Gateway to Fourline (The Fourline Trilogy Book 1) (12 page)

The forest was quiet. Nat looked toward the tops of the trees for the birds. Instead of them, she saw three treetops swaying like someone had pulled back their tips and let go. The rest of the trees stood motionless. The swaying trees reminded her of something, something she couldn’t remember. The movement made her skittish. She turned and looked around the forest. The sunlight reached the forest floor, but it illuminated only the lush ferns and rotted logs scattered around the massive trunks. Nat jogged toward the hidden entrance and glanced back at the trees.

“You are in the wrong place, Sister,” a voice hissed from above. Nat’s eyes widened as she took in a figure crouching over the top of the rock chute she’d just climbed down. Its skin was smooth and rippled with a swirling bluish color. It had two silvery-blue faceted discs for eyes.
Annin has the same eye.

A memory hurtled back to Nat of a blue figure jumping from tree to tree on the other side of the dream barrier she’d set up last night. She held her breath and stepped farther away from the strange creature. Her hand clutched the hilt of her dagger. The figure lifted an arm that ended in a sharp point.

“Why are you going from there to here?” It extended its pointed arm in the direction she’d come from.

The entrance wasn’t far—just around the boulder. The creature stood. Its pointed feet curled around the edge of the rock chute.

“The Nala control this forest, Sister. Your place is north, at least for now,” it hissed as it leaned forward, clinging to the rocks with its feet.

Was this thing the Nala that Benedict had warned her about? He’d said they’d leave her alone, but this one didn’t look like it intended to let her go peacefully. It looked like it was ready to toss her around with its pointed hands. Nat drew out her dagger and pushed away her cloak, exposing the pattern on her arm.

It leaned farther forward. Glimpsing the markings on Nat’s arm, the creature hissed and twisted its head to the side. “Can’t be! Your House was destroyed!” the Nala screamed, its body elongating, then compressing in fury. “He lied! He lied!” The creature sprang from the rock to the treetop, screeching and hissing. It threw itself into the next tree, then another, until Nat could no longer see it, but its hissing screams echoed through the forest. Nat raced around the boulder to the entrance, keeping her dagger out and ready. She quickly glanced up to make sure the beast was gone, then pushed at the membrane. If the creature followed her, what would happen to Estos and the others, let alone her?

The strange orb was waiting on the other side of the membrane and zoomed off down the tunnel as Nat fell, panting, on the dirt floor. Her dagger dropped with a thud. The Nala’s screams echoed in her head, but no sound came from the other side of the membrane. Nat retrieved her dagger, pulled herself up, and ran down the tunnel to warn Estos.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ethet cut the strip of gauze and moved between Riler and Andris toward Nat. She wrapped the wet gauze around Nat’s wrist, and a tingling sensation spread through Nat’s injured hand up her arm. Annin forced an enormous mug into her good hand. Nat grimaced as she sipped—it tasted like dirt. She looked over the rim. Everyone was in busy little clusters, discussing her jumbled description of the encounter with Benedict. She heard Estos whispering to Barba about sending her back in to help the odd old man. He quickly glanced her way, then bent his head closer to Barba. No one said a word about her warning. She trembled with frustration.

“Didn’t you hear me? There’s a crazy-looking blue creature on the other side,” she said again. If that thing had seen her come through the membrane, it could be scrambling its way down the tunnel right now. Instead of grabbing one of the fifty swords she’d seen stacked in the warehouse, Oberfisk and Riler were busy crushing herbs for Ethet.

“The Nala can’t come through, Natalie,” Annin said. She was dressed in a deep-red shift with long bell-shaped sleeves. A thick black band held back her wild hair. She motioned to Nat to take another sip. “Nothing organic can come through if it doesn’t already exist on the other side. The Nala don’t exist here.” Annin’s sleeve flopped to the side. Nat stared at the blue-tinted skin that she’d always assumed was some type of tattoo. Annin quickly pushed her sleeve down and grabbed the mug. The look on Annin’s face made Nat shiver.

“What are the Nala? Are they some kind of predator?” She caught Oberfisk’s eye, but he coughed and turned toward Riler. She scanned the room, searching for someone who would answer her question. Andris stood near the tunnel entrance, legs askance. His arms were crossed tightly over his broad chest.

“What makes you think they are predators?” This was the first time his steely eyes weren’t filled with disdain when he looked at her. He had a genuine look of curiosity.

