by Lisa McMann
“Hfff,” she said, and dropped slowly to her knees. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell face-first in the dirt and lay eerily still.
The back of her shirt was soaked in blood.
A Missed Opportunity
Samheed dropped the ice and stumbled to Carina’s side just as a shout rose up from Lani.
“I can feel something solid!” she said, covered in tiny dustlike particles. “Just here, straight down. An arm, I think.”
Alex, Lani, Sky, and Charlie altered their search, and soon they found both of Matilda’s arms. They gripped them tightly, and on the count of three they pulled with all their might. From under hundreds of pounds of pulverized-vehicle dust, Matilda emerged, eyes wide, scared, and unblinking. They rushed to get her away from the dust and gently sat her down on the road. Charlie hopped to her side, knelt down, and peered at her face, cupping her chin and stroking the dust from her cheek with the utmost care.
Sky blinked hard, wringing her hands and feeling utterly helpless. “Is she okay?” she whispered.
Matilda sneezed daintily, dust spraying from her nostrils onto Charlie. He didn’t seem to mind. Charlie signed, “She’s okay,” and Sky let out a breath of relief. So did Alex and Lani.
“Close one,” Alex muttered. “Too close.”
“Alex!” Samheed called.
Alex shouted over his shoulder. “We found Matilda! She’s okay.”
“Al, you need to come quickly.” Samheed’s voice was dead serious.
Alex looked up. His eyes widened when he saw Carina, limp in Samheed’s arms, and Samheed swaying like he could fall over at any moment. “What happened?” He started toward them.
“The ice spear must have pierced all the way through her shoulder. She’s lost a lot of blood. We have to get her back to Artimé right now.” His arms trembled, and he took an unsteady step forward.
Alex reached him and quickly but carefully took Carina from Samheed’s arms. Her face was gray and lifeless, like Meghan’s had been, and he felt a wave of nausea come over him. But she was still breathing. There was still hope for her. “Come on, everybody!” he said, his voice edged in hysteria. “We have to go before it’s too late!”
“But what about Gondoleery?” Lani asked.
Alex couldn’t think. He could see Carina’s pockets were still full, and he knew she always carried heart attack spells. But he couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d nearly destroyed Matilda or pulverized Lani or Sky instead of the car. Balancing Carina on his knee, he reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of heart attack spells and stared at them. They wavered before him. Slipping his arm under Carina’s knees again, he stumbled toward the high priest. He stood looking over her limp, unconscious figure.
Alex squeezed his eyelids shut and closed his fist around the components. Mr. Today’s face danced before him. The postscript of the old mage’s last communication rang in Alex’s ears. Five heart attack components, what a waste! He could’ve done the deed with three.
Aaron appeared in Alex’s mind, a strange look on his twin’s face as he’d handed Alex the robe. Fear, was it? Regret? It didn’t matter. From that moment, Alex had vowed not to use heart attack spells.
“Just do it, Al!” Samheed yelled. “Hurry up, before Carina dies!”
Lani rushed to Alex’s side. “I’ll do it,” she said. “Give me the components.”
Sky stood silent at the side of the road, lips pressed tightly together. She had no say in this matter.
Claire’s warning about getting it right the first time rang in Alex’s ears. He opened his eyes and looked at the old woman—unconscious, feeble, and helpless on the ground. He couldn’t do it.
“What kind of horrible person would I be if I killed her now?” Alex said, looking at Lani. “Or if I let you? She’s helpless! I’m not a coward.”
“Al!” Samheed shouted, staggering toward them. “You’re being stupid! Let’s do what we came here to do!”
“I said I’ll do it, Alex,” Lani said firmly. “Give me the components.” She grabbed his arm.
He wrenched it away. “Look at her!” he screamed, staring at the woman. “Will you please look at her and think about what you are doing? No, Lani! I said no!” He turned away. “Let’s go.”
“Alex,” Samheed pleaded. “Come on! At least take her with us as a prisoner.”
