The Gathering Read online

  “It buys us some time,” Sticks says. “At least until Clive arrives and Fray is gone.”

  “And Luka’s back,” I add.

  Nobody listens.

  “Non?” Cap asks.

  She slides her hands down her head, flattening her bushy hair to the sides of her face. “Gabe’s standing guard above ground. If danger arrives, he’ll be able to alert us in time to carry out emergency protocol.”

  Emergency protocol? I don’t know about any emergency protocol. We’ve certainly never practiced an emergency drill during my time at the hub. But of course there would be something in place. Cap would have thought of that.

  He rubs his knuckle along his bottom lip, then pushes out a breath. “You two can return to your rooms,” he says to me and Link. “We’ll stay for now.”

  Link’s plan worked.

  Cap doesn’t think Claire will betray us.

  He believes we’re safe.

  I don’t. Not for one second.

  But I’m willing to risk the safety of everyone at the hub if it means getting Luka back.

  Chapter Three

  Unstable

  His hands slide up my back, his lips feverish on mine as I curl my fingers into his hair and pull him closer. He wraps his arms all the way around my waist and pulls me closer too. Only there’s nowhere to go. Our bodies are pressed tight, with his slightly bent over mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and he stands up straight, lifting my feet off the sand. It’s a hungry kiss. A desperate kiss. A euphoric, blissful kiss. Because it’s Luka. He’s here. He’s alive. And I can’t get enough of him.

  A wave rolls up onto the beach, hitting our legs, pushing us sideways.

  Luka pulls away, his green eyes hungry and bright. “I love you, Tess.”

  “I love you, too.” Saying the words out loud makes my heart soar straight up to the sky. I don’t think it’ll ever come down.

  A throat clears, extra loud.

  I turn around in Luka’s arms. Link stands a few yards away, toeing the ground. I slide down Luka’s body and plant my feet in the rocky sand. This is the first time anybody has showed up on our beach. “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought we’d find Luka.”

  “I have found Luka. He’s right—” I turn around, but Luka’s arms no longer hold me. Luka is no longer near me. He has disappeared. “Where did he go?”

  “He was never here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Link scratches the back of his head, his cheeks pink. His cheeks are never pink. “Come on, Xena. You know how this works.”

  My soaring heart crashes hard. “I was constructing him?”

  He nods.

  All the ache and panic I’ve felt since waking up from our rescue mission returns, so fast and so completely it knocks my breath away. The Luka I was just kissing was a projection—a figment of my imagination. “But I went to bed thinking about him. He’s all I thought about.” After we found Claire, Cap ordered Link and I both to bed. I went willingly, eager to find Luka. To make sure he’s still alive. “Why aren’t I with him? What went wrong?”

  “I don’t know. You could try thinking of him now.”

  Right. I can hop to Luka from here. I found him once, which means I can find him again. And if he can be found, then he also can be rescued.

  Link offers me his hand. Incredibly grateful for his help, I take it and close my eyes. I picture Luka’s dark hair in a constant state of disarray. Smooth, olive skin. Grass green eyes. The subtle smell of wintergreen and fabric softener, even down here in this basement. I picture the heady way he looks at me—like I, Teresa Eckhart, am his entire world.

  Nothing happens.

  My feet remain on the sand, my fingers laced with Link’s.

  I close my eyes again, squishing them so tight my nose wrinkles. I think about the confident cadence of Luka’s voice. The way he commands attention whenever he walks into a room. I think about the shield he threw inside Shady Wood’s staircase, so powerful it obliterated one of our enemies. His strength, his confidence, his passion, the way he stands up for things that aren’t popular.

  I remember the day I first saw him in Current Events with Mr. Lotsam. The shock of recognition that flickered in his eyes. I recall the first time we met in a dream, on a beach like this one. I relive our first kiss in the locker bay of Thornsdale High School, being carried in his arms as he rescued me from the Edward Brooks Facility. Sleeping beside him on a squeaky mattress in Motel California.

  Still. Nothing.

