Summerkin Read Online Free Page A

time.”
    â€œA long time,” Rip echoed, his narrow eyes fixed on Rook.
    Rook stared at them, not sure what to say. Behind him, the rest of the pucks in the cave, even the baby, had fallen silent, as if they were all listening to hear how Rook would explain why he’d stayed away from home for so long.
    Suddenly Asher grinned. “It’s all right, Puppy. We know about your little troubles with the Mór. Not very smart of you, was it, binding yourself to one like that. Letting her wolves get at you?”
    Rook breathed out a sigh of relief. So he didn’t have to explain. “It was stupid, yes,” he agreed.
    â€œYou were trying to save that idiot Finn!” Tatter put in, from where he sat in his nest of blankets. “Not stupid at all, dear Rook.”
    â€œFinn is the horse Phouka now, and he’s not come back to us, has he?” Rip said.
    â€œHe hasn’t, no,” Asher agreed. His red eyes watched Rook carefully. “Instead of coming home to us he’s staying with that new Lady, the one who somehow managed to defeat the Mór even though she’s no more than a girl.”
    Rook nodded. He didn’t add anything, because the less he said about Fer, the better.
    Asher straightened and stepped closer. “But Rook, it’s been ages since the Mór lost her bid to be a Lady. What’ve you been up to since then?”
    The question he’d been dreading. “This and that,” Rook mumbled.
    â€œReally!” Asher exclaimed.
    Beside him, Rip rose to his feet. His black and red body paint made him look like a creature of shadow and burning coals. His eyes gleamed orange in his black-painted face.
    â€œThis and that, is it?” Asher went on. He glanced at Rip and gave a slight nod. “We heard this ”—Rip reached out and gave Rook a rough shove. Asher went on, leaning closer. “You’ve spent the last little while skulking ’round the borders of that new Lady-girl’s lands, and we’ve heard that ”—Rip shoved harder, and Rook stumbled back, his heart pounding—“you gave a ride to a nathe’s messenger but didn’t bring his message to us, as you should have.”
    Rip shoved with both hands and, as Rook crashed to the cave floor, Rip flicked his shifter-tooth into his mouth, blurring into his dog shape. Rook scrambled backward as Rip came snarling after him. A heavy leap, and Rip forced him to the ground, breathing down on him with two big paws on his chest. Panting, Rook stared up. The Rip-dog had a heavy muzzle and small eyes, and he growled deep in his chest. His breath was hot and smelled of dead rabbits. Rook lifted an arm to push the dog off; Rip seized his wrist in his teeth. Rook froze.
    Asher crouched next to him. Firelight gleamed from the crystals knotted into his braids. “What we hear is, you brought the nathe message to the girl instead.” He grinned. “So. What’s going on, Rook?”
    Rook shook his head. Not telling.
    Rip bit harder, his teeth digging into Rook’s skin.
    â€œGet off me, Rip,” Rook growled.
    Asher’s eyes narrowed. After a moment he stood and gave his sideways nod to Rip, and the dog released his grip.
    Rook got shakily to his feet, rubbing his wrist. Rip’s teeth had left indentations but hadn’t drawn blood.
    â€œAh, Rook.” Tatter loomed up beside him and before Rook could flinch away, put a comforting hand on his head. “We raised you from a baby, didn’t we? You’ve always been a strange one, but we know what you’re thinking.”
    â€œThat’s right, we do,” Asher said, coming up on Rook’s other side. He shot Rook a sideways grin. “That girl’s got some kind of binding magic. She used it on Phouka, and now she’s trying to use it on you. But you’re a puck, after all. Come on and tell us the rest, and we’ll help you get free of her.”
    Rook held