The WishKeeper (The Paragonia Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF

gate is that?” asked Beren, frustrated and almost as worried as the Sentinel.
    “I don’t know!” yelled the Sentinel, completely losing his cool.
    “What do you mean you don’t know? It’s your job to know! Whose gate is it?”
    The Sentinel realized his foolishness and quickly flipped through a clipboard, “Oh wait! It’s…it’s here somewhere, I mean, of course I know whose gate...” The Sentinel kept rifling through the clipboard as Beren leaned toward the surveillance monitor, getting a better look. Looking hard at the screen, Beren realized on his own who the GateKeeper was. His fists clenched with tight frustration.
    “Here!” yelled the Sentinel. “The GateKeeper is…oh dear.”
    “Assemble a Keeper force! Now! Get him out of there,” Beren demanded as he flew out a nearby window.
    The Sentinel, still panicked, threw the clipboard and rushed toward a nearby communication monitor. “Yes, sir!”
     

 
     
    5
    The Wingless Wonder
     
     
     
     
     
     
    High up in an ancient oak tree, a slight breeze rustled the leaves of the Paragonian forest. The sun was shining and the sky was a perfect clear blue. Simple sounds of birds chirping to their friends were interrupted by a beeping alarm somewhere below. A call that no one was answering.
    BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!
    A few leaves, knocked from the grip of their oak companion, lazily floated down as a hand tugged a nearby branch with a grunt. A faded, muddied black boot gained its balance on another branch and pushed off. Climbing and climbing, someone was ignoring the incessant alarm.
    Finally finding the topmost branch, the fairy climbed up. Pulling aviator goggles over her eyes, Shea took a deep breath. Her shredded wings silhouetted the setting sun falling behind the mountains in front of her. At the tallest point of the ancient tree, Shea balanced on a thin branch and leaned. The valley spread out beneath her. It was a deadly drop, to say the least.
    “Let’s do this,” she said as she readied herself. She snatched her wand, held out her arms straight to the side and with a deep breath…
    BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!
    The alarm below was getting louder and, annoyed, Shea muttered some form of a frustrated curse word. Impatient, she pulled the goggles off, clamped her wand between her teeth and climbed down. Finally plopping down near the middle of the tree, she straightened her skirt and rolled her eyes with a grumbled sigh. In front of her was a vibrating, pulsing white light. The other end of a Gate.
    BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!
    “Yeah, yeah! Relax.”
     
    *       *       *       *
     
    Thane leaned against the trunk, never taking his eyes off of the taunting Erebus towering over him. “Uh, knock, knock? Please?” he said, begging the oak.
    Thane’s eyes were fixed on Erebus. Staring into his eyes, he could feel the cold loneliness that perpetual darkness brings and a rush of hopelessness swept through him.
    Erebus smiled, slowly raised his black, shadowed arms and curled a foggy finger. His Lost Fairies charged. They blasted themselves onto the branch, diving at Thane. Punching and kicking his way through the onslaught, Thane was handling the pawns well, but still gripping the wish with his other hand. Hand to hand combat wasn’t going to last. It was one hand against many hands.
    Reaching his own black hand toward him, Erebus was inches away before Thane exploded a powerful spell and sent his attackers careening off the branch.
    “Get off me!” Thane screamed in frustration.
    Erebus recoiled at the light, but with the blast, Thane lost control of the wish. It was loose and though he dived for it, Erebus was quicker. He whipped a wave of black fog at Thane, using the darkness like a weapon, and blasted him back against the tree. A Lost Fairy snagged and recovered the floating wish. He placed it in Erebus’ dusty black palm and like a thunderbolt, the wish cracked and exploded. Its energy pulsed through Erebus. Breathing in, he consumed the