The Watching Wood (18 page)

‘We took it all and we chased them into the woods,’ Madame Three went on. ‘And we built a big castle and we were going to live forever. We took it all and everyone was so impressed. Everyone, except,’ her fingers traced the glass, ‘… her.’

The light was fading from the woman’s eyes and Grace rushed to keep her talking.

‘Who is she?’

The eyes lit up again.

‘The girl of silver, the silver hair, the silver eyes, the silver skin …’

Her voice trailed off and Madame Three’s eyes closed.

‘Who is she?’ Grace asked again, louder.

‘My love,’ the woman replied, her eyes reopened, watery with tears. ‘But she wouldn’t come with me.’

‘Go with you where?’

Madame Three glanced at the decanter on the table.

‘To forever.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Heccy saved the day. Mixed up the yellow potion so that we would live forever. Me and Heccy and Machlau and her, we would all live forever. But
she
wouldn’t do it.’

She looked mournfully at the silver woman and Grace inched her way forward. She looked into the face of the statue and was startled when the light grey eyes moved.

‘She … she’s alive!’

‘And with me always,’ said Madame Three. ‘I’ll keep her with me always.’

‘You
trapped
her in there?’

Grace’s horror was cut short by the muted sounds of screaming from the floor below.

‘They’re here!’ Jenny said. ‘We’ve got to leave.
Now
.’

She kicked the table, sending the decanter flying. Madame Three howled, throwing herself to the floor too late to catch the flask before it smashed to smithereens, the yellow liquid spreading over the tiles. Jenny picked up the table and swung it hard against the snow globe. The glass cracked.

‘No!’ Madame Three screamed, scrambling to her feet.

Grace leapt onto her back, holding her down while Jenny swung a second time and the glass shattered. The statue began to shudder like there was an earthquake just beneath her feet. Silver leaf curled off her arms and legs until her joints were free and she slipped forward onto her knees. She took deep breaths as Madame Three wailed beneath Grace’s
weight. The final scraps of silver fell from her tragic face. But what happened next made Grace’s legs go weak.

The young woman revealed beneath the precious metal began to age. Crows’ feet spread from her eyes and her skin softened and sagged. Her fair hair turned grey and then white, and the flesh on her limbs shrunk. She was now an old woman, but the ageing continued. Jenny stepped back, dropping the table, as the woman looked up at her.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

The words were barely out of her mouth before her lips shrivelled and pulled up over her gums. Her skin darkened almost to black and the remaining wisps of white hair drifted to the ground. Her whole body dried up like soil in the sun and her hands, still outstretched, started to crumble to ash.

A few seconds later, nothing was left but a pile of dust.

Madame Three clambered out from underneath Grace. She scooped up handfuls of the ash that spilled through her fingers and moaned. Jenny stepped through the broken glass and grabbed the sapphire rose.

‘Come on,’ she said to Grace. ‘We’re running out of time.’

Grace was unable to tear her gaze from the woman kneeling in the ash on the floor, until Jenny gripped her by the collar and pulled her to her feet.

‘Come
on
.’

Halfway down the staircase Grace glanced out the narrow window. Throngs of faeries filled the castle grounds. They were all shapes, sizes and colours, and buzzing with the excitement of the attack.

They haven’t got in yet
, she thought.
Everyone still has a chance
.

A sucking sound drew her gaze directly below. Webbed, deformed hands latched onto the stone wall like blobs of glue. The thing’s grotesque face, with a tongue so swollen it spilled out of its horrible mouth, grinned up at her like it was starving and she was a ready-meal. She scanned the rest of the wall. There were dozens of them, climbing like lizards, growling and slurping and heading for the arrowslit windows.

‘They
are
going to kill everyone,’ Grace said. ‘They’re all around the castle and they’re nearly inside. What are we going to do?’

‘The dungeons,’ said Jenny. ‘Get everyone to the dungeons and they can hide out there. And then we’ve got to find a way out to the beach, okay Grace? No waiting around to see if everyone makes it.’

‘I know, I know. I don’t want to miss the boat any more than you do.’

