Gallows at Twilight by William Hussey

looks as rough as my missus in the mornin’s, and that’s sayin’ summat.’ Olaf attempted a grin but it fell from his lips. ‘He’s in a bad way, son, and that’s the Odin’s honest truth.’
    Olaf used the scraggy tip of a fingernail to open the car door. Adam had been laid across the back seat. There was a dark brown crust running from his left ear down the length of his neck. His breathing came in shallow waves, like the hush of a gentle sea. At the sight of his grey-faced father, Jake felt his legs weaken and had to hold on to the car roof for support.
    ‘You have to keep your promise, honey,’ Pandora said. ‘You mustn’t let on that you know.’
    ‘I can’t,’ Jake whispered.
    ‘You have to. He wanted to keep the grief from you as long as he could. If he starts fretting about you , he won’t have the energy to fight this thing.’
    ‘Why should he even try? You said yourself, there’s no cure.’
    ‘You see that smart, pretty girl over there?’ Pandora pointed to where Rachel stood talking to the Baddersons. ‘You know, the one you’re sweet on? Oh, don’t look so shocked, Jake, I’ve got eyes in my head. Well, it’s like she says—there’s still hope. Still a reason to fight on. My own daddy once told me: you always gotta fight against the inevitable, girl. Fight it till you can’t fight no more. Only then will you find the courage to accept what can’t be changed, and the peace that comes with that knowledge.’ Pandora smiled sadly. ‘You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you? You’ve got such an old soul that sometimes I forget you’re really just a kid. But one day you will understand.’
    She patted his shoulder and called out to Brag, ‘Stop your gabbin’, troll! Pick that poor boy up and put him in the car. It’s time we were on our way.’
    Brag did as instructed. Then the trolls bid their farewells.
    ‘Thank you,’ Jake said. ‘Both of you.’
    ‘It’s an honour to help Dr Harker,’ Olaf said, his tone solemn. ‘My family will always owe him a great debt. The Scandinavian troll purge of ninety-three will live long in infamy, but there were heroes of that time, too.’
    Jake suffered another of Brag’s bear hugs before the trolls took their leave. While Pandora and Rachel got into the car, Jake looked out across the forest in the direction of Havlock Grange. They had overcome many dangers that night and had faced terrible foes, all to rescue Simon Lydgate, their friend. Now, bloodied, bruised, but victorious, they were going home. Jake should feel elated, or at least content that they had done a good night’s work.
    ‘Something’s not right,’ he muttered, his gaze roving over the desolate forest. ‘It was too easy … ’
    He had been kicking against the cupboard door for a full five minutes but it still refused to budge. Exhausted, Roland Grype tried another tack. He pointed a finger at the wood-work, mouthed a half-remembered spell, and hoped for the best.
    A feeble stream of magic left Grype’s finger and limped its way to the door. It collapsed into the wood and, several seconds later, the door creaked open. Grype launched himself into the Great Hall, rolled onto his back and gulped down lungfuls of cool air. Embarrassment overwhelmed the witch and he clenched his fists in frustration. Trapped in a broom cupboard! Yet again, he had made a fool of himself. Mercifully, this time, there was no one around to see.
    Having followed his master’s instructions, Grype had returned to Havlock Grange to find that Jacob Harker and his friends had smashed their way into the house. He had heard them moving about on the first floor, and had decided to shut himself up in the cupboard under the stairs. If the boy conjuror penetrated the skinwalker’s disguise, then Grype would be seen as the only thing that stood between him and Simon Lydgate. Well, he had seen Jacob in action—so forget that!
    Hidden in the heat and darkness, Grype’s thoughts had flown back to