The Monster Hunter's Manual by Jessica Penot Read Free Book Online

astonished and half just being polite.
    â€œNot in a while. Mr. Vampire there doesn’t do well in the sun and I don’t like going alone.”
    I looked at Alex. “I thought we were going to see Eleanor today?”
    Uno looked surprised. “You met Eleanor?”
    â€œYeah,” I answered.
    Roger rolled on his back and laughed.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Uno demanded.
    â€œUno has a crush on Eleanor, but she won’t give him the time of
day
. Get it. Time of
day.”
Roger laughed again.
    Uno frowned. “I do not,”
    â€œHow old are you guys?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” Roger replied. “It’s hard for me to keep count. I was ten when I died. I don’t keep count anymore.”
    â€œOh,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
    Roger shrugged. “You get used to it after a while. AuntPerrine makes us cake to celebrate the first day we came here.”
    I thought for a minute. “Can you eat?”
    Roger was quick to answer. “Kind of.”
    â€œIt’s disgusting,” Uno said. “It falls out of his ribs, but he just keeps on eating.”
    â€œAt least I can eat. Uno gets blood cake for his special days. It looks like raw meat.”
    â€œIt is pretty vile,” Uno admitted with a shrug. “I love it though.”
    â€œSo what are we doing today?” Alex interrupted.
    â€œWe haven’t decided,” I said. “We were going to go swimming or perhaps to see Eleanor.”
    â€œWhy can’t we do both?” Alex asked. “I mean, I had a question for Eleanor too.”
    â€œLet’s see Eleanor first,” I suggested.
    â€œI’m going too,” Uno said.
    â€œYou’ll burn up,” Roger said.
    â€œI’ll wear my cloak.”
    â€œYou’ll look stupid, Uno.”
    â€œYou look stupid all the time.”
    â€œJust shut up and get ready,” I said. “I’m going to eat breakfast. I’ll meet you all by the keep in an hour.”
    With that, I ran down stairs to find Aunt Perrine. Aunt Perrine was in the kitchen, as always, drinking coffee and humming to herself. She had shed her usual sweaters and was wearing a t-shirt with pink flowers and kittens on it. She wore her hair down and it spilled over her shoulders in long, gray curls.
    â€œBonjour!” she said cheerfully. “You had a long night, no?”
    â€œYes,” I said.
    She put a bowl of cereal in front of me and I sat down to eat it. As I ate, she sat down and watched me. She lookedat me intensely as if she was trying to read my face and I looked at her with the same intensity.
    I realized that she must have been pretty in her youth. She had clear, blue eyes and fine features. She was fat and squat, but with the fat gone, she would have been lovely. Her crinkled hands were covered with pretty rings that looked as old as the castle. With her knitted hat removed, I could see that she had long, curly hair. It was nice.
    I knew what I wanted to ask her, but the words were stuck in my throat. The questions seemed silly – childish – but I had to know.
    â€œIs this castle magic?” I asked.
    â€œBien sur,” she said. “It is magic.”
    â€œAre you magic?”
    â€œWhat do you zink, little prince?”
    â€œYou have to be.”
    Aunt Perrine only grinned.
    â€œWhat are you?” I asked stupidly.
    â€œAll in good time, little prince. All in good time. Now is ze time for you and your brozer to learn French. You cannot go to school without French. Come.”
    I followed her into the living room. There was an old table with clawed feet in the corner and the top of it had been covered with workbooks and a CD player. She pointed and I sat down. She opened the workbook. The book was called
Beginning with French
. Aunt Perrine hit play. The voice on the other end of the CD said, “Bonjour.” I answered it.
    â€œAlex,” Aunt Perrine called.