by Erin Johnson
Wiley blinked. “Really? Those kinds of things don’t usually work on you.”
I shrugged. “Good thought, but yeah, no magic here.”
Misaki let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead. “The council will decide if you deserve to get your powers back.” She shot an arm out and pointed to my left, through the dark foliage. “A kaiju, a monster, knows we’re here and is tracking us. If you want to live, you stick close and do as I say. Understood?”
I gulped and nodded.
“Good. We move. Now.” Misaki strode a few steps away.
I glanced at Hank, still out cold. “But—”
She paused and shot me a sharp look.
I gulped and waved a hand in dismissal. “You know, never mind, we’ll figure it out.”
Francis opened his huge wings. “I would help, but I am a bit… encumbered.”
Wiley moved up beside me, and Yann squeezed my shoulder. “We can carry da prince.”
I managed a small smile. “Thanks, guys.”
Misaki whirled around without another word and strode off, wand in hand, calling out orders. I glanced up at the tall guard, Jun, who watched her go. I couldn’t make out his expression behind his glasses and the scarf that covered half his face.
I licked my lips and summoned my bravery, hugging Iggy’s warm lantern closer to me. “So….”
Jun jumped, as though he’d forgotten where he was, then looked down at me.
“So, you’re not part of the Badlands Army?”
Jun held still a moment. “I’m not sure what that is.” He shook himself. “Come on, we’ve got to go.” He moved off.
I lifted a brow at Maple. “Guess that’s a no, then.”
“Who are these people?” She blinked at me.
I shrugged. The monster shrieked again, sending ripples of fear up my spine. “No idea. But I don’t think we have any option but to go with them.”
Maple waved everyone over and we gathered quickly around Hank, who still lay unconscious on the soft ground. She blinked her big blue eyes. “Is everyone okay? I mean, as okay as we can be?”
Sam whimpered, but nodded and everyone affirmed they hadn’t been hurt in the skirmish at the palace.
Maple rubbed her trembling hands against her thighs. “Okay, gang, let’s stick together then and be positive. We can do this!”
I shook myself. My brain was not fully functioning. I’d hardly slept the night before, too worried about the prison heist. Then we’d actually pulled off the breakout, only to be confronted and nearly killed by the king. So many secrets and tragedies had been exposed that I was honestly surprised to find myself still on my feet, conscious. I’d never been so physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted in my life. I glanced down at Hank. I wanted to just curl up beside him and hope that when I woke up, the last twenty-four hours would turn out to have been a terrible nightmare.
I reached over and pinched Maple.
“Ow!” She jumped and rubbed her arm. “What was that for?”
“Oh, sorry.” I shook my swimming head. “Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
She frowned. “You’re supposed to pinch yourself.”
“Right. Sorry.”
2
Uphill Battle
We marched for what felt like days, but in reality was probably just hours. I stumbled over gnarled tree roots and up rocky paths—always up. Were there no downhills on this island? Dark shadows loomed above and around us, and strange noises and shrieks dogged our footsteps. I raised my eyes to the next hill we had to climb. More tree roots laced the rocky ground.
I grunted at Iggy. “Want to bet on how many times I’ll fall this time?”
Maple dragged herself up next to me, and Sam staggered up in between us. Maple raised her fist and gave it a weak shake before dropping her arm to her side. “You can do it.” She managed a thin smile. “We’ve been through worse, right? And if we just—”
A monster screech ripped through the air. It startled me so bad, I screamed and grabbed Sam’s wrist. He screamed and I yanked my arm back, but pulled a cuff of paper-thin wrist skin off Sam’s arm as I did. I shook it off me and screamed again.
Misaki turned from the top of the hill and hissed down at us. “Shut it!”
I nodded frantically then turned to Sam. “What was that?”
He gulped. “I’m ssstresss ssshedding.”
The kaiju on our heels was the only thing that kept me on my feet and moving. I glanced back now and then. Wiley and Yann managed to carry Hank between them, though they lagged behind with the rear guards. Francis had tried to help, but his wings were barely strong enough to fly himself along, and his legs were even weaker. I’d never considered it before, but all that floating around meant the vampire never had to use his muscles.
