by D P Rowell
Julie crossed her arms and pouted as she sank into the couch, “Can’t we at least go somewhere?”
“Yeah,” Tamara said, “being cooped up in here is like a prison. Ace and Cameron got to go with you somewhere!”
“Ace gets to go all the time,” Julie said under her breath.
Rio grunted. “Fine.” The drake turned to Marg. “Would you mind?”
Marg gave Rio a look of disgust. “You do it!”
“I can’t. Please, Marg?” Rio asked.
Marg shook his head. “I not babysitter, ug.”
“And we’re not babies!” Julie demanded.
“Yeah,” Tamara said, standing from the couch. “Just let us go wandering around Gathara ourselves. We’ll come back. Promise.”
Rio scoffed at the Peppercorns, then he and Marg traded eyes a moment.
“Ugh, fine,” Marg said. “Come on, little girls.”
“Uh . . . I’m seventeen, actually,” Tamara said.
“What your point?” Marg said. Ace liked Marg. “Let’s go.”
Julie and Tamara gave a sigh of frustration and walked over to Marg as he led them out the door.
“Ever been horseback riding?” Marg said to the girls as he shut the door.
Cameron looked at Rio. “You sure the Peppercorns won’t find some way to run away?”
“If there’s anyone I trust, it’s Marg. He’s a nice jag, but that’s one ug you don’t want to make angry,” Rio said.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Can I trust you two alone here?” Rio said.
“It’s not like I have any more secrets to tell,” Ace said. Rio smirked and opened the door to find Keele. The drake closed it and walked outside.
“What’s going on?” Cameron said.
Ace shrugged. “Not sure. Keele told me she needed to come by and speak with Rio. I don’t know what for.”
Cameron shrugged and plopped down on the couch and breathed a deep breath. “So, how did your training go?”
“It was hard at first, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it,” Ace said as he fidgeted with his fingers and hung his head.
“What’s wrong?” Cameron said.
“What are you talking about?”
“The way you said that. It wasn’t you. Something’s up.”
Ace sat on the couch next to his brother. He sighed. “It’s Rio.”
“What about him?”
“In one of the simulations, I was put in Angus Kar’s election day celebration.”
“Wasn’t that the day he was almost shot?”
Ace nodded and leaned closer to his brother. “And guess who the shooter was.”
Cameron sat straight from the couch. “Rio? No way! That. . . that’s crazy! How could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Ace said. “Rio told me he was mixed up with the wrong people when Grandpa found him, but . . . I mean . . . a president? That’s serious stuff.”
“No kidding.”
“What should I think of this, Cameron?”
Cameron shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know, bro. I’m not sure what I think of this. Well, was Kar working with a witch or something?”
“No, I thought he might’ve been. But this took place before Rio even knew about witches anyway. The elite told me he was part of some anarchist gang who was trying to bring down the government.”
“Well, he’s probably not the same person anymore,” Cameron said.
“I’d hope so! But still this isn’t something I can just pretend isn’t a big deal.”
“Yeah, I’m with you. Maybe it’s . . .”
Ace and Cameron went silent and jerked their heads at the sound of the front door opening. Rio stepped inside.
“Ace, we need to speak with you,” the drake said.
“Me too?” Cameron said.
“Just Ace.”
“Why are you still trying to keep things from me?” Cameron said.
“Don’t push your luck, kid,” Rio said. “I’ve already risked a lot by letting you train.”
There was silence for a moment. Ace stood from the couch, shrugged at his older brother as if to apologize, and walked outside. Rio shut the door, and Keele stood next to him.
“Ace, we have a situation,” Rio said.
“What?” Ace said. Rio looked at Keele, and Keele looked at Ace with the same fearful eyes Rio had at the recall ceremony.
“You sure he’s ready to know about this?” Keele said. “I told him I needed to speak with you because I wanted only you to know.”
Rio nodded. “He has to know about this.”
Ace looked back and forth between them. “Know about what?”
