Read Online Aster Wood and the Book of Leveling (Volume 2) by J B Cantwell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J B Cantwell
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thing at a time, kid,” I said. “We just got here. We need to search around and see what’s left. And maybe Erod’s family can help us. Maybe they know something.”
“I don’t trust him,” she shot, moving away from me. “He’s one of them. Father always said to stay away from the Solitaries.“
“He saved our lives,” I said.
“That proves nothing,” she said, crossing her arms. Her tears of sadness were turning angry. “You’re wrong about him. Whatever he told you was lies.”
“You don’t know that,” I said, starting to get angry, myself. “And anyways, I’ve trusted you this whole time. I got on that stupid boat and came here because I believed that you were right, that you knew what you were doing. And you didn’t even bother to tell me about the threat of the Solitaries until it was way too late for us to turn back. Well now I’m the one who has the information, and I say you’re wrong. I don’t know about all of them, but I trust him.”
We each stood there, glaring at each other, when a scuffling sound came from behind where we stood. Erod must have heard us arguing and was coming now to find out what was going on.
“We’re in here,” I called, my eyes shooting Jade a warning. The last thing we needed was her offending him. He had saved our skins more than once in the past twenty four hours, and for all we knew we’d need his help again before this day was out.
The scuffling sound stopped. I looked around, perplexed, and then back at Jade. Her eyes were still brimming with tears.
I turned and tiptoed into the corridor, and I heard it again. In another room down the hall, the slight scratching sound, like someone’s boots scraping the floor.
I turned to Jade and put my finger over my lips.
Be quiet.
Together we moved towards the sound. I saw over the railing now that Erod was still down below. He stood in the middle of the hall, slowly turning on the spot, like a tourist in a cathedral.
If it wasn’t Erod, then what was making that noise?
I grabbed Jade’s hand and we crept through the passage. Through an opening in the stone the noise became louder. We paused outside, listening, and then slowly pushed open a tall wood door.
The room was big and brighter than any other room in the castle I had yet seen. Windows lined the far wall and stretched from floor to ceiling. Soft morning light lit an intricate mosaic floor beneath our feet. In the center, a tall, slim table stood empty.
And before it, a figure clothed in a long robe shredded to rags swayed. Long, gray hair hung in matted snarls down his back. He rocked slightly from foot to foot, making the shuffling noise again as his steps scraped the floor. He muttered quietly to himself, his shriveled hands in the air making strange, jerking gestures like a sort of twisted dance.
Jade stared.
“Hello?” I said quietly.
The man froze mid-step. Then he slowly turned around, his mad eyes round and bloodshot, and stared at us.
“Father?” Jade breathed. And a moment later her face broke into a wide, awed grin.
Almara .
CHAPTER SIX
He turned and raised his arms as if to embrace Jade. But his eyes were wild. She didn’t see it. She saw only the father she had longed for. She moved forward, her face crumpling, opening her arms as she moved, before I had a chance to yell out.
“Torrensio!” Almara boomed.
From the ancient, withered man came a power so great it knocked both of us to the floor. The entire mountain shook around us, sending chunks of rocks the size of baseballs tumbling to the ground. The force of the blast rolled over us, just as the previous Torrensai had, and I covered my head with my arms as the pebbles continued to rain down and dance around on the mosaic tile.
When the rocks stopped falling and the castle was still, I squinted through the dust, searching for Jade. She was just two feet from me, and lay in a fetal position, protecting herself from the tumbling
“I don’t trust him,” she shot, moving away from me. “He’s one of them. Father always said to stay away from the Solitaries.“
“He saved our lives,” I said.
“That proves nothing,” she said, crossing her arms. Her tears of sadness were turning angry. “You’re wrong about him. Whatever he told you was lies.”
“You don’t know that,” I said, starting to get angry, myself. “And anyways, I’ve trusted you this whole time. I got on that stupid boat and came here because I believed that you were right, that you knew what you were doing. And you didn’t even bother to tell me about the threat of the Solitaries until it was way too late for us to turn back. Well now I’m the one who has the information, and I say you’re wrong. I don’t know about all of them, but I trust him.”
We each stood there, glaring at each other, when a scuffling sound came from behind where we stood. Erod must have heard us arguing and was coming now to find out what was going on.
“We’re in here,” I called, my eyes shooting Jade a warning. The last thing we needed was her offending him. He had saved our skins more than once in the past twenty four hours, and for all we knew we’d need his help again before this day was out.
The scuffling sound stopped. I looked around, perplexed, and then back at Jade. Her eyes were still brimming with tears.
I turned and tiptoed into the corridor, and I heard it again. In another room down the hall, the slight scratching sound, like someone’s boots scraping the floor.
I turned to Jade and put my finger over my lips.
Be quiet.
Together we moved towards the sound. I saw over the railing now that Erod was still down below. He stood in the middle of the hall, slowly turning on the spot, like a tourist in a cathedral.
If it wasn’t Erod, then what was making that noise?
I grabbed Jade’s hand and we crept through the passage. Through an opening in the stone the noise became louder. We paused outside, listening, and then slowly pushed open a tall wood door.
The room was big and brighter than any other room in the castle I had yet seen. Windows lined the far wall and stretched from floor to ceiling. Soft morning light lit an intricate mosaic floor beneath our feet. In the center, a tall, slim table stood empty.
And before it, a figure clothed in a long robe shredded to rags swayed. Long, gray hair hung in matted snarls down his back. He rocked slightly from foot to foot, making the shuffling noise again as his steps scraped the floor. He muttered quietly to himself, his shriveled hands in the air making strange, jerking gestures like a sort of twisted dance.
Jade stared.
“Hello?” I said quietly.
The man froze mid-step. Then he slowly turned around, his mad eyes round and bloodshot, and stared at us.
“Father?” Jade breathed. And a moment later her face broke into a wide, awed grin.
Almara .
CHAPTER SIX
He turned and raised his arms as if to embrace Jade. But his eyes were wild. She didn’t see it. She saw only the father she had longed for. She moved forward, her face crumpling, opening her arms as she moved, before I had a chance to yell out.
“Torrensio!” Almara boomed.
From the ancient, withered man came a power so great it knocked both of us to the floor. The entire mountain shook around us, sending chunks of rocks the size of baseballs tumbling to the ground. The force of the blast rolled over us, just as the previous Torrensai had, and I covered my head with my arms as the pebbles continued to rain down and dance around on the mosaic tile.
When the rocks stopped falling and the castle was still, I squinted through the dust, searching for Jade. She was just two feet from me, and lay in a fetal position, protecting herself from the tumbling
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