by S. J. West
“I just wish we knew what it was,” I reply, peering at the room’s shadows for a glimpse of our prophetic little helper.
“It’s kind of nice to have a clue about how these books got written though,” Coltan says as he stands from Maximus’s desk chair.
“To me, it just feels like the mystery got deeper,” I reply.
“Cin?” Gretel’s says to me over my com bracelet.
I lift my arm and reply, “I’m here.”
“Here where?” she asks, sounding confused. “We’re all here at the house. I thought we were supposed to have a meeting this morning.”
“We’ll be right there. Coltan and I spent the night at the Guild,” I tell her.
“Oh really?” she says. Her amusement comes through loud and clear.
I do my best to ignore her veiled insinuation.
“We’re leaving now,” I tell her. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“See you when you get here.”
I look at Coltan and tell him, “Bring that book. We should show the others what our little invisible friend wrote in it for us.”
Coltan picks the book up, and we make our way out of the house and down to my car. When we reach the iron gate at the entrance of the Guild, I notice Gordan is back on duty. After he opens the gate for us, he waves to me and yells, “Wait just a minute! I have something for you!”
I leave my foot on the brake pedal as I wait for him to return. When he steps out of the guardhouse, I notice he’s holding a stack of mail about four inches thick in his hands.
“Would you be a dear and give this to Gus for me?” he asks as he passes the letters to me through my windowless car door. “I’m sure he’ll want to go through it all before the stack gets larger.”
“Thanks, Gordan. I’ll make sure he gets these.”
I stick the mail in a cubbyhole in my dashboard before driving home.
“What do you think everyone’s reaction will be to what you have to tell them?” Coltan asks me.
“Shock,” I say with certainty. “But hopefully their initial response will quickly turn into action.”
“Are you going to tell Commander Ford everything?”
“I still haven’t made up my mind about that,” I say, watching the trees blur by as I drive. “I probably should tell her, but something’s warning me not to.”
“Did something else happen with Commander Ford besides the fight to make you not trust her?”
“Thorn Everly’s arrest,” I say. “The commander and I have had a somewhat uneasy relationship, but what happened to Thorn Everly has never settled well with me. I heard from some of the other Thorns that she kept insisting that she was being framed.”
“Do you believe that’s true?”
“I want to believe it,” I say. “But if I do, then that means Commander Ford is the one lying, and I don’t know if that’s any better for me. I certainly care about Thorn Everly more, but Commander Ford is my leader. It would be nice to know we can trust her.”
“Have you thought about doing your own investigation into Thorn Everly’s trial?”
“Coltan, she’s probably dead by now,” I say. “The criminals on Sparrow Island hate Thorns. She would have been their number one target the moment she stepped foot on the island. Whether or not she was innocent is a moot point now. If the commander did frame her, maybe she had a reason for doing it that I can’t see because I don’t have all the information. The one thing I’m certain about is that Commander Ford has dedicated her life to this city. That probably means doing things that she doesn’t like at times, and maybe she used Thorn Everly as a scapegoat to prevent something worse from happening, but even if that’s the case, I don’t trust her with the information I have.”
“But if you investigate what happened yourself, at least you’ll know whether or not Commander Ford framed your friend, and it would give you some peace of mind if you find Thorn Everly to be innocent.”
I recall the deep sense of betrayal I felt the night Thorn Everly was arrested. “I might put Isabel on the case. She’s better at doing research than I am.”
“Speaking of Sparrow Island, do you think my brother is dead too?” Coltan asks. Even though he was able to keep his tone neutral about his brother, I can tell he’s concerned.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “Since he’s a Prince, the criminals on the island might believe he’s their ticket back to the real world. They probably believe your father will send someone out there to get him and bring him back home.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” Coltan says firmly. “My father was furious when he learned what Morgan tried to do to you. I think what angered him the most was that my brother went over his head and ordered the hit. My dad never would have had the audacity to target the one person in this world that Maximus Kane truly cares about.”
“Maximus cares about other people too,” I say to correct Coltan’s over-exaggeration.
“Not like he does you,” he replies, turning to look me in the eye.
“What makes your family think that?” I have to ask.
“My mother told me that when you were born, Maximus sent a letter to her warning our family to keep their distance from you. He declared you to be under his protection, and that if any harm were to come to you by our hands, he would make it his life’s mission to destroy us.”
“Woah,” I say. Conflicting emotions rise up in me with this new information. Should I feel pleased that Maximus cares so much about me or worried? “That’s quite the threat.”
“My family took it to heart,” Coltan says. “That’s why what Morgan did doesn’t make a lot of sense. He knew the consequences of hurting you. He’s usually smarter than that.”
“Do you think he could have been framed too?” I ask.
“I’ve thought about that, but Rebekah was so adamant about it being Morgan who ordered her and the others to attack you that night. She didn’t have any reason to lie because nothing she could have said would have saved her from being sent to Sparrow Island at that point.”
“True,” I agree.
“I hate what he tried to do, but there’s a part of me that remembers the kid I used to climb trees with and who read books to me when I was sick. I’m not sure what happened to him when he reached the island, but I hope he isn’t dead.”
