Island of Silence (Unwanteds) (15 page)

Aaron shrugged, disinterested. “What else is there to need except food? It sounds like extra work, trading coins for other things when you can just go get the other things.”

Gondoleery wolfed down some grapes and nodded. “They kept making coins until everyone had hundreds and thousands of them, and then they weren’t valuable at all anymore.”

Aaron furrowed his brow trying to make sense of it, but it sounded completely crazy to him. And soon he forgot all about it. They picked their four items each that they were not stealing, showed them to the guard, and went on their way.

There was something else Aaron wanted to ask Gondoleery, and finally he ventured. “You said that when Mr. Today gave you back your memories, he also gave you back your magic. Does that mean you have magical powers, like Mr. Today and the Artiméans?”

Gondoleery hobbled along next to him. “Maybe,” she said.

Aaron salivated. As much as he hated the creativity behind magic, it was still a powerful weapon to have on their side. “You aren’t . . . sure?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not sure of anything,” she said, “including you. So I’m not going to answer that question.”

Aaron bristled slightly. “Fair enough,” he muttered. “I thought that you might have noticed how much trust I’ve put in you, how much food I’ve given you, and now I’ve showed you the secret of the Favored Farm, which is practically our own private stash. But no matter.” He tried not to feel vulnerable, but he was suddenly afraid he’d made a big mistake in showing Gondoleery the farm.

“Keep doing what you’re doing to upend Artimé and maybe one day I will tell you,” the old woman said. As it stood, she wasn’t quite sure what she could do magically. So far, it wasn’t much. But Aaron didn’t need to know that.

“I have no other plans than to do just that,” Aaron said lightly. “We have ourselves quite a group of supporters now who have already enthusiastically made a mark on Artimé. Thirty-three at last count, including two governors’ sons, which I’m very pleased about. I intend to grow our group to a majority in Quill so that we might take over the palace, get rid of Haluki and Artimé, and return to the beautiful peace we once had in Quill. Do I have your full support?”

“Of course,” Gondoleery said. “You have my full support to restore Quill. But that doesn’t mean you get all my secrets.”

Aaron almost sniped back, “I don’t want all your secrets’just the one!” but he held his tongue and nodded, returning his demeanor to caring and friendly.

As they approached the gate for the second time that day, Aaron saw a familiar figure waiting for them. They drew near, and Aaron held out his hand to the woman in greeting. “Ahh,” he said grandly. “My dear Eva Fathom.” He bowed over her fingertips. “What news do you bring us from the mansion?”

A New Spell

A
lex, Lani, Meghan, and Samheed stood with hundreds of other Artiméans in two rows that stretched from the side lawn of the mansion all the way to the edge of the jungle. The rows faced each other, twenty yards apart, and Florence thunder-stepped between them, giving instructions on Advanced Magical Warrior Training.

She called this session “Advanced,” though last year it was just called regular old ordinary Magical Warrior Training, because, after several very frustrating sessions with Necessaries and Unwanteds together, it became clear that certain new Artiméans were in need of a very basic class. More of a let’s-see-if-you-can-actually-pull-this-off-before-we-put-you-in-the-action sort of class.

Lani’s little brother, Henry, ten years old but still about the size of a gargoyle (and, if you asked Lani, similar to a gargoyle in looks as well), was a quirky boy who asked a lot of questions and carried around a magnifying glass in case he needed to examine things, which he often stopped to do, to Lani’s exasperation. But Henry was also exceptional at magic and took to it very quickly, so he joined the advanced class with his sister and her friends. They actually really liked the boy. He was clever and a hard worker and took his spells very seriously.

But Lani’s mother was one such Artiméan who perhaps “needed improvement” in Florence’s eyes. And there were many others’most of them adults, curiously enough, while the younger Necessaries were quite able to pick up the art organically. So the Beginning Magical Warrior Training class was born.

The beginners were originally assigned to watch the advanced students, taking notes and trying things, but after several accidents around the community, it was decided that they were no longer allowed to actually touch any components at this time.

So Alex and his friends waited patiently while Florence instructed the beginners, young and old alike, on what to watch for. Even Eva Fathom was there, watching with interest on the sidelines and taking notes.

Alex fingered the new heart-shaped component in his pocket, eager to give it a try. He was very proud of this particular creation’it was likely his most powerful spell yet, and he was already working on a lethal level spell to it. It scared and thrilled him just to think about it, and a little chill ran up his spine and quivered at the back of his neck. He hadn’t felt this excited since . . . well, since the last time he began Magical Warrior Training. Maybe it was because he had worked so hard for it back then, or because he’d been somewhat unfairly held back from it originally, but deep down, Alex thought he knew what was so exciting about battle. It was because he was, to put it boldly, quite amazingly good at fighting.

He smiled to himself as he realized it. It was totally true. Alex was a great fighter, and he was also an excellent spell builder’one of the best. Mr. Today said so. So did Simber, and Mr. Appleblossom, and Ms. Morning, and especially Ms. Octavia, who knew his skill level was far beyond many others his age.

“What are you smiling at?” Lani whispered.

Alex startled and looked at her. He grinned even bigger, and sort of goofily, because he realized that Lani was just as excellent in different ways. She was extremely stealthy and sly, and no one ever had to worry much about her’she could naturally get out of any pinch with her fast thinking and her intricate moves.

Lani grinned too. “What?” she asked again. And then she laughed. “Why are we smiling?”

Alex just looked at her, and his heart clutched and sputtered. “We’re awesome,” he said finally. “I’m smiling because we are awesome.”

Lani laughed again and shook her head. “You are such a dork.” But she said it in the sweetest way a girl could ever say it to a guy.

