Read Online The Second Siege by Henry H. Neff - Free Book Online Page B

day.”
    “So it isn’t true?” squeaked a small black boy with glasses.
    “Well,” said Connor, scratching his chestnut curls, “technically, that last bit is true, but they’re leaving out lots of important stuff! Max ain’t a murderer, for God’s sake—that’s crazy!”
    “That’s just the word I was looking for!” said Anna, her smile turning sickly sweet. “Crazy. I think that’s how I heard a Sixth Year describe Max just this morning after breakfast. . . .”
    Max bit off his reply and sighed, realizing that Anna was trying to bait him.
    “Welcome to Rowan,” he said quietly, walking away from the First Years and leaving Connor behind to argue with Anna and Sasha. The cavernous hall seemed stifling. He thought about tracking down Julie again but quickly put the idea out of his mind—that terrible force within him was stirring and now was not the time to ask why she seemed to be avoiding him. Instead Max stopped and leaned against a pillar whose gray stones had been worn smooth by the centuries. He considered the presence lurking within him. Ms. Richter called it Old Magic; Miss Boon and the witch called it Cúchulain. Whatever its proper name, it was a force that had summoned terrible things to Max’s doorstep, and he was determined to keep it under control.
    “I’m my own person,” he whispered, scratching the pillar with his thumbnail as Bob introduced Mum’s sister, Bellagrog Shrope, to enthusiastic applause.
    When the cheers subsided and the students began climbing up the curving steps, Max turned to see if he might catch Julie. Instead, he saw Commander Vilyak standing at his elbow. The man smiled, but his eyes remained dead as he took a long, hard look at Max.
    “You’re Max McDaniels,” he said decisively. “I’m Commander Vilyak.” As Max shook the proffered hand, he saw that the inside of Vilyak’s wrist had some sort of tattoo. Vilyak caught Max staring at it and grinned, removing his cuff link and pulling back his sleeve so Max could get a better look. He saw an image of a red hand, raised in greeting, bound by a slender cord. “That’s the mark of the Red Branch,” Vilyak said proudly. “Ever seen it before?”
    “No,” said Max, strangely fascinated by the simple emblem.
    “They’re very rare,” the man said fondly. “Only the top twelve Agents in the world get one of these. You know one of them, I think.”
    “Cooper?” asked Max.
    “Yes,” said Vilyak, smiling. “William Cooper is a member of the Red Branch. And he has told me a great deal about you, my young friend. Making your acquaintance is the only reason I’m here, what with things as busy as they are. Fortunately, everything Cooper reported has been confirmed.”
    “I don’t understand, sir,” said Max. “We’ve just met.”
    “I took the opportunity to review your scenario from this afternoon,” said Vilyak, shifting to a more businesslike tone. “I watched it several times.”
    “Oh,” said Max, reddening. “That. Well, I guess I should have followed orders. . . .”
    Vilyak leaned forward and spoke, enunciating each word very carefully. “It was brilliant.” The man clapped Max on the arm and gave him a parting wink. “Orders aren’t for everyone, Max. Don’t let them tame you too much—it’s not your nature. I’ll be in touch, eh?”
    “Okay—er, thank you, sir!” said Max, flushing with an unexpected rush of pride. Vilyak joined a passing flock of senior faculty, and they departed in a slow procession of navy robes. Max craned his neck one more time, searching for Julie, before dashing up the stairs and out the Manse’s door. Nick might have awoken by now, and Max felt like running far and wide in the warm summer night.
    Nick was indeed waiting as Max emerged from the Sanctuary tunnel. The lymrill crouched in the tall grass, swishing his coppery tail and finishing the remains of a particularly large and juicy rat. Nick’s eyes peered up as Max stepped into the clearing, two