Melody doesn’t know who Mr Boboguard is, but she doesn’t doubt Jake will rat her out the first chance he gets. Still; so far, she’s been lucky. She grins in Jake’s direction, and he glares back so hard she can almost feel it.
Having finally managed to rouse sleeping Victor; Aiden rises swiftly to his feet, pulling his reluctant brother with him.
‘Vic, we warned you to be careful with this fragile human body,’ he tuts. ‘It’s broken now, look.’
They both stand facing each other; Aiden authoratively holding Victor’s forearms; and Victor’s head hanging forward. Out of fatigue rather than shame, Melody thinks. He keeps irritably trying to free himself as he says, ‘I’ll get a new one.’
‘You can’t just get a new one, dummy. That’s not how it works. It’s not like when we were kids and they warned you not to be too rough with your toys. You can’t just swap it for mine this time – you have a hole in your face, did you know?’
‘Yes, I know!’ Victor snaps. The question awakens his dead demeanor; straightens the slump out of his shoulders. With a sudden burst of energy, he yanks his arms away, and puts several steps of distance between them. ‘I brought you all dinner, so you can let me go now.’
‘You mean Melody?’ Aiden says, giving her an appraising look. ‘To be honest, I think she’s more trouble than she’s worth, little brother. Judging by the state of you. And she pushed me, you know? It’s not that we all wouldn’t love to eat her, I assure you –’
‘Not Melody!’ Victor interrupts. ‘She’s mine and she’s a guest. Dinner’s in the drive.’
The light spilling from the hall and down the front steps doesn’t reach far enough to illuminate the ice cream truck; but Aiden glances out into the pitch darkness and seems to see it anyway.
‘Ice cream?’ he says, disappointed. ‘We don’t eat ice cream, Vic. Are you sure you’re alright?’
Victor rolls his eyes. ‘No wonder they don’t let you out, Ade. Don’t be so stupid. The driver’s dead in the back.’
‘Oh, good,’ Aiden says, ignoring the other comment completely. Though for a second his pale eyes seem to deepen a few shades. ‘Jake, go get the body inside, and park the truck round the back. Don’t get blood on the carpet, and take Melody to the great hall. Make sure the others know she’s out of bounds will you? Vic, wait.’
.abandoned places. 