Free Blood and Feathers by Lou Morgan Page B

into hell. And he will burn as he Falls, like they always do. And all that is good in him – all his hope, all his heart – will burn with him, and when he’s done, do you think they will welcome their new brother, the Fallen? The brother who has sent so many of them crawling back to the pit, time after time after time? The brother who had what they have so long envied... and threw it away?”
    “I’m going to say... no?”
    “No, Alice. They will take Mallory, and they will turn the Twelve loose on him, and they will torture him and they will break him. And the Mallory that you know – that you think you know – will be gone. He will be one of them: hopeless, heartless, helpless. For all time.”
    “Why are you telling me this? Why not him?”
    “Mallory knows. Of course he knows. His problem is that he doesn’t always understand; and when he does, he doesn’t always care. I simply don’t want you to be naive. You feel some kind of... bond with him. It’s only natural, given his gift, and, I suspect, the true nature of your own. You see me as something altogether different, and I can understand that...”
    “You let them kill my dad,” Alice blurted out. She tried to stop herself, but the words somehow tumbled out. Gwyn sat watching her for a moment, and then smiled.
    “Things are not always as straightforward as you might like them to be. When the time is right, I’ll explain. But not now. Until then, you will just have to trust me.” He stood up, and the subject was closed. “Everything has been quiet while I was gone?”
    “I suppose so. He hasn’t let me outside since you went, if that’s what you mean.”
    “And Vhnori?”
    “I think he was sick of being cooped up in here. He left, not long after you. It’s just been me and Mallory. And the mice.” She suppressed a shiver, then looked around. “Where is he?”
    “I don’t know. But Vhnori isn’t far away... and he’s getting closer. It seems like there’s something he wants to tell us.” Gwyn folded his arms and stared at the door.
    Alice shook her head. “Whatever.”
    As it turned out, Gwyn was right. It was only a couple of minutes before Vin banged on the door. He looked startled when Gwyn opened it, but it didn’t take him long to pull himself together. “There’s been another one poking around,” was all he said.
    Gwyn frowned at him. “You’re sure?”
    “Absolutely. Everyone’s talking about it.”
    “‘Everyone.’ Where, exactly, is this ‘everyone’?”
    “I was with Mallory. The Halfway.”
    “Again?”
    “Hey, I only went there to try and keep him out of trouble.”
    “And what did he go for?”
    “Answers, he said.”
    “Give me strength.” This, Gwyn muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched. He glared at Vin, who was trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
    Alice stared at the two of them. “What now?”
    He didn’t answer her, and sailed through the door, leaving Vin pressed against the frame. He stayed long enough to say: “Stay here. We’ll be back – honest. Just... just stay!”
    This was the last straw. Alice had had enough. She would not be left sitting around like some kind of hostage, waiting for everyone to come back and fill her in – or not – on what was happening. She tried the door. It was locked. Of course it was locked. But the windows... she eyed them for a moment. They were both small, yes, and one of them was more or less blocked by spreading moss, long-dead leaves and other debris blown into the opening by the wind, but the one above the sink looked like it might just be a possibility. She hopped up onto the worktop and edged across, balancing one foot on either side of the taps. The window was still at shoulder height, even now, but if she could only get it open...
    She lifted the latch and gave it a shove. Nothing. Another shove – which nearly sent her toppling back off the sink – and it made a strangled creak and showered her feet with dirt.
    “Come