by Gina LaManna
I nodded and walked him to the door. I didn’t let go of his hand until he gently peeled my fingers back with his own. As he walked toward the dock, I couldn’t help the deep sense of loneliness as it settled into the space. The room quieted, and even Gus didn’t have a smart comment.
When Poppy arrived a few minutes later, she took one look at my face and gave me a hug. “He’ll be back,” she said. “I promise.”
CHAPTER 42
Two weeks later, the morning of the masquerade ball dawned sunny and bright. The rest of the public Trials had been cancelled, but we were moving forward with the celebrations, the ball, and the naming of new Rangers.
On this particular day, the bungalow was filled with chipper guests. The sweet scent of toast and melting butter blended with steam curling from dark Caffeine Cups.
Rumors swirled as I served lunch, rumors about the return of Ranger X and his posse of Candidates. For two weeks, I hadn’t seen or heard from X. According to Poppy, the group of Rangers had been on a communication ban while they were in the field. Which was why I lingered with the bungalow guests, taking seconds longer than usual clearing plates away. At the first mention of anything Ranger, I tuned in and listened for news. For any tidbit that might’ve slipped past the radio silence.
“I think that table’s clean,” Poppy whispered over my shoulder, startling me. “You’ve been wiping it for five minutes.”
“You almost gave me a heart attack!” I dropped the rag on the table as I turned to face my cousin. Her eyes were shining, and she had a smile on her face. “Good news?”
“Zin’s back.” Poppy clapped her hands.
“That’s great!” I smiled. “How is she?”
“I haven’t seen her yet. I hear from my sources that she got back around three this morning. I stopped by her house before coming here, but Trinket pushed me out and said Zin was still sleeping.”
“Well, it sounded like a tough job.” I picked up the rag and resumed wiping the spotless table. “And the rest of the Candidates?”
“They all made it back. Probably still sleeping. They cut it close with the masquerade ball being tonight, don’t you think?”
“At least they’re safe,” I said.
“You can ask about him, you know.”
I sighed, twisting the rag around my hands. “Have you heard if he’s back?”
Poppy reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “Ranger X didn’t arrive with the rest of the Candidates,” she said softly. “Nobody’s said a peep about what happened. I asked everyone.”
My heart plummeted. “Not even Zin knows?”
“I asked Trinket if Zin had said anything. Not a word.” She exhaled a long breath. “Look, I’m sure it’s fine. He probably had to tie up a few loose ends after the Candidates came back. I know he’ll get in touch with you the second he steps foot on this island.”
“I haven’t heard from him in two weeks.”
“I told you they were on a communication lockdown,” Poppy said. “I personally put the order through at Ranger HQ—nobody had heard from X or the Candidates until they got back this morning. It was a top-secret mission and these things are strict.” She shrugged. “You know how it goes.”
“I suppose.” I straightened and pasted a smile on my face. “Well, I should get back to the customers. I’m closing early today to get ready for the ball, so I should get to work on the dishes. I need to fix up a few potions, too, before Gus leaves.”
“He’ll show up, I promise,” Poppy said. “I promised before, and I never lie. Meanwhile, come with me to Hettie’s this afternoon.”
“I have to get ready for the ceremony.”
“I know. Our crazy grandmother has hired a stylist to help us prepare for the ball.”
“A stylist?”
“Let’s go. Gus can take care of things, I’m sure. It’s one afternoon away from your storeroom.” She hesitated. “And you could use some friendly company. Zin will come by, too.”
“I don’t know…” I wanted to go, wanted to question Zin about her trip. Maybe she had some insights about Ranger X’s location. “It’ll be busy here. I shouldn’t leave Gus alone.”
“Gus!” Poppy yelled over my shoulder. “I’m taking Lily. Close up, will you, please?”
He grunted in agreement, and before I could argue, Poppy had grabbed my arm.
“One second,” I called, stumbling back into the storeroom to snatch a vial. “Here.”
