The Black North by Nigel McDowell

Coach,’ said Merrigutt. ‘They come to collect the dead on the night they are due to die. To take the souls, accompany them to –’
    â€˜On to the end of the world,’ said Oona, remembering whispered words, prayers spoke for the Sorrowful Lady. She said what she recalled: ‘
The Coachman will come and, if you pay him the proper price, he will extend his hand to the soul that needs guiding into the next world and make them as much shadow as he is himself. And then he will take them with care and gentleness to the place beyond all places, to the place neither above nor beneath – on into the final silence
.’
    â€˜True enough,’ said Merrigutt.
    The Invaders were joined then by others, maybe twelve more all jogging into sight.
    One of the arriving lot nodded to one of those already gathered, then said, ‘The last cottage has been destroyed, sir.’
    â€˜Good man,’ said the Invader who was being addressed. ‘And whoever was inside, what happened to them?’
    Oona listened, waiting to hear of Granny Kavanagh’s end, but the conversation was interrupted by movement, by the upset of earth – what could only be to Oona’s eyes the swift burrowing of a Briar-Witch. It stopped in the centre of things, and Oona saw all the Invaders take many steps backwards, their faces repulsed by something Oona couldn’t see. A voice with no more shape or depth to it than a growl spoke from the ground –
    â€˜
There was one within the cottage, but it escaped me.
’
    â€˜What?’ said the Invader in charge. ‘You let one of them escape? The order was to catch
every single child
!’
    â€˜
We cannot catch all. We have been dormant for many seasons, and –
’
    â€˜Excuses!’ said the Invader. ‘You think my Captain will listen to excuses? Do you think the Faceless will take any of this nonsense? And what about the King himself?’ At these last words, Oona heard worry creeping into the Invader’s own voice.
    â€˜
We have gifted you many things,
’ said the voice of the Briar-Witch. ‘
Not least the skins of the Acre-Changeling – countless of them have been slaughtered and stripped, their coverings stolen and given to you so that you can match the look of the land you wish to conquer. And our Mother has given the greatest power to your King – to be able to reshape the land itself. We work tirelessly to assist you, and still we have had no reward.
’
    â€˜You made the Oath,’ said the Invader. ‘You know the deal – when all the children in this Isle are in our custody, when we find what the King is looking for, then you creatures will get what you want. All girls go North to the Witches, and all boys go North to the King.’ He took a breath, and looked to those Invaders looking at him, waiting. Then he faced again the ground, and told the Briar-Witch, ‘Tell no one of the loss of this or any other escaped child, but I want you to continue looking for them. Go!’
    Dirt flew into the air, the Briar-Witch making a fresh path underground, leaving the clearing as the Invader shouted, ‘Coachmen – take these children North!’
    â€˜They’re looking for you, my girl,’ Merrigutt told Oona. They know you’ve something important, otherwise they wouldn’t be bothered with
every single child
. You can’t reveal yourself.’
    â€˜I know,’ said Oona. ‘Stop pestering me. So now what if we don’t do something?’
    â€˜We go to the White Road,’ said the jackdaw. ‘You won’t be the only one trying to escape from here. South is the only safe place now. Let’s go.’
    But Oona didn’t move. She waited – knife in one hand, her grandmother’s gift in the other. She saw all the Coachmen raise dark arms, their whips all poised, and as one they struck their stallions, the crack they sounded bringing everyone in