18

Into the Dungeons

‘Aura! Aura!’

Grace heard Jenny’s breathless shout as she barged through the crowd in the corridor. The passageways were darker now. Many of the windows on the lower floor had been barricaded against the lizard-things that slithered up the outer walls of the castle, but she had passed more than one staircase that was also piled high with furniture. The creatures were coming in through the upper floors and making their way down. All the better for her and Jenny’s plan to work; the students were being herded into a smaller and smaller area. All they needed was a push towards the dungeons.

‘Aura!’ Jenny’s voice sounded again.

Grace had fallen behind, pressing her way gently through the mass of people, cradling the delicate sapphire rose beneath
her jumper. It was a pretty thing, with blue petals of such finely cut gemstone she didn’t know how it didn’t fracture into pieces in her hands. When Aura caught up with the two girls and grabbed them, Grace instinctively twisted away to protect the flower.

‘Did you see those creatures?’ the little girl said, her eyes wide and scared. ‘The creepy ones with their tongues hanging out. They were climbing the walls, getting in the windows. Did you see their faces? They’re going to eat everyone.’

‘They’re not,’ Jenny said. ‘Because you’re going to get everyone into the dungeons.’

‘If we go down there, we’ll
never
…’ Aura looked to Jenny as if suddenly realising. ‘You got out of the dungeons.’

‘Piece of cake when you’re not chained to the wall.’

The passageway to the dungeons was at the east end of the castle, and the flood of people was accumulating there, being farthest from the wall under attack. The air was thick with panic and the howling of terrified kids who were now trapped and waiting for the slaughter to begin.

‘Gaukroger! At last!’ Jenny cried. ‘We thought we’d never find you.’

The tall boy looked aghast at the girls.

‘You’re free! How did you–’

‘No time to explain,’ Grace said. ‘You have to help us get everyone into the dungeons. They’re sitting ducks up here.’

‘Are you serious?’ he exclaimed. ‘They’ll never go down
there.
I
won’t go down there. Once you’re down there you ne–’

‘Never get out,’ Jenny finished his sentence. ‘Yeah, we’ve heard that before, but we’ve been down there and we made it back, no bother.’

‘It’s a labyrinth down there,’ Grace said. ‘There’s plenty of space to hide, and only one entrance. You can keep it guarded. Trust us, Gaukroger, this is the only way.’

A sudden shriek and Grace looked up to see a lizard faery dangling from the ceiling, His swollen tongue hung from his mouth, dripping dark saliva. There was a flurry of bird’s wings, and an ebony bird twice his size snatched the faery from his perch, its beak pinching closed around his arm. Grace spied the Raven Hall girl who had volunteered as prison guard, her face fixed in concentration. A vicious roar burst from the faery’s thick throat, and he grasped the raven’s cheek, biting down hard. They grappled, torn feathers showering the crowd below like confetti. Grace shuddered at the strength of the lizard-thing – its limbs were thin and lithe – it should have been no match for the bird. But they continued to struggle and, eventually the bird took off through the corridor, with the lizard faery still attached to her head.

‘Into the dungeons.
Now!
’ Jenny began pushing people onto the sloping corridor.

Aura had found Arick and two other members of Balefire Warren and, with their help, the crowd began to move
reluctantly towards the opening at the end of the passageway.

There was a sudden explosion of animals – birds, dogs, cats, insects – as the wailing and crying students crammed into the gloom. Grace ducked as a miniature dragon caught its claws in her hair.

‘No companions!’ she yelled. ‘There’s no
room
.’

She clutched Gaukroger’s arm.

‘Tell everyone, no companions up here. They can originate something to guard the entrance once they’re down there but, until then, no clogging up the corridor.’

The boy nodded, and began passing on the instruction. There was a slow and steady series of pops as the companions were dismissed, but the frenzy continued. The smaller kids were panicking, slipping down the stones as the incline got steeper. Those that could hold it together enough to hover did so, catching and guiding those that were too frayed to help themselves.

