by Tracy Korn
"But you were there—you have nanites. Gaia gave us ours…how else could you have them, and why don't they work?" I ask as he tenses.
"That's not part of the right now version of things. It's for the catch up, wise?" Zoe says, glancing between Dell and Veece.
I bite back more questions about this for now because I don't want to worry Fraya or upset Jax, but my nanites worked when Dez reset them in the corridor, and Arco's worked in the cave when his ribs repaired over night. If they don't work now—no….the thought hits me before I can even put words to it. Liddick turns to me, his face blanched, but then he shakes his head.
Stop, you don't even know, so don't go there, he thinks, obviously having made the same realization I just did.
If Jax's nanites don't work here, ours don't work, Liddick. Our friends' don't work, and they're still out there with—
Just don't…that tracker will find them, all right? Thinking anything else won't help.
"Jazz, are you OK?" Fraya's voice saying my name pulls me back, and a sense of urgency washes over me. We must be just past the reach, or the signal, or whatever makes the nanites work.
"There's another cave about 10 miles from here—the nanites work there," I start, and Liddick shakes his head at me.
Rip…he thinks, but I answer him out loud.
"Liddick, if they don't work, how are we not imploding right now? How are any of you not imploding? And Arco, the others…they don't even know their nanites won't—"
"Just relax," Liddick says, putting his hands on my shoulders.
"You see—it's already starting," Cal says to Veece. "I told you the suit wasn't enough. Treat them."
CHAPTER 15
Vishan
The torchlight has completely shifted from orange to red, and the whole cave looks like a sunset back home as Zoe starts rushing everyone around. Veece looks over at the older Vishan, who are assembling at the front of the cave while everyone else moves to their bedding areas.
"It's time for the Gathering. Come on and get set up," Veece says. "We'll find you later and explain the rest, wise?"
"You'll update us on our friends? And explain Jax's nanites? And what's in the Rush?" I ask as it all floods back in a deluge. Veece nods impatiently.
"Yes," he says, looking back at the older Vishan again. "Now go with Zoe, and don't say a thing else until you get to your stack." He nods to Zoe, then to Alec. "Show her brother and Fraya where to go."
Alec and Dell help steady Jax, then lead him and Fraya to the opposite end of the cave as Zoe is leading Liddick and me.
"Where are they—?" I start, but Zoe pinches my arm. "Ow!" I yelp, and she pinches me again. I hear Liddick laughing in my head and elbow him the best I can while she's dragging us close to the big hole in the floor that Axel called the Swim.
Well, he said not to say a thing else…
Stow it, that really hurt, I think, rubbing my arm. Is she going to push us down that hole? Where are we going?
As soon as I finish thinking it, Zoe stops at a stack of blankets like all the others, but there's nothing on the little shelves in this section, which I can barely make out in the dimming sunset light.
"Don't care if you lie down or sit, but you have to stay low in here until after the Gathering. I'll come back and collect you then, and we'll catch you up, wise?" Zoe says, holding her hands out in front of her as she takes a step backward, then another. "Just stay put," she adds just before turning completely around and disappearing into the shifting light.
"What the hell?" I say out loud.
"Let's just sit down…come on," Liddick says, lowering himself to the ground. I do the same, then turn to him ready to pull my hair out.
"This whole place is split, you know that, right?" I ask, looking around at everyone scrambling to get into a bunk area. "Do you see this stupid light, and do you know I lost my soup? Look at—are you laughing at me?" I stop immediately when I catch the look on Liddick's face, his pressed lip smile giving way to buckles of laughter that he can't control.
"Sorry… you're just so…" he answers, then is over come again.
"How are you laughing at me? Do you not see the complete split show happening here right now? Look at them, Liddick! They're running around like their bits are on fire all so Jove can tell everyone the bedtime story of his people? I mean what—stop laughing!" I hiss at him, but he collapses backward onto the blankets into silent guffaws that only get harder when I shove him. "I hate you," I say, which is not helpful at all because he just starts laughing so hard that he coughs and wheezes for air. I feel the corner of my mouth pulling to the side along with the bubble of a laugh starting in my stomach, but I refuse to let his stupidness infect me. I turn away from him and hug my knees, watching all these people hopping around like ants on a sinking log. Ughhhh!
