Lullaby (The Fable Series, Book 2)

Chapter Forty One

A pair of gleaming yellow eyes. Bristling fur, black as coal.

And a row of teeth like little white knives flashing towards my throat.

I jump off the bench in a heartbeat, and I hear the sharp snap of the wolf's jaws closing on thin air, in the exact spot I was a moment before.

I land hard on my back, knocking the air from my lungs. For a second everything's a blur; I see the stars swimming in and out of focus between the swaying tree branches above me.

A shadow moves into my vision, blocking out the starlight.

I need to move. Now.

But before I can spring into action, strong arms are around me, wrapping me up, lifting me onto my feet.

"Are you ok?" A familiar voice asks.

It takes a moment for my vision to clear.

I step back, ready to bolt.

The face I see before me is the last one I expected to see right now.

It's Robin Hood.

Or rather, Micah dressed up as Robin Hood. The pointed green hat with a red feather falls off as he bends down to pick up Grace's copy of Alice in Wonderland, which is lying open at my feet. A green tunic, brown leggings and hunting boots completes his outfit, and a memory pops into my head.

Micah said during band practice earlier that he'd be going to the July Jubilee as Robin Hood. And Alix, once he'd finished up his duties at the kissing booth, would be...

The Big Bad Wolf.

I turn around slowly, a wave of relief flooding over me as I spot Alix pulling a very unrealistic wolf mask off his head.

The costume looks like something out of a B-grade 80's horror movie – a shiny fake fur suit, a snarling plastic snout, tatty ears, ridiculously long fangs.

"Sorry I freaked you out Ash," Alix says, awkwardly reaching out and patting my back. "I thought you'd recognize it. Night Terrors VII, remember?"

Of course. How could I forget.

When the latest installment of the super corny werewolf blockbuster Night Terrors came out on DVD last summer, Alix had to wear the dumb promotional wolf costume every day after school for work at his family's video store.

His non-stop bitching at every band practice about how itchy the suit got in the ninety-degree heat will be forever imprinted on my mind.

I feel stupid for getting such a fright, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something coming for me, something trying to break through the surface, and I just caught a glimpse of it.

The shadowy figure standing on the road as the bus went over the cliff. The tendrils of darkness following me through the forest's gloom. Cold hands pulling me beneath the waves.

Bea's words to Mrs. Leyton only minutes ago.

The dark servants are almost here.

"Ashling?" Alix says, breaking my train of thought. "You look pretty shook-"

"It's nothing," I say, giving him my most reassuring smile. "I guess I've just got the pre-show jitters. I'll be ok once I get up on stage."

"If you say so..." Alix says. He and Micah share a convert glance, not intended for me to see – a look heavy with concern.

"The orchestra's about to wrap up," Micah says. "We're on next. We came to find you so we can start setting up, but seriously, if you're not feeling up to it- "