The Key (69 page)

‘That’s right. But, apart from that, I don’t regret anything. I’m proud of it and would do it again.’

He turns to the public galleries.

‘When you leave today you’ll be like,
Oh my God
,
I had no idea
. But you’ll be lying. Because you’ve always known. You’ve always known who I am. You’ve always let me get away with it.’

He grins and turns to face the court again.

‘Am I correct in assuming that you’re changing your plea?’ the judge asks him.

‘Guilty,’ Erik says, and crosses his arms.

Adriana’s connection to the Council does not consist of just one bond.

It is more like hundreds of fish hooks. When Minoo takes them out, she must carefully remove each barb so that they don’t cause any tears. She is endlessly thorough and cautious. The task is not particularly difficult, but it is very time-consuming. Though time, she knows somewhere at the back of her mind, is in short supply.

But it is hard to keep in touch with the world outside when she works with her magic. The hooks require all her concentration.

One by one, they are removed. Until, finally, they are all out.

Adriana is free.

She is reclining on the sofa, her magic a faint red glow around her. Her bondage is over. When Minoo has returned her memories to her, she will be a whole person again.

It isn’t as easy as it was with Gustaf. It is not just a matter of a few hidden hours. Minoo has to reinstate each junction, each detour that she created last summer. Unstitch the seams made in the memory weave, unravel it and allow it to take on its original shape.

It is satisfying work.

Now, soon, she’ll be done.

* * *

Anna-Karin leans against the wall near the entrance to the courtroom. The sky has become overcast; a greyish light floods into the atrium.

She folds the sleeves back on Nicolaus’s coat, which she is wearing on top of her own messed-up clothes. She has washed her face and hands and eaten a bar of chocolate that Evelina had brought. But she still feels drained. Vanessa, who is standing next to her, is exhausted too. Even though their powers are almost as strong here as in Engelsfors, they run out of strength faster when they are away from its source.

But their tiredness feels good. It is the fatigue that comes after working hard and achieving a fantastic result.

She looks around the hall. The atmosphere is morose, except among the journalists. The parents and siblings of the boys seem unable to face even each other. Julia and Felicia have vanished.

Anna-Karin is very aware of how Erik’s words will stick in everyone’s mind.

…
You’ve always known. You’ve always known who I am. You’ve always let me get away with it
.

Anna-Karin made Erik lie just once. It was when he claimed that he had threatened to kill Robin and Kevin. They of course repeated the lie as a reason for retracting their confessions, topped up with plenty of assurances about how scared they had been of Erik.

Their solicitors were utterly confused. After a break for consultation, both sides informed the court that they wouldn’t call any witnesses. Viktor could go back home. The prosecution and the defence solicitors gave their concluding speeches and then the court withdrew to deliberate.

Anna-Karin has no worries about the outcome because she has already instructed the members of the court. They are to sentence along the lines indicated in the prosecutor’s submission to the court. And make the actual sentences as tough as possible.

The loudspeakers announce that the court is in session again.

‘Ready?’ Anna-Karin asks Vanessa.

She nods and smiles a tired smile. They walk back to their seats, hand in hand.

‘The defendants have admitted to criminal acts as charged, and confirmed collusion with each other. Their admissions of guilt are supported by all available evidence in this case,’ the judge announces. ‘Because of the defendants’ youth, and because two of them have already spent two months in custody, this court will deliver its sentences immediately.’

All is still now. Anna-Karin turns her eyes to Erik and squeezes Vanessa’s hand. Concentrates. Earlier, she made him love speaking out. Now, she wants him to understand what he has done.

Listen to your sentence. Say nothing. Realise that you have confessed, that everyone here knows what you have done
.

Anna-Karin observes Erik. He freezes as the judge utters the words
five years
. Red streaks on his skin rise up from underneath his shirt collar. Robin bursts into tears when he hears his sentence:
four years
. Kevin just nods when he hears
three months
.

Anna-Karin focuses on Erik again.

Turn around
.

Erik turns his head.

Look along the first row. Look at me. The
BO Ho.

Erik scans the row and catches sight of Anna-Karin.

Understand that I am making all this happen and that I’m not alone
.

