“Where’s the biggest one?” I asked. “The ship Ava and I stole was larger than most of these.”
Marcus hesitated. “Um… they’re all about the same size.”
“Are you saying it’s not here?” I demanded. Great, so we wasted the whole day for nothing.
“I don’t know what we’re looking for,” Marcus insisted. “Ask Oberi. He was there with you that night, wasn’t he?”
I turned to my Familiar. “Marcus is right. Do you recognize any of these ships?”
I can’t be sure, Oberi started. It was dark when we set sail, and I was preoccupied with ensuring yours and Ava’s safety. It’s not like I memorized what the ship looked like.
“Come on, Oberi. Look again,” I pressed.
Oberi began pacing along the sand, taking in the fleet. I suppose these ships don’t appear to have the proper sails. I don’t think any one of these are the ships we’re looking for.
I sank into the sand and buried my head in my hands. I was exhausted, but I refused to believe we’d hit another dead end. We were finding answers to the location of the Astromancer key tonight. “All right, let’s think. After Ava and I were caught, the coast guard brought us to a beach, where we were met by Ava’s father. We’re assuming the Elders would’ve brought the ship back here, but we can’t know that. They must’ve taken it and stored it somewhere else.”
The Kinpago marina! Oberi exclaimed. We’ve been looking in the wrong spot. Come on, I know where we need to go.
I repeated what Oberi said to the others, and we hurried out of the cove. From what I knew of Oberi’s life before bonding, he hadn’t been in Kinpago long, but he sure seemed to know his way around.
We must’ve been walking for at least a mile before Oberi lifted his nose and started sniffing. I’ve caught the scent— it smells a bit like an old mahogany desk. It’s this way.
I followed at Oberi’s side. He led us to a small bay, where I could hear soft waves lapping against the sides of various ships. I was shocked that this was all still here after the Warden’s attacks, but we were far enough away from the main part of the city that the marina had remained untouched. Whether by chance or by the grace of the ancestors, this place had been spared.
When Oberi stopped, I reached out and felt along the edge of a ship with smooth sides, until I came upon Elvish runes carved into the wood.
This is The Great Escape, Oberi told me. Go on, Charlie.
I gave a shudder. Something about this ship felt incredibly spiritual, though I hadn’t picked up on that feeling the first time I’d been here. Maybe I didn’t know how to identify the sensation at the time, or maybe now that I knew about my Elvish heritage, this boat held a greater meaning to me. Or maybe it was how it’d connected me to Ava, because this boat was the reason we’d landed in the Institute together.
Whatever the feeling was, I shook it off and climbed onto the boat. There were all kinds of ancient crates here that had carried supplies on Yuto’s journey. I opened them hoping for answers, but each crate was as empty as the last. I pushed aside empty boxes, my heart rate spiking with each one.
We were so close. I could feel it.
And if we weren’t… we were totally screwed.
“What do you see, Oberi?” I asked. “There must be something here.”
I’m looking around, but I can’t find anything.
We didn’t come here for nothing. I wasn’t leaving until I found where Yuto had hidden the Astromancer key.
Frustrated, I threw the last empty crate aside. The crate bounced across the deck before landing with a heavy thud that reverberated differently through the floorboards. Oberi and I both paused.
“What was that?” I asked.
It sounded hollow, Oberi remarked.
I followed him over to where the crate lay, and he nudged it aside with his nose. I stomped my foot in the same spot, the hollow sound thumping through the whole ship. Kneeling down, I felt around until I found a seam in the wood, then curled my fingers into the space between the floorboards. I yanked up.
A trap door opened on creaking hinges. “You guys! I think I found something!”
Danny, Marcus, and Kallie joined me on the ship.
Kallie clapped me on the back. “Good work, Charlie. You found a mysterious and very creepy hidden trap door.”
Marcus backpedaled a few steps, and Rishi hissed. “I’m not going down there.”
