Then I asked her to help me make copies of the keys that I’d created the wax impressions of, lying that they were for my parents. Aiby handed them over to a little man, a so-called Keychain, who disappeared into Locan’s workshop and came out a short while later with a handful of brand-new keys.
During the conversation, I was careful to stay on the porch in front of Locan Lily’s Bubble of Silence beneath the strict watch of the seagulls. Shortly thereafter, the meeting with Somerled at the Black Birch went smoothly since she skillfully feigned ignorance all the way to the end. When we got into the boat this time around, I didn’t have to argue with Doug because I’d already warned him about everything. Well, almost everything.
Aiby and I climbed to the top of the Sheir Thraid tower. This time, when Aiby came so close to me that I could feel her breath on my face, I closed my eyes, put my hands in her hair, and gave her a kiss.
Just like that, I’d kissed her. A real kiss, ladies and gentlemen, as sure as my name is Finley McPhee. And the moment after, before my legs got too weak to do it, I dove into the waves and discovered for a second time that I was a Borderpasser.
When I surfaced in the water, Aiby was quiet and seemed simultaneously both happy and scared. It didn’t seem like Doug had noticed anything, so I retrieved a Borderpassing coin from the sea.
We went to the mill. I opened the door to the entrance without hesitation, pretended to find the dart from the blowgun and the shard from the Cloak of Mirrors on the ground (which I actually had hidden in my backpack), and savored Doug’s dumbfounded expression when he saw us literally disappear into a closet.
“Hey, Viper,” Doug said to me when we reappeared. “What —”
“Let it be for now, Doug,” I said. “I’ll explain it to you this evening. And go open the door, please.”
“The door?” he asked.
“Don’t you hear footsteps outside?” I said.
When Mr. Everett arrived, he showed a little less surprise than the day before. This time he began to tell the story of the tree with blue leaves when we were still at the mill, instead of along the street like he had the previous day. We moved toward the campground, and I hoped that Somerled, in the meantime, had gone to talk to Mr. Lily as we’d agreed she should do. So far, everything I had planned had proceeded perfectly.
The rest of the day played out much like the day before. Doug and Aiby went into the tent, but I didn’t voice any objections this time. I waited until they disappeared inside, waved to the tourists with the toddler in the bike cart, and then followed Mr. Everett inside.
Everything was exactly like the day before. But all of a sudden, instead of feeling reassured, everything became frightening to me. If I messed up this time, I wouldn’t get another second chance.
Semueld Askell appeared in the tent. “I’ve been waiting for you, McPhee,” he said, taking off his Cloak of Mirrors.
Shortly after, he tossed the box at me. I caught it, cleverly pretending that it bit me even though it really hadn’t.
“To capture the heart of your loved one, McPhee, all you have to do is put four things inside,” Semueld said. “Something from the body, something from the dead, something that’s liquid, and something that’s worn.”
I pretended to be appalled, but I interrupted him before he could further explain about the ingredients. “I get it, I get it!” I said. “I’m in! You’ve convinced me.”
He seemed perplexed. “In what sense did I persuade you?” he asked.
Everything depended on how I played my last scene. It had to be perfect. Semueld had to buy my performance.
I took a deep breath. “There must be something true about what you’ve told me,” I said, “because it just so happens that I already have everything that’s needed right here with me.”
I slipped off my backpack. “Here’s a handkerchief that Aiby dried her tears with. Here’s a lock of her hair. Here’s one of her shirts. And this half-broken clock once belonged to her mother.”
“Ah,” Askell murmured. “Her mother, of course.”
“Now I just have to close it?” I asked.
“Exactly so,” he replied.
“And you guarantee it will work?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
I hesitated for a moment, pretending to weigh my options. Finally, I said, “Okay. Here’s the key.” I showed him the scorpion key that I’d retrieved from my brother’s room after naming Doug the guardian of the Enchanted Emporium.
Askell narrowed his eyes as if he were trying to read my mind. Even if he could’ve, all he would’ve heard in my head was, “Do you want the scorpion key? Then take it already!”