Alex looked at him. “How?” he asked, incredulous. “My hands are full. You’re not fit to carry anything, and we need Lani to help you walk. Gondoleery is way too heavy for Sky to carry alone. We don’t have time for this!” Alex said. He balanced Carina once more, shoved the heart attack spells into his pocket and pulled out a freeze spell, awkwardly casting it at the old woman. “There! Happy now? I’ll send Simber back to get her.”
Samheed stared, anger boiling in his eyes.
Alex adjusted Carina’s still body in his arms as he stumbled to the road. “I’m so tired of death,” he muttered. With his vision blurred by emotion, he broke into a shuffling gait toward Artimé. “Come on!” he screamed over his shoulder, and didn’t wait to see if anyone was following him. He began picking up speed as panic set in and he realized he really could lose Carina, too. The thought of digging another grave for a friend filled his heart with dread.
Slowly Sky followed, with the gargoyles walking along beside her. Then Lani reluctantly turned away from the high priest and helped Samheed.
When they were long out of sight and the spell had worn off, Gondoleery Rattrapp opened her unbruised eye and stared at the sky. After a moment she sat up and began to decipher what had happened. She frowned in the direction of Artimé, completely puzzled by their leader’s stupidity in not killing her when he had the chance.
Despite her pain, a deep chuckle rose from her throat, for she knew this battle was going to be far easier than she’d ever imagined.
By the time Simber came for her, she was gone.
No Respect
Another stormy morning passed with no one doing a single thing for Aaron. His hunger was gnawing away at his stomach now, and he didn’t know what to do. Why wouldn’t they wait on him? Were they trying to starve him just because he accidentally killed Mr. Today?
Aaron gave up yelling and sat up in bed, holding his aching head in his hands. His shoulder was not as sore today, and his legs didn’t feel like butter anymore. As the hours passed, all Aaron could do was think about how everybody had abandoned him.
“This wouldn’t have happened if I’d said I was Alex,” Aaron muttered. And even though he believed it to be true, the thought made him furious. He’d been mistaken for his twin a dozen times in his life, and when he’d gone along with it, he’d almost always gained in the end. Like when Alex took the blame for Aaron’s infraction. Or when the rock in the jungle assumed he was Alex because of what Mr. Today had told him.
But those instances were becoming less and less satisfying. He didn’t want to be Alex. He wanted to be himself. Why didn’t anybody seem to respect him as Aaron like they respected Alex? He didn’t have the faintest idea. He couldn’t even get anyone to respond to him here, much less tell him how he’d arrived and what had happened.
By early evening, Aaron could take it no longer. He was desperate for water and food, and he could smell something irresistible. He rolled off the cot and crouched on the floor for a long minute, and then shakily he rose to his feet. His sight went black for a precarious moment, but it returned, and soon Aaron was taking a step at a time toward the doorway.
When he reached it, he grabbed hold and leaned heavily against it, breathing hard. And then slowly he followed the wafting scent of food past a large open area, where a fire crackled and smoke disappeared through the ceiling.
Sitting around the fire on thin cushions were three old men eating out of bowls with strange wooden utensils. There was a fourth, empty cushion, and a bowl filled with colorful food sat in front of it, keeping warm near the fire. Next to the bowl was the teacup Aaron had tried to smash the day before.
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sp; Ishibashi looked up. “You will wait there until you have been recognized by the eldest in the room,” he said evenly.
Aaron stopped walking and stared. He was not used to being spoken to like this. “What?” he asked.
“Do not speak!” Ishibashi said. “Wait.” He took a bite of his food and then sipped his tea.
Aaron began to protest, but then thought better of it. With food so close, he didn’t want to jeopardize his chances at getting some. His mouth watered. He waited.
Finally, Ito looked up. “Suwarinasai,” he said forcefully. Sit and eat.
Aaron stared. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ishibashi stopped him.
“Do not speak,” the man warned.
Aaron held up his hands in surrender to the strange rules, and finally Ishibashi nodded. “Okay, Aaron, you may join us for dinner.”
