except that the person who holds it at the right moment on the right night in the right sea might find their way to Hether Blether.”
“Then give us the key and we’ll go on our own!” I exclaimed, the words bursting from my mouth.
Callum shrugged. “I don’t have it.”
I leaped from my seat, lunging at Callum, my hands outstretched. I didn’t know what I might have done if I’d reached him, maybe shook him hard until he agreed to take us to the finfolk or else pummeled him with my fists until I felt better. But Josh saved him from whatever fate might have awaited him by grabbing my waist and pulling me backward. We tumbled onto the couch, a tangle of arms and legs, and Josh held me tight against him.
“Sailor,” he growled in my ear. “Calm down.”
“He can help us!” I said, struggling to get away. “He knows where it is, but he’s too stubborn to help. He’s like all the stories say about finfolk, as mean as the old legends.”
“If he doesn’t want to help, he doesn’t have to,” Josh said.
I stopped struggling, slumping against Josh. He didn’t let go, apparently not trusting that all the fight had gone out of me. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said. “You’re probably too much of a bastard to be susceptible to pain.”
Callum laughed, which caused Josh to laugh too. Josh finally let me go and pushed me off of him. He stood and then extended a hand to Callum.
“Thank you for your time,” he said. “If you happen to think of anything that might be helpful to us, please let us know.”
Josh gestured for me to follow as he walked toward the door. I shot a dark scowl at Callum, feeling anger surge through me again when he smiled back. It took every ounce of willpower inside me not to throw one of his dusty old lamps at his head on my way out.
Once we were outside, Josh paused and let out a long sigh. I stopped next to him and surveyed the village laid out along the narrow road before us.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
Josh shook his head. “I wish I knew.”
Chapter Nine
Fiona was in the front room folding towels when we returned to the hostel. She greeted us with, “I trust you found Callum?”
“We did, thank you,” Josh said.
“Not that it helped,” I muttered.
“Well, if you’re in the mood for exploring more of the island today, there is a heritage museum nearby,” she said. “Worth looking into if you want to know more about Westray.”
“Thanks,” Josh said. “We’ll take a look later.”
He stomped down the hall to our room, his shoulders slumped under his thick hoodie. I followed him into the room and sat down in the chair in the corner, watching as he reached for his bag and pulled out a notepad he must have bought at the general store yesterday.
He sat down on the bed, propped the notepad on one knee and began writing.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Writing a letter.” He didn’t look up.
I made a face. “There’s this thing called email and text messages now.”
“Still can’t get a signal on my phone,” Josh said.
I stared out the window for a moment. The people of Pierowall never seemed to be in a hurry. They always moved lazily down the street, as if they had no reason to rush things. No one seemed to feel the need to escape.
The sound of Josh’s pen scratching across the paper irritated me.
“Who are you writing to?” I asked.
Josh scowled before bending back over his letter. “None of your business.”
I knew that could only mean he was writing to Mara. Probably some sappy, lovesick letter about how much he missed her and how he dreamed about her every night.
“You shouldn’t waste your time on her,” I said.
Josh ignored me and continued writing.
“She’s probably not even missing you,” I went on. “You’re four thousand miles away, on the other side of the ocean, and she’s in Swans Landing. With Dylan.”
I hated to think about the idea of Dylan and Mara taking comfort in each
“Then give us the key and we’ll go on our own!” I exclaimed, the words bursting from my mouth.
Callum shrugged. “I don’t have it.”
I leaped from my seat, lunging at Callum, my hands outstretched. I didn’t know what I might have done if I’d reached him, maybe shook him hard until he agreed to take us to the finfolk or else pummeled him with my fists until I felt better. But Josh saved him from whatever fate might have awaited him by grabbing my waist and pulling me backward. We tumbled onto the couch, a tangle of arms and legs, and Josh held me tight against him.
“Sailor,” he growled in my ear. “Calm down.”
“He can help us!” I said, struggling to get away. “He knows where it is, but he’s too stubborn to help. He’s like all the stories say about finfolk, as mean as the old legends.”
“If he doesn’t want to help, he doesn’t have to,” Josh said.
I stopped struggling, slumping against Josh. He didn’t let go, apparently not trusting that all the fight had gone out of me. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said. “You’re probably too much of a bastard to be susceptible to pain.”
Callum laughed, which caused Josh to laugh too. Josh finally let me go and pushed me off of him. He stood and then extended a hand to Callum.
“Thank you for your time,” he said. “If you happen to think of anything that might be helpful to us, please let us know.”
Josh gestured for me to follow as he walked toward the door. I shot a dark scowl at Callum, feeling anger surge through me again when he smiled back. It took every ounce of willpower inside me not to throw one of his dusty old lamps at his head on my way out.
Once we were outside, Josh paused and let out a long sigh. I stopped next to him and surveyed the village laid out along the narrow road before us.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
Josh shook his head. “I wish I knew.”
Chapter Nine
Fiona was in the front room folding towels when we returned to the hostel. She greeted us with, “I trust you found Callum?”
“We did, thank you,” Josh said.
“Not that it helped,” I muttered.
“Well, if you’re in the mood for exploring more of the island today, there is a heritage museum nearby,” she said. “Worth looking into if you want to know more about Westray.”
“Thanks,” Josh said. “We’ll take a look later.”
He stomped down the hall to our room, his shoulders slumped under his thick hoodie. I followed him into the room and sat down in the chair in the corner, watching as he reached for his bag and pulled out a notepad he must have bought at the general store yesterday.
He sat down on the bed, propped the notepad on one knee and began writing.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Writing a letter.” He didn’t look up.
I made a face. “There’s this thing called email and text messages now.”
“Still can’t get a signal on my phone,” Josh said.
I stared out the window for a moment. The people of Pierowall never seemed to be in a hurry. They always moved lazily down the street, as if they had no reason to rush things. No one seemed to feel the need to escape.
The sound of Josh’s pen scratching across the paper irritated me.
“Who are you writing to?” I asked.
Josh scowled before bending back over his letter. “None of your business.”
I knew that could only mean he was writing to Mara. Probably some sappy, lovesick letter about how much he missed her and how he dreamed about her every night.
“You shouldn’t waste your time on her,” I said.
Josh ignored me and continued writing.
“She’s probably not even missing you,” I went on. “You’re four thousand miles away, on the other side of the ocean, and she’s in Swans Landing. With Dylan.”
I hated to think about the idea of Dylan and Mara taking comfort in each
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