She'd hurt him by yelling. Shelby sucked in a deep breath. When they headed out, she'd apologize, but right now, she wanted to decipher their next move.
She nodded. "She said we needed to go to the Canaveral Caves, and that we would find something there. I couldn't make out what."
Stuart pulled off his backpack and produced a map. They circled him and studied the topography. "We're somewhere around here. This is the clearing where the reconnoiter, Marty, warned us about the Nightlander army." He pointed down at the diagram. "The Canaveral Caves are only a couple miles north."
"Okay," Riley said, her forehead scrunched. "If you guys agree, I think we should camp out for a half-hour, and if nobody comes for us, we make for the caves. We can only hope Sculptor is working his way through the woods, looking for us. He might have been captured, and we can provide little help. I believe we have to move forward soon."
Though the Canaveral Caves could be dangerous, Shelby figured they had a better chance of success if they went where an Assembly member directed them. She hoped her understanding of the communication was right.
They all agreed with Riley's plan. One by one, they sat down, swilled water, and broke out some chud and hard biscuits. Even Shelby ate, though sparingly. Max cleaned his sword, the long strokes of his whetstone echoing around the clearing. Riley and Emily followed suit with their rapiers. Stuart fiddled with his hand-cannon. Too drained to talk, they did not wish to make any unnecessary noise and draw attention.
Shelby surveyed the area while keeping low. She didn't like the idea of not posting a lookout. The sky grew overcast and heavy, the tops of the trees electric against the gunmetal gray clouds. Nothing stirred, and soon the agreed upon time passed. Still, they waited a quarter-hour more. Shelby prayed Sculptor would appear from the brush. Even though Max had seen Mr. Dempsey fall, she hoped he might show up, too. Some part of her remained convinced Max was wrong.
Nothing happened. Shelby turned back to the group, and when she spoke, her voice cracked with grief. "All right, the clock is ticking. We need to go."
The map illustrated the Eridanus River along the way, northwest, to the Canaveral Caves. They decided to travel there to refill their canteens and refresh themselves. As they forged west, the woods grew less dense.
Shelby relaxed a bit, as improved visibility lessened the chance of an ambush. Her legs screamed as she climbed a rocky hillside. After running all morning, the pace was better than she'd thought. It distracted her, too. Rather than dwell on Mr. Dempsey's death, she could focus on searching for the caves.
They reached the stream well after midday. It was hard to believe that they'd only broken camp that morning, and had already been ambushed twice, on their way to Meracuse. The Kin washed in two groups. First, the girls went, the boys standing guard, and next the boys took their turn.
"I wonder what we're supposed to search for when we get to these caves," said Riley as she stood with Shelby and Emily.
The two girls gave Shelby space to mourn, but she knew they were right. All of them needed to be prepared for anything at the caves.
She told them as much as she remembered about what Bianca had said. "I couldn't make out the last part of the message. We'll find something there, though. Maybe we'll get a map or some clue to where the others are being held."
She felt clean and refreshed, glad to have washed the grime from her face and neck. The current had swept away her tears, and she felt strong once more, ready for vengeance. She shoved the pain of Mr. Dempsey's death aside; that, she'd deal with later.
"Or, if nothing shows up," said Emily, "we'll go straight to Meracuse. These caves are close to where we were, so thankfully it won't take us out of our way."
Shelby nodded. Presage had informed them that as Kin, they had an innate ability to adapt to Azimuth. Adapting, however, did not change the fact that they functioned as catalysts in assisting this world to defeat a supernatural, evil force. How overwhelming it sounded when she thought about their situation that way. Now they were fierce warriors, not students. Every one of them had killed men in battle, and they'd barely had a moment to reflect on it.
That lack of processing was a good thing.
After the boys finished washing, the group crossed the river and continued traveling toward the Canaveral Caves. They all smelled like fish and algae, but at least they were clean. The roaring water ebbed behind them. As they left the river, Shelby sidled up beside Max.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey." His reply wasn't warm.
"About before.... I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It... it shocked me. I'm sorry." She couldn't think of what else to say.
