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

side. Robin had tears streaming down her face and a look of panic as she tried to find the answers that would get her out of this situation.

Thea continued to scream question after question at Robin, (who was now turning red in the face with frustration) never giving her a chance to answer what was being asked of her.

“It was Agatha, okay?! She’s the one who told me about your family and the Circle of Owls! She was a part of them- she wouldn’t tell me why they had her, but she knew your grandma!” Robin sat down at the table, hiding her face in her hands as she silently sobbed.

“Agatha? She died months ago! How long have you had this?!” Thea was being restrained by the shoulders by Dean.

“Let her talk – you need to calm down!”

“Dean, this has nothing to do with you! Butt out!” The look Thea gave him burned to his soul. He let go of her shoulders and backed away. He pulled out a chair on the other side of the table and offered it to Thea to sit.

“Just don’t hurt your friend, or your friendship. Sit down.” His voice was soothing as he went and sat on the corner of the bed. Robin, no longer crying, was sheepishly looking up at Thea.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Robin’s voice was meek as she finally made eye contact with Thea. For the first time in months, Robin sounded sincere to Thea.

“You need to tell me what is going on, is any of this true?” She held the book up as an example before tossing it across the table.

“It’s all true. That is what Agatha told me.” Her eyes were bloodshot from crying.

“You’ve known this the whole time, and you never told me? Why would you do that to me? Things would have played out a whole lot differently if I had known this when I went there! I would never keep something like this from you!”

“I didn’t know about this when you went there, I swear!” The tears were starting again.

“Your story doesn’t add up, Robin. You’ve been in the mountains this whole time. Where would you have gotten a book from Agatha?” Dean was now more invested in the story than in trying to keep Thea calm.

“Agatha told me WHILE I was in the mountains. She still speaks to me!” That’s the most she was able to get out between sobs.

All the emotions drained from Thea’s face as she blankly stared at her friend across the table. “You were up there by yourself for a long time Robin. You should get some more rest.” Her voice was stoic as she slowly rose from her spot. “We all were there when your sister died, sweetie. She’s gone.”

“No, you don’t understand! I can still hear her! I can see her!” Robin was on her feet screaming at Thea. Robin’s body was shaking as she was trying to stop crying long enough to get her point out.

Thea looked around the room, then back to her friend. “Do you see her now?” Her eyebrows raised in concern as she tried to make her voice as soothing as possible.

“I told you, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you!”

“Okay, I can’t listen to anymore of this, Robin. You need to get your rest.” Thea started to the door and had her arm grabbed by Robin. Thea stopped without turning around. “Don’t. Just don’t.” Thea shook her arm free and walked out the door with Dean on her heels, leaving a sobbing Robin behind in her room.

“She’s lost her mind. She made up a whole story while she was up in the mountains. What happened to her up there?” Thea’s voice was in a hushed whisper as she walked down the hall with Dean.

“Do you really think she believes she’s seeing and hearing her sister?”

“I read her whole journal last night, and there was no mention of her sister. The whole thing is written as if it is her point of view. Did you know that she also says she can understand the Baba Yaga? Like…. can talk to her. Robin doesn’t know any fairy or elf…She said to us that she could hear her voice in her head when I spoke to her, but she wrote down that she was holding conversations with her!....She said that the Baba Yaga ate Edward and then convinced her to work with her to save the dragons….that wasn’t even close to the interaction I had with her!” Thea shook her head in disbelief as they continued to walk. “My friend has lost her damn mind.”

“Thea, cut her some slack – her sister died right in front of her! You saw how messed up she was, and it was her twin….none of us knows how that feels.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they went down the stairs.

Thea was quiet as they went into the kitchen. Dean continued to try to get her to see that her friend was hurting, and not trying to hurt her, but Thea’s brain was frantic. She was hungry and exhausted, confused and scared for her friend. The words that came from Dean were just white noise drifting over her.

“I wish I had my own memories….” Is all she said before taking an orange from the basket of fruit, giving Dean a hug and walking out the door to go back to her room. Maybe sleep would help her find an answer.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Where’s your sister? What have you done with her this time?” Her voice was cold and broken. She was pinning her silvering hair on top of her head. “She’s not your pawn, you know, she is your sister.”

“She’s fine, mother. She’s doing her own thing, trying to get her powers back. You could just tell her how to do it.”

“You two could just let me go too, but I don’t see my life being any better that way. You probably would