Sean punched him lightly in the arm. “I guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks.”

Samheed frowned. “Huh?”

Carina waved him off. “Never mind Sean. He’s been reading some of the new books that washed ashore this afternoon. That was a line from one of them. We have no idea what it means, but it seems to fit.”

“New books?” Lani exclaimed. “Where?”

“They’re spread out on a table in the dining room, drying.”

“Where’d they come from?” Alex asked.

“Probably that thing that exploded in the sky,” Meghan said, slurping the last of her drink.

“Ah,” Alex said. He’d forgotten about that in all the craziness of the attack. “I suppose in the morning we ought to recover it and pull it ashore.”

“The plan is already in place,” Carina said. “I’m going to head it up, if that’s okay.”

“That’s great,” Alex said. “Thanks. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all the Warbler children in the long term. I talked to Mr. Appleblossom, and I think we should observe them for a while before we trust them to run around completely freely, don’t you?”

Everyone but Sky nodded in agreement.

“It’s not like they’re in jail or anything. Mr. Appleblossom is keeping them entertained,” Meghan said. “I’m helping, along with a bunch of others.”

“I think they’re telling the truth about their parents sending them,” Sky interjected, “but I understand why you need to be careful.”

Alex flashed her a sympathetic smile. “If they’d all washed ashore on rafts, it would be different.”

“I know. I get it.”

Alex reached under the table and squeezed Sky’s hand. She squeezed back. “Good,” he said. “Well, that frees me up to prepare for the next big thing.” He turned to look at Sky full-on. “Are you finally ready to rescue your mother?”

“Not quite,” Sky said, rolling her eyes. “Let me think of five other life-threatening things to do first.” She grinned.

Alex blushed in return. Every time Sky smiled at him, he felt like he lost half his brain.

“Well, I’m ready,” Samheed said, excitement building in his voice. “Ms. Octavia says we’re good to go whenever you are.” He was eager to be on the rescuing end of things this time.

“We should be all set to go in a day or two. I just have a few things to prepare first,” Alex said, turning his focus back to their next task. “How does that sound?”

No one hesitated. They were ready and eager.

He shoved his empty glass to the middle of the table and got to his feet. “Carina, keep me posted on that . . . that thing out there in the water. And Meg, let me know how it’s going with the Warbler children. Make sure they have everything they need, you know, to give them comfort, or whatever.” The idea of Warbler parents trying to give their children a better life still astounded Alex.

When they’d tubed back to the main entryway of the mansion and said good night, Meghan pulled Alex aside. “That must have been quite a shock, seeing your father. What did he say to you when you saw him?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Alex said. “Not one thing.” He thought about the strange, frightened look on his father’s face. “He took one look at me and went the other way.”

Meghan nodded sympathetically, both of them sorely reminded of the fact that there are some things magic can’t fix.

Another Creature

In the tube in Haluki’s office, Aaron hit the tube’s single button, which took him to the kitchenette in Artimé’s mansion. He poked his head out of the opening in the glass to make sure no one had noticed his presence. It was deserted and quiet. Aaron turned his attention to the buttons before him, wondering which of them would take him back to the jungle. He’d forgotten about his mad dash to push them all at once, which is what had brought him there in the first place. This might not be quite as easy as he thought. He studied them, wiping his clammy hands on his pants, and then, in a moment of brilliance, he took a deep breath and pressed them all at once, like he had done before.

In an instant he was thrust into the musky-smelling jungle. A few thin streaks of bright sunlight made their way through to the jungle floor, but most of the area surrounding Aaron was shaded by a canopy of leaves.

Aaron stood completely still, hand poised on the button that would take him back to the mansion. Only his eyes traveled as he canvassed the area, looking for anything that moved.

When his gaze passed over the ground directly in front of the tube, he saw the shackles. They were intact, not smashed. The cuffs were open, as if their locking mechanisms had been released. Cautiously, Aaron crouched down, picked up the shackles, and pulled them inside the tube. They could be useful someday.

While crouched, Aaron dared a glance behind him through the glass. Nothing moved.

After a moment, Aaron stood up. He took a few steps outside the tube, ready to bolt back inside it again at the sight of anything alarming. It was then that he realized the gigantic rock was gone.

Aaron’s lips parted in surprise. Where could it be? He looked all around. Was he confused? He couldn’t have imagined it. He took a few steps toward the clearing, then a few more, and peered down a path. There was no big rock anywhere to be seen.

When he heard a rustling in the leaves, Aaron whirled around, realizing how far he’d strayed from the tube. His eyes scanned the jungle floor, unsure where the rustling noise came from. He crept toward the tube, looking in every direction as he moved. “Who’s there?” he called out in a loud whisper.