He shook his head. "It's okay, Shelby. It just stung, that's all. I know you cared about him a lot, but I had to save you. I didn't have time to do both, and the others were too far ahead to come back and help."
"I understand. If they had, we'd all have died."
He just nodded.
"Please forgive me," she begged. Her chest ached; the thought of Max being mad at her for the rest of their time together was almost too much to bear. Mr. Dempsey was already gone. Losing Max would destroy her.
"I do," he said, and when he looked at her, she knew he meant it. His hazel eyes were soft and comforting. "He was a good man, Shelby. We'll make it right. I promise."
Shelby gave a firm nod. "Yes, we will. Malefic won't ever hurt anyone we love again. I swear it."
"Me too."
They hiked for an hour through wild country, then stopped and brought out the map. Shelby figured they should have reached the caves by now. With a grimace, she scanned the area. The clouds had receded, moving south, and the sun blared upon them. It wasn't a warm day, but the chill of winter had not ravaged the land yet, either.
"The caves are supposed to be right around here, two different entrances," said Stuart, stroking his chin with his hand as he examined the scroll. He'd tied his long hair back with a length of twine.
"I hope we're reading this map correctly. One wrong turn could put us off track," said Riley.
"No, no, we made it to the river without difficulty. The caves must be close," he said, jabbing the vellum right where they stood.
A rumbling noise surged through the woods east of them.
A Disemboweler burst through from the thicket. Stuart blasted it with his hand-cannon, and Emily whistled an arrow into it as the beast writhed on the ground.
A horde of Nightlanders swarmed in behind it.
"We tracked the escapee to this point," one of them bellowed.
"Ah, what have we here? Drop your weapons or die!" another ordered.
The Kin glanced at each other.
Rage boiled in Shelby's stomach. "I was just about to say the same thing to you."
Stuart fired into the last speaker, knocking him back several feet. Emily cocked her bow and let fly three arrows at once into the mob.
The dark warriors charged forward.
Max lunged and swished his sword with a clang into the closest one. He lifted the soldier up and hurled him into the others.
Shelby picked up a downed man's sword and leapt into the throng, spinning with both blades gashing through the air.
Pellets hissed from Riley's slingshot, smacking troopers in the face and knocking them off their feet. The hand-cannon echoed in Shelby's ears while she twirled in savage combat. She channeled her anger and exploded through the Nightlanders on a bloody rampage.
The last few soldiers scrambled into the forest.
"They can't get away. I'm going after them," Max yelled.
Stuart followed as they barreled into the woods.
Shelby scanned the area, now littered with dead Nightlanders. Her heart thumped and she inhaled a lungful of air. Calm down now.
Before long, Max and Stuart returned, sweat and blood dripping from their brows.
"We got them," Max said.
Emily wiped her blade with a rag. "They said they tracked an escapee to here, but I don't see the caves. What were
they talking about?"
Shelby pointed to a dense part of foliage. "Hold on. What's over there?"
Her boots snagged a few brambles as she walked. A pair of holes gaped in the greenery, where thick, leafy vines and ivy covered the rock.
"The two openings," Max said. "I didn't think of this before, but these are Meridian Army maps. Perhaps only they know of this place. It's camouflaged to keep it secret. You'd go right past this if you weren't searching for it."
He looked around cautiously. At any moment, more Nightlanders might attack them. Everyone was on edge, listening and watching.
"Well, now what?" Emily folded her arms across her chest. "Do we go through one entrance, and try the other one if we don't find anything?"
They stood silent for a few seconds before Shelby spoke. "We aren't supposed to split up, but we should in this instance. A couple of us can go in each tunnel, not too deep, and we keep one stationed outside in case any trouble erupts." She walked closer to the caves and faced the others.
"Hmm, I'm not convinced splitting up is a good idea," said Stuart.
"Well, why not?"
"Okay, go on," said Riley.
