Thunder: The Shadows Are Stirring (Thunder Stories Book 1) (32 page)

(SAMUEL)

I
T’S HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
while Livs is still practically comatose. The fairy queen assures us it’s a human reaction to the binding. Olivia’s body isn’t used to a magic flow and being tied to the queen in this way is overwhelming her system. There’s no way to speed up this illness because it has to work its way through her body. Within a couple of days, she’ll find her balance and be able to journey on, as her regular unstoppable self. Meanwhile, we have to get going ourselves. Make use of the time we’ve got in order to search out the People of the Wind.

We all knew Ethan would be staying with Livs, but Maddix surprises us by offering to stay also, giving both groups a Healer. He hands Jamie his curved knife, saying he hopes it will be used well and wisely. In return, Jamie gives Maddix one of his favorite fire-igniting flint rocks.

After transferring Maddix’s supplies to Ethan’s satchel, I make sure he’s able to access any medical things he may need. Everything’s all set for when Livs is healthy and able to travel again. The fairies have agreed to transport Livs and the guys when the time comes; Jamie and I will be using Storm. He can always Shift somewhere else if it gets too dangerous.

When it’s time to leave, I search out Livs’ room. She’s lying motionless, very small and pale against the large bed. I brush her hair from her clammy forehead and stare into her glassy eyes; her fever must have broken during the night. I can’t help but think about what her destination is, what she’ll be facing, and how close the moment seems to be right now. It freaks me out completely. She’s my big sister and I can’t keep her safe. I don’t know if or when we’ll see each other again.

Bending down, I kiss her cheek. “Livs, I love you. I know you’re strong and you can totally do this. We’ll get you the rest of your army and we’ll all be there for you one way or another. We’ll see you soon.” There’s much more to say but no way to find the words. I walk away from her bedside before I let myself register the meaning of the moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes.

Ethan had been pacing the hallway in front of Livs’ room, but he stops walking when I step through the doorway. I’d planned to drill him about taking care of her, but I end up standing self-consciously in front of him, my own eyes beginning to burn. I can think of nothing to say. But he understands. Without a word from me, he grips my shoulders and stares hard into my face. “Sam. I know and I will. With my life, remember? She’s getting home to you.”

I nod my head mutely. But it’s more than that, more than just letting go of Livs. And he needs to know because I don’t know how much longer any of us has. “Hey, this is about you, too. You’re our brother. Take care of yourself and get your own rear home safely.”

His expression becomes unreadable and he dips his head, saying, “Thanks. You, too.” When his eyes meet mine, they gleam a bright green. Together, we turn and walk down the hallway.

I hold in all of my emotions through the goodbyes, thinking something about this parting feels very final. Jamie doesn’t hide anything. His cheeks are streaked and his lids are rimmed with red. A badge of strength and courage from a preteen kid living a life most grownups would never be able to face. He’s able to walk away from everyone after Aisleigh breaks the somber mood. She wrinkles her nose at us, stating, “I suppose this is better than being turned into a gargoyle.” Then she surprises us with kisses to our foreheads.