  Panic balloons inside my chest, morphing into this unwieldy thing. This happened once before, a couple days ago, when I tried jumping to my grandmother’s dream. I couldn’t find her either, and when we finally arrived at Shady Wood to save her, she was already gone. It was too late.

  I turn to Link. “What’s happening? Why can’t I find him?”

  He waves. Not his hand, but his entire body. It crimps in a way that isn’t physically possible. And then slowly, he fades away.

  “Link?”

  The beach flickers, like a blip on a television screen before it loses reception. Everything goes black, then comes back into focus. Another blink. Another, and then …

  I sit up in bed, my breath coming in quick rasps. What happened? Why couldn’t I get to Luka? Why did Link leave me? I tear the covers off my legs. Maybe if I’m nearer to Luka, I’ll be able to reach him. That’s how I got to him before. I fell asleep beside his warm body and woke up in the place he was being held prisoner.

  I pull open my bedroom door.

  Jillian tumbles inside, her hand on the door knob. She quickly regains her balance and takes a few steadying breaths. “Holy smokes, you scared me.”

  I’d apologize if the what-ifs weren’t pelting my thoughts like an onslaught of sharp hail.

  Indistinct chatter filters down the hallway.

  Jillian looks over her shoulder toward the sound, then back at me. “Link sent me. He’s waiting in the training center.”

  *

  I follow Jillian past our makeshift classrooms; both are dark and empty. There will be no classes today. There will be no classes ever again. Not down here. Dream spying on Claire may have bought us some time, but we will never be able to go back to the way things were. Life as we know it in the hub is over.

  Inside the training center, Link stands behind the computer, punching keys on the keyboard.

  “Why did you leave last night?” I ask.

  “I didn’t leave. You booted me out.”

  I join him by the computer. A string of numbers scroll down the screen. I have no idea how Link makes sense of them. “What do you mean?”

  “Your dream wasn’t stable.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you aren’t sleeping well.”

  A pocket of hope opens up in my chest. “Is that why I couldn’t get to him?”

  “If I had to take a guess, I’d say it’s a combination of that,” he punches some more keys, “and the fact that he’s probably resisting you.”

  “Resisting me? Why would he resist me?”

  Link stops and looks at me. Usually, he’s an open book. Usually, he’s all devil-may-care and adventuresome—a combination that infuriates Luka to no end, since most of Link’s adventures include me. Last night, Link was my serious-as-a-heart-attack ally. Today he’s something else. Something I can’t read.

  “If you showed up before, he knows you’ll come back. And if you come back, you could get hurt. Call me ridiculous, but he seems like the kind of guy who’d rather be tortured to death than put you in any sort of danger.”

  Of course. It’s exactly the kind of thing Luka would do.

  Jillian sighs, like it’s romantic.

  “How am I supposed to get to him, then?”

  “The same way we got to Claire.” He holds up the probes we attached to our temples a few hours ago. “This will put you in a deep sleep. You won’t have to fight against an unstable dream. You’ll only have to fight aga
inst Luka’s resistance. If he’s being tortured as badly as you say, then it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

  I throw my arms around Link’s neck and hug him tight. The gesture must catch him off guard. It takes a second before he wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me back.

  Jillian peeks out into the hallway, then closes the door and clicks the lock. “Cap will murder all three of us if he finds out what we’re doing.”

  “He won’t. He’s too busy getting Fray ready to leave with Dr. Carlyle.” Link untangles another set of probes and connects it to the computer. “All right, Jilly-Bean. I want to make sure you know what you’re doing.”

  She joins him, paying careful attention as he points out important number strings.

  Confusion prickles my thoughts. “Are you leaving?”

  “Of course not.” He attaches a set of probes beneath his collar and hands me a set of my own. They monitor our vitals. A precaution to avoid things like cardiac arrest. “I’m going with you.”

  I shake my head. He isn’t a Fighter. He isn’t even a Shield. He’s a Linker. Hence, his nickname. There’s no reason for him to come along and put his life in jeopardy.

  “Someone has to make sure you aren’t constructing.”

