Everland (27 page)

“An entire city of children?” Lily says with surprise. “Why haven’t you mentioned this? We must bring them here.”

The smell grows stronger as I search a metal rolling cabinet next to the sink. More gadgets and levered devices line the shelves.

“I am not bringing them into Everland,” Pete says heatedly. “They’re better off in the Lost City.”

“But you have to,” Lily argues. “I promise you, they will be safe with the other survivors. The Duchess will provide them with everything that Everland can’t: shelter, food, and medical care. You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

Beneath one of the two steel sinks, something rumbles. Pete grabs his dagger from its sheath and places an arm up as if to protect the rest of us.

“Who’s there?” he demands.

Stepping in front of him, I stoop by the doors. The scent of lavender permeates the air. A tiny whimper escapes from below the sink. Slowly, I open the doors.

A small girl hides her face as she wraps her arms tighter around her knees drawn up to her chest. Blisters dot her quivering fingertips.

“Joanna!” I exclaim, pulling my sister from the cupboard and into my arms. My pulse beats against my collarbone, where Joanna’s face rests. Relief washes over me and I swallow the lump in my throat. I bury my nose in her hair and breathe in her floral scent.

My sister’s surprised gaze meets mine. She wraps her arms around my neck. Fresh tears stream down her cheeks. She squeezes so tight I can barely breathe, but I don’t care. “I knew you’d come for me,” she whispers.

With the back of my hand, I brush a tear from my own cheek. “I’m your sister. I’ll
always
come for you.”

L
ightning paints the black sky in streaks of gold, filling the air with the faint smell of electricity. The flames from the burning buildings cast eerie shadows on the palace walls. Chains rattle as the line of Lost Boys cough on the thick smoke, grumbling among themselves. The Marauders cackle through their masks, prodding them with the barrels of their guns through the palace’s gilded doors. The Professor whispers words to the children, squeezing the littlest ones to reassure them.

Smeeth tips his face toward the sky. “A storm is coming, Captain. It could make traveling a bit dicey. Perhaps we should consider postponing until it passes?”

“Storm or not, we leave tonight. I’m not staying one more day in this roach-infested country.”

“Beg your pardon, sir,” Smeeth says, “but I don’t believe the zeppelins will be able to navigate through this weather as it is. Add all these Lost Kids, and our fleet is sure to be doomed.”

I slap Smeeth on the shoulder. “Who says we’re bringing them?”

His forehead wrinkles. “But, Captain, you promised Jack that you wouldn’t harm the children. If we leave them here, they will surely die. There is nothing left of Everland. We’ve burned it to the ground.”

“I am a man of my word. I’ll keep my promise to my brother. I won’t lay a single finger on them,” I say, admiring the Professor’s stunned expression as she takes in the swarm of sniveling Lost Boys. It baffles me, this
feeling
for children that she seems to possess.

Frown lines form on Smeeth’s brow, but he says nothing more.

“Hook!” the Professor shouts, storming toward me. She wears a clear hazmat face mask. Behind the transparent shield I see her perfect ruby lips frown. Her eyes shimmer above her tear-streaked cheeks. “Where did you find these children? There are over a hundred of them.”

“Let’s just say a little birdie let me know of a vast underground Lost City, brimming with boys who needed a mommy.” I jut out my lip in a sarcastic pout.

“You know they don’t have the antibodies. They won’t give you the cure. Why are you taking them as your prisoners?” the Professor says.

“You’re right, Professor. They, too, will succumb to the Horologia virus. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be useful. Among these boys may just be the one who will get me what I need.”

“What more do you need? You have my daughter,” the Professor shouts.

“Incentive,” I say, waving a soldier over. “The final piece to entice Gwen to turn herself over to me: her entire family.”

“Mum!” the little boy yells as he breaks free from the guard’s hold.

The Professor’s eyes grow wide and I’m certain she recognizes that young voice. She spins, drops to her knees, and clutches the boy in her arms as he nearly bowls her over, running into her embrace. “Mikey, you’re alive!” She holds him at arm’s length and brushes his hair from his eyes. “Are you hurt?”

His bottom lip quivers as he shakes his head.

The Professor pulls him into her arms again. “Oh, Mikey, I missed you so much.”

I nod to the guard, and before she has a chance to notice, Mikey is snatched from her.

“No! No! Let him go!” she screams, racing after the guard as he pushes the boy through the palace doors. Guards block the way and the Professor attempts to chase after the Marauder. Mikey’s wails become faint as the door slams shut.

The Professor whirls around and her eyes drill through me with fury. She marches up to me and shoves me, but she is smaller than I am, and I hardly budge. “Give me my son back now!” she screams.

I half expect her anger to rekindle the fear I felt as a child, but I feel oddly numb. “Once Gwen surrenders and you give me the cure, I will release both your daughter and your son,” I assure her.

“It could take years to find a cure!” she yells.

“Perhaps,” I say smugly. “But I suspect you’ll hurry the process along. We’re leaving tonight, and the Darlings are coming with me.”

She presses her lips together and steals a glance toward the other Lost Boys. “And what about them? What are your intentions with the other boys? They can’t help you.”

“That is not your concern,” I say, smiling as widely as I can. I nod to Smeeth. “Take her back to the lab to get her supplies. I want it packed and ready to go within the hour. We’ll meet in the palace courtyard before our departure.”

“Come along, Professor,” Smeeth says, gently taking her arm.

“I’ll never come with you!” She glares at me but allows Smeeth to guide her back inside Buckingham Palace.

“Captain, what do we do with the boys?” another Marauder asks.