“Beyond barbaric.” I caught him muttering to himself at one point. “Me. Walking on my feet!” He scoffed.
Rhonda shook her head in commiseration. “It’s like you need a vehicle to transport you—some kind of batmobile.” She winked and my jaw dropped. I always forgot Rhonda knew more of the human world than the others.
“Eh.” Francis shrugged his wings. “That would be passable.”
I couldn’t spare him much pity though—all my concern was wrapped up with Hank, who still hadn’t awoken. Maybe he needed to rest, I tried to tell myself. Maybe it was best he sleep through this arduous trek. I doubted he would’ve allowed anyone to carry him if he’d been awake, even if he could hardly stand. Still, my stomach clenched with worry for him.
Eventually, the sky lightened to a pale gray, and I could finally see something above me besides the dark heaviness of tangled tree branches. The oppressive claustrophobia of the snarled, teeming jungle lessened, just a bit, and the lights of a settlement came into view. Unfortunately, they glimmered at the top of a very steep mountain that towered above us. The tall guard, Jun, glanced over his shoulder, then doubled back down the path to join me. He stopped beside me and followed my gaze up.
“We’re nearly to Kusuri, our town.” He pointed his long arm up at the lights.
I blinked my bleary eyes. “I appreciate you being kind.” I gave him a weak smile and his eyes grew round with concern. “But that is—” I sighed and hung my head. “That is one tall mountain to climb first.” If I’d had the energy I would’ve cried. The thought of dragging myself up that mountain made me want to lie down and just let the kaiju get me. My shoulders slumped and it seemed a very real possibility that Iggy’s lantern, dangling from my left hand, might yank my entire arm off, it felt so heavy.
“Here.” Jun gently bumped my arm.
I glanced over at the gray ceramic thermos he held out to me.
“It’s green tea, it’ll give you some pep in your step.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Plus, there’s a spell on it to give you some extra energy.”
I glanced up at him, surprised that he’d go out of his way to help me. He tugged the black scarf down from his nose to reveal a handsome face with a strong jaw and sharp cheekbones. He flashed me a good-natured grin. “I always drink it on my night shifts to stay awake. It’s an old family recipe. Not all of us are powerhouses like Misaki.”
We both glanced up the path. I could see the petite young woman leading the way towards the town. I’d have sworn she was already halfway up the mountain.
My mouth twitched to the side—I almost managed a smile. “Thank you.” I took the thermos from him and pulled out the wide cork. Tendrils of steam curled up into the chilly, damp air. I lifted the thermos to my lips, then hesitated. I glanced back at my friends. Annie, Francis, and Rhonda trailed far behind. Wiley and Yann staggered along even further back, still carrying Hank between them. Maple and Sam continued on a little ways ahead of us. “Is there enough for my friends, too?”
Jun glanced around, then leaned in. He nodded, a little smile on his lips. “Just don’t tell anyone.”
I grinned and lifted the thermos to my mouth. I should probably hav
e paused to consider if it was poisoned or cursed or something, but at that point, I was too exhausted to care. I drank a few gulps and had to stop myself from drinking more, so that there’d be enough for the others. It wasn’t that it tasted so great. I ran my tongue over the roof of my mouth. In fact it tasted quite earthy, like all the green vegetables I knew I should eat, but didn’t like to. Kale, I’m looking at you. But it left an almost sweet aftertaste and flooded me with a feeling of warmth and groundedness that I desperately needed.
I recorked it and handed the thermos back to Jun. “Thank you.” I hesitated, then decided he’d been kind and I should make an effort. “I’m Imogen.” I lifted the heavy lantern. “And this is Iggy.” I frowned when I found him snoring peacefully inside. Typical.
Jun nodded and flashed me another smile. “Nice to meet you.” His dark eyes landed on my sleeping flame, and he tipped his head to the side. “Both of you.”
