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  His face flushed from his sprint, Jason strolled back, catching his breath. No need to run now, not for another twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes.

  Charley’s eyes stayed closed.

  “Hang on, Charley,” I murmured. “We’re almost there.”

  Leaving the black sand, I wove through the trees, grateful for the shortcut through the cliff. Almost running but not, I kept one foot on the ground, trying not to jostle Charley. Soon I saw the ring of A-frames. Close enough to see people by the water, too far for them to hear. I’d just left the cliff behind when Jason caught up with me, loaded with his gear and mine. And Charley’s.

  “Now what?” he huffed.

  “Find Natalie,” I said. “Tell her about Kevin and Charley. Tell her we need help. Tell her about Kevin first!”

  With a nod, he took off, running almost as fast as when he chased the gate. But this time his head was high, and he was grinning like a fool.

  I looked down at Charley. Her golden eyes were still closed.

  “Hey, Charley,” I whispered. “Welcome to Nil City.”

  CHAPTER

  11

  THAD

  DAY 278, AFTER NOON

  The sound wave hit us before we reached the City’s edge. Whoops and cheers blasted through the air; news of Kevin’s success was spreading fast.

  Charley didn’t move.

  Natalie came running, tears streaming down her smiling face. But when she got a solid look at Charley, her grin faded. Eyes on Charley, Nat shifted into full-on command mode, one step shy of barking orders.

  “That’s a lot of blood, but head injuries bleed so much, it’s hard to tell how bad it really is,” Natalie said as we walked toward the A-frames. “She might have a concussion. Someone needs to stay with her tonight and wake her every few hours.”

  I almost interrupted to tell her I knew all about concussions, but she was on a roll so I let her go. I’d smacked my head into a tree snowboarding when I was thirteen, knocked myself out, then spent the entire night throwing up—and that was with a helmet. Without one, I’d have died for sure. I still wear a helmet when I board. Or did.

  Nil had snow, but I’d never touched it. It dusted the peak of the tallest mountain, and we didn’t have the clothes or the gear to play on it. A snowcapped mountain, a total Nil tease.

  Charley moaned, and I cut Natalie off mid-sentence. “Let’s get her settled,” I said, praying I hadn’t shaken Charley on the way back and made her concussion worse. The sooner I could lay her down, the better. “Where?”

  “My house,” Natalie said. “I’ll clean up her head and stay with her.”

  “I’ll stay,” I said quickly.

  She looked at me, curiously. “Not yet. Rives needs you. He and Bart got into it about watch. Someone needs to settle Bart down.” Natalie grinned. “As in you.”

  Bart. Charley and Bart, two polar opposites—the contrast was vintage Nil. Bart was like a gnat, the kind that buzzed around your ear, persistent and annoying, regardless of how many times you swatted it away. Right now the last person I wanted to deal with was Bart, and he was the one pulling me away from Charley. Classic.

  Slipping into Nat’s A-frame, Charley in my arms, I moved toward the bed on the right.

  “No!” Natalie jumped to block me. “Not that bed. This one.” She pointed to the other bed.

  “Nat, you’re killing me,” I groaned as I stumbled to the other bed, which looked exactly like the first. My forearms were dying; my quads weren’t much better. Sometimes Nat’s leadership slipped into irritating bossiness, like now. The bed didn’t matter; Charley did.

  Once Charley was settled, Natalie went to work treating Charley’s gash. Neosporin and Motrin would have been great, but we were stuck with salt water and deadleaf. I watched Natalie wrap a cloth around her own hand, then pick up a handful of mashed deadleaf and press it against Charley’s wound. Throughout Natalie’s doctoring, Charley never moved.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” I stared at Charley’s closed eyes. “She’s totally out.”

  “I think so. Her cut’s not that bad. She’s really thin and probably dehydrated, not to mention exhausted. Twelve days is a long time.” Holding the deadleaf compress steady, Natalie used her free hand to gently brush hair away from Charley’s eyes. The simple kindness of it made my throat tight. Like Rives said, Nat was a good girl.

