Free Griffin of Darkwood by Becky Citra Page B

corner of the shop. Will sat on the floor and leaned against the arm. He glanced up once into a pair of round green eyes peering at them between two piles of books. He instantly recognized Harry Potter’s house elf. “Thom,” he said in a low voice. “Look.”
    “What?” said Thom. “I don’t see anything.”
    The face vanished. “Never mind,” said Will.
    “Dobby’s here too,” he told Favian on their way out.
    “Excellent,” said Favian.
    Rain was spitting on the cobblestones of the square as they started up Black Penny Road. Brakes squealed in front of them and Mr. Cherry’s pink van pulled over at the entrance to Shadow Alley. Will yanked Thom back into a doorway. Mr. Cherry got out of the van and slunk off down the alley.
    “Let’s follow him and see where he’s going,” said Will.
    Thom chewed his lip. “I don’t know –”
    “We can always take off if we have to. Come on!”
    Will strode into the gloomy alley and, with a sigh, Thom followed him.
    It was as dark as night in Shadow Alley. Inky shadows filled the nooks and corners. Only a narrow strip of grey sky was visible between the tall soot-blackened buildings. Three scrawny alley cats were fighting over a discarded fish head and a dog, missing a front leg, limped past without giving the cats a glance.
    “I’m picking up a lot of bad feelings in this alley,” moaned Thom. “In my whole life I’ve never come in here. Now I know why.”
    His heart thudding, Will squinted through the gloom for any sign of Mr. Cherry. The alley was so narrow that in places you could almost touch the buildings on both sides. Low doors were set back in the grimy brick walls. Some of the windows had iron grills across them or wooden shutters nailed tight.
    Shadow Alley would be perfect in a story, he thought. He turned and glanced back over his shoulder. The Muses were there, but very faint, like ghosts. They’re getting weaker, he thought hopefully.
    The alley climbed steeply. The rain had turned into a cold steady drizzle, and the slippery black cobblestones gleamed. A dark figure disappeared around a dim corner in front of them. Mr. Cherry. Will grabbed Thom’s arm.
    They waited for a few minutes and then crept around the corner. Mr. Cherry was gone. They were standing in front of a low curved door with a chipped tile above it that said P. Sneed .
    “P. Sneed,” whispered Will. “That must be Purvis, the bus driver.”
    “Mr. Cherry’s gone inside,” said Thom. “Let’s get outta here.”
    Suddenly two long thin arms shot out of a dark recess beside the door. One bony white hand grabbed Thom’s collar and the other grabbed Will’s jacket.
    They twisted and turned, trying to break away.
    “Help!” yelled Thom. “Somebody save us!”
    “No one will hear you in Shadow Alley,” a voice hissed. “Unless perhaps it’s a rat!”

Chapter Sixteen
    Brussels Sprouts and Liver!
    “Snooping again!” growled Mr. Cherry.
    “We’re looking for Peaches,” stammered Will. It was all he could think of. “He ran up here somewhere.” He tried not to look at Mr. Cherry, but he couldn’t help it. The man’s eyes were eerily hypnotic.
    “Never saw him. But good riddance. A lot of things go into Shadow Alley and don’t come out.”
    “I’ve lived in this village all my life and I’ve never heard that,” said Thom. He gave a desperate wrench and twisted out of Mr. Cherry’s grasp. “Run!” he yelled.
    Will delivered a swift kick to Mr. Cherry’s shin. Curses exploded from the man and Will broke free. As he and Thom raced away, Mr. Cherry shouted, “Next time you DIE!”
    Will and Thom were gasping when they got back to Black Penny Road.
    “I thought we were goners,” moaned Thom, shaking raindrops out of his messy hair.
    “He must have been going to visit Purvis Sneed,” said Will, remembering the conversation he had heard in the Cherrys sitting room. “The Cherrys are looking for something. It’s got to do with the secret passageway. I