He took a breath and let it out slowly. “But we are smart, and the truth is clear now: Quill is not the land of the Wanteds, and it never has been. Artimé is the land of the Wanteds, and we are the true Unwanteds, all of us.”
And then he paused dramatically, waiting for complete silence, before he asked the ominous question. “My friends,” he said in a dark and bitter voice, “how does it feel to be Unwanted?”
As the small crowd’s shocked mumblings grew to complaints and anger, Aaron Stowe watched, concealing his delight. If he could keep the momentum going, revenge might be nearer than he’d ever dared to hope.
Misunderstandings
Alex shifted from one foot to the other as he waited near the steps outside of the girls’ hallway in the mansion, staring at the blank wall and watching girl after girl pop out of it. Most ignored him, for it wasn’t uncommon for a boy to be waiting there for one of the girls. But some gave him a quizzical look, curious as to whom he was waiting for.
Most of the students knew who Alex was. After all, he was the one who nearly wrecked everything by bumbling around Artimé during the governors’ visit, and the one the Quillitary general singled out at the onset of the battle. Students knew from gossip and whispers about his evil twin brother, and some mistrusted Alex for it. But Alex didn’t think that was fair at all. Everyone still loved Mr. Today even though they now knew that Justine had been his twin. And half the Unwanteds had other siblings in Quill’why weren’t those Unwanteds suspicious?
But Alex thought of none of this today. After a restless night and nearly two weeks of the silent treatment from Lani, Alex woke a bit bleary-eyed but determined to get on Lani’s good side again. Because even though they fought sometimes, he liked her more than he dared to admit to anyone, and he was miserable when they weren’t speaking.
Ten minutes passed, and Alex began to wonder if Lani had already gone downstairs. His mind wandered to breakfast, but getting things straight with Lani was even more important than food. Finally she burst through the wall wearing a pretty blue top that matched her eyes and reading from a book as she did almost every day.
“Lani,” Alex said.
She turned her head, bewildered at first, a bit lost in her book, but then she saw him. “Oh,” she said. “Hi.” She glanced at the stairs, tempted to continue down them, but then bit her lip and stopped. “Hi,” she said again. “I didn’t see you there.”
Alex smiled and pointed at the book. “I know.”
They stood facing each other awkwardly, the top of the balustrade between them, others rushing past to get to breakfast before classes started.
“So . . . what’s up?” Lani asked. “Are you going to breakfast?”
Alex swallowed hard. “I’no, I’m not. I want to talk to you.”
Lani looked at the floor. “What about?”
“About why you’re mad at me. Look, I’m sorry, okay?”
Lani closed her book and sighed. “What are you sorry about? Did Sam say something?”
“You talked to Samheed about me?” Disgusted, he shook his head. “No, I’m actually perceptive enough to know when you’re mad at me all on my own, believe it or not.” It came out harsher than he meant it. “You’ve been avoiding me for two weeks.”
The crowd around them thinned as the last stragglers made their way downstairs. Alex glanced over the banister to the entryway below, where Florence and Simber stood in their places, focusing on the dining room, or perhaps pointedly not looking at the top of the stairs to give the two some privacy.
Lani put her foot on the top of the landing, lining her shoe up next to Alex’s. “I know,” she muttered. “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not your fault.”
“Well, I could have said yes,” Alex admitted, “so in a way it’s my fault, but I’m glad you see it from my perspective.”
“Wait,” Lani said slowly. “What?”
Alex’s eyes widened. He got the feeling he had just done something wrong again. “What, what?”
“What are you apologizing for, exactly?” she asked, her free hand moving to her hip.
Alex could see the tension come back to her face, but he didn’t know what else to say. “I’I’m apologizing because you wish I had told Mr. Today that I’d be the next leader . . . of . . .” He faltered.
Lani waited a moment, daring him with her eyes to say the next word. But there was no way he was going to do that. “Boys,” she muttered before she turned on the ball of her foot and strode regally down the stairs.
“Crud,” Alex whispered as he watched her silky hair bouncing against her back at each step. He felt like poking his own eyes out. When she neared the bottom, she continued walking straight ahead to the massive front door. She opened it and walked out.
Florence glanced at Alex at the top of the stairs, trying to hide her amusement, but Simber stayed completely still except for his ears, which suddenly twitched and turned sharply, as if sensing something. Alex debated what to do for a moment, but then decided he didn’t need to starve to death over it, so he headed down the stairs as well to grab some food to bring to class with him.
At the bottom of the steps, Simber tensed, and then quickly extended his wings, bumping Alex and knocking him flat, and scaring him a great deal.
“Attention!” Simber roared, jumping from his pedestal and charging to the door. “Florrrence, to the gate. Alex and everrryone else, come. We arrre underrr attack!”
The giant cat pushed through the door and bounded away, his rippling stone body a mere flash by the windows that overlooked the lawn. Florence bellowed a sharp, “Marcus!” that shook the entire mansion.
Alex took off out the door after Simber, the boy’s hands automatically digging in his pockets for spell components. Lani had had a head start, and Alex’s stomach twisted when he saw her’she wasn’t wearing her component vest today. “Lani, wait!” he cried out, but she didn’t hear him in all the noise between them.
