“Do you think they feel anything?” Noah asks, his expression twisted with disgust.
“I don’t know. I like to believe The House isn’t that cruel.”
A thump comes from within one of the tanks, startling Noah. He stumbles back into the row behind him, his shoulders colliding with the glass and tipping the stand over. The tank crashes to the floor, shattering into a million pieces and sending a wave of lukewarm water sloshing over our feet.
The life form that was once inside flops onto the ground, its tentacles fighting for traction. The thing is three times my size with semi-transparent skin and eyelids that close sideways as it blinks. Spotting us, it bares a set of shark teeth and runs its barbed tongue across its slimy lips.
The life form splashes toward us and Noah and I dart out of the way right before it slams a tentacle down so hard that the floor cracks. Without saying a word, Noah knows what to do. We take off running, weaving up and down rows of tanks as the monstrous being behind us follows in our wake. Reaching the door, Noah swings it open and pushes me across the threshold.
We fall out mid-whir as the door rockets down the hall, our momentum sending us sliding across the floor until our backs connect with the opposite wall. I moan and roll onto my side, trying to regain control over my lungs. Noah helps me to my feet and together we limp into the center of the space.
“What now?” he asks.
“We’ve got to keep trying,” I say, though I’m more than frustrated with the journey thus far. I wait for the doors to stop moving again and yank on one of the handles, crossing into the room before Noah can protest.
The chamber is a throne room, with a jagged chair carved from alabaster resting on a raised platform in the middle. On it sits an impossibly old woman. She has the same traits as any other member of The House—platinum blonde hair, silver eyes, pale skin—but she is wrinkled and marked with liver spots. She wears flowing robes of white and her chin rests on her chest as she sleeps. When we walk in she stirs, opening her eyes and looking thoroughly surprised.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she says.
“And you should be?” I ask, irritation thick in my tone.
The woman squares her shoulders. “I’m the first Seer of The House. My prophecies outlast all others. I’m hidden in the Hall of Beginnings for my own safety.”
My eyes go wide with surprise. “You’re the one that foretold Noah and me being connected. You saw the downfall of The House.”
She blinks out at me, recognition slowly overtaking her face. “Ah, yes. I suppose it is that time, already—for the end of The House to come.”
“Please,” I beg, dropping to my knees in front of the throne. “Isn’t there a way to stop all this? To rebuild The House after all that Elli’s done?”
“The prophecy is set in stone. No matter if you win or lose against the traitor, The House must succumb to a terrible fate.”
“And what about the universes we watch over? If The House falls, what will happen to them?”
The Seer smiles faintly. “Not even the void can swallow those. Even if The House disappears, the universes will live on. The only difference is that they’ll be on their own. Perhaps that’s how it should be, too. If we had left it to fate instead of prophecies and Watchers, we might not be in the predicament we’re in now.”
“But The House can’t disappear. Even now, there are new members coming into being. I witnessed that myself.”
“That’s not how it works. Part of how The House survives is because we exist. There have been too many deaths and not enough time to rebalance things. It can never be put back the way it was.”
“Then why am I here?” I shout, anger boiling up my throat. “Why’d you even bother with your stupid prophecy?”
“Because sometimes there is no happy ending. There are just choices, and one is less horrible than the other, and you must decide whether you have the courage to fight for the better outcome.”
I collapse in front of her, cradling my head in my hands. “As long as Elli’s alive she’ll fight for the mystical power source, even if we hide it. And even if she dies, there will always be another. Someone looking for control over The House now that things are unbalanced.”
The smile slides off the Seer’s face. She extends a hand to me and helps me to my feet. We lock gazes, and her next words chill me to the bone. “Then it is time for The House to end and for the universes to take care of themselves. The mystical power must be cast into the void. This is the only way to ensure it can never be used for evil.”
I step away from the throne. The silver of her eyes tells me what she doesn’t need to say. I know what I have to do now, and as I back up to the door, I nod in understanding.
