The Black Shard Read Online Free PDF Page B

back."
    "But you were near the slope when I entered Bernovem. How did you know to be there?"
    "Look," Werrien said, pointing just below the terrace, where Hester and Davina were playing croquet with the Brinewine brothers. The brother with the black hair was standing behind Hester and had his arms around her, helping her to hit the wooden ball with the mallet through the wicket. By the look on Hester's radish-red cheeks, it was quite obvious she was enjoying it immensely.
    "Another thing that I was wondering—how was Mr. Macgregor, my school bus driver, able to be at the bottom of the ravine?" Kristina asked. "He died of a heart attack last year."
    "Do you mean the old man that was there when I first met up with you?"
    "Yeah."
    "I was wondering about him myself. I'm not sure why he was there."
    "Do you even know him?"
    "You know, it's funny that you ask. Now that you mention it, I think that I met him once, when I was about three years old. It was just before my mother was taken as a prisoner, away from the palace. She told me to run as far away as possible from the palace, so that Sentiz's zelbocks wouldn't capture me. I did as she said, but unfortunately, I got lost in the deep woods. When nightfall came, I couldn't see in the dark, and I became very scared. I huddled down by a tree, and that's when he came to me. He picked me up and carried me to Leacha's house."
    Kristina looked curiously at Werrien. "Did he tell you who he was?"
    "No, after Leacha opened her door, I turned to thank him, but he was gone. I just figured he was a kind man, out late in the woods."
    "So, how was it that you were at the ravine when I entered Bernovem?"
    Before Werrien had a chance to respond, a loud
BOOM
suddenly filled the air, shaking the buffet tables to the point where two servant dwarfs had to run to their aid, so that the food wouldn't fall from them.

- 5 -
Recalling
    W errien's parents, King Warren and Queen Lafinia, casually strode up the terrace staircase. Kristina felt a cold sweat on her forehead when she caught sight of the king and his beautiful queen coming her way. King Warren looked like an older version of Werrien, also very handsome with striking blue eyes. Queen Lafinia looked very lovely; she was tall and slender, with teal-green eyes and long, flowing, flaxen hair that hung down to the middle of her back. She wore an elegant, backless, ruby-red dress; a dainty tiara sat atop her head, sparkling vibrantly.
    "Oh, there you are," King Warren said to Werrien from across the terrace. "We've been looking for you." He linked arms with Lafinia, and the two of them made their way over to Werrien and Kristina. "How was that for a birthday blast?" he asked Werrien, proudly.
    "Put it this way—it was loud enough to just about knock the food tables over," Werrien said, smiling slyly, "and it almost did just that."
    "Well, then, I'd say a little better than the last blast, when the most it did was vibrate the tables," King Warren joked.
    "My dad has a thing for cannon blasts," Werrien said to Kristina out of the corner of his mouth when the king wasn't looking.
    King Warren turned his attention to Kristina. "And who may this lovely young lady be?" he said.
    "Do you remember Kristina?" Werrien asked his father.
    King Warren was taken back. "I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you.You've grown—and into such a beautiful young lady," he said.
    Kristina smiled timidly at the king and queen. "I feel honored to be at Werrien's birthday party," she said, "but I would have brought a gift for him, if I'd been more prepared."
    "Having you here is a great gift in itself," Queen Lafinia said, smiling radiantly.
    Kristina couldn't help but blush. "Thanks," she said.
    While she was speaking, Kristina suddenly felt a tug on her pant leg. She looked down, and flabbergasted, her mouth dropped open.
    "Did I surprise you?" a familiar voice said.
    "Oh, my gosh! Raymond!" Kristina said, full of surprise. Her eyes filled with warm tears as she bent down and