The Shadow Crosser (The Storm Runner 3)

“Sometimes big isn’t necessarily more dangerous,” the Red Queen said. “A small bite from the tiniest of spiders can kill you. Especially magic ones.”

That made me feel sooo much better. “Where do I find this chapat?”

“No idea.”

“But you’re a great queen fire keeper.” I put lots of emphasis on great. “Surely you can see that, right?”

“Well…yes, I am great,” she said. “And I am a queen.”

She set her drink o

n a stack of ungraded worksheets and hopped onto the scuffed linoleum floor. With a single swipe of her arm, a faint ball of fire appeared between us. I was instantly drawn to the flame, expecting to see an image in it that would explain everything. But there was nothing.

Sighing, the Red Queen closed her small fist and the fire disappeared. “Not as good as the old days when I was alive. But the answer is: in the jungle where the earth spirit hides.”

“Er…the jungle’s kind of a big place.” I needed more to go on than Search for a centipede in the forest!

“That isn’t a question!” the Red Queen announced, shaking me from my thoughts. Her jade headband glittered for half a second. “Bah! Time’s up.”

“Wait! I need just a little more—”

She vanished, leaving me alone with the zombie students staring vacantly at Mr. H’s hunched back. The wall clock began to tick, and I inched backward. A chair scraped across the floor. A student turned in his seat to face me.

“Adrik?”

He looked confused, his eyes wide and wandering. Then they zeroed in on me. “What am I doing here?” he said.

Scritch. Scratch.

I looked up.

The fluorescent lights flickered overhead. Mr. Hawkins’s arm was moving.

A voice floated toward me. “The day is coming, Zane.”

It was Ixkik’.

I wanted to scream, but nothing would come out.

Mr. Hawkins dragged the chalk across the board with a screech that set my teeth on edge, but what he wrote was even more disturbing.

Are your eyes wide open?

When I woke up, I felt like a cement truck had backed over my head. Twice.

I squinted, trying to shake those awful words: Are your eyes wide open? What did that mean?

Brooks slipped into my room just then and whisper-shouted, “Why are you still asleep?”

“I’m not,” I said, pointing to my face. “See?”

“It’s dawn! Are you coming or not?”

“Okay, okay. Just let me get ready….”

After brushing my teeth and changing into the SHIHOM uniform of a black tee and drawstring pants, I met Brooks outside at the nearest bridge. The whole world was misty and grayish blue—even the trees took on a gloomy cast. Brooks was wearing clothes identical to mine and leaning against a rope, her arms folded like she was deep in thought.

When she saw me, she reached into the small straw bag hanging from her shoulder. “Hungry? I grabbed you a couple of burritos—extra chile and bacon, like always.” She handed me a warm bundle wrapped in wax paper.