“There’s a good chance he’s still alive,” I tell him. “He must be smart since your father was grooming him to take over the business when he retired. I’m sure he found a way to make allies there.”
“You’re awfully sympathetic toward someone who tried to kill you,” Coltan says. “I’m not sure I could be as gracious.”
“I guess you can call it empathy by association,” I say with an understanding smile. “He’s your brother. I wish his circumstances were different for your benefit, not because I care anything about him.”
“Thank you,” Coltan says.
Coltan looks out the passenger side and becomes lost in his own thoughts. I can’t imagine everything he’s gone through this past week. I wouldn’t wish it on someone I dislike much less someone I care for. The more time Coltan and I spend together, the more I can’t imagine my life without him in it. I wish there was a way I could ease his pain, but I realize there isn’t. The most I can do is offer him my friendship and maybe keep his mind busy with the quest Briar Rose has set before me.
That thought brings up the question of why she’s chosen me to champion her cause. She could have picked anyone. What’s so special about me? And why does Suri seem determined to kill me? She called me an abomination, but an abomination to what exactly? The deeper I’m drawn into this mystery, the more questions I end up with. Perhaps one day I’ll know the answers.
When we reach my house, I see Scarlet’s and Gretel’s cars parked out front. It feels like ages since we were able to have a serious talk and spend time with one another, but in reality it was only yesterday that we did all of that. Excitement makes my heart beat a little faster when
I get out of my car and walk up to the entrance of my home. I’ve missed being with my friends, and I desperately want to share the information I have with them. Hopefully we can figure out what it all means together.
Coltan and I find everyone gathered in the kitchen eating breakfast. The girls and Gus are sitting around the table while Kalder stands in front of the stove flipping a pancake in a skillet.
“Cin!” Anwen squeals with glee as she flies off of Kalder’s shoulder and flits over to us. When she reaches me, she hovers in front of my face and bends at the waist to plant a featherlight kiss on the tip of my nose. “We’ve been waiting for you to come back home. Gretel said you had a sleepover with Coltan last night. Did the two of you have fun?”
Gretel snickers from her spot at the table, but I wisely choose to ignore it.
“We got the rest we needed,” I tell my little faerie friend. “How was your evening?”
“I slept well too and have a ton of energy today,” she tells me as she whizzes around the room. “Gretel said you have a mission for us. What is it?”
“Why don’t we all eat breakfast first,” I suggest. “Then I can fill you all in.”
“Is it save-the-world time?” Gus asks with a childlike gleam twinkling in his blue eyes. “Because if it is, I have the perfect outfit for that!”
“Why don’t we put a pin in that thought,” I suggest to him, finding his enthusiasm amusing as Coltan and I sit at the table with the others. “How are Maximus and Isabel’s father doing this morning?”
“There’s no change in Maximus’s condition,” Gus says. The twinkle in his eyes diminishes at the mention of my godfather. “But the doctors believe it’s just a matter of time before he awakens. I asked my wife to stay with him today and to call us if he happens to wake up while we’re away. Gretel said you needed me to be here for this meeting. Does that mean you have something you want me to do?”
“Yes,” I reply. “But let’s wait until after we eat. I want to make sure everyone gets at least one good meal in their belly today.”
“That sounds ominous,” Scarlet says, picking up her fork.
“Eat,” I practically order her as I point to her plate. “I’ll explain everything afterward.”
I look over at Gretel. “Has Isabel’s father woken up yet?”
“No, he hasn’t,” she says as she cuts a piece of sausage on her plate in half. “Otherwise, she would be here with us.”
I hope Henry wakes up soon, but my reasons for wanting that small miracle to take place are selfish ones. We can only learn so much from looking at records he kept at the Guild and from those at Shadowspire concerning his arrest. Even if we’re able to figure out where in the woods he kept trying to return to this other world, we still don’t know how to get there. Is there a magic portal? If so, how do we open it? Although Henry probably won’t be able to answer that last question since he apparently tried to return to this other world many times without any success.
I try to remain hopeful though because Briar Rose seems to believe I can find my way there and locate one of her sisters.
“How many pancakes do you want, Cin?” Kalder asks me.
“Three,” I say, feeling my stomach grumble.
“What about you, Prince?” Kalder asks.
“Four, thanks.”
Coltan looks surprised by Kalder’s inclusion of him in our little family breakfast, but I’m not. After all, it was Kalder who suggested I take Coltan somewhere so he could tell me about his mother last night. Our sea captain and resident doctor is full of surprises these days. As I think about our housemate, I realize I haven’t seen Kalder drink once since he’s been living with us. True, it’s only been for a few days, but considering the state he was in when Coltan and I first stepped on his boat, it’s still noteworthy. Perhaps all the chores he’s been doing around the house have been his way of distracting himself from his problems instead of drinking them away. Whatever the case may be, I’m pleased to see him trying so hard. Maybe he’s ready to turn over a new leaf and find a different way to put what happened to his sister and her family behind him.
“So what did you and Cin do last night?” Gretel asks Coltan.
