by P. C. Cast
“Are those rails?” Monroe asked.
Sheena nodded. “They are. See how they lead up to the find and then stretch all the way out there into the river proper?”
Nik did see—and he didn’t like what he saw.
“Man, this is sweet!” Thaddeus said. “We can use the rails to climb up to the opening, and when we’re done we can paddle the kayaks over here and slide the heaviest pieces of metal down these things and load them right up.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” Sheena said.
“Yeah, Sheena and I used them to climb up and check out the find. It was a nice change from slogging through those terrible vines and undergrowth.” Crystal shivered. “You never know what’s hidden beneath that stuff.”
“Why isn’t it covered in vines?” Nik said, causing everyone to turn to look at him. “Did you and Sheena clear them off before you climbed up there?”
“Nope, they looked just like this when we found them,” Crystal said.
“How about the area around them?” Nik gestured at the blocks and supports. Except for the choking river reeds that were in the water, the rails were eerily free of plants and debris.
“Nope again,” Crystal said. “We didn’t do much of anything except use the rails to get up there.”
“What’s the problem, Nik?” Wilkes asked.
“I don’t know. It feels wrong to me.”
Wilkes shrugged. “There are lots of rocks here, and lots of water. Maybe vines can’t grow on the rails.”
Nik pointed at the rest of the bank. “Same rocks and water there, and there, but lots of vines.”
“I see that,” Wilkes said, rubbing his chin. “Maybe the things are toxic. You never know what kind of crap is leeching out of them.”
Nik carefully stepped up onto a wide cement block and followed it to a rail, then crouched beside it. It was big—really big—and now that he was closer he could see that the rails had been fashioned with a thick groove, as if to hook a giant something into them so that it could slide down and into the river. Easily three feet across they were rusted, but looked solid—as if they had been used yesterday. Nik thumped the top of the first rail with his knuckles. “It’s just metal. No different from train tracks or bridge supports. They’re big.” He paused, looking up at the vine-choked building the rails led to. “Might have been a place where they built ships, what with this access to the water. Doesn’t seem like it’s toxic. Those other plants are flourishing.”
“What are you getting at, except wasting our time?” Thaddeus said.
Nik ignored him and kept talking to Wilkes. “It’s like the rails have been cleared so that we’d use them.” He pointed up at the section of green from which a piece of glass winked enticingly. “Up there feels as wrong as this does down here.”
“Wrong?” Wilkes asked.
“Like we’re being led here by a strategically placed mirror and conveniently cleared vines,” Nik said.
“Oh, come on! That’s ridiculous. He’s chasing ghosts again,” Thaddeus said, throwing his arms up in disgust.
“Nik, Sheena and I climbed up there. We looked into the hole. It’s just an eroded roof to some kind of huge warehouse—that’s all. Like you said, it’s probably where they built the ships and then used these rails to launch them into the river,” Crystal said.
“I hear you, Nik, and I agree we should be cautious, but there’s lots of metal rods and chains and glass inside,” Sheena added. “And no sign of anything else. The inside’s covered with dust and debris. Nothing’s been in there except rodents and insects for centuries.”
“I believe you,” Nik told her. “I still don’t like how this find is adding up. I think we should torch the place before anyone goes inside.”
“Great bloody beetle balls! You’ve got to be fucking kidding,” Thaddeus exploded. “That’ll set us back days, maybe even weeks.”
“Being dead will set us back even further,” Nik said. He turned to Wilkes. “You know why you brought me along, and I’m telling you I’m seeing something here the others aren’t. It won’t hurt anything to torch it—let it burn—and then come back with more Warriors to stand guard while we scavenge the glass and metal.”
“Except the glass will most likely be ruined from the fire.” Thaddeus shook his head. “No. We do it Nik’s way and days will be wasted. The Tribe needs new nests now, not whenever Nik decides it’s safe enough to forage.”
“Nik, what is it you fear?” Wilkes asked.
“Yesterday Davis, O’Bryan, and I were ambushed by Scratchers. This,” Nik swept his arm out, taking in the big rusted rails, the strange rectangular pool, and the building that hulked above them, “feels like another ambush to me.”
“Nik, you know Scratchers never go in the city,” Crystal said gently.
“I don’t mean Scratchers. I mean Skin Stealers.”
“But we haven’t seen any sign of them,” Monroe said. “None at all.”
“That’s one of the things that has me worried,” Nik said. “Usually we catch at least a glimpse of one of their fires—or some poor dead creature they trapped, flayed alive, and then nailed up the leftover corpse like a trophy. Did anyone see any of those signs on their way here?”
As a group they shook their heads.
“Which could mean those carrion eaters have moved on—or inward—or just haven’t hunted near here lately,” Wilkes said. “That’s actually a good thing, Nik.” The Leader went to Nik and put his hand on his shoulder. “I understand what you’ve just been through. This was probably bad timing—to go back out so soon. I think it’s clouding your judgment, son.”
“I hope you’re right,” Nik said.
“I am. But let’s all stay aware. Listen to your canines. If they sense danger, alert everyone and get back to the kayaks,” Wilkes said. “Okay, Sheena, Crystal, this is your find. You get to lead the way.”
“Yippee!” Crystal cheered, causing Grace to jump around her joyfully. “Come on, my girl! Let’s go get our new window.”
29
Doing a little happy dance, Crystal stepped onto the first rail with Grace right behind her. The metal was so wide that the canine didn’t bobble at all, but padded easily after her Companion.
“We climbed up using this one, and down using the other,” Sheena explained. “So both are safe.”
“Okay, Monroe, you and Viper follow them, then Thaddeus and Odysseus. Odin and I will bring up the rear.” Wilkes glanced at Nik. “Are you coming or would you rather stay here?”
“I’ll go where you want me,” Nik said, scanning the area around them for any sign of what was making his skin crawl. Maybe Wilkes is right—maybe I did come out too soon.
“We have enough bows up there. Stay down here in case anything tries to sneak up on us,” Wilkes said.
“Will do,” Nik said.
“Hey, what’s the holdup, Sheena?”
Nik and Wilkes turned at Monroe’s question to see that Sheena’s Captain was pacing nervously back and forth beside the wide rail. His Companion was already standing on the rail, but the big Shepherd kept sending nervous looks down at the murky, reed-clogged water that lapped thickly below them.
“Come on, Captain, let’s go, big boy!”
Captain whined fretfully and didn’t follow her.
Sheena frowned, obviously baffled by her canine’s behavior. “What is it? You climbed up there like a champ just yesterday.” Sheena sent Wilkes a confused look. “I have no idea what’s going on with him. He’s not a big fan of water, but he’s never balked like this before.”
“What’s wrong?” Crystal called. She was midway up the rail, over what looked to be the deepest part of the pool.
“He feels worried—confused—even scared,” Sheena said. “But I don’t know why.”
Nik moved closer to Wilkes and said low, for his ears only, “Get Crystal and Grace back here. Captain is feeling what I am. Something’s wrong. We have to—”
Nik’s words were cut off as
the brackish pool below the rails erupted into a nightmare of chaos and death. Dropping the reeds through which they’d been breathing, Skin Stealers emerged from the water, their deadly triple-tipped spears weeping water as they shrieked their terrifying battle cry and attacked.
The first spear struck Grace, skewering the canine behind her shoulder. The force of the blow knocked her from the rail, and with an agonizing yelp the beautiful female Shepherd fell into the water.
“NO!” Crystal shouted, pulled a knife from the leather sheath around her waist, and with no hesitation jumped into the water after her Companion—landing in the middle of the Skin Stealers.
“Crystal!” Sheena was screaming and pulling her own knife free when Wilkes tackled her so that she fell to the bank instead of leaping to her death after her mate.
Nik went to his knees and began firing arrow after arrow down into the pit of water and death while spears whizzed past him. He tried to sight Crystal, but there were too many reeds and too much roiling water.
