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“It was a well-kept secret, but it’s well-documented in our private library. Well-encrypted, too, and I only figured it out now.”
This wasn’t new, considering Sapphire was the only one among them who could gobble up books like she was breathing air, but the words still had Ruby reeling.
“What do we need to do?” Pearl asked.
Emerald frowned. “Surely, you don’t think this is…”
“Do you want to find out the truth or not?” Pearl challenged, impatience flashing. “To know if we should continue believing him, or move on?”
Ruby studied Sapphire while the two middle siblings had a stare down, trying to figure out which side their eldest sister stood on. While Emerald had always been team Silver, Pearl was the one easily roused into believing her peers’ words. Sapphire was just there, always keeping her opinions to herself as she took Silver’s place in running the Sutton household and absorbed most of the pressure that came with being the head of the family.
It dawned that perhaps Sapphire was the one who anticipated their answer the most—and the one who needed the truth the most. The woman’s gaze met hers while this settled in her mind, cementing her certainty.
“Yes,” Ruby found herself declaring. “I’m in. I want the truth.”
Pearl whirled on her, triumph in her white-gray eyes. Then they returned to Emerald, who hemmed and hawed before finally sighing.
“Fine. Yes. I’m in. We can ask him questions and analyze them after. Stack up our findings for solid evidence.”
Pearl pumped a fist in the air. “We can free him if he is innocent. We can…can we?”
The question had all three heads turning back to Sapphire, who nodded.
“We can. We can show our proof to the council if it’s in our favor. Demand his freedom.”
“Then we are all in,” Pearl confirmed. “Again, what do we need to do?”
“Just three things. Stay under the radar, store as much energy as you can—that means no big magic for now—and be ready when the time comes.”
“And when’s the right time?” Emerald asked.
“In two to three months. There’s a special eclipse coming that will magnify our energy and help us execute this successfully. It won’t work any other time.”
Questions were asked. Arguments were raised, all of which Sapphire answered until Emerald was satisfied and Pearl was vibrating with excitement. Ruby kept her silence until the two wandered off, but Sapphire was ready for this, too, and waited for her to let it out.
“You already know the truth in your heart. You just want the proof.”
Blue eyes regarded her quietly, then nodded.
“Knowing the truth in my heart doesn’t change things. This might.”
Which meant this mattered to Sapphire more than anything. Ruby cleared her throat.
“Listen, I know you heard about the explosion.”
“I did. Is it taken care of?”
“Yes. Kind of.” If she could have a good talk with Maddox. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I won’t. But Ruby…” A hand squeezed her shoulder firmly. “Lay low. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Save all that magnificent power you possess for what’s to come. All four of us need to be at our best for this to work.”
The guilt assaulted her every step as she left the cottage, lost and confused while she tried to sort out all the details she knew. Fact: Sapphire thought it would only work during the special eclipse and with all four sisters present. Fact: Their brother’s freedom, if it came to that point, depended on this. Fact: Her sisters’ peace of mind depended on this.
Fact: Her so-called magnificent power was nowhere in sight after overusing it and abruptly losing it months ago—specifically when she hadn’t been in Broom’s Isle.
She flicked her fingers now, trying to draw some out of her body. A spark appeared, thin and disappearing in the blink of an eye. The rest of the flicking was unsuccessful, so she closed her eyes and imagined hands inside her drawing tendrils out until she had enough to use.
“Hey, Ruby, wait up.”
