Read Online Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1: The Brimstone Key by Derek Benz, Jon S. Lewis - Free Book Online

erupted in cheers. Frustrated, Max watched as Xander stood and waved to the crowd. And that’s when he realized who Xander reminded him of… his own father, the notorious Lord Sumner!
    Xander had that same easy way with people, entrancing them with his charm. As Max connected the two, his dislike for Xander grew.
    “Lastly,” Cain said as Xander sat down, “I want to tell you how proud I am of each of you. You have earned your place at Iron Bridge, an institution that has graduated some of the most gifted men and women in our history. I have no doubt that you will uphold their legacy as you study to become our future leaders and heroes—and our world has never needed heroes as much as it does today. Congratulations and welcome.”

12
C HANGELING Q UARANTINE
    “Look at that,” Harley called out as the Griffins left the auditorium. He had stopped at a picture window that allowed a full view of New Victoria beyond the walls. Airships hovered over what looked like a sprawling replica of nineteenth-century London. There were spires that shot up to dizzying heights, ringing bell towers, bristling smokestacks, and cobblestone streets that wove like spidery veins through a cluster of dark roofs that seemed to go on forever. The sidewalks were packed with strangely dressed figures hurrying to their destinations.
    “Who lives there?” asked Ernie as he watched an airship slip overhead, casting the window in shadow.
    “Humans, faeries, and everything in between,” Brooke replied. “It’s a port city, so it gets a lot of strange visitors—and some of them aren’t very friendly. Unless you know what you are doing, you could end up getting stuffed in a sack and hauled away to scrub the decks of a pirate airship.”
    Ernie’s mouth fell open.
    At that moment a trail of sparkling dust flittered across the hall before coming to rest near Brooke’s shoulder. Like Max, she had a Bounder Faerie. The pixie was dressed in a gossamer gown of orange and adorned with gaudy jewelry. Though she was six inches tall, Honeysuckle could be vicious. The pixie folded her arms in annoyance as several giggling girls walked by and pointed at her. If it weren’t for Brooke, Max had no doubt that Honeysuckle would have turned them into slugs. With the exception of Brooke, Honeysuckle didn’t appear to be terribly fond of humans.
    “So where’s Sprig?” asked Brooke.
    Max shrugged. “As far as I know, she could be off chasing a butterfly in Kansas or snorkeling in San Diego.”
    Natalia sighed. “You really need to discipline her, Max. She’s supposed to watch over you, but she can’t do that if she’s never around.”
    “You can’t discipline a faerie.” Brooke laughed. “They aren’t pets. You just have to take them as they are.”
    “Are there other kids here with Bounders?” asked Max, looking down the hall.
    “A few,” Brooke replied.
    “Look,” Natalia said, pointing to her watch. “We have to hurry, or we’re going to be late for homeroom.”
    With that, the five of them set off with books in hand, heading around a corner and down a long hall that was lined with busts of past instructors atop marble pedestals. Ernie stopped at one that had shoulders and a neck but no head. “Who is this guy supposed to be? The Headless Horseman?”
    Brooke shrugged. “I think his name was Strife, or something like that anyway. The teachers don’t like to talk about him for some reason.”
    As they neared their homeroom, they found two instructors locked in a dispute. The tall one was none other than Dean Nipkin. Her bony finger was pointing in accusation at her colleague who, as Brooke informed them, was their homeroom teacher, Ms. Merical. The dean was clearly the aggressor, but Ms. Merical didn’t look like she was ready to back down.
    The Griffins moved behind a statue to watch the argument from a safe distance. As they did, Max caught sight of a boy hiding behind Ms. Merical’s skirt.
    “Hey, that’s Robert!” Ernie