“Worse,” Aradella said. “She’s terrified that they’ll stay and create families. Children will have both a mother and father. Wouldn’t that be horrible? She knows that men won’t put up with her treachery. They’ll storm the palace and—” Aradella took a breath.
“But if you’re alive,” Mekos said, “then the menwillarrive, and maybe your island will change.” His voice got louder. “But only if you’re stillalive.”
“But you’ll be married to Nessa,” Arit said sadly. “I traveled with him. We had days and days of hearing him complain. He’s a coward and thinks only of himself. He’d sell other people if he could, and—”
“You’re not helping,” Mekos said. “We have only a few hours to figure out how to keep this from happening. Then we have todoit.”
Arit said, “If Tanek were told he’d—”
“Start a war,” Mekos shot back. “If I were threatened, Papá would go in with blades drawn. And Kaley has an Earth gun. The worst part is that whatever the result of that battle, win or lose, Olina would use the violence as an excuse to stop the men from coming. And even if we take Aradella away now, today, I’m sure this evil woman, Valona, will pursue her.”
They were quiet for a moment, filled with the helplessness of how to solve this. Should they try to hide forever?
“The ceremony is tomorrow morning,” Ian said. “At sunrise. They call it the Day of the Moon.”
Mekos and Aradella looked at him in shock. “We heard of this. Does everyone in the Lair know about it?”
“Oh yes. Every person will be there. It’s mandatory. This year they’re pleased that all their pretty daughters will be safe.Valona only tells who the Honored Girl is on that morning. She likes the loud tears of relief for the girls not chosen—and the screams of grief for the one who is. One minute the girl is alive and the next she’s lying on the stone altar and Valona is holding her beating heart up high. Afterward is feasting and celebration, but I can tell you that no one is genuinely joyous.”
For minutes, they couldn’t speak as they envisioned the horrific scene.
Mekos said, “Do they know that this year it’s Princess Aradella who is to be sacrificed?”
“Yes,” Ian said. “Everyone knows and they’re grateful to her.”
“That’s why the girl said ‘thank you’ to me,” Aradella said softly. “Do they think I know what’s to happen?”
“Yes,” Ian said. “Valona told them you volunteered. She said that you believe it’s the duty of a princess to serve her people.”
“That is sick!” Mekos said.
Ian looked weaker, as though telling this had taken even more of his blood.
“Why do you stay?” Aradella asked him.
“Queen Olina holds my sister in an iron cage. I obey or she dies.”
Arit’s gasp made her fly backward. “But that’s not...” She couldn’t finish.
“Honorable?” Ian said through clenched teeth. “It goes against codes of decency and fair play? We are small and they are large, so we are at their mercy? Yes. All of it.”
“Zeon’s mask,” Arit said. “We might be able to use it to fool Valona. Maybe it could give us time.”
Mekos’s eyes widened. “I forgot about that! Kaley has a mask. She told me she has a whole box full of magic things, but the mask is special. It can make people look different. Let’s go find it.”
“Wait!” Arit said. “They may be in their bedroom. We can’t intrude on them.”
“They are anywhere on this island except their bedroom,” Mekos said. “Waterfalls, lakes, meadows.” He looked at Aradella.
“In trees, and don’t forget caves. They love caves,” Aradella said. “I can guarantee that they’re not in their own bed.”
As tiny as Arit was, she gave them a prim-and-proper look. “And how do you two know that? Spying is a disgusting trait!”
“Like you don’t watch Papá every minute of the day,” Mekos snapped at her. “Let’s find that mask.”
When they got to Kaley and Tanek’s bedroom, it did indeed appear to have never been used. There was a tall cabinet and the door was locked.
“I bet Papá has the key.” Mekos sounded defeated.
