Read Charlie Bone and The Blue Boa (Children Of The Red King, Book 3) for Free Online

even when he thought he'd been hurrying? All the other endowed children had gotten to the room before him. As Charlie bounded through the tall black doors, Manfred was making an announcement.
    "Two of the endowed have left the school. "Manfred glared at Charlie as he dropped his books on the round table. "Quiet, Bone!"
    “As I was saying, Beth and Bindi have left us, but we have a new member."
    It had been such an extraordinary day Charlie had almost forgotten Belle. But here she was, sitting between Asa and Dorcas. Asa's weasely features were screwed into an odd smirk and his scraggly red hair stuck out in oily spikes. If it hadn't been for his yellow eyes, you would have found it hard to believe he could turn into a beast.
    "Her name's Belle," Manfred continued.
    "Belle what?" said Tancred, his pale hair bristling with electricity
    "It's not important." Manfred waved his hand.
    "It is to me," Tancred persisted. "I like to know a person's whole name."
    Charlie wished Tancred would look away before Manfred did something nasty The head boy had an angry hypnotizing stare coming on.
    Tancred's friend, Lysander, gave him a warning nudge. "Leave it, Tane."
    But Tancred was like a dog with a bone. "My name's Torsson," he said, looking at Belle, "and what . . .”
    "Donner," Belle said suddenly
    "Belledonner? That's deadly nightshade," said Gabriel Silk. "It can kill you."
    “Actually that's belladonna," said Belle. "In small quantities it dilates the pupils. Eyes become shinier, more lustrous and beautiful." All at once, her own round blue eyes flashed with purple lights.
    The effect was so startling that even Tancred was speechless. All around the table, books were opened and pens clutched. Homework began in silence.
    Above the door the Red King stared out from his portrait. The cracked and ancient painting always raised Charlie's spirits. But he'd never managed to hear the King's voice. Sometimes he caught a low muttering, sometimes a creak and the swish of a cloak, but then a shadow would fall behind the King, like a dark stain on the canvas: a hooded figure that chilled the blood just to look at it. And Charlie knew that the sinister shadow was blocking his contact with the King.
    Eleven of us now, thought Charlie. Last semester there had been twelve endowed children. What would happen if there were ten, like the original ten children of the Red King? Would the pattern be repeated, five on one side, five on the other? And this time, who would win?
    "Get on with your homework, Bone!" Manfred's voice made Charlie jump.
    "Yes, Manfred." Charlie looked down at his open book.
    After homework, Emma caught up with Charlie as he made his way to the dormitories. "It was Ollie, wasn't it?" she said breathlessly "The toe under the table?"
    Charlie nodded. "I don't think we'll be able to get him back again," he whispered. "He was terrified. And I've got a nasty feeling Manfred knows."
    "I'll tell Mr. Boldova," said Emma.
    As they approached Emma's dormitory they saw two girls standing outside the door. Their heads were close together and their furtive giggling seemed to imply that they were sharing an unpleasant secret.
    "Belle and Dorcas," Emma observed. "It's as if Belle has put Dorcas under a spell. They go everywhere together."
    "Good luck, Em," Charlie muttered as Emma slipped into the dormitory
    "Trying to ignore me, Charlie Bone?" said Belle as Charlie walked past.
    "Not at all," Charlie called without looking back. "I can see that you're busy"
    "You ignore me at your peril, Charlie!"
    Was it Belle who had spoken? Charlie couldn't be sure. The voice belonged to someone much older, someone whom it would be foolish to disobey.
    Charlie hurried on.
    Belle and Dorcas were seldom seen apart after that day Charlie became convinced that Belle wasn't what she pretended to be. And then there was Ollie Sparks. The summer term was proving to be more than a little interesting.
    "You'd better watch it, Charlie," said Fidelio one day "If you go