It takes two rings before he answers.
“Hello? Oh, good heavens.” Theo comes into view and places his hand on his chest in surprise. Instead of lying down on his bed, he’s on a couch, holding the phone in front of him. He has color to his skin and is more lively than the last time I saw him.
Thank God.
“Theo,” I say, my eyes welling up.
“My Lilija . . .” Tears spring to his eyes. “Keller, my boy.”
“Hi, Theo,” Keller says, lifting his hand in a wave.
“I briefed them this morning,” Ottar says out of courtesy.
Katla comes into view as well, and she lets out a deep sigh. “My God, Keller.” Her hand moves up to her mouth as she shakes her head. “Our dear boy. How are you? Are you okay?”
Keller rests his chin on my shoulder and nods. “I’m good.”
Theo glances back and forth between the two of us, and with a shaky voice, he asks, “Are you two...”
“Together?” I ask. “Yes, we are. We’re all good. Everything is good.”
“Well, not everything,” Keller says. “We still need to figure out who’s behind all this.”
“Yes,” Theo says. “Priority number one. Henrik briefed me this morning about the process over at the palace. They’re narrowing it down.” He wets his lips. “Rumors have been circling about two people.”
“Who?” Keller asks.
“Cornolia, the wedding planner’s assistant, and . . . Gothi Elias.”
“I fucking knew it,” Keller says, his hand slamming on the table. “I knew something was wrong with him. The moment I met him, I felt uneasy, like he wasn’t trustworthy.”
“But he’s a gothi,” I say, confused. “He’s supposed to be trusted.”
“Trust no one,” Keller says.Oh Keller. I hate that this ordeal has confirmed that people can’t be trusted.
“We’ve discovered that he has a sordid past, which we suspect is what the Arkham people have exploited. His betrayal came as a grave surprise. He’s been loyal to the throne for many years, so we also suspect he’s not handling his guilt well. They’ll be interrogated, but we’re fairly certain they were contacted anonymously.”
“Why would they think that?” Ottar asks.
“Henrik has been able to dig into Cornolia’s and Elias’s background, and they’re actually related. Cornolia is Elias’s niece. That’s how she got the job with Adela, through his recommendation. It’s why we’re pulling them in together. As far as we know, they don’t have any connection to Arkham. So we’re trying to get more details.”
Keller nods. “Okay, we’re going to have a download here and try to connect some dots.”
“But first, we’re going to take a moment to breathe,” I say, cutting in.
“Lilly,” Keller says. “The quicker we figure this all out, the sooner this can be over. We don’t have time to take a break.”
“Keller, you’re running yourself ragged. You’re no use to me if you’re not healthy.”
“She’s right,” Theo says.
“I won’t be doing anything other than talking,” Keller says. “I’ve already been told I can’t help around here.”
“Good,” Theo says. “Please keep them safe.”
Ottar comes into view and says, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen to them. I would like to ask Keller a few questions, though, if that’s okay? I fear once whoever is searching for Keller and Lilly find they’re not on the island, we won’t have a lot of time after that. They might come to Marsdale. That’s the hope at least with placing you there.”
“And I’ve spoken to Clinton. They’re ready if they do.”
