Chapter 33: Conflicting Opinions

Because of the length of the conversation I had in Dr. Bloor's study, I was allowed to head straight to my room instead of going to homework that night. I appreciated the chance to spend some time by myself. I didn't want to be around anyone. As soon as the door shut behind me, I allowed myself the chance to cry for what I had lost. I loved Salem and wanted to be with him, but I loved my family more. If this is what it took to ensure their safety, then this is what I had to do.

My job was a simple one. Charlie had already invited Billy home but I was sure that Maisie, Charlie and Paton would not let Billy go near the painting. I needed to make sure Billy got down into the cellar and I was to lock the door behind him. After that part was done, I would have to corroborate Dr. Bloor's story that Billy went back to the academy once everyone noticed he was missing. They assured me that Harken would take good care of him and I hoped that was true.

Once Billy was out of the picture, I would have to help them find the mother-of-pearl box. I didn't even know where to look. They told me to look out for clues in my father's postcards and look through all of his personal belongings if I could find them somewhere in the house. That would be easy for me, as I had my mother's old bedroom to myself now. Most of her things were still there.

The thought of sneaking around like that made me sick but I reminded myself that I was helping my father. He had a family that needed him. I didn't want to be stuck on my own again. Salem had to understand that. I hoped that he would eventually forgive me and come back. Why did we ever think that it would work out, anyway? I tried to reach out to him. I wanted to hear his voice, even if it was only in my head. I was met with only silence as I turned off the light and curled up under my blankets.

There was a bit of excitement when I woke up the next morning. Students were talking about a window that had been shattered in the middle of the night, but I had been so deeply asleep that I hadn't heard it. The window shattering supposedly had something to do with Manfred, but I had no guesses as to what it had involved. When everyone got over the broken glass, they went back to gossiping about the confrontation that had gone down between Salem and Dr. Bloor in the cafeteria, but that had been put to a stop when Dr. Bloor threatened suspension to anyone caught talking about it. It didn't take long for people to notice that Salem was no longer in the academy though.

"Where did Salem go?" Riley asked me during our break in the courtyard. "I haven't seen him all day."

"He left." I said quietly. "We had a fight and he withdrew from the academy and left."

"That sounds a bit…excessive." Riley's forehead wrinkled and he clapped his large hand on my back as a sign of reassurance. "It must have been bad, huh? Are you okay?"

"No, not at all. Riley, I don't think I'm a good person." The weight of the choices I had made was slowly suffocating me. "I agreed to do something really, really bad. I don't think I can tell you about it without putting you in the Bloor's radar."

"I want to be there for you, but I don't think I can protect myself from Manfred. Look at him, he's looking at us." He nudged my shoulder and nodded his head towards the door. Manfred was leaning against the stony exterior of the academy and his eyes were trained on us just as Riley had said. "I don't think you're a bad person. Whatever you may be doing, if you're doing it to keep yourself and your family safe, I don't think that makes you bad."

"What if I'm doing it at the expense of someone else?" I was starting to feel upset again. I didn't want to cry in front of people, but it was getting hard to hold back.

Riley was silent for a moment. I wasn't sure if it was because he was thinking of a way to justify it for me, or if he was so disgusted with my behavior that he didn't want to speak. "You can't save everyone." He said finally. "And no one should expect you to."

"Thank you."

"What are friends for?" He nudged my shoulder again and winked at me. "Just be careful."

When it came time to get onto the bus Friday afternoon, Charlie was running late. I looked out the window and searched for him, hoping that he hadn't gotten into some kind of trouble that would force him to stay behind. "Where's Charlie at?" I asked Fidelio.

"I saw him talking to Tancred. Whatever they were talking about, Charlie looked upset." He joined me in my window search for my brother. "Oh, there he is. He's standing by the green bus." He pointed a finger and sure enough, Charlie was trying to talk to Tancred who only wanted to get on the bus to go home. "He's going to miss us if he doesn't hurry up."

Charlie seemed to have figured this out as well because he ran for the bus and finally boarded just as the driver was ready to take off and leave him behind. "What were you doing? You almost missed the bus." I scolded.

"…My moth. Dagbert took it." Charlie looked wild and panicked. His hair was standing up more than usual.

"What are you talking about?" I felt out of the loop. Charlie hadn't talked to me much since Salem left. I didn't know if he was mad at me for fighting with him or if he was just trying to give me space.

"You had enough going on and I didn't want to bother you, but Claerwen has been missing." He said sadly. "And Tancred said that Dagbert has her and would only give her back if Tancred gave him back the gold sea creature he stole that night we helped Asa escape."

I didn't know what to say, mostly because I knew almost nothing about Dagbert. Everything was hitting me at once, how little I paid attention to the other endowed children and the struggles Charlie endured. I only ever stepped in if someone I really cared about was being affected. I had agreed to help Salem and Asa, and I helped my father. I even helped Manfred, but since I had come to the academy, I stood by while Billy was adopted by horrible people and now I was going to make sure he got sucked into a painting.