“C’mon, Noah. We have to go. She can’t help us anymore,” I say.
As I turn the knob, the Seer addresses me one last time. “Look for the door that glows. It’ll be different from all the rest. That’s the one you’re looking for.”
“Thank you,” I say, and then I pull Noah back into the hall, leaving the Seer behind as the door shifts away and reorders itself.
I lead Noah down the hall in search of a sign—any sign—that a door might be the one we’re looking for. Finally we find it. Colored beams of light filter out from all sides, shooting out from under the door and between the hinges so that the floor reflects a brilliant array of patterns across the corridor. I take a deep breath and reach out for the handle, but Noah stills me by placing his palm over my knuckles.
“Do you get what the Seer meant? She seemed to be trying to tell you something—something that she wouldn’t say outright,” he says.
I hesitate, then nod. “It’s not important now.”
Then I open the door and walk into the light. It’s the same light that leads me closer to my fate and farther away from the boy that I love. Though it wasn’t clear to me before, I understand perfectly now. What the Seer intended with her words is obvious.
I won’t be making it out of this mess after all. There is only one way to save the universes and keep Elli from taking over The House.
I have to die.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The room is a flurry of bright and winding colors. A rainbow of shades is cast upon the walls, dancing there like an intricate waltz. The beams come from the center of the chamber where a clear basin rests. It’s the same kind found in the Watch Room, only this one is much bigger. Floating above the bowl is a small orb, just like the one that holds my universe—only this one is dazzling, with tendrils of colors writhing inside.
“Is that it?” Noah asks, circling the basin and peering into its depths at the crystal ball.
“I think so. It’s hard to believe all the power that makes up The House is held within this one tiny orb,” I say.
Noah raises an eyebrow. “You’re skeptical of this, but not when one contains a whole universe?”
“It doesn’t seem right that something so fragile controls whether a place exists or dies.” As I say it, I can’t decide if I’m referring to the orb or my own feeble body.
“I’m just glad we made it here in one piece.”
Noah reaches out for the crystal ball, but I grab his wrist and pull him back. “Maybe we should just leave it. Elli might not ever find the right door, anyway.”
Noah balks. “Why such a sudden change of heart? We’ve come so far—been through so much. We can’t give up now.”
I bite my lip, trying hard to hold in the words I want to say. I so badly want to admit to Noah what taking the orb means for me, but I know I can’t. He is as connected to me as I am to him, and though before that bond felt like a strength, it is now a weakness.
“You’re right,” I say. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Inhaling deeply to steady my nerves, I reach out for the crystal ball.
Touching the orb is like reaching out and grabbing fire. My fingers burn and my palm vibrates as I take the power into my hand. Every nerve in my body hums with energy. My
eyes cross and my legs go weak from tremors. Noah reaches out just in time, catching me before I collapse to the ground. And just like that, it’s over. The pain scorching my fingers ceases and the vibrations end. The only aspect that remains is the energy that courses through my veins.
“I’m okay,” I say, getting to my feet.
The orb casts hues of pinks and yellows and blues across my palm as I rotate the glass in my hand. The color within pulls toward the places where my skin touches, shooting lines of vivid electricity back toward its center. I am lost in its depths, momentarily caught up in the power held there, when the door bangs open and Elli lumbers in.
Her eyes are crazy and her hair is wild. Flecks of silver coat her locks. Cuts and bruises cover her exposed flesh, marking her battle through the Hall of Beginnings. Her upper lip is split and her nose is swollen. A purple welt surrounds her right eye. Her dagger hangs limply at her side, the fingers wrapped around its hilt covered in blood.
“Mine,” she snarls, pointing at the orb.
I back away, clutching the crystal ball to my heart. Arms outstretched, Elli advances, pinning me into a corner. She raises an arm in preparation to backhand me but then Noah flies in from the side, catching her in the gut and plowing her into the wall. She collapses on top of him, screaming as she sinks her nails into his cheeks. Holding the dagger above her, she aims for his heart and plunges the knife down.
