Текст книги "Water & Storm Country"

Автор книги: David Estes

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Текущая страница: 20 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

Chapter Forty

Siena

I hold hands with Jade as the miles fall away under our feet. Jade wanted it to be the three of us holding hands, Skye included, but Skye said that’d be too wooloo, even for sisters. But she walks close to us, just listening with a half-smile on her face as Jade tells us stories, some that make us want to rush back and beat the living tugblaze out of the Soakers, some that make us laugh, and most that make us love her all the more. When she tells ’bout chucking her scrub brush at Huck, everyone laughs and Skye gives a “That’s my sister!” She looks like she wants to clap her on the back, too, but Jade’s still too injured and everyone’s scared to touch her.

I try not to think ’bout my mother—not much anyway—’cause each time she springs to mind I start to cry. She woulda loved to see the three of us t’gether again.

The guys, Circ and Feve and Dazz and Buff, along with Wilde, seem to realize we need some sister time, and they pretty much leave us alone, laughing and telling jokes and whatnot. It’s strange how well everyone’s getting along now, especially Dazz and Feve. I don’t know how I feel ’bout that, but after what happened on the journey to storm country, I guess I understand. Plus, I can’t really hold a grudge against Feve forever, can I? Not after all he’s done since his stupid mistakes.

When we make camp for the night, Jade finally stops talking and yawns, curling up on my lap ’fore Circ and Feve have even had a chance to make a fire. When the fire’s cracklin’ and the day is long gone, giving way to the moon and the stars of a cloudless night, Wilde tells us everything she’s been holding back while we prepared to leave storm country.

“Your father”—she motions to Circ—“arrived in ice country two days past. The Tri-Tribe spies have been watching the Glassies closely. As always, they were preparing for battle, getting their fire chariots shined up, cleaning and organizing their fire sticks. Nothing unusual.” She pauses, looks for questions. We just wait.

“The Glassies rode out in their chariots,” she continues, “and our spies followed them from a safe distance. They picked through the old village.”

“Thank the sun goddess we left,” I say.

She nods. “They would’ve killed us all. Our spies took a risk, got closer while the Glassies were combing through the village. They overheard things.”

“What sorts of things?” Circ says, sitting ’side me. He runs a hand through Jade’s hair, all delicate-like, his leg touching mine comfortingly.

“That we’re savages. That eventually we’ll turn on them. That if we aren’t exterminated we could ruin everything.”

“We’re savages?” Feve says. “We’re not the ones rampaging across fire country trying to murder every living thing.” I’d hate to be the stick he’s holding. He snaps it in four places, throwing each into the hottest part of the fire.

“I don’t know much about the Glassies,” Dazz interjects, “but none of this makes any sense. They always seemed peaceful 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 a baggard and a half.”

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

“The Glass City,” Wilde says. “A huge dome of glass. It keeps out the bad air somehow. They live longer than the rest 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 of us. They think we’ll attack them, maybe crack open their bubble, let the diseased air in. But it wasn’t just the people of fire country they were calling savages.”

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

“They spoke of the risk of the Icers too. How now that King Goff has been overthrown they can’t trust the people of ice country either. They said they want to cleanse the lands from the desert to the mountains to the sea.”

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

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

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

“And what of the Stormers and Soakers?” Buff asks.

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

“Cowards,” Feve says. “They’ll let us die against 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 fallen for 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 our friends by the great waters.”

~~~

Another day of walking and talking and occasionally laughing passes by us, borne on the strange wings of fate. It gets hotter as we go, the forest on either side of the wide swathe of grass we’re walking on thinning with each mile. The grass is disappearing too, giving way to hard-packed dirt, and eventually the beginnings of the desert.

I see a prickler, standing alone and resolute like a sentry into fire country. He taunts me as I pass; must be friends with Perry.

Suddenly, Wilde stops us. “I feel blessed by the 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 you though, the Icers included.” Dazz raises an eyebrow and Buff smiles widely.

“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’s what you choose—there’s no shame in it.”

“Burn that,” Skye says. “I don’t know ’bout anyone else, but I’m fightin’. Our leaders have failed us. Our father, Head Greynote Roan, was selfish and arrogant. Scorch, King Goff was a hysterical madman. And this Admiral Jones guy was the biggest baggard of all, controlling the tribes like pieces on some gameslab. We gotta be better’n they were, unite together to fight fer 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’re stronger together’n apart.”

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

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

“Consider it done,” Dazz says.

