Page 29 of Crown of Tides and Fury

But why come back?

No. There have to be children here.

On the second floor, I found a narrow staircase behind a door. It led up to an attic. Evening light poured through a window halfway up, then the stairs turned. I heard the whir of a little motor, like a fan, as I climbed to the top. The air smelled of dust and plastic, not blood.

The room was long and narrow and ran the length of the house. Clouds and castles, unicorns and knights in shining armor had been painted on the walls. It was a playroom.

At the far end, boxes of bright toys were piled against flat closet doors. I held my breath and listened. The sound was coming from behind one of those doors.

Just in case someone had locked a bloodsucker inside, I quietly moved the boxes out of the way. Nothing terribly heavy. Anyone could have slid them out of the way by pushing from within.

I held my new sword in my right hand, nodded at Kitch, and opened the cleared door with my left. It didn’t make a sound, but I did, when the smell hit me. Kitch peeked over my shoulder, made a gagging noise, and retreated.

Lying in a pile of pillows and blankets, a little boy snored. Maybe Fallon’s age, maybe younger. A slightly older girl with puffy cheeks lay with her feet off to the right. Her face was so clear and calm I worried she might be dead. They each clutched a kitchen knife in one hand.

I pulled the bandana down, despite the smell. “Hey,” I whispered, but they didn’t wake. “Hey, there.” I reached out and touched the boy. His eyes opened and he blinked. Then he started crying for his mummy, which woke the girl. She sat up and smiled, but after a glance at the blankets and the closet around her, she started crying too.

It was music to my ears.

“It’s all over now,” I said. “You can come out.” I scrambled for something that might distract them, to keep their minds off their parents. “My friend is going to take you to a lovely castle where you can eat cake and ice cream…candy and…lollipops.” I realized I sounded like the child catcher fromChitty Chitty Bang Bangand stopped.

Wickham came running up the stairs. “I heard the greetin’.” He stared at the kids for a second or two, then pulled his red bandana down and pasted on a prize-winning smile.

“I told them you’re going to take them to our castle.” I gestured to the walls. “Where they can have all the ice cream they want.” I helped them out of the closet. “Just two of you?”

The girl shook her head. “Mickelson’s laddie. He’s shat his nappie.”

“Well, that explains the smell.” I pushed the pile of boxes away from the second door and opened it. Sitting inside, sucking his thumb, was our third survivor. He took his wet thumb out of his mouth and reached up to me with both arms. I picked him up and gave him a squeeze, then handed him and the smell over to Wickham. “Sorry, dude. I have zero experience changing diapers.”

Wickham took him happily, and I noticed tears in his eyes. “Right, then. Yer certain there aren’t others?”

I stuck my head back into the fumes and looked around. There was nothing left but blankets and pillows, but I asked the girl just to be sure. She shook her head.

Kitch picked up the other boy and took the girl’s hand.

Wickham grabbed onto Kitch. “Meet ye outside.” Then, to the children, he said, “Right then. Shut yer eyes tight, think about ice cream, and we’ll be at the castle in no time.” The two eldest obeyed without question, the baby stuck his thumb back in his mouth, and the little party disappeared.

Standing alone in the room, I took just a minute to fall apart. I thanked God these kids had been spared, prayed they’d get over the trauma of losing everything, and struggled not to insert myself into their future.

After all, I might not be around for much more of my own…

* * *

I hurriedback downstairs and found the men piling bodies…and parts…into the living room. Flann came through the door with a can of gasoline, tears in his eyes, and a smile on his face. “Found three, did ye? Well done!”

I nodded, kept moving until I was outside in the cooler air, and took a deep breath. I noticed an arm lying forgotten beside a perfectly manicured hedge and forced myself to move.

“Lennon!” Wickham grabbed my elbow and turned me around. “What are ye doin’, lass? Dinnae torture yerself unduly. We’ve got this sorted. Take Persi and Everly and look for more bairns. Next house only, then wait for us.”

I nodded and moved back to the sidewalk, my friends at my side.

The next house was clear. Again, there were giant, bloody footprints—some sort of boot that would fit a professional basketball player—but no bodies. The place had been tossed as if the occupants had packed in a hurry and left without looking back. The horrid smell came from a refrigerator left open…weeks or months ago.

Weeks or months ago.That was good. And I prayed the rest of the damned town had done the same.

Since the boys hadn’t finished, the three of us checked across the street. Still close enough to the others we could gather quickly if a mob of monsters showed up.

A bird chirped. We found it in the living room. Everly opened the cage door while Persi slid a window open. The nervous thing stayed where he was and went on chirping.

---