“Watch out—their blood’s acidic!”
Then Markov’s glider was diving back down for another spider, even as two other riders reached the group before he did. The spiders sensed the approaching danger and scuttled up the side of the mountain, racing upward so fast Iri could only track them because of their size. Enormous. Bigger than her bed. Iri doubted she’d ever get a peaceful night’s sleep again.
Iri analyzed the spiders’ upward trajectory. How did they not slide down on that graveled surface? As soon as the spiders were above the gliders, they whirled, their abdomens lifting. Underneath, a silvery liquid pulsed. Horrified, she yelled, “Back off! Avoid their webs!”
Iri’s shouted warning came too late. Thin strands of steel shot out, knocking riders from their mounts. Senseless, they tumbled into the air below. Iri held her breath as their gliders remained motionless for a second, trying to comprehend what happened. Then as one, they dove after their riders.
Iri didn’t wait to see if they caught them. Her attention was back on the spiders, who twisted their heads at an unnatural angle, allowing them to stare at what was behind them. Stare was the only word to describe the hundreds of blank, shiny black slates that glinted her way. Their way. Toward the three humans dangling at the ends of the ropes that had whisked them beyond the spiders’ reach.
While that may have been true seconds ago, it was no longer the case. “Rozie, fly!”
But Rozie was wheeling away before Iri finished her sentence. A cable whipped behind her, and Iri ducked. The spider’s webbing whizzed past her ear, a high-tensile strand instead of silk. Deadly if it had hit her. Were the other riders that were hit just unconscious, or dead? Rozie angled her wings, dipping them perpendicular to the ground, and Iri focused on hanging on.
The whistle of air preceded a second strike. Again, Rozie took evasive action, all the while moving them further from the spiders, beyond the reach of their deadly webs. Then the mist enveloped them.
“Can you even see where you’re going?” Iri called to her glider.
Rozie chuckled. “We may be larger than our counterparts in this world, but we have the same ability to sense our surroundings.”
Sonar? Iri wasn’t sure if it was rude to ask, so she didn’t. The squelch of another spider going belly-up made her realize they were closer to the mountain than she had thought. The squelch sounded like the noise those old arcade games made when you played whack-a-mole. For an instant, the mist cleared, and Iri saw exactly that. Whack-a-mole. Or rather, stab-a-spider.
The spiders had realized they had no defense against the scores of attackers outside and had retreated into the cave. Every so often, one was tempted to race out and attack a glider hovering too close. Except they weren’t factoring in the other gliders hidden in the mist, just waiting for the chance to stab them.
“They’re not too bright, are they?” Iri muttered.
“Possibly a flaw with all the usurper’s creatures, engineered as they are,” Atu replied.
Iri had forgotten he could hear her through the comm. “Are you alright?”
“How would you feel if they kept you out of the battle?”
Iri had no reply. Evidently, Atu wasn’t taking his forced abstinence too well. She couldn’t say she wouldn’t feel any different in his position. More squelches. Iri didn’t see if it was one spider or more.
“Are we going back down there, or are you keeping me away too?” Iri demanded of Rozie.
Rozie cast a baleful glance her way. “I’m waiting my turn. There are others ahead of me in the line.”
Iri would have to take her word for it. She peered into the mist. It was getting thicker. As though her thought struck a chord with Jaden, his strident voice came over the comm.
“Back away! I need everyone to get away from the ledge! Now!”
Iri couldn’t see him, but she was sure the color surrounding him represented those feelings of his. Iri tightened her knees around Rozie as her glider veered away from the mountain.
Jaden’s voice came over the comm again, even more urgent. “Get away! Get out of the mist!”
Chapter Forty-One
Jaden’s command had Rozie’s wings beating faster. The mist brushed against Iri, touching slivers of exposed skin. The tiny droplets of condensation stung. At first, Iri assumed it was because Roxie was flying so fast. But then her nose crinkled.
