Chaos (17 page)

“Let’s head out!” roared the Tanner. We looked up to see that he had emerged from his chamber wearing a full set of leather armor and carrying a heavy spike-studded mace and a long knife. His cheeks and lips were flushed, like he’d been standing near a fire.

As we lined up to descend deeper into the tunnels, I edged close to Takeshi. “Do you have the grenades?” I whispered in his ear. To my knowledge, he hadn’t set any off in the square as we freed Malachi, but I dearly hoped he’d found a way to conceal them before being captured.

He glanced at me. “Had to stash them in the square when the Tanner’s people attacked. No one will find them.”

I was in shock. “Are you seriously saying we’re going in without our best weapon?”

Ana’s fingers closed around my arm and squeezed hard, a warning as Treasa walked by, glaring. I didn’t look away. If the skinny bitch wanted to take me on, she was welcome to. The knowledge that Takeshi had lost our grenades had put me in a really bad mood.

My violent thoughts were interrupted as we were engulfed by the claustrophobic darkness. I had to focus on not twisting my ankle. We were single file, the Tanner’s well-armed people in front of and behind us. My boots slid noisily in the loose gravel of the steeply sloped tunnel, and soon Malachi had slipped his fingers around the back of my pants to keep me steady. I was embarrassed and grateful at the same time. Ahead of us I could hear muttered conversation, but it was so dark and echoing that I had no idea who was speaking, or about what. We filed downward like that for several minutes before the trail flattened out. My hands skimmed along the rough-hewn walls of the passage, which were becoming increasingly damp.

“We must be getting close to the river,” Malachi said.

“Correct,” replied Treasa from behind him. I jerked, unaware that she’d fallen in that close to Malachi—and that she’d managed to get at our backs. I wanted to push Malachi in front of me to get between them. Malachi gave one of my curls a little tug, like he was reading my thoughts.

Gradually, the temperature in the tunnel dropped, and soon I picked up the faint sound of rushing water that grew louder the farther we went. Finally, the tunnel opened up in a cavern. A few of the men who had been walking in front of us held up lanterns—tallow candles in crude glass jars dangling from straps of braided leather.

It suddenly occurred to me that all the leather in the city probably didn’t come from goats.

At the far end of the cavern was an arched doorway, and from the other side came the roar of the river. “We face a long hike upstream,” boomed the Tanner over the white noise of the water. “The rocks are slippery, so be cautious. One wrong step and you’ll be carried away. It’s not a good way to spend eternity.”

Since drowning couldn’t kill someone here, I supposed they’d suffer all the pain of that experience without escape. I had to wonder where the river led, though, and if anyone had tried to get out that way.

The Tanner gave me and Malachi a shrewd look. “If you think that’s a way out, think again. The Mazikin have thoroughly explored that option. The river flows through the dome—but living creatures do not.”

So much for that. We followed the small crowd through the archway and entered the underground tunnel carved by the river. Our pathway was much narrower than the trail we’d been on before. I instinctively grabbed for Malachi’s hand. His voice was in my ear a moment later. “What is it?”

“I’m not much of a swimmer.” And now that I knew the river wasn’t an escape route, it seemed even scarier.

“You’re not going to end up in the water, Lela, so it won’t matter,” he said.

Ahead of us, the Tanner’s people were already picking their way along the rocky, wet edges of the tunnel. Treasa had pushed her way in front of me and was now between me and Takeshi. It was like she was trying to keep the Guards from having the opportunity to talk or plan without her overhearing. I didn’t have the headspace to worry about it, though, because I was too busy trying not to freak out.

All we had was a narrow lip of stone, about a foot wide and obviously man-made. The pathway to the palace must have taken years to create. The spray from the rushing river soaked my hair and face as soon as I stepped onto the trail, but my cloak was waterproof, so I wasn’t too soggy, for which I was pretty thankful. I concentrated on my hands and feet, copying Treasa’s movements. She trod carefully, gracefully, and deliberately, never making an impulsive move. As much as I disliked her, she was a good person to have in front of me.

I had no idea how long we traveled like that, single file, one foot in front of the other, conversation impossible because of the relentless raging of the white water that flowed not two feet below our trail, but after a while I grew numb. I began to fantasize about being back in Rhode Island with Malachi, about what we could do if we ever got a chance to live. We’d never had a shot, not even close, and I wanted a future. For both of us. I wanted to take him to the beach and lie on the sand with him. I wanted to buy him a Del’s frozen lemonade and watch his face as the tart sweetness hit his tongue. I wanted to kiss him in the rain. So many normal, boring, perfect moments. If only—

It happened so fast. Ana’s foot slipped on a smooth rock as we reached a curve in the tunnel, and with a shriek, she splashed into the current. In half a second, her fingers were curled over the jagged rocks as the river did its best to drag her away. Treasa and I started to reach for her, but Takeshi was there first. With firm hands, he grasped hers. Ana’s face was a mask of fear, her mouth open in a soundless scream. “Try to get a foothold!” Takeshi shouted.

