Read The Baskerville Tales (Short Stories) for Free Online Page B

flesh?”
    He frowned unhappily.
    Evelina cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for my bluntness, but this is not a case that encourages ladylike decorum, as my uncle Sherlock would say.” She hated trading on her uncle’s name, but on this occasion she was willing to use every tool in her box. Still, she flushed.
    His lips twitched, almost smiling. “That’s right. Your uncle is the consulting detective.”
    “I am in no way as accomplished as he is, but we do share a sense of practicality. I am not easily shocked.”
    “Very well.” Larch made a face and took a bracing swallow of tea. “The Risen begin by eating carrion. They are attracted to the graves of their own family members at first. Eventually, they move on to living flesh, usually animals to begin with. Then other living men.”
    “The Cannon stables?”
    “I’m afraid so. Three of the carriage horses were torn to pieces. The Risen are unnaturally strong.”
    She shuddered. A silence filled the room, broken only by coals shifting in the grate.
    “The spell book from the school,” she said softly. “Did one of the girls at Wollaston raiseTom?”
    Dr. Larch looked unspeakably old and worn. “I suspect that’s the case. There is a page missing from the book, and it looks freshly torn away.”
    “But who would it be?” Evelina mused, more to herself than to the rector.
    “Who at the school is arrogant enough to command someone back from the dead?” asked Dr. Larch.
    Arrogant?
Violet
. The idea made her start, then flood with certainty. Personalities mattered when it came to magic. The more force of will someone had, the more likely it was that his or her spell would work—and Violet had will to spare.
    But why would she summon Tom? Evelina had seen them flirt, but was there more between the two than she knew about?
Violet crept out her window at night at least twice last autumn. Was it to see him? Would the most vile girl in the school turn to putty in the hands of a rake?
    That image staggered the imagination, so Evelina focused on less disturbing question. “Is there a counterspell in the book?”
    “If one exists, it was written on the missing page.” He frowned. “You appear to know something about the subject of spells.”
    Her mouth went dry. She wanted to tell him that she had learned her magic—real magic—at her Gran Cooper’s knee. She had the Blood. She was clever and talented enough to put down anyone with the sheer bad taste to raise the local rake from the dead. But she couldn’t. That was the quick route to prison—and not even her pride was worth that. She would have to go cautiously.
    “I only know what the fairy tales say.” Evelina gazed at her hands in her lap. They weregrimy from climbing, the nails ragged.
You’re still just an urchin from the circus
. No matter how long she stayed away from her old life, she still ended up getting her hands dirty. It seemed an indelible part of who she was.
    “We have to work with what little information we possess.” He set his cup down slowly. “How would you propose we undo the magic that has been done? Hypothetically, of course.”
    Fire
. If the Risen died by fire, it was just a matter of setting Tom alight. The question was how to do it without getting close to the shambling horror.
Air deva
. Devas could fly, but they were no good at lifting.
A deva can steer, but you need propulsion
. Her mind scrambled, pulling bits and pieces from her study of mechanics. Unbidden, a smile curved her lips. She had an idea that was daring but might still work.
    “Miss Cooper?” Dr. Larch said softly. “Should you have any secrets, please know that they are entirely safe in my keeping. This is, as you say, an extreme circumstance. I am quite prepared to turn a blind eye if there is a solution at hand.”
    She believed his pledge. More important, she believed he was the one person who had been trying to warn Wollaston from the start. “If I trust you, will you trust me to carry this out?