Something was not quite right with the air. A taint marring its purity. Iri glanced at the tiny space left open between her gloved hand and suited arm. The narrow band of exposed flesh at her wrist was abnormally pale, as if exposed to a can of white spray paint. At last, she understood.
Glancing at Rozie’s wings, Iri’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the same film coating them. She leaned forward and found it on Rozie’s face too.
“Sit back,” Rozie ordered, her voice scratchy, like she hadn’t had a drink of water in hours.
“Rozie, we have to get out of the mist. It’s poisonous.”
“I’m aware,” Rozie replied tersely.
Iri heard what she hadn’t said. Rozie was struggling to find clean air. Are my senses better than Rozie’s? Iri doubted it, but anything was worth a try. About to close her eyes again, Iri noticed a spot of brighter white, glimmering through the dirty white of the mist. Is it possible?
“Rozie, head—” Iri faltered. She couldn’t work out their direction. “Go left!”
“Why?”
Rozie sounded beyond irritated. Is Rozie as disoriented as I am? The thought was disconcerting. The bright spot beckoned. “Just . . . trust me. If you don’t hit clean air in seconds, we can turn and go back in the direction you were heading.”
Muted sounds emanated from under her. Is Rozie cussing me out? Despite this, Rozie complied with Iri’s request. A split second later, the brilliant white patch loomed in front of them. They barreled into it. Or tried to. Rozie flapped furiously, struggling to smash through the invisible barrier holding them at bay. Iri tugged and pulled against the stickiness coating her, making movement difficult. With a loud thwack, Rozie snapped free, and they burst through.
Iri could see. For miles ahead, the air was clear. No hint of mist. Tentatively, Iri dragged air into her lungs. Fresh, pure. Clean air! Rozie came to her senses first and started twittering. Iri should do the same.
“Tell your gliders to find Rozie. We found a way out. Know that it takes a little struggling to get through the barrier, so persevere.”
Seconds later, gliders began breaking through the filmy barrier, exiting with audible pops. As Rozie backed away to allow the other gliders space, Iri noticed the mist formed a dome over Terratalunga. It reminded Iri of a clear Christmas bauble filled with smoke.
Soon, the gliders exited in greater numbers, all of them coated in the same white film. Remembering Rozie’s wings, Iri glanced at them. The winds whipping around them had wiped the coating away.
Just as Iri decided they had dealt with the strange mist, Rozie wheezed. Then Rozie’s entire body seized up. Her back arched, her head snapped back, and her wings crumpled against her sides. They dropped twenty feet in an eye blink.
Iri shrieked. “Rozie, what’s wrong?”
But Rozie was coughing. No, she’s hacking her lungs up. From the way Rozie’s wings remained curled at her sides, the coughing was all-consuming. Taking all Rozie’s energy, all her attention.
“Rozie!” This time, Iri kept the fear from her voice and inflected a level of command.
Rozie’s head lifted ever so slightly. However, more coughing swallowed any reply she might’ve given. Iri didn’t know what to do. She glimpsed the ground racing up to meet them. If Rozie didn’t snap out of it, they were both dead.
Iri was unprepared for the water blasting them upward. Gushing under, over and around them with such force it swamped her before shoving its way through her face mask and up her nose.
Choking, Iri coughed, trying to clear her airways as the water pounded them. Then it vanished, as suddenly as it had
appeared. Iri’s wet hair dripped down her neck. A sudden hissing nearby had Iri swiping water from her goggles.
Before she found the source, they were dunked again. This time, the water was piping hot. Iri yelped as it stung the places not covered by her smart suit. Not submerged for as long this time, Iri moved as soon as the water disappeared. Coughing up what felt like an ocean in her lungs, she dashed the water from her face.
One glance told her where they were: the field of geysers. And Rozie was flying directly at the next spout in their path. Iri barely had enough time to suck down air before they plunged into the water again. What is this crazy bat doing? She answered her own question. Washing away the poison. That’s why she can fly now.
