Everland (23 page)

Disgusted, I grab Jack’s shirt and shake him.

“This whole time? All this time you’ve been right under my feet?” I give him a hard shove. He stumbles, but regains his balance.

I take in my younger brother, my fists clenching. “Before you take us to the Lost City, there is one more item we must take care of. One last thing to be sure neither you nor anyone else questions where you belong.”

Jack steps back, bumping into Smeeth’s gun. “What more could you possibly want from me?”

I stride toward the burning gallery and pick up a piece of wood. A flame dances wildly on the end. I hold the torch close to my gloved left hand, careful not to burn myself but close enough to make the ring on my middle finger glow red in the heat.

Smeeth shoves Jack to his knees. The boy grunts as he hits the ground hard. He sits back on his heels, his head bowed. Smeeth’s fingers wrap around Jack’s ebony hair and yank his head up.

I stoop, my gaze meeting the Lost Boy’s glare. Jack clenches his teeth together defiantly.

I press the red-hot ring behind Jack’s right ear, relishing his violent screams as they rise above the sizzling of fiery metal against his skin. The putrid smell of burning flesh fills the smoky air. Jack’s face grows pale with a hint of green as he crouches and vomits. The insignia of the Marauders, a skull and crossbones, marks the skin behind his ear, angry and raw. Jack spits and stares up at me, his nostrils flaring.

“Welcome back to the Marauders, little brother,” I say in a guttural growl.

T
raveling the narrow passageway, I shiver and wipe away the tickle of spiderwebs from my face and hair. Lily leads, holding the lantern to light the dark shadows ahead of us. A wave of claustrophobia washes over me as thick black smoke and the smell of something burning makes the air feel thinner in the small space.

“We must hurry,” Lily says, holding the fabric of her sari to her nose and mouth. “It is just a bit farther ahead.”

“Where are you taking us?” I ask, distracting myself from the anxiety that mounts within me, my breaths becoming more shallow and rapid.

She answers without turning. “Eventually, as far from Everland as possible, but for now, somewhere safe.”

“We’re looking for our friend Bella,” Pete says, crinkling his brow. “She’s about this tall, with blond hair and mechanical wings. Have you seen her?”

Lily keeps moving forward. “Not now. I will explain everything once we are safe.”

We travel a few moments more and stop at a hole in the ground. Lily holds her lamp over the opening, but it sheds very little light into the gaping, dark chasm.

“Take this,” she says, handing me the lamp. She sits on the edge of the gap, her legs dangling over the side. Her foot finds a step and she slides in, disappearing into the thick blackness.

Doc reaches for the lantern. “You’re next,” he says.

“No, you go,” I say. “Pete’s injured. He’ll need you and Pickpocket to help him down.”

Pete shoots his gaze toward Doc and frowns, seeming ruffled by the comment, but he doesn’t say anything. He holds his injured arm with his good hand and gives Doc a tired expression. Doc shifts past me toward the hole in the ground. Lily’s hand pokes through the darkness and her gloved fingers wrap around his hand as she helps him climb down the steps.

“Now you,” Lily says, motioning to Pickpocket.

He glances at me with a wary expression but swings his legs into the gap and carefully lowers himself into the hole. Mole follows without hesitation.

Unable to control my cough, I crouch toward the ground, where the smoke isn’t as thick. Pete drops to his knees, covering his mouth and nose.

“You’re hurt. You go next,” I say to Pete, nudging him toward the opening.

“No, Gwen …,” he begins to protest.

“No time to argue. Just go,” I say, choking on my words.

He glances at me with some hesitancy but sits on the edge of the opening and drops into the dark abyss. My lungs burn and my vision spins. Lying on the dirt ground, I pass the lantern down into the hole. Almost tumbling in and gasping for air, I roll into two waiting hands.

“I got you!” Pete says, cradling me with a wince. I know he’s in a lot of pain, but he tries to hide it. He gently places me on the ground.

“I told you you should’ve gone first,” he says, patting my back.

“Because it would’ve been better if I caught you instead?” I ask, wheezing.

Pete laughs. “Spoken like a true Lost Girl.”

My faces flushes and I elbow him. “I learned from the best.”

“Let’s get you up,” Pete says, helping me to my feet. His hand lingers a little too long on my elbow, sending a renewed energy through my limbs. Too soon, he releases his grip.

The click of a latch shutting draws my attention. Lily stands on the top step of a crudely made wooden staircase and closes a trapdoor, blocking the smoke from entering the passage. Her face brightens in the lamplight, revealing dark eyes, warm skin tones, and beautiful Indian features. I glance down at my filthy hands, feeling somewhat mediocre next to her beauty. Doc helps her from the step.

“A proper gentleman, I see. Why, thank you!” she says. She gives Doc a quick peck on the cheek before taking the lamp from Pickpocket’s outstretched hand. A grin grows on Doc’s flushed face as he touches his cheek, seeming stunned by her affection. I turn to catch Pete’s eye, but his stare is locked on Doc, fury glazing his expression. I touch his arm and coax him to follow me. Seeming reluctant, he strips his gaze from them.

Fiery torches light the hallway, the flames’ light twinkling off polished white marble tiles lining the floors. Old sconces and dusty portraits of England’s leaders adorn the walls. The musty-smelling passageway is more sophisticated but narrower than those that led to the Lost City.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“In the secret royal tunnels,” Lily says. “These are the passages that the royalty, top military generals, and other government officials once used to safely travel throughout the city.”

