Crusade Across Worlds (28 page)

And she does.

Keeping the object close to her chest, she
looks over her shoulder. But no one is around. No one thought she
would come back. Not tonight. Not after everything that
happened.

Gathering herself up, Nhazual jumps over the
sage corpses and runs into the tunnel at the base of a hill. She
finds Curhio inside, collapsed and bleeding from the top of his
head with one eye swelled shut and the other barely open. She
explains something, her words pouring out in a blur of panic and
explanation, but he looks confused. Afraid. Quickly, Nhazual hands
it over, the secret she’s kept pressed to her chest. Curhio takes
the object with a frown, listening as she points further into the
tunnel, back into the darkness behind him. He’s confused. He
doesn’t understand what she wants him to do. Nhazual starts to
leave but he calls after her, frowning at the tiny red sphere in
his hand. He says something but she shakes her head, pointing back
into the tunnel. And then she drops to her knees.

Wrapping her arms around his frail, deformed
body, the Nerwolian Princess kisses Curhio’s cheek. She jumps to
her feet and starts to leave when he calls after her.

Nhazual pauses, looks over her shoulder and
offers an encouraging smile.

Then leaves.

Outside, she selects one of the black
daggers from the slain Mybyncians and sets off in a heated run. She
flies through the Nerwolian forest, determination pushing her
faster as anger, guilt and grief crease into her brow with every
step.

Then she arrives.

Nhazual stands at the edge of the field,
pink and green flowers blooming in tall stocks in front of her.
Staring out at the peaceful scene, a lone tear falls from her eye.
She starts to cry and then stops herself, forcing her body to calm,
to accept the stillness of the moment. Lifting a trembling hand to
her chest, Nhazual gazes at the field.

She inhales only once.

And plunges the sleek blade inside.

Blood blooms from the center of her torso,
dampening her gown. She stands for a moment before collapsing into
the first few blossoms, soaking their soil with her blood. It seeps
out, trickling over the ground and poisoning the pink and green
buds as it travels into the endless field.

I bolt up.

Pratt and Mae lay on the bed next to me,
still asleep. Sunlight peeks through the cracks in the wooden
ceiling, illuminating the treehouse with golden glimpses of
morning. It’s early, possibly dawn. I should go back to sleep but I
can’t get the dream—vision—out of my head.

“What is it?” Pratt murmurs next to me, eyes
closed.

“I…I think I know where the Floating Ruby
is.”

“What?” She lifts her head.

“I…think I know where it is.”

“Really?” Pratt is wide-awake now and
elbowing the sleeping body next to her. “Mae!”

“Hmm…”

“
Mae
,” she shakes her by the
shoulders. “Wake up.”

“I’m up,” she slaps her tongue to the roof
of her mouth, blinking open her eyes. “I’m up. What’s going
on?”

“Fallon knows where the Floating Ruby
is!”

“You do?” Mae looks at me, suddenly
alert.

“
I
don’t. But I think I know someone
who does.”

“Curhio,” Clarence raises a brow. “You think
Curhio
knows where the Floating Ruby is?”

It sounds bizarre even suggesting it, but
the Nerwo might be the only being alive to know what actually
happened all those years ago. The last time we saw him, we were in
the middle of the Vermix invasion and the ancient creature had
taken out the six who fled into Nhazual’s Pass—his home for the
last three thousand years. He’d decapitated all of them, leaving
pieces of their bodies in the unlit tunnel that connects Nerwolix’s
southern terrain with its northern one.

“I had a dream,” I explain, already knowing
how that sounds. “But I don’t think it was a dream. I think it was
a vision, like the kind I had on Arosin.”

“Another vision?”

“It looked the same—like I was there, like I
was watching Nhazual give up the Gift all over again.”

“You said you didn’t see that,” Blovid
frowns.

“I didn’t,” I agree but pause at the sound
of the curtain flapping.

The others are here.

Reid leads in the line of sleepy Rogues,
Walker bringing up the rear. The tribesman rubs his eye to wake up
and spotting me, he offers an apologetic grin. I look away,
focusing on the Arizal Leader instead. I’m about to continue when
Sampson holds up a finger, requesting a moment.