  As if she’d read my thoughts, Natalie looked up, smiling. “When I saw her earlier, it took me back to the day I stumbled into the City, and I’d only been wandering three days. Twelve! No wonder she’s so skinny. I’d kill for her legs, though.”

  I couldn’t help glancing at Charley’s legs. They were covered by a thin sheet, but I remembered them being long, lean, and sexy as hell. My mind flashed back to Charley on the beach, then bloody in my arms.

  Open your eyes, I thought. Open your eyes so I know you’re okay.

  “Thad?”

  Natalie was staring at me.

  “Yeah?” I cleared my mind, or tried to.

  “Anyone else back?”

  “Not that I know of. But I saw today’s gate. It flashed at Black Bay. Jason almost caught it. He was close.”

  Natalie sighed. “Close doesn’t count. And if you saw the gate, it means Samuel didn’t catch it either. Or Li.”

  “Nope. Or anyone else.” I shot Natalie a pointed look. “So you’ll head out tomorrow?”

  “The next. I want to stay for the Nil Night.”

  “Okay.” I looked back at Charley, who was either unconscious or asleep. “Anything I can do for her?”

  Natalie cocked her head at me. “Not right now. She needs rest and water. Tell you what. How about I sit with Charley until you get back? You go take care of business, then take over. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  As I rose, Natalie said, “Thad. One more thing.” Her soft voice was choked. “Will you carve for Kevin?”

  The tightness in my throat was back. “I’d be honored.”

  She nodded her thanks and gave me a silent wave.

  It was my second trip to the Wall today, only this one was eminently more satisfying than the first. Going straight to Kevin’s name, I took pleasure in carving a check beside it. His empty space had been waiting long enough. Congratulations, man. You did it.

  The edginess was gone.

  Off to find Rives, I bumped into Samuel, my roommate who’d left early this morning to Search near the lava fields. His dark skin dripped water, and it wasn’t rain, not on this side of the island.

  “Sorry, man,” I said, reaching out to clasp his hand. “Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Maybe.” Samuel nodded, reflexively. “I thought I saw one. I went at it, hard.” He shook his head, his disappointment still fresh. We’d all run for false alarms. “But hey”—he forced a grin—“I’ve got time. Twenty-nine days, but who’s counting?”

  “Right.” We both laughed, because the answer was everyone.

  “You hear about Kevin?”

  “No.” Samuel’s face closed. “What’s the word?”

  I grinned. “He made it. A girl found his clothes in the red lava field.”

  And just like that, hope was back. “All right.” Samuel nodded, cracking a smile. “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Absolutely. We’ll make it.” I clasped Samuel’s hand.

  “We’ve got to, man,” he said, his smile fading, his grip crushing. “We’ve got to.”

  I nodded, feeling abruptly intense, like he’d handed me his urgency.

  “I’m gonna surf.” Samuel looked at the water. “Wanna go?”

  “Already did. It’s choppy, but decent.”

  Samuel waved. I watched him go, knowing there was nothing Samuel could do until tomorrow’s noon. Nothing but wait.

  And surf.

  Behind Samuel, a head-high swell pitched and rolled. It peeled down the line, crisp and full, cleaner than this morning. Much cleaner. The wind, I realized. It had shifted. The crosswind was gone, taking
the chop with it, like the ocean was celebrating Kevin’s verdict too.

  As I scanned the ocean, I spotted Rives. The sooner I could talk to Rives and deal with Bart, the sooner I could get back to Charley.

  “Wait up, man,” I called to Samuel. “I’m in.”

  We trotted over to the stash of boards propped by the Shack. Finless wooden planks, made by someone who was here before me and which will be used by others after I’m gone—unless I break the board, which I sure as hell better not do. Breaking a board feels like bad karma, and God knows we don’t need any more of that.

  I grabbed my favorite, the thinnest one, about two and a half meters long. No fins to carve with, but that’s okay. My Burton boards back home don’t have fins either, and they shred the snow just fine. Water, snow. Whatever. Give me a board, and I’m good to go. It’s the best part of Nil.

  Or was.

  I thought of Charley and her golden eyes full of fire. I replayed the morning until we hit sand.

  “Time to thread the needle,” Samuel said.

