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The Dark Sky Collection: The Dark Sky Collection

Page 61

by Amy Braun


  After another five minutes of careful shuffling, I reached the slanting hill of loose rubble where the metal spikes were embedded. The rubble was at least six feet tall and would need to be climbed, which would likely set off the Pitfall.

  Finding the thin black wire was tricky, but once I did, I knelt down to examine it.

  The wires were threaded through the cracks in the rubble to disguise it, each one sliding into the same hole as a piece of the rebar. I took a small torch from my belt and pulled it open. Without bracing myself on the rocks, I shone the torch at the device and peered inside the crevice.

  The torch’s light was faint in the grey sunlight, but I was still able to see the wires and rebar threading into a plastic box. The edges of the rebar seemed to be plugged in while the wire connected to a small flip switch.

  I moved to the rebar on my left and looked inside, finding the same thing. I peered deeper inside, seeing a thick crimson cord snaking between each plastic box, linking them all. I looked over my shoulder and called to the crew.

  “Can anyone see some kind of circuit breaker or switch against the walls?”

  Nash and Sawyer parted from the group, jogging to the left and right walls respectively. I watched them search the sides of the wall, then stomp back with grim expressions.

  “Nothing,” Sawyer announced.

  Figured as much, I thought bleakly. I frowned and slumped back, twisting the torch shut.

  “It’s a trigger-bomb,” I called to my crew. “The wires are connected to a device that’s loaded back like a spring. The device is plugged into an electrically charged appliance that will be set off if the switch is moved and flipped. I’m guessing all of these spikes have the same set up and will fire in a chain-reaction.”

  “So we try to climb the wall, we shift some rock, the switch flips, and we get skewered by about two dozen metal poles,” Gemma stated. “I don’t know if that’s brilliant, or overkill.”

  “Seems like the kind of thing the Dogs would set up,” commented Nash. “They’re pretty well rabid, but they’re big into protecting their pack.” He continued to glare at the spikes and the open space over my head.

  “How do you shut it off?” Sawyer called.

  I glanced at the setup again. It was going to be difficult. There were no wires I could safely cut, no way I could dismantle the machine without setting it off.

  “The device is buried too deep in the wall,” I said. “There won’t be a way for me to shut it down without setting it off. I have to trigger it.”

  “No!” Sawyer and Riley exclaimed at the same time.

  “That’s insane!” Gemma protested. “You’re standing in the middle of it!”

  “Except I’m not,” I said, pointing to the rubble at my back. “There aren’t any spikes near me. Once I set the trap off, the rebar will just fly out. It won’t touch me.”

  “What if there’s a secondary trap?” argued Riley. “What if there’s another device that will blow up the rubble behind you?”

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t make sense to set one up. All the spears are attached to an explosive and connected with one large cord. There’s probably a fully charged electron-cell or something keeping the bombs active, but it’s too deep for me to reach without shifting the rubble. If something went wrong and triggered that bomb, this spear trap would go off with it and fail. This is the only Pitfall, I’m sure of it.”

  From the horrified looks on their faces, none of my friends believed me.

  “Think of it this way,” I offered. “What happens if we need to make a sudden escape and can’t find another exit? We’ll have to climb over this wall and one of us will trigger the spears regardless. They’ll go straight through us before we can get to the skiff. It’s better if I do this now and make sure it can’t backfire and hurt any of you.”

  That concept seemed to hold their attention, but they were still reluctant to move. I looked at Nash.

  “Do you think your old Clan will welcome us with open arms if they find us?”

  He frowned, the distance returning to his eyes. He sighed and shook his head. “No, but what you’re planning might warn them.”

  “Then we can pull back and hide until they leave. This is the safest way to do it, I’m certain. You just have to trust me.”

  I looked at the members of my crew, reading their concern. I stopped at Sawyer, our leader and the one who always lost his temper when I was in danger. If I convinced him, I was positive the others would listen.

  Even from the gap between us, I could see his torn expression. His eyes were bright with worry, and I could see the muscles in his jaw tightening as he fought to stand in place. He didn’t want me up here so close to danger but, if there were another option, I would be choosing it instead of this.

  I waited until I saw the slump of his shoulders. He didn’t want me to do this, but he couldn’t get in my way without getting hurt. Still, his chin was raised, and a weak smile crossed his face. He was willing to trust me.

  “Go ahead, Firecracker. I know how happy you are when you blow up the bad guy’s toys.”

  I tried to scowl, but a grin replaced it.

