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Authors: Rachel Roberts
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you didn’t get home until after seven. Not only did I have to take care of the afternoon feeding for you, but I had to help the Smiths pick up their dog.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Emily frowned. She’d totally forgotten that Scooter’s owners were coming to pick him up yesterday. Still, it wasn’t as if she was the only one who could open a dog run. Why was her mother making such a big deal out of this? “I had stuff to do at Ravenswood, and it took longer than I thought.”
“Ah, Ravenswood.” Carolyn sighed. “It’s great that you’re so eager to help over there, but you can’t just ignore the rest of your life.”
Emily clenched her fists under the table. Her mother had no idea how important Ravenswood really was.
“You were the one who wanted to start the Pet Palace,” Carolyn went on. “And now I’m afraid you’re going to have to adapt your lifestyle to the new responsibilities.”
“Adapt?” Emily exclaimed, totally fed up. “ You’re telling me to adapt? What about you ?”
Carolyn looked startled. “What?”
“First you tell me to go out and make friends. Then you tell me to stay home more.” Emily’s hands were shaking. She dropped her spoon, which clattered off the table onto the floor. “Meanwhile you don’t even try to adapt. You just work all the time and pretend everything’s all fine and dandy.”
“That’s not true, I—”
“Don’t tell me it’s not true!” Emily cried. “I’m not stupid.” She waved a hand toward Carolyn’s lab coat. “Where are you going right now? It’s Sunday, you know. Most vets take a day off once in a while. When was the last time you took a day off?”
Carolyn frowned. “Lower your voice, Emily. And try to understand, I’m so busy—”
Emily didn’t let her finish. “Yeah, like you were so busy back in Colorado that you let your family fall apart!” she yelled. Suddenly she couldn’t stop the angry words from flowing. “That’s the reason we’re here—that’s why I have to worry about adapting—because you couldn’t make things work with Daddy, so my whole life got ruined! I had to leave my old friends, my old school, everything, and move to a whole new state! Ravenswood is the only really good thing that’s happened to me here, and now you want to take it away from me!”
Carolyn’s jaw dropped. “Emily,” she breathed. “I—I—”
Before her mother could go on, Emily shoved her chair back so violently that her cereal bowl tipped over, splashing milk and Cheerios everywhere. She jumped to her feet.
“I’ll be at Ravenswood, where I’m really needed.” She turned and raced out of the room.
E MILY WALKED INTO the circular driveway in front of Ravenswood Manor. The grand building was more than two centuries old. When Emily had first seen it, she had been spooked by the strange Gothic manor, complete with gargoyles perched on stone parapets. Now she welcomed the strength of its solid stone and seasoned wood. The big front windows watched her, looking down in welcome.
So many other things seemed so fleeting, she mused. How something so real, so close, could vanish in an instant, gone in the blink of an eye.
Emily blew out a frustrated sigh and shifted her backpack to her other shoulder. She followed the cobblestone walkway around the manor and entered the first of many gardens that surrounded the great lawns. Her friends were probably already in the portal field. They had planned to meet there and discuss what to do about the portal. Somehow they had to figure out how to replace the dreamcatcher that had protected it from evil.
“Emily?”
Adriane’s grandmother was working in one of the rose gardens. Nakoda Charday—better known to Adriane and her friends as Gran—was the caretaker of Ravenswood. She had worked for its owner, Mr. Gardener, for many years before Adriane had come to live with her.
“Oh,” Emily muttered. “Hi.” Lowering her head to avoid the woman’s wise, observant
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Emily frowned. She’d totally forgotten that Scooter’s owners were coming to pick him up yesterday. Still, it wasn’t as if she was the only one who could open a dog run. Why was her mother making such a big deal out of this? “I had stuff to do at Ravenswood, and it took longer than I thought.”
“Ah, Ravenswood.” Carolyn sighed. “It’s great that you’re so eager to help over there, but you can’t just ignore the rest of your life.”
Emily clenched her fists under the table. Her mother had no idea how important Ravenswood really was.
“You were the one who wanted to start the Pet Palace,” Carolyn went on. “And now I’m afraid you’re going to have to adapt your lifestyle to the new responsibilities.”
“Adapt?” Emily exclaimed, totally fed up. “ You’re telling me to adapt? What about you ?”
Carolyn looked startled. “What?”
“First you tell me to go out and make friends. Then you tell me to stay home more.” Emily’s hands were shaking. She dropped her spoon, which clattered off the table onto the floor. “Meanwhile you don’t even try to adapt. You just work all the time and pretend everything’s all fine and dandy.”
“That’s not true, I—”
“Don’t tell me it’s not true!” Emily cried. “I’m not stupid.” She waved a hand toward Carolyn’s lab coat. “Where are you going right now? It’s Sunday, you know. Most vets take a day off once in a while. When was the last time you took a day off?”
Carolyn frowned. “Lower your voice, Emily. And try to understand, I’m so busy—”
Emily didn’t let her finish. “Yeah, like you were so busy back in Colorado that you let your family fall apart!” she yelled. Suddenly she couldn’t stop the angry words from flowing. “That’s the reason we’re here—that’s why I have to worry about adapting—because you couldn’t make things work with Daddy, so my whole life got ruined! I had to leave my old friends, my old school, everything, and move to a whole new state! Ravenswood is the only really good thing that’s happened to me here, and now you want to take it away from me!”
Carolyn’s jaw dropped. “Emily,” she breathed. “I—I—”
Before her mother could go on, Emily shoved her chair back so violently that her cereal bowl tipped over, splashing milk and Cheerios everywhere. She jumped to her feet.
“I’ll be at Ravenswood, where I’m really needed.” She turned and raced out of the room.
E MILY WALKED INTO the circular driveway in front of Ravenswood Manor. The grand building was more than two centuries old. When Emily had first seen it, she had been spooked by the strange Gothic manor, complete with gargoyles perched on stone parapets. Now she welcomed the strength of its solid stone and seasoned wood. The big front windows watched her, looking down in welcome.
So many other things seemed so fleeting, she mused. How something so real, so close, could vanish in an instant, gone in the blink of an eye.
Emily blew out a frustrated sigh and shifted her backpack to her other shoulder. She followed the cobblestone walkway around the manor and entered the first of many gardens that surrounded the great lawns. Her friends were probably already in the portal field. They had planned to meet there and discuss what to do about the portal. Somehow they had to figure out how to replace the dreamcatcher that had protected it from evil.
“Emily?”
Adriane’s grandmother was working in one of the rose gardens. Nakoda Charday—better known to Adriane and her friends as Gran—was the caretaker of Ravenswood. She had worked for its owner, Mr. Gardener, for many years before Adriane had come to live with her.
“Oh,” Emily muttered. “Hi.” Lowering her head to avoid the woman’s wise, observant
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