I pocket the orb and run across the room, grabbing Elli’s arms and pulling against her so that the blade never arcs down. An animalistic yowl rips up her throat as she tears one of her wrists free from my grasp and entangles her hand in Noah’s hair. She uses the leverage to lift his neck and then forces him back down again, slamming his head into the floor. Noah’s eyes glaze over from the blow but Elli shows no mercy; she manages to slam his skull a second time before I collide with her side and roll her off of him. The dagger flies out of her hand and skitters across the ground.
We tumble in a tangle of limbs toward the wall. Elli connects with the surface first, her neck arching back so that her head makes first contact. She collapses on top of me and goes silent. Rolling her off of me isn’t easy; her dead weight is more than I bargained for and I twist under her body until I find the energy to lift her up and off of me. Staggering to my feet, I run to Noah’s side. His eyes are shut tight and a puddle of red blossoms out from under his head.
“Noah! Are you with me?” I ask.
He stirs, his eyes flickering open and struggling to focus on me. “Amara? Is that you?”
A sigh of relief escapes my lips. Pulling him up by the arms, I raise him into a sitting position. He groans and brings his hand to the back of his skull. His fingers come away covered in blood.
“What happened?” he asks.
“Elli,” I explain. “She attacked you and you hit your head. Do you think you can walk?”
“Maybe.” He stumbles awkwardly to his feet, leaning his weight into my side. I begin to hobble toward the door but then I notice the place where Elli fell. She’s gone, a trail of silver tracing across the room to where her dagger originally landed. I spin around just in time to feel her fist connect with my face. I crumple with Noah on top of me, shielding me from Elli’s blows. His groans echo out as she pummels his gut and sides.
“Leave him alone!” I shout, pushing Noah away. He skids across the slick floor and lands in a heap against the wall. Elli faces me with hate in her eyes.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” she says, advancing on me. “We were friends once. Hand over the orb now and you can stay with me. We can rule the universes together. Wouldn’t that be nice? No Leaders to bark rules at you. No one threatening you with being cast into the void. It’s the perfect life—one that can last forever. All you have to do is give me the power.”
“And what happens to my universe then?” I ask, backing up into the wall.
Suspicion flashes across Elli’s face. “Sure, we can keep it. Only that one, though. The rest must die in order to birth new worlds I can take over.”
“You’ll be killing entire planets. Destroying species.”
“But think of the possibilities! You can live the rest of your life with Noah if you choose. You can watch him grow old. That’s what you signed up for, after all: watching. Seeing what you can’t have and never trying to take it. The job is suited to you perfectly.”
I think of a life with Noah—what it would be like. I imagine us on Earth, settling down and creating a family. Then I picture him in bed, old and crippled, cursing me for my endless youth. He hates me for possessing what he can never have. I blink and I am back in the Hall of Beginnings, staring down Elli as she inches toward me.
“Never,” I say. “I’d rather die.”
The corner of Elli’s lip arches up, and a fire alights her eyes. “Then you will,” she says, and pounces.
I grab onto her dagger hand, holding it at bay as I struggle against her weight. She forces me back into the corner, pushing the wall into my shoulder blades. With all the strength I have left in me I shove her back. Elli staggers away, her side connecting with the basin and knocking the bowl to the ground, where it shatters into pieces that flip up and slice into her forearms.
I take my opening to span the distance and help Noah to his feet. He weaves back and forth as we head to the door. I tug the knob, the hinges creaking as the threshold is revealed. Dragging Noah into the hall, I lean him against the opposite wall and go back to close the door. I’m a moment too late; Elli is already bridging the gap, exiting the room and making her way over to us. The doors lift from their places and begin to whir past us, distracting her for a second, and I’m able to reach Noah and throw his arm around my neck.
