“I know, Dad.” I threw a glance Ella’s way. He nodded, thankfully catching my drift. There was no way I could update him with Ella in the room, she’d freak. “How’s Mom?” I asked, changing the subject.
“The same.” He sighed.
I perched on the bed and took Mom’s other hand. She looked so peaceful, lost in a deep sleep. I bent down, bringing my mouth right up to her ear. “I love you, Mom.” I kissed her forehead. She didn’t flinch, not even a whisper of a movement. I could feel my eyes welling up, so I hastily wiped them dry before Ella would notice my despair. “Has Gramadea been here?”
Dad gave me a tissue. “No, she was supposed to stop by last night, as was Harry, but they didn’t. I’m worried. Have you seen them?”
“Yes,” I said cautiously, once again nodding toward Ella, who was looking at me keenly. “I saw them over at Gramadea’s place.”
“So did I, Dad,” Ella added. “But then I left to go have a sleepover. What did you guys do after I left?” She suddenly sounded very grown-up.
“We had dinner and stuff,” I said vaguely.
“So where’s Harry now? Did he go back to college?”
College? I frowned at her. “What do you mean, Ella?”
“Uh, nothing, Arizona,” Dad interrupted.
“No! Don’t blow me off. I know all about losing a year and all that. College? Did Harry go off to college? Doesn’t he live at home anymore?”
Ella looked down at her feet, glancing up to shoot Dad a look. Then she glanced at me with a guilty expression. She’d obviously been told not to spill.
“Dad?” I asked gently. He looked so worn, but I had to know. “Did I really miss Harry’s graduation?”
“Yes. He’s at Dartmouth.” He sounded apologetic.
I knew that had been one of his top picks, along with Harvard and Princeton. It was just strange that he’d gone without me even being around to do the college visits with him like we had planned. Or maybe we did visit them, and I just didn’t remember.
The door to the room opened, and Mrs. Skoog poked her head in.
“Come on in, Inez.” Dad waved her in. “Did you manage to find out anything?”
She shook her head. “Arizona, how’s David? Morena told me you arrived with him.”
“He’s fine. He’s gone to visit his dad.”
“Is his dad okay? Was he hurt?”
“I don’t really know, though Morena said that he is okay. Morena will be able to tell you more, she’s outside.”
“I’ve already asked her. She doesn’t know much, but she says that he seems fine. I just wondered if you had any more news.”
“No, but I think they’re expecting you.”
“Yes. I know. I better get going. Rupert, I wasn’t able to get hold of Amadea or any of the Sigma-Ws. Do you want me to take Ella with me? I can look after her. I assume Arizona is going back with Morena?”
“Yes, please. I need to talk to Arizona for a while, so could you take Ella and bring her back tomorrow?”
Mrs. Skoog nodded. “Ella, are you okay with that?”
“Can I bring Tallulah?”
Mrs. Skoog smiled. “Yes, of course.” After Ella kissed Dad and me goodbye, David’s mom took Ella’s hand and led her out the door.
“Arizona, please tell me what’s going on. You can bring Morena in as well, so we can get her up to date.”
I did and then sat down beside Mom. “Dad, Harry and Kellan were taken by the Sigma-W-Pi and Raj,” I whispered, tears starting to run down my cheeks. “There was nothing I could do!”
Dad went silent, his face turning into a blank mask. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all. It was as if all life had left him, and he’d stopped breathing.
“Dad?”
When he spoke, his voice surprised me. It was low and rough, tainted with desperation. “Tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”
I told him everything, not leaving out a single detail. He watched me silently as I recounted everything that had happened. His eyes reflected the terror I felt when I described my last moments at the Cosmopolitan before I was transported away from Harry and Kellan.
When I finished, we all just looked at each other; it was like the world had stopped. If we didn’t breathe, maybe it wouldn’t turn anymore and nothing bad would ever happen again.
Then Dad turned to Mom. “Hon, I have to go. I hate to leave, but you know that. Your mom will stay here with you until I get back. Morena,” he said, turning to her. “Can you go and get Olivia’s mom? She left to go to her house an hour ago, so she should be there.”
Morena left before he even finished the sentence.
“Dad, what are we going to do?”
“
You’re
not going to do anything. You will stay with Morena until it’s safe to come back.”
“No way,” I said firmly. “I know all the locations Raj was at, and what some of the Sigma-W-Pi look like. I’m coming with you to get them back.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed. “You will do as I tell you.” His tone made my skin prickle.
I was taken aback when my mouth opened and the words, “No way, Dad!” spewed out. My jaws set in defiance with my eyes meeting his glare head on. I had no idea where that came from.
Morena was back with Grandma in no time. She must also have updated Grandma, because all she said was, “Go, Rupert. I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”
“Let’s head over to Constance’s house.” Morena looked from me to Dad questioningly. “She’s waiting there with the rest of the Elders.”
Morena drove us to Constance’s house. I had no idea who Constance was or why we were going to her house. I thought it best to go with the flow for the moment, though, and not ask too many questions in case Dad suddenly remembered that he’d told me to go back home with Morena.
