by Ally Condie
Tyler patted his shoulder. “Keep trying. Maybe we can dig something out of this mess.”
Nico sighed all the way down to his shoes, but he kept digging through the book, hunting for anything legible. Logan made as if to speak, but Nico shushed him. Finally, he found a clearer section of text. Everyone leaned in so they could read at the same time.
Tyler spoke first. “Well, that doesn’t sound good.”
“I think it’s saying the Darkdeep reads minds.” Opal tapped the page with her fingernail. “Listen: The Deepness explores the psyche and latches on, pulling an impression into being.”
“What’s the Deepness?” Logan asked.
“The Darkdeep.” Emma waved a dismissive hand. “Our name is better.”
Nico ignored them both, focusing on Opal. “But we knew that. The figments come from our imaginations.”
“I think it’s more,” she said. “I think this means the Darkdeep gets into you somehow, once you enter the pool. Here’s the next line: Subjects carry the Deepness beyond the vortex in a symbiosis that can, if unchecked, become parasitic.”
Tyler’s faced soured. “I do not like that sentence.”
“Nope,” Logan agreed.
“What if you stop doing it?” Emma asked nervously. “And don’t go in anymore?”
Tyler shook his head. “Not sure. But it’s saying figments spring from people, not the pool. The water is just the Darkdeep’s cage.”
“Cage?” Nico’s skin prickled.
Tyler crossed his arms peevishly. “I think that’s what it says, but the ink’s all run together and there’s slug juice everywhere.” He shivered. “If the Darkdeep stays inside you, that might explain why figments don’t show up on film. They’re projected from within.”
“What about the daggers?” Emma asked. “Any mention of them?”
“Not that I can make out,” Tyler grumbled. Opal shook her head.
“I don’t see anything about shutting it down, either,” Nico added glumly.
“This part is the worst.” Opal pointed to the bottom of the page. “Once engaged, the cycle grows stronger over time. The Deepness can escape if it isn’t Watched. The last word is capitalized. I bet this is talking about Torchbearers. They must do something to contain the Darkdeep.”
Nico felt a cold sweat dampen his temples. “What happens if it escapes?”
“Nothing good.” Opal tapped the bottommost paragraph. “Above all else, one must never let the Deepness feed on fears. It will strengthen and hunger, becoming more powerful with each mind it touches.” Her voice broke as she stepped back from the last line. “Guys, we have to stop this thing before it reaches more people. Or else …”
Silence.
Logan finally broke it. “Or what?”
Opal stared at him with glistening eyes.
“It breaks free,” she whispered. “And can never be sealed again.”
30
OPAL
Opal led the group from the tunnel.
The island was deathly quiet, as though it were holding its breath. “Looks clear,” Nico whispered, scanning the gully. “Let’s hurry. I don’t want another fight if we can help it.”
Everyone carried a Torchbearer dagger. They were headed for the pool.
“Time to finish this,” Opal said. How? She didn’t know. But they had to face the Darkdeep and stop it.
She started up the ridge. At its crest, she paused. Opal couldn’t see the houseboat through the fog, but the pond was rippling oddly, as if deep waves moved under its surface. Just keep moving.
They climbed down to the field, sticking close together. But as they neared the water it heaved upward, surging in a powerful wave. A monstrous black head rose from the surface.
Logan froze, eyes popping. “What is that thing?!”
“Figment! Run!” Nico pointed to the stepping-stones. “Get to the houseboat!”
Opal’s sneakers kicked up dirt as she ran. Emma was beside her, clutching her dagger. Logan, Nico, and Tyler fanned out as the group pounded across the grass.
“It’s the Beast!” Tyler shrieked, naked panic in his voice. “It’s real, I knew it!”
Opal’s stomach lurched. She risked a glance at the pond and wished she hadn’t.
Mouth and teeth and pain.
The creature was enormous, its maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. It had the sleek body of a sea serpent—a mountain of writhing indigo—but it clawed out of the water on thick muscular legs. Scales glimmered along the Beast’s entire length, and its eyes were black puddles of oil.
