by Walsh, Sara
Sol shot me a warning look. I shrugged. I knew it was a big promise. But these were kids, right?
I pointed to the gap where Ben hid. Bent at the waist, Sol shuffled through. As soon as he was clear of the rock, I passed the torch in to offer him some light, then poked my head inside. As the cramped space lit, Sol dropped to his knees, Ben’s body tiny beside him.
“Do you think it’s safe to move him?” I asked.
Sol wasn’t about to wait and find out. He got his arms beneath Ben’s emaciated frame, and then, as if he were air, lifted him from the nest.
“We’ll go back to the main tunnel,” I said, backing up to let Sol through.
“And then we’re leaving?” asked Alex.
Sol emerged carrying Ben. Seeing them together like that, my voice caught in my throat. “We’re leaving soon, Alex. Let’s just get Ben out of here first.”
Once back in the main cavern, the boys settled in a dry alcove close to where Sol and I had first talked. Alex took charge of Ben, his chirpy whispers carrying on the air. Satisfied they were safe, I led Sol out of their hearing.
“Did you find a way out?” I asked.
Sol shook his head. He simmered; his jaw tense, his back straight. I told him everything that Alex had said about Jay.
“It must be the Nonsky Fault,” I said. “Vermillion was right. He’s trying for the Equinox.”
Sol had not spoken a word. He blinked as if waking from a deep sleep. “I’m going to kill him,” he said.
The tone in his voice scared me. This was a side of Sol I’d never seen. I’d seen him angry at what had happened to the valley, at the demons, at Malone. But never had he been this measured, this dangerous.
“If I have to call out the whole of the West,” Sol said, his tone even. “If I have to burn every brick of this place down, I will kill Elias.”
I reached for Sol’s hand. “But you’d never do that. You’d never hurt the people here. The Suzerain knows it. He’s always got that over you.”
Sol looked down at me and a little of his anger faded.
“Sol, that kid’s not going to make it if we don’t get him out of here.”
Alex still entertained Ben, pulling faces, prancing around, trying to keep what was left of the poor kid’s spirit alive. I caught Sol watching them. Fire burned in his eyes. Tears fell from mine.
“It’s me that monster wants,” I whispered. “It’s my fault.”
Sol pulled me to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me. “It’s everyone’s fault,” he said.
* * *
Hours must have passed, but in the monotonous gloom it was impossible to keep track of time. I’d wrapped my jacket around Ben and hugged him close trying to keep him warm. Alex was slumped at my side, his head resting against my shoulder. We waited for Sol to return from another search of the pit.
Every few minutes I looked back at the distant guardhouse. In every moment, I expected a commotion and for the Suzerain to appear. So far there’d been no sign of activity. But how long would that last?
“Have they even fed you down here?” I asked Alex.
“Bread and stuff.”
“Do they bring it in?” I asked, wondering if we could rush the guards when they entered the pit with food.
“They leave it on a tray on the other side of the bars,” said Alex. “And then they throw stuff at you when you reach for it.”
“That’s not very nice.”
“They’re dipshits,” he said.
“Alex!”
“They are. I’m glad Jay kicked one.”
I rocked Ben in my arms and again looked to the bars. “Me too,” I said.
Sol’s flickering torch eventually reappeared. I’d stopped asking—Anything?—about six hunts ago. Everything I needed to know was written on Sol’s face.
“I had no idea this place was so big,” he said, as he crouched beside us.
“It’s huge,” said Alex. “Simon tried to walk around it once.”
“Simon?” asked Sol.
“Wilkins,” I replied. “One of the other boys.”
Still hunkering down, Sol tapped Alex on the arm. “And did he reach the end?” he asked. “This Simon Wilkins.”
Alex shook his head.
Sol smiled. “Then maybe he should have walked backwards.”
Alex had latched on to Sol ever since we’d hooked up. It had taken all my powers of persuasion to keep him beside me whenever Sol ventured deeper into the cavern. Now they grinned like brothers.
Alex looked from me to Sol. He scrunched up his face. “Backwards?” he said.
