Read Madly & the Jackal for Free Online

interrupted.
    “That’s not important right now, Aaron.  We need to get them back out, back to dry land.  Safely.”
    “But Daddy, I came to help.  We came to rescue you, to get you and Mom and Truly out of here.  With all of us together, with the power of our bracelets and nothing to stop us, we can fix this.  We can save Atlas.”
    He was already shaking his head.
    “We have to get you girls out of here. You know I can’t leave my people.”
    “You can when it’s the only way to save them.”
    “But it’s not.  I have a plan.  The most helpful thing you can do is get you and your sister out of here.  I can take care of the rest.”
    “But Daddy—”
    “Madly, this is the way it’s going to be.  There’s no point in arguing about it, especially when we need to find a way to get you and Truly out of here.”  He turned to Jackson.  “Can I count on you?”
    I nearly laughed.  That was the most ridiculous question I’d ever heard. If there was anyone alive, anyone on the planet that my father could trust with something important, it was Jackson.
    Jackson nodded in his curt way.
    “Madly’s my top priority, sir.”
    I felt the glow of pleasure and pride and love warm my cheeks.  When I looked guiltily away, hoping my father wouldn’t pick up on it, my eyes collided with the discerning gaze of Aaron Saint.  He smiled in a benign way and I quickly dropped my eyes to my feet.
    “Hennessey, I think I might have an idea of how we can get to Truly.”
    All eyes turned toward Aaron.
    “But we’re not even certain we know where they’re keeping her,” my father said doubtfully.
    “I know, but I think you and I can both agree that it’s likely somewhere near the prison.”
    “Well, yes.  We’ve discussed as much before, but—”
    “And really there are only a couple of suitable places in that area.  If there was ever a time to take a chance and see if we can find her there, I think you’d also agree the time is now.”
    “But how can we get in there?”  I asked.
    “Well, now that all the bracelets are back in Atlas, you should be able to work some pretty powerful magic with your father.  If you and Jackson were invisible, I think I could get the guards to let me through the gates.  I’m sure they wouldn’t let me go past the outer ring, but that wouldn’t matter.  All we need is for them to open the gates long enough that you and Jackson could sneak in.”
    “I won’t allow it!  It’s too dangerous,” my father said.
    “But Hennessey, it’ll be much more effective for you to use your magic from here.  That way if they run into trouble, you can always go to the prison to intervene.”
    “I don’t like it,” Daddy said.
    “And what’s your plan for getting us out?  We’d have to make it through the gates again,” I asked casually, as if the decision had already been made.
    “I could accidentally leave something behind.  Tell the guards to just bring it to me.  They’d still have to open the gates to return it, giving you two the opportunity to sneak Truly out.  Of course, you’d have to have enough magic to make her invisible, too.”
    I looked from my father to Jackson and back again, wondering if they had any objections to the plan.  No one was saying much and, considering that I thought the idea was riddled with holes, I found that odd.
    “So we’re just supposed to sneak in there and, what, look in every door and corner for Truly?  I mean, we have no idea where she might be,” I pointed out.
    “Like Aaron said,” my father injected, “there are a couple areas that would make much more likely places to keep her.”
    Daddy launched into a detailed explanation of the locations and routes to reach them, directing most of his information toward Jackson.  Although I knew he thought a lot of me, it was obvious he believed Jackson to be the most important component of the plan.  And he was right.  Jackson was unparalleled.  Not only was he highly