It was crazy. Alex felt like he was finally getting his energy back after the last battle, and he hadn’t even known he’d lost it until this excitement surged through him these past few weeks. He bounced on his toes in anticipation, focused now on the Unwanted opposite him’a woman who’d been purged about ten years ago, whom Alex had thought he’d seen around with a baby recently. He didn’t know her name, but she flashed a cheeky grin at Alex and gave him a nod that said “bring it.”

As Florence counted down nearby, Alex put all his focus on the heart-shaped bit of clay between his fingers, and when she shouted “Fire!” Alex pulled his arm back, whispered “heart attack,” and then sent it forward in the fluid motion of a true artist who knows that speed isn’t important’only focus is.

The little heart left his fingers and sprouted tiny white wings, which gave it an incredible range. It sailed perfectly at the woman, who still grinned, knowing she’d get him back in a minute. It struck her in the chest.

With the smile melting from her lips, the woman’s eyes grew wide, and she collapsed to the ground, her body in spasms. A few seconds later she stopped moving.

Alex gasped. The roar of the crowd around Alex sounded far away as all the others let go of their components and the row opposite them erupted into the strangest fits anyone had ever seen. Some ran away screaming, some flew backward and were pinned to the great gray wall, others hopped around, and still others froze and didn’t move.

There was complete silence from the beginner students who watched in fear, and a momentary collective pause from Alex’s row as they peered to see where their opponents ended up, and then a cheer. They ran immediately to their counterparts to release the spells. But Alex wasn’t cheering.

He ran to the woman he’d hit. Her body had curled up on the ground, still and pale as death itself. Alex’s stomach twisted in fear’
what if it was a little too strong?
He hurried to release the spell.

A tense moment passed and Florence approached. She looked at the woman and turned to Alex, alarmed. “What spell?”

“A new one,” Alex said, ripping his fingers through his hair anxiously. “I call it ‘heart attack.’ ” His own heart sank to his gut as Lani, Sam, Meghan, and a dozen other Unwanteds gathered around to see what the fuss was about.

Florence, never one to panic, patted Alex’s shoulder. “Okay. It’ll be fine. Look’she’s coming around now.”

The color slowly returned to the woman’s cheeks and her eyelids fluttered. She rolled to her stomach, coughed, and pushed herself up on one elbow, a dazed look on her face.

Alex sucked in a breath and let it out in a loud, relieved whoosh. “Wow,” he said. “Sorry about that.” He held his hand out to her and she took it, getting up slowly. “Are you okay?”

After a minute she grinned weakly and shook her head in wonder at the boy. “That,” she said, “was quite an experience.” She coughed a few times as Florence examined her.

“I’m really sorry,” Alex said again.

And then the woman looked Alex in the eye and said very seriously, “No, don’t be. I mean it. That was intense. I’d do just about anything for you, Alex, if you’d make me a dozen of those.” She straightened her vest and wiped a few blades of grass from her elbow. “As soon as possible, please. That’s the worst spell I’ve ever seen. Or felt. Or . . . experienced. And by worst, I mean best.”

Alex let out a rattled laugh, still slightly unnerved. “Okay, sure,” he said. “No problem.”

The woman held out her hand. “I’m Carina,” she said. “Carina Fathom. You can find me in the family hallway.”

Alex relaxed a bit when he heard her familiar last name. “Alex Stowe,” he said, giving her hand a firm shake. “I’ll make some for you, I promise.”

The woman chuckled. “You’re so modest. Don’t you realize that everybody here knows who you are? In our hallway you’re known as ‘the guy to stand behind’ if we ever have to go to battle again.” She laughed. “That’s a pretty big compliment.”

Alex felt his face heat up. “Wow,” he said, feeling extremely awkward. He thought he was still regarded as the one who almost ruined everything.

He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked up at Florence, who had a very pleased look on her face. “Okay, everybody,” she said. “Back to work.”

The crowd dispersed back to their rows, but Florence kept her hand on Alex’s shoulder as they walked more slowly than the others and stopped halfway. When no one else was within listening distance, she faced him and spoke in a low voice. “You are a true warrior.”

Alex blushed again and looked at the ground.

“I’m going to need two things from you, Alex.”

“Yes?” he said, looking back up.

“A thousand heart attack components’after you supply your test victim first, of course’and your presence at a private magical weapons meeting with Ms. Octavia, Mr. Today, Simber, Ms. Morning, and me. Mr. Today’s office, immediately after this session. Can you make that?”

The excitement inside of Alex grew until it nearly burst forth from his skin. “You got it,” he said. He turned to run back to the line, and then he hesitated.

“Florence?”

“Yes?”

“Can I bring my friends? They’re awfully good at spells too. We help each other a lot, and they have a lot of skills I don’t have.” He bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t asked too much.

Florence narrowed her eyes. “Which ones? You mean the three you are so tight with? Haluki, Burkesh, Ranger, right?”

Alex nodded.

Florence considered it for a moment. And then she said, “I think that’s a very good idea.”

Alex grinned. “Thank you!”

He turned and was running back toward the shore to his spot where all the others waited patiently when something on the water caught his eye. He stopped and squinted, bringing his hand to his forehead to shield the sun. His jaw dropped. “What the . . . ?” It was the strangest thing he’d ever seen. He shouldered past his friends and kept going.

Lani turned in surprise, and then she caught sight of it too. She sprinted after Alex and reached him just as he dove into the sea and swam out to it.

“Call Mr. Today,” Alex shouted when he surfaced. “Hurry!” He reached for it and spun around on his back, kicking his feet and trying to pull the thing toward the shore. “Florence! Anybody! Help!”