The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza

Author:Shivaun Plozza
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780358387701
Publisher: HMH Books
Published: 2020-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Bo was on his hands and knees, scrubbing the stone floor in the Great Nev’en Library until his knuckles ached. Nix nudged the bucket along with his snout, keeping it always within Bo’s reach.

Earlier, Selene had helped Bo clear the mountain of dishes before sneaking him into the library, despite his protests. She had pulled him into the stacks, far away from prying Sisters, and removed an armful of scrolls about Freja. All Bo wanted was to wallow in his misery—Shadow Creature attacks and an evil witch rising to destroy the land and it was all his fault; Ranik’s return was probably his fault too—but Selene had been determined to learn everything she could.

“I feel a bit sorry for her,” she’d said with a shrug, keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard breaking the rules. She read everything out loud and Bo had found himself listening intently despite his suffocating guilt. He learned more about Stars and wolves and witches and even about wish-mines. And Bo found he agreed with Selene: he did feel sorry for Freja. Why had the Moon thrown the three Stars from the sky? Because she was jealous? That wasn’t fair.

Just like it wasn’t fair that Mads lied, said a small but persistent voice in the back of his head. It wasn’t fair that Mads had used him to maintain a spell without telling him what or why or how, leaving Bo to break the lock and pay the consequences on his own. And it wasn’t fair that his mother had left him in the forest, either. She was just like the Moon.

Underneath his guilt, Bo was angry, too, a small spark of anger in the deepest corner of his heart, which grew hotter and hotter the more he thought about Mads and lies and Moons. Nix had pawed at Bo’s leg, whimpering in sympathy.

“I know Freja caused the Dark but the Moon wasn’t very nice, was she?” Selene had whispered. “Parents shouldn’t do that. They shouldn’t abandon their children like that.” Selene had chewed on her lip. “If the witch really is returning, what do you think she wants?”

Bo had not known how to answer her. But his anger had fed a new certainty. That, more than ever, it was vital for him to find the wolf and release the Stars so he could destroy the Dark and prevent the Shadow Witch from taking over—he would prove that Mads should have trusted him all along, that he could do this. But he didn’t even know what to do with the riddle: To speak of me is to break me.

Just at that moment, Selene had dropped the scroll she’d been reading, breaking the silence in the cavernous room.

Breaking . . .

Silence . . .

Bo had slapped the heel of his palm to his forehead and groaned. “Of course! The Scribe was telling us the answer all along: silence! When you say ‘silence,’ you break silence. Of course! The answer to the riddle is silence!” Selene had cheered but Bo had shushed her.

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