Nerve

by Kirsten Krueger

  “Will you make sure Meredith gets back to her room safely after we leave?” Maddy whispered to Zach as they trailed through the empty cafeteria. His hand was at her elbow, but he had a difficult time grasping it since her bones felt mushy.

  “You don’t want to bring her with you?” he muttered through his teeth.

  “I wouldn’t know what to do with her,” Maddy admitted shamefully. “She’s probably safest here…with Jamad… Did you know that Danny didn’t offer Avner freedom?”

  “He—didn’t?” Zach’s footsteps faltered slightly as they passed Danny’s throne.

  “You didn’t hear Avner down in the cells? Danny never came to ask him if he wanted to join the Wackos. He only asked Jamad.”

  “That bastard.” He tightened his fingers around Maddy’s arm and glared at the mural of his brother, splattered beautifully on the wall. “Probably because of his grudge against the Stromers…”

  “Danny knows the Stromers? He knows who Avner’s parents are?” Her heart beat incredibly fast as her brain worked through the possibility. Avner had never even known who his own parents were—but that hadn’t stopped them from being the only two people in this world he absolutely loathed. Glancing up at Zach expectantly, she waited for his reply, but he didn’t bother to give one before opening the white door that rested beside Josh’s explosive artwork and guiding her into the weapons room.

  Like the rest of Headquarters, the weapons room, with unadorned walls and a concrete floor, was well lit, organized, and somewhat daunting. Given many Affinities were deadly on their own, Maddy hadn’t considered that the Wackos would require a room brimming with Regg-like weapons, ranging from guns and bombs to swords and axes and shields. The labyrinth of inventory was even more impressive than Periculand’s library, and at first, Maddy almost didn’t notice the staircase on the other end of the room, nestled against the left wall, leading up to a metal door.

  Wordlessly, Zach nodded to the left, where he proceeded to slink against the wall, keeping his head carefully ducked behind a line of shelves that housed various electronics. With Avner at her heels, Maddy followed, barely needing to bend to stay hidden. She thought they were hiding from cameras until she heard voices echoing against the bare walls.

  “…can’t believe I’m bringing Danny’s little toy dog to a battle,” a familiar voice grumbled, nearer than Maddy would have liked. “Agh! This nasty little rat is farting on me. Snowman, bring me an ax, will you? We can pretend it accidentally decapitated him while we were gathering—”

  “We’re not decapitating the dog,” Jamad droned, his voice farther into the room but closer to their location. Behind Maddy, Avner seemed ready to lurch up in greeting, but she grabbed his hand and shook her head. She wished Jamad could join them, but Naretha definitely couldn’t.

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” she snapped, a disgusted scoff following shortly after. “I want this thing dead.”

  “But he’s so cute—like a little snowball!”

  “Yeah, until he bites you or impales you with glass…”

  Zach paused abruptly, and Maddy almost bumped into him until she realized why they stopped: There was a gap in the shelving, a brief window in which Jamad might spot them.

  Enthralled by his conversation with Naretha—and his examination of a massive gun—he faced the opposite direction, but Zach still moved with caution and stealth as he slipped past the gap, leaving only a few short paces between him and the staircase. Maddy was a little more hesitant, her eyes darting from the stairs to Jamad—until he suddenly spun around to study a different gun and found her directly in his line of sight.

  Both utterly frozen, eyes locked and mouths agape, Maddy and Jamad stared at each other, processing their predicament, determining what to do with this divide between them. After a breathless moment, her eyes finally flitted toward the staircase, and then she beckoned with one hand for him to join them. Even if he hated his family—even if he hated all Reggs—he didn’t hate her…did he?

  “Ma—” he began, likely about to utter her name, but he covered his mistake with a cough.

  “Do you want something, Snowman?” Naretha questioned, her voice farther than before.

  “No…” Jamad said slowly, his jaw tight as his features morphed into a scowl, “but my friends want to escape.”

