Read Online The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale - Free Book Online Page A

as she cautions me about accidents and trying to run about too soon after the operation.
    I take my time in the bathroom, washing my face, doing my teeth. Listening out. A few minutes later, someone comes running upstairs, two at a time by the sound of it, and I quickly shut off the water.
    ‘Amy darling, I’m just popping out with Ben for a bit,’ I hear Paul say. ‘Won’t be long.’
    ‘What . . . ?’
    ‘Nothing to worry about. Just some kids having one of those parties advertised on the internet and causing a bit of bother. The police want . . .’ He stumbles over the next word, mumbling so badly I don’t have a clue what he intended to say.
    ‘Or maybe it was the Neighbourhood Watch?’ he offers and I can practically hear his mind whirring. ‘Anyway, I’m not sure who exactly it was that Ben spoke to, but they want everyone to come and check that there’s no damage or anything.’
    ‘But surely it can wait until the morning. I don’t like the idea of the two of you running into . . .’
    ‘Amy sweetheart,’ Paul says firmly, in his most soothing voice, ‘there will be a whole group of people and I’m sure the police must be in there too somewhere, even if they weren’t the ones who called. In any case, all those horrible kids will have trogged off to cause mayhem elsewhere by now. We’re just going to check that there aren’t any broken windows that need to be boarded up.’
    ‘No. No, of course. How awful if they came back later to rob people . . .’
    ‘Well, we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. And I promise we’ll stick with a nice big gang of other blokes and we’ll fetch the police sharpish if we think there’re any troublemakers still loitering. Now, don’t get your knickers in a twist over nothing. I probably won’t be more than an hour, but try not to stay up, love.’
    When Amy comes to tuck me in, I can tell she is distracted. After she’s kissed me goodnight and closed the door behind her, I stare up at the ceiling, wondering if we’re both lying awake in the dark. If so, Amy will be thinking up terrible worst-case scenarios whereas I’m curious: curious and maybe even a little excited. Paul didn’t tell the truth about why they were going out. Amy was too busy being worried to realise, but I know that there is something more to all of this.
    I roll over to face the Dragon and find that I am being watched.
    We wait , says the Dragon before I have time to ask if we’re still going out.
    ‘You mean in case Paul and Uncle Ben come back? The driveway’s the other side of the house. They’d never see. Though I suppose if they got back and went into the kitchen for a drink just when we were going down the garden it’s possible . . . You don’t think they might want to come and get me up?’ I ask, suddenly worried.
    The Dragon’s mercury-dark eyes aren’t catching the light, but I sense intensity in its gaze. There are things we may learn tonight. We may need to alter our plans.
    ‘You mean alter your plans,’ I scoff. ‘You never tell me what you’re planning for us.’
    That is not part of our contract .
    ‘What contract?’ I protest. ‘I didn’t agree to any contract.’
    The Dragon looks at me disdainfully, then turns its back, hunkering down into a crouch. I close my mouth on further denials.
    It is safer to wait. Rest , says the Dragon. Rest now, while you can .

     
     
    I come awake suddenly, without any sense of what has jolted me out of sleep. Sitting up, I see the Dragon watching me from the bedside table, but I know I didn’t hear my name called. As I slide slowly, quietly out of bed, gathering the Dragon up in my palm, I realise I am not the least bit groggy, as if I haven’t been asleep at all, just hovering below wakefulness, waiting.
    I press myself against the window frame, turning back just the very corner of the curtain.
    ‘Why are we out here in the garden?’ I hear someone whisper so loudly I can’t think why they’ve