The creature’s wail shook the earth. Then it moved, faster than a blink, tearing across the grass to plant itself in their path. Logan slid to a stop as the monster’s jaws snapped an inch from his head. He bolted back to where the others huddled in terror.
“Get out your weapons!” Emma yelled. “It’s our only chance!”
Tyler grabbed her by the arm. “Forget the stupid daggers, we have to go! The Beast is here. I knew it was real!” He was on the verge of a total meltdown.
Opal understood. His worst nightmare was stalking toward them, gnashing its teeth.
“Tyler, listen!” Opal said. “That’s a figment, not the Beast. It isn’t real!”
The Beast roared and charged, gouging the earth with its clawed feet. Tyler collapsed into a ball and covered his head. Emma lunged sideways, her dagger tumbling to the grass. The monster followed her movement, jaws chomping the empty air where she’d stood a moment before.
Opal spun the other way, fleeing blindly. Without another option, she dove into the pond.
The icy water nearly stopped Opal’s heart. She kicked beneath the surface as a frustrated roar echoed into the depths. When she ran out of breath, Opal spluttered to the surface, wiping liquid from her eyes.
Logan and Nico ran to help Emma. The Beast thrashed around on the field, trying to snatch Nico in its teeth. Logan went down, clutching his knee. Emma was shouting in Tyler’s ear, trying to drag him toward the woods, but he seemed unable to move.
As Opal watched, Nico threw himself behind a downed tree and wriggled under it. The Beast twisted away, spotting Emma and Tyler. It stormed at them, roaring in fury. “Look out!” Opal screamed.
Tyler scrambled to his feet. He pushed Emma behind him and lifted his dagger. The Beast slowed to a stalking pace, its black eyes gleaming. Tyler squared his shoulders.
The creature halted. Saliva dripped from its mouth as it regarded Tyler curiously. Seconds ticked past as the two locked eyes, one rumbling like a dragon, the other shaking like a leaf.
The Beast snarled. Its head darted forward in a deadly strike.
Tyler sprang, sidestepping the Beast and stabbing it in the neck. Black blood spurted from the wound. The Beast reared back and howled, ripping the dagger from Tyler’s fingers.
But the figment didn’t vanish.
“No,” Opal breathed, dripping in the shallow water.
“It didn’t work!” Tyler backed away, his voice cracking as he stared up at the supernatural predator. “Everyone get out of here! I’ll … I’ll …”
Nico and Logan were crouching at the edge of the woods—too far away to reach Tyler before the Beast struck again—but Emma shot forward to stand beside him, clutching her dagger.
The Beast’s eyes shifted to her.
“Emma, get back,” Tyler ordered, his voice raw with fear. Quick as a rumor, the Beast swung its tail, smacking Tyler in the chest and knocking him down. In the next second it wheeled on Emma.
“Run!” Opal screamed.
The Beast whipped its tail again, sweeping Emma’s feet. The dagger bounced from her fingers. The monster dipped its face close to hers and seemed to smile, baring an acre of jagged teeth as it prepared to finish its kill.
“Emma!”
Tyler scooped up her dagger and threw it as hard as he could. The blade punched into the Beast’s side.
Its eyes widened. A howl of pain shook the island.
The Beast shi
mmered and disappeared.
“Holy crap.” Opal waded out of the water as Nico and Logan emerged from the trees. Opal picked up the key dagger from where she’d dropped it on the grass.
Tyler and Emma were slumped side by side, chests heaving. They gave each other a shaky fist bump.
“Let’s get out of here,” Logan said, his voice sharp.
Nico put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “You okay, man?”
“Fine,” Tyler wheezed. “Never better. Bring on more Beasts.”
“I don’t get it.” Opal was staring at the weapon in her hand. “The dagger didn’t work, but then it did?”
“No idea,” Tyler said weakly. “Seriously. I just saw it go after Emma and reacted.”
A biting wind swept the island, chilling Opal’s skin. She felt a sudden sense of impending loss. “We should get inside,” she said. “Right now.”
