Island of Shipwrecks (8 page)

“Could you be verrry kind and untie the rrropes frrrom my legs?”

“Of course!” Claire said. She and Mr. Appleblossom began working the knots to release Simber from the hammock ropes so that he could step aside and make room for Sean to be assessed. Others crowded around to help Carina and hear the news. Someone ran off to get Meghan.

“Sean's leg is brrroken and he's in trrremendous pain. He needs medicine quickly. Carrrina is okay, I think, but she's prrrobably exhausted frrrom rrriding on my back forrr a few days. Everrryone else on the ship is fine, but we had some trrrouble and the ship can't move fast.”

Once Simber was freed, he stepped aside to reveal Sean, his face ghastly gray and twisted in pain. “Hurrry! Take him inside,” Simber said, a bit louder than he'd intended. It had
been a frustrating trip, longer than he'd hoped, and Sean had cried out many times.

Meghan came running over as several Artiméans lifted Sean and carried him into the mansion.

“What happened?” she exclaimed. She followed closely behind. Carina, who now stood on shaky legs, gave Simber a silent hug and a kiss on the neck, and slowly walked to the mansion as well.

“Did you find Sky's mother?” Ms. Morning asked Simber. “Tell us everything!”

“Yes. We've got herrr.” The cat shook his head slightly, dazed. “A lot happened.”

“I noticed you came home from the wrong way,” Mr. Appleblossom said, pointing to the east. “The opposite direction, if you will. I wonder what adventures you'll reveal when we have time to listen to your tale.” Mr. Appleblossom winced a little at the imperfect rhyme, but left it hanging there all the same, as the moment was urgent.

“Yes,” Simber said. He arched his back and took a few steps gingerly, testing the ground. “It's quite a storrry.” Simber looked up, as if suddenly remembering something. “But firrrst, is
everrrything herrre all rrright? We got yourrr seek spell, Clairrre.”

“Oh,” Claire said, her voice troubled. She glanced toward the mansion, but Carina had disappeared inside. “I—well, I'm glad to know you got the seek spell. It's—everything is fine. I mean, it's not fine, but we're not in danger.”

Simber regarded her. “I'm sorrry it took so long forrr me to come,” he said quietly.

“Don't worry, Sim,” Ms. Morning said, resting a hand on the cheetah's neck. “I would have sent more spells if it was really urgent. I just thought if you were nearby, well . . .” She tilted her head toward the mansion. “We need to talk to Carina. Right away.”

Simber looked at Mr. Appleblossom and Gunnar Haluki. All wore solemn expressions. “Verrry well. Therrre's not much she can do forrr Sean rrright now. Shall we find herrr?”

Claire nodded swiftly, and the small group went into the mansion. In the hospital ward they found Meghan and Carina sitting next to Sean's bed. Sean's eyes were closed. He seemed to be resting comfortably now.

“How is he?” asked Simber.

“Handling the pain again, it seems,” Carina said, not looking
up. “Thankfully. But he hasn't woken up yet. He was lucky to have such a smooth ride thanks to you, Simber.” When Simber remained silent, she turned her gaze toward the group. Seeing their serious faces, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

Ms. Morning pulled a chair next to Carina and sat in it.

“What is it?” Carina asked, fear creeping into her face. “Is it little Seth? Is he all right? What's going on?” She gripped Ms. Morning's hand. “You have to tell me at once!”

“Your son is fine,” Ms. Morning assured her. “He's down for his nap now. He missed you, of course, but he is doing wonderfully well. He's taken quite a liking to Siggy.”

Mr. Appleblossom blushed. “The lad likes costume closet frippery,” he said. “He plays ‘ship,' like Mum—quite the skipper, he.”

Ms. Morning grinned. “Yes, Siggy built a replica of the pirate ship for Seth to sail in, and one of the boys made him a costume so he'd look like Captain Ahab. Such a special one, your Seth. He'd be considered quite the Unwanted in Quill.”

