“How can you know that?” Anna asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Grandma An nodded at Grandpa Leumas and he held up his hand so they could see what they had found. “This was lying on the floor, right outside the room. I’m sure it was dropped by accident, when whoever did this forcing them to leave,” he explained.
In his hand laid a portal key. Anna’s eyes shot to Tim’s. Tim could tell what she was thinking without even reading her thoughts and apparently Goldie could, too. “Anna, I do not believe those children had anything to do with this.”
“But-” Anna started, and Goldie cut her off.
“No Anna. They are sweet children just trying to survive. They would not help distract you while someone else did this, either.”
Anna nodded, slightly, believing Goldie, who had spent the most time with them. Tim agreed, based on his limited time with them. Again, sensing his grandparents’ confusion, he explained about the children they had met in Snillotia. The grandmothers, of course, were appalled and wanted to help them. “You need to bring them here, Tim. We will take care of them!” Grandma Eilime exclaimed, while the others nodded in agreement.
Before Tim could tell them that that had been his plan all along, a voice stopped him. “Aaron.”
They all spun to look towards the doorway. Adam and Myra were standing in the doorway. Tim had no idea how long they had been there, or what they’d heard, but Adam was staring at the portal key, now lying on the table. “That is Aaron’s coin. My father made one for each of us, when he thought we’d be going back and forth, before they took us prisoner.”
Anna’s face paled even further. “That’s not possible, not after what I did…” her voice trailed off.
Tim walked over and knelt in front of her. He took both of her hands in his.
Anna, look at me.
Her gaze slowly lifted from the floor and she looked into his eyes. You need to stay strong, Anna. We are going to find your parents. You can’t disappear on me again. I can’t do this without you.
I know, Tim. I just don’t understand how Aaron’s portal key is here. He’s gone. I know he’s gone. So, it doesn’t help us know who has my parents.
We know it’s someone from Snillotia. So, that means we go. We will talk to Ronnoc. He will know which Rebels were at the castle that day. One of them must have picked up Aaron’s key.
But Tim, Ronnoc has no reason to help us.
He will. I will make him.
Anna saw the resolve in Tim’s eyes. It was also at that moment that she realized they’d been talking in their minds and that everyone in the room was staring at them. She felt her cheeks redden. Tim also glanced around the room and shifted, so he was sitting next to Anna. He let go of her right hand, but her left hand stayed firmly grasped in his. “We’re going back to Snillotia to question Ronnoc. He’ll know who had the portal key.”
“I’m going with you,” announced Peter, staring at Anna and Tim’s joined hands.
Tim started to disagree but stopped when Anna squeezed his hand. Let him. Ronnoc will probably be more willing to help his son, than us. He can also show us where Ronnoc lives. We arrived by way of Goldie last time, remember?
Tim nodded. “Okay. Let’s get going then. We have no time to waste.”
Before they left the room, Grandpa Cire added, pointing at the other grandfathers, “We will check the other portal location we know of while you’re gone. If that key was dropped here, unless whoever did this had more than one, they are stuck in this world.”
Tim nodded, again, and picked the key up off the table and slipped it into his pants pocket. Everyone wished them luck and Anna, Tim, and Peter walked down the hall towards the secret room. Right before they were to enter, a voice stopped them “Wait!”
They all turned to see Grandma Eilime hurrying towards them. “If it’s safe, dears, please bring those children back with you when you return!”
They agreed and left her and went into the secret room. After forming a chain by holding hands, Tim led the way through the portal, concentrating, on arriving at the same time they had just left a few hours before. When they arrived, Anna was the first to speak. “How will we know we’re in the right time, Tim?”
“We’re going to go find the children. If they know us, it’s good enough. That way we’ll know we’re here after we were before.”
Anna nodded in agreement. They all walked towards the part of the castle still intact where the children were living. They didn’t get very far before Tim heard and excited voice in his head. You’re back!
He looked around and spotted Yma a short way down the hallway. How long were we gone?
A day.
He looked at Anna and pointed towards Yma. “Could you hear her too?” he asked her.
Anna shook her head. “No, I don’t think she’s mastered talking to more than one person at a time yet.”
Tim nodded and said, “She said we were here yesterday.”
By this time, they had met up with Yma and she greeted them with huge hugs. She looked shyly at Peter. “I know you.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Her father was a Rebel,” Tim quietly told him, and Peter understood. Many Rebels had brought their children with them to meetings when they had no other choice. “Hello, again, then,” he said to Yma.
Yma flashed him a quick smile and yelled, “Come on!”
She ran back towards her home with Anna, Tim, and Peter following quickly behind. She burst through the door and yelled, “They’re back!”
Tim couldn’t help but laugh at her excitement. Derf looked up from where he was sitting and Tim could see the question in his eyes.