I give her a sideways look because that should have been a question she asked me in private. Now Coltan feels obligated to answer her in front of everyone.
“She showed me one of the greenhouses at the Guild and was kind enough to stay with me in Kane Hall,” he tells her. “I didn’t want to be alone in a new place.”
“That was nice of you, Cin,” Anwen says from her spot on the table as she peels a grape.
“I’m glad I stayed because we got a little closer to discovering who’s been writing in the books Coltan brought over yesterday,” I reveal.
“Really?” Scarlet says, almost choking on the water she was drinking. “What did you learn?”
I go on to tell them what happened the night before when I entered Maximus’s study and what Coltan and I found written in the book this morning.
“Who are these angels the passage mentions?” Gus asks.
I wondered if Gus knew what Briar Rose actually is, and his question just answered that for me. My guess is that Maximus knows she’s an angel, and he’s obviously kept that secret to himself, just like the Thorns have all this time.
“I’m more worried about the warning in the passage,” I say to steer the conversation in a different direction. “It almost seems to be saying we shouldn’t end the curse, but then that would contradict something else I learned yesterday.”
“Which was what?” Kalder asks as he brings me and Coltan our pancakes and sausage.
Everyone is looking at me expectantly now, and I wish I hadn’t started this conversation.
“We should all eat first before I say more,” I reply. “Once I tell you, there won’t be any turning back.”
“That sent a chill down my spine,” Gus confesses with a shudder.
“It’s nothing bad,” I assure everyone. “In fact, it should be a good thing. Let’s all finish eating. Then I’ll explain.”
In less than two minutes, everyone is finished with their breakfast except for me, but I gobble up what’s on my plate because they are all staring at me as I eat. Once I swallow my final bite of pancake, I tell them everything that happened between me and Suri in Shadowspire and what Briar Rose told me about breaking the curse.
Once I’m finished, no one says a word. It’s a good thing I had them finish eating first, otherwise pancakes would have been falling from their stunned mouths.
“We know how to break the curse,” Gretel says, staring at me with a blank expression. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know,” I reply, still feeling somewhat stunned by Briar Rose’s revelation too. “I couldn’t believe it either.”
“Why does everyone look so worried?” Anwen asks as she looks around at all of us. “This is a good thing, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I tell her, “but it also means we have a lot of work ahead of us. We have to figure out how to get to the place where Isabel’s father went.”
“Do you have a plan on how to do that?” Gretel says to me.
“I think we should go to Shadowspire and look through the archives to see if there’s anything in the records of his arrest that might tell us where in the woods he was when Commander Ford found him.”
“Why not ask Commander Ford herself?” Gus suggests, looking puzzled by my roundabout logic.
“I would rather keep her out of all of this for the moment,” I tell him. I don’t want to say outright that I don’t trust the commander, but from Gus’s face, I can guess what his next question will be.
“Why don’t you trust Commander Ford?” he asks. “I assume that’s why you’re purposely keeping her out of the loop.”
Everyone in the room seems to be holding their breath as they await my answer.
“I have my reasons,” I say. “Can we leave it at that, Gus?”
“As long as we can revisit
this question at a later time, yes,” he answers, graciously letting me out of the corner he’s painted me into, even though he’s clearly unsatisfied.
“Gus, does the Guild require their researchers to keep journals about their discoveries?”
“I believe so,” he says. “Do you want me to see if Henry wrote down anything useful about this world he went to?”
“That’s precisely what I want you to do. Will they let you have access to them?”
“I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t,” he says.
“Good. While you go to the Guild, Gretel and I will go to Shadowspire and see what we can find.” I look over at Scarlet. “I would like for you to go back to the hospital and stay with Isabel. If her father wakes up, call me immediately.”
“I’ll go with Scarlet,” Kalder volunteers. “I want to check Henry’s condition to see if I can figure out why he hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Do you think there’s a problem?” I ask with a flash of worry.
“I won’t know until I see him,” Kalder replies.
“What should I do?” Coltan asks me, ready to take my orders to do his part.
I look at his rumpled clothes and realize Coltan didn’t even bring a change of clothing with him when he left his side of Briardale.
“Come with me. I want to show you something,” I say, standing from my chair. “Gretel, I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes. Anwen, would you mind going with Scarlet and Kalder? Isabel would probably enjoy your company.”
“Sure thing, Cin!” Anwen says happily as she flies over to Kalder and stands on the right side of his broad shoulders.
Coltan follows me out of the kitchen, and I take him to my father’s bedroom. Well, it’s really my room now, but I haven’t rearranged much since I returned. My dad’s things are exactly where he left them after he died, which is surprising to me. I thought for sure Vivian would have cleared this room out years ago, but it doesn’t even look like she stepped foot inside it after I left to go to the academy.
“This was my father’s room, but I’m using it now,” I tell Coltan as we step inside and head directly for the walk-in closet. I open the door to the closet and switch on the overhead light. “I realize getting hand-me-downs probably isn’t what you want right now, but considering the destruction from yesterday, I don’t think there will be any stores open in town today. We’ll have to wait to buy you some clothes of your own.”