Neiko's Five Land Adventure (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #1)

Chapter 14

"Hello?" Asked a servant at Raven's fortress.

"Oh, hello, it's me Francesco. I need to speak to Raven, please," Neiko said in Francesco's voice.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Raven doesn't wish to be disturbed—can I take a message?" he asked before Neiko could say anything. Neiko could hear Raven in the background.

"Who is it?" he asked harshly.

"It's Francesco, Majesty," replied the servant.

"Give it to me," he snapped. "Hello?"

Neiko's mind started racing. "Oh, hello, I didn't mean to disturb you, I was just about to give a message with the servant—"

"Out with it!" Raven snapped coldly.

"I was calling to tell you that I received your letter, and I'm leaving my reply in my mailbox. I want a messenger to pick it up at six thirty," Neiko replied in her disguised voice.

"Alright, I'll have a messenger run by. So when do you wish to meet?"

"Um, I need to go run errands, and I haven't got time to talk; the meeting time is written in the letter. Bye!" Neiko hung up sighing with relief. "Boy, that was close. I wished I could just have told the servant about the letter. Boy, doesn't old Grand High have such awful company. Well, I'll run this by Francesco's house, and wait and see if the messenger gets it."

Neiko placed the letter in Francesco's mailbox and waited behind a bush. At exactly six thirty, a shadow came and took the letter. Neiko sniggered and waited till the Crackedskull disappeared. "Well, mission accomplished. Too bad I can't see Raven's face when he reads the letter and the look on Francesco's face when Raven raises Cain."

Taken by curiosity, Neiko tiptoed, peeped into his window, and saw him typing away on his computer, totally oblivious to what she's up to. "I'll make a point to visit his house and see if I can find anything I can use as info when he's not at home," Neiko thought to herself. Neiko touched the light on her watch to check the time which read: 6:45. Neiko noiselessly slipped down his driveway and quickly ran home. When she got home, she erased the letter from the computer, hid Dingeye's dagger and Raven's letter to Francesco under the phone that was under the bed, went to the computer, and started playing games. Her parents came in the door and started mumbling so she wouldn't hear.

Finally her mom called her, "Amanda, come here. We need to talk to you," she said in a worried manner.

Astonished at her tone, Neiko ran down the hall, and when she came into the living room, she asked, "What's up?"

"Amanda, me and your dad have been very worried about you. We went and talked with Dr. Macintosh, and he wants to see you tomorrow," she replied.

"Who's that?!" Neiko asked.

"A psychiatrist," she explained.

"What for? What's this about? Why?"

"We told him about the things you have been talking about what happened with Ramses and about you refusing to lay down the toys. He wants you to bring him with you tomorrow," she said.

"What time?"

"At one o'clock," she replied.

"Okay, well, I need to give T-bird some food, and I'm ready for bed, so good night," she said curtly. Neiko put the seed in T-bird's feeder and covered her cage up. "Thanks a lot, Raven!" she spat indignantly. T-bird, Neiko's cockatiel, squawked. Neiko turned around and her parents stood in her doorway shocked. Neiko avoided their eyes and stared at the floor.

They went on to bed and Neiko shut her door. Neiko waited till she could hear her parents snoring, then she turned off her main light. Then she turned on her lamp beside her bed. She noiselessly pulled out her secret phone and called Xartna.

"Hello?" asked Xartna asked sleepily.

"Hello, it's me Neiko, I've got something I want to tell you," said Neiko sadly.

"Neiko, do you have any idea what time it is? It's midnight!" Xartna scolded.

"I know, I'm sorry, but this couldn't wait another minute," she said fighting back the tears.

"You don't sound happy, what's wrong?"

"My parents are sending me to a shrink tomorrow."

"About what?"

"The Ramses business, and he even wants me to bring Ramses tomorrow."

"Oh, no! This is terrible! Do you want the Seven Tribes to know about this?"

"Yes, please. Well, I'll let you go, bye." Neiko hung up and put the phone in its original spot. Neiko slipped into bed, covered herself, and cried herself to sleep.