Aaron, whose legs felt wobbly again from just standing there, was relieved to hobble forward once more. He could hardly handle the delicious smell of the food. He reached the fire at a record pace and awkwardly, painfully, lowered himself to the cushion on the floor.
He reached for the cup of tea and immediately drank it down. And then he picked up the wooden utensils from the bowl and examined them. “These are sticks,” he said.
“Silence,” said Ishibashi.
“But they’re sticks. Don’t you have a fork?”
Ishibashi stopped chewing and stared straight ahead, as if he were trying not to lose his temper. In his native language, the man apologized to his two comrades for the interruption of their very fine meal. He placed his bowl on the floor and stood up.
Aaron watched him nervously. “What are you doing?” he demanded.
When Ishibashi reached down to take Aaron’s bowl, Aaron’s eyes widened.
“No!” he said, pulling it away. “I’ll eat it with the sticks!” He tried to shove some food onto the sticks but only made a mess. And Aaron, in his weakened state, was no match for the wiry man. Ishibashi snatched the bowl of food and the utensils away, disappearing out of the main gathering room, while Aaron began to whimper.
“You can’t do that!” Aaron yelled after him. “That’s my food! You said I could eat!” He turned to the other two and implored, “He said I could eat!”
Ito and Sato ignored Aaron and continued eating.
“What is wrong with you people?” Aaron said, beginning to get hysterical when he realized he wasn’t going to get any food. “You’re stupid! Don’t you know who I am? I could send you to the Ancients Sector like that if we were back home. I hate you! I hate all of you! You are my enemies! I hope you die a thousand deaths!” His voice cracked. He choked back a sob. He struggled to get to his feet, falling down more than once in his attempt to get away from them, and staggered to the main entry, where he could feel the wind and rain of the raging storm, but he didn’t care. He had to get out of this place. He had to find something to eat. As he maneuvered past the maze of rocks at the entry, the wind blasted him off his feet. He landed on his hands and knees in a puddle, the rain pelting his body. In an instant he was soaked through, and the raindrops blended with his angry tears.
He sank to the ground, turning his head toward the sky, and lay there, exhausted, unable to get up. Once again he drank the plentiful water from the sky, because there was nothing else.
A few minutes later, when no one came after him, Aaron slowly rolled himself over. Weak, he crawled back inside and sat in the entrance, his back pressed against the rock wall, eyes closed, jaw hardened. Water streamed down him onto the floor.
When Ishibashi walked past with a bundle of dry clothing and deposited it in Aaron’s room of the shelter, Aaron didn’t call out to him or demand anything. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even look at the man. Instead, he gathered his strength so he could make the journey back to his cot.
And once he finally made it there and managed to change out of his wet clothes and into the dry ones, Aaron eased onto the cot and fell asleep.
A Rough Night
Alex had plenty of time to think as he sat by Carina’s bedside in the hospital ward, waiting and hoping that she’d wake up. He spent most of the day with his head in his hands, his fingers threaded through his tangle of hair, thinking of all the things he could have done better.
Samheed slept in a bed nearby, Lani in a chair by his side. Neither one of them would speak to him.
And Alex knew that somewhere in Quill, the most dangerous person alive was probably cackling away, realizing that the head of Artimé was an idiot.
Once Simber had returned and delivered the news that Gondoleery was gone, he kept out of Alex’s way. Florence stayed silent as well, knowing the incidents were still too raw and too recent for them to have a good discussion about tactics and to determine if Alex had done the right thing. That would have to wait a while. But not too long, for Gondoleery would certainly step up her game.
In the darkest hour of the night, Henry came up to check on Carina. “I brought you some water,” he said, handing a cup to Alex.
“Thanks,” Alex said. He took it and looked wearily at Carina as Henry checked her over. “How is she?”
Henry was quiet for a long moment as he assessed his patient. “She’s doing better,” he said after a while. “She’ll be okay.”
Alex let out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m so glad,” he managed to choke out, relieved beyond measure.
Henry paused to watch the mage for a moment. He glanced across the room at his sister, who was watching too. Lani frowned and looked away, then leaned forward in her chair and rested her head on Samheed’s bed.
