Dragon Sleeping (The Dragon Circle Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

could they do?
    “In this case,” the leader of the soldiers continued conversationally, “I think that you would thank me. We shall never have to hear about his property again. Not that it’s that much trouble to kill another one of you. It might be prudent to do as we say.” Nick looked from face to face of all the people from his street. Mrs. Smith was crying very quietly. The Furlongs were actually holding onto each other. He saw Mary Lou flinch as the leader shouted something else in the guttural tongue. Her brother, Jason, stared in confusion through his thick glasses, first at the soldiers, then at his sister and mother. Mary Lou grabbed his hand and led him toward the others. Todd Jackson walked backward toward the circle, his eyes half on the soldiers and half on his father, who pushed Todd’s mother on in front of him. Mr. Mills and Nick’s mother seemed to be staying close together as well.
    Nick heard someone yell across the street. One of the soldiers had emerged from Sayre’s house. He was carrying a revolver as if he didn’t trust it, held away from his body, the handle pressed between thumb and forefinger, letting the gun dangle barrel-down.
    He handed the gun to his leader, who placed the revolver in the palm of his hand as if he was much more familiar with this sort of weapon. The leader pulled something back on the rear of the gun, and then pointed the revolver between the shoulder blades of Sayre’s body.
    He pulled the trigger. The gunshot sounded very loud in the silence. Sayre’s body jerked, but Nick guessed that was only from the force of the bullet entering the dead flesh.
    One of the neighbors, Mrs. Furlong maybe, shouted. Nick couldn’t turn around to look. He was still staring at the gun.
    “It is much quicker than the sword,” the leader said as he looked directly at Nick. “While it won’t work forever, it will work for now. I trust you won’t require me to use it on you.” He raised the nose of the revolver to point at Nick’s chest.
    Nick realized he still stood in the middle of the street. He hurried to join the others as the leader said something to his fellow soldiers in that second language. They laughed.
    “And now it is time we moved along. It is not too good, these days, to stay in one place too long, or to have too much fun. We have no desire, just yet, to wake the dragon.”
    He turned to glance at the forest. “North, I think, will be the safest route. You can never be too sure, especially with the way things have been lately.” He looked back at the neighbors. “But I’m quite sure you realize that things have changed around here.”
    This time it was the leader who laughed.

Around the Circle #2:
    Todd at Fourteen
    I t was all crap, but some crap was worse than others. “Who moved my tools?”
    Todd knew that tone of voice. From anyone but his father, it might almost sound reasonable. He swore under his breath as he heard his father’s heavy footsteps on the stairs.
    He stared across the kitchen table to where his mother stood by the stove. Her gaze left the pot she was tending. She looked first at the floor, then at the ceiling. Hunting for somewhere to escape, Todd thought. Except that there was no escape around here.
    She didn’t look at Todd. Nobody in the family looked at each other when there was this kind of trouble. Todd and his mother both waited silently and did their best not to watch as his father opened the basement door and entered the kitchen.
    Maybe, Todd thought, this would be the time he fought back. Something had kept him from doing it in the past. Maybe the fact the guy was his father, no matter what kind of a jerk he was. Or— and this was a better reason—the fact that if he made it bad for his father, his father would make it worse for his mother. And, no matter what happened, Mom wouldn’t leave.
    “Somebody’s been using my fuckin’ hammer.” His father held the wooden handle in his hand like a club. “You know how I feel