by Alicia Fabel
“Oops,” said Yama. “That was a one-way door.”
She was becoming equal parts irritated and frightened. “How do I get back, then?”
“Find the entrance.”
“You aren’t going to help me, are you?”
Yama shook his head with a brilliant smile. “I’ll be watching, though.”
Before Vera could ask what that meant, he was gone.
“Oh, you should probably hurry.” Yamas’s voice floated around her. “Rufus is still looking for you.”
Vera remembered Kale’s warning and shut off her light.
“Where is she?” Kale shouted at the Infernal.
Yama only grinned. “Off having a little adventure.”
A few minutes before, she’d looked right through Kale and then walked through a wall. He’d tried to follow her, but the wall was solid. Damn him. Kale wanted to pummel Yama, but despite his happy-go-lucky facade, he was possibly the most powerful Infernal in the world. Not that Kale particularly cared about himself, but Yama could take out Vera with the snap of his fingers.
“Bring her back,” Kale commanded.
Yama stilled and considered Kale in a way that made him uneasy. “Do you care about her?”
Kale didn’t answer.
“If I’d known she meant something to you, I never would’ve started this game,” he said slyly.
That’s a total load of bull. “Bring her back,” Kale repeated.
“She chose to enter the maze of her own free will. I can’t intervene now.” Yama pouted. “You know, it seemed like you didn’t want her around. I thought I was doing you a favor.”
“I don’t have time for games.”
“What has you on such a tight schedule?” asked Yama.
Again, Kale didn’t answer.
“I can’t fetch her back, but I can tell you that I dropped her off near the seventh chamber,” offered Yama.
Kale ran a hand through his hair. That was several hours away from the catacombs—halfway to the maze’s center.
“I’m keeping an eye on her if that helps.”
“I’m sure you are.” Kale turned to start his trek into Diyu.
“Didn’t you need something here?” Yama asked.
Kale almost ignored the question but decided to bait the man instead. “A charm. Supposedly the generals each wore one during the Unraveling.”
“For any reason in particular?”
“Obviously,” he said cryptically.
Yama wasn’t capable of leaving a mystery unsolved. He snapped his fingers and a handful of tombs slid open. Kale surveyed the remains in each. There were no rings or other trinkets. Nothing like what he was looking for.
“Now can I know?” asked Yama.
“Someone thought they’d had a potion made to ward off unnaturals.”
“If they had, it didn’t work.” Yama laughed to himself. “What use would you have for a defunct potion?”
Kale stared at the Infernal without answering.
“I can assure you, none of the generals were sent to me with something like you’re describing.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“And yet, you came here anyway.” Yama gasped with sudden understanding and clapped. “You came for the girl. You do care for her.” Then he put his hands over his mouth and stage-whispered through his fingers. “You don’t want her to know, do you?”
Kale turned to leave for real.
“I knew your visit would be so much fun.” Yama paused, as he did sometimes when watching something far away. “Uh-oh. I think someone has spotted her. You’d better hurry.” Yama vanished. Kale knew good-and-well that he was still watching. He watched every corner of the blasted place.
Vera dropped her hand from the maze wall and jogged toward the light spilling around a corner up ahead. Once she could see well enough, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure nothing was there. She’d imagined horrors trailing her while she plunged through the inky darkness. The heartbeat booming in her ears stuttered with relief.
At the intersection, she worked up the nerve to peer around the corner. There was a space so big that it dwarfed the catacombs. A line of people snaked up a path carved into the side of another ceilingless cavern. At the very front of the line, a young woman backed away from a high ledge, shaking her head. Vera threw her hands over her mouth when a little old woman shuffled forward and shoved her off the outcropping. The falling woman screamed as she plummeted through the air toward a bed of blades and glass. Vera looked away just before she landed. All the while, the line kept moving forward—everyone climbing toward their death.
Only they didn’t die. The impaled people below squirmed and heaved themselves free of the pit. Some crawled. All of them hauled themselves to the end of the line, to do it all over again.
“Are you lost too?”
Vera jumped and whirled around. A little girl, no older than nine or ten, peeked out from behind a stalagmite. Her eyes darted around fearfully. The dark hair piled on top of her head stuck out every which way.
“I am,” Vera admitted. “Where did you come from?”
The girl pointed toward the torture chamber.
Vera’s heart wrenched when she noticed the girl’s blood-crusted sleeve. Kale had said people got the punishment they’d earned, but what could this little girl have done to deserve that? Not eat her vegetables? Steal an extra cookie?
“How long have you been here?” Vera asked.
The girl’s chin wobbled. “I want to go home.”
Vera knew that home was not an option for the dead girl, but she could at least get her somewhere less traumatic. The chamber of peace and reflection had to be around somewhere.
“I’m going to help you, okay?”
The girl darted out, grabbed Vera’s arm, and began tugging her toward her hiding spot. “Hide,” she whispered frantically.
Vera was quick to listen.
As soon as they were in the shadows, Vera heard the familiar scraping and sniffling of Rufus. She was certain the creature was coming for them. It sounded like he stopped at the entrance of the torture chamber, right where Vera had stood spying. Instead of turning toward them, it kept going. It wouldn’t take long for the beast to figure out she hadn’t gone that way. She tugged the girl toward the direction she’d just come.
