rose,’ he called out. ‘We thought we’d come back and give the situation another shot. We wanted to see if we could, uh, help you.’
Lady Rose obviously didn’t know what to say. Her mouth twisted and she whispered a strangled answer. ‘Thank you.’
Lord Pemberville’s gaze drifted to Baltar, who remained prone – at least for now. ‘Rose,’ he said quietly, ‘is that a fiend?’
She swallowed hard. I supposed we all ought to have been grateful that he knew what fiends were; this situation was awkward enough without having to explain that part as well. ‘Yes.’
‘He won’t be dead.’
‘No,’ she said.
He looked at the body of the still-unnamed sorcerer. ‘Ishedead?’
Lady Rose sighed. ‘Yes.’
He shuddered and pointed at me. ‘Who is thatwoman, Rose?’
Her answer was quiet. ‘She’s called Daisy.’
‘Not Gertrude.’
‘No.’
‘Or Karen?’
I bit my lip. ‘I really am called Daisy.’
Lord Pemberville stared at me for another moment. I couldn’t begin to imagine what was going through his head. ‘We should leave,’ he said finally.
She nodded at him. ‘That’s a good idea.’
He gestured to the back seats. ‘All of us. Get in.’
