Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [20]
Jenna reached over and put her arm around him. “It’s all right,” she whispered. “We’ll look after you.”
Alther was looking agitated. “That Linda woman. She’s told them where you’ve gone. They’re coming here. They’re sending the Assassin.”
“Oh, no,” said Marcia. “I’ll CharmLock the main doors.”
“Too late,” gasped Alther. “She’s already in.”
“But how?”
“Someone left the door open,” said Alther.
“Silas, you idiot!” snapped Marcia.
“Right,” said Silas making for the door. “We’ll be off, then. And I’ll take Jenna with me. She’s obviously not safe with you, Marcia.”
“What?” squeaked Marcia indignantly. “She’s not safe anywhere, you fool!”
“Don’t you call me a fool,” spluttered Silas. “I am just as intelligent as you, Marcia. Just because I am only an Ordinary—”
“Stop it!” shouted Alther. “This is not the time to argue. For goodness’ sake, she’s coming up the stairs.”
Shocked, everyone stopped and listened. All was quiet. Far too quiet. Except for the whisper of the silver stairs steadily turning as they brought a passenger slowly up through the Wizard Tower right to the very top, to Marcia’s purple door.
Jenna looked scared. Nicko put his arm around her. “I’ll keep you safe, Jen,” he said. “You’ll be all right with me.”
Suddenly Maxie put his ears back and gave a bloodcurdling howl. Everyone’s hair stood up on the backs of their necks.
Crash! The door burst open.
Silhouetted against the light stood the Assassin. Her face was pale as she surveyed the scene before her. Her eyes glanced coldly about her, searching for her prey. The Princess. In her right hand she carried a silver pistol, the one that Marcia had last seen ten years ago in the Throne Room.
The Assassin stepped forward.
“You are under arrest,” she said menacingly. “You are not required to say anything at all. You will be taken from here to a place and—”
Boy 412 stood up, trembling. It was just as he had expected—they had come for him. Slowly he walked over toward the Assassin. She stared at him coldly.
“Out of my way, boy,” snapped the Assassin. She struck out at Boy 412 and sent him crashing to the floor.
“Don’t do that!” yelled Jenna. She rushed over to Boy 412, who was sprawled on the floor. As she knelt down to see if he was hurt, the Assassin grabbed her.
Jenna twisted around. “Let go of me!” she yelled.
“Keep still, Queenling,” sneered the Assassin. “There’s someone who wants to see you. But he wants to see you—dead.”
The Assassin raised the silver pistol to Jenna’s head.
Crack!
A Thunderflash flew from Marcia’s outstretched hand. It knocked the Assassin off her feet and threw Jenna clear of her grasp.
“Begird and Preserve!” shouted Marcia. A brilliant white sheet of light sprung up like a bright blade from the floor and encircled them, cutting them off from the unconscious Assassin.
Then Marcia threw open the hatch that covered the rubbish chute.
“It’s the only way out,” she said. “Silas, you go first. Try and do a Cleaning Spell as you go down.”
“What?”
“You heard what I said. Get in, will you!” snapped Marcia, giving Silas a hefty shove through the open hatch. Silas tumbled into the rubbish chute and then, with a yell, he was gone.
Jenna pulled Boy 412 to his feet. “Go on,” she said and pushed him headfirst into the chute. Then she jumped in, closely followed by Nicko, Marcia and an overexcited wolfhound.
8
THE RUBBISH CHUTE
When Jenna threw herself into the rubbish chute she was so terrified of the Assassin that she did not have time to be afraid of the chute. But as she tumbled uncontrollably downward into the pitch blackness