Vulture's Gate by Kirsty Murray Page A

arms. That’s when they heard the bolt slide across.
    Callum ran to the door and tried to push it open but it was secured on the outside.
    â€˜Hey,’ he yelled, pounding on the wood with his fists. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
    â€˜Keeping you safe,’ yelled Mollie Green. Callum raced to the window and watched in disbelief as Mollie fixed a sheet of black metal against the glass. Then he circled the hut, hammering covers over every possible exit, sealing the two children inside.

16
    FITCHER’S BIRD
    â€˜Great,’ said Callum. ‘Now we’re trapped.’
    â€˜He can’t mean to hurt us,’ said Bo.
    â€˜Didn’t you hear what he said? He wants you to be his wife! He’s the bad guy, Bo. Like in those stories you told me about Bluebeard and Fitcher. He wants to keep you forever.’
    Callum threw himself down beside Bo and pressed his face against the pillow.
    â€˜â€œFitcher’s Bird ” ,’ said Bo thoughtfully.
    She put one arm across Callum and whispered in his ear.
    â€˜In “Fitcher’s Bird”, the girl runs away. Remember? She tricks the old wizard by rolling in honey and then covering herself with feathers so he passes her on the road and doesn’t recognise her.’
    Callum turned to face her. They were so close he could feel her breath against his cheek. He nuzzled his mouth closer to her ear in case Mollie was listening to their conversation.
    â€˜I don’t think honey and feathers will work but we could still run away,’ he whispered. ‘You know we have to run away, don’t you?’
    Bo nodded and Callum felt a flood of relief rush through him. The last few days, when he had toyed with the idea of running away alone and getting to Vulture’s Gate by himself without Bo’s help, had left him feeling cold and lonely. Now, everything had shifted again. Bo wanted to be with him.
    â€˜We need to think of a plan,’ she whispered.
    At that moment, Callum couldn’t think of anything but how good it felt to be close to Bo again. In the desert they had slept side by side, but since arriving in the valley Callum had stayed on his mattress on the floor. He realised how much he’d missed lying close to her. He shut his eyes and rested his forehead against her neck. Her long hair tickled his cheek but he didn’t mind. He simply wanted to breathe in the smell of her for a little longer.
    Callum woke with a start. Mollie was dragging him off the bed and across the floor.
    â€˜Fine kettle of fish!’ he shouted. ‘Finding you two in bed together. Should never have started that conversation with you around, boyo. Should have known it would give you ideas.’
    â€˜What?’ yelled Callum, trying to shake himself free of Mollie’s iron grip.
    â€˜Mollie!’ shouted Bo. ‘What are you doing? You’re hurting him.’
    But Mollie slammed the door shut in Bo’s face.
    Callum kicked and screamed as Mollie twisted his wrists and dragged him across the compound to the edge of the circle of huts. He wrenched open the door of the cockatoo aviary and threw Callum inside.
    â€˜You need to think about what it means to betray your father. You can spend tonight in here. Tomorrow, I’ll fix up another hut,’ said Mollie gruffly as he chained the aviary door shut. ‘No more of this two-in-a-bed business. It’s time we got serious about our future, son.’
    â€˜I’m not your son!’ shouted Callum. ‘I don’t want a future with you!’
    Above him, the cockatoos squawked and fluttered on their perches. Callum covered his head with his hands, waiting for them to attack. When he looked up, Mollie was gone and the birds were settling down, their sulphur crests flat and their eyes blinking sleepily. He wrapped his arms around himself and sank lower into the mess of bird droppings on the aviary floor as the moon crept up over the