CHAPTER 39

The sun was low in the sky—a couple strikes before sundown, I guessed—when a bell was rung some distance away. By then Griffin, Nyla, and I had cured the most advanced cases of Plague. The rest could wait until later. I wouldn’t let Griffin continue until he had rested.

We trudged out of the shelter. Clan folk filed along the street, drawn by the bell’s pure, sweet sound. Like us, their footsteps were labored, heads bowed, faces solemn.

I didn’t need to ask why we were being summoned. The dead needed to be released within a day of passing. But how many dead would there be? And how many of them were killed in the inferno that I had created?

A lone figure walked against the tide of clan folk—a child, not much bigger than Dennis. I signaled to the others to go on without me, and followed the child. I was sure that it was Kieran.

He stopped before the remains of the Sumter ship, which straddled the street like a beached whale. Some of it would be salvaged, I figured—the large pieces of wooden hull, and the metal winches—but we’d never be able to rebuild such an enormous craft.

I joined him. “Hard to believe this ship used to be bigger than a building.”

Kieran didn’t look at me. “Nothing’s as big once it dies. Nothing that matters, anyway,” he added, looking around him at the bloated rats.

He picked his way around the ship’s timbers and continued walking toward the edge of Skeleton Town. I fell in step with him. I was worried, and I didn’t want him to be alone. I’d seen last night’s events from the same vantage point as him, so I knew the images that must be playing through his mind.

We were past the buildings when he said sharply, “You told me you’d rescue them.”

I nodded, though he still wasn’t watching. “I know. I . . . I’m sorry. How is your father now?”

“He’s not my father,” said Kieran quietly. “And she wasn’t really my mother. They were my protectors. My parents were elementals, like me. We lived on a tiny island in Chesapeake Bay. It’s not far from Roanoke Island, so I got to see their elements working. And when a few rats came ashore during a storm, I found out what I can do too.”

“Why did you leave?”

“We were there six years. But after every storm, the island got smaller. The water level rose too. It got so we could walk around the island and see each other the whole time. There wasn’t enough room to grow food. Mother got scared—said we wouldn’t make it through the winter. So they built a raft and we headed south for Roanoke.”

We were heading for the mainland bridge now. Hard to believe that Roanoke Island had been his parents’ destination. I didn’t need to ask if they had made it. We’d have seen them, if they had.

“A storm came through and pushed us off course,” he continued. “We grounded on the mainland. Rats found us. I controlled them—kept them away. But it was tiring. And then we ran aground again. The rats had followed us along the shore—thousands of them. I think . . .” He hesitated. “I think it was because I was controlling them. Father tried to keep us away from the shore, but he couldn’t do it. The wind and waves kept pushing us back. And every time we touched land, the rats attacked, until I couldn’t stop them anymore.” He took a deep breath. “Once the storm was over, my parents started paddling again. Kept going, even when they got Plague. They wanted to reach Roanoke Island. But we didn’t even get out of Chesapeake Bay.”

“What happened then?”

“I gave up. I knew I was going to die too. I drifted ashore again, and I didn’t even paddle away. I let the rats come to me. And then I held them there for almost a whole day . . . just a few feet away from me. They couldn’t move. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t drink. They just stayed where they were, even when I fell asleep. I wanted to punish them. I wanted them to die.

“When I woke up, there was a clan ship nearby. A woman who was out fishing in a canoe saw me. She dragged me away from the shore. She didn’t know I was controlling the rats, but she risked her life for me anyway. She took me back to the clan ship. The others wouldn’t let me on, in case I had Plague. So she stayed with me on the raft. For three days her husband passed us food and water. Then they let me on.”

“Did they know you could control the rats?”

“No. I practiced when we got near shore, but only in secret.”

We were on the bridge now, but Kieran wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

“What happened when you got to Roanoke?” I asked.

“Jossi told us to leave. We should’ve just gone, but the Elders wanted to trade. Roanoke was a new place, and they wanted to explore. We never would’ve taken anything, but Jossi went crazy. He attacked us. Threatened to kill the Elders. That’s when I made the rats attack the pirates. Everything went wrong after that. And now the woman who saved my life is dead.”

“This isn’t your fault, Kieran.”

“So what? Nothing will stop the hurt.”

My mind returned to the scene during the night. It hadn’t occurred to me before, but now I understood why Kieran’s protectors hadn’t used their elements in self-defense—because they weren’t elementals.

We continued in silence. It was a long walk to the gap in the bridge, and I was sure that’s where Kieran was headed. Sure enough, he didn’t slow down until we were toeing the edge. Instinctively I put a hand in front of him.

“I’m not going to jump,” he said.

“Good. It’s a long way down. Kind of painful. I tried it once—wouldn’t recommend it.”

The plank was still down, connecting the two parts of the bridge. I’d make sure that it was gone before we left.

Kieran stared at the far shore, where the sun hovered just above the horizon. “Will you combine with me? Like you did last night.”

“I think your element is powerful enough without my help.”

“What element? If the rats are gone, I have nothing.”

I hadn’t thought about that. “I still need to know what your element actually is. How it feels.”

“Why? You combined with me fine last night.”

“Because I could see what you were trying to do. I just willed the same thing to happen—for those rats to come closer and closer.” I could tell that he still didn’t understand. “Look, when I combine with Ananias, I imagine the flame. With Dennis, it’s a gust of wind. Even Griffin—I think of energy pouring through him, as if I can force the cure to shift from person to person. I guess I need to know what it is that you want.”

Kieran was undeterred. He pointed to the mainland. “There are rats out there—have to be. And I . . . I want to send them a message.”

“What kind of message?”

“To stay away. If I have to, I’ll tell them every day for the rest of my life.”

He’d answered my question. Now it was my turn to follow through.

I closed my eyes and visualized rats on the mainland. Taking Kieran’s hand in mine, I implored them to listen to him. It felt slightly ridiculous and strangely empty, but I kept the connection, and our elements combined.

Several moments passed before we loosed hands. It wasn’t like usual, either. He didn’t pull away as if the work had been completed, but remained still, staring at the horizon with a puzzled expression.

“What is it, Kieran?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. There’s nothing out there.”

“You mean . . . all the rats are gone?”

“No. There’ll be more. But there aren’t any around here—not for miles. Which means we can go over there, right? We can grow food. And hunt.”

Sixteen years of warnings told me no, that it was impossible. But I believed him. I’d seen what Kieran could do, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was right now.

“Will the clan folk believe it?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I guess not right away. I’m not like them, you know? I’m an elemental, like you.” He sighed. “Doesn’t matter, anyway. Right now, this is the first time some of them have been able to live on land. Who can’t see the miracle in that?”