“Follow him anyway,” Ezekiel said. “If he gets too close to camp…” he raised his finger across his neck in a slicing motion.
My knees grew weak and I buried my face in my hands. “No! You can’t do that! He talked about leaving the City, about making a life outside. He hates it as much as I do.”
Gideon raised his voice. “He was sent to find you. We can’t risk it.”
“Gideon’s right,” Mara said. “You don’t know what the City’s capable of, Kaia.”
“I know what Lev is capable of.” And I knew the secrets she needed to protect. No wonder she didn’t want to help him.
Gideon’s eyes turned hard. “Akrum told us he killed the other one. He’s gone crazy.”
I couldn’t imagine Lev as a murderer. I looked around the circle and shook my head. “He wouldn’t hurt someone unless there was a reason.” I turned to them, imploring. “Maybe,” an idea formed in my head, “Maybe he was trying to protect me, to save me from being taken back. Maybe he’s a refugee too!” I looked to Mara, expecting her to see reason. “If he’s sick, he’ll die. Please, you have to help him.”
“He’s an overseer,” Ezekiel said. “Same as the ones who took Jacob and Noah when they went looking for help. Same as the ones who locked our people out and watched them die outside the dome. Same as the ones who created the beasts and then set them free. We fight for survival every day while they sit in the City, safe. No City person deserves our mercy.” Ezekiel raised his chin and looked at the elders.
“He’s no threat,” I said desperately. “He’s sick and weak. At least take me to him. I can find out the truth.” The thought of Lev out here, alone, searching for me, willing to die for me was too much to bear. “Please!”
Mara shook her head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Lev wouldn’t hurt me.” I ignored a flicker of doubt. He was Tar’s son. And Sari’s mate, I remembered with a bitter jolt. He’d betrayed me once. What if he’d learned the truth about my genetics and planned to drag me back?
A loud gong sounded. One. Two. Three times.
“Enough,” Ezekiel said. “We have other concerns.”
“What’s going on?” I asked. The fire hissed as Ezekiel tossed a bucket of water on it. A spray of sooty water hit my pants.
“A storm,” Mara said, standing up. “We wait them out in the cave.” I followed her out of the shelter. Outside, the wind had picked up and dark clouds rolled into the clearing, covering the sun. Across the clearing, I saw Nadia. She wasn’t scurrying around collecting food and belongings like everyone else. She was staring at me with unconcealed scorn. Did she know why Ezekiel had called me to his shelter?
The gong sounded again. Three more beats. “A bad storm,” Raina said.
Her steps quickened as a loud crack of thunder split the air. “Go to the cave. I’ll meet you there. I need to get my medicine kit.” The rising wind whipped the words from her mouth. Everyone rushed around, barricading the windows on their shelters, pulling cleaned clothes off bushes and hauling baskets of food inside. Commands were shouted and obeyed. Two girls ran into me, knocking me sideways. I recognized them as the girls who had gone to the waterhole with Sepp.
I ran after one and grabbed her sleeve. She turned, panic clear on her face. “Where’s Sepp?”
She started to cry. “I don’t know! He was beside me and then my sister fell. I went back to help her and he was gone.”
I looked wildly for Mara. Across the clearing, she was heading for her hut. “Mara!” I screamed. “Mara!”
“What? What is it?”
“It’s Sepp,” I said, catching up to her, breathless. “He’s missing!”
Lev
My mind swirled from fever and sickness. My legs had grown numb and my back ached. Wispy tendons of roots hung in my face as the thicker fingers stretched, sucking and digging, into the soil.
I was waiting for someone. Who?
The overseers, Tar whispered in my ear.
I turned, looking for her, but she was gone.
No, not the overseers. I was waiting for Kaia. Kaia was coming to get me. I could feel her near me. We’d hide in the hole together.
I listened for her voice, pressing my ear into the hard-packed earth. But it wasn’t Kaia’s voice I heard, it was the Earth’s heartbeat. The vibration drummed through me. I counted. One. Two. Three. And then it stopped. It wasn’t the Earth. It was the Prims; they were calling to me. There was a pause and three more beats.
