Casper Tock and the Everdark Wings by Abi Elphinstone

Author:Abi Elphinstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2020-01-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Arlo padded down the length of the branch and looked out into the falling snow.

“Can you see her?” Casper asked as he slumped against the trunk.

He knew the answer even before Arlo shook his head. The Midnights had taken her, but did that mean they would put an end to Utterly here in Rumblestar, or would they take her back to the harpy in Everdark? Casper winced at the pain in his leg where a talon had cut his skin, but it was nothing compared to the pain of knowing that if he’d climbed just a little bit faster and kept up with Utterly, perhaps none of this would’ve happened. Casper felt almost dizzy with guilt as Arlo traipsed back toward him, a tear smudging down his snout.

They were alone now. Completely alone. And it didn’t seem like anyone at the castle even cared. Arlo climbed into Casper’s lap and Casper hung his head. Things were spiraling out of control and there didn’t seem to be any way to fix it all. He thought about composing another to-do list in his mind, but then he realized that he didn’t want to. All he wanted, really, was to see Utterly again. Things had felt a lot more hopeful with her around. And even though they’d both said some truly awful things earlier and Casper had tried to convince himself that he didn’t need Utterly, or indeed anyone else, as a friend, he knew he did. Because it wasn’t enough to go through life just with acquaintances and work colleagues. It was important to have real friends, too. People to open up to and laugh with and to make you feel less lonely. And little by little those things had been happening with Utterly—until he’d blown it…

Tears rolled down Casper’s cheeks, and as he held Arlo close, he thought of home. He missed his parents so much the pain in his chest was almost unbearable. And suddenly his mum’s forgetfulness and his dad’s inability to wear a watch didn’t seem quite as irritating as they had back in Little Wallops. Because at the end of the day—when you were alone in the forest and down on one knee—those things didn’t matter. His parents had been right all along: What counted, really, was love and friendship. Casper hadn’t wanted to make friends in case Candida and Leopold ruined it again, but it turned out that he was capable of mucking up friendship all by himself. And now he was coming to terms with the truth: Making friends was painful and messy and frightening, but it was worth the trouble because life was a whole lot better when you lived it alongside a friend.

Casper took a deep breath and tried to think like Utterly. If she was the one left behind, she wouldn’t stand for the Midnights getting in her way. She’d keep going after the familiar face. And so that’s what Casper would do, hoping hard that there was a chance Utterly

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