Wings by Jason Lethcoe

Author:Jason Lethcoe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2010-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

HARP

“I can’t smell him anymore,” Sariel said. The ermine had her nose close to the sidewalk at the top of the hill, just outside the deserted Angel’s Flight train station.

“He was here recently, I’m sure of it. But it’s like he completely disappeared. There’s no scent at all.”

Mr. Spines rubbed his forehead anxiously. It had taken all last night and most of the day to track the boy all the way from Union station.

Spines knew that Los Angeles could be a dangerous place for mortals. The crime-ridden streets weren’t anything like the tranquil Oregon logging towns, most of which were filled with simple country folk. But it wasn’t the mortal dangers that worried him about Los Angeles. It was the capital city for the Jackal’s forces, and that made it a deadly place for Guardians to visit. Groundlings were everywhere, masquerading as humans. If one of them discovered what Edward was, the boy didn’t stand a chance.

A flapping of wings caused him to look

up. Artemis soared into view, his bulky form

silhouetted against the late-afternoon sun.

“Well?” Spines asked.

“Nothing, sir,” Artemis said breathlessly. The big toad flopped to the ground. “I must have followed a dozen trolley cars but none of them had Edward inside of them. Oooh,” he moaned. “I’ve never had to fly so far with these stupid reptile wings. They feel like they’re gonna fall off.”

“Well maybe if you weren’t stuffing your face all the time, you’d have had an easier time of it,” Sariel said, shooting Artemis an imperious look. “It’s no wonder I’m the one that has to do everything around here. You’re useless.”

“Well, you’re nothing but a stuck-up sewer rat,” Artemis fired back. “You should see how ugly you look. At least I can lose weight.”

“Take it back!”

“Make me!”

Mr. Spines paced in front of the train station, trying to ignore the heated exchange between his two apprentices. Since the Fall, Sariel had grown increasingly arrogant, and Artemis was a glutton. The Corruption was working its slow poison. They couldn’t avoid the Jackal’s influences forever. If Spines’s plan with Edward failed, they would all soon turn into full-fledged Groundlings. They would lose their ability to feel anything but the same twisted feelings of revenge and hatred that motivated the Jackal. Every thought would be a desire to inflict harm rather than to protect. The flickering candle of good that still burned in their hearts would be snuffed out forever.

Mr. Spines sighed and scratched his stubbly cheek. The situation with Edward was more serious than he had feared. The fact that his scent had gone cold could mean only one thing. Groundlings were experts at avoiding detection. If one of them had Edward and didn’t want anyone to follow, they could erase any sign that they’d ever been there. There was only one way to track Edward now, and Spines was reluctant to use it.

He stared up at the long stretch of railroad tracks that led up the hill and faded into the darkness, thinking about the price of what he was about to do.

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