The Shadowed Manse Read Online Free

there was no way to be sure. But Arthur felt like his dad was still alive and out there somewhere, even if his grandpa had thought otherwise.
    Pots clanged; plates clattered. It was nearly lunchtime. They always ate a late Sunday lunch here at Aunt Carolyn's house, after over an hour of fire-and-brimstone at church. This was his least favorite time of the week. He would rather have been in school — it was that bad.
    “I suppose you're right,” his grandma said. “Here's the pot holder, dear.”
    “I tried to warn her about him.”
    “We all tried, Carolyn.”
    Footsteps! They were heading toward the dining room — where Arthur was standing — he started to back away from the —
    “Hey, what're you doing?” said a deep voice that had a tendency to squawk randomly.
    Arthur spun around to face his first cousin, Derek Grimes — Aunt Carolyn's precious fifteen-year-old boy. Derek was a year older, taller, and much stronger, and he excelled at finding ways to make Arthur's life miserable. They lived across town from one another, but they saw each other every Sunday, took karate lessons together on Tuesday nights, and went to the same school, though thankfully, two grades separated them.
    Arthur was actually Derek's equal in karate skill, just not in strength or speed; he’d gotten plenty of bruises to prove that. Grandpa Nelson had taught them karate until he’d died, and because of that, Grandma Nelson had insisted her two grandchildren keep on learning it. Those lessons were the one thing she didn’t mind spending money on. Plus, it was supposed to be helping Arthur learn discipline. Karate was the only thing Arthur enjoyed learning. He threw himself into it, and always behaved perfectly during the lessons. Sensei Lewis was the only teacher he’d ever liked and gotten along with. Unfortunately, the effect didn't bleed over into other areas of his life.
    “Sniveling little spy,” Derek said. He lunged forward, knocked Arthur into the door, and sprinted away. The door swung back as Arthur fell through — right into Aunt Carolyn, who was carrying her latest foul-smelling, cheese-and-who-knows-what-else-slimy-and-green casserole.
    The casserole flew over Aunt Carolyn, and shattered at Grandma Nelson’s feet, slinging gooey vegetables everywhere. Grandma Nelson hopped back in surprise, and the simmering pork roast she was carrying slid off the plate and zoomed across the hospital-green kitchen tiles, leaving a trail of grease in its wake.
    Aunt Carolyn sat up and slurred out a string of curse words and insults punctuated by Arthur's name. Grandma Nelson stood statue-still, gazing at her pork roast with her mouth agape. Splattered with cheese and grease and what seemed to be mushy peas, he tried to help Aunt Carolyn to her feet, but she pushed him away.
    “I'm sorry — I didn't mean to — Derek pushed me.”
    “Oh sure, blame poor Derek like you always do, you little jerk. But you were the one running through the door.”
    “He pushed me!”
    Aunt Carolyn turned to Grandma Nelson, “You see, Mother? The boy's a troublemaker — a disaster waiting to happen.”
    “Grandma, I didn't do anything!”
    Speaking to her was a mistake. She looked away from her pork roast at last, gazed around at the mess, and then locked her eyes — her narrowing, seething, you-will-pay-for-this-Arthur-Primus-Paladin eyes — onto him.
    She was angry, super angry. Even bad grades and detentions didn't twist her face up like that. He wasn't getting out of this one, no matter what he said.
    He'd be punished … probably sent off to military school … or worse.
    This wasn't his fault! He hadn’t done anything wrong. This wasn’t fair. Nothing in his life was fair. He didn’t want to be with these people; he didn’t want to be here. He was supposed to be … somewhere else … doing … something else. He hadn’t asked for his dad to abandon him here, with a jerk of a cousin, an aunt that hated him, and a school that stifled