Poppy took one look at the neon green potion. “Glo! You did it!”
As she dragged me out of the bungalow, towel and all, I laughed. “I thought you could use it for the ceremony.”
“Just wait until Glinda sees this,” Poppy said, her eyes lighting with excitement. “She’ll be so jealous she’ll sic her Forest Fairies on me.”
Once outside, it was hard to deny the beauty of the day. Blue waters twirled with green accents, and a single cotton ball of a cloud hung high in the sky. Flowers bloomed from every branch as if even the trees were celebrating. I inhaled the fresh air, trying to push thoughts about X out of my mind.
“There you are! I was just about to send out a search party for you two.” Mimsey flung open the door to her mother’s house before I had the chance to knock. “It’s almost your turn, Lily—Glinda’s working on Zin now, and then it’s Poppy and you.”
“Zin’s here?” I said. “Already?”
“You hired Glinda as a stylist?” Poppy raised an eyebrow. “She’ll use glitter everywhere.”
Mimsey shrugged. “It was my mother’s idea. Plus, her services are free. She even brought her own glitter.”
“Wonderful.” Poppy said. “I’m sure Zin was thrilled, too.”
I was so anxious to see Zin that I let the glitter comment slide, stepping past Mimsey and into my grandmother’s house.
“Hi, dear. What do you think?” Hettie twirled, blinding me with all the pizazz on her body. Sequins from head to toe. From her earrings to her shoelaces, there wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t involve sparkles, including the mask strapped to her face. “Beautiful or what? It was all Glinda’s idea.”
“Gorgeous,” I said, meaning it. The outfit embodied Hettie’s very essence. “I love it. How’s Zin coming along?”
“She’ll be ready in a few minutes.” Hettie grinned. “I know you’re excited to get your dress, but patience. We have plenty of time.”
Her grin was muted somewhat by a barrage of loud, rude expletives shouted by Zin, followed by some soothing sounds from Glinda.
Hettie winced. “Maybe it’ll be sooner than we thought.”
Thirty seconds later, Glinda appeared in the bedroom door, a disgruntled look on her face. “Lily, you’re next.” She crossed her arms. “I’m sick of fighting Zin. If she doesn’t want to wear a dress, I can’t make her.”
“Maybe I could talk with Zin for a minute before we get started?” I asked.
“No.” Glinda’s hand clamped down on my arm. “She’s locked herself in the room and demanded to be left alone. Come with me.”
Poppy gave a helpless shrug when I looked to her for assistance. Since I couldn’t get to Zin anyway, I let Glinda drag me to her lair.
She took me into a spare bedroom that she’d set up as Glam Central, where she proceeded to tug on my hair for the next half hour. Then came the clothes, the makeup, the polishing. By the time she finished, even I was surprised.
Glinda had chosen a dress the color of red roses for me, paired with a thin string of diamonds sparkling around my neck. A black lacy veil shielded my eyes, draping over half my face to fit the masked ball theme.
“Ranger X is not going to know what to do when he sees you,” Poppy said, whistling as she gestured for me to twirl around. “You look great.”
“Poppy. You’re up.” Glinda took Poppy away then, and Hettie tagged along.
For the first time all afternoon, I was alone. However, now that I had a moment to myself, the kitchen felt crushing. The four walls seemed to close in as I sa
t at the table. I stood up and moved to the backyard, a private space just beyond the screened-in porch. An apple tree stood tall, glistening red fruit threatening to fall from every branch.
Underneath the leaves stood a familiar figure.
“Zin!” I stopped walking the second I saw her. “I’m sorry, did you want to be alone?”
She turned, a sweeping black gown slinking against her thin frame. The fabric shone like fur, and a pop of a golden necklace brought out the flecks of yellow in her eyes. She wore a mask that gave off a highly feline vibe, and black gloves that covered her arms from fingertips to elbows.
Her eyes softened when she saw me. “Of course not. I was hoping I’d find you.”
