13

Selah moved farther away, trying to understand Jaenen’s wild, bulging eyes. He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms tightly over his chest, exposing the tip of a lightning bolt on his arm. Her newly heightened reasoning ticked off scenarios that would produce this kind of crazed response from him. Nothing this horrifying came to mind. He had the least emotions of anyone she knew.

“We should not stay here. Something is wrong. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s not good. I feel it.” Jaenen clutched at his head. His eyes jerked across the landscape, looking, searching. But Selah couldn’t tell for what.

She peered over the banister, trying to spot anything unusual. “Give me a clue, anything to go on. I haven’t seen any signs to make me think we’re in danger.”

Jaenen lashed out. “We need to go. Now!” He pushed past her, arms flailing. She stumbled back. His steps faltered, his legs turned wormy, and he fell facedown, unconscious.

Selah lifted his shoulder, turning his head. His eyelids lay partially open. His eyes—she screamed and let go.

Mari ran to her side. “What happened?”

Selah’s whole body shook. Her eyes widened as she touched Mari for support. “I don’t know. He just collapsed, ranting about something being wrong and we had to go. His eyes, they’ve turned white!”

Mari rolled him onto his back, checked his pulse, then used both her thumbs to raise his eyelids.

Selah’s heart pounded against her ribs. No pupils, and both eyes had gone bloodshot in a matter of seconds.

Mari sat back on her haunches. “His eyes rolled up in his head, but he’s got a strong pulse and is just unconscious. Has he eaten anything here in the forest today?”

Selah turned to Treva, who shook her head. “No, nothing. We were waiting for you and Cleon to come back. He had some water, but that was from our reclamation unit.”

“Tell me about his eyes. Were they making sudden movements? Was he sweating?” Mari pulled down on his chin to open his mouth.

“No sweating.” Selah stood up. “But his eyes darted around like a sand flea. That’s when he collapsed.”

“Oh, bugs and beetles!” Mari jumped to her feet and ran to a wooden panel near the front door. Loosening the latch, she swung the little door open, and a bizarre contrast of raw tree bark and high-tech electronics greeted her with several flashing lights. She pulled on a handle, turned a dial on the panel to the left, then returned the handle to its locked position. She shut the door and leaned back against it.

“He should be all right in a few seconds.”

As she spoke, Jaenen’s eyes fluttered open, clear of the milky whiteness. He sat up. “What happened? It felt like my head exploded.”

“You scared the breath right out of me,” Selah said, bending over him.

Treva and Cleon grabbed his arms to help him stand. Selah led him to the long seat against the wall. He sat blinking and stretching his eyes as he worked the muscles in his jaw. Selah had had the same need to relieve the pressure in her ears.

“Is your animal control affecting him like it did me?” Selah asked.

Mari nodded. “I’m afraid so. It’s so unusual that two strangers in one day would be affected the same way.”

Cleon joined them on the seat. “What kind of animal control would affect him like that?”

Mari pursed her lips. “Shortwave, high-frequency—it’s an animal deterrent actually. We have the systems built into our homes in addition to carrying portable devices. Selah experienced activation of a portable device around the coyote kill area, and Jaenen just experienced the colony-wide home systems activating for the night.”

Cleon opened his mouth, but Selah put her hand on his knee and shook her head. She knew his next question. “No, they don’t share technology.”

“Sadly, I understand.” He nodded. “I often fear that the technology in TicCity is going to fall into the wrong hands someday.”

A loud vibrating hum drifted through the air, filling the room. Mari walked to the wall, picked up a handle attached by a wire, and spoke into it. Selah hadn’t noticed the crude device hanging on the other side of the panel box, but she recalled that kind of communications from the history data glass. She could barely make out someone answering back.

Mari hung the device back on the wall. “We are being requested at the evening meal.”

Six pinpoints of light blinked on, bathing the darkening room in a soft white glow.

“How’d you do that?” Selah glanced around at the tiny lights no bigger than her pinky nail.

“Night lighting is on a timer.” Mari pointed. “Go out and look over the railing.”

The four of them walked to the porch. Treva oohed and aahed. It looked as though the stars had descended to earth. All through the forest tiny lights brightened the path.

Jaenen frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous? Won’t outsiders find you faster with that level of illumination?”

“No, this is another shortwave development. The light doesn’t carry that far. When you’re out of range, you don’t see them. Notice you can only see light for a short distance on the path. The lights are on all the way to the center of the colony, but shortwave doesn’t travel that far.”

“I like this place more and more every minute,” Selah said. She finally admitted to herself the country was more to her liking than TicCity. She’d tried to live that city life, but it didn’t give her the same peace she felt here. Maybe she should think of moving out of town near Cleon.

“Come, join us for the evening meal and meet our people.” Mari led them down the stairs and along a winding stone path between trees. The sounds of another waterfall drifted closer. The tree house, lights, and waterfalls enchanted Selah like the memory of Mother’s stories of fairies and wood sprites.

The path opened into a wide clearing with deeply trodden grass, stone seats, and what looked to be a wide stone well rising from the center of the clearing.

Cleon nudged her arm. She glanced at him and he pointed up. She turned and turned until she had taken in the complete circle. Her hand went to her mouth and she stared, mesmerized.

The colony square was more of a circle about two hundred feet in diameter. Ringing the circle were pairs of trees so huge Selah couldn’t guess at their height or girth. She suddenly felt very tiny. If there had been a hundred people holding hands, they might not have reached around a pair.

Some tree pairs were connected at the base because they had encroached on each other’s space a long time ago. And some had spaces between the two trees. But they all had one thing in common—the houses built against their trunks at random levels and with various designs. Stairs and walkways connected the houses and the trees. Each tree pair had between twenty and thirty homes dotting their sides, with new buildings under construction. The lowest house to the ground was still twenty feet high, and each had lights, adding a strange downward glow to the trees.

“How does something like this happen?” Selah stared in awe. “I’ve never seen . . . I keep saying that, but it’s true! What manner of trees are these?”

Mari shrugged. “They’re just plain old hemlock trees, and I mean the old part literally. The ones in this circle are the only remaining trees of the forest that saved our people from the deluge. The tsunami 150 years ago carved out a C-shaped piece of land with these trees in the center, and the accompanying earthquake heaved the land behind, turning soft hills into big hills. We are naturally protected on three—”

An arrow zipped by them. Selah concentrated on the next approaching sound and pushed Cleon away from the trajectory. The arrow thunked into the ground to the right of them. Another followed closely behind, clipping Selah in the left arm. Instant slicing pain. She cried out and grabbed her arm. Blood oozed between her fingers and ran to her wrist. Treva and Jaenen dove to the ground and pulled her down.

Selah winced in pain. Strangely, the only sound she heard was a waterfall crashing to the rocks and children’s voices.

Mari stood her ground. “Whoever is doing this, you are disrespecting my guests. Do you hear me! My guests.” Anger filled her once calm voice.

“They’re the danger the fathers foretold. Letting them come here will bring death for our disobedience,” a voice yelled, echoing in the circle.

“Jaris, I know your voice. I’ve heard it every day of my life since I can remember. The full weight of the realm is going to land on your head for this disrespect.”

“Get down!” Selah pulled at Mari’s arm, trailing a bloody streak from her hand down the arm of the woman’s buckskin shirt. With no real cover, the only option was running from the circle and creating an even bigger target.

“You’re disrespecting the will of the forefathers,” Jaris yelled. He was busier talking than aiming as he fired another arrow, and it missed its target.

Mari wrested her arm free from Selah’s grip and straightened her shirt. “I am not. I am regent.” She tapped a few keys on her wristband. “Everyone has their individual fletching on arrows.” She reached over and snatched up the three arrows from where they had found purchase in the dirt and waved them at the tree colony in front of her. “I will find you! You can’t hide from me, Jaris.”

Three of Mari’s men came running across the landing and down the stairs on the pair of trees closest to them. They hurried over to her. She thrust the arrows into the first man’s hand.

Selah could see the raging anger on Mari’s face. She wanted to tell her to just let him be. They’d be leaving in the morning, and these people had a right to their superstitions. Besides, she could feel the wound healing, though she couldn’t tell Mari how easily her body had begun healing itself in the last couple of months.

Splash! Selah glanced around. Where did the sound come from?

The man looked at the arrows, examining the feathers on the ends. “These two belong to Jaris, and this to Dumas,” he said as he held up the arrows.

“As I thought. Bring them to my colony chamber.” Mari moved to Selah’s side.

Selah kept her hand over the torn sleeve to hide the fact that her arm was no longer bleeding.

Splash! Screaming. “Help!”

Selah’s head snapped in the direction of the sound. “Someone’s in trouble.”

“Where?” Mari glanced around the circle, empty except for them.

Cleon dusted himself off. “I don’t hear anything.”

Treva and Jaenen glanced around, looking up at the tree homes.

“Help!”

Selah gasped at the suffocation. Someone was drowning. Her heart pumped harder. She pushed past the four of them and sprinted for the sound of the waterfall on the other side of the far trees. The others rushed behind her.

