by Lauren Mansy
The one positive is Reid’s sight is coming back. He’s still pale and trembling, obviously trying to hide his pain. The cut on his back has stopped bleeding, but his knees buckle with each step.
“Let’s rest,” I say.
“We can’t,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Five minutes. You’re heavy.”
Passing this off like I need it more than he does seems to work, and we find a cluster of rocks to sit on. I wish I had something to give Reid to eat. Though judging by the greenish hue of his face, I’m not sure it would help.
“Oh! My gift from Felix,” I say, irritated I’ve forgotten about the vial in my pack. “Drink it.”
He pours a drop onto his tongue.
“Take more,” I say.
“No, we have to make that last.” He sighs and rubs his face. “Good try, but I know we’re not resting for you. I’m fine.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe Bray did this to you. He’s never come close to hitting me before, but I should’ve known how cruel he’d be if you confronted him.” I pause as my memories flare up, reminding me of something that I always wished I’d never seen. “One time, Cade got into a fight with a Hollow who almost killed him. What Bray did to that man . . . it was terrible. I’d never seen him act like that.”
“Like what?” Reid asks between hard breaths.
“Like a Minder.” I meet his eyes. “I was on scout duty when I came across a man tied to a tree near the Mines. He was so beaten up that I didn’t recognize him, but he was wearing the same jacket as when he’d attacked Cade. He tried to say something but choked on his own blood. Suffocated before I could cut him loose. I didn’t believe there was much of a difference between justice and revenge before then, but no one should have to die like that.”
Reid keeps my gaze until I glance down, my stomach twisting at how beaten and bruised he is.
After Cade was killed, the memory of that Hollow became a warning to me. I’d never expect Bray to take his brother’s death lightly, but I’d seen what could break him. What has now consumed and destroyed him.
It’s dusk when we reach Kripen’s borders.
The trees are sparse, the landscape gradually changing from forest to desert. We hide in between a cluster of bushes with gnarled branches to rest for the night. Porter was clever to build the Maze here, where no one visits without a death wish. I dread the thought of what lies ahead for us tomorrow.
Though it’s tempting to want to plough through Kripen and get this whole thing behind us, the darkness has a positive and a negative. It might keep Minders from spotting us, but Reid has to see his enemies to use his Gift.
“I should bandage the cut on your back,” I tell Reid. “Make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
Without a word, he lies down on his stomach.
I stifle a gasp when I see the shape he’s in. A few of his ribs are broken, the reason why he winces with every breath. There’s a ton of dried blood around the gash running down his spine. His body trembles as I dab the cut with the violet compound. I wrap a bandage around him, realizing his skin isn’t tingling.
It’s a stupid thing to notice at a time like this, but his guard is up. A reminder of how differently his skin felt when he trusted me. How his lips felt when they met mine. But after learning about Penn, how could he ever open up to me again?
Once I’m finished, Reid falls asleep almost instantly, his breathing deep and steady.
I stare at him, my mind flashing with memories. All the harsh words between us in the Mines. Late night talks in the cave. Meeting my grandfather for the first time. But I’ll never forget the look of regret that he let himself get close to me. He can feed off the hate for a while. Maybe it’ll lessen the hurt. But for me, some of the biggest moments of my life have happened with Reid, a boy I didn’t even know existed until four days ago.
A flicker of courage finds its way inside me as Porter’s words float through my mind.
Harness your past and use it for good, Julietta. What is a life without love, or hope and joy? You must live for something higher than yourself. It’s who we choose to live for that defines us.
Wrapping my cloak tighter around me, I touch Penn’s bracelet on my wrist. “I couldn’t save you, but I won’t let anything happen to your brother,” I whisper. “I promise you that.”
CHAPTER
18
I wake Reid as the first rays of light appear in the east.
All night, I haven’t stopped thinking of Porter, Felix, and the Woodland army. Were they able to leave Aravid without alerting Madame’s scouts? Use the element of surprise to attack her? Without help from the Shadows, do we even have a chance to win this war? I almost break down as I picture my mother, defenseless and frail as a battle erupts around her.