  “Absolutely.” I nodded.

  There were two heaps of black rocks, like bookends, where we always put in to paddle out. You get a sick rush heading out that way, because you have to time the waves or risk getting crushed, and if there’s one thing about Nil that I get—I mean really get, way down deep in my core—it’s that she’s all about the timing.

  I shot through the walls of black, scoring a surge of survival stoke, and worked my way through the swells. Close to shore, Rives bailed in the flats. Bart was nowhere in sight. Not surprising since he didn’t surf, but I’d guessed he’d be around, trying to make his case to Rives. Or worse, to me.

  Beyond the break, I waited for Rives to paddle back out. For the first time in days, the lineup was packed. With people, with energy. With the heady vibe that Kevin had made it. It was killer, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking about Charley.

  Charley, standing on the beach, chin raised in defiance.

  Charley, studying my face, ready to bolt.

  Charley, lying on the bed, knocked out cold.

  “Rives!” I waved him over.

  “Hey, bro,” he said, pulling up on his sled. “Already heard. Good news travels fast.” He grinned.

  “Definitely. Listen, what’s the deal with Bart?” I asked. The sooner I could settle it, the sooner I could get back to Charley. “Nat said you guys got into it about watch?”

  Rives nodded, looking pissed, which was rare. “Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I came outside. Bart was sacked out by the fire. I’m talking full-on REM. All but two torches were out. I woke him up, told him to get his butt in bed, that I’d finish watch myself. Told him I’d talk to him after I cooled down. So this morning we had a little come-to-Jesus meeting. I told him he was off watch duty. That for someone so eager to get out on Search, he was doing a piss-poor job of showing he was worth taking. I mean, would you want Bart as your support? When he sleeps on watch?” Rives shook his head, disgusted. “Especially when, for all we know, the tiger’s still out there, prowling around. And by now that kitty’s hungry.”

  Rives shrugged, his anger waning. He never stayed pissed for long. “Anyway, that’s how we left it. He’s still whining. I’m just over it. But, listen.” Now Rives looked uncomfortable. “There’s something else. And it happened last night, on Bart’s watch.”

  CHAPTER

  12

  CHARLEY

  DAY 13, DAWN

  I opened my eyes, and for one terrifying minute, I had absolutely no clue where I was.

  Then yesterday rushed back. The encounter with Thad … me falling. Glimpses of Thad and a girl with strawberry-blond hair intermingled with pain and thirst, all locked in a fog of exhaustion. Snippets of Em’s sweet voice wove through my memories, coupled with the taste of fruity Sprite and liquid grass. Apparently I’d hit my head harder than I thought.

  I sat up gingerly. My head felt sore, but I’d expected worse. I lay on a bed made of who-knows-what, covered by a thin sheet in a small house with open sides. Half walls of black rock supported wood framing, topped with a thatched roof. Air brushed my cheek, cool and salty. It smelled like morning.

  To my left was another bed, where a girl with strawberry-blond hair was curled under a speckled blanket, sleeping. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were tucked under her cheek. She looked fragile and, if possible, more tired than me.

  The only other furniture was a primitive chair and a small table. Resting on top was a gourd and a half of a coconut, which I realized was a cup. Suddenly my mouth felt drier than a box of cotton balls, and I forgot about the ache in my head. Please be water. Please be full.

  Lifting the gourd, my hands trembled. I tipped the gourd toward the coconut-shell cup, thrilled to see water pour out. Crisp and fruity, it was nearly as refreshing as Sprite.

  After drinking my fill, I slipped outside.

  I stood at the edge of a ring of open thatched huts. A massive firepit sat center stage, its embers smoldering. Several lit torches surrounded the fire. The ocean wasn’t far; I could hear the waves. The sky was a hazy greenish blue, the color that seeps through the night just before the sun burns the darkness away. The air was cool, slightly breezy, and silent, reminding me of every breaking dawn for the last twelve days.

  But for the first time, I wasn’t alone.