Keele sighed. She glanced over her shoulders, being sure no one was watching as she leaned in. “The Indies have been compromised. There’s a sorcerer somewhere in Headquarters,” she whispered.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The New Halder
Ace’s mouth moved without any words for a moment. His eyes of disbelief fixed on Keele as his jaw hung. He swallowed and finally forced the words from his mouth. “A—are you sure?”
Keele nodded, “I am.”
“How do you know?”
“I was becoming suspicious in our first meeting together. When Sebastian was so hesitant to let you lead. Then, when Ihana and George ran your simulations, and set you up to fail so many times . . .” Keele said, her face wide with disbelief. “I’m not saying for sure one of the elite is a sorcerer. Could be, but it might be that they’re just being influenced by a witch or parcel in Headquarters.”
Rio clacked his tongue a few times and said, “Well to be fair, I knew they were going to do that. Trusting the Indie’s leadership to a twelve-year-old is risky. Marty’s grandson or not, I can understand their concern.”
“That’s what I thought too, but in the watch room . . .” Keele said.
“What is it?” Rio said.
“They ran him through advanced simulations. No training, no context,” Keele said. “They’re trying to push him out. The boy himself even told me he was thinking about quitting after the simulations.”
Rio looked at Ace with disappointment, then back to Keele, “I agree,” the drake said, “they should have given him context first. But it’s like I said, they’re scared of a twelve-year-old running the Indies. I was too at first; I hardly think that’s enough to think there’re parcels and witches influencing them. It’s especially not enough to believe one of them is a sorcerer.”
“It gets worse, Rio,” Keele said. “They started him off in Simulation Twenty-Seven. Also, with no context. I think they’re trying to turn him against you.”
Rio stepped back, and his hands fell to his side, then he looked at Ace.
“Ace, I—” the drake placed his hand on Ace’s shoulder, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
Ace didn’t respond for a lack of knowing what to say.
“I was a different person; I nev—”
“A president?” Ace snatched the drake’s words from him. “You actually tried to shoot a president?”
“You two need to discuss this later,” Keele said.
Rio turned his sad eyes to Keele. “Right.”
“Why would they be trying to turn me against Rio?” Ace said. His tone was bitter, like the churning of his stomach after picturing Rio shooting President Kar.
“Because,” Keele said, “you and Rio are both working for the same thing: you becoming the next Halder.”
“Keele,” Rio said, his head lowered. “All the elite wanted to be the next Halder. Including me. It really shouldn’t surprise us that the elite are unhappy with this.”
“You don’t understand, Rio,” Keele said, her eyes now dark and cold, “you weren’t in the watch room with me.” Keele pointed at Ace, “That kid captured and identified a witch in his second simulation! But Ihana and George wouldn’t accept it. They kept finding things wrong with him. He’s a natural, just like his grandfather. He
has the gift and he’s done more than enough to prove it.” Rio and Ace stood silently for a moment. Their faces processed the information. The woman made good points, and Ace had never really thought about it. The council really was everywhere, weren’t they? Nowhere was safe. “Oh, and I should mention they pulled the whole try to catch one with no weapon thing on him,” Keele said, using fingers as quotes.
Rio chuckled, and it sounded like a rattling percussion instrument. “That old trick? They really don’t have any creativity, do they?”
“Um, hello?” Keele said, snapping at the drake’s face. “Bigger picture here. Ace caught the witch with no weapon!”
“Don’t snap at me, woman,” the drake barked. He rubbed his chin and glanced at Ace. “But that is impressive . . . how did you do it?”
Ace half smiled. “I lured her into a trap I made from tree branches.”
Rio laughed and smacked the kid’s back. “By Eathelyn’s Summer, that’s genius!” He turned to Keele with a wide smile, but her face remained stale and unimpressed. He coughed and snapped his tongue. “Okay, let’s say you’re right. We’re gonna need more evidence before we just start capturing hunters. Do you have any leads as to who it is?”
