Elemental Havoc (Paranormal Public Book 11) by Maddy Edwards Read Free Book Online

people in the crowd would look at us, but not one so much as turned a head in our direction, let alone went to the trouble of making eye contact. I decided they were already thoroughly jaded by town life.
    “This is ridiculous,” said Keegan out of the corner of his mouth. “What are we doing here?”
    “Um, trying to get an education?” I offered.
    Keegan rolled his eyes. “Like that’s a good answer.”
    For a town that had only recently sprung up out of nothing, Surround looked awfully well settled. It was already dug into the countryside around Paranormal Public University, which until lately had always thrived in the middle of nowhere, far away from distractions. That was all changing, it seemed, so that as summer faded into fall, any surviving remnants of the old Public were fading too. Unlike the changing seasons, I had a feeling that the way of life my sister had known would never return.
    “How far along is the work at Public?” I asked, hoping Rake would at least answer a direct question. Charlotte had told me that Public was ready to open again, which of course was why I was in Surround in the first place. But by no means did that mean that the rebuilding was completely finished. In fact, according to Charlotte, the whole place was still more like a construction zone than a fully functioning college. I could see now that the planners, contractors, and builders employed by the university weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. What I had envisioned as a temporary project looked as if it was there to stay, and I said so out loud.
    “That’s probably why they think having a local militia is a good idea,” Rake mused.
    “You don’t agree?” Bertrum asked sharply.
    Rake briefly closed his eyes, clearly regretting his decision to speak. Keegan ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, trying not to look too entertained. But before Rake and Bertrum could get any further, the same voice that had been yelling since we came into earshot boomed out, “The Militia is Necessary!” We had come upon the marching regiment.
    Cumpertrumpet – the shouting man couldn’t be anyone else – glared at us mulishly. He and his band of followers stood in the middle of the street, right where we wanted to walk. The street was surfaced only with dirt, or as of this morning, mud, and my shoes were making a sticking noise every time I raised a foot. Cumpertrumpet paid the mud no mind; he merely sighed gustily at the sight of us, giving no sign that he recognized my companions as paranormals who belonged in the forefront of the Quest government. His mouth moved as if he was chewing something, but his lips stayed firmly pressed together. He looked like he was speaking to Rake as one would speak to a bug under his foot. I imagined that if he had been a dragon, flames would have been coming out of his nose by this point.
    The leader of the Surround militia wore a frilled white shirt, a battered, dark blue coat, and brown britches, while the paranormals flanking him and idling behind him wore coats of a lighter blue. Clearly they had put a lot of thought into their outfits. Some carried wands that looked like they’d been salvaged from dumpsters, while Cumpertrumpet wore a hat with a feather in it.
    “Do you think he and Dacer go shopping together?” Keegan asked.
    “Don’t let the Duke hear you talk that way or I have a feeling he’ll never let you past the gate at Duckleworth again,” said Rake.
     

Chapter Six
    Three recovered artifacts go missing. A powerful dream giver thought to be working with the Hunters.
    Artifact count: One hundred ten.
     
    “Who goes there?” Herio boomed. Some of the militia standing behind him, covering a wide range of paranormal ages and types, exchanged apprehensive glances. One, a potbellied paranormal of about the same age as Herio, with ruddy cheeks and a spreading white beard, grunted, “I don’t believe we’re supposed to be challenging any old paranormal who isn’t exhibiting