Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George

Author:Jessica Day George
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

They kept to the thin trees at the start of the forest and made remarkably good time back to the Castle ruins, considering their exhaustion and the unwieldy bundle that Rolf was carrying. At the base of the hatching tower, Rufus’s father left them, and they all took a moment to catch their breath and look around.

“I can’t believe the Arkower didn’t beat us here,” Rolf said. He stretched to ease his back. “Do you think that Rufus could take this up there for me?” he asked Celie. “I don’t think I can face all those stairs.”

“I’m sure,” Celie said. “He’s anxious to fly.”

Rufus had followed his father a little ways across the broken courtyard, but at the sound of his name he came romping back. Celie chirruped at him and he butted his head into her middle. She led him over to Rolf, but the egg was fastened so tightly that he couldn’t get it off his back.

“Just fly up with Rufus and the egg,” Lilah said in frustration, after breaking a nail trying to pick apart one of the knots. Pogue glanced over, but he and Lulath were busy asking Ethan about where they could find food.

“Oh, right,” Rolf said.

“Here, boy,” Celie said. “Take Rolf up to the tower.”

“What is that you have, Crown Prince Rolf?” the Arkower called out as he sauntered out of the trees. “An egg? We must bring it back to my cavern, where it can hatch in peace and safety.” He smiled at them, looking like a kindly grandfather.

Rufus hissed. He slammed his body into Celie and she fell across his back. Lilah screamed, and Lulath shouted something in Grathian that Celie didn’t catch. She was too busy hanging on as Rufus took off into the air. She grabbed his harness, nearly slipping backward and landing on her head as Rufus shot toward the open windows of the tower. She shouted for him to take her back, but he ignored her and dropped her on the floor.

Celie leaped to her feet and ran for the window, but Rufus blocked her way. She wrestled with him, trying to shove him aside so that she could see what was happening below, but he wouldn’t budge. She yanked on the harness and shouted at him, but he just kept squawking and batting his wings at her. The pouch at her waist came loose, and the ring dropped out.

“What are you doing?” Celie yelled. She clapped her hands, trying to shoo him away, and he lashed out with one talon, scratching her palm. “Ouch!”

Rufus cowered at her feet, frightened. Celie flapped her hand and then sucked at the cut. She stomped her foot against the pain, and Rufus backed into a corner, crying. She felt the crown at her hip slipping out of the pouch and grabbed it. One of the prongs dug into her cut and she shrieked again, reflexively tossing the crown across the room.

The clang it made when it hit the wall rang in Celie’s head.

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