~~~

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

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

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

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

“I know,” Jade says, hugging me.

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

When we go I don’t look behind me ’cause I’m afraid 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 to me.

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

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

When we get closer, I notice a gap in the boulders. A hole, full of the deepest, darkest black I’ve ever seen. 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, ’fore pounding faster and harder’n a tug stampede.

T’others see them too, and Skye motions us to the right, out of their direct line of sight, so we can sneak in a little 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 hair is light, like yellow sand, wavy in parts, like the big pond—uh, ocean—in water country. We watch as they kiss each other, squinting and whispering and pointing at the sky.

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

They stare at us, frozen, looking us up and down 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 ever heard ’fore.

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

~*~

Keep reading for an author’s note and a sneak peek of the mind-blowing fourth and final book in The Dwellers Saga, which doubles as the fourth and final book in The Country Saga, 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!) considering leaving a positive review on the major book review sites. Without reviews on the major sites, I wouldn’t be able to write for a living, which is what I love to do! Thanks for all your incredible support and I look forward to reading your reviews.

Acknowledgments

Thank you thank you thank you to the READERS of both the Dwellers Saga and the Country Saga (or both). You and you alone make me want to write forever and ever!

Thanks to the awesomeness who is my wife, Adele, who pushes me to be better, to try harder, to never give up. I’ve stepped through so many important doors in my life because of you.

Another BIG thanks to Rhomy at Black Lion Book Tours, who once again got things kicked off the right way with a fun and amazing blog tour. Your enthusiasm and optimism is contagious!

To Regina Wamba, my cover artist, you absolutely nailed the third cover. The three together are an absolute work of art that represent the series so well.

Thank you to my beta team, most of whom have been around for all six books in the combined series so far. The following people should be recorded in the ship’s annals as being AWESOMESAUCE: Laurie Love, Alexandria Theodosopoulos, Kerri Hughes, Terri Thomas, Lolita Verroen, Rachel Schade, Brooke DelVecchio and Anthony Briggs Jr.

And finally, to my street team, you rock! My ARCs couldn’t possibly have a better home than in front of your eyes. If you didn’t get the word out, I’d be poor and homeless (well, more poor and homeless than I already am).

The saga continues in other books by David Estes available through the author’s official website:

http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com

or through select online retailers including Smashwords.com.

Young-Adult Books by David Estes

The Dwellers Saga:

Book One—The Moon Dwellers

Book Two—The Star Dwellers

Book Three—The Sun Dwellers

Book Four—The Earth Dwellers (Coming September 5, 2013!)

The Country Saga (A Dwellers Saga sister series):

Book One—Fire Country

Book Two—Ice Country

Book Three—Water and Storm Country

Book Four—The Earth Dwellers (Coming September 5, 2013!)

The Witch Wars:

Book One—Brew (Coming December 12, 2013!)

The Evolution Trilogy:

Book One—Angel Evolution

Book Two—Demon Evolution

Book Three—Archangel Evolution

Children’s Books by David Estes

The Adventures of Nikki Powergloves:

Nikki Powergloves—A Hero Is Born

Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council

Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers

Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure

Nikki Powergloves vs. the Power Outlaws (Coming soon!)

Connect with David Estes Online

David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite

Facebook

Blog/website

About the Author

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife and soul mate, Adele, who he’s now been happily married to for more than two years.

A reader all his life, David began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and has completed 15 novels, 13 of which have been published. In June of 2012, David became a fulltime writer and is now travelling the world with Adele while he writes books, and she writes and takes photographs.

David gleans inspiration from all sorts of crazy places, like watching random people do entertaining things, dreams (which he jots copious notes about immediately after waking up), and even from thin air sometimes!

David’s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, an obsessive Goodreads group member, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. He loves responding to e-mails, Facebook messages, Tweets, blog comments, and Goodreads comments from his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

THE EARTH DWELLERS

BOOK 4 OF BOTH THE DWELLERS SAGA AND THE COUNTRY SAGA

Available anywhere e-books are sold on September 5, 2013!