They hurtled clear once more, and Iri gulped down air. “Rozie, glad you’re feeling better and all, but could you test the water before dashing in? I have no desire to be cooked like a lobster in a pot.” Rozie jerked under her. “What? You are feeling better, right?”
“Sorry! I forgot humans weren’t built for extreme temperatures. I’ll be more careful.”
Rozie sounded so forlorn, Iri giggled despite their situation. “No harm, no foul. I’m not boiled yet. Just . . . be more selective about which geysers you take us through? If you can?”
“I can and I will. And I’ll pass the information along to the other gliders.”
“How would they know to go through . . . oh, you already communicated that to them?” Iri still hadn’t figured out how the gliders communicated without a sound. She hadn’t seen colors or scented anything on Rozie to show she’d been conversing with the others.
Another geyser loomed and Iri shelved her contemplations, sucking in air. Three geysers later, Rozie streaked upward. Iri grabbed for purchase as Rozie shot high above the geyser field. Then, just as suddenly, Rozie dove back down, the wind battering Iri as they zoomed for the ground far below. Now what?
Sensing Iri’s unspoken question, Rozie shouted, “The wind will wipe away any excess water and dry my wings.”
“There wasn’t another way?” Iri managed through clenched teeth. She needed all her strength not to get tossed off by the force of the wind rushing past.
“This is the fastest way—and the most fun.”
Iri heard the smile in Rozie’s voice. “Oh yeah? How about this for fun?” With no small degree of relief, Iri released her death grip on Rozie. Tumbling into open air, Iri loosed a jubilant holler. It was just what she needed. Joyous, unfettered freedom, the air a wide open space around her after the confines of the tunnel.
Rozie cut the luxury of floating short by catching Iri. There was no reason she couldn’t enjoy it a little more. Iri rolled off again. Rozie got the message because she left Iri to drift for a while, flying alongside as Iri soaked in the freedom.
Moments later, Rozie darted under Iri again, catching her. Below them, other gliders and their riders were drenching themselves in the cleansing water of the geysers. Iri and Rozie hovered above, observing as they exited the field with their ability to fly in a straight line restored. While the gliders were in their element again, their riders were drowned rats.
Iri grinned. “Who would’ve thought the water in the geysers would counteract the poison?”
Iri noticed Atu and Aren closing in on them. She waved a hand in greeting. Using her comm, she asked, “Do you think the geyser water is the antidote, or was it effective because we washed the poison off before it had been on our skin for too long?”
Atu rubbed his chin. “I honestly couldn’t say. But I sent a glider and rider with the information on to the hospital where they took Vicken. Along with a sample of the water from the geysers here. Perhaps some mineral in the water is the elusive element I was looking for.”
Iri noticed the lack of colors around him as usual. But something in his tone had her asking, “Is everything alright?”
Atu glanced at her askew. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
For a second, Iri doubted herself. But it was there again, in his question. Fainter this time, but there. “Stop hedging and spill.”
Atu sighed. “If we don’t know how to counteract the poison in the mist, how are we going to get into the mountain? Because that’s where the map was leading us.”
The way he said it triggered something in Iri’s mind. “Hmm, was it?”
Now Atu just looked irritated. “What are you babbling about?”
“Remember how the first map had those floating lines, and then they converted into an X? Then how the second map used the stars to show us where to go, and when we arrived there was that burst of light which was absorbed into the book to give us our actual destination?”
Atu was nodding. “You’re saying the book gave us the volcano as the general area, but we should look for something more specific now?”
“Yes!”
Atu’s face brightened. Iri still saw no colors communicating his improved outlook. “How do you do it?”
“What?”
“Keep the colors from showing.”
Atu blinked. “I didn’t know I did.”
“Huh,” was all Iri said as she considered his answer. Not for the first time, she debated whether his even temperament kept the colors away.
“Is it unusual?”
“You’re the only person I’ve ever met who doesn’t give off colors and scents like a walking billboard.”
“That’s how it is for you with everyone else?”
“Yes.”