“It’s just something I heard,” replied Sol. “If you walk backwards for long enough, you’ll eventually find your way back to the front.”
Alex frowned. “Huh?”
“You should try it,” said Sol, again smiling. “It’ll pass the time. Keep you warm.”
Up for the challenge, Alex sprang to his feet. He began to walk backward into the cave.
“But don’t trip on the rocks,” said Sol. “It doesn’t work if you trip on the rocks.”
“Really?”
Sol shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”
Alex continued with arms outstretched. Soon he’d left our haven of light.
“Alex, you do realize he’s making this up.” I nudged Sol in the ribs, though inside I was grateful that he was keeping Alex amused.
Alex’s voice echoed back. “I wanna see. I wanna—”
A gargled scream reverberated. A dull thump followed. Sol leapt up. A second passed and Alex reappeared. He pointed into the gloom.
“Something’s out there,” he cried. “It touched my leg.”
Sol dashed in front of Alex, guarding him from whatever was out there. “Did you see it?” he asked.
“Only felt it,” Alex replied. He peeked out from behind Sol’s arm, his head barely reaching the height of Sol’s chest.
The commotion stirred Ben. He raised his head as Sol inched closer to the darkness, all of us on high alert. Something was out there.
Away to our left, a low figure scuttled across the rock. A cry echoed—“wheep, wheep.”
“What is it?” whispered Alex to Sol.
Sol peered deeper into the gloom. Not a muscle in his body moved. He sniffed the air. “Mia,” he said. “I think it’s a friend.”
I gently released Ben before joining Alex and Sol where the dark met the light. I squinted into the blackness. Whatever was out there moved around—you could hear loose rocks shifting beneath its feet, followed by a whistle and then a chirrup.
“It can’t be,” I breathed. “Sol, it’s my gutterscamp. It’s the same one.”
“I think so,” said Sol. He took Alex’s arm and together they retreated so as not to scare it away.
Alone, I crouched and reached a hand into the blackness. “Hey, bud,” I said. “It’s me, Mia. Remember me?”
The gutterscamp leapt closer. Light flared in its eyes.
“How’d you get in here?” I whispered, desperate not to alarm him. “Come on, buddy. I won’t hurt you.”
I glanced over my shoulder to Sol. “There must be a way in,” I said.
Alex still peered out from behind Sol’s arm. “What is it?”
“It’s a friend of mine,” I replied. I couldn’t hold in my smile. “I told you we’d get out.”
“It knows the way out?”
Out of reach, the gutterscamp swayed side to side.
“He got in here somehow.”
Beyond elated, I got back to my feet. “We have to follow him,” I said. “He can lead us out.”
Sol was already helping up Ben. Alex headed for the gutterscamp.
“Not too close,” I whispered, and I reached for his hand. “Give him some space or you’ll scare him off.”
The gutterscamp remained close to the wall, sniffing at the puddles on the ground.
“What’s it doing?” whispered Alex.
“I have no idea,” I replied.
&nb
sp; With Ben in his arms, Sol came to our side. “Gutterscamps can sense movement through the ground,” he said. “It’s probably just checking for danger.”
As if the creature had heard Sol’s words, its neck shot straight up and its gaze pierced the blackness from which it had emerged. It leapt off into the darkness.
“Now,” said Sol. “Quickly.”
I snatched up the torch and hurried after them. We stayed as far back as we dared, desperate not to scare the scamp away, but fearful that it would vanish into the black void. Hope rose with every step. We were going to get out—I knew it. There was no way we could have come through the Wastes, the valley, Malone’s, only to be snared like rats in a trap, waiting powerlessly for the moment when the Suzerain realized who I was.
The gutterscamp froze.
“Stop,” whispered Sol.
Huddled around the torch, we watched as the creature reared onto its hind legs, its tail outstretched for balance. A clatter of rocks came from deeper in the cave.
“Did you hear that?” I uttered, breathless. “Something’s out there.”
The gutterscamp darted for the wall. It clung to the rock, its gaze fixed in the direction of the sound.