The noise would lead me to them. A sudden elation filled me. I could find them. I poked my head out of the hole. An image wavered in front of me. Kaia. She was there, right in front of me. She tilted her chin in greeting, a smile lifting the corner of her mouth. She held out her hand. Come with me. Before my eyes, her image melted into Tar. Do what you have to survive! she ordered.
A flush of anger rose in me. I had done what it took to survive. I’d killed Raf. I could feel her black heart beating where mine should have been. She’d turned me into a monster. I used all my strength to pull myself out of the hole. Brandishing the knife, I charged at her. “I hate you!” I screamed, slashing at her. But it was air. I flailed at nothing. I was alone.
Kaia
Mara stared at me for a moment in frozen panic. The air shifted, like it was being stirred from above. Gusts of wind bent the evergreens trees as if they were nothing more than bamboo reeds.
“Sepp!” The wind ripped the panicked cries out of our mouths. My shirt billowed around me as I fought the gale that screeched across the clearing. Corners of roofs threatened to fly off as the ties that held them loosened, and they creaked with the pressure of the gusts. All of a sudden, the Mountain shook as thunder rumbled. I stood still, waiting for the ground to stop moving.
Hunched over baskets of supplies, people streamed towards the cave entrance, running and casting worried glances at the sky. Mara clutched each person’s shirt. “Have you seen Sepp?” she yelled. Shaking their heads, they tore themselves out of her grip.
“Sepp!” Mara screamed.
Gideon ran from the cave, herding people inside. “Is Sepp in there?” Mara asked.
“I didn’t see him.” He looked at our panicked faces. “Is he lost?”
Mara gulped back a sob. “We have to find him!”
“The waterhole,” I yelled at Gideon. “He went to the waterhole.”
Another clap of thunder made me jump with fright. It was like the clouds were colliding in front of me, their anger palpable. A sizzle went through the air, just before a bolt touched the top of a tree. I heard it crack and the tree split from its trunk, its branches dropped to the ground.
“Get inside!” Gideon shouted, already sprinting away from us, holding his arm up to shield his face from the driving rain. “I’ll find him.”
Mara turned to me. “Get my kit,” she yelled. “It’s under my cot. Bring it to the cave. We might need it. I’ll get there as soon as I can.” Battling into the wind and sidestepping fallen branches, she disappeared from view to search for Sepp. I did as I was told and ran to her hut, splashing through puddles. The door was wedged shut, but with a vicious yank, I got it open and fumbled in the dark for the kit under her cot. The wind hammered at the roof and walls like it wanted to tear the hut to pieces.
Lev was sick, that was what Akrum had said. Talking to himself, wandering the Mountain searching for me. No matter what Gideon or the elders said, I couldn’t leave him out there to die in this storm. Grabbing Mara’s kit of supplies, I burst back outside as the clouds crackled with electricity.
“Take Mara’s kit to the cave,” I shouted at a woman and shoved the basket into her arms. She nodded and took off, shepherding two small children with her.
My head was clear. If I wanted to find Lev, now was my chance.
Lev
A few raindrops speckled the ground around me. It was a relief t
o feel the coolness on my head. Then all at once, the clouds released a thunderous downpour. I crawled back to the hole and dropped in, headfirst like an animal, and then peeked out.
Through the sheets of rain, Raf appeared. “Raf,” I breathed. “Don’t leave me.” I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I didn’t want to die on the Mountain. I reached out for him, but he flickered and disappeared. Had he even been there? Or was it the Mountain playing tricks on me?
Raf is dead. You killed him. I spun around looking for the voice. Was it in my head? Or was someone behind me?
Raf darted into the forest toward the stream. Yes, of course! Follow the stream down the Mountain. I could go back to the City. Raf would lead me there. I picked up the knife and struggled out of the hole. The ground was slippery from the rain. I ran to catch up, stumbling and pausing to catch my breath. I’m too weak.
Like Kellen, Raf taunted me.