She shook her head, but I could see flashes of movement beneath the water. She was trying. Malachi wrapped his arm around my waist to hold me steady as I grabbed her sleeve and attempted to help Takeshi drag her out of the torrent. Inch by inch, we pulled her from the water, and Takeshi smiled as she grabbed a handful of the tunic over his chest.

“You’re all right,” he said loudly.

Her fingers tightened on his shirt as she pulled herself onto the jagged trail. But then her knee slipped and her hand jerked downward. Takeshi lurched forward and tried to catch himself, but his palms slipped over the slimy rocks.

And then he was in the water. Malachi and I caught Ana as she tried to dive after him, and Treasa crouched low and reached for Takeshi’s hands, which were clinging to the wet stone. In a moment suspended in time, he turned his face upward and looked at Ana. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but the river had other ideas. It ripped him from the rocky shore and into its white embrace.

Within a few moments, he was gone.

SEVENTEEN

F
OR A MOMENT,
I
was stunned into stillness, but then Ana’s shrieking brought me back. Treasa was holding her against the cliff wall, and one of the Tanner’s stout men, who had been in front, was shouting at Ana to calm down. But her face was twisted with pain and panic. Malachi’s arm was steel around my body, and I knew he wanted to get to her, but it was impossible unless we wanted to risk losing more people to the rushing water.

The hard-muscled man ahead of Ana began to drag her while Treasa wisely stripped her of the knives at her thighs. She probably saved the man’s life, because Ana was reaching for them a second later, desperate to get free. She’d totally lost her mind, and I couldn’t blame her. I steadied Treasa when Ana kicked her in the leg, making her falter. We all inched along, and for many tense moments, the only sounds in my head were the water and Ana’s cries.

After what seemed like ages, we reached an alcove of sorts, a salt cave that was relatively dry, studded with crystals that reflected the weak lantern light as we pressed ourselves into it and collapsed. Malachi edged past me and gathered the sobbing Ana in his arms. She grasped his neck as he held her shaking body against his. The Tanner’s people, men and women alike, looked genuinely regretful, if puzzled by the intensity of Ana’s reaction. I was reminded of what Takeshi had said, how rare love was in this city. How cheap life was, and how common misery and suffering were. But Ana—she’d lost her Takeshi.
Again.
He’d been carried away while she watched, powerless. And one look at the river told me he didn’t stand much of a chance. I tried not to picture his slender body pressed against the wall of the dome while the water flowed through it. Drowning for eternity.

I shuddered and lowered myself to the floor of the cave. I wanted to comfort Ana, but Malachi was handling it. His hand cradled her head, holding it to his chest. He gave me a sidelong glance so full of sorrow that it brought tears to my eyes. He’d lost Takeshi, too. Knowing Malachi, he was probably thinking there was something he could have done.

After a few minutes, the Tanner knelt in front of the three of us. He waited for Ana to pull herself together and notice him, which she did remarkably quickly, wiping her tears and releasing Malachi.

“We’re going to rest here for a while. Bed down and gather your energy,” the Tanner said. “Then we’ll make a push and try to get to the palace.” He held a metal object in the light of a lantern. It was a simple metal pocket watch, but not with numbers on it. There was only one hand, and only two hours were marked. Where the twelve and the six could usually be found, it said
F
and
B
.

He let us examine it for a moment. The hand had passed the
B
. “It’s just after the black hour, when the Mazikin are most active. We can rest until here.” He pointed to a spot where the nine should have been. “And then we’ll try to arrive at the palace before the fire hour.” He pointed to the
F
.

I nodded to show that I understood, trying not to make a face as his breath blew toward me. I had smelled a lot of foul things since arriving in the city, but this dude’s breath? The worst thing ever. It was a strange combination of rot and sewage, and it matched his black teeth perfectly. He turned to Ana. “Shame about the Guard,” he said, then retreated deeper into the cave, beckoning for Treasa to join him.

I leaned around Malachi and looked at Ana. “What can we do?”

She shook her head. Her gaze on me was dark and intense. “Follow through with the plan,” she said, her voice flat. “And hope for the best. I will never give up.”

I will never give up.
It was what Takeshi had said to her.

“Get some sleep, you two,” she continued. “And make each other strong.”

“An
a . . .
” Malachi began, reaching for her again.

She held up her hands to fend him off. “No. Enough of that. I’m fine.”

