Read Online Dicing with Death by Beth Chambers - Free Book Online Page A

passageway, he almost caught up with the small group of shadowy figures ahead, before realising that he had no idea how he’d make them release Liah. They stopped suddenly and Max froze, pressing himself against the wall, hoping the moonlight wouldn’t pick him out. A key turned in a lock and two figures moved away, their footsteps growing faint.
    Liah! She must be behind that door. Having learned from his zombie experience, Max assessed the situation coolly. Luckily for him, they’d left the key in the lock.
Another door thwarted
, thought Max.
    Liah was pacing the room, her hands tied behind her back, her mouth covered in tape. ‘Mmmmh, mumphh,’ she muttered.
    Max reached out and yanked off the tape.
    â€˜Ouch!’ she complained. ‘Watch it.’ She turned around so he could untie her hands.
    â€˜Thanks,’ he said awkwardly. ‘For covering for me.’ He waited for her sarcastic response and was surprised when all she did was shrug.
    â€˜Come on,’ Liah said. ‘We’ve got to get that elixir.’
    They hurried along the passage and a short way along they stopped and gripped each other. One of the flagstones on the floor was moving all on its own. Slowly it slid back revealing a cavity below.
    â€˜How did that happen?’ Liah hissed, her fingers tightening on Max’s arm.
    Max pointed to a small lever on the opposite wall. ‘I bet that’s what opened it. Chill, Liah. The place for ghosts is in the Underworld, not here.’ Ignoring the voice in his head that questioned just who had pressed the lever, he edged forward. He peered into the opening and saw a narrow flight of stone steps leading to a dimly lit passage. ‘Come on. Follow me.’
    He dropped through the hole and took the steps two at a time. Before he reached the bottom his feet slid out from underneath him. ‘Oomph!’ He bumped down the remaining steps and collided with something at the bottom.
    â€˜Are you alright?’ Liah reached down and pulled him up. Suddenly her grip went slack and Max bumped back down again.
    â€˜Wha–’ Max looked up indignantly.
    Liah stared past him to the foot of the stairs. Her face was even paler than usual. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.
    Max followed her stare to where a young man wearing decidedly old-fashioned clothes was straightening up. He held in his hands a modern baseball cap – a familiar-looking baseball cap. ‘Hey, that’s mine!’ Max said. ‘How did you get that?’ He was positive he’d left it in Death’s kitchen.
    There was something seriously weird going on with the guy’s appearance. He shimmered and flickered like a hologram as he went to put the baseball cap back on his head.
    Max shot forward. ‘Oh no you don’t!’ He snatched it away before the person could vanish. ‘How long have you had this?’
    The young man ignored him. He was looking at Liah.
    â€˜Who are you?’ Max felt as if the ground could swallow him up right now and neither of them would notice. ‘What’s going on?’
    â€˜It’s Tom,’ Liah finally whispered. ‘He’s Tom.’
    The young man’s expression flickered into a smile. ‘Hello, Liah,’ he said. ‘Have you missed me?’
    Max disliked Tom on the spot. Maybe it was because of the way Tom was blanking him, although it could have had something to do with the way Tom towered over him. It could also have something to do with the way that Liah was gazing at Tom as if he were some kind of god. It
definitely
had something to do with the fact that Tom had stolen Max’s hat.
    Max snapped his fingers in front of Liah’s face. ‘Earth to Liah! Weren’t you the one telling me we had to get the elixir? Something about the universe imploding?’
    Liah ignored him. ‘You’re a ghost,’ she said hoarsely. ‘When did you…’
    â€˜Die?’ Tom