OK…OK…I'm done…crite…he thinks, and I roll my eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispers, still choking on his idiotic laughter.
"I thought you were done?" I say without turning around, and he laughs a few more times before clearing his throat.
"I'm done—I'm done," he says, taking a deep breath and blowing it out. "Crite, I miss that."
"Miss what? Losing your mind?" I grumble.
"Absolutely," he says, a chuckle in his voice threatening to start the whole thing all over again. "The last time I laughed that hard was with you too."
"Well, I'm glad I can be so entertaining," I say, trying to hold onto my aggravation.
"So am I," he says, and I turn completely around to hit him in the arm. He's lower than I thought, leaning back on his elbows, and catches my wrist in his hand. With a quick jerk he pulls me off balance, and I land beside him where he springs off his elbows and pins me under him.
"Get off me," I say, squirming, though, unable to stop my own laughter now.
"Nope," he answers, starting to chuckle again too.
"You're going to make us miss…the story…get off…" I laugh, managing enough leeway from the squirming to jerk my hips up and create some space to roll out from under him, but instead of falling over at my side, he just holds onto my arms so I wind up rolling on top of him. As quick as I do, he wraps his arms around me so tightly that mine are pinned to my chest all over again.
"Liddick!" I say through muffled laughs.
"We are fortunate to have guests for this Gathering," a man's booming voice says, freezing us both in place. I try to swallow the rest of my laughter, but Liddick's widened, exaggerated eyes make it impossible. I press my lips hard into a line and bury my face in his shoulder to stifle it, and finally, he loosens his grip. My hips slide off him as he shifts his weight, and I feel his arm move down over my ribs, drawing me against him as my head moves from his shoulder to his chest, and neither one of us is laughing any more. His heartbeat pounds against my cheek as he folds his hand over mine against his chest, and in this moment, I have the fleeting thought that this might be the most comfortable I've ever been in my entire life.
"Me too," Liddick whispers into my hair, which makes me smile until it occurs to me that this is just what is comfortable now—a break in the tension of this whole split reality—but it's not what I want. It's not what's best for anyone. I shake my head and press up to my elbow just as the voice starts again.
"They are like many of our former guests who have since become part of our society, and they will be welcome to stay as others have should this be their fate," the man's voice continues, and I feel my muscles tense.
"It's all right," Liddick says as he grips my hand. "We're not staying here."
"The Vishan began as 12," the voice continues, "The 12 became six, and are now nearly 200. The Origin Wall shows 12 coming from the first great peak—the Motherland—reborn, untouchable by fire or pressure. The 12 saw this, and said that it was good."
Did you hear what he said? Untouchable by fire? I think, and Liddick's hand tightens around mine as I stretch to see the man who's talking.
"The 12 came down from the mountain and became six fam
ilies who then took to the surface, but their gifts were not for the surface, so they took to the earth. In the earth, they found peace, except for one of these families who did not accept their gifts and wished to seek out The Bestower. They would return to the Motherland, where The Bestower would see fit to send them to the stars."
Isn't this what Vox told you? Liddick thinks.
Not about all the families, but about people living in the stars, yes, I answer, and he takes a deep breath.
"The five remaining families vowed to make maps for their earthbound lines that would chart the seven biomes from the Motherland to this, our terrestrial home. The sixth family left the five others a map from the Motherland to the ethereal home above the two skies. We carry these maps upon us, within us, as the Origin Wall instructs, and we will find our way to the stars to reunite the 12 who became six, and then became the Vishan."
I'm afraid to move when the man stops talking. The light doesn't change at first, but then it dims to a darker red until it is a deep purple, then blue, and then there is no light at all.
