“I guess you and I will have to work together this time, eh, Sim?” said Alex. “Can you stand it?”
“If I have to,” Simber drawled. “I’ve got my team on the west side of the mansion, and I told yourrr team to stay on the east side and coverrr the lawn up to the jungle. Does that sound rrright?”
“It sounds sparse,” said Alex. Usually the whole lawn was covered with warriors.
“Mrrr. Appleblossom’s team is therrre too.”
“Well, that helps. Where is Mr. A?”
“Alrrready stationed on the rrroof. We left his team on the grrround since they arrren’t as adept with theirrr footing as Siggy is.”
Alex looked up and spotted the man moving up and down the peaks of the roof without a moment’s hesitation. Mr. Appleblossom climbed to the tallest peak and called out to the three teams in the area. “It won’t be long before we see the start. The wind is on their side—be still my heart.”
“You are among the finest and bravest, Mr. Appleblossom!” Alex called back to him, remembering how the theater instructor had so nimbly saved Samheed from the boy’s own father in their first battle. “Are you afraid?” Alex asked him. The question was sincere, for Alex truly wanted to know.
Mr. Appleblossom looked down at Alex and said slowly, “I am afraid. It’s true—this scene is stark. No greater enemy have we than this. We must go forward with a blinded faith that we will see the end of the abyss.”
Alex gave Mr. Appleblossom a long, thoughtful look. The abyss. He hadn’t thought of the years of constant battles as an abyss, but once the man said it, Alex could see it that way. Something to cross. Something that stood in the way of their ultimate goal for peace. The chance to end it all lay in their abilities and actions today, and the enemy was much larger than any they’d fought before.
“We win or die today,” Alex said, more to himself than to anyone, but several Artiméans heard him and repeated the phrase to those around them. As the ships grew near, the island rippled with the words of their leader. “We win or die today.”
? ? ? ?
When the phrase reached Aaron near the lighthouse, it meant something completely different to him. “I guess I can only win,” he said grimly to himself. The gravity and fear of the war was combatting his desire for power and leadership, but it didn’t disappear. His heart was with the people of this island—all of them. And he would fight his hardest against the enemy, and against the thoughts that continued to work their way around his brain. Still, now and then he imagined what life might be like with him in charge, once all this was over.
To reach that, Alex would have to die, or at least become incapacitated. There certainly had been a time when Aaron had wished for this, but no longer. As he watched the ships grow close, Aaron clenched his jaw, trying to rid the thoughts from his mind. He didn’t have time for them now. He needed to focus and lead. “Applecorn,” he muttered. “Make Ishibashi proud.”
He turned to his team, somewhat larger than the other teams because of the recruiting Aaron had done in Quill that morning. “Stand ready, soldiers!” he said to them. “Pay no regard to me if I fall in battle. Our ultimate loyalty is to the mansion. To our island as a whole. And to . . . to the head mage. Don’t fail me in this. Quill and Artimé are one! Do you understand?”
The assorted group nodded.
“Then take your places,” commanded Aaron.
They did so.
Oh, how good it felt to be in charge of something once more.
? ? ? ?
Moments later in Artimé, a shout rang out from behind the mansion, and the ground began shuddering.
From the shore, Simber reared around with a growl in his throat, until he realized who was coming toward them at breakneck speed.
It was Florence. And she was dripping wet.
The Return of Florence
Florence!” exclaimed Alex, relief washing over him. “Thank goodness! What happened to you?” he asked as the lead warrior reached him and Simber at the shore.
“Pan and I got caught behind the line of ships,” said Florence. “The only way to get past them without them seeing us was to go under them and stay underwater until we rounded the north side of Quill. Even then we weren’t out of sight. I slipped off her back when we got close, walked ashore, and came through Quill. She stayed hidden under the water and continued home—she said she had things to take care of.”
“Good grief,” said Alex. “I’m so glad you made it. We were getting worried. But what about Spike and Henry? Where are they?”
“I don’t know,” said Florence. “I left with Pan immediately when she arrived on the Island of Legends. Henry and Spike went to do one last check on Karkinos—they were planning to follow us, but they never caught up. I’m worried they’re stuck behind the ships just as we were, but unable to go underwater for that large amount of time because of Henry.”