Jonah and the Last Great Dragon by M E. Holley Page B

as they could, they wrote out the charms and stuck a long piece of tape to each one.
    â€˜Don’t let the other end get stuck on the paper,’ warned the vicar. ‘Now, each of you put one on the front of your tee-shirt. So the demons can see them. That’s right.’
    In a few moments, they were running back towards the two unconscious children. The big demon kept rushing at the appalled group of people watching helplessly nearby and then sprang back to its victims. The other creatures crowed with joy as they made little shrieking dashes that scattered the crowd. Rhodri and Ted, armed with branches broken out of the hedge, were trying to drive the big one off but just as Mr Vaughan and the children ran up, it spat vile green phlegm into Ted’s face. He gasped with pain and clawed at his eyes as the Night Creature grabbed Gethin by his ankle, digging its horny nails into his flesh until the blood ran, and began to tug him across the grass.
    The onlookers scattered to make room as Mr Vaughan walked up to the demon, the spell taped to his shirt. He looked calm and determined. He and the Night Creature locked eyes for a second. Then, as it snarled and tensed to spring, Mr Vaughan’s voice rang out across the churchyard, ‘O Lord, we beseech thee for mercy. Grant that this holy charm ABRACADABRA may cure thy servants Megan and Gethin from all evil spirits and from all their diseases. Amen.’
    The demon hissed and crouched possessively over Gethin, staring up at the vicar. Jonah seized his opportunity, while the creature was preoccupied, and moved quietly behind it. He lowered himself to the ground beside Megan carefully, hoping that he would not alert any of the other fiends. Then he tried to fasten the spell on her tee-shirt. It was awkward to stick it to the fabric and he was scared that the Night Creature would turn round and see what he was doing. It made his fingers feel clumsy. As he struggled to secure it properly, the demon turned and saw him. It screamed with rage and ran at him. Jonah jumped to his feet and held his own tee-shirt out, so that the creature could see the charm-paper.
    â€˜O Lord, we beseech thee for mercy,’ he began. ‘Grant – er – grant…’ He began to falter but Mr Vaughan’s strong voice joined in, ‘Grant that this holy charm ABRACADABRA may cure thy servants Megan, Gethin and Jonah from all evil spirits and from all their diseases. Amen.’
    As they repeated the prayer, a woman helped the vicar put a charm-paper on Gethin’s shirt. The demon visibly shrank and began to gibber, covering its eyes with its clawed hands. The creature quailed and then lurched at the villagers. As they jumped out of its way, it raced back towards the drainpipe on the church wall, where it hung swearing and hissing with rage. Enraged and frustrated, the other little fiends scurried back to the church roof where they yowled and screamed abuse. The vicar looked down in distress at the two children on the ground, who were still jerking and shuddering. Megan’s mother was on her knees, stroking Megan’s cheek with trembling fingers.
    â€˜We need an ambulance!’ she cried, looking up wildly.
    â€˜My husband’s gone to bring up the Range Rover,’ said a kindly-looking woman. ‘Don’t you worry. He’ll have them over to Kington Hospital in a few minutes.’
    A man and a red-haired woman edged through the crowd and bent over Gethin. The man looked over his shoulder at the anxious people around him. ‘I think he’s coming round,’ he muttered. Gethin moaned faintly. His eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes. At first, he stared upwards unblinkingly, as if he could not see. His mother gripped her husband’s hand, biting her lip.
    â€˜Gethin,’ said his father softly. ‘We’re here, son. You’re going to be all right.’ His voice trembled.
    Then Gethin turned his head slightly and