The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) Read Online Free PDF Page A

worried,” Aiden told her seriously.
“You know him better than the rest of us.”
    “ I
thought I did. Now I'm not so sure. Simon cares about everyone; he
cares a lot. This new attitude is worrying because it truly is not
like the man I thought I knew. Perhaps there is something dark going
on. Keiko was right though; we have no choice but to wait. For now
anyway.”
    “ That's
not very reassuring,” Malcolm told her.
    They
stopped at an intersection, wide hallways leading in four directions.
Old paintings hung every few feet on the dark stone walls.
    “ No,
it is not. What I am most concerned about is if the castle is
attacked and we cannot get in touch with him.”
    Liliana
looked up at a large painting of a battle scene. Two armies were
clashing in the middle of a muddy field. No one seemed to be winning.
    “ If
dragons attack and we can't repel them, without Simon Nottinghill
Castle could be lost.”
    “ Way
to cheer me up,” Aiden told her with a crooked grin.
    The
three of them laughed lightly and parted, Malcolm and Aiden setting
off for their quarters to get ready for their first shift.
    Liliana
stood still and watched them disappear down the corridor, then looked
up at the painting thoughtfully.
    “ Where
are you, Simon?” she murmured. “And what is happening?
Have you finally given up on us?”
    She
sighed and turned away from the battle scene. It was time to head for
home.

Chapter
3

    Simon
O'Toole; wizard, teenager, former middle-aged I.T. worker, was at
that very moment rolling out of bed in the predawn light. He moaned
loudly and put both hands to his pounding head.
    “ Can
you not shut up for one blasted minute?” he asked weakly. “If
I don't get more than an hour's sleep at a time, eventually I'll go
nuts.”
    'Don't
blame me for your weakness, human,' a haughty voice echoed inside of
his head. 'You occasionally hear my thoughts and that is something
that I cannot control. The sooner we separate, the sooner you will be
back to your normal self again.'
    “ Can't
argue with that,” Simon groaned. “I wish we could do it
today.”
    'As
do I. But your elementals have not returned with the ingredients we
need to perform the ritual and, until they do, we are stuck with each
other.'
    The
wizard swayed tiredly as he slipped on a plain gray robe, some socks
and his indoor shoes. Then he left his bedroom, walked downstairs and
stoked the fire. The tower was cool in the early morning and it was
still spring; the days were often cold.
    “ Good
morning, master,” a voice said brightly as the front door
opened and then closed with a loud bang.
    Simon
winced as he carefully laid a log on the bright embers in the
fireplace.
    “ Morning,”
he mumbled and stood up slowly.
    He
turned and walked to the counter to fill his kettle. He watched as
Kronk tip-tapped across the room and hopped up on to the kitchen
table. The little elemental was smiling, his blocky face cheerful as
usual.
    Simon
pumped some water into the kettle, hung it over the fire and then sat
down heavily, feeling totally exhausted.
    Kronk's
face fell and he peered at the wizard.
    “ Still
not sleeping well, master?” he asked with concern.
    “ Nope.
My tenant,” he tapped his forehead, “won't shut up for
more than a minute at a time. It's like a constant whisper of sound
that you can almost understand, but not quite. She says it's her
stray thoughts and that she can't control them. Probably true, but
it's nagging at me.”
    Kronk
nodded solemnly.
    “ I
see. Well master, both of you should be back to normal soon. I'm sure
that Aeris and the other air elementals will be back with what is
needed to cast the spell to separate the pair of you.”
    “ I'm
not so sure. If I didn't have to stay as far away as possible, I'd do
it myself.”
    'You
cannot!' the voice throbbed inside of his head. 'My presence would be
felt immediately and we would both be destroyed.'
    “ Ouch!
Don't yell!” Simon said loudly as he pressed his fingertips