Is that it? That's the Gathering? I finally think, but before Liddick can answer me, the man starts talking again.
"Of the six families, the Singers of the ethereal line, who are born of the child, Sol, bearer of the ethereal map, are represented here at this Gathering by Liv Singer. Come forward now."
That's Veece's sister, I think. She was the girl Axel sent after the two boys with the little animal. I move to sit all the way up next to Liddick so I can see, but there's still no light.
Can you see them? he thinks.
Not yet.
"Of the six families, the Dyers, one of the five terrestrial lines, are represented at this Gathering by Rav Dyer. Come forward now," the man's voice continues.
Dyer? That's Vox's last name. And I think that's the Vishan boy who wanted to keep the little blue animal. What are they doing? I think.
I don't know. I can barely see them.
Almost in the same second that Liddick finishes his thought, a single green torch lights at the far end of the cave. Jove, Flora, and Veece are standing behind Liv, and Vita stands behind Rav with another Vishan woman.
That's him—that's one of the boys Liv was chasing, I think again, and in the ripple of light that reaches us, I catch Liddick's nod.
A second torch lights directly behind the people at the far end of the cave, this one yellow, revealing a wide stone platform with a shelf behind it, as well as the rest of the adult Vishan sitting directly in front of them in an arc from the far wall. Finally, a third torch lights to the left of those gathered in the front, and Jove starts talking again.
"This fire is the day, the transition, and the night. Our light cycle is a symbol of our life cycle. We combine the three fires to forge the mark of our people."
Flora and the woman next to Vita bring the green and the red torch off the wall while Jove and Vita take the yellow torch. They touch the flames together over the shelf as Veece takes the hands of Liv and the other boy and directs them to lie on the platform.
What are they doing? I think, feeling my heartbeat in my throat.
The three torches together nearly light the entire cave in a fiery glow as Liv and the boy take each other's hands and lie on the platform. Jove takes a long rod from the fire and holds it up to the ceiling.
They're going to brand them, Liddick thinks, but as soon as he does, I feel him trying to cover it up…he didn't want me to hear that thought. I scramble to get to my feet to stop them, but his hands clamp down over my shoulders.
Are you kidding? Let me go! They can't—
Listen! I don't know what they're doing, it just seems—
"Liv Singer, Rav Dyer, in your thirteenth year you are strong enough to carry the history of our culture forward, and we welcome your voice. You are Vishan," Jove says, then lowers the branding rod over Liv's face. The scream shoots up from my chest as I lunge forward and feel Liddick's hand covering my mouth before he pulls me back against him.
Stop, Rip, stop! he thinks as I struggle, bracing for her cries to shatter me, but they never come.
What's happening…she's not screaming. Liddick, he just burned her face and she's not screaming! I shout in my mind.
Vita sprinkles a yellow powder over Liv as Jove returns the rod to the fire for a second, then pulls it back out and lowers it over the boy. I feel all of my muscles tense against Liddick's arms, which tighten around me again, but the boy doesn't scream either. I shake my head, and Liddick's grip over my mouth loosens until he's sure I'm not going to yell out, then his hand drops to my other shoulder.
"Untouchable by fire," he whispers through my hair, his arms crossed over my chest holding me to him. My heart crashes against my ribs, and all I can do is stare in disbelief as Jove takes a shorter brand out of the fire and marks the kids' chins, then another to mark their throats and chests.
It doesn't hurt them. It doesn't burn…I think, and watch Vita's proud smile as she sprinkles the rest of the powder.
CHAPTER 16
Catching Up: Part One
I can't move, and I can barely decide what I'm thinking when Liv and Rav sit up to face everyone, their new burns already whitening. The whole room starts sliding their hands up and down like they're trying to brush dirt off, and all of them doing this at once sounds like a strong wind echoing off the cave walls.
"You're shaking. They're not hurt, see? They're all right," Liddick says, and I try to swallow the shock so I can find my voice.
