PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE

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lxxix

or is it?

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BY THE TIME Lockwood and Lucy were downstairs, Alice had dove into the space into her floorboards and grabbed the wrapped hand mirror.

She'd seen it a couple of times in her life, but didn't want to risk undoing the cloth and looking at it now.

Alice had grown up being known as a witch who'd glanced towards the Other Side. Who'd glanced at what some death witches referred to as 'The Eternal' and lived.

Of course, Delilah Deane was the only witch to ever fully look into the Veil and survive, the only witch to walk through Death and survive.

But Alice had glanced into the mirror before.

She shoved it into her satchel, putting on her belt and strapping her rapier and knife to it.

"Ready?" Lockwood inquired as she made her way downstairs.

Alice nodded, lacing her fingers with his. "Ready."

For a moment, it made her think back to that day, months ago, when she and Lockwood stood oustide the door of 62 Sheen Road, when all of this had started.

'Ready?' he'd asked.

'Ready,' she'd answered.

She held his hand tighter.

Lockwood was seething by the time they were in the cab.

"She was right in front of us the entire time," he ranted, lips curled into a snarl, "Poking her nose into the case before we'd even opened Bickerstaff's bloody coffin."

"She must have hired Carver to get her the bone glass then put a knife in his back when he double crossed her and handed it to Winkman," Lucy realised, voice laced with venom, "I can't believe she'd be capable of something like this."

"Pretending like she cared, wanting to be part of the team. It was all a fucking act," Alice hissed.

"God knows what she's been whispering in George's ear all this time," Lockwood snapped.

"We knew how much it had been getting under his skin," Lucy countered, "His little comments, how distracted he was. We noticed it but we didn't take any notice."

Alice nodded, clenching her jaw, "To wrapped up in our own bullshit. I'm so sorry guys, this is my fault..."

Lockwood put a hand on her thigh reassuringly, "No it's not. All of us are to blame." He paused, sighing, "You really think it's got to him? I don't think it's really taken control of him..."

Alice shook her head, leaning her head on his shoulder, "George wouldn't do this. This is something else's work."

By the time they got to the cemetary, Lucy had lost all her patience. "Come on then you big bastard, speak up. Tell us where he is."

Lockwood turned to her, "Is that aimed at me or the Skull?"

"The Skull," Lucy replied, "I'd never be that polite to you."

"Can't you use a different voice or something?"

"No."

Alice laughed.

Lucy shot the back of her rucksack a disgruntled look, "And stop glowing so much you'll give us away." She glanced at Lockwood, "That was to the Skull."

"I got that," Lockwood assured.

"How can I when my master's so close?" the Skull cried, "I can feel him. Can you feel his power, Deane?"