The High Druid's Blade: The Defenders of Shannara Read Online Free PDF

yourself?”
    Paxon nodded. “From the ground up. Can I ask you something? Do you know a man called Arcannen?”
    The boy gave him a look. “Why do you want to know?”
    “I need to find him. I need directions.”
    “Are you friends with him?”
    Paxon shook his head. “Why do you ask?”
    Grehling sat down again. “Oh, just because. He flew in earlier today and told me he had a friend coming in from the Highlands who might ask how to find him.” His eyes fixed on Paxon. “I thought you might be that friend.”
    So Arcannen had expected him to follow, after all. Paxon felt a surge of anger at the other’s arrogance, but quickly tamped it down. “Well, you should know he is not my friend.”
    Grehling nodded. “I thought that might be. Arcannen doesn’t have many friends, just lots of people who do business with him. He owns Dark House, a place where they do things my father won’t talk about. But I know anyway. He’s a magic wielder, a sorcerer. He’s very powerful and very dangerous. People disappear around him all the time. Maybe you should opthink twice about trying to find him.”
    “I should, but I can’t. He’s taken something that isn’t his, and I intend to get it back.”
    “A girl?”
    “My sister, Chrysallin. You saw her?”
    He nodded. “Coming off his airship earlier. I keep my eyes open. Look, I can give you directions if you want, but they might be a little different from the ones Arcannen would give you. Mine might help keep you safe. I don’t like Arcannen, and I don’t like doing anything that helps him. So maybe I’ll help you, instead. But if I do, I’ll need some extra coins for making sure your Sprint is kept safe and ready to lift off the minute you’ve finished your business.”
    Paxon sat on the edge of the desk. “You seem awfully eager to help someone you barely know, Grehling. Why is that?”
    He shrugged. “I knew someone Arcannen took to Dark House, someone like your sister. Someone I liked.” His lips tightened. “She never came out again. Do you want my help or not?”
    “I’m listening.”
    When the boy was done explaining, Paxon thanked him for his help and paid him the coins he wanted. “You’ll find your sister on the top floor,” Grehling said in parting. “That’s where he keeps all the new ones, at first.”
    He offered his hand, and Paxon shook it. “Better keep that sword of yours handy.”
    Paxon went back out to the Sprint and Jayet. She was still in the pilot box, eyes half closed. “Time to go,” he said.
    “Was that a boy you were talking to in there?” she asked. She rumpled her hair and yawned.
    “A boy who is a lot older than he has a right to be,” he answered. “Watch out for that one.”
    Jayet nodded sleepily. “I watch out for all of them. Can we please eat something? I’m starved.”
    They walked from the airfield into the city, following the directions Grehling had provided, and quickly found a tavern that was open all night. They took a seat at a table at the back of the room, ordered ale and soup and bread, finished it off, and quickly left. No one paid any attention to them.
    Back on the streets of Wayford, Paxon explained what Grehling had suggested they do.
    “Arcannen lives at Dark House, which is what I thought it was—a pleasure house specializing in exotic and forbidden acts. Very exclusive. Chrys will be there, probably locked up in a room somewhere on the upper floor, according to Grehling. He says other girls who work for Arcannen are kept there, too, at first. He told me how we can get inside, but then we still have to find out which room she is in.”
    “That might be difficult if there are guards.”
    “There are, but not so many at this time of night because everything shuts down after two until late morning. There will only be a few, and all but one of them will be watching the doors. The other one roams the halls. He’ll be the most dangerous, the way we’re going in. We’ll have to get rid of him