“Back,” said Sol. He took the torch from my hand and placed Ben into my arms. “Mia, take the boys.”
For a bag of bones, Ben felt pretty heavy. Desperate not to drop him, I shepherded Alex back to the wall. Alone in the center of the passage, Sol stood in a circle of light, his chin raised as he again sniffed the air.
I pulled Ben closer to me, expecting that at any moment some fell creature would lope into the light and take Sol down with a single swipe.
Sol lowered the torch, his head tilting as he peered into the darkness. Without warning, he dashed forward. Panicked, I began to follow before realizing that I was holding Ben. I’d barely put him down, when a smiling face appeared in Sol’s light. Certain my mind was playing tricks, I froze. Delane stepped from the gloom with Vermillion, back to her normal self, close behind.
As soon as he saw us, Delane’s grin widened. “We thought we’d never find you,” he said, as he and Sol hugged. “What is this place?”
“Elias’s guesthouse,” replied Sol.
I don’t know who was more shocked to see them, me or Sol. From the look on his face, I was willing to give Sol the edge.
“Surprised?” asked Delane.
“Relieved,” said Sol. “And yes, surprised.”
I still couldn’t believe it was them. But if it was some kind of cruel trick, then there was no way Sol should see them too. You couldn’t share a hallucination.
“I don’t believe it!” I squealed. I dashed into the huddle, grabbing hold of Vermillion as she joined the celebration. I even forgave Sol when he gave her a big welcome hug.
“How?” I gasped.
“The little critter showed up at the house,” said Delane, gesturing to the gutterscamp. “It was going mad. I knew it had to be the same one. I’d seen what had happened at the square. I knew they’d taken you.” He shook his head. “Mia . . .”
“I know,” I said. “I’m crazy. Should never have done it. What was I thinking?”
“I was going to say thanks,” he said. He pulled me in for a hug.
“It was for the shadow imp,” I replied, hugging back. “But I still owe you for the stripe-backs.”
The gutterscamp lingered in the background, more interested in a bug crawling on the rocks than the fact that it had just saved our lives.
“Never feed a gutterscamp, eh?” I said, as I stepped away from Delane.
“An act of kindness repaid,” Vermillion replied.
I inched toward the creature, expecting him to scamper away as he always did. To my surprise, he stretched out his hand. My fingers grazed soft smooth skin.
“Screes, Mia,” warned Delane.
“It’s worth it.”
We touched for a couple of seconds before the gutterscamp pulled away. I wished there was a way to say thanks.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said instead. I turned for the boys. “This is Ben. And this is—”
Alex stood behind Sol, a familiar expression on his face. Eyes as round as silver dollars, jaw pretty much on the ground, he stared at Vermillion.
I rolled my eyes. “Not you too,” I said, and gave him a nudge. “Alex!”
Alex continued to gape; he was lost in Vermillion’s world.
“Delane, you’d better take him,” I said. “Maybe he’ll snap out of it once we’re moving.”
Vermillion had already intercepted me. “He can come with me,” she said, putting her arm around Alex. Her fingers went to his hair. “A little boy like this would make a—”
“I don’t think so,” I said, horrified by the thought of Alex ending up in one of Vermillion’s jars. “He can stay with me.”
Delane led on with the gutterscamp slightly ahead, and Sol at his side carrying Ben.
“He led us through the sewers beneath Blood Alley,” said Delane. “A wall’s collapsed down there and there’s a tunnel full of gutterscamp nests that leads to a shaft. The Suzerain can’t know or he would have sealed it.” He stopped and then pointed up. “It’s pretty tight, especially if one of us has to carry the boy.”
About twelve feet up there was a black opening in the cavern wall. The gutterscamp bounded up and through.
“We have to climb,” said Delane. “Vermillion, you first.”
Vermillion took Alex’s hand. She led him to the wall.
“You next, Mia.”
“Ben first,” I replied, and ushered Sol forward. “He’s been here longer.”
Sol had barely taken a step with Ben when a loud clang resonated through the pit. We all froze.
“That was the gates,” said Sol. “They’re coming. Move. Go.”
