Free The Knaveheart's Curse by Adele Griffin Page B

hallway, and then you’ll have to take the elevator.”

“Oh, okay.” Thump. Slam. Dakota hurled her body against the wall. “Except I can’t.”

“What do you mean, can’t?”

“When I’m nervous, my ghost traits don’t work as well.” Dakota continued to slam herself. Bump. Thwump. A green sprig fell out of her ear. Thunk. “My scared-er, dryad side takes over.” Thud.

“Twenty feet. Sixteen, fifteen feet. Fast approaching. We’re outta time,” said Hudson. “Sorry, Susanality. Gotta fly.” He flapped away.

“Get ghosty, Dakooty!” Maddy commanded, panic prickling her arms.

“I can’t. Go, go!” said Dakota, shooing Maddy off. “It’s way worse for you to be caught. I’m not enemies with any Elcrises.”

Maddy’s thoughts pinwheeled. True. But she shouldn’t leave her friend in peril.

“I’m serious. Go!” hissed Dakota.

Maddy went—but not out the window. It wasn’t fair to abandon Dakota. She dove back into Lisi’s closet just as the bedroom door flew open.
     

 

15
     

    ALAS, ASLEEP
    W hat are you doing in my room?” Lisi demanded, using just as crabby a voice as Maddy would have expected.

Maddy pressed her ear to the door. On the sly, she had to admit that she was excited for this fight. She always got furious when Crud and Hex stepped an uninvited foot into her room—and they were family. She couldn’t imagine the temper tantrum that spoiled Lisi might throw.

“I’m super sorry,” said Dakota. “The doorman let me in. He, er, thought you were at home.”

“Well, we weren’t. Jeez, look at all these leaves you’ve tracked in here. And why’re you wearing that dog barf green cape?”

Dakota sounded apologetic. “My mom made me wear it. When it’s this hot, she worries about the ozone.”

A moment of silence. Then, “Well, if you want to know the truth, D., I’m relieved you came by,” Lisi said softly.

Huh? Maddy’s eavesdropping ear itched in surprise. She was ?

“You are ?” asked Dakota.

“Yeah, I thought you’d dropped me to be friends with that tiny gargoyle, Maddy Livingstone. Here, I even picked up a ticket for you.”

“For me? Thanks,” said Dakota. “What’s it for?”

“Club Lullaby’s Summer Solstice. It’s a fancy dance and raffle tomorrow night. I thought you could sit at my table with me and my family. Including my cousin, Zelda.”

“Oh, lovely.” But Maddy could hear a wriggle of doubt in Dakota’s voice. “Where is this mysterious cousin of yours?”

“Zelda’s not mysterious. She’s great. She sleeps a lot, but when she’s awake, she’s superhumanly talented at playing guitar. We didn’t even know we had any relatives from Denmark. You should try one of Zelda’s gazpachos—they’re a Danish delicacy. Speaking of, wanna eat lunch with us? Dad bought pizza and cannolis.”

“Lovely,” breathed Dakota. “What’s a cannoli?”

“They’re like éclairs, but better. Once Adam ate five cannolis and got sick on himself. It was grr-ohsss!”

“Grr-ohsss!” Giggling, the girls left the room together.

Maddy fumed as she opened the closet door, swiping a bunch of Club Lullaby dance tickets off Lisi’s bureau before she leaped out the window and skimmed down the fire escape. Here she’d tried to help Dakota, only to be traded away for pizza and a couple of cannolis! Her cloak snapped out behind her as she strode home.

“Anyway, I’ve got more important things on my mind,” she said. “Like saving my sister.” She stared at the tickets in her hand. She’d only snitched them to be mischievous, but suddenly the lines of the Knave poem floated like a banner across her brain . . .

As Night then falls to feast and dance / Diverted by a game of chance / A call is made upon phantom arms / To breake this curse’s deadly charms / And spiral Knaeve to dusty grave . . .

Hey! Lullaby was having a dance and raffle. And a raffle was a game of chance, just like in the poem.

But where were the phantom arms?