The Beast

by Ally Condie

  Directly below her, the gash between dimensions frothed and convulsed. How could they stop something so powerful?

  Where’s Logan? Had he stolen his dad’s boat yet? Maybe they could escape back to town and hide. Stay safe.

  Right.

  Safe.

  Their home was already being overrun by figments, and the leering nightmares creeping out of the vortex wouldn’t stay on this platform. They’ll find Timbers, and who knows what will happen. These were creatures from another world.

  And Thing had warned of other horrors that might pass through the Rift.

  Opal teetered on the brink of panic. “How do we close this?! Tell us, Thing!”

  “Thing’s gone!” Tyler yelled, eyes wild. “We dumped our only chance into the Rift!”

  “It was the right thing to do!” Nico shot back. “We can fix this ourselves. Thing said so.”

  “Guys!” Emma had retrieved her daggers and was eyeing the advancing Taker mob. “Arguing won’t help. Thing told us to restore the balance!” The ghastly creatures had nearly reached the catwalk level. One noticed them and mewled horribly.

  “And how do we do that?!” Tyler shouted. “We don’t even know what to balance!”

  The Takers filled the outer walkways and began circling to the ends of the central span. The Rift sizzled and sparked below. Tyler and Emma moved back-to-back with Opal and Nico, forming a tight square.

  Nico lifted his dagger. “These worked for Opal and me against a Taker in the void. Trust the Torchbearers.”

  Opal cringed. But we imagined those weapons into existence. This isn’t the same.

  Emma’s voice shook as she raised both blades. “Okay. So … where do we stab?”

  “There was a tether,” Opal said quickly. She could feel Tyler’s shoulders quaking against hers. “Some kind of cord snaking out of the Taker’s back. We severed it.”

  “I don’t see anything!” Emma shouted. “What’s it supposed to connect with?”

  “No idea,” Opal admitted. “Maybe their world?”

  Nico winced. “It linked to the Darkdeep. But these Takers are completely free of the Rift.”

  “We need a new strategy, then.” Emma quailed as the lead Taker stepped onto the main catwalk. “Like, right now.”

  Without warning, the whole rig shuddered violently, the walkway tilting under Opal’s feet. Shrieking, she grabbed the railing with both hands, her dagger ricocheting off the grating and dropping into the Rift. Before she could catch her breath, a geyser erupted from where her knife had disappeared. The whirlpool swelled.

  A huge shape blasted out of the ocean water beside the Rift.

  The room darkened. A roar thundered across the chamber, so loud Opal had to cover her ears.

  The Beast shook water from its neck like a wet dog, latching its claws onto the rim of the containment wall, then launching up to snare a catwalk. The metal groaned beneath its massive weight as the sea monster pulled itself onto the grating.

  The blood left Nico’s face as he scrambled up from his knees. “Is that … our Beast?”

  “Does it matter?” Opal said, swallowing bile. “We’re toast either way.”

  The Beast dropped on all fours and sniffed the air. It glared at a Taker reaching for Emma with long, spindly fingers.

  Tyler dug into his jacket and pulled out a plastic bottle filled with blue-green algae. He waved it overhead. The Beast tensed. Then it roared again, but this note was different. The call had a tenor of recognition.

  Several Takers moved toward the sea monster, lifting their arms in what looked like a calming gesture.

  The Beast bared its teeth and sprang. Opal heard something crunch as a giant paw smacked the closest Taker over the railing. Then the Beast’s tail whipped out, sending three more flying off the catwalk. Before Opal could react, the Beast stormed onto the central span where they cowered. The walkway buckled but held.

  The Beast went berserk, pummeling and crushing Takers left and right. Opal and the others dropped into terrified balls as the massive creature bounded over them to attack the Takers on the opposite side.

  The Taker beside Emma tried to back away, but the Beast’s head darted forward, jaws snapping. Gleaming teeth sank into its chest. The Beast lifted the creature like a kitten and hurled it into the Rift. The remaining Takers shrank back, slinking down off the catwalks as they searched for an escape.

  The Beast dove into the whirlpool after them.

