Charmfall
Page 42
“Did they get it?” Daniel asked, his voice tight.
“Of course not. They wouldn’t have found it anyway, but Lily had already suggested I hide it, and I did.”
Daniel blew out a breath. “Good,” he said. “Good.”
“And, in addition to being awesome,” Scout continued, “we also have a lead on who might have something to do with the blackout. We went to Gaslight Goods. Kite told us some of the Reapers were talking about a fairy tale that involved a guy named ‘Campbell.’”
“What’s that?” Michael asked.
“Supposedly Campbell overthrew an overlord, but then went evil when he took power,” Scout said. “Kite told us Reapers were talking about the fairy tale like they thought it might be real. Lily did a little research, and it turns out Sebastian Born has a cousin named Fayden Campbell. She just moved back to town.”
Scout pulled out a copy of the article from her bag and handed it to Daniel.
“That’s a pretty big coincidence,” Daniel said, looking it over. “But it’s still only a coincidence. Do we have information tying Fayden Campbell to the blackout? Or to any Reaper activities?”
Scout looked at me.
“I’ve actually been told she’s not a Reaper,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s true.”
Daniel tilted his head in curiosity. “Where did you hear that?”
Nerves flooding me, I squeezed my hands into fists. “Sebastian Born. He’s my source in the Reapers. He helped me use firespell to rescue Scout, and he gives me information sometimes. That’s how I found out their magic was working even when ours was gone—at least at first. I saw him and Fayden on the street earlier this week. He introduced us, but he didn’t mention her last name. When Kite told us about the fairy tale, I did some Internet research and found her picture.” I left out the part about calling Sebastian to check if he knew anything about her. I was only so brave.
Without saying a word, Daniel sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his head. I was afraid to look at Jason, afraid of what emotion I might see in his face.
“You have a source in the Reapers,” Daniel finally said.
“Yeah.”
“And you talk to him often?”
“I don’t talk to him at all, really. Occasionally, he gives me information.”
“Out of the goodness of his heart?”
“Honestly, I think he thinks he can sway me to his side. Which is ridiculous,” I added. “I know who the good guys and the bad guys are.” Or I mostly did, I silently added. “But I’m not going to ignore him when he’s trying to help me out, whatever his reasoning.”
“Yeah,” Scout said. “Does this really matter? The point is, Lily has a contact in the Reapers and helped us figure out what’s going on. We need to focus on this Fayden Campbell person. We need to track her down and get some eyes on her—some Enclave Two cameras or something.”
Daniel sat forward again, crossing his hands on the table. “I’m going to need to think about this one. A source is nice, but I find it hard to believe he’d be so helpful without some secret motive.”
“That’s all you’re going to say?” All eyes turned to Jason. “Seriously. She’s suddenly friends with a Reaper, and that’s it?”
My stomach dropped. There was no doubting the fury in his gaze. He looked like I’d committed an unforgiveable sin. What if, no matter how good my reason, he couldn’t forgive me?
“Scout’s right,” Daniel said. “Whatever the source, we have to follow the lead. It could send us right to the source of the blackout.”
“There is a way we can track her, maybe,” I said, forcing myself to keep my gaze on Daniel and not think about the fury in Jason’s voice. “We went to Gaslight Goods yesterday. I asked Kite to call us if Sebastian Born came in. When he does, maybe we can follow Sebastian and see what he’s up to. It may not be much of a lead, but it’s better than nothing.”
Daniel thought about it for a second, then nodded. “Agreed. When he calls, go to Gaslight and follow him. See where he goes. Maybe the clue leads nowhere, but it’s worth the trip. And keep us posted.”
Without saying a word, or looking at me, Jason pushed back his chair, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door.
“Jason, wait!” I pushed back my chair to follow him, but he closed the door in my face. I pulled it open and ran into the tunnel, but he kept going.
“Jason, please stop.”
Nothing.
“Please, can we just talk about this?”
He finally turned around . . . and he looked furious.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“What am I doing?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I am trying to keep all of us safe. And it looks like that’s more than I can say for you. Talking to Sebastian? Helping out Reapers? What is that about? He’s the one who got you into this mess in the first place, and you’re talking to him?”
“That’s not what it’s like. He’s helping us. Ask Scout.”
“He’s helping you? Do you even hear yourself?”
I forced myself to stay calm. “Quit yelling at me and listen to what I’m telling you. Sebastian helped me. When we were in the sanctuary, he helped me use the firespell and get Scout out alive. And he’s helped me since then.”
