Fly by Midnight by Lauren Quick Read Free Book Online Page A

if he’s living in the suburbs.”
    “If he isn’t a warden of the wall, then who is he, and what’s his role? The council doesn’t seem too concerned about his well-being, but they also don’t like me sniffing around, if Beatrice has anything to say about it.”
    A faint burning smell filled the office. Pale-gray wisps of smoke suddenly rose from the stack of parchments on Sawyer’s desk. A spiderweb of glowing orange cracks appeared on the singeing documents.
    “They’re burning!” Honora yelled. “Do something!”
    “There’s nothing we can do! Ouch!” Sawyer yanked his hand away from the now fully flaming parchments. “Someone’s using a remote combustion spell.”
    Honora grabbed her wand and extinguished the burning parchments. Their documents on Jonathan Rainer had been reduced to a charred mess. “It had to be the council. Harper said the other files on him disappeared .” She coughed and waved the smoke away with her hand. Her eyes stung.
    Sawyer groaned. He swept the burned parchments into the trash. “Whoever did this went from using vanishing spells to complete incineration.” He cracked open the window. “Someone really doesn’t want you to know anything about Wizard Rainer.”
    “What’s the council playing at? They’ve stooped to destroying documents to keep him a secret. I understand the council’s secrecy, but what I don’t get is why Jane didn’t mention her husband’s importance.” Honora’s thoughts raced as she tried to decipher her client’s motives. Suddenly an idea flashed into her mind, and she made the connection. “She’s afraid, afraid of the council. That’s why. I should have seen how nervous she was acting at the bar. I didn’t take her as seriously as I should have.” Her shoulders sank.
    “Don’t blame yourself.” Sawyer gave her a sympathetic look. “Jane could have confided in you and expressed her fears, but she didn’t.” He snorted. “Told you the council was trouble. Honora, I have a bad feeling here. What if this guy is the wizard who invented the wall? What if he’s the top wizard? The inventor’s identity is one of the best-kept secrets in Everland.”
    “That’s impossible, right?” she asked, considering the possibility. “The council would be doing more to find him, not hurting our efforts. Wouldn’t they?”
    “The council works in strange ways. That’s how they do things—a need-to-know basis. Why do you think I don’t trust them? Hazel only knows what their motives really are for finding or not finding Jonathan Rainer.” Sawyer inspected his casebook for singe marks.
    “Hold on, Mr. Conspiracy Theorist. Before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to look at the facts, not speculations. I thought the wall was centuries old. So Jon couldn’t be the inventor.”
    “Originally, the wall really wasn’t a wall, just a series of protective spells maintained by teams of witches and wizards. It was only about four hundred years ago that the wall in its current state was created,” Sawyer said, leaning back in his chair. “You were right. My hobby is conspiracy theories, especially when they pertain to Everland myths and legends.” He grinned sheepishly. “If Jonathan Rainer is as important as we think, without him and the wall, all of Everland is in serious danger. Do you have any idea what would happen if this information got out? Anyone or anything in the Otherworld could invade Everland.” He pushed back from his chair, stood, and cracked his knuckles. “This is epic.”
    “I’m not signing on to your theory yet. I need to talk to Jane first and get her to spill everything once and for all.” Honora bit her bottom lip. She knew Sawyer was good, but could it really be true? She plopped onto the couch, rested her head back, and blew out an anxious breath.
    “You said it yourself, I know my stuff. The parchments that Harper gave you were filled with hidden rune codes and top-secret information.” Sawyer sighed and