Aldwyn's Academy by Nathan Meyer Read Free Book Online Page A

the … pleasure.” Caleb paused. “I met her today in the dining hall. First she accused me of spying on her and then she left in a huff, like she was too good to look at me.”
    “She accused you of spying on her?” Dorian asked. “Why?”
    Caleb shrugged. “How would I know? All I know is that she was acting awfully guilty.”
    Dorian pointed a finger at his roommate, “like she’s hiding something?”
    “Exactly,” Caleb agreed. “And the way she acts, it can’t be good, whatever it is.”
    “That’s my mentor, all year long,” Dorian sighed. “Lucky me.”
    Brooding over his bad luck at being assigned such a horrible mentor, Dorian glanced out the chamber’s window at the snow-covered grounds.
    Just below him through the cut-glass panes, he saw Helene exit the academy proper and cross the small courtyard between the building and the Tower of Change Magic.
    Dorian grinned. Maybe he wasn’t so unlucky after all.
    He pushed past Caleb and reached into Maverick’s box.
    Two Stench Stones filled his hands as if they had been built just for his grip. He rushed back to the window.
    Using one hand he pulled the window open. He was so excited he didn’t notice the burst of cold air as he stared down at Helene.
    His arm snapped out, hurtling the Stench Stone through the open window.
    The first one was still in flight as he threw the second one. Both stones struck neatly onto the ground, directly between Helene’s feet.
    His father had taught him how to throw stones, to use them to drive starlings from the castle’s berry patches. Dorian had learned how to use rocks the way a warrior lost in the woods would use them, that is, how to throw rocks to survive.
    If he’d wanted to hit the elf girl he could have. Truth be told, he was far more confident with throwing rocks than he’d ever been with wielding a wand because rock throwing was something he’d done to make his father proud.
    But he wasn’t throwing to survive, and though he was throwing in anger he wasn’t throwing to hurt, only to humiliate.
    It was only after he’d released the second Stench Stone that he bothered to look at why his mentor had paused beneath his window.
    He groaned out loud.
    The Stench Stones exploded and sprayed their disgusting charges like mist from a skunk, enveloping not only Helene but the stern, uncompromising Professor Fife as well.
    “Oh my,” Caleb murmured from behind him. “That was most unfortunate.”

Chapter 13
    R eeking of the Stench Stones, Professor Fife marched Dorian to the headmaster’s office. Dorian had to force himself to keep from gagging.
    As Fife hauled him from his room, he saw Helene on her way to the health room, and the look she gave was so venomous he’d been elated—until he saw Fife giving him exactly the same look.
    The professor knocked on Lowadar’s door, which immediately opened. “Stay here,” she said to him.
    Dorian stood in the hallway, feelings of dread growing with each passing moment. Finally Professor Fife walked back out the entrance.
    He caught a whiff of the Stench Stone odor all over again and quickly avoided the woman’s eyes. She stopped directly in front of him and waited patiently for him to lift his head.
    “The headmaster will see you now,” Fife said.
    Her voice did not change at all, but somehow thewoman managed to convey such furious disgust that he desperately wanted to disappear.
    “It was a great privilege to meet the son of Serissa Ravensmith,” Fife continued. “When you return to your room you will find I’ve left you some additional study material. It would greatly behoove you, young man, to have it finished by the morning.”
    She turned and walked toward the academy health room with slow, stately dignity, taking the horrible stench with her.
    Dorian looked at the open door. There was only silence from the room beyond.
    The boy swallowed, recalling the time he had thrown a javelin through the king’s window. He’d finally topped that