Chapter 13

The antique shop wasn't far from the library. Arya and Nathan pushed the door open. Neither of them had ever been inside before, and they paused a moment to look around. Mr. Steel was nowhere in sight.

"Wow, there's some weird stuff in here," Nathan whispered as he gazed into one of the glass cases. "Check out these swords!" Arya exclaimed, marching over to one of the walls. She had never seen anything quite like them before. They looked like something out of a movie. Most of them were huge, with shiny steel and carefully carved handles. One, all the way over to the left, was much smaller than the others. The handle was light and less bulky, and the blade was much thinner. "I like this one," she said. "I wonder how much it is?" "I don't know," Nathan said. His eyes scanned all the swords curiously and the shelves next them. "Whoa, look at these helmets, Arya!" Helms of all shapes and sizes lined the shelves, each a shiny steel or bronze. Some even looked like they had gold added to them. "Pretty crazy," Arya said, tracing one helm that was shaped like a bull's head. "I can't believe I've never been in here before." "Indeed," said a voice behind them.

The children whirled around to see Mr. Steel leaning against the counter, watching them. "Where the heck did you come from?" Arya demanded. She did not like being snuck up on. Mr. Steel's eyes looked her up and down, and amused expression on his face. "What can I do for you?" "Um…Mr. Steel?" Nathan ventured, since Arya was too busy giving the man the evil eye, "We have something to ask you, but it's top secret." "Yea, you can't tell anyone!" Arya added, stepping forward with what she hoped was a menacing air. Mr. Steel raised his eyebrows a little. "I assure you, whatever you have to ask me will not leave this shop." The children glanced at each other. Nathan gave Arya a nod, and she pulled the book from her pack. "I checked this book out of the library a few days ago. After I gave it to Arya, she found a slip of paper marking a certain chapter. I never put it there when I read the chapter." Mr. Steel glanced at the book. "And why are you asking me this?" "Because you were the last person to check it out before me," Nathan said. "And we wanted to know if you had marked the chapter." "I see." Mr. Steel said casually. He picked up a trinket from the counter and played with it absently. "May I ask why this matters? Why does it matter that I checked it out and possibly marked a certain chapter in this book?" The children glanced at each other again. "Because…"Nathan hesitated. Mr. Steel was an adult, and adults tended to either overact or not take things seriously, in his experience. But something prodded him to continue.

"Because we believe Crimson Island is under a magic spell," he blurted. "A curse," Arya added. "And if you checked that book out too…and maybe even marked the chapter, then…." Nathan trailed off, hoping Mr. Steel would catch on. The man said nothing for a few moments, continuing to play with the trinket in his hands. "So, because you read about some magic in a book, you think it's real?" The question wasn't mocking; he sounded like he really wanted to know the answer. "The things in the book….they make sense with what's happening on this island," Nathan said. "No one ages here. It's like time never passes. And no one notices it. I'm the only who ages and who has noticed….well Arya believes me now." Mr. Steel glanced at Arya, looking interested. "You do?" "Yea," she nodded. "I mean, don't get me wrong…it's still a pretty weird concept to me, and I have a lot of questions, but now that Nathan has brought it to my attention…I just can't ignore it now." "I see," Mr. Steel said again. "This is very interesting, indeed." "So…you know something about this?" Nathan asked. He couldn't understand Mr. Steel's incoherent answers: was he with them or was he going to laugh at them?

"You were right," Mr. Steel spoke suddenly. "I did put the piece of paper in the book after Arya got it a hold of it." The children gasped. "But how?" Arya demanded. "It's been in my back-pack all this time!" "That's for me to know, and for you to wonder," he said, his green eyes gleaming at her. "What are you, a part-time ninja?" Arya scoffed. "Why would you sneak around like that?" Nathan asked. "I couldn't be sure she would find the chapter or believe you, so I decided to help out a bit," Mr. Steel said casually. "Why would you want me to find out?" Arya asked suspiciously. He said nothing, only continued to lean on the counter and watch them mysteriously. "You've known about the curse all along, haven't you?" Nathan said approaching him slowly. "Yes, I have." "Why haven't you told anyone?" Arya was disliking this guy more and more. He seemed fishy. "Magic is a tricky thing, my dear. Just because I know about the curse doesn't mean I should announce it to the entire town." "But you can help us," Nathan said excitedly. Mr. Steel's eyes rested on him for a moment. "I've probably interfered too much already…this is a delicate game…hmmm…" he stroked his chin. "Oh very well, I'll give you a hint to go on. But I would prefer it if you could figure the rest out on your own. It would be…much more enjoyable that way." "How do you know so much about the curse?" Arya asked. "You couldn't have learned it all from this book." "No, you're right, girl. But I cannot tell you that just yet."

