The Ghost Roads (Ring of Five) (34 page)

“Very proud of you, my boy,” he said gruffly, “very proud indeed. We’ll be back.”

The door closed and the taxi lurched forward. They watched until it reached the end of the driveway, then disappeared. Danny looked around and saw Vandra and Toxique standing at the top of the steps. There was a flicker and Dixie momentarily appeared beside them.

“Hi,” Dixie said. “Did I miss something?”

“Dixie,” Les yelled from a grating at ground level. “Come back. You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Coming,” Dixie said with a shrug. “Ciao, everybody.” And she disappeared again.

“Anyone for Ravensdale and some food?” Pearl said.

“Yes,” Danny said. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Can I come too?” Toxique asked.

“Of course,” Pearl said warmly, and Toxique’s normally white face turned pink with pleasure as she took his hand.

“And me?” Vandra said in a small voice.

“I would like that,” Danny said, smiling. “I would really like that.”

Nothing stirred on the lawns at the back of Wilsons. The school and the Roosts were asleep. Clouds scudded across the face of the moon, and the trees rustled. Then all was still again. Still except for a fluttering sound high in the sky that might have been the beat of wings. Still except for a shadow flitting across the front square that might have been a trick of the moonlight.

A raven perched above the front door put its head on one side, black eyes glinting. It gave a gentle caw and was answered from the trees. For as long as Wilsons stood, there would be spies. And for as long as there were shadows in the night, there would be watchers.

E
OIN
M
C
N
AMEE
was born in County Down, Northern Ireland.
The Ghost Roads
is the third book in the Ring of Five trilogy; he is also the author of the Navigator trilogy for children, and he is critically acclaimed as a writer of novels for adults, the best known being
Resurrection Man
, which was made into a film. He was awarded the Macaulay Fellowship for Irish Literature and has also written two adult thrillers under the name John Creed.