Discovery at Nerwolix (12 page)

Reid nods, looking around the rest of us. He
arches his neck back and finds the spot in the green umbrella
above, pointing. “Okay. That branch up there.”

“How do we slow it down?” Mae frowns,
pulling at her elbows. “You said it would just take us right back
to the top of the tree?”

“When you’re approaching your target, start
to stroke the side. You’ll need practice to get it right so if you
pass it, don’t worry. Just try lowering yourself again.”

“But… what if we get stuck?”

“Just try getting there. If you can’t, I’ll
come get you. You won’t be stuck anywhere,” Walker grins. “I
promise.”

“Okay,” I look around, selecting a trunk
just behind Jace. “Let’s do this.”

Reid approaches the tree closest to mine as
the Rogues spread out, each finding a different starting point. Mae
and Pratt keep closest to the target while Walker surveys our
locations with a nod. “Everyone ready?”

I turn to Reid and he winks.

“Remember where you’re going. If you get
stuck, try to get there by yourself. Stroke the leaf to slow down
and yank it to speed up or go higher. Make your best attempt.”

“But if we can’t, you’ll come get us,
right?” Mae asks.

Walker turns to her with a nod. “But try
your best first. Alright,” he spins with a smile to everyone.
“Let’s get up there.”

I glance at Reid but he’s already gone and
so are most of the Rogues. Craning my neck, I peer into the lime
canopy above. With a deep breath, I wrap my hand around the narrow
green rope and give it a little tug. The ground disappears beneath
my feet and I’m flying upwards. I grip the leaf with both hands,
trying not to panic as I pass thick rows of the rounded Yulus. I’m
not sure how far I’ve gone and immediately start stroking the side
and of the rope, my ascent suddenly slowing to a halt.

I’m hanging in the air, far from any branch
or place to rest my feet.
Shit
. What do I do now? Scanning
the area for the closest branch, I find one below. Maybe six feet
down and over a bit. If I can lower myself with the right speed, I
can reach it and find the target from there. Slowly stroking the
leaf again, I inch lower until my feet hit the hard bark. I let out
a breath and keep a strong hold on the rope, securing my balance.
Okay. I can do this. I just need to find the target.

Searching, I spot Jace’s blonde hair through
the cracks of green below, maybe twenty feet or so. He’s also to
the far left—a few trees over. It’s a bit of a distance from here.
With a quick scan, I look for anyone else but I’m too far up. Did
anyone else get this high? I could call Walker or one of the others
to come help me but I need to know how to do this myself.

I can do this.

Gripping the leaf with both hands, I offer a
gentle brush and it slowly starts to drop back down again. Once I’m
approaching a branch close to the same level as the blonde Rogue, I
slow the touch and the Yulu stops just as my feet reach the hard
bark again. Okay, at least I’m on the same level. More or less. Now
I just need to get
over
there, to the right destination.

“What’re you doing there, Fallon?” Jace cups
his hands around his mouth. “We’re waiting for you!”

Out of nowhere, Reid swings onto my branch
with a grin. “You got it?”

“I got it,” I nod, gripping the Yulu as I
ready myself for a jump.

“Just get to that one,” he points to the
next branch over. “And from there…” he motions to the next one.

“I know,” I focus on my jump. “Let me do
this. I can do this.”

“Of course you can,” he winks and swings to
the next branch. He turns back with a smile, waiting for me.

Of course he makes it looks so easy. And it
should be. I just have to grip the rope and push off with enough
force to make the distance.
You can do this. You can do
this.
With a deep breath, I lean back and then jet forward,
squeezing the top of the Yulu as I sail toward the next branch
where Reid watches, waiting. I grip the bark with my feet,
steadying myself.
I did it!
A thrill of excitement rushes
through me and I turn to Reid with a huge grin.

“You okay?”

I nod, barely able to contain my glee.

“Well come on,” he winks. “Two more to
go.”

Reid sails from branch to branch and I
follow. It gets easier each time I do it and once I reach the
assigned target, I only find Reid, Jace, Booker, Tucker and Pratt
there. Werzo, Mae and Walker are still up in the lime canopy
somewhere.

“Glad to have you,” Jace grins. “Wondering
where you’d gone.”

“I aimed too high. Probably,” I point above,
trying to find the branch where I first landed, “about there.”