  Sawyer tossed his head in the direction of the skiff. The others followed him, glancing at me as they hurried out of sight. I waited until they were hidden behind the collapsed wall and out of range of the spears before I turned back to the rubble.

  Taking a deep breath, I knelt down and made myself as small as I could. I looked at the heavy spears on either side of me. I would likely get struck with some of the rubble as the spears punched out, but that would be a small pain. If Riley was right and there was a secondary trap, however…

  I would deal with that when the time came.

  Part of me must have gone insane at some point, I thought as I curled my fingers around a loose piece of rubble seated over a black wire, and pulled.

  The stone came loose, creating a ripple effect that tugged down other stones. There was a soft click before the first of the spears loosened. They made a harsh crack and then flew out of the hidden device like shot from a cannon. I watched them clear out, shooting harmlessly into the distance and landing with heavy thunks onto the snowy ground.

  The ripple effect didn’t carry through the rest of the wall, so I moved along the rubble and pried free more of the stones. After about five minutes, I cleared out the rest of the spears, leaving nothing in the rubble wall.

  I was about to call to the others when I heard a muffled tick tick tick behind me. I looked over my shoulder, peered into the stony wall, then spun on my heel to run for my life.

  The shockwave and shattered rocks pounded into my back, knocking me off my feet. I landed hard on my stomach in the snowy dirt. I draped my arms over my head and waited until the debris settled around me.

  It only took my crew a few seconds to reach me. Strong hands grasped my arms and pulled me to my feet. Riley stood in front of me, his face tight and furious, yet oddly relieved. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to hug me or shake me.

  “Uh… you told me so?” I offered with a stupid grin.

  Riley shook his head, then slid his hands around my back and crushed me to his chest. “You’re insane,” he muttered into my hair.

  I stood there in his embrace, feeling cool fabric against my cheek. I didn’t mind it while I stood there with Riley. It was nice to feel safe again.

  Someone cleared their throat heavily. I pushed back from Riley, finding Gemma standing nearby with an impatient glare on her face. I walked around Riley, still feeling heat flushing my cheeks. When I looked up again, Sawyer was standing on top of the rubble wall. He watched Riley with eyes that were mistrustful and… He caught my gaze and quickly looked away. The redness on his cheeks darkened.

  Had Sawyer just been jealous?

  Beyond him, Nash had already crossed into the main courtyard of the old Sky Guard barracks. I climbed up the wall, trying to meet Sawyer’s eyes. He didn’t return the gaze. He was shutting down again. I thought about that
lopsided smile, and how it had made me feel.

  “Want to race?” I blurted.

  Sawyer glanced at me then, confused. “Down an unbalanced rock wall and into aggressive enemy territory?”

  I grinned. “Scared?”

  Sawyer narrowed his eyes, but the glint was back. “Bored.”

  He took off down the wall without waiting for prompting. I stumbled, trying to catch up to him, but Sawyer was quicker and more agile than me. He reached the bottom of the wall in little over a minute. He put his hands on his hips and smirked at me as I staggered down. I nearly lost my balance at the bottom, but Sawyer’s hand shot out and quickly steadied me.

  “Nice try, Firecracker,” he teased. “Maybe in a decade you’ll be able to beat me.”

  I scowled and pushed his hand off. Sawyer chuckled as I stormed past him, pretending to be angry when really my heart was leaping at the sound of that rare laugh.

  I walked forward until I was standing in the middle of the snow-covered brick. I took a single step before the expanse of the garrison sank in.

  The shattered walls stretched into the distance, so far that the opposite end could only be seen as a small, black line on the horizon. Broken rubble slanted into the courtyard of the barracks, but that was it. I once heard that the inside of Dovercourt had pockets of houses, dozens of homes where the Sky Guards could live with their families. Dovercourt had been a small city of its own, filled with a bustling retail square, restaurants and even a small theatre. However, the heart of Dovercourt was military. Troops would march back and forth through the squares and plazas, commence training exercises in designated areas, even using a special landing pad for their skiffs and sloops.

  None of that was here now. All that remained were clumps of broken wood, some broken glass, and scattered bricks. Everything was smothered in the hazy white snow that leisurely fell from the clouds. There were no bloodstains or bodies that could be seen. It didn’t look like anyone had been here since The Storm.

  The Barren had definitely lived up to its name.

  Nash took the lead again, walking through the enormous white territory as though he remembered exactly where he was going. Which I reluctantly hoped was the case. If it weren’t for him, we would have no idea where to go. Gemma jogged to catch up with him, sliding her leather-gloved hand into his. Sawyer kept pace behind them, a flintlock still tightly gripped in his hand.

