Waiting For Sunrise - The Books Of Beginning AU

53. Return To New York

The Wibberly siblings were woken by the sound of frantic voices carrying from down the hall. Blinking the sleep from their eyes, the trio stumbled out of bed, attempting to fix their clothes by the narrow sliver of moonlight cutting through the pitch-black outside their window. 

"What's goin' on?" Emma demanded to know. "What time's it?"

"I dunno," Kate said, rubbing at her eyes with one hand. "But somethin' is happening, that's for sure."

"I'm pretty sure I heard Dr. Pym," Michael offered up. 

"We should go find 'im. Ask why he ain't lettin' us get our shut-eye," Emma declared, voice bitter. Both of her siblings, who were also annoyed by the way they'd been woken up without warning, didn't even protest. They just followed her out the door and into the dark hallway.

Last night's party had gone until after ten, up until the town's children began drooping like plants in winter and the sound of adults yawning filled the ballroom. The villagers had filtered out of the manor after that, coats wrapped tightly around each other, clutching lanterns or torches to light their way down the road. While Dr. Pym offered those who'd traveled from farther away a bed to sleep in, Gabriel had been the only one to take him up on that. Dena and Lee had left with the townsfolk, saying that they were just going to spend the night with one of their friends who lived there. King Robbie and Wallace had simply headed home, not wanting to burden Robbie's chief advisor with more time spent supervising the kingdom while they were gone. So, by the time the clock chimed eleven, it had only been the Wibberlys, Dr. Pym, Gabriel, Abraham, and Miss Sallow drinking hot chocolate by the dying fire, then shuffling off to their respective bedrooms.

Everything had seemed peaceful. Gabriel had even brought Emma an extra blanket before she drifted off to slumberland, and the three siblings had decided to get a good night's sleep, one that they deserved after all they'd been through, and then figure out how they were getting back to New York in the morning. So, to be woken up so suddenly by their wizard friend's shouting, it was both concerning and frustrating. (Could they not have one night's rest, before crisis came for them once more?)

The three of them pushed their way into the library, where, by the lit fireplace, Gabriel paced and Dr. Pym waved his arms expressively. Both of them were talking fast, too fast for the children to understand properly, but they could recognize the panic in their voices.

"Gabriel?" Emma said. "Dr. Pym? What's goin' on?"

The two men fell silent, surprised gazes falling on the siblings. They'd been so wrapped up in their discussion that they hadn't noticed the Wibberlys approaching.

"I'm sorry, my dear," said Dr. Pym. "Did we wake you?"

"You did."

Michael nodded. "We could hear you yelling from all the way down the hall. At... What time is it, anyways?"

"About two in the morning." The wizard looked sheepish. He attempted to smile at them, but it didn't meet his eyes, which remained anxious. 

"What's wrong?" Kate questioned, crossing her arms protectively.

Dr. Pym hesitated. Gabriel, on the other hand, answered immediately. "Our enemies have made a surprisingly bold move."

"How do you mean?" Michael asked.

"There were not one but two attacks by bands of Screechers on some old wizarding friends of mine," Dr. Pym explained. "In completely different parts of the world as well, suggesting our foe's reach stretches further than I had realized. That is, as you most likely know, very bad."

Emma frowned. "That can't be right. The Countess is dead. She dropped off the edge of the waterfall."

Kate cleared her throat. "Not quite," she said, any lightheartedness she'd experienced yesterday evening having dissipated. This was the moment she'd been dreading, when she had to burden her siblings with the knowledge of what threats hung over them like shadows.