Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den Read Online Free PDF Page B

no, I talked him down.” She sat on the bed beside him. “How are you?”
    Simon shrugged. “Fine.”
    â€œYou don’t sound fine. It hasn’t been easy lately, has it?”
    He shook his head reluctantly. It felt like he was admitting some sort of horrible defect, and he stared at the wall of postcards.
    â€œDo you want to talk about it?”
    He shook his head again. Usually Colin would have been there to commiserate, but that wasn’t going to happen anymore. He would just have to get used to dealing with things on his own.
    His mother hesitated, and after a moment she fished a wrapped parcel out of her pocket and handed it to him. “This is for you.”
    â€œWhat is it?” he said.
    â€œOpen it and see.”
    Simon ripped through the wrapping paper, revealing a plain black box. When he lifted the lid, he found an ornate silver pocket watch inside. It was attached to a long, thin chain, and the back was engraved with a crest. Simon frowned as he examined it. In the center was an oddly shaped star, and surrounding it were five animals: a wolf, an eagle, a spider, a dolphin, and a snake.
    â€œ It was your father’s,” said his mother. “He would’ve wanted you to have it.”
    â€œReally?” Simon’s father—Darryl’s younger brother—had died before Simon had been born. Darryl never talked about him, and the few times Simon had asked questions, he could tell how much it hurt Darryl to think about him. Eventually Simon had stopped.
    â€œReally,” said his mother. “I was going to wait until your sixteenth birthday, but with all you’ve been going through, I thought it would mean more to you now.”
    Simon opened the pocket watch. It was stuck at 8:25 and fourteen seconds.
    â€œIt’s very old,” she admitted. “It might never work again. But I want you to promise me you’ll take care of it, all right? Keep it on you always, especially when I can’t be there with you, and never forget how much I love you.”
    Simon closed the watch and slid it into his pocket. The weight felt right somehow, and he hooked the chain around his belt loop. “I will, if you take me with you.”
    His mother wilted. “Oh, sweetheart. You know I would if I could.”
    â€œBut you can,” he said, his voice cracking. “I won’t get in the way. You can do your job, and I’ll stay in the hotel and study—”
    â€œSweetheart . . .” She tried to hug him, but Simon slipped out of her embrace. “Simon. Please. Don’t make this any harder for me than it already is.”
    â€œ Harder for
you
?” The words stuck in his throat, and he had to force them out. “I’m the one who gets left behind. All you ever do is send me postcards and visit when you feel like it, which is practically never. I know you love your job more than you love me, but—”
    â€œI love you more than anything in the world. If there was any way I could be here and spend every single day with you, I would. You must know that, sweetheart.”
    Simon faltered. He did know it, but sometimes it felt like a lie his mother told him so he wouldn’t be angry. “If you love me more, then let me go with you.”
    â€œActually,” said Darryl as he nudged open the bedroom door, his body taking up the whole frame, “I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.”
    Simon looked at him, stunned. “You mean it?” he said, and Darryl nodded.
    â€œMight do you some good to get away from here for a while. Both of you.” Darryl gave his mother a look Simon didn’t understand.
    â€œYou’re really going to do this now?” she said.
    â€œAnd you aren’t?”
    She stood and gave Simon a quick kiss on the forehead. “I need to talk to your crazy uncle again.” When Simon started to object, she cut him off. “Please.”
    His uncle gave him a