by S. M. Wilson
But the crowd weren’t finished with her.
They hadn’t forgotten what she’d tried to do.
Chants gradually filled the auditorium. In a few hours they would parade Lincoln through the streets and the celebrations would start again.
But right now, their attention was on her.
“Punish her! Kill her! Send her to the mines!”
The chants grew louder, the momentum in the room was building.
One of the Stipulators started to bang his staff on the floor in time with the chants. All eyes were on her.
Reban Don’s arms loosened around her.
Black cloaks surrounded her.
And then, suddenly, Lincoln was in front of her again. He didn’t look triumphant. He didn’t look as if he was celebrating his success.
Their gazes connected. All the noise faded into the background. She could see two women standing to the side – waiting for Lincoln. The youngest was paler than anyone she’d ever seen and it looked as if the other was propping her up.
Trust. That’s what she’d felt for Lincoln. That, and something else she couldn’t quite decipher.
This was a betrayal.
A betrayal that hurt more than she could have ever imagined. But the pain cut deeper as she realized that this was exactly how Lincoln and Leif would have felt about her had things gone the other way. She would have been the one taking everything away from them and their families. That felt worse than Dell not being with her. Worse than the suggestions about Reban Don. Worse than being alone. Worse than waking up every day in a place where no one noticed her – no one cared.
But she had never set out to hurt Lincoln or Leif. Her actions had been about something bigger than them all. About something that just felt fundamentally wrong. While Lincoln had knowingly lied and stabbed his friends in the back as if he’d planned it all along. It felt personal. She’d been so open with Lincoln, but after everything they’d been through, everything they’d sacrificed, Lincoln had been keeping secrets.
She fixed her gaze on the two women. One of them was clearly sick. But Lincoln hadn’t shared that. In all the conversations they’d had together – when she’d told him about her scars, when she’d told him about the Shelter – Lincoln had never mentioned his family. He’d never mentioned his reason for being there. He hadn’t trusted her and he hadn’t trusted Leif.
This was why. This was what he’d always intended to do.
And it cut to the bone.
She’d made a mistake. She’d made the mistake of believing that Lincoln might actually care about her. She’d trusted him. She’d been a fool.
Storm stepped forward. Nothing could make her pull her gaze away from his. “Why, Lincoln? Why?”
She tried to ignore the pain in his eyes. He reached forward and grabbed either side of her face, bending to whisper in her ear. “I’m sorry, Storm. I truly am. But my sister…I had to.”
Her hand reached up and coiled around one of his. His sister. His sister was sick.
She peeled his hand away from her face. The rage that was building inside her was threatening to explode. After everything she’d shared with him. After everything they’d seen together, this was how he treated her.
He stepped back, as if he was trying to steady himself. But the emotion and regret she’d seen a few seconds ago had vanished from his face. “I’m sorry, Storm. Family comes first. They have to.” She could almost see the shutters coming down over his eyes.
She could see how sick his sister clearly was. The girl looked as if she could blow away in a puff of wind. Her mother had her arm tightly around her.
Family. Lincoln had family.
And she?
Anger surged through her. The crowd kept chanting. “Send her to the mines!” It was the equivalent of a death sentence. Everyone knew that. But that’s what they wanted for her, that’s what they thought she deserved.
The Stipulators seemed to be closing in on her, surrounding her on all sides. She didn’t hesitate. She turned and walked a few steps back to Reban Don.
There was no fear. None at all.
She moved closer, thrusting her face up towards his. She heard the Stipulators next to her suck in deep breaths at her brazenness.
She could see the tiny lines around his eyes. The furrows in his forehead. She could see the full violet of his eyes. It was like looking into a mirror.
Her hands clenched into fists.
Her voice was low. “Dalia Knux.”
He didn’t move. He didn’t flinch. Everyone was watching them.
“What?”
He’d heard her. He’d heard exactly what she said, and she knew because his face had paled. “You asked me my mother’s name. Dalia Knux. That was her name.”
The noise from the crowd was getting louder. She glanced over her shoulder. Lincoln met her gaze. This time he looked panicked.
She moved even closer to Reban Don. Every muscle tensed. “My mother’s eyes were brown. I, apparently, got my eyes from my father.”
It was a risk. Of course it was a risk. She had no proof of anything. Only supposition.
This time he blinked. His hand gripped her arm.
She was still looking directly at him. “Get me out of this.”
His words were low, so low, at first she barely heard them.
“Challenge him.”
“What?”
“Challenge him. Claim the eggs as yours.”
She spun round and faced the crowd. She scanned the faces, looking for Leif and gave him a little signal.
She pointed at Lincoln and shouted above the crowd. “I challenge him. The eggs aren’t his. They’re mine. I won them.”
Leif elbowed his way through the crowd. He stood side by side with her.
“I challenge him too. Storm won one egg, and I won the other.”
For a few seconds the room was silent. Confused faces turned and looked at each other – like Storm, most people didn’t even know that a challenge could be submitted.
Then it erupted again.
