“What do you mean,minutes? It’s been a month since the trials ended!” Erith whispered, and the cat stopped licking its paw for a second to look up at her.
Said, “Has it now.” Then continued.
“Silas,” I whispered again, as if trying to make sure that Icouldsay it.
And his eyes stopped on me once more.
It felt like the attention of an entire world.
“Can you hear us?” What a silly question, but an important one all the same.
His lips parted. His brows rose a little.
Hecouldhear us, and…
“Where…”
His voice.
His voice that was buried so deep in my mind it felt like it had awakened from the dead. Thick and hoarse and barely over a whisper, but we understood the word.
We understood the question.
“Where is…” His eyes, gray and wide, moved on our faces again slowly, while we all held our breath and waited. “Where is…Reggie?”
Everybody paused. Our hearts paused, too.
That name.
I looked at March and he looked at me again, and then we looked at everyone else as we had before—and as we probably would again.
The boy’s hand moved.
Shaking, barely controlled, his free hand rose from his lap and reached for my wrist as I was closest to him. His fingers were so cold they burned my skin, yet I didn’t even consider moving away.
His eyes, though, were locked on March’s, who was kneeling just beside me, and he said, “Whereis Reggie?!”
His voice was a bit stronger now, a bit louder. His chin shook and his eyes glazed over with tears.
Something-something-something smells like rotten seconds,went my thoughts, before the boy said, “Where is Helen?!”
Names spiraling in my mind.
Thoughts spiraling out of control again.
Then Mimi whispered, “Who’sHelen?” Which was exactly what I was trying to think, too, except…
Tears slid down his cheeks. I saw them, big and glossy andwet,and I felt like I was drowning in each one of them.
But the boy moved, sat up straighter against that strange hook, blinked the tears away and looked around us once more, then turned to the other side.
Said, “Cheshire.”
The cat stopped licking its paw.
“Yes, Timekeeper?”
Why-why-why are you calling him a Timekeeper?!