Another canine screamed in agony, but Nik didn’t look around. He kept firing and firing. There were so many of them! And they’d all been hiding in wait, just below the surface of the water.
“They’re targeting the canines!” Wilkes shouted. “We have to get back to the boat or they’ll kill them and take us! Go now! Nik, cover us.”
“Will do!” Nik shouted.
“Not without Crystal and Grace! I won’t leave them!” Sheena was screaming and thrashing as Wilkes tried to drag her away.
“Then you and Captain will be as dead as they are!” Wilkes shouted back.
“Don’t let them take me alive!” The horrible cry came from the pool. Nik saw Crystal then. She was in bloody, brackish water to her chest. One arm was wrapped around the body of Grace, and with the other hand she was brandishing her dagger, slashing and jabbed at the circle of Skin Stealers who were closing around her.
Nik shot once, twice, and two more Skin Stealers disappeared under the water. Two more immediately swam to take their place in the closing circle.
They wouldn’t kill her, Nik knew. Not right away. Skin Stealers believed they could absorb the power of a Companion through the wearing of their skin, and that power was transferred to them only if the Companion was alive when the skin was stolen. They would take Crystal to their Temple in the heart of the ruined city, and there they would flay the skin from her body carefully, meticulously, keeping her alive as long as possible. Then they would feed on what was left of her body, eating the raw flesh from her in ravenous, bloody bites.
“More of ’em are coming from the find!” Monroe shouted.
Nik spared a glance up. Skin Stealers were pouring from the hole in the building.
“Crystal!” Sheena screamed.
“We can’t save her!” Wilkes said. “Nik, end it for her and follow us.”
Time seemed suspended. Nik stood, and as spears hurled past him, he sighted down into the pool. Crystal looked up and met his eyes. She threw her dagger, catching the closest Skin Stealer in his neck. Then she hugged Grace’s body tightly to her, smiled, and nodded to Nik.
He didn’t let himself think. He pulled the trigger of his crossbow and watched his arrow bury itself to the feathers in the middle of Crystal’s smooth white forehead. With a sigh that Nik would hear in his nightmares for the rest of his life, she collapsed over Grace’s body and the two of them disappeared together under the water.
Then Nik was backing after Wilkes and Sheena, firing arrow after arrow into the horde that converged on them from above and below.
All of the boats except for the ones carrying Wilkes and Monroe, and him and Sheena had already launched when Nik got to the beached kayaks. From his peripheral vision he could see that Monroe’s Viper had been struck, and he was half dragging, half carrying his Shepherd, who had a spear protruding from his haunch, into the ballasting mat.
Then, not twenty yards from him, Thaddeus cried, “Odysseus!” Nik watched as the biggest male he’d ever seen emerged from beneath Thaddeus’s kayak. The little boat rolled dangerously, sending the Terrier sliding off the ballast and into the water, where a Skin Stealer instantly grabbed him. “No!” Thaddeus screamed again, and then his cry was cut off when the huge man backhanded him. Thaddeus fell backward, hitting his head against the wooden seat, knocked unconscious. The Skin Stealer grabbed the back of his tunic like it was a puppy’s scruff, easily pulling him from the boat.
A spear sizzled past Nik’s ear and he fired four more arrows, trying to aim for the big man swimming toward shore with Thaddeus under his massive arm, but Skin Stealers seemed to multiply from beneath the water, surfacing to form a living wall between his arrows and the retreating male.
“Go, Nik! Go!” Wilkes shouted as Odin leaped onto the other mat, balancing the kayak. He and Monroe pushed it into the river, jumping aboard as the current caught it and they shot into the river.
“Here, Nik! Help me!” Sheena called. He glanced behind him. Tears streaming down her face, Sheena was trying to wrench free the ballasts from the sides of their kayak. Captain was aboard already, crouched near what had been Crystal’s seat. Instantly Nik knew what was happening. Without Grace as balance to Captain’s weight, they’d capsize. They had to get rid of the ballasts if they were to escape.
