Read Online Ravenspell Book 3: Freaky Fly Day by David Farland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Farland
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“Amber, dear, he could be anyone—a criminal or a drug lord or . . . a crooked politician.”
“He says he wants to help the mice,” Amber said.
Butch Ravenspell scratched a tattoo on his neck and just grimaced. “Be careful who you choose as friends,” he warned. “You never know what they might want from you. It is always best for you to choose them, not let them just choose you. Understand?”
“That is sound advice,” Lady Blackpool said.
“Now,” Butch Ravenspell said, changing the subject, “I’ve been thinking about something.”
Ben’s father knelt down near the couch so that he was so close to the mice that his breath smote Amber like a warm wind. She looked at his handlebar mustache and thought about jumping on it. She imagined that it would be very fun to play on.
“Ben, there is a secret that you should know—a secret that has been in our family for a long, long time. You’re not the first one in our family who has been able to gather magical energy. Ravenspell has been our family name for hundreds of years. Once, long ago, there was a sailor in our family who kept a raven as a pet. He carried it around on his shoulder as if it were a parrot, and it is said that he spoke to it, and sometimes the raven would cast magical spells that protected him and brought him riches.”
“Cooool!” Ben said, his voice an astonished whisper.
Lady Blackpool nodded her head. “The name of Ravenspell is known among the small fold of S.W.A.R.M. Arthur Ravenspell was a kind man, the greatest of familiars, and a powerful force for good.”
Butch went to the bookcase and pulled down an old volume bound in leather. He opened it to reveal a drawing of a portly man with a doughy face and a cape who had a raven on his shoulder.
“I’ve never seen that book before,” Ben said.
“We kept it out of your reach,” Mona replied.
“Before he died,” Ben’s father said, “Arthur Ravenspell promised that another familiar would someday be born from his line.”
Butch pointed to some squiggly black marks on the paper and said, “Here’s what he said:
In days of darkness, in a time of death,
Another Ravenspell shall draw his breath.
Here is a sign, for those who can hear:
A nut shall be his helm, a needle his spear.
He shall pull magic from wood and glade.
With a Golden One he’ll fight the Ever Shade.
Ben scrunched his nose thoughtfully so that his whiskers wiggled. He was wearing his little nut shell for a help, and he held his needle in his palm.
Amber thought that it was so cool that someone had described him hundreds of years ago.
“Ben,” Butch continued, “I first read those words when I was your age, and I thought that our old ancestor had bats in his attic. But now I think that this is serious. Maybe you need to go to this magic school, too.”
Ben’s whiskers twitched nervously, and he looked up at his father with beady eyes.
“No,” Mona said. “I don’t want to lose him again. I don’t want him to go.”
“I don’t want him to, either,” Butch said. “But maybe it’s for the best.” He turned to Lady Blackpool. “How dangerous will this school be?”
“Not too dangerous,” Lady Blackpool said. “We’ve been attacked by the students of the Small Animals’ Dark Institute of Sorcerous Technology, or S.A.D.I.S.T., but that has not happened for many years.”
Amber felt frightened by such news.
Mona began to sob. “It’s . . . a nice school, isn’t it?”
Lady Blackpool looked around at the house thoughtfully. “It’s nice for a school out in the swamps, I suppose. It’s nothing like this.”
“But it’s warm and dry?” Mona begged.
“I’d say more hot and muggy,” Lady Blackpool answered. “It’s a fine place if you’re a water scorpion or a salamander, but the truth is that it’s none too pleasant for mammals.”
Ben looked frantic. He shouted, “I don’t want to go! I want to go to Disneyland, Dad. You promised!”
Amber’s heart raced. She
“He says he wants to help the mice,” Amber said.
Butch Ravenspell scratched a tattoo on his neck and just grimaced. “Be careful who you choose as friends,” he warned. “You never know what they might want from you. It is always best for you to choose them, not let them just choose you. Understand?”
“That is sound advice,” Lady Blackpool said.
“Now,” Butch Ravenspell said, changing the subject, “I’ve been thinking about something.”
Ben’s father knelt down near the couch so that he was so close to the mice that his breath smote Amber like a warm wind. She looked at his handlebar mustache and thought about jumping on it. She imagined that it would be very fun to play on.
“Ben, there is a secret that you should know—a secret that has been in our family for a long, long time. You’re not the first one in our family who has been able to gather magical energy. Ravenspell has been our family name for hundreds of years. Once, long ago, there was a sailor in our family who kept a raven as a pet. He carried it around on his shoulder as if it were a parrot, and it is said that he spoke to it, and sometimes the raven would cast magical spells that protected him and brought him riches.”
“Cooool!” Ben said, his voice an astonished whisper.
Lady Blackpool nodded her head. “The name of Ravenspell is known among the small fold of S.W.A.R.M. Arthur Ravenspell was a kind man, the greatest of familiars, and a powerful force for good.”
Butch went to the bookcase and pulled down an old volume bound in leather. He opened it to reveal a drawing of a portly man with a doughy face and a cape who had a raven on his shoulder.
“I’ve never seen that book before,” Ben said.
“We kept it out of your reach,” Mona replied.
“Before he died,” Ben’s father said, “Arthur Ravenspell promised that another familiar would someday be born from his line.”
Butch pointed to some squiggly black marks on the paper and said, “Here’s what he said:
In days of darkness, in a time of death,
Another Ravenspell shall draw his breath.
Here is a sign, for those who can hear:
A nut shall be his helm, a needle his spear.
He shall pull magic from wood and glade.
With a Golden One he’ll fight the Ever Shade.
Ben scrunched his nose thoughtfully so that his whiskers wiggled. He was wearing his little nut shell for a help, and he held his needle in his palm.
Amber thought that it was so cool that someone had described him hundreds of years ago.
“Ben,” Butch continued, “I first read those words when I was your age, and I thought that our old ancestor had bats in his attic. But now I think that this is serious. Maybe you need to go to this magic school, too.”
Ben’s whiskers twitched nervously, and he looked up at his father with beady eyes.
“No,” Mona said. “I don’t want to lose him again. I don’t want him to go.”
“I don’t want him to, either,” Butch said. “But maybe it’s for the best.” He turned to Lady Blackpool. “How dangerous will this school be?”
“Not too dangerous,” Lady Blackpool said. “We’ve been attacked by the students of the Small Animals’ Dark Institute of Sorcerous Technology, or S.A.D.I.S.T., but that has not happened for many years.”
Amber felt frightened by such news.
Mona began to sob. “It’s . . . a nice school, isn’t it?”
Lady Blackpool looked around at the house thoughtfully. “It’s nice for a school out in the swamps, I suppose. It’s nothing like this.”
“But it’s warm and dry?” Mona begged.
“I’d say more hot and muggy,” Lady Blackpool answered. “It’s a fine place if you’re a water scorpion or a salamander, but the truth is that it’s none too pleasant for mammals.”
Ben looked frantic. He shouted, “I don’t want to go! I want to go to Disneyland, Dad. You promised!”
Amber’s heart raced. She
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