Wraith(83)

It was as black as pitch when my shadow emerged from the cave. The forest around me was silent, only the rustle as the wind blew through the trees reaching my ears. Wherever the Filit goblins were, they had no clue as to our whereabouts. That boded well.

I wove in and out of the trees, eventually emerging at the foot of the castle hill. I was expecting to see numerous foot patrols; Ghrashbreg and the other goblins must have realised that we’d escaped the confines of the castle by now. Perhaps they were hoping that the poison had done us in and our corpses were lying in a ditch. It seemed unlikely though. The effects had been too fast acting for either Gabriel or me to have got far had we both drunk enough of it to die.

I paused for a moment, swinging my gaze back up towards the castle entrance. There was no sign of any kerfuffle. Uneasiness slid through me; something about all this didn’t sit right. I couldn’t afford to investigate it further, however. Carrying Ange’s trinket box while in shadow form would take all my energy. Besides, I was loath to leave Gabriel alone with my husk of a body for long.

I slipped down the first side street, taking the long way round towards the suburb where Sally had lived. I passed the odd person shuffling through the quiet streets and a group of wealthier citizens who were probably on first names terms with Isabella and her cronies. For the most part, though, my journey was entirely unimpeded.

For curiosity’s sake, I turned left down the street where Gabriel and I had confronted the Mongolian Death Worm. Ghrashbreg was no fool; he must have wondered what we were doing in that area. If I’d been him, I’d have posted sentries and sent out search parties but this road was as quiet as everywhere else.

I was perturbed to note that the Worm’s carcass remained in place, albeit with large chunks carved out of its slowly rotting flesh. I’d tried Worm meat and it wasn’t pleasant. Give me a tin of Pedigree Chum any day. I hoped that didn’t mean the Filits were reducing rations even further; with their impending success in locating the Stone, you’d think they’d be feeling more generous.

Abandoning the Death Worm’s corpse, I headed back to Sally’s street. Despite the lack of people, I remained wary and took my time, keeping my shadow flat against the walls and fences where other shadows would render me invisible. There was nothing and no one. The thought struck me that the lack of Filits might be because they’d already located the Stone and were crowning their own King or Queen at this very moment and a chill ran through me. If that were the case, there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do was to stay on my current course and hope for the best.

Although I was both wary and careful, in the end I reached my destination less than half an hour after leaving the cave. I’d never have managed that without my shadow form and, as I hopped over the wall and into Sally’s neighbour’s garden, I added it to my checklist of reasons that being a wraith wasn’t all bad. I needed as many as possible to persuade Gabriel. Maybe when he realised how many positives there were to my ‘condition’, he’d be pleased. Yeah, right.

There was only one tree. Becky had been right – it was a massive old thing, towering above me with its long leafy branches. I bet it concealed far more secrets than the little trinket box that she had hidden away there. It took no time to locate the little hidey-hole in the trunk. I adapted my shadow before reaching in and, steeling myself for its weight, drew out the box.

I hefted it from shadow hand to shadow hand. Its lacquer covering boasted a more intricate pattern than I’d previously appreciated when Becky had shown it to me. I rattled it; whatever was inside was still there. With any luck, when I got it back to the cave I would work out how to open it. Or Gabriel would.

Holding it carefully, I twisted round. It would be much harder work getting back whilst carrying the darn thing and it would take me longer to return than it had to get here. Still, it was possible that Gabriel was still asleep. I could come up with a story about how I retrieved the box along the way.

***

I made it back to the cave without incident. It was a struggle getting back up the tree-covered hillside with the box in my hands and I had to stop and lay it down more than once. When I reached the tiny opening, I felt an overwhelming relief. There was no sound from within. Perhaps I had pulled off my mission without Gabriel learning what I really was.

I ducked in, enjoying a sense of zippy optimism, but the moment I was inside the cave it dissipated. My limp body lay in the same spot where I’d left it but Gabriel was no longer wrapped around it – instead he was standing bolt upright, fully dressed, and staring at me, his eyes hooded and his expression hard. Above his head, the glowing ball of magic light sparked and shook with jerky, mid-air vibrations, as if reflecting his ire.

Facing him, but keeping my movements deliberate and slow, I crouched down and placed the trinket box on the ground. Then I stepped over to my body and re-attached my shadow. Gabriel didn’t move a muscle but his eyes followed my every action. Swallowing hard, I stood up and faced him. ‘Hey,’ I said. My voice echoed around the cave. ‘I got the box.’

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even blink. The only sign that he wasn’t a statue was the muscle ticking in his cheek. My heart skipped a beat and I knew his heart must have done the same. Regardless, he remained motionless.

I licked my lips. ‘So,’ I said, ‘it also turns out I’m a wraith.’ I stretched out my arms. ‘Surprise!’ He still didn’t say anything. With my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth, I stepped towards him. In response, he folded his arms across his broad chest. I immediately faltered.