The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co., #5)

by Jonathan Stroud

‘Lockwood, what’s the plan?’ Kipps gave a hollow groan. ‘Not another of his plans! Please, just kill me now.’

I was full of love and gratitude to Lockwood and to all my friends – between us, we’d won through.

‘These spirits are a bit showy,’ the skull said. ‘All that hooting and cackling. Don’t see me doing that. I ask you, where’s the class?’

His hair was grey with salt and magnesium; his fringe sagged over a cut eye. His face looked puffier, more swollen, more discoloured and more generally bashed about than I’d ever seen it. In short, he was a mess. He didn’t look like Lockwood at all. And yet at the precise same time he was more himself in that instant than you could possibly believe.

Jyncassian moment

Lockwood had fought his way up here to save me, past all the ghosts downstairs, and he had arrived at the perfect moment. I understood all that as I sat against the wall, bloodied and defenceless, and I loved him for it. My heart sang.

It took her five books to get to this point

‘Do you need some company?’ Lockwood asked me. I smiled back at him. ‘Always.’

So my heart sang and my heart despaired, which was pretty much the usual combination for me whenever Lockwood was around.

Lockwood walked over to me; he reached out, touched me with the fingers of his rapier hand. ‘You’re hurt,’ he said.

‘Go, Lucy! Do what you’re told for once!’ His eyes met mine, dark and desperate. ‘Please! Save yourself for me.’

i am in abysmal amounts of pain

A world without him. I couldn’t run.

THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME

It was Lockwood and me, coming slowly, arm in arm.

Did you know she’s got a flatmate? A girl who works at DEPRAC. That was news to me.’

GAY HOLLY

She went on telling me. Lockwood listened too; from time to time he looked at me across the table.

Lockwood came to stand beside me. He put his hand on the sill, next to mine.

He was very close to me. Our hands stayed on the windowsill like they were glued there. All at once he stepped back.

it’s a lovely evening and I’m going for a stroll. That was the other thing I wanted – to see if you’d come with me.’

Slowly, carefully, I picked up the necklace and hung it around my neck. Then I put on my jacket and ran for the stairs.