Grimsdon (3 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

A monstrous wave rammed into the Palace, smashing against the walls and filling the street. The noise wrapped itself around the house, flooding into their ears. Under the swill, in the distance, they heard the sharp sound of breaking glass and the creak of wooden boards.

In the stairwell leading down from the roof, Bea hugged her brother. Fly sat in Isabella's arms, hands pressed against her ears.

In seconds, the sound faded, the water calmed and everything went quiet.

‘That was closer than the others.' Bea's voice echoed off the walls. ‘They seem to be getting bigger.'

‘And more powerful.' Raffy turned to Xavier. ‘What about the Aerotrope?'

Xavier jumped up and unbolted the door. The flying machine had been driven beneath the wings of the water dragon, as if the statue was protecting it. Xavier checked it out. ‘She's tougher than I thought. Not even a scratch.'

‘It was lucky you and Isabella got back with the Aerotrope when you did.' Griffin scowled.

‘We would have been fine. The Aerotrope can fly right over them.' Xavier handed Griffin his knife that was wedged against one of the wheels. ‘Why do you call it a sneaky wave?'

‘A
sneaker
wave.' Griffin slid his knife into the holster in his belt. ‘It's when several smaller waves combine to create one powerful wave. They've always been around, but since the floods they're more frequent and harder to predict.'

‘Griffin's studied them,' Raffy said.

‘He's the smartest person we know,' Bea added.

‘Is he now?' Xavier raised an eyebrow.

Isabella looked at the blackened clouds and gave Fly's shoulders a squeeze. ‘Come on. Let's go inside.'

Xavier locked the doors and followed them inside, running his hands along the smooth, curving walls of the stairwell that spilled into the main room like a waterslide. The ceiling wavered above them with the same effect, and at various points it flowed down into columns, as if they were stalactites that had reached down to the floor.

Xavier sank into a throne-shaped chair before flinging his feet onto the table. Each chair back was in the shape of folded wings, and the table legs ended in lion's feet. ‘The Palace, eh? Very posh.'

‘It was made by a famous artist who loved fairytales,' Raffy said.

‘Isabella thought we deserved somewhere special,' Bea said. ‘Somewhere fitting our circumstances.' She curtsied and giggled along with Raffy.

Isabella and Griffin sat at the opposite side of the table beside Fly, who was drawing.

Xavier glanced at her notepad and her picture of the Aerotrope. ‘Can I see the rest?'

Fly pushed it towards him. There were sketches of the river, the Palace, the kids. He stopped at one of Isabella staring out at the harbour, as if she was searching for something. And there were the others: beasts lurking beneath waves, creatures rising out of the ocean with long, scaly bodies and sleek, powerful necks, battling smaller sea creatures with sharp talons and dagger-like teeth.

‘These are good,' he said. ‘I especially like–'

‘What do you want?' Griffin blurted out. ‘Why are you here? What did you come to steal?'

‘Nothing, I've got everything I need where I live.'

‘Then why break in?' Isabella demanded.

‘I wasn't sure you'd let me in.' Xavier's confidence faltered. ‘When I followed you, I saw how much fun you have together. I've been so focused on surviving, I'd forgotten what it was like to have friends.'

Griffin huffed. ‘You expect us to believe you came here because you're lonely?'

Xavier looked down, the angel wings of the chair rising behind him.

‘What do you want in return?' Isabella asked.

He was quiet for a few moments. ‘To stay.'

‘With us?' Griffin laughed in disbelief. ‘We don't know anything about you.'

‘My name is Xavier Stone. I'm fourteen, my parents died in the floods, swept away as I tried to reach for them, and I've been on my own ever since.'

The room went quiet. Xavier frowned and looked away.

‘We need to have a meeting,' Isabella said.

‘But there's nothing to talk about,' Griffin said. ‘He's a thief who broke into our house, so we don't want him here.'

‘Which one of us isn't a thief?' Xavier asked. ‘None of you actually
owns
this grand house you live in.'

‘That's different,' Griffin said.

‘Is it?' Xavier held his stare. ‘I never stole a thing before this all happened.'

Isabella pointed to the other side of the dining room at a set of glass doors leading to a library. ‘You can wait in there until we decide.'

Xavier got up from his chair and entered the room. He closed the doors and gave one last look before turning and perusing the shelves.

The children gathered around Isabella.

Griffin got in first. ‘I say he goes.'