Slowly, all colour drains from Erik’s face.

Understand that we will do much, much worse things to you if you ever try to appeal against your sentence. Or if you ever try to hurt Linnéa again. Or if you ever hurt anyone else
.

Erik’s face has gone white as chalk. He looks nauseous with sheer terror.

Anna-Karin feels completely calm. They have won.

* * *

Minoo opens her eyes.

The light that finds its way into the room is dimmer now, and she wonders how long she has been operating inside the black smoke. Next to her, Adriana is reclining on the sofa and staring at the ceiling.

‘Adriana?’ Minoo says.

No answer. Adriana’s eyes are blank, unblinking. Minoo is frightened.

‘Adriana! Can you hear me?’

She touches her arm, then shakes her lightly. No response. Minoo places her fingertips on the large artery in the neck and registers a pulse. Adriana is alive but she doesn’t respond. Why isn’t she responding?

The study door is pulled open and quick, heavy steps are crossing the floor. Minoo can’t move. She is shivering all over.

Alexander enters the room. His black coat is very dusty and the skin over one cheekbone is scratched. He stops and looks at them.

‘What’s going on here?’ he says. ‘Adriana?’

She doesn’t react. Alexander hurries to her side, takes her pulse, tries to wake her.

‘What have you done?’ he screams at Minoo. ‘What have you done?’

Drops of spit hit her face. She is speechless. She can’t stop her trembling. She is shivering, as if the room has turned arctic.

‘Alexander,’ Walter says calmly from the doorway. ‘Let me try.’

Alexander backs away and Walter bends over Adriana and holds her head with both hands. He closes his eyes. It takes only a few seconds before he opens them again.

‘I’m very sorry,’ he says. ‘I can’t help her.’

Alexander looks murderously at Minoo. She is certain that if Walter gave him free rein, he would kill her.

‘Take your sister away from here,’ Walter says. ‘I’ll have a look at her later on.’

Alexander lifts Adriana and carries her out of the room, much as he once carried Olivia from the gym hall. Minoo just has time to glimpse him as he lowers Adriana onto the bed in the bedroom. Then Walter shuts the door.

Minoo clutches herself in an attempt to stop the shaking. Where did she go wrong? Was it too much for Adriana? Perhaps she’ll get better after a little rest? Or has Minoo completely burnt out her brain?

She feels the sofa give when Walter sits down next to her. He leans forward, rests his elbows on his knees.

‘Well, now, Minoo,’ he says.

She hears Alexander moving about in the next room, saying Adriana’s name. No response.

‘Will she be all right?’ Minoo asks in a voice that trembles as much as the rest of her.

‘How can I answer that?’ Walter says. ‘I don’t even know what kind of damage you’ve caused.’

He sits back, puts his arm along the back of the sofa and looks at her.

‘It wasn’t too hard to get Clara to talk,’ he says. ‘Her pain threshold is quite low. What about yours, Minoo?’

She feels sick. The room vibrates in time with her heartbeats.

‘What did you do to her?’ she asks him.

‘It wasn’t that bad. And I can always fix any damage I do. Unlike you, it seems.’

‘I didn’t mean to—’

‘That’s enough,’ Walter says. He fixes his eyes on her. ‘You’re only to listen and answer my questions. So, what is your pain threshold like, Minoo?’

He looks so calm. What has he done to Clara? What does he plan to do to Minoo?

‘Forget it,’ he says and sighs. ‘You’d just retreat into your magic. Pointless. I’m sure you’d respond better to other methods. You know that we have our headquarters in Stockholm, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ Minoo whispers.

‘It is not unusual for people to fall off metro platforms. Not to mention all those lethal traffic accidents. Sometimes muggings go awfully wrong. And then there are fires. Bad things could happen to anyone. Even to hospital consultants. If you get my meaning?’

The shaking is intensifying and her teeth are chattering. All Minoo can do is nod.

‘Good,’ Walter says. ‘I take it you’ve understood that Alexander isn’t my only subordinate here in Engelsfors?’

Minoo hasn’t given it much thought. She always trusted Walter’s sincere-sounding assurances that he didn’t want to involve too many others.

