The WishKeeper (The Paragonia Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

energy of the wish.
    Grey and lifeless, the wish slid out of Erebus’ hand and fell, disintegrating in the wind. Peering back at a dizzy Thane, the shadow king slowly reached for him again. The Lost Fairies swung to the branch and approached, menacing, surrounding him.
    “Don’t you wish to stay, little Keeper? You would do well here,” said Erebus.
    “I’d rather die,” returned Thane, out of breath.
    Erebus smiled, “Really? Then your wish is my - well, you know what I mean.”
    All of Erebus’ black fog raged toward Thane. It poured over him like a tidal wave, but the sudden exploding light of the Gate blocked the rush of darkness. It opened and pulled Thane through.
     
    *       *       *       *
     
    Crashing to the other side of the Gate, Thane was thrown to the ground, knocking Shea over. They collided, rolled and slid through the grass, tangled.
    “Easy on the reentry, geez!” cried Shea.
    “Easy on the - are you kidding me?” Thane picked himself up. He charged toward Shea, wand pointed. “I was just staring into the eyes of my death!”
    “Oh, stop being so dramatic!” countered Shea.
    “You lazy, no good -!” this time, Thane sprinted at her.
    “Go ahead, say it!” Shea replied, begging for a fight.
    “Wingless gimp!” Thane yelled.
    Enraged, Shea jumped on his back and swung her fists. Knuckles tumbled, five at a time, down upon Thane’s forehead. He tried grabbing Shea’s wild fists and was surprised at how much those little fists actually hurt. He spun himself, begging gravity for a little help, but she was stuck to him, relentless.
    “Get off me!” Thane screamed.
    “That’s enough!” a voice yelled as a green spell knocked the wild duo to the ground. Grabbing Thane and pulling him away, Beren swooped in and broke up the fight. “You’re twice her size, Thane, knock it off!”
    “Sir, because of her we lost another wish! My wish! Why is she guarding a gate? She can’t even -!”
    “At ease, private!” Beren cut him off.
    Thane backed up, following orders, but heaving breaths of frustration. Beren pointed at Shea, pissed. A wooden stump appeared behind her. “Sit down,” Beren ordered.
    Thane obeyed the order and gruffly took a seat on the stump while Shea, still out of breath, just stared at her father.
    “Thane,” Beren said, not wanting to have to correct him.
    “Oh her, yes sir,” he said standing, realizing the seat wasn’t for him.
    “It’s not my fault Big Nose lost another wish,” Shea said.
    “I said, sit down!” and this time Beren wasn’t holding back. Shea finally obeyed the order. “Please tell me, how often do we bring wishes back?” Shea rolled her eyes in response, prompting Beren to ask again.
    “How often?”
    Thane chimed in, “It’s been a while since we’ve -”
    “I’m talking to my daughter!” Beren barked. Thane clamped his mouth shut. Saluted.
    “Not very,” Shea finally answered.
    “An understatement,” Beren continued. “A wish is lost today because of your carelessness.”
    “I opened the gate, didn’t I?” Shea returned.
    “You’re done. You’re off GateKeeping duty.”
    “What?” Shea yelled.
    “You’re too much of a liability and with the lack of wishes coming in, I can’t risk the -“
    “A liability? I could be twice the Keeper this one is if you’d just let me try and -“
    “Then prove it!” Beren’s yell startled Shea. He had been mad before, but this response held more than just the madness of the current situation. He calmed a little and looked at Thane. “You. This is your fourth trial with nothing to show for it.”
    “I was ambushed, sir. And if the gate would have…and Erebus!“
    “No excuses! You hesitated! You let the lost ones surround you and didn’t maintain control of the wish.”
    “You let Lost Fairies surround you?” Shea mocked. “They can’t even fly.”
    “Yeah, keep talkin’ wingless!” Thane yelled.
    “Enough! Home! Now!” Beren barked.
    With that,