Welsh Road (The Depravity Chronicles) by Joshua Grove Read Free Book Online Page A

promise of higher education. They were
surprised by the number of students and faculty meandering through the halls,
but found Anish’s office vacant.
    “Do you wanna
just hang out on the stairs outside until he shows?” Simon asked.
    “Good call,”
Trevor responded. As they made their way toward the exit, a small group of
girls passed by, gossiping and giggling. One particular brunette locked eyes
with Trevor and smiled. “I love college,” he said with a mischievous smile.
    “You love
girls,” Simon poked.
    “And your point
would be?” Trevor countered.
    “I’m just
saying.”
    While sitting on
the stairs they talked about their plan of action once Anish arrived. After an
hour of waiting, Simon pointed across the quad toward the staff parking lot.
    “I see him,”
Trevor said.
    “Yeah, a man
like Anish is hard to miss.”
    Trevor grinned.
Both of them stood and jogged down the stairs to greet their informal advisor.
At this point the relationship was becoming fuller and deeper; Anish had become
more of a mentor and father-like figure to these boys who were blossoming into
well-rounded young men.
    “Hello,
gentlemen,” Anish called from about thirty feet away. “I apologize for my
tardiness, but I think you will enjoy the tale I bring with me.”
    “Always!” Simon
chirped.
    “Let’s get to my
office and I will bring you up to speed.”
    Trevor’s
excitement was palpable. Every time he visited with Anish in his university
office he felt like a kid at the candy store. Since Anish was an
internationally celebrated anthropologist, thus bringing considerable prestige
– and funding – to the department and the university system as a whole, his
office was plush. And it was freaking huge. As was the custom, Anish gave
Trevor and Simon about twenty minutes to browse. They affectionately named this
time “It’s A Wander-ful World,” and once Anish even played Louis Armstrong on
an old-school phonograph. 
    “Check this shit
out,” Simon called from at least fifteen feet away from Trevor.
    “Language,”
Anish said softly as he thumbed his way through a large book at his desk.
    “Sorry,” Simon
said, still smiling and mesmerized by what he was holding in his hands.
    “Whoa!” Trevor
exclaimed as he analyzed Simon’s discovery. “Where did you find this?”
    “Yes, Simon,”
Anish said, suddenly standing among them. “Where did you find this?”
    Simon’s face was
red with embarrassment. “I found it behind this book,” he said as he pulled a
copy of Wicca for Beginners . The door to a small compartment promptly
opened, about the size of five large books. “Good hiding spot, Anish.”
    “Apparently not
good enough,” he snickered playfully.
    “But why would
you hide this?” Simon asked. “I mean, it’s cool and all, but…”
    “But it’s a fake
egg bauble,” Trevor added.
    “A few things
are important to note here,” Anish began. “First, Trevor, I think you need to
take a second look at the definition of ‘bauble.’ Second, this isn’t a fake
egg.”
    Simon and Trevor
both did a double take, tracing the egg with
their fingers. Simon figured it was at least ten pounds, two feet high, and a
foot in diameter. Its colors were brilliant, its base a deep red with splashes
of bright yellow and streaks of blue and green.
    “ BOO !”
Anish bellowed, scaring the ever living crap out of them. He roared with
laughter, a somewhat rare and intimate thing for Anish to share. It wasn’t long
before Trevor and Simon were also in stitches.
    “Seriously,
Anish?” Simon nagged. “If this was a real egg…well, like…I mean…”
    “Jesus!” Trevor
groaned. “What my idiot brother can’t seem to say is, well, is that a dragon
egg?”
    Anish took the
egg and walked back to his desk. The boys didn’t take their eyes off the egg.
After opening his massive fire safe and gently laying the “egg” on the top
shelf, Anish sighed heavily.  “I know you’ve seen a lot and learned even