"Bianca sent us this message, and something important is here. It has to be this escapee she wants us to find. The last thing she would want to do is put us in danger. The tunnels are narrow. We should be able to handle anything coming our way, or at least to turn and run. And then we will have one of us waiting out front to help, as well as listening for any strange sounds. In the event one of the caves is dangerous, at least we wouldn't all be together. We'll be finished quicker, too, and time is important."
Max chimed in. "I agree. And I have the same feeling. Time is essential."
"All right, let's do it," said Stuart.
Shelby noted the charcoal sigil on his chest had smeared.
"I'm game," Max said.
Emily and Riley bobbed their heads in agreement.
Riley said, "Emily, you're the best with a bow. You should stay out here and keep guard." She raked her hands through her knotted blonde hair.
"Done," Emily said.
They decided Shelby and Max would go up the cave on the left, Stuart and Riley to the right. Emily hid herself where she'd be able to guard, but not be seen.
Shelby strode to the cave with confidence, and Max sped after her. At the mouth of the cavity, she knelt and lifted a thick branch from the ground, broke it in half with a crack, and tore a strip of cloth from her cloak.
Max frowned. "What are you doing?"
"We need something to illuminate our paths. Caves are dark." She wrapped the material around the top of the stick, then took some twine from her backpack and used it to hold the cloth in place. After striking two pieces of flint, which she found in a pocket on the satchel, she lit the makeshift torch. "Come on."
They inched in as the cavern dimmed. Shelby's eyes adjusted to the darkness, illuminated by flickering light. Several torches protruded from the stony walls, and she lit them as they advanced. She glanced back at the access to the cave and spied Emily squinting after them, her bow cocked.
Rocks crunched underfoot as she moved through. Max crouched down and treaded behind her. They made little noise as they went, but each time a footfall echoed or a pebble skipped across the stone, her heart bounced into her throat.
Almost ten yards in, the cavern came to its first turn. The rocky walls made things difficult to take in, even with the aid of the torches. Beards of moss clung to the craggy walls.
They followed the curve deeper. After a few minutes, the tunnel widened and a wooden door emerged.
"All right, open it." Max's voice bounced off the rock as he raised his blade. "I will enter first."
Wood ground against stone as Shelby pulled the door forward. Max stepped past the entry, his sword leading the way, and she followed. More torches lined the sides, and she lit them.
A large wooden desk with a splintered chair sat in the center of the antechamber. The petrous walls surrounding them contained several file cabinets and hanging pictures.
"Looks like some kind of old office," said Shelby. She drew closer to the wall, where a map had caught her eye. The title of the print read Earth.
The diagram was mostly black and white, except one area. The spots she spied on the map were colored green, just off the coast from Morocco in the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands were named the Atlaseria Islands; in parentheses it read: now known as the Canary Islands.
Max gaped at the map. "Atlaseria. I've had dreams about a place called Atlaseria. My brothers teased me about them."
"Hmm." Shelby squinted as her mind raced. She recalled the sound of an ocean lapping the shore, the scent of fish and salt, and the warm sun. "I've had dreams of a place named Atlaseria, too. I never told anyone, either. I've read about the Canary Islands. I remember some mystery regarding its earlier inhabitants."
She picked up a dusty textbook underneath the map. The title read, The History of Meridia.
She turned the cover and a picture of a huge tidal wave about to hit a coastal city poked out. Under the image read, The Great Deluge: Atlaseria Destroyed.
"I recall Presage saying they were all originally from Earth," Max whispered.
Shelby turned another page, and a photo of a colossal ship hovering over the ground appeared with the caption: The Atlaserians decide to leave Earth and travel to Azimuth to begin anew.
"Do you think because we are Kin we've been having the same dreams about Atlaseria?" she asked.
One of the wardrobes shook to their right. Shelby and Max backed away, swords high. The doors crunched open and a boy plopped to the floor, his tattered clothing flowing as he fell.
"Kin? You are K-Kin?" He scrambled to his feet.
Shelby examined the boy. A mop of sandy hair covered his head, shaggy bangs falling before his blue eyes. He was pale, and the threadbare shirt he wore kept slipping off one of his shoulders. Ash and dirt smudged his cheeks and clothes.