Mr. Steel walked behind his counter and leaned forward on the glass. The two children copied him on the other side. "Now, you can't go running around telling just anybody about this curse. Only certain people will believe you. And we are not the only ones on this island that know about the curse. Someone might not be willing to have it discovered and broken." He gave them a small smile. "Are you sure you even want to break this curse? You don't have bad lives here." "Why would breaking the curse change that?" Nathan asked. The man was silent. "If there's been a curse on me and Sansa this whole time, then of course I want to break it!" Arya hissed. "How do we know whom to talk to?" Mr. Steel smiled again. "You're both very intelligent children. Trust your instincts. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Cersei! What a surprise!" Jaime rose up from behind his desk and hugged her. "I thought maybe we could go get some dinner at the diner," Cersei said with a smile. Today she was wearing a grey wool scarf and a thick black coat. Jaime thought she was beautiful. "Sounds good to me. Let me just finish up some paperwork here and we can go." He sat back down and Cersei took the seat across from him.

As he bent over the desk, Cersei regarded her brother carefully. She had learned from her mistakes with him in the past; she hadn't fully appreciated him. This time around, she was willing to put more effort into their relationship. It was easier since, of course, he had no idea they were related. Cersei had been sure to keep that under wraps, just as she had been sure that the spell would give him his hand back. Crimson Island couldn't have its sheriff running around with a golden hand. It was too unusual.

"How's Nathan?" Jaime asked, cutting her out of her thoughts. "He's alright. I told him to meet us at the diner. I've been actually kind of worried about him." "Really?" Jaime stopped writing and looked up at her. "Yes…he's been hanging around with Arya…that girl who works at the diner." Jaime blinked. "And that's a bad thing?" "She's a trouble maker," Cersei said. "I don't want her encouraging Nathan to do anything he shouldn't." Jaime nodded. The girl had been in trouble a few times in the past: graffiti, pranks, etc., but he thought she was harmless. "I think Arya is just going through a rough time," he said slowly. "She's twelve, and an orphan. Kids like that act out to get attention. Who knows? Maybe Nathan will be good for her. But if it makes you feel better, I'll tell Brienne to keep an eye out for them." Cersei nodded. Arya in Westeros had been close to a wild animal, especially when she had returned after so many years…with those skills…Cersei shuddered. But on Crimson Island, Arya could be handled. Most of her particular skills seemed to have remained hidden, or undiscovered, within her. And for that, Cersei was grateful. She would never forget the look in that girl's eyes when they had met the last time.

"Finished," Jaime said cheerfully, and they walked out of the station. Jaime reached in his pocket for the keys but Cersei grabbed his hand. "Oh, let's walk. It's so nice out, and the diner isn't far." Jaime smiled at her. "Ok." The pair walked down the street. The late afternoon sun was setting over the town, and the air was still crisp and cool, but the wind had died down a bit. Here and there the townspeople scattered the sidewalks, sipping coffee and going about their lives as they did every day. Cersei and Jaime didn't socialize often together in public, but everyone knew they were exclusive. She had stopped receiving date invites long ago, and that was just fine with her.

They entered the diner, which was beginning to fill up in accordance with the dinner hour. Catelyn was busy at the register, but she glanced over and saw them. "Take a seat anywhere!" she called. Cersei wrinkled her nose but followed Jaime to a booth. She slid in next to him, leaving the other side open for Nathan. "Where could he be?" she wondered. "He'll be here," Jaime said, unconcerned. He began flipping through the menu.