  “It’s … it’s helping us,” Nico said, his mouth hanging open as he watched the Beast crunch another fleeing invader. “The Beast is wrecking shop!”

  “It sure seems to hate those creatures,” Emma said. “We’d better act fast while they’re getting housed.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Tyler squealed. “We still don’t know what to do!”

  Opal tried not to panic. She took a deep breath, thinking hard. In addition to the chemical seal, Thing had done something else to secure the Rift. But what was it? How had Thing kept the gateway shut?

  Below them, the Beast was laying waste. Most of the Takers had disappeared into the vortex, but a handful had slipped back up to the catwalks and were closing in again.

  Opal popped to her feet. The Beast was bashing the rig’s outer walls to pieces as it chased the remaining Takers below. The sea monster was winning the battle, but the whole building threatened to collapse.

  “I dropped my dagger,” Nico said, his shoulders rigid as the Takers slunk toward them. They were coming down both sides of the catwalk again.

  “So did I.” Opal looked at Emma, whose hands were empty as well. A heavy, wordless despair engulfed her. “There has to be something we can do.”

  A Taker drew close, its awful face exactly as Opal remembered from inside the Darkdeep. Was it the same one? She didn’t understand these creatures. Why come across to another world if all you wanted to do was destroy it?

  I just wanted to see.

  Opal flinched. Thing!

  Did the others hear, too? The voice was tiny and far away. Opal worried she was imagining it. I might be losing my mind for real this time.

  No, you’re not. I came back a little way into the gap between our worlds. To thank you again. To … to help.

  “We’re out of time!” Nico blurted, glancing into the vortex. He clearly hadn’t heard Thing speak. “We should jump. We’ll swim down into the Darkdeep. Go back to the houseboat and get help. This is too big to handle alone.”

  “Are you crazy?!” Tyler shouted. “It’s not a slip-and-slide down there, Nico! Plus, that’s where the other Takers went!”

  “How will we find the Darkdeep?” Emma worried. “What if we miss and go … somewhere else?”

  No, Nico is right. You must enter the vortex.

  “What? Why?” Opal was yelling out loud, staring at nothing. The others shot worried glances at her.

  When I first came, I wanted to stay in your world. Yvette and I experimented, and we learned that a certain amount of iron dissolved in salt water created a seal over the Rift. Too much or too little, and the barrier could rupture. At first, I was glad to help, and interested in all we learned, but I could never leave my jar. Eventually, I wished to return home. Yvette wouldn’t let me. She feared my passage back through the Rift would upset the equilibrium that had formed between our two dimensions.

  “But how did you keep the way shut?” Opal asked, speaking so the others could hear. “Please, we need help!”

  Balance.

  I was in your world. Something of your world was in mine.

  Opal’s eyes popped.

  Balance.

  Thing had left, and the equilibrium was off.

  They had to restore it.

  Suddenly, she knew what to do.

  Opal grabbed Nico by the sleeve. Yelled into his ear.

  “You were right! Over the side, now!”

  He gave a thumbs-up. “We’ll find the Darkdeep down there somehow!”

  Opal shook her head
furiously.

  “Not the Darkdeep! The other way! We have to enter the Rift!”

  31

  NICO

  Nico stared at Opal in shock.

  “Actually, I’m starting to agree with Tyler,” Nico said. “Maybe jumping into a rip in space-time is a bad call.”

  “You think?” Tyler yelled over his shoulder, as three Takers crept toward him. Below them, the Beast slithered out of the writhing whirlpool and vanished into the gray-green ocean, hunting any creatures trying to escape that way. The Takers on the catwalk level sensed an opening and were closing fast.

  “No, I figured it out!” Opal swung a leg over the railing. “There’s no time to explain, but we have to jump now!”

  Nico blinked at Opal. Made no move. Above them, scarlet lightning lit up the night sky as rain began to pour through the shattered roof. Ocean waves crashed against the outside of the Rift’s containment wall, as if jealous of the chaos within. Thunder rang like a gong, shaking the platform. It felt as though the Earth was spinning off its axis.

  “We’ve trusted each other this far,” Opal shouted, scraping damp hair from her eyes. “Believe in me one last time. I know what I’m doing!”