Henry had heard the whole story by now from Lani. He’d never seen her and Samheed so angry with Alex before. Or with anyone, for that matter. It was disconcerting. Henry decided that as a healer, he had to stay neutral. And he was as loyal to Alex as he was to his sister after all they’d been through.
“How’s Samheed?” Alex asked after a while.
“He’s fine,” Henry said. “We have good medicine to heal burns now. He can leave in the morning if he wants to.”
“That’s good.”
“The high priest has some pretty powerful spells, though, doesn’t she?”
Alex nodded. “Yeah, they’re awful.”
“I’ll make sure we have lots of the burn medicine on hand for the future.”
“That’s a good plan,” Alex said. “And something for the ice spears.”
“We can handle those injuries too, if we get to them in time.”
Alex nodded. “We didn’t know . . . ,” he began, trying to explain. “Carina didn’t say anything about how bad it was.”
Henry smiled. “I believe that.”
Alex studied the boy. “You’re really meant for this, Henry. You’re an excellent healer.”
Henry’s smile faded, and he turned back to Carina, straightening her blankets. “Not quite good enough, though,” he said.
Alex was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Henry didn’t look at him. “I should have saved Meghan.”
Alex sat up. “Henry, don’t do that to yourself. General Blair killed her. It was too late. Nobody could have saved her. Not even Mr. Today.”
Henry paused in his work and said nothing. After a moment his fingers brushed against the tin box that had become a permanent fixture in his component vest. He glanced at Lani and Samheed, now asleep, and then at the mage. “Alex?” he said.
Alex looked up. “Yes?”
“Can I tell you something?”
Alex nodded solemnly. “Yes, Henry. Anything.”
Henry looked away, his heart pounding as he remembered Ishibashi’s words. He must tell no one about the powers of the magical seaweed. But surely he could tell Alex. Alex could help him decide when to use it, so that Henry didn’t have to make that awful decision himself.
“Consent,” Ishibashi had said. Giving the seaweed to save someone wasn’t Henry’s decision, or Alex’s. It was the decision of the person w
ho needed it, once they fully understood the consequences. If they didn’t say yes, then Henry could not administer it.
Alex touched Henry’s sleeve. “What is it?”
Henry looked at Alex for a long moment, then said, “If you were dying and someone had medicine that would heal you and keep you alive, perhaps forever, would you take it?”
Alex stared at Henry, and then, realizing Henry was completely serious, he thought about it for a long time.
Henry watched him think.
Many minutes went by. About the time Henry feared Alex had drifted off to sleep, Alex looked up and met Henry’s gaze. The mage shook his head. “No, Henry,” he said. “I wouldn’t take that medicine.”
Henry stared at Alex, a most intense look on his face. “Are you sure?”
Alex nodded. “I’m one hundred percent sure.”
Henry sucked in a breath and let it out, and then he nodded. “Okay,” he whispered. “Thanks. Good to know.” He turned to Carina, and then glanced back at Alex. “If you ever change your mind, will you let me know?”
Alex tried not to laugh. “Yes, I will.”
Seemingly satisfied, Henry turned again to Carina and fussed over her for a moment, then excused himself.
Alex watched him go, completely puzzled. After a time, his eyelids drooped, and he rested back against his chair and slept.
Aaron Does Something Right
When Aaron woke up the next morning to the most heavenly smells, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. After a long night of dreams in which Ishibashi was constantly taking food away from him, Aaron was more exhausted than ever. He rolled over and glanced at the little table, noticing that someone had put a pitcher of water there. Did that mean water was all he would get today? Why wasn’t Ishibashi explaining anything to him? Aaron had no idea what the man wanted of him, and he was tired of trying to figure it out.
After a while, with his stomach bucking in hunger, Aaron got up and slowly made his way to the room that had the fire, where the old men were just sitting down to eat breakfast. Aaron’s mouth watered at the sight of the food, and there was a steaming bowl and cup set up for him just like last night. He couldn’t mess this up today.