  “I would know if I was constructing.”

  “You didn’t last night.”

  A slow burn works its way into my cheeks.

  Last night, if Link hadn’t interrupted my make-out session with imaginary Luka, who knows how long it would have continued, or where things would have led. “That was a little different than watching Luka being lacerated by crazy white-eyed demon men. I would never construct a torture scene.”

  Link brushes a strand of hair from my face and gently attaches a probe to my left temple. “Show me, then.”

  “You’re putting yourself in danger.”

  “It’s about time, don’t you think?”

  “Link …”

  He rolls his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Worry about you. I’m a little concerned you won’t be able to control yourself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This isn’t a rescue mission.”

  “But I thought—”

  “If Luka’s really being held hostage, we’re going to need backup. I won’t be any help to you in there. All we’re doing is going in, learning as much as we can, then reporting to Cap. He can’t ignore us both. Think you can handle that?”

  Go to Luka—watch him being tortured—and do nothing? I’m not sure it’s possible. But Link’s waiting for an answer, so I give him a nod and attach the probes beneath my clavicle. The monitor picks up the erratic thumping of my heart as I take a seat in one of the chairs.

  “Okay, Jilly-Bean. If either of our heart rates exceeds 200 BPMs, wake us up.”

  Mine is already more than halfway there.

  As if reading my mind, Link takes my clammy hand and gives it a short squeeze. “Come on, Xena, take some deep breaths or we’ll be done before we start.”

  I inhale deeply through my nose. Exhale completely through my lips. Then I close my eyes and focus all my energy on Luka.

  Chapter Four

  Gallons and Gallons

  I stand in a cold, dark chamber with my hand tucked inside Link’s. The hairs on my arms rise to attention. Something is off. Something is different. It’s like we’re not in the right place. Link pulls me behind a stack of wooden crates. We squat low, our eyes adjusting to the dark, and I realize what it is.

  Silence fills the chamber.

  There are no blood-curdling screams.

  I peek over the crates and my knees almost buckle. Thirty or forty yards ahead, in the same spot as before, Luka sits on the ground, his back propped against a metal beam. His body does not twist in agony. His hands do not clench into fists. His shirt does not stretch against his taut muscles as he arches up in torment. This time, he’s deathly still. And he’s no longer surrounded. Only one white-eyed man stands guard.

  My muscles coil. I can take on one. One’s nothing. I shift forward, but Link grabs my shoulder and pulls me back just as the tap-tap-tap-tap of shoes against cement echoes through the chamber.

  “Any sign of her?”

  An icy chill hugs the back of my legs. I would recognize that voice anywhere. It’s him—Scarface. The man who’s been hunting me ever since I fought him in the ICU to protect my brother. If not for the two jagged scars running the length of his cheeks, his face would be completely ordinary. Altogether forgettable. Luka and I gave him the scar on the right. I have no idea how he got the one on the left.

  “Not yet,” the guard answers.

  “I was certain she’d return before now.” Scarface clucks his tongue and folds his hands behind his back. “Such a pity. Our guest is looking rather peaked, don’t you think?”

  The guard laughs.

  Scarface crouches down, like a parent bending low to look a small child in the eyes, and grabs Luka’s chin. “Tell me, Mr. Williams, where is the girl? Are you keeping her from us?”

  Luka glares at him.

  “So brave. So noble. So romantic. And such a waste of energy.” He lets go.

  Luka’s head flops forward, like he’s too weak to lift it on his own.

  “You know, Mr. Williams, there’s more than one way to skin a rabbit.” Scarface studies the nails on his hand. “In fact, I have another plan in the works as we speak. Make no mistake, I will have your sweet Tess.”

  Luka lunges, but it’s no use. A ribbon of black mist curls from the guard’s fingers and binds Luka tighter.

  “Temper, temper.” Scarface straightens and faces his skeletal crony. “If he has enough energy to keep our Little Rabbit away, we must be going too easy on him.”

  The guard’s lips stretch into a twisted smile. The black mist wraps itself around Luka’s skull and pulls tighter around his chest.

