The Moon Dwellers

Ziiiip! Something whirrs through the air, sounding odd next to the raucous cries of Rivet’s men. “ARGH!” one of the men roars. Rivet and I both risk a glance away from each other to see what is happening. A large guy with a patch over one eye is slumped to his knees and clutching his heart. A sixteen-inch shaft protrudes from his left breast, fi

A chorus of zips and whirrs fills the air as arrows rain down on us. Realizing we are under attack by a seemingly deadlier foe than Rivet, I grab Roc and thrust him down, falling next to him flat. Cries of pain echo through the cavern as each of Rivet’s guards is taken out by precision targeting. Not one arrow so much as grazes our skin. They aren’t shooting at us—at least not yet.

I hunt for Rivet, but he is gone, either having lurked off or dove for cover somewhere. It is too much to hope that he’s been killed along with his men. I scan the bodies anyway, looking for their leader. He isn’t amongst the dead. I finally spot him by pure luck, as a stray beam of dome light catches the tip of his sword as he skulks off, escaping over a rock embankment and back toward the slums.

I stay down, preferring not to be mistaken for one of Rivet’s men.

Our saviors approach, their faces cloaked in shadow by dark-brimmed hats. Most of them clutch bows, cocked and ready to kill, while others have swords, like us.

The leader stands over me, his sword pointed close to my chin.

“I’ll be damned,” he says. “If it ain’t Prince Nailin himself. If I hadn’t heard the news this mornin’, I’d never have believed it. You’ll make a pretty prize for the star dwellers indeed.”

Chapter Thirteen

Adele

No beast of reality, or creature of imagination, is as terrible as mankind. Or as loving. It’s a contradiction. I’ve always liked contradictions. Today I see both sides of the coin unveiled in gruesome and beautiful imagery, captured by my eyes and filed away in my mind, like still shots taken by a world-renowned photographer.

First the terrible: Rivet. I can see the bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes at the end of the alley. He shouts something, to his men most likely, and then comes after us.

I am surprised when I catch up to Elsey first. She was in the lead, but is now falling behind as Cole’s powerful legs and Tawni’s long strides outdistance her. I urge her forward with a soft nudge on her back. I have no idea where her shortcut leads, but I hope it will be to a place we can hide.

Hiding is our only option. Fighting will be futile, as Rivet will have a horde of men with him, armed to the teeth and ready for action.

In the distance I see Cole and Tawni drop out of sight, presumably cresting a rise and banking down a slope. Glancing back, I can see Rivet gaining on us, flanked by his men. They look like robots, rigidly pumping their arms opposite their strides, programmed to obey only one command: kill.

“Go, Elsey, go!” I urge, trying to use my mind to magically lengthen her short legs.

We reach the spot where the others dropped away and feel gravity pull us forward, down a steep slope. Dusk is falling upon us rapidly—the overhead cavern lights dimming—and it is getting hard to see our feet on the gray stone. A sprained ankle or a slight stumble could cost us our lives.

Thankfully, our steps are true and we reach the bottom of the slope, veering left to where another trail leads up to a cave mouth. Cole and Tawni are waiting for us at the top.

I shouldn’t look back, but I do. Rivet is already halfway down the hill, having silently sped up, moving inhumanly fast, as if sensing that an end to the chase is near.

Elsey and I try to find an extra gear to allow us to reach the top of our slope before Rivet reaches the bottom of his, although I know in my heart the feat is impossible. We are caught and I know it, but I wasn’t raised to be a quitter. We push on. My thighs burn and my calves ache. My head is throbbing from the physical and mental stress of the chase.

I glance up to see how close we are to the top. I’ll never forget the look on my friends’ faces. They are staring past me, toward our pursuers. But their faces aren’t those of helpless prey about to be captured; rather, they look astonished, their eyebrows raised and mouths open.

We reach the top and I look back.

I involuntarily imitate their expressions, raising my own eyebrows and opening my own mouth. I am genuinely shocked by what I see.

Rivet is on the ground, rolling to a stop. Has he fallen? I don’t think so. A simple misstep wouldn’t capture Cole’s and Tawni’s attention so completely.

That’s when I see him.

Despite the dim lighting, I recognize him instantly. He is carrying a long sword, standing stoically, waiting to fight Rivet. His blond, wavy hair is ruffled, but in my mind not a single hair is out of place. He looks strong, confident, heroic. Clearly, he has saved us. So he is a hero of sorts.

He looks at me, locking eyes. A wave of emotion washes over me. He screams my name: “Adele!” At first I think he is beckoning me to him, but his second word clears up any confusion: “Run!”

Despite the urgency in his tone I remain frozen, watching what will happen next.

Rivet attacks, launching himself with an animal frenzy at Tristan. In a ma

Protectively, Tristan holds the other guy back with one arm while parrying and dodging Rivet’s strokes. The rest of Rivet’s men arrive, surrounding them. No! I think.

We have to do something. He’s saved us and now he’s going to die for us.

I take a step forward, but a strong arm holds me back. “No,” Cole says firmly. “We have to go. It’s suicide.”

I try to struggle free, but Cole’s grip is iron. Tears spring up as I try to wriggle away. “Let go!” I yell. “Please, they’re going to kill him!”

Tawni’s face appears in front of me. She pulls Elsey beside her. “Think of your sister,” she says.

My body collapses, all fight gone from it. As much as I am willing to throw my life away in an effort to save Tristan, I know I can’t abandon Elsey. Not after all she’s been through. Not after all we have been through. I am all she has. And she is all I have.

I let myself get half-dragged, half-carried into the absolute darkness of the cave. I feel numb. Tears continue to well up and stream down my face, but they feel cold, emotionless, a neurological response to a stimulus, nothing more.

I barely notice as we cut a random path through the cave network. In the back of my mind I know we are in the Lonely Caverns. Although we haven’t necessarily meant to come this way, it is the perfect place to hide from Rivet. I remember the kids at school telling stories of the Lonely Caves, how kids are always getting lost in them, dying of starvation, or falling down bottomless pits. I used to fear the caves, but now they feel like a sanctuary.

I can hear Cole and Tawni whispering, making quick decisions about which side tu

But listening to the sounds of their voices also helps.

Eventually I get control of my body and am able to save Cole a lot of effort by walking on my own again. When I do, Elsey appears by my side, illuminated by a flashlight she is carrying. I notice that I have one as well—we all do. Fu