by Antony John
From the corner of my eye I noticed Nyla watching me. She stood and padded swiftly toward me. “What is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I thought I heard something.”
She nodded once and headed for the stairs.
“Where are you going?” I shouted.
I was about to follow her when I heard a sound like a human cry coming from below the chest. Griffin and Rose were in a cabin at the other end of the ship, so it had to be Tessa. But the sound was coming from the galley area, immediately below the prow. If Tessa could move about, she could answer my questions. And I had plenty.
I walked lightly down the stairs. Tessa’s cabin was the nearest door, so I opened it. To my surprise, she was asleep on the floor, exactly where we’d left her. There was an empty plate beside her, though, so at least she’d been able to eat.
But what had made the sound?
I continued to the end of the corridor. The galley door was ajar, and I could just make out Nyla’s left shoulder. As I drew closer, I heard a series of quick, rasping breaths.
I peered around the door. Nyla had a flashlight in her left hand, and shone the beam at white panels against the far wall. I’d seen the panels before, but now there was a gap.
I eased the door open. It didn’t make a sound. But as I crossed the threshold, Nyla spun around.
The flashlight momentarily blinded me. When I recovered, I realized that there was something in her right hand too: a gun. She pointed it at me.
I froze. “What are you doing, Nyla?”
“You should go.”
“Jerren said there were no weapons on board.”
“He was wrong.” Her eyes flitted from me to the gap in the panels. One of them stood apart from the others and had been moved to the side, revealing a strikingly different metal panel.
“I heard someone cry out.”
She shook her head, a warning for me to stop asking questions. Her finger rested precariously on the trigger.
“You’re not going to shoot me,” I said, edging forward. “So please put down the gun.”
“I have to protect myself.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She held her ground. “It’s not you I’m worried about.”
The moment her eyes flickered back to the metal panel, I pounced. In two strides I had hold of the gun barrel. I poured my element along the metal shaft, just enough to shock her into letting go. But Nyla didn’t cry out. Instead, she blocked the flow and fought back with a surge of her own.
Energy built up in the space between us. I felt it like some great malevolent elemental force. When our power was evenly balanced, the energy converged on a single point. Smoke rose from the gun barrel. The metal began to bend.
Would either of us be left standing when this ended?
I took a deep breath and let her power ebb toward me. Then, as she became distracted by her own progress, I threw everything into a single massive shock.
Nyla stumbled backward and crashed against the wall. She crumpled to the floor and grabbed her head. She was bleeding.
“What’s going on, Nyla?”
“They promised me everything would be all right,” she said, tearing up.
I tossed the gun away. “Who did?”
“Jerren and Alice.” She glanced at the metal panel again. “They said this was the only way.”
Now that I had time to look, I noticed that the metal panel was a door—it had hinges on the left, and two sturdy bolts were attached to the top and bottom. When I pulled them back, the door swung easily and noiselessly toward me.
It was mostly dark inside, except for a sliver of light from a tiny crack in the ceiling. It must have happened when the chest fell against the deck. The air was stale, rancid. I figured the space couldn’t be very large, as it was crammed into the shape of the ship’s prow.
Something skittered across the floor toward me. It moved lightly, quickly. I stepped back as the rat reached the edge and clawed its way down the paneling and across the galley floor.
Once I’d caught my breath, I retrieved the flashlight from the floor. My heart must have been beating fast, because the light shone brightly.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
I shone the beam through the gap in the paneling. The space was larger than I imagined, with metal walls and ceiling—a place to store precious cargo, most likely. There was a bundle of black cloth stuffed into one corner. As my pulse slowed down, my element waned and the light became dimmer, but I could still make out colored images through holes in the cloth.
The images moved slightly. There was the sound of someone breathing. Then the cloth fell away, revealing a blood-streaked face and long lank hair.
CHAPTER 22
I staggered back from the tiny space as Dare edged toward me. Behind me, Nyla closed the galley door and locked it. “Let us explain,” she said—not me, but us.
I wasn’t interested in an explanation. I was overcome by blinding anger, so I lunged for Dare and poured my element into him. Unlike Nyla, he didn’t resist. Or couldn’t. He just accepted the punishment, and when I was done, he slid through the gap and collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Blood flowed from a wound on his head. Barely conscious, Dare stared at me with a blank expression. This was my chance to kill him, to apply my element until his eyes rolled back in his head and his heart stopped beating. No one deserved to suffer as much as he did.
But then, why had he let me attack in the first place?
“Go ahead,” he wheezed. “Do it.”
He was a seer. He’d foreseen everything so far. He’d probably even foreseen getting captured and locked up. So what was his endgame?
Nyla passed by me and handed Dare a water canister. He tried to take it, but couldn’t grip. It fell to the floor and rolled out of reach, dripping water onto the wooden planks. He closed his eyes.
I couldn’t bear to look at Nyla. We’d given her a chance to survive, and she’d betrayed us. “How could you do this?” I hated how breathy and nervous I sounded.
