When Darkness Falls

by Chanda Stafford

  As soon as we can’t hear the men any longer, Nico motions for me to stop next to some boulders. He leverages himself against the boulder, tucks his legs against his chest, and twists his bound arms around his body so they’re in front of him. I could never do that. Grinning with accomplishment, Nico furiously saws the rope against the rock, weakening it enough for him to slip his hands through. He starts on my bindings, and I black out.

  I wake up to throbbing waves of pain. The darkness slowly fades, and the world takes shape around me. I reach up to scrub my blurry vison, but only one arm obeys my command. I try to move the other one, but I pass out again.

  Time passes until some animalistic instinct kicks in, and I bolt upright, scooting up against a tree.

  Nico crouches down in front of me, a worried expression on his face. He presses a wad of green leaves into my hand and mimics putting them in his mouth and chewing them. I put them in my mouth, and a bitter grassy flavor explodes against my tongue. When I start gagging, the little imp tightly clamps his hand over my mouth, and I don’t have the strength to fight back. Exhausted, I stare up at the vibrant blue sky. Birds flit through the trees, and a few errant wispy clouds chase one another across the horizon. A few minutes or hours later, I can’t tell, the pain radiating from my arm fades to a tolerable level.

  It’s only after the pain is mostly gone that I look down at my arm. I groan and close my eyes. My arm is more or less straight but still obviously broken, black-and-blue, and swollen. Nico tried to bind it with some sticks and the rope, but one peek under the wrappings shows angry bruising and splinters of wood poking through my skin. I definitely should have stayed home.

  Something rustles in the brush beside me, and I spin around, adrenaline rushing through my system. Black splotches dance around my vision, but I fight the comforting darkness. Nico drops some orange fruit he’d been carrying and rushes forward to catch me before I crack my head against the ground.

  After my head clears, Nico retrieves the fruit and peels it, releasing a tangy citrus scent. He hands me a piece, and with my good hand, I suck out all the juice I can and devour the rest. I polish off two whole oranges before Nico starts giggling and pointing at the juice dribbling down my chin. Cheeks warming, I mumble a sorry and wipe the stickiness off my face.

  Another growing need presents itself, and I awkwardly use the tree to get to my feet before retreating into the woods to take care of one of nature’s more basic necessities. When I return, Nico hands me a skin of water to drink and use to wash my hands and then points at a narrow path through the trees. It’s time to go. I don’t know if the pirates are still looking for us, or how much time has passed since we escaped, but if there’s even a chance they’re still searching the island, I need to follow Nico’s lead.

  The young boy takes me down a winding path to the bottom of a small hill. Part of me wants to head straight home, but then I think about Ian throwing himself at the pirates to help us escape. Even though he was bound and injured, he saved my life. I can’t leave him here.

  Nico takes me to the base of the hill and parts the brush to reveal the empty husk of a dead tree. He motions for me to get inside, so I awkwardly crawl in using my good arm. He follows me, curls up against my side, and quickly falls into a fitful slumber. It’s not long before I join him.

  ***

  We spend the next day and a half trying to avoid the pirates while staying relatively close to their camp. Nico’s far better at it than I am, partly because of his size, but mostly because he knows the pirates’ habits.

  The pain radiating from my arm eats at my consciousness, making me hallucinate and cry out at the slightest touch on my inflamed flesh. The leafy concoction that Nico feeds me only goes so far.

  We’ve caught only a couple of glimpses of Ian. He’s accompanied by some guards and already looks weaker and exhausted. He sports a black eye and limps, but at least he’s alive.

  On the second night, I wake up burning with fever. Everything around me is fuzzy, and Nico presses a damp cloth all over my bare flesh. My injured arm smells bad, like rotten meat.

  Nico shakes his head, worry darting across his eyes. “Eínai molyntheí.”

  I frown. I don’t need to be fluent in Greek to realize that whatever he said isn’t good.

  He points toward the camp. “Prépei na fýgoume.”

