Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 7

Maggie could have made it to the path aboveif shed been by herself. It was an easy climb, thirdlevel at most. simply she wasnt al ane. And in that location was no bearing to guide Arcadia up a cliff like that.No time to double back to the forest, either.Theyre dismissal to get us, Maggie realized.Get down, she utter to Cady. There wasahollow at the base of the bowlder pile. It would only tie up star of them, besides at least it was shelter.Even as she shoved Cady down into it, she hearda shout from the bound of the forest.Maggie pressed flat against the rock. It was slippery with moss and lichen and she matt-upasexposed as a lizard on a wall. All she could do was hang onand listen to the get goings of two men acquire closer and closer.And closer, until Maggie could hear harsh breathing on the other side of the boulders.Its a dead end- Gavins young voice began.No. Theyre here. And that, of course, was capital of Switzerland.And thence(prenominal) there was the most horrib le sound inthe world. The grunts of somebody climbing uprock.Were caught.Maggie looked around desperately for a weapon.To her own amazement, she found one, lyingthere as if it had been left especially for her. A dried branch wedged in between the rocks aboveher. Maggie reached for it, her optic beating fast.It was heavier than it looked-the climate must be too wet here for anything to really dry out.And the rocks are wet, too. Wet and slippery.And theres one unspoilt thing about this place-theyllhave to come at us one at a time. Maybe I house push them off, one by one. baulk put, she whispered to Cady, stressful to makeher breath last to the end of that short sentence.Ive got an idea.Cady looked beyond exhaustion. Her beautifulface was strained, her arms and legs were shakenby a fine trembling, and she was breathing in silentshudders. Her hair had come loose in a dark curtain around her shoulders.Maggie turned back, her heart beating in her throat and her fingertips, and watched the die of the boulders. save when what she was wat chin upg for actually came, she felt a terrible jolt,asif it were completely unexpected. She couldnt believe that she was seeing the close-cropped top of a mans head, then the forehead, then the cruel face. Bern. He wasclimbing like a spider, pulling himself by his fingertips. His huge shoulders appeared, then his barrel chest.And he was looking right at Maggie. His eyeball methers, and his lips curved in a smile.Adrenaline washed over Maggie. She felt almost disengaged from her body, as if she might floataway from it. But she didnt faint. She stayed motionless as the terror buzzed through her like electricity-and she tightened her grip on the stick.Bern kept smiling, that his eyes were dark andexpressionless. As she looked into them, Maggiehad no sense of connecting to another mind likehers.Hes not human. Hes something else, a distant part of her mind said with absolute conviction.And then one of his legs came up, bulging with muscle under the jeans, and then he was pullinghimself to stand, looming over her, towering likea fix.Maggie braced herself, gripping the stick. Stay away from us.Youve caused me a lot of trouble already, Bernsaid. Now Im going to show you something.There was a little noise behind her. She glancedback in alarm and saw that it was Cady, severe toget up.Dont, Maggie said sharply. Cady couldnt, anyway. After a moment of trying to pull herself outof the hollow, she slumped down again, eyes shut.Maggie turned back to see Bern lunging at her.She thrust the stick out. It was completely instinctive. She didnt go for his head or his diaphragm she jabbed at a fist-sized pit near his feet,turning the stick into a barrier to trip him.It almost worked.Berns foot caught underneath it and his lunge became uncontrolled. Maggie saw him start to unbalance. But he wasnt the huge muscle-bound apehe looked like. In an instant he was recovering, take a craping his weight sideways, jamming a foot toar rest his fall.Maggie essay to get the stick unwedged, to use itagain, but Bern was fast.He wrenched it out of herhand, leaving splinters in her palm. Then he threwit overhand, like a lance. Maggie heard it hit the ledge behind her with explosive force.She tried to dodge, but it was already too late. Berns big hand flashed