  Luka’s body twists. His scream rents the air. Before I can move, before I can call out, Link grabs me around the waist and startles us both awake.

  *

  Jillian and Link follow me up and down the hallways without saying a word. I must look certifiable. I can tell by the way everyone stares as I pass them. Like maybe I really do need the medicine I pushed down the grate my first night here. It’s hard to care with Luka’s scream ringing in my ears.

  I find Gabe in the kitchen. “Where is he?”

  He hands Rosie a box of Cheerios. “Who?”

  “Cap. He’s not with Fray, so where is he?”

  “I saw him with Non.” It’s Rosie who answers, her voice small. It’s the first time I’ve heard it match her size. “They were in Luka’s room.”

  “He’s alive, Gabe. If you don’t believe me, ask Link.” I don’t wait for a response. I leave for Luka’s room. When I arrive, I throw the door open. It crashes against the wall.

  Non turns around with a stethoscope in her ears. My attention slides to Luka, lying impossibly still in the bed. His eyes are closed, his face relaxed. But all I can see is him writhing in pain on the cold, cement floor. All I can hear is his scream.

  I grit my teeth. “He’s alive.”

  Cap sits in his wheelchair in the corner. “Non has confirmed that for us.”

  “I mean his soul is alive. His soul is alive and you’re doing nothing.”

  “I’m doing what leaders do.”

  “Which is what? Letting one of your men die when you could save him?”

  Cap rolls himself closer, his eyes flashing. “Ensuring that more of my men don’t end up like him.”

  “He doesn’t have to end up like this at all!” I want to pull out my hair. I want to tear my clothes. I want to bang my fists on the ground. Anything to get him to listen. “Luka’s soul is alive. Link can verify it.”

  “It would be a suicide mission.”

  I blink. The words stun me into stillness. So does the faint hint of shame pulsing beneath them. All of it spins around me, making the room tilt. Cap believes me. Cap believes me and he’s st
ill not going to do anything. I feel sick.

  He drags his hand down his face. “They’re after you. Luka is the bait.”

  “You’re a coward.”

  “I’m not going to march you to your death. You’re too important.”

  “Why? Because of some stupid prophecy that we know next to nothing about? One you didn’t even believe until recently?” I run my hands back through my hair and curl them into fists. I’ve embraced the fact that my gifting is extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean I have to embrace a prophecy that puts me in charge of saving humanity. Cap’s stacking the weight of the world on my shoulders when I can’t even hold myself up. “This thing I have? It means nothing without him. It’s useless without him!”

  Cap’s lips flatline.

  Non stands by the bed, watching.

  Luka sleeps.

  And screams.

  He’s doing that even if we can’t hear it.

  My breath grows ragged. “Do what you want. I’m going after him.”

  “I’ll go with you.” The voice comes from behind me.

  I spin around.

  Gabe stands in the doorway, his dark eyes every bit as emotionless as always. Once upon a time, I thought he was born without a personality. Later I learned that Gabe was a Keeper like Luka. But he lost his anima, his breath of life. Her soul was snuffed out by the enemy, and her body slowly followed. “Link told me what he saw.”

  The tension digging into my shoulders releases its talon-like grip, followed by a flood of relief. Gallons upon gallons upon gallons of it. Gabe believes me. Gabe will help.

  His dark stare slides to Cap in his wheelchair. “Our guests have arrived.”

  Chapter Five

  Ramifications

  Gabe stops, blocking my entrance to the common room as Cap rolls ahead of us. “There’s a distinct limit to how far he will be pushed.”

  My brow puckers.

  “If you want Cap’s help, I recommend a little self-control.” He raises his eyebrows at me, then walks inside, where several people have already gathered with Dr. Carlyle and the hub’s newest member—Clive DeVant. He’s slightly older and thinner than his dream self, but he stands at attention in the exact same way, as though waiting for someone—anyone—to say at ease. His stare slides from Gabe to me as I approach. It has to be weird, seeing so many people you’ve only ever met in a dream.