  I don’t react right away, and he grabs my good arm and gestures for me to get to my feet. He must want me to come with him. I struggle until I’m upright, sweat beading across my brow, and slowly follow Nico through the trees.

  We stop about a hundred yards from the camp. Nico parts the brush to reveal a pirate, one of the biggest of the lot, leaning against a tree, eyes closed. My questioning gaze finds Nico, who sighs in frustration and points at the clearing before us. He’s not pointing at the pirate, he’s pointing at a pile of dirt in front of him.

  A small chunk of earth flies up in the air and lands on the larger mound. I shade my eyes as a familiar face pops into view. Ian, his hair stringy and his face dirty, but he’s alive. He says something to the pirate, who cracks one eye open to wave his hand lazily at the hole, indicating that Ian should keep digging. Ian stabs the shovel into the ground and tosses up another scoop.

  “What is he doing?” It’s not a very large hole, really, just big enough for one person.

  Nico doesn’t answer me. He doesn’t have to. Bile rises in my stomach as the realization hits me. The only logical reason the pirates would have to dig a hole is to bury either a body or treasure, and I hadn’t seen any evidence of the latter, which means Ian’s digging his own grave.

  My good hand flies to my mouth. “They’re going to kill him,” I whisper, horrified. “We have to do something.”

  Nico holds up two fingers, points at the both of us, and then points one at the pirate. If he isn’t paying attention to what’s going on around him, we might be able to help Ian escape.

  My good hand snakes into my pocket and fingers the can of pepper spray. I pull it out, clutch it tightly in my hand, and nod at Nico. Let’s go.

  Chapter 16

  Heart racing, we slink closer until we’re about fifteen feet away from the pirate. I flick the cap off the pepper spray and ready my finger over the trigger. My muscles tense and the pain from my ruined arm fades into the background as adrenaline pumps through my bloodstream. Nico hefts a baseball-size rock in his hands and crouches next to me.

  Ian pokes his head out of the hole and sees us. His eyes widen and his shoulders tense, but he doesn’t betray our position. Time seems to slow down. We sneak up to his captor from behind, carefully placing each foot so it doesn’t make a sound. I can’t screw this up; I don’t know if I’ll get another chance.

  We inch forward another step, and I barely resist the urge to wipe away the sweat dripping in my eyes. We have to be fast. As soon as we hit the pirate with the pepper spray, he’s going to start yelling and alert the others. We’ll have to run and make our way straight to the portal. I gesture for Nico to get behind me so he won’t get sprayed.

  Ian seems to sense that we’re ready because he says something to the pirate that makes his face turn a dark red. His gaze swings wildly to the side, and when he sees us, I let loose a stream of pepper spray into his eyes. He screams and claws at his face.

  I drop the little canister and scramble backward as the pirate lunges toward me, arms flailing. The man’s hand clamps down onto the makeshift bandage, and I yelp, almost blacking out from the pain. Then, in a flash, the pirate crumples to the ground. Nico climbs off of the unmoving form, chest heaving and clutching his rock in one hand. He must have jumped on the pirate’s back and clobbered him. I give Nico a nod, glad he’s on my side.

  Ian scrambles out of the hole and races over to us. “Good God, Austen.” He jerks me into his arms and presses his face into my hair. I bite my tongue to keep from crying out in pain. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten killed!”

  “I saved you, didn’t I?”
I glare at him.

  One side of his mouth twitches. “That you did. Now come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Ian pulls me toward the forest. I can’t seem to operate my feet and trip on a fallen branch. He swears softly under his breath and scoops me up into his arms.

  “Where are we going?” I mumble, my face buried in his chest.

  “To get you some help.” He kisses me softly on the top of my head.

  “But what about—”

  “Shhh. All that matters now is getting you to safety. I locked the portal, so I can come back later.”

  “Okay.” I tuck my head under his chin, unable to stop the warmth kindling inside me. Nico darts among the trees around us, as if checking for pursuit. About halfway to the portal, he rushes up to Ian.

  “Érchontai! Érchontai!”

  “What’s Nico saying?” I try to peer up at Ian, but all I can see is the line of stubble darkening his jaw.

  “Nothing,” he says, his chest rumbling with the word. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you.”

  But I do worry. Nico shifts from side to side, pointing behind us and saying the same word over and over again. Ian stops to rest for a second and leans me against a tree. His breath heaves in and out of his chest, and his gaze darts behind us.

  “They’re coming, aren’t they?”

  He pauses, but his shoulders slump and he nods. “We’ve got to move faster.”

  I bite my lip, hoping for another burst of adrenaline, but it never comes. Instead, I feel exhausted. “Leave me here. Save yourselves. You’ve wanted to go home for so long; you deserve it.”

  “Absolutely not!”

  Nico tugs on Ian’s arm. Ian leans down and murmurs something at the boy. The young child gulps and shakes his head emphatically at me.

  “Looks like you’re outnumbered.” Ian’s voice is grim. He tries to pick me up again, but I wave him away.

  “I . . . I got this.” Instead, I let him sling my good arm over his shoulder so he can help keep me upright.

  Shouting echoes through the trees behind us. A delirious part of my mind decides that if I survive this, I’ll never be able to watch Pirates of the Caribbean again.

  With Nico’s guidance, Ian drags me toward the beach. When we reach the clearing, I collapse, unable to keep my knees from shaking.

  “Are you okay?” Ian asks after he hauls me to my feet.

  I grit my teeth against the onslaught of pain. “Peachy.”

  He glances at the line of trees behind us. “Come on. They’re getting closer.”

  Just then, a swarthy figure marches out of the trees. The captain turns to the forest and cups his hands around his mouth. “Eínai edó!”

  Two more pirates join him. Nico races toward the cave, slowing down only when he crashes into the surf.

  “Dammit!” Ian shouts. He drags me into the water, where we narrowly miss dropping off the shallow ledge around the side of the cliff. “Come on!”

  Heavy footsteps pound the brush behind us. They’re too fast. We’re not going to make it.

  “Leave me here.” I try to wrestle out of Ian’s grip, but he’s too strong. “I can distract them long enough for you and Nico to get away.”

  “Not a chance,” he growls. “We’re all getting out of here together.”

  The pirates reach the edge of the water as we stumble into the cave. It’s empty. Nico must have already gone through.

  Ian eyes the portal and then casts one last longing look toward the mouth of the cave. Despite everything that’s happened, he doesn’t want to leave.

  Guilt fills me. If I hadn’t gotten injured, he’d have found a way to escape and gone home. He’d have found his father and apologized and . . .

  “No.” Ian’s voice is strong and sure. “We have to go.”

  “Ian, wait.”

  He gives me a devastatingly handsome smile and scoops me up into his arms. “Let’s get you home, okay? I’m not going to let you die out here.”

  One of the pirates stumbles through the opening of the cave and roars when he sees us. The captain.

  Oh God, they’re going to follow us through.

  Ian nods at the pirate, and I swear I can see the edges of a jaunty grin as he reaches down and grabs the closest crystal before thrusting us both into the abyss.

  Chapter 17

  “Honey?” Mom’s tired voice breaks through the haze. “Can you hear me?”

  I groan, and memories wash over me, beckoning me into consciousness. When I crack open my eyes, everything’s blurry. I reach up to scrub the sleep gunk away, but pain radiates up from my arm to my shoulder. So that wasn’t a dream.

  “Thank God, you’re awake.”

  “Mom?”

  Her face swims into focus, and she reaches out to stroke my cheek. Her eyes fill with tears.

  “What happened?”

  The creases on either side of her eyes and mouth deepen. “You don’t remember?”

  I shake my head. I can’t tell Mom what happened; she’d never believe me.

  “Someone found you on the side of the road. When they brought you in, you were unconscious and hurt so badly.” Her voice breaks. “They rushed you to surgery.” She dabs at the corners of her eyes. “I was so worried.”

