Free Clash (The Arinthian Line Book 4) by Sever Bronny Page A

had an agonizing way of asking the obvious.
    “Today’s lesson is on the 4th degree elemental spell Summon Minor Elemental, Mr. Harvus.”
    “That’s a tongue twister if I ever heard one,” Leera muttered under her breath.
    “Excuse me, Miss Jones?”
    Leera cleared her throat as Harvus stared her down.
    “Very good, Bridget. Now, I am sure you three have diligently practiced your pronunciation, but just to make sure we are all on the same page, please speak the arcane words aloud. Augum, you first, please.”
    Great. Augum was really hoping for Bridget to go first—he could then have copied her pronunciation. “Uh, sorry, Mr. Harvus, with all this excitement in the air, it kind of slipped my mind.” He tried to ignore Bridget’s frown.
    Mr. Harvus raised his eyes skyward in that begging-to-the-gods look he chronically gave when frustrated. “Augum Stone,” he began slowly, still watching the heavens, “are you telling me that you do not even remember the simple words required to trigger the spell?”
    Augum shrugged. “Sort of … I guess.” Obviously, you fat nest-haired troll.
    Harvus fixed him with a cold glare. “Your great-grandmother is paying me a small fortune to live here with this barbaric lot of fools. A small fortune, Augum.” He shrugged. “Or at least she owes me that—but do not let that concern you.”
    So the money was running out, Augum thought with a sinking feeling.
    “Anyhow,” Harvus continued, “that is not the distressing part. The distressing part—no, the absolutely absurd part—is that an entire kingdom might depend on your actions, and yet you …” Harvus waved carelessly with a gloved hand, “do not even bother taking the time to learn your craft.”
    As the words hung in the air, Augum felt a prickle of shame. Harvus was right, as much as he hated to admit it.
    Harvus placed his hands behind his back. “Pray tell me that you have not hit your ceiling, as I suspect Haylee has.”
    “What! No, of course not—!” Oh no … was that what was happening with Haylee?
    “ ‘Of course not’. I see. Then why, my dear daft boy, do you neglect your studies? Do you think your father lopes around neglecting his studies?” Before Augum could reply, Harvus took a single step forward. “Let me tell you what your father is doing in this very moment. Murdering people.” He accented the point with an exaggerated slow nod.
    Augum had to stop himself from recoiling—Harvus’ breath stank as if a rat had crawled down his throat and died some time ago.
    “Murdering people,” Harvus repeated with that annoying nod. “Or planning on murdering people. And you—you who may be one of only a handful of souls to possibly stop him one day—you traipse about like an idiot. An idiot .”
    “You shouldn’t speak to us that way—” Leera began, but Harvus immediately turned on her.
    “And you, my dear,” he began in a deadly sweet voice, hands still behind his back, “do you happen to know the correct wordage and pronunciation to the 4th degree elemental spell?”
    When Leera began mumbling something unintelligible, Harvus plowed right along. “How about its name then? All I require is the simple name of a simple spell, a name just mentioned a moment ago by your very peer. Oh for heaven’s sakes, child, tell me you at least know the name of the spell!” His voice was a near shout by then, the first time he had truly lost his temper with them.
    Leera seemed stuck on a word, a dumbstruck expression on her face. “I … I …”
    Harvus slowly shook his head. “You stupid, stupid girl.”
    Augum’s blood instantly boiled. “Don’t you talk to—”
    “Voidus lingua!” Harvus spat, flicking his wrist at Augum without taking his eyes off Leera.
    Augum’s throat immediately dried up and he choked on his words.
    For once, Bridget’s face registered shock. “Mr. Harvus, I don’t think that’s—”
    Harvus raised a stern finger, still without looking away from Leera. “Do