Chapter Seventeen: Betrayed

As soon as she made it far enough out of the trees to see the clearing where they always entered the library, she noticed Bridget sitting under a tree examining a squirrel on a branch above her. She looked so calm and happy. One of her legs bent at the knee and the other stretched out casually. It looked almost as if they were back home again. How many times had she seen her sister lounging in the forest? But her relief and joy at seeing Bridget only lasted a second and her running never slowed.

She ran so fast that she almost fell on top of Bridget, who smiled up at her excitedly. “Oh, Evie, you’re never going to guess where I’ve been! It was the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.” Just then Bridget seemed to catch Evie’s mood. Her eyebrows turned down in concern. “What’s wrong? You look scared to death.”

Evie dropped to her knees, gasping for breath. She really had run very hard the whole way there. “Jayson…is…the spppy. I think…” She gulped, “…think he has Trevor.”

“What?!” Bridget bounded to her feet. “How do you know?”

Evie spent a few more seconds on her hands and knees catching her breath before Bridget reached down to take her hand and hoist her to her feet. Evie was grateful for the help. She leaned on the tree and told Bridget what the sprite had said.

“Evie…” Bridget said slowly, “I don’t understand how that makes him the spy. Maybe Trevor is actually going on to meet his mother. That’s probably what he needed. He felt very alone here.”

Evie marvelled that Bridget acted sympathetic about Trevor. It occurred to her during the
retelling of the story that her sister might not mind it too much if Trevor ended up in the hands of the spy. But she seemed as concerned about the boy as if they had been friends. At least she never said, “So, what?” or “Good riddance.”

She explained hastily. “Don’t you see? The only way he could have known that I transformed into a fox was if he had been there when I told you. You haven’t told anyone else have you?” Bridget shook her head furiously. “Then he had to have heard me. That’s the only time I ever mentioned it.”

Bridget’s brow furrowed in deep thought, “But, How?...”

“Don’t you remember? I saw a man in the forest last night. After you left the library earlier today Master Oilreid told me the spy met one of his informants during the festival. He seemed very concerned when I told him I’d seen someone out there. There’s no other explanation, the spy didn’t expect people to be away from the festival. We saw him by accident. I was sure, whoever he was, he had to be an aniray. He was talking to a bird. But I was wrong! The bird was the spy. I don’t know who he was talking to, but it was Jayson in the forest. In the dark he looked like a bird! It had to be. He heard me. There’s no other explanation.” Evie realized she had taken Bridget by the shoulders and shook her. Embarrassed, she took her hands off her sister and asked, in a calmer tone, “Do you see?”

Bridget nodded. “What are we going to do? We’ve got to stop him.” It made Evie smile, despite everything. Of course her sister would want to save Trevor. She was such a good person. He didn’t deserve it, but they were going to find Master Oilreid and save their friend.

“I was coming back here to get help. Have you been into the library? Is Master Oilreid there?”

Bridget blushed and looked down, “I came back here to find you, but I couldn’t figure out how to open the door. I wondered if you had to be a souray to do it, but then I remembered Mabel did. Can you?”

Evie stared straight at the door, determined to enter the library. She simply had to make it work for Trevor’s sake. She closed her eyes and concentrated very hard. No one else had done that, but she needed all the extra help she could get. Even before she had finished the gesture, she felt sure she’d open her eyes to the same sight she’d seen before she closed them. She simply didn’t have the talent. She began to doubt she was a souray at all. Maybe the reason the other kids glossed over her in class was that she didn’t really have any magical ability.

It didn’t matter, however, because just that moment Master Oilreid came up behind her and opened the door for them. Both girls flipped around, caught sight of the old teacher and then ran up to him, chattering wildly. He looked tired. Putting one hand on each of the girl’s shoulders, he ushered them inside the library without a word. Once inside he conjured three chairs and sat, rubbing his head with one hand. For the first time since Evie had first seen him, in this very room, he looked extremely old. The girls waited as patiently as they could. Every few seconds one of them would begin speaking, only to be waved back to silence. Master Oilreid created a table with a drink for each of them on it.

It seemed like hours before he finally said, “Okay. Tell me what the problem is.” They both started speaking, but were immediately interrupted. “Not both of you! Evie. You tell me what has gotten you both so upset.”

Evie glanced to Bridget for reassurance. All of a sudden she didn’t know where to start. “Master Oilreid. Do you know where Trevor is?”

The old man examined them both closely before answering, “Yes. I sent him on to meet his mother. Jayson is taking him. He simply wasn’t coping well with being in the spritested.”

“Oh no! Sir, Jayson is the spy! I am sure of it. We have to go stop them.”

To Evie’s shock, the old man didn’t look at all surprised or disturbed by the news. He seemed…angry. If she wasn’t very much mistaken, his anger was directed at her. “Who told you that?”

Bridget stepped forward, “Never mind, that! We have to go now. Who knows what that sprite will do with Trevor! We need to save him.” And then, as if she felt surprised and embarrassed by her own boldness, she added, “sir.”

