Jake's Quest - Wizards V by John Booth Read Free Book Online

passage.
    She stared around me into the bedroom. “I can’t see one?”
    “It’s secret. What are you doing here?”
    “School’s finished and Mam told us to come here as they’re out shopping.”
    “It’s only two thirty.”
    “Finished for the summer holidays.” If I could bottle the sarcasm that dripped from her words, well, I’d have a lot of sarcasm in a lot of bottles.
    I edged past her to make my way to the playroom. I could feel her eyes boring into my back as I walked.
    “You’re always coming from nowhere.”
    “I’m a wizard.” I could have bit my tongue off for saying something so stupid.
    Britney’s eyes narrowed and brow wrinkled.
    “Where’s your wand?”
    “Lent it to a friend of mine called Harry.” I didn’t seem to be able to get off this track. It was like being caught in a death spiral.
    “Yeah, right.” So much contempt from one so young didn’t seem right.
    “Jake, is that you?”
    Rescued by the wife. “Coming,” I yelled in Jenny’s general direction and set off at a run. Give me evil wizards over little girls any day. Evil wizards I can hit.
     
    Jenny was in the playroom with Merlin and Brad. Merlin was watching Brad, who had used the alphabet bricks to construct a rude word. Jenny hadn’t seen it because she was facing the other way talking on the phone.
    “Good, then it’s all set for tomorrow. See you then.”
    She put down the phone and smiled at me. “That was Jean. They’re coming over tomorrow for Gwydion’s birthday. Esmeralda’s bringing Morgana along with Urda and Anna.”
    “Can we come?” Brad asked. He sounded sullen.
    “Gwydion’s only one. You’d be bored.”
    I nodded, no doubt Britney would be full of questions about where Esmeralda lived and how she’d got here.
    “Auntie ‘Meralda’s got a funny accent. Where does she come from?” Britney asked from the door. She saw the word her brother had constructed and giggled. Was I like that at ten? I hoped not.
    “It’s rude to comment on people’s accents,” Jenny said imperturbably, neatly dodging the question.
    “We want to see Auntie ‘Meralda,” Brad chimed in. He had a grin on his face and was pointing at the bricks. Jenny still hadn’t noticed.
    “Daddy needs this,” Merlin said loudly, pointing at the bricks in front of him. I turned away, feeling my face heat up.
    “Did you do this?” Jenny asked in delight. I turned to see she was looking at Brad, who was squirming. He pointed at Merlin.
    “Jake, Merlin is wishing you luck.”
    Me, Brad and Britney stared in surprise at the bricks spelling LUCK, while Jenny hugged our son. “You are a clever boy,”
    “I hate you,” Brad said, looking at me, and left the room followed by his twin.
    “What was that all about?”
    “Brad and Britney don’t like me. I appear out of nowhere too often.”
    “They have a point. Have you done the deed with Esmeralda?”
    I winced. I was still sore from the number of times the deed was done.
    “I see you have. Don’t think you’re getting off lightly tonight. Anything you did with her you do with me. There’s Welsh pride involved.”
    “Have mercy.”
    Merlin laughed. “Daddy silly.”
    I picked him up and held him above my head, much to his delight. Then I gave him a hug.
    “Brad go.”
    Jenny ran to the window and looked out.
    “I have to get them back. Their house is locked up.”
    Jenny ran for the stairs leaving me with my son.
    “Go Diabli,” Merlin said. I held him out at arm’s length.
    “Has something happened?”
    He smiled at me, saying nothing more.
    I put him back on the floor and he stared up at me. He seemed much older than twenty months.
    “Daddy go Diabli now.”
    Merlin turned back to his bricks. He picked up the L brick and turned it till an F showed, then threw it across the room.
    The twins entered the room sullenly with Jenny herding them.
    “I need to go somewhere. I should be back in a couple of hours.”
    Jenny frowned. “You only just got