He frowns. ‘Chumana. She flew me out of Bletchley. She—’
I let go of him. ‘Chumana?’
He gives me a confused smile. ‘Yes. She flew me to a scholar she knew, an old acquaintance from her early days in her library prison. He extracted her blood and fed it to me. Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘I lived with Chumana,’ I say. ‘In a safehouse in London.’
His face falls. ‘She didn’t tell you?’
I shake my head, blood pounding in my ears. Hollingsworth knew Atlas was alive, and in her arrogance and twisted reasoning decided not to tell me. I’m not even surprised. But Chumana? She let me grieve Atlas that first night in the sugar house, when mere days before she had saved his life. Humiliation and betrayal fill me as I step backwards.
‘Viv?’ Atlas says. ‘I promise I didn’t know.’
‘You should have written to me!’ I say.
‘I wanted to, but sending post was against the rules on Eigg, in case of interception.’
‘Fuck the rules,’ I whisper through tears. ‘Everyone knew except me.Everyone.’
I thought Chumana and I were friends. I thought I could trust her. My vision blurs as I turn to walk back through the forest, but Atlas catches me by the sleeve and spins me back around.
‘I didn’t know,’ he says again.
I want to scream at him, to scream the humiliation and misplaced grief away. Instead, I bury my face into his jacket. How many times have I wished I’d spent the weeks at Bletchley Park laughing with him, kissing him, instead of arguing? How many times in the last three months have I resolved to be less of a hot-headed idiot than I was last year?
I swallow my pride.
‘I’m sorry they lied,’ he pleads with me.
‘It’s not your fault,’ I reply hoarsely.
Marquis spots us coming back into the camp. ‘Where have you two been? Three of Wyvernmire’s dragons just flew over.’ He points at me. ‘They’re looking for you.’
‘Any Guardians?’ Atlas asks.
Marquis shakes his head. ‘Not yet. Too dark, I reckon. We should leave at dawn.’
I look from him to Atlas, my body faint with exhaustion. ‘Do you have any idea at all where the Hebridean Wyverns might be?’
‘No,’ Marquis says. ‘But I think Jasper might.’
I nod. That’s enough for me, for now. ‘I’m going to bed.’
Atlas kisses my cheek and I see Marquis trying to keep a straight face. I pull myself up on to one of the lower branches of a tree, where a sleeping bag is waiting. Others are settling in the branches above me, their lanterns glowing like golden stars in the dark. Leaves rustle against my face as I listen to the hushed voices and the crackle of Serena’s radio. There’s a distant roar and I wonder where Chumana is. She must be keeping out of sight too. I feel my anger rise again at the thought of her and Hollingsworth’s lies, but the elation from the day’s events is stronger. They may have betrayed me, but Atlas is alive. It’s more than I could have hoped for.
Tomorrow, we’ll start looking for the wyverns. As a team, which is the opposite of what we were at Bletchley Park. If the rebels dropped Atlas and the others off here it’s because the Coalition believes in their ability to complete their mission. But what about me? I’m only here because I got myself arrested. Was Hollingsworth ever going to send me to Canna at all?
I close my eyes. Ihaveto make sure the Third Class and Britannia’s dragons know freedom. Ihaveto succeed in using my languages to win the war.
I imagine my parents being liberated from Highfall, Ursa running towards me, Sophie forgiving me for the pain I caused her when I got her demoted.
Thisis my second chance.
MY EYES SNAP OPEN AS A low bellow sweeps across the forest. Daylight filters through the leaves and I remember where I am – halfway up an oak tree. The realisation startles me and I grab hold of a branch to stop myself slipping out of my sleeping bag. My eyes scan the ground for the source of the noise until I spot a boy below, blowing a horn.
‘Everyone stay put!’ Jasper shouts from the tree opposite mine.
Birds fly from their nests as children slip out of their sleeping bags to stand on the wide branches, their faces turned to the sky. My heart hammers as I peer up at the clouds and then I see it.
