Fathomless by Anne M. Pillsworth Page A

have enough reading to get you to two o’clock?”
    Daniel said, “Yes, Professor,” for both of them.
    In his wake, Marvell left an oppressive silence. The library clock read eleven thirty, not too early for lunch, but Sean already had a gutful of humble pie to digest.
    Daniel closed his laptop and dutifully got out a book Geldman had given him. Its catchy title was On the Mysteries of the True Atlantis off Novo-Anglia, and of its Origins and Denizens, and its author was everyone’s favorite, “A Gentleman of Boston in the Massachusetts Commonwealth.” On the cover was a woodcut of two Puritan guys in a boat surrounded by mermaids and mermen, though the merpeople seemed to have frog legs, not fish tails. Frog faces, too, and Sean had probably looked as goggle eyed as them when Marvell had let him have it.
    Instead of opening the book, Daniel tugged at his neck brace as if it chafed him. It probably did, hot as the last week had been. Glad for any distraction, Sean said, “Dude, you really have to wear that thing all the time?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYour brace. I mean, your neck doesn’t seem to bother you much.”
    Daniel dropped his hand from the foam collar. “My neck feels okay. But my doctor said to wear this for two more months.”
    â€œSucks. That’s the rest of the summer.”
    â€œI can deal.” Daniel nudged his book aside. “Look, Sean. I believed you.”
    Sean blinked. “Believed me what?”
    â€œThat you didn’t ask Marvell about the summoning to brag.”
    It was a relief for the elephant in the room to stomp center stage. “I just wanted a straight answer.”
    â€œI figured. You did kind of interrupt his lecture, though.”
    â€œSo I pissed him off.”
    â€œYeah, but it was still harsh, saying you didn’t do anything magical on your own.”
    â€œWhat if he was right?”
    â€œIn that case, would Redemption Orne still be after you? Anyway, I never heard Marvell talk like that.”
    â€œThat’s because he thinks you’re great.”
    Daniel drew in a sharp breath.
    Damn. “And you are! You and Eddy. Plus he doesn’t have to worry you’ll do something stupid.”
    â€œHe’s right about Eddy.” Daniel smiled weakly. “Me, who knows? But why should Marvell think you’ll mess up?”
    It had been more than a week since Sean discovered the deep-down reason for Marvell’s uneasiness, and he hadn’t even told Eddy yet. She had to be the first to know about his connection to Orne, because ever since their pirate–spy blood pact in the third grade, Eddy had been his secret-keeper, and a blood pact had no expiration date. But maybe he could make Daniel understand about Marvell without going into his crazy ancestry. “It’s because of Orne,” he said.
    â€œWhat about him?”
    â€œMarvell’s worried about why Orne wants me for his apprentice. Like, does Orne sense I have dark-side potential? Like, I might sign up with Nyarlathotep after all?”
    Daniel shook his head. “Marvell said all that?”
    â€œWell, not exactly, but he did say I have to go slow with magic. And Geldman said yesterday, the way Marvell feels about Orne is probably the reason I’m not getting a mentor until next year.”
    â€œYou’re not?”
    Oh right, that was another thing he’d kept to himself. “Nope. I’m not even allowed to do any practical magic until then.”
    â€œDid you tell Eddy?”
    â€œNot yet.”
    Daniel worked fingers under his brace and scratched like his neck was the enemy. The way he grimaced, it had to hurt.
    â€œHey—”
    At Sean’s matching wince, Daniel abandoned the self-assault. “Eddy figured you were mad about something Geldman had told you. That’s why she went to her room early last night, in case you wanted to talk. I think she was bummed when you