It was Atu’s turn to think the anomaly over. Apparently, it didn’t merit much attention because seconds later, he said, “Shall we find Jaden and Kayla and tell them the good news?”
Iri had to process his words. “Oh, right, the second part of the map. Yes, let’s find them.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Kayla couldn’t contain her relief. She threw her arms around Atu and hugged him. He’d just told her he’d sent explanations and samples of the geyser water to her father’s hospital. A load she hadn’t known she’d been carrying lifted from her shoulders.
Atu grinned at Jaden over her shoulder. “It’s just a hug.”
Kayla turned in time to observe Jaden’s smile. That gorgeous smile that lit his whole face and turned her to mush.
“I’m just waiting my turn.” The wicked glint in Jaden’s eyes dimmed Atu’s smile.
“What are you thinking?” Atu’s words were tentative and his expression apprehensive. He didn’t seem excited about the prospect of a hug from Jaden.
“I should thank you just as effusively for making Kayla so happy.”
Jaden’s grin was pure evil. Atu read his message and backed away from Kayla. “No need. Kayla’s hug was enough.”
Iri chuckled, and they all turned to look at her. “Jaden, there’s no need to be territorial.”
Jaden rolled his eyes, and Atu looked pained.
“I can look after myself,” Atu muttered.
Kayla grinned. Trust Iri to put them in their places.
“Now that Atu’s given you the first piece of good news, how about more?” Iri asked.
That got Kayla’s attention. “What more is there?”
Sparing a quick glance at Atu, who nodded, Iri explained what they had deduced about the maps.
Jaden hummed. “You’re saying there should be a second part of the map—hidden in the first?”
“Yes. I think you need to open the map in Awena’s book again. Let’s see if anything has changed.”
Despite shaking his head, Jaden took the ancient book from his pack and opened the back spine. His fingers played over the pool of silver. Kayla saw his eyes were closed as usual. It only accentuated his thick lashes. Lashes so gorgeous they didn’t belong on a boy. The envy of every girl ever.
The silvery liquid sparkled as it rose once more. Before the shape even half-formed, Kayla knew it was different. There was no hint of the sides of the mountain painting the miniature volcano.
This shape started with numerous indentations, tiny h
oles in a pocked landscape. Kayla jumped back when one hole spewed tiny jets of silver. She gasped as more miniature fountains sprayed up intermittently. Unlike the volcano where the lava had belched out the vent and then oozed down the side of the mountain, these jets flew up, spouting into the air and then subsiding for a while before repeating their mini explosions.
Iri and Atu crowded closer.
Atu pointed. “Is that what I think it is?”
Kayla glanced at the geyser field. The correlation between the image generated by the book and the surrounding landscape was unmistakable. “Jaden, open your eyes.”
He did, staring at the tiny, animated diorama before him. Then his eyes widened, his gaze flying to Kayla. “The geyser field?”
“Yes. The shapes and patterns are consistent. See this spot?” Kayla pointed at a hole towards the far right on the book’s “field.” “Look at the hole on the very edge over there.”
Jaden did, his gaze whipping between the book and the geyser. He swiveled the book so its orientation matched that of the field behind them. His eyes traced the other geyser spouts on the field, matching them to their counterparts in the book.
Every single geyser matched perfectly. The tiny variances in shape and heights of their waterspouts were identical to the book. Kayla started when the entire animation portrayed by the book suddenly rose upward.
She wasn’t the only one. Jaden, Atu and Iri all backed away, their faces mirroring Kayla’s apprehension. Despite this, they stayed close enough to see the image. A new part appeared. Kayla watched, holding her breath as the image filled out. She whistled. “A tunnel!”
“Yeah, but do you see where it starts?”
Jaden was less than enthusiastic. Kayla traced the tunnel to its source. She swallowed. “Oh, great!”
The source was a geyser spout. Even as they stared at the book, the precise geyser opening to the tunnel sprayed a teeny silver fountain into the air.
Destiny Series Boxed Set Page 113