I’m shaking as I kneel in front of Reid and dab the compound around his eyes. Thankfully, the swelling has gone down, and the cut on his back isn’t getting infected. Though I’m trying to be gentle, Reid’s muscles tense beneath my fingers as I redress it. I can’t help but think it’s not from the pain, but because I’m the one touching him.
Blinking back tears, I push myself to my feet and hold my hand out to Reid.
“We won’t last five minutes against the Minders if I can’t stand on my own.” He grimaces as he rises and takes an unsteady step. “If something happens to me, just keep going.” When I don’t answer, he adds, “Etta, I mean it—”
I raise my eyebrows. “Or you’ll do what?”
“I won’t go.” Reid angles his head and leans against a tree. “Swear you’ll keep going, or I’m staying right here.”
“Right here! At the center of Minder territory?” I hiss.
Reid points at the ground. “Right here. Can’t have me weighing you down.”
“Don’t throw my words back at me. You know I didn’t mean that!” I will myself to not look away before he does, but I break first and swing my pack on. “Have it your way, Reid.”
“And all this time I thought you were a good liar.”
“Fine! I’ll just abandon you among criminals and Minders,” I say, knotting my hair into a bun to get it out of my face. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“I’m impossible?” he says, brushing past me.
We have Porter’s map to guide us, but even the correct route is a nightmare. The sun beats down as we pass between spindly trees and bushes made of prickly thorns. The trail is pockmarked with deadfalls and huge craters filled with jagged rocks.
Hours into our journey, Reid is so exhausted that he keeps tripping on the gnarled vines covering the ground. I grab his arm to steady him, but he jerks away. He falls over and over again, his breathing labored and rough as he pushes himself back to his feet.
Part of me feels horrible that I couldn’t protect Reid from Bray. The other half wants to slap him for refusing my help now that we’re in this mess.
Reid’s face takes on a waxy look, his forehead slick with sweat. I’m terrified he’s going to pass out. When we finally come across a tiny stream, I make him pour water over his head to get his fever down.
“Just drink the compound,” I snap.
“Quit asking me to do that,” he shouts back. “I’m not taking any more. You’ll thank me if something happens to you.”
I plant my feet and cross my arms. “I’m staying right here until you drink it.”
“Don’t be stupid, Etta.”
“You’re the one who taught me how to play this game,” I say, holding the vial out to him.
We stare one another down before he mutters something under his breath and tips back the rest of the compound.
Minutes later, the trees have all but disappeared. Up ahead there’s a drop-off. My heart pounds as we walk toward it. I instinctively swing my bow off my back, readying to nock an arrow as I finally see what Porter was so worried about.
It’s dead silent except for the waves of the Blarien Sea splashing far in the distance. All the way to the beach
is wide-open desert. Apart from a few gnarled, scruffy bushes, there’s nowhere to take cover. There are steep sand dunes around us, behind which any number of Minders could be hiding.
I squint, spying the sea caves jutting out from the beach. One houses a hidden entrance into the Maze. I suck in a breath as I spot the one from Porter’s map and can’t help but smile. If we can only get past this last obstacle, we’ll find Greer.
“It’s that cave,” I say, lifting my finger to point it out.
Reid pushes my hand down. “Don’t tell me.”
“But if we’re separated, you should know where to go.”
“No. This is why you’re carrying that map in the first place. I won’t risk giving up that information to the Minders if something happens to me—”
“Stop saying that,” I growl.
Reid grabs the collar of my cloak and turns me around to look at him, his grip much stronger than it was before he drank the compound. “Listen to me. No matter what, don’t stop running.” His eyes narrow, and my mouth dries up. “Swear it.”
I glance at the sea caves once again.
I’m ready to face my father. I’m ready for my mother to wake. I’m ready for a new Craewick to emerge from Madame’s ashes. But I’m not ready to lose Reid. Promise or no promise, if something happens, I won’t leave him. Not when I know Reid’s safety is what Penn would want. But I’m a better liar than he gives me credit for.
