Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Read Free Page A

just visible over the top.
    “Come in boy,” said a barky voice. I froze, ice shards splintering my spine. The voice echoed softly around the turret. “Sit, sit…” beckoned a long bony hand.

 
    CHAPTER TWO
    Granddad’s Gift
     
    “ Granddad ?” I said sitting down where he asked me and staring in disbelief at the old man with silvery hair. “No way… this isn’t real… I thought you were… dead ?”
    My Granddad sat as still as a rusty nail, and looked as gnarled and grizzled as one. His face scarred and lined, due to all the fights he’d had. But all in all, for a dead person he looked pretty good — dressed in long black day clothes and a navy blue cape. His magical cane stood next to his chair, small colourful lights fizzing just under the surface. I was always fascinated by it as a kid and could watch for hours. We sat in silence for a long time, my mouth open, just staring at him.
    He sighed. “So, you found me then.”
    “… I didn’t mean to… I was just… running away and…” I stammered.
    “Ross was after you. Thinks you ruined his life. You did something,” he said in his characteristic barky, clipped tone.
    “Yeah,” I said. “He does, mind you, none of the Blackthorns like me.”
    “Nonsense. They just have a funny way of showing it,” he said still looking into the fire. “So you came here by accident did you. That’s a coincidence ,” he smiled. “Why were you up here in the these turrets?”
    “I wasn't, I was on the third floor. I was cleaning and ran away from Ross and…”
    “Cleaning?” he sniffed, his brow furrowed. “They make you clean ?”
    “Yeah. Mum wants the castle clean for the guests coming to Marianne’s wedding.”
    “Marianne?” he barked. “That jumped up little twerp? Sorted herself out and found a fella’ ahy? I don’t doubt with a personality like hers, she had to use quite the arsenal of love spells?”
    I nodded, a small smirk gracing my face. “I think so yeah,” I was itching to ask him what the hell he was doing up here, he was dead, I mean I’d been to his funeral and everything.
    “Don’t worry yourself about that ,” he said suddenly, dark glaring eyes coming to rest on me, commanding attention. “We are Wizards, we can do strange things. And as Blackthorn’s we are well versed in black magic. Don’t worry yourself about how. Just listen…” he held his hand out and a long poker appeared in it. He poked the coals as some fresh ones moved slowly into the air from the coal basket and landed in the renewed flames. “Don’t worry yourself about Malakai.”
    I nearly fell off my chair. “Wha— wha— whaaaat? I mean, you know? But how?”
    Granddad leered at me through the darkness, grinning a black toothed smile. “Never liked him. You did us a favour I say… not sure they will see it that way,” he said flicking his eyes downwards. “You didn’t come here by accident, I made sure you came here. We never spoke much when I was alive.”
    “Er… alive?” I said, unsure if this was a joke or not.
    “I probably don’t need to remind you of the fact that you are different from other Blackthorns,” he grinned his black grin at me again. “You’re a seventh son . You did well against him . And I am sure you will find out what you need to in the upcoming year.” He licked his lips, as if he was about to carry on, but then slumped back in his chair.
    “Find out what?” I said.
    He shrugged. “What you need to,” his eyes moved to a place just above the cluttered fireplace, along which three items stood: a porcelain dalmatian dog, some magic nails and a red urn with a funny mark on it. But now, something was hanging down in front of the mirror — where there had been nothing before. “I had better give you something that will help.” He reached forwards, stretching out his cane and unhooked the thing from the mirror. As he drew it towards him I saw it was a pendant. On the end of the sleek silver string was a