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His face was still and watchful in the half-light. “You are lying,” he said eventually. He made a pathetic attempt at a laugh. “Dita, you lying bitch! You’re saying this just to get out of here.”
I returned his stare in silence. He broke the impasse first, lowering his head into his hands and then throwing it back at a near impossible angle. A wild, animal howl escaped him and I winced, drawing Eleanor closer as she trembled fearfully. The inhuman sound went mercilessly on and on, echoing around the confined space until I thought it would drive all traces of sanity from my own mind. I watched helplessly as, squatting on his haunches, face gaunt and eyes smouldering, my friend Eddie finally gave way to the madness that had tried so hard and for so long to claim his soul.
“Make him stop, Dita. Please,” Eleanor pleaded.
“No. Let him make as much noise as he can.” I pressed my lips close to her ear to whisper the words. “Someone might hear. This may be our only chance.”
Eddie’s eyes fell on us again as we cowered together in the corner. “You evil slut! How could you keep this from me?” He flew at us and hauled Eleanor to her feet, wrapping his hands around her throat. My efforts to pull him away were in vain, and I feared I would be forced to stand by and watch while he choked the life out of her. Her hands beat wildly against him, like moths fluttering helplessly against a windowpane. She began to wilt like a rose carelessly plucked and then discarded. As her knees buckled, he tossed her aside and she fell, unconscious, to the floor. His eyes turned to me and I caught a glint of candlelight on the blade he pointed at me.
“And you, bitch.” The tone was calm. The voice was not Eddie’s. “Pretending to care for me, behaving like you are my mother.” I backed away slowly and he followed. Knowing what I knew now, the comparison he had just made was a dangerous one. I stopped when my back was against the wall, the knife poised high above my head. In the quivering candlelight, I stared in horror at Eddie’s face. It was as if a mask was descending over his familiar features, muting but not completely hiding them. Eddie’s terrified expression alternated with Arwen Jago’s exultant grin. The effect was like intermittent sunlight and shadow dappling the still waters of the Seine. The knife began a slow, jerky descent toward my throat. Eddie was fighting for control of his own body.
“Dita” It was a soft, pleading breath, and it was his own dear face I saw as he spoke. A sob escaped my lips. Seeing the facade of Arwen Jago’s features slip away was more frightening than the mask itself. The full horror of what had happened to Eddie was revealed by the desperation in his eyes. The knife paused. Eddie’s body jerked and he cried out in pain. Then Arwen Jago’s deep gold smile flashed once more behind the familiar blue of Eddie’s eyes. “What are you waiting for? Slit the whore from ear to ear. See if she looks as good when she has another mouth.” The blade’s downward arc began again, swifter now, until the tip was a mere inch from the tender flesh just below my chin.
“Help me, Dita,” Eddie pleaded, his body convulsing wildly with the effort of keeping Arwen at bay. The knife pricked my skin and I felt a warm trickle run down my neck. I knew the sight of my blood would further inflame Arwen’s lust for murder.
“I love you, Eddie,” I told him quietly. “You don’t have to fight him alone. I’m here.” I reached up and caught hold of his wrist. Immediately, I felt Arwen Jago fight back against me. For a few seconds I stared into the eyes of a man who died centuries ago. A man who was pure evil, who hated women, who had killed the woman he loved by firing a crossbow into her head.
“So you are not afraid of me?” he said mockingly. We grappled for control of Eddie’s hand, and then it was all over. With a superhuman effort, Eddie Jago was back in control once more. The knife went spinning across the floor and it was Eddie—just Eddie—who dropped to his knees, covering his face with both hands.
I moved toward Eleanor, but before I reached her, there was an almighty crash. The wooden door splintered and flew back on its hinges, and in the newfound light, I saw Cad descend the stairs in two bounds. He didn’t pause in his stride, so his fist, when it connected with the side of Eddie’s head, carried the full force of his forward momentum. Eddie toppled facedown onto the mattress.
