11A/N: I know my grammar isn't the best but I'm too stubborn to get a beta reader. If you are interested IM me and I'll see what I can do. I have never read Inkspell or Inkdeath because I love how the first book ends. Reviews make my day x3
DISCLAIMER- I don't own Inkheart. I do own Faye Platz and her story in InkHeart.
Rain fell that night, a fine, whispering rain. I only had to be able to close my eyes to remember. A dog, left outside in the chilly night whimpered. Meggie looked towards my 'sleeping' figure. Her voice quietly called my name in the dime light of a single burning candle, "Faye?" she called again when I didn't answer.
Lifting an eyebrow in question she looked towards the small door to our room, "Shhh." I hissed in annoyance. Why is it that people always have to stay up so late? "Go … back … to reading … Meggie." My pillow muffled my voice as I turned away.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Meggie quickly snuffed out her candle before hiding under her covers sure to hide her book from sight under her pillow. The door creaked silently open. Mortimer aka Mo took one sniff before realizing a candle had been burning.
"Why does it smell of vanilla, Meggie?" he accused teasingly. Mo never liked the smell of anything burning because fire could easily kill a book quicker then anything else, "The books were whispering to me." She admitted calmly, "I thought you had grown older." Mo accused again, "Nope, same old immature Meggie." I sighed stuffing my pillow onto my face, Meggie laughed, "I'm not that old." She said, "Go to bed you two." Mo said before closing the door and walking back down the hallway to his study without so much as a goodnight.
Meggie huffed retrieving her book before setting it on the floor. We heard footsteps once again coming from the other side of the wall, "Mo, we're asleep! I swear!" Meggie called jokingly. When he didn't answer I realized with a start that the footsteps were coming from outside, "Meggie, it's just someone walking down the street probably looking for that annoying dog." I said, "Maybe…" she mused, standing she stood up on her bed which creaked in response, "And I'm going to find out who!"
She jumped across her bed to the window where she froze on the spot. "What is it cat got your tongue?" I teased. Tossing aside the sheets I walked across the room to where her bed was near the window. Jumping onto the bed I bent over so I could see properly so I wouldn't hit my head on the ceiling.
"What the…?" I mouthed quietly. A man was standing on our front lawn with a black carry on bag thrown over his shoulder. A stroke of lightning illuminated his face showing three nasty scars on the right side of his face.
It suddenly hit me. I was standing in a living room. Spinning around behind me stood a man with purposely tussled hair and three deep scars across his cheek. Stepping back a yelp escaped my lips at the sudden flash back. Meggie looked at me curiously before returning her attention to the man on the lawn. What do the scars mean? Why are they so important? Dustfinger, I realized with a start.
He stood still for what seemed like hours, I started to get impatient, "Come on!" I tugged on Meggies' sleeve pulling her along side of me as I jumped off the bed, "Where are we going?" I ignored her question and instead walking faster. We stood outside Mo's study, daring each other to talk to him first.
We didn't have to though because the doorbell rang first. Looking at each other's faces I knew she was as scared as I was. We stumbled over each other until we got back to our room barely closing the door before Mo followed.
"Dustfinger!" Mo called from the doorway. Dustfinger rubbed his sleeve against his face as water fell into his eyes, "How are you Silvertongue?" He asked. "Where's Meggie?" "Asleep." "Are you going to let me inside?" Mo hesitated in his speech, "Of course, let's talk in my shop."
As soon as the door clicked marking it was closed and we we're sure they were inside the shop. We made our way towards the door, "Why are you here?" Mo asked. I pressed my ear against the door trying desperately to hear anything he said, "Don't underestimate his power!" I jumped away from the door surprised at the shout, "Be quiet!" Mo hissed, "Its like a movie." I told Meggie grinning from ear to ear.
"If that's what he wants, it's what he gets. Or do you remember Silvertongue?" Dustfinger lowered his voice back to a threatening whisper. "What am I supposed to do? Move again? Meggies' suspicious and frankly I don't want to be the one to tell her I've been lying to her all of her life? What about Faye? She knows so little. For God's sake she's not even related to us!" My brows creased at his words closing my eyelids I could feel Meggies' questioning glance.
"Faye?" Dustfinger's turned to be his head in confusion. "She's staying here? Since when hasn't she gone solo?" "Where should I go?" Mo questioned after an awkward silence. "Capricorns' men are up north, so you should head down south." "How can I trust you?" Mo's voice rose once again, "I'm all you have." Was the simple reply, somehow I knew in the silence Mo agreed. The voices disappeared again in quiet exchange as we made our way back to bed after loosing interest in the conversation.
We looked across at each other Meggie sat leaning against the wall where as I couldn't stop pacing. We could here that Mo and Dustfinger we're no longer in the study but had moved to the entrance hall, "There has to be a simple solution. Right?" I wish I had never heard anything and just gone back to bed, "What's with all the funny names too? I grew up with Dustfinger around me, I remember him from his scars!
How can I remember every memory he's in and not my own parents! Why did he call Mo Silvertongue? Why did he say he had lied to us all our lives, Mo's joking right?" I stopped pacing and turned to see Meggie had crawled back into bed and had fallen asleep why I was rambling, "Right. Shut up and go to sleep." I huffed jumping back into my bed. "Dustfinger, what are you doing here?" I asked the air I couldn't fall asleep for hours afterwards, as my mind wouldn't shut down.