Intruders
Alex ran toward the gate at top speed as a dozen others, including Ms. Morning and Sean Ranger, fluidly exited the mansion from all doorways. There was shouting and confusion, girrinos rearing up, and a number of screams. Simber thundered across the lawn making the ground shake, and Alex could see at least fifteen Quillens running about and yelling, attacking the girrinos with long pieces of rusty metal. Lani stayed on the edge of the fight, ducking and shoving Wanteds, avoiding attack and trying not to get trampled, but unable to cast any spells without her components. Three girrinos took the brunt of the attacks and the fourth contorted and shuddered on the ground, squealing and roaring in pain.
Alex shot off a series of scatterclips, catching one Wanted in a wide open space and sending him flying backward several hundred feet into the Quill wasteland until he hit up against something the scatterclips could stick into.
Ms. Morning ran up to the entrance, shooting spells and staring hard at the men and women who were attacking Artimé, trying to identify them. She ran up to one who was attacking the girrinos, disarmed him, and began to cast a spell when he turned. When she saw his face, she stopped mid-spell. Her mouth slacked open and the Wanted’s eyes grew wide with recognition, and then with fear. He took a step back and held his hand up as if to protect himself or beg for mercy.
But there was no time for anyone to react further. Simber thudded to a stop at the gate and gave an earth-shattering roar. The Quillans took one look at the invincible beast and shrieked. They turned abruptly and fled down the dirt road toward Quill. Simber chased them several yards. Sean and Ms. Morning followed and stood in the road, watching them go. Ms. Morning’s fingers covered her mouth as the man she’d disarmed looked back. Simber whirled around and stampeded back to the entrance where Arija now lay completely still.
A crowd of Artiméans gathered around Arija, including Lani and Mr. Today, who knelt by the girrino’s side. Alex, breathless, stopped at the edge of the crowd and peered through the spaces between people and creatures. All was eerily silent.
r />
Mr. Today murmured something undetectable over and over again as he moved his hand over the girrino’s neck. For several agonizing minutes he worked, and when he finally looked up, he had tears running into the deep wrinkles around his eyes. “I’m afraid’” His voice broke. He took a deep breath and rested his hand gently on Arija’s soft fur. He shook his head. “I’m not able to save her.”
Everything was silent for the tiniest moment as Mr. Today’s words sank in. And then the remaining girrinos sent up a cry so loud, so sorrowful, that it broke the hearts of every hearted person and creature for miles.
When Aaron Stowe heard it from deep within Quill, he smiled.
A Grave Danger
As word spread around Artimé about the attack and the shocking death of sweet Arija, no one was surprised to find classes canceled and an order on all blackboards to report to the theater immediately.
Lani walked willingly with Alex now, the argument between them forgotten for the moment. The two entered the theater in shock, Alex putting his arm around Lani’s shoulders, and Lani letting him, as they made their way to where they usually met their friends when there was a crisis.
Meghan and Samheed were there already, Meghan crying and clutching Samheed’s hand. The four of them stood, not saying much at all, each thinking about how weird and horrible it was to see somebody alive one moment, and see them dead the next.
Alex told Meghan and Samheed how it all had happened, and how Lani was fighting valiantly, and how Simber scared the Quillens off, but it had been too late. Samheed, in a rare moment reserved for such tragic occasions, nudged Lani and whispered gruffly, “I’m glad you’re okay. Wear your stupid vest, okay?”
A moment later a ripple went round the room as humans and creatures bustled to get seated, or to find their spots in the air as Jim the winged tortoise did, for on the stage was Mr. Today waiting patiently for silence. After everyone had settled and the room was quiet, Mr. Today spoke.
“I wish to keep this brief,” he said in a gravelly voice. He cleared his throat and began again. “I am deeply saddened by this attack. Arija was a friend to everyone, and she guarded our entry faithfully for many years. No one was more dedicated to the safety of Artimé than she.”
Tears fell around the room.
“The attack makes it all too clear: Quill is struggling mightily to accept us’more than anyone had imagined. As much as our friend, High Priest Haluki, is doing to make this transition possible, it is still incredibly hard to introduce new ideas into a society that has been so set in its ways for all these years.” He scanned the audience, now fuller than ever with hundreds of Necessaries and even a few Wanteds joining them. His eyes landed on Eva Fathom, near the front of the theater, and he smiled sadly. Her form seemed less rigid than before, her head bowed.
“Clearly, we didn’t expect this kind of violent, organized attack. Clearly, we should have.”
Just then Charlie the gargoyle meandered to the stage and approached Mr. Today. He made rapid gestures with his hands, as if speaking in a kind of sign language, and Mr. Today watched him with great attention. When Charlie had finished, Mr. Today thanked him, and the gargoyle left the stage and wandered back to the tubes.
“High Priest Haluki sends his deepest condolences. He was as shocked to hear of the tragedy as we were to witness it. He asks anyone involved in the skirmish who might have recognized a member of the party, whether Quillitary or otherwise, to please contact him.”
At the back of the room, Ms. Morning twisted and worked a handkerchief. She didn’t look up.