"How…?" is all I can manage to say in reply. I swallow again and shake my head to break free of the hypnotic wind sound swirling all around us, then feel Liddick's hands over my arms. "I'm OK. I just don't know what this…how this…" I start again, but as hard as I try to focus on putting one word after another, the sentence just won't come out.
"They could have warned us," Liddick says, and I feel an anger rising in him that helps me refocus. I lean my head back against his cheek and close my eyes. "There's more going on here than this Gathering—they're preoccupied," he adds.
"At least everyone is all right. I want to read this Origin Wall," I say, turning to look at him. His arms loosen around me just enough so I can turn my shoulders to face him, his eyes, his mouth just a few inches from mine.
Are you OK? You're not shaking any more… he thinks, and I nod.
Are you? He nods in reply, and I see the spark of his smile light his eyes just as I nearly jump out of my skin.
"Vahg om, just unlock and come on for your catch up," Cal says, appearing from nowhere as his expression scrunches like his features are trying to run off his face. He shakes his head, then turns his back and heads for the hole in the ground just a dozen feet from us.
"Where's Zoe?" Liddick calls after him.
"Come find out!" Cal raises his voice just enough so we hear him before he disappears down the…what, the chute? Liddick and I both laugh, the adrenaline of Cal surprising us hitting my bloodstream, and we start to get to our feet. I clear my throat.
"Do you think it's just a slide like Axel described? We sit down and just…go?" I ask.
"Guess we'll find out." Liddick says, holding out his hand. I take it, and we both start walking to the edge of the Swim. "Ready to jump?"
"Do I have a choice?" I chuckle, looking into the darkness of the hole in the ground, but he doesn't respond. I look over to find him studying my face, and then the start of a smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.
"You always have a choice to jump, Riptide. It's only too late when you're falling." I stare at him, confused because he's addressing me, but it feels more like he's telling himself. I look at him closely and open my mouth to respond, but then realize I have no idea what to say. The rest of the smile spreads over his face just then, and the whole thing scatters in the air like the last of the powder Vita dusted from her hands. "So, I didn't hear any screams or squish sounds of what could only be a rather messy death down there…did you?"
"Ah, no," I answer wi
th a laugh.
"All right then. Shall we?" he asks, offering me his arm like some proper English gentleman from a nineteenth century story. I raise an eyebrow at him, then take his arm. He lays his other hand over mine and nods. "On three, then. One…two…"
The last thing I see before the total blackness of the chute is his wink, but by then it's too late to say anything about not being ready yet. It's always too late with him.
This is the only thought I have time to process in addition to Crite! I'm going to die! before we start to slow and then stop as light reappears in front of us. We crawl a few feet, and see Jax, Fraya, Veece, Zoe, Dell, Alec, and Cal at the bottom sitting on several differently sized boulders along the torchlit, limestone corridor. It looks almost exactly like the one we came nearly 10 miles through, complete with white and yellow glow worms lighting the walls beyond the torches. There's a small stream across from us too, and the falls sound like they must be on the other side.
"Finally! Thought you might be face-locked again up there," Cal says, and Fraya and Jax's eyes widen at me.
"We were n—!" I start, but Liddick is already talking.
"Oh, yeah…almost had her half undressed in between averting her eyes and trying to keep her from rushing the altar to stop your show. Who knew child branding could be so romantic?" He scowls at Cal and shakes his head. Zoe's hands are on her hips as she looks from Liddick to me, then back again to Liddick before giving us both a knowing smile. I shake my head in protest at her, but she just smiles and bounces her eyebrows. I roll my eyes.
"Are we ready for the catch up then?" Cal asks impatiently.
"Well, for starters," Zoe says, narrowing her eyes at Cal. "Sorry about all the hurry up without the heads up. Gatherings are only here and there—for when a little stops being a little—and since each of them only gets one, there's always a scramble to make it perfect," she explains.
"You could have mentioned something," Liddick says, starting to lean back on the wall until he sees the glow worms just a few feet away, then sits forward again.