“We truly live in a crazy world, don’t we?” I said, mimicking the pretentious manner of speech he seemed so fond of.
Askell raised an eyebrow. “Truly crazy,” he muttered. “You’re a real surprise, McPhee. I was convinced the Lilys had chosen more wisely.”
“Wisely in what way?” I asked.
“I didn’t think you’d betray them so easily,” Askell said, suspicion in his voice.
“But real men always betray,” I said with a wink, quoting one of my brother’s favorite (and incredibly tasteless) sayings.
It worked. Semueld Askell grinned broadly and nodded. “Exactly, McPhee. Exactly. Perhaps I was wrong about you.”
“Perhaps,” I said.
I extended the key with the scorpion on the handle out to Askell. He snatched it from my hand. In a heartbeat, Askell transformed into a flock of ravens and flew away.
This time I didn’t chase the ravens. Instead, I stayed inside the tent and looked for the blowgun and its Sidhe darts. When I found it, I placed it into one of the Essential Pouches in my backpack. I did the same with Cumai’s violin, scarf, and wand.
The backpack was getting pretty heavy. Thankfully, the tourists had taken their son out of the bike cart so I could steal it from them without any consequences.
Well, without any kidnapping-related consequences, anyway, I thought.
I pedaled to Meb’s house at top speed. “Come on! Come on! Come on!” I repeated with every push on the pedals.
If the Others held to what they’d promised when Somerled and I had requested an audience on the Island of the Passages, then they’d be at the Enchanted Emporium waiting for the delivery.
Meanwhile, Somerled had done what she was supposed to. I found her at the dress shop with Meb and Mr. Lily.
“So?” They asked me as soon as I arrived. “How did it go?”
“I think it went well,” I said honestly. “What about you two?”
“I’d say it went well for us, too,” Somerled said. “Well, except that my father is still searching for me everywhere.”
“And what about the Others?” I asked.
“They’re waiting outside the Emporium, as agreed,” Somerled said. “Were you able to get Cumai’s items?”
I showed them the magical bags, one after the other. Patches sniffed each one carefully.
“Then all that’s left is to free them,” Mr. Lily said.
We got in Meb’s car and raced to the village. We used the first of the four keys to free Mr. Everett from his trunk. He almost fainted in our arms, but we didn’t have time to comfort him.
We sped to my farm, but there was no trace of Doug’s trunk there. It felt like a bad premonition.
“Listen, Finley,” Somerled said as Meb drove us to the Enchanted Emporium at top speed. “Is it possible that this evening, your brother heard part of your story in the boat and did something different from the first time?”
“I don’t even want to consider that possibility,” I said.
Meb parked her car on the main road right beneath the sign with the arrow that changed direction depending on where you stood.
Mr. Lily pulled two swords, a bow, and a crossbow out of the
trunk of Meb’s little car. “You never know what might end up being useful,” Mr. Lily muttered. He gave Somerled the bow. He started to hand the crossbow to Meb, but changed his mind and kept it for himself. He handed Meb one of the swords, apologizing for not having healed enough to wield a sword.
We covered the rest of the journey on foot. Each step made me grow more and more wary.
“Do you want to know who these magical weapons belong to?” Locan asked as we crossed the remnants of the burned-down forest.
Patches replied with a low growl, which would’ve been quite similar to my response. No one else responded to Mr Lily’s question, so we traveled in silence until we reached the curve of the cliff.
I pointed out the raven and the seagull feathers that were scattered on the white stones.
“I’d say there was a battle here,” Somerled said, picking up a couple of feathers.
Locan Lily loaded the crossbow and advanced slowly. Meb and Somerled flanked him. I took up the rear.
A trunk was resting on the ground in front of the Emporium’s porch. I heard the sound of thumping and rushed toward it. Before I could get to it, I saw a few cranky seagulls flying over the house. Another, much more regal looking seagull was staring at us from the doorway to the store. As soon as the bird recognized Mr. Lily, it let out a sharp, harrowing call and limped over to us. It looked like a wounded general coming home from a hard-fought battle.
