Demon Child Read Online Free Page A

whole day to put them back up again,’ John said.
    Yi Hao squeaked softly behind me. Obviously she hadn’t known.
    ‘John, security,’ I said with exasperation.
    He flashed me a grin. ‘I remember a young woman who hated it when secrets were kept from her.’
    ‘Not secrets this important. The last thing we need is the Demon King knowing that our seals have faded.’
    ‘Hopefully Ronnie will be able to reset them for us very soon.’
    John crouched next to the briefcase and gestured for Ronnie to join him. Ronnie knelt on the floor, opened the case and stared at its contents.
    I leaned on the desk to watch them.
    John sat cross-legged on the floor and pointed at the items in the case. ‘There’s your compass. Remember we talked about it?’
    Ronnie put his hand over the fung shui compass with its complicated series of characters around the edge that indicated the directions. He jerked his hand back, obviously intimidated.
    ‘Take it,’ John said.
    Ronnie carefully slipped the compass out of its elastic tie-downs. He appeared confused as he moved the compass around in front of John.
    ‘Why does the needle always point away from you?’ he said.
    ‘Because I’m North,’ John said. ‘It will be useless anywhere near me. For now, let’s just set some seals on the door.’
    ‘I need papers for that,’ Ronnie said.
    ‘Very good,’ John said, pleased. ‘Do you know which ones?’
    Ronnie took some slips of paper, twenty centimetres high and three wide, out of the case. ‘I think these are the right ones. But some have writing on them already.’ His face screwed up with concentration. ‘Is it important that they have writing on them?’
    ‘Well done, those are the right papers. The writing is important; the writing creates the seal,’ John said.
    ‘Who wrote on these?’
    ‘We did,’ John said. ‘We created them before we came in here.’
    Ronnie glanced up at him. ‘We made them just before we came here?’
    ‘Yes,’ John said.
    Ronnie studied the seals. ‘I don’t remember doing it.’
    ‘That’s nothing to be concerned about,’ John said. ‘The more we do it, the more likely it is that you will remember.’
    ‘I want to remember,’ Ronnie said. ‘I want to be useful.’
    ‘You will be. Take one of the papers out. Let’s start with one we’ve already done,’ John said.
    Ronnie carefully released the elastic band holding the papers together, and removed a seal as if it was very fragile.
    ‘Good,’ John said. He stood and turned to the door, and motioned for Ronnie to join him. He held his hand out towards the frame, as if he was holding the seal, and held his other hand out to Ronnie. Ronnie took his hand and they stood silently for a moment.
    ‘All right?’ John said, nodding at Ronnie.
    Ronnie nodded back, then he held the seal out towards the door and concentrated.
    ‘Let it happen,’ John said gently.
    Ronnie’s face crumpled and he closed his eyes, then sagged.
    ‘Try again. Don’t give up,’ John said, still gentle.
    I couldn’t watch any more and gestured for Yi Hao to follow me into my office.
    ‘Dear Lord, was I like that?’ I asked her when we were inside.
    ‘No, ma’am,’ Yi Hao said. ‘You were fifty times worse.’ She raised her head. ‘They’ve given up. The Dark Lord says they will try again later.’ She shook her head and went back to her office.
    About an hour later, Leo’s personal assistant came into my office. He hesitated, then fell to one knee and rose again.
    ‘What is it, Otis?’ I said.
    ‘Ma’am.’ He took a deep breath. ‘There are twenty students outside Lord Leo’s office; he asked me to have them come see him. He’s planning to expel them from the school. But,’ he gestured helplessly, ‘they’re all outside his office, and he’s not there.’
    ‘Where is he?’
    ‘I don’t know, ma’am. He’s not answering his phone or when I call him directly.’ His voice gained a desperate edge. ‘I don’t know where he is! I hope