Kyle leads us to the boulders. It’s a small thing but the fact that he walks in front shows that he doesn’t expect to get stabbed in the back. Me, I’m wound tight as a spring. Besides having Ora’s sharpest knife hidden beneath the tail of my shirt, I have the machete I stole from Nordra’s minion poking out the top of my backpack. Sam keeps his machete handy as well. He walks beside me but keeps enough distance to have time to raise his weapon—should I attack.
We sit in a rough semicircle. Kyle pulls out a bottle of water and takes a deep drink before offering us some. We decline. Kyle shakes his head.
“This is no way to start a friendship,” he says.
“We’re not friends,” Sam says bluntly. “We’re three people who have common enemies. Nordra, Viper, and those damn ghosts. Let’s at least be honest about that. We need each other if any of us is to survive.”
Kyle is amused. “That might be true about you and me, Sam. But Jessie here, she’s got a reputation. The high-school witch who took down Sinful Syn. It sounds like even Nordra likes her. Assuming you weren’t jiving us about his proposition?”
“It was a serious offer on his part,” I say. “He’d kill his people and I had to kill mine to show good faith. Then we’d go after everyone else until the two of us were left. Then we’d fight.”
“Sounds like true love,” Kyle says.
Sam snorts. “Nordra’s afraid of Viper. That’s the only thing motivating him.”
Kyle doesn’t agree. “I told you, most of what you’ve heard about her is rumor. She’s not a snake, she’s not a dragon. She can’t breathe poison or vomit flames. She’s got telekinesis is all. She can fire off whatever shit is handy, nothing more.”
“And turn invisible,” Sam growls.
“I thought that talent didn’t bother you,” Kyle says.
Sam doesn’t dispute Kyle’s remark, which naturally stirs my interest. “You can see through her cloak?” I ask.
Sam hesitates. “I think so.”
“You’re not sure?” I ask.
“A witch in New York can turn invisible and I can spot her night or day. But I don’t know about Viper. Haven’t run into her yet.”
“So you have the witch gene that controls the senses,” I say. “How’s your hearing? Your sense of smell?”
“I’m not here to divulge my entire repertoire,” Sam says.
Kyle groans. “Here we go again. No trust. It’s because of the rules of the game. No matter how we play it, in the end we’ve got to kill each other.” Kyle stands and gestures with his hands to make his point. “Well, I say fuck the rules. Let’s make up our own game. Sure, Nordra and Viper have to go. They’re murderous lunatics. And the ghosts—I’m not sure about them yet. But who says we have to behave like barbarians with each other?”
“Maybe the people who put us here,” I say. “Maybe they don’t let us out of here until there’s only one of us left.”
Kyle holds up his hand. “I’m right there with ya. Besides our lack of trust in each other, that’s the key. But Sam here might have found out a way off that will let us say ‘fuck the plaque.’ A way off this island.”
Sam grumbles. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Tell Jessie what you saw,” Kyle says. “Go on, Sam, you told me. We’ve got to start building some kind of bond here or we’re just spinning our wheels.”
Sam glances in the direction of the volcano before answering, and there’s something in his voice, in the way he gestures and now and then looks me in the eyes, a quiet sincerity, that makes me feel he’s being honest. I can see why Marc trusts him.
“I think it’s clear by now that we were each dumped here in different locations. The director behind this sick charade probably wanted each of our groups to have a chance to get settled before the fun began. That’s the way I see it at least—that we’re here to entertain some pretty sick witches.”
“With your special sight,” I say, “have you seen any sign that we’re being watched?”
“Nothing,” Sam admits. “I’ve not seen a single camera or microphone. That puzzles me and it probably means my theory is crap. I don’t know, you tell me when I’m done talking. My group set down west of here, near the base of the volcano, a mile or so higher than where we’re sitting now. Right away I decided I needed to get the lay of the land, maybe spot where each cell had been dropped. I hiked to the top of the volcano, or at least close to the top. The smoke pouring off that lava gets pretty nasty when you get near the peak. Anyway, Jessie, I was able to see your cell buried in the valley on the other side of this hill. And I spotted Kyle’s cell farther over, on the beach.”
