Free Island of Shipwrecks by Lisa McMann

sure you’re feeling okay.”
    He nodded. “Now that Eva’s gone, I-I feel like it’s my duty to defend her.”
    Carina turned sharply back to Meghan. “Do you know what he’s talking about? Is he delirious?”
    Meghan shrugged.
    â€œCarina,” Haluki said in his fatherly voice, “let him speak.”
    â€œPlease,” Sean said. “I am—I was—your mother’s confidant.”
    Carina’s lips parted in shock.
    â€œIt’s true,” Sean said. He struggled a little, and Meghan quickly slipped an extra pillow under his head and shoulders to prop him up. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I’d been meeting in secret with Eva since the rise of the Restorers, back when you were high priest, Gunnar.” He paused, breathing hard from the effort, and continued.
    â€œEva was a spy. She told me everything Aaron was doing. She’s the reason Aaron held off from fighting us all this time. The reason,” he said, taking several breaths, “we are not under attack right now.”
    This was news to everyone. They all listened intently, waiting for more.
    When Sean was able, he continued. “She knew Alex and the rest of us were going to be gone, but Aaron didn’t. And we didn’t want him to find out. He’s planning to fight. She convinced him to wait to attack us. I spoke to her the night before we set out, and she promised to do everything she could to keep Artimé safe for as long as possible.”
    Simber and Claire Morning exchanged glances. Carina stared, unbelieving.
    Sean took a sip of water and continued. “She felt her days were numbered, so she took a chance on saving Liam Healy, knowing how remorseful he was about the part he played. Eva had secretly kept him alive in the Ancients Sector, waiting for a chance to get him out of there. And it finally came. She convinced Aaron that he was loyal, and talked him into taking Liam on as a governor.”
    Claire Morning stood abruptly and began to pace, visibly angry but keeping her thoughts to herself.
    Sean struggled to lift himself on one elbow, and Meghan hurried to help him. “Claire,” he said. His face cracked as he watched her begin to cry. “Claire, please listen.”
    Ms. Morning blew her nose in a tissue and nodded.
    â€œEva Fathom was our friend. And Mr. Today knew it.”
    â€œDon’t,” Ms. Morning said.
    â€œShe and Mr. Today had a plan.”
    â€œIt’s her fault he’s dead!”
    â€œNo. No. I know it looks that way, but it wasn’t her fault.”
    Ms. Morning paced a bit more, then stopped at the end ofSean’s bed and folded her arms. “All right. Tell me, then.”
    Sean closed his eyes momentarily to collect his thoughts, and then opened them and spoke. “Aaron had been plotting to kill Mr. Today for a long time. When it all came down to the final planning stages, he didn’t dare. So he told Eva to do it to prove that she was truly on his side, because he didn’t trust her.” He leaned forward and winced. “And we needed him to trust her.”
    â€œWe?” Carina said sarcastically. “You mean you .”
    Sean winced. “I’m sorry, Carina.”
    She held up a hand to stop the apology. “Just . . . just go on.”
    Sean nodded and turned back to Claire. “Like I said, we needed Aaron to trust Eva. So she and Mr. Today concocted a plan: They would go on holiday together. Eva stole heart attack spells from Carina to show Aaron she had the means to kill Mr. Today. He took some from her, so she lied and told him that one heart attack spell was deadly, in case he ever decided to use it. Then she told Aaron she’d kill Mr. Today on their holiday, and when she returned to Artimé, she’d tell everyone he’d died on the journey.”
    Simber frowned but said nothing.
    Sean went on. “But really, Eva and Mr. Today planned to fake his