of the armchair, snarling and ripping the fabric with his claws. He swiped his paw at a vase that stood on the table beside it and it crashed to the ground, a sprawl of broken china. Moll and Siddy huddled behind him.
Ashtongue slithered to the floor, creeping towards the fire on all fours. He raised a snakeskin face to Darkebite. ‘It needs to be without the boy.’
Gryff lowered his body into a crouch and Moll could tell that he was getting ready to pounce, to smash the Soul Splinter to pieces.
Darkebite nodded at Ashtongue, then she glanced at Alfie’s amulet. ‘And with more power from the Underworld on our side.’
Alfie lunged towards them, clasping his knife tight, and Gryff leapt into the air. But the Shadowmasks were fading, their bodies breaking apart like grains of sand, and, seconds later, they had vanished from the room completely. Moll stared at the floor; all that was left was a snakeskin recently shed – and the smell of burnt wood lingering in the air.
For a few seconds, no one said anything, then Moll turned to face Alfie, her jaw set hard. ‘You left.’ The hurt and anger beat inside her. ‘You didn’t tell anyone. You just left.’
‘You could’ve told me,’ Siddy said. ‘But you snuck out of the alcove without saying a word.’
Alfie looked at the ground. ‘You don’t understand, Sid. Neither of you do.’
Moll took a step forward. ‘You didn’t give us a chance!’ Her cheeks were hot and red. ‘Then you – you just come back and—’
Siddy stepped in. ‘We’re grateful you helped us against the Shadowmasks, Alfie, we really are – but how do we know you’re not just going to run off again?’
‘I’ll explain, I promise I will,’ Alfie said. ‘But we’ve got to get out of here, back to Little Hollows before the Shadowmasks summon the owls again.’
Moll raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re staying around to help us?’
Alfie nodded. ‘If you’ll have me.’
Moll threw him a defiant look.
‘We’ll have you,’ Siddy said after a pause. ‘So long as you explain things when we’re back in the cove.’
Moll whirled round, seized by the urge to pinch Siddy. ‘How can you let this go so quickly?’ she spat. ‘Alfie left us to face The Crumpled Way when he knew the Shadowmasks were out there!’ She breathed deeply, barely able to rein in her emotions.
‘Because we need to work together, Moll. Remember?’ Siddy glanced at the window. ‘That way we’ll stand a chance of getting back to Little Hollows unharmed.’
Moll kicked the floorboards. Siddy was right, she knew that, but her pride still stormed inside her. She glowered at Alfie. ‘Fine. We’ll discuss it back in Little Hollows, but don’t expect me to be polite or nice to you until then.’ She waited, her mind racing on to other things. ‘Oak – have you seen him? Is he OK?’
Gryff nuzzled against Moll’s legs, but Alfie avoided her eyes. ‘I found Oak, Patch and Gryff on the cliff top when I realised running away wasn’t the answer, and I turned back for the cove. The owls had gone, but they’d cut Oak’s leg pretty badly. I could tell Gryff had wanted to run off and find you, but he wouldn’t leave Oak when he was injured. I helped Oak up on to Raven and led him and Patch back to the cave with Gryff.’
‘And Jinx? Did you find her?’ Siddy asked.
‘When I realised you two weren’t in Little Hollows, I rode Raven hard to Inchgrundle. I heard Jinx whinnying for Moll down by the harbour wall. Gryff and I walked her to the cliff top and watered her, then I tied her up again; we’re going to need her to get back to the cave.’ Alfie glanced from Gryff to Moll. ‘Your wildcat and I got off to a bit of a shaky start – lots of hissing and snarling – but I think, when he realised I just wanted to find you too, he trusted me a little more and we got along OK – so long as I didn’t get too close to him.’
Gryff held his head high, twitched his whiskers, then stalked round Moll’s
Ashtongue slithered to the floor, creeping towards the fire on all fours. He raised a snakeskin face to Darkebite. ‘It needs to be without the boy.’
Gryff lowered his body into a crouch and Moll could tell that he was getting ready to pounce, to smash the Soul Splinter to pieces.
Darkebite nodded at Ashtongue, then she glanced at Alfie’s amulet. ‘And with more power from the Underworld on our side.’
Alfie lunged towards them, clasping his knife tight, and Gryff leapt into the air. But the Shadowmasks were fading, their bodies breaking apart like grains of sand, and, seconds later, they had vanished from the room completely. Moll stared at the floor; all that was left was a snakeskin recently shed – and the smell of burnt wood lingering in the air.
For a few seconds, no one said anything, then Moll turned to face Alfie, her jaw set hard. ‘You left.’ The hurt and anger beat inside her. ‘You didn’t tell anyone. You just left.’
‘You could’ve told me,’ Siddy said. ‘But you snuck out of the alcove without saying a word.’
Alfie looked at the ground. ‘You don’t understand, Sid. Neither of you do.’
Moll took a step forward. ‘You didn’t give us a chance!’ Her cheeks were hot and red. ‘Then you – you just come back and—’
Siddy stepped in. ‘We’re grateful you helped us against the Shadowmasks, Alfie, we really are – but how do we know you’re not just going to run off again?’
‘I’ll explain, I promise I will,’ Alfie said. ‘But we’ve got to get out of here, back to Little Hollows before the Shadowmasks summon the owls again.’
Moll raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re staying around to help us?’
Alfie nodded. ‘If you’ll have me.’
Moll threw him a defiant look.
‘We’ll have you,’ Siddy said after a pause. ‘So long as you explain things when we’re back in the cove.’
Moll whirled round, seized by the urge to pinch Siddy. ‘How can you let this go so quickly?’ she spat. ‘Alfie left us to face The Crumpled Way when he knew the Shadowmasks were out there!’ She breathed deeply, barely able to rein in her emotions.
‘Because we need to work together, Moll. Remember?’ Siddy glanced at the window. ‘That way we’ll stand a chance of getting back to Little Hollows unharmed.’
Moll kicked the floorboards. Siddy was right, she knew that, but her pride still stormed inside her. She glowered at Alfie. ‘Fine. We’ll discuss it back in Little Hollows, but don’t expect me to be polite or nice to you until then.’ She waited, her mind racing on to other things. ‘Oak – have you seen him? Is he OK?’
Gryff nuzzled against Moll’s legs, but Alfie avoided her eyes. ‘I found Oak, Patch and Gryff on the cliff top when I realised running away wasn’t the answer, and I turned back for the cove. The owls had gone, but they’d cut Oak’s leg pretty badly. I could tell Gryff had wanted to run off and find you, but he wouldn’t leave Oak when he was injured. I helped Oak up on to Raven and led him and Patch back to the cave with Gryff.’
‘And Jinx? Did you find her?’ Siddy asked.
‘When I realised you two weren’t in Little Hollows, I rode Raven hard to Inchgrundle. I heard Jinx whinnying for Moll down by the harbour wall. Gryff and I walked her to the cliff top and watered her, then I tied her up again; we’re going to need her to get back to the cave.’ Alfie glanced from Gryff to Moll. ‘Your wildcat and I got off to a bit of a shaky start – lots of hissing and snarling – but I think, when he realised I just wanted to find you too, he trusted me a little more and we got along OK – so long as I didn’t get too close to him.’
Gryff held his head high, twitched his whiskers, then stalked round Moll’s
Similar Books
