Page 64 of Secrets of the Eternal Flame

‘How did you recognise them?’ I asked.

She was eager to talk about her own cleverness so I let her while I looked around me for something I could use as a weapon. Yes, Fran was a dark magic practitioner but shewasn’t a sorcerer, not by a long way. A crack over the head with something heavy would do it.

‘I knew both items had been left under the guardianship of goblins so they were likely to be in the care of an old goblin family,’ Fran said proudly. ‘The oldest goblins in the UK are all in the south of England. I started in Witchlight in honour of her glorious massacre here.’

Scarlett looked a little pale at that. Perhaps the rose-tinted glasses about Fran’s kindness in healing her mum were being torn away.

Fran went on. ‘The cup was obvious if you knew what you were looking for. As for the grimoire, the stones embedded in the cover gave it away – that and the human-skin binding.’ She gave another of those long, dreamy sighs. ‘And when I find Dahlia, she will have all the power she needs to acquire a strength greater than she’s ever dreamed of – and she will praise me forever.’ She lifted her hands into the air, as though worshipping some great deity, not talking about a murderous psycho.

But it didn’t matter because she’d made a slip of the tongue. A tiny one but big enough for me to know I could distract her and make my move.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I laughed. Fran narrowed her eyes at me as her face twisted in fury. ‘Frannie, Fran, Fran, Fran,’ I taunted. ‘You don’t know where she is, do you?’ I said, smirking. ‘She didn’t see any potential in you, did she? And I’d be willing to bet my dog’s left ear that she doesn’t have afuckingclue who you are.’

Eva barked an objection. I glanced down at her and grimaced. ‘Sorry, girl. I’m pretty sure your ear is safe.’

I looked back at Fran. ‘Youmether, that’s all you did. Youmether. Where was it, at some psycho-sorceress convention? And now you think you’re going to take these items to her and gain her favour? Even though she probably has no idea who you are? Ha!’ I laughed again.

For a fraction of a second Fran’s jaw locked, but then she grinned viciously at me. ‘It doesn’t matter because now I have a way to track her.You.Your blood.’

‘Hmm. Nice thinking,’ I said, feigning calmness. ‘But if you knew anything about my grandmother, you’d know she’s very good at covering her tracks.Verygood. She did it with my dad to stop my grandfather from finding him, and they were father and son! You don’t get a stronger blood connection than that. My grandfather spent years trying to find Dad but my grandmother hid him so well that even one of the greatest witches in the northern hemisphere couldn’t find him. But you thinkyoucan find her?’ I took a step forward.

‘Um,’ Scarlett interjected. ‘My mum’s calling. I’m going to have to take this. She might need me.’ She waved her phone and dashed out.

I grinned at Fran. ‘That phone screen was dark. She didn’t take a call; she’s run away from you. Like I’m betting everyone does when they learn what a psychopath you are.’

She glared at me. ‘Scarlett will be back. I saved her mother’s life with the potion she drank from the Cup of Completion. Sheowesme.’

‘She’s probably taking the grimoire and the cup for herself,’ I suggested.

Fran’s neck snapped around to check on something. The tension in her eased when her eyes landed on a cute pin-striped backpack. Bingo.

I lifted my hands and sent a blast of air in front of me. With a gasp, Fran whirled out of the way and a crate behind her shattered into splinters.

Her eyes glinted. ‘If that’s all you’ve got, it won’t be enough,’ she taunted. With barely a flick of her wrists, a blast of flames erupted from her hands. The yellow-and-gold tongues of fire extended from her palms, longer and brighter than anything I’d seen, even in Farah’s videos. She flicked her wrist again and the flames changed direction, straight towards me and Eva. We leapt out of the way and ducked behind another flammable crate. Great idea that, Bea.

‘I’ll distract her,’ I muttered to Eva. ‘You creep around her and grab that bag.’ For once, Eva didn’t bark in reply; she knew this was a stealth mission. She slunk off.

‘Nice,’ I called to Fran, ‘But you’re still no match for me. I’m the freakingGuardianfor goodness’ sake.’

‘Then where’s your Eternal Flame?’ she taunted. ‘I haven’t felt its presence since the moment I arrived in Witchlight Cove. And believe me, I checked.’

I went cold. Wasthatwhy the Flame had hidden itself? Was it in cloaking mode, hiding from the dark witch in town? Maybe its disappearance had nothing to do with me at all!

I pushed those thoughts aside as Eva returned to my side, the bag in her mouth. She’d lifted her chin high to prevent her from dragging the bag and making a sound; she was the cleverest dog in all the world.

I opened it and instantly spotted the cup and the grimoire. I opened the vial of Grandad’s potion and poured it on both of them for good measure, then zipped up the bag and set it on the floor next to me. I stepped out from behind the crate, sending a blast of air deliberately wide.

Fran laughed. ‘You are soweak,’ she sneered. ‘I could kill you seventeen different ways before you could ever harm me.’

I laughed right back. ‘Sweetheart, you couldn’t even flambé crème brûlée!’

‘You don’t flambé crème brûlée, you imbecile, you torch it! Like this!’ She threw a wave of crackling fire at me.

I reached down, snagged the bag and chucked it into the flames.

Fran screamed and stopped her flames instantly, but I know fire: all it needs is fuel and oxygen to grow. The book was the fuel and I could give it oxygen. I gently pushed some air towards the remaining flames until they had incinerated the bag and its contents.

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