We stumble down the hall toward the door that leads into The House. It’s far away—a pinprick in the distance—but it gives me hope. Noah moans and stumbles, tipping me forward as he folds in on himself. The orb shakes loose from my pocket, falling onto the floor and rolling away from us down the hall.
“No!” I scream, staggering toward the crystal ball. The sight of the orb invigorates Elli and she increases her speed, hobbling behind us as we go. I’m only six feet away now—five feet and closing—
Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking agony shoots up my back. Flames of pain set me on fire and I topple over sideways, collapsing to the ground. Noah falls next to me, passed out cold. My fingers fumble over my heart and come across the cool metal tip of a blade. The knife cuts clean through me, sticking out at an odd angle as I reach my hands behind my back and try to tug the hilt free.
Elli’s shrill laughter echoes through the corridor. I drop my hands away and begin to drag myself toward the orb. It’s come to rest against the wall several yards away. A trail of silver stains the ground as I inch closer. Finally I am there, reaching out my hand until my fingers wrap weakly around the glass. Seconds later I feel Elli’s foot drive into my back, pinning me to the ground. I turn my head to the side so I can look up at her maniacal face.
“Can’t get away from me that easily,” Elli says, bending over so that her breath heats my ear.
I groan as her fingers wrap around the hilt of the dagger, yanking it free from my back. I feel muscle and bone shredding as she does so. Fighting against the blackness that encroaches on the edge of my vision, I try to roll over. Elli lets me flop like a fish beneath her so that I rest belly up between her legs.
“You should’ve accepted my offer, Amara,” she continues. “We could’ve been good together. You and me, like old times, before you chose to be a Watcher instead of an Archiver. But with me you wouldn’t have had to choose anything. You could have been whatever you wanted—done whatever pleased you. That’s what freedom is.”
I cough, and the bitter taste of blood erupts into my mouth. I can feel it coating my teeth, seeping out onto my lips. I am dying and it hurts and I want to be back on Earth, far away from this place, with Noah in my arms as we swim in the mountain spring.
“You’re wrong,” I say. My voice
sounds hoarse and far away, as if I’m not the one speaking. “What you’re planning isn’t how things should go. Universes have a right to rule themselves. I see that now. Don’t you?”
Elli tilts her head to the side, bends down, and brushes a lock of blood-soaked hair out of my face. The act is surprisingly loving, like a mother caressing her daughter. “It doesn’t matter what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. Only power is relevant, and I’m the one who has it.”
She drops the dagger into her pocket and wraps her hands around mine, using her fingers to pry my palm open. I fight against her but my arms are limp and numb, and it’s all too easy for her to take the orb away from me. Holding it up to the light, Elli admires the swirling colors within. The pinks and yellows and blues are reflected in her eyes and cast across her cheeks, making her look hollow and gaunt. I can feel my life draining away as she turns back to me and sneers.
“The House is mine, and so is your life,” she says. “Had you surrendered sooner, maybe I’d have let you live. Now you’ll die here. It’s a shame you won’t get to see all that I’ll create. Goodbye, Amara.”
Then she steps over me and leaves, her footsteps echoing farther and farther away as she trails down the hall. I hear the door slam as she exits and I am on my own, wallowing in a puddle of silver as death threatens to take me over. Noah stirs just as darkness envelops the room, swallowing me whole, and I float into a place void of color and thought.
Elli has killed me, and I let her. All I worked so hard to accomplish is worthless now that she has the orb. I can feel Noah shaking me, trying to rouse me back into the land of the living, but I can’t bring myself to open my eyes.
All I want to do is sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Amara; wake up. You’ve got to wake up!”
Noah’s words bring me back to the present. My eyes flutter open and I groan when the pain searing through my abdomen crashes over me. He is shaking me, tapping my cheeks. I lift my hand—my fingers pins and needles numb from blood loss—to his face and stroke his forehead.
Across the Universe Page 18