She picked up the canister and gave it to him again, careful to make sure he had it this time. “Dare helped Alice and Jerren escape from Sumter. You and Griffin too. You’d all be dead if he hadn’t turned on Chief.”
“He’s the one who risked our lives in the first place!”
Dare drank a little. “Where . . . Alice?” he rasped.
“She’s been captured,” I told him. “Her and Jerren, both.”
He clicked his tongue. “I told them to take me.”
“You’re a seer. Don’t pretend you don’t know what’s happened to them. What about my mother? Is she still alive?”
“Was alive, last time I saw her. But that was days ago.”
“We found the wooden box in Skeleton Town—the one you carried her ashore in.”
Dare winced as he stole short breaths. “I didn’t want to do that to her, but she was distracting.”
“What does that mean?”
“She seemed scared. She’d asked to come to Roanoke with me. Said she wanted to see you, and your father and brothers. But when we got here, she changed her mind—said something terrible was going to happen.”
“What was it?”
“I don’t know. She said she couldn’t see it clearly.” He looked at me at last. “I thought she was stalling, to give you time to escape from me. But a hurricane was coming and my men were worried. That’s why I hid her in the wooden box. There was no distraction after that, for us or for you.” His face relaxed, as if he was satisfied by his answer.
“Well, now she might be dead. Along with everyone else.”
“My men won’t hurt anyone. We’ll negotiate your mother’s release. Alice’s and Jerren’s too.”
“And the clan folk? Will you negotiate for them too?�
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“Of course. I was the one who radioed for them to come. I invited them here, Thomas. Non-elemental pirates and non-elemental clan folk—a new colony for a new future.”
Despite his injuries, he seemed to be gaining energy with every word. I hated myself for having this conversation, but we were getting to the heart of something here, and I still couldn’t see clearly what it was. “What about the elemental on that clan ship? The boy who controls rats.”
Dare’s lips twitched. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. You’re a seer.”
He was concentrating now, working on the argument that would prove I was mistaken. “You saw this boy?”
“Yes. And now my father and brother are captured. Alice and Jerren too. And you want me to believe you had no idea it would happen?”
He looked away. “I told them not to go without me.”
“You sent them into a trap.”
I kept waiting for the Dare I thought I knew to emerge, to fight back with words if his body wasn’t up to it. But he just looked tired and wounded. “The last time I spoke to Alice we were still a long way from Roanoke. My visions were close to useless.”
“Liar. My mother held Jerren’s hands on Sumter and foresaw his future.”
“Clearly not all of it. Anyway, you can’t compare me to Skya.”
“Why not? You’re brother and sister. You’re both seers—”
“And seeing the future is my secondary element.” He paused to let the words sink in. “I’m not like your mother. Or Tessa. My strengths lie elsewhere.”
The longer I’d been standing over Dare, the more I’d allowed myself to feel in control. The injury to his head was real. The dehydration too, I was sure of it. All too late, it occurred to me that I had no idea what other surprises he had in store.
With a deep breath, Dare raised a shaking hand upward. A moment later, a tiny flame emerged.
I flung myself at him. Grabbed his hands and jolted him. This time, his eyes rolled back. He passed out just as Nyla pulled me away.
“What are you doing?” she snapped.
“What are you doing? He was going to burn us. You know what he’s capable of.”
Nyla pressed a finger against his neck to check for a pulse. “Here,” she said. “Help me get him back inside the secret room. We need to lock him up.”
“No. The others need to see this. See how you’ve betrayed us.”
Nyla punched the floor. “Don’t be stupid. You really think this is all just chance? That when you and Alice were changing ships, Dare stayed here alone, just waiting for Alice to capture him?” She gritted her teeth. “Wake up, Thomas. He wanted to be captured.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew that Alice wouldn’t hurt him. Not after she read the journal that he left for her.”
I wanted to tell Nyla to stop. I wanted to believe these were lies. But deep down, I knew they weren’t. I felt like I was staring at a distant object through binoculars. It was getting closer and closer but I couldn’t bring it into focus.
“The reason you escaped from the other ship is because Dare unloaded the men’s rifles,” she continued. “He meant for this to happen.”
“What was in the journal?” I whispered.
Nyla looked at Dare’s unconscious body. “That’s what he was trying to show you. His primary element is fire. Fire, Thomas . . . same as Alice.” She paused. “Elements are inherited, but neither of her parents had that element. So ask yourself: Who do you think she got it from?” She bowed her head. “Who do you think Alice’s real father is?”
CHAPTER 23
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even breathe. I wanted to tell Nyla that she was wrong, that something so unfair couldn’t be true. But the Guardians had always treated Alice differently.
Now I understood why.
Moments from the past played out in a punishing cycle: Alice being scolded, berated, bullied, demeaned, and her own father, Joven, leading the assault. I’d always thought that he was ill-equipped to handle a rebellious daughter. Turns out, he just wasn’t equipped to handle a daughter who wasn’t his.