Carina held a hand to her chest. “Oh, that's wonderful. Yes, he's showing great signs of creativity already.” She sighed in relief. “So what's wrong, then?”

Ms. Morning offered a grim smile. “I'm afraid it's your mother, Carina.”

Simber's eyes narrowed.

Carina's did too. “What of her?” she asked, her voice turning cold.

“I'm afraid she's . . . gone.”

“Gone?”

“Dead.”

Silence hung over the room. Sean stirred in his sleep.

“Dead?” Carina asked finally.

Ms. Morning nodded. “It happened here, you see. . . .” She struggled to find the right words.

“
What
happened? What was she doing here?” Carina sat stiffly in her chair, her face wiped of emotion.

“She came here to tell you—to deliver a message to you, that is, that she loves you. Apparently Aaron got tired of her and sent her to the Ancients Sector. She stopped here on her way, and . . .”

Carina stared blankly. “Did you tell her I don't care? Did you tell her I don't need love from traitors, nor do I accept it?”

Meghan interrupted. “She didn't actually end up going to the Ancients Sector, though. That's not how she died.” She put
her hand on Carina's shoulder. “She died saving the Warbler children.”

“What?”
Carina shook her head, trying to understand.

“She came here to say good-bye, Carina,” Meghan said, “and to tell you she loves you and little Seth, and then practically out of nowhere, from the direction of the jungle, came a horrible creature. A panther. One of the jungle creatures that Mr. Today warned us about when we first came to Artimé. The evil thing came bounding toward the lawn and all the children, and then . . .” She stopped.

“And then,” Haluki continued, “your mother saw the panther coming and she threw herself in front of it to stop it. She didn't hesitate. She sacrificed her life for Artimé's new children. She saved them.”

Carina sat numb, unable to comprehend the words.

Simber's brow furrowed, but he remained silent for the moment.

“I'm sorry,” Meghan said softly.

Carina looked up. “What?”

“I'm sorry. I mean, I wouldn't know how it feels, but I'm guessing it must be hard to hear this.” Meghan pressed her lips together.

Carina's eyes flashed. Her head began to shake ever so slightly, and her breath escaped her nostrils in tiny bursts. “Well, I'm not sorry,” she said, perhaps louder than she intended. “I'm not sorry at all. She deserved to die after what she did.” Her face crumpled. “She's a traitor!”

She swallowed hard, shrugged Meghan's hand roughly off her shoulder, and stood up, her chair making a painfully loud scrape on the floor as she shoved it back. Then she turned away from the others. Her hands trembled on the bedside railing.

Haluki took a step toward her. “That's just it, Carina. We're no longer sure that she
was
a traitor, despite all the evidence.”

Carina didn't react.

Ms. Morning and Haluki exchanged glances, while Simber looked on, skeptical.

“She said she knew we wouldn't believe her,” Ms. Morning continued, and her own voice cooled substantially now, for she was even more skeptical than Simber, “but said she was working for Artimé all along, even when she appeared most loyal to Aaron after Artimé disappeared. She said she had proof—that someone in Artimé could vouch for her—but she wouldn't reveal the individual's name.”

Simber spoke for the first time. “You sound as if you don't believe herrr, Clairrre.”

Ms. Morning raised her chin. “I admit I find it hard to believe after what she allowed to happen to me, locked in Gunnar's pantry all that time. She was well aware of my presence, and of Gunnar's in the closet, and she did nothing to help us. But I'm trying to keep an open mind in hopes that her so-called confidant comes forward.”

She looked around at the small group and went on. “I can only assume that person is on the ship with Alex—or perhaps it is Alex—for no one so far has come to vouch for her honor in the days since the attack.” Her eyes landed on Sean, but she didn't offer him up despite Mr. Appleblossom's previous suspicions.