forward, and then he hadher.He was holding her by both arms, looming overher.You trying to mess with me? he asked in disbelief. With me?Take a look at this.His eyes werent cold and emotionless right off.Anger was streaming from him like the strong, hot.scent of an animal. And thenHe changed.It was like nothing Maggie had ever seen. She was complete(a) at his face, trying to look defiant, whenthe features seemed to ripple. The coarse dark hair on his head moved, waves of it spreading downhis face like fungus growing across a log. Maggiesstomach lurched in horror and she was afraid shewas going to be sick, but she couldnt stop looking.His eyes got smaller, the bro wn irises flowing outto cover the white. His nose and mouth thrust forward and his chin collapsed. Two rounded ears uncurled like awful flowers on top of his head. Andwhen Maggie was able to drag her eyes from hisface, she saw that his body had re-formed into ashapeless, hulking lump. His freehanded shoulders weregone, his waist was gone, his long legs bulging with muscle were squat little appendages close to the ground.He was still holding Maggie tightly, but not withhands. With coarse paws that had claws on the ends and that were implausibly strong. He wasnt a person at all anyto a greater extent, but something huge andvaguely person-shaped. He was a black bear, andhis shiny little pig-eyes stared into hers with animal enjoyment. He had a musky feral smell that got into Maggies throat and made her gag.I just saw a shapeshifter shift shape, Maggiethought with an astonishment that seemed dim andfaraway. She was sorry shed doubted Jeanne.And sorry shed pursy it for Cady-and Miles. Sylvia had been right. She was just an ordinary girl, only maybe extraordinarily stupid(p).Down on the lower boulders, Gavin was laughingmaliciously, watching as if this were a footballgame.The bear opened his mouth, showing ivory-whiteteeth, darker at the roots, and lots of saliva. Maggiesaw a string of it glisten on the hair of his jowl.She felt the paws flex on her arms, scooping hercloser, and then Lightning hit.That was what it looked like. A flash that blindedher,as bright as the sun, but spunky. It crackled infront of her eyes, seeming to fork again and again,splitting and rejoining the main body of its energy. It seemed alive.It was electrocuting the bear.The animal had gone completely rigid, his headthrown back, his mouth open farther than Maggiewould have believed possible. The energy hadstruck him just infra what would have been theneck on a man.Dimly, Maggie was assured of Gavin making a thinsound of terror. His mouth was open as wide as Berns, his eyes were fixed o n the lightning.But it wasnt lightning. It didnt strike and stop. It kept on crackling into Bern, its form changingevery atomic number 16. Little electrical flickers darted through his bristling fur, crackling down his chestand belly and up around his muzzle. Maggie almostthought she could see blue-blooded flames in the cavern of his mouth.Gavin gave a keening, inhuman scream and scrambled backward off the rocks, running.Maggie didnt watch to see where he went. Hermind was suddenly consumed with one thought.She had to make Bern let go of her.She had no idea what was happening to him, butshe did know that he was being killed. And thatwhen he was dead he was going to topple off the mountain and take her with him.She could smell burning now, the stink of smok ing flesh and fur, and she could actually see whitewisps rising from his coat. He was being cooked from the inside out.I have to do something fast.She squirmed and kicked, trying to get out of thegrip of the paws that seemed to clutch her reflexively. She pushed and shoved at him, trying to get him to loosen his hold just an inch. It didnt work.She felt as if she were being smothered by a bearskin rug, a horrible-smelling pelt that was catchingon fire. Why the lightning wasnt killing her, too,she didnt know. All she knew was that she wasbeing crushed by his size and his weight and thatshe was going to die.And then she gave a violent disgorge and kicked ashard as she could at the animals lower belly. Shefelt the shock of solid flesh as her shin connected. And, unbelievably, she felt him recoil, stumblingback, his huge forelegs releasing her.Maggie fell to the rock, instinctively spreadeagling and grabbing for