  Past the last hut stood a boy, his back to me. He faced a massive wooden sign made of long boards stretching between tall posts and bearing rows of carvings. The boy was tracing the carvings with one hand. The confident slant of his broad shoulders was familiar; so was the golden hair touching his shoulders. His bare back formed a perfect V. At the same moment I recognized the boy as Thad, he turned around.

  Seeing me, he smiled and walked toward me. I just stood there gawking, not speaking. It was like I’d had too many shocks and could no longer regroup, especially not this early. Thad didn’t say anything either, which seemed kind of weird. He just kept walking, his eyes on mine.

  “Morning, Charley,” he whispered. He was so close now that I could touch him, not that I did, and suddenly I understood his silence had been in consideration for everyone sleeping in the open rock houses. “How’s your head?”

  “It feels like I hit it with a rock.” My soft tone matched his.

  He smiled. “More like a small boulder.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it,” I whispered, returning his grin. “I don’t remember.”

  Thad’s grin faltered. “Yeah. I figured. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.”

  A flash of Thad sitting beside me filled my head. “Did you sit with me last night?”

  He nodded. “Natalie and I took turns checking on you.”

  “Natalie?” I frowned. “Was that the girl in the other bed?”

  “Yeah. She doctored you up last night.” He paused. “Hey, do you want to take a bath?”

  “With you?” I blurted, shocked.

  He fought a laugh. “No, not with me, although I think I should come along to make sure you don’t pass out again and drown.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was serious. I’d never been good at gauging sarcasm.

  “Natalie thought when you woke up you’d like to take a bath. And now you’re awake. So…” Thad grinned. “Bath?”

  Did I stink? It was too horrible to think about, especially since Thad looked like he was ready for an island photo shoot. Even without a mirror, I knew I looked scary dirty.

  “Okay, but I didn’t pack any soap,” I whispered.

  “Got it covered. As long as you don’t mind smelling like a coconut. We’re out of guava.”

  Again, I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me.

  “Gee, I really was hoping for guava,” I said. “Or at least kiwi.”

  “Kiwis don’t grow on the island, at least not that I’ve seen. Hang on. Be right back.”

  Where would I go? I wondered, watching Thad duck into the hut beside mine. What island?

  Thad reapp
eared. Now he carried a brown satchel, its strap slung across his chest, making his shoulders look even broader.

  Ignoring his shoulders, I asked, “Thad, where am I?”

  “The City,” he said. “We’re still on the eastern shore of the island, the dry side. If you’ve noticed, it never rains here, but the west gets tons of rain. There’s literally a rain forest over there. There’s also a volcano—”

  “Thad, stop.” My voice was sharp. “I mean what island.”

  “Nil,” he said flatly. “You’re on the island of Nil.”

  “Nil?” I asked, combing my memory. I’d paid attention in social studies. Not to mention I had a weird fascination with maps. One entire wall of my room was covered with a giant world map. I’d studied it for hours, dreaming of all the places I’d like to go. Distant countries, famous cities, remote islands. None were named Nil. “I’ve never heard of it,” I said.

  “Neither had I until I got here.”

  “But where is here? What is this place?”

  Thad ran his hand through his hair. “To be honest, I don’t know. It just is.”

  It just is.

  A chilling scene burst behind my eyes: my broken body lying on the pavement, my head cracked and bleeding, the Target bull’s-eye sparkling in the distance as a handful of EMTs stared down at me, shaking their heads.

  “Am I dead?” My voice was strangely calm. “Or am I dreaming? Is any of this real?”

  “You’re not dead, Charley,” Thad said quietly. “And it’s definitely no dream.” Then he smiled, his tone forcibly lighter as he pointed to my feet. “How are those sandals working out?”

  Thrown by his random question, I answered automatically. “Fine.”

  “Really? Because they look too big.”

  “They’re a little big,” I admitted. “But it’s better than nothing. That red rock was awful.”

  “Sharp, eh?” Thad nodded. “C’mon, let’s get you some sandals that fit.” He motioned for me to follow. As we walked, Thad barely made a sound. He had an athlete’s grace—strong, fluid, and confident.

  Thad disappeared inside a small rock hut at the edge of the camp. A minute passed, then Thad popped his head back out. “Are you coming?” He looked amused. “I don’t bite.”