  Maddy had to cover her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from sucking in a loud breath. Deep within her heart she’d known Jamad would refuse her offer, but to betray them—

  “Way to state the obvious,” Naretha retorted, oblivious to his insinuation. Maddy should have taken this opportunity to dart after Zach, but she was too stricken by grief and indignation to move any of her floppy muscles. “We all know neither of your little friends want to be part of us. Why do you think Sparky’s still in a cell?”

  Jamad stepped toward Maddy, pausing only once his vision had fixated on Avner. Blue eyes chilling, he snarled, “Is he, though?”

  This time, Naretha caught the indication in his inflection.

  A little yip spiked through the air as she dropped Shards and dashed through the maze of weapons. Maddy and Avner darted for the stairs while Meredith lingered behind, screaming when Jamad threw arrows of ice that barely missed them before piercing the wall.

  “Meredith?” he gasped. “You’re with them?”

  “I-I just thought we were going to eat food together!” she wailed, caving in on herself as she plopped to the floor. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

  It was sad, and Maddy almost wanted to retreat and comfort her, but she had to take this opportunity to escape. Mounting the steps two at a time, she lunged toward the door, just as a surge of salt crystals pelted it.

  Maddy pivoted back and linked gazes with Naretha, who now stood at Jamad’s side, both of their hands extended toward her. Avner was halfway up the stairs, body hunched and arm dragging him down since Jamad had encased his hand in a block of ice. Zach waited in the shadows between the staircase and the shelves, eyes flickering in all directions with uncertainty.

  “Who’s on the side of justice now, Stromer?” Jamad demanded, twisting his fingers in a way that provoked a cry of agony from Avner. He must have inwardly increased the ice, freezing and squeezing Avner’s hand simultaneously. “Do you feel like a saint—breaking out of prison, dragging everyone around you into your little pit of self-righteousness? If you wanted out of that cell, you should have taken Danny’s deal—”

  “I wasn’t offered Danny’s deal!” he exclaimed through rasping breaths. “He never asked me to join him! He only asked you!”

  Jamad blinked, his hand lowering slightly as he rotated toward Naretha, whose teeth were clenched with ire. “Is that true?” he whispered, unable to fully speak.

  “Yes. What do you think he would have said if we’d asked him? Even if he agreed, he would have eventually betrayed us, just like Faddy is now. Your friends can’t be trusted, Jamad. And I didn’t want you going down with them.”

  “Is that true?” he repeated, elevating his voice as he directed the question to Avner. “Would you have betrayed us—betrayed me?”

  Avner exhaled, staring at the ceiling in despair. “These people are terrorists, J. You’re…” He trailed off, staring at that leather suit, at the way Jamad stood at Naretha’s side with such confidence.

  “I’m evil, aren’t I?” He lifted his hand again. “I’ve never been as good as you, have I? As perfect and selfless—”

  “Jamad,” Maddy cut in, her voice half a sob, “you know Avner has flaws. You’ve seen him at his worst—we’ve all seen each other at our worsts. We’re friends—we’re family. This can’t be our end!”

  “It is,” Jamad said frigidly, his words triggering an unrestrained assault.

  Ice and salt and glass flew through the air, striking Maddy and Avner as they struggled to ascend the stairs. Most of the shards bounced off her thick leather, but his skin was exposed, resulting in various cuts and gashes. A few stabbed Maddy’s face, and she squ
inted, shielding her eyes with her hand.

  A column of ice coated her leg as she stepped on the highest stair, weighing her down and impeding further movement. With her Affinity, her only option of defense was to jump down there and physically attack with her limbs. Even without the ice constricting her leg, it would have been futile. The fact that Jamad had so easily debilitated her proved she was no match for them.

  With his lightning, Avner would have been a threat. At maximum potential, he probably could have killed Jamad and Naretha instantly. His current capacity wasn’t quite so deadly, but he did manage to muster a bit of his power, sending down a spark of electricity that zapped Danny’s crazed little dog, halting the glass attack. Yelping, Shards fled the scene, leaving only salt and ice to barrage them with increased violence.

  Since Jamad was accustomed to Avner’s electricity and Naretha was so ruthlessly tough, his weakened Affinity would have little effect on them. Knowing this, Maddy extended her arm toward the door handle in one last attempt, but then salt consolidated around her flesh, tiny particles forming a cast around her hand. Simultaneously, ice crept up her leg, rooting her in place, and behind her, Avner met the same fate, his electricity failing to blast off the molds.

