Dark Spell Read Online Free PDF Page A

to push it down, concentrating her gaze on a pile of seaweed nearby.
    Josh raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
    Callie saw a wisp of smoke rising from the seaweed and stared at the rock in front of her instead.
    “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

    ***
    In St Andrews the next morning there was a queue almost to the front door of Janetta’s Ice-cream Parlour, although it wasn’t even ten o’clock. Josh didn’t mind, though: it gave him just enough time to decide what flavours to have. Coffee. And raspberry. And a fudge finger stuck in the top.
    He and Callie wandered past the cathedral ruins at ice-cream-licking speed.
    “Oh no,” Callie said suddenly, coming to a halt.
    “What?”
    “The girl walking towards us, smiling. She hates me.”
    “She looks friendly enough.”
    “Trust me, she’s poison.”
    “Hello, Callie,” said Evie, beaming. “How are you? Having a good summer?” Her eyes were fixed on Josh all the time she spoke. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your… friend?”
    “Evie – Josh,” Callie said, with a marked lack of enthusiasm. “Well, we’d better be off.”
    “I’m having a party next Friday. Why don’t you both come?”
    “Sorry, I can’t,” said Callie without hesitation.
    “Well then, Josh, why don’t you come on your own? Starts at eight. Callie knows the address.”
    “Umm… thanks.”
    “Must go. See you then, I hope. Your ice cream’s dripped down your top, Callie.”
    Josh, watching Callie’s expression as she stared at Evie’s retreating back, half expected the other girl to spontaneously combust.
    “Not one of your best mates, then?” he said.
    “You could say that. She would have ignored me if you hadn’t been here. Never mind her. She’ll be off to have her nails permed or her hair massaged or something. What do
you
want to do?”
    Josh shrugged. “Dunno. Don’t mind really, only not shops.”
    “Not even the cake shop?” She flashed a smile.
    “I’ll make an exception for that. Might leave it till a bit later, though.”
    “We could go to the castle.”
    “Okay.”
    Callie led Josh down a narrow lane and as they emerged at the other end he saw the ruins of St Andrews Castle across the road, straight in front of him.
    He started to cross, but Callie caught his arm.
    “Just a minute.” She pulled him a few paces from the end of the lane. “Look.” She pointed at the ground.
    Josh looked. She was pointing at a circular metal plate in the pavement just in front of someone’s front door, like a manhole cover, but peppered with small holes.
    He looked at Callie questioningly.
    “What? St Andrews’ most famous manhole cover?”
    Callie smirked. “Just wait. It’ll make sense in a bit. Come on, let’s go in.”
    Josh paused at the gate to read the notice about ticket prices and started to fish in his pocket for money, but Callie shook her head.
    “You won’t need money.”
    Puzzled, he followed her into the entrance building.
    Behind the ticket desk stood an elderly lady, watching with a gimlet eye as two tourists picked up and put down one souvenir after another. She looked as though she was trying to will them to leave, Josh thought and, just as he did so, they both put down the tea towels they’d been admiring and went out of the door at the far side of the shop.
    When Josh glanced back at the ticket lady he could have sworn the smile she wore was one of triumph, but it couldn’t be, of course.
    “Hello, Bessie,” Callie said to her.
    “Good morning, dear. How are you? And this must be Josh, I suppose?”
    Callie nodded. “Josh, this is Bessie Dunlop. She’s a friend of Rose’s.”
    “Hello. Nice to meet you,” said Josh automatically.
    “Are you going in?” Bessie asked.
    “Yes, please, Bessie. I’m showing Josh the sights and it must be at least two years since I’ve been round the place. Does Josh have to pay?”
    Bessie made a tutting noise. “Of course not, since he’s with you. We can’t treat him