Scar Island(46)

Jonathan opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, he heard the distant creak of a door from behind him, and then the rumble of footsteps running up the stairs.





The lightning was constant and explosive and spectacular. It provided more light to the dining room than the candles that were lit on every table. Colin sat in a chair in the middle of the room, flanked by Roger and Francis.

Rain pelted the huge windows. Thunder booms like cannon shots rattled the glass. The courtyard was a rain-lashed lake, reflecting the violent white cracks of lightning above. The wind shrieked between Slabhenge’s tall towers like an army of furious ghosts.

The sword glowed red and yellow in Sebastian’s hand, from the candlelight. Except when it gleamed white in the lightning. The Admiral’s hat was back on his head, retrieved from Colin’s room. His sneering mouth was busy chewing one of the reclaimed gold-wrapped chocolates.

Jonathan stood off to one side with the others. Benny was holding him roughly with one hand, pinching harder than he needed to, his fingers like fangs in Jonathan’s shoulder. Jonathan sniffed from time to time and rubbed at his nose with his arm. His sleeve was smeared with dark blood. When the boys had reached the top of the stairs to Colin’s room, he’d tried quickly to slam the door, but it was too late; they’d burst in and Sebastian had knocked him to the ground with one vicious punch. Colin was bleeding, too, from a cut above his eye that Sebastian had given him when he’d tried to dash to the broken window and toss the Admiral’s hat out.

“Admit it, Colin, you’re the one who stole my chocolates.”

“Of courth I am. You found them in my room, Thebathtian.”

“Shut up. So you admit it, then, trespassing and theft.”

“Yeth. I went into the Admiral’th room and took the Admiral’th chocolateth.”

“It’s my room!” Sebastian shouted, getting right in Colin’s face. “The Admiral is dead! I’m in charge! When are you going to get that?”

“Oh, I get it, Thebathtian.” Colin’s voice was calm. Soft. Sad. “I abtholutely get it.”

Sebastian straightened back up. His face was eerily pale in the shifting light.

“And we all saw what you did to the Sinner’s Sorrow. That’s destruction of property. You have to be punished.”

There was an especially loud crack of thunder at the same moment as a particularly forceful gale of wind. One of the large windows shattered, sending shards of glass flying into the group of boys. They screamed and ducked and dove under tables. Rain blew in through the broken window. Wind whipped through the room, blowing out most of the candles.

“Hold that little thief!” Sebastian hollered. “Relight those candles!” The boys stood frozen, their eyes wide and scared. “Oh, Jesus, guys, it’s just a little thunderstorm. Relight those candles. We’ll cover the window in the morning.”

They got the candles relit and moved to tables farther from the broken window. They all shivered wetly in the storm that was now in the room with them.

“Punishment,” Sebastian continued. His black hair was plastered to his forehead with rain. Water dripped down his face. He had to almost shout to be heard above the wind and the thunder and the pouring rain. “The Sinner’s Sorrow is ruined. So what could we do? What could we do to a thief and a criminal?”

The group blinked at him in silence. Teeth chattered.

“In some places, they cut a thief’s hand off,” Sebastian said. He held the sword up and looked at it, turning the blade to catch the light. His mouth widened into a grim smile. The tips of his teeth showed whitely. The group tensed. “But that would be too messy.” He stepped slowly closer to Colin and his captors. “In other places, they just mark a thief. They carve a T into his forehead. Or his arm. Or his chest.” The smile disappeared. “Put him on the table,” he said. “Hold him down.”

“No!” Jonathan cried, and Benny’s arm jerked around his neck, holding him in a headlock.

Colin wiggled and fought, but he was too small. The older boys wrestled him onto a table on his back and pinned him down.

The lightning flashed. Thunder cracked so loudly the boys could feel it in their chests. It sounded like the thunder was coming from inside the prison.

“Come on, Sebastian! This is messed up!” Tony argued.

“Shut up!” Sebastian’s voice was wild and furious. His face was twisted in anger. It was all white and black in the flashing light. It looked like a mask. “Open him up! Bare his chest!” he commanded, and the goons obeyed. Buttons popped and Colin’s skin shone white in the twisted light. Sebastian stepped forward, brandishing the sword.

Jonathan twisted with a surge of energy and broke loose from Benny’s hold. He ran toward Sebastian.

Sebastian turned to face him just as Jonathan slipped in a puddle on the floor. He hit the stone floor with a hard splash. He pulled himself quickly up to his hands and knees, but then Sebastian’s booted foot swung into his side like a sledgehammer. All the breath was kicked out of his lungs with a piercing whoosh of pain and he rolled over onto his back.

Sebastian stepped forward and pressed a foot onto Jonathan’s neck. It was wet and cold and hard. Jonathan blinked and gasped for breath. His feet kicked in the puddle. His hands tugged at Sebastian’s leg, but Sebastian just pressed down harder.