"When is Tancred going to make the switch?" I asked.

"He doesn't want to. He thinks that when Dagbert has all of his sea creatures, he's less powerful and less reckless. He thinks there's another way."

"Maybe he's right, Charlie. I wouldn't make deals with Dagbert if I were you. I don't much care for that fish boy." The rumor in the halls was that Dagbert could drown people, and it was a rumor that I had not believed until Charlie, Billy and Asa climbed out of that tunnel in the wilderness soaking wet.

"But I need her to get Runner Bean out of Badlock."

"Charlie, it isn't your fault that Benjamin couldn't control his dog. Please don't risk your life by trying to travel without your moth. You and Billy need to stay far away from that painting."

"But Benjamin will hate me if I don't get him back-"

"If he hates you because of something beyond your control and expects you to risk your life over it, then he isn't your friend." I looked down at my feet and the weight of my own words hit me.

"I'm not like you. I can't just pass the blame onto someone else while my best friend is miserable. I think you're the one who doesn't know what it means to be a friend." Charlie's words both shocked and hurt me. I didn't know what to say.

"What are you talking about?" Riley interrupted. "If you even knew half of the struggles she went through, you wouldn't speak without thinking. You get to play the hero, Charlie. But who do you think is the one who pays the price? I don't recall you being in a coma for months. I don't remember you being in the infirmary. I don't remember you being taken advantage of by Manfred a few nights ago. At what point did you have to leave your home and hide because you feared for your life? Never. Because she's the whipping post. You have no right to fault her for being terrified. Just because you can't see her scars, doesn't mean that they are not there. She's just trying to protect you."

"Sometimes it feels like I don't even have a sister. There's nothing you can say to me to change that." Charlie looked down at his lap. "You don't know anything that has happened to any of us, Riley. I was pushed into all of this just as suddenly as Infinity was. I had no idea any of this existed until one day I woke up and photographs started talking to me. Since I came to this school, I was almost drowned, twice. During the Ruin Game my first year, I was sent into a death trap in the ruins where Asa was waiting to pick me apart. I've almost been attacked by animated stone statues and cut up by cursed papers. I have almost been trapped inside paintings and I have traveled into the past where I watched people die. I'm only twelve years old. This is hard for all of us. The reason I haven't been hurt as bad as Infinity is because I have friends who help me. I don't just rely on one person. I don't sit in the shadows and let things happen to me." Charlie looked at me, "You pushed Salem into picking a side. I think it's time that you actually pick one and commit to it, too."

"I think you should calm down." Gabriel put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "I fight with my sisters a lot too, but saying that it feels like you don't have one is harsh on your part, Charlie. Ever since you two found out you were siblings, she hasn't been able to be around much. A lot has happened. But you shouldn't doubt that you love and care about each other. Yes, Infinity should do more to help out everyone else, but she is very much a sister to you. I've watched her stand up to Dr. Bloor and Manfred many times for your benefit, no matter how terrified she is of them. She's always looking out for you."

Charlie frowned. "You're right, Gabe. I think I'm just upset because of Claerwen. I'm sorry, Fin. I didn't mean to get so angry."

I wanted to accept Charlie's apology, but I was too upset to speak. I was exerting all of my effort into blinking back my tears. I didn't say anything to anyone for the rest of the bus ride. Whenever we hit our stop, I walked into the house and went up to my room without saying a word to anyone. I locked my door and curled into a blanket cocoon on my bed. No one bothered me until after the sun went down. There was a knock on my door.

"Go away." I called out.

"Dear girl, you can't wallow in there forever. I wish to speak with you before I leave." Uncle Paton spoke through the thin door. I battled with myself on whether or not I wanted to open the door. Uncle Paton was occasionally gone for long periods of time and I missed him every time he left. Had it been anyone else, I would have sent them away. I stood up with a groan and lit some of the candles around my bedroom as I made my way to the door. I shut off the lights before opening it. Uncle Paton stood with a candle of his own in one hand and a plate of lamb and potatoes in the other.

"I'm not eating that." I grumbled as he stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind him.

"Maisie insisted that I bring it up anyways. She is extremely worried about you." He took a seat at my desk and sat the plate down. I sat down at the edge of my bed and faced him. "You shouldn't stay in bed with your uniforms on. They're wrinkled."

"Who cares?"

"You do." He raised an eyebrow. He was right. I attempted to smooth out my shirt but it was a fruitless effort. "I went and bought the camper van. That means I'm going to be gone for longer stretches of time. I'm on the trail of something important, and I need you to keep Charlie and especially Billy, safe. Charlie has informed me that he doesn't know where the moth is, so that means I don't want either of those boys in the cellar."

"Do you really think that Charlie will listen to me?" I frowned.

"It's important that he does. You don't understand now, but I promise you'll know soon. Billy is the most important thing to us now."

"I already know, Uncle Paton." I looked down at my lap. "Billy is the proper heir to Septimus Bloor's fortune. They want to trap Billy in Badlock so they can find the will and destroy it for good. That's why they hypnotized dad."