Twice I fell slipping on the wet ground. I had to keep him in my sight, but nausea rolled through me and the forest spun.
“Raf?” I called. I’d lost him again.
The wind picked up and the rain fell harder. I squinted at a figure on the other side of the stream. Raf! I charged towards him, through the swollen stream, determined to catch up.
Thunder cracked the air. Wind yanked at the trees. I shielded my eyes, unsure which way to go because Raf was gone again. Do whatever it takes to survive. Tar’s voice echoed in my head.
“I’m trying,” I shouted. Her eyes glowed at me from the trees. I stared back at them. Had she followed me up here?
No, of course not. It wasn’t human eyes that watched me from the darkness. The beasts had found me.
Three of them came out of the trees. Fangs bared, they let loose a low growl. A warning. I held my knife up. The muddied blade looked pathetic against their hulking power.
I tossed the knife to the ground. I wasn’t Raf. I couldn’t kill one the way he had. I had no chance against three. Covering my head, I bowed down, curling up on the ground, wishing for it to be over, fast.
One advanced, snarling. The end was coming. Death hung in the space between me and the beast. I waited for its claws to pierce my skin, teeth to rip into my body. I could smell it, the stink of its wet, mangy coat. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky. My knife was within arm’s reach, its blade washed clean. The beast drew closer. “Kaia,” I cried. “I’m sorry.” I closed my eyes. Kaia’s face, the night we sat in the orchard, flashed in my head. I could feel her beside me and hear her whispered words. We could live on the Mountain, free from everything and make a life together.
The reason I was on the Mountain became clear. I had to survive for Kaia.
The beast lunged at me in the same instant as I grabbed the knife. In one motion, I rolled back and jammed the blade into the beast’s skull. There was a crack as the bone gave way and the knife slid deep into its brain. Its eyes rolled back, the whites glowing, and then it collapsed, as if its bones had been liquefied.
The other two beasts snarled and ran at me. But I was up, racing across the stream, and my body knew what it needed to do. Get to safety. Back to the pit at the roots of the tree. I didn’t look back as I splashed through the water, the other side tantalizingly close. The beasts howled after me.
I saw the path and raced back to the tree. Diving into the hole, I curled up in the corner and clutched my knife in front of me.
There was no sound. No thumping of paws, no snouts poking into the stump, no agitated barking and snarling as they waited outside for me.
Scuttling to the entrance, I raised myself up to ground level and peered out. The storm raged, but the beasts hadn’t followed me. They paced on the other side of the stream. I almost laughed, my chest caving in with relief. My legs shook. As long as I stayed on this side of the stream, they wouldn’t come after me.
“Ha! Safe,” I said out loud.
Too weak to hold myself up any longer, I crouched down, curling my knees into my chest. My head spun. Across the stream, the beasts sniffed at the one I’d killed, urging him up.
I heard a voice, but it wasn’t Raf or Tar. My heart gave a leap. Kaia? With a groan, I dragged myself to the opening and peered out. A Prim stumbled against the wind. “Help me,” he cried.
He was headed down the path. His steps wobbly and tentative. Across the stream, two sets of yellow eyes were trained on him, but the Prim kept walking in their direction, as if he couldn’t see them. A shiver of fear ran up my spine. I sank back into the hole. Maybe they weren’t real.
But when I looked at the knife, it was still sticky with blood.
Maybe it wasn’t their blood. Maybe it was Raf’s.
No! I hadn’t killed Raf. The beasts had done it. My mind spun with colliding memories. I didn’t know what was real anymore. Focus, Lev! I peered out of the hole again.
A clap of thunder boomed and the Prim yelled with fright. “Help me!” he wailed. The beasts stood, noses in the air, growling. He froze, listening. His face contorted in panic.
A cramp in my stomach made me gasp and clutch my gut. My eyes watered from the pain. With a groan of effort, I pulled myself up, clawing at roots and dirt. I had to warn him.
“Who’s there?” the Prim asked. He jerked his head around trying to locate me.
