The Beast

by Ally Condie

  Nico looked back at Still Cove.

  “And I think I know how to get there.”

  29

  NICO

  Nico stared at the flooded stairwell.

  Black water sloshed to the top step, but was no longer rising. Or pouring into the showroom and swamping the houseboat, dragging it down to the bottom of the pond and destroying their clubhouse forever.

  Why? What’s stopping it? What started the overflow in the first place?

  Nico knew he’d guessed right. This wasn’t a normal flood. He was looking at the Darkdeep itself, which had slipped its cage and come prowling up toward the sky, only to stop short at the very last moment.

  As if it waited for something.

  “You want us to go into that?” Opal said quietly. “For real?”

  Tyler was unable to repress a shiver. “I’m extremely not sure about this, Nico. It seems … not smart.”

  “It’s insane,” Logan huffed, standing beside Emma. The five of them had trekked back to the island from the beach, ignoring the increasingly frantic calls and texts from their parents. Based on the unanswered messages, things weren’t going well in Timbers. Reports of monsters prowling the streets had everyone spooked, though many blamed tourist pranks, the Freakshow crew, and Halloween shenanigans.

  Nico knew better. Figments were rampaging unchecked. It was a disaster. Their secret was out, and it was only a matter of time before someone called in the National Guard. Yet all that was secondary, Nico felt sure. The real danger was lurking out in the ocean. Thing had gone to tear the Rift open once and for all.

  Which meant the Torchbearers had to stop it.

  They had to reach the oil platform somehow, and Nico thought he knew the quickest way.

  He turned to face the others, ignoring the empty pedestal where Thing’s jar had always sat. “I swam through this to escape the basement earlier,” he began, choosing his words with care. “It worked, but something happened as I sank to the bottom. I felt the Darkdeep pulling me. Trying to drag me in another direction. It’s still connected to this houseboat, or the pond. Or the island. Whatever. The point is, if we give in to that pull, I think we can enter the void at the heart of the Darkdeep, like Opal and I did before.” Nico took a deep breath. “And from there, I think we can reach the Rift.”

  “How?” Logan asked incredulously. “Are we supposed to swim the whole way?”

  Nico shook his head. “Thing said the Darkdeep is a part of the Rift, like some kind of release valve. I think that’s where the sulfur in the pond came from—the gas was expelled from the Rift. You guys remember how bad the oil rig reeked of rotten eggs? We’ve only encountered that smell in two places, and both were guarded by Torchbearers. They have to be connected.”

  Nico felt Opal inspecting him. “You think the Darkdeep can take us directly to the Rift. No boat. No ocean crossing. We jump in here and wind up there?”

  “It took us over thirty minutes to reach the platform by speedboat.” Logan glanced around like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Even if the Darkdeep does suck us out toward the Rift, we’ll drown along the way!”

  “No,” Opal said suddenly. “The void is different. When Nico and I went into the Darkdeep together—and battled that … that Taker—we weren’t holding our breath or anything. We entered an in-between space that was separate from the water. We didn’t have to worry about oxygen.” She shuddered. “That empty place is, like, beyond physical needs.”

  Nico nodded, but he sensed the anxiety level in the room skyrocketing. “I can go first. Alone. I’ll take my phone wrapped in a plastic bag and text back when I arrive. If you guys don’t receive anything …” He swallowed. “You’ll know.”

  “Texts stopped working ten minutes ago.” Emma held up her phone. “Service is down. Either those figments got to the tower or the system overloaded, but we can’t send or receive messages right now. We wouldn’t know what happened to you.”

  Nico grunted in frustration. “Then I’ll do this by myself. You guys go back and deal with the figment army. You can save Timbers while I … I face Thing.”

  “No way.” Opal shook her head so firmly that her braid whipped Tyler in the face. “No one is going anywhere alone.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll go too. Me and you together, like before. We made it work once. We can do it again.”

  “I’m in!” Emma piped up. Then she glanced around as if uncertain. “Is this when we say that? Because I’m definitely not letting you guys go alone. Plus, I never got to see this next level of the Darkdeep. No way I’m missing out a second time.”