Master Oilreid had his head in his hands again. He sounded more demanding than Evie had ever heard him as he said, “Who told you that?!” In fact, both girls felt so surprised by the heat in his voice that they each took a step backward. The old man noticed their fear and sighed, sadly. “I am sorry, girls. Please answer my questions. I need you to trust me. I do what I do for your good.”

Evie again glanced at Bridget for support. Her sister shrugged. So, Evie recanted the story of seeing the spy in the forest. She explained that it had to have been Jayson or the sprite would not have called her a “clever little fox.”

Master Oilreid shook his head. “It all seems very circumstantial to me.” Neither of the girls knew what that word meant so they continued listening in silence. The old man sighed again and started tapping a finger on the side of his nose. He didn’t speak for some time and when he did, it was in a hesitant tone. “You know all I wanted out of life was to be a teacher. I had a crazy dream that someday all children would be able to learn their talents and the whole world would benefit from it. It was impossible under the king. He hated everyone not like him. He thought the souray were better than everyone else. I am trying to do what’s best for the most people. I want to help.”

He looked so pathetic, so desperate and sad. Evie and Bridget shared a confused look. Bridget spoke, “We know that, sir. We thank you for that. I do, especially. But what has that got to with Trevor?”

He spent another moment looking from one to the other of them. “Trevor…” He looked down, appearing utterly defeated. “…is on his way to be reunited with his father.”

Both girls jumped up and yelled, “What?!!!” in unison. And then they unleashed a tidal wave of objections. Evie desperately tried to explain to this man that Trevor’s father was not a good man. Surprisingly, he let their shouting continue for a while and the girls actually began to sound like sisters.

Evie burst out, “Master Oilreid, you don’t understand, Trevor ran away from his father, that’s the only reason he ended up here with us…”

Bridget broke in, “He rescued me, sir. His father wanted me captured…well, he wanted Evie, but…”
“He won’t want to go to his father. I don’t even know if he would be kind to Trevor. I mean, he’s his son and all, but…”

“The man is evil, really he is. And I think he works for the king. He told Trevor his mother was dead even though she was with you…”

“His mother will never see him again if you let him go!”

“Really, sir he won’t allow it.”

At the mention of Trevor’s mother Master Oilreid appeared even more anguished. He hadn’t shown surprise at any of their revelations. Although, Evie felt sure, before all of this happened, that he already knew about Trevor’s dad. Now she wasn’t sure what to think. Surely he wouldn’t have turned Trevor over if he had known what kind a man he was sending the boy to?!

“Please,” he said in a sad voice, with his head in his hands. “Sit down. I will explain everything. But you must promise that the things I tell you will not leave this room.” He lifted his head and stared those bright, intense blue eyes at both of them in turn.

Bridget and Evie nodded and sat. Master Oilreid continued. “You already know that I have been looking for a spy among the refugees. I was beginning to think that we would never leave the spritested. The school is too important to risk. Well, today I had a break through. I had never suspected Jayson, but he came to me this morning and told me he had some information on the matter and I should wait here for him this afternoon.” He looked directly at Evie, “That is why I didn’t do a class lecture as usual. I was waiting for word from Jayson. I had visited the rest of the groups in the class and was about to move on to yours, Evie. I saved you for last, thinking you’d need the time to get acquainted.” Bridget looked utterly lost, but she kept quiet.

The old man continued, “Just as I was about to enter the room to instruct you, Jayson burst in. He told me he had a message from Kendall. That is Trevor’s father’s name. He also happens to be captain of the King’s army. He is the one that has been hunting us from the beginning.”
Master Oilreid reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll. As soon as he unfolded it, it lifted a pace into the air and spoke in a booming voice that Evie assumed belonged to Trevor’s father. She could see the words on the scroll that matched what the voice said.
Dear Oilreid,

I know we have not exactly been friendly in the past. I know that we have different goals in mind for the kingdom. But I wish for us to call a momentary truce. You are in quite a predicament. You cannot safely move any of your people. I have an army of loyalists and Ogres camped not far from the spritested and spies loyal to the King in your midst. Believe me when I say that I have the absolute upper hand. Within days I will be able to crush you and your followers.

The only problem is that you have the one bargaining chip in the world I would ache to loose. I understand that my son, Trevor, is housed within the spritested. I would not approach you in peace as a captain, but my heart compels me to as a father. This being the case, here is what I am willing to offer:

• A truce for the space of one month. I will withdraw my army from the wood and not attempt to learn the location of your people.
• I swear that all spies for the King will be removed from the spritested. This is no trick of words. I guarantee there will not be anyone among you who can betray your people to us.
• A promise that the boy will receive no punishment for his flight, just to keep your conscience clean. He will not be harmed in any way that I can prevent.

Think about it, Oilreid. Your people can’t stay there forever. I am promising you safe passage for a month. All I want in return is my son. Can it be so unethical to give the boy back to his father? You have 12 hours to decide.

The letter was signed by both Kendall and Oilreid. Below the signatures an imprinted silver Pegasus flew, wings magically moving up and down and the legs moving in a galloping motion.
Evie just sat there, absolutely stunned. Master Oilreid had sold Trevor? How could he? In that instant a million things she wanted to say fought for control of her tongue, but Bridget spoke first. She nearly spat sounding sickened and contemptuous, “And you signed it? What makes you think you can even trust him?”