Ace chimed in next. “How do we know not all the elite are involved?”
Keele shook her head. “Impossible. Parcels and witches never group together like that.”
Rio nodded. “She’s right. The council’s goal is to deceive Yutara. Witches and parcels can gain more traction by spreading out. Parcels only call their witch slaves when they’re needed.”
Keele scratched her chin. “Sebastian is a possible suspect. Although George seemed persistently against Ace in the watchroom. So, did Ihana though. But it just seems to me that a witch would have a hard time sneaking into the elite group of hunters. It would be much more like a parcel to do such a thing. Any number of the trainees, guards, or hunters could be one. There’s really no way to tell yet because we haven’t started investigating.”
“Sebastian has named himself Interim,” Ace said. “Doesn’t his power make him a suspect.”
“Yes and no,” said Rio. “It’s true that parcels want power. But often they will stand alongside someone in positions of power. If someone who has power trusts them, a witch or parcel can use their magic to sway them, making themselves harder to detect for not being in the public eye, but still have as much influence in Yutara as if they were in power themselves.”
Keele butted in. “Although it is entirely possible that Sebastian has been given the position of interim Halder by the council as a reward for joining.”
“Okay. So . . . we have no idea then,” Ace said.
“Right,” Keele said. “For now, just keep an eye out. But don’t push anyone, Ace. Don’t go around asking questions or trying to bring the witches free of their disguise.”
“Keele’s right. If there’s a witch or parcel who’s deceived their way into Gathara, or especially an elite position, they must have unimaginable magic,” Rio said.
“But I’m immune, remember?” Ace said, a smirk on his face.
Keele furrowed her brow at the boy. “Watch it, kid. You were good today, but don’t let that get to your head.”
Rio said, “You’re immune to a witch’s power, yes. Possibly even most parcels’. But if one of them has found their way into the elite. . .”
“The point is, we don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Keele finished.
Ace exchanged a blank stare between Keele and Rio.
“Be careful with this knowledge,” Rio said, leaning closer to Ace. “Remember, witches and parcels know when you’re looking for them. No snooping.”
Ace nodded. “I’m guessing that means we can’t tell Cameron.”
Keele’s expression went wide and long, “I wouldn’t even imagine such a thing! Tell no one! Absolutely no one. This must stay between us three. If we hone in on who the mole is, then we can come up with a plan together. The more people we have snooping around Headquarters looking for them, the more danger we risk for ourselves.”
Rio nodded. “Agreed. This stays between us.”
Ace squinted at the drake. “Rio . . .” he paused. He leaned his ear toward the boy. “Why did you bring me into this? Why are you telling me?”
Rio’s mouth played at a smile but settled on no expression. “Because you’ve definitely Marty’s blood in you. If the Indies stand a chance in this war against the Council, we’re gonna need you. And we’re not just going to need you as a hunter. Marty wanted you on top for a reason; and I can see why now. Keele and I are with you. You are the new Halder. Even if the others don’t like it.”
Ace half-smiled at him. He didn’t want to show her his soft side by smiling from ear to ear; which, despite their circumstances, is exactly what he did on the inside.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A Grain of Sand
Ace fell in love with Marg’s cooking. At dinner, he served loaded hash with spiced krarlock, and myrberries with cream for dessert. Everyone sat together with nothing to disturb the quiet but the clanking of silverware and soft chewing. Even the Peppercorns had nothing to complain about. Come to think of it, the Peppercorns had been especially quiet since they had returned from their trip with Marg.
“So—” Ace had begun to say before he realized his mouth was full of loaded hash. He swallowed the creamy orange mush and returned to his question, “Where did you guys go?” He crunched down on the krarlock, and the spice exploded on his tongue in a sharp but pleasant way. It wasn’t the type of stinging spice from hard peppers, but it spread over his taste buds in a welcoming warmth. It had a hard shell, and a gooey red center. His taste buds asked for more before he swallowed his first bite.