Nik didn’t waste time with words. He surged through the shallow water to the kayak. Using the heel of his boot, he kicked violently at the arm of the ballast, splintering it at the same time Sheena managed to wrench the other one free.
“Get in! I’ll launch,” Nik said.
Sheena scrambled into her place in the front of the kayak and Nik bent, using all of his strength to propel the little boat out into the river. As his feet lost contact with the riverbed and he hurled himself over the end of the kayak, a spear caught him, embedding itself in his upper back.
White-hot pain blasted through Nik’s body. He struggled to sit—struggled to lift the paddle that was tied to the body of the boat. Moving on pure adrenaline, he sliced the water with the paddle, biting a bloody gouge in his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Around them it rained spears. One thunked into the wooden side of the kayak. Another buried itself just behind Nik.
Ignoring the pain—ignoring the fact that he could feel the strength leaving him with the blood that was washing hot and fast down his body, Nik paddled.
Dimly, Nik realized that the rain of spears was no longer all around them, but instead was falling short. They’d been caught in the current, and it was pulling them swiftly out of reach. But Nik kept paddling. Even as his vision began to tunnel, growing dim and gray around the edges, Nik paddled.
“Nik, help me turn us! We’re too close to the run-off!”
He was vaguely aware that Sheena was shouting at him—vaguely aware that the small boat had begun heaving and spinning. Blinking his eyes and trying to clear his vision, he was briefly able to focus on Sheena. She was turning to look back at him and her eyes were huge in her pale, tear-streaked face.
“I’m sorry,” Nik tried to tell her, but he’d lost command of his words.
“We’re going to capsize!” Sheena shouted over the roar of the rapids. “Try to hold on to the boat. We might make it if we stay with the boat.”
The current spun them around again, causing the bow to tilt sickeningly to the side. Before he went into the water Nik looked up to see that they were being sucked down into a narrow passage between the barely submerged metal arch of what once was the underbelly of the ruined bridge.
He lost sight of Sheena and Captain and the kayak immediately. The current propelled him violently forward, so that his body smashed against the metal truss. He screamed in agony as the tail of the spear snapped off, leaving the head still embedded in his back. The whirlpool captured him then, sucking him down.
He tried to hold his breath. He tried to fight the current, but an almost sweet lethargy began filling his body with the cold, black water. As blessed darkness finally claimed him, Nik’s last thought
wasn’t of his mother—or of his father—or of his too brief life. His last thought was of the pup—his pup. I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry I didn’t find you. But I’m glad, so glad, that you won’t die with me today.
30
“Light the firepots! Gather the People! Our Champion brings sacrifice!” Iron Fist bellowed as the surviving Harvesters and Hunters entered the Temple courtyard.
From the ledge of the Reaper’s balcony, Dead Eye saw Dove. She was standing there, just as she had been when he and the People had left to ambush the Others. He could see her taut, listening expression and it gave him a rush of pleasure to realize that she had been waiting, was still waiting, to hear his voice and to know he was safe.
“Dove! I bring sacrifice!” he called.
Her face—her beautiful, smooth, eyeless face—lit up with a smile that blazed as hot and fierce as the firepots of the God. “Our Champion returns! Gather in the courtyard so that the God may witness the sacrifice!”
He saw the hands of the women—young girls, actually—Dove had recruited to be her Attendants reach for and guide her from the ledge of the balcony. Eager to be near her again, Dead Eye hefted the Other more securely across his back and hurried forward.
“Erect the sacrificial scaffold!” Dead Eye commanded.
The Hunters and Harvesters returning from the ambush with him instantly began to obey, dragging the stained wooden platform from just inside the Temple to the soot-marked place in the center of the courtyard where not long ago he had built the pyre that had purified the Temple. Dead Eye nodded in pleasure as he examined the scaffold. Dove and her Attendants had done just as she’d said they would do. While he and the men were setting the ambush and battling the Others, they had scrubbed the old platform with water and then beeswax so that its wood gleamed with a rich rusted color that spoke of generations of bloodletting, and the iron circles glistened silver as the light of the brightly burning firepots.