A little bit of spirit popped back into the old man’s eyes when he turned them toward Bridget. “The seal on the bottom of the page, the silver Pegasus. Since the winged horse cannot lie it represents a powerful magic. Anyone who touches pen to that paper is bound absolutely. He cannot lie either. And it is not possible to do a forgery on the magic paper, because that would be a lie.”

“But…but…” Bridget stammered, at a loss for words. Evie understood how she felt completely. She had trusted this man. She felt so completely betrayed.

“Look,” he snapped, “I did not want to do it. I still maintain that boy might have had a good heart. What you do not understand is that we are at war. I could have spent the rest of my life in this spritested. That was the other option. We all could have died here and the world would never have become a better place. Do you not see? That is the problem with sprites. They never leave the world a better place than they found it because they do not work together. The children we have here are so talented. If they are taught to love and respect each other they may defeat the evil ideas that plague the world right now. Among the sprites they will learn love and respect, but not cooperation. We have to move on. This is our only chance!” He slammed a fist down on the table. Seeing the wide-eyed fear on the girls’ faces he sighed sadly and spoke again more calm this time. “He was cruel to you.” He nodded to Bridget. “He had already been destroyed by his father’s teachings. I had to let him go to save all the rest. Please understand. I did not want to. Do you think I love the idea of facing his mother now? Someone will tell her that we had the boy in our hands. She is going to have to understand. You are going to have to as well.”

Evie sat in her chair, staring at the floor. Her head swam with this new information. She tried to work it out. Where did she stand? She didn’t want Trevor handed back to his father, but could the old man be right? Was that the only way? No. It couldn’t be. But what other options did they have?

Bridget didn’t seem to need time to think. She jumped out of her chair and slowly backed away from Master Oilreid. “No!” she said firmly. She went on in a somewhat less-confident voice. “No. You are wrong. You say that the problem with the world is that we think someone is more or less valuable based on who their parents are. Would you have traded the other children here? You were only willing to give up Trevor because of the way he was raised. He is a good person inside. I am sure of it. When you gave up Trevor you were doing just what you claim to hate the most.” Her voice shook. Evie didn’t think she’d ever seen her sister so angry, or so afraid. But she was right. Evie knew it, now that Bridget had said it. She stood up and walked over to her sister.

Master Oilreid shook his head in despair. “It does not matter who is right. I did not have a choice. Anyway,” he faltered, “What is done is done and that is that.”

“Fine!” This time Bridget nearly shouted. “We don’t need you. Evie and I will save Trevor on our own.” She grabbed Evie’s hand and they both started marching toward the bookcase where they had entered. It would have been a grand exit if it weren’t for one thing. Neither of them had mastered the skill of opening doors in this strange library. So they wavered a bit in front of the bookcase while Master Oilreid rubbed his eyes.

Finally, he spoke. “I cannot let you go after him. Please understand. You are both such talented young ladies with bright futures ahead of you. I cannot let you walk into Kendall’s hands. Someday I hope you will know why. When you are a bit older and have seen more of what we are up against I hope you will forgive me.” He waved a casual hand toward the girls.

It was as if a great wind had caught Evie and Bridget. They flew from where they stood at the edge of the room to the very center. They floated in the air right in front of the teacher. He looked so sad. Evie couldn’t muster any sympathy, though. How dare he trap her and Bridget like this? With another wave of his hand he set them down gently on their feet. Bridget took a couple of steps toward him, but, as soon as she did, lightning surrounded them.

Lightening was the best word Evie could think of to describe it, anyway. It didn’t disappear the way lightning does. It seemed as if Master Oilreid had fastened bolts of lightning to the ceiling and floor in a circle around the girls. The bolts flickered and sizzled, but the ends that touched the ceiling and floor stayed put.

Master Oilreid stood. “I am sorry to have to do this to you. It is for your own safety. Do not be afraid. I have to see to preparations for moving everyone from the spritested, or I would stay with you.” He stared at their cage, thoughtfully. With a nod he made an expanding gesture with his hands, clutching them together and then spreading them apart. The lightning bolts spread away from the girls. New bolts filled in the gaps created by the expanding cage. Soon Bridget and Evie stood in a space four paces across. The teacher conjured a table and chairs. The table held two pitchers, one with punch and one with water. Glasses and sandwiches popped up surrounding the pitchers.

Satisfied with his work, the old man said, “You should be quite comfortable until I return. Do not touch the bars, please. You would get a shock.” He gave them one last defeated look and left the room.

Bridget threw herself down on one of the chairs and breathed, “Great! Isn’t it wonderful that there is absolutely no one we can trust? Now, how are we going to save Trevor? We will have to go it alone, but first we have to figure out how to get out of here.”

Evie grinned despite everything. Bridget never even considered giving up, she just took each set back in stride and prepared for their next move. There was no one in the world she’d rather be trapped with. Her sister wasn’t capable of being beaten.