Spearwood Academy Volume One (The Spearwood Academy Book 1) by A.S. Oren Read Free Book Online Page B

stands not too far off in the distance; there must be two hundred horse stables or more.
    “Look.” Amr points to something. I look at where he points. Several groups of mares with colts graze in the pasture.
    “Awe!” I say before I have a chance to stop myself. The boys snicker under their breaths. They just don’t want to admit they think it’s adorable too.
    We walk past the mares and up to the barn. Horace claps his hands, and the double doors open. A lavish sitting area with a bar off to the side greets us. The sofas and chairs upholstered in forest-green velvet stand in a close intimate setting. Dark like chocolate woods of the arms and legs compliment the material well. Small antler chandeliers hang above us, and a fire roars in a white cobblestone fireplace.
    “Through that door is a restaurant, and through that one is a billiards room. There are even a few guest rooms. This area is for the guests who come to the school, like the Governors. We normally just wait here while they saddle the horses for us. Have you ever done any riding?” Horace asks as he looks at me. His glasses glint of the sunlight coming though the high windows.
    “Um, sort of. I’ve never had any training, but I have ridden a horse a few times.”
    “Excellent. We’ll have to go riding sometime. We can show you the surrounding area; it’s beautiful.”
    “Yeah, there’s this place we go to with a waterfall and this really cool—” Dante gets cut off by the other three’s coughing. He clears his throat. “A really cool tree.”
    I laugh before I can stop it. The awkwardness at him trying to cover his slip stirs the nervousness in my gut. They obviously can’t tell me something, but it’s my first day. I can’t expect all the secrets to be uncovered now. “It must be one impressive tree then.” I say with a smile.
    It’s their turn to laugh now.
    “All right, now we get to show you the track. It’s what most of us first years use to get around.”
    I follow Horace out of the building. A part of me wants to go see the horses before the track, but I’ll be here awhile, I have plenty of time to see the horses.
    Horace pulls out one of the black cards—like the one Enid turned into—from an inner pocket of his blue blazer. It turns into an old grandpa wearing one of the butler uniforms like the ones the servants wear here. “What do you require, Master King?” Master? I force down another laugh.
    “Call my car.”
    The old man bows. Within seconds, the sound of a car coming at us fills the pasture. The mares don’t even twitch. Sleek, rounded edges make up the car. The land around us reflects off its every surface. “I want it blue today.”
    The old man bows again. The car’s surface ripples before it turns a deep, royal blue. “Is that all you will be needing, Master King?”
    “Yes.” He holds out his hand, and the old man turns back into a card. A smidge of ire rolls within my stomach. He didn’t even say thank you. Even Perlow thanked his assistant when she brought Ed and me to him.
    Horace walks over to the passenger side door and opens it. He motions for me to get in.
    “Hey, what about us? That car only has two seats!” Dante says, folding his arms in front of his chest, just like a child who hasn’t gotten their way.
    Horace shrugs. “You all have your own cars. Follow behind us.”
    “Well, I never!” Dante says in what I can only assume is his version of a posh English accent.
    “Come on, Avvi. Get in.”
    I get into the car. “Lucky son of a bitch.” Dante says before the door closes and mutes all sound from the outside. A heated warmth warms my butt. An expensive, glossed wood makes up the dashboard and steering wheel.
    Horace gets into the driver seat and puts on his seatbelt, reminding me to put on mine.
    “Watch this.” He presses the Start Engine button. The car purrs to life and a screen appears before us on the windshield. It doesn’t block our view. Lines of different neon colors