“Run! The beasts—”
“Where?” He fumbled with the neck of his shirt, pulling out something and holding it to his lips.
“Across the stream,” I answered, but he’d started blowing into the whistle. A sound pierced the air, sharp enough that it made me wince. The beasts whined, jerking back from the edge of the stream, and two of them darted into the woods. One went to its stomach, covering its ears with its paws. The boy blew the whistle until his face turned red, took a deep breath and blew again. The last beast turned tail and ran.
He paused to take another breath.
“They’re gone!” I yelled over the rain.
His shoulders slumped with relief. “How close was I?” he asked.
“Close.”
He shook his head. His breath came out in panicked gasps. “I heard the gong. We have to go back.”
I didn’t say anything. He’d lead me to the Prim camp. To Kaia. Another cramping pain shot through my intestines, like they were being wrung out. I groaned, almost falling to my knees.
“Are you okay?” the Prim asked.
“I’m sick. My stomach—”
“Look for the standing stones. There have to be some around here.” Another boom of thunder shook the ground, followed by a bolt of lightning. It struck a tree deeper in the forest, the crack of its trunk splitting cut the air.
There were no large boulders, nothing like where Raf and I had camped. The Prim had come through the trees, but off to the side, a narrow path twisted out of the clearing. Beside it, another small pile of rocks, stacked crudely to look like a person.
“There,” I pointed. “We have to go down the path.”
“Lead me,” the Prim said and held out his arm. I took a few steps closer, shivering now. I clenched my teeth against the chills that ran across my body and held onto him. “Don’t let go.” We took a few steps, rain pelting down.
I gasped as another pain rocked through me.
His hands pawed their way up my arm, to my neck and face. “You’re feverish, I can feel it.” His brow creased with concern and he brought his hands back to my arm. “What is this?” He touched the fabric of my suit. “Who are you?” The concern had changed to suspicion.
The boy couldn’t see, I knew that. Wandering lost on a Mountain in a storm, what were the chances he’d make it back to his people?
I doubled over with pain as another wave of cramps ripped through my gut. I wouldn’t last out here either.
“Come on,” I tugged on his arm, willing my feet to move. “The beasts could come back.” Somewhere nearby, the wind tore a t
ree from the earth and it thundered to the ground. I spotted a branch on the ground and picked it up, the size and weight made it a perfect weapon. Do whatever it takes to survive. The unseeing Prim would lead me to the camp, and then what? I staggered with a wave of nausea. I walked past the stone marker and kicked it over. The stones tumbled onto each other and the boy glanced back, unnerved at the sound, but kept walking. My heart raced with fever or fear. Or maybe both.
Kaia
One word pounded in my head.
Lev.
Forging through the bush, branches scratched my face, tugging at my tunic. I ran carelessly, his name on my lips, desperate to shout it out.
“Sepp!” It was Gideon. He was nearby, crashing through the forest. I veered away. It was impossible to run, the forest was too thick here.
A stone marker at the base of a tree pointed to a narrow, overgrown path. Trees blocked any other route. Crouching low to avoid a branch, I took a quick look back. No one was behind me. Gideon and Mara had gone in other directions, their voices stolen by wind and rain. What if I got lost too? Or they found Lev before I did? I took a deep breath while his name echoed in my head.
The wind grew stronger, whipping the trees into a frenzy. I bowed my head against the rain, holding up a hand to block it from my eyes. The path forked. A stone marker sat in the middle, covered with leaves and debris, as if it had been camouflaged.
“Kaia?” My name, barely audible, floated to me. And again, louder. “Kaia!” Gideon emerged from one side of the path. He was soaked, droplets of water clung to his beard, his hair was matted to his head and his shirt stuck to his chest. “You were supposed to go to the cave!” he shouted over the rain.
The lie caught in my throat. “Not without Sepp.” I shook my head angrily. “We should split up to cover more ground.” Even as I spoke, my eyes darted through the sheets of rain looking for signs of Lev.
He held my arm, gripping the forearm tight. “No, you stay with me. You don’t know these paths like I do.”
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