Read The Last Summoning---Andrew and the Quest of Orion's Belt (Book Four) for Free Online

nasally-sounding
voice said, from behind them.
    “Croffin?” Andrew asked, turning around just
in time to see Croffin’s raccoon face staring out at him as he
walked through the tall grass.
    “Surprised?” Croffin asked, grinning. He had
his little book of weeds tucked tightly to his chest. His body
looked gaunt. His fur was frazzled as if he hadn’t eaten or slept
for awhile.
    “Yes,” Freddie cut in. “We haven’t seen you
for days, and then suddenly you appear. Where have you been?”
    Croffin pasted on a meager grin, and
scratched a flea behind his ear. “Oh I’ve been busy.”
    “Busy?” Andrew asked. “Doing what?”
    “You look as if you didn’t believe me. I was
busy. Busy being stuck inside a stupid quaking aspen hollow. It
thought it wanted me for its lunch. And it was only through my
genius that I escaped.” Croffin raised himself up on his hind legs
and sniffed the air. A warm wind came up from behind and a cold
wind came in front, tossing up loose grasses and leaves and
throwing them into the air, creating a dust devil. “My, my. The
winds of the North and South blow together in the dead of night.
Andrew what have you done? I have never seen such a sight,
especially at night. Andrew I do believe you have condemned the
people of the land to a waterless, dry winter.”
    “What do you mean?” Andrew questioned.
    Croffin cocked his head to the side, trying
to look very wise, and sage- like, but he only succeeded in looking
more Croffin-like. “You don’t know the rhyme. When two winds blow
from the north and south, know that The Shade has thus summoned a
dusty Drought. ”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “It’s a nursery rhyme my mother used to sing
to me as a young coonling.”
    “Some bedtime story to tell a child,” Freddie
breathed. “Your mother must have really been something.”
    Croffin nodded. “Ah, she was. How I miss
her.”
    Andrew looked at the swirling leaves the wind
had tossed into the air. “What do you mean that I have summoned The
Drought?”
    Croffin shrugged. “Never mind. It’s probably
nothing. A silly story.”
    “No, really. How would have I summoned such a
thing?” Croffin yawned, and stretched his furry arms. “Oh, I don’t
know. Perhaps by killing The Shade’s trees you have made him angry,
and now he’s striking back.”
    “How do you know I destroyed his trees? You
weren’t there.”
    “You’d be surprised how many things you can
see, and hear when stuck inside a hollow tree.”
    “Oh.”
    “If it’s true,” Freddie consoled, “at least
we won’t have to travel in snow.”
    “Yeah,” Croffin murmured, his eyes growing
dark. “But there are worse things than being cold.”
    “I agree,” Freddie said, “and it’s being a
coward.”

Chapter Five
The Drought

     
    The Drought watched as Morack and his men departed
on their horses until they eventually vanished in a desert
mirage.
    Morack had come far to release him, and for
that he was grateful. It was true Morack had asked him to leave
Danspire untouched. However, The Drought had other ideas. Droughts
never regarded a humans’ wish for leniency towards a particular
place or spot of land. Droughts did their work their way, in their
time, where they wanted, when they wanted. Few things could break
them, few things could contain them. However, The Drought was not
entirely ungrateful to Morack for releasing him. For that, The
Drought would try to constrain himself and to do what Morack asked.
At least for a while. The Shade would have wanted it that way,
since the dangerous boy was last seen in its forest. He would start
near there. Pity The Shade hadn’t done his job and killed the boy.
The Drought licked his dry lips with his dehydrated tongue, and
stretched his long unused limbs.
    “I am free. FREE!” he roared, standing to his
full height, sending clouds of dust devils into the air as he
spoke. His words caused the dry desert floor to crack and shake.
His powerful voice caused