We are brought to the edge of the pool where we were first found, though now it’s as expansive as the Lake itself. Raz blows dust into our faces, and I have to bite back an unbidden groan when I feel my bones stretch and muscles lengthen back into their human-sized format. My body feels exceptionally heavy and I’m not sure if it’s just because of the volume change. We wave at the large shining group of fairies that flutter around us, grip onto Storm’s harness, and are off and running in that heart-stopping, eyeball-jolting style we have come to expect.

~~~

S
EVERAL MINUTES AND QUITE A FEW DEEP BREATHS LATER
, my heart rate begins to slow in a direct correlation with the deceleration of Storm’s bouncing gait. I’m aware of little more than the rushing wind and my death-grip on the leather harness. When we jolt to a stop, I peel open my eyelids. Jamie is next to me, still holding tight to the handle.

“We’re here?” I ask, taking stock of the surrounding terrain.

We’ve hit mountains at least, though we are definitely not at the top of anything. The sky, a heavy leaden gray, echoes with the distant honking of unseen geese. The wind, deep and biting, howls as if it’s angry we’ve arrived. Shivering, I grab my pack and say, “Let’s gear up, Jamie, and take a look around. Storm? You okay?”

The cub seems a little befuddled, like this isn’t what he anticipated. It’s certainly not what I was picturing either.

“That was a long haul for you,” Jamie pipes up. “Can we get you anything? Something to eat? Drink?”

“Naw, I’m good, thanks. Running like that doesn’t tire me out, since I’m dodging through the wrinkles. Hey, do you know where we’re headed from here? I mighta got us a little off course ’cause I don’t remember this from what Thunder showed me.”

I turn a full circle, checking out our location. It’s not like we have a map for this journey, just vague locations, and there’s an abundance of mountain peaks around here. Something doesn’t feel right and I’ve learned my lesson about ignoring that sensation. But, there may be a reason we need to be here.

Aloud, I surmise, “I don’t know where we’re going except it’s gotta be up.
Top
of the World, right?” I gesture with my thumb. We’ve got a long way to go. If it ends up we’re headed to the right place after all, we’ll have Storm take us up the rest of the way.

Jamie and I fasten up our leather jackets, thankful for their incredible warmth. We strap on our weapons, and I tuck my slingshot into my pocket, making sure it’s within easy grasp. Storm waits patiently for us to get ourselves situated, and then we start walking.

We’ve landed in the middle of a narrow trail. Winding steeply up a mountainside, the path disappears into a forest of dead-looking bushes and twisted pine trees. The ground beneath our feet is a loose shale, and the packed dirt underneath is bumpy with roots and potholed from weather. Overall, the terrain is foreboding and blighted.

After walking in silence for several minutes, Storm draws to a stop.

“I dunno, guys. I had the pictures of your trip in my head, how Thunder gave them to me, of all the areas you needed to get to. But I don’t remember anything that looked like this, and the harder I try to remember anything, the mushier my brain feels.”

My eyes fly over to Jamie’s. This doesn’t bode well for us. Despite feeling warm enough, my skin crawls with those electric goose bumps, the kinds that make me think we’re being watched. Inside I’m wondering, since the Sliders can mess with Olivia’s dreams, would they be able to mess with Storm’s mind-images, too?

Something makes me hold back from voicing this question out loud. Even though it’s still early in the day, the overcast sky and dark groves of the tall, misshapen trees make it appear closer to twilight. Not the time to make Storm question if Sliders have violated his mind. Observing Jamie’s darkened expression, I’m not alone in thinking along those lines. If the Sliders directed us here, nothing good is going to come from this; if it’s just that Storm under-shot us like last time, we need to keep going.

I ask as casually as possible, “Storm, if we’re not in the right area, can you get us somewhere else, but still in these mountains—not using any mind-pictures? I don’t know how you guys do the travel thing ….”

“Um, I should. Thunder told me a bunch of stories about other places along the range. I think I can remember his words, and I should be able to concentrate on those instead of the pictures and get us somewhere different. You don’t want me to try again for Top of the World if this isn’t it?”

“No, let’s keep at this for another mile or so and, if we don’t get to something that gives us a clue to the People of the Wind, we’ll get to a safe spot and rethink what we’re doing. If anything comes up before then, we go. Alright? No heroics. This could be some kind of trap.”