  This really was the end for them.

  Or, at least, it would have been, if they hadn’t possessed a secret ally lurking in the shadows.

  The moment Zach stood, Naretha and Jamad wavered as if he’d shot them. The former’s initial reaction was the most dramatic display of emotion Maddy had ever seen from the woman. Her thin face drooped with disbelief, the spark of aggression waning in her eyes. As soon as Zach held out his hands, not in offense but in surrender, her hostility instantly resumed.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she barked, aiming one hand at him and the other toward the stairs. “Did you help this kid break out of his cell? Danny will slaughter you!”

  “He won’t if you don’t tell him.”

  “Don’t tell him?” She released a vindictive laugh. “You want me to lie to Danny? Do you want me to die? This is some screwed up shit you’ve done, Zach. We need to put him back now!”

  “He doesn’t deserve to be a prisoner, and you know it. Once this business with Ashna dies down, you know Danny will get bored, and who’ll be his new toy then? Avner doesn’t deserve—that fate.”

  A cruel smile slid onto Naretha’s lips as she shook her head. “You were going to say ‘your fate,’ weren’t you? You don’t want Avner to end up as one of Danny’s possessions like I am, hm? Well, that’s so virtuous of you, Zachary. Save this complete stranger, why don’t you—but when Danny claims me, you do absolutely nothing!”

  “The scenarios are incomparable!” he shot back, his voice laced with actual emotion, actual despair. “This kid has the chance to get away, Naretha. You and I—we never had that chance. We’ve been tangled up in this web since we were kids, and we will die here. Don’t subject everyone else to our misery.”

  She snorted, eyes shimmering with rage. “You’re pathetic. No wonder Danny’s leader instead of you. Do you know what these two will do if we let them go? They’ll report us to the government; they will give the Reggs all the information they need to sneak in here and destroy us. And I know—I know you’re gonna say, ‘Well, maybe it’d be better that way,’ but it wouldn’t be. Let’s just settle this argument now, shall we?”

  Zach opened his mouth, but not a word escaped before Naretha threw both hands in Maddy’s direction, spraying a torrent of thick salt crystals. With protuberant eyes, she watched the sharp spears soar toward her face, guaranteed to tear through her flesh, perhaps with enough force to shatter even the density of her bones.

  With the imminent collision, she whirled to face Zach, hoping to convey some kind of goodbye with the briefest of looks. He wasn’t focused on her, though; his attention was trained on Naretha, because through an assortment of wizardly hand gestures, he formed a dust cloud around her.

  Particles streamed from every surface, emerging from every hole and crack to bend to Zach’s will. The tornado whipped violently at Naretha, turning her salt to dust at Maddy’s feet before joining the whirlwind, her own element working against her. Jamad, whose jaw had slackened, hacked up the dust clogging his lungs, closing his eyes to ward off stinging blindness.

  “Why doesn’t anyone clean the dust in here?” Zach shouted as he continued gathering minuscule debris from every corner of the room.

  “Because you’re the only person who cares about dust!” Naretha screamed from within the cloud. Maddy took the opportunity of her distraction to bang her encrusted hands against the wall, beating off the salt until her fingers were unrestrained. “ZACH!”

  “Go,” he urged, nodding for Maddy to continue up the stairs. She could have; the ice on her legs was melting, and Avner was free from his own salt and ice confines after copying her method of destruction, but Zach… How could she leave him after he’d sacrificed himself in this way? If Danny returned from Periculand, he would annihilate his brother for this act of betrayal.

  Perhaps he would hate her for this, perhaps he would only return here to face his brutal fate, but Maddy wanted to give him that choice, like he’d given her and Avner this one.

  Extending her arm to fling open the metal door, Maddy ushered Avner up and then twirled toward the chaos. The dust didn’t harm them, but Naretha and Jamad fought hard to extricate themselves from the haze. Maddy hoped that, even after the swirl ceased, they would remain disoriented enough not to thwart her plan.