“They put you right beside the sea?” I ask Kyle.
Kyle nods. “When I read the plaque, I assumed everyone was somewhere along the coast. That’s where my group started their search. But we didn’t get far before Viper hit.” He pauses. “A quick point before Sam goes on. I can only talk so long. I’ve got to get back to my people. They’re defenseless without me. Worse, I’ve got two girls who are hurt bad. That tall African guy, Ora, he told me you’ve got a superhealer in your group. I need to borrow her if that’s okay with you?”
“Let Sam finish talking and then I’ll decide,” I say to Kyle before turning back to Sam. “Did you see where any other cells put down?”
“No,” Sam says. “But I assume they’re on the other side of the river. It makes sense in a weird sort of way. Three groups on this side of the river, three groups on the other side. Anyway, let me tell you what else I found up on the peak. For one thing it’s taller than it looks. I started a mile above sea level and had to hike at least another two miles higher. I put the volcano’s high point between sixteen to eighteen thousand feet. I suppose you know what that means.”
“There’s snow up there?” I ask.
“Yeah. There’s more on the back side than this side because of the direction the wind blows the fumes. But the snow’s thick. The runoff from it is the main source of water for the river. It starts close to the top as a trickle but it picks up water fast.”
“I’ve been wondering where all the water was coming from,” I say. “What’s on the other side of the island?”
Sam briefly closes his eyes, as if trying to figure out how to explain something I might not understand. Then he opens his eyes and looks me right in the eye.
“There is no other side of the island,” he says.
I frown. “You mean the volcano’s right on the coast? That’s odd.”
“It’s light-years beyond odd. There’s a black wall running along behind the volcano. It’s set a quarter of a mile down from the peak. I circled around to it because, like I said, I had trouble breathing with all the fumes at the top and couldn’t go any higher. That’s when I ran into it.”
“What’s the wall made of?” I ask.
Sam shakes his head. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
“Until he came here,” Kyle interjects. “Until we all came here.”
“Hold on a sec,” I say. “I’m not following you guys.”
Kyle nods to Sam. “Tell her everything.”
Sam holds up the brown bracelet on his left wrist. “Have you had a chance to examine what’s on the inside of this contraption? I have and so has Kyle since we’ve both lost people who’ve lost their arms. There’s a dark stone pressing against our skin.”
“I’ve seen it,” I say.
“That’s what the wall’s made of. I can’t tell whether it’s rock or metal. For that matter, I can’t tell you what it feels like because when I touched it something strange happened. I was standing there one second and a moment later I felt like I’d been standing there forever. And I mean forever, like years had gone by without me moving.” He pauses. “I know it sounds crazy but that’s what happened.”
“You must have blacked out,” I offer.
&nbs
p; Sam’s voice trembles. “I wish I had. That wall creeped me out and it wasn’t just because of what happened when I touched it. Like I said, there’s a lot of fumes and smoke near the crater. Most of it blows our way but there’s still plenty near the wall. But even with it cluttering up the air, I still should have been able to see over it.”
“How high is the wall?” I ask.
“I assumed it was around thirty feet. I know what you’re thinking, there’s no way I could see over a thirty-foot wall. But I’m saying I couldn’t see over it even when I hiked away from it—up the side of the volcano—and stood over a hundred feet higher.”
“Wait, I’m confused,” I say. “Are you saying you hiked a hundred feet away from the wall and couldn’t see over it?”
“No. You heard me right, you just don’t want to accept what I’m telling you. I hiked a quarter of a mile away from the wall, toward the peak, which left me standing a hundred feet higher than the wall.”
“And you still couldn’t see over it?” I asked.
