Redemption (Night Marchers #2) Written by: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels

by Nuckels, Courtney

  "Yes. We should go now." He doesn't wait for me to confirm. He just grabs a bag and puts a few supplies into it. He hands me a flat piece of bread shaped like a pancake. "Eat this; I need you to have all of your strength today."

  I reluctantly grab the cake of bread from him. I eat it as we exit the tree house and head towards the beach. It tastes good, almost like rolled oats and nuts made into some type of odd circular pastry. I don't know where he got it, but it appeases my hungry stomach.

  Sure enough when we get to the beach area we find a small canoe roped off laying face down on the sand. He turns it over almost effortlessly. We both push it towards the water and I hop in. Kao pushes the boat further into the water and then hops in behind me. Just like the ride I took with Kai in this same boat; there is only one set of oars, so I let Kao do all of the work. It's fine though, I need time to think. I'm grateful for Kao's continued silence throughout the entire trip. I think through what I'm going to do when we reach land. I know that I need to stall a bit in order to give the Menehune's time to get there.

  We reach land roughly an hour after we first set off. I look up at the sun and try to guess what time it is. Kao catches my gaze and says, "We still have about two hours before sunset."

  I don't like that he can tell what I'm thinking, but I nod my head anyhow.

  "So, where is it?" Kao asks as he turns the boat upside down on the sand.

  Hopefully this will work as a stall. "Well, it was dark, but I know the bones are buried at the base of a near the cliff." I look up at the cliff that overlooks the beach. It's dotted with over a dozen trees. "I figure we could just examine a few trees first. Maybe one will jump out at me." I shrug my shoulders at him, hoping I'm not wearing his patience too thin.

  He thinks about it a moment then replies, "I guess we don't have much of a choice." he looks across the beach to a narrow opening that leads into the valley. "Let's go." His bluntness makes me wary and uncomfortable, but I push through knowing the upside if I succeed.

  We both walk side by side across the beach and head towards the tree line that leads up a jagged cliff. If I'm going to get him to confess, I need to get him to talk to me. "So, do you think this will work?"

  Kao just shrugs his shoulders and says, "Hopefully."

  Great, I need to get more than a single word out of him. I stop and pull off my shoe pretending to empty sand out of it. I figure I need to do some stuff to bide my time. I'm none too excited about making my way up that cliff with Kao. "So what was it like growing up with Kai?" I ask nonchalantly while putting my shoe back on.

  He stops and looks at me incredulously. Like he can't guess why I would care or want to know. "It was fine. We were never very close."

  Man, Kao really knows how to talk. I try again, "So, how did you become a Night Marcher? Did you look one in the eyes too?" I know very well that he chose to be a Night Marcher. He wanted immortality but did not consider that with that immortality came slavery.

  "That is none of your business! We need to focus if we are going to keep your boyfriend from killing you." He storms off towards the tree line angrily.

  I hold my ground and stay put. Knowing I need to stall and give the Menehune's time to catch up, I figure I will lie on a little bit of what I call girl guilt. I sit down on the sand and watch. Kao makes it all the way to the other side of the beach before he starts to turn around as if he just realized I wasn't behind him. I quickly throw my head into my hands and try to conjure up some tears so my act will be somewhat believable. It's not too hard to get the water works to flow these days. I have a lot to mourn for: Adam's death, Kai's sacrifice for me, Kai trying to kill me, hurting Tristan. I'm certainly not lacking in the woe department. I start racking my shoulders a bit to make it seem like I'm really sobbing once I hear Kao approach.

  He lets out a long exasperated sigh. I listen to his feet marching through the sand back towards me. When he reaches me, he leans down next to me and puts his hand on my back. It takes everything inside me not to repel from his touch. He takes a deep breath and then asks a little gruffly, "What is wrong with you?"

  I don't look up; I just sniffle and say, "Everything."

  He moves his hand from my back and reverts to trying to stroke my hair lightly. It's very awkward and I can tell he doesn't feel comfortable doing it so he pulls his hand away a second later. "Look, I'm sorry I'm being so cross with you. Like I said, I'm frustrated and I need to get this done."

