Fablehouse by Emma Norry

Author:Emma Norry [Norry, E.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781526649522
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2023-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Grimoire

Although everyone was keen to give the book to Pal as quickly as possible, I couldn’t stop yawning. We agreed that I’d go to bed and get a few hours’ sleep while they covered for my absence during breakfast, and then, as soon as we could, we’d make our way to Pal and the cairn. We knew we were supposed to be in lessons, but what would be the point? Nat wondered if we should rush to the cairn immediately, but Lloyd said how that might draw attention to us and that it was sensible to wait for a more natural time to leave, so as not to arouse suspicion.

It seemed pretty certain that everyone now apart from us had been changed. The atmosphere in the whole house felt thick and charged. No one bothered to clear the dishes after breakfast and the bins in the common room were overflowing. We couldn’t wait to get outside, to get away. But once we were stood on the lawn, it was as if the world was paused, waiting for whatever happened next. The curtains of Miss Isolde’s office twitched, and Arlene said, ‘Can we go now?’

I cradled the grimoire to my chest, and we set off.

* * *

The weather was strange too, as if a cloud had been thrown over the world. We could barely see five yards in front of our faces.

We decided to walk, and the mist followed us, rolling across the hills and threading itself through the trees. The wind whipped around us, teasing us almost, gusts coming from nowhere. I clutched the grimoire tighter. It was heavy though, so Lloyd and I took it in turns to carry it. I hoped Pal knew how to open the book and understood the symbols.

Cresting the hill, and seeing the cairn, a feeling of hope skipped in my chest. I reached for Lloyd’s hand, pulling him along, speeding up.

‘Wait for us!’ Nat yelled behind us.

But we couldn’t wait, we just weren’t able to. The cairn pulled us towards it. We ran across the moorland and the flowers and grass tangled us up underfoot. Seeing the stones, my heart ached. I gingerly approached the cairn first, ahead of everyone else. It felt very different around here now. The air had been churned up, full now of agitation and fear. No birds settled anywhere near here. A ring of black toadstools and mushrooms had sprung up around the stones and their gills moved back and forth. I felt as if I’d let the stones down somehow.

‘I’m sorry,’ I breathed, to the land, to the sky.

Pal was slumped over to one side, against the lower stones of the cairn, his eyes closed. I gently set the book down beside him and let my gaze move slowly over his face.

Did my own father look like this? I had no idea if he was even still alive. The last time I’d seen my mother, she described how handsome he was, how hard he fought ‘those

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