Free Jane and the Raven King by Stephen Chambers Page B

Thomas. Dinner is over, children, and you all have a long day tomorrow. To your rooms. Scoot, scoot!”
    “There,” Finn said to Jane, “how was it?”
    “The food? Great.”
    A side door grew large enough for Finn, and she followed the dragon up a red-marble staircase.
    “Was I the last one to get here?” Jane asked.
    “Yes,” Finn said. “There was a hiding spell around your family. Gaius didn’t think he would ever find you, but then someone else broke the spell.”
    “You mean the Raven King?”
    Finn was quiet. They continued up, passing a closed wooden door with a cartoon-bobbin painted on it in bright red and blue.
    “Most of Castle Alsod is off-limits,” Finn said. “It’s not safe to wander off without me or Gaius with you.”
    He didn’t answer me, Jane thought, so I’m probably right: The Raven King, whoever he is, found us—found Grandma Diana. She must have cast the spell in the first place.
    “Finn, do you know anything about Thomas?”
    “Why, did he say something to you?”
    She shook her head. “Never mind.” They passed another door with a picture of a raindrop on it. Jane asked, “How come the castle doors open wide for you?”
    “She likes me.”
    “Who does?”
    “Alsod.”
    “I thought Alsod was the name of the castle.”
    “It is,” Finn said. “And she likes me.”
    “How can a castle be a person?” Jane asked.
    “She isn’t a person; she’s a castle.”
    “But you’re talking about her—it—like a person.”
    “Jane, this is Hotland. I’m a talking dragon, remember?” Finn smiled. “Alsod has been the home of bobbins—the cat-people like Gaius—for thousands of years.”
    But there aren’t any other bobbins besides Gaius, Jane thought. They stopped at a third door with a picture of two open hands on it. The stairs continued up and up and up. Strange that this door has human hands on it, Jane thought, if this is a bobbin castle.
    “Here we are,” Finn said. He opened the door. On the other side was a hall made of blue brick. Fireflies blinked and winked in a cloud near the ceiling, and in the yellowish glow, Jane saw pairs of unmarked doors that disappeared into darkness down the hall. “This is your floor,” Finn said. “The room on the left is for you, Jane. Alsod is dangerous in the dark. Trust me.”
    Jane went to her door. “Where is everyone else?”
    “On other floors.”
    “What if I have to go to the bathroom?”
    “The bathroom is attached to your room, just like in a hotel.” Now, lights out is in fifteen minutes,” Finn nodded to the fireflies, “so hurry to bed, kiddo.”

F inn said, “Here, let me get you settled into your room…”
    The room was red and plushy, with shiny brass at the edges of the tables and chairs—like it was some kind of archaic parlor, rather than a bedroom—although there was a high, puffy bed.
    “Ta-da!” Finn said. When Jane didn’t smile, he walked her to the bed. “I bet you’re tired, huh?”
    “I don’t understand any of this,” Jane said. “Please, Finn. I need you to tell me why I’m here. Who is the Raven King?”
    “He’s…it’s not…” Finn sighed and sat at the foot of the bed. “Get comfortable, amiga . Gaius thinks it’s better not to scare you, but I guess explaining things can’t hurt, can it? Are you sure you want to know? Okay…a long time ago, when the Earth was young, people were watched over by Great Eagles.”
    “By birds?” Jane said.
    “They were like birds, yes, but they were very powerful. Anyway, they protected people. I don’t know where they came from, but there were twelve of them. Back then, there was no war, no starvation—none of the horrible things you read about or see on television. It was as peaceful as you can imagine—until one day, when a thirteenth eagle came. He was stronger than all twelve of the other eagles combined, and he didn’t like people.”
    “Why not?”
    “I don’t know. Have you ever been around a person who is angry at