Quest Maker by Laurie McKay

Author:Laurie McKay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

If the blood dagger was near, so was Rath Dunn. Caden signaled to the others.

Tito shone his light at Caden. “Bro, what’s wrong—”

Caden mouthed, “Quiet.” He flipped off his light. Tito did the same. In the dim glow from her phone, Brynne looked wide-eyed and worried. Then she turned it off, too, and the room went black.

The darkness felt like a solid weight pressing in on Caden. The only sounds were the quiet rasps of his, Brynne’s, and Tito’s breaths. None of them moved.

Between breaths, Caden heard the shuffle of footsteps, the sounds of feet outside the door. He felt blood pool around his bandage. Brynne sucked in a quick breath. He reached out and grabbed her hand, then reached out with the other to grab Tito’s.

Someone turned a key. Then the jiggling of the key stopped abruptly—as if the person was surprised the door was unlocked. Caden heard the doorknob turn slowly.

He, Brynne, and Tito crouched in the dark. They weren’t hidden per se, but they weren’t standing up. It was too late to move to better cover. All they had was the dark and the desks.

Two figures entered. A glow came from the larger one’s hand—a cell phone—but the light didn’t reach the back of the room. The ache in Caden’s arm intensified. The figure moved the cell phone near some of the rubble, then to the flasks lined up on the counter, like he was interested in the destruction. When he chuckled, there was no doubt it was Rath Dunn.

Caden kept as still as the dead. If the tyrant found them alone, he’d hurt them. Likely kill them. Then he would hide their bodies, and they’d be labeled runaways like Jane had been before they’d saved her. Or worse, he’d give their bodies to Mr. Bellows to be reanimated.

The second figure stood near him. “One of my more interesting spells.” It was Ms. Jackson, the lunch witch, the mistress of ritual magic. She was a criminal returning to the scene of her crime. She held a box under her arm. “They’ll suffer for taking my brother and sister.”

“Patience, beautiful.” His voice was like velvet. “Take whatever you like.” With great care, Rath Dunn picked up the large flask on the counter, one of the few surviving pieces of Mrs. Belle’s glassware, and offered it to her. “From me to you, with my utmost admiration.”

She took it. Under his phone’s dim light, her skin seemed to glow. Her hair looked soft and thick. Her eyes were bright. Her terrible beauty was the reason Jane’s mother was lost. “What I truly want is the little half elf.”

Tito pulled his hand away. At first Caden feared he’d attack or do something else foolish. Then Caden saw a soft, shielded glow from Tito’s direction. He’d taken his cell phone from his pocket. Caden glanced to the front worriedly. This was a bad time for a text message.

Brynne squeezed Caden’s hand tighter. Tito’s breaths became faster.

Ms. Jackson strolled toward the back of the room.

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