Kingdom Keepers VI (9781423179214) Read Online Free

periodically as if to listen for anyone following. Like her. She stopped, matching them. Stayed low. Alert.
    Rocks and shadows. A cave. The others followed the leader—a woman.
    Jess followed, running the long way around to avoid being seen. She crept up to the slanting corner of the cave’s opening, where a huge gray rock formed the ceiling, and sand the floor. The rock was smooth. Paper wasp hives hung from the rock like warts. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them. A few wasps flew to and from the nests, their tiny legs dangling like landing gear.
    Jess stayed hunched as she crawled inside. The group ahead of her was after something. They were hunting.
    And now she was hunting them.
    * * *
    Finn awoke in one of the few interior staterooms that had not been booked for the cruise. Storey Ming had made it available, so the Keepers had somewhere to sleep when crossed-over as holograms. Ever since his own mom’s loyalty had come into question, he’d been bunking in with Philby. But here, there was no one. He reached for the Wave Phone and saw a text message was waiting.
    r u there?
    It had been sent from Storey Ming’s stateroom phone.
    here
    It took several long seconds for a new message to appear. Anxious seconds.
j in trouble. deck 4. willa ok?
    Finn felt thickheaded, like he’d had no sleep. It took him a moment to process “j” as “Jess.” His feet were already moving as he texted:
    on way
    He knocked on the stateroom door where he expected to find the returned Willa. Looked in both directions. Some passengers, but no stewards or crew members. He knocked louder, and the door opened. Willa heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Finn.
    â€œOh, it’s you!” She opened the door. Finn rushed inside.
    â€œHurry. Jess is in trouble.”
    â€œWhere?” Willa asked.
    â€œDeck four. Starboard.”
    â€œWhere we jumped.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œThe hyenas?”
    â€œWay ahead of you,” Finn said.
    â€œDon’t be such a jerk, okay?” Willa was in his face, up on her toes. “For one thing: you are never way ahead of me.” She trembled there, about to lose her balance.
    Finn nodded. “Point taken.”
    â€œWe nearly drowned,” she said.
    â€œSort of.”
    â€œClose enough for me.”
    â€œI got us out of it,” Finn said.
    â€œYou?”
    â€œSorry… We got us out of it.”
    â€œBetter.”
    â€œI may have spoken the Triton Code,” he added. “Twice.”
    It took Willa a moment to allow herself to grin. “And I thank you for that,” she said.
    â€œNo charge.”
    â€œJess,” she said, reminding them both of their mission.
    â€œYes. And quickly.”
    * * *
    As one of the five prettiest girls in ninth grade, if you counted Marsha Coleman—and it was hard not to—Charlene had the attention not only of most juniors but even a few seniors as well. She was “popular,” which often translated to “hot.” She was checked out in the hallways. To girls who were jealous of her, she was an object of derision, the recipient of far too many text messages; and she even received a few anonymous gifts from time to time, not all of which were appropriate.
    She had a lot to be thankful for—but at the same time, not so much. Boys wanted to get to know her, but not in a way she had any interest in. She kept tabs on a couple of them, but the more she learned, the less she liked.
    Except when it came to Terry Maybeck and Finn Whitman, two of her fellow Keepers. Terry, who wasn’t exactly Calvin Klein eye candy. Terry, who considered himself to be God’s gift to girls. Terry, who came
from a broken home, had few close friends, and worked every day after school to help his aunt Jelly. Terry, who Charlene couldn’t stop thinking about. She’d been warned about falling for the bad boys. No one could put Terry in that category. Not bad, just different. An