Grace watched the blackness of crushing bodies slowly disappear down into the dungeons, and relief loosened the tension in her shoulders. Just a few stragglers remained now, tearfully quibbling with Gaukroger as he explained their predicament in calm, reassuring tones. Aura was just ahead of him, her little feet just off the ground as she helped lower the last of her charges to Arick below. She looked back at Grace and Jenny, raising her hand and blowing a kiss, before descending gently through the cavity in the floor.

‘Goodbye, Aura,’ Grace whispered, blowing a kiss in return.

They were all gone now, save for Gaukroger who stood at the halfway point between them and the dungeons, looking back expectantly. Grace knew who he was waiting for, but there was no time. She opened her mouth to tell him as much, when Una’s shrill voice came thundering towards her.

‘Grace! Jenny!’

There was a whoosh of a short, black bob, then Grace was slammed against the wall, Una’s arms squeezing so tight that the sapphire rose bit into her stomach.

‘Ow, ugh! Hey, Una.’

‘Hey yourself.’ Una backed off to give Jenny a bear hug too.

‘Where’s Adie?’

‘She’s coming. Look, there she is.’

Delilah was rushing towards them and, behind her, Adie followed, apparently without the jeans she had been wearing when taken to the turret. Luckily, she was also wearing a long knitted sweater that stretched nearly to her knees.

‘Where are her pants?’ Jenny asked Una.

‘Tied to a bed frame by the window,’ Una replied. ‘We couldn’t get the knot open.’

‘Adie, why did you tie your pants to a bed frame?’

‘It was an escape plan,’ Adie said sheepishly. ‘We were trying to make a rope to climb down.’

‘With your
pants
?’

‘It was
all we had
,’ Una exclaimed with her hands held wide. ‘Anyway, we can pick her up a pair in the Closet on the way out. Aren’t we leaving now? Delilah said there’s a bunch of faeries coming to eat our brains.’

‘Yeah, we’re leaving,’ Grace replied, looking up in trepidation at the sound of scurrying lizard-bodies emanating from the floors above.

She was turning to go when she noticed Adie had quietly padded down the corridor to Gaukroger. The tall boy grasped Adie’s hands and tipped his forehead to hers. He leaned in to kiss her lips.

‘Move it or lose it, Adie!’ Una roared. ‘It’s cold outside and you’ve got no pants on.’

‘Una,’ Grace said softly, ‘maybe give them a minute.’

‘They can do that relationship stuff later. We’re on a schedule here.’

‘What if this is all the relationship they’ll ever have?’

Una thought for a moment. ‘Adie, you take your time,’ she yelled. ‘I’m gonna get you some pants.’

‘Smooth,’ said Jenny.

‘Thanks. You coming with?’

‘Delilah, can you go with her instead?’ Grace said. ‘You’re the only one with fire power.’

‘Sure,’ the small girl replied, and she and Una trotted away.

‘Be careful!’ Grace called after them. ‘And don’t waste any time. Get to the hallway by the front door as soon as possible
and we’ll meet you there.’

When she turned back, Adie’s arms were wrapped around Gaukroger’s neck as they kissed. Grace blushed and looked away.

‘Hate to be a party-pooper,’ Jenny said quietly, ‘but Una had a point. We’ve gotta get moving.’

Grace nodded. She felt bad, seeing Adie squeeze her eyes shut as she rested her head on the tall boy’s chest, but the castle was filling with horrible beings that would soon be swarming the ground floor.

‘Adie?’ she called gently. ‘It’s time.’

Adie’s almond-shaped eyes opened sadly and she pulled back, gazing up into Gaukroger’s face. He smiled his wide smile, kissed the tip of her nose, and they separated, their hands touching for as long as they were in reach. Adie walked clumsily up the corridor backwards, not taking her eyes off him.

‘You ready?’ Grace said as she reached them.

‘Yeah,’ her friend said with a sigh.

When they looked back down the corridor, he was gone.

‘One pair of pants for one loved-up lady.’

Una held out a pair of navy, thick-ribbed corduroy trousers and Adie curled her lip.

