The Circle of Owls (The Grimalkin Book 3) Dani Swanson (best books for 8th graders .TXT) 📖

off her. I was going to conjure a lightning bolt, but I couldn’t even think on how to do it. I’m not sure what happened.” She rubbed her temples, trying to calm the pounding headache that was forming.

“I was joking.”

She now had her book of creatures out and was thumbing through the pages, trying to find information on what the Baba Yaga really was. There was a short paragraph in the back of the book that told of a crossbred creature that came from the Elves and the Fairies, known as the Baba Yaga. She is the keeper of nature and has powers that are stronger than any known force in any of the kingdoms. There wasn’t much more information that could be told from the page. Thea was sure it was because those who encountered Baba Yaga turned into part of the pedestal for her hut.

“That’s an interesting book you have there.” Percy said as he was eating bits of an apple he had sliced up. “Where did you get it?”

“I found it in my cabin when I first woke up. I’m not sure where I got it from, but I’m glad that I have it. It’s been nice to have when I run into things that I don’t have knowledge of.” She was turning the book over in her hands looking at the worn cover when she noticed the piece of paper that Jaeger had dropped. She recognized the same tattered paper that at one point was from the back of her book.

“Looks like Jaeger left me a gift.” She held up the paper so that Percy could see.

“What does it say?” Percy came over and sat next to Thea, looking over her shoulder to see the note.

I’m still being held hostage. Send help!

“It’s from Penelope.” Thea said with a sigh as she looked out at the darkness.

“How do you know? She didn’t sign it.”

Thea opened her book to the back pages and showed Percy the missing pages. The tattered piece of paper adhered itself to the previous notes, fitting perfectly against the ripped paper from the spine. “I don’t know how she does it, but she’s been sending me notes ever since I woke up.”

“It would help if she told us where she was…..How do you send help if you don’t know where to send it?”

Thea sat and looked at Percy’s face for a moment before a grin spread across her lips. She then pursed her lips and started to whistle the same happy tune as before. Through the sky her song carried on the wind. They waited and waited, but the Raven didn’t come.

“He’ll be here. He’ll come back.”

They watched out the cave’s opening as Thea stated to write on a bit of paper.

“I have an idea, he’ll be here.”

They hunkered down as the fire started to turn to embers – watching the entrance for the raven to return.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It wasn’t until the next morning that they saw the raven back in the cave. Jaeger was nestled in the warm fur of Fig – who was purring and licking the feathers of the raven. “Well, you two are finally going to be friends now?” Thea’s words cracked with her sleepiness still in her voice. Fig, realizing that his affections could be seen, pushed away from the bird, and trotted over to his human, meowing at her – rubbing his head against her hand. “You’re too late, I already saw you, silly cat.” She scratched his ears as she smiled at the raven. “Jaeger, I need you to show me where you get my notes from. Can you do that?” The bird watched her mouth as she spoke, with his head tilted to the side, intently listening to what Thea said.

“Does he understand what you say to him?” The bird squawked at his question.

“Ravens are the most intelligent birds.” Thea held out her hand, and Jaeger hopped onto her forearm. She started to stroke the feathers under his chin. “Some of them can mimic human voices – and like Jaeger, many can collect objects and deliver correspondence for their humans…..My animals are very intelligent, aren’t you boys?” She snuggled with her animals a few moments more before getting things situated to leave the cave.

“Where are we going to go?” Percy was leaning against the wall at the cave entrance.

Thea finished writing her note and handed it to Jaeger. The raven gently took the paper from Thea, before flying through the cave opening. “We’re going to finish climbing the mountain to find Robin….If we don’t find her there, we will go and get Penelope. I just sent a note to Penelope to let her know that we would be on our way.”

“Who do you think has her?” Percy questioned as he assisted Thea with her coat.

Without hesitation Thea answered the question: “The Circle of Owls.”

“What if someone else gets the note?”

“It won’t matter – We just have to keep tracking where Jaeger goes, and we’ll find where the Circle is keeping her.”

The trio walked out to the snowy mountainside. Thea fixated on the curly smoke coming from the Baba Yaga’s hut, until Percy started to shake her shoulder. “Don’t do that again!” He led her up the side of the mountain.

The snow was getting deeper the higher they climbed. The pine trees started to thin as they could see the top of the peak. There was a small opening that was filled with rocks at the very top – footprints could be seen leaving the entrance – partially covered by the blowing snow. “Someone has been up here.” Percy said as he pointed to the tracks leading down the other side of the mountain. “Those tracks are heading back to Izotza.” He said with a smile as he shielded his eyes from the sun, looking off in the distance.

“Do you think it could be Robin?!” Thea’s green eyes lit up with excitement as she too surveyed the mountainside.

Percy dropped to a knee to examine the tracks.