The Boys of Fire and Ash by Meaghan McIsaac

Author:Meaghan McIsaac
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-05-12T04:00:00+00:00

FIVE

The two of us made a break for the steps, barreling down until we reached the right-hand door. Fiver turned the knob and it opened to a huge, busy room. A sour, pungent smell assailed our noses, and music and voices filled our ears.

There were people everywhere, men and women, old and young, drinking and dancing or just sitting and talking.

A group of men sitting at a table to the right of the door stared blankly at us, a frothy foam dripping from their beards and their mugs raised mid-sip. They wore the same clothing as the boys back in town, the mark on all their chests.

I hesitated, thinking they’d come at us the way the first ones had. Fiver must have been thinking the same thing, because he shoved past me, standing up straight and staring down the table, daring them to try and grab him again.

The now-familiar wail of our old lady sang out, and we saw her standing behind a long bar. For a moment I was worried she’d be cross that we followed, but even with her hands on her hips she still had a smile on her face.

I looked back to the group of men, but they’d already forgotten us, laughing amongst themselves and chugging from their mugs.

The old woman threw up her hands with a hearty laugh and motioned for us to sit at a booth near the window.

Fiver quickly limped to the booth and sat down. I followed, bouncing on the soft red cushion of the seat in front of him.

In an instant, the plump lady was standing in front of the table with two fine-looking goblets in her hand. They were filled to the brim with a red liquid. I took a long, happy sniff and my nose wrinkled at the sour, earthy smell. Like fermented Baublenotts.

The old woman erupted with laughter at the look on my face and motioned for me to drink.

Fiver needed no invitation. He’d already knocked back the entire glass.

“Oh! Hoh!” cried the old lady, and laughed again, pinching Fiver’s cheek.

He glowed under the praise and blushed when she hugged his head close to her.

She said something that sounded happy and then patted my head, and I watched as she made her way back behind the bar.

Fiver watched too, his feet swinging beneath him.

“What?” he said, when he caught me watching again.

“Nothing,” I said. “You just look…”

Fiver’s glow was gone and his stare bored into me, daring me to say what I was thinking.

“Nothing,” I said, biting back a grin and looking away. Whatever had caused the change in Fiver, I knew I preferred him this way.

Men slouched on stools and propped their heads on their hands in front of the old lady as she gobbled and gabbed. They also didn’t seem to mind. Every other one seemed to be wearing the cloth with the mark on it.

“What’s it they’re trying to keep out, do you think?” said Fiver.

“What?”

He nodded at the group of men sitting by the door where we’d come in.

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