Comet Rising

by MarcyKate Connolly

  There is no clear indication of where they are keeping the boy.

  “We’ll have to check each tent,” Cary says, and my heart sinks.

  “That’s too dangerous,” I say.

  “What if we get caught?” Lucas says.

  “We won’t,” Cary says. “Emmeline will keep us safe in her shadows.”

  I hesitate. I do not at all like the idea of peeking into every tent. Sneaking between them to rescue someone tied to a tree like I’ve done before is one thing—and tricky enough at that—but this is much riskier. What if someone sees a tent flap opening? What if I missed Simone before and she’s here, ready to call me out with a single glance?

  I clutch my shaking hands together. But if we don’t do it, how else will we rescue that boy?

  “All right,” I say. “But I’ll need to go alone. The three of us together is too much potential for noise. And that way if I get caught, you will still have a chance for escape.”

  “I don’t like this,” Lucas says, frowning.

  “It’s for the best,” Cary says. “You go on and check the tents while we stay here.”

  I command the shadows surrounding us to keep Cary and Lucas safely concealed, then take more of the darkness to cover myself as I step away. With a glance back at Lucas, who gives me a small, sad wave, I set out into the camp.

  Nerves tingle up and down my spine, and even though I’m safe in my shadows I can’t shake the feeling I might get caught at any moment. Simone’s ability has shaken my confidence in a way I never thought could happen. But I continue putting one foot in front of the other until I reach the first tent, and then kneel down to peek under the flap. Inside, I spy a few sleeping bodies, but no one who looks like a prisoner. I let the flap drop and move on to the next tent.

  I creep around the edges of the camp, checking each tent as I pass, slowly making my way toward the center. At the third, a guard rolls over in his blanket just as I lift the flap to peek inside. I freeze, but he settles down and falls back to sleep. With my heart in my throat, I proceed even more cautiously than before.

  As I near the middle of the camp, the feeling of being exposed worsens, crawling over my skin like an army of ants. I stop and hide behind a tree for a few moments to calm myself and keep my breathing even. While the guards cannot see me, they certainly could hear me if I’m not careful. When my pulse returns to normal, I tiptoe toward the next tent. This one is larger than the others, which makes me both hopeful and fearful.

  Keeping my shadows close, I crouch low as I creep toward the back of the tent. I kneel and lift the flap. There in the center, tied to the tentpole, is the boy. A guard is also in the tent, and he yawns. If he nods off, that will be my opportunity. Or I could create a distraction. But I fear bringing attention to myself will put Cary and Lucas at risk. I don’t want to do that if I can avoid it.

  I decide to wait. If morning approaches too swiftly without an opportunity, then I may chance it, but I can’t bring myself to do that yet. I peek back into the tent, preparing to hunker down in the shadows for as long as necessary. The boy dozes, but dirt is smudged over his nose and chin, and tears streak his cheeks. I wonder what his life was like before Lady Aisling’s men rudely interrupted it. And I wonder if his life, unlike mine, will ever go back to the way it was before.

  What could his talent be? Is he truly unaware of it or was that just a ruse?

  Though my legs begin to fall asleep, my patience is rewarded after an hour: a shift change.

  I hear the second guard before I see him, his steps stirring up dirt and rocks as he stumbles by.

  “Hallo!” he says rather loudly into the main tent flap, and I’m glad I chose to use the back flap instead. He would have been right on top of me otherwise. His fellow guard laughs and steps outside.

  “Rufus, you’ve come to take my place? The kid is nothing to worry about.”

  Rufus laughs. “Have a drink with me first, then. It’s going to be a long night.”

  The first guard snorts his agreement, and they begin to chat about the last time they were home in Zinnia. This is my chance. Every muscle is taut, and anxiety skitters over my shoulders as I creep into the tent. The boy is stirring from the men’s voices, and when I’m right next to him, I risk letting my shadows down. I put a finger to my lips as his eyes widen.