holds to keep from slidingdown the mountain. supra her, the bear stood andquivered for another second, with that impossibly bright blue energy piercing him like a lance. Then,just as quickly as it had come, the lightning wasgone. The bear swayed for a moment, then fell likea marionette with cut string s.He toppled backwards off the cliff into thin air.Maggie caught a brief glimpse of him hitting rockand bouncing and falling again, and then sheturned her face away.Her closed lids were imprinted with a blazingconfusion of yellow and black afterimages. Herbreath was coming so fast that she felt dizzy. Herarms and legs were weak.What the hell was that?The lightning had saved her life. But it was stillthe scariest thing shed ever seen. few kind of magic. Pure magic. If I were doinga movie and I needed a special effect for magic, thats what Id use.She slowly lifted her head.It had come from the direction of the ledge.When she looked that way, she saw the male child. He was standing(a) easily, doing something with hisleft arm-tying a handkerchief aroundaspot ofblood at the wrist, it looked like. His face wasturned partially away from her.Hes not much older than me, Maggie thought,startled. Or-is he? There was something abouthim, an assurance in the way he stood, a grim competence in hi s movements. It made him seem likean adult.And he was dressed like somebody at a Renaissance Faire. Maggie had been to one in Oregon two summers ago, where everyone wore costumes fromthe Middle Ages and ate whole roast turkey legsand played jousting games. This boy was wearingboots and a plain dark cape and he could havewalked right in and started sword fighting.On the streets of Seattle Maggie would havetaken one look at him and grinned herself silly.Here, she didnt have the slightest urge to smile.The Dark Kingdom, she thought. Slaves andmaidens and shapeshiftersand magic. Hes probably a wizard. What have I gotten myself into?Her heart was beating hard and her mouth wasso dry that her tongue felt like sandpaper. But therewas something stronger than fear inside her.Gratitude.Thank you,she said.He didnt even look up. For what? He had aclipped, brusque voice.For saving us. I meanyou did that, didnt you?Now he did look up, to measure her with a cool,unsympathetic expression. Did what? he said in those same unfriendly tones.But Maggie was pure(a) at him, stricken withsudden recognition that danced at the edges of hermind and then moved tantalizingly away.I had a dream didnt I? And there was somebody like you in it. He looked like you, but hisexpression was different. And he saidhe saidthat something was important.She couldnt remember And the boy was stillwatching her, waiting impatiently.That thing. Maggie wiggled her fingers, trying to convey waves of energy. That thing thatknocked him off the cliff. You did that.The blue fire. Of course I did. Who else has thePower? But I didnt do it for you. His voice waslike a cold wind blowing at her.Maggie blinked at him.She had no idea what to say. Part of her extremityedto enquiry him, and another part suddenly wantedto slug him. A third part, maybe smarter than boththe others, wanted to run the way Gavin had.Curiosity won out. Well, wherefore did you do it,then? she asked.The boy glanced down at the ledge he was sta nding on. He threw a stick at me. Wood. So I killedhim. He shrugged. Simple asthat.He didnt throw it at you, Maggie thought, butthe boy was going on.Z couldnt care less what he was doing to you.Youre only a slave. He was onlya shapeshifterwith the brain of a bear. Neither of you matter.Well-it doesnt matter why you did it. It stillsaved both of us- She glanced at Arcadia for con firmation-and broke off sharply.Cady? Maggie stared, then scrambled over therocks toward the other girl.Arcadia was still lying in the hollow, but her body was now limp. Her dark head sagged tonelessly on her slender neck. Her eyes were shut theskin over her face was drawn tight.Cady Can you hear me?For a horrible second she thought the older girlwas dead. Then she saw the tiny rise and fall ofher chest and heard the faint sound of breathing.There was a roughness to the breathing thatMaggie didnt like. And at this distance she couldfeel the heat that rose from Cadys skin.Shes got a high fever. All that runni ng andclimbing made her sicker. She needs help, fast.Maggie