  He uses his hand to lift my face up so I can see him. Goosebumps rise up on my arms as I think about the night when Kai first turned into a Night Marcher. Kao had lifted my head up with his hand to look at him just as he's doing now. I look away, so he doesn't see the pure hatred in my eyes. "Why Kao? Why do you really want to help Kai so badly?"

  He puts his hands back down on his lap and says, "I told you Emma, I've made many mistakes. This is only a small part of penance that I can do for him."

  I look up at him. I don't believe a single word he says, but I try to soften my features to pretend like I do. "You are just going to hand over the chiefs bones to the Night Marchers like that?" I ask wiping the tears away from my eyes.

  "Yes, why would I need them?" He asks with an undertone of tension.

  I want to say, because you are an evil bastard who's trying to gain immortality at the expense of human life and your very own brother's soul. Instead I say, "I don't know. I think it's great that you are helping Kai. You are a good brother." I want to wash my mouth out with soap.

  He looks at me as if trying to tell if I meant it. I'm amazed that there is no hint of true remorse or guilt in his gaze. He says, "Well, I owe him." He stands up and puts his hand out to help me.

  I take it and say, "Thank you."

  "You are welcome. Let's start over, are you ready to go save Kai?" He says then asks, "By the way, what is Kai to you? Why are you going to such lengths to save a mere man?" I can tell he really wants to know. His curiosity has peaked his interest.

  "He saved me so I need to help him. Also, I love him." I feel more and more free every time I acknowledge this fact. I didn't really know how I felt before, but knowing it makes me want to shout it from the rooftops. I just wish I could be saying those words to Kai himself and not his evil twin brother.

  "You love him? You barely know him." Kao says amused as if I am confessing some immature childish crush.

  "I don't expect you to understand, but I do. I will do anything to help him." I instantly regret saying those words. I can tell that Kao's wheels are turning in his head. I just offered myself up as a powerful pawn since Kao knows that I’ll do whatever it takes to save the man I love.

  "Good." He says, then without further adieu he heads back across the beach towards the valley. This time I follow him.

  I keep trying to think of ways to stall this trek we're on. If I could, I would fall and act like I injured something, but that isn’t an option right now. Kao would call my bluff. My brain is reeling as we climb up the towering cliffs. I force myself to not look down as Kao leads at an unprecedented speed. I slow myself, not because I can’t do it but because I need more time. I can act the part of slow, helpless, weak girl any day.

  This time, Kao doesn’t get far before he realizes I’m lagging behind. He turns and glares at me and just as quickly his features soften. “Do you need help?” He calls down after me.

  “Umm, yes.” It came out as more of a question than a statement.

  Kao doesn’t seem to notice though as he climbs slowly back down to where I am. “Just follow me and put your feet where I put mine. That way you won’t fall.”

  My eyes widen at his bluntness and I end up looking down. Worst. Mistake. Ever. I'm more than fifty feet above the beach where we last stood. Less than four inches of earth separate me from where I climb and where the cliff drops off. A feeling of vertigo sets in making my hands start to sweat and my legs feel shaky. I let out a small, shrill cry and grab to the rock for dear life. I hear rocks break ahead of me where Kao has hi
s footing and squelch a little louder. I never knew I had a fear of heights, but I guess when I don’t have an ounce of protection like ropes or climbing gear it might make just about anyone scared.

  “Emma,” Kao hollers from above. “Emma, just keep going. We are almost there. You can do it.”

  I take several deep breaths before I respond, “Okay.” It was all I could muster at the moment, but it was enough to appease Kao. The sun is starting to set and I know I need to get to the top before I'm out here in the pitch dark.

  Kao begins climbing again watching for me to follow every now and then. As he finally reaches the top he turns and extends his hand back towards me. I reluctantly grab it as he hoists me to solid ground. I fall facedown and grab the earth in my hand. My limbs shake as I lay there thankful I survived the climb. I turn my head to the side and see the ocean far below us. It makes me think about Kai, and what must have gone through his mind before he tried plummeting to his death. Could this be the very cliff he jumped off? I try not to think about it.

