Ravenwood by Andrew Peters

Author:Andrew Peters [Peters, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-545-38944-0
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2011-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

24• BAIT

The sun had long gone, leaving only drizzle and darkness. Petronio needed to keep sharp as he crouched behind a parasite laurel bush that sprouted from the side of the woodway. The flask of coffee helped: scalding and sweet, the way he liked it. As the chill of evening descended, he pulled his cloak around him and sipped silently, then sat back satisfied in the shadows.

This spot was perfect for an ambush. The boy would come. Petronio had no need of prayers; his plans were simply made to be fulfilled.

When Petronio felt the telltale vibrations on the branchway, he knew it wasn’t a wild boar off for a midnight snuffle, but a boy driven by a sense of honor.

“Evening, Malikum. For a plumber’s boy, you don’t half cause a lot of trouble!”

The voice that came from behind the laurel was unmistakable. “Petronio!” it said. “I thought your family was low, but kidnapping my sister really scrapes the barrel!”

“Oh, does it? But it brought you here, didn’t it?” There was a sharp sound as Petronio lit a candle lantern and placed it on the branch.

That was when Ark realized who had been the target. His sister was the worm used to catch the wriggling fish. “If it’s me you want, then let her go!”

“Honestly, that’s just the sort of sappy rubbish I’d expect from you. Of course it’s you I want!” The blade that slipped out of the shadows gave his words an edge. “As for your sister, she can stay here to keep your family quiet.”

“Where is she? If you’ve hurt her, believe me, I’ll make you pay!”

A monster mealworm had better motives than this slimy, overfed brute. He’d dealt with one, now he’d sort out the other.

“Ha! Listen to you, sewer boy. Suddenly got magical powers, have we?”

Ark didn’t know. Perhaps he had. Maybe if he grabbed hold of Petronio, the boy would fall still. “Answer my question! Where … is … she?” Each word shot out of his mouth, the force behind his voice making Petronio awkward for a second.

But only a second. “You think you can command me, sewer rat?” His knife glinted in the flickering lamplight. “Don’t worry, killing little girls is not on the agenda, for now!”

“You’d sell your own family for gold!” Ark hissed as he launched himself at Petronio. There was a sudden silence in the forest as if every tree waited for the outcome. Ark saw his fist fly through the air. This wasn’t about feathers or magical powers, only revenge. Whatever he’d felt down in the deeps was long gone.

Petronio’s training was about defending himself against skillful opponents, not righteous treenagers going berserk. Before he knew what was happening, Ark had landed a punch that grazed the side of his face. Petronio’s knife flew from his hand, skittering in spinning circles across the wood. He made to grab it, but Ark was all over him like a clinging vine scrabbling for purchase.

“Get off me, you squitty little bud!”

The drizzling rain had become a downpour.

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