  “I’m here to help,” I whisper. Quickly, I undo his bonds, and then help him to his feet. I cloak us both in shadows and lead him from the tent. We pause outside just to be sure the guards are still talking.

  “Stay close and quiet, and they won’t see us,” I whisper in the boy’s ear. He seems skeptical but doesn’t object. Adrenaline throbs through my veins as we tiptoe through the camp, spiking when a cry goes up from the drunken guard once he realizes his charge is missing. The boy frantically glances behind, his breath sharp and heavy.

  “It’s all right,” I whisper, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “They can’t—”

  Guards begin to pour from their tents, and something in the air around me changes.

  My shadows vanish.

  Shocked, I stand there for a moment, staring dumbly around us.

  “There he is!”

  Panic spurs my feet to move, and I try to gather more shadows as we run from the camp. They slip through my hands like water. I don’t understand what is happening. Never before have shadows disobeyed my call.

  But I can’t worry about that now. We just have to run.

  We duck and weave, losing the guards momentarily as we enter the woods. I try not to lead them to where Lucas and Cary hide, but they must be close by and watching. As we pass by not far from where I left them, a brilliant flash of light goes up. The guards chasing us cry out and reel back from the blinding light.

  Thank the comet for Lucas. At least his magic is still working.

  More guards leave their tents every second, and I double back for Lucas and Cary, dragging the boy with me. Now that they’ve exposed their location, I can’t leave them behind. Before we reach them, the light transforms into something extraordinary. Lucas’s light singing takes the moon and starlight, twisting it into a high wall that flares out and encircles the camp. I’m willing to bet he has gone and made it tangible too, tacky and thick and not easy to pass through.

  When I see Lucas, I can’t help grinning. “That was brilliant,” I say, and he grins back.

  “We need to leave before they get through that,” Cary says.

  Without bothering with introductions, we flee, the trees flying past as we run. But that feeling of eyes crawls over my skin just like it did in the camp. A branch snaps nearby, and I whirl, bumping into Lucas in the process. No one stands behind us, and I start to breathe again.

  “Emmeline!” Cary hisses. My breath stutters in my chest. A boy our age stands in our path. He is taller than Lucas and looks like he hasn’t eaten for days. His clothes are ragged and his dark, curly hair a mess. Something about the way he moves reminds me of Simone. There is a hollowness to his sunken cheeks, but his eyes are aflame with a strange light.

  One I recognize—Simone had the same light when Lady Aisling took over her body.

  I back away. “Run,” I whisper. “In any direction. He must be one of Lady Aisling’s shells.”

  But before we can scatter, a cry pierces the night and a burst of white slices through the air, descending on the boy. He doesn’t even cry out when talons drag across his face, leaving marks deep enough to make me wince. It’s an owl, and it’s decided to release its fury.

  We don’t stick around to ask questions. While the boy—and Lady Aisling—are distracted, we head out into the night careful to cover our tracks as best we can.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Once we are a good distance away, we stop to catch our breath. No sounds of pursuit reach us, and for the moment, I relax. Though I still keep an ear trained for anything out of the
ordinary.

  I can’t say for certain, but I suspect that well-timed owl might have been Dar. It’s the only explanation that makes sense. Though what she’s doing here I can’t hazard to guess. Hopefully it doesn’t mean Lady Aisling herself is close by.

  The rescued boy wearily sinks onto a nearby log. His eyes water with what I suspect are unshed tears. There is a rip in the knee of his trousers, though I don’t recall him falling on our way here. Perhaps that occurred during his capture by the guards. I’ve been going over our flight in my head ever since we escaped, and I have a suspicion I know what this boy’s talent is. My shadows faded when the guards scared him—I’m willing to bet he’s the talent taker Lady Aisling has been hunting. But before I say anything, I want to be sure he’s not enchanted like so many of the people we’ve encountered.

