Sorceress' Blood Read Online Free PDF Page A

done Lord Sebastian stood up and instructed his
maids to clear the table. Following this, he told Ashley to accompany
him upstairs to where she would be tested. Ashley, as silent as ever,
didn't move from her seat. Rebecca placed her hand on Ashley's and
said:
    "It's alright. I'll go with you." That seemed to comfort
the girl and she stood up. Lord Sebastian did not protest this or, in
fact, speak at all. He led them both up the stairs to the second
floor and to the back of the house. An old fashioned cage elevator
took them up to the third floor from there and opened onto an
enormous library. Shelves were stacked with books all around them and
the room seemed to go on and on.
    "You must have books on everything," Rebecca said in awe.
    "Yes, I imagine so. Some of these books you won't find another
copy of anywhere else in the world, so I do ask you be careful if you
read them." The three of them walked through another door from
the library into a small, windowless sitting room. Two lounge chairs
and a sofa were positioned around a fire and stacked up around these
were piles of books. Sitting on one of the chairs, reading a book by
the light of the fire, was a skinny, frail looking young man with
pale skin, black hair and dark rings beneath his eyes. He didn't seem
to notice them as they came in and, even as they stood looking at
him, he was too engrossed in his book to acknowledge their presence.
    "This is Benjamin. He is the order’s most dedicated
sorcerer. Sometimes a little too dedicated. Would you kindly look up
from your book, Benjamin?"
    Benjamin glanced up and a surprised look seized his face. "Lord
Sebastian!" He gasped. "I didn't hear you come in."
    "Benjamin, I would like you to meet..." It occurred to Lord
Sebastian he still didn't know Ashley's name. "I don't know her
name. However, I believe this young girl may be the Sorceress' heir
and so we need you to test her."
    "Yes, of course, Lord Sebastian." Benjamin put down his
book and stood up. He walked around the table and knelt down in front
of Ashley. "What is your name?" Ashley didn't respond. "Can
you talk?" There was still no response.
    "She hasn't spoken to anyone since she arrived." Lord
Sebastian commented.
    "I see. Well, if you can hear me, I'd like you to do what I say.
First: follow me." Benjamin stood up and walked across the room
to the back wall. There was a small desk set up there with a
solitary, used candlestick sitting on it. Ashley followed him to the
table and Rebecca went with her. Lord Sebastian, however, turned and
left the room without saying another word.
    “You see this candle?” Benjamin asked. “I want you
to light it. This is very easy; I’ll show you.” Benjamin
didn’t take his eyes off Ashley and he didn’t move in the
slightest. The candle lit up by itself and burned for a few seconds
and then the flame was snuffed out as randomly as it lit. Rebecca was
expecting it to happen but it still surprised her. The idea that
these things could be done were marvellous to say the least. Ashley
was watching the candle the whole time but it was as if she wasn’t
seeing anything. The girl’s expressionless face looked through
things instead of at them and she never reacted.
    “Did you see what I did? You can do it too. You just have to
make it happen. I want you to want the candle to light up. You have
to need it so much that you’ll explode and you have to tell it
to light up. You can use your voice if you want. Say ‘light!’
and make the fire come.” Benjamin was eager to teach Ashley and
his voice was filled with enthusiasm when he explained what he wanted
her to do. Ashley didn’t seem to share his feelings even a
little.
    This went on for about ten minutes. Benjamin showed off some other
things he could do, in the hope of encouraging Ashley to try. First
he showed how he could not only burn the candle away but reform the
wax into a whole new candle without touching it. Then he showed
Ashley one of the books in the room and