death. They were going to send Mr. Today to another island for a time, where he knew and trusted the inhabitants. Heâd bide some time there until word got back to Artimé and Quill that he was dead, which would give Aaron a false sense of security, and perhaps heâd delay an attack, thinking he had more time to build up support.â
Sean looked around the room at the faces. âI promise every word of this is true.â
âWhy wouldnât my father tell me about this plan?â Claire asked, eyes blazing. âOr Simber, for that matter?â
Simber lowered his head. âIf only I had known . . . ,â he said, but didnât finish.
âHe was going to tell you and Gunnar at your meeting at the palace that night,â Sean said to Claire. âAnd Iâm sure he planned to tell you, Simber. Iâm sure of it. And maybe even Alex, too.â
âSo Alex doesnât know any of this?â asked Claire.
Sean shook his head. âIf he does, he never said anything to me about it.â
âNot about your secret cavorting with the enemy either?â Carina asked sharply.
âHe knew I was up to something from the time Artimé disappeared, but I begged him not to ask me about it, and he trusted me. Besides, he had a lot of other stuff to handle back then.â
Claire frowned. She looked at Gunnar, who was listening intently, reserving judgment for the full story.
After a moment, Claire nodded. âAll right. Go on, please, if youâre feeling up to it.â
Sean nodded and took another drink of water. He sank back in his pillows and closed his eyes. After a moment of rest, he continued, his voice softer now, and pained. âNo one but you and Haluki and Mr. Today knew about the tube in Halukiâs office, Claire.â
Meghanâs eyes darted from one face to another, then back to her brotherâs.
âNo one expected you and Mr. Today to magically appear smack-dab in the enemyâs headquarters. Mr. Today had always walked into Quill when he met with Haluki. Always. Why would anyone expect there to be a different route?â
Claireâs face was ashen. âDid you know Aaron was working from Gunnarâs house?â
Sean shook his head. âOnly a few of the Restorers knew. Eva didnâtânot until after. When Mr. Today walked out of that closet, he couldnât possibly have been more surprised in his life to see the house lit up and Aaron standing ten feet away. And Aaron, even in a state of panic, actually managed to do it. To . . . to kill him.â He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. A tear dripped from the corner of his eye, and he didnât wipe it away. âIf Aaron had only used one heart attack spell, Mr. Today might still be alive . . . but he didnât. He lunged for the pile and threw a handful of them. He used a lethal dose without even knowing it.â
The room was silent. Claireâs lips twitched, and tears streamed down her face.
After a while, Haluki looked up. âHe used two more heart attack spells the other day,â he said, âto subdue the panther.â
The others turned toward him.
Meghan nodded, thinking back to her secret visit to the palace. âYes, Iâm pretty sure it was him.â
âIâm almost positive of it,â Haluki said. âI saw him later in the jungle by the tube.â
âThereâs a tube in the jungle ?â Meghan asked, incredulous.
âThere are tubes in several places,â Haluki said. âIâm sure I donât know all of them. But thereâs definitely one in the jungle. Iâve used it myself.â
âWhoa,â Sean said. âI didnât know either.â
âAlmost nobody did,â Haluki said. âMarcus had many secrets. I imagine there are hundreds of things weâll never know. Unless he wrote things down, his secrets went to the grave with him. Perhaps
Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes