Desperation marked the faces of every agent and science officer still standing. They were throwing anything and everything they had at the Alphas and the giant portal. But Zoey could see it wasn’t enough. Even if they did succeed at breaching the Alpha army and attacking the portal, she knew that to destroy the Great Junction once and for all, they had to shut the portal on the Nexus side as well.
“Simon, how much time left?” Zoey was worried that they had spent too much time in the white fortress.
Simon pulled out his cell phone. “Just a little less than seven hours left.”
“It didn’t feel like we spent five hours with the Minitians,” remarked Tristan. “We could have been trapped there forever.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t end up at the bottom of the ocean with the rest of their castle,” said Zoey.
She pulled out the small glass vial with the green crystalized sand. She shook it and examined it closer. “There’s something written on it.”
Tristan leaned forward. “What does it say?”
“Sprinkle one teaspoon . . .” she read, “over subject . . . do not . . . do not . . . the rest is completely worn off. I can’t make it out—”
“Let me see that.” Simon grabbed the container out of Zoey’s hand. “Do not . . . I think that’s an A and then L L—do not all?”
Zoey grabbed it back. “That makes no sense at all. Well, I’ll go first.”
She unscrewed the lid and tipped a small amount of the green crystals into her palm. They sparkled in the dim light like emeralds.
“I guess that’s about a teaspoon. Okay, here goes nothing.”
She raised her hand to the top of her head and sprinkled the green sand all over herself.
A cool sensation rippled over her body like ice cubes rolling over her skin. She waited for about ten seconds and then looked down at herself and sulked. “I can still see me. Can you guys still see me?”
“Yes.” Tristan took the vial. “Maybe it takes a few minutes to work. Let me try.”
He sprinkled some of the contents on himself waited, and then gave the container to Simon.
“Maybe you didn’t sprinkle enough.” Simon dumped the green sand over his body.
“Simon! What are you doing?” hissed Zoey. “It says a teaspoon not a large bucketful.”
Simon shrugged and pocketed the nearly empty container. “We’ll see.”
The three of them waited in silence, and Zoey started to get impatient.
“Anyone noticing any changes?”
Tristan shook his head. “Nope.”
“I’m hungry,” said Simon. “Does that count?”
Just when Zoey thought that maybe Muttab’s potion had been defective, a rumbling sound came from her belly like a hungry growl. And then . . . nothing.
“Hey, isn’t that Director Martin,” Simon pointed towards the portal. “I’d recognize that ugly face tied to a pole, upside down, and blindfolded.”
Even from the distance and covered in shadows, Zoey recognized that hateful scowl, that condescending smile, and those accusing eyes. It was indeed Director Martin. He strolled among the Alphas and mystics like it was a regular walk in the park. No one paid any attention to him, like he wasn’t even there. He was walking straight for the portal.
Zoey’s eyes widened. “He’s got my bag! That’s Agent Franken’s bag with the UECs. But why does he have it?”
“And why aren’t the Alphas stopping him?” said Tristan.
Zoey watched as the director passed a mass of Alphas and werewolf-babies and stepped right through the giant blue portal.
“What the—?” Simon stepped away from the tree and pointed.
“Did you see that? He just walked right by them and into the portal like nobody’s business. Guys, what the heck’s going on?”
Tristan pulled Simon back. “I don’t know. I’d never thought he would be a traitor—”
“I would.” Zoey checked that her weapon was secured on her wrist.
“Zoey, why are you smiling?” inquired Simon. “Did I miss the memo? Is this ‘We all love Director Martin Day’? Let’s bake him a freaking cake! I thought you hated the guy.”
“I do hate the guy,” said Zoey. “But now we have a chance to get my bag back—and the UECs. We find Director Martin—”
“We shut the portals,” finished Tristan. His smile matched Zoey’s.
“Uh . . . dudes . . . I think the spell thing is working,” said Simon.
Zoey looked at the spot where she had last seen Simon. At first she thought he was completely invisible, but as she looked she could see traces of him, like an optical illusion. But it was more than that. Grass and tree bark and branches reflected on him. It was as though he was reflecting off what was around him, like he was painted with mirror paint. He wasn’t invisible, but rather he was giving off the illusion of invisibility. And when she looked where Tristan had stood moments ago, his body was just like Simon’s, reflecting off his surroundings. If she focused, she could see her friends through the illusion, almost like trick-photography. If she knew where they were, and what to look for, she could see them. It was ingenious. She hoped this disguise was clever enough to fool the Alphas. They only needed a few minutes to get through to the portal.
“This is so awesome,” exclaimed Simon’s voice. “Think of all the things we could do! If we live though this, I could totally use the green stuff again and check out the girls’ washrooms. I’ve always suspected theirs was nicer than ours. Plus it doesn’t smell like pee.”
“I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear that.” Zoey laughed, took a few steps forward, and stood in the clearing. It was a little suicidal. She was in the perfect spot to get noticed. But that’s what she wanted. A few Alphas rushed by, and then two werewolf-babies and a worm-like creature with a bearded face, but they never even glanced her way. Muttab’s potion worked. They couldn’t see her.
“Guys,” whispered Zoey, “get over here.”
The mirror effect was so good that even Zoey had to concentrate really hard to see her friends.
“Ouch!” she cried as something hard hit her in the nose.
“SHH!”
“Hey! That’s my foot!”
“Lower your voices!” hissed Zoey.
“That’s my other foot!”
“Okay, okay,” said Simon’s voice. “But Tristan pushed me.”
“Sorry,” laughed Tristan. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Ha, ha.”
Zoey scowled. “Do I have to tie you two together or can you manage to make it across by yourselves?”
There was still two hundred feet to cross before they made it to the portal, and they had to get Agent Franken’s bag back.
“Remember,” she whispered as they huddled together. “We’re not exactly invisible so try not to draw any attention our way. We might just be able to make it across without them noticing us. Be careful and try not to bump into anyone.”
“Why do I get the feeling that was directed at me?” whined Simon.
“Because it probably was,” mocked Tristan.
Zoey wanted to slap them both. “Come on.”
With her boomerang in her hand, Zoey lead the way. She was ready if anything was to happen, but she hoped to make it across safely. She suspected that the real dangers were on the other side of that portal.
They slipped and zigzagged through the battle. The smell of blood and sulfur hung heavily in the air like horrid burning incense. Desperately trying not to cough or breathe loudly, Zoey dodged a large female Alpha with spiked hair and two large machetes in her man-like hands.
“Now that’s a handsome man,” whispered Simon once the woman was out of earshot.
Just as Zoey was about to turn around and slap Simon for real this time, another Alpha charged in her direction. Tristan pulled them both out of the way, and the Alpha ran passed them and kicked an agent in the gut.
“Don’t stop,” said Tristan in a low voice. “We’re almost there.”<
br />
It was difficult to see through the dim light, and Zoey wondered how Tristan could see so well when she could barely make out his face. Maybe it was because of his Mysterian blood.
Another group of Alphas rushed by, but they crept further along without being discovered.
Zoey looked up. The giant blue portal was only twelve feet away. They had made it.
“Hey, what’s that?”
Zoey froze. Tristan and Simon both crashed into her, and the three of them toppled to the ground.
An Alpha man rushed their way. He had extra badges on the front of his uniform, and Zoey was sure he was of higher rank. A large sword hung in his right hand.
“What is it, Captain?” another Alpha joined him.
The Captain lifted his sword inches from Zoey’s face, and she backed away.
“There. You see that? I thought I saw a young girl’s face right here.”
The other Alpha shook his head. “Don’t see anything. You sure?”
Zoey’s skin started to tingle. She looked down at herself. Her hand was visible. It looked like a severed hand floating in the air. She hid it behind her back and held her breath.
The Captain eyed the spot where they lay. His eyes rolled over them.
Zoey felt Tristan’s hand on hers and then he squeezed. Slowly, and as silently as they could, the three of them rose to their feet—
“There! Look! I see them!”
Zoey cursed. She could see half of Tristan’s face and Simon’s jeans. Things were not good.
“Time to go!” said Simon.
“KILL THEM!”
The captain swung his sword dangerously close to Zoey’s abdomen. She jumped out of the way just as the blade sliced through her shirt.
Zoey grabbed her friends by the arms. “Get to the portal!”
They were still half invisible, and it worked in their favor. They charged through the crowd of unsuspecting Alphas without being seen. The portal was just a few feet away. Zoey’s nerves tingled. She was almost there.
“Don’t let them get to the portal!” cried the captain.
The giant blue portal was so close now that Zoey felt a cool breeze brush her face. It was as though the portal was sucking her in. For a split second she felt fear. What was waiting for them on the other side?
Tristan and Simon’s images wavered beside her. With a last effort, she held her breath and leaped through—
Chapter 13
The Nexus
Darkness. Silence.
Zoey’s limbs felt heavy and restrained, like she had fallen into thick pea soup. She didn’t dare to breathe. What if she suffocated? The effects of stepping through the portal weren’t at all the same as using the mirror ports. Her body hadn’t rematerialized, and she hadn’t broken apart into miniscule particles. She just felt like she was floating and slowing down. It was as though time stood still and she had stopped moving.
She couldn’t see or sense Tristan or Simon although she was sure they had entered the portal at the same time. But she felt alone. Stuck. Maybe they couldn’t pass through to the other side, and they were all going to die . . . .
And just when she thought she’d be stuck there forever, her shoes touched solid ground. Dizzy and disoriented, Zoey moved on instinct with her boomerang ready. Simon and Tristan landed beside her, completely visible. Their eyes were out of focus, like they were just waking from a dream. She felt exactly the same.
Seconds passed. The effects of the portal wore off. The portal stirred, but nothing came through.
They weren’t being pursued.
The portal on this side was not at all like the portal on her side. Instead of the watery light-blue surface, this side was red and churning like hot magma. She took a careful step back.
When she realized she was still holding her breath, she let it go, took a deep breath, and coughed. Her throat stung like she had swallowed liquid bleach. The air was thick, hot, and reeked of sulfur. It was almost like a poisonous gas. How long could they breathe this toxic air before it killed them?
“This place smells like my Grandpa Gordon’s bathroom,” said Simon as he pinched his nose.
“I never realized how different the portals would be,” she coughed, trying not to think too much about the quality of the air. “On our side it’s blue, and on this side it’s red, thick, and angry looking.”
“That’s not all that’s different,” she heard Tristan say. “Look.”
Zoey turned around.
Vast red deserts of smoke and ash spread out before her. High winds blew sand into her eyes and thunder roared from above. The sky was a ruby color with dark maroon clouds moving fast against two suns. In the distance, black mountains with jagged peaks rose like spears. Rivers of black waters snaked in and around the land like dark worms. From what she could see, there was no plant life, no greenery—nothing, just miles and miles of red deserts and black mountains. The land was harsh and unforgiving. The Nexus was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
Thunder boomed. But this time it sounded as though it was coming from underground. The ground trembled below Zoey’s feet. A few hundred yards to her left the ground opened up. An area as large as a lake collapsed and disappeared down into the crevice.
“Looks like the Nexus is struggling with the Great Junction, too,” said Tristan, his face worried.
Zoey nodded. “Means we don’t have much time to find the missing bag and my mother.”
“It looks like a giant bowl of tomato soup,” noted Simon as he turned away from the portal. He rubbed his belly. “I’m so hungry! Where’s the food?”
“Simon?” said Zoey, her voice rising. “You’re the one who was carrying the food. Where’s your bag?”
“Ooops.”
Tristan loomed over him. “What do you mean oops? Where’s the food? Don’t tell me you forgot to bring it?”
“I, I . . .” began Simon. “I just put it down for a second when we were sprinkling ourselves with the magic salt.”
He shrugged. “I guess I must have left it by the tree.”
Zoey glared at Simon, but then her expression softened. “I don’t want to fight. If forgetting the food was the worst that could happen to us, then we still have a real chance.”
She reached inside her backpack and pulled out a water bottle. “At least we’ll be hydrated. Here, have some water.” She tossed Simon her bottle and did her best not to look angry or disappointed. She doubted they were going to starve to death anyway. They only had a few hours left. It wouldn’t matter if they starved if the end of the world was on its way.
Something nagged her. “Guys, pull out your DSMs. Hurry.”
She waited until they all had them opened in their hands. “Flip them open. You see anything different?”
“Yeah,” noted Tristan. “My reflection’s off. I look like a ghost. I’m not solid.”
Simon stared at his DSM, “What do you think that means?”
“I think I know.” Zoey stared at her own phantom-like reflection and waited. When their specter-like reflections didn’t shimmer, she looked up at her friends.
“It means they don’t work here, we can’t use them to get back. It means the only way home is back through that portal.”
Tristan pocketed his DSM. “What about you? What about your abilities? Maybe it’s different?”
Zoey concentrated on the Hive. She had been able to create her own anchor points before, but after a minute had passed, her image still didn’t shimmer.
“Nothing, sorry,” she said a little deflated. “I can’t make it work.” She was just like any other Seventh.
Simon tossed the bottle of water to Tristan. “So, now what? This world is probably just as big as or bigger than our world. How are we supposed to find Traitor-Martin?”
“There.” Tristan kneeled. “Fresh tracks. It has to be him. They head out north towards those black mountains over there. If we hurry, we might catch him.”
Zoey stared at the ground and dug into the red sa
nd with her boomerang. “And if we don’t hurry the wind will blow away the tracks. Come on, we need that bag.”
With Tristan in the lead, the three of them followed the tracks in a jog. As they ran, Zoey glanced a few times behind her. She was still expecting some Alphas to come through the portal, but they never did. It was odd that they hadn’t chased them.
They passed a curved stream of black water that bubbled like hot oil. As she examined it more closely, a pair of eyes broke the surface and blinked at her. Zoey lost her footing and tripped.
Tristan whirled around. “Zoey? Are you okay?” He pulled her up.
Zoey stared at the water. “I saw something.”
“What?” Simon leaned over the stream. “I don’t see anything.”
“That doesn’t mean there’s nothing there,” warned Zoey. “I wouldn’t get too close to that water . . . there could be Grohemoths, or something more evil.”
Simon jumped back. “Right. Let’s not disturb the water.”
“Come on,” urged Tristan, “I’m losing the tracks.”
After about a half hour of running, Zoey thought her lungs would burst.
“Water,” she heard Simon grumble behind her. “I need water.”
Tristan stopped and turned. “How much water do we have left?”
“Just two bottles,” said Zoey. “We need the water for the way back.”
Simon pinched the cramp at his side. “What?” his face was as red as the sand. “Listen, I need just a sip, just a sip. Please.”
“We can’t. Maybe if we walk the rest of the way? This air is really hard to breathe. I don’t think I can run anymore, either.” Zoey’s legs started to shake.
Simon hung his head. “I’m going to die. We’re all going to die.”
Tristan wiped the sweat from his brow. “Okay, I think we’re getting close anyway. I can sort of see a city near the bottom of the mountains there.”
Zoey squinted into the wind. Tristan was right. She could barely make out the silhouette of a city below the black mountains. She hoped her mother would be there somewhere.
“I’m so hungry I could eat my own foot,” whined Simon, dragging his feet.
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