I glance at Pete. He appears as surprised as I am and shrugs, still darting angry eyes at Doc as he stands shoulder to shoulder with Lily.

“I had no idea they existed,” he says.

“Indeed,” Lily says. “And you were not supposed to. No one was. There are numerous military bunkers, safe houses, and tunnels that led to important buildings built prior to it becoming the official palace of the monarch. Her Majesty even has a secret steam engine in one of the northern underground tunnels that leads to the surrounding counties.”

Doc rubs his chin and he stares at the girl’s black-and-gold-gloved hands. I wonder if the same questions running through my mind are running through his: Is Lily immune? And how has she survived?

I hold a hand out toward Lily. “Thanks for getting us out of there. Without your help, who knows where we’d be right now.”

“Probably in Hook’s laboratory,” Mole says, shuddering.

Lily shakes my hand. “It’s no bother. You’re not the first I’ve rescued, and I hardly believe you’ll be the last.” Her gaze falls on Doc. “Although you are the most handsome bunch I’ve saved.”

Doc’s cheeks grow pink as he returns her smile with a crooked grin. Pickpocket rolls his eyes and Mole gives a hushed giggle. Pete gives an audible inhalation.

“I’m Gwen,” I say, breaking the hushed tension. “These are the Lost Boys: Doc, Mole, Pickpocket, and their leader, Pete.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” she says with a courteous nod of her head. She spins, lifting the skirt of her sari, revealing heavy combat boots adorned with several copper buckles. “We should be on our way. The Professor will be expecting me soon.”

“Professor?” Doc asks, worry creasing his forehead. “Wait, who is the Professor?”

“She is the palace physician,” Lily replies, ducking under a loose ceiling tile, waving us along. “She’ll want to take a look at that injury on your arm.” Lily nods at Pete.

“You’re taking us to the palace?” I ask, halting and unsure if this is a good thing or bad. Even though the palace is where Joanna is and I was already headed there, an uneasy feeling crawls up my spine.

“Not exactly. The Professor will meet us in the infirmary beneath the palace. It is a secret room hidden behind the crematorium. Secret from the Captain,” Lily says.

“As in Captain Hook?” Pete asks. He grips the hilt of his dagger.

Lily turns and tilts her head. “Of course. What other captain would I be speaking of?”

“Oh, now I know this is a bad idea,” Mole says, fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve.

Lily huffs an exaggerated breath. “Well, you’re welcome to go back to the gallery, but I assure you with all that smoke billowing, that is not a simple bonfire.” She whirls around and continues up the hallway.

The Lost Boys exchange worried glances.

“Come on,” I say, tugging Pete’s hand. “I don’t think she means us any harm. And entering the palace this way is a whole lot better than having to fight our way through the soldiers.”

“I agree,” Mole interjects.

Pete casts a frustrated glance at Pickpocket. “What about you? Do you think we should trust her?”

Pickpocket shrugs. “Where else are we going to go? We can’t exactly go back. Gwen’s right; at least this way we can get closer to the palace without losing anyone else.”

Pete is quiet for a moment, and the fact that he hasn’t asked Doc for his input doesn’t escape me.

“I concur,” Doc finally says. His gaze darts after Lily. “Besides, if the Professor is indeed a physician helping children in Everland, she is probably seeking an antidote or has already acquired one. It would be good for us to find out what she knows.”

Pete gives a suspicious stare in Lily’s direction before conceding. “Let’s go,” he says reluctantly.

T
he shrill cry of panicked children is music to my ears as it reverberates through the tunnels below Everland. Their voices are drowned out beneath the shouts of the masked Marauders. I clench and unclench my fists as I scan the vast chamber of the Lost City. Copper, chrome, and brass fixtures glitter beneath oil and gas lamps. Gears squeal from machines, each seeming to have a specific purpose. Pulleys, levers, and wheels attach to the stone walls and ceiling. Buildings stand lopsided along the circumference of the makeshift city. It’s rather magnificent, but I can’t shake the itch of annoyance. All this time, they’ve been right under my feet, literally.

“How clever of them,” I say, taking in the intricate details of the underground town. “And here I thought the tunnels were caved in. Nothing but rubble.”

“They were, Captain,” Smeeth says, scratching his head. “We made sure of it. The ones that hadn’t collapsed after the bombing, we blew the entrances ourselves.”

I glower at him, my hands aching to wring his thick neck. “Apparently they weren’t, Mr. Smeeth.”

The children protest as the Marauders gather the boys, chaining them in groups. “Fascinating. I had no idea there were so many of you still running the streets.”

The younger children sniff back tears while the older boys scowl at me, boys who are near my age or a few years younger. I recognize the fire within them, the stain of lost innocence. It’s the same fury that rages in my heart and soul, a fire that has burned within me since the day of my thirteenth birthday. I have the advantage this time.

A tall, skinny boy lunges forward. “What do you want with us?” he demands.

I look him over, an amused grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. I flick the boy’s thick goggles, making the teenager jerk. “And who might you be?”

“Justice is our interim leader,” another teenager says.

I burst into laughter. I can’t help it. The boy cowering before me is hardly intimidating, much less the head of an entire city of orphans. “Leader, eh? I don’t have time for games, so I’ll make this easy on you.”

Justice takes a big breath and the muscles in his jaw tighten. He still trembles, but I can see he’s steeling himself for a battle. “What do you want?” he asks.

“There are a lot of things I want.” I pace in front of the rows of shackled boys. “World domination, the German crown, the cure to the Horologia virus, which I’m fairly certain lies within a girl of Everland. Now, where are Bella and the other girl?”