The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 by Tim McFarlane Read Free Book Online Page A

one to
kill me, then I can’t be having conversations in my head. People
are going to get suspicious.
    Fine , she said.
    “ Holcombe!” Keeper Anderson shouted.
    “ On my way,” I called out as I opened the door.
    “ What took you so long?” he asked annoyed as I approached
him.
    “ My head’s just all screwed up this morning,” I said as I
grabbed my head.
    “ This better not be a habit,” he said. “You need to be on your
toes in this position.”
    “ You’re right, it won’t happen again,” I replied letting my
hand drop.
    “ Now,” he said straightening himself out. “This is the
Archives Floor and home to the Keeper. I am, technically, First
Keeper and as my protégé you have the rank of Second Keeper.
‘Keeper’ means almost squat other than the Teachers and Mages
‘respect’ you and you get to go anywhere you want.”
    “ Those sound like good benefits,” I said.
    “ You would think,” he said starting to pace. “That’s the way
it’s supposed to be but nowadays it means nothing. There is no
respect anymore. Only fear. You’re going to think its respect but
it's all lies.”
    “ Why do they fear us?” I asked.
    “ Because we are the Keepers,” he answered. “Everything about
them is recorded and documented by us. Every disciplinary matter,
every dirty secret, everything. You’re friends with Thomas from the
library, are you not?”
    “ Of course, he seems like an okay guy,” I shrugged.
    “ Does he now?” Keeper Anderson said with a smile. He stopped
pacing and turned to me. “Is that why he was Silenced?”
    “ I don’t know why he was Silenced, no one will say,” I
answered.
    “ That’s because no one knows exactly what his crimes are,” The
Keeper continued to smile. “Everything about it was covered up.
Technically he should be dead.”
    “ Why?” I asked.
    A wild look
crept into Keeper Anderson’s eyes as he motioned with his finger to
follow him. Pulling out a key, he led me around to a door marked
‘Crime’. He opened the door and we entered the room. Bookshelves
lined all the walls and stray books littered the floor around a
tiny desk in the centre of the room.
    “ This is the Order’s Hall of Criminals,” Keeper Anderson said
grandly. “All of the recordings of the scum of our ‘respected’
Order lie within here.” He picked up an open book from the desk and
handed it to me. “To first understand Thomas, you must first learn
his family name.”
    I looked at
the book and my eyes grew wide in shock. “Pryce?” I read aloud
before looking up sat him. “Thomas Pryce?”
    “ Master Pryce’s son, himself,” The Keeper chuckled, clearly
enjoying being able to share his knowledge. “Keep
reading.”
    I read the
book and grew sick to my stomach. It was a detailed history of
Thomas’ life. How he was a respected Apprentice. How he went into
the School of the Natural and begun studying plants. How he was
responsible for the kidnap, sexual abuse and death of 15 Child
Apprentices. I handed the Keeper back the book and he chuckled.
    “ Quite the guy isn’t he?” he said with a smirk.
    “ What would cause him to become...that?” I asked still trying
to regain my composure.
    “ No one is certain,” he answered with a shrug. “But you’ve met
Master Pryce. Imagine having him as a Father. It would drive any
man up the wall. Mix in a power like magic, and you have a very
dangerous mix.”
    “ How’d he get away with kidnapping 15 children without anyone
realizing?” I asked.
    “ He was quick,” Keeper Anderson answered as he crossed the
room to put the book away. “He took one child after another. It
took them three days to finally catch him. He used a rare plant to
put them into a state of hypnosis so they would willingly do
whatever he said.”
    “ What plant did he use?” I asked getting nervous.
    “ The Dalen Flower,” Keeper Anderson answered. “Really nasty
stuff.”
    I shook my
head and sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say