Read Online Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1: The Brimstone Key by Derek Benz, Jon S. Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Derek Benz, Jon S. Lewis
Tags: JUV001000
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clockworks. In fact, if anything, there was too much. Despite reading everything from game strategy guides to manuals on clockwork protocol, she wasn’t finding any useful information. Meanwhile, Harley and Max waited for nightfall before heading over to the Shoppe of Antiquities.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Max whispered as they snuck down the alleyway behind the stores on Main Street. He wasn’t worried about getting caught. The sheriff was at the diner having a cup of coffee, and all his deputies had the night off. Max just didn’t want to face the fact that Iver was really gone. An empty store would only underscore that depressing fact.
When Max had heard that Iver was caught in the explosion on the island of Malta, he felt as though he had lost his grandfather all over again. And when Max found out that his own father was responsible for Iver’s death, his entire world fell apart.
“Look, I don’t mind going in by myself,” Harley assured Max. “I just want to take a quick look around. It’ll be five minutes, tops.”
Max shook his head. “If one of us goes, we both go.”
Harley reached up to unscrew the lightbulb hanging over the back door of Iver’s shop. Then he tested the knob, and the door creaked open.
“That was easy,” Harley said as Max pulled out a flashlight.
“It looks like somebody was already here,” Max remarked, sounding concerned.
Books and papers were scattered everywhere. Filing cabinets were half open, and picture frames lay broken on the ground. The haunting smell of Iver’s pipe tobacco still lingered in the room, but most of the knickknackshad been packed away. All that remained were some shredded boxes and overturned cabinets.
“Wait a minute. Did you hear that?” Harley whispered, pointing up at the ceiling.
There was a soft scraping sound followed by a muffled thud. Max instinctively twisted the ring on his finger, and the enchanted metal flowed over his hand to form the
Codex
Gauntlet. The blue flicker of Skyfire lit on his fingertips, and he moved past the beware of dragons sign that still hung by the staircase.
The knotted door at the top of the steps was ajar, but they couldn’t see anything. The hall beyond was draped in shadow. Harley nudged the door open with his foot, and the boys prepared for an attack that never came. As they stepped into the hallway, the sound of a rapidly ticking clock filtered from a room down the hall.
“It sounds like that brass beetle,” Max whispered.
They traced the sound to a spare room in the back that had been ransacked like the shop below. Chairs were overturned and the contents of boxes were strewn everywhere.
Then Max saw it.
A mechanical creature no larger than a raccoon knelt on the table in the center of the room. It was methodically slashing its metal claws through one box after another, ignoring the boys entirely.
Max lifted his gauntlet and released a torrent of blueflame. The Skyfire shot across the room, enveloping the machine in a nimbus of enchanted energy. The blast would have been enough to drop a Tanker Troll, but the machine wasn’t even fazed. Instead, it simply turned to Max and its eye flashed. Then it leaped through the windowpane in an explosion of glass.
14
H ARLEY’S S ECRET
It wasn’t long before the sheriff’s sirens were screaming down Main Street. Avalon didn’t have much in the way of crime, and those sirens were going to draw unwanted attention. Max and Harley were in no mood to stick around and answer questions. Besides, who was going to believe that a machine had broken into the Shoppe of Antiquities?
They raced down the stairs, out the back door, and down the alley to a comic-book shop called the Spider’s Web. Max was hoping the owner had stayed late. He was sure that Monti would let them hide out until everything died down. Harley pounded on the door, butunfortunately nobody answered. So the boys hopped on their bikes and tore off down the alley just as an officer with a
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Max whispered as they snuck down the alleyway behind the stores on Main Street. He wasn’t worried about getting caught. The sheriff was at the diner having a cup of coffee, and all his deputies had the night off. Max just didn’t want to face the fact that Iver was really gone. An empty store would only underscore that depressing fact.
When Max had heard that Iver was caught in the explosion on the island of Malta, he felt as though he had lost his grandfather all over again. And when Max found out that his own father was responsible for Iver’s death, his entire world fell apart.
“Look, I don’t mind going in by myself,” Harley assured Max. “I just want to take a quick look around. It’ll be five minutes, tops.”
Max shook his head. “If one of us goes, we both go.”
Harley reached up to unscrew the lightbulb hanging over the back door of Iver’s shop. Then he tested the knob, and the door creaked open.
“That was easy,” Harley said as Max pulled out a flashlight.
“It looks like somebody was already here,” Max remarked, sounding concerned.
Books and papers were scattered everywhere. Filing cabinets were half open, and picture frames lay broken on the ground. The haunting smell of Iver’s pipe tobacco still lingered in the room, but most of the knickknackshad been packed away. All that remained were some shredded boxes and overturned cabinets.
“Wait a minute. Did you hear that?” Harley whispered, pointing up at the ceiling.
There was a soft scraping sound followed by a muffled thud. Max instinctively twisted the ring on his finger, and the enchanted metal flowed over his hand to form the
Codex
Gauntlet. The blue flicker of Skyfire lit on his fingertips, and he moved past the beware of dragons sign that still hung by the staircase.
The knotted door at the top of the steps was ajar, but they couldn’t see anything. The hall beyond was draped in shadow. Harley nudged the door open with his foot, and the boys prepared for an attack that never came. As they stepped into the hallway, the sound of a rapidly ticking clock filtered from a room down the hall.
“It sounds like that brass beetle,” Max whispered.
They traced the sound to a spare room in the back that had been ransacked like the shop below. Chairs were overturned and the contents of boxes were strewn everywhere.
Then Max saw it.
A mechanical creature no larger than a raccoon knelt on the table in the center of the room. It was methodically slashing its metal claws through one box after another, ignoring the boys entirely.
Max lifted his gauntlet and released a torrent of blueflame. The Skyfire shot across the room, enveloping the machine in a nimbus of enchanted energy. The blast would have been enough to drop a Tanker Troll, but the machine wasn’t even fazed. Instead, it simply turned to Max and its eye flashed. Then it leaped through the windowpane in an explosion of glass.
14
H ARLEY’S S ECRET
It wasn’t long before the sheriff’s sirens were screaming down Main Street. Avalon didn’t have much in the way of crime, and those sirens were going to draw unwanted attention. Max and Harley were in no mood to stick around and answer questions. Besides, who was going to believe that a machine had broken into the Shoppe of Antiquities?
They raced down the stairs, out the back door, and down the alley to a comic-book shop called the Spider’s Web. Max was hoping the owner had stayed late. He was sure that Monti would let them hide out until everything died down. Harley pounded on the door, butunfortunately nobody answered. So the boys hopped on their bikes and tore off down the alley just as an officer with a
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