Jacob allowed himself to be led to Ms. Peregrine's office.
Well...led was saying it kindly.
The headmistress had rushed the peculiar boy into the room, locking the door ominously behind her.
"Who were those people?" Jacob blurted.
Half-expecting her to remain silent, she surprised him with an answer.
"Ymbrynes. Those women are my sister ymbrynes."
"Why did Horace see them in his dreams? Why did he see Barron?" Jacob demanded.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Mr. Portman, though I expect that we will encounter all of them in the near-future." She said, settling behind a large desk.
"As for Barron, we can only assume he is plotting something, as Horace predicted his involvement as well."
"And what about Geoffrey? Where does he fit into all of this?"
Ms. Peregrine pursed her lips.
"That is less clear, Mr. Portman. Although since his involvement in recent and future affairs has now been confirmed, it is even more imperative that you maintain a close eye on him."
Jacob threw his hands up.
"Again with the spying! Why don't you just get rid of him?"
Ms. Peregrine's eyes shot over to the study door, as she threw a pale finger in a gesture of silence over her coral lips.
After a moment had passed, she continued.
"Because he means everything to the children. And because he is aware of our current location. If I ban Mr. Combs from the loop, he may, out of spite, reveal our location to the Hollowghasts before we have time to properly evacuate."
"So now what?" Jacob nearly lost his patience. "Keep him, placate him, until we learn his true motives?"
"Why, that's exactly the thing!" Ms. Peregrine brightened.
Jacob sighed. "And the ymbrynes?"
Ms. Peregrine paused. Then she reached into her desk and pulled out a dark, heavy-looking book.
"Mr. Portman, what I will reveal to you must not be mentioned to Mr. Combs at any point. I would also appreciate if you did not converse with the children about this in front of him, or at any time frankly."
She opened the book, after unlocking it with a tiny key hung around her neck.
"Every five years, the ymbrynes tasked with caring for peculiar wards assemble in a secret location to discuss the trials and tasks we must undoubtably face as caretakers. This includes eluding capture from humans and hollowghasts."
She flipped to a page.
"This year, my loop is the meeting place. I assume you now understand the severity of a wight being present on the grounds."
"Can't you just...relocate?"
"No. It cannot be changed and there's no safe way of alerting the news to the ymbrynes without possibly attracting wights or hollowghast attention."
Jacob sighed. "So what do we do?"
"You take care of the task I've assigned to you. I will prepare for the ymbrynes' arrival."
"And Geoffrey...?"
"Will remain under your watch and will not be alerted to any of this. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Jacob mumbled.
"Beg your pardon?"
"Yes, Miss." Jacob repeated, louder.
YOU ARE READING
Mrs. Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children: The Hollow
FanfictionJacob has been going to the Peregrine home to visit the peculiar children for almost a year now and Ms. Peregrine believes he can be trusted with an important secret: There is one extra resident at the home and a very unusual one at that. His name i...