Mr. Today gave a tired sigh. “Ah, me. Here we are, back where it all started,” he said, almost to himself. “You know what to expect this time. Florence will begin Magical Warrior Training with the new residents, and the rest of you will sharpen your skills once again.
“Simber will be stationed at the gate for now’he is there already. Tina, Opal, and Penelope will take some much needed time off to mourn their sister and leader. From this moment forward, everyone is to wear their fully stocked component vests at all times, stay tuned to your blackboards, and be prepared for battle at a moment’s notice.”
Lani glanced at Samheed, who was looking sidelong at her. She nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap.
Mr. Today asked, “Are there any questions?”
“Yes,” came a loud voice. “I have a question.” Sean Ranger stood up. “Mr. Today, why don’t you put the gate back up? Haven’t enough of us died?”
Mr. Today paused a long moment, and then he spoke. “I don’t know anymore, Sean,” he said simply. “I ask myself the same question daily.”
“Is it pride? Because if it is, I think it’s reckless.” Sean stood his ground.
Mr. Today didn’t seem offended. “Perhaps you’re right. Thank you for speaking up. I’ll consider it.”
A murmur rose up in the crowd. Alex sat up in his seat, shocked and even a little angry. Before he knew what he was doing, Alex stood and said, “Mr. Today, how can you say that after everything you’ve taught us? You taught us that we shouldn’t hide. You taught us that we have the right to exist and live freely! You saved us, and we have to save Artimé’that’s the price we pay for getting a second chance to live.” The room was quiet again. “And anyone who doesn’t agree can just go somewhere else.”
Sean Ranger’s eyes flared as he sought and found Alex in the crowded theater. He opened his mouth to speak, but then one by one Samheed, Lani, and others around Alex stood in agreement.
Only Meghan stayed seated, looking from her brother to her best friend back to her brother again. Wearily she buried her face in her hands as the place erupted into arguments and accusations about who was right, and what should be done.
Alex, in heated but respectful debate with someone two rows in front of him, glanced up at the stage to see Mr. Today watching him. Alex stopped mid-sentence, feeling badly about starting the argument and ruining Mr. Today’s speech, but the old mage nodded at Alex and clasped his hands together. Alex thought he might even look a bit proud.
A surge of electricity rushed through Alex’s blood, and he felt anew the absolute thrill of being saved by Mr. Today and Artimé, the challenge and luck of being alive’a feeling he hadn’t felt since before his brother had nearly killed him. He smiled at Mr. Today, for the first time feeling less like student and teacher, and more like friends.
Almost as if they understood each other without needing words.
Sleepless Again
henever Alex couldn’t sleep he took to wandering the mansion. Sometimes in the dark of the night he saw Samheed, who had a similar sleep problem. Tonight was one of those nights. They left their rooms almost simultaneously, Samheed firing off a snide comment to his blackboard, Stuart, as he closed his door, and Alex responding “I won’t” to Clive’s “Don’t die” reminder. The two met up and walked together without a need to speak.
Like they had done in the past, both turned right when they hit the balcony, and right again to walk down the mostly secret hallway. It had become habit to check out the blackboards in Mr. Today’s office every now and then. As they passed the door that led to the Museum of Large, Alex glanced at it, longing to go in again and explore.
Samheed noticed the look. “What’s in there, anyway?” he asked. “Have you ever been in there? I tried the door once, but it’s locked.”
Alex just shrugged, not wanting to lie, and not knowing if he could tell Samheed the truth.
The glass wall was never in place anymore, but Alex was always cautious, sticking his foot out to make sure.
Samheed laughed softly. “I ran into that thing once too, you know. If you throw a scatterclip or an origami dragon down the hall, you can tell if it’s up without having to inch along like that.”
Alex sniffed. “I don’t like to waste my components.”
“Suit yourself. You look like a dork, though.”
They entered Mr. Today’s office and pulled chairs up to the blackboards, watc
hing not much of anything in the dark. Alex knew that Mr. Today wouldn’t mind them sitting in here watching. Not now. Not anymore. It was much less scary not having to worry about Mr. Today discovering them, Alex had to admit.
“I liked what you said at the assembly,” Samheed said after a while. “I think you were right. What the heck happened to make Sean Ranger even ask that question? That didn’t seem like him.”
“I thought that was weird too, but he’s been acting strange lately. Did you see him take off out of the theater after the meeting? He went straight for the gate and into Quill,” Alex said as the blackboard focused on Aaron’s old room. A new boy was there now, but Alex couldn’t make out any features in the dark. “I think he and Meghan got gutted hard when they went to see their parents. Meg has seemed really preoccupied ever since they did that.”
“Huh,” Samheed said. “Meg told me once that when Sean was first Unwanted, her mother wandered around for a couple of years with a vacant look on her face, like she was having trouble getting over Sean. But she didn’t have that same look for Meghan when she and Sean went back home to see them.”
“Yeowch,” Alex said. “She told me they seemed glad to see Sean. But her . . . not so much.”
“That’s pretty brutal. And a little too familiar.”
Alex gave Samheed a sidelong look in the glow of the blackboards and the soft night lighting of the office. “Did your mother ever come back?”