The Pieces Begin to Come Together

A few days later in Artimé, Meghan sat on the lawn with Ms. Morning, Mr. Appleblossom, and Gunnar Haluki. They had much to discuss.

“Is it too soon to be concerned about Alex and the ship?” Ms. Morning asked. “Shall I send another seek spell?”

“It might be just a little premature,” replied Mr. Appleblossom in his traditional rhyming iambic pentameter speech. “And we don’t want to worry them, do we? I’ll visit poste d’observateur to check if there is any ship out there to see.”

Meghan flashed Ms. Morning a curious glance.

Ms. Morning smiled and explained, “Ever since he climbed up Florence to the top of the gray shack, he can’t get enough climbing, so he’s been visiting the mansion rooftop daily to watch for Alex. He calls it his observer position.”

Mr. Appleblossom cleared his throat and looked pointedly at Ms. Morning.

“Poste d’observateur,” Ms. Morning said carefully, trying not to mangle the strange words. “He thinks it’s some other language.”

Mr. Appleblossom beamed.

“What, from another island you mean?” asked Gunnar.

“Another island or another world, it is unknown; the truth remains unfurled.” He pointed to the book on the table next to him, which he’d gotten from the vessel that crashed into the sea near Artimé some weeks before.

“Anyway,” Meghan prompted, “Mr. Appleblossom is right. I think if we send another seek spell it’ll make us seem like we’re in scads of trouble when all we really want is to let Carina know about her mother’s death.” She paused. “Which is kind of a big deal too, of course. But we’ve only used that spell in times of danger, so I bet they’ll be imagining the worst. We don’t want them to botch up the mission on account of them rushing to get back here.”

“All right, we’ll wait,” said Ms. Morning. “Now, what is this I hear about you going into Quill? Did you see your parents?”

Meghan scowled in the direction of the girrinos, who apparently couldn’t keep a secret. “Not exactly,” she said. She knew Ms. Morning would be mad if she found out what had happened at the palace with Aaron and Gondoleery Rattrapp. It had been reckless of Meghan to go there alone, and she could have gotten killed. “I just, um, went for a walk like my brother often does. When he’s here, that is. Obviously.”

Ms. Morning, seemingly distracted, accepted the explanation. She looked at Gunnar. “I’m still not sure what to think about Eva Fathom. Do you believe what she said? That she was on our side?”

“I do,” Gunnar said. “Marcus told me about the plan he had with Eva to fake his death and take control of Aaron. It all backfired when Marcus and you took the tube to my house in Quill and Aaron was there. That unfortunate turn of events was out of Eva’s control.”

“But all that time she knew you and I were being held captive! She knew and she didn’t do anything about it!”

Haluki smiled grimly. “She let me know you were there. I don’t know if I would have survived without that information.”

Claire Morning looked at her hands. “But why wouldn’t she rescue us?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Haluki said, “but I believe she was doing the best she could under the shocking circumstances. She couldn’t help us, not with the others there. Not without risking everything.”

He scratched his chin thoughtfully and went on. “She had to prove her loyalty to Aaron so he would tell her things. She’d been the one keeping us informed since she went back to work as Secretary. Matilda can only hear so much from the closet where Aaron stashed her, and then only what happens in the office. Eva was our second set of ears. She stopped Aaron from doing a number of very stupid things. I just wish . . .” He trailed off, thinking of the old woman. “I will miss her. She was a good woman, and we need to let Carina know that. I’m sure it broke Eva’s heart to keep the truth from her daughter. But she did it for the sake of Artimé.”

Ms. Morning frowned. “How did she keep us informed? She hadn’t been on the premises for months until she came rushing in here the other day.”

Meghan listened, holding her breath. She didn’t know any of this, and she felt very important to be a trusted part of this conversation.

Gunnar glanced sidelong at Meghan. His look told her this was a secret she should keep. “Eva had a confidant. Someone she met with regularly to exchange information. I am quite sure that person will vouch for her.”

Ms. Morning sat up, indignant. “Why doesn’t he or she come forward, then?”

“Because he’s on the ship,” Gunnar said in a low voice.

“You mean Alex?” Ms. Morning asked.

“It must be,” said Meghan.

Gunnar Haluki looked down.

Mr. Appleblossom, silent all this time, brows knit together in concentration, soon leaned in confidently and looked at Meghan. “The confidant would not the head mage be—for who else but Sean Ranger? It is he.”

Meghan gasped. She looked at Ms. Morning, whose lips parted in wonder. They both turned to Haluki.

“Is it?” demanded Ms. Morning.

“My brother?” asked Meghan.

Haluki’s silence gave no answer. But Meghan thought his eyes said yes.

“Well what about Liam Healy, then?” Ms. Morning asked after a while. “Eva mentioned him. That he was on our side. I hardly believed it, but now . . . I’m not sure what to think.”