Locan Lily knelt down before it and stroked the seagull’s feathers. The two seemed to be communicating somehow. “Askell’s here,” Mr. Lily said.
“Where?” I asked, looking around anxiously.
Mr. Lily pointed to the wide-open door of the Enchanted Emporium. Just then, the trunk vibrated with a second round of thumping.
“Get Aiby out, I beg you,” Mr. Lily said, raising the crossbow so he could sight it. He proceeded one step at a time toward the entrance to the Enchanted Emporium.
Somerled followed, bow in hand, but with the arrow pointing at the ground.
I threw the keys to the trunks to Meb, raised my sword, and followed Mr. Lily and Somerled.
When Mr. Lily finally reached the door, his weapon was aimed at the unlit interior of the shop. I could barely see his pale, wild hair set against the darkness inside as he entered.
I gestured to Somerled to follow Mr. Lily. Behind us, I could hear keys jingling and Meb repeating the words, “Just a minute, Aiby! Just a minute!”
The darkness swallowed up Mr. Lily and Somerled. I could only hear their steps creaking softly inside.
“I found the key,” Mr. Lily said from inside the shop. “Here.”
After a long moment of silence, the scorpion key clinked on the ground at my feet. I grabbed it. The sound reminded me to breathe.
I heard a few more sounds come from inside Mr. Lily’s lab, and then he was calling me. “Finley? Can you come help us?”
I gripped the key in my hand, feeling helpless. Since the key was no longer mine, I was no longer the shop’s defender. The Emporium wouldn’t let me come inside. “I don’t think I can do that, Mr. Lily,” I called back. “At least not before I explain everything to your house.”
At that point, Patches barked furiously. I spun around with a jerk. Meb had opened the trunk. Aiby hopped out and shouted “And wash those smelly feet of yours, Doug!”
And before I could figure out what was happening, I saw my brother jump out of the same trunk. “Listen, Aiby,” he said with a shrug. “I’m really sorry, but once my feet start sweating, I can’t make them stop!”
In a flash, I reconstructed what had happened. Somerled had been right: Doug must’ve overheard the part of my story where I’d explained that he and Aiby were going to get trapped in the trunks. Somehow, he’d managed to get stuck in the same one as her.
I snickered nervously. Judging from Aiby’s wrath, my brother’s attempt at getting close to Aiby had backfire. The mortified expression on my brother’s face helped to calm me down.
(A few days later, Doug told me that being trapped inside the trunk with Aiby had been like sharing a small space with an angry tarantula. I didn’t bother to ask for details.)
“Doug!” I said. I pointed at the entrance to the store and slyly slipped the key into his pocket when he turned to look. “Can you go inside and give Mr. Lily some backup?”
“He won’t be angry with me, right?” Doug asked.
“No, don’t worry. He didn’t notice anything,” I reassured him. “Go on, they need someone strong to help out.”
Patches started barking wildly, and for good reason: the Others were coming. Their blue and orange torches flickered on the sea like an army of hovering glow-worms. Three boats were docking at the Reginald Bay wharf.
The floor of the Enchanted Emporium creaked. Doug cried out in terror as a salt statue of Semueld Askell rolled outside the store and landed at our feet.
“Ah!” my brother exclaimed. “Did I break that? What the heck is that thing?!”
I helped Doug place the statue back on its feet. We noticed that the fall had damaged its right ear. I tried to put it back in the place, but it wouldn’t stick.
Askell’s crystallized face was impressive. It reminded me of the woman made of stone I’d seen on the Island of the Passages. But this time, I wasn’t frightened — I just couldn’t believe that Semueld had been so confident that he’d entered the Enchanted Emporium without any hesitation.
I patted the statue on the cheek. “I’m sorry about your ear,” I said. “But I’m sure your friends will fix it for you soon.”
Meb watched me with wide eyes, clearly dying to ask hundreds of questions.
