Family of Lies: Sebastian Read Online Free PDF Page A

this,” she said and glanced disdainfully at Kevin sprawled on the floor. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
    Kevin rolled over and rubbed his knee. “You insulted her too, so why only me?”
    “I think she took Sebastian’s statement as a compliment,” Ophelia surmised.
     
     
    L ORD O RWELL and Kraven dug into second bowls of soup. Sebastian leaned toward Diana. “Are you sure?” he said and glanced meaningfully at the two gluttons.
    “I’m sure that they look like pigs,” Diana said when Demetrius looked at them suspiciously. “They could eat four bowls and they’d be fine,” she murmured when he turned away.
    “If you say so,” Ophelia said from Diana’s left.
    “You guys were chummy this afternoon. What were you talking about?” Kraven asked.
    “Diana ran out of ferment weed and asked if we knew of any bunches growing in the wood,” Sebastian said.
    “You said no, right? Because there isn’t any growing this late in the season.” Kraven smiled nervously.
    Pratchett replied, “You mean that goopy blue stuff by the yellow-and-red flowers?”
    Diana beamed at Pratchett. “I didn’t know. Thank you for telling me. We can make another run tomorrow.”
    Sebastian shook his head at the idiot and continued eating his hopefully undrugged bowl of fish stew.
    When Demetrius’s head started to nod and jerk back up, Sebastian yawned and pretended that he felt sleepy too. He laid his head on his elbow and watched the others fall into slumber one by one. When their father’s snores filled the kitchen, Sebastian raised his head. Ophelia, Kevin, and Diana blinked, surveying the others as he had done, and leaped to their feet. Sebastian searched their father’s pockets for the map and patted down his sides for good measure. “It’s not on him.”
    Ophelia whispered, and a purple glow appeared around the outside door. “Mother won’t be able to get in, I think.” She wrinkled her nose. “At least it will delay her.”
    “Let’s not waste time.” Kevin led the way upstairs again.
    “Don’t touch the door!” Ophelia said as Kevin reached for the knob.
    “Did that bastard booby-trap it?” Kevin asked.
    “Yes.” Diana pushed past him and spread her hand over the wood. “A speechless spell amplified with a sliver of Nule bark hanging on the other side. That’s a problem. It’s going to take me time to deactivate it.”
    “Wonderful,” Sebastian said while pretending not to sense the protection spell. “He’s just as paranoid as we are.”
    “That bastard,” Diana growled and lowered her hands. “It’s from a damn tome. I need to get more supplies from my bag.” She stomped down the stairs.
    “Second thoughts?” Ophelia asked them.
    “I want to know what’s on that map more than ever,” Kevin said.
    They didn’t wait long for Diana to return, but hours passed while Diana fooled with the spells. Their sister looked over her shoulder at the stairs.
    “Those herbs last from five to seven hours. Why are you checking to see if anyone is up?” Sebastian asked.
    “Father might have a better immunity than the others.” Diana’s gaze moved to the stairs again.
    “How many times did you drug him?” Sebastian asked while looking over his own shoulder.
    Kevin leaned forward, his shadow blocking Ophelia’s magelight. “Did you ever drug us?”
    Sebastian kept his mouth shut because he wanted to hear the answer to the second question.
    “Noooo,” Diana said. “Stop blocking my light or we’ll be here all night.”
    “You’re ly—” Kevin cut off as the door creaked open.
    “Diana is a brat.” Ophelia smiled. “We can still talk.”
    “I never drugged you, Ophelia.”
    “Then I take it back.” She walked arm in arm into the room with Diana, leaving Sebastian and Kevin behind, shaking their heads.
    “I didn’t hear a denial about us,” Kevin groused.
    “I wasn’t expecting one.” Sebastian stepped into their parents’ room and opened whatever box or drawer the others