Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

the thought.
    We made our way lazily, periodically checking the map to stay on the correct path. I was glad to see we weren’t heading to one of the tower blocks. I didn’t like the idea of a flat. I wasn’t overly comfortable with the thought of sleeping too close to the clouds. We passed the dining room and the castle. It looked haunted. All covered in ivy and towering above us with its jagged rock bricks; it looked like the typical centre piece for a horror film.
    “It says on the map, that’s called the keep,” Bree said, as we craned our necks to see the towering castle top.
    “What’s in there?”
    “Library and offices. Never spent much time in a library, that’s going to be weird.” She shifted the sack to her other shoulder. “Where you from then?”
    “Cornwall. Lived there forever. What about you?”
    “Wales. Like I said, we got a farm. Worked there since I could walk. No idea how that got me chosen to be a spy,” she laughed as she talked, like everything was funny.
    I checked the map as we approached a row of square buildings. Each of them had a letter on the door in place of a number.
    “This must be us.” I pointed down the row to a brass letter G nailed to a door. “And she said were not spies. We’re…” I couldn’t put another word to it.
    Bree looked up at me and smirked. “Were going to gather information, defend in secrecy. Sounds like a spy to me.”
    “I suppose, but that can’t be the only thing people do here.”
    “Really? Then why did those people have to leave before she talked about this place? And why did we have to agree to secrecy?” She nodded at me like I was in on the conspiracy.
    She pushed the front door open and dropped her bag behind the door. I followed through and held my breath in surprise. It was a house. Steps lined the wall on the right, a door to my left looked to lead to a living room. Ahead of me was a kitchen. This place didn’t look anything like the pokey flat I was expecting. The carpet was thick and fluffy, the curtains long. This place would have even gotten my mother’s approval.
    “I thought we’d be in student accommodation like those flats,” I said, dropping my bag next to Bree’s.
    “Hello roomies!” A guy walked out of the kitchen with a mug in his hand. “Looks alright, doesn’t it?” He walked into the living room.
    Bree and I followed. “How long have you been here?” I asked, hoping we weren’t in the wrong place.
    “About five minutes.  You guys walk slow.” He slumped into a chair and put his feet up on the table. “I’m Owen. You two are?”
    “I’m Bree,” Bree imitated Owen and sank back in a chair, feet on table, “this is Roz.”
    Owen gulped his drink as he appraised us. I worked my way around the room and sank into an oversized armchair in the corner.
    “What do you think of the place so far?” Owen asked.
    Bree shrugged. “So far, easy going for spy training.”
    I laughed. “Bree, we’re not spies. We’re here to…” Again, I couldn’t think of the right words.
    “Yes?” Bree said, sarcastically.
    “We’re here to defend and protect,” I replied, confidently.
    “Defend and protect who?”
    “The country, I suppose.”
    “You mean, we’re training to be super heroes?” Bree sat up and gasped dramatically.
    I threw a cushion at her head. “You know what I mean.”
    The night flew by in a flurry of coffee and introductions. Three further housemates joined us an hour later. Fern, a towering dark haired girl, seemed shy, only speaking when asked a question. Karissa was the opposite. From the moment she walked in the house, she dominated the conversation. She sat cross legged on the arm of the chair beside Owen, constantly sweeping her red hair back, whilst regaling us with tales from her home town. Our final housemate, Warwick, was simply obnoxious. He constantly cut off our conversations with his repeated views. He made out like he was the best at everything. Whenever anyone began to