  I don’t have much time to get myself together before Kao is at my side. “We need to go now,” is all he says as he starts walking to the nearest tree a few yards away. I scramble to get up and follow him. He is a man on a mission and I am very hesitant about making him wait on me.

  We get to the tree as he pulls a small shovel out of his bag. Before he starts digging he turns to ask me, “Could it be this one?”

  I nod my head instead of risking my voice. I have no clue what to do at this point other than continue stalling until, by some miracle, he spills the beans.

  Kao begins digging in the soft green earth as I take the time to scan my surroundings. I am just truly hoping right now that the Menehunes and the Night Marcher chief are somewhere nearby. The sun is almost fully set and the sky is growing eerily dark. I watch Kao dig up the earth all around the tree until he has nowhere else to dig. He breathes in short breaths from the exertion of digging and turns his head towards me while his back is still hunched over. He slams the shovel down and comes barreling towards me. With nowhere to back up I close my eyes and put my arms over my face. “Any more bright ideas young lady?” He says in an all too irritated voice.

  “It’s around here somewhere. I remember it being a tree close to the cliff.” I peak out from between my arms as I watch Kao’s face.

  His eyes squint while he looks at me, probably trying to see if he believes me or not. He takes the backpack off his back and throws it at me. “Here, find a flashlight,” he says while turning around and grabbing his shovel.

  I reach into the bag and find the flashlight. Looking up I check to see if Kao is looking, then screw off the back of the light. I quickly turn one of the batteries over and replace the back plate. I rush to catch up to Kao and hand him the light. He turns around just long enough to grab it roughly out of my grip and then continues on to the next tree.

  When we arrive Kao turns back towards me. “Shine that light right here while I dig.” He hands me back the light. Knowing the light isn’t going to turn on I realize I’m going to have to play the part of innocent bystander.

  I dramatically click the light on and off over and over and then look to Kao in utter confusion. “It doesn’t work.”

  Kao throws his shovel down and stomps towards me. This time I only flinch as he reaches out and grabs the light back from my hand. I watch him as he switches the light on and off several times and shakes the light uncontrollably up and down. A guttural growl emanates from his throat as he throws the flashlight over the cliff. My eyes get wide as I realize he could just do the same to me if he wanted too.

  “Those things never work well anyway.” I watch as he suddenly peels off his shirt revealing his all too toned abs. He takes his shirt and shreds it into several long pieces. He wanders around with the small amount of light he has left from the moon and finds a long thick stick. He begins winding the shirt around and around the top of the stick and somehow ties it all together. He grabs the pack from me and finds a lighter. I hear him mumble something about it being the best invention from the twentieth century and then he sets the torch ablaze. The eerie shadows that emanates off his face cause me to flash back to the night when I saw Kao for the first time as a Night Marcher. It’s eerie and almost more than I can bear.

  I avert my gaze to the ground as Kao comes closer to me. He gently grasps my hand in his and places my hand over the bottom of the torch. “Hold this while I dig.”

  I wrap my hand tighter around the torch and bring my other hand up to help sustain it. Kao begins digging again at the base of the tree, more than likely on a wild goose chase. My fingers nervously trace the complex patterns on the stick in my hands. I need to get him talking; I have to get him to confess or all of this will have been for nothing.

  “So, Kao…” I begin, knowing good and well I am starting on a lengthy monologue. “Tell me something, are Night Marchers the only supernatural being on the Island? I mean, I think it’s pretty neat there’s more to life out there than most know. Where I come from, the only supernatural being that we talk about is maybe Bloody Mary and she isn’t even real. I would know; I tried calling out to her with my friend Kaylee when we were 12.”

  Kao looks up from where he’s digging, interrupting my thought process. I force a small smile at him, hoping this gets him talking. He slowly puts the shovel down and stands up. He wipes his hands on the front of his pants and slowly starts to make his way towards me. I stand there trying not to let the torch shake in my trembling hands.

