Reckless (Free Preview) by Cornelia Funke Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cornelia Funke
on the square, his
mother, his father... they all froze into statues standing among the trees next
to the dead Tailor.
"Jacob! Wake up!"
Fox was
wearing her fur again. The first light
of dawn was seeping through the pine trees. Jacob's shoulder ached so much, he barely
managed to get to his feet. All will be well, Jacob. Chanute knows this world like no one
else. Remember how he exorcised the
Witch's spell from you? You were already
half-dead. And the Stilt bite? And his recipe against
Waterman venom?
His heart beat
faster with every step he took toward the gingerbread house.
The sweet
smell inside nearly choked him. It was
probably the reason that Will and Clara were still fast asleep. She had her arms wrapped around Will, whose
face was so peaceful, as if he were sleeping in the bed of a prince, not a
child-eater. But his left cheek was
speckled with jade, as if it had spilled onto his skin, and the nails on his
left hand were nearly as black as the claws that had sown the petrified flesh
into his shoulder.
How loud a
heart could beat. Until it took your breath away.
All will be well .
Jacob was
still standing there, staring at the stone, when Will finally stirred.
Jacob's eyes
told him everything. Will put his hand
to his neck and traced the stone up to his cheek.
Think, Jacob . But his mind had drowned in the fear that was
flooding his brother's face.
They let Clara
sleep. Will followed Jacob outside like
a sleepwalker caught in a nightmare.
Fox backed
away from him. The look she gave Jacob
said only one thing.
Lost .
And that was
how Will stood there. Lost. He touched his disfigured face, and for the
first time Jacob no longer saw there any of the trust his brother usually gave
so freely. Instead, he believed he saw
all the blame he put on himself. All the If only you'd
been more careful, Jacob ... If you only hadn't taken him
so far east ... If only ...
Will stepped
to the window behind which the oven stood, and he stared at the image the dark
panes threw back at him.
Jacob,
however, was looking at the soot-blackened cobwebs under the sugared roof. They reminded him of other webs, just as
dark, spun to catch the night.
What an idiot
he was. What was he doing at a Witch's
house? This was the curse of a
Fairy. A Fairy!
Fox looked at
him with apprehension.
"No!"
she barked.
Sometimes she
knew what he was thinking even before he did.
"She will
definitely be able to help him. After
all, she is her sister."
"You
can't go back to her! Ever."
Will turned around.
"Go back
to whom?"
Jacob didn't
answer. He reached for the medallion
beneath his shirt. His fingers still
remembered picking the petal that he kept inside it. Just as his heart remembered the one from
whom the leaf protected him.
"Go and
wake Clara," he said to Will. "We're leaving. All will be
well."
It was along
the way — four days, maybe more — and they had to be faster than the stone.
Fox was still
looking at him.
No, Jacob! No! her eyes pleaded with him.
Of course she
remembered it all as well as he did, if not better.
Fear, rage, lost time. "Must have been
terrible injuries .
But this was
the only way, if he wanted to keep his brother.
11
Hentzau
The Man-Goyl
whom Hentzau found in a deserted coach station was growing a skin of
malachite. Half of his face was already
grained with dark green. Hentzau had let
him go, like all the others they had found, with the advice to seek refuge in
the nearest Goyl camp — before his own kind could murder him. But there was no gold yet in his eyes, only
the memory that his skin had not always been made of malachite. He ran away as if there were still someplace
he could run to. Hentzau shuddered at
the thought that the Fairy might one day sow human flesh into his jasper skin.
Malachite, bloodstone, jasper. Hentzau and his soldiers had even found the
color of
mother, his father... they all froze into statues standing among the trees next
to the dead Tailor.
"Jacob! Wake up!"
Fox was
wearing her fur again. The first light
of dawn was seeping through the pine trees. Jacob's shoulder ached so much, he barely
managed to get to his feet. All will be well, Jacob. Chanute knows this world like no one
else. Remember how he exorcised the
Witch's spell from you? You were already
half-dead. And the Stilt bite? And his recipe against
Waterman venom?
His heart beat
faster with every step he took toward the gingerbread house.
The sweet
smell inside nearly choked him. It was
probably the reason that Will and Clara were still fast asleep. She had her arms wrapped around Will, whose
face was so peaceful, as if he were sleeping in the bed of a prince, not a
child-eater. But his left cheek was
speckled with jade, as if it had spilled onto his skin, and the nails on his
left hand were nearly as black as the claws that had sown the petrified flesh
into his shoulder.
How loud a
heart could beat. Until it took your breath away.
All will be well .
Jacob was
still standing there, staring at the stone, when Will finally stirred.
Jacob's eyes
told him everything. Will put his hand
to his neck and traced the stone up to his cheek.
Think, Jacob . But his mind had drowned in the fear that was
flooding his brother's face.
They let Clara
sleep. Will followed Jacob outside like
a sleepwalker caught in a nightmare.
Fox backed
away from him. The look she gave Jacob
said only one thing.
Lost .
And that was
how Will stood there. Lost. He touched his disfigured face, and for the
first time Jacob no longer saw there any of the trust his brother usually gave
so freely. Instead, he believed he saw
all the blame he put on himself. All the If only you'd
been more careful, Jacob ... If you only hadn't taken him
so far east ... If only ...
Will stepped
to the window behind which the oven stood, and he stared at the image the dark
panes threw back at him.
Jacob,
however, was looking at the soot-blackened cobwebs under the sugared roof. They reminded him of other webs, just as
dark, spun to catch the night.
What an idiot
he was. What was he doing at a Witch's
house? This was the curse of a
Fairy. A Fairy!
Fox looked at
him with apprehension.
"No!"
she barked.
Sometimes she
knew what he was thinking even before he did.
"She will
definitely be able to help him. After
all, she is her sister."
"You
can't go back to her! Ever."
Will turned around.
"Go back
to whom?"
Jacob didn't
answer. He reached for the medallion
beneath his shirt. His fingers still
remembered picking the petal that he kept inside it. Just as his heart remembered the one from
whom the leaf protected him.
"Go and
wake Clara," he said to Will. "We're leaving. All will be
well."
It was along
the way — four days, maybe more — and they had to be faster than the stone.
Fox was still
looking at him.
No, Jacob! No! her eyes pleaded with him.
Of course she
remembered it all as well as he did, if not better.
Fear, rage, lost time. "Must have been
terrible injuries .
But this was
the only way, if he wanted to keep his brother.
11
Hentzau
The Man-Goyl
whom Hentzau found in a deserted coach station was growing a skin of
malachite. Half of his face was already
grained with dark green. Hentzau had let
him go, like all the others they had found, with the advice to seek refuge in
the nearest Goyl camp — before his own kind could murder him. But there was no gold yet in his eyes, only
the memory that his skin had not always been made of malachite. He ran away as if there were still someplace
he could run to. Hentzau shuddered at
the thought that the Fairy might one day sow human flesh into his jasper skin.
Malachite, bloodstone, jasper. Hentzau and his soldiers had even found the
color of