Lincoln jumped back onto the stage. His eyes were fixed firmly on his sister. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
She wouldn’t be bullied. She wouldn’t be manipulated. If the girl had been her sister, would she have done the same? She pushed the thought away.
She tilted her chin up towards him. “I’m doing what’s right.” Her voice was icy cold. “This isn’t over.”
Reban pushed his way between them. “Silence!” he shouted. “The challenge is made. There will be one last Trial between the remaining three Finalists. There can be only one winner. The Trial will take place tomorrow.”
She reached down and squeezed Leif’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Then she turned and walked away.
He’d betrayed them. He’d been devious and betrayed his friends. The people he’d trusted with his life for that week on Piloria.
The damp walls of the cave felt as if they were pressing in around him. He’d spent the night cradling Arta in his arms. Her skin was blistering, layer upon layer, and exposed to the elements. In places it looked infected.
The four weeks away had been too long.
Whatever her disease was, it had progressed.
And it hadn’t been enough. What he’d put himself through for her hadn’t been enough. Now he had to pit himself against his friends – again. He had to be declared the ultimate victor. Nothing else would do.
At least this time it would be upfront. At least this time they would know why he was doing it.
This time it would be final.
Storm stared at the pale walls. She hadn’t been allowed back to the Shelter. In a way, that was a relief. Instead, she’d been ushered to a room in the parliament quarters with a comfortable bed, a change of clothes and a private bathroom.
Only thing was – she couldn’t sleep.
After the camp bed on the ship, and the bedroll on the ground on Piloria, the soft comfortable mattress made her
back ache.
And every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by thoughts of the mines.
She was relieved when the dawn light began breaking through her shutters. At least now she could wash and get changed. The clothes they’d left for her made her laugh. Black fitted trousers and a violet tunic. It made her eyes stand out. Who on earth had chosen that? She felt her skin crawl – did someone else have suspicions about her connection to Reban Don?
A Stipulator had brought her dinner and breakfast and been posted outside her door all night. There had been no sign of Reban Don. She didn’t want to see him anyway. What did you say to someone who could be your father, but wouldn’t think twice about feeding you to the dinosaurs? If she hadn’t whispered her mother’s name in his ear, right now she’d be on her way to the mines.
The door opened. “Time to go.”
She climbed in the back of the transporter. There were five Stipulators with her. Could she outrun them all? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to try.
This was a matter of pride.
Reban Don had ignored her – his own flesh and blood – for her entire life. Lincoln had betrayed her. She didn’t need either one of them. She was her mother’s daughter. Strong. Independent. She could survive on her own. She didn’t care what the Trial was. But she wasn’t going to let anyone beat her.
She knew that, even if she won, they would never let her destroy the eggs. They’d probably already extracted their precious DNA. But if she could just survive – stay alive, stay out of the mines – maybe there’d be a chance she could find another way to stop them destroying the dinosaurs.
A Trial had never been carried out in public before. This could actually work in her favour. The crowd had been enraged when they’d seen her trying to smash the eggs, but people were fickle, she’d watched the Stipulators manipulate them on multiple occasions. If she could get the crowd onside by performing well, by becoming the victor, surely Reban Don would have to pardon her. So to have a chance at saving her own life, and the dinosaurs’, she needed to win.
She stared out of the window. The route seemed familiar. They were heading to the cliffs. The cliffs that she’d seen Lincoln scale as if he did it every day.
Her stomach turned over. She didn’t want him to have any kind of advantage. Defeat wasn’t an option. She wanted to beat Lincoln above everything else. The person who she’d thought was a friend.
She cracked the knuckles in her injured hand. It still ached but she wouldn’t let it hold her back.
The transporter finally came to a halt and she climbed out. Leif arrived at the same time. He gave her a little nod.
There were crowds – everywhere. On the beach, on top of the cliffs and near the hastily constructed stage.
Lincoln was already up there waiting. Reban Don stood next to him.
They walked up the stairs. “You know I need to win this,” said Leif quietly. “I owe it to Kronar and Rune.”
“And I can’t let Lincoln win,” she said simply and looked straight ahead. Her head was spinning. It was clear she could never trust Lincoln again. But Leif? He had responsibilities. He’d told her straight. He was the only Norden left – he owed Kronar and Rune’s families.
Maybe if they’d had time to talk, time to plan, they could have worked something out. But the opportunity was lost. She pushed the guilt away. There was no room for it. She had to focus on the Trial ahead. The only person she could trust was herself. And she needed to win this for her own survival.
There was a flicker in front of the stage. A voice. Someone jumping from the back of the crowd. She squinted, trying to see.
Dell! It was Dell. Her breath caught in her throat. And she lifted her hand to wave frantically. Finally someone out there who was on her side.
She could pick out his voice amongst the rumble of the crowd. “You can do this, Storm. You can do it. You know you can. This is yours.”
He sounded so sure. So confident in her it gave her a surge of pride.
Reban Don walked to the front of the stage. “The Trial is in three parts,” he announced. “The first part is in the sea.”
