Read Online Royal Institute of Magic: Elizabeth's Legacy by Victor Kloss - Free Book Online

entrance and there
was a welcoming light coming from within.
    Ben was concentrating so hard on
peering through the windows that he didn’t hear Charlie’s
cry of alarm as they approached the entrance. Ben felt something grab
him from behind and yank him to a standstill.
    Charlie was staring in horror at
a large noticeboard. Ben hadn’t even seen it, so intent had he
been on reaching the front doors. It was big enough to warrant its
own gable and on it were several A4-sized notices. But Ben saw only
one. It was a head shot of his mum and dad. Underneath it read:
    “Wanted on suspicion of high treason:
    Greg and Jane Greenwood.
    Rewards given for any information leading to their capture.”

— Chapter Eight —
An Unpleasant Welcome
    Ben stared at the poster, numb with shock. Seeing a photo of his parents,
here of all places, was just as staggering as the declaration of
treason. They looked just as he remembered. His mum was smiling, a
sparkle in her blue eyes. His dad was also smiling, his ridiculous
moustache and raised eyebrow giving the impression he knew something
you didn’t.
    A wave of emotions swept through
him as he examined every inch of their faces. The surprise and
astonishment were interspersed with anxiety every time he glanced at
the word “treason”. But bubbling beneath it all was a
peculiar sense of joy that, given the poster’s message, took
him a second to understand.
    “They’re alive,”
he whispered. The relief was such that he found it difficult to
speak. A weight had been lifted, one he had borne so long he’d
forgotten how heavy it was. He had always believed they were alive,
but nagging in the back of his mind had been the lack of evidence.
    “They’re alive,”
he said, louder this time, turning to Charlie with a lopsided grin –
his blue eyes shining.
    “You always said they
were,” Charlie said, returning the smile, “and I never
doubted you. What about the high treason?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Ben felt a growing concern now
that the initial shock had subsided. “There must be some great
misunderstanding.” His voice trailed off. What misunderstanding
could lead to a declaration of high treason?
    They entered the Royal Institute
of Magic cautiously. Ben had planned to be on alert, but that went
out the window the moment he stepped inside. They found themselves in
a huge sky-lit atrium, staring up at a dozen open galleries accessed
via an old- fashioned staircase. There were wooden beams everywhere
making the place seem cosy despite its size. The vast lobby was bare
except for the staircase and a huge statue in the middle, which sat
on a pedestal, towering over everyone.
    Ben was so lost in the building
that he didn’t realise people were looking at him.
    Lots of people.
    “Ben Greenwood?”
    A stout-looking man was watching
him. He was shorter than those surrounding him, but Ben could tell by
the room he was given that he was important. He had a scruffy beard,
a scar that ran along his chin and an expression of such menace he
looked ready to bite someone’s head off.
    “Yes,” Ben said, just
as Charlie whispered, “ Don’t answer. ”
    The effect was immediate. There
was a flurry of soft chatter and a few people crossing the threshold
stopped. Ben felt like he was suddenly in a Western duel.
    “Look at their right
shoulders,” Charlie whispered.
    Ben had already seen them. Each
of them had tiny three-dimensional red diamonds hovering an inch
above their shoulders. Most of them had just one or two, but the man
addressing Ben had five.
    “About bloody time,”
the man said gruffly. “Detain them.”
    Two men standing either side of
the leader pulled out their strange guns and took aim. Ben could see
the coloured pellets floating within the glass orb. But the barrel
was a knotted wooden stick; surely it didn’t function?
    They pressed the triggers.
    The barrels lit up and out shot a
red pellet that swiftly expanded to the size of a tennis ball. From
the corner of his