Fireborn by Toby Forward

Author:Toby Forward [Forward, Toby]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781406342178
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Published: 2012-01-31T05:00:00+00:00

Bee watched Flaxfold cup the beetle

in her hands and look at it carefully.

“Get it away,” shouted Bee.

Flaxfold backed away from the bed. The beetle circled in her hands. It was a fine black beetle, with ridged wing case and delicate feelers.

“This can’t hurt you,” she said.

“Get rid of it. Kill it.”

“I can’t kill it,” said Flaxfold. “It’s done no harm.”

She leaned out of the open window, spread her hands and shook them. The beetle dropped and, finding itself falling, opened its wings and flew off.

“It’s gone,” said Flaxfold. “Flown away.”

“Flown?” said Bee.

“Of course.”

“They don’t fly,” said Bee.

Flaxfold put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and made calming noises.

“Let’s get you to eat some soup,” she said. “And then you can tell me all about beetles.”

The soup wasn’t very hot any more. Bee didn’t seem to mind. She let Flaxfold hold the spoon to her lips for three mouthfuls then she took it and fed herself.

She noticed her arms, the mad skin, the scars. She ignored it, kept on eating until the soup was all gone. Flaxfold took the bowl from her and she lay back, suddenly tired again.

Flaxfold let her rest before she started to talk.

“Have you heard what I’ve been saying to you?” she asked. “While you’ve been lying here.”

“I want to see a mirror,” said Bee.

“There isn’t one in here,” said Flaxfold.

“Fetch one.”

Bee lay quite still.

“No. That isn’t a good idea.”

“Go away then.”

Flaxfold spoke softly. “Do you know what’s happened to you?”

“I’m not talking to you until you fetch a mirror.”

So Flaxfold left her alone.

Bee felt tears rise in her eyes. She wasn’t upset. She was angry. Flaxfold had walked out on her, just as Bee was getting ready for a good fight.

She lay looking up at the ceiling. Against all expectation she felt happy. Or at least she felt a sensation of pleasure, which isn’t quite the same thing. A ceiling. When you have lived for years in a round stone tower with a ceiling out of sight in the darkness there’s a pleasure in lying beneath a clean, white surface almost within reach of your hand. Bee had imagined a ceiling would be as unbroken as a summer sky. Instead, she saw tiny cracks, lines and edges where the plaster was not smooth, a little dip in the left hand corner furthest away from the window. The light played on the surface, emphasizing the roughness and individuality and character of the ceiling. It was a moment of revelation for Bee. Ceilings are as different as people.

It was easier than she had expected to stand up. Her legs wobbled a little at first. That soon passed. The floor was pleasant under her bare feet, polished oak, broad planks. She dragged the top sheet from the bed and wrapped it round her.

It was good just to walk so she made a circuit of the room, ending up at the window.

When she tried to see herself in the glass the sun dazzled her. All the light was coming from outside so there was no reflection.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.