City of Halves by Lucy Inglis Read Free Book Online Page A

she hadn’t a clue what the man was talking about.
    Felix tidied his brushes in the rack at the side of the cart irritably. Regan pushed Lily forward. ‘Felix, just one more thing . . . there’s a banshee that needs clearing up in that site with the blue hoarding, off Ludgate Hill near the station.’
    Felix spun round. ‘Whatchoosay?’
    â€˜Clean strike, heart out. Shouldn’t take you long to deal with.’ Regan saluted, walking away.
    Felix grabbed the handles of his cart, outraged. ‘Dat’s it! You go. You stroll out wit’ your likkle jubee like a fine gentleman. Yes. While Felix be here, cleaning up you mess. As al ways.’
    They made it on to Fleet Street. ‘He was pretty angry with you,’ said Lily.
    â€˜He usually is these days. I’m making a lot of work for him. It’s a love-hate relationship. We just keep the love well hidden.’
    â€˜Is he . . .’
    â€˜Eldritche? No, he’s human. Comes from a long line of West Indian obeah men. Born into it.’
    They reached the Temple in less than five minutes. Regan looked around with interest as Lily led him through the alleys and passageways to Falcon Court. ‘How long have you lived here?’
    â€˜All my life. You’ve never been here before?’ she asked.
    â€˜No. I don’t leave the old City of London much. This is astrong sanctuary,’ he observed. ‘You’re pretty safe here.’
    Lily pulled out her keys, running up the stairs to the third-floor flat. Regan loped after her, two at a time. She opened the door, and before she had time to turn around, he was inside, looking around with interest. He paused by the table with the photographs of Lily and her mother.
    â€˜Where’s your mother?’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜All these pictures are years old. And you told Lucas and Elijah you lived with your father.’
    â€˜She disappeared, soon after I was born.’
    He looked at her sharply. ‘What happened?’
    â€˜She’s gone. That’s it.’ Lily folded her arms and gnawed her lip, uncomfortable.
    â€˜What about the rest of your family?’
    â€˜We don’t have any. Mum and Dad met in the children’s home where they grew up.’
    He didn’t say anything, just looked at the photographs again. ‘I should go,’ he said, suddenly sounding distracted.
    â€˜I’m not stopping you,’ Lily said uncertainly, wrong-footed by the change in him but not wanting him to leave.
    He strode to the door, then turned back, hand on the handle. He took a breath. ‘What happened today . . . it must be strange, finding out about us like that.’
    She thought about it. ‘You know when people say stranger things have happened? Well, right now, I’m not sure they have.’
    He laughed. It lit him from within, making him seem younger, and his harsh beauty even more inhuman.
    Lily coloured up. ‘Will I . . .’ she hesitated, ‘. . . see you again?’
    â€˜You want to?’
    She nodded, chipping her toe into the carpet.
    He pulled up his hood with his free hand. ‘You’ll see me again.’ And then he was gone.
    Pulling off her jacket and dumping it, Lily opened her computer and turned it on. She began to search the internet for Regan Lupescar. Absolutely nothing. Well, it’s not as if I didn’t expect that. ‘Will I see you again?’ Great work, Lily. Nothing like looking desperate . Yet the idea of not seeing him again . . .
    She sighed and tried to keep her mind on the job in hand. Searches for the Eldritche brought up myriad pages of folklore, but none of it seemed to relate directly to London Wall. Most of it took her to conspiracy theory sites. She scrolled through a few of the more paranoid forums. The world is full of nutters . Lily shook her head. Then she frowned, peering closer to the screen