Underbelly (67 page)

“
Not maybe, definitely.”

“
When they say it they don’t know you’ve heard the same thing a couple of dozen times. Try to enjoy it is my advice.”

“
And even though we bicker and banter like siblings, I do respect your advice. I don’t just want your advice though, I want your help.”

“
And you’ve got it. What do you want me to do?”

“
I want you to grant me an audience with Octavius.”

“
He can’t do that. He’s tried to talk to him and he’s found other people instead,” Germaine said protectively, remembering Adelaide’s warning concerning Octavius. Why she was inclined to believe such a monster she didn’t know, but her instincts made her speak.

Grey exhaled and said, “I’ll try again, but I have tried for extended periods and drawn a blank.”

“
I’m going to use my power to boost yours. If that doesn’t work then I’ll accept that the spirit is no longer out there.”

Grey agreed to this calmly, while the prospect unsettled Germaine and made her lose her appetite. Laura and James both seemed to think that it was safe and whether that was naiveté or arrogance or both was questionable.

“
We’ll have to do it weekends or nights though, Laura. I’m not working in the kitchens anymore and my new job’s not so flexible. I’ve gone up in the world. I’m working on a building off Wall Street at present, 52 stories up. The wages are awesome.”

“
What are you doing?” Laura asked curiously.

“
Building it. I’ll warn you where it is so you never set foot inside,” Grey joked. Germaine detested his new job with a vengeance while he loved it because it would make him self-sufficient and compared to the menial jobs he had done to support himself and his spouse this work was at least interesting, hard but fulfilling.

“
If you’re that desperate for money I’ll give you some,” Laura said.

Grey shook his head. “I appreciate the offer but I have to stand on my own two feet. I’m careful up there. I’ve heard from enough iron workers who came a cropper and I make sure not to make their mistakes.”

“
Get back into the gardening game. You are good at that. Take that shocked look off your face, I can be complimentary sometimes. There’s less risk working at zero feet.”

Germaine tried to bite her tongue, failing as she chipped in, “Some spirits come to you with such force you shudder. If that happened up there…”

“
It doesn’t. I don’t actively seek them out up there,” Grey lied.

“
Some come anyway,” Germaine said, fully conversant with how his power worked.

“
The goal is to earn enough for our own house. As nice as our hotel suite is, it’s not the same as having a place of our own. I’ve got to do something to try and join you two rich dames on the property ladder.”

“
James, if you want that so badly then just take my Durham property. You’re never going to become a property magnate if you have to be scraped from the pavement,” Laura said with genuine concern. His choice of career reminded her of his recklessness back in Maramont when he had frequently jeopardised himself needlessly.

“
That’s a kind offer but I don’t want to go back to England. I can’t stand the accents…”

As Laura had not yet booked a hotel room Grey decided to call in a favour. The rooms were too expensive for Laura to pay to stay there for another three weeks and he knew Conrad would be happy to help. Conrad agreed instantly to let him have another room for free, though he was curious as to why he wanted it. When Conrad learned it was for a female friend he ribbed Grey, telling him it was a mistake to put up a mistress in the same place as his wife, and he asked to be introduced to her.

“
She’s off limits, Conrad,” Grey said.

“
What do you think I am, a dog in heat? I don’t want to mount every woman I meet. I didn’t touch Dora, did I?” he said, pretending to feel unfairly slandered.

“
No. I’ll ask her if she’s prepared to meet you,” Grey said, unsure how that would work out. He liked Conrad and thought him a good guy at heart but he knew that he made an awful first impression.

“
It’s all right, don’t bother. There’s no point if I can’t fuck her,” Conrad said jokingly, though his sentiment was genuine as he felt there was no point meeting a woman who was forbidden fruit in case she proved to be irresistible. Grey warned him about the Alieus, that he had annoyed one woman enough to wish him dead in bloody fashion, and when Conrad didn’t take that seriously Grey showed him his stomach and told him how he had received his injuries, which did seem to have an impact on him, but he was already trying to change a little, still doing what he wanted while acting with a little more consideration towards others. “She can have the room for as long as she wants.”

“
Thanks. I’m not trying to stop you having fun. I just…”

“
I understand. You’re scared I’m going to use her and spit her out.”

“
Could be the reverse in this case.”

“
You’re intriguing me there, so let’s change the topic,” Conrad said. “There’s night work available at the hotel – you get first refusal. It’s good wages.”

“
Thanks for the offer. If I hadn’t started my new job I’d jump at the opportunity.”

“
Jack it in. You’ve got greater job security at the hotel and no commuting time. You’re unsackable. What’s this other job?”

“
Bricklaying,” Grey said, bending the truth a little to spare him another earbashing about his choice of career.

Grey went down to Laura’s room the next morning and asked her how the process was going to work, very curious as to how she was going to boost his power.