He moved off to give my friends a drink of the strong green tea, and I continued on. If Jun could be kind, maybe our captors, the Badlanders, weren’t all that… well, bad. The spelled tea coursed through me and gave me renewed energy. I wiggled my chilled fingers and toes, grateful to have feeling in them again, and twisted my back from side to side, stretching. Even Iggy’s lantern seemed lighter. I nodded to myself. Almost there. My eyes drifted up to the lights twinkling in the semidarkness of predawn. Wherever there was.
3
Closing Time
I plunked Iggy’s lantern down on the hard road paved with stones and doubled over, my hands braced against my knees. My heart pounded in my chest and as I swallowed, I crinkled my nose. My mouth tasted like blood—gross.
Tiny cuts and scratches laced up my arms and legs from hiking through the thick undergrowth, and my feet ached and burned with blisters. From toes to knees, splatters of dark mud speckled my pale legs.
When we’d made it home from the prison, I’d changed into a pair of comfy yellow shorts with a tie at the high waist and a white short-sleeved tee with a pair of leather sandals. Fine attire for hanging around the palace—not so much for a strenuous hike in a cold, dark, overgrown forest. I panted, my lungs burning, and lifted my eyes.
I didn’t know how I’d managed it, though I suspected a lot of credit went to Jun’s magic tea, but I’d made it nearly to the top. We’d switchbacked up this stony mountain road and as dawn broke, a striking view had expanded all around us.
I glanced to my right at the dense expanse of forest, vibrant with every shade of green and dusted with shimmering pink cherry blossoms. A valley of treetops dropped away from the road, with tall mountains rising again in the distance. I let out a heavy sigh. I might have enjoyed it under different circumstances, but it just reminded me of the wild, foreign land that surrounded me everywhere I looked. And the Badlands was an island, so beyond all the wild forest lay an ocean of water—no escape, isolated from the rest of the world. What I wouldn’t have given for the warm, familiar palace bakery or the view of the sea from Hank’s comfy bedroom window.
I glanced back. Yann and Wiley took slow steps up the steep road, with Annie just behind. She gripped a twisted branch in her hand that she used as a walking stick. I bit my lip, grateful again to Jun. He’d cast a spell to make Hank feel lighter, which was the only way Yann and Wiley could’ve managed this mountain carrying him.
Behind Annie, Rhonda staggered up the mountain carrying Francis piggyback. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead and she listed to the right. My stomach lurched as she stumbled dangerously close to the road’s edge and the cliff that dropped away just beyond it. I reached out and opened my mouth to cry a warning, but Francis’s giant bat wings unfolded from his sides and flapped a couple of times, pushing both of them back to the middle of the road. I blew out a puff of air in relief.
Francis, unused to using his legs for getting around, had tired quickly and resorted to flying. But he’d smacked a wing against a trunk in the forest, where the trees and vines and rocks all tangled together in a dense web, and Rhonda had carried him ever since. Granted, the thin vampire probably weighed less than Rhonda, but still—I was impressed.
I grabbed Iggy’s lantern and straightened up when a few guards who’d been bringing up the rear sprinted up the road with their eyes wide and black scarves pulled down from their faces. Their soft leather shoes, with the split toe, kept their quick steps silent on the stone.
“Yaaarrrrrghhh.”
I held Iggy’s lantern higher so I could see him.
He finished his yawn, then blinked slowly and stretched his little flame arms. “Are we there yet?”
I rolled my eyes. While I’d been sweating and stumbling and struggling up the mountain, Iggy’d been napping.
The three guards reached Rhonda and Francis. They exchanged a few words but didn’t stop. Rhonda’s eyes grew wide and Francis beat his giant black wings, propelling them up the mountain faster.
I frowned. “Something’s up.”
One of the guards stopped dead, and the others skidded to a halt. They put their heads together in discussion, then a moment later pulled their wands out and pointed them at my friends—Rhonda, Francis, Annie, Yann, Wiley, and Hank. My stomach tightened and I glanced up the road. I could barely make out Sam and Maple, a couple of tiers above me, walking with Jun, the only guard I felt might be sympathetic to his fellows zapping us. They were too far away to call for help, and none of us had our powers. Before I could even cry out, flashes of light flew from the wands of the guards behind me. I gasped and Iggy cried, “Hey!” But suddenly, my friends sped up the trail and were upon us in moments—and then past.