Malachi pulled back, frowning. “You aren’t alone in this.”

She eyed the Tanner’s people, some of whom were watching us with keen interest. “I know, guys,” she said to us. “Trust me, I know. Jus
t . . .
let me be, all right?”

Malachi hesitated, then nodded.

I sighed. “Okay.” I wanted to say so many things to Ana, but at this point, I was fairly sure every word would hurt her.

As Ana turned her back to us, Malachi scooted a bit closer to her, unwilling to let her go very far. Then he pulled me toward him. He’d shed his satchel, and he pushed mine off my shoulders and set it next to his. “Come here,” he said quietly. “I need you.”

I sank onto him as he sat against the wall of the cavern, his legs stretched out in front of him. His fingers burrowed in my wet hair, and I buried my face against his scarred throat. “I’m so sorry,” I said.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied in a strained voice. “I can’t.”

My arms tightened around his chest. “Whatever you need.”

He kissed my forehead. “I feel stronger when you’re touching me.”

I tipped my head up so I could look at him. “Me too.”

He stroked my hair away from my face. “I should have remembered that before I tried to let you go. Or maybe I knew it, and didn’t feel that I deserved it.”

“You were punishing yourself.” He’d punished me, too, whether he meant to or not. Even now, it was painful to think about all those weeks we had ignored each other. I didn’t regret the time I’d spent with Ian—he’d been a great friend. But if I’d had a choice, I would have been with Malachi. Ian knew it, too. I wish Malachi had.

“I was punishing myself,” he said. “And I might still be if I hadn’t realized it was making me weaker.”

I stiffened. “So you didn’t come back because you wanted me?”

He gave me a squeeze. “I always want you. It is a constant. But I have to atone, Lela. I don’t feel like I can move forward unless I somehow make up for what I’ve done.”

“Haven’t you suffered enough, Malachi?”

“It’s not about suffering. Or maybe it is, a little.” He sighed. “I don’t know. It feels so big that perhaps nothing is enough. So many people are here because of me.”

“And a lot of others aren’t because you stopped the Mazikin over and over again in the dark city. You never let them overrun the place.” I took a breath and softened my tone. At some level, I understood and respected his sense of responsibility, his determination to make up for what he’d done. But most of me just wanted him to be able to rest, to have peace.

He closed his eyes and shifted his body so that we were touching from head to toe, until it was hard to feel where I ended and he began. He took my hand and guided it under his leather tunic, over the muscles of his abs, the welts of his scars, up to the slightly sunken mess at the center of his chest. He let out a breath and closed his eyes as he pressed my palm over it. And I didn’t care that we were in a small salt cave with twenty other people. I didn’t care what they thought of us, tangled together like this. I only wanted to be near him.

He leaned his cheek against the top of my head. “I’m so tired, Lela. I’ve never been this tired.”

Fear slid down my spine like an ice cube. Every soul had its limit, and Malachi had been pushed so far that I wondered if he truly had the energy for atonement. “Rest, then. We have a few hours.”

I bowed my head against his shoulder and monitored the rise and fall of his breath as he sank into sleep. As I sat there, willing him to be strong, offering him everything I had, I silently promised him—no matter what I had to give up—that I would get him through this. He deserved peace and safety more than anyone I knew, and with every ounce of fight I had in me, I would make sure it happened.

I woke with a start when someone roughly shook my shoulder. Treasa’s pale face hovered before mine in the darkness. “We’re leaving now,” she said.

I blinked in the near dark. Malachi and I had slid down the walls of the cavern and ended up wrapped around each other, my head on his chest, and his head resting against our satchels. His arms were tight around me. I pulled my hand from under his tunic and stroked his face. “Are you awake?”

“I am now.” He released me and pushed up on an elbow. We both turned toward Ana. She sat with her back against the cavern wall, staring at the ground. She looked hollow, like her heart had followed Takeshi downriver in that cold, merciless current. I wondered if I’d looked like that, right after I lost Malachi. Hesitantly, he touched her shoulder, and she didn’t move. His hand fell away. I felt bad for him, because he only wanted to help. But at the same time, I knew from experience—her loss was so profound that
nothing
would help.

We got up and stretched. After hours spent in Malachi’s arms, I felt renewed and rested. He’d said he loved me a few times, but now I knew it for sure. It swirled inside me like a bright white light. I glanced up at Malachi, and he smiled. “How do you feel?” I asked him.

He stepped close to me and spoke quietly. “Like I’m healing.”

I put my arms around his waist. “Me too.”

I let go of him and accepted the satchel as the Tanner strode past us toward the mouth of the cave. “We’ll walk without stopping until we reach the area below the palace,” the Tanner said, “and then we’ll send a small party up to scout.”

