Behind the Sorcerer's Cloak Read Online Free

be rewarded.”
    Yeah, right, thought Adam. He swung one leg over the staff as Zorianna hauled on the back of his T-shirt.
    Whoa…Adam felt safer sitting astride. The new position rested his arms. He took a deep breath, and new courage flowed through his veins. The only drawback was having Zorianna so near. He hated her. He couldn’t bear to touch her.
    Adam shuffled as far back as he could, perching on the very end of the staff, keeping as big a gap as possible between his body and Zorianna’s. He concentrated on the magic that surged through the wood. Myrddin’s magic. It felt good.
    Zorianna shouted and cussed again.
    Myrddin’s staff refused to alter direction. On and on it dropped.
    Zorianna screamed out spell after spell.
    At last, the staff stopped falling.
    Adam relaxed for a brief moment before the staff bucked like a horse, stood on end and spun rapidly.
    Zorianna threw herself full length, gripping with hands, knees, feet and teeth.
    Adam jerked to avoid touching her as the staff gave a corkscrew twist. He flew off and cannonballed through the mist.
    â€œAaaargggghhhh!”
    His cry of despair shivered the stars.

    The Mists of Time alerted Manannan. He jumped to his feet. “The boy’s in trouble.”
    He grasped leaves of Bollan Bane, crushed them and threw their dust into the Mists of Time.
    â€œBollan Bane, good Bollan Bane,
    Help this child, in Manannan’s name.”

    Adam, dusted with Bollan Bane, hurtled through the thinned and tattered edges of the Mists of Time.
    The Bollan Bane conjured a fleeting vision. A white-haired old man stretched out a hand and called, “Remember Earth Magic, paitchey. Remember the Light.”
    Adam hardly registered the vision or the message. It didn’t matter. He was toast. He was cannonballing toward something that made his skin crawl.
    Adam yelled, then screamed as a mind-numbing Shade grabbed him and dragged him into a whirling vortex of hatred.
    Still screaming, he was sucked through the maelstrom and dropped into a gray silence.

    â€œHush, hush. You are safe, courageous boy. I have you,” said a voice as velvet as midnight, as sweet as honey.
    Adam’s head and mind hurt. He felt bruised, body and soul. The tortured muscles in his arms shrieked with pain, and his fingers cramped and ached. He groaned, wished he was dead and realized he was still alive. Adam opened his eyes.
    A smiling young woman, her face and shoulders framed by an untamed cloud of curly dark hair, leaned over him.
    He lay on a soft wrap at her feet.
    Despite his pain, Adam’s breath caught. She was beautiful, and as she moved her gown rippled like molten silver. She leaned over and dropped another wrap of exquisite softness over him. She made stroking movements in the air above his body, and the pain dulled.
    Relief and gratitude swept over Adam. He’d been rescued. This amazing woman had snatched him from the terror of the Dark Being. His eyes closed. He was so exhausted he couldn’t think clearly, but he tried to lift his head to thank her.
    A new wave of agony hit. He whimpered and fell back.
    He felt the woman gently touch his temples, then stroke his arms and shoulders. The pain began to recede.
    Adam tried again.
    â€œTh…thank…you. Thanks…for rescuing me.” He shuddered. “The…the dark…the cold…was awful.” He struggled to make sense of things. “Are you th…the Lady? Holly said you’d be beautiful.” He fought the waves of exhaustion engulfing him. “I…I…thought…the Dark Being had me.” He tried to grasp her hand, but muscles spasmed, and his arm fell back. “Th…th…thanks…I’m Adam…a…Magic Child.”
    The beautiful young woman smiled and tucked his arm inside the wrap. “Don’t try to speak, you’re hurt and tired. Sleep, Adam the Courageous, sleep and heal.”
    Adam’s eyes closed. He sank