The Earth Dwellers will cap off an eighteen month journey that has taken me from unknown Indie author to still-mostly-unknown fulltime Indie author. The change is a subtle one for most people, but for me it’s a dream come true. To the hundreds (and now maybe even thousands!) of readers who have come along for the ride with me, either by reading the Dwellers Saga, the Country Saga, or both, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now down to business. There may be some of you who have only read the three books in the Country Saga, and are now thinking you’ll read The Earth Dwellers, which is supposedly the 4^th book in the Country Saga, even if the title sounds a bit funny. Well, that’s awesome! However, I must highly recommend that before reading The Earth Dwellers that you read the three books of the Dwellers Saga: The Moon Dwellers, The Star Dwellers, and The Sun Dwellers. Trust me, doing so will greatly enhance your experience, as The Earth Dwellers will be taking significant characters from both series and crashing them together (yes, like a water country wave) into an action-packed tale of struggle and loss and hope and friendship…and maybe a little love, too ;)

Anyway, that’s my advice, it’s up to you what to do with it. In any case, thanks for being a part of my own adventure, I’m a better person for having written stories for you!

Recommended Reading prior to The Earth Dwellers

Fire Country

Ice Country

Water & Storm Country

The Moon Dwellers

The Star Dwellers

The Sun Dwellers

A SNEAK PEEK

THE EARTH DWELLERS

BOOK 4 OF BOTH THE DWELLERS SAGA AND THE COUNTRY SAGA

Available anywhere e-books are sold September 5th, 2013!

Chapter One

Adele

I blink against the blinding sun and the crimson sky and the birds wheeling overhead, and they’re still there. My mind is spinning, remembering: the long journey with Tristan through the rock-surrounded shaft, the exhilarating walk down the tunnel to end all tunnels, the thrill of stepping out onto the surface of the earth, of kissing Tristan, of breathing the real, real air.

And then the three girls appearing, as if from nowhere. But no, they stepped from the shadow of the very rock looming behind us. The middle one asked a question—something about who we are and a sun goddess, right?—one that’s still hanging in the air, patiently awaiting an answer.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out; not a breath, not a word, not a sound.

Thankfully, Tristan answers for the both of us. “I’m Tristan Nailin, a sun dweller, and this is Adele Rose, a moon dweller. We’ve come from the depths of the earth.”

The girls just stare at us for a moment, the two on the sides not smiling, but not frowning either—just staring, like we’re covered in filth. The one in the middle, however, is wearing a thick scowl, her eyebrows bent and threatening to pinch her nose. I want to look away, to avert my eyes under their scrutiny, but I don’t. I stare right back.

They’re wearing very little clothing, just small swatches of material that appears to be some kind of animal skin around their chests and torsos. They’re beautiful and dark and, strangely, remind me of Cole—who I haven’t thought of in a long time—not because of their skin, which is several shades lighter than his shadowy complexion, but because of the undercurrent of energy that seems to surround them, both dangerous and exciting and the kind you want on your side. Especially the middle one, the frowner, who is musclier than I am, her toned, tanned arms hanging loosely at her sides.

And then not.

In a split second she’s managed to whip out a long blade, glinting in the sun.

“Now Skye,” the tall one beside her says, her voice smooth and almost soothing. She reaches out a hand and touches it gently to the middle girl’s arm. Skye, I assume.

“They’re burnin’ Glassy baggards, Wilde,” Skye says, her eyes darting between Tristan and me.

“We don’t know that,” Wilde says, a firmness in her tone.

Shaking off Wilde’s hand on her arm, Skye takes a step forward, spinning her blade casually. “Yer from the Glass City,” she says. Not a question.

“No,” Tristan says.

“Yes,” she says. “Only the Glassies are vomited from the earth.” Welcome to Earth, I think wryly.

“No.” Tristan again, but there’s less conviction in his voice now. This girl’s out of her mind, about two pebbles short of a cave-in. She won’t listen no matter what we say. She’s convinced we’re these “Glassies”. Whoever they are, they must be her enemies.

For the first time, I’m thankful Tristan and I thought to bring our swords to the surface, for protection. Though I prefer to fight with my fists, or a staff, like my father taught me, when facing the sharp-edge of a blade wielded by a crazy woman, I’ll take my sword.

Before she can take another step, I reach over my shoulder and slide the sharp steel weapon from the sheath running down my spine. “Back off. We’re not who you think we are.” My voice is a growl, rumbling from my chest.

