Unleashed: The Deepest Fears Lie Within (Secrets of the Makai) Read Online Free Page B

moving,” Landon said, heading for the trailhead. “The path is always well-marked before and after class, but if I were you, I’d meet your classmates at the bottom and hike up together.”
    “It’ll be less spooky now that you’ve seen it during the day,” Victor said, pulling a box of red licorice vines from his coat pocket and offering it to Tristan.
    Tristan’s mouth watered at the sight of something sweet, but declined in favor of keeping the ash protected. “What does he teach?”
    Victor took a few ropes for himself and put the rest away, then motioned to follow Landon. “History.”
    Tristan nodded, somehow already knowing. He shook away more preconceived ideas. “Is there somewhere other than this for school? I mean, a building or something?”
    Victor laughed. “There used to be organized schools, but they’ve mostly been shut down for one reason or another. People who expose themselves publicly tend to disappear.”
    “So it’s an ‘us’ verses ‘them’ sort of thing?” Tristan asked. His shoulders relaxed, feeling less threatened as they walked farther from the clearing. “What’s the actual difference?”
    “Eh, hard to say. There seems to be a natural barrier that we can go beyond,” Victor explained. “I like to think it’s because we can use more than fifteen percent of our brains. My guess is that you have fewer boundaries than we do, with visions of the past blasting in on you like that.”
    “What makes you think it’s the past?” Although, now that he thought about it, the past would explain the use of swords.
    “Well, as far as anyone knows for this day and age, Tinkerbell is a cartoon,” Victor said. “Are visions typically in real time?”
    Tristan shrugged, taking another peek at the ash. Surely he couldn’t slip into the past and bring proof to the present, could he? “How can a school work if it’s kept secret?”
    “Word of mouth,” Landon answered. “Classes usually take place wherever it’s best suited. Like home school. Except not at home.”
    “Nothing’s official. Teachers will either teach you or they won’t. And there’s no one to complain to if you don’t like it. No certificate at the end either.”
    “Classes are still typical subjects,” Landon continued. “Math, science, history, stuff like that. For the next few months, I’ll be in Egypt learning ancient languages. Victor just finished studying marine biology on the Great Barrier Reef. See why we don’t need a building?”
    “Yeah.” His excitement vanished as he realized how over-his-head everything would be.
    “You’ll do fine. Once you learn to mess with molecules, you can start fire, create things, dissipate things...you know, all the basic magic tricks.” An authentic-looking twenty-dollar bill appeared in Victor’s fingers. He folded it in half and offered it to Tristan.
    “I can’t.” Tristan held up his cupped hands so he wouldn’t have to say it. “Can you make me a jar? With a lid?”
    Victor glanced at Landon, who creased his brow and finally nodded.
    In a blink, Victor held a glass jar in one hand and the lid in the other. Tristan uncovered his hand and studied the pile of ash one last time. “You guys still can’t see it?”
    They both shook their heads, silent.
    It couldn’t be a vision if it was real in his hand, could it?
    Tristan poured the ash into the container, careful to brush off every last speck from his sweaty palms, then twisted the lid tight before slipping the jar into his coat pocket. “Okay, let’s see the twenty.”
    Victor beamed and the twenty reappeared. Tristan took the bill and searched for any clue that would signify counterfeiting. As far as he could tell, it was flawless. Actually not flawless—it was crinkled with age, had a small tear in the upper right corner, and a barely legible date of 1973. He handed it back.
    “Eh, keep it.”
    Landon chuckled and started walking again. “The more you understand fundamental elements and the