Read Playing With Fire for Free Online Page B

my horror behind her was the blood-thirsty assassin, Enzio. His eyes
were ablaze and angry. I didn’t even have time to scream before he slashed down
at me with a black dagger.
     
    I
woke up with a jolt; my fists balled up so tight they turned whiter than they
already were. I was breathing hard. I looked around the room to find everyone still
sleeping, so as quietly as possible I turned and peered out the window. It was
almost morning, though the skies were still dark and the rain hadn’t broken.
    I
eased up my fists and to my surprise a small pouch rested in my hand. I opened
it in a hurry, intent on proving to myself that it was just a dream. Reality
must really hate me. Inside the pouch was a rounded crystal that emitted a
bluish glow. It pulsated with heat as if it was alive and (though I was
probably imagining it) it seemed to beat every so often. I don’t know how long
I stared at it, but a quick guess would tell me an hour, because a soft voice nearby
brought me back to reality, along with the sky going from black to grey out the
window.
    “Morning
Scarlet,” Al yawned, which nearly made me jump out of my skin. I quickly shoved
the stone back in its pouch and into my pocket.
    I
turned to find Al staring around through squinted eyes. I laughed. I couldn’t
help myself. His hair looked like he had just been through a hurricane. My hair
probably didn’t look any better because when Al looked at me he laughed too.
    “Crazy
night, huh?” He said in a drowsy tone.
    “You
have no idea…” I replied while brushing the knots out of my hair with my
fingers. I looked back out the window. It was obviously morning or Al wouldn’t
be awake, but it looked like it was night. The rain clouds were so thick they
blocked out the sun.
    Al
rolled over in his bed while letting out a big yawn, and fell right off,
landing on the hard floor with a loud crash. The rest of my brothers jolted out
of their beds, and the pillow that had been on Darren’s face flew halfway
across the room.
    I
rolled my eyes and hopped out of bed. I didn’t bother changing my clothes; the
ones I had on were probably the only pair I had and (thanks to the bookworm)
were brand new. I ran down the stairs and skipped the last three steps by
jumping to the floor with one hand still on the railing.
    I
hit the ground hard, but despite the pain in my ankles I gave a little bow, as
if I had actually meant to do that. As though I had gotten bored of my
invisible audience, I lifted my head and searched around the room. The bookworm
was sitting in a chair by the fireplace asleep. I crept quietly over to his
seat and gathered all the air my lungs could hold, ready to scream.
    “I
wouldn’t do that if I were you child,” The bookworm’s voice echoed throughout
the house and I jumped in surprise.
    “What
are you talking about, I wasn’t doing anything,” I said trying to sound hurt as
my lungs deflated. “Who do you think you are blaming people with false accusations?”  
    “Do
you really think I’m that stupid? That’s the same thing you said when I caught
you burning my books.”
    I
shrugged. The bookworm just shook his head, and muttered something about being
too old. It was as if I were the reason for every white hair left on his head and
in his beard. And even if I was, white hair adds character right?
    “Is
everyone up?” he asked with a sigh. There was no need for me to answer because
my brothers came bounding down the stairs with Vaze at the rear. The bookworm
looked at them and rubbed his temple. Finally, to my pleasure, he said, “Well
then let’s get you some breakfast.”
    The
bookworm walked towards the front of the shop and I followed close behind. The
large bookshelves towered all around, but I was not interested in them at all.
Instead I set my sites on a different target. I jumped behind the counter in
search for food, not caring if I looked more like a hungry monkey than a hungry
girl. I hadn’t had anything to eat since yesterday