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Her eyes narrowed. “When?”
“In the house. When we were trying to figure out what was going on. Gunther called us for an emergency and I thought it was a fluke. But I saw the light coming from you and saw what happened to him, and…”
An illusion,her mind connected, and she had Gunther to thank for that. She hissed, wishing she could punch the man, and ended up startling Ryan. With effort, Pearl battled her stronger emotions until she could look Ryan calmly in the eye.
“I didn’t do it. I didn’t curse him, or do whatever you think I did to him.”
“But I saw what I saw,” he insisted.
And so did the rest of the Council,she surmised. Anxiety slithered in her bones, reminding her of when Silver had been accused and no one had believed her family when they insisted on her brother’s innocence. She wanted to curse the high heavens for repeating history, but understood it would do nothing but make her feel even more miserable. So, she took a deep breath instead, then let it out slowly until she could speak rationally again.
“You saw what you were supposed to see. What they wanted you to see. But Ryan, please remember my brother.”
His brows furrowed. “Your brother?”
“You believed in him when no one did. You showed us kindness when a lot of people didn’t. I’m not going to try to convince you again that it wasn’t me without proof, but I hope you can find the truth for yourself. I hope you don’t just believe whatever lies are being fed to you.”
Silence.
“I have to report to them that you’re still here,” he finally said. “That you didn’t escape…please don’t escape and make things worse.”
The disappointment rang deep, but she nodded her head and didn’t pursue the matter any further. Instead, she let him go, watching his retreating form.
“Ryan,” she called out just as he was about to turn a corner.
“What?”
“What’s going to happen to Henry?”
The hesitation came again, but his answer was clear enough to carry through the space and weaken her knees.
“He’s no longer going to be the head. He might not even be a part of the Lyra family anymore when they finish their verdict. I don’t know what else comes after that.”
When he left, she let go of the bars and slumped against the wall, feeling the rest of her body weaken at the horrific possibilities. She remembered Henry’s voice telling her not to escape and wondered if it was for his benefit, or if he knew what his family would do if she did. And what about Henry? What would they do to him if she escaped?
The guard returned to check on her, but she no longer attempted to flirt. Instead, Pearl stayed sitting and brooding, analyzing how Gunther had created his illusion strongly enough to make even powerful Council members not notice it. When she got tired of analyzing, she slept to gather her energy and woke up feeling restless, impatient, and nervous about everything—and that was how she faced the shadow quietly making its way toward her in the darkness.
“I swear if you’re a member of the Lyra family or someone who wishes me harm, you need to stop right now and turn back. I’m in a terrible mood and I might just end up cutting your head off before you even utter a single word—oh. Hello.”
Ruby’s face came into view, illuminated by the moonlight glowing from the small ceiling windows. Pearl’s mood lightened considerably as their hands reached out to each other in between the cell bars and she concluded that this was real and not just an illusion.
“I don’t know how you got in here, but I’m already going to say that it’s impressive,” Pearl mused. “I heard this is a magical chamber and impenetrable…okay, maybe not that impenetrable.”
Ruby smiled, holding out her glowing key before she pocketed it. “It’s not the island’s worst prison, which tells me your involvement hasn’t been concluded yet.” The smile faded. “What happened, Pearl?”
“You didn’t hear the news?”
“I heard the news. But I wanted to hear it from you.”
Ruby’s words were simple but effective in easing her weary heart. Pearl squeezed her hand, then sifted through her ruminations until she found the right words.
“It’s Henry’s secret. Well-kept by Martin until Henry and I discovered it. Henry discovered it first, then me. Then for some reason, Gunther found out too. He called everyone for a confrontation and Henry’s giant came out and…” She closed her eyes. “Went wild. Destroyed the room we were standing in—something he had never done before, not to that extreme. He roamed this island in secret for years and harmed no one. I know Gunther triggered what happened. I saw his hand.”
“And no one believes you,” Ruby surmised.
“No one deemed me worthy enough to interview.” She shrugged and pursed her lips, deep in contemplation. Then she met her sister’s gaze. “They’re going to make him face the Council because he’s an important figure of Broom’s Isle—a proper trial and everything. And his family…”
Ruby nodded. “They’re going to prosecute him. Deem him a danger to society and do everything in their power to paint him as the bad guy.”
