A shadow fell across my body. I dimly registered the blood dripping from his side. From the way he was acting it was nothing more than a scratch, although his face was contorted with rage. He leaned over my useless body,grabbed my throat with one hand and hauled me up until we were face to face.
‘You’re brave,’ he snarled. ‘And that was a clever feint.’ He bared his teeth and his scarlet eyes burned into me. ‘But it wasn’t close to being clever enough.’ He turned his head to stare at Hugo. ‘Tell me where my daughter is or your girlfriend dies.’
I choked and spluttered – it felt like my eyes were bulging out of their sockets. My legs were kicking uselessly in the air. I could hear Hester and Otis shouting at Athair but their words barely registered. ‘Let her go! Let her go!’
Athair tightened his fingers. My vision was all but gone and I could no longer see him, even though he was right in front of me. I had seconds left – at best.
Hugo muttered something. Hester cried out again, ‘Let Daisy go!’
And then Athair released me and I landed on the tunnel floor with a heavy thump.
Arms reached around me, but this time it was Hugo who was holding me. He pulled me back and wrapped himself around me as I swallowed repeatedly, trying to regain control of my bruised throat and trembling vocal chords.
‘My name,’ I croaked eventually, ‘is Daisy.’
Athair spat on the ground. ‘That means nothing.’
‘We weren’t lying before, you wanker,’ Hester yelled.
‘We’re from the future!’ Otis shouted. ‘We’ve travelled back from 2024 because you made Daisy trip a magical golden skull into action. It sent us here!’
‘We can prove who we are,’ Hugo added. ‘Manchester United will win the FA Cup this weekend.’
Athair snorted. ‘Which proves nothing.’
I gave a mocking smile. With the last of my energy, I tossed out a flicker of lightning; it wasn’t enough to hurt Athair, but it sizzled when it hit the damp ground at his feet.
‘When was the last time you saw an ordinary elf do that?’ I whispered.
He stared at me as the penny finally dropped. I took advantage of the moment and struggled to my feet with Hugo’s help. It seemed to take an age, but eventually we were both looking directly into Athair’s face.
‘I have to say that when you come to me in the future and tell me I’m your daughter, I deal with the information far better than you’re doing right now.’
His red eyes remained narrowed. ‘I don’t believe you.’
I felt incredibly calm. ‘Yes, you do. You know who I am.’ I paused, actually enjoying the moment. ‘Haven’t you wondered where Vargas has been for the last few days?’
Athair jerked.
I was only getting warmed up; any trace of fear had melted away.
I touched my hair. ‘I have this from Lady Rose.’ I pointed at my face. ‘I suspect most of this is from you, not that you’d be able to tell nowadays with all your fiend shit. My skin isn’t golden and it never will be. You might as well carry on strangling me, Athair. I might be your daughter by blood but I’ll never be your daughter in reality. I’ll never beyours.’
Athair reached out and for a moment I thought he’d follow through and continue with his bid to kill me. Instead, he extended a finger and swiped a bead of blood from the wound I’d sliced on my arm. He raised it to his lips and licked it, he blinked once and stared at me again.
I squinted. ‘Really?’ I asked. ‘Can you tell we share a few genes fromthat?’
Athair didn’t answer.
I tried to shrug, but unfortunately I mostly just winced. ‘I can’t tell you what will happen beyond May of 2024,’ I said. ‘But I do know that you won’t find me for another twenty-nine years. I’m gone, and so is Rose. You won’t see her ever again.’
I waited, holding my breath. Hugo’s body also tightened.
Athair’s expression cleared, although this time there was a definite hint of awe in his face. So he did believe me; he knew I was telling the truth.
His eyes swept me up and down and he nodded. ‘Yes,’ he whispered. ‘Yes. You’re scrawnier than I’d envisaged – and yet you are her. You are my daughter. And from what you say, Idofind you eventually.’ He released a low whistle. ‘Time travel. What an extraordinary feat. I should have expected nothing less from a child of my own loins.’
Ick. ‘I think I just threw up a little in my mouth,’ I said to Hugo.
