Read Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf (Children of the Red King, Book 6) for Free Online Page A

learn something very interesting.
    They were sitting in the King's room, waiting for homework to begin. Lysander and Tancred hadn't arrived. Billy was searching for a reference book, Emma was late, and Gabriel was in the infirmary with a virus.
    Charlie had opened his history book and was pretending to take notes on the American War of Independence. The conversation on the other side of the table was being conducted in harsh whispers, with the occasional giggle thrown in by Dorcas. And then, all at once, Charlie caught the phrase:
    "She taught me everything I know about bewitching clothes."
    Dorcas was talking about Charlie's great-aunt Venetia. He lowered his head and opened his ears.
    "Anyway, she told me about this man," Dorcas went on. "She wanted to marry him because, for one thing, he's rich, and for another his little boy is endowed - at least Venetia thinks he is ... " She stopped and Charlie felt her eyes on him. He kept his head down, but Dorcas continued in such a soft whisper he could only catch the odd words. Words like Archie Shellhorn, poison, beads, heart failure... herbs of infatuation... wedding....
    It was easy enough to guess the rest, and it didn't take Charlie long to work out what his great-aunt had done. Uncle Paton had warned him that Venetia wasn't above murder, and he was right. She had poisoned Archie Shellhorn's wife with a string of beads that stopped her heart, then soaked Archie's coat in a brew of infatuating herbs. And poor, deluded Archie, desperately in love, had begged Venetia to marry him.
    At this point Lysander and Tancred breezed in, the latter looking even more blown about than usual.
    "Sorry we're late," said Lysander. "We were in a meeting. Glad to see you're all getting on with your work. Where's Emma?"
    "Here. I'm here." Emma came in behind them.
    Silence fell. Everyone bent their heads toward their books. Homework began.
    Charlie stared at the pages of his history book without seeing them. His mind roamed elsewhere. He was trying to imagine what it would be like to have a stepmother like Great-aunt Venetia: poisoner, bewitcher, murderer. He could hardly wait to see Uncle Paton. One more night to go, he thought, and then he'd be free of Dagbert Endless. He would be sitting at home, eating one of Maisie's delicious suppers.
    It was not to be.
    On Thursday night, only five minutes after lights-out, Dagbert decided to tell a bedtime story.
    "It's against the rules to talk after lights-out." Charlie's whispered warning made no impression on
    Dagbert, so he raised his whisper another notch. "You'll get detention."
    "Who says?" asked Dagbert.
    "Let him tell the story," said Bragger, eager to keep on the right side of Dagbert.
    "Yes, let him," squeaked Rupe. "You're a spoil sport, Charlie Bone,"
    Fidelio muttered, "You won't be seeing your fish shop on Friday night."
    "Want to bet," Dagbert sneered.
    Fidelio turned over and punched his pillow into shape.
    In a loud voice Dagbert continued his story. It was boring and badly told. It certainly wasn't funny, even though Bragger and Rupe kept giggling. Stories about mermaids always made Charlie yawn. He yawned and closed his eyes.
    Two seconds later the door opened and Matron marched into the room. She turned on the light. Charlie opened his eyes and blinked.
    "Who was talking?" Matron demanded.
    "I was," Dagbert said cheerfully. "I was telling a story."
    "You're breaking the rules," said Matron.
    "Am I?" Dagbert sounded incredulous. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know."
    Matron gave a sigh of annoyance. "Charlie, you're responsible for the new boy. You're supposed to tell him the rules."
    "Yes, well I... ," Charlie began.
    "Detention for you," snapped his great-aunt. "You won't be going home until Saturday."
    "But I did tell him," Charlie protested.
    Matron switched off the light and marched out, slamming the door behind her.
    The silence that followed was broken by a snort from Bragger and a snigger from Rupe.
    Charlie lay on his back, staring