Free The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

eyebrow lifted. “Yes?”
    â€œWhere are the others?” The blood rushed into Kat’s cheeks, and she thrust her trembling hands behind her back.
    â€œThe other . . . ?”
    â€œThe other children. We saw them, earlier today. A girl wearing a gauzy frock out in the cold garden, and a crippled boy. And . . .” Isabelle nudged Kat hard in the thigh, so she stopped herself from saying something about the cat-boy. “Why aren’t they at supper?”
    The fire popped and snapped in the silence. Mr. Storm stopped chewing and stared. “Other children?” he mumbled.
    The Lady braced her hands on the table and then stood. “I’m afraid I must leave you. It’s time for me to tend to my husband. Please, finish your supper under the watchful eye of Mr. Storm.” She gave Mr. Storm a swift glance, then glared at Kat. “In the future, you will refrain from addressing the upper table.”
    The Lady left the hall.
    Every male eye in the place followed her sweeping form. Robbie, Kat understood. But she admitted to being disappointed in Peter. And disappointed in herself for caring what he thought.
    After the great doors closed behind the Lady with a
thud
,they ate in silence, the boys’ chatter dropping away so it was quiet all around. Even Mr. Storm was silent, although he made loud unpleasant noises as he chewed his food and heaped his plate.
    Marie came in with hot chocolate, and Kat wondered at such extravagance, having cocoa in the midst of war, and remembered that the Lady said she’d stockpiled sweets. But she must have had some foresight, since even Kat’s own parents hadn’t guessed the war would last so long. The children each drank two full cups, even Kat, while Mr. Storm helped himself to several glasses of claret.
    The fires burned lower and lower and the room grew dim, and Kat found herself nodding in her chair, even as they drank their chocolate. The next she knew, Mr. Storm was gone, the fires had smoldered to ashes, the room was thick in shadow, and they all sat as if in a stupor. Kat couldn’t tell how much time had passed.
    Peter stood up. “Got to get to sleep,” he mumbled. “Must be the long trip, but I’m beat.”
    They left the hall as a group, the half-eaten meal remaining on the table, with no sign now of Marie nor Cook, and somehow they found their way to the stairs, dragging themselves up to their rooms. Kat held Amelie’s hand as much for herself as to keep Ame moving. As they passed the portrait in the hall Kat could have sworn the blue eyes of the Lady Leonore followed her.
    Isabelle, Jorry, and Colin had rooms down the hall from Kat and Ame, but they were barely able to murmur good nights before falling into their chambers.
    Kat must have washed and changed and helped Amelie wash and change, but she didn’t remember a thing about it later. At some point she heard the lock on the door snap shut from outside.
    Trapped,
was her last waking thought.

15
    Tricks of Magic
    G REAT-AUNT MARGARET looms.
“Do you hear me, Katherine? Magic is tricky. There
is always a price to pay for its use.”
    â€œWhat
price?”
She doesn’t really want to know. She doesn’t believe in magic, after all.
    Her great-aunt holds out her hand and it changes from flesh and bone to something terrible—a hand made of shining silver, with fingers like knife blades—and she drops her chatelaine onto Kat’s open right palm. The chatelaine glows blue and grows colder and colder until it’s so icy, Kat must let go. When it hits the floor, the three silver charms—the pen, the scissors, the thimble—shatter into a thousand pieces.
    Great-Aunt Margaret screams like a high-pitched bird.
“You did not pay the price!”

16
    Moon
    I T IS 1747.
    With the second charming Leonore pulses with joy. Although she hears Tim’s cry of pain and sees his face go blank like