Read Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta for Free Online

him.
    Gabriel bit his lip. Hands, feet, hands, feet. The words rushed through his mind as he tried to climb at the same pace. As he neared the top, one side of the ladder began unraveling; the rope’s ripping sounds sending goose bumps shooting over Gabriel’s skin. He quickly scrambled to the plank of the wooden hut and twisted around to help Brent.
    “Piper,” Gabriel yelled. “Grab hold of the ropes while I help Brent.” He stretched his hand into the growing darkness. “Hurry, Brent. Climb!”
    The hair on Gabriel’s neck prickled as another gut-wrenching roar sounded out. He stared into the night and spotted a creature like a gigantic wolf with a thick red mane running toward the huts. Chills spread over Gabriel’s body like wildfire. The creature’s fluorescent green eyes pierced the darkness, focused unblinkingly on Brent’s dangling legs. Its mouth frothed.
    Piper screamed and gripped the rope tighter.
    “Don’t look back,” Gabriel warned Brent.
    The creature pawed at the bottom of the ladder, making it sway left to right. The ladder shimmied and moaned as the ends of the ropes made a horrible shredding sound.
    “I’m losing my grip,” Brent hollered.
    Then one of his legs slipped off the ladder.
    Piper shrieked. Gabriel yelled. Monkeys screamed.
    Zigzag, who’d been growling and squirming in Brent’s arms, leapt to the ground. Even though she was considered big for a boxer, she was still not even half the size of the creature that stood in front of her.
    “No, Ziggy, no!” Gabriel hollered. Gabriel’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped open, shock and horror ripping him apart.
    The beast lunged at her, teeth bared. Zigzag darted away, barely missing its attack, then sprung back. Her teeth sank into the creature’s neck. It yelped and spun around, grabbing Zigzag by the leg and flinging her far into the darkness. The beast bounded away after her.
    Gabriel strained his eyes, searching the thick grass for any sign of them. Howls and roars rumbled in the distance, but soon faded away.
    Another beast sprang from the darkness, pressed its huge paws against the tree trunk, and gnashed its teeth. Just as Brent regained his footing, the rope ripped apart, sliding through Piper’s fingers. Piper cried out and lunged after the falling rope.
    Finley clutched Piper’s leg, dragging her back. Another monkey grabbed the ripped rope. Monkeys surrounded them then—one hanging onto Finley’s tail, then the next onto his, and continuing down a line. From other tree houses, monkeys threw rocks at the remaining gruock.
    Heart pounding, Gabriel stretched his arm down and grasped Brent’s hand. Brent clawed his last few steps up to the hut, and collapsed.
    The Fegans dragged the ladder up and scattered away. Only a few stayed nearby with Finley. Gabriel couldn’t hear what they were saying over the hammering of his heart, but he figured Finley must be trying to explain who they were. One monkey seemed especially annoyed. He wore a red scarf with a thin white stripe around his arm. He scowled, looking angry, confused, and interested all at once. He made hand gestures while Finley spoke.
    Must be their leader. Gabriel wrung his hands together, wondering if they’d be kicked out.
    Finally, the stern looking monkey hopped away, and it seemed as though they’d be allowed to stay—for now. Gabriel and his friends called out for Zigzag for over an hour.
    Brent rubbed his forehead and hung his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t hold on to her, dude. I really am.”
    “She’ll come back, Gabe. Don’t worry.” Piper offered him a weak smile.
    Yeah, you said that about my mom, too, and she hasn’t come back. Gabriel swallowed hard against the burning in his throat and tried to put on a brave face. He felt like he was about to puke.
    “I know you tried. Man, this totally sucks,” Gabriel said. He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the floor of the tree house. “First my mom, then my dog, and now we’re in some