“Sheesh,” he said, when he could breathe properly again. “You scared me. I’d forgotten about you guys.” He took a few steps closer and got down on his haunches. “What a time to wake up, little boy. Don’t be scared,” he said. “I won’t hurt you. I was, um, just lying about the weapon.” He didn’t know if they understood him. “But don’t tell anyone,” he added. “Get it? Heh.” It was a terrible joke, he knew, and totally inappropriate. But he wasn’t exactly thinking properly at the moment.
The eyes moved, and as he leaned forward he could see the outlines of their bodies. Their neck bands glinted in the candlelight. The two drew back against the wall, so Alex stood again and backed up a few steps.
“Okay, guys, look. This is crazy. You don’t trust me. I don’t want to get spit on again. But I want you to know that I don’t plan to hurt you, not ever, and you can leave anytime you want. Your raft is . . . probably outside somewhere.” He scratched his head. “How about this: I’ll stay over here in the living room with Meghan,” he said, “and you two just do whatever you want. You’re really the least of my worries right now.” Alex fought off a violent yawn. “Though it would be really nice if you’d tell me what’s up with the thornaments.” He laughed a little at coining the phrase and realized he was growing delirious with exhaustion. “Just . . . don’t kill me, all right? I’m sort of valuable right now, it seems.”
He looked at the door, remembering Sean’s suggestion to lock it. Sighing deeply, he pulled a rickety chair to the door and wedged it under the knob, securing them in for the night. Then he rummaged through the kitchen cabinets for water and brought some over to Meghan, trying to rouse her, but unable to do so. He dripped a bit into her mouth to moisten it, drank some himself, and left the rest on the counter for the Silents. Then he collapsed in a softish chair nearby, too tired to scrounge around for something to eat, and fell asleep.
» » « «
When he awoke, it was a bright new day. But everything came flooding back too fast. Meghan was still unconscious, Sam and Lani were still missing, Simber was still at the bottom of the ocean, and Mr. Today was still dead.
Alex sat up, disheveled. He looked at his best friend, who hadn’t moved, and felt completely lost without his other friends. He wandered all around the little gray shack, looking at the meager, colorless furnishings and focusing his gaze out the windows at the bodies strewn about. His eyes landed on the footpath, where Jim the winged tortoise had fallen, probably just like Simber’without warning.
Alex leaned against a window, buried his face in his hands, and realized two things:
There was no cure for this pain.
And his life would never be the same again.
In the Middle of the Night
In the middle of the night Sean Ranger had found Eva Fathom lurking on the outskirts of the fighting. She seemed relieved to see him, though he was never quite sure if she was faking it. She pulled him aside.
They walked together a few steps, and then Eva whispered, “Aaron killed Marcus and he’s holding Haluki hostage’they’re in Haluki’s governor’s house.” Her voice was urgent. “He’s planning his takeover of the palace. He has weapons and guards.”
“What about Ms. Morning?”
“I haven’t seen her.”
Sean let out a held breath. “Where could she be?”
Eva shook her head. “No idea. Who is down among the Artiméans?”
“Alex’s friends Samheed and Lani’Haluki’s daughter’are missing, unrelated to this conflict. Several of our older Unwanteds have been slain . . . and Mrs. Haluki is seriously injured. I’m afraid she won’t make it’not without magic. And then there’s my sister . . .” Sean squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his lids with his fingers. It felt like his eyes were filled with sand. There was so much wrong, it was almost beyond measure.
Eva squeezed Sean’s arm. “I’m sorry for you,” she said. “Everything has gone horribly wrong. I never expected . . . this. We just need to press on.” She hesitated, and asked, “What about Alex?”
“He’s okay, as far as I know,” Sean said. “Can you get word to Haluki about his wife and Lani somehow?”
Eva pressed her lips together, thinking hard. “I’m not sure Aaron trusts me enough at the moment to let me in. But I’ll try.” She turned to go, and then looked back. “I heard there’s nothing left of Artimé . . . ,” she said, trailing off with the hint of a question in her voice.
“There’s the gray shack. Not much else, though.”
“My daughter, Carina . . . ?”
“Still fighting.”
Eva turned again and nodded, nothing else to say, and began walking. Exhausted from running back and forth, she limped through the shadows back to Haluki’s house once more, hoping rest was somehow in her near future.
» » « «
As the clash in Quill between Aaron’s Restorers and Artimé’s spell-less Unwanteds lost steam overnight, the injured finally limped home, dragging or carrying their fallen with them, while the strong fought on.
Most of the Necessaries who had made Artimé home over the recent months witnessed what had become of Artimé, and now watched the Unwanteds fall. Sadly, it wasn’t hard for them to turn their loyalties again. They avoided the fighting and went back to their homes in Quill, frightened of being punished, but having nowhere else to go. All of them were more than willing to do whatever it took to allow them to stay in Quill.