“Everyone, come in,” he gestures to the
baskets of green and yellow melons placed in the center of Tucker’s
large bed, “and have some breakfast.”

“Fallon,” Blovid nods, “please
continue.”

Where was I? The sight of Reid and Walker
has knots forming in my stomach, guilt and anxiety and worry all
melting into one overwhelming emotion. And then anger rises. It
boils to the surface when I think of last night, how Walker made a
decision for me, risking not only his safety but my relationship
with Reid. I’d decided not to tell him about the incident. If Reid
found out, it would be bad, and right now, we have enough on our
plate to worry about. Shaking off those thoughts, I concentrate on
the three Dofinikes and the importance of the vision.

“I must’ve only seen the first part of what
happened because in the dream, Nhazual went back. The same night.
She dug it up and gave it to Curhio.”

“What?” Jace meanders over with a yellow
fruit in hand. He takes a bite, chewing loudly. “Gave what to
Curhio?”

“The Floating Ruby. She gave it to him to
hide and then killed herself.”

“What?” Pratt coughs on a piece of melon.
She jabs at her chest, trying to clear the lodged food. “You didn’t
tell us that part.”

“
That’s
why it’s been lost for
centuries,” I turn back to Sampson and the others, pleading with
them to understand. “When the king at the time went to move it, it
was already gone because Nhazual gave it to Curhio to hide and he
hid it somewhere in Nhazual’s Pass. I’m telling you, he’s the only
one who knows where it is.
He
can tell us.”

All the Dofinikes exchange glances.

“And you said this came in a dream?” Qippert
approaches, his fingers tapping eagerly against one another.

“A vision. Same as the one I had on Arosin.
Except…there was more to it, I guess.”

“We must go to Nhazual’s Pass,” Sampson
decides. “And speak with Curhio.”

“He won’t tell us,” Clarence says.

“We must try. If Fallon’s vision is
accurate—and I do not see why it wouldn’t be—she is right. He is
the only one alive who knows where the Floating Ruby is hidden. We
must go to him and ask.”

“Would he even remember where he hid it?”
Werzo frowns. “I mean, he hid the thing three thousand years ago. I
don’t remember where I left my shoes.”

“Unfortunate for us,” Able mutters.

“It’s the best chance we’ve got,” Sampson
says. “Supposedly, the Vermix are invading within days. We still
need to locate the Floating Ruby, ensure the Vermix spies see both
Gifts and then regroup with Hozfin and the Nerwos to let them know
that we’re anticipating the invasion, not planning it. If there’s a
lead in locating the Floating Ruby, we need to take it. Fallon,” he
turns to me. “Was there anything else you saw? Anything that could
give away where he may have hidden it?”

I shake my head. “She gave it to him and
left.”

“And then she killed herself?” Jace winces.
“How?”

All focus flies to me, obvious interest in
the answer. It seems wrong to reveal this part, especially since it
doesn’t help us find the missing Gift, but even Sampson seems
curious to know. “Stabbed herself. In the heart.”

“Jesus…” Pratt lowers her melon.

“I can’t imagine her family finding her like
that,” Mae frowns.

“But Curhio never did. He never left the
tunnel. Remember, he still thinks she’s alive. That she’s coming
back.” I look to Clarence and Sampson. “He might think she’ll ask
for it when she returns. He’s
got
to know where it is.”

“Then let’s go talk to him,” Sampson turns
to the others. “Everyone finished eating?”

“Is there any Horrop?” Werzo scans the Rogue
Leader’s home with a frown. “Because,” he places a hand on his
stomach. “I could really go for some barbecued beast right about
now.”

Reid nudges him.

“Sorry, Boss. I’m really hungry and this
fruit diet is the worst.”

“Rogue’s got a point,” Jace nods with a
mouthful of melon. “Barbecued beast would make this meal epic.”

“Sorry, guys,” Clarence says. “Wasn’t on the
menu. I’ll see what I can do about dinner.”

“Sold!” Jace swallows the rest of his
breakfast, licking the juices from his fingers. “All right, who’s
ready to talk to a three thousand-year-old Nerwo?”

“I am!” Pratt climbs to her feet.

“Clarence, Reid—if you could stay a moment?”
Sampson requests while nodding at the curtain. “We’ll be right
behind the rest of you.”