Fly flicked back to the drawing of the Aerotrope.

‘It's true. He has the Aerotrope,' Isabella said. ‘We can get to places we haven't been able to reach, like the Haggle he told us about.'

‘The people there could be dangerous,' Griffin said.

‘But it's where Xavier found the bike for his flying machine.' Bea shrugged.

‘And you're always looking for bits and pieces to help make your inventions,' Raffy added.

‘We've been through the houses around here,' Isabella said. ‘We haven't found any new sources of food in weeks. With the sneaker waves and storms, having to go further away using only the flying fox and the dinghy is getting too dangerous.'

Griffin shifted in his chair. ‘I've got a bad feeling about him. In three years, all we've needed is each other. Why should we let someone else in now?'

‘He could be useful. Plus, he's older and bigger than us, and his strength will come in handy for defending ourselves and getting supplies for Sneddon.'

Griffin tried to puff himself up. ‘But you have me.'

Isabella smiled. ‘And I will always appreciate you for your many talents, but strength isn't one of them.'

He shrank. ‘I'm not as puny as people think.'

‘I don't think you're puny,' Bea chimed in.

‘You're one the smartest people I've ever met,' Raffy said.

‘And the nicest,' Bea added.

Fly slid her arm around his shoulder and nodded.

Isabella watched Xavier choose a book and flop onto a deep lounge. ‘We can kick him out now or give him one chance. He makes one wrong move and he's gone. Who votes he leaves?'

Griffin's hand shot into the air. Xavier's eyes looked up for an instant before turning back to his book.

Griffin slowly lowered his arm.

‘He has one chance, Griffin,' Isabella said. ‘I promise. He so much as moves without my permission and he's out.'

CHAPTER FIVE

Isabella led the way to the library. She opened the door and the others piled in after her. The last being Griffin, who slumped, cross-armed, against a bookshelf.

Xavier jumped to his feet and held the book tightly across his chest.

‘You can stay,' Isabella said.

Xavier's face spread into a smile and he held his arms out wide. ‘Who wouldn't want me?'

Isabella plucked the knife from her ankle boot. ‘But you do exactly as we say.'

His smile wavered. ‘Absolutely.'

‘She's fought against bigger thieves than you and won,' Raffy boasted.

‘I bet she has,' Xavier said.

‘Should we show him the house?' Bea looked to Isabella, who gave a single nod.

They grabbed one hand each and dragged him out of the library and down the long stretch of the dining room. Isabella followed and Griffin stayed behind – until he felt a small hand in his.

‘I know, Fly. We took a vote and I have to accept that, but there's something about his story I don't believe.'

Fly leant her head against his arm.

‘Come on,' he sighed, ‘let's join the tour.'

The dining room led to a wide corridor with rooms on either side. They each had king-sized four-poster beds, bright curtains and wardrobes bulging with clothes and shoes.

‘This is our bedroom,' Bea announced at one of the doors.

‘We're lucky.' Raffy bounced on the bed. ‘The people who lived here must have had kids our age. There are loads of clothes that fit perfectly.' He hoisted up his Batman pyjamas. ‘Almost.'

At the end of the room was a low door that opened onto a playroom. There was a yellow brick road painted on the floor that meandered between giant papier-mâché boulders and trees. A wooden cubbyhouse was surrounded by giant sunflowers. The ceiling was painted blue with bulging clouds, and on the far wall the Emerald City sparkled.

‘Watch this.' Raffy placed his hands on one of the boulders and opened it like a chest. ‘Toy boxes.'

Bea ran to an enormous wardrobe. ‘And this is full of costumes. We can be royalty or knights and fair maidens fighting dragons.' She swung a wooden sword through the air.

‘But wait until you see what's next.' Raffy sped past him and into another room.

Xavier poked his head inside to see a series of stands with targets. Arrow holders and bows hung from the walls.

‘This used to be another dining room,' said Bea. ‘But we already have one of those, so we cleared everything out and turned it into an archery and knife-throwing room. Isabella's aim is by far the best.'

‘She was also the fencing champion at her school,' Raffy added.

‘Who would have guessed?' Xavier said. ‘What are you practising for? An enemy invasion?'

‘We've had trouble with thieving adults; we had to make sure they never came back,' Isabella said.

Raffy then led them to a set of frosted-glass doors at the end of the corridor. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the greenhouse.'

