Aaron had lost seven Restorers so far in the skirmish. Artimé lost more than thirty. Without magic, Artimé was woefully unprepared in the way of weapons. The night wore on with no relief, both sides seemingly fighting without any real leader present. Finally, when Gondoleery had lost two of her strongest fighters and several of her weapons, and Mr. Appleblossom could stand it all no more, they came together and called for a truce. Most of the Restorers wondered bitterly where Aaron Stowe had been all this time. And most of Artimé had the sinking suspicion that they had lost a lot more than just magic and some fighters.
» » « «
Eva made her way to Haluki’s house once again. At the door she reported to Aaron that Mrs. Haluki was barely clinging to life and that Lani was missing. She hoped that the information would gain her some more credibility with Aaron’she needed to be on his good side again. And it worked, at least for now. He let her in.
When the palace guards knocked on Haluki’s front door a few hours before dawn, concerned and looking for their high priest, Gunnar answered it.
“I’m fine’thank you for checking in with me,” he told them as Aaron, hidden, trained the pistol at his head. “I have a family emergency and some things to take care of here. But I’ve appointed an associate high priest’you know him. Aaron Stowe, former assistant secretary to the High Priest Justine.”
The guards glanced at each other uneasily.
But Gunnar continued with an air of authority. “He’ll be moving into the palace and will be running things for me from there. Please show him your utmost loyalty. And prepare an announcement to be delivered to all of Quill at daybreak. The entire community must meet at the amphitheater at noon.”
The guards looked puzzled, but it was not their place to question the high priest.
“Hurry along now,” Haluki said. “That’s a lot to do before morning.”
“Whatever pleases the high priest,” they murmured. Frederick, the gate guard, gave one last glance over his shoulder as they walked away. Gunnar, sweat pouring down his neck, merely waved them onward. And then he closed the door and turned to his captor.
“What about my son Henry?” he asked Aaron. His eyes flitted to Eva Fathom, who had emerged from her hiding place in the hallway, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. She shook her head the slightest bit.
Aaron kept the pistol pointed at the high priest, but turned to look at Eva. “Have you seen the Haluki boy?”
“No,” she said. She’d passed many of the injured as she traveled back and forth, and the boy had definitely not been among them. But she wasn’t about to say anything about that now. She had another agenda.
“I thought I saw Claire Morning out there fighting,” she said carefully.
Aaron Stowe laughed. “I doubt that.”
A noise came from the kitchen, like somebody dropping a box or bumping against a door. Liam shot a look of alarm at Aaron, which Eva noticed. Aha, she thought. Aloud she said, “I’m sure you’re right. It was dark, and we both know my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. Is she dead, then?” She wondered if Aaron would lie to her.
Aaron hesitated. “Enough,” he said, changing the subject. “Haluki, if you keep playing your part this well, you will live. Perhaps even long enough to keep your son from being an orphan, now that your wife isn’t long for this world.” His voice was so cold, he cringed at his own words.
Haluki stared at Aaron, giving him no indication of how Aaron’s declaration shocked or hurt him. “I will follow your wishes for the sake of my family,” he said with utmost dignity. And then, unable to contain himself, he added, “Aaron, you truly have some redeeming qualities, but they are growing more invisible at each passing day.”
Aaron glared at him, his face growing hot. “Tie him back up,” he said to Liam.
Haluki ventured further. “There is a natural path to success, Aaron. But you’re too angry and bitter to follow it.” He held his arms obediently behind his back for Liam. “You just flail around stubbornly in the brush alongside it, angry with the world for not making the path exactly where you wish to walk.”
Aaron, unsure what the high priest was talking about, felt his mouth twitch and his breath quicken. “Gag him!” he said to Liam. He put the gun down on the table and stormed out the back door, not caring now who saw or heard him.
He took a deep breath of the rank night air and coughed, and then he determined that getting the Necessaries back to cleaning would be his first act now that he was in charge of Quill. That’s right’he was in charge of Quill! Not Haluki! And Associate High Priest Aaron Stowe didn’t need some stupid former high priest telling him how to act, as if he were a child.
A New Day
Alex heard a soft tapping noise. When he looked up at the window next to the door, he saw a face staring back at him. He turned quickly, knocking over a small side table and sending it clattering to the floor, and hurried to the door, shoving the chair out of the way and opening it wide.
“Henry,” he said. He was glad to see the boy. But then his heart fell, knowing he’d have to tell Henry that his sister, Lani, was missing.
Henry came inside, a strange look on his face. “My mother is dead,” he said.
Alex gripped the door handle. “What?”
“She died,” he said. “I can’t really . . . you know. Can’t believe it. She was fighting for Artimé. She’s a hero.” He shook his head. “That’s what my dad would say. That’s what the nurses said too.”