  “Okay!” Nico scrambled up after her. He shot a worried glance at Emma and Tyler. “Let’s go, you two!”

  Emma slid under the bars. Tyler shook his head once, hard, but at a hiss from the closest Taker he bounded onto the railing.

  No time for dramatics. Barely time to breathe. Nico watched Opal release her hold and drop into the frothing purple water. Takers howled, reaching out to stop them. Nico saw Emma plunge shrieking into the cyclone, then he grabbed Tyler by the shoulder and launched them both over the side. They splashed down together and were immediately sucked into the vortex.

  Nico felt a blast of cold, then a wave of scorching heat. He tried to scream but his mouth filled with water.

  A new pull enveloped him. Similar to the Darkdeep, but vaster. Infinitely stronger.

  There was no choice to be made. Nico was yanked into a mass of pulsing violet light. He plummeted toward a gleaming tear in reality and was wrenched through it. Now he could scream. And he did.

  And then … he stopped. Because there was no sound, nothing to hear, though he could feel his vocal cords working.

  He was … floating.

  Not like on water, because the water was gone.

  Like one floats in nothingness. Like thoughts float in the mind just before sleep comes.

  A sense of awe filled him. This wasn’t the void of the Darkdeep. Surrounding him was a prism of colors and shapes. Geometric forms blinked into existence like teardrops, then faded as quickly. He spotted Opal and Emma below him, sinking toward another shimmering rip in the fabric of the universe.

  Nico looked up, saw the gash through which they’d entered. Tyler was hovering next to it.

  A voice spoke inside Nico’s head. It was Tyler’s.

  I can still see the oil rig, Tyler sent. He pressed a hand against the opening and it brightened, but didn’t yield. But this is sealed now! We can’t go back!

  Guys, down here!

  Opal.

  Trying not to panic, Nico attempted to swim to the girls, but it was no good. He floundered in a circle.

  Just think it, Opal sent. It works like the Darkdeep, only slightly different.

  Nico stopped flailing and imagined himself descending. His body followed suit. He reached the girls as Tyler zoomed to a stop next to him, panting and sweating.

  Isn’t this cool? Emma sent, eyes bright.

  Tyler threw up his hands. We’re stuck here! The Rift won’t let us back into our world.

  Is this the other one? Emma looked around at the fun-house space they occupied. Where’s Thing? Where are all the Takers and Beasts, or whatever?

  This isn’t it. Opal pointed to the second glimmering slash, the one below them. This must be another in-between place. I bet Thing’s world is through there.

  Nico examined the other portal. It gleamed white, like hot glaze on a donut. He could just see through the hazy patina—to a wild landscape of red and violet—but then two tiny green hands popped through the opening, and Nico whooshed backward in alarm.

  A grinning head followed, then a blobbish body. Thing exited the rent with a slight popping sound, carrying something in its arms. Perfect. You’re all present. To reenter our own worlds we’ll need to time our departures precisely.

  Nico stared in surprise. What are you doing here?

  Helping you. Well, helping Opal, really. I was touched when she released me. Few beings in the universe possess such compassion. I thought I’d never see my realm again.

  Thing smiled at Opal. She actually blushed.

  So! I have a temporary solution for the Rift. Thing held out the item it carried. Take this. It’s something of your world that came to mine, long ago. It’s what made me curious in the first place. Intrigued enough that I climbed through these tears without thinking. I just had to see what kind of beings could craft such an object.

  Nico stared at the object in Thing’s hands. Outwardly, it was an ancient, rectangular box, made of stout wood and inlaid on both sides with alternating stone squares in a checkered pattern. Nico noticed a hinge along one side of the box—with a metal clasp attached to the other—and immediately guessed what it was. A chessboard? That’s it?

  Why would Thing bring this? Did it want to play? Nico started worrying he was having some sort of mental episode. He pinched his arm to make sure he was really there.

