edge,
and Tamara could see he was shivering.
‘We must not go here,’ he said.
‘It is forbidden.’
Tamara shone her torch along
the edge of the cliff. She knew there were a few narrow tracks that
led down to the beach around here. ‘Don’t worry about it, Del.
We’ll be safe. It’s important we do this.’ She took his arm, and
reluctantly he allowed her to lead him.
Once negotiating the cliff,
some of Delmar’s apprehension seemed to evaporate. He clambered
down and across, leaping and scrambling, reaching back to assist
Tamara over the trickiest areas. They came across dilapidated
wooden signs that read: ‘Private’ and ‘No Trespassing’. This was
Grigori land, and guardians had been placed around the cliff path
to deter sightseers and those who might deliberately seek access to
their domain. The guardians might toss any persistent interlopers
off the cliff, although Tamara had no fear they would alert their
Grigori masters. Barbelo had told her the serpent talisman would
easily control the guardians. They would believe that Tamara and
Delmar had a right to be at the cove. Thinking of this, and not
totally confident it would work, Tamara withdrew the talisman from
her pocket. She must be strong and have faith in her Grigori
friend. Almost at the same time, Delmar uttered a frightened yelp
and crouched down on the path ahead of her. Tamara shuddered; a
vague form was taking shape before her eyes. To untrained eyes, it
would be invisible, but to psychics and those who had learned how
to see beyond reality, its presence seemed very real indeed. As it
solidified, she could see it was a lizard creature, disturbingly
human in appearance. Its eyes glowed red and its black-clawed,
delicate hands gripped the slick serpentine of the cliff-face.
Tamara held out the talisman, and uttered an incantation. The
guardian hissed at her and made a sudden movement, as if about to
pounce forward. Tamara cringed, but held her ground. Delmar
scuttled back to her and hid his head in her robes, whining.
Firmly, Tamara repeated the incantation and took a few steps
forward, pushing Delmar ahead of her. The boy cried out in fear,
but she ignored him and even kicked him to get him to move. Another
lizard form dropped down from the cliff behind her. She could feel
the heat of its steaming breath on her back, through her robe and
coat. Only her faith in Barbelo’s magic could protect her now. The
guardian ahead of her put its head on one side inquisitively, one
eye trained on the talisman in her outstretched hand. Tamara felt
something tug at her robe and wheeled round, finding herself face
to face with a lizard-man who was over eight feel tall. It raised a
ruff of spines and scaly skin, hissed at her, and put out its long
black tongue to lick her wrist. But it did not attempt to attack
her. Tamara forced any feeling of terror back into the depths of
her mind. If these creatures sensed she was afraid, she and Delmar
were doomed. Gradually, she pressed forward until she was up
against the first guardian. It would not move aside. Mustering all
her strength, she reached out to touch it with the talisman and
with raised ruff the creature leapt nimbly upwards to perch on a
ledge above her head. Tamara bowed respectfully. ‘I thank you for
granting us passage.’ Then she grabbed Delmar by the scruff of the
neck and virtually threw him down the path ahead of her, onto the
beach.
Tamara could feel the power
oozing from stones of the cove. The cliffs and the surrounding
rocks were all of pure serpentine. In daylight, they would be red,
gold and green, but at night, the stone appeared densely black. The
rocks seemed to be full of giant faces, grimacing out upon the
night. Delmar stood trembling upon the wind-lashed beach. The house
was not visible from here for the cliff over-hung the shore. The
black ovals of cave entrances could be seen; places where the
Grigori undoubtedly conducted their own rituals at certain times of
year. Tamara would
and Tamara could see he was shivering.
‘We must not go here,’ he said.
‘It is forbidden.’
Tamara shone her torch along
the edge of the cliff. She knew there were a few narrow tracks that
led down to the beach around here. ‘Don’t worry about it, Del.
We’ll be safe. It’s important we do this.’ She took his arm, and
reluctantly he allowed her to lead him.
Once negotiating the cliff,
some of Delmar’s apprehension seemed to evaporate. He clambered
down and across, leaping and scrambling, reaching back to assist
Tamara over the trickiest areas. They came across dilapidated
wooden signs that read: ‘Private’ and ‘No Trespassing’. This was
Grigori land, and guardians had been placed around the cliff path
to deter sightseers and those who might deliberately seek access to
their domain. The guardians might toss any persistent interlopers
off the cliff, although Tamara had no fear they would alert their
Grigori masters. Barbelo had told her the serpent talisman would
easily control the guardians. They would believe that Tamara and
Delmar had a right to be at the cove. Thinking of this, and not
totally confident it would work, Tamara withdrew the talisman from
her pocket. She must be strong and have faith in her Grigori
friend. Almost at the same time, Delmar uttered a frightened yelp
and crouched down on the path ahead of her. Tamara shuddered; a
vague form was taking shape before her eyes. To untrained eyes, it
would be invisible, but to psychics and those who had learned how
to see beyond reality, its presence seemed very real indeed. As it
solidified, she could see it was a lizard creature, disturbingly
human in appearance. Its eyes glowed red and its black-clawed,
delicate hands gripped the slick serpentine of the cliff-face.
Tamara held out the talisman, and uttered an incantation. The
guardian hissed at her and made a sudden movement, as if about to
pounce forward. Tamara cringed, but held her ground. Delmar
scuttled back to her and hid his head in her robes, whining.
Firmly, Tamara repeated the incantation and took a few steps
forward, pushing Delmar ahead of her. The boy cried out in fear,
but she ignored him and even kicked him to get him to move. Another
lizard form dropped down from the cliff behind her. She could feel
the heat of its steaming breath on her back, through her robe and
coat. Only her faith in Barbelo’s magic could protect her now. The
guardian ahead of her put its head on one side inquisitively, one
eye trained on the talisman in her outstretched hand. Tamara felt
something tug at her robe and wheeled round, finding herself face
to face with a lizard-man who was over eight feel tall. It raised a
ruff of spines and scaly skin, hissed at her, and put out its long
black tongue to lick her wrist. But it did not attempt to attack
her. Tamara forced any feeling of terror back into the depths of
her mind. If these creatures sensed she was afraid, she and Delmar
were doomed. Gradually, she pressed forward until she was up
against the first guardian. It would not move aside. Mustering all
her strength, she reached out to touch it with the talisman and
with raised ruff the creature leapt nimbly upwards to perch on a
ledge above her head. Tamara bowed respectfully. ‘I thank you for
granting us passage.’ Then she grabbed Delmar by the scruff of the
neck and virtually threw him down the path ahead of her, onto the
beach.
Tamara could feel the power
oozing from stones of the cove. The cliffs and the surrounding
rocks were all of pure serpentine. In daylight, they would be red,
gold and green, but at night, the stone appeared densely black. The
rocks seemed to be full of giant faces, grimacing out upon the
night. Delmar stood trembling upon the wind-lashed beach. The house
was not visible from here for the cliff over-hung the shore. The
black ovals of cave entrances could be seen; places where the
Grigori undoubtedly conducted their own rituals at certain times of
year. Tamara would
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