It’s not the names of the libraries. What am I missing? I stared at the page. Maybe it’s the location of the libraries. I printed them next to the libraries. No matches.
Countries?
I scribbled on the page—Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland.
That has to be it. I just need two more letters. One starts with a “C” and the other an “N.”
I removed the list of libraries with artwork that could be a Chiave. Nick and I had assembled it with Uncle Philip’s help. I compared the clues for the final two Chiavi with our notes and circled the Czech Republic. Uncle Philip had suggested a painting in that library for In front of the world; he wears his honor on his chest. It was a portrait of some royal guy from the eighteenth century. He wore a uniform with a badge on his chest. It was the only library that could represent the C in the acronym.
We’d already figured out the final clue—Beneath destruction and rapine, he scribes the word, while time falls—or actually, Nick had. The thought of him made my heart tighten again.
Conemar won’t hurt him. Nick’s his son. I tried to reassure myself.
Nick believed the final clue described a mural named The Medieval Scribe in the McGraw Rotunda of the New York Public Library’s main branch. He’d gone there with his family a few years back. The image stayed with him only because he’d pretended to like it for nearly twenty minutes to impress some girl.
A smile tightened my lips as I imagined how silly he probably acted around the girl. Nick was a goofball at times. It was what I liked most about him.
But the other letters represented countries. I scanned the list of possible libraries.
A light went on in my head, illuminating the answer. He couldn’t put America down. There were too many states. He’d narrow it down to one of them. That’s what I’d do. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew that’s what he’d do, too.
So “C” for Czech Republic and “N” for New York. I had solved can figs. And I had the locations of the final Chiavi.
Arik passed Cadby on his way up to me.
I slipped the list back into my pocket and put my notebook on top of Gian’s journal, opened it to a page, and pretended to read. When he stopped in front of me, I kept my head down, acting too engrossed in what I was reading to notice him.
But I had noticed him. I noticed everything about Arik. The way he fought in practice with hardly any effort. The way he cared for the animals on the farm. And the way he would look at me with his hopeful, dark eyes. There always seemed to be an unanswered question between us. One I didn’t want to answer and he didn’t want to ask.
“What are you doing up here by yourself?” he asked, his English accent lacing his words, and he flashed that smile he used only around me. It was sort of forced and held a hint of uncertainty.
Glancing around, he waited for my response. He seemed nervous around me. It probably hadn’t helped that I’d kept to myself when I wasn’t doing chores or practicing Sentinel skills with the group.
“I know where the other two Chiavi are hidden,” I finally said.
“That’s fabulous,” he said, sitting down beside me. “Where are they?”
“I want to go alone,” I said, purposely not answering his question.
He raised a brow at me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Have we come to a place where you don’t trust me?”
I bit my lip and considered his question. Out of everyone in hiding with us, I knew where Arik’s heart and loyalties lay. “It’s not that. It’s because I trust you that I want you to stay. You must protect Royston while I’m gone. I can’t go if you’re not here with him.”
“I’ll send someone with you,” he offered.
“No,” I said. “It’s too dangerous. Conemar’s men have been attacking anyone traveling through the gateways. Uncle Philip said he believes they have one of the missing Monitors. Whoever jumps with me will register.”
I waited for his response as he thought over my words. There were only four Monitors left. The parrots had a gift of sensing the gateways and registering those who jumped through the books. The other Monitors had died when I’d thrown my battle globe at a trapdoor to save Bastien and Gian. The action had caused a magic blowback that unlocked the traps and killed many of the birds.
Arik picked at some grass growing in the crack of the wall and said, “All right, then, but Lei and Jaran will keep an eye on the gateway page for any dangers. They can wait in the Dublin Library.”
I would feel safer with two Sentinels watching my jump. “I’m good with that.”
Arik tossed the grass to the ground and watched Deidre shake her wet shirt as Royston stared at her. I knew that look on Arik’s face. He was worried about me.
“Don’t worry.” My fingertips went to the crescent scar on my chest. The bumpy flesh was a reminder of the shield charm Nana Kearns had branded on me. “I’m a ghost in the gateways. I can handle myself. Two quick jumps and I’ll be right back.”
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, dimples hinting in his cheeks. “You’ve come quite a ways, Gia Kearns.”
There was that name again. The one that no longer felt like my own.
“I’m proud of you,” he added. “There’s no one I’d rather have fighting beside me in a battle. Stay alert. Don’t let your guard down, all right?”
“Promise.”
Arik stood and brushed his hands across his pants. “We received a message from Bastien. Carrig will meet him in Asile and bring him to our hideout. Though the Wizard Council believes Carrig had nothing to do with your disappearance, they’re still monitoring his jumps. So it will take a few days to get here, since they can’t go through the gateway. They have to travel through the human world, but you should see him soon.”
“That’s great.” Excitement swelled in my chest, but I kept my cool and smiled up at Arik.
Though my response held an even tone, there was a hint of disappointment in Arik’s eyes. What did he expect? I’d moved on when I thought he’d broken up with me to date Emily. The witch. Literally. She’d placed a love spell on him, freeing me up to get close to Bastien while trapped in the Somnium.
Nothing brings a couple together like surviving a frozen wasteland filled with beasts hell-bent on consuming them for dinner.
Arik nodded and turned to leave, but stopped. “The remaining Chiavi. Where do you believe them to be?”
I glanced down at my notes. “I can’t say. Uncle Philip gave me orders to tell no one.” My uncle had become the new High Wizard of Asile after the previous one was murdered. As Sentinels, we had to follow his orders. And Arik, being a strict rule follower, would never allow me to go against them.
He nodded again and again turned to leave. “You should go tonight, then. Alert Philip of your jump schedule,” he said over his shoulder as he started to trot down the hill. “Are you coming? The meal is ready.”
I closed my notebook, hugged both it and the journal to my chest, and trailed him.