“Nope,” Sam says.
“The fumes and the smoke were in your eyes,” I say.
“Nope. I just told you, there wasn’t enough to block my vision. I either should have seen the other side of the island and the ocean beyond, or I should have just seen the ocean. I saw neither.”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I’m still not following you.”
Sam takes out his own water bottle and takes a long hit. “Believe me, Jessie, I sympathize.”
“Damnit! What did you see?” I demand, exasperated.
“Nothing. I couldn’t see anything.”
I continue to shake my head. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
Kyle speaks. “Don’t be too hard on the boy. Whatever that wall is, it’s not natural. It not only screwed with Sam’s head, it warped his eyesight.”
“But when you first brought it up,” I say to Kyle. “You acted like it was our way off this island.”
“I didn’t say that exactly,” Kyle replies. “Anyway, Sam’s not done with his story. Tell Jessie what else you found up there.”
Sam shrugs. “A cave loaded with quartz crystals and huge amethysts. There’s writing on the walls and painted pictures. I even found a few primitive tools. I assume they’re from previous contestants.”
“Could you read the writing?” I ask.
“Nope.”
“Have you been back there since day one?”
“Nope,” Sam says, rubbing his injured arm. “Been a little busy.”
“It’s broken, isn’t it?” I ask.
Sam sighs. “Yeah.”
Kyle stands. “I think it’s clear we’ve got to have another look at this wall and that cave—if we’re to have any chance of escaping from this island.”
“How is that clear?” I ask.
Kyle points to his red bracelet. “Whoever put us here felt it was crucial that all of us walk around with a piece of that wall touching us at all times. Now, I don’t know about you two but that strikes me as a hell of a coincidence. Or maybe the word I’m looking for is it’s a hell of a clue. It doesn’t matter how I say it—that wall’s important. We need to check it out some more, and we need to examine that cave as well. I believe the people who were here before us might have figured a way off this island, and they might have left the answer on the walls of that cave. That might be what Sam was looking at.”
“A way to cheat the Field?” I ask.
Kyle nods. “That’s what I’m thinking.”
“It’s a possibility,” Sam agrees. “And, if nothing else, the cave will give us a strong base to defend. From up there you can see anyone coming from miles around.”
“Except Viper,” I mutter.
“I’ll see her,” Sam says.
“We’re stronger together,” Kyle says. “Nordra and Viper—even they would be afraid to take on three witches at once. My plan is we merge our people together and hike to the top of the volcano. It’s the only plan that makes sense. We help each other. We still need to sleep and we can only sleep if we’ve got someone we trust standing guard.”
“What if Nordra and Viper form an alliance?” I ask, noting how slyly Kyle had slipped the word “trust” into his proclamation.
“More reason we should band together,” Kyle says. “But that ain’t going to happen. Nordra’s heard enough stories about Viper to know she’s poison.”
“You seem to know a lot about them,” I say. “May I ask who your source is?”
Kyle grins. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask that. You want to know if I’m with the Lapras or the Tar?”
“I figure someone must be greasing your wheels,” I say. “A nineteen-year-old kid whose first album’s gone triple platinum.”
“And you figure the Tar aren’t in the habit of making young punks like me famous,” Kyle says. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m guilty as charged. I’ve got plenty of Lapra friends, and one of them in particular did help me get my foot in the door. She got me my start, but it was my talent that made me famous. And for your information, I have just as many friends who are Tar.”
“So what you’re saying is that you belong in neither camp?” I say. “Or do you belong in both?”
“Both, neither—what difference does it make? You know this line from my CD? ‘I walk where I want and talk to the whole lot.’ That sums up how I feel about both them groups. And from what I’ve heard about you, Jessica, you’re no different. You hate being bossed around as much as I do.”
He must have been talking to someone high up; it’s like he knows me. I stand and face him. “You still haven’t told me who your source is for all these fabulous insights.”