The girl called Wilde—who, despite her name, seems the calmest and most in control—steps forward, one hand outstretched toward me and the other once more on crazy-girl’s arm. “There’s no need for that,” she says to me.

“Tell that to Short-Fuse over there,” I say, pointing the tip of my sword in Skye’s direction.

In the time it takes me to blink, I’ve got an arrow aimed at my heart, nocked on the bow of the third girl, the skinny one, who I’d almost forgotten about. From my training in archery with the star dwellers, I can tell she knows how to use it. I can’t count on her to miss.

“Whoa, whoa,” Tristan says, extracting his own sword from his belt. “We all need to just calm down.”

“Then tell your Glassy friend to stop pointing her searin’ sword at my sister,” the skinny girl says. So she’s the sister of the crazy one. Let’s hope insanity doesn’t run in their family.

I glance at Tristan and he nods. I lower my sword halfway, but not enough that I can’t defend myself if Skye takes a swipe at me.

“Good, that’s a start,” Wilde says. “Now you, Skye.”

Skye flashes an annoyed look in Wilde’s direction, but lowers her blade to the same level as mine. Despite her more relaxed stance, the tension remains in her body, her muscles taut, her knuckles splotched with white as they grip the hilt of her weapon.

“And you, Siena,” Wilde says. Siena. The sister. Wilde, Skye and Siena. Earth dwellers.

Siena continues to peer at me down the length of her arrow and I can’t help but hold my breath. All she has to do is release it and I’m dead. Whose stupid idea was it to come to the earth’s surface anyway? Oh right, it was mine.

“Siena!” Wilde says sharply, and the skinny girl lowers her aim, releasing the arrow with a dull thwock, embedding it into the dry earth.

“We don’t want to fight,” Tristan says, lowering his own weapon. Speak for yourself, I think. The way Skye continues to glare at me makes me want to crack a forearm shiver across her jaw. Why does she hate us so much? She doesn’t even know us.

Skye shifts her death stare to Tristan. “You shoulda thought of that ’fore you murdered our people, ’fore you declared war on the Tri-Tribes.”

Murder? War? The Glassies. “The Glassies murdered your people,” I say.

“Don’t play wooloo,” Skye says. “You were probably there with the rest of ’em.”

“We don’t even know who the Glassies are,” Tristan says. “I swear it.”

“Swear on the sun goddess,” Siena says. She pulls another arrow out of the pouch strapped to her back. Doesn’t nock it, just holds it. Like a warning. Lie and die.

“I don’t know who the sun goddess is,” I say, “but I’ll swear on her and my life and the life of my mother and sister, too, if that’s what it takes for you people to listen.”

Skye suddenly stabs her sword into the ground. Chews on her lip. Sighs, as if exhausted. “If yer not Glassies, who the scorch are you? Yer as white as the snow-capped mountains of ice country, but yer not Icers—not dressed like that. And yer not Soakers, ’cause yer not freckly and don’t smell like the big waters. With yer pale skin, you can only be Glassies. And what in the big-balled Tug are you wearin’ over yer eyes and on yer heads? Looks like somethin’ them Glassies would wear, ain’t no mistaking.”

“Dammit!” I say, shoving my own sword into the ground. I’m angry and the sun isn’t helping—it’s hotter than I ever could’ve imagined, drawing sweat out of my skin like I’ve been running laps around the girls in front of us, rather than just standing here across from them. “We’re not freaking Glassies!” I rip my sunglasses off, but the light is so bright I have to shut my eyes, so I put them right back on. The brim of my hat casts a shadow down to my chin. Amidst the confrontation, I’d forgotten we were wearing them until Skye pointed it out.

“Adele, stay cool,” Tristan says, sliding his sword into his belt. Turning to our adversaries, he says, “Forgive us, we’re not used to the heat, the sun. We just came up here to have a look around. We don’t know who the Glassies ar—” He stops suddenly, like he’s been slapped. “The Glassies…” he murmurs, almost under his breath, trailing off.

“Tristan,” I say. “What is it?”

“Adele and Tristan,” Skye mutters, “what kinds of names are those?”

I ignore her, my attention fixed on Tristan, whose eyebrow is raised to the red sky. “Oh no,” he breathes.

“What?” I ask again.

“I think the Glassies are the earth dwellers,” he says.