With that plan in place, we set out, enduring countless hours of hiking. The river grew wider the farther we went, but the current calmed as well and the roaring subsided. Ana walked in front of me, her steps steady and slow. She was eerily calm. And although I wondered how she could be so composed after losing Takeshi, I was glad she was, because we needed our Captain.

At long last, the narrow trail grew a bit wider, and the water flowed gently alongside us. Several yards ahead of me, a lantern bobbed up and down in a rhythmic pattern. “They’ve reached the palace!” said one of the men hiking in front of Treasa. “Go quick and quiet now.”

We picked up our pace until we made it to a patch of land shielded by a rocky outcropping. The Tanner gestured at us to come ahead, and as we did, something brown and liquid splashed from above and landed in the river. Malachi put his arm around me and tugged me back, recoiling in disgust. The Tanner chuckled and pointed at several huge pipes descending from high in the stony ceiling, their wide openings directly over the river. “And that would be the palace’s version of a sewage system.”

We joined the Tanner at the wall of rock and peeked around it to see a short path leading upstream to another stretch of level ground. Sections of metal pipe had been piled at the edge of the space, right next to a large horizontal cog connected to chains and buckets that dipped into the river. The Tanner wedged himself next to me and Ana, and nodded toward a narrow ladder that led straight upward.

“Maintenance shaft. For the ones who have to fix the pipes. Most of the buildings in this city don’t have running water, but the palace does.”

“Do you know where that ladder leads?” Ana asked.

“If my informants are accurate, it leads to a dishwashing room off the kitchens. If you go in at the fire hour, it should be quiet. This is when the Mazikin sleep.” He held up his weird watch, and it was almost on the
F
.

“Then what are we waiting for,” Ana said. One by one, we climbed around the outcropping, which shielded the trail toward the tannery from the view of any of the palace inhabitants that had to come down here.

Once all his people had made it to the cog-and-bucket system, the Tanner looked up at the ladder, which ascended into darkness. We couldn’t see the top. “Go ahead,” he said. “Get up there and send word about what awaits us.”

Ana’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not coming?”

He shook his head. “I thought perhaps this was a task best left to the warriors.” He gave us his black-toothed smile. “But I will send Treasa.”

While the Tanner beckoned Treasa over, I edged close to Ana. “I don’t trust her,” I whispered.

“We’ll cut off her head if she so much as twitches in the wrong direction,” Ana said matter-of-factly.

We looked up the rungs of the ladder. “If we’re caught, it won’t be good,” Ana muttered as she glanced at Malachi, who seemed to be assessing the Tanner and his men. I wondered if he was counting their weapons and watching where they sheathed them. He was the one I was worried about, too. What would the Queen do if she got ahold of him again?

Ana put her hand on my arm. “He can do his part, Lela. And you can do yours. Just follow my lead.”

I nodded. “Sure thing, Captain.”

“Let’s go, folks,” she barked. “I’m getting bored down here.”

Malachi strode toward us. Seeing him from this distance reminded me of what had been done to him. He stood straight and tall, yes, in pants and a tunic that fit like they’d been made for him. But the skin of his neck was still pink with scarring, and those scars striped all the way up the right side of his face. I didn’t want to see him get torn up anymore. I wanted to tell him to stay behind, but I knew he’d never accept that.

The three of us gathered at the base of the ladder, and Treasa joined us. “You go first,” Ana said, flashing a poisonous smile full of warning.

Treasa regarded her with a steady stare. “I’m trying to help you,” she said quietly. “And I’m sorry about Takeshi. He was a—”

“Don’t say his name to me,” Ana snapped. “Unless you want it to be your last word.”

Treasa’s expression didn’t change. “Allies and enemies are hard to distinguish in this city, Captain. It’s easy to mistake one for the other.” With her satchel on her back and her knives at her belt, she mounted the ladder and started to climb. I got on it after her, with Ana behind me and Malachi bringing up the rear. I suspected Malachi had wanted to make sure Ana had us around her, and that he could catch her if she faltered. At the moment, though, she seemed pretty steady, like the hollowness inside her had been filled with molten steel. I wouldn’t want to face Ana and her blades when she was like this.

My arms and legs began to ache by the time the cavern narrowed, becoming a vertical tunnel. When we’d started out, I’d felt strong, but it was amazing how quickly that vigor had drained away. Raphael had said that the city wouldn’t sustain us, that we would gradually weaken. Maybe, even though Malachi and I could recharge each other a little, it wasn’t enough to keep us strong. Biting my lip, I looked below me to see Ana, her face pale and grim, and Malachi even farther down, clinging to the ladder. I was willing to bet his heart was faltering, and I couldn’t reach him. “You guys okay?” I called.