  “I used to live here,” Riley said abruptly. I glanced at him, slowing down when I noticed the sadness in his eyes. “My father was a lieutenant with the 31st Aerial Combat Division. They had airshows every month.”

  I nodded. “I remember seeing those when I was little,” I confessed. “The way they navigated the sloops seemed impossible.”

  Riley grinned. “They would cheat when they did the barrel rolls, you know. Everyone was strapped down tightly so they wouldn’t fall out, and it was the engineers who made the rocket propulsions that flipped them in the air. But even when my father told me how it worked, I was still amazed.”

  His smile began to fade. “I was here when The Storm happened. I was watching the pilots train, thinking about what I would do when I was a Sky Guard. Then the clouds darkened, and this huge ship tore out of the sky, and started firing its guns…”

  He trailed off, but he didn’t need to fill me in on what happened that day. I had seen it, too. From across the city, looking out my bedroom window and watching the skiffs peel out of from under the Behemoth like hornets from a shaken nest. The sharp, orange flashes as cannon fire erupted from the gigantic ship, the crumbling buildings and houses as they buckled from the attacks, the screams growing louder from the streets…

  I blinked the memories away. There was nothing that could be done about the past. No one could have predicted the Behemoth’s arrival or the destruction it would wreak on Westraven and the smaller cities and provinces of Aon. Losses could never be returned. The most we could do now was endure the life we had, fight for it, and maybe one day make it better.

  It was a lot to hope for. I saw my little sister’s face, and decided that her hope and happiness was worth fighting for.

  “What are you thinking about?” Riley inquired.

  I hesitated, then said, “I’m just wondering what will happen if this works. It’ll take a long time for Westraven to recover, and even then the marauders could take it over. The city won’t be what it used to be. If it ever does, we probably won’t be alive to see it.”

  Riley shrugged with a gentle smile. “You never know. People come together in times of need. You and the marauders are proof of that.”

  I frowned and said nothing about my doubts. Or my realistic expectations.

  “You’re not doubting yourself, are you?”

  “No,” I replied quickly. “Not at all. The Breach needs to be closed. The Hellions can never return here. But I’m worried about Abby. If something happens to me, what’s she going to do? Moira’s been a saint, but she’s not lucid all the time. Maybe they would find someone from Garnet’s colony to live with if I couldn’t be there, but what guarantee would I have that they’d be okay? Abby’s suffered so much, never known true happiness, and if someone hurt her…” I trailed off and started shaking my head. “I can’t put her through anymore pain.”

  Riley put his hand on my shoulder and drew me to a stop. He stood in front of me, rubbing both hands up and down my arms. His eyes were soft and endearing, tiny pieces of snow spotting his thick blond hair like a crown.

  “Nothing will happen to Abby, because nothing will happen to you. You’re going to survive, Claire. You’ll find a way to save us, and you’ll live a long, happy life with your sister.”

  My heart swelled at the thought. It was a bitter pain, because thinking about a peaceful future felt like believing a lie.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  He smiled. His hands drifted over the tops of my shoulders, stopping when he gently cupped my neck. “I’m not. But it’s what you want, and what you deserve. So I want to help you get it.”

  Riley’s thumbs rubbed against my throat, but I barely felt the leather of his gloves because of the bandages on my neck. His eyes moved back and forth, drinking in my features. The cold disappeared around me, my heart racing under my chest, aching with desire. I loved Abby and would fight for a future with her, but I couldn’t make her my whole world. One day she would want her own life, have her own passions and goals. The same things I wanted now.

  There were things I didn’t know about Riley. Secrets and quirks I couldn’t understand. But I wanted to. Pieces of me were missing, and I needed them to be filled. Riley was here. He was willing. He wouldn’t push me away when I wanted to get close.

  I should have wanted him more.

  Yet when he leaned closer to kiss me, I averted my eyes. I could hardly see Sawyer past Riley’s arm, but he was still there. His gaze was on me. Only me. He smiled quickly, weakly, like he would be okay with Riley kissing me. He shrugged, like it didn’t matter to him.

  But I saw the melancholy lingering in the tawny eyes I knew so well. The pain and understanding that he could have already lost me.

  He was smiling because he wanted me to be happy with Riley, even if that happiness broke his heart.

  Sawyer pulled me in, then pushed me back. He said he didn’t want to be with me because he thought I would get hurt, yet he turned to me when he felt vulnerable.

 

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