  “Emma, you have no idea what other supernatural beings are out there. I don’t think you really want to know.” He pauses briefly as he edges closer to me. “There are things out there that would make your nightmares scream.” The way he says this makes my palms begin to sweat. His expression becomes far more sinister as he invades my personal space. The light of the fire dances off his irises making me shudder. “And to be honest with you…” Kao begins, “I’m not sure you would want to know. How do they say this now, ignorance is bliss?”

  I nod my head in agreement as his finger glides over my cheek. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear as I try and stand as still as possible. He smirks at me a second too long and turns around and begins digging again.

  I take a deep breath trying to calm myself. He was extremely angry the last time he didn’t find the bones; there’s no telling how he’s going to feel this time around. Suddenly his shovel hits something hard near the base of the tree and Kao jabs it a few more times mimicking the same sound. I watch his hands as they begin to dig double time attempting to unearth whatever lies underground. Several small shaped bones appear, one after the other. Kao’s hands become greedy as he rips them from the earth.

  What the heck? He found the proverbial needle in a haystack, I think to myself as I watch this impossible feat unfold. I'm literally dumbfounded that I actually lead Kao to the chief's bones without even knowing their true location. What are the odds?

  Within a few minutes Kao has a small pile of bones stacked next to him.

  Crap, crap, crap! I certainly wasn't prepared for this. Now that he has found his prize, I know that he is done with me. His eyes and body language say it all. There is no need to keep me around anymore. I'm so frustrated with myself for accidentally leading him here. To top it off how convenient for him that the cliff is right next to us? Such easy access to death.

  An evil laugh permeates the silent night and I cringe in response. Kao gets up rather abruptly and comes and grabs the backpack from the ground where I stand. He fishes through it for different items he apparently needs. From here it looks like some small plants, a lighter, and some different pieces of delicate jewelry. He tosses the backpack back down after he has what he wants and goes back to the pile of bones. He begins placing them in an animal skin and ties them with a small piece of twine. He takes the small bushel of plants and begins lighting them on fire. An ancient smell begins to permeate the air as I hear Kao chant something in a different language.
He gathers the small pieces of jewelry and places them on top of the bag with the bones tucked away inside. Kao stays like this for several minutes, chanting the same eerie saying over and over again. I watch him as he takes a knife from the dirt. I don’t remember seeing him grab that when he was searching through the backpack. He begins to rip through his pants continuing up to his knee. He repeats the chant one more time and waves the smoking plants in a figure eight and then places them by his side. I watch in disbelief as he takes the knife and slices into his leg releasing blood that pours down the side of his leg. He takes some of the blood onto his knife and drops it on the top of the jewelry letting it drip down to the bag itself. He bows his head one last time before his eyes gleam open. It’s almost as if he was in a trance-like state for the past few minutes. He turns his head towards me and an evil laugh permeates the air. I watch Kao with a fixed stare as he gets up off the ground. The blood is still dripping from the wound he caused.

  Kao must see me staring at his wound. “Not to worry Emma, it will heal all too quickly now. You see, now I myself, am immortal.”

  My heart is beating so hard I feel as if my chest is going to explode. My brain still hasn't processed everything I just saw, it's so other worldly and just unbelievable. How could I have led him to the chief's bones? It's absolutely absurd! A single tear releases from my eye unwillingly and my eyes drop to the ground. It’s all over now, I think to myself. There’s not going to be any way to help Eve, or get back Kai. Kao must sense that I know what’s coming next because he smirks evilly.

  “Wait,” I surprise myself saying. “I know you’re going to kill me, and for some reason I'm okay with that. But please, I beg you, before you do I have just one question that I would like you to answer.” Kao cocks his head to the side and nods his head to go on. “Did you kill a Menehune named Adam?” I watch as Kao’s eyebrows rise up. I’m sure he is surprised to hear that I know about Adams death, but probably more surprised I know about the Menehunes at all.