Anna Peregrine--Hollow City

Chapter Four

Me and Jacob made our way back to the others, who were still all sitting underneath the tree.

Bronwyn stood up, "Are you alright, Miss Falcon?"

"Miss Falcon?" Addison asked, looking up at me. "I thought you weren't promoted."

"I'm not, not officially at least," I said, turning back to Bronwyn. "And yes, I am. Now, everyone gather your things. We must go to London at once and see about making Miss Peregrine whole again!"

Enoch rolled his eyes, "We're thrilled you agree. We came to the same conclusion several minutes ago, while you two were over there whispering.

I flushed for a moment, "As I'm sure you're all aware, this is by most standards a very poor plan with little hope of success. For one, London is far away, further away than before thanks to the war destroying roads and rails. Also, hollows are all over the place looking for us."

"Forget the journey!" Addison said. "That's the least of your worries! Perhaps I was not sufficiently dissuasive when we discussed this earlier. Perhaps you do not fully understand the circumstances of the Ymbrynes' incarceration. Haven't any of you read about the punishment loops in your peculiar history books?"

"Of course we have," Emma answered.

"Then you'll know that attempting to breath them in tantamount to suicide. They're death traps, every one of them, containing the very bloodiest episodes from London's history--the Great Fire of 1666, the exceedingly letal Viking Siege of 842; the pestilent height of the terrible Plague! They don't publish temporal maps of these places, for obvious reasons. So unless one of you has a working knowledge of the secretest parts of peculiardom--"

"You underestimate me, Addison," I said. "My mother has taught me so much about being an Ymbryne, more than she had when I visited here."

"Then I suppose you have a way to get past the horde of hollows who'll be guarding their entrances as well!"

We all looked over at Jacob who right away answered, "Yeah, in fact ,we do."

"We'd better," Enoch grumbled.

"I believe in you, Jacob," Bronwyn said. "I haven't known you too long, but I feel I know your heart, and it's a strong, true thing--a peculiar heart--and I trust you."

She hugged him, making me smile.

"Thank you," Jacob replied.

Addison clucked his tongue, "Madness. You children have no self-preservation instincts at all. It's a wonder any of you are breathing."

Emma turned to him, "Yes, wonderful, thank you for illuminating us with your opinion."

"Now, doomsaying aside, I have to ask the rest of you: Are there any objections to what we're proposing? I don't want anyone volunteering because they feel pressured," I said.

Horace timidly raised his hand, "If London is where all the wights are, won't going there be walking right into their hands? Is that a good idea?"

"It's a genius idea," Enoch said with irritation. "The wights are convinced we peculiar children are docile and weak. Us coming after them is the last thing they'd expect."

"And if we fail? We'll have hand-delivered Miss Peregrine right to their doorstep!"

"We don't know that," said Hugh. "That London is their doorstep."

Enoch snorted, "Don't sugarcoat things. If they've broken open the prison loops and they're using them to keep our Ymbrynes, then you can bet your soft parts they've overrun the rest of the city, too! It'll be absolutely crawling with them, mark my words. If it weren't the wight would never have bothered coming after us in little old Cairnholm. It's basic military strategy. In battle you don't aim for the enemy's pinky toe first--you stab them right through the heart!"