Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) - Sally Green Page 0,102

don’t move and they keep on talking, telling me about what’s happening in their world. The new Joint Witch Council is a mix of Black Witches, Whites, and Half Bloods. The new Hunter Alliance is a much smaller group, working like a police force, and they have to report on their activities to the Council. It’s open to Black Witches but so far none have joined. Arran says someone will eventually. There are three Half Bloods in it. Greatorex is leading the new Hunters. Bob is in the south of France, painting again. Nesbitt is married. I don’t ask about that, about anything or anyone; they just tell me.

Then there is a long silence and I’m remembering the time I got angry at Nesbitt, and Gabriel stepped between us. I had the Fairborn in my hand and Gabriel told Nesbitt to leave. I’m not sure where that was. A small castle. It was before Gabriel got his Gift back. Before I’d managed to control my Gift. I had blood and stuff in my hair. Gabriel leaned forward and touched my hair.

Arran says, “We’ve got news about Annalise too.”

I’d almost forgotten her. I wait and look at the trees and see how they move in the wind and collect the sun’s warmth.

“She’s getting married.”

I look at Arran to check he isn’t joking. “His name’s Ben. He’s a fain.”

I wonder how long she’s known him. But I’m not sure how long I’ve been here now. How long it is since Gabriel died. I look at my hands and think how old they look but Arran doesn’t look much older.

“He’s American. They met in New York. Annalise moved there once she’d served her sentence. She served a year in prison.” Arran pauses. I know he’s wondering what I think of that, but I don’t care about it at all, about her at all. He continues. “Annalise told us they’re getting married next September. None of us are going; it’s a fain ceremony, no witches.”

I look back at the trees and the stream and remember lying on the outcrop back at home and waiting for her to come by after school and how I dreamed of marrying her, of living the rest of my life with her. How I knew it was impossible but it made me happy to imagine it and I thought we’d live in a place like this, a beautiful place by a river and we’d live happily ever after. And now she’s living in New York with a fain.

I tell Arran, “I’ve been to New York. I went with Gabriel. We walked to the train station.” And I remember Gabriel pulling me into a side street and holding me, kissing me. And we sat in the train station and he told me about his family and I shredded the bags of sugar and I was nervous, really nervous of meeting Ledger, and Gabriel knew that and if I’m quiet now I can almost feel his hand on mine.

Arran pulls out a piece of paper from his jeans pocket. “Annalise sent me this letter telling me about her wedding and I need to tell you about something else.”

I look at Arran and tell him, “I went to New York with Gabriel. We caught the train.”

“Yes, I know, Nathan, but I need to talk to you about something else.” Arran leans closer to me and I can tell he wants to reach over to hold my hand or something, but I don’t move. I say, “I think you should go. It’ll be dark soon.”

“Nathan. I have to tell you about Annalise.”

“You should go now. It’ll be dark soon. You’re slow. You won’t find your way in the dark.”

“She’s had a baby. A son.”

“You should go.”

“You’re his father.”

“Arran, please.”

“He’s called Edge.”

I shake my head. Edge is my father’s family name, but it’s also the name of the hill where Annalise and I used to meet.

Arran continues. “She wasn’t allowed to see him while she was in prison, but she has him back now. She says that she’s going to tell her son about you. She wants him to know about you.”

And I know it’s true and I know he’ll be better off not knowing about me. But if I was him I would want to know about my father.

I say, “She can tell him about me. She can tell him about all the people I’ve killed and hurt. She can tell him who is dead because of me. But she must also tell