Read Online The Lost Heir (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 1) by E.G. Foley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: E.G. Foley
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who needed his diaper changed, and a chubby satyr wearing spectacles, who introduced himself as Stanley.
Beyond the row of cages, a terrarium held a giant silkworm. These creatures were as rare as His Lordship’s talking spider. Giant silkworm thread was so light and yet so strong that it was used to create the finest body armor in the magical world.
It was Stanley who had told her that Waldrick had captured them all to do experiments on them. He was trying to figure out ways to steal their powers.
“I don’t even have any powers!” the poor satyr wailed. “Aside from being a highly qualified accountant.”
None of Gladwin’s fellow prisoners had any thoughts on how to escape. Nor could they tell her what was making the terrible growling sounds and deep snarls that echoed up to the cave from time to time, emanating from somewhere below.
Whatever it was, it sounded big and hungry, but even the presence of this unknown monster was not as frightening as their jailer.
She sat in her own watery alcove on the other side of the cave.
Huddled over her books and potions, muttering to herself, the bulky old hag was round and hoary, with a few walrus whiskers on her double chin. She stank like rotting kelp that had washed up on the beach.
“Who is that?” Gladwin had whispered to Mo, the cobbler’s elf, when the dreadful creature disappeared from sight, lolling underwater in her dark pool.
“Don’t you know?” Mo whispered. “That’s Fionnula Coralbroom, the sea-witch!”
Gladwin gasped, looking over again in shock.
Fionnula Coralbroom was an infamous fugitive from justice. All of Magic-kind knew the story. Some fifteen years ago, the fearsome siren-sorceress had been banished from the ocean after being caught plotting to overthrow the mermaid royal family. There were other crimes she had yet to answer for, but somehow she had escaped.
“Waldrick Everton has been hiding her?” Gladwin whispered, stunned.
Mo nodded. “Apparently, she’s been living here for years. The earl built special accommodations for her over there,” he whispered. “They bring in fresh barrels of seawater for her every week. She has to stay submerged, at least when she’s in that form, with the tentacles and all. That’s why it’s so damp and moldy in here.”
Tentacles? Flying up a little higher in her jar, Gladwin could just make out the large pool carved into the rock. It explained why the sea-witch hadn’t come out of her alcove, and why she was only visible from the waist up when she worked at her stone-carved desk.
“Is she part of his ‘collection,’ too?”
“No, she’s his special guest. From what I gather, the earl found her on the banks of the Thames years ago. Captain Lydia Brackwater refused to give her asylum in the river after the witch was banished from the sea. The freshwater nymphs didn’t want any trouble with the salt-water mermaids, so they refused to take her. Lord Griffon found her dying on the banks and took her in, saved her life. She’s extremely powerful, of course, but apparently quite helpless when she’s stranded on dry land. A fish out of water,” he added glumly.
“I wonder what Lord Griffon wants with her!” Gladwin whispered.
Mo shrugged. “Sometimes she makes potions for him. And in exchange, he gives her—”
“Shh! Quiet! She’s coming back up!” Stanley warned, pointing fearfully at a ripple in the pool.
But Gladwin had so many questions. “What’s making those dreadful snarls?” she insisted.
“Shh! I don’t know, and I really don’t want to find out!” Stanley breathed. He laid a finger over his lips to silence her as the horrid Fionnula Coralbroom came up from the pool, swimming over to her stone desk to continue her strange writings.
Gladwin caught a quick glimpse of a slimy beige tentacle skimming up from the water behind the round bulk of the old hag. But then, the sound of a door opening at the top of the stairs to the left reached them all.
Gladwin
Beyond the row of cages, a terrarium held a giant silkworm. These creatures were as rare as His Lordship’s talking spider. Giant silkworm thread was so light and yet so strong that it was used to create the finest body armor in the magical world.
It was Stanley who had told her that Waldrick had captured them all to do experiments on them. He was trying to figure out ways to steal their powers.
“I don’t even have any powers!” the poor satyr wailed. “Aside from being a highly qualified accountant.”
None of Gladwin’s fellow prisoners had any thoughts on how to escape. Nor could they tell her what was making the terrible growling sounds and deep snarls that echoed up to the cave from time to time, emanating from somewhere below.
Whatever it was, it sounded big and hungry, but even the presence of this unknown monster was not as frightening as their jailer.
She sat in her own watery alcove on the other side of the cave.
Huddled over her books and potions, muttering to herself, the bulky old hag was round and hoary, with a few walrus whiskers on her double chin. She stank like rotting kelp that had washed up on the beach.
“Who is that?” Gladwin had whispered to Mo, the cobbler’s elf, when the dreadful creature disappeared from sight, lolling underwater in her dark pool.
“Don’t you know?” Mo whispered. “That’s Fionnula Coralbroom, the sea-witch!”
Gladwin gasped, looking over again in shock.
Fionnula Coralbroom was an infamous fugitive from justice. All of Magic-kind knew the story. Some fifteen years ago, the fearsome siren-sorceress had been banished from the ocean after being caught plotting to overthrow the mermaid royal family. There were other crimes she had yet to answer for, but somehow she had escaped.
“Waldrick Everton has been hiding her?” Gladwin whispered, stunned.
Mo nodded. “Apparently, she’s been living here for years. The earl built special accommodations for her over there,” he whispered. “They bring in fresh barrels of seawater for her every week. She has to stay submerged, at least when she’s in that form, with the tentacles and all. That’s why it’s so damp and moldy in here.”
Tentacles? Flying up a little higher in her jar, Gladwin could just make out the large pool carved into the rock. It explained why the sea-witch hadn’t come out of her alcove, and why she was only visible from the waist up when she worked at her stone-carved desk.
“Is she part of his ‘collection,’ too?”
“No, she’s his special guest. From what I gather, the earl found her on the banks of the Thames years ago. Captain Lydia Brackwater refused to give her asylum in the river after the witch was banished from the sea. The freshwater nymphs didn’t want any trouble with the salt-water mermaids, so they refused to take her. Lord Griffon found her dying on the banks and took her in, saved her life. She’s extremely powerful, of course, but apparently quite helpless when she’s stranded on dry land. A fish out of water,” he added glumly.
“I wonder what Lord Griffon wants with her!” Gladwin whispered.
Mo shrugged. “Sometimes she makes potions for him. And in exchange, he gives her—”
“Shh! Quiet! She’s coming back up!” Stanley warned, pointing fearfully at a ripple in the pool.
But Gladwin had so many questions. “What’s making those dreadful snarls?” she insisted.
“Shh! I don’t know, and I really don’t want to find out!” Stanley breathed. He laid a finger over his lips to silence her as the horrid Fionnula Coralbroom came up from the pool, swimming over to her stone desk to continue her strange writings.
Gladwin caught a quick glimpse of a slimy beige tentacle skimming up from the water behind the round bulk of the old hag. But then, the sound of a door opening at the top of the stairs to the left reached them all.
Gladwin
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