Eldritch Manor 2-Book Bundle by Kim Thompson

Author:Kim Thompson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Published: 2012-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The sea

Around midnight they set out. Miss Trang managed to conjure up a very thick fog, but Willa was still anxious that they might be seen and had her fingers crossed for the entire trip. Willa, Baz, Tengu, and Horace rode on Dinah, not the most comfortable ride, as she lumbered across town, her head swinging low over the pavement. Robert trotted alongside with Belle on his back and Mab up on his head. Conversation was light-hearted and friendly for a change. The old folk seemed to have forgotten all their former grievances. They joked and smiled warmly at each other. It was weird. Miss Trang walked alone behind them, quiet and thoughtful.

Willa looked up. She was just able to make out the dark form of the new bird, the phoenix, gliding back and forth above them. She felt a pang of grief for Fadiyah. It was like there was an aching gap in the world now, or at least in her world. She felt alone.

They were all tired, dead tired. The rest of the day had been a bit of a blur. The firefighters could not save the house, it was too far gone by the time they arrived. All they could do was spray water on the blackened remains until every last tendril of smoke had disappeared. Somehow Miss Trang had been able to herd them away from the centaur in the stable, the fairy woods, and the tarpaulin-covered dinosaur. And luckily Willa spotted the bedraggled hibiscus before the firefighters could trample it under their big boots. She carried it carefully to the woods, replanting it and patting down the earth around it. The wood nymphs were uncharacteristically sweet, swarming briefly around her head and giving her faint little pecks on the cheek.

Out front the neighbours gathered, chattering excitedly and marvelling at how quickly the house had gone up. Mr. and Mrs. Hackett circulated through the crowd, speaking darkly of mysterious goings-on to anyone who would listen, but nobody took them too seriously. At dusk the fire trucks rolled away, signalling there would be no more excitement here today, and the crowd reluctantly withdrew as well.

Now, under cover of night and fog, they were on their way to the ocean. After an hour of walking the city disappeared behind them and the ocean’s soothing pulse grew louder and louder. They felt a cool breeze coming in from the water. Dinah’s pace quickened. The fog fell away and the full moon shone on them like a spotlight as they stepped onto the beach. Willa looked around nervously, but they were in luck. There was no one in sight.

The ocean shone before them, glittering and vast. Dinah paused just long enough for everyone to slide off, her feet shuffling impatiently. Willa gave her a last hug and looked into the huge, moist eye. Dinah bobbed her head a couple of times and turned away, wading out to sea.

The rest of them stood quietly on the shore, watching as Dinah’s head grew smaller and smaller.

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