Chapter Twelve
Nola froze as footsteps came closer to the grate.
“It sounded like the ventilation unit,” a man’s voice said.
There was an angry murmur before Nola’s mother’s voice came loud and clear. “I lost an entire tray because the computer mishandled the climate settings on my experiment. That same computer also monitors the climate settings in this room. Correct?”
Nola could picture her mother’s face. Eyebrows raised, nostrils flared.
“Yes,” the man said. “PAM monitors both systems.”
“And PAM is malfunctioning,” Nola’s mother growled. “So go get every climate control and computer tech down here and get this fixed before we lose every seed we have!”
Angry footsteps pounded away toward the door. Nola could see a pair of thick black boots through the slats of the grate. She held her breath. If he bent down, he would see her.
After a few seconds, the man walked away. Straining her ears, Nola heard the door whoosh shut behind him. He would be back. Back with people who needed to inspect the vents. Nola looked at the other grate. She could go hide in medical storage, but for how long? They would need to check the temperature in there, too.
I’m trapped.
Nola leaned against the metal inside the shaft. She could crawl out now, tell them what she had done, and beg for mercy. They would want to know who the medicine was for.
What if they trace it back to Kieran? And Eden. Wide-eyed little Eden.
Nola opened her eyes. There was another way.
She looked up into the darkness above her. How far up was it to the next floor? Ten feet, maybe twelve? And how long before the man came back?
Nola swallowed and took a deep breath. It was no different than climbing onto her roof. Except for the darkness, metal walls, and tight space. Not to mention the possibility of being banished from her home.
She placed her hands on either wall. Her sweaty palms slipped on the smooth metal. But the walls were close. Close enough for her to balance her weight as she lifted one foot and then the other onto the walls. Although the metal of the airshaft moved with a heavy clunking sound as she pressed against it, Nola didn’t stop. It didn’t matter if a guard heard. If she stopped, she would be caught. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she climbed, gaining mere inches in height with each step. Her arms shook, her legs cramped, but she couldn’t stop.
Kieran.
She took a step.
Kieran will come tonight, and he’ll take the medicine to Eden.
Another step.
Once Eden is well, she can grow up strong.
Another step.
Then she'll take ReVamp.
Nola’s grip faltered, and she slid down an inch. She jammed her arms into the walls as hard as she could.
Shadows moved above. A foot higher, and she would be to the next level. Nola inched up to the grate. Through the latticed metal, she could see rows of bunks. The guards’ housing. And on the other side an office, with the only visible chair empty.
Her fingers shaking, Nola dragged herself onto the ledge by the office, and with the last ounce of energy her legs could muster, kicked the grate away. Gasping and shaking, she threw herself onto the office floor.
Nola lay on the carpet, her eyes closed, trying to convince her heart it should try to keep beating. She waited for a voice to yell—someone to scream at the girl lying on the floor. But there was nothing.
After a minute, Nola opened her eyes. The office was small and empty. A desk and a chair sat in front of a tower of drawers. A faint humming filled the room. Still shaking, Nola pushed herself to her feet, searching for the source of the sound. It couldn’t be an alarm. Not with a noise that steady.
A picture of Captain Ridgeway with Gentry and Jeremy perched on one corner of the desk. The Captain wore civilian clothes, and all three of them smiled broadly. Jeremy was shorter than Gentry, so the picture must have been a few years old at least. Nola reached for the picture, wanting to study the normality of it.
The humming stopped her. It came from the drawers. Nola placed her hand on the metal tower. It was cold, like the cabinets below.
Glancing at the office door, Nola quietly fitted the grate back into the wall and opened the buzzing cabinet.
Tiny vials lined the cold drawer. Like the one in her pocket but filled with deep black fluid.
“I don’t think it’s the vents.” The voice traveled up the shaft.
Nola snapped the drawer shut, tearing toward the door. She turned the handle and pulled the door open just a crack. There was no one in sight, though she could hear voices in the distance. Nola ran her hands over her hair in a hopeless attempt to smooth down her curls, and stepped into the hall.
She walked slowly and deliberately, hoping no one would notice the dust on her clothes.
Two men came out of the barracks. They looked Nola over before one elbowed the other and winked at her. The two men laughed softly as they went down the hall.
Nola blushed. They thought she was down here with a guard.
At least they haven’t arrested me. Yet.
Half-running, she sped down the hall and up the stairs. She turned a corner and slammed into a group of terrified looking people.
“Sorry.” Nola reached for the vial in her pocket before she could stop herself.
If the three she’d run into noticed anything strange, it didn’t show as they murmured their apologies and continued toward seed storage. All three wore maintenance uniforms and anxious looks on their faces. They should be worried if Lenora blamed them for the lost seedlings. Nola waited until the workers were out of sight then sprinted the rest of the way up to the atrium.
Nola staggered at the bright light and fresh clean air of the atrium. She wanted to sit on the floor and cry. She was out of the dark and aboveground. The bright green leaves on the trees rustled as the vent blew out air. They were running harder than usual, probably testing the system. That was good. Nola nodded to herself. The more air through the vents, the less likely anyone would notice sweaty handprints.
“Nola!” a voice called across the atrium.
Nola froze, unsure whether to run or not, then finally settled on turning to see who had shouted for her.
“Nola!” Jeremy said again as he ran toward her.
The people who had been enjoying the calm of the atrium scowled at him as he passed.
“Where have you been?” he said as he reached her. He wasn’t even out of breath. All of his preparation for guard training was paying off.
“Nola?” he said again, this time with concern in his voice as he took her shoulders.
“Yes?” Nola said.
“You missed our time in the greenhouse,” Jeremy said.
She had been gone longer than just lunch. Mrs. Pearson would want to know where she had been.
“I went to see my mom,” Nola said. “One of her experiments went wrong, she was upset…”
“And you ran for it?”
That was right. More or less.
Nola nodded.
“I’m sorry,” Jeremy said, brushing the sweaty hair from Nola’s face. “It must have been some run.”
Nola tried to smile at his joke.
Jeremy took her hand and led her down a side path, away from the still glaring bystanders. He stopped under the low-hanging branches of a tree, out of sight of the rest of the atrium.
“Are you sure that’s all that’s wrong?” Jeremy said softly. “Because you could tell me. Whatever’s wrong, whatever’s bothering you, you can trust me. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
“It’s just,” Jeremy began, looking down at Nola’s hand clasped in his, “I’m here for you. If you were worried about being alone when your mom was away, I could’ve, I mean, we could’ve spent time together. Because I want... I want to be with you, Nola. All the time.”
Jeremy’s hand stroked her hair, then rested on the back of her neck. And he was kissing her. Gently, h
e pulled her in close, lifting her up so she stood on her toes. His heart pounded so hard the beats resonated through her chest. Nola froze as something in her pocket pressed against Jeremy’s hip.
She gasped and took a step back.
“Nola.” Jeremy reached toward her.
She pulled her hand away from him without knowing she had moved.
“I’m sorry,” Jeremy said, his face red and his eyes filled with hurt. “I thought, I thought you felt the same as me.”
Nola’s mind raced as she tried to think of feelings beyond fear. The vial in her pocket burned her leg as though it were on fire. Surely Jeremy could see the flaming vial, the proof of her betrayal.
He knows what I did.
“Just forget it,” Jeremy said. “Forget I ever... It won’t happen again. But I meant what I said. If you need me, I’m here.” He turned and walked down the path.
She should let him go, get the vial back home, and wait there for Kieran. Jeremy was disappearing through the branches.
“No.” Nola ran after him, taking his hand.
He turned to look at her, his eyes bright and brow furrowed.
“Forget this happened,” Nola said. Her mouth had gone dry. She didn’t know what she was saying as the words came tumbling out. “Forget you kissed me and I was a sweaty mess who can’t manage to think right now.”
Jeremy nodded. Pain still filled his face.
“But try it again,” Nola said. “Not today. But sometime.”
Nola turned and ran through the atrium. She needed to get away before Jeremy asked questions she couldn’t answer.
Back through the tunnel and into Bright Dome. She had already missed class. There was no point in going back. There would be no more trouble for missing evening lessons. Up the walk and into her home, Nola shut the door behind her, leaning against it and panting.
She closed her eyes. She had the medicine. She’d finished her job. Now all she had to do was wait for tonight and Kieran would come for the vial. But Jeremy had kissed her. Nola slid down to sit on the floor, trying hard not to think of Jeremy kissing her. Of his warm arms around her.
There were more important things to worry about than if she wanted to be kissing Jeremy in the atrium right now. She slipped her fingers into her pocket and pulled out the tiny vial. She held it up, and the light shone through the orange liquid. There was so little in the tube.
Is this really all it takes to save a little girl’s life?
Nola pushed herself to her feet and climbed the steps to her room, absentmindedly grabbing a bowl full of fruit along the way.
Setting the vial on her desk, Nola popped a sweet grape into her mouth. How desperate would you have to be to take Vamp and give up food like this? Nola pulled her drawer out from her desk and set it on her bed. Vial in hand, she reached all the way to a tiny recess at the very back. Carefully, she slid the drawer back into place. It was as though the vial had never existed.
Nola curled up in bed, staring at the drawer. The sun hadn’t set yet. It would be hours before Kieran came. Her arms and legs burned. Fatigue muddied her brain. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut.
Darkness filled her room when she woke up. The sun had gone down, and the house was quiet.
The dim clock in the wall read well after eleven. Her mother must have been home for a while. Nola moved to sit up but froze as a shadow shifted.
“It’s me,” Kieran whispered, taking a step into the pale strip of light that came through the window. “I didn’t want to startle you.”
“It’s okay,” Nola whispered, pushing herself to her feet. “I got the vial.”
Kieran took a deep breath, catching Nola’s hands as she reached for the drawer and pulling her to his chest.
“I thought they’d caught you.” Kieran pressed his lips to her forehead. “I was watching the domes. People were coming in and out, looking at the air vents.”
“There was something wrong with the climate control.” Nola rested her cheek on Kieran’s chest. “I had to climb up the vent. I ended up in the Guard barracks.”
Kieran pulled away to look into her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Nola. I never should have let Emanuel get you involved.”
“He wants to save his daughter.” Nola shrugged. “He needs the medicine.”
“Eden needs the medicine.” Wrinkles formed on his forehead. “I won’t let Emanuel ask you to do something like that again. It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s fine.” Nola laid her fingers on his lips. They were soft, and his breath was warm.
“Nola.” He took a step forward. And he was kissing her.
Her knees went weak, but his arms locked around her, holding her tight. Her heart raced as he gently parted her lips with his own.
“Kieran,” she murmured, lacing her fingers through his hair.
Kieran froze and backed away, leaving Nola swaying on the spot.
“I have to go,” Kieran said, his voice hoarse.
“Now?” Nola stepped in front of the door.
“I live on the outside,” Kieran said. “You live in here. What are we supposed to do?”
“I don’t know.” The rush of heat drained from Nola’s body, leaving a cold numbness in its wake.
Kieran took her hands in his. “The hardest part about leaving the domes was losing you.” He ran his fingers over her cheek. “But I can’t have you. I can’t come in here. And I won’t”—he cut Nola off before she could speak—“let you leave the domes to find me.”
“I miss you.” Tears spilled from her eyes, leaving warm tracks running down her cheeks.
Kieran brushed her tears away with his thumb. “I have to go. You know I’m right.”
“Stay,” Nola whispered. “Just for a little while.” She lay down on the bed, pulling Kieran down with her.
She curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. His heart beat slowly under her ear.
“When will I see you again?” Nola murmured.
Kieran tightened his arms around her, and she knew his answer.
Never.
Nola clung to his shirt, willing time to stop passing so he would never leave.
“Sleep, Nola,” he whispered. “Just sleep.”
Soon, she had drifted away to the slow rhythm of his heartbeat.
The sun streaming through the windows woke Nola with a gasp the next morning. She sat up, looking for Kieran, but her room was empty. There was no mark on the bed where he had been—if he had even been there at all.
“Kieran,” Nola whispered, opening her closet. Her clothes hung in an undisturbed row. She turned back to her room. The fruit bowl sat empty on her desk.
Nola yanked the drawer free, letting it clatter to the floor. She felt into the back corner. The vial was gone. But something small had taken its place.
A slip of paper wrapped around something hard. Nola unfurled the paper and found a little charm. A tiny tree, delicately carved out of wood. Nola held the charm up to the light. A barren tree with a split on one side, a perfect copy of the tree that hid the forest entrance to Nightland.
Nola looked down at the paper. At the note in Kieran’s untidy scrawl.
“I’m always yours. Be well.”
Nola sank to the floor. He was gone. Kieran Wynne had left the domes. Again.
Chapter Thirteen
“Nola,” her mother’s voice came through the door. “Are you awake?”
“Yeah,” Nola said, forcing her voice to sound normal, like she hadn’t just lost her best friend.
Again.
Nola’s mother poked her head through the door. “Good. I was worried when I came home last night and you were already asleep.”
“I’m fine,” Nola said. “Just tired, really tired.”
“Well, come on down. I brought some treats from Green Leaf.” Her mother winked and left.
The attendees of Green Leaf always brought food with them—rare fruits that were only grown in their own domes. Nola’s stomach rolled in disgust.
K
ieran had stolen a bowl of grapes. She could picture him, Dr. Wynne, and Eden sharing the fruit. They were probably the only people in Nightland who could eat it. And they would sit in the kitchen, savoring every bite. While she ate papayas and pomegranate seeds.
Nola went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her curls surrounded her face like a tangled lion’s mane. The dark circles under her eyes made her look as ill as an outsider.
Her hands shook as she splashed cold water onto her face.
She swallowed the scream the smell of the soft, clean towel sent to her throat.
Gripping the edge of the sink, she stared into the mirror. “You’ve done your part, Magnolia. It’s over.”
She picked up the comb and tore it through her hair on her way to the kitchen. She didn’t care about the pain as she brushed away the last of the filth from the vents. Had it not been for the tiny tree in her pocket, it would have been as though it had never happened at all.
Nola ate her breakfast silently as her mother griped about the subpar maintenance of the cooling system.
“It’s pathetic really.” Lenora sipped her tea. “We’re trying to preserve the resources the world has given us, and they look at me like I’m overreacting when they endanger our seed supplies. Like I’m worried I might overheat.”
“Right.” Nola nodded.
Has Eden taken the medicine yet?
“And I’ll be busy enough as it is without having to worry about faulty cooling systems.” Lenora took the empty plates from the table and set them in the sink. “We’re going to have to start working on the greenhouse consolidation within the next few days if we’re going to get the rainforest dome prepped for planting by the end of the month.”
“Right.”
How long will it take for the Pataeris to take effect?
Girl of Glass, #1 Page 8