The black trench coat Emily had found to replace my bloodied one fit snuggly around my body. One of the pockets had a hole in it, so I buried Gian’s leather canister holding the two vials and instructions in the other one. Since I didn’t have my sword, I left my sheath on the bed and made sure my dagger was secured inside my boot.
Before I met Nana, there was something I had to do. The hallway was vacant. The sound of my boots hitting the polished rock floor bounced off the bare walls. I eased the infirmary’s door open and slipped inside.
The lights were dim, but a lamp attached to Dag’s bed spotlighted Afton. She sat on a stool, her soft voice drifting over the other beds. She was reading to Dag.
Afton heard me approaching and stood. “Hey, what’s up?”
“They have books here?”
Her eyes went to the chapter book in her hands, then passed it to Dag. “They borrow them from the libraries. You’re not here to talk about a book, though, right?”
She knew me well. “I’m leaving tonight. Just wanted to check on Dag and say goodbye to you.”
“He’s improving by the hour. The cure is working.” She spun on her heel, glancing around the infirmary. “It’s healing them all. Dag gets to stay with Peyton and Knox tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful.” I bent over and brushed the hair away from Dag’s face, the face that reminded me of Bastien and made my heart ache for him. “You do look much better. Did you get ice cream?”
The corners of his mouth turned down. “They don’t have it here. But I did get some treats.”
“Well, maybe you can have some when you return to Asile.” I ruffled his hair and straightened. “I have to go, but I hope to see you again.”
“Me, too,” he said and continued studying the illustrations in the book.
There were tears in Afton’s eyes when I turned around. “What is it?”
“I miss Nick,” she said. “If you find him, tell him…tell him—” A sob cut off her words, and she covered her mouth with a shaky hand.
I gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “I’ll tell him. I’m sure he loves you, too. We’ll get him back. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
A tear dropped from her eyelashes and skittered down her cheek. “I know you will. You should get going. I’ll be fine.”
My eyes traveled up to the third-floor gallery.
“Sinead’s the same,” Afton said. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”
We hugged, neither of us able to let go first. I gave in and released her. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
I turned quickly and bounded down the aisle, not wanting her to see the tears in my eyes. Fear settled in my stomach like a seed growing and branching out, its roots threatening to take over my body. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see her again.
So I wouldn’t get lost, I hurried back to the corridor my room was in and passed the door.
Two lefts. Then a right. Then up a long stairwell. I replayed Nana’s directions to where we were to meet.
A painting on the wall stopped me. It was of a man lying on his back with a woman cradling his head. They both wore Sentinel gear. A battle was happening around them. There was a cut on the woman’s hand, and she held it over the man’s mouth. I read the Italian writing on a scroll by the woman’s knee.
Erede di erede. Sangue per sangue. Si trova la cura.
I translated it under my breath. “Heir to heir. Blood to Blood. It is the cure.” Gian had written that on the parchment I found in his leather canister. He must have seen this painting before, walked these halls.
“Gia?” Arik’s voice startled me, and I spun around.
“Um… Hi,” I said, totally sounding like I was up to something and just got caught.
He measured his steps to me. “What are you doing awake?”
I could ask you the same thing. But I didn’t, fearing it would sound too defensive.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk.” I glanced up and down the hall. “Guess I’m lost. I can’t find my room.” The lie made my lip twitch, and I sucked the flesh between my teeth to stop it.
His eyebrow went up as he watched me.
Did he notice? He knew the twitch in my lip was a telltale sign I was either nervous or lying or both.
He couldn’t know where I was going. Nana had warned me about telling Arik what we were doing. He would never let me go against the Wizard Council’s orders, and I wasn’t about to let innocent Mystiks die. Not if I could save them.
Arik nodded the way he’d just come. “It’s back that way. This castle can be confusing. There aren’t many distinctive markers or artworks, and every hallway looks exactly alike. I’ll escort you.”
My heart practically thudded to a stop. I would be late to meet Nana, but if I refused, he’d know something was going on. I forced a smile. “That would be great.”
We walked side by side in an awkward silence through the corridors.
“Are you angry with me?” He broke the silence.
“No. Are you mad at me?”
“Do I have a reason to be?”
He’s suspicious.
“Of course not. I’m just nervous about Sinead.” Which I was, so it was only half a lie, but it still tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Here we are,” he said. “Perhaps you could join me for breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Okay. That sounds good.” Another lie.
“You understand why I mustn’t let the cure go to the Mystik covens, don’t you?” he asked.
His words broke my heart. How could he not want to do the right thing?
“I don’t understand,” I finally said. “The cure was tested. It’s working. The sick here are getting better by the hour.” Frustration and anger bubbled up in my chest like a geyser waiting to erupt, but I held it back. “Listen, I admire how loyal you are, Arik, but sometimes it can be a mistake to trust without question. I hope you will reconsider your decision. So many lives depend on it.”
“I gave my oath as a boy to do whatever the Wizard Council commands of me. I don’t know how to be any other way.” His eyelids weighed on his deep brown eyes. He was tired and worried. “If this cure indeed works, the council will have the same results as Katy’s tests and will distribute it to the sick.”
We didn’t have time to wait for the council to do their tests. But I didn’t say that to him. The effort would be wasted.
Instead, I smiled and said, “Thank you for showing me to my room.”
“Sleep well.”
I opened the door. “Good night, Arik.” I closed it and leaned against it, holding my breath and listening to his boots clack against the floor and fade down the corridor.
Once I was certain he was far enough away, I breathed again. The minutes seemed like hours as I waited to make sure the coast was clear. Not wanting my boots to make noise, I took them off before leaving the room.
Two lefts. Then a right. Then up a long stairwell. I found a door there, and I stepped out onto a balcony that resembled a helicopter launch pad. Parked in the middle were two single-driver aircrafts. The moonlight danced across the black bodies of the bird-like machines. About half a dozen faeries secured leather boxes with straps to the back of the crafts while Nana supervised.