Cry of the Ocelot by Maya Grace

Author:Maya Grace
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510741393
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Published: 2019-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

The spider let out a slow hiss. Then, before Ella could move, it scuttled forward, crawling down the trunk of the tree.

Grab your sword, Ella told herself. Do it! Now!

But she was frozen.

The spider crept closer, its fuzzy limbs reaching toward her through the darkness of the night.

Taiga snapped and snarled, trying to climb the base of the tree—to get to the spider before the spider got to Ella.

But something got to it first.

An ocelot.

As she leaped from a higher branch, she knocked the spider from its perch. The fuzzy mob hit the ground with an ear-piercing squeal.

It scuttled sideways, its red eyes trained on the wild cat. But the ocelot sprang again, snarling. She swiped at the spider with her claws, lifting it from the ground and sending it sailing into the thicket.

Ella heard the crunching of leaves and twigs as the spider scurried away. And then she fell to her knees.

The ocelot leaped up onto a rock, staring down at Ella.

“You did it, girl,” said Ella. “Did you do it for me—or for Jack?”

Taiga whined and wiggled his body between Ella and the ocelot, as if to say, She’s mine!

“It’s okay,” said Ella, hugging him close. “I’m yours. This cat belongs to Jack. But we owe her a thank you, don’t we?”

“How do you know it’s Jack’s ocelot?” asked Rowan as she crept up behind Ella.

“I know,” said Ella. “See the arrow stuck in her fur?”

As soon as Ella had a firm hold on Taiga, the cat began to slowly, carefully, climb down from the rock. With each step, the broken arrow bobbed side to side. Sure enough, this was Jack’s ocelot.

Poor thing, thought Ella, wishing again that she could help.

But the cat wouldn’t let her come near. Instead, it began its game of Follow the Leader again, leading them down the trail and then checking back to be sure they were following.

Ella felt Taiga relax beneath her hand. He won’t scare the ocelot, she knew. Because I asked him not to.

Sure enough, as she released her hand, he stayed in step with her, never running too far ahead.

The four of them moved through the jungle, slowly at first. But when the ocelot saw that the others were following, she quickened her pace—slipping through bushes and around tree trunks. Ella and Rowan had to jog to keep up, holding their torch high to light the trail.

Ella fought back sleep, trying to stay alert. She listened for mobs. She searched the bushes, too, for glowing eyes or the gleam of a skeleton bone.

When a branch slapped against her face, she cried out—startled. But as she pushed her way through the thick brambles, she saw something.

A tower of moss-covered cobblestone rose before her.

The temple!

It was lit by torches, as if someone had been there recently—or still was. Was it two stories high? Or three? Ella marveled at the building, which was so covered in moss and vines that she might not have even seen it, if the ocelot hadn’t led her straight to it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.