Read Online Billy: Messenger of Powers by Michaelbrent Collings - Free Book Online
Authors: Michaelbrent Collings
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while he worked.
Vester looked with apparent concern at Billy. “You all right?” Billy nodded mutely. Vester smiled, a reassuring, comforting smile. “It looked like you were having a good time in that picture.”
Yet another voice was now heard, this one thick and phlegmatic, as though the speaker had a serious cold. “Of course he was having a good time. How could you not have a good time when in the water?”
Billy looked over and saw a man hanging in the wall of water, his hair moving slowly back and forth in the invisible currents that flowed through the great Earthsea.
The man stepped out of the water and into the hall. Billy looked at the man’s feet as he entered the hall, expecting him to leave a wet trail behind him, but he didn’t. His feet—and the rest of him, including his impeccable three-piece suit—were perfectly dry. Only his voice remained thick and unpleasantly wet. He looked at Billy. But where Tempus had looked at Billy with amusement and Vester had looked at him in a comforting and familial manner, this man’s look was cold and deep as a midnight sea. “You are unDetermined,” he announced gravely, more than a hint of distaste in his expression.
Tempus laughed. “I’m always surprised that you can know that sort of thing right off, Wade.”
Wade looked at Tempus with contempt. “I am a Power of water. I see the boy’s blood, and the blood tells much.”
Billy shivered internally, unnerved by this aloof man talking coldly of his blood.
“Well,” said Vester, apparently sensing Billy’s discomfort. “We’re just about all here, then, aren’t we?”
“Almost,” said Tempus, seeming to laugh even as he said this one word. “Just our favorite lass and we’ll be ready.”
“Ready for what?” squeaked Billy.
Mrs. Russet stepped toward him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “All will be explained in a moment, Mr. Jones.”
“Mr. Jones?” came a voice, and Billy’s skin crawled. He knew that voice. Or at any rate, he knew a voice very much like it. He turned behind him and saw a woman walking toward them. She was dressed all in black, a long black dress that accentuated the exaggerated sway of her hips as she walked, elegant black gloves that extended all the way to her elbows, and a string of black pearls that hung on a long white neck that was partially obscured by her thick black hair.
His eyes were drawn for a moment to a huge dark broach pinned on the side of her dress. It was a beetle, one of those types he saw in movies about mummies who came alive and killed folks. Usually with the help of such beetles. The beetle broach made Billy feel sick to his stomach.
“Mr. Jones?” said the woman again, drawing Billy’s gaze to her eyes. Billy’s skin continued to try to pry itself loose from his skeleton as she approached. She had green eyes. Green eyes that were very familiar.
“This is Eva Black,” said Mrs. Russet. And then, almost unnecessarily, for Billy already suspected what she was about to say, she added, “Cameron Black’s mother.”
Mrs. Black stood close in front of Billy, eyeing him with what he thought was amused disdain. “Mr. Jones, I’ve heard so… much… about you.” Then her expression of disdain turned to one of cold rage as she said, “You hurt my boy today.”
Billy’s skin stopped trying to run away without him and instead now felt as though it had frozen solid. He tried to say something, but nothing came out of his twitching mouth. Mrs. Black smiled and looked at Wade, the man who had come from the seawall. “UnDetermined?” she asked him, nodding toward Billy. The water Power nodded, and with that Mrs. Black turned to Mrs. Russet. “So that’s why you called us, Lumilla?”
Mrs. Russet nodded. Mrs. Black smiled delicately, as though contemplating eating a rich chocolate truffle or drinking a cup of cocoa on a cold winter evening. Then she said the most horrifying words Billy had ever heard: “It will be a
Vester looked with apparent concern at Billy. “You all right?” Billy nodded mutely. Vester smiled, a reassuring, comforting smile. “It looked like you were having a good time in that picture.”
Yet another voice was now heard, this one thick and phlegmatic, as though the speaker had a serious cold. “Of course he was having a good time. How could you not have a good time when in the water?”
Billy looked over and saw a man hanging in the wall of water, his hair moving slowly back and forth in the invisible currents that flowed through the great Earthsea.
The man stepped out of the water and into the hall. Billy looked at the man’s feet as he entered the hall, expecting him to leave a wet trail behind him, but he didn’t. His feet—and the rest of him, including his impeccable three-piece suit—were perfectly dry. Only his voice remained thick and unpleasantly wet. He looked at Billy. But where Tempus had looked at Billy with amusement and Vester had looked at him in a comforting and familial manner, this man’s look was cold and deep as a midnight sea. “You are unDetermined,” he announced gravely, more than a hint of distaste in his expression.
Tempus laughed. “I’m always surprised that you can know that sort of thing right off, Wade.”
Wade looked at Tempus with contempt. “I am a Power of water. I see the boy’s blood, and the blood tells much.”
Billy shivered internally, unnerved by this aloof man talking coldly of his blood.
“Well,” said Vester, apparently sensing Billy’s discomfort. “We’re just about all here, then, aren’t we?”
“Almost,” said Tempus, seeming to laugh even as he said this one word. “Just our favorite lass and we’ll be ready.”
“Ready for what?” squeaked Billy.
Mrs. Russet stepped toward him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “All will be explained in a moment, Mr. Jones.”
“Mr. Jones?” came a voice, and Billy’s skin crawled. He knew that voice. Or at any rate, he knew a voice very much like it. He turned behind him and saw a woman walking toward them. She was dressed all in black, a long black dress that accentuated the exaggerated sway of her hips as she walked, elegant black gloves that extended all the way to her elbows, and a string of black pearls that hung on a long white neck that was partially obscured by her thick black hair.
His eyes were drawn for a moment to a huge dark broach pinned on the side of her dress. It was a beetle, one of those types he saw in movies about mummies who came alive and killed folks. Usually with the help of such beetles. The beetle broach made Billy feel sick to his stomach.
“Mr. Jones?” said the woman again, drawing Billy’s gaze to her eyes. Billy’s skin continued to try to pry itself loose from his skeleton as she approached. She had green eyes. Green eyes that were very familiar.
“This is Eva Black,” said Mrs. Russet. And then, almost unnecessarily, for Billy already suspected what she was about to say, she added, “Cameron Black’s mother.”
Mrs. Black stood close in front of Billy, eyeing him with what he thought was amused disdain. “Mr. Jones, I’ve heard so… much… about you.” Then her expression of disdain turned to one of cold rage as she said, “You hurt my boy today.”
Billy’s skin stopped trying to run away without him and instead now felt as though it had frozen solid. He tried to say something, but nothing came out of his twitching mouth. Mrs. Black smiled and looked at Wade, the man who had come from the seawall. “UnDetermined?” she asked him, nodding toward Billy. The water Power nodded, and with that Mrs. Black turned to Mrs. Russet. “So that’s why you called us, Lumilla?”
Mrs. Russet nodded. Mrs. Black smiled delicately, as though contemplating eating a rich chocolate truffle or drinking a cup of cocoa on a cold winter evening. Then she said the most horrifying words Billy had ever heard: “It will be a
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