Nil on Fire (34 page)

Balance reigns
, Rives had told me more than once
. It's Nil truth number four.

I closed my eyes again, desperate to
see
.

Land gates, water lights.

Nil City, full of people; the Dead City full of ghosts. Twin cities, on opposite coasts.

Four labyrinths, four quadrants, equally spaced like the points on a compass.

Four numbers, two sets of two. Both pairs equaling five, adding to a perfect ten.

The cave of South Beach, shaped like an ear; the cave on the north shore, shaped like an eye.

One mountain.

One Looking Glass Cavern.

They were not a match.

My eyes flew open, finding Rives. “They don't match,” I exclaimed. “The mountain and the Looking Glass Cavern! The mountain's balance might be us, or maybe it just represents the island. I'm not sure it
needs
a match, because it houses the platform, and the platform's mate would be underwater, right? Or back on the Death Twin. Either way, it's not the Looking Glass Cavern. Which means, the Looking Glass Cavern should have a match, a balance, on the opposite side of the island. That's what we need to look for.” I smiled triumphantly. “We need to find the Looking Glass Cavern's island match.”

Rives hadn't moved. “Why?”

“Because it's important! Balance reigns, remember? It's what we don't see, and we have to look for it!”

Rives didn't look convinced. “To draw a direct line from the Looking Glass Cavern across the island puts its complement on the east coast, below the ruins.” He paused. “Directly below the meadow.” He crossed his arms. “We can't take the coastal route to the south, because it's blocked by lava. The northern coastal route will take us about a week, right?”

I shook my head. “I say we go direct.”

“Skye—”

“I know what I'm asking.”
We'll have to go through the meadow.
But the thought didn't worry me like it did Rives, because I felt certain that if the island wanted me there, it would protect me, too. “I think something's there, something important. I'm not asking anyone to come with me this time,” I added.

Rives's jaw ticked. “You know you don't have to ask. Of course I'm going with you. Let's just think about it for a few days, okay?”

“We don't have a few days! The clock is ticking, literally. We've been here for forty-four days, Rives. Forty-four days! And we've found nada. Zip. Zilch.”

“Nil,” Zane added.

I ignored him as I stared at Rives, my eyes pleading with him to understand. “If I sit around and do nothing,” I said quietly, “I'm going to go crazy.”

“Why don't we ask Paulo if he knows of anything on the other coast?” Rives said. “Or Lana? Or both?”

“Fine.” I started up the beach. But I didn't say I wouldn't go.

 

CHAPTER

50

RIVES

42 DAYS UNTIL THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX, LATE MORNING

Merde.

Skye's think-first, panic-never mode was in full effect. As much as I hated to admit it, her decisions were never impulsive, even though they looked that way on the surface. She was cerebral, almost to a fault. But she tended to ignore dangers right in front of her face, or rationalize them away.

Like now.

A trip through the meadow?

Suicide.

The image I'd seen at the ruins flashed through my head. Skye lying on black rock, eyes closed forever, claimed by the darkness. Nil wanted her
dead
.

How could she not see it?

Skye was already walking away, toward where Paulo stood beside Thad. The two talked in low tones that Skye obliterated without introduction.

“Paulo. I have a question. Do you know of a cave or cavern on the far side of the island? Like if I drew a line from the Looking Glass Cavern across the island, what would I hit?”

“Other than the meadow?” Paulo thought for a moment. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Skye lifted her chin but I felt her rush of disappointment.

“Positive. As far as I know, there's nothing on that side of the island but the platform. And the mountain, of course.”

Skye fell silent.

Skye turned to me, her eyes full of determination. I knew that look. It said I may as well start packing.

“Rives, I have to go,” she said, her tone adamant. “To rule it out. Just because Paulo doesn't know of it or we haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not there.” She paused. “And we actually don't need to go direct. We can skirt the base of the mountain and drop down below the platform to the coast, rather than going through the meadow.” She cocked her head at me. “Deal?”

