Read Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (Children of the Red King, Book 2) for Free Online

empty seat. The boy's name was Gabriel Silk, and he worried about Charlie. He should have gone after Tancred, not let Charlie go. Charlie was younger and likely to land in some sort of trouble. He was the kind of boy unfortunate things happened to.
    And then the howling began. At first they all tried to ignore it, but in the end Manfred flung down his pen and exclaimed, "Bloody dog! Billy go and shut it up."
    "I'll go," Gabriel offered.
    "I said Billy," Manfred gave Gabriel one of his horrible stares and then turned his piercing black gaze on Billy "Go on," he said. "You can talk to the wretched thing. Ask it if it's got a bellyache."
    "Yes, Manfred." Billy scurried to the door.
    As he ran down the chilly stairwells and dark corridors he talked to himself. He hated it when everyone else was shut away doing homework. He was afraid of meeting the ghosts. He knew they were there — gliding about in the dark. Billy never went home. He had no home to go to. Sometimes, he stayed with an aunt. But not often.
    He had reached the wide landing where a grand staircase led down into the hall. Blessed was sitting at the top of the stairs, still howling.
    Billy sat beside the dog and put one hand on its plump back. "What's the matter, Blessed?" The words came out in a series of little grunts and sniffs. A language that Blessed could understand.
    The old dog stopped howling. "Boy came," he said. "Bad thing. Wrong."
    "What boy? Why was it wrong?" asked Billy.
    Blessed considered this question. He seemed to be having some difficulty with his reply At last he grunted, "Boy came from nowhere. With ball, very small. Shiny Blessed not like this ball. It bad magic."
    Billy was perplexed. "Was it Tancred?" he asked. Boy with lots of yellow hair?"
    "No. Boy was like that one." Blessed stared down the hall.
    Following the dog's gaze, Billy was surprised to see Charlie Bone quietly closing the door into the west wing.
    "Where've you been?" Billy called.
    Charlie looked up, startled. "Nowhere," he said, lust looking for Tancred."
    "Blessed said another boy was here; a boy like you."
    " lessed's got a vivid imagination." Charlie began to cross the hall.
    "He says there was a ball. It was small and shiny and he didn't like it."
    "I think Blessed was dreaming," said Charlie, climbing the stairs toward Billy.
    Billy looked at the old dog. "Blessed doesn't lie," he said. "Dogs can't."
    "They can dream, can't they? Come on, Billy We'd better get back to our homework or we'll get detention."
    "Go back to Cook," Billy told the dog. "Go on, Blessed. No more howling."
    Blessed gave a sullen grunt and began to flop down the stairs, while Billy and Charlie ran back to the King's room.
    When homework was over, Charlie had half a mind to go and visit Henry He didn't like leaving him alone in the tower, nearly a hundred years from where he was supposed to be. Of course, he wasn't quite alone, but Mr. Pilgrim hardly counted. Charlie badly needed to confide in someone.
    When he reached the dormitory he found Fidelio filling his closet with the clothes from his bag. There were two boys from the drama department in the room and Charlie couldn't risk being overheard. "I want to ask you something," he whispered to his friend. "Can we go somewhere else?"
    "The art room," Fidelio said softly.
    As they came out of the dormitory they walked straight into Billy Raven.
    "Be careful what you say" Fidelio whispered as they sped down the corridor. "I used to feel sorry for Billy, um but I don't like the way he watches people."
    "Someone's got to him," said Charlie. "I don't know who it is, but they're making him spy for them. I don't think Billy can help it."
    They had reached the art room.
    "Light's still on," Charlie commented. "But no one's here."
    "Mr. Boldova might come back," warned Fidelio. "We'd better hide over there."
    A large painting of trees had been propped against two easels near the wall, and the boys managed to squeeze behind it and squat on the floor. In a hushed