Read Online Gregor and the Marks of Secret-4 by Suzanne Collins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Collins
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, War, New York (N.Y.), Animals, Military & Wars, Imaginary wars and battles, Underground areas
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to be on Luxa's list.
"I'm sorry about your friend," said Gregor.
"I, too," said Ares.
Aurora gave a small flutter of her wings in reply, but Luxa had not seemed to hear them.
"Who killed you, Cevian?" asked Luxa, stroking the mouse's soft ears. "For what reason?
And why did you send me my crown? You are so full of secrets tonight."
Luxa rose and buried her head in Aurora's golden fur. The bat wrapped her wings around the girl. It was not a long embrace.
"This is not the time or place for mourning," said Luxa.
"We must go to the jungle," said Aurora.
Gregor was unprepared for this. "Right now?"
"Cevian is killed. We know not why. Only that she came to Queenshead because the nibblers are in great jeopardy. Since she cannot speak, we must go to the jungle to find those that can," said Aurora darkly. "We must discover what threatens the nibblers. We must avenge Cevian's death."
This was quite a strong speech for Aurora. She didn't talk much around Gregor, and then only in brief, quiet sentences. Despite three journeys with her, Gregor didn't know Aurora very well.
"Go back if you do not have the stomach for this. Aurora and I will manage the jungle on our own," said Luxa. If he didn't have the stomach for this? Did she mean if he was afraid?
Gregor bristled at the comment because, in fact, when he was upset the first thing that reacted was his stomach.
"You and Aurora in the jungle? That didn't work out so well last time," said Gregor.
Luxa glowered at him. "Go home, Overlander. We no longer want your help," she said.
She swung onto Aurora's back. "After you return him, you know where we shall be, Ares."
Aurora lifted into the air and sped off, away from Regalia.
Man, Luxa could get under his skin! She knew he'd help her out in the jungle if she asked. Why did she have to turn the whole thing into an insult? A dare?
Ares shifted uncomfortably. "There are many dangers in the jungle."
"Uh-huh. I've been there," said Gregor.
"Even the plants will attack," said Ares.
"Got the scars to prove that," said Gregor.
"Luxa speaks with an edge because she is in pain," said Ares.
Gregor turned to his bat in exasperation. "Look, Ares, we both know we're going! Let's just give it a few minutes so it looks like it was hard for you to talk me into it, okay?"
Ares gave one of his rare laughs. "Huh-huh-huh."
Gregor shook his head but then laughed, too. He stopped when his eyes fell on the mouse. "Should we do something with Cevian? I hate to leave her sitting out here. Something's just going to come along and eat her."
"We had best let Luxa and Aurora decide. She was their friend," said Ares.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Gregor. He noticed a crevice at the base of the big rock.
"We could at least scoot her back in that crack. Hide her a little."
Together, they slid Cevian back into the hole. It actually did a lot to conceal her.
When Gregor turned away from the mouse, his torchlight fell on a mark on the ground.
He had not seen it before, because Cevian had been lying right on top of it. Gregor squatted down and examined the mark more closely. It had been roughly scratched into the chalky rock.
And recently, too, by the look of it. There was a straight line. At the top, going off to the right side, was a thin, slightly curved appendage. It reminded him of a flamingo's beak. "Look at this,"
he said to Ares.
"Do you think Cevian made this mark?" asked his bat.
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe she was trying to write a word. Do the mice know how to write? Ripred said something about the rats not being able to hold a pen," said Gregor.
"Both gnawers and nibblers can scratch out a word if they wish," said Ares.
"Well, it kind of looks like Cevian started to make a P, but she couldn't finish it," said Gregor, tracing the mark with his forefinger. "P is for Pincess," he heard Boots say in his head.
"Perhaps she was trying to write a name. A P could also become an R or a B," said
"I'm sorry about your friend," said Gregor.
"I, too," said Ares.
Aurora gave a small flutter of her wings in reply, but Luxa had not seemed to hear them.
"Who killed you, Cevian?" asked Luxa, stroking the mouse's soft ears. "For what reason?
And why did you send me my crown? You are so full of secrets tonight."
Luxa rose and buried her head in Aurora's golden fur. The bat wrapped her wings around the girl. It was not a long embrace.
"This is not the time or place for mourning," said Luxa.
"We must go to the jungle," said Aurora.
Gregor was unprepared for this. "Right now?"
"Cevian is killed. We know not why. Only that she came to Queenshead because the nibblers are in great jeopardy. Since she cannot speak, we must go to the jungle to find those that can," said Aurora darkly. "We must discover what threatens the nibblers. We must avenge Cevian's death."
This was quite a strong speech for Aurora. She didn't talk much around Gregor, and then only in brief, quiet sentences. Despite three journeys with her, Gregor didn't know Aurora very well.
"Go back if you do not have the stomach for this. Aurora and I will manage the jungle on our own," said Luxa. If he didn't have the stomach for this? Did she mean if he was afraid?
Gregor bristled at the comment because, in fact, when he was upset the first thing that reacted was his stomach.
"You and Aurora in the jungle? That didn't work out so well last time," said Gregor.
Luxa glowered at him. "Go home, Overlander. We no longer want your help," she said.
She swung onto Aurora's back. "After you return him, you know where we shall be, Ares."
Aurora lifted into the air and sped off, away from Regalia.
Man, Luxa could get under his skin! She knew he'd help her out in the jungle if she asked. Why did she have to turn the whole thing into an insult? A dare?
Ares shifted uncomfortably. "There are many dangers in the jungle."
"Uh-huh. I've been there," said Gregor.
"Even the plants will attack," said Ares.
"Got the scars to prove that," said Gregor.
"Luxa speaks with an edge because she is in pain," said Ares.
Gregor turned to his bat in exasperation. "Look, Ares, we both know we're going! Let's just give it a few minutes so it looks like it was hard for you to talk me into it, okay?"
Ares gave one of his rare laughs. "Huh-huh-huh."
Gregor shook his head but then laughed, too. He stopped when his eyes fell on the mouse. "Should we do something with Cevian? I hate to leave her sitting out here. Something's just going to come along and eat her."
"We had best let Luxa and Aurora decide. She was their friend," said Ares.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Gregor. He noticed a crevice at the base of the big rock.
"We could at least scoot her back in that crack. Hide her a little."
Together, they slid Cevian back into the hole. It actually did a lot to conceal her.
When Gregor turned away from the mouse, his torchlight fell on a mark on the ground.
He had not seen it before, because Cevian had been lying right on top of it. Gregor squatted down and examined the mark more closely. It had been roughly scratched into the chalky rock.
And recently, too, by the look of it. There was a straight line. At the top, going off to the right side, was a thin, slightly curved appendage. It reminded him of a flamingo's beak. "Look at this,"
he said to Ares.
"Do you think Cevian made this mark?" asked his bat.
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe she was trying to write a word. Do the mice know how to write? Ripred said something about the rats not being able to hold a pen," said Gregor.
"Both gnawers and nibblers can scratch out a word if they wish," said Ares.
"Well, it kind of looks like Cevian started to make a P, but she couldn't finish it," said Gregor, tracing the mark with his forefinger. "P is for Pincess," he heard Boots say in his head.
"Perhaps she was trying to write a name. A P could also become an R or a B," said
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