We take our cue and leave Tucker’s home,
Blovid heading the journey to the Hylas Mountains. We could walk,
but that would take longer and time is of the essence, so we opt
for the next best thing: swinging and sailing through the Nerwolix
canopy by way of the Yulus.

The rounded lime bulbs hang from an elastic
rope-like cord that attach to the top of the gargantuan Eckle
Trees. Merely gripping the cord will send a person straight to the
forest ground, sometimes in a matter of seconds. But a downward
stroke will deliver the lime Yulu back to the top of the city and
with it, its rider. The whole thing is a delicate system that took
a lot of practice and maneuvering to master, but it’s the most
efficient way to travel through Zinnollo and out into the rest of
the Nerwolix terrain.

Grasping the closest Yulu, I steady myself
for my first swing. It’s been over three months since I’ve had to
do this and although I trained everyday on Arosin, this is a
different kind of strength. If I fall, I fall, and there’s no
catching me. There’s no time-out because I wasn’t ready. Selecting
my destination—a solid-looking branch about ten feet across—I take
a deep breath and focus on the action: pushing off, gripping the
Yulu and landing on the designated spot.

I go for it.

Swinging through the air, I sail straight
toward the branch and though, a little wobbly at first, I manage to
plant my feet firmly on the wooden shelf.

I did it!

Proud of the accomplishment, I look up and
groan. Only a hundred or so more to go. The others are already
gone, swinging through the canopy while I try to determine my next
destination. I find it and take off again, sailing through the
Nerwolix forest. I land easier this time, the familiarity coming
back a little. I take off quicker in my third attempt, pushing
myself to keep up, to lessen the amount of time between stopping
and swinging.

I’ve landed on my fifth or sixth branch and
allow myself a quick break. Even with all the Horrop training,
Yulu-traveling takes a lot out of a person. And I don’t want to be
careless up here. Rotating my shoulders, I stretch out my arms,
enjoying the release of built-up muscle tension. Rubbing pressure
into my right bicep, I feel someone land beside me.

“Can we talk?”

I don’t bother looking at him. If Walker is
trying to make his case, cornering me like this isn’t going to
help. If I could, I’d simply swing onto the next branch but I need
this break; my arms need this time to adjust, to release and relax
and he obviously knows it. Continuing to rub my bicep, I focus on
the trees.

“You want to look at me?”

“Not really.”

He exhales. “I just wanted to apologize for
last night. That’s all. Fallon,” Walker sighs again. “Please—can
you just look at me?”

I cross my arms.

He doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve
anything after what he pulled and all the guilt that’s stirring in
me because of it. But we need to move on from this. Fast. So after
a long moment of making him wait, I acquiesce with a turn.

Walker stands less than a foot away, one
brow arched in worry, like he’s expecting me to flee. When he
realizes I’m not going to, his shoulders sink in relief. He opens
his mouth but then shuts it again, searching for the right way to
explain. Finally, he settles on something. “It just…sort of…
happened.”

I stare at him. “It can’t
just sort of
happen
.”

“I know.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.”

“Walker,” I lower my voice, glancing around
the neighboring Eckles. I doubt anyone is nearby, but I can’t bring
myself to say the words too loudly. “You
kissed
me.”

He smirks. “I remember.”

“Walker
.”

He rubs his jaw, delight, amusement and
something altogether sultry in his eyes. “Probably won’t be
forgetting about it anytime soon.” His stares off at nothing, a
memory playing as his smile widens. “Mmm.”

“You need to. That can’t happen again. Like,
ever.” I take a breath and remind him of the risk he’s taking every
time he brings up this topic. “If Reid found out—”

He snorts. “Think I’m afraid of Rox?”

“You should be.”

“He’s a lot of bark.”

“He’s a lot of bite too.”

“Please. If he wanted to kill me, he
would’ve done it by now. I’m not scared just because he knows how
to throw a punch. So does Tucker. So does Jace. And besides, Rox
isn’t a killer. He’s an Arizal, remember? He wouldn’t kill over
something as petty as jealousy.”

“If he thinks you’re trying to steal me, he
would.”

“I’m not stealing you. I’m informing you. Of
your choices,” he smiles. “And my interest. And if it helps, my
skills in pleasing the ladies.”