  “Missing out?” Logan blinked at her. “Emma, sometimes you’re a lunatic.”

  She smiled brightly. “Thank you!”

  “Fine.” Tyler swung both fists down to his sides and growled through clenched teeth. “In. We’ll all dive into that black toilet like a team of dummies.”

  Logan peered from face to face, a helpless terror growing in his eyes.

  Nico spoke quickly. “Logan, there’s something else we need. Can you handle it?”

  Logan licked his lips. “Handle what?”

  Nico put a hand on his shoulder. Felt the tension coiled there. Logan hadn’t been a part of those first days of diving into the Darkdeep—when all the figments were amazing, and everything had still been fun. The idea of entering the pool now had him near full-blown panic.

  “Whatever happens,” Nico said, “we’re going to need a ride off that oil rig when it’s all over. It’s gonna be rough out there, and I doubt we’ll be able to use the Darkdeep to get away. Can you find a boat and meet us?”

  “A boat.” Some of the color returned to Logan’s cheeks. “Yeah, sure. I can do that. My dad has three.”

  “Perfect.” Nico stepped back. “Go snag one now and meet us out there as soon as you can.”

  “Got it.” Logan took a step toward the door, then hesitated, half turning back. “Are you … you sure you don’t—”

  “Logan,” Opal said, capturing his gaze. She smiled. “We’re counting on you. You’re our getaway driver. Hurry, okay?”

  “Right.” Logan spun and jogged for the exit. “I’ll be there!” He swished through the curtain and was gone.

  Emma bumped her shoulder into Nico’s. “That was nice of you.”

  “Why can’t I steal the boat?” Tyler grumbled, but he waved Nico off before his friend could reply. “Joke. Let’s just get this over with.” As one, they faced the dark water filling the bottom of the houseboat.

  Opal cleared her throat. “No point drawing this out, right?”

  Nico snapped a nod. “Time your dives five seconds apart. Swim straight for the well opening. You should feel a tug pretty quickly. Once you do, lean into the sensation. Let it have you, I guess. That should lead to the Darkdeep, and that should lead to the Rift. Okay?”

  “Got it,” Emma said, her voice wavering slightly. “See you guys on the other side.”

  “Should we—” Opal’s face went red. “Should we take off any clothing? To swim, I mean!”

  Nico’s cheeks burned to match hers. “Let’s skip that part this time.” Tyler and Emma nodded emphatically.

  “This is crazy,” Tyler mumbled. “But our kind of crazy. Remember when we just played tag?”

  Everyone laughed nervously before falling silent. Nico stepped to the edge of the metal riser. Stared at the black water.

  I’m right about this. I know I am.

  With a last deep breath, he shut out his nagging, terrifying doubts and dove headfirst into the inky flood.

  Nico splashed to the surface, a purple glow surrounding him like a fresh bruise.

  Catwalks crisscrossed the chamber above his head. The water churned and spun, carrying him around the room like a leaf in a tornado. The acrid stench of sulfur was everywhere, bombarding his nostrils and seeping into Nico’s mouth.

  He’d made it.

  He was inside the Rift.

  Nico tossed out a hand and managed to snag the t
op of the cylindrical barrier around the vortex. Hanging on for dear life, he pulled himself up and out of the spin cycle and sat heavily on the lip of the containment wall. Metal rungs beside him stretched up to the catwalks overhead. On the outside of the barricade, ocean water lapped gently against the welded metal plates.

  Nico stood quickly. He wanted away from that terrible, raging whirlpool, and the creatures trapped inside it. With the seal compromised, what was keeping them back? And how long would it hold?

  Balancing precariously atop the yard-wide barrier, he scanned the drilling room for figments. Strange sounds echoed from deep within the purple cyclone. Bits of iron still swirled on its surface.

  Just like Thing wanted. We were such fools.

  Nico tensed as his mission came screaming back. Thing was here somewhere. But where were his friends?

  A second later, Opal’s head broke the surface and did a circuit of the giant tank. Nico dropped onto his stomach and held out a hand. “Opal, grab hold!”