Max asked, "Who are you and what are you doing in this cave?"
"I'm Simon. The Nightlanders kidnapped me until I escaped two nights ago. I hid here ever since." He shielded his eyes from the torchlight. A thin boy, he no doubt lost much of his weight during his time in the cave. He looked rather familiar.
Shelby and Max glanced at each other, nodding.
Simon shivered and stumbled forward a step. "I've only ventured out for berries and water."
"Come with us. We'll keep you safe," said Shelby, offering her hand.
He accepted and she led him back to the mouth of the corridor, tossing the expired torch aside. She and Max worked their way over to where Emily stood sentinel, and found the rest waiting for them.
"A dead end in our cave," said Stuart, "and an empty tunnel—just some hollow barrels and boxes. Any luck?"
Shelby raised her brow as she pulled the boy forward gently.
"We found Simon hiding," said Max.
They all glanced at each other. Shelby nodded behind Simon. Though the day had been long and tiring, she couldn't help but smile. "Simon, is your father Casselton?"
"Yes, yes! Do you know him?"
"Oh yes, he'll be so happy to find out you're fine. He's traveling with a Meridian battalion on the Dorado Path back to Meracuse."
Simon's face contorted with fear. "Oh, no, Malefic will attack Meracuse, if he hasn't already!"
"Where did you hear such news?" asked Max.
"They held me in a jail, underground, right at the brink of the Canopus Hills. I overheard the guards speaking. In fact, they celebrated the fall of Degei while I escaped. They became careless after drinking ale, and I managed to pick one of their pockets for the keys when he stumbled by my cell. I waited until they dozed and made my break." His stomach rumbled, and he held his hand over it, as though embarrassed.
"Here, let me get you some chud. We need you to answer a few questions, but I don't want you starving. Are you thirsty?"
Simon nodded and grabbed the food a
nd canteen from Shelby.
She smiled. "Now, you said your prison was outside the Canopus Hills. Did you notice any other prisoners?"
Simon swallowed a chunk of the chud. "I did, I did. I meant to tell you first thing. Ms. Saddler, of course, was drugged and chained. I stopped at her cell, and she couldn't speak much. She told me I would be safe at the Canaveral Caves. The caves were easy for me to find because of my dad's maps in his office. I should have thought of this straight away, but I haven't had much to eat or drink in days, and I... I'm sluggish." He rubbed his temples as he spoke, and devoured the chud Shelby had given him.
"Do you think you would be able to lead us back to the prison?"
"Why, yes. Its underground location makes it difficult to find if you aren't looking for it. A large entrance is manned by hidden sentries, mostly archers in the treetops. I stole one of the knave's clothing and managed to walk away unobstructed. Distracting the guards is easy because the dungeon is not as heavily protected as you'd expect—about a hundred soldiers, maybe." He took a long swig of water. The torn, black clothing he wore had faded.
"Yes," Riley said, her expression unsure. "However, once they found out you escaped, it's likely Malefic sent a battalion to defend the place. No one knew of the location before, and now you're running around the countryside with valuable information."
"I'm sure of what I would do," said Stuart.
"What?" asked Max.
"I would usher them to a different location. Always works with the flag in Halo."
"We need to get a move on," Shelby said. "How far from here is the Canopus Hills on foot?"
Simon frowned. "I'm not sure. I ran until I almost passed out, but I'd guess several hours, at the least."
"We have to leave now," she said.
The Kin gathered their belongings and helped their new guide along the path to the Canopus Hills. With a full belly and some water, the youngster seemed to be doing much better.
Shelby gazed at the caves behind her. She wondered where in the woods Zach Ryder might be. Her gut twisted as she thought of Mr. Dempsey's fate, and Sculptor was still missing, too.
And time was running out.
Throg rose from the campfire and plopped down closer to Zach. "I sense things are much worse than I feared. The United Forces are detained, and the countryside is likely overrun with Nightlander troops. We may need to take some risks."
The Silver Sphere Page 16