The Fallen Queen
Page 26
“Would you all shut up and let me speak?” Jake cried.
“Fine,” Tryn said. “But if you expect me to say good-bye, you’re crazy.”
“I don’t expect that,” Jake said. “What I’ve been trying to ask is, would you come with me to help explain to my mom why I can’t live on Earth anymore and need to stay here with all of you? My family will never believe me unless they see you for themselves.”
“What?” Tryn cried.
Jake looked up to the sky and sighed. “When I lived in California, all I did was skateboard and cause trouble with my sister. I was just a dumb kid that didn’t know or care about anything. But I’ve changed. I’ve seen things that I’ll never forget and been places and done things that no one would believe. I could never give that up and live a boring life on Earth, knowing you’re all here.”
“You—you want to stay with us?” Triana asked.
“Yes,” Jake said. “Besides”—he smiled at Angie—“I really can’t take you from here. You’re a Titan and would be in too much danger on Earth. But I won’t leave you alone—we’re family now.” He looked over to Melissa, who was playing with Brue. “Not to mention that crazy Fallen Queen. How could I give her or all of you up? I—just can’t. I’ve spoken with Riza and with Jupiter; they said I could stay either here or on Titus. It’s up to me. I have found a place here, a home with all of you. I just can’t leave it.”
“Now he wants to stay. Isn’t that a surprise…,” Zephyr said.
Astraea looked back at her and then to Jake. “She can’t believe you want to stay. But she’s thrilled.”
Zephyr snorted. “Astraea, will you ever tell him what I actually say?”
“Never.” Astraea grinned.
* * *
Jake held up the Solar Stream ring and called out his home address, finishing with his bedroom in the early morning. The blazing light of the vortex opened, and Jake looked back at all his friends. “Mom is going to freak when she sees you, so please don’t be offended by anything she or Molly say.”
“Would you please stop talking and just go?” Cylus said impatiently.
Jake grinned at Cylus, and the centaur smiled back and nodded as they all walked into the blazing light.
They emerged together in Jake’s small bedroom and were treading on each other in the tight space.
“Stop shoving me,” Render said to Darek.
“I’m not, but there’s no room in here.”
“It’s too small. I can’t breathe,” Zephyr complained.
“Zeph, you’re on my foot!” Astraea cried.
Jake moved to his door and struggled to open it. He made it to the hall, and the others poured out behind him.
“I’m stuck!” Zephyr whinnied as she tried to get through the doorframe.
Astraea was behind her and had to push while Tryn and Triana pulled from the front. With a bit of straining, the doorframe broke and Zephyr made it through.
“Of all the indignities…,” Zephyr complained.
When they were all in the hallway, Jake turned and saw Molly emerging from her bedroom. Her eyes were wide and she was mouthing silent words. Finally she managed, “Mom…?”
“Moles,” Jake cried as he ran up to her and embraced her tightly. “Boy, have I missed you! Look how you’ve grown! You’re almost as tall as me! How old are you now?”
Jake looked back at the others. “Molly is younger than me, but now she looks older! This time difference thing is awesome!”
Molly couldn’t speak as she looked past him to the odd assortment behind him. She pointed at Cylus and the centaurs. “Wha…?”
“What?” Cylus said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Haven’t you ever seen a centaur before?”
“Molly?” a voice called.
“Mom?” Jake cried.
“Jake, is that you?” His mother charged into the hall but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw everyone standing with him.
Jake ran up to her and threw his arms around her. “I have missed you so much! You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through.”
A toddler waddled up to Jake’s mother. “Is that Billy?” Jake asked as he smiled at the little brother he’d never met.
Jake’s mother was still glued to the spot but nodded.
Billy looked at everyone and then pointed at Zephyr. “Horsey…”
Zephyr looked at Astraea and sighed heavily. “Here we go again.…”
“Mom,” Jake said proudly. “I have some friends I really want you to meet.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I think these will be the hardest acknowledgments I’ve ever written. Of course, I want to thank Anna Parsons, my wonderful editor at Simon & Schuster, and always, Veronique, my great agent. And everyone else who helped make this book a reality.
But the real thanks go to my dad.
So many of us are blessed with amazing fathers. I was lucky enough to be one of them. My dad was delightfully insane. We did the wackiest things while my brothers and I were growing up, and somehow he made everything fun. When I became an adult and moved away, as most do, I started my own life. But when my wonderful mom died, my dad and I came back together, and he moved in with me. But our relationship changed. We went from father/daughter to being roommates and the best friends ever.
From the day my first Pegasus book came out, my dad used to laugh and call Pegs that “crazy talking horse”—I laughed too and always told him Pegasus didn’t speak. But now, in the Titans books, Pegasus does. So I guess Dad was right.
This book was written just before the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020. We all saw this terrible year unfold and never imagined that there could be so much heartache and so many changes for all of us, all around the world. I didn’t think it could get worse. I was wrong. In September, just two weeks before writing this, I lost my best friend and father. Not from Covid, but another illness.
I am telling you this not to make you as sad as I am, but to ask a favor of you. When you finish this book and put it down, please go to the ones you love and give them enormous hugs. If they ask you why, tell them that Pegasus told you to.
Let them know just how much they mean to you. That’s all I ask. Just to give them a hug.
And I send a hug out to each and every one of you. Stay safe, stay strong, my dear friends. Things will get better for all of us… one day.
More from this Series
Titans
Book 1
The Missing
Book 2
More from the Author
Escape from Atlantis
War of the Realms
The Runaway
The End of Olympus
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KATE O’HEARN was born in Canada, was raised in New York City, and has traveled all over the United States. She currently resides in England. Kate is the author of the Pegasus series, the Shadow of the Dragon series, and the Valkyrie series. Visit her at KateOHearn.com.
Aladdin
Simon & Schuster, New York
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Kate-O’Hearn
ALSO BY KATEO’HEARN
THE TITANS SERIES
Titans
The Missing
THE PEGASUS SERIES
The Flame of Olympus
Olympus at War
The New Olympians
Origins of Olympus
Rise of the Titans
The End of Olympus
THE VALKYRIE SERIES
Valkyrie
The Runaway
War of the Realms
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Aladdin hardcover edition July 2021
Text copyright © 2021 by Kate O’Hearn
Jacket illustration copyright © 2021 by Winona Nelson
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Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: O’Hearn, Kate, author.
Title: The Fallen Queen / Kate O’Hearn.
Description: First Aladdin hardcover edition. | New York : Aladdin, 2021. | Series: Titans ; 3 | Audience: Ages 8 to 12. | Summary: “Astraea and Zephyr venture to the Mimic home world in order to save Titus and defeat the Mimics for good in this third book of the Titans series.”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020045528 (print) | LCCN 2020045529 (ebook) | ISBN 9781534417106 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781534417120 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Titans (Mythology)—Fiction. | Animals, Mythical—Fiction. | Mythology, Greek—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | Fantasy.
Classification: LCC PZ7.O4137 Fal 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.O4137 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020045528
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020045529