Recent memories came flooding back too: Joven viciously attacking Alice on our voyage to Sumter; Alice’s sister, Eleanor, who was never the same after a single brief conversation with Dare; all the arguments between Alice and Tarn on Sumter. With every recollection, I knew that what Nyla was telling me was true. I just couldn’t get my head around what it meant.
“When did Alice find out?”
Nyla leaned against the wall. “She suspected something after the escape from the gunroom on Sumter. She and Jerren were outnumbered. They never would’ve gotten out of there if Dare hadn’t helped them. There’s no way anyone would’ve gotten out alive.”
“And then she found the journal in Rose’s cabin, I guess.”
“It was kind of an accident. She was in there checking on you and Rose. When she saw the journal, she took it for Griffin. But he was in a bad way too, so she started reading it for herself. I don’t know what was in it, but it was all the proof she needed.” Nyla recapped her water canister and placed it carefully on a counter. “Are you going to tell Tarn?”
Tarn. I hadn’t even considered her. Whatever her situation now, she must have loved Dare once. But what about Marin? Dare’s men had shot and killed her husband. How could we possibly band together as long as Dare was with us?
“Come on,” I said, grabbing his tunic. “Let’s put him back where he belongs.”
Working together we dragged him into the space. His arms and legs were twisted, but that wasn’t our concern. Even though we’d spared his life, I hoped that he was uncomfortable—the more pain, the better.
We left the room together, and joined the others on deck. Dennis had stilled the wind, and Tarn was lowering the anchors. We were at least a mile to the northeast of Roanoke Island, close enough to see the tree line, and the leaning water tower and crumbling buildings in Skeleton Town. And far enough to be out of range of the pirates’ rifles.
Tarn stood against the railing, staring at the island. I was sure she was engaging her element, working to bring everything closer, make everything clearer.
“See anything?” I asked her.
She peered at me from the corner of her eye. “It’s so quiet. So still.”
“I think the pirates are toying with us. Trying to get us to make a move.”
“Well, maybe we should.”
“Not yet. They could’ve easily shot us down. We didn’t even see the gunmen on the roofs.” As I placed my hands on the railing, I noticed that they were smeared with Dare’s blood. I put them down before Tarn noticed. “I think the pirates want us to get Plague, not to die.”
“That may end up being the same thing.”
“Not if we have the solution. And they must believe we do. So they’re luring us over. If they can capture Griffin, they’ll control the rats and the solution. They’ll be able to go anywhere they like. The mainland will be theirs.”
She bowed her head. “So what do you suggest?”
“Let’s wait until dark to go over. Give ourselves the best chance of staying hidden.”
“We won’t be able to see.”
“As long as you’re leading the way, we’ll be fine.”
Tarn bristled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Tarn,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I know about your element.”
She was usually so poised, but now she looked furious. “You know nothing.”
“We have to be honest with each other from now on. Can’t you see that?”
“What’s there to be honest about?”
“How about Alice’s father!”
Silence. I hadn’t meant to say that. Whatever had happened between Tarn and Dare wasn
’t relevant anymore. If anyone had a right to demand answers, it was Alice, not me. But my words were out there now, and Marin and Dennis were watching us, waiting for whatever came next. Nyla hung back, unsure of her place in the unfolding drama.
“Seems you know a lot,” said Tarn.
I shrugged. “I found the third journal,” I lied.
“I see. And now you want to know how it could happen—how I could have a child with the man responsible for destroying our colony.” She gripped the rail tighter, her knuckles turning white, and watched us.
Dennis looked horrified; Marin, sympathetic. I don’t know how I appeared to her, but after a few moments Tarn’s shoulders relaxed, like she was shedding a burden she’d carried for her entire life. “My husband, Joven, left the Roanoke Island colony after our daughter, Eleanor, was born,” she explained. “He went to work in the Gulf of Mexico. He always talked about coming back, but things weren’t good between us, so I didn’t believe him. And then the Exodus happened. After that, I was sure I’d never see him again.
“I’d grown up with Dare on Roanoke Island. He’d always been my friend, the one person I could count on to listen. He wasn’t like everyone else our age. Didn’t seem to care what other people thought. I wanted to be more like him, I guess. After the Exodus, we became close again. Sometimes he’d look after Eleanor so that I could help out in the colony. I don’t think either of us meant to fall in love. It just happened. We were strong together.
“It didn’t last, though. All the elementals had made a pact not to use our powers—history showed that people with unexplained abilities don’t get treated well by others—so we tried to blend in with the refugees. But when things got tough, we started using our elements in secret. After that, the colony became divided—native Roanoke Islanders versus refugees, elementals versus non-elementals. The schism, we called it. They knew we had more than them—more food, more water, more power. They just didn’t understand how. And then Ordyn was involved in an accident where a boy died. After that, the non-elementals became suspicious. There was no going back.