“Deal.”
As in package. As in two for one. As in if you're going to risk your life, I'm going to be right there with you.

She smiled as she rolled her eyes. “No need to be so melodramatic. It's just another hike. No big deal.”

“Right. I'll be sure to file away the wolves and the tigers and the hyenas in the
no big deal
column of Nil.” I shot her a pointed look.

“I will come and feed the tigers,” Dominic said soberly.

“You
want
to be a tiger treat?” Zane looked confounded.

“I am not the treat, but the fish I catch are. I toss fish into the meadow to keep the big cats happy. So far, so good.” Dominic smiled.

“So crazy,” Thad murmured.

“Amen, brother,” Zane agreed, his eyes wide on Dominic.

Thad turned to Skye. His gaze was wary. “So when do we leave?”

“Tomorrow.” Skye spoke the word with finality. “We leave at dawn. We only have six weeks until the equinox gate and we don't have a minute to waste.” She glanced around. “Has anyone seen Lana?”

Paulo pointed up the beach, toward the trees. Skye strode off, her steps full of purpose.

“Scary Pam,” Zane mumbled.

Paulo watched Skye go, his arms crossed, lips closed tight. Normally calm, he looked worried.
No
, I corrected myself. He looked disturbed.

“What's running through your head, Paulo?” I asked. “And does it have to do with Skye, or Lana?”

“Both.” He sighed. “I don't think this trip will be as easy as Skye thinks. It's one thing to travel the island for clues; it's another to go to the mountain—the heart of the island.” He shook his head. “The island didn't like that we tried to leave as a group last time, that we tried to cut off its lifeline. I know that in my soul, just as I know noon is close. And while the animals have left us alone in the City lately, Nil's paying full attention. Maybe it's trying to lull us into complacency; I don't know. But I don't think that equinox departure will be smooth, or this trip. And if this trip is easy, that worries me even more.” His voice grew quiet. “I worry the island is biding its time.”

Damn
, I thought. Paulo had a solid point. Every move Nil made here was calculated. Point, counterpoint. Pawn, king. It had been quiet in the City, too quiet.

What the hell was Nil up to?

“Whoa,” Zane said. He'd paled under his tan. “Talk about a downer. Not exactly the pre-trip pep talk, dude. I'm thinking you could cross motivational speaker off your career list. No offense,” he added hastily.

“None taken.” Paulo grinned but his eyes remained troubled. “Go team. Better?”

“Totally. I really felt that, here.” Zane thumped his chest.

Paulo laughed, then looked away toward Carmen. His grin vanished.

And then the breeze stilled.

 

CHAPTER

51

NIL

NOON

The group conferred among themselves, consumed with plotting and planning and other meaningless minutiae. Intent on searching for answers they would never find, the humans had grown rather boring.

Yes
, the island mused, it was time for some fun.

After all, it was noon.

It was the best hour to bleed.

*   *   *

Paulo glanced at Carmen. She smiled, feigning politeness, but before her bland mask slipped into place, he glimpsed the hate on her face. He didn't trust her. He didn't care for her much either. She played the part of a team player, but not well. Paulo didn't understand why she bothered to pretend at all.

People only pretended when they had something to hide. He watched her, carefully, waiting for a slip.

The air stilled, as if the very breeze itself had been inhaled.

Rives noticed the lull at the same moment Paulo did.

“Gate at one o'clock,” Rives said abruptly. “Mid-beach.”

Paulo spun to look. Above the sand, a gate stretched to its full height and locked into place, then an eerie, utterly still moment passed before it began to roll. The wild gates still unsettled Paulo; thinner than the solstice gate, the wild gates writhed and glittered and
moved
, shifting as if they were alive, like heat-seeking missiles.

Out of the corner of his eye, Paulo saw Amara take off toward the gate, spear in hand, feet flying, face set. One second later, Carmen gave chase, a few meters behind.