I woke up to the sound of drawers opening and closing and with a sickening feeling I knew we were travelling. Meggie was already up questioning Mo. The glow of my alarm clock came to my attention and I looked closer at the digits as my sight came back to me.
"Mo! It's three A.M are you crazy?" I cried pulling the blankets back over my head, "No." he sighed "Just get changed were leaving..." he hesitated again. Sitting up with the sheets wrapped around my shoulders I was able to see his face in the semi-dark. His expression was impossible to read as emotions flickered by, "...You remember Elinor right?" he asked, "Who's Elinor?" Meggie asked, "No. I'm not staying with her." "It'll just be for a couple of weeks." "I don't have to come."
I sighed when Mo gave me a certain look. When Mo had his mind made up there was no discussion necessary. Looking at the door to the room I noticed my suitcase was already packed and suddenly guilt overwhelmed me. Mo had obliviously been up all night and I was complaining about sleeping?
Slowly I nodded before heading towards the kitchen stopping at the bathroom to freshen up and add some stuff into my duffel bag. Elinor wasn't the nicest company and had no clue how to cook but if Meggie will be safe that's what matters the most... right? The sweet smell of hot chocolate filled the air. Breakfast would have to be fast food. Finger combing my brown hair was difficult with all the different layers. Angling my head, my hair fell in waves over my shoulder.
Visible on my collarbone were two tattooed ravens. Then there was the scar. I shuddered involuntarily at the thought. It ran diagonally across the side of my neck in a deep black line. Mo fretted over the fact that it turned dark instead of a pale outline. I had shrugged it off but even Meggie questioned about it.
As we walked towards the van Meggie turned her head slightly towards me without looking my in the eye, "Who's Elinor? And why do we have to leave? What about school? " The questions seemed to never stop until Mo slid into the drivers seat and turned around to face us on the couch, "Meggie, that's enough." She pressed her lips into a thin line but kept silent.
In that Instant I felt horrible all over again. Didn't we have the right to know what's going on? And the fact that Mo knew and couldn't tell her hurt more then anything. Subconsciously I reached towards my neck. No, maybe it was better she didn't know. Mo always had his reasons even if he kept us in the dark.
Before we reached the end of the driveway the van lurched to a stop. Mo swore under his breath, whereas Meggie eyes widened in shock. Staring right at us through the van window was Dustfinger. He no longer ha his coat on instead a wool sweater. Before Mo could stop Meggie she had already jumped out of the vehicle.
Mo silently followed leaving the door open for me, "What's going on?!" she cried indignantly, "Meggie, get back into the van and we'll explain." Mo suddenly looked older and as of he never got a wink of sleep, which was probably true, "Going somewhere Silvertongue?" Dustfinger asked casually. I clenched my jaw tight. Why can't he just leave us alone? "Why would you care?" Mo countered bitterly,
"Capricorns settled in the north and I want to join for the ride south." "No way!" Meggie and I shouted at the same time. Meggie rushed on, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who Capricorn is!" Mo looked around quickly as if something was going to jump out of the trees, "You over heard us?" Dustfinger slowly made his way to Meggie. Meggie gulped, "I followed Faye…" She replied glancing at me. I shrugged when Mo glared at me accusingly.
"Capricorn is your worst nightmare. He feeds on the fear of others. He looks forward to torture. Let's put it this way if a bird was injured he'd feed it to a cat. He would kill for the pleasure just to see the bird..."
"That's enough! You're scaring her!" I cried stepping between the two. Meggie stood closer to me shaking, "Come on, there's still hot chocolate left." I sent a silent glare in Dustfingers' direction we stepped into the van. Mo exchanged a couple of words with Dustfinger before both of them joined us. Meggie fell asleep on the bed instantly, considering it was still dark outside. I was stuck on the couch with Dustfinger.
Casually I glanced up at him hoping he wouldn't notice. I stared at his scars. He never told me how he got them just that it was from a guy named Basta. What the hell was Basta thinking? Before I could look away he turned his head at a sharp angle. I felt like a deer in the headlights.
He just smiled crookedly before reaching to his feet where he left his backpack. I glanced back to Meggie who was still sound asleep. I turned back around to find a ferret inches from my face. "Bloody hell!" I exclaimed Mo leaned backwards swearing under his breath "Your going to wake up Meggie. And nobody wants to see that." he complained. Dustfinger rolled his eyes before setting the horned ferret on my lap. "Do you remember Gwin?" he asked almost yelling to annoy Mo.
Meggie shifted in her bed, holding Gwin in one hand I smacked Dustfinger over the head with the other, "Grow up!" I grinned like a fool. Gwin curled around my fingers as I scratched him behind the ears. He purred nibbling on my finger. Dustfinger leaned closer towards me, "He likes you." he said with a grin, "I like him." I replied smiling hesistantly.
"Awe, I've been replaced by a ferret!" Dustfinger cried with mock sadness. I lifted Gwin to my face rubbing my cheek against his soft flank, "Poor Dusty." I said in mock sympathy. He shoved me in the shoulder playfully, which of course I punched his shoulder we got into I full playfully fist match. Yawning I sat back in the couch laying down I took up the whole couch Dustfinger unfazed sat on top of my legs so I would have to move. I turned around laying my head against his shoulder. "It's good to have you back Dusty." " You remember?" "Enough."