Read Online Demon Storm by Justin Richards - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Justin Richards
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shelves of books and CDs and DVDs and computer disks. Almost every surface seemed to be covered. Display cases contained everything from fossils to a long-bladed knife, gold coins to a human skull, a roll of yellowed parchment tied with faded red ribbon to intricate figures carved from bone or ivory …
Ben noticed little of it. He sat nervously on the edge of an upright chair in front of Knight’s enormous mahogany desk. The top of the desk was the only surface that was relatively clear – a leather-bound notebook, a closed laptop computer, a mobile phone, a pad of paper and a silver fountain pen.
Behind the desk, Knight leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the wooden armrests, his fingertips touching.
‘Ben Foundling,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘If you’re looking for your sister, I’m afraid I can’t help you.’
‘I think you can,’ Ben said, surprised at how defiant and confident he sounded.
‘Not directly. But there are other ways.’ Knight leaned forward, transferring his elbows to the desk as he regarded Ben carefully. ‘Gemma tells me you have no aura at all. Certainly I saw nothing when we met the other week. Your sister, though …’ He frowned. ‘Or are you so powerful it’s somehow hidden from us? Is that it?’
ds
‘Before I tell you anything, I need to know what your abilities are. Your potential. I didn’t even test you before, did I?’
Ben remembered watching from the gallery – the test with the box. Knight couldn’t know he’d seen what happened. So he said nothing.
Knight tapped his fingertips together several times before seeming to make up his mind. ‘Wait here a moment,’ he said. ‘I won’t be long.’ He got to his feet and strode from the room, leaving the door slightly open behind him.
‘What do I do?’ Ben murmured out loud. If he failed this test, Knight would send him back to the home …
He wondered what Sam would do. But then he realised he didn’t need to wonder. He’d already seen the test. He knew what she’d done.
Ben gasped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned sharply – and saw it was Gemma. She was looking down at him sadly.
‘He’ll send you back,’ she said quietly. ‘Why did you come here?’
Ben said nothing. The girl shrugged and walked over to the desk. A few moments later, Knight returned. He was carrying the wooden box that Ben remembered from the home. He put it down carefully on the desk.
‘I’m going to ask you to look at something, Ben,’ Knight said. ‘That’s all. Nothing difficult.’
It sounded like a well-rehearsed speech, something the man had said a hundred times to a thousand children over the years …
Ben nodded, not daring to speak. But he forced himself to look at Knight, and Gemma, and the box.
Knight was holding the large key. He unlocked the box and murmured a few words. Ben caught only some of them: ‘ Effrego expositus libere …’
Then Knight carefully lifted the lid. Ben stood up, so he could see. Knight tilted the box forwardslightly so that Ben could see right inside. Gemma was watching Ben intently, like a hunting animal.
Ben thought back to when Sam did the test. He remembered watching from the gallery as Knight opened the box.
The empty box. Just like Charlie and Big Jim had told him, it was completely empty.
Ben put his hands to his face, still staring into the box, and screamed for all he was worth.
10
H E SCREAMED SO HARD HIS EYES WATERED . Tears ran down his face and his stomach was heaving. But Ben could see Knight nodding with grim satisfaction. Mrs Bailey was there, running to take Ben’s arm and lead him away. Someone – another grown-up – took his other arm, but he didn’t see who it was. He just concentrated on the screaming until his throat was raw and his lungs were exhausted.
It wasn’t just his lungs that were exhausted. Slipping away from the home the previous night seemed weeks ago. His legs could barely support him now as he was helped
Ben noticed little of it. He sat nervously on the edge of an upright chair in front of Knight’s enormous mahogany desk. The top of the desk was the only surface that was relatively clear – a leather-bound notebook, a closed laptop computer, a mobile phone, a pad of paper and a silver fountain pen.
Behind the desk, Knight leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the wooden armrests, his fingertips touching.
‘Ben Foundling,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘If you’re looking for your sister, I’m afraid I can’t help you.’
‘I think you can,’ Ben said, surprised at how defiant and confident he sounded.
‘Not directly. But there are other ways.’ Knight leaned forward, transferring his elbows to the desk as he regarded Ben carefully. ‘Gemma tells me you have no aura at all. Certainly I saw nothing when we met the other week. Your sister, though …’ He frowned. ‘Or are you so powerful it’s somehow hidden from us? Is that it?’
ds
‘Before I tell you anything, I need to know what your abilities are. Your potential. I didn’t even test you before, did I?’
Ben remembered watching from the gallery – the test with the box. Knight couldn’t know he’d seen what happened. So he said nothing.
Knight tapped his fingertips together several times before seeming to make up his mind. ‘Wait here a moment,’ he said. ‘I won’t be long.’ He got to his feet and strode from the room, leaving the door slightly open behind him.
‘What do I do?’ Ben murmured out loud. If he failed this test, Knight would send him back to the home …
He wondered what Sam would do. But then he realised he didn’t need to wonder. He’d already seen the test. He knew what she’d done.
Ben gasped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned sharply – and saw it was Gemma. She was looking down at him sadly.
‘He’ll send you back,’ she said quietly. ‘Why did you come here?’
Ben said nothing. The girl shrugged and walked over to the desk. A few moments later, Knight returned. He was carrying the wooden box that Ben remembered from the home. He put it down carefully on the desk.
‘I’m going to ask you to look at something, Ben,’ Knight said. ‘That’s all. Nothing difficult.’
It sounded like a well-rehearsed speech, something the man had said a hundred times to a thousand children over the years …
Ben nodded, not daring to speak. But he forced himself to look at Knight, and Gemma, and the box.
Knight was holding the large key. He unlocked the box and murmured a few words. Ben caught only some of them: ‘ Effrego expositus libere …’
Then Knight carefully lifted the lid. Ben stood up, so he could see. Knight tilted the box forwardslightly so that Ben could see right inside. Gemma was watching Ben intently, like a hunting animal.
Ben thought back to when Sam did the test. He remembered watching from the gallery as Knight opened the box.
The empty box. Just like Charlie and Big Jim had told him, it was completely empty.
Ben put his hands to his face, still staring into the box, and screamed for all he was worth.
10
H E SCREAMED SO HARD HIS EYES WATERED . Tears ran down his face and his stomach was heaving. But Ben could see Knight nodding with grim satisfaction. Mrs Bailey was there, running to take Ben’s arm and lead him away. Someone – another grown-up – took his other arm, but he didn’t see who it was. He just concentrated on the screaming until his throat was raw and his lungs were exhausted.
It wasn’t just his lungs that were exhausted. Slipping away from the home the previous night seemed weeks ago. His legs could barely support him now as he was helped
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