  She twisted around just in time to see him and reached out. Nico caught Opal’s arm firmly and haul-dragged her out of the water. She slumped down next to him, wide-eyed and puffing hard, purplish water dripping down her cheeks.

  “It worked!” Opal was shivering from more than just cold. “The Darkdeep brought us straight here! All I had to do was think about it. But did you feel those creatures in there, Nico? They’re super close to breaking through, I could sense it. We’re almost out of time!”

  Before Nico could answer, Emma’s blond head appeared, followed seconds later by Tyler’s—he clearly hadn’t waited before jumping in after her. Nico and Opal fished them both out, and soon they were all straddling the rim of the thick metal wall.

  Tyler wheezed like he’d just run a marathon. “I’m … not … doing … that … ever … again.”

  Emma leaned against his shoulder. “I swear something tried to bite me at the end. Like, a mini-Beast.”

  “Let’s never talk about it,” Tyler insisted, slashing a hand through the air in front of him. “Like, not ever.” Then he pressed his palms together and glanced at the sky, visible through the giant hole where the ceiling used to be. “Please, Logan Nantes, show up with a boat.”

  You shouldn’t have come here. There’s nothing you can do. Leave now!

  Nico grabbed the lowest rung and started hauling himself up the ladder. “Thing! Come on!”

  “And do what, though?” Opal hissed, though she was right behind him. “We still don’t know!”

  Nico glanced down at her. “Find Thing, and make it tell us how to fix this mess. That’s all I’ve got.”

  “Works for me.” Emma pushed Tyler before her and bought up the rear. They reached the catwalk level. Nico crouched warily, peering down the grated walkways. He spotted Thing’s jar perched on a railing of the main catwalk, the one spanning the room’s center and passing directly over the Rift, which seethed below like a hurricane.

  Nico cupped his hands to his lips. “Thing!”

  The creature whirled in its glass prison, a deep frown creasing its tiny face.

  Enough. You’re too late. The seal has failed completely. Nothing can fix it now.

  Thing spun again. Nico felt words in a language he couldn’t fathom arrow through his brain.

  Slash and the two other gremlins ran onto the other side of the central catwalk. While his chittering companions halted halfway, Slash stalked past Thing toward the Torchbearers, scraping his claws along the railing. A terrible screech filled the chamber.

  “Yum, yum.” Slash drooled onto the catwalk. “Dinner party.”

  Opal seized Nico by the arm. “They’re opening Thing’s jar!”

  Nico flinched. It was true. As Slash stomped closer, the other gremlins had snatched the jar off the railing and were unscrewing its lid.

  In a flash, Nico understood. They intended to dump Thing into the Rift.

  Thing would escape. All would be lost.

  Nico’s body thrummed with anger. His Torchbearer dagger was useless against these figments. He didn’t know what to do. Punching his side in frustration, he felt a lump in his pocket. Confused, he dug into his jeans, his fingers closing around a smooth, egg-sized stone he must’ve picked up off the beach. Without a better plan, he reached back and fired the rock at Thing’s jar.

  The stone clanged against the glass, creating a hairline crack. Thing wobbled in the oily liquid, holding its head, its eyes glazing momentarily.

  A ripple of light ran through all three gremlins, though none of them seemed to notice.

  “What the …,” Tyler mumbled, squinting at their sneering adversaries. “Did you guys see—”

  Emma reacted first. She snapped both arms to her sides, palms up, fingers open and flexing. Two daggers slid out of her shirtsleeves and into her waiting hands. Emma raised them and strode forward, like some kind of tiny blond Terminator, stopping a few yards short of Slash. She flicked her wrists. The daggers flew past Slash on either side and pierced the two gremlins holding Thing’s jar.

  The knives traveled straight through their squat bodies and clanged down to the catwalk. Both gremlins grunted and disappeared. Thing’s jar crashed to the metal grating, the lid wobbling off and some of the fluid sluicing out.

  “Whoa,” Opal whispered, staring at Emma.

  Tyler whistled. “Dang. Remind me never to make you mad.”

  Nico felt a jolt of adrenaline. “Emma, what’d you do?! Your daggers worked!”

