“Oh, Hatter!”
She ran to him and he held close the much-loved body he thought he’d never hold again, breathing in the smell of her and waiting to be overwhelmed by the joy and relief of finding her so unexpectedly alive. But he had too many questions, the same, nagging, prickling questions he’d had since his reclusive days atop Talon’s Point.
Gently, he unclasped Weaver’s arms from around his neck. Tears were in her eyes. She guessed what he was thinking.
“I wasn’t as irresponsible as it seems,” she said. “The Alyssian camp in the Everlasting Forest…I knew Molly would be in excellent care. I just…I had to leave you word of our daughter, and I had to leave it somewhere safe where I knew you’d get it no matter what happened to me or Molly or the Alyssian cause.”
“But what are you doing here, with Arch?” “That,” she said, smiling, “was a lucky accident. One of his guards, Ripkins, happened to see me enter the tunnel leading up to our cave at Talon’s Point. He followed me and overheard me recording the diary. I thought he was one of Redd’s troops come to kill me. But without saying a word, he gave me one of his communicators. Arch was waiting to talk to me and said he knew about Redd, that she was hunting down everyone connected to the Millinery and that, if I’d let him, Ripkins would bring me to Boarderland, where I’d be protected. I wasn’t going to go at first, but then I thought…I worried that if Redd found out who Molly was, she would kill us both, so I thought the best way to save our daughter was to stay away from her. Tell me I made the right decision. Tell me I did.” She was crying afresh. Hatter reached up and cupped her face between his hands, wiped her tears with his thumbs.
“You made the right decision, Weaver.”
She put her head against his shoulder. “I’d assumed the worst after Redd destroyed the Alyssian headquarters. But Arch came to me as soon as Molly was abducted. He promised to do everything he could to get her back. We’re lucky the Ganmedes chose him as their intermediary.” “You really believe Molly’s been kidnapped by Ganmedes?” “I’ve seen them. I’ve seen her.”
Hatter was taken aback. “Where? When?”
“In Boarderland. I don’t know exactly where we were camped, but…it was during the last eclipse of a Thurmite moon. She’s grown so much. She was confused more than anything else. About us. I didn’t get to spend much time with her.”
Hatter was no longer listening. Molly was in Boarderland, probably not far away. Arch would want to keep her close. Arch, who was probably monitoring his and Weaver’s every word. Unless the king knew something about Weaver that Hatter didn’t, and there was no need to bug the tent. “Before I met with Arch,” the Milliner said, “I suspected there were no Ganmede kidnappers. Now that I’ve met with him, I’m sure there aren’t any.” “What are you talking about? I just told you I saw them.”
She ran to him and he held close the much-loved body he thought he’d never hold again, breathing in the smell of her and waiting to be overwhelmed by the joy and relief of finding her so unexpectedly alive. But he had too many questions, the same, nagging, prickling questions he’d had since his reclusive days atop Talon’s Point.
Gently, he unclasped Weaver’s arms from around his neck. Tears were in her eyes. She guessed what he was thinking.
“I wasn’t as irresponsible as it seems,” she said. “The Alyssian camp in the Everlasting Forest…I knew Molly would be in excellent care. I just…I had to leave you word of our daughter, and I had to leave it somewhere safe where I knew you’d get it no matter what happened to me or Molly or the Alyssian cause.”
“But what are you doing here, with Arch?” “That,” she said, smiling, “was a lucky accident. One of his guards, Ripkins, happened to see me enter the tunnel leading up to our cave at Talon’s Point. He followed me and overheard me recording the diary. I thought he was one of Redd’s troops come to kill me. But without saying a word, he gave me one of his communicators. Arch was waiting to talk to me and said he knew about Redd, that she was hunting down everyone connected to the Millinery and that, if I’d let him, Ripkins would bring me to Boarderland, where I’d be protected. I wasn’t going to go at first, but then I thought…I worried that if Redd found out who Molly was, she would kill us both, so I thought the best way to save our daughter was to stay away from her. Tell me I made the right decision. Tell me I did.” She was crying afresh. Hatter reached up and cupped her face between his hands, wiped her tears with his thumbs.
“You made the right decision, Weaver.”
She put her head against his shoulder. “I’d assumed the worst after Redd destroyed the Alyssian headquarters. But Arch came to me as soon as Molly was abducted. He promised to do everything he could to get her back. We’re lucky the Ganmedes chose him as their intermediary.” “You really believe Molly’s been kidnapped by Ganmedes?” “I’ve seen them. I’ve seen her.”
Hatter was taken aback. “Where? When?”
“In Boarderland. I don’t know exactly where we were camped, but…it was during the last eclipse of a Thurmite moon. She’s grown so much. She was confused more than anything else. About us. I didn’t get to spend much time with her.”
Hatter was no longer listening. Molly was in Boarderland, probably not far away. Arch would want to keep her close. Arch, who was probably monitoring his and Weaver’s every word. Unless the king knew something about Weaver that Hatter didn’t, and there was no need to bug the tent. “Before I met with Arch,” the Milliner said, “I suspected there were no Ganmede kidnappers. Now that I’ve met with him, I’m sure there aren’t any.” “What are you talking about? I just told you I saw them.”