looked backupat the boy.He had finished with the handkerchief and wasnow taking the top off some kind of leather bag.Suddenly Maggies eyes focused. Not a leatherbag a canteen. He was tilting it up to drink.Water.All at once she was aware of her thirst again. Ithad been shoved to the back of her mind, a con stant pain that could be forgotten while she wastrying to escape from the slave traders. But now it was like a godforsaken fire inside her. It was the most important thing in the world.And Arcadia needed it even more than she did.Please, she said. Can we have some of that?Could you drop it to me? I can catch it.He looked at her quickly, not startled but withcool annoyance. And how am I supposed to getit back?Ill bring it to you. I can climb up.You cant, he said flatly.Watch me.She climbed up. It was as easy as shed thoughtplenty of good finger-and toeholds.When she pulled herself up onto the ledge besidehim, he shrugged, but there was reluctant notice in his eyes.Youre quick, he said. Here. He held out theleather bag.But Maggie was simply staring. This close, thefeeling of familiarity was overwhelming.It was you in my dream, she thought. Not justsomebody like you.She recognized everything about him. That supple, smoothly muscled body, and the way he hadof standing as if he were filled with tightly leashed tension. That dark hair with the tiny waves springing out where it got unruly. That taut, grim face, those high cheekbones, that willful mouth.And especially the eyes. Those fearless, blacklashed yellow eyes that seemed to hold endless layers of clear brilliance. That were windows on thefiercely intelligent mind behind them.The only difference was the expression. In thedream, he had been anxious and tender. Here, he seemed joyless and bitter and cold. As if hisentire being were coated with a very thin layer of ice.But it was you, Maggie thought. Not just somebody like you, because I dont recover thereis anybody like you. so far lost in her memories, she said, Im MaggieNeely. Whats your name?He looked taken aback. The golden eyes widened,then narrowed. How dare you ask? he rapped out. He sounded quite natural saying How dareyou, although Maggie didnt think shed ever heardanybody say it outside of a movie.I had a dream about you, Maggie said. Atleast it wasnt me having the dream it was moreasif it was sent to me. She was remembering details now. You kept telling me that I had to dosomething. ?I dont give a damn about your dreams, the boysaid shortly. Now, do you want the water or not?Maggie remembered how thirsty she was. Shereached out for the leather bag eagerly.He held onto it, not releasing it to her. Theresonly enough for one, he said, still brusque. Drink it here.Maggie blinked. The bag did feel disappointinglyslack in her grip. She tugged at it a little and hearda faint slosh.Cady needs some, too. Shes sick.Shes more than sick. Shes almost gone. Theresno point in wast ing any on her.I cant believe Im hearing this again, Maggiethought. Hes just like Jeanne.She tugged at the bag harder. If I want to share with her, thats my business, right? Why should it matter to you?Because its stupid. Theres only enough forone.Look Youre not afraid of me, areyou? he saidabruptly. The brilliant yellow eyes were fixed onher as if he could read her thoughts.It was strange, but she wasntafraid, not exactly.Or, she was afraid, but something inside her wasmaking her go on in spite of her fear.Anyway, its my water, he said. And I saytheres only enough for one. You were stupid to tryand protect her before, when you could have gotten away. Now you have to forget about her.Maggie had the oddest feeling that she was beingtested. But there was no time to figure out for what,or why.Fine. Its your water, she said, making her voicejust as clipped as his. And theres only enough for one. She pulled at the bag harder, and this timehe let go of it.Maggie turned from him, looked d own at theboulders where Cady was lying. She judged the distance carefully, noting the way one boulder formeda cradle.Easy shot. Itll rebound and wedge in that crack,she thought. She extended her arm to drop the bag.Wait The voice was harsh and explosive-andeven more harsh was the iron grip that clampedon her wrist.What do you think youre doing? the boy saidangrily, and Maggie found herself looking intofierce yellow eyes.