The Child Thief

nothing but ravaged land, on the other the dying forests of Avalon. There was so little left, and much of what remained was gray and withered.

“All the gray you see is the scourge,” Tanngnost said. “It’s the result of so many of Avalon’s trees and inhabitants being killed. There’s no longer enough magic to support the wilds and more delicate creatures, so the wilderness is dying, essentially starving to death for want of magic. Once the forests are gone, where will we live?”

And that’s what this all comes down to, Nick thought. They want us to fight their war. Somehow seeing the fires made it all too real: kids fighting and dying. Nick shuddered. He tried to imagine what that would be like, tried to imagine himself being handed a sword and actually fighting a man to the death. There was no way he could ever do such a thing, just no way. Just what have I got myself into? And how am I going to get out of this?

“Hey,” Danny said. “Why don’t we get some guns? A few AK-47s outta do the trick.”

There were plenty of nods.

“What’s an AK-47?” Peter asked.

“Y’know,” Danny replied. “An automatic rifle. A machine gun.”

“Oh, I’ve brought back guns over the decades,” Peter said. “But they don’t work after going through the Mist. The powder gets messed up or something. Flashlights and radios don’t want to work either. Even brought over a Gameboy—I really wanted one of those. But nothing electrical works here. I don’t know why, but I think the Mist gets to them. Mucks them up.”

“What? Gameboys don’t work here!” Danny’s shoulders slumped. “Ah man, no way. That just sucks.”

Nick scanned the length of the island. “Where are we exactly?” Nick asked, shaking his head. “I mean this island. There’s no way it can fit in New York Harbor. And even if it could, don’t you think someone would notice a big fluffy cloud drifting about?”

Peter made a face like such a thought had never even crossed his mind and looked to Tanngnost.

“I’ve often wondered the same,” Tanngnost said. “Many of us have. I know before the Mist returned, we could see the surrounding lands. The natives used to come to us on canoes, so they could see us too. Maybe the Mist does more than hide us, maybe it takes us into a different time and place. This would explain why time moves so much slower here. But this is merely a guess. I certainly can’t begin to understand the ways of Avallach.”

Then another thought struck Nick. “Wait,” he said. “The Lady controls the Mist, right?”

“Sure,” Tanngnost said. “She’s a water goddess. She’s one with all the bodies of water.”

“Then why doesn’t she lift the Mist?”

Peter looked horrified. “Lift the Mist? Then more men would come! Why would she ever want to do that for?”

“So the Flesh-eaters can leave.” And, Nick thought, so I can go home.

“Leave?” Peter gasped, looking at Nick as though his head was screwed on backward. “The Flesh-eaters aren’t gonna leave. We could send them golden swans to carry them home and they’d only slaughter and eat them. Murder is all they know. They’re monsters!”

“Yes,” Nick said. “But if they’re killing Avalon, isn’t it worth the chance?”

“Maybe early on,” Tanngnost put in. “Perhaps then that might’ve worked, before the magic twisted them, before the new world became so populated. Maybe if the Lady had not been so consumed by grief she’d have done things differently. Maybe not. For the Lady is not all-knowing. Far from it. She sees the world in ancient terms. A creature ruled by sentiment and emotions. Regardless, it is too late now. The only way out is to destroy them before they destroy us. Can you see that, Nick?”

Nick nodded, but he wasn’t sure, wasn’t sure about a lot of things on this island.

“Enough talk,” Peter said, and his eyes flashed. “It’s time to turn you three into killers.”

“PETER,” NICK SAID. “I need to talk to you.”

“Not now,” Peter replied. “We’ve much to do.”

Nick grabbed Peter’s arm. “No, it has to be now!”

Peter looked at the hand holding him, then into Nick’s eyes. He could see it, the darkness. “Careful, Nick.”

Nick let go. “Peter, please.”

Peter caught the hard look from Sekeu. He winked at her, then hung back with Nick as she and the others headed down the stairs.

“Peter, I need to get back.”

Peter stared at him absently.

“Back home,” Nick said.

“Home?” Peter’s nose wrinkled up. “You mean back to the human world?”

“My mother needs me.”

“You’re just homesick. That happens. Look, there’s a lot around here that takes getting used to. But—”

“No, it’s not that. I have to get back to my mother. Have to! She’s in danger. There are a couple of bad men living in the house with her. I told you about them— Marko, remember?”

“The drug dealer? I remember. I thought you said that was all your mother’s mess?”

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is she’s in trouble. And if I don’t get back there…well, they’re going to hurt her. Maybe already have.”

Peter could hear the strain in Nick’s voice, could see the growing agitation in his eyes, caught the boy clenching and unclenching his fists.

“If anything happens to her, I don’t know what I’ll do. I have to get back. Okay? Okay?”

He’s on the edge, Peter thought, need to be careful. Maybe Sekeu’s right. Maybe it would be best to kill the boy before it went too far. “Okay, Nick,” Peter said calmly. “We can work something out.”

Nick’s face flooded with relief. “Really? Good. Good. When can we go?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

Nick narrowed his eyes at him.

“You have to do me a favor first,” Peter said. “You help me, then I help you. How does that sound?”

“You want me to fight.”

“No, you don’t have to fight. I’d never ask that of New Blood. But I need you there, need you to help in other ways.”

Nick stared at him. “This isn’t one of your games? One of your tricks?”

Peter acted wounded. “Nick, of course not.”

“I want you to swear. Swear on the Lady’s life that if I stand with you, you’ll help me get back through the Mist.”

“I swear,” Peter said, knowing very well the odds were against either one of them ever seeing the human world again. “Heck, I’ll go one better. I swear I’ll come home with you and help you take care of Marko.”

Nick searched Peter’s face, clearly seeking any sign of deceit. Peter now saw the resolve and determination, the same qualities that brought this boy through the Mist. There’s deep strength in this boy, Peter thought. If anyone can beat the darkness it’ll be him.

“You would do that?” Nick asked. “Come back with me?”

“Only if you promise I get to be the one who slits their throats,” Peter said.

A grim smile snuck across Nick’s face.

Peter spat into the palm of his hand and stuck it out to Nick. “Deal?”

Nick spat in his own hand and they shook. “Deal.”

NICK, DANNY, CRICKET, and Leroy gathered around Peter in the chamber. Peter hefted his short sword and twirled it from one hand to another. “Flesh-eaters are made of hard stuff,” he said, his voice dropping down low. “The magic has twisted them. Perverted them. Turned them into monsters, into… demons. Their skin has turned into thick scaly hides, hard to cut or penetrate. Their vitals