Both Storm and Jamie nod, and Jamie nocks an arrow, while I draw my slingshot. We press forward and I keep scanning around the area, up in the trees, behind their trunks, between the shrubs and brush. The wind makes it hard to focus, since it causes the branches to bounce around. The gusts themselves seem to be coming straight down the pathway, bringing with them eerie moans and rustling. At one point, I see a dark shape out of the corner of my eye, to my left. When I spin that way, there’s nothing there. Jamie twirls around next, staring hard at the right-hand side of the path, ready to release his taut bow string. Again, nothing is visible, but the air has turned putrid. It brings to mind another forest, but my mind draws a blank.

When I hear the first shrieks, I know we’re surrounded. Stupid me. Both of our chosen weapons require two hands; there’s no way for either of us shoot and simultaneously hold onto Storm’s harness. But, we have one advantage. Whatever these creatures are, they’re up in the trees and we’re on the ground.

“SHOIST! Go, Storm!” We grab the strap and don’t even bother trying to shoot.

Without a word, Storm tugs against our weight, his hind paws scrabbling against the loose ground. His haunches give way and my heart lurches. Just in time, he finds the traction he needs and we’re off. Like Thunder, Storm runs so fast, he flies through the air, the world smearing into shades of gray and green.

The last thing I’d seen had been a dark hairy form dropping from a branch. The creature was stocky and had long arms, red eyes, and fangs. Hopefully, the sucker, along with its comrades, will be long behind us by the time Storm stops running.

Which he does with a sudden and unexpected jerk.

We all fly forward, and I skid across the ground before I think of opening my fingers to release the loop. I fall flat and hear Storm padding to my side.

“Man, what were those things?” Jamie’s face is pale, his blue eyes huge in their fear. “They reminded me of something from a movie. Kind of how I would picture—”

“Big Foot?” I interrupt.

“Yeah.”

“Me, too. Man, this is messed up.” Letting my adrenaline-spiked heart regain a steady beat, I take a slow breath. “Where are we now?”

I can see we’ve landed in a sloped and grassy clearing, a dale between peaks, which are already covered with snow at the tips. But I want specifics.

Though the sky is still gray, the air itself feels thin and light. Fresh and sweet. I breathe deeply and let the pureness fill my lungs. It’s almost as good as a shower for washing off the stench of our last stop. In the center of the clearing sits a little thatch-roofed house with several large outbuildings spread across the land. From this distance, it’s hard to tell for sure what they’re for, but at least one’s a stable. Tall trees create a windbreak along the far side of the clearing and thin patches of snow cling to the ground wherever the shadows are thick. It’s like a postcard. Compared to what we’d just come from,
anything
would appear safe and welcoming—but this place oozes with those vibes.

Curving off into the distance, heading towards the highest snow-covered peaks, is a double rutted path, from wagon wheels or something similar. Heading the opposite direction, the worn tracks lead right up to a massive barn-type building, situated a little behind the house. We follow a thin path, which leads us towards the house’s front porch.

Storm grins, his sharp tiger teeth showing a small gap up front. He had indeed lost a tooth in Faisle, resulting in the silver bell, which now jingles from his harness. He’d been ecstatic; we’d been less so after going through a day of nonstop jangling until the novelty wore off. Now he positively hops from paw to paw. “Thunder told me about this really awesome guy who lives up here. He builds all these awesome things. Toys and furniture and stuff. He’s supposed to be amazing, and he’s totally on our side. He may even know what went wrong, and be able to tell us what direction we need to take, to find those Wind People. Let’s go meet him!”

I can’t help but grin at his undampened enthusiasm. Feeling somehow energized by it, I grab Jamie into a hug, just because I’m glad we’re still together, and rumple the fur on Storm’s brow for the same reason. At a light jog, we head towards the welcoming home.

“Do you know the name of the guy?” I wonder as we move closer. I can see a porch, which wraps around the building, and hanging from the eaves are strands of things that twirl and sparkle in the soft breeze. I almost whimper at the sound of bells jingling. Ah, well. At least they’re cheerful, almost like a song with so many going at the same time.

“Yeah,” Storm calls back to us. “His name is Mr. Nicholas!”

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Crafty

(SAMUEL)

A
N OLD MAN IS RECLINING IN A WOODEN ROCKING CHAIR
, tucked to the side of the front porch, booted feet propped up on the painted railing, idly carving a small hunk of wood he holds in one hand. From what I can tell as we approach the house, he’s not even watching his knife as it curls away small pale yellow shavings.