Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

croaked.
Fly with me!
    Come on, Jack!
croaked Annie. She took off after Teddy, swooping through the cool night air.
    Oh, man!
Fear clutched Jack’s small raven heart.
I have definitely entered the tunnel of fear now
, he thought. Merlin’s words echoed in his mind:
“Proceed onward with courage, and you will come out into the light.”
    Jack looked out at the night. He closed his eyes. He jumped off the ledge.
    Jack was falling! He opened his eyes and flapped. His wings lifted him up. He steadied himself. He hovered in the cold night air, his eyes darting from right to left. He looked down. He nearly fainted! The castle courtyard was far below!
    Jack flapped wildly. He glided. He flapped again. He glided. Flapping and gliding, he climbed higher and higher into the sky.
    Finally Jack caught up with Annie andTeddy. They were circling in the air, waiting for him.
    â€œRARK!” Jack croaked.
Onward!
    The three of them flew together through the moonlit night, heading for the nest of the Raven King. Except for the swooshing of their wings, they made no noise.
    They soared up the side of the mountain, past hemlocks and tall pines. They flew through long, misty clouds.
    As they glided toward the mountain’s peak, Teddy let out a low croak:
Raven troops!
    Jack peered through the night. He couldn’t believe his eyes. In the white moonlight, he saw
thousands
of ravens roosting on rocky ledges!
    Jack, Annie, and Teddy kept flying. They soared above the troops, higher and higher, toward the craggy peak of the mountain. When they reached the top, Teddy let out a squawk.
    There it is!
he croaked.
The nest of the Raven King!

T eddy dropped down to a ledge. Jack and Annie followed. Hidden in the shadows, they crouched together, their dark feathers touching. They peered out at the moonlit lair of the Raven King.

    The king’s giant nest was tucked under a rocky overhang. It was made of mud, twigs, and long strips of tree bark. Two raven sentries were guarding its dark entrance.
    Okay
, Jack softly croaked,
what’s the plan?
    Listen carefully
, Teddy answered. In tiny
queeks
and
caws
of raven whispers, he spelled out a plan:
I’ll distract the guards. Annie, you keep watch at the entrance. Jack, you go into the nest and get the diamond. Then both of you head back to the castle and wait for me there.
    What about the Raven King?
croaked Jack.
    I sense he’s not here
, croaked Teddy.
I see no legions of bodyguards. But we should hurry before he returns.
    Jack had lots more questions about the plan. But before he could ask them, Teddy lifted off his perch and flew toward the entrance.
    Let’s go!
cried Annie, rising into the air.
    Jack was in a panic. He fluffed out his feathers and croaked,
Wait, you guys!
    But it was too late! Teddy was already dive-bombing the raven sentries!
    â€œARK-ARK-ARK!”
    The two sentries left their watch and flew at Teddy with short shrieks. They chased him high into the sky.
    Annie zipped to the entrance of the nest.
Come on, Jack!
she croaked.
    Jack jumped off the ledge and flew on to the giant nest. Without thinking, he stepped through the entrance.
    He jerked his head from side to side. With his raven sight, he saw walls packed with dried mud, animal fur, vines, and sticks. The floor was covered with moss.
    Jack took a few steps forward. He stopped. He saw no sign of the Raven King. He cocked his head from side to side, listening. All was quiet.
    Jack looked around the nest. One part of the nest’s wall looked different. It was black andshiny. He stepped toward it. He touched it with his beak. It wasn’t a wall at all. It was a curtain of feathers.
    Jack pushed through the feather curtain. Moonlight shone into the space behind it. Heaps of gold and silver coins glittered in the cool light. Pale pearls, emeralds, and rubies shone and sparkled.
    Amid all the treasure was a blue-white crystal. It was no bigger than a marble. But it shone with a light all its own, like a piece of a star.
    Jack knew at once the stone was the Diamond of Destiny. His raven heart thumping, he walked to the diamond and nudged it with his beak. As the diamond tilted, it shot forth beams of brilliant light.
    â€œJAH! JAH!” Annie was calling to him from outside. “CREE-GRO!”
They’re coming!
    Jack carefully picked up the diamond with his beak. He felt a surge of strength and courage.
    Annie called another warning. But Jack wasn’t afraid at all. He