Evan Burl and the Falling, Vol. 1-2

by Justin Blaney

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Evan

  Tuesday

  6:23 am

  3 days, 16 hours, 26 minutes until the falling

  I caught up to Henri five minutes past sunrise. Five minutes late.

  We navigated the twisting, endless halls of Daemanhur on our way to the Caldroen. I limped along, a half-step behind her. The image of Little Saye hanging by her neck, her body tapping against the window, ran through my mind. And Anabelle's rash.

  "Do you think Little Saye was sick?" I said.

  "We're Roslings. We don't get sick."

  "You're not supposed to die either."

  "Little Saye... she did that."

  "You really believe she killed herself?"

  "What else could it be?"

  "I've heard of sicknesses. Affliktions."

  Henri went silent—her new favorite way of dealing with any question she didn't want to answer. Maybe it was just how she was dealing with Little Saye's death. I began to wonder what was possible with sapience. Could I break something? Put it back together? Heal sickness?

  Anything you can imagine, the monster said.

  But I had to resist sapience. I had to slow the countdown.

  I suddenly stopped walking. "Do you hear that?"

  Henri turned. "What?"

  "Running, and"—I tilted my head—"breathing." I pointed down a murky hall. "That way." The footsteps grew. Henri stepped closer to me, gripped my hand.

  "Hello?" My voice came back to me. At least, I think it did. I was about to ask Henri if she heard the echo, but the footsteps stopped.

  "Evan?" Pearl appeared, silhouetted against the darkness. She ran to us, leaning over to catch her breath. "Anabelle... She's missing."

  "It's past sunrise," Henri said. "Everyone's in the Caldroen."

  "Anabelle woke up screaming last night. Then she was gone. I've been searching the castle for hours "

  Henri looked at me. "Maybe she fell asleep somewhere. Lost track of time."

  "Come with us," I said. "We'll check the Caldroen."

  "I have to go." Pearl ran down the dusky hall.

  We rounded a corner to a passage that ran alongside the Caldroen's curved interior wall. Four narrow, bronze-plated doors lined the right side of the hall, leading to furnaces that were used for cold-starting the Caldroen. The last door was ajar. Firelight flickered inside. I approached it slowly. The lock was busted. An iron pry bar lay on the floor.

  I kicked the door open. "Is someone there?"

  Heat blasted out. My skin grew sticky with sweat. I peered in. On the far side of the small room, the furnace door swung open. A body slumped against the threshold, lit in blue and red by the burning inferno.

  "What is it?" Henri said.

  I shook my head.

  "Anabelle?" she said.

  "I think she's dead."

  "That's not possible."

  Henri pushed past me. I held her back.

  "We have to get her," she cried.

  "I'll do it." I ducked in. The heat almost knocked me out. This is how crabs feel when they're dumped in boiling water. I grabbed Anabelle's arm. Henri appeared, helping me drag Anabelle from the room. I saw words carved into the brickwork by the furnace door.

  Take it back

  We pulled Anabelle's body into the passage. Henri slammed the iron door shut.

  I leaned against the wall, my chest heaving. Henri, wrapping her arms around me, cried into my shoulder. Hot tears burned in the corners of my eyes, but they dried before rolling down my cheek. Those carved letters wouldn't leave me in peace.

  Take it back.

  Where had I heard those words before?

  Take it back.

  "Did you see them?" I said, "The words?"

  "What words?"

  "On the ground. It said, 'take it back.'"

  I spotted the star bracelet on Anabelle's wrist. Pulling away from Henri, I reached for it, and when the sooty metal touched my skin I was transported into a vision.

  I made out a blurry shape standing next to my bed. It was Evan. He leaned over me. I kissed his cheek. Next to me, Pearl played with a wooden doll. Evan tucked us both in. I turned the little star bracelet over in my hand.

  The vision faded—a memory from Anabelle's eyes, the moment I gave her the bracelet. The star had recorded her memory.

  Henri reached for the rubric. "What is that?"

  I shoved the bracelet into my pocket. "Nothing."

  Her gaze lingered on me. I squirmed.

  Mazol wants the rubrics. That's why she's curious.

  Dravus said to keep the rubrics secret.

  She's going to tell Mazol.

  Despite the Caldroen's heat, I felt chilled. And suddenly, Henri's eyes didn't seem so red anymore. Had she really been crying, or pretending? But if I couldn't trust Henri, who could I?

  The book said there was a man who would try to help me. Cevo.

  Could Cevo keep me from turning into a monster?

  I closed my eyes.

  What's it like to be Cevo?

  What's it like to be a master instead of a slave?

  What's it like to have the power to save the ones you love?