  The ice cast had hindered her before, but now she used it as an anchor, placing as much of her weight on that leg as she could. Then she lobbed her stretchy arms over the stairs’ railing and embraced Zach for the first time.

  He was certainly caught off guard, but he processed her intentions. Abandoning his assault, he used the assistance of her arms to launch himself up to the railing and then leap onto the stairs. She didn’t bother to fully remove herself from him before hurrying up the steps, his body right beside her.

  As they passed through the doorway at the top of the stairs, it dawned on her that Zach could have refused her embrace—could have shunned her even now—but he wanted to come with her. He’d made his choice even though, as he peered down the stairs, it seemed to pain him.

  With the storm waning, Jamad and Naretha squinted their dust-crusted eyes at the open doorway and the escapees beyond.

  “You traitor!” she shrieked at Zach, her voice more violent than any of the weapons in the room around her. Her hands burst with salt crystals and her pale pink eyes simmered with wrath, but she didn’t aim at him—she didn’t even aim at Maddy. Whatever Zach had once been to her, Naretha accepted his choice to reject her now, even if she abhorred him for it.

  As Maddy scrambled to close the metal door and caught a glimpse of Jamad’s remorseful blue eyes, she realized the same could be said for them.

  33

  Identities

  Ackerly had never consumed a sip of alcohol, so to chug half a cup had him gagging on the verge of puking. Ashna had defeated Nero, though; she’d humiliated him. If Ackerly didn’t accept this challenge, she would never respect him.

  Watching her nearly strangle Nero with that vine—well, Ackerly’s first thought had been a silent prayer for that mutilated plant, wishing it a happy afterlife. His second response had been to wonder how Ashna conjured those flowers and then a whole vine from absolutely nothing. Unless she had seeds hidden in her pockets, the flowers—Japanese wisteria, if he wasn’t mistaken—had bloomed almost magically.

  With the advanced and near supernatural abilities some Affinities had, Ackerly shouldn’t have been surprised, but…he hadn’t forgotten her incredulity upon discovering he had the ability to sprout beans without sun, soil, or water. He didn’t want to believe it had been an act, but if she could summon flowers from nothing, his capabilities seemed pathetic.

  After dwelling on this conundrum, his third thought had been to use his plant Affinity in th
e same way Ashna had used her flower powers—in an aggressive way. The prospect of sacrificing plants was unpleasant, but if he could procure vines thick enough to ensnare Nero—like ivy—then perhaps he’d be willing to engage in a little plant cruelty.

  All of these plans had vanished with the consumption of that alcohol. Not because the liquid had distorted his thoughts but because, as he lowered his head and threw the cup on the floor, he found himself staring into the slivered eyes of Artemis and William Ross.

  Jolting back, Ackerly gawked at them, unable to stutter a word. The lounge had grown eerily quiet, all mouths sealed and all movement abated. Even Nero, positioned beside the Reggs, was no longer the boisterous, cocky boy who’d challenged Ackerly mere seconds ago. His arms were crossed toughly, and his tight lips displayed no sign of shock, but Ackerly saw the unease in his eyes.

  “Mr. Terrier,” Artemis greeted tersely. Ackerly knew her features must have been rigid, but they seemed hazy in his vision, as if he had the wrong lenses in his glasses.

  “H-hi,” he stammered, swaying slightly.

  “Sixteen, aren’t you?” William prompted, his eyes flickering from the discarded cup to Ackerly’s face.

  “Fif…teen…”

  “It’s all the same.” Artemis’s gaze swept the lounge. “Everyone in here has been drinking underage, and it appears that the people we’ve put our faith in have allowed it—if not participated in it.”

  Ackerly was certain her attention fixed on the cup in Nero’s hand, but his head pounded too much to concentrate. All he could focus on over the next few seconds was Ashna, where she lay perfectly still, chest to the ground and legs tangled in a chair. Her rainbow eyes were wide, but he couldn’t tell what kind of message they conveyed.

  He wouldn’t have the opportunity to decode it, he realized, for the Rosses had deemed Nero the guilty host of this party, and for some horrible reason, Ackerly was dragged along for the punishment.