“Where did who go?” Marg said.
“You and the Peppercorns,” Ace said. “When you traveled through Gathara today.”
“Well,” Marg began, a strangely delighted look on his face, “We went walking in Garden Park first.”
“There were bugs everywhere,” Julie added.
“Oh, quiet,” Marg said, “it was wonderful garden and you know it.”
Julie shrugged and went back to her plate.
“Then I took them Charles Street. Dozens of antique stores to see. Fun place,” Marg said.
“It was kinda like Grandpa’s heaven,” Tamara said.
Rio dropped his fork and pointed at Tamara. “Don’t you talk bad about your grandfather now.”
Tamara’s face showed remorse, but Ace had a hard time accepting the validity in it. “I wasn’t,” She said. “I’m just saying, I wish Grandpa could’ve come with us here. He would have loved all of the ancient things in the city.”
Ace, Rio, and Cameron glanced at each other. Cameron and Ace fought back a smile, obviously delighted they knew all those things about Grandpa the Peppercorns didn’t.
“Your grandfather saw this city many times before,” Marg said. Rio looked at Marg with frustration. Marg let Rio’s gaze pass over.
“You knew Grandpa Marty?” Julie said, her brow tightened with curiosity.
“Yes. Rio and your father were close work buddies,” Marg said. “I met him once or twice. Great man. I sorry to hear of his passing.”
Rio looked as if he were about to slap Marg. Ace tensed as well. Why was the jag telling this to the Peppercorns?
“You were all investors?” Tamara said.
Marg swallowed a bite of hash the size of a basketball. “Yes, we were. Well, Rio and your grandfather were. I was just an assistant.”
Rio’s face calmed. Ace relaxed. Marg may have been better off not saying anything; but at least he answered some of the Peppercorns’ questions without giving away anything important.
After dinner, Cameron and Ace went to their rooms. It had been a long day, but just as they had settled and got ready for bed, the door opened, and the Peppercorns stepped inside. For a moment they simply stood in an awkward silence.
“What?” Cameron finally said.
Julie stepped closer as well. “Yeah! You expect us to believe that massive gray thing with loads of shiny weapons was an investor? Gimme a break.”
Cameron shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A smug look on his face. Ace leaned against the wall with an evil grin, loving every minute of it. The Peppercorns were stuck in the house all day for protection, being babysat, while he and Cameron were off training to be hunters. He couldn’t remember a time he felt so satisfied. The only thing diminishing the joy of the moment was the thought of his quest to save them. As the Peppercorns each stood from inside the bedroom door, their usually bratty mannerisms about them, his desire to see them as witches grew more intense.
“Look, Halders, we’re not idiots,” Tamara said, wagging her finger at Cameron’s nose, “and we’re gonna find out what it is all of you are hiding.”
“Yeah,” Julie chimed in, her hands on her hips, “but not before we find a way out of this stupid city to reach Mom and Dad.”
The Halder brothers glanced at each other. Cameron turned to face Julie. “You don’t want to do that,” he said.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Julie said. “Having us trapped in this place like a couple of prisoners while you and Ace go running around with your new, weird friends.”
Ace chuckled. “Actually, that is pretty nice, yeah.”
“Julie,” Cameron said, “it’s not like that. We’re trying to protect you.”
Tamara and Julie burst into laughter. “Like we need your protection,” Tamara said, wiping a fake tear from her eye.
“Aw, look,” Julie said with a puckered lip, “they’re serious. It’s kinda cute, actually.”
“You don’t understand. Our family is in very serious danger,” Cameron said.
“I’ll say. We’ve been kidnapped by a drake and are being held hostage in some weird city!” Tamara said.
“Rio’s trying to protect you!” Cameron said.
They’re practically witches already, Ace thought. His fury must’ve shown on his face, for Julie took notice. Their eyes met, and she stepped towards him with an evil smile. The smile of a witch.