  Some of Yvette’s shipwreck on your world bled into mine. A large amount of debris was pulled through the Rift into this emptiness. Thing opened the chessboard and removed a game piece—a delicately shaped horse carved out of onyx—and stared at the knight fondly. This little adventurer and its companions made it all the way to my realm. I took that as a sign, and decided to enter yours. Thing sighed. In my mind, I was a fearless adventurer. I wanted to see what sort of beings could create something so beautiful and clever. I paid dearly for my boldness.

  Nico’s eyes popped. The Torchbearers’ letter! He remembered the vague instructions Emma had read to the group at Tyler’s kitchen table: Seek the platform. Tend the seal. Secure the Traveler and maintain the balance!

  You’re the Traveler, aren’t you? Nico sent to Thing, regarding the little green creature with regret. The one the Torchbearers wanted “secured.” They really did keep you prisoner, didn’t they?

  Thing nodded sadly. They weren’t cruel, but I was not allowed to leave.

  That’s awful! Emma glared up at the tear back to their world. The Torchbearers have a lot to answer for.

  Opal looked at Thing with sorrowful eyes. I’d like to formally apologize to you on behalf of the Order. As the newest Torchbearers, we promise to never do anything that horrible ever again.

  Thing smiled. Thank you, Opal. All of you. Though I might not make promises until you fully understand what you face. Your world is precious. Flawed or not, it needs Torchbearers to keep it safe. There are more realms than mine in this multiverse.

  But we can’t get back, Tyler said glumly. I tried. The Rift is blocked.

  We are currently in a gap between dimensions. Thing waved an arm at their kaleidoscope surroundings. My returning here balances your presence in this space. If we leave at the same time, both Rifts will allow us to pass. And we shouldn’t dawdle. Dozens of Takers fled back through here moments ago, but they’ll return.

  No problem, Tyler said smugly. We’ve got a Beast for that.

  Thing’s beady eyes widened. Interesting. Early Torchbearers reached a truce with the leviathan, using algae as a signal, but they were never partners. You seem to have accomplished something new. Its expression grew calculating. Years ago, the Order had a friend named Charles Dixon. I directed you to his false tomb so that Opal could retrieve the compass. His remains were removed with honor years before, to lie in a private graveyard, but the crypt proved useful as a place to store things. Dixon had
little interest in rituals—and even less in monitoring the Deepness—but he was fascinated by the leviathan. No one truly bonded with the creature after he was lost. Perhaps you can take up his mantle, Tyler. The Order is currently without a Beastmaster.

  Tyler blinked rapidly. “A what-master?”

  Beastmaster. An important position within the Order. The only one that can be held by someone not fully sworn as a Torchbearer.

  Those torches in Dixon’s tomb, Opal said suddenly, slapping a hand over her mouth in surprise. The brands smelled funny when I lit them—like charred seaweed. But they weren’t meant to be burned at all, were they?

  Thing shook its head. Those were algae torches for signaling the Beast that had grown dry and stiff over time. You swung flaming algae at the leviathan, which no doubt confused it greatly. But it was an honest mistake. Thing laughed in their heads. Had those been real torches, I doubt the creature would’ve let you walk away unscathed.

  The flowing space around them pulsed. Thing frowned. I’m afraid it’s time to go.

  Emma took the chessboard from Thing’s hands. So we carry this back across, and the Rift will be sealed again?

  Thing gave her an inscrutable look. For now.

  Nico felt his stomach do a backflip. That’s it? Carry the chessboard home and we’re good?

  Colors rippled in the void. Thing made a sending of worry. We’ve stayed here too long. It’s upsetting the alignment. Go now. The Rift will close behind you as we restore the balance.

  But the Beast is still on our side, Nico said suddenly. Maybe even a few Takers. How does that affect the trade-off?

  Thing’s reply carried a twinge of impatience. I don’t have all the answers, Nico, but balance is not always one-for-one. I believe this will work for the present. That object leveled my existence in your realm, and I now sense nothing of my world in yours beyond the leviathan. So we must fix the loss of my presence alone.

  Opal slid forward and took Thing’s hand. The gesture seemed to startle the little green being. Thanks for giving us a second chance. Do you have a true name? I’m sorry we never asked.

  Thing stared at Opal for a long moment. Dax, it sent softly.