My feet carried me the rest of the way, bringing me into her outstretched arms. I hugged her for a long time, and even when I spoke, I didn’t let go. “You’re back.”
“I’m back.” Her fingers were cold against my spine. “We all made it. Except—”
“How was the trip?” I interrupted, stepping away. “You look great.”
“X stayed behind.” Zin shrunk away from me. “He sent us all home and said he’d join us later. I can’t tell you the details of the trip—it’s confidential, of course—but I thought we’d accomplished our goal. And then when the boat returned to The Isle, he wasn’t on it.”
“Nobody noticed?”
“We didn’t forget him, if that’s what you’re implying. He gave the orders for us to come home.”
“But why?”
Zin shook her head. “I don’t know, but obviously there was something left that he needed to accomplish.”
I nodded slowly, trying to understand. “But he needs to be here. Tonight is the ceremony. Who is going to announce the new Rangers if he’s not on the island? He needs to be present for the masquerade ball. For his job, for everything.”
A complicated expression crossed Zin’s face. “For you, too.”
I let my arms fall helplessly to my sides. “Maybe.”
“I promise you he’ll be back.” She shook her head, the complexity fading to admiration. “Working with him, training with him on this trip was an incredible experience. He can take care of himself, Lily. He’ll be fine.”
“So the trip was a success? Did they announce anything to the Candidates yet about who will get an offer for the program?”
“X confirmed that they’d made their selections. Two new Rangers will be announced tonight at the ceremony.”
“Only two?”
Her gaze turned to the ground. “Don’t get your hopes up. I haven’t made it. They never take more than that, and I’m not one of the selected.”
My stomach churned. “They told you already?”
She shook her head. “But they don’t need to. I’ve had almost two weeks to come to terms with it.”
“Zin, you have as good a chance as the rest of the Candidates.” I rested my hands on her shoulders. “You’ve worked harder than anyone.”
“The jaguar isn’t my final form.” Her eyes flashed up at me. Still tinged with gold, they filled with tears. “The second day of the assignment, I shifted into a bird. A tiny little bluebird as fierce as a stuffed teddy bear.”
“Oh, Zin.” I couldn’t move, my hands frozen onto her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. But maybe that doesn’t mean anything.”
“You know the rules as well as I do. Shifters without a final form are not considered for the Ranger Program.”
“Well maybe the rules have changed. They never used to allow women, either.”
“It’s for safety reasons,” Zin said. “X wouldn’t jeopardize anyone’s life like that. It’s not safe for me to be changing into random creatures left and right. It’s foolish.”
“How did it happen? Did you try to do it?”
Zin shrugged. “We needed some intelligence from a small Faction camp, and I found myself wishing that I could fly. A few seconds later… it just happened. I was flying.”
“And?”
“And I got the information we needed,” Zin said with a sigh. “So I suppose it was a success.”
“Did you tell X about it?”
“It was the right thing to do.” One big, round tear slid down Zin’s face. “At the time, I debated not telling him the information. Nobody was around to see me shift—I could’ve kept it a secret. Kept myself in the running.”
“But you didn’t.”
She shook her head. “I had to tell him. He needed the information I’d overheard, and there was no other way to explain it. Keeping quiet wasn’t an option.”
I pulled my cousin into me, held her close. She was stiff in my arms. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
I held her until she relaxed, and she wiped her eyes.
“I guess some things aren’t meant to be,” she said, pulling back with a watery smile. “I’ve had two weeks to sort myself out, and I’m okay. Really. Now we should get to the ball before Glinda sprinkles more glitter in my hair.”
I watched my cousin stride toward the house, her thin shoulders held tall. She looked fragile, like a china doll on the verge of shattering. As if she was freefalling toward the ground, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
CHAPTER 43
“There, do you see it?” Mimsey pointed. “I hear music.”
A few more steps, and Mimsey, Poppy, Zin, and I arrived on the doorstep of the party. Glinda had gone ahead to get her Forest Fairies ready for the evening. They were on guard duty, tasked to zoom around the island and report any unsavory findings back to the Rangers.