  “Hurry!” Emma urged, pointing at Thing, who was holding its head in tiny lime-green hands. “Thing created these figments and must have some kind of special hold over them. But when you rattled its cage, the gremlins flickered. I think Thing lost control!”

  Slash shot a glance over his shoulder at Thing, then faced Emma squarely, baring his teeth.

  “Torchbearer scum.”

  Opal darted forward with her own dagger. “Not this time, Slash.”

  Slash roared, lunging at Opal’s throat. She dropped to the catwalk and swept the blade up. It passed cleanly through the gremlin’s midsection.

  Slash’s eyes popped as he landed short. Then he vanished with a yowl.

  Opal whooped in victory. Emma pulled her into a hug. Nico and Tyler raced down the walkway, hands up for high fives, but then Nico noticed movement beyond them.

  Thing.

  The creature was out of the jar, dragging itself toward the edge of the catwalk.

  Nico sped down the walkway and scooped Thing up off the grating. Its skin was soft and oozy, and stank of chemicals, but Nico didn’t let go. Ignoring Thing’s struggles, he dropped the furious alien back into the viscous fluid. Emma tossed him the lid, and Nico resealed the jar.

  Noooooo! Release me!

  “Not so fast.” Nico tapped the glass, drawing an enraged telepathic hiss. “We like our world, and you’re going to tell us how to keep it safe. Or else, in you stay.”

  Opal pumped a fist, while Emma clapped her hands in relief. Tyler danced in place.

  Thing pounded on the wall of its prison with a tiny fist.

  You’re just like the others. Users and tyrants. I want to go home!

  The creature sagged. Impossibly, the little green blob began to weep.

  Nico felt a hand on his wrist. Opal stepped close and took the jar from him. She set it down on the catwalk and knelt before it. “Please, Thing. Just tell us how to fix the Rift. Then we can … we can make some kind of deal.”

  Thing sobbed. It wiped its eyes, even though it was suspended in liquid.

  The Rift is doomed. And so am I. I’ll be stuck here until I dissolve into a murky cloud.

  Nico watched Thing wilt. He felt horrible. Opal glanced at him, eyes shining, and Nico understood. He nodded.

  Emma tapped his shoulder and gave a thumbs-up. Tyler nodded as well.

  Opal rose and lifted the jar. Thing glared at her, startled. What are you doing?

  She spun the lid and removed it. “You’ve done a terrible thing, Thing. B
ut we don’t believe in cages.”

  Sighing, Opal tipped the jar and poured its contents into the vortex below. Thing dropped with an audible gasp, striking the purple water with a tiny splash. Thing’s head bobbed up once, a smile breaking out on its pinched features, then the little green creature sank into the raging torrent and was gone.

  Opal dropped the jar to the catwalk with a resigned grunt. “Now what?”

  A voice boomed inside Nico’s head, stronger than ever before.

  Torchbearers. You shock me. You’ve shown true mercy. Perhaps you’re not all evil.

  Nico met Opal’s eye. They shared a smile. If nothing else, they’d gotten this part right.

  The voice began to dwindle, but Nico still heard Thing’s next words clearly. The seal fails, but the Rift will not fully open until I pass through it. Adding too much iron upset the physical equilibrium, but that was only part of what held the way closed. Restore balance and perhaps you can seal the Rift again. Good luck.

  Nico felt Thing’s presence fade, falter, disappear. It was gone.

  At the same moment, the center of the Rift exploded.

  Nico stared down in horror as stretched faces reappeared.

  Except this time, the Takers began climbing out of the water.

  30

  OPAL

  Opal kicked over the empty jar.

  Thing was gone, back to its own world.

  And now that world was coming for them.

  Takers swarmed out of the Rift, climbing up the rusty metal ladders. Opal spun to her friends. They had their daggers out, but no one moved.

  She and Nico had battled a Taker before. It had required both of them working together to defeat the ghoulish monster. Opal frantically tried to remember what they’d done—how they’d severed its unnatural tie to the Darkdeep, banishing the invader from this plane of existence.

  But we’re not inside the Darkdeep now. This is happening right here.

  Takers boiled up from the depths. Opal glanced at the jar, now cracked and toppled on its side. How had Thing kept the Rift closed?