A shout boomed. I just about shed my skin.
“Poppy Fellows!”
My stomach turned. “That’s me,” I cried.
“Poppy Fellows! Make yourself known!”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Put out the torch,” said Sol. He thrust Ben into Delane’s arms. “They’ll see.”
We were far from the guardhouse, but already two tiny clusters of orange light were visible some way back in the cavern.
Panicked, I bashed the torch against the rocks, convinced that at any moment we’d be spotted. It refused to die.
“It’s not working!” I said, searching for a pool of water in which to drown the flames. “Delane, go. Get them out.”
“POPPY FELLOWS!”
Clinging to the wall, almost in reach of the shaft, Vermillion and Alex clambered upward. “Go!” I begged, wrestling the torch. “Sol, they’ll see us.”
Seconds sped by. The window for escape was rapidly closing.
“There’s no time,” said Sol. “Mia, you have to go.”
“I’m not leaving you here,” I replied. “Sol, it’s me they want; if they don’t find me they’ll know something’s going on.”
Delane still held Ben in his arms. “Solandun, we won’t all get through in time,” he said. “Any second they’ll see us.”
“Why haven’t you gone yet?” I asked, forcing him toward the shaft. “There’s time to get the kids out. Delane, you have to help Ben, but you have to go now. If they catch any one of us crawling through that gap, they’re going to follow. We can’t let them find out how you got in here.”
He did not climb.
“Please,” I urged. “Save the kids. Get them to Bromasta—tell him they’ve taken Jay and the boys to the Nonsky Fault.”
Finally Delane nodded. “All right,” he said. He gestured to his side where a dagger hung from his belt. “Solandun, take it. Use it.”
With Ben clutched to his chest, Delane scrambled up toward the shaft. I moved away from the cavern wall, offering the sentinels a target far from where the others escaped.
Sol hung back, close to the wall, the dagger firmly in his grip. “I’ll be right behind you,” he whispered
. “Take care.”
He vanished into the darkness before I could reply.
Torch quivering in my hand, I walked toward the sentinels.
“Drop the flame!” commanded one as soon as I was in reach.
I dropped the torch.
“Hands up.”
I raised my hands.
“Now follow. The Suzerain awaits.”
Though I allowed my face to show no emotion, inside I screamed. The Suzerain had spoken to Malone. He knew. But the others would be safe and that was all that mattered. With Sol somewhere behind me, I gave myself over to fate. In minutes, we’d be free or we’d be dead.
We passed the spot of our makeshift camp, passed the opening to the passage where I’d found Alex. There was still no sign of Sol. Cold sweat covered my skin. My breaths, already shallow and rapid, grew faster with each step. I struggled to focus, concentrating only on the sentinels, the bobbing torches in their hands, and the fast approaching light of the guard room. The bars appeared. Two guards waited beyond.
“Bring her through,” said one. “She’s to be taken to the council room.”
My gaze fixed on the guard as he moved to the lock. The rattle of steel against stone followed. If Sol meant to strike, it had to be now; there was only so long I could delay before stepping through that gate. Careful not to betray that Sol was behind me, I looked to the ground, dragging my heels, counting the seconds until the chance to escape would be gone.
Come on, Sol!
Sol flew from the shadows.
The first sentinel fell from a dagger through its throat. The second had barely turned when it suffered the same fate. Carnage exploding, the guard at the gate yelled as he scrambled for the bars. Too late. I’d snatched the second sentinel’s torch before it touched the ground. Vaulting its body, I thrust the flames at the guard’s hand. With a scream, the guard pulled back. It was all the gap Sol needed to burst through the gates.
He moved as fast as a sentinel, almost flying, his movements both powerful and effortless. One thrust of the dagger and the guard at the gate went down. A leap and the second joined him on the ground. Blood flowed.
I leapt over the fallen gate guard, joining Sol in the antechamber, ready to fight. The gate guard moaned, grabbing the bars as he struggled to rise. Face pale, his front soaked with blood, he toppled back, dragging the gate closed as he fell. He collapsed to the ground and did not move.