Carina's knuckles turned white as she gripped the railing harder. “Because there isn't anyone! I don't believe her. She was lying. She must have been. I bet she lied about having to go to the Ancients Sector, too. She was Aaron's little slave—he would never get rid of her.” She shook her head. “How could a woman—a mother—do such horrid things, and lie so complexly, so frequently, that she'd lose her own child's devotion . . . ?” She trailed off and clutched at her heart now,
as if it were being torn out. “For what purpose? Wasn't giving me up at the Purge enough? Did she have to come back into my life, only to betray me
a second time
? What absolute heartlessness, which is just so typical of someone loyal to Quill! Is there any purpose great enough to cause someone to turn her back on her family for the sake of it?”

She turned and looked at the others, her eyes rimmed red. “Well?” she demanded. “Is there?”

Simber, Ms. Morning, Mr. Appleblossom, and Meghan had no answers. They could only reply to Carina's tormented gaze with sympathetic eyes.

“I didn't think so,” Carina muttered. “Her whole life was dedicated to hurting as many people as possible.” She looked up at the ceiling to contain her tears and sighed bitterly. “Excuse me. I need to get out of here. I need to see my son—someone I would
never
betray.”

Simber moved aside to clear a path for her escape. As she reached the door, a hoarse voice called out after her.

It was Sean.

“Carina,” he said, his breath labored. “Wait.”

A
t the sound of Sean's voice, Carina paused in the doorway to the hospital ward. She turned and looked at his bed, and saw that his eyes were open.

“You're awake,” she breathed, and rushed past Ms. Morning, Meghan, Simber, and Mr. Appleblossom to Sean's side. “Are you feeling any better?”

The others crowded around to see him, conscious for the first time since well before arriving in Artimé.

Meghan reached out and ruffled her brother's hair. “He's looking a little better, at least.”

“Yes, he is,” Carina said. “Sean, I'm so glad to see you awake. I was awfully worried. . . .”

He lifted a weak hand and Carina grasped it. They stared into each other's eyes.

“Excuse me for a moment,
Artimons
,” Mr. Appleblossom said gently. “Carina, I shall go and find your son.”

“Oh, thank you, dear Mr. Appleblossom,” she said, offering him a half smile in spite of the tears that were still wet on her face. “Bring him here to me right away, will you? I miss him so.”

He nodded and slipped away without another word.

Carina turned back to Sean. “You're feeling better, then?” she prompted.

“Yes, a bit better,” Sean said. His eyes remained half-closed and his speech was slower than usual, but the color was back in his face, and the near-constant grimace he'd worn since the ride around the world was gone.

“You should rest. Can you sleep? Were we talking too loudly? I'm sorry.”

He shook his head and gripped her hand tighter. “No, it's okay. I have to tell you something,” he said. “I heard you all talking . . . about Eva.” His chin quivered. “I'm so sorry.”

“It doesn't matter,” Carina said. “We can talk about it another time, when you're well. I'm—I'm fine. Really. She means nothing to me.” She set her jaw. “She was an enemy of Artimé.”

Meghan watched her brother's face carefully, and wondered. Had Mr. Appleblossom guessed right the day of the attack? Was Sean the one working with Eva? “I think he really just needs to say something,” Meghan said carefully. “Don't you, Sean?”

Sean turned his head. His eyes connected with his sister's, and she nodded encouragingly. He frowned, puzzled that she seemed to know something, but too tired to contemplate it. “Yes,” he said. He turned back to Carina. “Please. Let me explain.”

Carina glanced from Sean to Meghan, and back to Sean again. “All right, if you're sure you're feeling okay.”

He nodded. “Now that Eva's gone, I-I feel like it's my duty to defend her.”

Carina turned sharply back to Meghan. “Do you know what he's talking about? Is he delirious?”

Meghan shrugged.

“Carina,” Haluki said in his fatherly voice, “let him speak.”

“Please,” Sean said. “I am—I was—your mother's confidant.”

Carina's lips parted in shock.

“It's true,” Sean said. He struggled a little, and Meghan quickly slipped an extra pillow under his head and shoulders to prop him up. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I'd been meeting in secret with Eva since the rise of the Restorers, back when you were high priest, Gunnar.” He paused, breathing hard from the effort, and continued.