“Of course not. They wouldn’t have found it anyway, but Lily had already suggested I hide it, and I did.”
Daniel blew out a breath. “Good,” he said. “Good.”
“And, in addition to being awesome,” Scout continued, “we also have a lead on who might have something to do with the blackout. We went to Gaslight Goods. Kite told us some of the Reapers were talking about a fairy tale that involved a guy named ‘Campbell.’”
“What’s that?” Michael asked.
“Supposedly Campbell overthrew an overlord, but then went evil when he took power,” Scout said. “Kite told us Reapers were talking about the fairy tale like they thought it might be real. Lily did a little research, and it turns out Sebastian Born has a cousin named Fayden Campbell. She just moved back to town.”
Scout pulled out a copy of the article from her bag and handed it to Daniel.
“That’s a pretty big coincidence,” Daniel said, looking it over. “But it’s still only a coincidence. Do we have information tying Fayden Campbell to the blackout? Or to any Reaper activities?”
Scout looked at me.
“I’ve actually been told she’s not a Reaper,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s true.”
Daniel tilted his head in curiosity. “Where did you hear that?”
Nerves flooding me, I squeezed my hands into fists. “Sebastian Born. He’s my source in the Reapers. He helped me use firespell to rescue Scout, and he gives me information sometimes. That’s how I found out their magic was working even when ours was gone—at least at first. I saw him and Fayden on the street earlier this week. He introduced us, but he didn’t mention her last name. When Kite told us about the fairy tale, I did some Internet research and found her picture.” I left out the part about calling Sebastian to check if he knew anything about her. I was only so brave.
Without saying a word, Daniel sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his head. I was afraid to look at Jason, afraid of what emotion I might see in his face.
“You have a source in the Reapers,” Daniel finally said.
“Yeah.”
“And you talk to him often?”
“I don’t talk to him at all, really. Occasionally, he gives me information.”
“Out of the goodness of his heart?”
“Honestly, I think he thinks he can sway me to his side. Which is ridiculous,” I added. “I know who the good guys and the bad guys are.” Or I mostly did, I silently added. “But I’m not going to ignore him when he’s trying to help me out, whatever his reasoning.”
“Yeah,” Scout said. “Does this really matter? The point is, Lily has a contact in the Reapers and helped us figure out what’s going on. We need to focus on this Fayden Campbell person. We need to track her down and get some eyes on her—some Enclave Two cameras or something.”
Daniel sat forward again, crossing his hands on the table. “I’m going to need to think about this one. A source is nice, but I find it hard to believe he’d be so helpful without some secret motive.”
“That’s all you’re going to say?” All eyes turned to Jason. “Seriously. She’s suddenly friends with a Reaper, and that’s it?”
My stomach dropped. There was no doubting the fury in his gaze. He looked like I’d committed an unforgiveable sin. What if, no matter how good my reason, he couldn’t forgive me?
“Scout’s right,” Daniel said. “Whatever the source, we have to follow the lead. It could send us right to the source of the blackout.”
“There is a way we can track her, maybe,” I said, forcing myself to keep my gaze on Daniel and not think about the fury in Jason’s voice. “We went to Gaslight Goods yesterday. I asked Kite to call us if Sebastian Born came in. When he does, maybe we can follow Sebastian and see what he’s up to. It may not be much of a lead, but it’s better than nothing.”
Daniel thought about it for a second, then nodded. “Agreed. When he calls, go to Gaslight and follow him. See where he goes. Maybe the clue leads nowhere, but it’s worth the trip. And keep us posted.”
Without saying a word, or looking at me, Jason pushed back his chair, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door.
“Jason, wait!” I pushed back my chair to follow him, but he closed the door in my face. I pulled it open and ran into the tunnel, but he kept going.
“Jason, please stop.”
Nothing.
“Please, can we just talk about this?”
He finally turned around . . . and he looked furious.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“What am I doing?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I am trying to keep all of us safe. And it looks like that’s more than I can say for you. Talking to Sebastian? Helping out Reapers? What is that about? He’s the one who got you into this mess in the first place, and you’re talking to him?”
“That’s not what it’s like. He’s helping us. Ask Scout.”
“He’s helping you? Do you even hear yourself?”
I forced myself to stay calm. “Quit yelling at me and listen to what I’m telling you. Sebastian helped me. When we were in the sanctuary, he helped me use the firespell and get Scout out alive. And he’s helped me since then.”