“I had trouble with that too,” Pratt nods.
“I went all the way up and then came all the way back down. Things
are super sensitive.”

“How’d you beat me?” I laugh.

“The second time I did it, I timed it
perfectly
. And I had the closest tree. I only came from
there,” she points to the next branch over.

“Mae was pretty close too, right?” I glance
between the Rogues.

“She went off somewhere,” Tucker shrugs.
“Walker had to go get her.”

“And Werzo?”

“Same,” Jace says. “Went straight past me.
Shot right up through the trees.”

“Nice.”

“They’ll be back any minute,” Reid says.
“We’ll just wait.”

“It’s fun once you get the hang of it.”

“I think so too,” Pratt laughs.

“I’d like to get back to the ground,” Werzo
swings onto the branch with us, his eyes wide and startled. “Shit
that was crazy.”

“By crazy do you mean difficult?” Jace
suppresses a smirk.

“
No
,” he scowls. “It was just crazy
flying up like that. Those Yulus are freaky sensitive.”

“They are,” Walker lands behind Booker with
his arm around Mae’s waist. “That’s why you have to practice. I see
everyone made it—good. We ready to head back down?”

“God yes,” Werzo says.

“Alright,” Walker nods, turning to Mae.
“We’ll head down together. You do the majority of the guiding but
I’ll be holding on so you don’t plummet us into the ground.
Cool?”

A faint blush darkens her cheeks but she
nods.

“Then let’s go,” he takes a step off the
branch and the two slowly lower.

“See you on the ground?” Reid turns to
me.

“I’ll see
you
on the ground,” I jump
off, gripping my leaf and running my finger down the rubbery
length. I’m lowering quickly, descending toward the forest base as
the Rogues shout with glee above. Jace, Tucker and Booker race past
me, laughing as they drop to the ground in seconds. I’m almost
there but glance up, finding Reid gliding along beside me, keeping
to my pace.

“Thought you were going to see me on the
ground?” he smirks.

“I am,” I stroke the leaf quicker, dropping
faster.

But Reid keeps pace with me, matching his
speed with mine and we both arrive at the same time. His smirk
grows, causing tiny bubbles of heat in my stomach, but then Werzo
drops in a second later, falling to his knees. Pratt is next and
then, after another long minute, Walker and Mae inch down. They’re
moving so slow that we all stop and watch as they descend, then
jerk, then drop a bit, then jerk again. Finally, when they’re a
foot or so above the ground, Walker inhales with a look at Mae.
“You can let go now.”

Mae does, dropping to her feet and Walker
follows.

“Alright,” he fights off a sigh and takes a
step. “So you’ll need practice if you’re not entirely comfortable.
I’d say pick a target once a day and get to it unassisted. If you
can do that, you’ll be fine.”

“What if we’re already fine?” Jace laughs.
“Oh, I’m sorry—I’m talking about the Eckle trees. Not…” he gestures
to himself.

Tucker rolls his eyes and then focuses on
Walker. “What’s next?”

“Weapons,” he leads us toward a large tree
near the edge of the clearing. At its base we find a pile of wooden
projectiles etched from golden brown branches and filed into narrow
tubes with a slight curve up the sides.

“What’re these?” Booker selects one,
pinching it between his fingers.

“You’re holding the Zingfinold’s favorite
toy—the Brulily. Designed with endless ammo, some shoot poisonous
darts. Some, tranquilizers.”

“That’s how they take hostages down so
quickly?” Werzo selects another.

“Actually, they typically don’t take
prisoners. Zingfinolds are more of an
act now-ask questions
later
type people. Good thing you had the girls—it was the only
thing that saved you.”

“And yet,” I smile to myself, “it nearly got
us killed on Mybyncia. Go figure.”

“What do you mean?”

“These radical loyalists—the Muskos—they
tried kidnapping all three of us,” I glance at the girls, frowning
at Pratt. “They got her.”

“Not for long,” Reid says.

“Wow…” Walker runs his hand through his
hair. “Sounds like you’ve had some dangerous times. But don’t
worry, you’re safe here.”

“They were safe before,” Reid growls. “But
it’s a dangerous world we live in. Or haven’t you noticed?”

“Can be…” Walker shrugs, “…depending on who
you spend it with.”

Tucker exhales, gesturing for Werzo to pass
him a Brulily. “Let me have…” he waves his hand and Werzo places
one of the wooden weapons into it. Turning to Walker, he rolls it
in his fingers. “So how does it work?”