I can’t wipe the grin off of my face as I watch the kids peer at me with frightened eyes. “Lock them up in the ballroom! And make sure they’re comfortable—they’ll be staying in Everland for a while.”

J
oanna brushes away a stray tear from her face. “Gwen, I’m so sorry.”

I look at her, puzzled. This has nothing to do with anything she’s done. I’m to blame. “Joanna, you did nothing wrong. This isn’t your fault.”

“I didn’t mean what I said,” she says.

My chest aches to see her like this.

“You’re a great sister. The closest thing I have to a mother since, well, since Mum disappeared. I shouldn’t have been so cruel to you.” She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

Hugging her as tight as my arms possibly can, I hold back the flood of tears that threaten to spill over. “You are the best sister, too,” I say. I wipe a tear from her cheek.

“Where’s Mikey?” she asks.

I rub my thumb over her cheek, wishing I could wipe away all evidence of the toll Everland and the war have taken on her. “He’s safe,” I say brightly, trying to hide the doubt brewing in my gut. I shouldn’t have left him. He should be here with Joanna and me. “Mikey’s fine!” I say again, more for myself than for my sister.

She sighs and the tension in her shoulders slips. “I was sure the Marauders were going to find him. I should have blown the candle out after you left. It’s my fault they came. I’m sorry, Gwen. I should’ve listened to you.”

My heart clenches and I avert my gaze from her. I am the one who was supposed to protect my sister, and yet she was kidnapped on my watch. If it wasn’t for Joanna’s quick thinking, Mikey would’ve been taken, too. “No, it’s my fault. You and Mikey were my responsibility, and I left you alone.”

Joanna frowns and wraps her arms around my waist. “Don’t blame yourself, Gwen. Without you, who knows where Mikey and I might have ended up? We could have been caught by Hook a long time ago.”

Her words do little to soothe the sick feeling in my stomach.

“Your hands look better,” I say, changing the subject. Taking Joanna’s hand in mine, I inspect her fingers. Although her nails are still black with decay, the sores are not as angry-looking as they were when I last saw her. They have been carefully cleaned and a thick ointment has been applied to them. “Who did this?” I ask, slipping her button bracelet onto her wrist.

“I don’t know,” Joanna says, shaking her head. “When I woke up, my hands already looked like this.”

Turning to Lily, I ask, “Did the Professor ever tell you her name?”

Fidgeting with the chain around her neck, Lily shakes her head. “I’ve always just called her Professor.”

“Not to interrupt you, guys,” Pickpocket says, leaning up against a counter with his arms folded, “but as noble as this Professor sounds, we are in Hook’s lab. That codfish could walk in at any time now. We have Bella and Joanna. I don’t care where these safer lands are, but I think we should gather the rest of the Lost Boys and head that way now before we get caught.”

“What about the Professor?” I say, my voice shaking. “We can’t just leave her here. She was waiting for me. We have to bring her with us!”

“Look, Gwen, we’ve done what we came here to do,” Pickpocket says. “And Doc seems to believe that antidote he gave Bella is the cure. We don’t need her.”

“But look at the children she has helped. And what about Jack?” I ask. “He could be here, too.”

Pete drops his gaze to the floor and bites his bottom lip. He hesitates before responding. “We don’t know that Jack is here, and we can’t risk our lives trying to find out,” Pete says. “As for the Professor, Lily can let her know she’s found you, and she can flee the first chance she has.”

Lily’s brows draw together as she looks at her watch again. Her gaze shoots back toward the lab door. “Something must be wrong. She’s never this late. The Professor usually meets me by now to sneak the kids out of the lab.”

Standing, I place my hands on the hilts of my daggers. “I’m staying. The Professor deserves the chance to be rescued after all she’s done. The rest of you go, and take Joanna with you.”

Shouts erupt beyond the lab door.

“Back to your cage,” a harsh voice says, chortling. “Ahem, I mean lab. Captain’s orders are to bring you and your supplies to the courtyard when you’re done.”

A woman protests loudly as keys jingle in the door lock.

“Get back to the basement!” I whisper, pushing Joanna toward the staircase. We hurry down the steps and through the sliding cabinet. Pete moves the cupboard in place, plunging us into darkness. Next to me, Joanna shakes in a fit of tremors. I wrap an arm around her. Muffled shouts rise from behind the wood panel and after a minute, the room goes quiet. Listening intently, I hear nothing at first, but then the cabinet shudders. I push Joanna behind me and grab both of my daggers. In the blackness, Pete’s daggers let out a metallic scraping sound as he releases them from their sheaths. The click of a gun being cocked to my left assures me that Pickpocket is nearby.

The cabinet slides open. My heart beats rapidly as I get ready to throw my blade, but I don’t get the chance. Both Pete and Pickpocket storm into the crematorium, knocking the intruder down to the floor. Lily bolts to Pete’s side, trying to pry him off the newcomer.

“Wait!” Lily shouts.

“Who are you?” Pete growls, his daggers aimed at the figure.

“The Pro … Professor!” a familiar female voice says, fright evident in her tone.

I peek through the opening, brushing a loose curl from my face. My breath catches when I see her eyes, eyes that are a mirror image of my little sister’s. For a fraction of a second, I wonder if I’m dreaming.

“Mum?” I ask in disbelief.

My mother stares at me and covers her mouth with a hand as she gasps. “Gwen?”

I drop my blades, sending them clattering onto the floor, and push my way through Pete and Pickpocket and into my mother’s arms. Joanna follows behind me. Hot tears rain down my face. I inhale, and her sweet lavender scent consumes me, lifting from me a heavy cloak of despair.