The Death of Yorik Mortwell Read Online Free PDF

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    Pale Moon Luna had set hours ago. Even with Yorik’s ghost eyes, the world around him seemed sunk into a well of black. Silence was heavy over all the thousands of acres of Ravenby Estate, its four great hills, its innumerable trees. The only sounds came when he passed the mews. Inside he could hear the falcons stirring, unsettled and anxious.
    Then he heard a voice.
    “Yorik, dear Yorik.” It was a girl’s voice, high and laughing and pretty.
    Yorik looked around. The voice seemed to float from a distance. Nearby there was a stone arch, with a little path of trampled dirt going under it. Yorik followed the path into a small clear space, like a bubble carved out of the dense bushes and trees. In the bubble was an old marble bench, and on the bench sat a girl.
    “Mistress Doris,” Yorik breathed. He automatically bowed.
    Mistress Doris had been dead for years, but she had been older than Yorik when she’d died, so now they were nearly the same age. She wore one of her beautiful dresses, and had an expensive hat and perfect shoes. She patted the bench beside her and giggled. “Dear Yorik, I’m not your mistress any longer. Sit beside me.”
    Yorik sat awkwardly on the stone bench. “I was sorry when you died,” he said haltingly.
    It was true. Mistress Doris had not been a friend exactly. But she had been the terror of the Ravenby family, and part of being the terror of theRavenbys involved consorting with children like Yorik and Susan. She stole things from the Manor and distributed them to servants, who dutifully returned them. She broke things; she escaped at night; she fought the other noble children who came to visit. And then curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she had gone to look at plague victims, and caught the plague herself, and died.
    “Well.” Doris smiled. “I’m not sorry you died. Now we can have terrific fun together.”
    “I can’t have fun,” explained Yorik. “I have to protect Susan. She’s working in the Manor kitchens, and—”
    Mistress Doris waved her hand. “Yes, you need to protect her from my horrid brother, don’t you? He murdered you, and no doubt he will gladly murder your sister too.”
    Yorik gaped. “I don’t think—” He was not sure what to say. He didn’t think Master Thomas would deliberately murder Susan. Would he?
    “Yes,” said Mistress Doris. “To keep your murder a secret, he might do anything. He is a horrible, bad, evil little boy. He must be punished.” She giggled.“Now we shall punish him. But first we must get past those demons that guard the Manor. Do you know how to do that, Yorik?”
    “Y-yes,” said Yorik, hesitant. “I think I do, now.”
    “Mmm,” sighed Doris happily. “Then you can get me past them as well, can’t you?”
    Yorik was silent for a long time. He looked at Doris, who smiled beatifically.
    “The hare said—” he began.
    “The hare lies,” Mistress Doris interrupted. “It is a demon, and so are those two creatures in the aviary glade. They must be punished along with Thomas. Now you must take me past those guardians.”
    “I don’t think I should do that,” Yorik said.
    Doris’s smile vanished. “Those demons are keeping you from your sister. And just look what they did to me.”
    She showed her ankle. In the ghostly skin, Yorik could see two throbbing bite marks, glowing angry green.
    “The hounds are guarding the Manor from the Dark Ones,” said Yorik.
    Doris bared her teeth. “You don’t have a choice, boy. I order you to take me past the demons.”
    Boy?
Doris had never spoken to him that way before. “I don’t serve Family any longer,” he replied.
    Mistress Doris’s face went white. “You are a servant and always will be. You will get me past those demons and we will finish my naughty brother.”
    “No,” said Yorik, confused. Doris and Thomas had fought incessantly, he remembered. But Doris would not have hurt her brother.
    Doris inched closer. “You know what happened last