Worldweavers: Cybermage by Alma Alexander Read Free Book Online Page A

fault.”
    Magpie turned to glance back at Thea. “Faele gifts, eh,” she muttered.
    “I’ve had a few of those,” Ben said, without taking his own eyes off Kristin.
    “If I could bring everyone back to the matter at hand,” Thea said.
    “Like I said, I’m in. And so’s Terry,” Tess said. “When do we leave?”
    “Right now,” Thea said.
    “You gonna use your gadget?” Terry said.
    “Gadget?”
    “Humphrey May gave her a secret agent toy,” Terry said.
    “Oh?” Magpie said, craning her neck. “Let’s see…”
    “You coming?”
    “Oh…all right,” Magpie said. “Come on, Ben. Your homework isn’t more important than my social life. Let’s get it over with. That’s what friends are for.”

4.
    “T HERE YOU ARE,” H UMPHREY May said. He was sitting in the armchair by the window, sipping a mug of steaming coffee, as Thea and her friends blinked into existence in the middle of the professor’s study. Rafe, engrossed in perusing the professor’s bookshelves, turned and gave them a grin and a small wave.
    “And who’s he ?” Tess whispered into Thea’s ear. “You didn’t mention there’d be perks.”
    Thea glared at her, and Tess dropped her eyes, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth.
    “Mrs. Chen just stepped out for a moment, but she’ll be right back,” Humphrey said, putting aside his coffee and getting up. “In the meantime…”
    “Is that the cube, sir?” Terry asked, eyeing the briefcase on the professor’s desk.
    “Yes, come and have a closer look. Thea, howdid you want to play this?”
    “By ear,” she said. “Can I…?”
    “Pick it up. You know it isn’t as fragile as it appears,” Humphrey said.
    Thea lifted the cube out of its nest again, her touch gentle. She turned it over a couple of times until she found the blank face, and then took the cube between her two hands. One palm was flat against the bottom face, the blank face, and the other lay across the top face, the one with the star, which immediately brightened into a white glow at her touch.
    Magpie sucked in her breath.
    “What do you want us to do?” Terry asked, craning his neck.
    “There’s four faces. There’s four of you,” Thea said. “Back in the rain forest, each of you brought in one of the physical senses—Terry, sound; Magpie, touch; Tess, taste; Ben, scent. I have no clue which sense fits best with which of the Elemental faces, but I have a feeling it’s a question of…finding the face, the Element, that best matches your own contribution. I know I heard a sound the last time I held it, Terry. You go first. Hold your hand over each face. When you find the one you think responds best toyou, lay your hand on it. Open palm, like mine.”
    “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Ben said, watching Terry begin to circle the white cube in Thea’s hands as though he were stalking it.
    “She’s the only Elemental in the room,” Humphrey said laconically.
    “But will you be able to stop things if—” Ben began, but then Terry halted abruptly, his hand hovering over the face with the Fire symbol on it.
    “Wait,” he said, “I think I know what you mean. I can hear…stuff. There’s a crackle to it…and a hum, something that sounds rather like distant city traffic…and someone’s singing …”
    “Wow,” Tess breathed as Terry’s hand made contact with the cube, and the Fire face’s shade marginally deepened into a hue that was almost pink.
    “Your turn,” Thea said. “Same thing. Find the face that speaks to you.”
    Tess reached out for the cube in the same way that Terry had done.
    “I’m not sure,” she said. “I think I can taste something, right at the back of my throat, over by the Water face—but it’s faint, so faint…And I didn’t see it light up, the way Terry’s did.”
    “Water is usually associated with sight,” saidMrs. Chen, who had slipped back into the room. “ Usually . But I think from what you’ve told me, Thea, you were