  “Thank you,” the boy says. “But who are you? How did you know I’d been taken?”

  I sit next to him. “I’m Emmeline. And this is Lucas and Cary,” I say, gesturing to each of my friends.

  “I’m Noah.”

  “We’ve been trying to avoid those hunters ourselves,” I say.

  “And we were looking for you and your parents,” Lucas adds. “We got to your house just as Lady Aisling’s men arrived.”

  Noah frowns, genuinely confused and without a trace of the far-off look the bespelled people have had in their eyes. “But what do you want with us? And who is Lady Aisling?”

  My heart sinks. Could we be mistaken, or has his memory been altered too? Could this boy not be talented after all and just happens to have reclusive parents who moved in after the previous occupants left? Since he’s the first we’ve reached in time, that would be heartily disappointing.

  “You really don’t know?” Cary says. Exasperation creeps into her voice. She was hoping this might be the lead we needed too.

  Noah shakes his head, eyes wide.

  “Lady Aisling is a noblewoman from Zinnia. She…” I pause, uncertain how to phrase this without scaring him. But really, he should be scared. “She collects talented children and steals their magic.”

  Noah’s frown deepens. “Then what does she want with me?”

  “Don’t you have a talent?” Lucas says.

  The boy shakes his head. “Nah, I’m pretty boring.” His eyes light up. “Why? Do you guys have talents?”

  If the Lady made Noah forget about his powers, it may not be safe to share ours, but Lucas responds before I can warn him.

  “We do,” Lucas says. “I’m a light singer and Emmeline is a shadow weaver.”

  “Amazing! So that’s how you blinded those guards and cloaked us for a bit.” He laughs nervously, then looks at Cary. “What about you? What’s your talent?”

  Cary scowls and folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t have one. I wasn’t born in the right year for the comet.” Her expression softens with a hint of sadness. “But my brother has a talent. He’s a wind whistler.”

  “Where’s he?”

  My stomach flips, but Cary responds with a set jaw. “Lady Aisling took him. We’re going to save him.”

  Noah doesn’t say anything to that, he just nods.

  What are we going to do with this boy? Either I’m wrong and he’s talentless, or he’s dangerous. I’m glad we rescued him, but I fear he will become a liability. And one more person to look out for. Cary can take care of herself, but we don’t know anything about Noah.

  “So, if you’re not talented,” Lucas says, still puzzled, “why were you and your parents hiding out in the middle of the woods?”

  Noah shrugs. “My parents have always been weird. And overprotective. I don’t think they trust anyone.”

  “Have you ever heard of something called the network?” Lucas presses.

  Noah tilts his head. “No. Why?”

  “Just curious.” Lucas pauses. “How are your parents weird?”

  Noah laughs. “They don’t let me go anywhere. Do you know this is the farthest I’ve ever been from home? If I weren’t worried about my parents, I’d almost be enjoying this.” He casts his eyes down and picks at a stray leaf. “But mostly I just want to go home. I hope they’re all right.” He glances hopefully up. “Did you see what happened to them?”

  A knot tightens in the pit of my stomach. I wish we had helped them right away like Lucas and I wanted to. Because now, we have no answer for Noah.

  “No, we took off after you right away,” I say.

  “Oh.” Noah goes back to picking at the leaf.

  “But we can bring you back home if you want—” I begin to say.

  “We most certainly cannot,” Cary interrupts. “It’s too dangerous. That’s the first place they’ll hunt for you. You’re better off with us for the time being.”

  “I don’t understand. Why do they believe I’m special like you? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Your parents. How were they weird and overprotective? Exactly what did they do?” I ask. I’m beginning to think Noah’s parents knew and never told him he’s talented. It would explain a lot.

  “Well, they never let me leave the house alone. I could never go into town, never really saw many people my age. We had a visitor or two once or twice over the years, but they always ushered them out of the house as soon as possible.” Noah shrugs. “I always assumed they didn’t really like people much.”

