Clash (The Arinthian Line Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

artifact needed no end of complex training to use.
    Harvus frowned at the Agonex. Augum had overheard the man privately make his opinion clear to Mrs. Stone how inappropriate it was placing an artifact of such import in a “blind and unfortunately daft” boy’s possession, but she had dismissed his worries with a terse but quiet reproval Augum wished he had heard.
    Bridget smiled at Leland as he squealed from the bouncing he was receiving on her knee. “A quest?” she asked. “What kind of quest? Must be serious.”
    Augum turned over his wet shirt by the fire. “It is, but we can’t go on it until she thinks we know what we’re doing with the 4th degree.”
    “Not to mention the Reflect spell,” Leera added with a tired groan.
    Mr. Harvus straightened in his chair. “Why have I not been informed of any of this? What sort of quest?”
    Augum ignored Harvus, well knowing how much it would infuriate him. “Nana wants the three of us to go to the library of Antioc,” he said to Bridget. “We’re to do it during the warlock tournament there, wearing a necrophyte disguise to blend in.”
    “Preposterous—surely that is not what she meant,” Harvus said, looking to Mr. Goss and Mr. Okeke for support, but both were fixated on Augum.
    Mr. Okeke rubbed his gray-streaked beard with a veined and bony hand. His dark skin tightened with each tug. “Mrs. Stone has a lot of faith in the three of you.”
    Mr. Goss pushed on his spectacles. “Oh my, this quest sounds frightfully dangerous.”
    Augum shrugged. “Can’t be more dangerous than Occulus’ castle.”
    “Mind your manners when speaking to an elder, Augum Stone,” Harvus said.
    “Yes, sir.” Augum could barely conceal the contempt in his voice.
    Leland moaned.
    “I’m afraid you can’t come along on this one,” Bridget whispered into the boy’s mangled ear, giving him a light cuddle.
    “Well I insist on having a word on the matter with Mrs. Stone,” Harvus said, standing. “Hardly a fitting venture for children.”
    Augum felt his blood quicken. He hated to be called a child. But he chose to ignore the remark. “Mrs. Stone says she failed to understand the Agonex,” he said. The room stilled. He knew what they were thinking—if the legendary Anna Atticus Stone couldn’t figure out how to use it, what hope had they?
    “That’s not all.” Augum turned his wet trousers over on the mantle, keeping his back to them. “Sparkstone found the sixth scion.”
    There were audible gasps. He knew this news was almost graver than Dramask falling. Even Harvus took a seat again.
    “Oh my.” Mr. Goss absently took Leland from Bridget and began rocking him slowly on his lap. “Oh my …”
    Bridget got up to pace, as was her habit. “What will Mrs. Stone do?”
    Augum played with the golden rope around his waist. “Don’t know. She seems pretty bent on learning … that spell .” It also infuriated Harvus whenever they referred to Cron, the secret spell no one but the inner circle was to know about. Mr. Okeke, Mr. Goss—even Leland—knew about Annocronomus Tempusari. But not Harvus. Leera was particularly deft at torturing the man with this, sneaking in a reference to Cron whenever she thought she could get away with it. None of this has endeared them to Harvus. And lately, the rift has only been widening.
    Bridget kept pacing. “They’re going to throw everything at her now. She can’t run forever. And with her pushing herself so hard lately …”
    “That’s why we must succeed,” Augum said. Especially with training, if they were to have any hope of learning Cron later.
    Mr. Harvus stood in a huff. “This is unacceptable. Children doing the work of soldiers. Where is the orb? I shall have a word with Mrs. Stone immediately.” Before any of them could answer, Harvus’ eyes found the basket and he strode over, picked up the Orb of Orion, and headed to Mr. Okeke’s room, slamming the door behind him.
    “ ‘Soldiers’?” Augum said to