Read Scaderstone Pit (The Darkeningstone Series Book 3) for Free Online

out to the place where they’re making the TV programme.”
    “Ah, you are working with them, yes?”
    “No, not exactly.” I hesitated, searching for the right words. “One of my friends is working up there. I’m going along to visit her.”
    The driver smiled and nodded. “Bien. Jump in. The journey will take us about vingt minuits—twenty minutes.” He opened the back door of the car for me then climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. A moment later, we were off.
    ***
    About twenty-five minutes later, the taxi ground to a halt and the driver turned in his seat. “This is it,” he said. He pointed out the window. “Walk that way in a straight line for a few minutes. You will see them when you get over the ridge.”
    I looked out of the window. The land rose gently toward the horizon, and there was little to see: just an area of scrubland, and in the distance, a couple of trees. But there was a rough path heading in the right direction, so this was almost certainly the place. “Thanks,” I said. “Do you think I could arrange to call you later, so you could come and pick me up?”
    “To take you back to the hotel?”
    “Yes. But I’m not sure what time. Can you give me your phone number?”
    “Bien sûr.” He plucked a card from a plastic holder and offered it to me. “But you pay for this trip now, yes?”
    “Yes. No problem.” I took his card and stowed it in my wallet, then I paid him and climbed out into the sunshine. The taxi somehow managed to perform a U-turn in the narrow road, and then it sped away.
    “OK,” I murmured. “It’s time.” I squared my shoulders, stepped onto the path and started walking.

Chapter 6

    3550 BC
    “USELESS!” ELDRIDE SPAT . “You’re no good to anybody.”
    Cleofan stared at his mother. He said nothing.
    “You’re no use to me, you’re no use to your poor wife.” She paused to look him up and down, scowling. “And you come in here and tell me you’ve been out to gather firewood—and this is all you’ve got to show for it.”
    Cleofan took a breath. “I brought firewood,” he said. “I brought all the wood I could find.”
    “That’s no good,” Eldride said. “It’s the Feast of the Long Night tomorrow. Everyone else is bringing whole stacks of wood for the great fire. I’d be ashamed to bring those poor scraps of kindling.”
    Cleofan looked down at the wood pile. It was the best he could do. It was all he could carry, all he could find. But it was no use telling his mother that. It would only make her more angry.
    “And where’s your meat?” she demanded. “We must have meat for the feast.”
    Cleofan did not look up. “I tried,” he mumbled. “It’s a hard winter. Hard for everyone.”
    Eldride sucked in a loud breath. “Your father brought home three rabbits. Three.” She took a step toward Cleofan. “Go back out there and bring some more wood. Make sure this pile is bigger by nightfall of you’ll get no meat from us.”
    Cleofan’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, mother,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”
    “No,” she said. “You’ll do better.”
    ***
    At the edge of the village, Cleofan bent down to pick up a piece of dead wood from the ground. It was damp and mouldering, but it would have to do. He dropped it onto his pathetic pile of sticks and moved on, searching the ground. “It’s no use,” he muttered. “There’s nothing here.” He tilted his head back and looked up into the sky. There was one place where he could find more wood, and quickly. But it would mean going into the woods around the pit. He checked the position of the sun in the sky. The sun was not yet at its highest. So though the days were short, there was still plenty of daylight left. No reason not to go into the pit. The Shades would not venture out in daylight—would they?
    He shook his head. It would be safe. And there was plenty of wood near the pit. And some of it would be dry, sheltered from the rain by the rocks. Dry wood ,