Seeker of the Four Winds: A Galatia Novel Read Online Free Page B

us?”
    “It was a love song, stupid.”
Josie’s eyes turned into furious blue storm clouds. She slid off
her horse and marched over to Lindsey. “Saboteurs might get the
trophy, but they never win.”
    “What do you mean by saboteur ?”
    “Saboteur: a person who commits
sabotage.”
    “I know the definition, but I don’t see how
it applies to me.”
    “Get off your high horse and let me tell
you.”
    “I don’t think so, Albright.”
    “What’s the matter—are you afraid to talk
with the big girls?”
    “Fine,” Lindsey replied tartly, swinging a
leg over the saddle to land a couple of feet in front of Josie. She
crossed her arms. “Well?”
    “Admit it, Burning.” Josie narrowed her blue
eyes. “You sabotaged my act because you knew mine was better.”
    Loyl made a move to intervene in the
argument, but Dante blocked the prince’s path with an outstretched
arm, shaking his head. “This has been a long time in coming,” Dante
said. “If they don’t work it out now, they never will.” The girls
were so wrapped up in their argument, Lars thought that the ridge
could have caved in and they wouldn’t have noticed.
    “You’re crazy, Albright,” Lindsey said.
    “The hell I am. My guitar
was on the backstage risers, right where I put it before every
rehearsal. But when they called my name—it’s gone. Nowhere to be
seen. I’m panicking. The teachers are panicking. Everyone is
rushing around helping me look for it—everyone except your
teammates, that is. They’re standing off by themselves, laughing
like my ruination is the funniest thing in the world. The clock is
ticking, so I’m forced to go out onstage without my guitar. Mrs.
Ormistand accompanies me on the piano instead, but she’s never
played Country Bumpkin before. I’d have been better off without any accompaniment at
all.”
    “She did make a lot of
mistakes, but that’s not my fault.”
    “And the next morning,
while your team is basking in your stolen glory, my guitar
mysteriously turns up at my front door with a sticky note
saying Better Luck Next Year,
Sucker. ”
    “It did not say sucker. ”
    “Ah-ha!” Josie jabbed her finger violently in
the air. “You did write it!”
    “Did not!” Lindsey shot back.
    “Then how did you know it didn’t say
sucker?”
    “Uh,” Lindsey stumbled over her words. “I
figured you were just being overly dramatic like usual. I wasn’t
even backstage when your guitar went missing.”
    “But your teammates were and everyone knew
they bowed to your every whim.”
    The girls were jabbing fingers in one
another’s faces.
    “Uh, ladies,” Lars tried to be the voice of
reason. “It happened so long ago, in a life that no longer exists,
so who cares?”
    “Shut up, Lars,” Lindsey said.
    “Yeah, you stay out of this,” Josie agreed,
turning her attention back onto her nemesis. “Say what you want,
Burning, but I know without a doubt that you were behind the theft
of my guitar. And my trophy.”
    “You have a high opinion of your talent.”
    “And so do you—that’s why you went to so much
trouble to ruin my performance. That guitar didn’t grow legs! And
you know it!”
    “Get over yourself.”
    “That’s funny coming from
an attention-whore like you. Flipping your hair around, flirting
with the prince like a common trollop, strutting around with that
gun, thinking you’re a bad ass. Well, I got news—you are bad and you act like
an ass, but
you’re no bad ass. Just a wanna-be.”
    Lindsey shoved Josie in the chest. Josie
stumbled backwards. By the time she caught her footing, her face
was flushed red. Her blue eyes were thunderstorms.
    She shoved Lindsey in return, knocking her
butt to the ground where Josie sprang on top of her. A moment later
it was an explosion of elbows and fists as the two girls rolled
around on the ground, dangerously close to the ravine. Dante tried
to pull Josie off Lindsey, but got an elbow in the nose. Rolf tried
to pull Lindsey off Josie, but