The girl balked. “It’s dark that way.”
“I think it’s dark everywhere except in there.” Vera pointed at the torture room. “And we can’t go in there.”
The girl shook her head again. “There’s light this way.” She hooked a finger over her shoulder, indicating deeper into the crevice. Vera hadn’t realized it went anywhere.
“Is there another way out in case that monster comes for us? Or will we be trapped?”
“There are lots of tunnels.”
“All right,” Vera said. “You lead.”
The girl slid sideways into the crevice, clothes scraping against the narrow stone. Vera had to suck in her stomach and shimmy in places, but the girl was right, it grew lighter the farther they went. The copper tinge of blood lessened too. They hadn’t gone far before the girl placed a finger to her lips as if Vera hadn’t been following silently already. Just ahead, their path was interrupted by a chasm. On closer inspection, Vera realized they were overlooking another path located a level down from theirs. After looking back and forth, the girl pointed out a narrow board laying at their feet. Vera shifted, so she wasn’t standing on it, and the girl slid it across. Arms out, she started across after beckoning Vera to follow. Have mercy.
Vera was over the center of the path when footsteps echoed from below. The girl gave her a look of terror before dropping down to army crawl through a narrow crack. It was clearly every girl for themselves. Vera couldn’t blame her. She had no idea how long the girl had been on the run, but she hadn’t managed it without impressive self-preservation instincts.
A couple more unsteady steps and then Vera jumped to the far ledge before anyone saw her
. Only, the force of her leap propelled the board backward. It clattered to the path below. Vera didn’t wait to see if anyone had noticed. She dove for the gap in the stone. The girl was long gone.
Something snapped around Vera’s ankles, binding her feet together. She tried to pull herself free but was dragged from the hole. Dangling in the air upside down, she saw what had caught her. It looked like a giant anteater—if Frankenstein had pieced one together with his spare parts. It had one small beady eye and one giant snake-eye. Fur covered its long trunk, or whatever an anteater’s long nose was called. It lowered Vera closer, its breath washing over her while she got a close-up view of the creature’s tusks. Its tail was long and thick but ended in a round ball covered in spikes like a Stegosaurus. And it smelled like it ate dinner from a sewer.
“Good boy,” she cooed. “Nice beastie.”
It hissed and slammed her against the wall. Dazed, Vera struggled to suck in a lungful of air. A long tongue stretched out and licked her, leaving a trail of drool from her hairline to her knees. Vera gagged at the stench, and the creature whacked her against the wall again.
“Vera!”
Kale? She meant to say it, but her tongue wouldn’t form the words. It felt swollen and heavy. She blinked, trying to see him, but her eyes wouldn’t focus. The franken-creature shook her for good measure and then dropped her. She lay there, unable to move. Her skin was hot and sweat beaded across her brow. It felt like she was absorbing poison. It occurred to her she probably was. Either there was poison in its spit, or it had bacteria that was so gnarly it was killing her. Fast.
I shall call him Gnarly, and he shall be my Gnarly, she thought giddily. Gnarly bumped into her as it jostled around.
“Waaaa-th ow, Nah-dee,” she complained and then pinched her tongue between her fingers. It felt normal. Why wouldn’t it work?
Gnarly let out a cry that vibrated the walls. His bellow was followed by a scream—Kale’s scream. Vera levered herself onto her knees. Kale ran to her.
“Vera? Can you hear me?”
“I ca…” She shook her head, panting from the effort. Then she realized something was wrong. Two legs.
I found the potion, he explained.
“Now…save Mimi…Addam…” Her legs gave out and she slid to the cave floor, sucking in painful breaths.
“I will,” he promised. “I will save them.”
“I…come with.”
“You can’t. You’re dying.” He brushed her hair back from her face, his fingers leaving a burning trail. “But I’m whole now. You did what you were meant to do. You don’t need to fight anymore.”
“Want to…with you.”
“I know, but we weren’t meant to be.”
Why is he saying these lies? And why is my head not clanging? “You love me.”
“I did love you once,” he said. “And I’ll never forget you.” He pressed a kiss to her brow. “Goodbye, sweetheart.”
Vera tried to grab him, but he slid through her fingers. Where her skin had been burning, she suddenly felt cold. Her body shook with a chill. He’s gone. Gone. Doesn’t love me anymore. I don’t want to feel like this. I don’t want to be alone. Suzie left me and then Gus and Gage. And Noah. Now Kale. Everyone leaves.
Deep inside her well, something sparked. Her menagerie, even the magics she hadn’t known long, rose defiantly. They refused to be discounted. She wasn’t alone. And it wasn’t just the magic, it was every person who’d unlocked those magics, everyone who’d taught her something important. They might not be there with her in that maze, but they’d go to war with her if she asked. But even if she had to stand alone, she would. She wouldn’t let anyone take away her people because she loved them… Loved? Maybe she couldn’t love like other people did, but she loved in her own way. And that would have to be enough.