“Wait—where are you guys going?”
But the group rounded the next hairpin turn and flew out of sight. My stomach sank as I realized how they’d done it—the speed spell. I hated the speed spell. And I’d already flown up and down one mountain thanks to it… well, technically a volcano.
A breathless guard skidded to a stop before me. His nostrils flared and he breathed hard. “The kaiju’s close. We have to move—fast.”
My breath caught and I looked wide-eyed at Iggy. His mouth disappeared and his eyes grew round and big. He hated it as much as I did. “Right, but like, I could probably just jog up there. No need for the speed spell, right? ’Cause like we’re pretty close and I think—”
A deafening shriek sounded from below. I jumped and cowered, my shoulders around my ears. The guard and I scrambled to the edge of the road and peered down the cliffside. A startled flock of blue-gray birds flew past us, and the guard and I lurched back from the edge. But not before I caught sight of a furry brown creature the size of a bus scrabbling up the road several tiers below us. It shrieked again—an angry sound—and whipped its long tail from side to side.
I rounded on the guard. “Give us the speed spell!” Iggy and I gasped in unison.
He leveled his wand at me. A flash of light followed, and then my legs flew under me, barely touching the stone ground. My mind took a moment to catch up and when it did, I found myself nearing the first hairpin turn. I leaned hard to my left, swung Iggy in his lantern across my body, and found myself tilted nearly horizontal as my sandals skimmed the cliff’s edge. I managed to make the turn, but just barely and had only a moment to recover from nearly running straight off a cliff before I had to navigate the next switchback. Up and up I went, dizzy and nauseous with fear.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Iggy’s screams mingled with the shrieks from the monster below us. As fast as I ran, the monster was faster. Its shrieks grew louder and louder and raised the hair on the back of my neck, but I didn’t dare glance back and risk flying to my death off the side of the mountain. I skidded around another turn, one hand scraping the ground like a speed skater. I ignored the burn in my palm and ran on. My heart lifted with hope as the road straightened.
“Imogen!” Maple cupped her hands to her mouth and called to me from the other side of the long, red wooden bridge that stretched before me. The guard who’
d spelled me sprinted across it, his legs a blur. A bubbling river flowed quickly below, forming a moat around the town, which sat on the other side. I flew up the ramp to the bridge.
“Faster,” Iggy squealed.
My feet thudded out a rhythm on the wooden planks. Lanterns posted in even intervals along the bridge flashed by me like telephone poles out a train window. The black stone walls that surrounded the town loomed taller and taller before me. I’d crossed the halfway point when heavier footsteps pounded on the bridge, drowning out the sound of my own. The planks beneath my feet trembled and made my legs quiver and nearly buckle. I gritted my teeth and leaned forward, urging my burning thighs to stay strong.
A screech sounded right behind me, so loud it hurt my ears. A blast of hot, moist breath licked the back of my neck and knees and enveloped me in a putrid cloud of monster breath.
“It’s called dental hygiene!” Iggy shrieked.
The end of the long bridge came into sight, and just beyond it the tall gateway to the town—which they were closing! The last of the guards slid through the narrow opening. Maple and Wiley shouted at two others who appeared to be trying to close the doors.
Wait, wait, wait!
My chest burned, but I pushed on and in a blur reached the end of the bridge, flew through the gate, and slammed into my friends. Maple, Wiley, Iggy, and I lay crumpled in a heap on the hard, cold stone. I rolled over and looked up at the towering wall. Black-clad guards pointed their wands at the gate and it flew shut, a heavy wooden bar dropping into place across the iron-studded doors. A moment later the gates shuddered as the monster careened into them. An angry wail rose up over the top of the tall wall, and the gates rattled again and again. Yann helped me to my feet, and Maple and Wiley scrambled up beside me. We backed away, eyes glued to the gate while the guards held their ground, wands at the ready.
“Will it hold?” Maple breathed.