"What can I get for you?" drawled a bored sounding voice. Cersei turned and looked into the eyes of Arya Stark. No not Stark here….she shook herself a little, a feeling of PTSD sweeping over her as she stared at the face that had held so much hatred for her once. "A water is fine," she said and leaned back so that Jaime could order. She had to pull herself together. No one could see her off-balance. "Two cokes, please, Arya," Jaime said. The girl nodded as she chewed a piece of gum obnoxiously and walked away. Ugh, even in this world she's a terror, Cersei thought.

Nathan suddenly appeared and slid into the empty side of the booth. "Sorry I'm late. Homework." He sounded out of breath. Cersei narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't press the issue. She would find out where he had been later. "How's it going, kid," Jaime asked. Nathan shrugged. "It's fine." Cersei felt like her son was avoiding her look, and it bothered her. Arya returned with the drinks and sat them down. "Ready?" she asked. They ordered, and she left again. "I heard that you two were hanging out today, Nathan," Cersei commented lightly as she squeezed lemon into her water. She wondered if Arya had spat in it. "Oh..yea…she was helping me with my homework," Nathan said, taking a sip of his soda. Cersei nodded slowly, wondering what else she could ask without seeming like she was prying. She nudged Jaime under the table. "What homework was she helping you with?" Jaime asked slowly. "Some math. She's older than me, so she's already learned it." Nathan spoke like it was no big deal, but Cersei suspected something else was afoot. It was too much of a coincidence that Nathan would pick Arya of all the people in his school to tutor him in math.

The girl in question returned with some silverware and refills, acting a bit distracted. "Arya," Jaime ventured, "where's Sansa?" "Well today was her day off," Arya said, snapping her gum. "But she said that she would come back to the diner to eat tonight. I don't know where she could be." Jaime looked concerned. "Do you need to call the hotel?" "Nah. Trust me, on her day off, Sansa would be anywhere but that place." Arya shrugged and turned away.

Jaime frowned. "I hope she's ok, especially after what happened last week." Cersei turned to him. She had little love for the Stark girl, but as mayor she had to at least act a little concerned. "What happened to her?" Jaime glanced at Nathan like he wasn't sure he should say, but Nathan spoke up. "She was walking home from work and some guys came out of a bar and attacked her. The Hunter showed up, beat them up, and took Sansa home. Arya told me." Cersei had to try not to roll her eyes. Sandor's move mirrored how he had saved the girl during the bread riot. It wasn't completely coincidental that it should happen again, and Cersei was wary of those two interacting. I'll have to keep an eye on them, she thought.

"The Hunter beat those men pretty badly. Can't really blame him, but still," Jaime was saying. "Well, he's a very violent man," Cersei said as she sipped her water. "I wouldn't trust him around Sansa." "You think he'd hurt her?" Jaime asked. She shrugged. "Like I said, he's violent, has a hot temper, and I believe you've arrested him on some occasions. Who knows what he would do to a sweet innocent girl like Sansa."

Jaime bit his lip. He hadn't even thought of the idea that the Hunter might try to hurt Sansa. He had never even seen them talk to each other. Still, the Hunter had saved her, and if he thought that perhaps now she owed him something…

The sheriff sighed. Things were getting more complicated these days. And he simply did not have enough officers at the station.

"If he hurts her, I'll hunt him down and skin him like a deer," Arya spoke, making them all jump. Jaime stared. He hadn't even seen her slip up to their booth! "Then I'll slash all the tires on that crap truck he drives around." Arya looked as if she was hoping to get the opportunity to unleash this plot very soon. "I'm sure she'll be ok, Arya," Nathan said, trying to calm her down. If there was anything he had learned the past few days, it was that Arya had a quick temper and violent tendencies. She tried to start a fight with everyone. "Hey waitress!" someone yelled across the diner. Arya snarled and stalked off. "Ok…." Jaime leaned back in the booth, unsure of what to make of the girl's outburst. Cersei gave him a knowing look, her eyes bouncing to Nathan. The sheriff shrugged. It wasn't as if Arya could really hurt a big man like the Hunter.

Arya was just giving them their food when the diner door opened and Sansa and the Hunter walked in.

A/N: I was almost done with this chapter when I re-read it and decided to change some things. Hooray for Operation Cobra! Thank you for reading!