Aiby kneeled next to me, slipped her fingers into mine, and squeezed them. “I have to talk to you,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” I whispered back.
“I need to tell you about the Ark of the Passages,” she added.
“What do you need to tell me?” I asked.
“That maybe I didn’t tell you the whole truth, exactly,” she said.
“Me neither,” I admitted.
But in any case, it wasn’t the right time to explain. A small delegation of Others had come ashore. A man with long hair, exquisite clothing, and a sparkling crown led them toward us. Just behind him was the knight with a broken sword.
Reverend Prospero walked in the middle of the procession, his head high and his hands wrapped in a long silk scarf. Behind him walked a woman whose face seemed to be made of flames. Next to her was an ugly guy with a hook for a hand and the skeleton of a parrot dancing on his shoulder.
Cumai’s brother, the guardian of the island of Fladda-chùain, stayed back on the boat. He was watching the bottom of the cliff with a grim look on his face. From time to time, he extended the pole to touch the shore, as if he wasn’t allowed on the land.
The Others reached the Enchanted Emporium and waited silently. I didn’t know whether to look at the woman with the flaming face or the man with the crown on his head. Both of them seemed equally terrifying and regal, like a king and queen born from the stuff of nightmares.
Mr. Lily stepped forward. He placed both his hands over his heart and then raised one hand, making the same gesture that I had seen Revered Prospero make at the end of the bonfire the day before. (Or two days before, depending on who’s counting).
“Hail to thee, Oberon, King of the Little People,” Mr. Lily announced. He performed a strange bow. “And hail to thee, Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther. We are honored by your visit.”
“Hail to you, Locan Langmuir Lily and Aiby Agnes Lily,” the man named Oberon bellowed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve passed through the Veil to meet you in this place.”
“I beg you to drink a toast with us,” Mr. Lily continued. “We have prepared cups of fresh milk and cream for you.”
“I would do that with great pleasure, Locan La
ngmuir Lily, if the occasion that brought us to you were not so dire,” said Oberon, the King of the Sidhe. He let his calm gaze pass over each of us, and then asked, “Therefore, please tell us which one of you is the guilty party you proclaimed you would surrender to us this night.”
“The man of salt,” Mr. Lily answered.
“And how can we be sure?” Oberon asked. “Can he speak to us?”
“Not now,” Mr. Lily said. “Not for another seven nights, in fact. But we’ve gathered evidence against him that leaves no doubt of his guilt. In Cumai’s mill, we found the tip of the dart that he used to dispel her mortality. We also found a fragment of his mirrored cloak on the premises.”
Mr. Lily motioned for me to bring both objects to Oberon, which I did slowly and carefully. Oberon took the objects and examined them with interest, then passed them to the warrior next to him.
Mr. Lily held out the three objects I’d gathered earlier that day. “In the tent belonging to the man of salt, we found this violin, this scarf, and this wand,” Mr. Lily said. “I believe that all of you will easily recognize them as Cumai’s belongings.”
The items passed from hand to hand. From the boat, Wark bellowed in grief.
“We recognize them,” the King of the Sidhe confirmed. “And I thank you for returning them to us.”
“You shouldn’t thank me, but rather the other three people who help me take care of the Enchanted Emporium,” Mr. Lily said. “You’ve met my daughter, Aiby Agnes, but you should also meet my repair person, Meb McCameron, and the shop’s defender, young McPhee.”
Meb curtsied. I pushed my brother forward. He gave a slight bow.
Aiby stared at me in stunned silence.
King Oberon scratched his beard. “So there is still honor among the shopkeepers,” he said. “That is good news to bring to the rest of our people.”
“We heard about your discontent,” Mr. Lily said. “We have tried to behave in accordance with the ancient traditions.”
Oberon waved his hand as if to change the subject.
Mr. Lily continued. “To speak the truth, I must inform you that the man we’re surrendering to you is also a shopkeeper,” he said. “He belongs to the Askell family, who will run the Emporium after my family’s term has ended.”
Map of the Passages: 3 (Enchanted Emporium) Page 12
