Quest Maker by Laurie McKay Page B

road. His scar tugged at his mouth, and a slow grin spread across his face. What type of game was he playing to want Rosa’s fury? Surely, he wasn’t so foolish. “Go ahead.” He chuckled. “From what I’ve heard, Caden has already complained many times.”
    â€œYeah, but she thinks I’m sane,” Tito said.
    â€œDoes she now? You’re her foster kid, right? What does she really care?” Before Caden could challenge those words, Rath Dunn slammed the brakes.
    Caden lurched forward, the seat belt pinching his neck. Tito cursed. Rath Dunn began to drive carefully. Slowly, heturned into Rosa’s drive. The door locks flipped up. Caden doubled over and promptly threw up on the red floor mat. He certainly wasn’t telling Jasan about any of this.
    Tito scrambled out the back door.
    Rath Dunn stared at the mat. He seemed unable to comprehend.
    Perhaps Caden’s nervous stomach wasn’t so bad. Rath Dunn might kill him one day, and Caden’s fathers and brothers might be embarrassed by his mess on the mat, but the action had distracted his enemy. Caden used the moment to jump out.
    Rath Dunn rolled down the window. He spoke near a whisper. “Who knows, though? Maybe your brother won’t care. Maybe he’ll want to kill you himself.”
    â€œJasan wouldn’t hurt me.”
    Rath Dunn reached in his pocket and tossed Caden’s and Tito’s cell phones to them. “We’ll see who hurts who,” Rath Dunn said. He slowly pulled down the drive, turned, then sped down the road like a spray of red blood.
    Caden stared after him partly in shock, partly still nauseous. He felt unnerved that the tyrant knew of Rosa and her house, worried he could hurt her as well as Tito, Brynne, and Jane. At least Caden had thrown up on his floor mat. It wasn’t the noblest of things, but it would require Rath Dunn to clean.
    Suddenly, Caden couldn’t catch his breath.
    Tito patted Caden’s back. “Bro, you okay?” He also sounded a bit shaky.
    Caden wasn’t okay. Rath Dunn was going to kill him. Also Tito. The math problem about the brother replayed in his head, as did Ms. Primrose’s words: “Heroes aren’t sent here, dear.” The royal Winterbird had been stripped from Jasan’s uniform. How could he have been banished? How could anyone believe Jasan would hurt Chadwin? Unlike Jasan’s feelings for Caden, Jasan liked Chadwin. Certainly, the king knew that. He had to know that. How could their father let this happen?
    A gentle hand on his shoulder startled him. It was Rosa. “Are you all right? How was the tutoring?”
    â€œHe drove like a madman,” Tito said. “Caden’s right. He’s crazy.”
    She looked at Caden with something between concern and sorrow in her expression. “Go inside and get something to eat.”
    Caden’s hands felt shaky so he put them in his pockets. “I’ve told you, Rath Dunn is my enemy, he’s the enemy of all good peoples.” Rosa looked skeptical, like usual. “He is also a danger to Brynne and Jane.”
    Rosa crossed her arms. Her face was iron. “He’s not your enemy, Caden. He’s your math teacher.”
    â€œHe’s both,” Caden said. “You shouldn’t have given him permission to drive us home.”
    She frowned at that. “I’m sorry, Caden. I didn’t realize it would upset you so much. Go inside and calm down.” Her voice was kind but stern. “We’ll discuss this later,” she said, and went to tinker with her metal flowers.
    In the living room, the girls sat on the green couch. Jane was dressed in her pink training clothes. Brynne had a yellow towel around her neck. Her hair hung in long, dark strands past her shoulders.
    Caden reached out and touched a strand. “Rosa has saved your magical locks.”
    â€œFor now,” Jane said.
    Brynne’s face turned red.