The closer she got, the more she smelled salt water. Chills mixed with her sweat.

She skidded into the clearing at the base of the pool below the waterfall. Off to the right a girl flailed in the water, while above her a boy and another girl tried to maintain a grip on moss-covered rocks as they edged their way over to the trees and safety.

“Is someone going to save her?” Selah yelled to Mari over the sound of rushing water. Her heart flip-flopped. The sea was the source of this waterfall. She paced back and forth, waiting for someone to jump in, and wrung her hands. There couldn’t be sea monsters in a pool. Could there? Somebody jump in, please!

Mari shook her head. “No one here swims. We haven’t since the Sorrows. The sea is a curse. The children know that.”

“So you’re going to let her drown?” Selah’s breath came in short, jagged gulps. She hated salt water. She couldn’t do it. Why did it seem to be chasing her? Somebody, please!

“It happens on occasion.” Mari’s face displayed resignation. “That girl’s father is the one who shot you. I’d think you’d be less than charitable.”

Panic seemed to overwhelm Selah. She went toward the water, then backed up, then went forward again.

Treva, having lived her life inside the Mountain, didn’t swim, but Cleon and Jaenen scrambled to get their boots off. Cleon wasn’t a strong swimmer, and Selah could see how a fighting girl could pull him under.

She touched Jaenen’s shoulder on the way to the water. “You shouldn’t be in the water so soon after that seizure. I’ll do it.”

Jaenen looked concerned. He grabbed her arm. “Are you sure? You were just shot and you panicked when we passed over salt water.”

A gurgling scream was drowned out by water. The child slipped below the surface.

Selah wrenched free. “I have to. There’s no one else, and I don’t care about her father. She’s a child.” Selah ran to the edge, slipped off her leather boots, took a couple of deep breaths, and jumped into the pool opposite the base of the waterfall. Ice-cold water greeted her like a slap in the face, freezing her muscles and turning them into instant sludge. She gasped and swallowed a mouthful of salt water. Coughing, she swept the hair from her eyes and gained her bearings.

The child’s flailing arms beat at the surface to her left. She gurgled and slipped under the water again. Her body went limp and floated to the surface facedown. Selah’s powerful strokes brought her in range in a matter of seconds. She grabbed the child, flipped her over. No time to start her breathing there.

Selah wasn’t sure how long she could force herself to stay calm in the water as the fear closed in on her and tightened her throat. She struggled for air. Her fear was irrational—there were no creatures with large teeth waiting to rip her to shreds. She labored to breathe and pull the girl to shore by the back of her tunic.

Cleon reached for the child while Jaenen reached down, grabbed Selah’s arm, and yanked her up. On hands and knees, she crawled along the grass, dry heaving once or twice and spitting out salt water. Falling to the ground and rolling on her back, Selah inhaled deeply. Still salty air, but she’d made it. Had she conquered the fear for good? Only time would tell.

Cleon pumped on the child’s chest while Treva blew into her lungs. Finally she regurgitated a spray of water, gasped for air, and began to cry.

Mari punched a few buttons on her wristband, spoke, and then looked down at Selah.

Jaenen helped Selah to her feet. “You’re shivering enough to break a tooth. I don’t have a coat, but I’ve got arms. Let me warm you.” He wrapped his arms around her, trying to ward off the shivers wracking her body.

Selah was grateful. Her teeth clacked so hard it was making her ears hurt. Between tremors she leaned into Jaenen’s warmth and watched Mari standing there, staring at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Selah asked through chattering teeth.

“I’m trying to figure out what and who you are.” Mari came closer and examined the tear from the arrow in Selah’s shirt. Selah looked down at it. Blood had saturated the tear earlier, but the water had cleaned the material.

Selah’s arms and legs felt as weak as dandelion stalks. She just didn’t have enough extra energy to lie. She tried to wrap her hand over the spot, but Mari gently moved her hand away.

“You aren’t bleeding anymore,” Mari said, fingering the material.

Selah gave a nervous half smile. “It was just a scratch. I’ll be fine.”

“It bled, yet there’s no torn skin, or even a mark that there was bleeding.” Mari looked from the sleeve into Selah’s eyes. “Who are you?”

Selah pushed the wet hair back from her face. “I’m just a traveler trying to get to the Mountain.”

Colony people began to gather at the water’s edge.

Mari let out a sigh. “I think we’d better forgo a community meal. I’m having my men bring dinner to my place. You need dry clothes, and I’d like to get you out of my colony before something else happens.”

Selah nodded with a teeth-chattering smile. “At least we broke that curse and no one died.”

Mari motioned for them to follow her back to her home. “You haven’t left yet.”