Water & Storm Country

“I don’t know much about the Glassies,” Dazzinterjects, “but none of this makes any sense. They always seemedpeaceful enough when they came to see Goff.”

“That should tell you something right there,”I say. “That they went to see Goff in the first place. He was abaggard and a half.”

“True,” Dazz says. “It’s just strange, isall. Don’t they live in some sort of an icin’ bubble orsomething?”

“The Glass City,” Wilde says. “A huge dome ofglass. It keeps out the bad air somehow. They live longer than therest of us.”

“They don’t get the searin’ Fire,” I add.“You know, the Cold.”

“Then why venture out at all?” Dazz asks.

“Like I said,” Wilde says. “They’re scared ofus. They think we’ll attack them, maybe crack open their bubble,let the diseased air in. But it wasn’t just the people of firecountry they were calling savages.”

Skye’s eyes flick sharply to Wilde’s. “Whatdoes that mean?”

“They spoke of the risk of the Icers too. Hownow that King Goff has been overthrown they can’t trust the peopleof ice country either. They said they want to cleanse the landsfrom the desert to the mountains to the sea.”

“I’ll kill them,” Dazz says, pounding a fistinto his hand.

I know right away he’s thinking of his motherand sister.

“We don’t have much of a choice,” Wilde saysevenly. “They’re forcing us into a war. The Icers too. We’ll haveto stand together.”

“And what of the Stormers and Soakers?” Buffasks.

“They’ve chosen a different path. They’llwait until they have no choice but to fight,” Wilde says.

“Cowards,” Feve says. “They’ll let us dieagainst a foe that would kill them too.”

Jade stirs in her sleep, but doesn’t awake.“Don’t let her hear you speaking like that,” I say. “She’s fallenfor one of the cowards.”

“Don’t be so certain of your judgments,”Wilde says, “somehow I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of ourfriends by the great waters.”

~~~

Another day of walking and talking andoccasionally laughing passes by us, borne on the strange wings offate. It gets hotter as we go, the forest on either side of thewide swathe of grass we’re walking on thi

I see a prickler, standing alone and resolutelike a sentry into fire country. He taunts me as I pass; must befriends with Perry.

Suddenly, Wilde stops us. “I feel blessed bythe sun goddess to know all of you,” she says.

“Yer our sister, too,” Skye says.

I nod in agreement.

“Thank you,” she says. “I mean all of youthough, the Icers included.” Dazz raises an eyebrow and Buff smileswidely.

“We’re lucky to know you too,” Buff says.“All of you.”

“But I won’t force any of you to fight,”Wilde says. “Hiding is an option, and I won’t stop you if that’swhat you choose—there’s no shame in it.”

“Burn that,” Skye says. “I don’t know ’boutanyone else, but I’m fightin’. Our leaders have failed us. Ourfather, Head Greynote Roan, was selfish and arrogant. Scorch, KingGoff was a hysterical madman. And this Admiral Jones guy was thebiggest baggard of all, controlling the tribes like pieces on somegameslab. We gotta be better’n they were, unite together to fightfer our homes, our lives, our children and our children’s children.This is our home and we won’t give it up. I won’t give it up.”

“Unity,” Dazz says suddenly.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean,” Skye says. “We’restronger together’n apart.”

“We’re with you,” Dazz says, speaking for allof us. “We’re all with you.”

“The Unity Alliance,” Wilde says, trying itout. “The Tri-Tribes—the Marked, the Wildes, the Heaters—and nowthe Icers. Fighting together. Fighting for our lives. If you canconvince your people, Dazz, we can convince ours.”

“Consider it done,” Dazz says.

~~~

Although I think we all hate to do it, wesplit up when we reach the border of ice country. Dazz and Buffwill go back to their families—who, according to Wilde, are inbetter shape’n when we left: Dazz’s mother is still drug-free andhis sister is back to being a kid again, while Buff’s father iswalking, albeit with the help of a cane—and to update the new icecountry leadership on the situation. They’ll get as manyable-bodied men and women to fight with us as they can.

I watch Buff and Dazz trudge up the hill withmore fondness than I ever woulda thought possible.

Our fire country group splits too. Feve andCirc will take Jade back to the hidden Tri-Tribe village, whileWilde, Skye and me will meet with the spies. Wilde needs to get thelatest news, and Skye and me won’t let her go alone.

Leaving Jade again is the hardest thing inthe world, but she’ll be safer with them than anybody. “We’ll seeyou in two days, maybe three,” I say.

“I know,” Jade says, hugging me.

I hug her around the head, careful not totouch her healing back.

When we go I don’t look behind me ’cause I’mafraid I’ll run back.

It’s strange to be back in the desert again,’specially now that I know there’s so much else out there. And yet:The burnt landscape and dusty hills will always feel like home tome.

As the sun arcs high overhead, I watch thefew lazy clouds move like yellow sea ships across the red sky. Ahawk soars overhead, just above a rocky outcropping, which casts along shadow on the desert floor.

Skye walks between Wilde and me, sort of infront, setting the pace, being the leader that she is. We make forthe shadow of the boulders, desperate for a break from therelentless heat.

When we get closer, I notice a gap in theboulders. A hole, full of the deepest, darkest black I’ve everseen. A cave. And sticking out of the cave are—

—I can’t believe my own eyes—

—two pale-faced people, a girl and a guy.

I swear my heart stops for two beats, ’forepounding faster and harder’n a tug stampede.

T’others see them too, and Skye motions us tothe right, out of their direct line of sight, so we can sneak in alittle closer, getting into the shadows.

The girl is whiter’n the snow in ice country,her hair falling in long dark waves ’round her face. The guy’s hairis light, like yellow sand, wavy in parts, like the big pond—uh,ocean—in water country. We watch as they kiss each other, squintingand whispering and pointing at the sky.

Skye looks at me, at Wilde, and then clearsher throat, stepping out into the light. As Wilde and me stepforward along with her, I see the two pale-faced people twitch,their heads jerking to look at us, still squinting in the brightlight of day.

They stare at us, frozen, looking us up anddown and all around, like they don’t believe their eyes.

Skye says, “In the name of the sun goddess,tell me who you are,” her voice stronger’n and clearer’n I’ve everheard ’fore.

The girl’s mouth opens like she wants tospeak, but it’s the guy who says, “I’m Tristan Nailin, a sundweller, and this is Adele Rose, a moon dweller. We’ve come fromthe depths of the earth.”

~*~

Keep reading for an author’s note and a sneakpeek of the mind-blowing fourth and final book in The DwellersSaga, which doubles as the fourth and final book in The CountrySaga, The Earth Dwellers, coming September 5, 2013!

A personal note from David…

If you enjoyed this book, please, please,please (don’t make me get down on my knees and beg!) consideringleaving a positive review on the major book review sites.Without reviews on the major sites, I wouldn’t be able towrite for a living, which is what I love to do! Thanks for all yourincredible support and I look forward to reading your reviews.