But before anyone could move, a black-robed figure emerged from the woods. The creature carried a scythe. Its robe didn’t ripple in the wind.
Opal knew exactly who it was. My turn.
“All of you need to go,” she said in a shaky voice. “Get to the houseboat.”
Nico shook his head, staring at the dark apparition. “No way, Opal. What is that?”
“It’s Death.” Opal gripped the key dagger tightly. “This one came from me. I’ll follow after …”
“Opal, that’s Death.” Emma swallowed. “No one can fight Death.”
Opal laughed a little wildly. “I sure hope you’re wrong.”
The specter slid smoothly across the grass. Stalks in its path crinkled and died.
Opal took a deep breath. “I just have to conquer my fear. That’s how you guys did it.”
“I don’t thi—” Nico began, but she cut him off.
“You’re wasting time. Please. This one is mine.”
Death halted ten yards away. Opal’s breath began to mist.
“You have to stop the Darkdeep,” Opal whispered. “We need to end this. Now go.”
Death lofted its gleaming scythe. Logan turned and sprinted for the stepping-stones.
“Be strong,” Tyler whispered. “It’s only a figment, not the Reaper.” He grabbed Emma’s hand. “Come on.”
Tears spilled onto Emma’s cheeks. Her gaze flicked to Opal, who nodded. Emma bit her lip, then turned and ran with Tyler.
Nico didn’t budge.
“Nico, please. Finish the job. I’ve got this, but I need to do it alone.”
Emotions warred on Nico’s face. “You better be right behind me,” he said roughly, echoing her from the night before. She heard him groan helplessly, but he spun and jogged away.
Opal released a shaky breath. This is how you face Death. Alone.
The Reaper moved forward again. Ice-white hands gripped the scythe’s black handle.
Come and get me. Opal clutched the dagger so hard her fingers ached. I’m not as defenseless as you think. But her heart pounded. How could anyone face Death without fear?
She took a tiny step back. Then another.
Death closed in. It always catches you in the end.
The scythe’s shadow fell across Opal’s body. Terror pulsed through her veins. Her breath hitched, halted, hung in the air. Death pulled back its hood. Eyes of nothing stared down at her.
I am the end of everything.
Opal screamed. The sound echoed through her, awakening her blood, her bones.
She ran from Death as fast as she could.
31
NICO
The Darkdeep seethed like a hurricane.
Nico stared into the convulsing blackness as eerie lights strobed on the walls.
This was it. There was nothing between them and the whirlpool.
“Hurry, Nico!” Emma pointed to the dagger in his hand.
“Throw it in!” Tyler cringed behind them while Logan kept an eye on the staircase. Where was Opal?
Nico hefted the blade. Was that the answer? Could he stop the Darkdeep by attacking it somehow? His instincts rebelled against such a simple solution—how could a dagger hurt a swirling pool of water?—but he didn’t know what else to do.
The houseboat trembled with the force of the Darkdeep’s spin. Nico worried the planking might come apart. He worried everything was coming apart.
There was a crash upstairs, then Opal came racing down the steps. Ignoring everyone, she slumped down against the far wall and hugged her knees to her chest.
“Opal?” Nico called. She didn’t respond, eyes wide with panic. The encounter with Death must’ve shaken her badly. You think, Nico? Who wouldn’t be messed up about that?
But Nico couldn’t help her now. His gut told him time was running out. The Darkdeep sloshed and boiled, a tempest rampaging out of control. He stepped to the edge, palms sweating. How do you stop a force of nature?
Nico raised the knife and was about to throw it into the well when a dark form emerged from the shadows across the room.
His heart nearly stopped. Something was in there with them. Before he could yell out a warning, it stepped into the ghostly light.
All the blood in Nico’s body rushed to his head, then plunged through the floor.
He couldn’t breathe. He was staring at the impossible.
He was looking at his father.
Warren Holland stomped around the pool, glaring at Nico from his intimidating height. “Nico, what do you think you’re doing?”
Nico gaped, unable to respond. What was his dad doing here? How did he find the houseboat? How did he get to the island?