“
So are we going to be together on the spirit plane?”

“
No. I don’t have any powers in that sphere. I can reincarnate spirits – that’s quite easy, surprisingly, and that’s where my power with spirits ends. I’m going to increase your power. I’m your electricity socket. I’ll talk you through it,” Laura said disarmingly, explaining why she had cleared some space as she had to form a circle which she would mark with animal blood (which she had obtained from a butchers) and urine, handing him a glass. Grey provided the urine without question, as he knew why she was asking him to do it rather than doing it herself, her own bodily functions much, much reduced to that of ordinary humans. He joked that he had plenty more where that came from, making sure that the joke was not aimed in her direction, and she thanked him and daubed his urine over the blood with her fingers. Laura stripped off and daubed blood on her nipple and started to mark her body with black paint. She was unashamed in her nakedness and told Grey not to be embarrassed about looking at her as he sat in the circle.

“
Can I take my shoes off? I’m not going to go as far as you, I just think I’ll be real uncomfortable in these after a while.”

“
You can, but just put them to your side. Don’t leave the circle from this point on,” Laura instructed, concentrating intently and suggesting with a glance that he do the same. Grey communicated with the other side but it felt no different at first, save perhaps for a slight increase in volume. After a couple of hours his head began to throb and he felt sick as he continued his detailed search, contacting many spirits who lived before Christ, which was unusual for him, Laura’s boost affecting his range.

Thank you for your interest in me
, a disembodied voice said darkly; Grey was acutely aware of who it was at once.

You’re an important figure
, Grey said, his brain feeling like it was about to explode, like he had a 20-pound tumour.

You’re right. Too important to play your games. Tell the bitch that I accept her offering and will give her some guidance.”

That’s all she wants,
Grey said, feeling the strain as Octavius put up resistance and attempted a hostile takeover.

Then move aside and let me talk to your liege.

“
Laura, we have contact, though I think maybe I should break it. I’ve got a shark on the end of my rod here,” Grey said cautiously.

“
You’re protected in the circle. Nothing can happen to you,” Laura vowed, excited at the breakthrough, contact with the god himself.

“
Okay. I don’t want to do this boost again, mind. I’m not enough in…control,” he said, the words an effort, another trying to take control of his thoughts, of his tongue.

I have no desire to share my secrets with a messenger. I would have hunted the pair of you down, but at least the woman would have been a decent challenge
, Octavius said disparagingly.

I don’t get that, why you hated others like yourself. Is that self-loath
…Grey said, unable to complete the sentence as Octavius made another assault on his mind.
Stop trying. I’ve had someone try and take over my mind before and they failed. You say you would have hunted us both down. What stopped you catching her then?

She hid in small dark cracks like an insect.

And she’s alive and you’re dead.

Until now
, he said, as he made a renewed concerted effort to take over Grey’s body. Whether it was Grey’s own natural defences and resistance or Laura’s protection, Octavius failed again, though he managed to flick the power off in this attempt as the whole spirit plane crashed and Grey had only his own thoughts rebounding in his throbbing head, the white noise gone.

“
Got any aspirin?” Grey asked Laura.

“
I’ll get some from the chemists in a bit. What’s he saying?”

“
Nothing. He tried to get in my body again and failed and for now he’s gone.”

“
Or laying dormant?”

Grey shook his head. “There’s nothing going on at the minute, Laura. None of his servants, nobody from nowadays, nada. We may as well break for lunch and try again this afternoon.”

“
You’re right. Unfortunately, as the circle is consecrated and has the energies encircling it...”

“
I don’t mind staying in here for lunch, that’s not a problem. You can still pass me food though, surely?”

“
Yes,” Laura laughed. Solitary spells were the norm for her and most of her declining ilk, yet she had served her time in covens and enjoyed the camaraderie, the fun that could be had in working together. Of course at these times she had still practised alone too to ensure she stayed head and shoulders above the rest. Georges, Wykeham and Alice, Acca and Liffa – they had explored their craft together and had fun doing so and the adrenaline pumped again through her slow-moving veins. If Grey had been her lover like most of the others the play and exploring could have been taken to another level. Regardless, she was still having a ball.

Germaine answered the door and looked up at the tall man staring down at her. James had a key but with what he was embroiled in she pondered horrendous scenarios, of Laura coming up to tell her she’d lost him or that he’d been taken over like Conrad Overton and Thomas Hepworth, with Octavius in his body.

“
Are you Germaine Grey?” the man asked, his accent imperceptible. Like her, he was certainly no local to this land.

“
Yes,” Germaine said quizzically, trying to determine his business with her.

He strode inside and she questioned whether she should leave the room to get help. This momentary thought quickly passed as did the opportunity as he masterfully grabbed her arm and dragged her to his side and slammed the door behind him. “Your experiences with Inge should have taught you that screaming would be a mistake.”