"She's right," Edgar interrupted. "Arik got off with just an infraction. He said that his judgment had been clouded. Lei and Jaran just have to say that Carrig persuaded them to go with him. And naturally, you followed your leaders."
"That should work," I said.
His judgment was clouded? Arik probably meant by me, but I never wanted any of this. Besides, it was his idea to go into hiding. I pushed down my anger. Staying calm and focused was important for getting through whatever was coming at us.
"Have you forgotten?" The corners of Jaran's lips lowered, worry reflecting in his eyes. "The door to Barmhilde is blocked. We're trapped here."
Crap. That's right. "Is there another way out?" I asked.
"There is," The Red said. "But unfortunately, it leads to the same library that the Asile guards are in."
A thought came to me. Kale had told me once that wherever a Talpar lived, they dug escape tunnels. It was their instinct to do it.
I looked to The Red. "I saw a woman Talpar in the village. Where there are Talpars, there are escape tunnels."
"This isn't my village," he said. "We are guests, and I wasn't aware of a Talpar living in Barmhilde. We shall pay a visit to this woman. The rest of you pack what you need. You'll leave straightaway."
…
Bastien and I went with The Red to the Talpars' home. The woman eased the door open and peered through the crack. "What is it? I have pups to feed."
The Red towered over her. "We need to use your secret tunnel."
Examining The Red through thick glasses, she snapped, "Go away. I have no knowledge of this tunnel you speak of."
"I know where it is, Mummy," said a little boy pup attached to her leg. "We use it to visit Memaw."
She shooed the pup away. "You know I'm not allowed to tell of its whereabouts."
The Red growled before saying, "The survival of all Mystiks depends on it. Which means your life and those of your pups."
She picked up the pup who'd found his way back to her leg, her eyes going from The Red to me, then to Bastien. "Oh my," she said and clapped her flat, paddle-like hands. "You're him. Son of Renard."
"I am," Bastien said.
"Because of you, we eat." She put the pup down. "I will do what I can to help you. Come inside. My husband has maps. Possibly one of them can aid you."
The three of us barely fit inside her small home; the ceiling was so low, The Red had to hunch over. In the middle of the stack of maps, we found one of the tunnel system. All the entrances were marked with a red cross and the tunnels labeled with the name of the connecting library.
The Red rolled up the map. "This will do. Let's return to camp, eat something, then you can be on your way."
After a quick meal of meat, potatoes, and bread, we followed the map to the entry into the Talpar tunnels. I slung over my shoulder the strap to a tiny leather pouch one of the curers gave me. It held a few prepared cures along with the recipe to make more. The curers had made batches of the liquid and administered it to the inhabitants of Barmhilde. All around the village, the sick were getting better.
The map brought us to a large boulder just outside the village. It took Bastien, Demos, and Jaran together to roll the massive rock over. Underneath it was a dark hole crudely dug into the ground.
I hugged Demos. "Stay safe. And thanks for Carrig. I mean, for staying here with him."
"You worry about yourself," he said, a little misty-eyed. "We'll be fine here."
The Red clapped Demos's back. "I'll keep him out of trouble."
By the look on his face, I could tell Demos was holding his tongue about what The Red had said. Demos may be overly cocky, but he would never be careless. I smiled at him. "We'll see you in a few days."
"Until then." Demos backed up, sliding a disdainful look at The Red.
One by one, we lowered ourselves into the tunnel-Edgar, Bastien, Lei, Jaran, and me. The walls were packed tight, and roots ran in and out of the cracks. Edgar studied the map while I held a light globe up behind him.
He nodded to one of the four entries into the crevice we were in. "This way."
We had to duck-walk through the tunnels until we came to places where we could straighten. My thighs and back ached.
We came to a connecting tunnel, and Edgar stopped. "All right. This is the one. Lei and Jaran, just follow this tunnel to the end. It won't be fancy like the haven tunnels. You most likely will have to move something manually. Like the boulder in Barmhilde, or possibly a bookcase."