He opened the doors onto a thick garden nestled in a room made of glass. Scattered around were more statues, this time of two old gardeners, giant lady beetles and a birdbath shaped like a tulip.

Xavier's eyes widened. ‘No wonder you guard this place so well.'

Griffin and Fly sat on a stone bench surrounded by beds of spinach. Isabella stood by the door. Watching.

‘We collected soil from pot plants and window boxes in nearby houses,' Raffy said.

‘And herbs and seeds,' Bea added. ‘And now we have beans, broccoli, carrots – even strawberries.' She picked one and handed it to Xavier. ‘Try one.'

When he bit into it, the rich strawberry taste made his mouth water and his tongue tingle.

‘Is it warmer in here?' He looked around the room, puzzled.

‘That's because of Griffin's wave-powered heating system,' explained Raffy. ‘The currents in the river are really strong, so Griffin installed a series of paddles just beneath the surface. The currents turn the paddles, which create energy to power the transformer that sends heat through those vents.' He pointed at a series of openings in the wall.

‘It works the stove, the lights and heats our water,' Bea added. ‘Any spare energy is stored in power cells.'

‘What about water to drink?'

‘We built a rainwater tank that funnels filtered water to the kitchen and bath room,' Raffy announced proudly.

‘You set this all up?' Xavier asked Griffin, who shrugged.

‘I bet you topped your class every year.'

‘He did!' the twins cried.

‘He's the smartest man in the world.' Bea ran and hugged him.

Griffin tried to untangle himself when Raffy joined in. ‘It's true!'

Fly squeezed in between them and nodded.

Isabella smiled.

‘Well, if you all think he's so smart, so do I,' Xavier said.

‘Don't you–' Griffin began but Xavier dived in before he could finish. The twins ducked and Xavier kissed Griffin on both cheeks. ‘You are officially my hero, too.'

Griffin wiped his face with his sleeve. ‘As long as you promise never to kiss me again.'

‘Oh, I'm not sure I can promise that. In fact I feel the urge to...' He held his arms out again.

‘Stop!'

The others laughed.

‘All right, if you won't let me kiss you again, can I ask something?'

‘What?' Griffin asked warily.

‘If you have hot water, do you also have a bath?'

‘Sure we do!' the twins cried.

‘We'll run one for you,' Bea offered.

Raffy looked at Isabella. ‘Is that okay?'

Isabella nodded and the two raced back down the corridor.

The bath was deep and wide and shaped like a giant shell. Steam filled the room and bubbles floated on top like fairy floss.

‘We even put some of that smelly stuff in there...' Bea said.

‘Lavender or something.' Raffy screwed up his nose.

They left the room, closing the door behind them.

Xavier sank beneath the thick froth and let the water swirl over him. He'd had a chill in his bones that he hadn't been able to shake since the flooding began. A chill that no amount of coats or scarves or climbing around the city would shift, but for the first time in years, he felt as if he was thawing.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed every warm, sudsy moment.

Until the door flew open and he was met with Isabella.

He stayed still, hoping not to disturb his cover of bubbles. Isabella tossed a pair of pyjamas onto a stool. They were blue with fluffy rabbits on them.

‘Bunnies? My favourite.' He laughed.

Isabella didn't. ‘We only decided to let you stay because you can be useful to us. But if you make one small move that shows me we can't trust you, if you hurt these kids in any way, you'll be on the wrong end of my knife.'

‘Don't worry.' Xavier shook his head. ‘I've seen you in action. I'm not about to mess with any of you.'

‘And tomorrow you'll take Griffin and me to the Haggle.'

‘I'll first need to...'

Isabella stepped closer, her voice calm. ‘It wasn't a question.'

Xavier shrugged. ‘A trip to the Haggle it is. You need to bring something useful to be let in.'

‘Done.' Isabella turned to leave.

‘Those pictures of the sea monsters in Fly's notebook. They're not real, right?'

‘There have been some frightening times,' Isabella said. ‘She has nightmares, and drawing helps her feel calm.'

‘Where did you find her?'

‘On a rooftop. All she had was a suitcase. On it was a label with a picture of a small plane and the word Dragonfly. She's been Dragonfly ever since. Fly for short.'

‘Has she ever said anything?'

‘Not that we know ... I'll leave you to your bath–' there was the smallest of smiles edging into her lips – ‘before too many more of those bubbles burst.'

Xavier rounded handfuls of bubbles over his body as the door shut with a small click.