‘Are they
drawstring
?’

‘We were in a hurry – these were in your size and looked warm. You’re
welcome
.’

Grace thought Adie must have been relieved to say goodbye to Gaukroger before this particular garment found its way into her ensemble. She didn’t even have to take her runners off to get them on; they were almost bell-bottoms.

‘See?’ Una looked triumphant as Adie tied the drawstring at her waist. ‘Like a glove.’

The girls had regrouped just outside the Closet after all, some way from the reception hallway. The thumping upstairs had gotten louder, and there was the definite crashing of furniture as faeries smashed through the barricades at the bottom of each staircase.

‘They’re on this floor,’ Grace said suddenly. ‘I don’t think we’re going to make it to the door!’

As if on cue, something black and spindly sprang from around the corner and jumped on Adie. It grabbed handfuls of her hair and threw her towards the wall. Adie gasped and curled up against the creature that perched on her side as she lay on the ground. It wasn’t a lizard-faery. Its limbs were splintered and pointed, like broken branches, and its triangular mouth grinned at the girls with sharp, yellow teeth. It crouched into Adie, ready to spring again.

‘Delilah!’ Grace yelled. ‘How do we–’

Slam
.

The sound was dull and dreadful. Jenny stood panting, the
sword she had pulled from the suit of armour adorning the wall behind them was still in her hand. She had hit the gremlin with the flat of the blade and he was out cold.

‘God, Jenny,’ Una breathed. ‘If you’d hit him with the sharp bit his head would have come right off.’

Grace didn’t want to think about it.

‘Let’s go,’ she said.

But more crashing up ahead told them this was just the first of many creatures in their way.

‘They’re everywhere,’ Adie whimpered, her eyes streaming. ‘We’ll never get through.’

Grace stood listening to the echoes of the castle that now seemed full. Adie was right.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Delilah said, grabbing one of the long, mauve curtains that framed the window overlooking the arena. ‘Help me.’

The others gripped the material and pulled, jumping up and down until they heard the crack of breaking mortar, and the curtain rail came loose and plummeted to the ground. They leapt out of its way, then Delilah tipped the rail up and shook the curtain rings off.

‘Everybody under here,’ she said, pulling the heavy velvet over her head like a hood.

She whispered under her breath and was instantly cloaked, an empty space where Delilah had been.

‘Eh, we’re still really visible,’ Una said. Grace nudged her.

They remained quiet, listening to the small girl as she continued whispering. Slowly, the material above Delilah’s invisible body began to disappear. Within seconds the entire curtain was a giant invisibility cloak, hiding everyone beneath it.

‘You’ve got some skills, Miss Gold,’ Jenny said with a grin.

They shuffled as one down the corridor, but five people (and one little wood nymph) moving together beneath a shield of velvet was cumbersome. There had appeared to be acres of material when the curtain was hanging but, with all of them beneath it, there was barely enough to mask them all.

‘I’m not covered,’ Adie rasped. ‘Una, you’re pulling it off my shoulder.’

‘That’s ’cos Jenny keeps getting under my feet. I can’t see where I’m going!’

‘None of us can see where we’re going,’ Grace said sternly.

‘I can,’ said Jenny. ‘The material’s worn a bit here. I can just about see out.’

‘Right then, you’re our eyes. Adie, you hang on to Una, I’ll hang on to Delilah, and the two in the middle hang on to Jenny. Got it?’

‘No,’ said Adie, ‘I’m still–’

‘
Shh
,’ Jenny hissed, ducking down so their velvet cloak skimmed the floor. ‘Something’s coming!’

It wasn’t just one lizard-thing or gremlin, but a wave of creatures pouring down the staircase nearest the front door.
The girls pressed against the wall under their tent of velvet, crouched uncomfortably and shaking at the knees.

Grace held her breath as she watched green and blue feet scamper past, only inches from the edge of the velvet.

‘There’s none!’ she heard a high-pitched voice cry in disappointment. ‘Where are they all? There’s none.’

‘You scared them off,’ another voice said with a titter. ‘They saw your face.’