Now she realises just how gullible she has been.

‘Alexander isn’t the only one, far from it,’ Walter continues. ‘So, there’s every reason to have a chat about bad things that might happen in Engelsfors. Let’s leave your family out of it for the moment. Take Vanessa’s little brother. Do you think he could defend himself?’

Minoo shuts her eyes tightly and tries not to vomit.

‘Answer my question, Minoo. Do you think Melvin can defend himself?’

‘N-n-no.’

It feels as if she has lockjaw.

‘Do you think Gustaf can defend himself?’

‘Please …’ Minoo stammers as her eyes fill with tears.

The courage she felt when she held the box, the sense of control she experienced when she was inside the black smoke, all of it is gone. Walter is in charge. He has all the power and she can’t think how she could ever believe otherwise.

‘It’s come to my attention that Anna-Karin Nieminen, together with Vanessa Dahl, manipulated the court hearing today,’ he says. ‘Also, that Anna-Karin attacked Alexander …’

‘Please,’ Minoo says again. She forces herself to look at him. ‘I understand. I fully understand where you’re going with all this … I’ll do what you want … anything you want.’

Walter wipes away the tears running down her cheeks with the sleeve of his sweater. First her right cheek. Then her left.

‘I thought you wanted to save the world, Minoo.’

‘I do.’

‘Then, why go behind my back? Why have you recruited new witches to your circle, even though you haven’t the faintest hope of it being effective? Why try to deceive me and the guardians?’

She has no answers.

‘As for the box, you don’t even have a clue how to use it,’ Walter adds.

She looks at him. Of course he knew. He knew all along.

‘I hoped you’d come and talk to me of your own accord. We really thought you would, the guardians and I.’

‘I had planned to do it,’ Minoo says.

Walter nods. ‘I believe you,’ he says. ‘You’re intelligent. You’re able to see the big picture, to look beyond your own immediate needs. But the others are dragging you down. “The Chosen Ones”. Christ.’

He picks up the box from the table and weighs it in his hands.

‘Chinese craftwork from the 1400s. Carved, lacquered wood and some magic. What you see are only the surface features, of course. The object inside the box is a good deal older. It dates from the period of the first Council.’

His finger follows the carved figures on the lid.

‘There’s a story here linked to the conspiracy. A reason why they stole these objects.’

Minoo tries but fails to take a deep breath. She can’t get enough air into her lungs.

‘They believed the demons were ancient gods who ruled this world in the beginning. The conspirators also believed that they would be elevated if they let the demons in. They thought that they would be given a new civilisation. The plan was to keep these objects concealed and hand them over to the demons’ Blessed One when the next portal was activated.’

Walter points to the male figure in the centre of the lid. Then he puts the box back on the table.

‘People are capable of believing anything,’ he says. ‘No matter how many facts one presents to them. They’ll always find a way to twist what is true and simple.’

He looks hard at Minoo.

‘It is very simple, Minoo. The Chosen Ones can’t save the world. But we can. Our circle is the strongest.’

‘Yes,’ Minoo whispers.

‘You’ve seen it yourself.’

She nods. She has seen it herself.

‘You don’t like me,’ he says. ‘And I understand why you don’t. It’s actually quite charming how
young
you are. That you still believe you can keep your hands clean. That it’s possible to be idealistic and still get on in the world. That love and friendship will conquer everything.’

‘I don’t believe that,’ Minoo says.

Suddenly she can’t get her head round how she could ever have believed that. Reality looks different. Reality is sitting in front of her.

‘But I hate you,’ Minoo says.

The words come out of her mouth just like that. She can’t stop it. But Walter just grins, his usual boyish smile.

‘Always something,’ he says.

He places his hand on her cheek. His fingertips are cold as ice when he turns her head and locks his eyes onto hers.

‘We want the same thing. That’s what matters now. I’m the enemy of your enemy and hence your friend. Hate me as much as you like. But you will stay here. And you will obey me. Understood?’

‘Yes,’ Minoo whispers.

‘Excellent,’ Walter says. ‘You still have the key to Nicolaus’s flat, I hope? And the cross is still kept at your place?’

‘Yes.’