  “What happened to Ian and Nico?”

  Mom tilts her head in confusion. “Who?”

  Someone clears their throat from the corner of the room, and I turn my head to see Dr. Henigan, the same physician who treated my father, entering the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to check your daughter’s vitals.”

  “I’ll be right outside.” Mom leaves while the doctor swiftly checks the myriad of machines surrounding my bed.

  “Do you need something for the pain?”

  I concentrate on the dull ache, but it’s manageable so I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.”

  “What about something to help you sleep?”

  I briefly consider taking him up on his offer. Maybe more rest wouldn’t be such a bad idea. “I’m all right. I think I’ve spent enough time sleeping for a while.”

  Dr. Henigan nods and leaves the room to share a few words with my mom before she returns to my side.

  “How long was I gone?”

  My mom sucks in a deep breath. “A week. Seven days and nights of panic, of worrying. I can’t believe you don’t remember any of it.”

  Time works differently with anomalies like the portal. It’s completely possible to spend entire years on one side and come back five minutes after you left.

  I stare out the window. Now that I’m awake, I remember all too well what had happened, not that I can tell her any of that. “It’s all such a blur.”

  Mom squeezes my hand. “It’s okay, honey. Why don’t I get Brett and Molly from the waiting room? They’ve been so worried about you.”

  I nod. “What about Dad? Is he okay?”

  Her expression shutters. “Of course. Everything’s fine. You need to concentrate on getting better.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?” One of the machines next to my bed starts beeping faster.

  She sighs. “Your father never made it to the psychiatric hospital.”

  “What?” I bolt upright. My head swims, and I rub my temples. “What do you mean?”

  “We stopped for gas, and while the EMTs were using the restroom, your father managed to free himself and get away.”

  My mind flashes to my memory of Dad drugged and babbling on the hospital bed. “That’s not possible.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.” She rests her hand on mine. “We looked everywhere, but he’s gone.”

  I pull away from her touch. “How could this happen?” My heart leaps into my throat. He should be safe at home with us, not out there.

  “I don’t know.” She squeezes my hand. “But I’m sure they’ll find him.”

  She’s saved from telling me more when the door bursts open and my siblings rush in. My sister clamors onto the bed, squealing, and throws her arms aro
und me. I grunt from the pain and pat her awkwardly on the back. “I missed you, too, kiddo.”

  Brett approaches warily and gives me a nod. God, he looks so much older than the last time I saw him. How is that even possible? It’s only been a week. “When are you coming home?” he asks.

  “I don’t know, but soon, I promise.”

  “That’s right,” Mom says. “As soon as the doctors are sure the infection in your arm is under control, we’ll get you out of here.”

  Shortly after my family leaves, there’s another knock on the door. I tell them to come in without looking to see who it is.

  “Your mother said you might be sleeping, but we wanted to stop by anyway.”

  Phoebe’s voice makes the breath catch in my throat. “What are you doing here?” Confusion settles against the unease in my stomach. This doesn’t make any sense. There’s no reason for her to visit me in the hospital when she could easily wait a day or two until I get home.

  Danny settles into a chair next to the window. “We want to know what happened, and Ian’s not saying anything.”

  “We wanted to make sure you were okay, too.” Phoebe glares at her brother.

  Danny steeples his fingers in front of him. “That, too. What happened? You were gone for a week. There were people out there, lots of people, looking for you, but they couldn’t find you. And then all of a sudden you appear out of thin air. What’s going on?”

  I ignore him. Before I answer their questions, they can answer one of mine. “Are Ian and Nico okay?”

  Phoebe hesitates and Danny rolls his eyes. “They’re fine,” she says.

  “What about Ezra? Has he come back?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. I heard the police are calling off the search.”

  “They can’t do that! What if he’s hurt? He needs our help.”

  Danny barks out a laugh. “You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it.”

  I push the button to raise my bed into a more upright position just so I can give him a dirty look. “You don’t know Ezra. He’s not like that.”