Underworlds #1: The Battle Begins (7 page)

THE ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING!

F
IND OUT WHAT
O
WEN
, J
ON
, S
YDNEY, AND
D
ANA ARE UP AGAINST NEXT
….

M
Y NAME IS
O
WEN
B
ROWN, AND MY FOREHEAD FEELS
like it’s an anvil that someone keeps pounding with a red-hot hammer.

Also my teeth hurt, my eyes sting, and my fingers ache.

But ever since my friends and I rescued Dana Runson from the Greek Underworld three days ago, pain has been the new normal —

“Owen, move it!”

I glanced across the wet school parking lot. Dana was racing toward me. Jon Doyle and Sydney Lamberti were right on her heels.

“Out of the way, O —” Jon yelled.

All three of them tackled me and rolled me to the side as —
whoom!
— a small car smashed down from above, landed on the sidewalk, and skittered past us, sparking like crazy.

Just beyond it was a giant, all muscles, all shaggy hair … and all one huge eye. He was a Cyclops, one of two Greek monsters who escaped into our world. He was ugly, and he was mad.

Crash!
An uprooted flagpole slammed down on the car and bent in half. The second giant had thrown that. He was just as ugly, just as mad, and just as one-eyed. But he had no hair at all.

“Uh, thank —” I said.

“Just run!” Dana screamed, yanking me to my feet and tugging me around the side of the school.

PHOTO BY DOLORES ABBOTT

TONY ABBOTT is the author of more than ninety books for young readers, including the popular The Secrets of Droon series;
Kringle; Firegirl
, which won SCBWI’s 2006 Golden Kite Award;
The Postcard
, winner of the 2009 Edgar Award for best juvenile mystery; and The Haunting of Derek Stone series.

Tony Abbott was born in Ohio and lives with his wife and two daughters in Connecticut. For more information about Tony, visit
www.tonyabbottbooks.com
.