Fire Girl by Matt Ralphs Read Free Book Online Page B

‘Did you help to round up witches for this purge?’
    ‘Actually . . . er, no,’ he replied. ‘A purge like this is government business.’
    ‘Ah,’ Hazel replied. ‘So what
do
you do?’
    David puffed out his chest. ‘We are freelance Witch Finders, independent traders, the best in the business. Knights of the road helping those in need.’
    ‘That sounds very impressive,’ she said. ‘So are you here on business?’
    David deflated. ‘Well, unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances have made business difficult to pursue.’
    ‘Oh?’
    He nodded towards the gaol. ‘The boss has got himself arrested again. He’s locked up in there.’
    ‘What did he do?’ asked Hazel.
    ‘The usual. Got drunk and into a fight.’ David sighed. ‘He’s plagued by dark moods – black dogs, he calls them. They always lead to trouble, and it’s always
up to me to get him out of it. He’s squandered our savings so I can’t pay the fine to release him. My father warned me against taking up with Titus, and I’m beginning to see
why.’
    ‘Hazel, come on,’ Bramley muttered. ‘These two sound like a right pair. Take your leave and let’s get out of here.’
    But Hazel was busy weighing risk against opportunity. A professional Witch Hunter was her mortal enemy, but also someone who might know how to track a demon – which was the best possible
way of finding her mother.
    ‘You’re about to do something reckless, aren’t you?’ Bramley hissed from behind her ear. ‘I can tell.’
    Hazel thought of Hecate in the clutches of the demon. She knew that had it been the other way around, her mother would have stopped at nothing to save her. Taking David’s arm, she guided
him under the eaves of a smithy.
    ‘Tell me, David,’ she said, leaning close and lowering her voice, ‘what do you know about . . . hunting demons?’
    David’s eyes widened. ‘The thought of hunting demons was why I became Titus’s apprentice in the first place. The fame, the glory . . .’
    Hazel gripped his arm tighter. ‘Then you’ve dealt with them before?’
    ‘Not
exactly
.’
    She let go of his arm and frowned. ‘What do you mean, not
exactly
?’
    ‘Well, I’ve read a lot about them,’ David said.
    ‘You mean you’ve never even seen one?’
    ‘No – but that’s not my fault.’ He kicked the ground. ‘Freelancers like us haven’t been allowed to hunt witches or demons since the war ended. Only Lord
Cromwell’s official Witch Hunters can do that.’
    ‘Come on, Hazel,’ Bramley whispered. ‘This boy’s no use to us. He wouldn’t know a demon if it stood up in his soup.’
    As surreptitiously as possible, Hazel gave Bramley a poke to shut him up. ‘So if you can’t hunt demons or witches, why call yourself Witch Finders?’ she asked.
    ‘I told you, before the war Titus was the most famous Witch Finder in the land. But under Cromwell everything’s changed. I’ve been Titus’s apprentice for a year now, and
do you know what we’ve been doing in all that time?’
    Hazel shrugged.
    ‘Investigating ghost sightings.’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘
Ghost
sightings. The number of nights I’ve camped out in graveyards as the boss got drunk and fell
asleep. And the indignity doesn’t end there.
Oh
no! We’ve sometimes had to stoop to scare-crowing. And me, the son of a duke. No witches. No demons. No glory. And all because the
boss won’t join the Order of Witch Hunters.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Titus hates Cromwell. Fought against him in the war. The Order wouldn’t take him even if he wanted to join.’
    ‘Can’t you leave him and go your own way?’ Hazel said, trying to ignore Bramley as he nipped at her ear.
    David shook his head. ‘Of
course
not. The bond between master and apprentice is sacred. If I broke it, I would prove myself to be less than a gentleman. I may be destitute, I may be
penniless . . . but I still have my pride.’
    ‘It sounds like you can’t help me.’ Hazel sighed.
    ‘Now wait