The Moon Dwellers

Suddenly the wall gives way to my left. “This way,” I hiss, turning the corner and continuing to use the wall as a guide. I know our only hope is to make enough turns that they’ll have to continuously split up to ensure they don’t miss us.

“Faster,” I whisper. I pick up the pace, moving rapidly along the wall. Roc is awesome, obeying my commands to perfection and moving noiselessly behind me.

“Switch sides,” I say, pushing off from the wall and wandering blindly until I find the wall on the opposite side.

I hear voices behind us. They aren’t cries from the chase anymore—more like a discussion. Deciding what to do at the side tu

It comes soon, leading off diagonally to the right. “Bear right,” I say, moving into a new tu

I move even faster, ru

Because of fate, or the blessings of a higher power, or just plain old dumb luck, none of those things happen. In fact, the best possible thing happens: we reach a small tu

“Hub,” I say for Roc’s benefit. “Count with me. We’ll take the third side tu

“Yes, sir,” Roc says, managing to mock me even in the worst situation.

I pass a gap in the hub wall. “One,” I say.

“One,” Roc parrots.

The next gap is almost immediately after the first. “Two.”

“Two.”

The third gap is a bit further, but only by a yard or two. “Three,” I say, cutting sharply to the right.

I barely hear Roc’s muffled, “Three,” as the floor drops away beneath me.

Chapter Fifteen

Adele

I wonder how much of attraction is based on looks. I’d never felt anything for Tristan before—not from seeing his pictures on billboards, at least. But now I feel pulled toward him. It’s everything: his looks, his smile, the way he carries himself, those eyes that look at me with an intensity, a yearning, as though without me he will surely perish. The way he said my name—Adele!—his tone filled with such longing.

I can’t hope that he survived the encounter with Rivet and his men. But I can’t stop thinking about him either, which is dangerous. I feel like I need to start detaching my mind from him or I’ll go crazy. Easier said than done.

Elsey is saying something beside me, but I’m not listening. Then I realize her head is cocked to the side and she is staring at me as we walk. She’s asked me a question.

“Wha…what?” I say. She gives me a look. “Sorry, I’m just a little…distracted.”

“Have you met Tristan before?” Elsey isn’t helping with my little detachment project.

“No,” I say.

“Then how’d he know your name?”

“From the news I s’pose.”

“Do you think he’s de—”

“No!” I exclaim, louder than I’d pla

“Sorry,” I whisper. “No more talking for now, El.”

We walk for the next three hours in silence. We don’t take any side tu

When my back begins to ache so badly from the awkward posture that I think I can’t go any further, I hear an elated cry ahead of me. I hasten my steps, realizing I’ve fallen quite far behind. A minute or so later, the tu

I gasp at the wall of water before us. Our path is completely blocked by a waterfall, streaming so effortlessly from above that it appears as smooth as a mirror, the surface marred only by Tawni’s hand, which is stuck into the flow.

“It’s cold,” she a

After our long day of marching, we don’t need further invitation. We line up along the waterfall, drinking until the water is dribbling down our chins, soaking our clothes. It feels wonderful. After we satisfy our thirst, we wash our arms and legs and faces, feeling refreshed for the first since escaping the Pen.

It is as good a place as any to stop, so we do, rationing the food in our packs, which are feeling lighter and lighter.

“What should we do?” Tawni asks. I dread backtracking, trying to find another tu

“I’m going to see what’s behind that waterfall,” I say, standing up.

“Be careful,” Tawni cautions, “it might drop into a pit.”

“Cole, hold me back,” I say.

Cole joins me at the waterfall and holds my left arm with two hands, lowering himself into a well-leveraged crouch.

I push my hand into the streaming water. It tickles my skin and splashes me in the face, so I turn my head to avoid getting water in my eyes. I force my arm further in, until the water is hitting my elbow, and then my shoulder. Still my hand hasn’t made it through.

“You got me?” I say.

“Yeah,” Cole grunts, straining a bit. “Not too much further though.”

With a deep breath, I duck my head into the icy stream, gasping slightly when the water hits me. All of my weight is being held by Cole now, as I lean over the edge of whatever abyss the falls empty in to.

And then I am through. Although the water is all around me, I can tell that my fingers aren’t being pelted anymore. Mission accomplished. I try to lean back, but gravity’s hold is too strong. In fact, I feel like I’m being pulled downwards. Behind me I can feel Cole’s fingers slipping off my arm as water pours down my head and shoulder.

I am going forward, not back, that much I know. If I let myself simply slip from Cole’s grasp, I will fall awkwardly, potentially hitting my head on a rock, and will most definitely end up taking a dive to wherever all the water is going. I have no other choice.

I wrench my arm free from Cole and leap.

The water pummels me from above as I fly through the air. It is like the liquid has suddenly grown arms and is grabbing at me, trying to pull me down. For all I know, there might be nothing behind the waterfall, just a big dark void, spiraling downward all the way to the earth’s molten core.

My foot lands on something hard and twists to the side. I let out a slight cry and tumble over, ski