was humming along. Holly gave me a dirty look.
I shrugged. “It’s kind of catchy.”
“Where do you think Dad is?” Holly asked.
“Shh! Don’t talk about him in front of the others. Until we find out what’s really going on, we can’t let them know he’s our father.”
“Don’t worry. They can’t hear us over their singing.”
“I thought I told you two to shut up!” Garret said.
“No, they can’t hear us,” I mumbled sarcastically. I turned to Garret and said, “We were singing along.”
“You should be celebrating. It’s a wonder Dad’s letting you come along. It’s not as though you remember how to get back to the park.”
I stiffened. I’d been hoping no one would notice that. “Actually, I remember passing through here. Don’t you, Holly?”
“Oh, yeah.” Holly nodded, following my lead. “We’re definitely heading in the right direction.”
I was trying to play along so Garret wouldn’t convince Morgan to get rid of Holly and me, and the sound of the growling wolf sticking his head out of the cave up ahead let me know that we really were retracing our steps.
“What do you want us to do, Dad?” Garret asked. He stopped the group and stood face to face with the giant rock wolf. He held up his knife in defense. Edward was behind him, standing protectively in front of Noelle.
“Get rid of it! That’s why we brought weapons!” Morgan said. He was at the back of the group now. Some fearless leader.
“No!” I yelled. “That thing will mangle your puny little knives. We need something bigger and stronger.” I looked at the pile of rocks on the ground near the cave, and I had a feeling it was the remains of the other rock wolf. That must have been some fight Holly and I missed when we ran away. “We need another rock wolf.”
Holly wrinkled her forehead. “You can’t be serious! After what almost happened last time?”
“Dad, what do you want me to do?” Garret asked more urgently.
“Create another wolf,” Morgan said, looking me in the eyes.
“You’re taking advice from him ?” Trent asked.
Morgan glared at Trent. “I’ve been hearing a lot of negative comments about you lately. You’re falling asleep on the job, questioning my orders, and speaking ill of our family’s fortune,” Morgan counted off on his fingers like he’d forgotten about the wolf that was ready to eat us all. “I’ll give you one chance to defend yourself, or we’ll be feeding you to the wolf.”
I didn’t think wolves—even stone ones—understood English, but this one sure seemed to. It crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce.
“The wolf’s going to attack!” I yelled. I didn’t wait for a response. I stared at the pile of rocks and shouted, “Those rocks look like a giant wolf ready to attack one of its kind.” I hoped I’d chosen my words carefully enough. The pile of rocks shifted and rumbled as they transformed into a giant —poor choice of words on my part—wolf in a low crouch. It let out a deep growl and lunged at the other wolf. Their jaws locked on each other, and pieces of rock flew everywhere. “Run!” I yelled.
No one hesitated. We ran past the cave and didn’t look back.
Chapter Sixteen
I was more than a little surprised to see a bunch of tough thieves running away from a fight. I was even more surprised that Morgan had listened to me , especially since my plan involved creating another rock wolf.
“Uncle Morgan must be losing his mind!” Trent mumbled under his breath.
“Dad?” Garret said in a low voice. “Trent should be punished for his lack of loyalty to you, and I’d be happy to carry out any punishment you see fit. But, I can’t help wondering why we’re taking these kids with us. We don’t need them.”
I gulped. Garret was right. They didn’t need us. I leaned closer, hoping to find out Morgan’s reason for keeping us around. Luckily, they were too busy to notice me.
“Until we know how they got Aristede’s painting,
I shrugged. “It’s kind of catchy.”
“Where do you think Dad is?” Holly asked.
“Shh! Don’t talk about him in front of the others. Until we find out what’s really going on, we can’t let them know he’s our father.”
“Don’t worry. They can’t hear us over their singing.”
“I thought I told you two to shut up!” Garret said.
“No, they can’t hear us,” I mumbled sarcastically. I turned to Garret and said, “We were singing along.”
“You should be celebrating. It’s a wonder Dad’s letting you come along. It’s not as though you remember how to get back to the park.”
I stiffened. I’d been hoping no one would notice that. “Actually, I remember passing through here. Don’t you, Holly?”
“Oh, yeah.” Holly nodded, following my lead. “We’re definitely heading in the right direction.”
I was trying to play along so Garret wouldn’t convince Morgan to get rid of Holly and me, and the sound of the growling wolf sticking his head out of the cave up ahead let me know that we really were retracing our steps.
“What do you want us to do, Dad?” Garret asked. He stopped the group and stood face to face with the giant rock wolf. He held up his knife in defense. Edward was behind him, standing protectively in front of Noelle.
“Get rid of it! That’s why we brought weapons!” Morgan said. He was at the back of the group now. Some fearless leader.
“No!” I yelled. “That thing will mangle your puny little knives. We need something bigger and stronger.” I looked at the pile of rocks on the ground near the cave, and I had a feeling it was the remains of the other rock wolf. That must have been some fight Holly and I missed when we ran away. “We need another rock wolf.”
Holly wrinkled her forehead. “You can’t be serious! After what almost happened last time?”
“Dad, what do you want me to do?” Garret asked more urgently.
“Create another wolf,” Morgan said, looking me in the eyes.
“You’re taking advice from him ?” Trent asked.
Morgan glared at Trent. “I’ve been hearing a lot of negative comments about you lately. You’re falling asleep on the job, questioning my orders, and speaking ill of our family’s fortune,” Morgan counted off on his fingers like he’d forgotten about the wolf that was ready to eat us all. “I’ll give you one chance to defend yourself, or we’ll be feeding you to the wolf.”
I didn’t think wolves—even stone ones—understood English, but this one sure seemed to. It crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce.
“The wolf’s going to attack!” I yelled. I didn’t wait for a response. I stared at the pile of rocks and shouted, “Those rocks look like a giant wolf ready to attack one of its kind.” I hoped I’d chosen my words carefully enough. The pile of rocks shifted and rumbled as they transformed into a giant —poor choice of words on my part—wolf in a low crouch. It let out a deep growl and lunged at the other wolf. Their jaws locked on each other, and pieces of rock flew everywhere. “Run!” I yelled.
No one hesitated. We ran past the cave and didn’t look back.
Chapter Sixteen
I was more than a little surprised to see a bunch of tough thieves running away from a fight. I was even more surprised that Morgan had listened to me , especially since my plan involved creating another rock wolf.
“Uncle Morgan must be losing his mind!” Trent mumbled under his breath.
“Dad?” Garret said in a low voice. “Trent should be punished for his lack of loyalty to you, and I’d be happy to carry out any punishment you see fit. But, I can’t help wondering why we’re taking these kids with us. We don’t need them.”
I gulped. Garret was right. They didn’t need us. I leaned closer, hoping to find out Morgan’s reason for keeping us around. Luckily, they were too busy to notice me.
“Until we know how they got Aristede’s painting,
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