“As you would suspect it would,” Walker
steals the Brulily from Tucker and brings it to his mouth. With a
gentle blow, the tiniest needle darts out of the other end,
shooting right into the Eckle across from us. “Quick. Silent. You
have to be in a ten foot radius, so you want to use it when you’re
sneaking up on someone.”

“How many have you snuck up on?” Jace
crosses his arms with a grin.

“Several,” Walker jumps up to one of the
branches. “The Nerwos come down sometimes.”

“Why?”

“Spies, mostly,” he shrugs, swinging to
another branch. “They sneak down from time to time, watching us.
Not sure what they’re looking for,” he shrugs again, “but we’re
supposed to kill on sight.”

“You
never
take prisoners?” Mae
frowns.

“Not really. Every once in a while, there’ll
be a chick or something and Warze takes them to Hozfin for
judgment.”

“What happens?” I ask.

“You already know that.”

“And do any of them survive?”

Walker shifts from foot to foot, staring low
at the branch. “Since I’ve been here, there’ve been about eleven
sightings. I think two survived the tasks. They’re around… keep
mostly to themselves…”

“Wouldn’t they just try and escape?” Mae
asks.

“They could
try
,” Walker laughs. “But
they’d be dead before they got out of the city. Not something you
want to do,” he winks at Tucker. “When you’re a brother, you’re a
brother for
life
.”

“There goes your seat in Queen Ravan’s
throne.”

Tucker shoots Werzo a glare.

“What?” he shrugs. “Well how’s it going to
work? She’s royalty and you’re stuck here. I’m sorry Rogue Leader,
but your chances with her—”

“Werzo,” Reid shakes his head.

“I don’t know who she is,” Walker glances
around, “but she can stay here with you.”

“Well, she can’t,” Jace frowns. “She’s the
queen’s youngest daughter and…”

“And?”

He shrugs, “…Sort of a mermaid.”

“But she was able to breathe air,” I try.
“She was in the FH the entire time we were there. She could
probably live on land.”

“She belongs in the ocean,” Tucker shakes
his head. “That’s her home. And I don’t want to talk about this
anymore.”

“There you guys are,” Perry strolls up in
the same tight animal hides and on her, they leave very little to
the imagination. Her slick black hair is pulled into a tight pony
tail and swings side to side as she walks. She stops and crosses
her arm, kicking out a hip. “No one tells me anything.”

“For good reason,” Reid mutters.

Shooting him a glare, her focus shifts to
the Brulilies on the ground and being passed around the group.
Surprised, she looks to Walker still standing on the branches.
“Already?”

“What?” he shrugs.

“Are they ready for
poisonous darts?
”
she rolls her eyes at the Rogues. “Seems a bit early to me.”

“Don’t you have something evil and fucked up
to do?” Jace sighs. “We’re busy here.”

“Yeah,” her fierce eyes open a quarter of an
inch wider. “I can see. Two boys fighting in the sandbox,” she
tosses me a disgusted glance and then shifts focus to the Rogues,
“and groupies still in love with their
mythical
leader, just
happy to be nearby. It’s pathetic.”

“Shut up, Perry,” Pratt spits. “No one likes
you.”

“And it breaks my heart, little sister,” she
places her hand on her chest, “but I could give a flying
fuck
. Sampson wants you guys upstairs. Now,” she spins,
leaving as quickly as she arrived.

“Always a pleasure,” Walker sighs, looking
after her. “Okay then,” he turns to the rest of us, “how about we
adjourn for the day?”

“Best thing you’ve said all day,” Reid
threads his fingers with mine. “Let’s go see what Sampson wants.
And actually,” he pulls me to his hip as he reaches high into the
air, grabbing a Yulu. “Let’s get some practice in.”

“You sure you’re comfortable?” Walker asks,
frowning as he scans Reid’s grip on me. “Try not to drop her this
time, okay?”

“Hey Walker,” Reid squeezes me with a smile.
“Fuck off.”

And suddenly we’re flying through the air,
the Yulu pulling us all the way up to the city until we reach a
solid branch. The sun has just begun to set, the sky melting from
an orange-pink to a deeply glowing purple with jars of fireflies
lighting the darkened canopy. Reid swings us onto the nearest
wooden bridge and I thread my fingers with his again.