9 A Piece of a Star

9 A Piece of a Star Teddy dropped down to a ledge. Jack and Annie followed. Hidden in the shadows, they crouched together, their dark feathers touching. They peered out at the moonlit lair of the Raven King.

The king's giant nest was tucked under a rocky overhang. It was made of mud, twigs, and long strips of tree bark. Two raven sentries were guarding its dark entrance. Okay, Jack softly croaked, what's the plan? Listen carefully, Teddy answered. In tiny queeks and caws of raven whispers, he spelled out a plan: I'll distract the guards. Annie, you keep watch at the entrance. Jack, you go into the nest and get the diamond. Then both of you head back to the castle and wait for me there. What about the Raven King? croaked Jack. I sense he's not here, croaked Teddy. I see no legions of bodyguards. But we should hurry before he returns. Jack had lots more questions about the plan. But before he could ask them, Teddy lifted off his perch and flew toward the entrance. Let's go! cried Annie, rising into the air. Jack was in a panic. He fluffed out his feathers and croaked, Wait, you guys!

But it was too late! Teddy was already dive-bombing the raven sentries! “ ARK-ARK-ARK! ” The two sentries left their watch and flew at Teddy with short shrieks. They chased him high into the sky. Annie zipped to the entrance of the nest. Come on, Jack! she croaked. Jack jumped off the ledge and flew on to the giant nest. Without thinking, he stepped through the entrance. He jerked his head from side to side. With his raven sight, he saw walls packed with dried mud, animal fur, vines, and sticks. The floor was covered with moss. Jack took a few steps forward. He stopped. He saw no sign of the Raven King. He cocked his head from side to side, listening. All was quiet.

Jack looked around the nest. One part of the nest's wall looked different. It was black and shiny. He stepped toward it. He touched it with his beak. It wasn't a wall at all. It was a curtain of feathers. Jack pushed through the feather curtain. Moonlight shone into the space behind it. Heaps of gold and silver coins glittered in the cool light. Pale pearls, emeralds, and rubies shone and sparkled. Amid all the treasure was a blue-white crystal. It was no bigger than a marble. But it shone with a light all its own, like a piece of a star. Jack knew at once the stone was the Diamond of Destiny. His raven heart thumping, he walked to the diamond and nudged it with his beak. As the diamond tilted, it shot forth beams of brilliant light. “ JAH! JAH! ” Annie was calling to him from outside. “ CREE-GRO! ” They're coming! Jack carefully picked up the diamond with his beak. He felt a surge of strength and courage.

Annie called another warning. But Jack wasn't afraid at all. He calmly walked out of the Raven King's nest back into the night. More sentries had been alerted. They were flying toward the mountaintop, cawing madly in alarm. “ KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! ” Jack saw Annie perched on the ledge. Hurry, Jack! Hurry! ' she croaked. Annie flew off the mountain. Holding the diamond in his beak, Jack gracefully flapped his wings and lifted into the air after her. As he and Annie sailed down from the mountaintop, a chorus of KRAKs split the night. Thousands of roosting ravens rose into the sky like a giant black cloud. Their beating wings rumbled like thunder. The cloud of ravens covered the light of the moon. The night was completely black. “ SPREE! SPREE! ” Annie croaked. Fly! Fly!

She and Jack glided down through the dark sky toward the duke's castle. The wing beats of the raven army still thundered above the mountaintop. But none of the ravens were chasing them. They don't know what to do without their king, Jack thought. He wondered where their king was. But with the Diamond of Destiny in his beak, he felt no fear. The farther Jack and Annie flew from the mountain, the more distant became the sound of the raven soldiers' wings. The duke's castle came into sight. Jack saw the light of Teddy's lantern in the nursery. But he didn't want to stop flying just yet. Instead, he swooped over the castle keep, over the courtyard, the gatehouse, and the bridge, over the candlelit cottages and oak forest. Annie flew with him. Finally they both glided smoothly back to the castle and landed on the window ledge of the nursery. The Diamond of Destiny was safe!