Морган Райс - The Orb of Kandra стр 3.

Its POISON! he tried to cry, but Lucas was covering his mouth with his hands.

Oliver thrashed at the old man, kicking out, trying to get free.

Just then guards barreled into the room.

Take this boy away, Lucas said.

Oliver bit down on his hand.

Lucas reared back and screamed out in pain. Oliver leapt from the desk and darted left and right in his attempts to evade the guards. But it was no use. They got hold of him, twisting his arms roughly behind his back. They started to shove him toward the door.

Armando, please listen to me! Oliver cried, digging his heels in. Lucas is trying to kill you!

Lucas was nursing his sore hand. He narrowed his eyes as Oliver was dragged to the door.

Preposterous, he sneered.

Just then, Oliver noticed a small mouse had scurried out from the shadows in the corner. It sniffed the spilled coffee on the floor.

Look! Oliver cried.

Armando turned his gaze to the mouse. It licked the coffee spill. Then in an instant, its whole body went stiff and rigid.

It fell to its side, dead.

Everyone froze. The guards stopped dragging Oliver.

They all turned to Armando.

Armando stared at Lucas, and slowly, his expression changed. It became pained. A look of betrayal.

Lucas? he asked, his voice heartbroken, disbelieving.

Lucass face flushed with shame.

Armandos face hardened, and slowly, he pointed a finger at Lucas.

Take him away, he instructed the guards.

Immediately, the guards released Oliver and rounded on Lucas.

This is madness! Lucas screamed as they roughly pinned Lucass arms behind his back. Armando! Youll believe this scrawny little boy over me?

Armando said nothing as the guards dragged Lucas away.

The old mans face contorted with rage. He screamed, looking as deranged as Hitler had when Oliver had broken his bomb.

This isnt over, Oliver Blue! he yelled. Ill get you one day!

Then he was dragged through the door and disappeared from sight.

Oliver let out a deep breath of relief. Hed done it. Hed really done it. Hed saved Armandos life.

He looked up at the old inventor, standing there in the chaos of his office looking shocked and stunned. For a long moment, they held one anothers gaze.

Then, finally, Armando smiled.

Ive been waiting a long time to see you again.

CHAPTER TWO

Malcolm Malice took aim with his crossbow. He steadied himself. Then he let it fly.

It sliced through the air at lightning speed before smashing into the bulls-eye. A perfect shot. Malcolm grinned.

Great work, Malcolm, Coach Royce said. Id expect no less from my star pupil.

Filled with pride, Malcolm handed him back the crossbow and went to stand beside the rest of his classmates. They narrowed their jealous eyes at him.

Star pupil, someone mimicked.

There was a smattering of laughter.

Malcolm ignored their teasing. He had more important things to think about. Hed only been at Obsidians for a few months but already hed leapfrogged kids whod been here for years. He was a powerful seer. Atomicthe strongest kind, with a rare blend of cobalt and bromine.

So what if none of the other kids wanted to hang out with him? Hed been friendless before coming to Obsidians. It didnt make much difference to Malcolm if it remained that way. He wasnt here for friendship anyway. He was here to excel, to become the best seer he could possibly be, so that when the time came he could crush those Amethyst losers into dust.

Suddenly, he felt something smack against the back of his head. It stung and his hand instinctively went to it. When he took it away, he saw a dead bee in his palm.

Someone had used their powers on him. He turned sharply, glaring for the culprit. Candice was barely hiding her smirk.

Malcolm narrowed his eyes. You did that.

It was just a bee sting, she replied sweetly.

I know it was you. You have a biological specialism. If anyone did it, it was you.

Candice shrugged innocently.

Coach Royce clapped his hands loudly. Malcolm Malice. Eyes to the front. Just because you can do this easily doesnt mean you can mess around while your classmates try. Show some respect.

Malcolm sucked his cheeks in. The injustice stung just as much as the bee had.

Malcolm tried to focus on his classmates as they took turns practicing their aim. It was a usual gloomy day at Obsidians, with a light fog hanging in the air, turning everything misty. The large playing field stretched all the way up to the imposing manor house that was Mistress Obsidians School for Seers.

Candice went up to take her shot. The arrow went flying over the top of the target and Malcolm couldnt help but smile at her misfortune.

This is exactly the sort of skill you need to perfect, Coach Royce called out. When it comes to fighting the Amethyst seers, its this kind of mastery that really knocks them for six. Theyre so focused on their seer specialisms, theyve forgotten all about good old-fashioned weaponry.

The corners of Malcolms mouth tugged even further upward. Just the thought of kicking the sappy seers at Professor Amethysts school delighted him. He couldnt wait until the day he was finally face-to-face with one of those losers. Then hed really show them who was boss. Show them why Obsidians was the better school. Why it deserved to be the one and only school for seers.

Just then, Malcolm noticed some of the kids from the second year coming out onto the playing fields, hockey sticks in hand. He noticed Natasha Armstrong amongst them. She was in the private study sessions hed been attending at the library, the ones for gifted students like him. Though at twelve he was the youngest there, the others were kind to him. Natasha especially. She didnt tease him for being smart. And she shared the same hatred toward Professor Amethyst as he did.

Natasha looked over and waved. Pretty dimples appeared in her cheeks. Malcolm waved back, feeling his own cheeks growing warm.

Just then, Malcolm heard Candices velvety voice whisper in his ear. Aw, look. Malcolms got a crush.

Malcolm kept his gaze ahead and ignored her taunts. Candice was only being mean because hed rebuffed her advances. Her spite came from a place of jealousythat an older girl, one as beautiful and talented as Natasha Armstrong, could be interested in him.

As the other class began their hockey match, Malcolms gaze went up to the vast imposing Victorian manor house of Obsidians School, all the way to the turret at the top. He could just make out the dark figure of Mistress Obsidian standing at the window. She was looking down at her students. Then her gaze fixed on him.

He smiled to himself. He knew she was keeping tabs on him. Shed hand-picked him for a special mission. Tomorrow, he would have a meeting with Mistress Obsidian herself. Tomorrow, shed tell him all the details of his special mission. Until then, he could tolerate the bullies and teasing. Because soon, he would be their hero. Soon, the name Malcolm Malice would be known to every seer in every timeline. Hed be in all the history books.

Soon, he would be known the universe over as the one whod destroyed the School for Seers once and for all.

CHAPTER THREE

Relief coursed through Olivers body. Armando remembered him after all. Despite all his actions in the past changing this timeline, somehow his hero had not forgotten who he was.