“Well, what do you want? Last time I tried to get you to come in here, you didn’t want to have anything to do with it. So get out. Here, I’ll help you.” He let Aaron up, not letting go of his brother’s shirt, and shoved him toward the kitchenette’s tube.

Aaron stumbled, throwing his arms out to catch himself. “Alex, I came here because I saw something, and this was the quickest way. There was an explosion in the sky over in this direction, and I . . . I just know it’s got to be one of the enemies attacking us.” His face was rather pale.

Alex was starting to believe Aaron really was scared, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He glanced down the hallway to the balcony, where Sky paced anxiously. “How could you see anything at all from Quill? Oh, wait,” Alex said, remembering something he’d seen when he was slung over the pirate ship railing on the way home from Warbler. “You made a hole in your wall, didn’t you?”

Aaron’s eyes widened. “Yes. How did you know?”

Alex nodded secretively. “I have my ways.” It felt good to have the upper hand for once. He glanced at Sky again. He hesitated, debating about what he should do with Aaron. If he forced him back into the tube, Aaron could just come again later, and he could wreak a lot of havoc in Alex’s new office, which didn’t have a lock on the door. Plus there were the monitors. . . . He let a frustrated sigh escape, and then in a flash he shackled Aaron’s wrists with a spell and grabbed his arm. “Fine,” he said. “Sit here in the hallway until I come back. I’ll destroy that tube later.” He reached for the door to his private quarters and pulled it closed, putting its magical lock in place, and then he went down to the office door, closed it, and pretended to lock it so Aaron wouldn’t even try to get in.

Aaron, who had followed Alex’s gaze the second time he’d looked down the hallway, barely resisted the shackles and couldn’t turn his head away. He frowned. “Who is that?” he said in a quiet voice.

Alex glanced at Aaron and turned to see what he was staring at. All he could see was Sky, and he wondered if there was some picture or artwork on this side of the opening like there was a mirror on the other side, though he didn’t know why there should be. He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” Aaron’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “That girl,” he said. “On the balcony.”

Alex’s heart jumped to his throat. “You can see her?”

Lights

Of course I can see her,” Aaron said, snapping out of whatever trance he’d been in. “She’s standing right there.” And she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Not that he spent a lot of time thinking about girls, what with all the takeovers and falls from grace and

rises to power. But he’d turned his head a time or two, just like anyone might expect. Then he looked down at his hands and realized what Alex had done. “You shackled me? How dare you? Did you forget who I am?”

Alex just stared at him with a look of horror on his face. Impossible, he thought.

“What?” Aaron said.

“Describe her.”

“Honestly, Alex, don’t you think we should figure out this explosion thing? If the island is being attacked, maybe we ought to, you know . . . consider . . .” His mouth went dry, hardly believing that he’d almost proposed working together. But right now Aaron wasn’t sure what kind of support he had, and he’d do anything to keep his place in the palace. Absolutely anything. Still . . . He jiggled his arms impatiently. “Take these things off my wrists.” It was annoying.

“No. I changed my mind. You’re coming with me.”

“This is ridiculous. I let you walk unshackled in Quill,” Aaron said.

“That’s because I’m not a stupid tyrant, you jerk. If I take the shackles off, I’m guessing there are at least a hundred people out there who would kill you as soon as look at you. With the shackles, and with me, you might live. Did you forget who I am?”

But Aaron wasn’t listening. He was looking at the girl again. “She looks . . . emotional.” He said the word with disdain, but it didn’t change the way his stomach flipped.

“Come on,” Alex said, tugging on his arm. “She’s anxious because I was supposed to meet her five minutes ago to see what the explosion was.”

“Ah, so you heard it? Did you see the fire?” Aaron’s eyes shifted nervously as Alex dragged him down the hallway.

They reached the balcony, and the girl’s face changed from anxious to relieved to surprised when she saw the nearly identical image next to Alex. Her eyes flew to Alex’s with a question, but all Aaron saw was the amazing color of her irises—he’d only seen color like that for the first time just recently, having watched—with a bit of fear—the sun disappear at night.

He frowned, remembering the explosion again, which wasn’t quite as frightening now as it was when he’d watched it all alone at the edge of the sea.

“Sky, I’m sorry,” Alex said, and he picked up his pace to a jog down the stairs to keep up with the girl. “I had an unexpected visitor.”

“You say that with such pleasure,” Aaron said.

“Ooh, sarcasm. You’ve allowed yourself to emote. What progress,” Alex replied.

Aaron watched the girl. “I’m the High Priest Aaron. Stowe,” he added, and then felt heat rising from his shirt collar.