Warren crossed his arms. “Nico, I’m incredibly disappointed. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me? This little stunt of yours could cost me my job!”
“We … I didn’t …” Nico stammered. “I wasn’t trying … I … I fell …”
Warren shook his head, his voice thick with disgust. “You didn’t think is what happened. Like always. I work my fingers to the bone every day to take care of you and your brother, and here you are causing trouble behind my back. I’ve had it with you! You can’t do anything right.”
Tears burned in Nico’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean—”
Someone took his hand. Nico recoiled in alarm, but the fingers held tight.
Opal. She was up off the floor and standing by his side.
“You’ve done nothing but screw up lately,” Warren Holland continued, his voice heated. “That’s why I’m never around. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to be in that house.”
Something cold seized Nico’s chest, like he was already drowning inside the Darkdeep’s black current.
He’s telling the truth. He doesn’t love me.
“Nico, I’m right here,” Opal said firmly. “Don’t listen to this monster. It’s not real.”
Nico blinked. His knees began to shake.
Opal was watching Warren Holland like a hawk. “Nico, look at his eyes.”
Almost against his will, Nico met his father’s glare. He saw nothing but loathing there. “You’re a failure, boy.” Warren nodded as if making a proclamation. “I wish you weren’t my son.”
Opal squeezed Nico’s hand, anchoring him. “No! Look again. Nico, look hard.”
Nico’s legs wobbled, but he didn’t fall. Someone was at his back, standing firm. He turned to find Tyler there, with Emma beside him. She put a hand on Nico’s shoulder. Even Logan joined the group, glowering at Nico’s father, who continued scowling at them all like they’d stolen something.
“It’s not real,” Opal repeated. “We’re with you.”
Nico sucked in a shaky breath. Met his father’s piercing stare. The anger was still there, but also … something else. The whites of his father’s eyes. They were … glowing. They were red.
“He’s a figment,” Opal whispered. “This isn’t your father. It’s your fear.”
Warren moved closer to the churning, thrashing pool. “My job is all that matters, Nico. I don’t care how it affects you. That�
��s not important. It was never important.”
“Don’t listen,” Tyler hissed. “That isn’t your father, it’s a monster. It’s your monster, Nico. You can handle it. We’ve got your back.”
Nico gasped, his head spinning like the frigid pool. “But … it might … some of it …”
“Doesn’t matter.” Opal pointed at Warren Holland. “That is a nightmare, and it needs to go away now.”
His father’s voice filled with menace. “Nico, get away from those brats. They aren’t your friends. They’re using you. They’re laughing at you.”
“That’s a bunch of crap!” Emma darted forward and jabbed her finger in Warren’s face. “Say whatever you want, liar, but he’s got us. We’ll always have his back.”
Warren’s red-tinged eyes narrowed. His hands curled into fists.
Nico slid in front of Emma and went nose to nose with his father. “You’re not real.” He wiped his eyes. Nico’s fear morphed to anger and he let it run. “What you said isn’t true. But even if it is, I’ll be fine. I have people who care about me. I’m not alone.”
The figment of Warren Holland glared at Nico, a vein throbbing in its neck. When it made no further move, Nico put a hand to his father’s uniformed chest. “Get out of here.”
He pushed.
His fingers shot through to nothing as Warren Holland vanished.
Nico felt something lift from his spirit. He took a rasping, choking inhale as Opal, Tyler, and Emma swarmed him in a hug. Logan stood a foot away and gave Nico an awkward shoulder pat.
The Darkdeep exploded.
A column of black liquid shot up from the pool to hammer against the ceiling, showering the room with icy droplets. At the same time, something metal scraped against the staircase.
Tyler ran over and looked up. “The Reaper’s back!” His voice shook with fear. Opal broke toward the steps.
Nico wanted to help her, like she had him, but couldn’t tear his eyes from the Darkdeep. Inside it, something dark took form. The ghostly outline of a face appeared. It stared at Nico with hollow eyes.
Despair flooded Nico’s mind. He wanted to whimper in fear but was too terrified to make a sound. He knew instinctively that this was no figment.
This was the Darkdeep.
