Hollowpox The Hunt for Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend Page 0,157

in a drawer in Dr Lutwyche’s—’

‘We are not sneaking around, and we’ll take as long as we need,’ Squall said, with more than a hint of contempt. ‘We are Wundersmiths. Here, hold up your hands like this.’ He removed his black leather gloves and tucked them into a pocket, then held up his own pale hands, palms facing Morrigan. He had two imprints identical to hers – a shimmering golden W on his right index finger, and a tiny flickering flame on the left middle. Of course he had the same imprints. (Logically, he must have others that were invisible to her; Morrigan knew you could only see someone else’s imprint if you had the same one of your own.)

Her hands remained by her sides.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you wish to be my apprentice or not?’

So this was it, she thought, dread and curiosity doing battle within her. Some kind of Wundersmith ceremony that would bind them together. No going back from that.

She held up her ever-so-slightly shaking hands, mirroring him, then snatched them back. ‘Wait! Just to be clear: I’m agreeing to be your apprentice Wundersmith. That means you can teach me the Wundrous Arts, not … evil lessons.’

‘Very droll.’

‘I’m not joking. This doesn’t make me your puppet, or your proxy, or your partner in crime! I’m not agreeing to conquer Nevermoor on your behalf, or do your bidding, or anything else except learn how to use the arts in the normal, non-evil way that Wundersmiths are supposed to. Is that understood?’

‘Perfectly.’

‘And as long as we’re clarifying things: your side of the bargain is a complete, permanent, no-strings-attached cure. For every single Wunimal victim—’

‘Miss Crow, enough. Time is short. I have no wish to renege on our deal. Nor have I any interest in keeping Wunimals hollow; that isn’t my fight. And besides,’ he said, holding up his hands again and looking vaguely offended, ‘when I give my word, I keep it.’

Morrigan took a deep breath. She had no idea whether she could trust him. But she had no choice. The Wunimals would be moved tomorrow, and who knew where most of them would end up? If they were doing this, it had to be done tonight.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she held up her hands again. Their fingertips met through the Gossamer, and suddenly – without even moving – he was rushing towards her, they were rushing towards each other, cold and black, two oceans pouring into one.

In that second, Morrigan felt a chilling flash of clarity.

She’d made a terrible mistake. It was like Golders Night all over again, but this time it wasn’t water filling her lungs, it was something else.

Chaos. Madness. Power.

Whatever it was, she was going to drown in it. She wanted to pull her hands away, but she couldn’t. They felt magnetised. Danger, her heartbeat said. Danger. Danger. Danger.

‘Stay calm.’ Squall’s quiet voice broke through her panic, like a flare in the dark.

‘What is this? What’s happening?’

‘We’re building a tunnel. A temporary bridge across the Gossamer. Stay. Calm.’

After what felt like a long time but must have only been moments, the two oceans stopped pouring, and were still. Morrigan had the strangest sensation of peaceful, passive certainty. She felt like she was captaining a ship that already knew where it was going. She was still in command, but she barely had to steer.

She imagined it was a bit like how an actor in the theatre must feel, perhaps how Dame Chanda felt when she put on the elaborate costume and mask of the villainess Euphoriana. She had the unsettling feeling that she’d stepped inside Squall’s skin, or he had stepped inside hers.

‘Little crowling, little crowling,’ she heard herself sing, ‘with button-black eyes …’

Wunder gathered, and it was nothing like when she gathered it on her own. Squall had scarcely sung a note through her when Wunder bristled all around, like a thunderstorm was in the air.

She’d expected, when he leaned on her through the Gossamer, to feel her sense of self encroached upon, somehow lessened. But this wasn’t that at all. Instead she felt her person-hood ballooning and stretching, as if she had finally been granted permission to take up space in the world. There was nothing frightening about it, not the way it had been before. Her powers weren’t being hijacked without her knowledge; this was a collaboration.

A crackle of electricity charged through her veins. It felt like she could stare down the sun if she wanted to. She