Vera blinked. Gnarly stared down at her. On his back was a slight figure—a messy bun perched on top of her head. The little girl didn’t smile but scrutinized Vera closely. Her eyes crackled and sparkled in a way that was familiar. Like Alalana, who’d taken away her heart.
The girl cocked her head. “Did she?”
Did she what?
“Did she take away your heart?”
I saw it.
“You saw her take something. But did you hear her?”
The memory of Alalana surfaced clearly in Vera’s mind, as if it were being conjured. Kanaloa stood nearby with his disturbing octopus tentacles. And Alalana said, “She did not love the giver of that token the way he loved her. Perhaps she should never feel that kind of love.”
Yeah, I heard her just fine the first time.
“Then what kind of love do you think she meant?”
There’s more than one kind?
“Countless.”
Vera considered, her head hazy. I would never feel the kind of love that Gage did for me.
“The unrequited kind,” translated the girl. Vera was pretty sure she was no lost girl, though. “It seems to me that she took away your ability to fall in love with someone who did not love you back equally.”
No. I mean… Can that be true?
“A moment ago, you decided to love the entire world—screw what it might mean for you. You think that would be possible if you didn’t have possession of your own heart?”
But why wouldn’t she tell me?
“I don’t imagine Kanaloa would have been so eager to accept the bargain if he’d listened closely.” The girl patted Gnarly, and his tongue retracted. Vera hadn’t noticed it until it slithered out of her own ear. She scrambled away, swiping saliva off her cheek as it drained from her ear. Her mind cleared.
“What is that thing? Who are you?”
“I wonder if you ever would’ve believed your love is enough, if you hadn’t believed it was gone to begin with,” said the girl. A clatter of footsteps announced that someone was coming. “As that love makes you who you are, in a way, you finally believed you are enough. Try not to forget it.”
The girl bent over Gnarly’s neck and held tight. The creature approached a wall and began to climb straight up. Its tail slipped out of sight just as Kale raced into the passage—on all four of his unnatural legs.
“Are you real this time?” she asked.
“This time?” He scanned the halls. “Did someone hurt you?”
“I think it was all a bad dream.” That would explain how the Kale from before had lied. She hoped, anyway. One way to know for sure. “Do you still love me?”
“Where is this coming from?” he asked with perfect avoidance.
“From a girl who needs to hear some truth.”
“The truth is, we need to go. There were no mementos or potions. The tales were wrong, and now we need to save our friends.”
The air whooshed from her lungs. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For convincing you there would be answers here. For wasting our time. That I can’t make you whole again. Take your pick.”
Kale rolled his eyes. “I never thought there would be anything here anyway.”
Vera’s eyes stung. She bit her lip to hold it together. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere for the moment,” he assured her. “But whenever that time comes, you’ll be okay.”
“Is that why you’ve been a super-jerk lately? So I won’t miss you when you’re gone?” She strode up to him. When he tried to back away, she snatched a handful of his shirt and tugged him closer. “Answer the question.”
“Or what?”
“You don’t want to know.” She had no idea herself, but it sounded good. If push came to shove, she was sure she could come up with something appropriately threatening. “Do. You. Still. Love. Me?”
He shook his head, but answered, “Always.”
Vera grinned. “Good.” She jumped up and looped both arms around his neck, forcing him to bend down farther. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t push her away. “Cause I love you back.”
Kale pul
led back to study her. She rose onto her tippy toes until her lips were inches from his. His throat bobbed, and his eyes locked with hers. Then he kissed her. His lips slid over hers as his arms gathered her close. Vera laughed when he stood up and took her with him. Her feet dangled over the ground. Kale smiled and kissed her sweetly.
“This will not make leaving you easier,” Kale moaned.
“There’s a simple solution to that. Don’t.” Vera wrapped her legs around his waist when he tried to set her back down. “Despite your intentional crankiness and some questionable decisions regarding fires and executions, you’re not so awful. I can handle a little moodiness.”
“What about when it gets worse?”
“What if it doesn’t?” she countered.
“So, we see how long it can last,” he conceded.
“And talk about what happens next together.” She narrowed her eyes. “I will be having a serious conversation with Braxas, by the way. Only I get to put out a contract on you.”
“Would you ever be able to do that?” he asked, not seeming surprised that she’d figured out his plan.
Vera had been wondering that herself. “If you get to the point where I can’t call you back, and people are in danger from you, yeah.” She turned her head away when a tear escaped. “You really can trust me to take care of you. I’d never let you become something that you’d not be able to live with.”
Kale’s arms flexed around her, and he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
“In the meantime, let's go get our friends back and save the world,” Vera said. “After that, we’ll figure out what we want to do next. Just promise you won’t give up.”
Kale kissed her.
“Stop trying to distract me. You think I don’t know when you do that, but I do.” She pulled back to pin him with a scowl. “Promise.”
“I won’t give up,” he answered.
“Thank you.”
Kale gently set her on her feet. “Time to get out of this place.”
“I’d really hoped those mementos were here.”
“My old boss said they never were,” Kale told her.
“He and I need to have some words.”