“The forest was full of birds before I saw it. Right before it appeared, the woods went silent,” she explained.

Sister Barba broke in before Andris could reply. “It is a type of predator, Natalie. A complicated predator. The Nala are highly intelligent. They live in areas near the coast. Once they were satisfied with preying on aquatic life, but that was long ago.” She glanced down the tunnel. Her orb hovered near her face, casting light on her pale skin. The orb was another thing that confounded Nat, but an explanation could wait. Barba was finally providing useful information, and Nat wasn’t about to let her stray from the topic at hand. “The Sisters and the Nala reached an agreement many generations back. But I fear the Nala are no longing abiding by all the terms.” Barba shook her head and gave Ethet a knowing look.

“You should’ve told me about them before I went in.” Nat glanced at Estos. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Oberfisk nodding slightly.

Andris laughed as he unsheathed his dagger and began picking at the blade. “Would you have gone in? Would you have believed us if we’d told you about them?” Nat said nothing. “See our point? Too much information doesn’t serve our end. Estos was right not to tell you,” he said.

Estos shot a warning look at Andris.

“What? It was your decision not to tell me?” Nat lifted herself carefully from the bench and walked gingerly to Estos, who stood a few steps from Andris. He wore a chocolate-colored vest with tiny silver leaves embroidered along the edges. “He gets a look for telling me you lied?” She pointed to Andris, whose mouth curved into a smirk. “But it’s okay for you to send me in there with no idea of what was waiting for me?”

“Has the notion that our world exists been easy for you to accept?” Estos’ voice held an edge. A flush covered his pale cheeks. She frowned and shook her head. “It was difficult for all of us to understand your world when we came here. You have to trust that I gave you the information I thought you needed for the trip.”

“You thought wrong, Estos.” A hush settled over the room. Nat continued, trying to keep her anger under control. Estos shifted, but kept his gray eyes locked on hers. “My world doesn’t have threatening blue creatures with spikes for hands.”

“No, it has nuclear weapons, satellites that track your every movement, and drones and missiles that can evaporate you during a walk in the park. It has so much more than our world—so much more, Natalie,” Andris said bitterly.

“Andris, enough,” Estos ordered.

“None of us wanted to discourage you from helping us by informing you about our country’s unique inhabitants.” Barba was at her side, her arm extended. Nat suddenly realized she was exhausted and shaking. She cautiously took Barba’s arm, and they returned to the bench. “You were never in any danger from the Nala. I promise,” Barba reassured her. “Those markings on your arm.” She pushed up Nat’s sleeve as she knelt beside her. “They’re special. No Nala would harm you.” Barba’s voice reminded Nat of her mother’s, soft and comforting.

“How does a drawing on my arm protect me from that thing back there?” She gestured to the tunnel.

“The Nala would never accost a Sister from the Warrior House. Your markings”—she traced the pattern on Nat’s arm—“and your dagger are from the oldest Warrior House. A Nala would never attack if it saw those markings.”

“Why? You said they’d broken their agreement.” She tried to stifle a yawn but failed.

Barba’s wide green eyes were filled with kindness. She patted Nat’s hand as she explained, “Because the Sisters of the Warrior House are trained to protect others from the Nala. The markings on your arm are from a very old, very special Warrior House. The Sisters from that House were trained from an early age to not only protect our population but also actively seek out the Nala and destroy them. When the Nala saw your markings back in the forest, it knew better than to remain anywhere near you.”

Nat closed her eyes a moment. “But I’m not a Sister, and I haven’t trained since childhood in the extermination of blue creatures.”

“It worked, didn’t it? You made it work, Natalie.” Barba curled her small fingers around Nat’s hands. “Your intelligence is a more effective weapon than brute force.” Andris shook his head and turned to face the tunnel entrance. Silence settled over the room.

Estos paced in front of her, looking worried. “Natalie, I think you understand what’s at stake for me, for us.” He folded his hands in front of him. “There’s no point in postponing the question: What will it take for you to go back and help Benedict?”

She looked around the room. Every set of eyes was on her. She could almost feel their anxiety and fear. Her anger seeped away. If she said no and walked out the door, what would happen to them? Could they find someone else or figure out another plan in three or four weeks? She doubted she was as special as Barba made out, but if it had taken Barba more than a year to assess her fitness to travel to Fourline, the likelihood of finding someone else who would willingly travel there so soon was slim. She’d heard Estos’ and Benedict’s grim thoughts on what would happen to the people of Fourline if Estos didn’t return. The daily news from her world was filled with examples of how dictatorial regimes manipulated and killed people. Would the same fate befall the people of Fourline?

