Read Online Jinx's Fire by Sage Blackwood - Free Book Online Page A

might be in there. But I couldn’t understand them.”
    â€œWe have to get Simon back,” said Jinx.
    They both looked at the bottle on the workbench.
    â€œSophie said she might find the answer in the Eldritch Tome,” said Elfwyn.
    â€œShe’s been trying to find an answer there for over a year,” said Jinx. “She needs to show it to Malthus. I bet between them they can figure it out. But she won’t let him—”
    â€œI think maybe she’s already figured something out and doesn’t like it,” said Elfwyn. “Who’s Malthus?”
    Jinx told her. Then he told her everything that had been going on with the clearings and the war.
    â€œYou know what I think?” said Elfwyn. “I thinkReven might be trying to conquer the Urwald first , and then Keyland.”
    Jinx hadn’t thought of that. “Wh—I don’t see why.”
    â€œBecause conquering the Urwald might be easier.”
    â€œThat’s what he thinks,” said Jinx.
    â€œTell me what it’s like in Samara,” said Elfwyn.
    So Jinx told her about his adventures in the Temple, and about Crocodile Bottom, and how he’d taught himself KnIP and broken Sophie out of prison. It had been a pretty exciting time; he hardly had to exaggerate at all.
    Unfortunately the result was that Elfwyn decided she wanted to go to Samara.
    â€œBut I just told you how dangerous it is!” said Jinx. “And you don’t speak Samaran.”
    â€œI’m learning,” said Elfwyn, hurt.
    â€œâ€˜Aquifer’ isn’t going to help you much if you get attacked by thugs or kidnapped by the preceptors.”
    â€œI don’t see why that would happen. They’re looking for you, not for me.”
    Jinx tried to think of something to distract her from this crazy idea. “We’re going to have to go and strengthen the ward around the portal,” he said. “We’d better do that tomorrow.”
    To anybody who didn’t know the portal was there, it looked like just another bit of Urwald—tall trees risingfrom a tangle of undergrowth and fallen branches. But to Jinx, who had made the portal a year ago, the stark stone hall of the Samaran prison was clearly visible among the trees. A Samaran guard stood staring blankly out at the Urwald. What the guard actually saw, Jinx was almost certain, was the gray prison wall.
    A wolf was curled up on the forest floor, right inside the ward. Its paw rested on a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles.
    â€œHi Malthus,” said Jinx. “Um, this is Elfwyn.”
    The wolf and the red-caped girl looked at each other.
    Malthus stood up, stretched, and kept stretching, sliding into a shape that stood on its hind legs. He put on his spectacles.
    â€œMalthus is the werewolf I’ve told you about,” said Jinx.
    â€œNothing bad, I hope,” said Malthus. “And you must be the girl that I have been told a great deal about. I’ll ask you no questions.”
    â€œUm, thank you,” said Elfwyn.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” said Jinx. “Have you been guarding the portal?”
    â€œSomebody ought to,” said Malthus. “Unfortunately I’ve been unable to awaken much interest in the task among the werewolves. They don’t understand the seriousness of the situation. Nor, I fear, do you.”
    â€œElfwyn thinks the Bonemaster has gotten through to Samara.”
    â€œCorrect,” said Malthus.
    Jinx felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. “Is he there now?”
    â€œThat I do not know,” said Malthus. “I’m not able to get here as often as I like, nor stay as long as I’d wish. Other responsibilities intervene. There are new cubs.”
    â€œUm, yours?” said Jinx.
    â€œYes. Six of them. I have a picture.” Malthus flipped open his ever-present notebook and held up a pencil sketch of what looked to Jinx like a heap of bald