Zak Turner - A Twist In Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

swine!”
    “There’s no sign of them Cammy, but the cellar with the portal in it has collapsed, so maybe they’re under the rubble.  I have to say that would be a fitting reward for their work today.  Natural justice!”
    “It’s a pity we don’t use t’ death sentence anymore Sir Philip, there’s some as would definitely deserve it!  Firing off Libra Mortis curses at kids, outrageous!”
    “They were using Libra Mortis?!  Against the children?!”  Sir Philip’s already tortured emotions suffered yet another blow.
    “Aye, Sir Philip!  I know Tallion were with me today, and ‘is pal Zak, but from talking to Sam ‘n James ‘ere, the both of ‘em were fighting back pretty darned fierce like!  I’m sure they’ll ‘ve escaped, grand lads they are, them two!”
    Sir Philip paled still further as he heard that his two boys had fought back instead of running… 
    “Cammy, there’s no defence against a Libra Mortis, you know that!  You can’t deflect it, block it, or rebound it!  You can only dodge it!  The boys are too young to fight against that kind of magic, they just barely know how to defend themselves against tickling spells…”
    “Sir,” piped up Sam, who was the second seventh year who’d been standing with Zak, “I think that Zak, and probably Tallion, just re-wrote the rules.  I was standing with Zak and I saw him repeatedly block the incoming Libra Mortis spells, five or six times at least before I was hit by my own rebounding Firmus.”
    “He blocked them?  How?  That’s not possible!  What happened?”
    Sam pointed at the walls of the Cloister where three huge scorch marks surrounded holes where chunks of masonry had been blasted out by the deflected Libra Mortis curses.
    “That’s what happened, Sir.  Somehow he just deflected them!  I don’t know what spell he was using, but each time there was a huge explosion as the Libra Mortis crashed into it.  His spell was destroyed as they collided, but each time the Libra Mortis veered off in a different direction.  Some of them went upwards into the air, but a few hit the walls…”
    Sir Philip was incredulous, and it showed clearly on his perplexed face!  The power in these two boys was unbelievable!  He dared to hope that somehow they might have survived after all.  After a minute studying Sam’s face, and gazing at the scorched walls, he spoke again.
    “Cammy, take the boys to Raby and try to get into the school, hopefully the portal will still be open.  If not, then go back to Upper Nettleton and I’ll meet you all there at Procyon Proudfoot’s house.  You’re all in danger whilst you’re in the open until we find out who did this.”
    “Right yeh are Sir Philip, we’ll be getting on.  Come on lads, stack hands, we’re off ter Raby Castle!”
    Sir Philip walked back into the Warming Room, reluctant to leave the unknown seventh year student, who lay half-crushed under the rubble, and possibly his own sons too.  He didn’t know any of the seventh years who’d travelled to Kirkstall from Upper Nettleton this year, but he intended to reward them all for their courage as they’d fought to defend their fellow students!
     
    * * *
    “Orion!  Don’t just stand there, do something!”
    The headmaster snapped out of his reverie as his deputy head finally made it up the stairs.
    “What would you suggest, Cleo?  The students have all been hit by unknown magic, and although they’re all alive, I have no idea what will happen if we try to revive them.”
    “What do you mean unknown magic?” said the deputy head warily.
    The headmaster waved his hand vaguely behind him at the blackened fireplace that used to be the Kirkstall Abbey portal. 
    “A powerful Libra Mortis was fired at Tallion Middleham as he flung himself through the portal.  From what I can deduce, it looks like the portal was closing behind him as the curse hit him, or maybe it missed him by a fraction of an inch.  Either way, the curse