The Wand & the Sea Read Online Free

would be fall,” Holly said. “It’s summer now. It’s not like I can come back and try again in three months.”
    Mr. Gallaway chewed on a shortbread he’d fetched from a tin.
    Holly traced her finger around the cloverleaf. Then she remembered something she’d read. “But, Mr. Gallaway, aren’t there five elements?”
    â€œAh. The aether. Not all the alchemists acknowledge it. But it is always there, in the center.” He pointed to the diamond-shaped hole where the key’s four loops joined. “While invisible, it unites the rest. It is the most crucial element of all, that of spirit. And spirit, you may know, has no season. Or rather, it is all seasons.”
    A wild clap of thunder rattled the windowpanes. Outside, the rain fell in cataracts down the wavy window glass. Water . Somehow, water would take her home.

Chapter 4
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Coming Together
    By the next morning, the Shepards had settled in at Hawkesbury. Holly’s father drove her mother to the train station in Kingham and then retreated to the sun porch to work on several tedious-sounding writing assignments. Holly had hoped to visit the glade again by herself, but her brother, Ben, was already awake, his face buried in a bowl of something called Coco Shreddies.
    â€œEverett just texted me,” Ben said. “He’s coming over. You’re not sneaking off on your own, are you?” He nodded toward the backpack. “We’re in this together, remember?”
    â€œNo, it’s just . . . doesn’t Everett kind of bother you sometimes? He did steal that wand—the key, I mean—from Mr. Gallaway. And he never even admitted it, or said he was sorry.”
    â€œSo what?” Ben’s face was turning red. “Anyway, you don’t know what it was like in that castle. If it hadn’t been for Everett—”
    â€œYou’d probably be dead,” a voice said from the back garden.
    â€œEverett!” Ben pushed Holly aside and opened the screen door. “Finally!”
    Holly glared at Ben as the boy in the garden came inside and greeted him. Everett had grown a little, though he wasn’t more than an inch or two taller than Holly. He was a year ahead of her in school, with unruly, reddish-brown hair and a rather nice face, at least when he was telling the truth. He gave her a half smile and held out a paper bag. “Brought you some scones. I think you like blueberry, yeah?”
    â€œYeah,” she said, smiling briefly. “Thanks.” It was awkward, seeing Everett again. He was all right, she supposed, but she never was sure she could trust him.
    â€œSo how’s your year been? I thought you might e-mail or something.” Everett sat down at the table.
    â€œI figured Ben was doing that,” Holly said, ignoring the hurt look on his face. “Plus, I had to use the computer so much for school . . .”
    â€œShe’s a technophobe,” Ben said through a mouthful of blueberries. “It means—”
    â€œYeah,” Everett said, grinning. “I get it. But listen, have you gone back to the wood at all? I’ve been to that glade a dozen times this year, and I can’t even see the lock on the oak tree. But then, you’re the one who really knows how to work it.”
    Holly smiled. Okay, so he was being decent. Maybe he was just embarrassed about his theft. They were all older now anyway. “Remember, you can’t see the lock unless you’ve got the key with you,” she said, then explained what Mr. Gallaway had told her.
    â€œThat’s pretty useless information,” Everett said shortly. “How’s water supposed to help us, exactly?”
    â€œHow should I know? It’s just what he said.”
    â€œAt least he actually talks to you,” said Everett. “He’s fine if I need to borrow a rake or something, but as soon as I mention one of you, he has someplace to go.