Free The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer Page A

should know that. And she asked me to keep Grave
company.” She elbowed Grave, and he winced. “Come on,
Grave. Tell her I’m good company.”
“It’s been interesting,” Grave told Charlotte.
“No one appreciates me,” Pip pouted. “Except Birch.”
“I think you’re brilliant company, Pip,” Scoff told her.
“You’re only saying that because I’ll drink your tonics.”
She patted her green hair before she turned her attention
back to Charlotte. “So when is the surprise happening?
Are we just going to wait here?”
As if in answer to Pip’s question, the lift’s iron chain
began to move. With creaks and groans, the elevator began
to rise.
Charlotte rushed to the railing. When the basket appeared, Jack was leaning against one side looking very
pleased with himself. Seeing Charlotte on the other side of
the gate, he laughed.
“Miss me that much?”
“Where were you?” Charlotte pushed aside the relief
she felt now that Jack was here and obviously unhurt.
He didn’t answer as he opened the door. She kept her
hands on the platform gate.
“I’m not letting you through until you tell me what’s
going on.”
“Get out of the way, Charlotte.” Ash limped up beside
her.
She started to protest, but when she saw that he was
still bleeding from his arm and leg, she stepped back.
Ash opened the gate, and Jack hopped out of the basket.
The two boys looked at each other silently until Jack gave
a slight nod. Ash bowed his head, taking a long breath.
Then he suddenly grabbed Jack and lifted him up in a bear
hug.
“Easy there, mate,” Jack said. “You look like you belong in the infirmary.”
Ash laughed and set Jack down. “I’ll be fine.”
Jack pointed at Ash’s poorly bandaged leg. “Did the
rats do that?”
Ash nodded, and Jack glanced at Charlotte. “Pocky
didn’t come through?”
Before she could answer, Ash said, “Charlotte did all
she could. There were just too many.”
Jack smiled grimly. “I owe you.”
“I think you’ve already made it up to me,” Ash said.
“Let’s get you patched up, friend.” Jack levered Ash
against him and the two of them started for the tunnels.
Charlotte stared after them, boiling with outrage. She
thought she would go mad from not knowing what they
were up to.
“That wasn’t a spectacular surprise,” Pip complained.
“That was just Jack.”
“But Ash was bleeding,” Scoff offered. “That’s something.”
“I suppose so,” Pip mused with a glance at Charlotte.
“He’s a daring fellow, your brother.”
“Ugh.” Charlotte stamped her foot. “I hate him.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Pip told her. “Especially when the rats tried to eat him.”
Charlotte ignored her, stewing in her own frustration.
“Come on, then.” Scoff waved for them to follow him
off the platform. “We still need to offload and sort through
the loot.”
Sulking, Charlotte shuffled her way along the passage.
She wished she could go to her room and wait for Ash to
find her and apologize like he should. He wouldn’t, of
course. She’d wait, and he’d come and scold her for acting
like a child.
Grave fell into step beside her.
“It sounds terrifying,” he said. “You must be very
brave.”
She straightened up, surprised by his words. “I don’t
think I’m that brave. I’d rather be out on a run than cooped
up here.”
Grave glanced around the tunnel, eyes lingering on the
soft blue light cast by the fungi. “I don’t mind it here. I feel
safe.”
“It is safe,” Charlotte said. “But it can get a bit dull.
Going out makes me feel alive. In here it’s as though the
world outside doesn’t exist. And I don’t like that—though
keeping away from the world is exactly the point of this
place.”
“Why is that?” Grave asked. “The world sounds bad.
Yesterday that thing chased me. Today I learned there are
rats bred to kill and eat people. Who would do that?”
Charlotte laughed. “Britannia. The Empire.”
“Are they monsters?” he