Time's Tragedies- The Books Of Beginning [2]

36. Savages Reborn

Over the years, the Wibberly family had dared to pull off impossible and insane plans many, many times. But trying to steal the half completed Scroll of Souls from Robert Lloyd might just set a new family record.

Oh, they had tried to find a better option. Michael (and Wilamena) talked to every healer, every spellcaster, and every strategist they could, trying to figure out plans to heal Kate and stop Robert. But everywhere they searched, they found the same answers; no one knew why Kate wasn't waking up or how to help her. And no one wanted to acknowledge and face the problem of Robert's growing strength.

Even their closest friends were tied in knots, unable to help. King Robbie could not risk his people, Wilamena could not risk hers, not when the magical council's horrid bureaucracy was keeping them from taking war-time command and calling in reinforcements. Abigail had promised her help if need be, but she was just one person already stretched too thin trying to run New York. And Granny Peet had offered to look into Kate's condition, but had yet to find anything at all, though she had pledged her help in whatever plans the Wibberlys made.

Simply put, everywhere they turned, the Wibberlys found walls blocking their path. It seemed the only thing they could do was what the Countess had asked of them; get the scroll, then complete it to turn its power against Robert.

"But why won't she help us find the lost three pieces first?" Abby had questioned when her father explained what they were going to do, "then we could at least have something to fight with while we try to steal from Robert."

"Yeah," Jake had chimed in, "making us do this first seems unnecessarily complicated."

"Your right," Rafe had replied, "but this is the Countess. She'll do anything to keep control as long as possible, and that means making us jump through hoops before we get the information we need. It's annoying and counterproductive, but we're desperate at this point."

That conversation had happened a week after the meeting in Cambridge Falls. Two weeks of plotting and scheming and strategizing later, and Rafe found himself preparing to lead a heist.

The group of either extremely brave or foolish people who would dare to pull this off we're gathered around Rafe's kitchen table; Emma, Gabriel, their fellow warrior Dena, a mildly anxious Michael (Wilamena was at a meeting of elvish leaders that she could not abandon), the children, and his old friends Jake and Beetles, who had come in Abigail's place when she was held up by an emergency situation one of the children she had protected and placed in a safe home was having. It certainly wasn't a conventional team, and definitely wasn't the experienced group of professionals one would expect. But they worked with what they had, and they were determined to succeed.

Rafe just hoped that would be enough.

"Now, you two remember what your job is?" Rafe, who had taken on the whole of the leadership role he usually shared with Kate, said.

Beetles rolled his eyes, "to distract Robert's forces as much as possible so the rest of you can get to work. Honestly Rafe, we know this is serious. We ain't gonna ruin it."

"Beetles-"

"We'll take it seriously. I promise. No opening shops tonight," Beetles said. Rafe wasn't exactly reassured, but he would take all the help he could get.

"Hey, I have a question," Abby spoke up, playing with her locket as she did, "what are me and Jake - Wibberly Jake, not Beetles' Jake - supposed to do?"

"You two are in charge of making the portals to get us there, get us out, and give us an escape route if necessary," Rafe replied.

Abby nodded. She knew that job was more for her brother than her, and secretly, she was grateful. Abby wasn't ready to face Robert head on yet, and staying away from the thick of things made her feel better about this whole situation. Not that she would ever admit that, when she was trying to be as fearless as the warriors in the room.