look on Sinead’s face must’ve struck Demos, because his smile slipped when he saw her. “What’s happened?” He glanced at Sean. “Carrig, is something the matter?”
“That’s not Carrig,” Arik interrupted. “He’s his changeling. Conemar kidnapped Carrig and switched Sean with him. He weaved their minds together.”
“How?” Demos’s eyebrows pinched together as he studied Sean. “And how was he able to jump through the gateway book?”
“While their minds are weaved together, Sean receives Carrig’s memories and abilities,” Sinead said.
“Gia must perform a truth globe on you before we continue,” Arik said.
Demos agreed and after he had passed, we told him how my pink globe released Sean.
“I think it runs on my emotions,” I said. “It removes charms and spells.”
She nodded. “Yes. I’m not certain, but she could be involved with the recent assaults on the Mystiks.”
Disappointment clouded Arik’s eyes. “I must contact Merl.”
Arik fished a thin rod from his pocket, which was actually two rods fashioned together. He pulled the ends apart and a blue glow kindled between them, creating a screen the size of an iPad. “Merlin Sagehill,” Arik spoke into it.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a window rod. It’s like a webcam, but powered by magic. It’s our only connection to Asile. The charms around Asile block cell phone reception.”
Several minutes passed.
I frowned at the thing. “It’s broken.”
“Give it time. He has to find a safe place to answer it.”
The light between the rods blinked, and Merl’s face came across the screen as a ghostly blue form. “Brilliant, I see you have Gia. Has she informed you of the goings-on?”
“Yes. How’s Asile?”
Merl’s eyes landed on me, which came across somewhat creepy. “Adding to the charm to open the door on my command alone was quite clever, Gia. We cornered Veronique at the outbuilding as she tried to escape.” He addressed Arik again. “We scried her. She’s conspiring with Conemar, who’s behind the recent attacks on the Mystiks. He has spies in every Haven. Veronique overhead you talking to me about finding Gia, thus had Conemar spell Carrig. Using his changeling to observe her—” Static ran across the screen.
Arik tilted the rods to get a better reception. “What do they want with her?”
I leaned closer to hear Merl. “Yeah, what he said.”
“From what I gathered from Veronique, they hoped she’d lead them…the chart…to locate…Chiavi.”
“Wait, you’re breaking up.” Arik moved closer to a window with me stuck to him like static cling. The rod’s reception improved.
Merl squinted at the screen. “Can you hear me better?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Veronique sent Gia, Nick, and Afton’s addresses to the rogue Mystiks searching for them. She got the information from your mission recorder. We’ll discuss how she got access to it later, but for now, there are more pressing matters. Brian Kearns and Deidre are in danger—”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”
Arik held up his hand to quiet me.
Merl didn’t stop for my interruption. “You must rescue them and the other two humans, Afton and Nick. Bring them back to Asile. The Wizard Council has approved their travel here and registered them with the Monitors. They’ll go undetected through the gateways.”
“We will,” Arik said. “But we haven’t completed our mission. Most of the cities are secured, but I returned to Asile to tell you the Writhes’ coven has fallen. There are few who survived.”
Merl’s face was grim. “I will send guards to retrieve the survivors. Report back when you have the humans. Go safely.”
“Wait. My nana and Faith. Are they okay?”
“They are. I’ll keep them safe,” he said. “You’re not to worr—”
The blue light between the rods went dark. Arik eased them together and buried it back into his pocket.
I heaved a sigh, relieved they were alive, then remembered what Merl had said. I dashed back to the book. “Pop’s in danger! We have to get him,” I said, flipping through the pages to find the Boston library.
Arik caught my arm, stopping me. “Calm down. We wait for the others. Once they pass your globe, we’ll leave.”
“We can’t wait—”
“Bloody hell, Gia. Will you just listen to me? We need the other Sentinels. There’s no other way. We can’t just rush to the rescue without help.”
“I’m not going to risk waiting!”
He scowled down at me.
I watched his hard, dark eyes. “I’m going without you, then.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Will you stop being stubborn and listen?”
I crossed my arms, tears burning my eyes. “No. He’s all I have besides Nana. We have to go now.