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“No!” Kaevin yelled, “Take it away, at once. It’s making Alora sick.”
Alora was quite certain if she could see her face in a mirror, it would be the color of seaweed.
“If you don’t want Mrs. Franks to have another mess to clean up, you’d better let me have that thing.” Beth held out her hands until Uncle Charles handed over the pack, despite his obvious confusion.
As she marched out, she ordered, “Wesley, Daegreth, come with me. Let’s have a look at Arista’s scroll while they’re sorting stuff out with Alora and Markaeus.”
“Thanks, Beth,” Alora called, lifting her hand in a feeble thumbs up when her best friend turned.
“No worries. I got your back, girlfriend.”
The other adults were standing in the doorway, blocking her exit, but Beth shooed them back down the hall. “Go on, go on... into the family room. I’ll explain everything.”
Having apparently done all she could do to salvage her rug, Karen hurried out, cradling the soiled linens.
Maybe she has some miracle stain remover. I sure hope so.
Kaevin lifted Alora to her feet, helping her to one of the chairs lined up facing the paused video game, though she no longer needed assistance. Once it left the room, the scroll’s evil was only a faint assault to her discernment.
After retelling Arista’s confession concerning the pilfered scroll to Uncle Charles, Kaevin sat on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress beside him and motioning for Markaeus.
“I believe I’m not as angry with you as I ought to be.”
“Why not?” Markaeus’ eyes, so similar in color to Alora’s, were wide and hopeful.
Alora felt the boy’s remorse, though she suspected it was caused by getting caught rather than a real sense of wrongdoing.
“Because Arista was in the wrong as well, keeping the scroll hidden for so long. We might have never discovered it if you hadn’t taken it.”
Uncle Charles put his hands on his hips, glaring at Markaeus. “That doesn’t excuse you for stealing. It’s wrong to take anything that doesn’t belong to you, no matter what the end result.”
“But I was only borrowing—”
“Markaeus, stop!” Alora warned. “It’s a whole lot better to confess and be done with it. One time I told Uncle Charles I had only borrowed his pocket knif
e, and he made me write an entire essay about the difference between borrowing and stealing.”
“Whatever an ess-ay is, it sounds awful,” Markaeus agreed, mouth open in horror. “I don’t even know how to write.”
Luckily, Markaeus didn’t notice Uncle Charles holding back a grin. The fact he’d never had an education was only one factor in Markaeus’ hard life. Unlike the other clans in Tenavae, Water Clan only educated a select few of its children, as Vindrake felt ignorant people were easier to manipulate.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Charles. I won’t ever steal again.”
Whether or not his words were true, Uncle Charles’ tough exterior softened, and he hugged the boy, rubbing his head with his knuckles.
“What are we going to do with the scroll?” asked Alora.
Kaevin said, “I suppose it should go to Nordamen.”
“According to Arista, it’s in a strange language she can’t read. Would Nordamen be able to read it?”
“It’s rather unlikely anyone in Laegenshire could interpret the writings, but we need to know what it says. I believe this scroll might hold the key to how Vindrake accomplishes his evil.” Groaning as he stretched, Kaevin plopped into a chair beside Alora, his fatigue showing.
Charles rubbed the five-o’clock shadow on his chin. “If Arista hid the scroll all this time, wouldn’t you say the scroll affected her, somehow? Changed her personality? She doesn’t seem like the dishonest type.”
“That’s true,” Alora admitted, not wanting to think poorly of her friend.
“Well, I don’t think you should mess around with this thing. Just light a match to it,” Charles declared.