Bastien and I flattened against the wall for Lei and Jaran to pass. Jaran turned to me. "Don't do anything careless," he said. "I rather like you, most days."
I smirked. "Yeah, I kind of like you, too."
The pain of watching them disappear into the tunnel was almost too hard to bear. I hoped Arik wouldn't suspect them. That the council wouldn't do something to them for hiding out with me. But I told them to say Uncle Philip had ordered them into hiding, and a Sentinel never went against orders from their high wizard. Just like Arik, they had to follow them. No questions asked. Just do what they were told.
Bastien adjusted his backpack. "Come on," he said, placing his hand on my back, his touch gentle and caring. He knew it was tough for me to part ways with Jaran and Lei-they'd become more than just friends. We'd fought battles together, counted on one another for survival.
They'd become my family.
I continued following Edgar while Bastien followed me. Though the tunnel was cool and damp, squat-walking exerted so much energy, sweat dampened my hairline and dripped down the back of my neck. It smelled like a cattle farm.
Our heavy breathing was the only noise, and my thoughts kept racing. Everyone I loved was in danger. Mistakes could cost lives.
And then it hit me.
My gasp caused Bastien to grab my hand. "What's the matter?"
"If Uncle Philip was scryered, the council might know where Pop is hiding."
"Keep moving," he said, letting go of my hand. "When we get to Veilig, I'll send the Couve Sentinels to move him."
"That won't work." My thoughts went to how Arik had refused to disobey orders. "Helping us would go against the council." The farther we went, the tunnel narrowed and the ceiling lowered, and I suddenly felt claustrophobic in the tight space.
"They are loyal to me because we share the same beliefs." Bastien had to turn sideways to avoid rubbing his shoulders against the walls. "When Augustin replaced my father as High Wizard of Couve, it became clear the council's agenda was shifting. Augustin has always been on the side that's for separating the wizard havens from the Mystik covens. After the high wizards of the other havens died, their successors aligned themselves with Augustin."
"Except Uncle Philip," I added. "And now he's in danger. What will the council do to him?"
"They will execute him after his trial," Edgar answered my question, his words rough on my ears.
My world suddenly felt like a wet painting. All the different shades ran down the canvas, mixing together and becoming mucky. The fear of losing Uncle Philip took all the color out of me.
"When will they try him?" My voice cracked over the question, and Bastien grasped my hand.
Edgar stopped at the end of the tunnel and searched the area. "A few weeks. Possibly a month."
"Above your head." Bastien pointed to the ceiling.
"Ah, a hatch." Edgar wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. He grabbed the rusty handle, eased it open, and peered through the crack before climbing into the library.
I hefted myself up after him. Bastien came out next and closed the hatch. I straightened, taking in the beautiful sight of the library. The walls were a sunny yellow with white molding edging them. Three-story galleys, holding bookcases behind railings of intricate patterns, surrounded us. There were many tall, magnificent stained-glass windows, along with a stunning stained-glass dome over the center of the library.
I stretched my back and cracked my neck, inhaling the familiar smell of old books and imagining what the library would look like in the light of day. It would be heaven to explore the shelves and discover what titles they held.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"The public library in Port Elizabeth," Bastien said. "In South Africa."
Edgar wasted no time and quickly crossed the carpet to a bookcase. He pulled books in and out, seemingly in a pattern. The case inched open, and he stepped inside.
It immediately started closing, so Bastien and I slipped through. The tunnel to the haven was beautiful. I stood there, my mouth gaping. There were veins of gold and silver shocking the sandstone walls. I could almost see my reflection in the polished ground.
Bastien slipped his hand into mine.
"It's so beautiful," I said.
"Stop gawking. We aren't tourists," Edgar growled, stomping down the tunnel. "We haven't all the time in the world."
"Someone's grumpy," Bastien whispered to me as we plodded after him.
Nearly an hour later, we came out of a sandstone building onto a beach. The sea was so blue it sparkled like glass under the sun. The tops of buildings peeked out of the water, waves smacking their roofs. It looked like there was an underwater city just beneath the surface.