“I won’t stop,” I say, and this time, he seems to believe me.
Taking the lead, I emerge from the cover of the last scraggly tree and walk sideways down the steep sand dune. Totally exposed. My pulse rushes as I brace myself for the Minders’ attack. Will they shoot us with arrows? Or use throwing knives or flying razors?
The wind picks up, blowing sand as sharp as glass into my face just before something clips my ear.
An arrow sinks into the sand near my boot.
Blood dripping down my neck, I whip around and loose an arrow at the top of a sand dune.
The Minder who shot at me cries out, my arrow lodged in his shoulder as Reid shouts, “Run!”
I blink, and there are Minders crawling all over the tops of the sand dunes. Some are throwing knives while others pelt us with rocks. A stone slams into the side of my face, barely missing my eye. I groan, shooting an arrow into the leg of the first Minder I see. That’s when the commanders start calling out tips.
“Little low, soldier! Higher next time, come on!”
“Aim for an eye, but the head will get the job done!”
“Watch ‘em twist and turn! They’ll slow around the corners. Good time to shoot!”
I up my pace, leading this way and that, following Porter’s map until we’re forced to slow down because of the wide ravines on the trail. The sand is high on either side, trapping us as we trudge through mud.
“Faster!” says Reid, so close I feel his breath on my neck.
Gritting my teeth, I pull myself up onto dry land.
Up ahead Minders are sliding down the dunes, sand billowing up all around them.
Reid spins around, his back pressed against mine. He’s trembling as he knocks out as many as he can using his Gift, but their numbers only multiply as they close in. Heat radiates from his skin. He’s too weak to use his Gift this rapidly without damaging his mind.
I shoot an arrow into a pack of Minders before I reach for my last one.
As he goes for the knife on his belt, Reid’s hand grazes mine.
I’m certain he didn’t mean to touch me, but then he laces his fingers through mine. And in the midst of all of this, the tiniest smile flickers across my face before he lets go.
Nocking an arrow, I raise my bow to shoot the Minder closest to me, but he collapses before I fire.
The soldier behind him drops to the ground, an arrow in his shoulder.
My blood rushes to my ears.
As soon as they realize they’re under attack from behind, the Minders charging me whip around, their weapons pointed toward the tops of the sand dunes.
I check on Reid. The Minders rushing him are being picked off one-by-one, but Reid hasn’t moved a muscle.
The sun blinds me as I search the dunes for whoever’s helping us. My chest tightens as a terrible thought hits me. Have the Shadows found us? Under orders to keep us alive so they can drag us back to Bray?
A Hunter emerges from the tree line.
I gasp when I meet his stare. There’s a pack with him, all firing at the Minders with incredible accuracy. A surprised laugh escapes me as I realize it’s the Hunter whose friend I saved outside of Aravid, and I raise my hand.
Still wearing the wolf skull, he lowers his bow and dips his head.
When he smiles, I see his teeth are whittled into sharp points, and a chill runs down my spine.
“Move, Etta!” shouts Reid.
As the trail cuts between two high banks of sand, knotted branches form a crude tunnel above our heads. We sprint up a sand dune and stumble down to the beach. The sand is dry and thick, just as difficult to run on as the muddy trails.
I wrap my arm around Reid’s waist as we race toward the massive gray cave jutting into the sea. He’s breathing hard, his bandages bloody from cuts that’ve reopened. His skin is as hot as fire.
“Stay close,” I say as we wade in, waves crashing against our waists. “With your cut—”
As if on cue, salt water splashes onto Reid’s back and he hisses in pain.
“And watch out for riptides,” I shout over the waves.
I dive in, swimming beneath the wake until I glide to the top. Reid’s close, but grimacing each time he moves. I fight against the current to get to him, terrified he’s going to pass out.
In front of the cave’s entrance, the current picks us up, slamming Reid against the rocky wall with a loud crack, and shooting me into the cave.