Kyle shrugs. “And I’m not going to. As long as I keep my mouth shut, they’ll keep feeding me what I need to know.”
“Did your source tell you the way out of here was on top of the volcano?” I persist.
Kyle claps at my question. “Maybe, maybe. Let me make a suggestion. Tomorrow morning, when you wake up in witch world, why don’t you call your source and see what they have to say about me. I can tell you what you’re going to hear. That I’m the brand-new bad boy on the block. That all I care about is sex, drugs, rock’n’roll. And it’s all true. But there’s one thing you ain’t going to hear—that Kyle’s a killer.”
Sam stands. “Then why are you here?”
Kyle waves his hand in dismissal. “I don’t know, Sam. Why are you here?”
I feel Sam tense, and worry he might lash out—his broken arm notwithstanding—and the last thing I need right now is a testosterone-fueled fight. I step between the boys.
“How do we formalize this alliance of ours?” I ask.
“Like I said, two of my players are badly wounded,” Kyle says. “You loan me your superhealer, let me take her back to my beach house, and I’ll be eternally grateful.”
“And then you’ll form an alliance with us?” Sam asks.
“I believe I just said that,” Kyle replies.
“I want Sam healed first,” I say.
“My people are seriously hurting,” Kyle insists. “Every minute they lose—it might be the difference between life and death. Please, Jessie, let me borrow your healer chick. I’ll protect her as if she were one of my own.”
I frown. “You plan on taking Li with you? Without me?”
Kyle gestures toward the volcano. “Sam’s people are already stuck partway up the mountain. I’m sure he’s as anxious to get back to them as I am to get back to my gang. You can meet back up with Sam at his home base. And once Li heals the rest of my team, we’ll circle around this valley and rendezvous with all of you at roughly the halfway point.”
What Kyle’s suggesting sounded reasonable. Each of us three witches has to get back to our people. They’re vulnerable without us. At the same time, merging our groups as
swiftly as possible will give us even more protection.
Still, I feel troubled. I dislike sending Li off with Kyle. I don’t know him and by his own admission he isn’t the most caring soul on the planet. On a selfish note, her healing ability gives our group a big advantage. Yet I don’t want the blood of his wounded on my hands. If nothing else, Kyle’s concern for his people sounds genuine.
“One thing I don’t understand,” Sam says to me. “Why was your group given two witches?”
“Li’s not a witch,” I reply. “Just an amazing healer.”
“How’s that possible?” Sam insists.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I just know she closed Ora’s wound without leaving a scratch.”
“That works for me,” Kyle says, anxious to get moving. He proposes I hike back to my camp with him and then he’ll escort Li to his home base. Meanwhile, he suggests I pick up Chad and catch up with Sam, who will be leading Marc and Ora up to his camp.
“I’m okay with everything except the last part,” I interrupt. “Marc and Ora will accompany us back to our camp.”
Kyle’s puzzled. “You’re just making them cover the same ground twice.”
“He has a point,” Sam agrees. “Hell, if you carry Chad on your back, you’ll catch up with us in no time.”
“Marc and Ora are staying with me,” I repeat. “Sam, from what you’ve told me, I have a good idea where you’re located. But call out if you see us walking past your camp. Kyle, come with me and the others.”
Sam is fine with my change. “I appreciate your caution. I’ll be waiting for you.”
I walk over to where Marc and Ora are waiting and explain the plan. Marc doesn’t like it; he doesn’t like Kyle. But Ora can see the wisdom in joining forces.
“We can’t fight this creature we can’t see,” Ora says.
“What if Li doesn’t want to go with Kyle?” Marc asks. “Or do you figure she’ll do whatever you ask? Because if that’s true then you better know you’re taking on a dangerous role.”
Marc’s words are true, of course, that’s why they sting. Once I assume control of the group, it will be hard to back away from the position, unless I make a wrong decision and someone gets hurt or dies. But I see no alternative.
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