“Carmen, stop!” Paulo yelled, jumping toward Carmen and waving his arms. “Let her take it!”

The gate writhed and glittered over the sand.

Come
, it whispered gleefully.
Run.

Fine
, Paulo thought.
I'll run. But not for the gate.

Amara closed the gap to the gate; so did Carmen. Cutting diagonally, Paulo tackled Carmen just as Amara leaped into the gate. Amara flickered inside the iridescent light, her face shifting from fight to relief. The gate winked out; Amara's spear lay on the sand. Carmen spun toward Paulo, her scowl furious. “How dare you! That was
mine
!”

“No, it wasn't,” Paulo said, his voice rising. “The gate would've killed you.”

“I would have made it
first
,” she spat.

“Feel free to try again,” Rives said courteously. “It's a double. Gate number two just dropped in.” He pointed. The second gate glittered at the tree line as it locked into place.

Carmen scrambled to her feet and took off running. Near the trees, only a few meters from the gate, Lana stumbled backward, away from the gate, a tiny kitten in her arms. With a muffled squeak, the tabby clawed its way free. It streaked toward the gate as Lana's jaw dropped.

“Kitten's gonna win,” Zane murmured.

Carmen realized it too. With a frustrated scream, she hurled her blade at the iridescent wall as the kitten crossed the rippling edge. The kitten shimmered; Carmen's aim was true. The blade would pierce the animal's heart.

White light flared like a firecracker.

The knife shot back with lethal force, slashing Carmen's bicep, leaving a shiny ruby line in its wake. She shrieked; the blade fell. Blood dripped onto the sand, thick and red.

“A third?” Thad's eyes swept the beach, his bearing tense and alert.

“Don't think so,” Rives said. “The breeze is back.” He strolled up to Carmen and plucked the knife out of the sand.

“That's mine!” she snapped.

“Actually it's not. At least, not anymore.” He handed her a strip of cloth. “For your arm.”

She took it, reluctantly.

“Listen, Carmen, we all want to bail. But you could've killed yourself or someone else with your little knife trick.” He raised the knife. “I'll be keeping this. And if I were you, I'd think twice before racing after every gate you see.”

“I'm not you.” Her words were cold.

“Obviously.” Rives's cordial expression did not match his eyes. “One more thing. I don't care what you do, or where you go. But, I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill anyone. It makes Nil too happy.”

*   *   *

Lana watched Carmen stalk off. In her wake, blood dotted the sand like paint, like the bear's blood to the north.

Lana shivered.

Her arms felt empty. She missed her kitten. She'd been taking care of him ever since the bear attack, and she couldn't imagine what possessed her tabby to jump from the safety of her arms into a wild gate. Somehow it felt like a message. A reminder, a three-prong warning.

Wake up
, it said.
Nothing is permanent
.

Don't get attached.

Too late
, she thought.

She wasn't sure if she was thinking about the kitten or something else. Some
one
else.

At least Carmen hadn't killed the poor kitten. That girl was crazy.

Skye walked up the beach, closing the distance between them, but Skye's eyes were trained on the mountain. It occurred to Lana that Skye looked tired, but more striking was the fact that Skye was
alone
. Normally she had someone with her. Lana couldn't figure out why Skye drew so many people to her, how she had so many
friends
. Her extreme nosiness and insistence on meddling was an incredible turnoff as far as Lana was concerned. Skye turned her gaze to Lana as she approached.

“Are you okay?” Skye asked.

“I should be asking you that. You look—” Lana cocked her head at Skye. “Stressed.”

“I
am
stressed, Lana. And you know why. We're running out of time to figure this place out. We're going back toward the mountain tomorrow, to search the east coast. The southeast coast.” Skye's sigh was heavy. “We're going to look for the balance to the Looking Glass Cavern. Unfortunately Paulo doesn't know a thing about it.”

“He wouldn't know.” Lana's tone dripped ice. “Obviously.”

Skye looked lost.

“Because he's a boy,” Lana said with exasperation.