"What?! Who told you?" Uncle Paton's eyes went wide with a mix of surprise and horror.

"Salem did, a long time ago. But he took the memory away. He gave it back to me though, because Manfred was going to tell me."

"Why would Manfred tell you?" He raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Because I'm supposed to make sure that Billy makes it to Badlock. If I make sure that Billy makes it to Badlock and I find the will, they'll leave dad alone." Saying it out loud to Uncle Paton made me feel even worse. "That's why Salem left."

"Infinity..." The disappointment in his voice made my stomach drop. "You need to have more faith in your father. He'll keep himself and your mother safe. Please don't go down this road. I know you want to protect your family but the Bloors need to be controlled. They're pulling dangerous people from the past. My biggest fear was that they would bring Borlath back, but Harken is much, much worse. Harken was the one who made Borlath a monster. We need to deal with this before history repeats itself and innocent people are hurt." He came over to my bed and sat down next to me. "You and Charlie need to stick together. You're both strong, good leaders. If you two can stick together, you'll make it through this. Keep each other safe and stay honest with each other. The Bloors will never tell you the truth. Ezekiel wants your father dead, and he won't stop even after he has the will." He gave me a quick, tight hug. "I know you'll do the right thing. I'm proud of you and the person you have become. Don't let them trap you and change that." With those final words, he left. I sat and pondered my next move.

I woke up to the sound of pounding on my bedroom door early the next morning. "I'm not going to let you lay around all day, Infinity Elizabeth Bone! You need to get out of bed, now." Maisie shouted from the other side of the door. I cringed at the sound of my rarely used middle name. Before I could react, the door flew open and Maisie was inside. The first thing she looked for was the plate of food that Uncle Paton had brought up with him the night before. She seemed relieved when she saw the empty plate on my desk that I had begrudgingly ate the night before. To not eat her cooking was an insult in her eyes, and I didn't want to disappoint my grandmother.

I sat up and stretched out my arms. My back cracked loudly and I felt a little bit better. "Don't worry, I'm up."

"Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"I'm fine." I assured her. "Did you speak to Salem at all before he left?"

"That I did." She nodded gravely. "He was quite upset when he left. He told me goodbye but wouldn't tell me where he was going. He wished you no ill-will. He just said that he had to get out of this town. I think getting out of this town would do you and your brother some good too. Now get dressed and come help me with breakfast before the boys wake up."

I never disobeyed Maisie. I got out of bed, took a shower to clean myself up, put on some clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen where I could already hear her already banging pans around on the stove. Whenever Maisie was up, generally everyone else in the house woke up too, with the exception of a normally exhausted Uncle Paton. Despite her asking me for help, she had already cooked mostly everything.

"Set the table, dearie." She pointed over to the cabinet where we kept our plates. I grabbed a few at set the table just as I always did. I could hear Charlie and Billy moving around upstairs. They would probably be down soon. Maisie walked over and put food on all of the plates just as the boys ran downstairs.

Charlie stared at me cautiously from the doorway. "You're up."

"I am." I sat down in my seat and began to munch on a piece of bacon.

Maisie raised an eyebrow. "Why are you two acting so strange to each other? Get in here and eat, Charlie." Charlie obeyed and sat down at his chair. "Did you two have a fight?" Neither of us answered, so she turned to Billy. "Are you going to answer me, Billy Raven? Did they have a fight?"

"Yes." Billy squeaked out before lowering his head.

"My daughters used to fight all of the time. It's part of having a sibling. I know that you are both used to being only children and this is the first disagreement you two have had, but I think you'll get through it and be okay. Just remember to love each other and keep each other safe." Maisie smiled at us. "I have something for you, Charlie. Salem wanted me to give it to you."

My heart dropped. "He left something for Charlie?"

"He left something for you too. He said Paton would know when to give it to you." She shifted uncomfortably. She pulled an envelope off of the stack of mail on the counter that never seemed to disappear and sat it down in front of Charlie. He opened it and pulled out a letter. He scanned it and a smile appeared on his lips.

"What does it say?" I asked, wanting to snatch it from his hands. Charlie handed it to me without a fight and I read over it as well.

Charlie,

No matter how overbearing and bossy she may be, she loves you and wants what is best for you. I know you're mad at her. I am too. But that doesn't mean that she is a bad person. She just needs your love and help to guide her in the right direction. She won't listen to me, but I do know that she will listen to you. And whenever she gets unbearable, which we both know she will, just remember that at least you didn't lose the sibling lottery and end up with someone like Manfred.

Be safe,

Salem.

"Are you ready to help us, Infinity?" Charlie asked softly. "For real, this time?"

"Yeah… It's time." I handed the letter back to Charlie and smiled at him. It was time for me to fight alongside my father and brother and help them that way rather than sneaking behind their backs as a pathetic attempt to save them. Paton was right. Manfred would never be honest with me and my father would never stop fighting until they were put out of power. Manfred, Dr. Bloor and Grandma Bone were right. I would never be a proper Yewbeam or Bloor, but I could be a proper Bone.