Aaron, having lost all sense of decorum, could only stare. “He did that to you? Wait. Are you saying that he brainwashed the High Priest Justine as well?”
“He must have stolen her memory too,” said Gondoleery. “She would never have lied to us’she was a good woman. She was my leader, and Marcus Today has robbed us all.”
A fearful, thrilling sort of feeling pierced through Aaron’s stomach as he worked his mind quickly over this surprising statement. What could it all mean? Ah, but he knew it was ammunition he needed, and quite possibly his ticket to the palace. He needed to organize his thoughts and get his plan right from the first moment in order to build his team of followers.
As pressure built from the whispering group around them, Aaron thought for a moment longer. He composed himself, gazing off into the distance as if this weren’t the most important conversation of his entire life, one that his entire success hinged upon. And then he nodded slowly. “You’re right, of course,” he said. “This is what I have discovered as well. Mr. Today has fooled us all. Look around!” He made eye contact with each person surrounding him. “Look at us! We have been completely duped by Marcus Today since the beginning of Quill, fooled by a deranged man who lives in a mansion and eats all he wants, and never needs or wants for anything. He has handpicked his constituents over time, deceiving his own twin sister into believing she was the supreme ruler. And then he caused her death when she’and I’,” he added, “discovered his lies, so that these secrets would go to the grave with her.”
He took a breath and let it out slowly. “But we are smart, and the truth is clear now: Quill is not the land of the Wanteds, and it never has been. Artimé is the land of the Wanteds, and we are the true Unwanteds, all of us.”
And then he paused dramatically, waiting for complete silence, before he asked the ominous question. “My friends,” he said in a dark and bitter voice, “how does it feel to be Unwanted?”
As the small crowd’s shocked mumblings grew to complaints and anger, Aaron Stowe watched, concealing his delight. If he could keep the momentum going, revenge might be nearer than he’d ever dared to hope.
Misunderstandings
Alex shifted from one foot to the other as he waited near the steps outside of the girls’ hallway in the mansion, staring at the blank wall and watching girl after girl pop out of it. Most ignored him, for it wasn’t uncommon for a boy to be waiting there for one of the girls. But some gave him a quizzical look, curious as to whom he was waiting for.
Most of the students knew who Alex was. After all, he was the one who nearly wrecked everything by bumbling around Artimé during the governors’ visit, and the one the Quillitary general singled out at the onset of the battle. Students knew from gossip and whispers about his evil twin brother, and some mistrusted Alex for it. But Alex didn’t think that was fair at all. Everyone still loved Mr. Today even though they now knew that Justine had been his twin. And half the Unwanteds had other siblings in Quill’why weren’t those Unwanteds suspicious?
But Alex thought of none of this today. After a restless night and nearly two weeks of the silent treatment from Lani, Alex woke a bit bleary-eyed but determined to get on Lani’s good side again. Because even though they fought sometimes, he liked her more than he dared to admit to anyone, and he was miserable when they weren’t speaking.
Ten minutes passed, and Alex began to wonder if Lani had already gone downstairs. His mind wandered to breakfast, but getting things straight with Lani was even more important than food. Finally she burst through the wall wearing a pretty blue top that matched her eyes and reading from a book as she did almost every day.
“Lani,” Alex said.
She turned her head, bewildered at first, a bit lost in her book, but then she saw him. “Oh,” she said. “Hi.” She glanced at the stairs, tempted to continue down them, but then bit her lip and stopped. “Hi,” she said again. “I didn’t see you there.”
Alex smiled and pointed at the book. “I know.”
They stood facing each other awkwardly, the top of the balustrade between them, others rushing past to get to breakfast before classes started.
“So . . . what’s up?” Lani asked. “Are you going to breakfast?”
Alex swallowed hard. “I’no, I’m not. I want to talk to you.”
Lani looked at the floor. “What about?”
“About why you’re mad at me. Look, I’m sorry, okay?”
Lani closed her book and sighed. “What are you sorry about? Did Sam say something?”
“You talked to Samheed about me?” Disgusted, he shook his head. “No, I’m actually perceptive enough to know when you’re mad at me all on my own, believe it or not.” It came out harsher than he meant it. “You’ve been avoiding me for two weeks.”
The crowd around them thinned as the last stragglers made their way downstairs. Alex glanced over the banister to the entryway below, where Florence and Simber stood in their places, focusing on the dining room, or perhaps pointedly not looking at the top of the stairs to give the two some privacy.
Lani put her foot on the top of the landing, lining her shoe up next to Alex’s. “I know,” she muttered. “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not your fault.”
“Well, I could have said yes,” Alex admitted, “so in a way it’s my fault, but I’m glad you see it from my perspective.”