An impish-looking woman answered the door. She waved us in and gestured for us to follow her into the living room where there was a crowd of people I didn’t recognize.
Morena must have noticed my confusion because she came over and made the introductions. First, she introduced Constance as the leader of the Wanderers. Then there were Morgana–Morena’s sister, whom I had met before–Javier, and Lars.
Then she suddenly stopped and looked down. “And this is Trina.”
I followed her eyes. Waddling toward us in a duck-like fashion was a strange-looking being. It was impossible to guess her age. She had blue-streaked black hair, a button nose covered in large freckles, a small, pouty mouth, and blue eyes as big as toy golf balls. And no eyebrows. She was as wide as she was tall, which was about half my height. The strangest thing about her, however, was her arms, which extended past her knees.
Well, it was the strangest thing apart from her voice. She startled me when she spoke. I had expected a high, girly voice. A deep baritone voice emanated from her throat, forming words in a Texan drawl. I bit down on my lip to keep from snorting. I looked at Dad and everyone else. They didn’t seem the least bit taken aback. I guessed everyone already knew her.
“Arizona, allow me to introduce myself
properly
. I am Trina. Constance asked me to come and help out if I could since she can’t seem to make contact with the Sigma-W. I am a former Sigma-W.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, as politely as I could when I regained my voice. “What’s a
former
Sigma-W?”
Her chin trembled and she reached into her fanny pack bringing out a pipe. She brought out a pouch of tobacco–at least that’s what it looked like, though it did smell funny–and packed it into the pipe’s bowl. Then she twitched her nose at Javier, who sprung into action, grabbing the lighter she held out for him and lighting the tobacco. She drew in deep drags, making purring sounds. Then she exhaled, blowing perfect little smoke rings into the air and trying to catch them with her finger.
I looked away, scared that I was going to give way to full-blown laughter, and raised my eyebrows at Dad. He looked grim and shook his head slowly, obviously wanting me to be quiet. He didn’t need to convey that twice; I knew I was here only as long as I wasn’t a pain.
Constance coughed to get everyone’s attention. “Rupert, I don’t have much news. I was unable to contact the Sigma-W; it’s like they’ve gone underground after the incident with Rowena. And we only know about that from what Arizona told you and Morena.”
“What about Raj or Potomal? Do you have any news of them?” Dad asked quietly.
“None, but then we’ve just begun to look into this. We didn’t even know that Harry and Kellan were missing until Arizona told us. Where is Larry? He needs to know about Kellan.”
“I don’t know,” Dad replied. “He came by a few days ago, but now that I think about it, that’s strange because he was practically by Olivia’s side night and day….”
Constance shot Lars a look. “When he left, where was he going?”
“I don’t know.” Dad looked even more concerned. “Let me try his cell.”
“I’ve already tried it; no one’s picking up.” Constance put her hand on Lars’s shoulder. “Lars, can you drive by his house and then by Ames and see if he’s at either place?”
As Lars left, Trina stopped smoking her pipe and let out a deep purr.
“Trina?”
“I must go!” she growled.
“Trina, please,” Rupert begged, his eyes beseeching her to help, or stay, or whatever it was he thought she could do for us.
“Huh.” She yawned. “I am
retired
, and I don’t appreciate being disturbed. This is very inconvenient; it’s my nap time,” she muttered, looking down at her watch and tapping at the glass.
“I know, I’m sorry. You’re the only Sigma-W we could get a hold of.”
“But I’m not a Sigma-W anymore, you silly boy! I was banished!” She flared her nostrils. “And look what the lack of wandering has done to me… I am fat!”
“Trina, I know you’re angry. But I need your help….”
Her eyes softened slightly, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile. She wrinkled her nose. “Well, I have always liked you, Rupe. And in a way, you’re kind of banished yourself, aren’t you? For different reasons, of course, but still… banished is banished. So, what exactly do you need me to do? And what’s in it for me?”
“I need a list of all of my parents’ residences. So we can begin trying to find them. I also need to know if they have any places they would use in case of emergencies, like a hideaway. What’s the protocol exactly?”
Trina’s lips formed into a sneer. “You don’t know much for a prince, do you? Even for an exiled one.”
“He’s not exi–” Morgana protested.
“Quiet!” Trina hissed.
Prince? What was that about? I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. Trina didn’t look like she could deal with any further interruptions. Drama queen much? I sighed. I wondered what Trina’s story was.
And Dad’s story
.
Dad shot Morgana an apologetic look.
“So what’s in it for me?” Trina repeated, impatiently pacing the room.
“What do you want?”
She stopped pacing, turned around, and stared at him. Her face suddenly broke into a giant grin. “Now, that’s more like it. Let me see.” She tapped her chin with her finger while looking up at the ceiling and narrowing her eyes into tiny slits. “Hah!” She looked back at Dad. “Methinks I want my old job back. This extended vacation has been pleasant enough, don’t get me wrong. But, like I said, the inactivity has filled me out. I don’t particularly love looking like a muffin. And don’t suggest diets and gyms; those are not for me. I need a purpose–a Sigma-W purpose. Yep, there it is. My old job back. That’s what I want.” She pursed her lips and regarded Dad intently.