Lost Boys by Riley Quinn

Author:Riley Quinn [Riley Quinn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: West Bay Publishing
Published: 2020-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Ajax chuckled. “And here comes the prince. Planning to tell us that Aleksander named you successor? If he did, no one else heard it.”

In the long grass behind him, Cato grinned, swatting at a wasp with his sword.

Actually, someone did hear, and it was you. The weight of the stone key pressed in Leonardo’s pocket.

“No,” Leonardo said instead. He kept one hand on his sword, an eye trained on Cato as he approached the stump.

“Regardless of what Aleksander did or didn’t do, I don’t think I could lead this Clan,” said Leonardo. “I’m not my brother, and deny it all you want, but neither are you.”

Ajax stepped off the stump, eyes narrowed. “Do you have a point?”

“Explain to me, Ajax,” said Leonardo. “Why these boys should pick a leader who wants to be Aleksander so bad that he’ll kill for it.”

Ajax paused, one foot on a root, his grin matching Cato’s. “That’s your play? You’ll have to swing a lot harder than that, Leonardo.”

“I don’t have a play,” said Leonardo. “All I have is a warning.”

Across the grass, Jack said something to Page, and Snout furrowed his brow, standing in the shadow of a hackberry tree. A nervous anticipation settled on the clearing.

“Ajax and Cato plan to kill everyone who stands against them,” said Leonardo. “You’ll never be safe with him as leader.”

Behind him, Ajax laughed, too loud and slightly nervous. “Is anyone believing this? Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the traitor.”

“There is no traitor,” said Leonardo. “You know that.”

“Yes there is!” Ajax jumped back onto his stump. “There’s something you don’t know,” he informed the listening Ravens. “Leonardo has been meeting with a Native girl. Reserve your shock, I’m not finished yet. He was out the night of the Fox Clan attack and led the Foxes right to our doorstep. He also snuck out, minutes before last night’s ambush, and returned—through the bushes—just before they attacked us.”

The attention shifted back on Leonardo. The sun slid behind a cloud, bathing the clearing in shade. The temperature dropped and a bird screeched somewhere in the treetops.

He’s twisting it, Leonardo wanted to say. It’s all lies.

But it wasn’t lies, and the first retorts that came to his tongue sounded weak and unconvincing. He hesitated, and Ajax took advantage of it.

“The Natives have corrupted him. They used one of their girls to seduce him, and now he’s their puppet.”

“That’s a lie,” said Leonardo. “Ajax—”

“Aleksander was in the way,” Ajax cut over him. “So they took him out. They intend for Leonardo to become your new leader, so they can have a puppet to manipulate. Do you want a traitor puppet for a leader?”

“Leo?” said Nym. His eyes flashed with questions, and the desire to take Leonardo’s side.

Moth and Pinch glanced at each other. Moth kneaded his hands nervously.

New tactic. “It’s true,” said Leonardo, stepping forward.

Shock rippled through the clan. The clearing fell so quiet that only the drone of mosquitoes pierced the tension.

“I met with a Native girl—once,” said Leonardo. His voice sounded extra loud in the silence.

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