She thought back to all the conversations she’d had with Estos and Barba and realized they hadn’t lied to her. They just hadn’t told her everything. As much as the Nala freaked her out, it had run away from her after it had seen her markings. She looked up at Estos. His lips were set in a thin line and dark circles hung under his eyes. What would happen to him if she didn’t go back? She swallowed.
I must be insane,
she thought. She opened her mouth to agree to help, but Estos broke in before she could say anything.

“We’ll pay your entire tuition for next year if you help Benedict.”

Nat’s eyes widened, and tea dribbled into her lap from the mug that dangled in her hand. Andris scoffed.

“Leave her be, Andris. She’s had enough, and she’s already done us a great service. We can’t expect her to return for nothing.” Estos turned away from the soldier. “Would you agree to return in exchange for the money?”

Nat looked at her bandaged wrist. His words stung. Did he truly think she was solely motivated by money? “Estos, that’s twenty thousand dollars if I keep my scholarships.”

“Extortion!” Andris spat on the floor and took two long strides toward the bench. “We don’t need her. We know what the problem is. I’ll go in,” he said to Estos. “Gennes will do anything I ask once he sees me. He’s not going to lift a finger to help Benedict or this imposter.” He thrust a finger at Nat.

“You heard her, you’d be dead before you got to Benedict’s.” Annin hopped off the counter and moved quickly between Andris and Estos. “Or worse, they’d take you to Mudug and force you to talk.”

“I’d die before I talked.” Andris’ voice was cold as he glared at Annin.

“Are you certain, Andris?” Ethet nervously touched her short gray hair. “I know the Chemist. If Mudug’s men captured you, he’d see you stayed alive until you told him everything. Your strength and training are no match for him.” Andris scowled at Ethet. Her long, lithe figure leaned over the work table as she addressed Andris. “If you were captured, if any one of us were captured, everything we’ve worked for and everything and everyone we’ve lost would be for nothing.”

“Don’t speak to me of the dead, Sister.” Andris’ voice was cold. “All you’ve lost is your precious power and your precious House. I lost much more.”

“No more than I did, Andris.” Estos spoke in a low voice. “I’ll not add you to their names.”

The room was silent. Nat looked from face to face. Riler, Kroner, and Oberfisk looked very much like they wanted to be anywhere but in this room. Barba’s knuckles were white as she held Cairn’s hand. Annin turned away. Ethet’s face was flushed.

Estos broke the silence. “Cairn, can we pay her what I’ve offered in advance?”

Cairn nodded.

“Annin, can you pathway the Sisters to Natalie’s dream space to train and teach her before she returns?”

“Of course,” Annin said.

“It’s up to you, Natalie. Will you help us?” Estos’ pale eyes settled on her.

She nodded before she could think.

“It’s settled, then.” Estos stood.

Everyone but Nat began talking. She slumped against the wall, feeling slightly ill.

Estos approached Andris. The soldier looked past Estos’ shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes. “She will squeal the minute they catch her.” Andris’ voice was hard but pleading.

“No one will catch her, and unlike you, she has nothing to tell them,” Estos responded so only Andris could hear.

“If you send her in, she is as good as dead.” Andris spoke softly. He studied the young king intently.

“I wouldn’t send her in if I didn’t think she had a good chance of coming back.”

“A chance?” Andris scoffed. “She has as much a chance as a long-eared rabbit in a Rustbrook stew kitchen.”

Estos looked over at Nat, who was now deep in conversation with Sister Barba and Ethet. “Barba is no fool. She’s confident in her choice.”

“Intelligence over strength, I heard her. But where does complex thinking get you if a Nala’s about to jump on your back?” Andris wore a troubled expression.

“She can run. You just need to teach her how to fight and get away.” He patted his friend on the shoulder. “We picked her for a reason, Andris. If you train her, she’ll have more than a chance. She’s up to the task.”

Andris raised his eyebrows. “You won’t interfere with my training?”

Estos held up his hands. “No. I promise. I’ll have Annin pathway you.”

“I wouldn’t tell her ahead of time.” Andris watched as Nat listened tiredly to Barba. The girl glanced up and found him observing her and looked away quickly. “She doesn’t like me much.”

Estos laughed. “Can you blame her?”