Storm felt a chill go through her body. The loch was fine. She was familiar with the loch. She knew the creatures in there. But the sea? There could be anything out there. Including a megalodon. The sea was the last place she wanted to go.
“There are boxes buried in the sand. Each Finalist must dig up a box, bring it back to shore and open it. The contents are important.”
The crowd started whispering to each other. Staring out at the dark, rolling waves.
“The next part is the cliff climb. Which you’ll do carrying the contents of the box. When you reach the top, the third part of the task will be obvious. The person who arrives back at the stage first will be declared the winner.”
She gulped. For swimming and diving she probably had the advantage. For cliff climbing, Lincoln would have the advantage. For the third part? Who knew? It could be anybody’s game.
Reban Don walked in front of the three of them, his eyes glancing from one to the other. “Ready?”
“No.”
Leif and Lincoln turned in surprise. Storm stepped forward. “Take out your gloves and socks, Lincoln. This has to be fair.”
He flinched, then pulled them out of his pocket, tossing them onto the stage. She couldn’t even look at him.
She gave a nod of acknowledgement and turned back to Reban Don. “Now I’m ready.”
His eyes drifted over her violet tunic and she noticed a little tic in his jaw as he pressed his lips together.
He turned back towards the crowd.
Lincoln dipped his head. “I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice, “but my sister is worse. If I don’t get her this health care, she’ll die. I have to win.” His fingers brushed against hers. She wanted to grab them. She wanted to intertwine hers with his.
Because she believed him. He was sorry. His body language told her so. But that didn’t change her mind.
Lincoln pulled his hand back and looked forward.
“We all have to win, Lincoln,” said Leif. He had his eyes fixed on the horizon too. He was focusing. Getting ready to give his everything to the Trial ahead.
There could be no trust here. No friendship. No loyalty.
Reban held up his hand. “Ready; three, two, one, go!”
Storm jumped clear of the stage and sprinted towards the beach. Now there was nothing else on her mind. Nothing but winning.
Her feet thudded on the ground. Lincoln was first to pass her, closely followed by Leif. Their pace was quicker and it made her mad. Both of them hit the water before her, Leif discarding his shoes but Lincoln not. Her dive was cleaner, smoother. She’d had more practice and she started swimming straight away. Leif was still wading even though he was up to his chest in water.
The cold hit her straight away. Now she was underwater she kicked off her shoes. Her eyes were open. The seawater stung a little. The loch water never did that. And this water was murky. Sediment and sand made it difficult to see where she was going. How far out should she swim?
She wasn’t sure. But someone must have put the boxes out here and she could only guess that they wouldn’t have wanted to go too far out. No one wanted to be dinner for the megalodon.
There was a movement to her left. Leif. He was right alongside her. She dived further down to the seabed. Trouble was, as soon as she touched it, sediment lifted and blurred her vision. She stopped swimming for a second and looked around.
There were no markers. No clues in sight as to where the boxes were buried.
She let out a tiny bit of air. This could be like looking for a needle in a haystack – a near impossible task.
She swam out further and stopped again, waiting until the sand settled around her. The further she swam, the deeper she got, with less light reaching the seabed. How on earth was she supposed to find anything?
She pushed herself to the surface to get some air and try again. Leif bur
st from the water at the same time. “Where are the markers?” he spluttered.
“I don’t think there are any,” she said, pushing her hair back from her face.
“Then how on earth are we supposed to find them?” he asked.
She shook her head and filled her lungs again. This time she planned to stay down for longer. This time it would be like diving at the loch.
As she pushed towards the bottom there was a movement to her right. But it wasn’t human-shaped.
Her heart missed a beat.
It only took that beat to recognize the colour and shape. A plesiosaur.
It settled on the seabed just a little ahead of her. Her instincts kicked in and she swam towards it. Could it be Milo?
There was another movement in the water. Lincoln. Treading water halfway down. He was staring at Milo.
She swam closer. As she neared, she noticed some bumps on the seabed. Her heart rate surged. Surely not?
Something floated past in her in the undercurrents – catching in her hair. An ancient fishing net. She shook it off and pushed it behind her.
Last time she’d been this close to Milo had been just before the Trials were announced. She’d missed him. She didn’t hesitate. She swam straight up with her arms outstretched, capturing Milo’s head with her hands and pressing her forehead against it. This was exactly what she’d seen the plesiosaurs do in the lake in Piloria.
Milo stayed there for a few seconds, then his whole body moved. Silt and sand dislodged, clouding the water around her. He swam off, his tail churning the sea around them.
His movement had helped. It had revealed the top of the boxes buried in the seabed.
She swam to the nearest. But Lincoln surprised her. He got there first, cutting through the cloudy water and reaching another box easily. He pulled it from the sand with one hand and immediately kicked towards the surface.
She couldn’t let him beat her. She couldn’t. But something was wrong. Just a little to her left the water was churning. Fear swept over her. Was there something else in the water? Another creature?
She tried to adjust her eyes. It only took a few seconds to realize. It was Leif. Trapped in the fishing net. His face was set in a panic, his arms and legs thrashing furiously.