Treasured Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page A

up. ‘I … I didn’t …’
    A little beat of curiosity pulsed through Nox’s brain as he raised his eyebrows. ‘What are they saying about me?’
    The fat man’s chins trembled. ‘They say you tried to … to kill some people in Greece. I thought you’d been shot.’
    â€˜ Si .’ Nox nodded. ‘That’s all true. I did try to kill them. And yes, I was shot with a spear gun.’ Nox winced at the memory. ‘I drifted for days at sea until a couple of complete fools found me and held me captive on their island for God knows how long.’
    Nox realised he’d been babbling like a madman, but he had so much to say. An extraordinary number of things had happened to him since he’d last left this room. Nobody knew what he’d been through. If he told them, nobody would believe him. Nor would they care.
    Shadow made loud smacking noises as he helped himself to dinner.
    Linchin blinked at Nox. Fear riddled his eyes as he inched sideways.
    Nox spied the big pot sitting on the stove. The very same pot he’d used to make the poisonous mushroom risotto he’d fed to his father. He was surprised it hadn’t been taken away as evidence in the murder.
    â€˜So you did try to kill those people?’ Linchin’s eyes were as big as Shadow’s.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Nox said flippantly. ‘They had my treasure.’
    â€˜Oh no!’ Linchin’s entire body trembled. His eyes darted from Nox to the door. Suddenly, he made a run for it. His rotund belly bounced off the table as he tried to round it.
    Nox dodged to the front of the table, blocking his escape, and Linchin halted, trapped. A blaze of red flooded his cheeks. Sweat trickled from his temples.
    Nox’s own sweat dribbled from his armpits. It would only be a matter of seconds before his pungent fish odour filled the room. Nox spied a large kitchen knife on the bench and reached for it. He had his fingers around the handle and waved the blade at Linchin before Linchin could even move.
    Nox had never killed with a knife before. He imagined blood gushing from the fat man’s neck, and the thought made him cringe in disgust. There were many other ways to kill, without getting messy.
    Linchin’s body quivered like jelly. ‘Don’t. Please. I won’t tell anyone I saw you. I can keep a secret.’
    â€˜Like the secret about Sofia. You remember her, don’t you?’
    A flicker of recognition crossed the fat coward’s eyes.
    â€˜You were the only one who knew how I felt about her,’ Nox persisted, softening his voice. ‘I told you in confidence. You were supposed to be my friend.’ He enjoyed watching the fat man squirm. ‘I knew it was you who set me up.’
    Red spider veins crawled across Linchin’s bulging eyes.
    â€˜She was a pretty girl,’ Nox continued, merciless. ‘She didn’t look so pretty on her deathbed, though.’
    Shadow finished licking the bowl and began purring as he cleaned his whiskers with his front paw.
    Nox waved the knife. The kitchen lights glinted off the blade. ‘Humiliation is a powerful motivator.’
    Linchin lunged for the fork on the table, and Shadow arched his back, bristling his hairs.
    â€˜I’m sorry.’ The fat man aimed the utensil at Nox like a weapon.
    â€˜You don’t look it.’
    Shadow was up on his haunches now, hissing at Linchin.
    â€˜Good boy,’ Nox said to his feline friend, his only friend for as long as Nox could remember.
    Nox’s body odour flooded the room. He usually didn’t smell his own pungent scent. Times of excitement or fear heightened his stench, and in this moment, excitement was dominating.
    â€˜I … I p-promise I won’t tell anyone.’ Linchin’s body odour soured the room too.
    â€˜I know you won’t.’ Nox chuckled.
    A gasp released from Linchin’s throat and he lunged for the door. Nox slashed