Page 34 of Skulk of Foxes
My shoulders dropped.
Sitri smiled. ‘We’re stronger than you think. But first we’ll attempt to keep matters calm. Only if and when that fails will we defend our homes physically.’ His tone brooked no argument. I wasn’t going to change his mind, no matter what I did.
‘We should go, Maddy,’ Morgan said. ‘They’ve made their choice. And Sitri’s right – if any Fey see us, this will be a whole lot worse.’
Gasbudlikins. I sighed and shook my head. I was very tempted to stamp my feet but I doubted it would help. ‘What if they use magic?’ I asked. ‘They could.’ I pointed at the blue sky. ‘What comes after raindrops of fire if even more magic is unleashed?’
‘We’ll be sure to point that out to them.’ Sitri was almost preternaturally calm. ‘Now go.’
More than twenty young bogle kids had already been ushered down a side lane. Morgan grabbed my hand and tugged. I looked at Alora but all she did was smile in return.
‘We can do this, Madrona,’ she told me. ‘Charrie would want us to do this.’ She pulled me into a quick hug. ‘Stay safe. And, more importantly, focus on that sphere. Whatever happens, it can’t be triggered. For all our sakes.’
I nodded. I had to focus on that; I had to keep the sphere safe. ‘Take care,’ I told her.
She raised her fist to her chest, touching her heart briefly. ‘Always.’
Morgan and I left, initially following the children and their guardians before peeling away from them in the opposite direction. At the end of the street I turned and watched as they vanished round a corner. They all seemed to know what they were doing. Sitri was right: they’d been expecting something like this for the last ten years. They knew what they were doing – but it didn’t mean I couldn’t help.
I pulled my hand from Morgan’s and stomped over to an old phone box, which had clearly seen better days. It looked forlorn and lonely in this new digital age.
‘Maddy!’ Morgan barked. ‘What are you doing?’
‘What I can to help,’ I said, staying calm. If the bogles could keep level heads, so could I. I dug into my pocket for some coins and drew out DC Jones’s card at the same time.
She answered on the third ring. ‘This is Detective Constable Jones,’ she said, in a brisk, no-nonsense voice.
‘It’s Madrona Hatter. I’m in a housing estate close to Boggart Hole. I assume you saw at least some of what happened outside your police station just after I was released. Unless you want to see more of the same, you need to send the cavalry here now.’ I dropped the receiver, leaving it dangling in the air while Jones’s tinny voice punch out a series of rapid-fire questions. Then I left the phone box, the heavy door slamming back into place behind me.
Morgan eyed me. ‘I don’t think the Manchester police have cavalry.’
I shrugged. ‘They’ll work something out. Given all that’s happened today with the magic crap, they’ll be busy and in over their heads. DC Jones takes me more seriously than she lets on. She’ll do her best by the bogles.’ My mouth turned down. ‘Even if we can’t.’
‘We’re doing what they asked us to,’ he said.
‘That doesn’t make it right.’
Morgan nodded, maintaining eye contact. ‘I know.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Everything’s going to shit.’
I set my chin. ‘We still have the sphere. Sort of. Well, at least Rubus doesn’t have it. As far as I’m concerned, that counts as a win. We should start warning the others that he’s sending out troops, though.’
Morgan held up a small white shell. ‘I’ve already spoken to Artemesia. We’re re-grouping back at Julie’s house. Rubus knows her, of course, but I’m told her place is safe.’
‘It is. She’s a vampire so no one can step across her threshold without her permission.’ At his look, I laughed slightly. ‘I know, right? It’s as if everything we’ve ever been told about vampires is wrong.’ A faint warning flash of pain jumped through me and I sucked in a breath.
I cast a glance back at the bogles’ estate. It was still quiet. For now. I sighed. The only thing I could do was wish them the best of luck. ‘Let’s go.’
Morgan didn’t move. ‘Before we do…’ He dipped his head towards my ear, ‘I’m proud to be your sidekick,’ he whispered.
I offered him a tiny smile in return. ‘If we ever make it out of this,’ I told him, ‘I’ll get you a great costume. A thong, perhaps. And nothing else.’ I winked. ‘Time to vamoose, Snail Boy.’
Chapter Ten
The only person visible on Julie’s street was a cocky human kid strolling with his hands in his pockets. The fact that he angled his head up to the sky every few steps or so suggested that he wasn’t quite as confident as he was pretending to be. I bit back the temptation to yell at him to stay inside. I had the distinct feeling that telling him what to do would only result in the complete opposite. Instead, I caught up to him and raised my hand up for a high five.
‘Hey! You’re like me!’ I grinned. ‘We’re not going to let a few things like rampaging rats and fireballs stop us from being out and about! I’m not scared in the slightest. You don’t look scared either.’
The teenager glared at me for daring to talk to him. ‘Piss off,’ he grunted.