Sucking in a breath, I swim under the surface, salt water burning my eyes as I spot him. I grab his waist and kick as hard as I can to the top. My mouth fills with seawater as I scream his name, but he doesn’t stir. I drag him into the current, letting it carry us to the beach inside the cave.
My legs cramp as I pull him onto the black sandy shore. I pound my fists on his chest. “Come on, Reid,” I say. “Come on!” Then I press my lips to his, breathing for him.
Colors flash behind my eyes.
I draw back at the ripple of memory, at how Reid’s skin tingles. In his unconscious state, in my hurry to help him, I’ve stolen whatever he was just thinking about. Once I see what it is, I’m not sure I want to give it back. It’s the moment where his hand found mine during the Minders’ attack . . .
We’re surrounded on all sides. These Minders are idiots who can barely shoot, but they’re idiots with strong numbers. Etta’s almost out of arrows. She’s trembling but I don’t want her to be afraid. I reach for her hand. I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of here and let her find her father.
But I might not have the chance to tell her Penn’s death wasn’t her fault. That memory showed me she loved him as much as he loved her, and I understand why.
These past five days, I’ve seen a girl who owns the kind of strength that can never be bought. And if I never get to say it, I hope she knows that I wish I did.
“Reid,” I whisper, pulling out of the memory as I hit his chest. “Come back!”
He rears up and hunches over, throwing up seawater onto the sand and coughing in fits before I wrap my arms around him. His body relaxes as he pulls me closer.
Tears trickle down my face as I realize Porter was right about more than one thing. I haven’t lost everyone I love.
“I’m okay, Etta,” he says.
I struggle to catch a breath as I lean back to look at him. He’s beaten and bruised. Reid knows his brother isn’t here, but he isn’t giving up. There’s a strength inside Reid that has never wavered. Even when Penn took his last breath, he was just as brave. And for four years, that’s what I’ve longed to find—courage that co
mes from deep within.
As I help Reid onto his feet, he doesn’t try to shove me away this time. “So this is it,” he murmurs, glancing around the cavern. “Where do we go now?”
I bite my lip, unsure if I should admit that I don’t exactly know. The map in my memories ends at the entrance in this cave, and a tremor runs down my spine as I recall how Porter ordered me not to enter the Maze this way.
Greer and the others reside in the heart of the prison, but the outskirts are filled with traps and obstacles that were too dangerous to dismantle. Stay away from there.
Lifting my chin, I point to a stairway chiseled into the cave wall, knowing our only option is to press on. “There.”
Reid leans on me as we stumble through the soft sand.
When I put my foot on the first step, a loud click sounds throughout the cavern.
We don’t have time to react before a rounded cage drops through the darkness over the top of us. The sand beneath our boots funnels away to reveal a steel plate. Each cage bar locks into a small hole around the perimeter, trapping us like birds.
My knees crash into the metal plate as some unseen lever pulls us higher and higher. The air whooshes past us as we rush up, then stop so abruptly that I land on top of Reid before scrambling over to the edge.
I scream as the black water from the cave ripples far below us.
“No!” Reid shouts, pushing himself to his feet. The cage barely clears the top of his head, and there’s hardly enough space for two. He wraps his hands around the bars and pulls.
“Stop,” I yell as we swing from side-to-side. Whatever the top of this cage is attached to lets out a horrific groaning sound, and I’m terrified if it breaks, we’ll plunge into the water still trapped inside. I feel all around us. No locks, no keys. Nothing.
Ahead is the top of the stairway, which leads to a pathway through more sea caves. This view feels like a mind game, the semblance of freedom but there’s no way out.
Reid collapses beside me, his breathing labored and rough. He’s trembling badly enough that the cage is shaking. “Why didn’t Porter warn you about this?”
“He tried,” I say, ashamed to admit it. “He made me promise that we wouldn’t come this way. I knew there were traps left over from when it was a prison, but I figured we had to risk it to find Greer in time.” Clutching my head, I want to tell Reid something reassuring. Promise that I’ll find some way to get us out of here, but I can’t bring myself to lie to him. “I’m sorry . . . I’m so sorry,” I say over and over again.