  “Did they ever make you hide if strangers came to the door?” I ask, and Lucas gives me a sharp glance.

  “Yeah,” Noah says, eyes lighting up. “They did once. Maybe a year ago? It was real strange. Someone knocked on our door, and my mother dragged me into the kitchen and made me hide behind this trapdoor inside the cupboard. They made me stay in there for at least a half an hour after the stranger left too.”

  My pulse begins to rush. I’m right. I know I am. I smile. “Noah, you are talented.”

  “But that’s impossible. I’ve never used magic.”

  I grin more broadly. “Actually, you have.” I turn to Lucas and Cary. “When I was leading Noah out of the camp something bizarre happened. All of my shadows disappeared. That’s how the guards saw us.” I gesture to Noah. “But they only disappeared when I was holding on to you.”

  Lucas’s eyes go wide. He regards Noah with awe and a hint of fear. “You’re the talent taker they’ve been hunting.”

  “The what?” both Cary and Noah say at the same time.

  “A talent taker,” Lucas explains. “Someone who can cancel magic. That’s your talent.”

  “We overheard some of Lady Aisling’s guards talking about how desperately she wants to find one. Somehow she found out about you, and I’m willing to bet your parents knew about it too.”

  “That would explain why they kept you hidden,” Cary says.

  “How could I go so long without knowing? And, if I did stop your shadows, I haven’t the slightest idea how.” Noah shrugs helplessly. “It wasn’t on purpose.”

  “Well, you haven’t been around talented people much, have you?” Lucas says.

  “I guess not,” Noah agrees. “How do I control it? I didn’t mean to ruin your magic, Emmeline, and I definitely don’t want to do it again.” He shudders. “If I can really do this at all.”

  I glance around. We’ve been in the same place for too long. The sun has not yet come up, but it will soon, and I’m sure those guards have found a way through Lucas’s light wall by now.

  “We should keep moving,” I say, getting to my feet. “But we can test out your talent while we walk. I have a feeling we can help you figure out how to use it. And, more importantly, how not to use it.”

  Once we’ve explained our mission to Noah, we decide to give one more house in the stack of deeds a try. We check our orientation on the map to ensure we’re on course. Then we put as much distance between ourselves and our pursuers as possible, while Lucas and I help Noah
learn about his magic. At first, he’s still doubtful he has any talent at all.

  “You did it by accident before. Let’s see if you can do it on purpose. This time without touching me. Try thinking really hard about removing my shadows,” I say, pulling some of them around me. Noah gasps as my legs disappear in smoke as the shadows curl around them.

  Lucas laughs. “Don’t worry, I’m still not used to that yet either,” he says. “And I’ve known Emmeline for months.”

  Noah grins back. “All right,” he says. “I’ll try.” He squints at me, his brow furrowing in concentration. But I keep weaving my shadows, slowly winding them around me. Nothing forces them away or interrupts my magic even for a moment. Finally, he sighs in frustration.

  “Maybe you’re wrong,” he says. “I don’t seem to be able to do much of anything.”

  I put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. I’m sure you have magic. There’s no other reasonable explanation.”

  Lucas and Cary gape at us. I frown, but before I can ask them what’s wrong, I understand.

  My shadows have vanished. Again.

  “Looks like touch is definitely the key to making your magic work,” Lucas says. “When you touch someone or something with magic, it breaks the spell.”

  Noah’s eyes widen. “How am I supposed to keep that under control?” He puts his head in his hands. “What if we run into the guards again, and I bump into one of you while we flee? I’ll put you all in danger.”

  “He’s not wrong,” Cary says. I shoot daggers at her.

  “It isn’t your fault, Noah,” I say. “There must be a way to control your power. And the effects seem to be temporary, so no harm done.”

  “We’ll help you figure it out,” Lucas says.

  “And in the meantime, don’t touch either of them if we run into those guards again, all right?” Cary says.