Fairy lights twinkled from the treetops, lighting a dance floor that extended the length of a football field. At one end sat a gorgeous array of sweets, the fruits and crackers and cookies centered around a huge chocolate fountain cascading into a mouthwatering display.
A server from Sea Salt—the fanciest restaurant on The Isle—had set up a bar along the other side, serving drinks that flamed and wine that smoked. The whole ambiance was surreal.
“Well, does anyone want to eat?” Poppy asked, glowing like the moon. The Glo potion had given her an almost angelic aura around her face, and she couldn’t stop looking at herself in every mirror, dinner plate, or silver utensil we passed. “Or dance? I could dance, too.”
“I’m hungry,” I said, surprised as my stomach growled. “I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Go on, girls,” Mimsey said. “Zin, I’ll go with you to find Trinket and check in—I want to get a good seat. She’s with her children, so that crowd should be easy to find.”
“Look at this.” Poppy loaded her plate with one of everything. “How do they expect anyone to dance after putting out a spread like this? You’ll have to roll me around the floor.”
I laughed, helping myself to a plate equally full. “I think the point is to dance, and then work up more of an appetite and. . . is that apple pie?”
“It’s fresh,” a voice spoke behind me. “I picked the apples this morning.”
I turned to find a familiar face behind me—a face I’d never seen in person, but one that’d graced many a newspaper the last several weeks. “Oh, Mr. Dartmouth—hello.”
Dillan’s father attempted to smile, but his efforts fell short. “I hope you enjoy it.”
The way his shoulders hunched forward in pain, maybe shame or guilt—gave me an ache in my stomach so strong I reached out and rested a hand on his arm. He looked up, his cheeks red, his eyes a slightly dulled version of his son’s. His clothes weren’t expensive, nor were they flashy, and his hands looked clean but rough—the hands of a farmer.
“I’m so sorry, about everything.” I couldn’t imagine all he’d been through—first losing his wife and then a son to The Faction. Dillan might be alive, but he’d be locked in prison for a very, very long time. “Is there anything I can do?”
He twisted his hands together. “Miss Locke, you’ve done so much for this island in your short time here. I’m just sorry for my son
’s actions. The things he did, the things he said. . . ” Mr. Dartmouth paused and shook his head. “I hid my brother from Dillan so this could never happen. I should’ve known better.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I said. “Everyone chooses their own way. You did the best you could.”
“If I’d just realized it sooner, I could’ve stopped him somehow. It was hard enough to lose her.”
“Your wife?” I asked gently. “I’ve heard she was quite a woman.”
“She was smart and so very beautiful.” Mr. Dartmouth looked up, his face pained in the same way as Liam’s when he’d realized that his fiancée was no longer the same person he’d once loved. “I miss her.”
“I’m sure you do. I can’t imagine.”
“We never had a funeral, you know,” he said, as if he hadn’t heard me. His eyes had taken on a haze as if he were in his own little world. “Never found her body, never heard a word from her. Do you know why they kidnapped her?”
I shook my head.
“She was good with languages. She could speak ten or more of them. The Ranger program was considering opening up a space for her—even back then, when female Candidates weren’t a passing thought.”
“The Faction took her for her skills?”
“Turns out that being good with languages made her very, very valuable. In a society where communication was difficult, she could create nearly unbreakable codes. The Ranger program wanted to use her for their communication team and had even hired her on for a few projects, but then. . . before the Trials, The Faction took her. I woke up one morning and she was gone.”
“But she left a note,” I said, remembering the code X had cracked. “She had left a code to try and get in touch.”
“A code that nobody could crack,” he said sadly. “I took it to the Ranger HQ, but nobody had any luck with it. Eventually, I let Dillan have it as a keepsake. I only wish it’d meant something.”
“It did,” X’s voice sounded from behind us. “Mr. Dartmouth, there’s someone here to see you.”