Read Online The Book of Spells by Kate Brian - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Brian
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throat.
“Mary and Joseph!” Mrs. Hodge shouted from behind the door. “These hooks are about as useful as two left shoes!”
She began to bang pots and pans around, making enough racket to wake the dead. Eliza grabbed the doorknob on the opposite door and shoved it open.
“Go! Go now!” she whispered to her friends.
The two girls raced past her, now holding each other’s hands. Eliza stepped out after them, closing the door as quietly as she could before running blindly into the night. Alice extinguished her candle, but themoon was bright and Eliza was able to see her friends’ shadows as they made for the elm tree. She ran after them, ducking under the lowest branches just in their wake.
“Oh my goodness!” Eliza exclaimed, hand to her heart. “I was sure she was going to catch us.”
“I think I’m going to faint,” Alice said, clinging to a branch.
“We made it,” Catherine said, breathless. “That’s all that matters. But where’s Theresa?”
“Right here.” Theresa stepped out from behind the thick trunk of the tree, dressed head to toe in black, holding a candle in front of her face. Alice screamed, and Eliza slapped her hand over the girl’s mouth.
“Theresa!” Catherine scolded, hand to her forehead. “Are you trying to scare us to death?”
Theresa narrowed her eyes. “You’re late.” Then she blew out her candle, plunging the girls into darkness.
Treasure Hunt
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this,” Alice repeated, holding on to Eliza’s arm.
Cicadas hummed in the grass. A cloud passed over the moon, casting jagged shadows over the Billings campus. And as the four girls approached McKinley Hall—Theresa leading the way, of course—a stiff wind whipped through the building’s eaves, creating an unsettling howl.
Eliza gripped Alice right back and could only hope the girl thought she was trying to be comforting. “It’s all right, Alice. Look how well we’re doing,” she said. “We’ve already solved two clues. There are only two more to go.”
“But are you sure that last rhyme was intended to lead us here?” Alice whispered. “It could have meant Prescott.”
“No,” Catherine replied from behind them. “It said ‘due west.’ McKinley is directly west of the old oak.”
Up ahead, Theresa pressed her back against the side of the steep stairway leading up to the front door to McKinley. She motioned for the other girls to follow her. Catherine glanced over her shoulder as if she’d heard something, and for a moment Eliza stopped breathing, but Catherine said nothing and they all ducked down together.
“Eliza. The map,” Theresa whispered.
Eliza bit her tongue as she unfolded the map and held it in front of them. Theresa’s bossy manner was beginning to grate on her very last nerve. She ran her finger over the page until she found the McKinley building.
“‘At my base a malignant weed keeps away the flowering seed,’” Eliza read. “‘Find the stone marked by decay, its etching sends you on your way.’”
“Malignant weed?” Alice said, shivering. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It probably just means poison ivy,” Catherine said. “Theresa, remember last year when Glenda Pearson fell off her bicycle at the back of McKinley and ended up with that awful case of poison ivy?”
“That’s right! Ugh. That awful sycophant deserved it,” Theresa said, rolling her eyes.
“Who’s Glenda Pearson?” Eliza asked.
“She’s in my year,” Alice replied, scrunching her nose. “I try to find something to like in everyone, but even I can’t find anything to like in her. She’s already tattled on me three times in class for doodling in my notebook.”
“Well, at least she’s good for something. Thank you, Glenda, forfalling in the poison ivy!” Catherine said with a laugh. “Come. Let’s go around back.”
The girls pushed themselves to their feet and crept around the base of the building. Theresa held the lamp low at
“Mary and Joseph!” Mrs. Hodge shouted from behind the door. “These hooks are about as useful as two left shoes!”
She began to bang pots and pans around, making enough racket to wake the dead. Eliza grabbed the doorknob on the opposite door and shoved it open.
“Go! Go now!” she whispered to her friends.
The two girls raced past her, now holding each other’s hands. Eliza stepped out after them, closing the door as quietly as she could before running blindly into the night. Alice extinguished her candle, but themoon was bright and Eliza was able to see her friends’ shadows as they made for the elm tree. She ran after them, ducking under the lowest branches just in their wake.
“Oh my goodness!” Eliza exclaimed, hand to her heart. “I was sure she was going to catch us.”
“I think I’m going to faint,” Alice said, clinging to a branch.
“We made it,” Catherine said, breathless. “That’s all that matters. But where’s Theresa?”
“Right here.” Theresa stepped out from behind the thick trunk of the tree, dressed head to toe in black, holding a candle in front of her face. Alice screamed, and Eliza slapped her hand over the girl’s mouth.
“Theresa!” Catherine scolded, hand to her forehead. “Are you trying to scare us to death?”
Theresa narrowed her eyes. “You’re late.” Then she blew out her candle, plunging the girls into darkness.
Treasure Hunt
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this,” Alice repeated, holding on to Eliza’s arm.
Cicadas hummed in the grass. A cloud passed over the moon, casting jagged shadows over the Billings campus. And as the four girls approached McKinley Hall—Theresa leading the way, of course—a stiff wind whipped through the building’s eaves, creating an unsettling howl.
Eliza gripped Alice right back and could only hope the girl thought she was trying to be comforting. “It’s all right, Alice. Look how well we’re doing,” she said. “We’ve already solved two clues. There are only two more to go.”
“But are you sure that last rhyme was intended to lead us here?” Alice whispered. “It could have meant Prescott.”
“No,” Catherine replied from behind them. “It said ‘due west.’ McKinley is directly west of the old oak.”
Up ahead, Theresa pressed her back against the side of the steep stairway leading up to the front door to McKinley. She motioned for the other girls to follow her. Catherine glanced over her shoulder as if she’d heard something, and for a moment Eliza stopped breathing, but Catherine said nothing and they all ducked down together.
“Eliza. The map,” Theresa whispered.
Eliza bit her tongue as she unfolded the map and held it in front of them. Theresa’s bossy manner was beginning to grate on her very last nerve. She ran her finger over the page until she found the McKinley building.
“‘At my base a malignant weed keeps away the flowering seed,’” Eliza read. “‘Find the stone marked by decay, its etching sends you on your way.’”
“Malignant weed?” Alice said, shivering. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It probably just means poison ivy,” Catherine said. “Theresa, remember last year when Glenda Pearson fell off her bicycle at the back of McKinley and ended up with that awful case of poison ivy?”
“That’s right! Ugh. That awful sycophant deserved it,” Theresa said, rolling her eyes.
“Who’s Glenda Pearson?” Eliza asked.
“She’s in my year,” Alice replied, scrunching her nose. “I try to find something to like in everyone, but even I can’t find anything to like in her. She’s already tattled on me three times in class for doodling in my notebook.”
“Well, at least she’s good for something. Thank you, Glenda, forfalling in the poison ivy!” Catherine said with a laugh. “Come. Let’s go around back.”
The girls pushed themselves to their feet and crept around the base of the building. Theresa held the lamp low at
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