Necropolis Read Free Page A

out to the horizon and beyond — but there were no waves. The surface of the water could have been a single sheet of metal. Everything was dead. She was surrounded by sand dunes — at least, that was what she thought they were, but they were actually made of dust. They had somehow blown there and — like the dust on the moon — it would stay the same forever. She walked forward. But she left no footprints.
    There were four boys standing together, a short distance away.
    The boys were searching for her. If she listened carefully, she could actually hear them calling her name.
    She tried to call back; but although there was no wind, not even a breeze, something snatched the words away.
    The boys weren't real. They couldn't be…Scarlett had never seen them before. And yet, somehow, she was sure that she knew their names.
    Scott. Jamie. Pedro. And Matt.
    She knew them from somewhere. They had met before.
    That was the first time, but over the next two years, she had the same dream again and again. And gradually, it began to change. It seemed to her that every time she saw the boys, they were a little farther away, until finally she had to get used to the fact that she was completely on her own. Every time she went to sleep, she found herself hoping she would see them. More than that. She needed to meet them.
    She never spoke about her dreams, not even to Aidan. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that finding the four boys had become the single most important thing in her life.
    TWO
    The Door

    Two years later, Scarlett had turned fifteen — and she had become an orphan for a second time.
    Paul and Vanessa Adams hadn't died, but their marriage had, one inch at a time. In a way, it was amazing they had stayed together so long. Scarlett's father had just started a new job, working for a multinational corporation based in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, her mother was spending more and more time with her own business, looking after customers who seemed to demand her attention twenty-four hours a day. They were seeing less and less of each other and suddenly realized that they preferred it that way. They didn't argue or shout at each other. They just decided they would be happier apart.
    They told Scarlett the news at the end of the summer holidays and, for her part, she wasn't quite sure what to feel. But the truth was that in the short term it would make little difference to her life. Most of the time she was on her own with Mrs. Murdoch anyway, and although she'd always been glad to see her parents, she'd gotten used to the fact that they were seldom, if ever, around. The three of them had one last meeting in the kitchen, the two adults sitting with grim faces and large glasses of wine.
    ''Your mother is going to set up a company in Melbourne, in Australia," Paul said. "She has to go where the market is, and Melbourne is a wonderful opportunity." He glanced at Vanessa, and in that moment, Scarlett knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth. Maybe the Australians were desperate for exotic holidays. But the fact was that she had chosen somewhere as far away as possible. Maybe she had met someone else. Whatever the reason, she wanted to carve herself a whole new life. "As for me, Nightrise has asked me to move to the Hong Kong office…"
    The Nightrise Corporation. That was the company that employed her dad.
    "I know this is very difficult for you, Scarly," he went on. "Two such huge changes. But we both want to look after you. You can come with either of us."
    In fact, it wasn't difficult for Scarlett. She had already thought about it and made up her mind. "Why can't I stay here?" she asked.
    "On your own?"
    "Mrs. Murdoch will look after me. You're not going to sell the house, are you? This is my home!
    Anyway, I don't want to leave St. Genevieve's. And all my friends are here…"
    Of course, both her parents protested. They wanted Scarlett to come with them. How could she possibly manage without them? But all of them knew