Barclay didn’t know what to make of the story. Before Cecily, Cyril had only taught the children of important people, because—so Barclay guessed—it made him look really important. Maybe after Viola had told him she’d rather be Runa’s student, he’d tried a little bit to change.

“He still lied,” Barclay said firmly. “There was a lot more to the story about Audrian than he made it seem.”

“I know,” Cecily said sadly. “But he’s not all bad. I just thought you might like to know that.”

“Look!” Yasha said, standing and pointing out to the ocean, where the Guardians emerged.

Runa ripped her Polypop mask off and stomped onto the sand. Without a word, she threw it aside and stormed back to Munsey. Even Edwyn, who was always in a good mood, shook his head in frustration.

“What happened?” Barclay asked. “Did you find the Isle of Roane?”

“Next time,” Cyril fumed, thrusting the Ciansnail shell back into Barclay’s hands, “you would do better not to believe in stories. Whatever underwater river you claim led you to the Isle of Roane doesn’t exist. The island doesn’t exist.”

TWENTY

I still don’t get it,” Barclay groaned. “How could one of the rivers just be gone?”

He and the other apprentices toiled in the Guild House, books from the library open and scattered across their tabletop. In his frustration, Cyril had assigned each of them an essay on the life stages of a Lepinfish—of which there were forty-two. Barclay had written a page already, but it was hard to focus. His thoughts kept veering back to the Isle of Roane.

“You probably just got mixed up,” Hasu told him gently.

“But the whirlpools haven’t disappeared,” said Barclay. “They could’ve sailed for them. Or sent a flying Beast.”

“Then they’d just get their ships shredded on Shipwreck Stretch,” Shazi said. “And Orla won’t risk any Beasts right now to the weeping tide.”

Barclay saw her point—all their options were dangerous. And he, Viola, and Tadg hadn’t brought back any proof that they’d found an island at all. But Barclay knew they were right. They’d seen those stones with the swirl carvings. And the whirlpools were the only explanation for why the Isle of Roane was so hard to find.

He flipped through his library book about Maedigan. He kept reading and rereading the same few lines about her traveling beneath the Sea. When Barclay had shown the book to the Guardians, they’d seemed impressed—Edwyn even said he’d stayed up all night reading it cover to cover, even despite failing to find the island. But now it might as well have been worthless.

“The myth of the Isle of Roane had to come from somewhere,” Barclay said.

“Maybe someone dreamed it,” Shazi said. “Or someone just made it up.”

“No, that doesn’t make sense.”